Alyssa Thomas is having a season like no other player in the W. Two years after rupturing her Achilles tendon while playing overseas, the Connecticut Sun forward is dominating every facet of the game and stuffing stat sheets on a nightly basis. AT is averaging a career-high in points (15.5), leads the League in rebounds (9.9) and ranks second in assists (7.9). 

“It was super hard,” Thomas, who’s in her 10th season, says about away from the game. “That whole process—that was my first major injury, which I needed surgery on. I was playing some really great basketball. There’s always that in the back of your mind that you won’t be the same player…It was a very hard recovery mentally and physically for me.”

The stigma that comes with suffering an injury of that magnitude—whether she’d return to normal form—crept in the back of her mind, but Thomas knew she couldn’t sulk despite feeling like she hit rock bottom. During that dark period, DeWanna Bonner, her All-Star teammate and fiancée, came to her aid to let her know there was a light at the end of the tunnel. 

“She came to see me after I had my surgery, I hadn’t left my room and she wasn’t having it,” Thomas says with a laugh.” She made me come out of my room and took me out. From that moment on, that jump-started me to getting my stuff together and attacking the rehab.”

On the eve of the playoffs, AT has a League-record 27 double-doubles and is the first player in WNBA history to lead the League in total rebounds (394) and assists (316) in the same season. Thomas also became the first player to post 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals in a game. She joined A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart in the MVP race. 

“It’s huge,” she says of the recognition. “I think that’s the highest accolade you can get as an athlete in this sport. For your name to go down as an MVP, that’s something that stands forever. With so many great players that are playing now and have gone through this League to be an MVP, and [to] stand with all other MVPs—like I said, the hugest honor you can accomplish.”

Thomas acknowledges that she likes to let her game do the talking and doesn’t get caught up in all the hoopla of the MVP race, rankings and championship favorites from outsiders. 

“For me, it’s a lot,” she says. “I’m not one that’s big on social media and all the attention, so the fact that there’s something with people talking about the race or interviews asking why you should be the MVP—I’m definitely ready for the MVP [talk to be over] so I can focus on the playoffs.”

Despite being an MVP contender and leading the No. 3-ranked Sun to a 27-13 regular season record, Thomas feels she and the team have been overlooked throughout the season. 

“When you look at the preseason rankings, we were nowhere near the top,” she says. “So many people talked about [the fact] that we lost [in the WNBA Finals] and kinda forgot about what we did have. We really are a contender, and I don’t think anyone’s been talking about us.”

Whether she’s named MVP or not, AT has her sights set on something bigger than individual accolades: a WNBA championship. After falling short in 2019 and last season, the do-it-all forward is hungrier than ever and focused on bringing the franchise its first-ever title come October. 

“The one thing about me is that my game is different,” she says. “I bring a different look to the game, yet I’m playing hard each and every game—the same intensity and energy level. The biggest thing is I’ve never changed who I am as a player, made my style or how I play basketball fit into this League. I think that’s a huge reason why I’m having a season that has never been seen before.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Sun Star Alyssa Thomas is Shining Brighter Than Ever This Season and Rewriting WNBA History Books appeared first on SLAM.

There’s no denying that the New Balance 550 is one of the most popular silhouettes on the market right now. Designed in 1989 by Steven Smith, the sneaker was made as a modification of the NB740—James Worthy’s signature sneaker—to appease the needs of high school, college and select Boston Celtics players. 

Smith, whose résumé includes the Reebok InstaPump Fury, NB997, Nike Zoom Spiridon 2 and select Yeezy models, created the low-top counterpart, which featured pivot circles on the outsole, tip saddle foxing and a forefoot sway bar where numeric branding was positioned. 

“I got that idea from automotive design language,” Smith said to Sneaker Freaker. “It helped athletes keep their feet when they were running, cutting and changing direction rapidly.” 

Originally known as the 550 Basketball Oxford, the sneaker was priced at $45. After a small US run, the shoe was exported to UK and Asian markets before it was ultimately shelved. Three decades later the sneaker returned, thanks in part to Teddy Santis, founder and creative director of the New York-based brand Aimé Leon Dore. He sought to revive the model after browsing a Japanese catalog. Santis and New Balance tracked down an original pair from an overseas collector and immediately went to work. 

“We found a scan in our archives of the old tech pack Steven Smith drew by hand,” Paul Kaseumsouk, a product line manager at New Balance, told Sneaker Freaker. “Nailing down the shape, the tooling, every single stitch line down to the millimeter—we obsessed over it. It took us 10 rounds of samples and 18 months of trial and error to get it to where we wanted to be.” 

Santis’ ALD and the Boston-based brand had already formed a partnership, releasing a myriad of collaborations—997s, 990v2s, 990v5s, 827s and 1300s. For the 550’s return, ALD released four colorways as part of their “International Friendship Through Basketball” collection, with slight updates to the 31-year-old sneaker. The white leather was replaced with eggshell tones and the midsoles featured an aged aesthetic. 

Aside from ALD, other cultural figures have been able to put their touches on the 550, and a slew of inline colorways have been released over the last two years. As part of his “Conversations Among Us” initiative, Chicago creative Joseph Robinson, aka Joe Freshgoods, released his iteration of the late ’80s basketball sneaker—a cream canvas upper with hairy suede overlays and an aged yellow midsole—last April. 

Klutch founder Rich Paul also has his own set of 550s. Two years after becoming the first sports agent to have a sneaker collaboration, Paul and New Balance released a pair with an off-white perforated leather upper, navy detailing and yellowed New Balance logos. His name was featured on the woven labels and insoles to customize the design in a way similar to most player-edition sneakers.

Paul’s sophomore collab, which released back in July, features a premium lavender suede upper with purple accents. His name makes another appearance on the tongue tag, with contrasting white shoelaces, a white midsole and a lavender-colored outsole to finish off the look. 

“The 550s for me have always been about that nostalgic feel,” Paul told Esquire last month. “I had this feeling about the 550, and for the first [collab], I thought the 550 silhouette wasn’t new, but it wasn’t really known or understood. Now I feel like more of the masses are aligned with the 550, so I wanted to bring it back one more time. The next one will be a different silhouette.” 

Nearly three years since the return of a once forgotten model, Kaseumsouk admits he didn’t know the impact the shoe would have on today’s sneaker culture. 

“We knew we had something special with the 550 and that ALD was going to tell that story perfectly,” he told Sneaker Freaker. “But we didn’t know just how big it was going to be.” 

Photo via Getty Images.

The post Rebirth of Cool: How the New Balance 550s Made a Major Return Decades After Its Original Release appeared first on SLAM.

Jerami Grant is quick to admit that he has chameleon-like characteristics on and off the court. Long before the NBA, Grant knew how to fit in and gel with other players, especially the highly-touted prep stars he called teammates. At perennial powerhouse DeMatha Catholic (MD) HS, Grant, a four-star forward in the Class of 2012, played alongside Quinn Cook, Victor Oladipo, Josh Selby and his brother Jerian. “It’s helped me a lot,” Grant tells SLAM. “Pretty much my whole basketball career, I’ve been playing with guys of great caliber. We had five NBA players on a high school team.”

Playing alongside guys of said caliber helped Jerami learn how to be effective on the basketball court by doing more than scoring. It also helps when you come from a bloodline of hoopers. Jerami and brothers Jerian, Jerai and Jaelin—known as the J-Boys—are sons of former NBA player Harvey Grant, who spent 11 years in the Association and is the twin brother of four-time NBA champion Horace. 

“It was competitive,” Jerami reminisces on his childhood. “Always playing 1-on-1 with my brothers, working out and everybody wanted to be the best. The competitive edge is something I’ve been able to carry over from [the] younger days to now.”

Despite catching the tail end of his father’s career, Jerami remembers spending lots of time in NBA arenas and locker rooms, meeting some of his father’s and uncle’s teammates—Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan.

In high school, Grant held offers from Georgetown, Syracuse, Maryland, Marquette and Clemson before committing to play for the Orange. As a sophomore, Jerami averaged 12 ppg and 7 rpg while shooting close to 50 percent from the field before entering the draft, where he was selected 39th overall by Philadelphia in 2014. 

In Philly, he averaged 8.2 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 142 games before being traded to Oklahoma City. His numbers nearly stayed the same for the Thunder, but his percentages across the board—FG (50.3), 3FG (36.8), FT (67.5)—improved. Despite three seasons in OKC, Grant was traded to Denver in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick. 

In Denver, he put up 12.0 points a night and his numbers continued to rise. After the global pandemic put the game and world on pause during the second half of the 2019-20 season, competition resumed in the bubble in Orlando, FL, where Grant continued to showcase his ability to affect both sides of the floor. Tasked with guarding Kawhi Leonard, Grant used every inch of his 6-8, 210-pound frame to hold the reigning Finals MVP to 13 points on 4-17 shooting—Leonard’s lowest-scoring playoff game since 2016—and halt his postseason streak of scoring 15 or more points per game at 47. 

The Nuggets’ first two playoff matchups against the Jazz and Clippers would go to seven games before the team would lose to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. When free agency hit, the Pistons offered one of the League’s most sought-after forwards a three-year, $60-million deal. The Nuggets ended up matching the offer sheet, but Jerami was looking for a more enhanced offensive role and there was no better place to do that than the Motor City. 

In his first season in Detroit, Grant put up a career-high 22.3 points per game to go along with 4.6 boards, shooting 43 percent from the field, 35 percent from the three-point line and 84 percent from the charity stripe. He suffered a UCL sprain in his thumb as well as a calf strain, which limited him to only 101 games in his last two seasons. 

“When the offseason came around this summer, he got the type of call he’s become familiar with throughout his career. While in Paris for Fashion Week, Grant’s agent would notify his client that he was being traded once again.”

The details: Grant was going to Portland for a 2025 first round pick (1-4 are protected) via Milwaukee, sending him into a $21M trade exception that gave Detroit $43 million in cap space.

“It was a bit abrupt,” he says of the trade. “A bunch of trade rumors and stuff like that. That one, obviously, had a ton of traction throughout the season. It wasn’t a huge surprise, but definitely all of a sudden.”

Now, entering his ninth season on his fifth team, Grant’s looking forward to starting a new chapter in Rip City. He joins a team with a reshaped roster and a franchise player who’s fully committed to building something special in Portland. 

“I was excited, man,” Damian Lillard tells SLAM of when he found out about the trade. “It was a big moment for me because I had been wanting to play with Jerami for a couple years now. Just seeing him being on a winning team in OKC, then on a winning team in Denver and then kind of taking that leap out there in Detroit to be that No. 1 option and see where he can stretch himself out to really show his game. I love what he did in Detroit, and it brought him to a new comfort level with having to handle the ball, make plays and stuff. 

“Everybody already knew he was the long, rangey athlete who can make threes, play above the rim, block shots [and be] versatile. Him having to go to Detroit and spread his wings and having that pressure on him every night is only going to make him even more valuable for us. Having a 4-man that plays 1 through 5, make threes, athletic; he’s big, he has good skills and he’s been in the right types of things to be coming into our team as our starting 4, and I think he’s going to help us.”

During the 2020 Olympics, Lillard and Grant played alongside each other to propel Team USA to a Gold medal. Lillard admits despite not being able to get the full Olympic experience due to the pandemic, it only made his relationship with his teammates, especially Jerami, that much stronger. 

“That made us spend a lot of time together in the lounge, throughout the hotel at dinners and stuff like that,” Lillard continues. “JG sat either in front of me or behind me on the bus every day to practice and to games. Every day on the bus, we’d be talking about our situations with our team, and we were on teams together during practice. After practice, we’d be sitting next to each other, and we’d just spend a lot of time in the Olympics talking about how we would both want to play with each other…I’m just glad it came to life. He’s going to be—talent-wise and just the experience in what he’s done—our best 4-man in a long time since [LaMarcus Aldridge].”

It’s a mid-summer day in August and Grant’s speaking to us from his home in Maryland. The offseason’s been an eventful one for the 28-year-old. Aside from basketball-related obligations, Jerami spent time in Paris, one of his favorite places to visit. 

“The history of it and everybody knows that’s the fashion capital of the world,” he says. “If you’re in to fashion and things like that, that’s where you want to experience it.”

The same way Jerami’s laser-focused on the intricacies of the game—learning opponents’ habits, making the right reads, being in the perfect spot on rotations to improve his shooting—he’s just as meticulous with the way he studies the runway. 

“Eventually I do want to design and be able to be in that space in a different way,” he says. “I want to learn the ropes and how things work. I’m observant and paying attention to the way they move and the pieces that they put out. I’m not just going to shows for pictures, but to study what they’re putting out and different lines and stuff like that.”

Grant’s passion for fashion became more evident this year. His versatility has shown, too, with different statement pieces from brands like Balenciaga to Rick Owens, getting him out of his comfort zone to try new looks. He’s also emerged as a top candidate to win LeagueFits’ Most Improved Award. 

“I think I’m a bit of a chameleon,” Grant says when asked to describe his style. “I don’t have a uniform yet; I feel I’m all over the place with whatever I like, whatever kind of fits me. To describe my fashion style, I think it’s definitely fashion forward and more of a Japanese style, especially right now. If I like it, I’m going to put it on.”

Jerami shares his two current favorite brands—Issey Miyake and Comme des Garcons—and adds Maison Margiela and Balenciaga to the list. In a world where fashion connoisseurs stay up to date with the latest campaigns and archive hunters scour the internet for specific pieces, Grant has a few products that sit atop his list: Cartier Crash watches and vintage Goyard and Hermes bags.

As we continue to chop it up, Jerami shares another favorite interest: philanthropy. His organization, Hour Generation Foundation, hosts about eight or nine events a year and gives back to inner city youth and single parents. Grant has also helped fund a homeless shelter in Detroit that’ll provide resources and a safe space to those in need. 

“The way my mom raised me was you gotta give back,” he says. “I grew up going to church and with a strong foundation of giving back through philanthropy. I’ve been blessed with so much [and] it’s like a no-brainer that if you receive, you have to give.”

As Grant gets ready to report to training camp, he says he looks to expand his philanthropic efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest and is excited for the new start. The journey to get here prepared him for this moment. 

“Playing with a ton of great players has helped me grow into the player that can mesh into any situation,” Grant says. “I don’t need the ball in my hands in order to be a good player. I don’t have to do what I did in Detroit. I did that because it was needed. Whatever my team needs…whatever Chauncey [Billups] needs, whatever Dame needs, I’m going to be able to do it.” 

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Jerami Grant is Ready to Take His Game, and His Style, to the Next Level appeared first on SLAM.

“Audiences demand compelling content that speaks to them on a visceral level,” David Kelly, GSE’s Chief Business Officer, said in a statement. “With the launch of Golden State Entertainment, we are excited to create content that celebrates the nuances of our experiences as athletes, artists, and members of diverse communities in ways that not only entertain, but hopefully create opportunities for learning and deep engagement.”

Kelly’s career is rooted in the music industry. Known as Capital D, he was a member of hip-hop duo All Natural, which was an integral part of Chicago’s music scene in the ’90s. 

Recently, GSE helped facilitate the production of 38 At The Garden, the Jeremy Lin doc highlighting his ascent from two-star recruit to global star during the 2012 NBA season. On the music front, GSE signed Oakland’s own Mayzin as its first lead artist and added Georgia Muldrow, Rhymefest and J.U.I.C.E to the roster. The brand also partnered with K-Pop star BamBam to release the artist’s single “Wheels Up,” which he performed during halftime at Chase Center this past season. 

“Music has such a rich history in the Bay Area,” says Mayzin. “Being the lead artist for Golden State Entertainment provides an opportunity to be a voice that reflects and is understood by the community.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Golden State Entertainment (@goldenstateent)

The post The Warriors are Breaking Into the Film and Music Industry Through their Golden State Entertainment Company appeared first on SLAM.

Tari Eason experienced a meteoric rise up the draft boards over the past two years, so it’s only right he’s starting his NBA career with the Rockets.   

He first got a glimpse of what being a professional was like during the draft process. Tari Eason, a 6-8 forward from Seattle, WA, worked out with about 10 teams before being selected 17th overall by the Houston Rockets. The traveling from city to city and getting accustomed to different time zones gave him a preview of what to expect for an 82-game NBA season. 

“It was a good process,” he tells SLAM. “I think that it really taught me how to be a pro in some of the areas, like dealing with travel [and] taking care of my body.”

As he gets acclimated in H-Town, Eason looks to bring the same tenacity he brought in college to a Rockets team looking to build around a super-talented young core. 

He spent one year at Cincinnati, where he averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 23 games, and earned All-AAC Freshman honors. Eason then transferred to LSU and put up 16.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg while shooting 52 percent from the field and 80 percent from the charity stripe. He became the first player in SEC history to be named Sixth Man of the Year and First Team All-SEC in the same season. 

His incredible rise to becoming a first round draft pick is even more impressive when you consider that when he left high school a couple of years ago, he wasn’t even considered by “recruiting experts” good enough to be ranked in the top-100 in his class (and never saw his name up there throughout his high school career in Seattle, which included playing under Brandon Roy at one point and being teammates with Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels later on). 

When asked how his style of play would translate to the League, Eason doesn’t hesitate to mention his versatility and prowess on the defensive end. 

“Relentless defender who can guard multiple positions,” he says. “Bringing that defensive mindset to the team and…thrive in that role.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Tari Eason’s Meteoric Rise to Becoming a First-Round Draft Pick on the Rockets appeared first on SLAM.

—

Gilbert Arenas realized Skyy Clark was special very early on. The 12-year NBA vet first caught a glimpse of how special Clark, now a five-star PG in the Class of 2022, was before he stepped foot on a high school campus. 

“We lived next to each other, so I got to see him before he started his basketball career,” Arenas tells SLAM. “He was just a young kid playing around. Me and his dad played in a rec league together and we were blowing a team out so bad [and] he went in there and hit four threes.”

Arenas also signed off on Clark using the “Hibachi” nickname, one of the many monikers the three-time All-Star had in the NBA. 

“It was an honor for me that a young kid that talented wanted that name,” Arenas says. “I told him if you’re going to be ‘Hibachi,’ you gotta burn these people up and he’s doing it. It’s just an honor that he’d want to carry the name for the rest of his career.”

Clark comes from a lineage of professional athletes. His father Kenny played in the NFL as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings. Dante Culpepper is his cousin. He does strength and conditioning with Arenas at EPX Facility in Woodland Hills, CA, and soaks up free game on the court. Only a sophomore at Heritage Christian (CA) HS, Skyy has been exposed to the pro lifestyle since birth and knows the type of work it takes to make the next level. 

“The progress of Skyy’s development’s been unbelievable,” Arenas says. “The dedication that a kid has at this age is unreal. To see his development and his skill level at a peak right now is just unreal. There’s no surprise that he’s this talented at this age.”

During his freshman year, the 6-2, 175-pound PG led the Warriors to a 24-6 record and averaged 20 ppg, 7 rpg, 7 apg and 4 spg. He guided the Warriors to an Olympic League title and also earned Defensive MVP honors. 

“I actually like it better than scoring 30,” Skyy says about locking up. “I’ve had games where I’ve had 8 or 9 steals and those are the games that you know you shut someone down.”

This past season, Heritage Christian went 26-5 (7-1 in league) and Clark posted numbers of 24.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 4.4 apg. He was also named league MVP. 

“Skyy is definitely one of the elite guards in the country regardless of class,” Heritage Christian head coach Paul Tait says. “He’s a student of the game [and] he’s constantly watching film and getting better.”

He’s fielded offers from UCLA, Auburn, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Memphis, Georgetown and Michigan. Clark also spent last summer with Strive for Greatness in its inaugural season on the EYBL circuit.  

“Having LeBron on the sideline is a different type of feeling,” he says. “Just knowing that he’s got your back.”

When he’s not hooping, his hobbies vary from fishing—“Fishing takes a lot of patience,” he says—to dancing and making TikTok videos.

When it comes to his game, he’s a basketball savant. He draws comparisons to Kyrie Irving for his explosiveness and handle, but he studies all kinds of players—both present and former—and doesn’t put a limit to what he can do on the hardwood. 

“I watch Lou Williams, John Stockton for the pick-and-roll, some of James Harden’s stuff,” he says. “I’m trying to get Kobe’s post stuff. I just take a lot of players—everything they’re good at—and try to add it to my game.”

With two more seasons of high school basketball left and the idea of the prep-to-pros rule being lifted, Skyy Clark’s ready to take his game to the next level. 

“It can always go back to square one,” he says, referencing his motivation. “That’s why I always put in as much work as I can and give it my best, because I know there’s someone out there that could be working harder than me.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90.

Portraits by Ryan Young.

The post Class of 2022 Star Skyy Clark Is Married to the Game appeared first on SLAM.

With March Madness canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’ll be reliving some legendary tournament moments on the days when NCAA basketball would’ve been played. Enjoy.

—

Heartbreak city.

That’s how Gus Johnson described the last 40 seconds of UCLA’s miraculous come-from-behind win against Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 in 2006. The Bruins, heading into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, faced the No. 3-seeded Zags with one of the nation’s top-scorers in Adam Morrison (28.1 ppg).

It was one of college basketball’s best scorers against one of college basketball’s most historic programs. UCLA trailed by 17 points heading into halftime and shot a dismal 7-of-27 from the field. The Bruins rallied and would eventually cut the Zags’ lead to nine with just over three minutes left in the game. With under a minute left, trailing 61-58, Ryan Hollins sank two free throws to cut the lead to one.

On the ensuing inbounds, UCLA trapped Morrison in the corner, forcing him to make the pass to center J.P. Batista with another double coming at him. Jordan Farmar stripped Batista, passing it to then-freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for the layup to put UCLA up 72-71—its first lead of the game—with 9.1 seconds to go.

“UCLA has climbed the mountain,” an exuberant Johnson said.

Moments after the most important bucket of his basketball career, Mbah a Moute, who scored six of the Bruins’ last 11 points, made a diving, game-sealing steal on Gonzaga’s Derek Raivio. Shortly after, the cameras focused on Morrison, who buried his face in his jersey in total disbelief after realizing his collegiate career was coming to an end.

Aaron Afflalo would split a pair of free throws, giving Gonzaga a chance to send it to OT, but Batista’s 15-footer was nowhere near the rim as the Bruins bench rushed the court to celebrate the 73-71 win and their first regional final since 1997. Morrison, who finished with a game-high 24 points, was spread out near mid-court in tears.

Heartbreak city indeed.

—

PREVIOUS MEMORY LANE STORIES:

Illinois’ Elite 8 Comeback vs. Arizona in 2005

Michigan State’s National Title in 2000

Florida Gulf Coast’s Incredible Run in 2013

Butler vs. Duke in the 2010 National Title Game

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90.

Photo via Getty.

The post MEMORY LANE: UCLA vs. Gonzaga in the 2006 Sweet 16 appeared first on SLAM.

The Grizzlies organization provides valuable resources for everything from learning the fundamentals of the game to providing a safe space and mentorship for youth in the city that are looking for positive role models.

We recently caught up with Polo G in Hollywood to talk the Chicago Grizzlies, Windy City hoopers, NBA predictions and more.

SLAM: How did the whole concept of the Chicago Grizzlies start?

Polo G: The concept as far as me picking a name and everything, I came up with that because of the Chicago Bears. I know bears are like a Midwest animal and that was the inspiration for that. But just putting a new opportunity for the kids in my neighborhood.

SLAM: Aside from basketball, what other resources does the Grizzlies organization provide for the youth?

PG: An open ear for somebody that can help you out with whatever you’re going through. If the kids ever need anything outside of basketball, we’re there to support them.

SLAM: Why is that so important to teach kids?

PG: It’s so important because if these kids don’t have a positive role model or outlet to use their energy and time, they’re going to use it in a negative way. A lot of times when kids take matters into their own hands at such a young age, it goes wrong most of the time.

SLAM: What kind of inspiration do you want to be for the next generation?

PG: I just want to be an inspiration that guides kids into tapping their full potential and making their dreams come true.

SLAM: What do you tell kids who idolize you and want to be in the position you’re in?

PG: Something I make sure to tell kids is be the No. 1 believer in yourself because nobody’s going to believe in you or see your vision the way that you see it. You gotta make them believe it.

SLAM: Before rap, I read that you wanted to be a sports broadcaster like Stephen A. Smith. What was it about that role that interested to you?

PG: I just have smarts for the game. I used to watch basketball all day with my pops from sunup to sundown. I could watch it so much to where I know what was going on. So if me and my pops having a conversation [and] the same thing we were talking about in the game agreeing on, they saying on the sports show the next morning. That’s what inspired me to want to do it and just admiring the way that Stephen A. carried himself.

SLAM: I know you’re a father now—congratulations by the way. What’s fatherhood been like?

PG: Fatherhood is great. I just love to see a smaller me and love seeing my son coming into his own and seeing his personality come out at times. And really just try to be with him as much as I can because I know with my lifestyle it’s kind of hard.

SLAM: What makes Chicago hoopers different from those in New York or L.A.?

PG: Chicago hoopers got a grit to them. They hungry. They going to be the person on the court getting the rebounds, getting back and sticking on defense, you feel me? Just really going all out every possession, whether it’s on the offensive ball or defensive end. In the city, you just face a lot of adversity, so it makes you have a different kind of toughness to yourself.

SLAM: Growing up, who were some of your favorite hoopers?

PG: Patrick Beverly, Derrick Rose is No. 1, and Dwyane Wade, of course.

SLAM: Speaking of Chicago, what are some things you love about your city?

PG: Definitely the food. I love the landscaping of the city. The city is a very beautiful place. Aside from the other things you can get into in the city, it’s a lot of things you can get into as far as business-wise [and] people that you can link up with. It’s just a lot of different layers of stuff that you can get into in Chicago.

SLAM: When you’re not rapping, what are some things you be doing in your free time?

PG: If I’m not rapping or doing anything that’s with music, I’m chilling. It’s simple as that. I’m just chilling at the crib with my girl or my son.

SLAM: Which team and/or players have you been trying to keep up with this season?

PG: I’ve been looking at Ja Morant heavily. That’s like one of favorite players right now. I really rock with Zion Williamson, too. Devin Booker. But as far as teams, I’ve just been paying attention to the Lakers. I’m a big Chicago Bulls fan. I always root for the home team, but I’ve been paying attention to the Lakers.

SLAM: Any predictions for this season?

PG: I could see the Lakers winning the championship this year.

SLAM: What do you see in the next five years for the Chicago Grizzlies program?

PG: I see us being more established and being more known in the AAU world. Having some real top dogs on our team and just really dominating and having fun, too.

The post Polo G Talks AAU Program, Chicago Hoopers & More appeared first on SLAM.

Kristaps Porzingis posted a season-high 38 points in the W, his third straight game with 20 or more points. Seth Curry was Dallas’ second-leading scorer with 27 points. Luke Doncic missed Sunday’s action with a thumb sprain.

Bucks 93 (52-8), Hornets 85 (21-39)

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored the last nine points for the Bucks, finishing the day with 41 points to give Milwaukee its sixth straight win. The Greek Freak also grabbed 20 boards. Brook Lopez added 16 points.

Clippers 136 (41-19), Sixers 130 (27-24)

The Clippers had four players who finished with 20-plus points as Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 30 points. Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, one of the L’s top 1-2 bench duos, finished with 24 apieces in L.A.

Nuggets 133 (41-19), Raptors 118 (42-18)

Nikola Jokic messed around and had a triple-double (23 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists) on Sunday night. This was Jokic’s 43rd triple-double of the season. Jamal Murray finished with 22 points.

Kings 106 (26-34), Pistons 100 (20-42)

De’Aaron Fox sealed the game with a bucket down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Sacramento overcame a 17-point deficit in front of their home crowd. Buddy Hield put up 19 points off the bench.

Lakers 122 (46-13), Pelicans 114 (26-34)

It was one of those nights from LeBron James, who posted 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds against the Pelicans in the Big Easy. With no Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma filled in the void, scoring 20 points in the win. Averly Bradley and Danny Green had 10 apiece.

Wizards 124 (21-37), Warriors 110 (13-47)

Bradley Beal scored 22 of his 34 points in the first half. His streak of 25-plus point games is now at 18 (franchise record). David Bertans went 8-of-10 from beyond the arc and put up 29 points in 30 minutes.

The post Post Up: LeBron Posts Triple-Double in Win Against Pelicans 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

With the game close down the stretch, Lebron James (29 points) hit a clutch turnaround to give the Lakers the lead as they escaped with the W on Sunday afternoon.

Anthony Davis finished with 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma was huge off the bench, scoring 16 points.

Raptors 127 (41-15), Pacers 81 (33-23)

Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 21 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and Serge Ibaka finished with 15 points to give Toronto its 17th of 18th win. Matt Thomas (17 points), Terence Davis (13 points) and Rodae Hollis-Jefferson (12 points) combined for 43 bench points.

Nuggets 128 (39-18), Timberwolves 116 (16-39)

Four of Denver’s starters finished in double figures with Paul Millsap scoring 25 points in 26 minutes. Monte Morris had 13 points off the bench.

Thunder 131 (35-22), Spurs 103 (24-32)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with a team-high 22 points, Steven Adams finished with 21 points and Luguentz Dort went 6-for-6 from the field, adding 15 points in the win.

Bulls 126 (20-38), Wizards 117 (20-35)

Zach LaVine put up 32 points in 36 minutes in the home win. Coby White had an impressive performance, too, scoring 33 points off the bench.

Pelicans 115 (25-32), Warriors 101 (12-45)

Zion Williamson scored 28 points, scoring 20-plus points for the eighth-straight game. Jrue Holiday finished with 23 points and dished out 15 dimes in the Bay.

Trailblazers 107 (26-32), Pistons 104 (19-40)

CJ McCollum had a 41-point performance in the W. Carmelo Anthony was the Blazers’ second-leading scorer with 32 points.

The post Post Up: LeBron Hits Clutch Basket to Lead Lakers Past Celtics 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

Four of five of Milwaukee’s starters finished in double digits with Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 points) leading all scorers. Khris Middleton was the Bucks’s second-leading scorer with 28 points and Brook Lopez had 19.

Hawks 129 (16-41), Heat 124 (35-20)

With Quavo in attendance, Trae Young put up a career-high 50 points at Phillips Arena on Thursday night. De’Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter put up 17 points apiece and rookie Cam Reddish added 16 points off the bench.

Hornets 103 (19-33), Bulls 93 (19-37)

Charlotte took care of business in the Windy City. Miles Bridges led all starters with 22 points and Malik Monk added 25 points off the bench.

Malik Monk taking FLIGHT (via @BR_NBA) pic.twitter.com/bkad4zC7GO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 21, 2020

Sixers 112 (35-21), Nets 104 (25-29)

The Nets only scored one point in overtime as Philly prevailed at home. Joel Embiid finished with 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Tobias Harris had a double-double of his own (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Alec Burks had 19 points.

Kings 129 (21-33), Grizzlies 125 (28-26)

Harrison Barnes (32 points) and De’Aaron Fox (26 points) combined for 58 points in the home win. Buddy Hield added 20 points.

Rockets 135 (34-20), Warriors 105 (12-44)

Houston jumped out the gate with a double-digit lead and had that cushion throughout the contest. The Rockets also shot 25 3-pointers, including 15 in the first half.

All five of the Houston’s starters finished in double figures. James Harden put up 29 points in 30 minutes and Russell Westbrook had 21 points and dished out 10 dimes.

The post Post Up: Trae Young Puts Up Career-High 50 Points Against Heat 🤫 appeared first on SLAM.

“The inspiration was Chicago,” Don C tells SLAM. “I wanted to make the shoe feel like a welcome to the city, especially because it was coming this weekend. I think I’ve mentioned before how the blue comes from the flag. We tweaked it to just match more of the electrification of what this weekend brings and the energy that Amex brings. I think it was good timing for us to do it this weekend ‘cause it just represented Chicago and the spotlight is on the city for this weekend.”

The sneaker is Don C’s second AF1 Hi collaboration with Nike that fuses the first three Air Force models—length and sole of the AF1, AF2 branding on the heel and the AF3s FORCE-branded tongue and diamond-shaped eye stay on the forefront. The city’s flag is also featured on the inside of the tongue with a red satin liner.  

“The Air Force 1 is a shoe I fell in love with when I was in high school in 1990,” he says. “It’s been kind of timeless for me since. I have to say out of every model of shoes I’ve supported, this is the one that every year I wear it … Air Force 1s, I always repped, so this shoe is very dear to me.”

For the weekend, American Express hosted a pop-up experience in the Wicker Park neighborhood, just a few minutes from the Chicago curator’s RSVP Gallery retail space that opened in 2009. The three-night exhibit featured a dining experience from some of the Chi’s greatest chefs and a Q+A session with Don C hosted by Cari Champion that talked the design process, inspiration and all things All-Star Weekend.

“Amex is all about partnerships and building community and that’s the similar principle of Just Don and RSVP Gallery,” Don C says. “That’s what brought us together and they wanted to bring something exclusive to their community as they always do, but never in the sneaker realm. I’m just happy to be the first to be able to do this in this category with such an amazing partner like American Express.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90.

Photos via Getty.

The post Don C Talks AF1 Hi ‘Just Don’ Collab with American Express & More appeared first on SLAM.

The Beard was one assist shy of a triple-double in the win at the Toyota Center. Russell Westbrook had 22 points and Danuel House Jr added 12 points. Ben McLemore was huge off the bench, finishing with 22 points.

Bucks 129 (42-7), Suns 108 (20-29)

Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a 30-point, 19-rebound performance on Sunday afternoon, reaching the 30-point mark for the 26th time. Khris Middleton chipped in 25 points of his own. Brook Lopez (17 points) and Eric Bledsoe (12 points) combined for 29 points and Donte DiVincenzo had 15 off the bench.

Raptors 129 (36-14), Bulls 102 (19-33)

The Raptors received 46 bench points from Terrence Davis (31 points) and Chris Boucher (15 points). Four of five Raptors starters finished in double figures.

Pistons 128 (18-33), Nuggets 123 (34-16)

Detroit overcame a 21-point deficit and got the W in OT to snap a five-game losing streak. Andre Drummond finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds to get his 400th career double-double.

The post Post Up: James Harden Drops 40 Points to Lead Rockets over Pelicans 🚀 appeared first on SLAM.

Then confirming reports started to come in. It was, in fact, true.

Everyone in the gym was glued to their phones in disbelief. As I walked out, I received a call from an aunt, who was hysterical as soon as I picked up. She kept asking if it was true. I confirmed.

Then more text messages came in. Despite the news still being recent, it took me a minute to fully grasp what was going on. As I saw every major media outlet covering it on TV, I broke down. I tried to gather myself, but the tears kept falling. I realized that I had lost my version of Michael Jordan.

I was born in 1990, and I’d be lying if I said I remember watching Mike or Magic in their primes. But I do remember watching this charismatic 17-year-old kid from Philadelphia begin his 20-year career in the city I was born and raised in. Regardless which section of the city you claim, folks all over the Greater L.A. area bleed purple and gold. 8 and 24 were more than numbers to us.

Whether you were a zealot or a casual—everyone knew the type of weight Kobe Bryant’s name held here. I shared a story on Twitter that Sunday about my grandma, who emigrated from Ecuador to Los Angeles and worked as a custodian at LAX for over 20 years.

She always told me that she’d see this man coming through the terminal that fit the description of Kobe. He was “El Kovi” to her, and while I never questioned or called her bluff, it was moments like those that spoke to how influential he was. One time, in 2000, we took two buses from her apartment on 77th & Western to the Glendale Galleria to buy the adidas Kobe 1s from Foot Locker.

When we approached the register, she was short $17. As she pleaded with the employee, I walked out to the front of the store, holding back tears. I didn’t expect that she’d come out with the shoes because her grandson wanted “los zapatos de Kovi” (the shoes of Kobe).

A few years ago, I wrote a manifesto about L.A. and towards the middle, I included how “championship parades on Figueroa were like big family gatherings.” Whether it was during the three-peat era or back-to-back titles in ‘09 and ‘10, fans of all walks of the city filled the streets in purple and gold, cheering for the hometown team and especially for Bryant, who was royalty to us.

If there’s one thing about L.A., it’s that we love hard. That was always evident with Kobe Bryant fans. Whatever way you showed your support—arguing with those who badmouthed him; inking your skin with 8s, 24s and portraits; decorating your vehicles with custom license plates and/or decals; or even going to the extent of naming your children after him—people devoted their allegiance to the fullest in L.A.

Now, those same fans along with generations of new ones have gathered at STAPLES Center and L.A. Live to pay their respects, reminisce on their favorite memories, chant “M-V-P,” crumble up pieces of paper and yell “Kobe!” while shooting into a trash can to honor the player that brought us five titles.

There was something about Kobe that everyone in the city gravitated to. His will to be great was second to none. He was the epitome of meticulous. This kid from Southeast L.A. loved everything Kobe Bryant stood for. I take pride in being born and raised in L.A. I take pride in being able to say I witnessed his career unfold in my backyard and saw him become one of the most prominent athletes to ever play in the City of Angels.

The “Mamba Mentality” was a mantra that far exceeded the hardwood. No matter the craft, it meant to honor the process in anyone’s respective field and give nothing short of a 110 percent effort. Like every other kid, I would emulate everything about Kobe while hooping—fadeaways, turnarounds, the armbands, leg sleeves, certain pivots. I even tied my sneakers the same way he did.

Through the ups and the downs, I, along with others here, had a front-row seat for it all. We felt the losses and triumphed during the victories.

I loved No. 8 with the afro and No. 24 with the bald head; loved adidas Kobe, when he was a sneaker free agent and seeing every one of his signature sneakers with Nike; loved when he was one of the most hated NBA players because he used that as fuel for his scoring barrages; loved watching games on NBC, KCAL-9 and Fox Sports West, as well as playoff series matchups against Portland, Sacramento, Denver, Utah and Phoenix; loved that menacing, under-biting stare he gave when he was locked in; loved when he outscored Dallas by himself in three quarters; when he had 81 against Toronto, 61 at The Garden, the two made free throws after rupturing his Achilles tendon and, most importantly, his 60-point sendoff into retirement in April of 2016.

When there was the possibility of him signing with the Clippers in 2004, I sat in front of our family TV and let out a sigh of relief when he instead re-signed with the Lakers. I did the same thing three years later when he demanded a trade to Chicago but ended up staying.

The Finals losses to the Pistons and Celtics still make me feel some type of way. When I first got into journalism, I realized I had to put the fandom aside. But there was still a special place I kept for Kobe tucked away. I first got interview time with the Black Mamba during the release of the Kobe A.D. I was dead center, and I’ll never forget the focus he gave me before he responded.

It was there that I realized I was living a dream: a kid from a blue-collar city in L.A. that was writing for his favorite magazine and interviewing a childhood idol—a position that I’ve never taken for granted.

Growing up, my mother always told me that we were on borrowed time. And while that is true, Kobe wasn’t supposed to go out like this. Nah. He was transitioning into a new role, walking away from the game on his own terms and planting the seeds for his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who also left the world too soon. Dad Kobe became my favorite version.

There was a satisfaction I got from seeing Kobe and Gigi sitting courtside together at WNBA, NBA, college and HS games. That made my heart warm. I couldn’t wait until we gave Gigi her own SLAM cover and to see her in college and eventually in the W.

Shortly after midnight on Monday, I approached the on-ramp to the 110 North freeway and saw the InterContinental and U.S. Bank Tower in DTLA lit up in purple and gold to honor Kobe Bryant, just a few blocks from the arena where he cemented his legacy.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90.

Photos via Getty.

The post Thank You, Mamba: Lifelong L.A. Native Reflects on Kobe’s Impact appeared first on SLAM.

“When it was brought to us, it was like, Yeah, we gotta do that. That’s a must,” Patrick Beverley tells SLAM.

It’s a Thursday afternoon in January and we’re at the Honey Training Facility, the Clippers’ headquarters in Playa Vista, CA, a city located about 30 minutes southwest of downtown Los Angeles. Montrezl Harrell has just walked through a door that leads into the media room, which is adjacent to the team’s practice court. With every step he takes, there’s a clanking sound from the plethora of chains that are stacked together around the 25-year-old’s neck.

He’s wearing a red velvet durag with a white headband over it. The ties hang down his torso. Harrell’s also wearing Beverley’s jersey. In comes Pat, a sleeve on his right arm and two headbands placed over one another, with a diamond-encrusted Cuban link and Lou Williams’ jersey on. And Lou, with no accessories other than his assortment of ice, is sporting Harrell’s home jersey.

In 2002, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom and Darius Miles graced SLAM 57 wearing each other’s jerseys backward to represent an era that was the epitome of fashion. Brand posed with a fitted; L.O. rocked a Sean John headband; and D-Miles wore the untied red durag with the white headband. Nearly two decades later, Beverley, Harrell and Williams are posing in a similar manner, paying homage to the aforementioned cover. 

“They represented a culture back when they played with the Clippers,” Beverley, who’s spent the last three years with the team, says. “We reinvented something and added our own little swag to it.”

“I look at it in retrospect,” Williams adds. “Once it’s all said and done, you can look at that cover, look at us recreate it and having an opportunity to do it with this group and possibly to make history will be dope.”

The history Lou speaks of: bringing the Clippers their first ever title. After acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this past summer, the Clippers  are considered championship contenders. 

“This is a Laker town,” Williams, who played with the Lakers from 2015-17, says. “There ain’t no confusion about that. That’s perfectly fine with us. We prefer it for the odds to go against us. I think that brings the best out of us. I think that’s just the difference [between] playing for the Clippers and the Lakers. So much is expected of the Lakers from the beginning and it’s, like, surprising if we do something.”

To be born and raised in Los Angeles and root for the Clippers can seem taboo, especially when there’s already an established basketball team that’s been here since 1962. The Lakers’ résumé speaks volumes, too—16 championships, 11 retired jerseys, the Magic Johnson-led Showtime era, Kobe and Shaq, and five statues (four players and one broadcaster) that are enshrined outside STAPLES Center, serving as a reminder of who the superior team in L.A. is. 

It takes a special kind of group to cheer for a team that relocated here 22 years after the Lakers did. A special kind of group to devote its allegiance to a squad that’s never made it past the second round of the playoffs, one that was plagued by injuries when it had promising pieces and ultimately left a lot of “What if?” hypotheticals. 

Despite everything that’s happened within the organization—underachieving seasons, parting with franchise players, the demise of Donald Sterling’s ownership—there’s still a loyal fan base that reps Clipper Nation. 

“They let us be us,” Beverley tells SLAM. “Not only does the team allows us to be us, but the fans do, too. We come into games, we wear chains, sweat suits—[we’re] locked in and trying to get a win—and they embrace that, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

The fanbase Beverley speaks so highly of is something he appreciates about the city. Last season, while sitting in his locker answering post-game questions after a win over the Lakers, Pat dedicated the victory to those who, like himself, got it out the mud.

“The people in the back,” Beverley told reporters. “The blue-collar people who don’t have a lot given to them, who work for everything they deserve. And that’s what we’re doing right now. We do it for them.”

Earlier this season, he partnered with Honey, an L.A.-based tech company, to offer fans tickets at an affordable price. For all 41 home games this season, $10 tickets have been made available to purchase an hour and a half before tip-off. 

“I grew up in situations where we weren’t able to [go to games],” Beverley says, reminiscing on his childhood. “I remember when I was in Chicago trying to get to Bulls games, my mom had to work and do all that to try and get tickets so [I’m] fortunate to give back and inspire more.”

The Clippers have continued to serve those who are underprivileged throughout the city. To date, there are about 150 refurbished basketball courts throughout the greater Los Angeles area that feature the team’s interlocked logo (first introduced in 2015), with that number set to double later this year.

The team also has a mobile optometry shop that shows up to local schools in the county. The shop started with five schools in Watts, then expanded to serve children in Inglewood and Long Beach. The Clippers are also set to relocate to a new arena in Inglewood by 2024, and have rebranded their identity and marketing to connect with those who may feel overshadowed by the city’s glitz and glamour.

“We don’t have to be one way off the court and be a whole completely different way on the court,” Harrell says, referencing what the team’s “L.A. Our Way” mantra means to him. “What you see is what you get, and the fans have done a great job of embracing that and being able to follow that culture.”

What’s evident within the first few minutes of being at the photo shoot is that the relationship between the trio isn’t fabricated. The conversations flow freely, ranging from praise to distant memories to just joking with one another, like they’ve been friends since childhood. 

“I put up 40 on his head, that’s what I remember,” Williams recalls about the first time he played Beverley. “I like to check people’s temperature. I don’t really talk a lot, but me and Pat got the same DNA—we just go about it a different way.”

“I thought bro was crazy to be real with you,” Harrell adds.

“I thought you were crazy, too,” Beverley claps back. 

To understand how strong the camaraderie between the three is, the birth of it dates back to 2012, when the Houston Rockets signed Beverley, a hard-nosed 6-1 point guard by way of Chicago who had stints in Greece, Ukraine and Russia.

Three years later, Houston took Harrell, a 6-7 power forward from Louisville with an unlimited motor, as the 32nd pick in the 2015 draft. The following season, the Rockets received Williams, a reserve journeyman on his fifth team, via trade from the Lakers. The 2015 6MOY would play 23 games in H-Town before being on the move back west, this time to the other L.A. franchise.

In 2017, the Clippers traded Chris Paul to the Rockets in a seven-player deal that also involved a first-round draft pick. Among those players were Beverley, Harrell and Williams. Fast forward to 2020 and they are the only three players remaining from the trade, making them the longest-tenured Clippers on the roster.

As of this writing, the Clippers are 30-13 and sit in fourth place in the Western Conference. Montrezl Harrell is averaging career highs in points (19.3), rebounds (7.1) and minutes (28.7) per game. He’s tied his career-high 34 points three times this season and has six double-doubles. 

“I’m a dog, bro—no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Harrell says. “I don’t chill. I don’t do vacations and stuff like that. When the season is over, I go home and be with my kids and family for that first week and…I’m right back playing in the Pro-Ams and in the gym with my trainer.”

Harrell’s on-court play—the way he attacks the glass to corral rebounds for second-chance opportunities, facilitates to shooters on the perimeter when the defense helps in pick-and-roll situations, uses his motor to outwork opponents or shows his expanded offensive repertoire—has paid dividends across the L. 

“He’s gotten better every year,” Williams says of Harrell. “I praise him for accepting the position that he’s in for the betterment of our basketball team as a whole.”

Williams—the three-time 6MOY winner who’s averaging 20.0 ppg and 6.2 apg in his 16th season—will go down as one of the best reserves the game has ever seen. Last March, Lou passed Dell Curry for the most bench points in NBA history. He currently has over 200 career games with at least 20 points off the bench—an NBA record—and, along with Harrell, has formed one of the best one-two punches in the Association.

The pair joins Kawhi (26.9 ppg) and PG (23.5 ppg) on the only team to have four players averaging at least 19 ppg. Lou and Trezz have propelled the Clippers to rank first in bench scoring (51.7 ppg) and second in boards (20.5 rpg).

“The chemistry just continues to build because we’re able to build the work in when other people are vacationing,” Harrell, who established that rapport with Williams at the AEBL Pro-Am in Atlanta, says. “We’re playing the game that we love to play in general and it gets to convert within what we do in our actual workspace.”

“Entertaining,” is the word Beverley uses to describe the tandem. “The things that they do on the basketball court, you couldn’t even find a [more] perfect match. The energy they bring, the professionalism they bring. In a lot of ways, the starting unit will come out dry and they pick up the pace. We’re up 8 and the lead goes to 20—something like that you can’t find that anywhere in the League except here.”

Beverley is the head of the snake who embodies the Clippers’ gritty ethos. His defensive assignments consist of guarding the League’s best—LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook—and pestering anyone else on the court. Mr. 94 Feet, a nickname he received for his prowess locking up, has abided by a duck-no-fades mentality that only true competitors can appreciate. 

“I gotta say, when I was growing up in Chicago,” he says, when asked about his approach to the game, “the group of guys I [hung] around with was always all or nothing. That’s how it’s always been since I was growing up. I was fortunate to make it out, make it to the NBA and it’s my same mindset.”

Later in the interview, the trio talks about what a Clippers championship parade would look like in L.A. Williams says it’d be interesting because they’re splitting a city with another team; Harrell believes they’d hear cheers along with boos depending on where in Los Angeles they’re at; and Pat claims that they’d be so turnt that they wouldn’t even care. 

“It makes sense for our whole mantra and everything that we stand for,” Williams says. “We’ll be the first team in NBA history that it’s L.A. our way and we can possibly hear boos at our own parade. I want to win it for the experience.”

With a culture change and the right pieces, the experience to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy could be a reality come June. 

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 226 FEATURING THE CLIPPERS

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson

The post HUSSLE & MOTIVATE: Lou Will, Trezz and Pat Bev Cover SLAM 226 appeared first on SLAM.

All five of Utah’s starters finished in double figures with Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring a game-high 31 points. Rudy Gobert had 21 and 14, and Jordan Clarkson added 23 off the bench.

Knicks 124 (11-29), Heat 121 (27-12)

Julius Randle finished with 26 points and RJ Barrett added 23 points at MSG to snap a five-game losing streak. The Knicks rallied back from being down 14 in the third quarter.

Grizzlies 122 (18-22), Warriors 102 (9-32)

Jonas Valanciunas posted a double-double (31 points, 19 rebounds) to give Memphis its fifth consecutive win. Jaren Jackson Jr added 21 points and Ja Morant posted a near triple-double (11 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds).

Nets 108 (18-20), Hawks 86 (8-32)

In his return back to the starting lineup, Kyrie Irving finished with a team-high 21 points at Barclays Center. Tauren Prince had 14 points and DeAndre Jordan put up 13 and 8.

Spurs 105 (13-21), Raptors 104 (25-14)

DeMar DeRozan put up a game-high 25 points, including a nasty poster on Chris Boucher. Rudy Gay, who also had an impressive dunk of his own, finished with 15 points. Derrick White added 13.

Suns 100 (16-23), Hornets 92 (15-27)

Kelly Oubre led all scorers with 25 points in the home win. Devin Booker finished with 12 and Ricky Rubio and Mikal Bridges finished with 10 apiece.

Nuggets 112 (267-12), Clippers 104 (27-12)

The Clippers showed signs of closing the gap, but couldn’t convert down the stretch. Nikola Jokic finished with 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Jamal Murray finished with 19 points and Michael Porter Jr (13 points) and Monte Morris (12 points) combined for 25 points off the bench.

The post Post Up: Kyrie Irving Leads Nets to Win Over Hawks in Return 😤 appeared first on SLAM.

24 hours after losing to the Grizzlies, the returned bounced back, defeating the Knicks at home. Montrezl Harrell scored a team-high 34 points, while Paul George and Lou Williams scored 32 points apiece.

Heat 122 (26-10), Trailblazers 111 (15-22)

Four of five of the Heat’s starters finished in double figures with Bam Adebayo (20 points) leading all scorers. Goran Dragic dropped 29 points in 30 minutes off the bench as Miami improved to 17-1 at home.

Timberwolves 118 (14-21), Cavaliers 103 (10-26)

Despite blowing a 25-point lead, the Wolves eventually recovered to seal the win on the road. Gorgui Dieng led all scorers with 22 points, Robert Covington and Andrew Wiggins scored 15 apiece and Jarrett Culver had 14.

Grizzlies 121 (15-22), Suns 114 (14-22)

Jonas Valanciunas had a 30-point performance in the desert as the Grizzlies went 2-0 on the weekend. Dillion Brooks finished with 19 points and Jaren Jackson Jr added 15.

Lakers 106 (28-7), Pistons 99 (13-23)

Up one down the stretch, Anthony Davis hit a corner 3-pointer to extend the lead to four. Anthony Davis (24 points) and LeBron James (21 points) combined for 45 points. Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard had 13 and 11 points off the bench.

The post Post Up: LeBron & AD Lead Lakers over Pistons in LA appeared first on SLAM.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career-high 32 points back home in the 6, including hitting the go-ahead bucket with 36 seconds to go. Chris Paul was the team’s second-leading scorer with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Pelicans 127 (11-23), Rockets 112 (22-11)

It was a career night for Lonzo Ball, who knocked down seven 3-pointers, en route to a 27-point performance in the Big Easy. Brandon Ingram finished with 27 points, too, and Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore had 27 apiece.

Grizzlies 117 (13-21), Hornets 104 (13-22)

Three of Memphis’ starters finished in double figures with Dillion Brooks putting up a team-high 20 points. Jaren Jackson Jr had a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds) in the win.

Nuggets 120 (23-9), Kings 115 (12-21)

Michael Porter Jr, who had his first career start, had 19 points at home. Will Barton finished with 19 as well and Mason Plumlee had 15 points off the bench.

Lakers 108 (25-7), Mavericks 95 (21-10)

LeBron James became the only player in NBA history with 9,000 assists and 9,000 rebounds on Sunday night at Staples Center. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 23 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 19 points and Dwight Howard had 15 points.

The post Post Up: LeBron James Gets 9,000th Career Assist Against Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Donovan Mitchell put up a team-high 30 points in 36 minutes in the A. Rudy Gobert finished with a double-doule (20 points, 13 rebounds) as the Jazz won their fourth-straight game.

Bucks 111 (25-4), Lakers 104 (24-5)

Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a career-high 5 three-pointers en route to a 34-point performance to give Milwaukee its 25th win of the season. George Hill scored 21 points off the bench. The Bucks shot 41% from behind the arc.

Spurs 118 (11-16), Nets 105 (15-13)

Patty Mills (27 points) was one of two players to have 20 or more points. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 20 and 10.

Rockets 122 (18-9), Clippers 117 (21-8)

Houston overcame a double-digit deficit as Russell Westbrook (40 points) and James Harden (28 points) combined for 68 points. Clint Capela had 16 points, and PJ Tucker and Danuel House finished with 10 apiece.

The post Post Up: Giannis Antetokounmpo Has Career Night Against Lakers 😤 appeared first on SLAM.

Four of Orlando’s starters finished in double digits with Jonathan Issac scoring a team-high 21 points. D.J. Augustin put up 17 bench points as the Magic handed NOLA its 12th-straight loss.

Pacers 107 (18-9), Hornets 85 (12-17)

Myles Turner posted a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the W on Sunday night. Domantas Sabonis also had a double-double of his own, too – 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Nets 109 (14-12), Sixers 89 (20-8)

Spencer Dinwiddie (24 points) led Brooklyn as the Nets snapped Philly’s five-game winning streak. Joe Harris was the team’s second-leading scorer with 16 points.

Lakers 101 (23-3), Hawks 96 (6-20)

The Hawks cut the deficit and had a chance to tie it late in the game, but rookie Cam Reddish missed a wide-open 3-pointer. LeBron James (32 points) and Anthony Davis (27 points) combined for 59 points in the road win.

Nuggets 111 (16-8), Knicks 105 (6-20)

With the game close, Denver scored 13 unanswered to extend the lead down the stretch and win their 11th home game of the season. Nikola Jokic finished with a team-high 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Kings 100 (12-4), Warriors 79 (5-23)

Buddy Hield led all scorers with 19 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic (25 points) and Marvin Bagley III (17 points) combined for 42 bench points in the Bay Area.

The post Post Up: LeBron & AD Combine for 59 Points in Atlanta 🍿 appeared first on SLAM.

The post Bronny James & Sierra Canyon BLOWOUT Team in Home Opener! 🤯 appeared first on SLAM.

Evan Fournier put up 31 points in DC. Markelle Fultz had a career-high 20 points and D.J. Augustin had 24 bench points.

Pistons 127 (8-13), Cavaliers 94 (5-15)

Blake Griffin scored a point for each minute he played, finishing the night with 24 points, including six 3-pointers. Andre Drummond posted another double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds). All five of Detroit’s starters sat the fourth quarter in the rout.

Mavericks 118 (14-6), Pelicans 97 (6-15)

Luka Doncic, the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month, had a 33-point, 18-rebound performance in the Big Easy. Seth Curry contributed 19 off the bench, and Tim Hardaway and Max Kleber finished with 12 apiece.

Heat 121 (15-5), Raptors 110 (15-5)

Jimmy Butler scored eight consecutive points in less than a minute in overtime to finish with 22 points to go with his 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Bam Adebayo scored 18 and Justise Winslow had 17 as the Heat snapped the Raptors’ seven-game winning streak and gave them their first home loss this season.

Lakers 105 (18-3), Nuggets 96 (13-5)

The Lakers started 1-0 on their three-game road trip at the Pepsi Center as LeBron James (25 points) and Anthony Davis (25 points) combined for 50 points. Dwight Howard had 13 and 6 off the bench. The Lakers face Utah tomorrow night.

Spurs 135 (8-14), Rockets 133 (13-7)

With the game on the line in double OT, DeMar DeRozan sank two free throws to give San Antonio the W at the AT&T Center. Lonnie Walker IV had a career-high 28 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer to send it to overtime.

Clippers 117 (16-6), Trailblazers 97 (8-13)

Paul George scored a team-high 25 points, his 6th 25-point game this season as the Clippers have won 9 of their last 10 games. Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverly had 11 apiece.

The post Post Up: LeBron James & Anthony Davis Combine for 50 Points to Defeat Denver 🤫 appeared first on SLAM.

Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 20 points in Brooklyn. Bam Adebayo finished with a double-double (17 points, 16 rebounds).

Grizzlies 115 (6-13), Timberwolves 107 (10-9)

With Ja Morant still out, Dillion Brooks filled in the void on offense, leading all scorers with 26 points. Jae Crowder, Jaren Jackson Jr and Tyus Jones had 12 apiece. Grayson Allen had 13 off the bench.

Celtics 113 (14-5), Knicks 104 (4-16)

Jayson Tatum (30 piece) and Jaylen Brown (28 points) combined for 58 points at The Garden. Kemba Walker had 16 points and 10 dimes.

Mavericks 114 (13-6), Lakers 100 (17-3)

With Dirk courtside, the Mavs snapped the Lakers’ 10-game winning streak. Luka Doncic scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, and Kristaps Porzingis finished with 15 points. Dallas trailed at the half, but went on a 28-5 run in the third quarter.

Don't sleep on Luka's bunnies. (via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/m3pap4wsNg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 1, 2019

Thunder 107 (8-11), Pelicans 104 (6-14)

Four of five of OKC’s starters scored in double figures with Danilo Gallinari scoring a team-high 23 points. Dennis Schroeder had 17 points off the bench.

Pistons 132 (7-13), Spurs 98 (7-14)

Christian Wood had himself a night, scoring a career-high 28 points in 22 minutes at home. The Pistons had 75 bench points.

Raptors 130 (15-4), Jazz 110 (12-8)

Pascal Siakam put up 35 points in 35 minutes in Toronto on Sunday night. Fred Vanvleet was the team’s second-leading scorer with 21 points to give Toronto a 9-0 record at home.

Magic 100 (8-11), Warriors 96 (4-17)

Evan Fournier finished with 32 points, tying his career-high, in Orlando against the Dubs. Terrence Ross put up 19 points and Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac had 14 apiece.

Clippers (15-6) , Wizards (6-12)

Kawhi Leonard (34 points) and Paul George (31) combined for 65 points in front of their home crowd on Sunday night. Montrezl Harrell finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.

The post Post Up: Luka Doncic & Mavericks Snap Lakers’ 10-Game Winning Streak in LA appeared first on SLAM.

The latest Mr. Cartoon-branded collaboration is with the Clippers, who unveiled their City Edition jerseys last Friday against the Rockets at Staples Center. The jerseys, which have a black and white color combo with hints of red and blue, pay homage to Cartoon’s famous designs and the authentic spirit of the city’s street culture, featuring “Los Angeles” in Old English font on the front.

The Clippers will wear their City Edition jerseys 16 more times throughout the season, including the highly-anticipated Christmas Day matchup against the Lakers. There will also be a City Edition Court to accompany the jerseys, displaying Los Angeles geography woven into the court’s design.

During the Clippers’ 122-119 win, we caught up with Cartoon to talk the inspiration behind the design, collabs, LA culture and more.

—

SLAM: How did this whole concept come to life? 

Mr. Cartoon: The concept of bringing street art—an artist that was born and raised here—to a pro team and connecting those two. For me, it’s showing all these youngsters here that they can do that shit. If they see me do it, then they’ll be like, ‘Oh, Cartoon did this then I could do it.’ It starts off with a conversation and then you have another meeting, a meeting about a meeting and then next you know four months go by, and it takes about a year to make it to today. So it’s a year in the process, so it’s us talking to each other and having a conversation on how to make this pop.

SLAM: What’s your process when it comes to working with brands?

MC: I definitely have to be selective and think about a) Do I already support that movement? And if it’s something I can’t [get] behind and talk from my heart then I can’t do it. It’s difficult sometimes because I’m turning away some of those checks, but if they don’t match then they don’t match. For us, we want to do a big collaboration and then we want to do some crazy-ending street shit. … I’ll speak to a group of 24 at-risk students and talk to them about art. All this is pre-thought-out and pre-meditated of how we’re going to approach it. The outcome is always spontaneous and how people feel about it, but it’s been positive all the way through.

SLAM: What does LA culture mean to you?

MC: West Coast culture is different from anywhere in the world. We have summertime all year long. Home of the white tee; the black tee. Some people don’t even own a jacket, you know what I’m saying? With that, we have a head start when it comes to tattooing, car culture, of course West Coast rap, so this was about embodying the street level. The Clippers have done a good job by saying, ‘Hey, we’re not in a private jet, we’re in a ’64 rag on the street with you.’ I dug that whole concept so that was important.

SLAM: The Old English font holds weight and is prestigious. Why do you think that is?

MC: I think some smart guys figured out in the ‘50s and ‘60s that everything that was important was written in this font—the LA Times, your death or wedding certificate—so the homies figured out if I write my neighborhood in that font and put it on the back of a hoodie, it’s got power; if I write it on a wall mural, it’s got power. It’s elevating me and my homies on this level, so I think that people, no matter where they live, it’s neighborhood pride. You can write your neighborhood in that lettering and it looks official.

SLAM: The Clippers have adopted this gritty, blue-collar identity. Overall, how do you identify with that mantra?

MC: I just love the idea that with hard work and persistence and a clear vision on where you want to go, you can achieve what seems to be impossible. Their way is they don’t even own [Staples Center] and they’re the underdogs in here. And I definitely identify with being an underdog even though the youngsters coming up may think I’m on the opposite. We’re still barely chipping away at this state as far as street artists making it mainstream.

SLAM: Are there any other projects you have in the works?

MC: I have a collaboration with Neighborhood from Tokyo coming, which is crazy. Man, I got so much cool stuff I can’t even say it because I don’t want to jinx it before it comes out. I have two pairs of Vans coming out in 2020, too.

SLAM: You’ve done collabs with Nike, Supreme, Vans, the LA Kings and now the Clippers. What’s something else—brand or product—you’d like to be a part of?

MC: I’m definitely pushing towards animation and making my characters. A picture of that teardrop falling to the ground. Picture it moving and have pictures behind it is where I’m pushing myself. Always push yourself into uncharted territory. It seems like you always start from the bottom and always [are] that underdog, but if you’re not the underdog then it’s probably time to check out and get in the wood box. Other than that, you’re always learning, working at perfecting yourself and surrounding yourself with talent. There’s going to be ups and downs and you’re going to fall on your face, but if you love what you do then you’re going to get up because you got to—especially if your family’s relying on you.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90

Photos via Jineen Williams & Getty Images

The post Mr. Cartoon Talks Designing Clippers City Edition Jerseys, LA Culture & More appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic continues to fill up stat sheets, putting up 41 points against the Rockets in a Sunday matinee. Doncic also dished out 10 dimes, notching his fourth game with 30+ points and 10+ assists to give Dallas their fifth-straight win.

Kings 113 (7-8), Wizards 106 (5-9)

Harrison Barnes put up a team-high 26 points in the Nation’s Capital. Buddy Hield had 18 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 21 points off the bench.

Nets 103 (8-8), Knicks 101 (4-13)

Brooklyn won the Battle of New York behind Spencer Dinwiddie’s 30-point performance at The Garden. Taurean Prince finished with a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds).

Nuggets 116 (12-3), Suns 104 (8-8)

Paul Millsap led all scorers with 23 points at the Pepsi Center. Jamal Murray and Will Barton had 22 apiece. Denver held Devin Booker to a season-low 12 points.

Clippers 134 (11-5), Pelicans 129 (6-10)

The Clippers cruised past New Orleans to go 2-0 on the weekend. Montrezl Harrell was the team’s leading scorer, tying his career high with 34 points. Kawhi Leonard finished with 26 points.

The post Post Up: Luka Doncic Drops 41 Points to Give Dallas Fifth-Straight Win 🥶 appeared first on SLAM.

Tobias Harris put up a team-high 27 points in the win and all of the Sixers’ starters (excluding Josh Richardson) finished in double figures. James Ennis (14 points) and Furkan Kormaz (13 points) combined for 27 bench points.

Kings 100 (5-7), Celtics (10-2)

Buddy Hield caught fire from behind the arc, knocking down 7 3-pointers en route to a 35-point performance, as the Kings snapped the Celtics’ 10-game winning streak at home.

Magic 125 (6-7), Wizards 121 (3-8)

Markelle Fultz scored a career-high 19 points in front of his home crowd and got the game-winning steal and bucket. Nikola Vucevic put 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the win.

Nuggets 131 (9-3), Grizzlies 114 (5-8)

Jamal Murray went off against the Memphis, scoring 39 points in 31 minutes. Paul Millsapt was the Nuggets’ second-leading scorer with 23 points.

Pelicans 108 (4-9), Warriors 100 (2-12)

Jrue Holiday had a near triple-double (22 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds) in NOLA. Rookie Jaxson Hayes finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds – his first double-double of his NBA career – and this block that sent the ball into the stands.

Lakers 122 (11-2), Hawks 101 (4-9)

With Kobe courtside, the Washed King put up a double-double (33 points and 12 assists). The Lakers opened up the game 17-2 and controlled the game the entire night. Anthony Davis finished the night with 14 points and 5 rebounds.

The post Post Up: LeBron James Puts Up 33 & 12 Against Atlanta in L.A. 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

Late in OT, Nikola Jokic hit the game-winning bucket over Karl-Anthony Towns to give the Nuggets the win on the road. Jokic had a team-high 20 points to go with 7 dimes and 6 rebounds.

Pacers 109 (6-4), Magic 102 (3-7)

Domantas Sabonis put up a double-double (21 points, 16 rebounds) to give Indiana its third-straight win. T.J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon had 19 apiece, while Doug McDermott had 18 off the bench.

Sixers 114 (6-3), Hornets 106 (4-6)

Four of Philly’s starters scored in double figures – Joel Embiid (18 points), Al Horford (15 points), Tobias Harris (14 points) and Josh Richardson (11 points).

Bucks 117 (7-3) , Thunder 114 (4-6)

Tied 114-all with under a minute, Brook Lopez knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Bucks the W. Giannis Antetokounmpo had another monster performance, finishing with 35 points and 16 rebounds.

Cavaliers 108 (4-5), Knicks 87 (2-8)

Collin Sexton finished with 21 points at The Garden. Kevin Love was the second-leading scorer with 17 points.

Suns 138 (6-3), Nets 112 (4-5)

All five Suns starters finished in double figures as Devin Booker led the team with 27 points. Ricky Rubio had 22 points and 12 dimes; Kelly Oubre also had 18.

Trailblazers 124 (4-6), Hawks 113 (3-6)

Damian Lillard and Kevin Huerter traded back-to-back buckets to force it to overtime, but the Blazers prevailed at home. Lillard (30 points) and CJ McCollum (23 points) combined for 53 points, and Anfernee Simons finished with 20 points off the bench.

Raptors 113 (6-2), Lakers 104 (7-1)

Toronto extended the lead to 10 in the 4Q and closed it off when the Lakers started to make their run. Last season’s MIP finished with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Fred VanVleet also had 21 points in the win to snap the Lakers’ 7-game wining streak.

The post Post Up: Pascal Siakam Helps Snap Lakers’ Seven-Game Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

Through six games, Washington is averaging 15 ppg and 6.7 rpg. We caught up with the 21-year-old to talk about life in the NBA, his opening night performance, video games and more.

SLAM: I know you’re five games into the season, but let’s take it back to draft night. What was that feeling like hearing Adam Silver call your name?

PJ Washington: I was sitting at the table and when you’re in the green room, you kind of know who the camera’s going to that person. I looked up, Adam Silver was walking to the stage and all the cameras were in my face, so I was like now’s the time. I was excited, I heard my name get called [and] I couldn’t really say much. I hugged my family, hugged Coach Cal, dapped up my teammates Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson. I went on stage and was just excited—a lot of smiles and emotions from that night.

SLAM: How’s the NBA life been for you since then?

PJW: It’s been great. Everything’s been moving fast. A lot of travel and loving every bit of it. I get to follow my teammates, play video games a lot, listen to music and try to do a lot of other things to keep my mind off the court.

SLAM: You showed out in your debut scoring 27 against the Bulls. Walk me through what’s going through your mind when you see the first 3 three-pointers go in?

PJW: When I hit the first three [shots], man, I don’t even know how to describe it. It just felt good to finally be in an NBA game and make a shot. And then… once I seen a couple fall, I tried to keep being aggressive on both ends and whenever I had an open shot, I’d take it with confidence.

SLAM: What are some goals you’ve set out for yourself this season?

PJW: I want to win as much games as possible and be able to contribute on both ends. I want to average at least 8 rebounds and score at least 15 points. I gotta be out there on the court not fouling and be in my right mind to be able to guard on the defensive end. And eventually win Rookie of the Year.

SLAM: Tim Martin is someone you’ve been working with for a minute. How’s he helped you expand your game?

PJW: I’ve been working with Tim since I was a freshman in high school. We’ve been working on the basics—mechanics since day one—and trying to master that. I feel like that’s been a big reason why I’m making shots and why my confidence is up since working with him. He works on all the little things to make me better, helping me get better at watching film and just off the court like chilling and trying to get our minds off basketball.

SLAM: I know you said you’re a big gamer. What are your go-to games you’re playing on off days?

PJW: I play a lot of 2K, Call of Duty, Madden, Fortnite—pretty much anything, honestly.

SLAM: Who’s the best gamer on the team?

PJW: Without a doubt it’s definitely me. I’m the best in Fortnite, best in Madden, definitely the best in 2K and I haven’t seen anybody else play Call of Duty, so I would say I’m the best in that, too.

SLAM: Would you say you’re the best gamer in terms of all rookies too?

PJW: Oh yeah, without a doubt.

SLAM: Have you found any favorite food spots in Charlotte?

PJW: Not yet. Everybody’s been telling me there’s a lot of good food places, but they can never give me names, so I’m always confused. I don’t know where to go, so I just have to look into that a little bit more.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @DrewRuiz90.

Photos via Getty

The post PJ Washington Talks Opening Night, NBA Life & More appeared first on SLAM.

TJ Warren scored a game-high 26 points and Malcolm Brogdon was the Pacers’ second-leading scorer with 22 points. TJ Leaf scored 13 points off the bench.

Heat 129 (5-1), Rockets 100 (3-3)

Duncan Robinson (23 points) and Meyers Leonard (21 points) combined for 44 points at home; Jimmy Butler had 18 points. The Heat never trailed once in the contest and led 46-14 after the first quarter.

Kings 113 (2-5), Knicks 92 (1-6)

All five Kings players scored in double figures with De’Aaron Fox leading all scorers with 24 points.

Lakers 103 (5-1), Spurs (4-2) 96

After Friday’s overtime thriller against Dallas, the Lakers defeated the Spurs to go 2-0 on their three-game road trip. LeBron James finished with his second-consecutive triple-double: 21 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

Anthony Davis put up 25 points and grabbed 11 boards. Dwight Howard had 14 and 13 in 21 minutes off the bench. This is the Lakers’ best start since the 2010-11 season.

Mavericks 131 (3-2), Cavaliers 111 (2-3)

Luka Doncic dominated in The Land – 29 points, 15 dimes and 14 rebounds – on Sunday night. Doncic became the youngest player in NBA history with consecutive 25-point triple-doubles. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and 9 boards.

Clippers 105 (5-2), Jazz 94 (4-3)

After scoring five points in the first half, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points to finish the night with 30. The Clippers bench outscored Utah’s, 50-19.

The post Post Up: LeBron James Puts Up Triple-Double to Lead Lakers Over Spurs 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

OKC got its first win of the season after routing the Warriors at home. Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points as four of five of the Thunder’s starters finished in double figures. Dennis Schroeder had 22 points off the bench.

Grizzlies (1-2) 134, Nets (1-2) 133

Ja Morant scored the go-ahead bucket to tie it at 120-all and blocked Kyrie Irving’s jumper to force OT, finishing the contest with 30 points and 9 dimes. His final assist was to a trailing Jae Crowder, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer.

Timberwolves 116 (3-0), Heat 109 (2-1)

Andrew Wiggins put up 11 straight points in the money quarter to finish with 25 points as the Wolves remain undefeated. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double (25 points, 11 rebounds) in front of the home crowd. Jeff Teague also had 21 points and 8 assists.

Trailblazers 121 (2-1), Mavericks 119 (2-1)

Damian Lillard’s layup sealed the victory on the road in Dallas. Lillard (28 points) and CJ McCollum (35 points) combined for 63 points. Rodney and Zach Collins finished in double figures with 20 and 10, respectively.

Lakers 120 (2-1), Hornets (1-2) 101

The Lakers went 2-0 this weekend after defending home court against the Jazz and Hornets. Anthony Davis had a 29-point, 14-rebound performance and LeBron James finished with a double-double (20 points, 13 assists) of his own, too. The Lakers are back at home Tuesday night against the Grizzlies.

The post Post Up: Ja Morant Drops 30 Points to Lead Grizzlies Over Nets in OT 🤫 appeared first on SLAM.

“My ‘Bred’ IVs were the shoes that started it all for me,” Josh says, looking back seven years. “I had Jordans before that, but I got lucky when I was in Las Vegas on a raffle. All of my homies that were in school—we were all into Jordans—and then I had to catch up. That was like my starting point to kicks.”

Now, at 17, Josh’s sneaker rotation includes far more than just Jordans. Inside his room are a plethora of boxes stacked from floor to ceiling and numerous pairs alongside the bed—from just about every latest Nike Basketball sneaker in various colorways to designer sneakers to sought after player exclusives. Keeping count isn’t easy. 

“How many pairs of shoes have I ran through is the question,” he says. “With my foot growing and stuff, it’s somewhere in the hundreds—maybe in the 200s.”

Josh’s older brother, Patrick, has had a major influence on his passion for kicks. An avid sneakerhead himself, Patrick starred at Cal from 2006-10 when the Golden Bears were a Jordan Brand-sponsored school. Despite the 14-year age difference, Patrick remembers passing down heat to his little brother and making sure he was always laced up. 

“My brother is a shoe head, too, so he gives me a lot of my stuff,” Josh says. “Most of the stuff tops what I have and I think that his love for shoes just helped me.”

Routine trips to Patrick’s shoe room at his house left Josh mesmerized. He would try on the many sneakers, even if they were far too big, like he did with the “All-Star” LeBron 4s—which he took, despite them being twice his size.  

“That still happens now,” Patrick says, with a laugh. “We go through days where we stop by and clean the crib out…and I come in and find him going through all these different boxes and trying to take stuff.”

At 6-5, Josh continues to grow by the day. An incoming senior at Mayfair (CA), he’s one of the most well-known high school hoopers in the nation. Plus, it’s easy to pinpoint him on the court—the rolled-up shorts, the eccentric aura he carries, his score-first mentality and footwear set him apart.

“Josh is always different,” Halona says. “He’s never wanted to be like anyone else or do what anyone was doing. If you’re doing it, he’s not going to.”

This past season, the five-star shooting guard averaged 25.9 ppg while shooting close to 50 percent from the field. He led Mayfair to a CIF-SS Division 2AA title, their first since 2012, and was given the Wooden Award and named Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team POTY. And if there was an award for the best shoes in interscholastic sports, there’s no doubt he’d get it.

“It seems very reminiscent,” says Patrick, who received notoriety from sneaker blogs at Cal. “It’s a new generation…and the power of social media is more global and blows up quick.”

Since the moment this past season began, Josh’s rotation was deep. Some games he’d be seen in popular collabs, like the orange and green pairs of the Nike x UNDFTD Kobe 1 Protros or the “PlayStation” PG2s. And in others, he’d bring out older basketball silhouettes: “Cutting Jade” LeBron 10s or black-and-red KD3s. He even brought out the “Oregon State” AJIX PEs during his sophomore year.

“Coming from a lineage and the flash and persona he brings to the basketball floor, I would say is right in line with him and his personality,” Patrick says.

During a tournament in Las Vegas last season, Josh wore the Air Fear of God 1s, the popular brainchild from Nike and designer Jerry Lorenzo that resells for over $700 on the secondary market.

“I saw ‘Air’ on it and said I was going to hoop in it even if it wasn’t for basketball,” Josh says. “I just hooped in it and posted it. I knew it would make noise, and I like to showcase my shoes to everybody. [Jerry] ended up seeing it and he liked that I was hooping in it. I think I gave it buzz in the basketball world. We talked about the shoes and I ended up getting more.”

FOLLOW SLAM KICKS ON INSTAGRAM

Josh is a big fan of customs, too. He connected with Sierato, one of the biggest customizers in the game, to cook up a Stranger Things-themed sneaker. Josh sent a pair of Kyrie 5s, informing Sierato exactly what he wanted—a red-and-blue theme, the “Friends Don’t Lie” mantra and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown’s character) along the sides—and debuted them earlier this summer.

“I gave him the vision and he cooked it up,” Josh says. “He put Hopper on there and the waffles. I didn’t know he was going to do that. He just killed everything else.”

“These have a special place in my heart,” he continues, looking down at the Kyrie 5s. “I love this shoe so much, and all the games that I played in at Peach Jam, I’ve had a good game.”

So how does Josh Christopher decide which sneakers he’s going to wear on-court?

“I take a look at what I haven’t worn yet and which model was uncomfortable,” he says. “For a long time, I wouldn’t wear hightop shoes because I felt I couldn’t jump high. You wouldn’t see me put this LeBron 10 shoe on right here. I wore a pair of LeBron 14s and I got hung three times, so I vowed to never wear hightop shoes again.”

Josh knows he has to get rid of the superstitions. He admits to allowing himself to believe that a bad game was a result of bad sneakers. 

“Yeah, I gotta get out of that habit,” he says. “A lot of my shoes—if I play bad, I’ll blame the shoe, which is a cool getaway route for me.”

Although he shook his no hightop rule, Josh still has go-to pairs that have never failed him—”Drew League” Hyperdunks and “Oregon” 5s that his good friend Bol Bol gifted him.

On a late afternoon in July, Josh is prepping for his first-ever KICKS photo shoot at his home in Carson, CA. He begins by gathering an array of outfits—a white VLONE tee, two pairs of Palm Angels pants, Don C x Mitchell & Ness Orlando Magic shorts along with purple Not Of This Earth shorts and a burnt orange Most Hated hoodie. Next are his sneakers to rock: “Seoul” Air Max 97s, “Sean Wotherspoon” Air Max 97/1s, “UNC” Off-White Jordan Is and “All Hallows’ Eve” Off-White Blazers.  

“Nobody has SLAM photo shoots like I do,” he says, while standing on the roof of his home.

Josh begins posing throughout the backyard. As the sun sets, he gets ready for one last spot on the top of his house while there’s still good lighting. He goes through a whole wardrobe change as he moves to his living room. We hand him flash cards to test his knowledge on some iconic basketball kicks over the last three decades while he’s surrounded by some of his favorite sneakers from his own collection.

Halona, who’s watching from the couch, didn’t understand her son’s sneaker obsession at first. 

“I’m used to it now, but my question is always the same—another pair?” she says. “You only have two feet. I’m always concerned with him picking them up and getting them out of my way so I’m not tripping over his 14s. It’s what he likes.”

And she’s opinionated when it comes to the Balenciaga Triple S, a bulky-looking sneaker that released in 2017 that she deems “very outrageous.” But she is a fan of two specific pairs in Josh’s rotation.

“I really enjoy the Fear of Gods,” she says. “I love how they look on his feet and the new Stranger Things [Kyries] are really cool.”

When it comes to kicks-on-court competition, there are a select few Josh considers as potential runners-up. He throws Caleb Love, Shaqir O’Neal, Jalen Green and Scottie Barnes in the conversation, but acknowledges that he’s in a league of his own.

“It’s a tough competition with me,” he says with a smile. “It’s a couple guys that do their thing.”

As the soon-to-be senior prepares for his final year of high school, he’ll continue to set the bar when it comes to hardwood heat, and hopefully acquire a pair he’s been trying to track down for some time now.

“I want some “Aunt Pearl” KD4s—the all-pink ones,” he says. “I think I can get those.”

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF KICKS 22

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Portraits by Gizelle Hernandez.

The post Turn It Up To 11: A Look at Josh Christopher’s Ridiculous Kicks Collection 💧 appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM caught up with Pippen to talk hoops in China, signature sneakers, the Lakers-Clippers rivalry and which team had the best offseason.  

SLAM: The game continues to grow, especially here in China. What do you admire most about the fans?

Scottie Pippen: It’s a lot of them. [Laughs] The fact that they’ve continued to be the frontrunners in terms of growing our game and there’s so many people here. When they take an interest in the game, then you can really feel the impact of the growth.

SLAM: You mentioned earlier that you first came here in ’92. Over the course of nearly three decades, what’s it been like to see basketball in China evolve?

SP: It’s great. You’ve seen a lot of effort that’s been put into the game whether it’s through outdoor basketball courts or the impact that Nike has come up with to implement different programs. Just the grassroots of the game, the NBA spending more time in China to educate them and align a lot players to come over here and do camps like Basketball Without Borders and things of that nature to grow the game and get excited about the game.

SLAM: Your sneakers are popular over here. I just saw someone in the hallway rocking the Air More Uptempos. Is it still surreal to you?

SP: No, not really, because I think we put basketball on the map in terms of China. Fans know the Bulls from the early ‘90s. That’s when basketball was introduced to them from the late ‘80s… ’87 is the year that I was drafted [and] we signed an agreement with China basketball, so just people knowing my career and being able to follow it still resonates to today because of winning.

SLAM: Giannis Antetokounmpo become the first international player to get a signature sneaker. What are your thoughts on that?

SP: I think it’s great. He’s definitely earned it and he’s a player that has worked very hard. Being the MVP of the League this year is something that he earned and is rewarding for him. The sky’s the limit for him and he’s opening doors up for other players in that nature as well. Him being an international player, this is something that he’s worked hard for, probably dreamed about having one day and it’s finally come to fruition for him.

SLAM: The Nike Basketball signature line extends decades. Are there any other sigs you’re a fan of?

SP: I’m a fan of my own signature shoe—that’s about it. In today’s game, the signature shoe has grown a lot. Players are able to put a little bit more impact on it because of social media, but I’m really not a fan of anyone in particular. I’m just a lifestyle-kind-of-shoe guy, not basketball shoes anymore.

SLAM: What about the technology and seeing it grow over the years?

SP: It’s amazing. The shoe says a lot in today’s game and they’re something that’s gained a lot of attention since the early ‘90s. Guys are putting a lot more emphasis on making sure that their shoes have a little bit more pop and gets a lot more attention. From a technology standpoint, that’s the most important of the signature shoe. It has to be something that works well for the athlete and something that is comfortable for them. Ultimately, he’s the one that has to wear them and tell the story at the end of the day about them. That’s important and your play. If your play can speak for you, then the shoe is going to do well.

SLAM: It’s been a crazy free agency. What were some of your thoughts on the signings?

SP: I thought it was great. I was happy to see some of the talent get spread out a little bit. The Clippers and the Lakers feel like they were the big winners in the free agent market—maybe not the Lakers, they didn’t really get a free agent, they just got a trade. I think they both feel like they were big winners this summer. Still, you have to go on the court and make it real.

I still think that Houston is going to be one of the teams that’s going to have the upper edge because they’ve been together with the one addition of bringing in [Russell] Westbrook, who can propel them to the top or to the bottom. It’s going to be an interesting season for not only the Houston Rockets, but the Lakers and Clippers. It’s going to be an interesting season for some teams on the East like Brooklyn. What can Kyrie [Irving] do? He’s going to have a year to go in and establish himself. More than any player in the game, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on him because people are used to seeing him have success and be amongst some of the top teams in the League. It’s not going to be that easy now and it wasn’t easy for him last year [in Boston]. This is—I don’t want to say it’s going to be a make-or-break situation for him—but I think a lot of eyes are on him to see if he has that ability to win again.

SLAM: So who’s the better team: Clippers or Lakers?

SP: I would probably say the Clippers just because of where they were last year and the players that they have. They already have the confidence and feel like last year they dominated the Lakers. Now, you give them the Finals MVP [Kawhi Leonard] and one of the top defenders in the game in Paul George. That sends their confidence up through the roof. With the Lakers, I don’t think a guy going into his 17^th season can really carry a team the way he needs to carry [it].

… I think LeBron will be competitive. Having Anthony Davis out there is going to give him a bit of an edge. I think they’re going to be a lot more in terms of when they face the Clippers because they have too many guys they can throw at LeBron. They already have thrown [Patrick] Beverly at him, so now you got Kawhi to throw at him [and] Paul George to throw at him. Anthony Davis is going to be a tough matchup night in and night out, but he’s only one player. LeBron James is not going to be a tough matchup. He’s going into his 17^th year in the League. You’re talking about Kawhi who’s still in his 20s [and] Paul George is probably still in his 20s. It’s a changing of the guard and they’re probably going to have the pass the torch over and let the Clippers be the best team in Los Angeles.

SLAM: Of all the signings, which one surprised you the most?

SP: Who I think won big? Kawhi, the Clippers [and] Paul George. Lakers did good, but I would give the edge to the Clippers.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty.

The post Scottie Pippen Talks Basketball in China, Signature Sneakers and More appeared first on SLAM.

Since then, the priority has been to begin at the grassroots level. In 1997, Nike started inviting its endorsees to mainland China for promotional tours during the offseason to host camps in an effort to connect players to a region with a population of over 1 billion. The following year, Nike became the first brand to organize the High School Basketball League with close to 130 teams throughout Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The initiative drew popular events and activations like the “Sunday Sunset,” a Nike and Jordan-branded 3v3 tournament organized for amateur players at the historic Dongdan Sports Center in Beijing. The country also introduced the RISE Academy, a free basketball program open to young hoopers that provides professional coaching for players looking to take their game to the next level.

“Basketball is a game that represents more than sports but street culture,” Angela Dong, Vice President and General Manager of Nike China, says. “I think that gives our youth an opportunity to follow their own dreams through the power of the sport, and also realize a freedom spirit through the court and communities.”

Dong remembers the early days of basketball in China and has been present throughout the last three decades to see the growth of hoops.

“It almost feels like something from a very humble start that transformed to what it is today,” she says. “[We are] one of the leading countries globally in terms of sports participation not only just at the pro or elite athlete level, but grassroots and communities as well as charities. … We want to touch everyone that has a body. Sports are no longer just for the elite.”

Five years ago, the Yao Foundation and Hope School Basketball Program joined together to provide playing opportunities for over 300,000 children in China’s most remote areas. The Nike Social Community Impact group also leads initiatives created to inspire the joy of play, particularly working with the Chinese Ministry of Education to equip coaches with the tools needed to instruct kids on the game’s fundamentals. 

With the 18^th edition of the World Cup set to take place in China for the first time ever, Nike and FIBA hosted local and international media for the official uniform and footwear unveiling at the Phoenix Center in Beijing last week.

Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen and Jason Kidd also made special guest appearances to talk about how hoops in China has expanded since they first visited the country in the early ‘90s.

“You’ve seen a lot of effort that’s been put into the game, whether it’s outdoor basketball courts or the impact that Nike has came out with to implement different programs,” Pippen, a six-time NBA champion, said. “To see the grassroots of the game, the NBA spending more time in China to educate them and align all these different players to do camps like Basketball Without Borders and things of that nature … to get people to grow the game and get excited about the game.”

“They are diehards and know your stats better than you know them,” Kidd added. “They love the game of basketball and you as a player … and that’s what makes them special. You’ve never seen anything like it.”

The World Cup, which is from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15, will be played throughout eight cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Dongguan, Foshan, Nanjing and Guangzhou) over 16 days. The feat marks another milestone for Nike as they continue to help grow the game and its audience globally.

The Chinese national team debuted its new on-court threads that will be worn as they begin their quest to win a gold model. Designed by Josh Iverson, Senior Graphic Designer for Nike Basketball, the jersey features a lightweight, breathable design of 100 percent recycled alpha yarn and a two-tone color scheme of crimson red and white to honor the country’s flag.

The color blocking draws inspiration from the Pareto Principle, an 80-20 concept developed by Italian philosopher Vilfredo Frederico Damaso Pareto in 1848, which signifies that 80 percent of an effect can be traced to 20 percent of the causes. Only China and the USA will don these jerseys during the tournament.

Nike also debuted its latest silhouette, the AlphaDunk, which features a Zoom Air unit that covers the forefoot, the largest ever on a basketball sneaker. Jordan Brand also unveiled four FIBA-inspired sneakers—the Jumpman Diamond, AJXXXIII SE, AJIV and AJXII—that are set to release in the coming weeks.

“China, in particular, is the tip of the spear when it comes to international growth for us,” Jordan Brand President Craig Williams says. “We’ve seen continued momentum and enthusiasm about the brand in just about every market that we’ve been in.”

Back in 2017, Jordan Brand signed Guo Ailun, who became the first Chinese Basketball Association player to join the Jumpman family. Ailun, a member of the Chinese national team and a fan favorite, is set to be the first international athlete to have his own Jordan signature sneaker.

“He has an insatiable appetite for wanting to be the best,” Williams says. “Those are hallmarks for the Jordan Brand that MJ started himself. We see that in this player that has been fantastic for the Chinese national team. I think those are attributes that continue to spark interest and curiosity with consumers here in China.”

The brand’s Wings program, an educational pipeline that aims to support access to academics and mentorship, has a strong base in the country, too. To date, Wings has reached over 1,500 youth in 18 provinces, including two primary schools in Beijing and Guangzhou. The scholarship program has covered full tuition fees for more than 1,000 HS students.

Later this year, Nike will introduce Mini Basketball, a concept to provide child-sized equipment and further physical education teacher training with a goal to fund 1,000 schools across China by 2022, and RISE Academy 2.0, an online platform built upon the RISE concept and principles.

“2019 is an important year for us and basketball in China,” Dong says. “We certainly believe that China has the potential to be one of the biggest markets for basketball globally.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty.

The post Nike Continues to Grow Global Reach Through Hoops in China 🇨🇳 appeared first on SLAM.

“I’m a big believer in playing,” he says. “I didn’t believe in guys working 1-on-0 because I already seen this blueprint work even before I got to UCLA.”

Hines, 41, is at the helm of the top offseason pick-up runs for NBA players. Located on UCLA’s campus, the games there date back decades. First organized by Magic Johnson, this was the spot for seasoned vets or incoming college guys looking to play against the best competition in the city.

“When I signed to come play here in ’96, this placed was filled with Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant,” Hines says. “It was such a tradition—and you had to come be a part of it.”

Hines brought back that tradition of having the League’s best come through Westwood during the offseason in 2016. Three courts—winners, losers and losers-losers—with games played up to seven. Once the game-winning basket is scored, the only way the game ends is when the player makes a free throw. Hines, with a whistle around his neck, oversees everything, calling fouls and counting down from 10 to make the game fast paced.

One day, it might be Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the same team putting on a scoring clinic. And another it’s James Harden and Russell Westbrook going at each other as if it were the postseason. LeBron James was in attendance multiple times last year, too. 

“Every time [Kevin’s] here, he’s trying to get better that day,” Hines says. “I really respect him for that.”

Hines’ runs have drawn attention online—just search social media and you’ll find an endless amount of content that’s been packaged for feeds on a daily basis.

“Real basketball people knew,” Hines, who joined Instagram in 2017, says about the runs. “I just wasn’t doing the social media.”

Hines played for the Bruins from 1997-2002. He began working out players on campus while rehabbing a torn meniscus during his junior year. Over the course of 14 years, Hines has worked as a player development assistant with the Golden State Warriors (2006-10) and was on the coaching staff at St. John’s (2010-15). From 2016-19, he served as an assistant coach for the G League’s Stockton Kings (formerly the Reno Bighorns) and was recently promoted to player development coach for the Sacramento Kings.

On a Wednesday morning in late May, Hines is working with Thomas Bryant, a second-year center from the Wizards. Bryant’s working on a series of dribble combos at the top of the key, followed by a floater in the paint. The latter part of the drill consists of more combos, pick-and-roll situations and relocating to the corner for a three-pointer.

“I like that shit,” Hines says, acknowledging Bryant’s ability to extend his range.

Bryant moves outside the block and is instructed to finish off the point guard’s penetration as Hines plays help defense. After a handful of possessions, the two begin to jaw in a friendly manner back and forth—Bryant when he finishes through contact, and Hines when he occasionally gets a steal—as the teacher and student are doused in sweat.

“I thought it was a good fit because of the way he trains and pushes people,” says Bryant, who has known Hines since high school, after his workout. “He keeps it really real with you and teaches you everything you need to know and want to put into your game.”

Hines is hands-on during his sessions. In an individual or a group setting, he takes pride in being meticulous and making sure everything—from the dribble to the footwork to the finish—is on point.

“I think it’s my passion for the game,” Hines says on what sets him apart. “I’m not giving guys a basketball to do a million ballhandling drills.”

Another player who spends his summers at UCLA is Pascal Siakam. Hines has been front row for Siakam’s development since he was contemplating leaving New Mexico State for the Draft in 2016.

“The stuff he’s doing right now, he’s had it,” Hines says of Siakam, the 2018-19 Most Improved Player. “We just had to sharpen it up.”

In Game 1 of the 2019 Finals, Siakam scored a game-high 32 points to give the Raptors a 1-0 lead over the Warriors.

“It’s awesome, man,” says Hines of the progression. “One thing about Pascal is that he’s always had a winning, contagious basketball spirit. He just always made winning basketball plays, had a good basketball IQ, played hard as hell and gave a fuck about winning and losing.”

Siakam joins Monta Ellis as Hines’ second MIP. With a résumé and track record that speaks for itself, Hines will continue to devote his time to those who want to take their game to the next level.

“Give me three of your summers—early in the morning, weights, then come back in and play and shoot at the end,” he says. “If we do that for four months, I guarantee you your confidence will be sky high.” 

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 223

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos by Ryan Young.

The post SURGICAL SUMMER: Rico Hines Is Pushing Hoopers to the Next Level 💪 appeared first on SLAM.

The Raptors had a 37-point third quarter as Kawhi Leonard scored 17 of his 36 points in the period. They opened up the fourth quarter up 15 after overcoming a double-digit deficit in the first half.

Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points, and Kyrie Lowry had 10 points and 6 assists. Serge Ibaka also came up huge off the bench, scoring 20 points in 22 minutes. The Raptors can win their first-ever title in franchise history on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.

The post Post Up: Kawhi Leonard Scores 36 Points to Give Toronto 3-1 Lead appeared first on SLAM.

Kawhi Leonard, despite grimacing in pain throughout the game, wasn’t going to let his team go down 3-0. Leonard came up big down the stretch, finishing with 36 points.

Three other starters finished in double digits -Pascal Siakam finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds; Marc Gasol had 16 points and Kyle Lowry had 11. Norman Powell had a stellar performance off the bench, scoring 19 points. Toronto will try to tie the series 2-2 on Tuesday night.

The post Post Up: Kawhi Leonard Scores 36 Points in Double-Overtime Win Over Bucks appeared first on SLAM.

Ja Morant isn’t used to being in the spotlight. It’s something that’s been a foreign language he’s getting accustomed to every day. It could be the fans asking for autographs and photos; reporters submitting interview requests for soundbites; or his social media buzzing as his follower count increases with each minute that passes by.

“It’s been tough,” he says, admitting the notoriety has been challenging. “I’m not used to being out there a lot. I’m used to just going to hoop where nobody knows me.”

He refers to the fame as “paparazzi-type stuff,” but knows this comes with the territory when you’re a household name. When asked if he remembers getting a glimpse of the spotlight, he’ll direct you to last November.

“Probably after the Alabama game,” he says. “I had almost 40 and a dunk that went viral. Social media just went crazy.”

Morant actually had 38 points. And the viral dunk he mentions came in the second half against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. He received an inbounds pass, dribbled in the open court en route to the rim, and took off from inside the paint for a tomahawk dunk as five white jerseys surrounded him. An aerial angle shows the defender closest to the rim crouching immediately after jumping to avoid getting put on a poster. The dunk was on loop from just about every major sports media outlet. Then, going viral became the norm.

In January, he obliterated Quintin Dove, a 6-8 forward from UT-Martin. Morant was on the wing, went backdoor as his defender overplayed the passing lane, took one dribble and gathered, as his 6-3, 175-pound frame soared over Dove outside the block, causing a ruckus throughout the arena. The play was No. 1 on SportsCenter. There was another tomahawk against Eastern Illinois a week later.

Soon after, the world knew more about Morant every time he stepped on the floor. He said Allen Iverson reached out, admiring his toughness. Kevin Durant called him his favorite college basketball player on a podcast and others followed suit.

Morant stuffed stat sheets on a nightly basis—24.5 ppg, 10.0 apg and 5.7 rpg while shooting close to 40 percent from behind the arc. He became the first player to average 20 and 10 in a season since the NCAA began to recognize assists in 1983-84. He also ranked in the top-10 in points, assists (331) and double-doubles (20).

His 40 points, 11 assists and 5 steals against SIU-Edwardsville made him the first Division I player with that stat line. Twenty-one of those 40 came from the charity stripe, establishing an Ohio Valley Conference single-season record to become the first player with 20-plus consecutive made free throws. He played an integral role in the Racers’ 28-5 overall record and earned OVC POY and tournament MVP honors. And to cap off his sophomore season, Morant was presented the prestigious Bob Cousy Award and had one of the best individual March Madness performances.

Scouts and draft analysts were infatuated over his athleticism and ambidexterity. A dual threat, his playing style was dissected to a T. He could score from all three levels and, in the open court, the way he attacked the rim drew comparisons to Russell Westbrook. The handle, which was a nightmare for opponents, was stellar and his playmaking—how he could orchestrate an offense and zip passes with his off-hand—was that of an elite NBA point guard.

“My favorite thing to do [is] just share the ball with my teammates,” he says. “I’m giving them easy looks to build their confidence. I feel like if they start off with high confidence and having fun, then we’re a way better team.”

Morant was proclaimed as a top-3 pick in mock drafts. He suddenly went from one of college basketball’s best-kept secrets to the most-talked about draft prospect not named Zion Williamson.

But all this recognition wasn’t there for him just a few years ago. Morant, who hails from Dalzell, SC, a town with a population of under 3,000, was an unranked player from a small town craving college interest on the hardwood.

He was once teammates with Williamson on the South Carolina Hornets, a local travel ball program, during high school. On a team that had a player with NBA-caliber potential, Morant was in the shadows looking to prove he belonged.

As time passed, he became skeptical. With peers receiving college interest, Morant questioned his athletic ability.

“I used to doubt myself a lot,” he says. “My mom and dad always preached to keep working. My mom told me I was beneath no one and my dad told me that I was trained to go. I used those words as fuel to my fire.”

Ja’s father Tee set the blueprint. Tee starred at Hillcrest HS in Sumter County (SC) and won a state championship alongside Ray Allen in the early ’90s. He then played at Claflin University, a Division II in Orangeburg, SC, followed by a stint overseas. When Tee’s primary focus was teaching Ja the game, he prioritized one thing: fundamentals.

There was no state-of-the-art facility, cameraman or purposeless props—only a basketball and a slab of concrete in the family’s backyard with the countryside humidity. Tee’s drills consisted of skill work and plyometrics for roughly two hours a day. After every drill, Ja jumped on tractor tires 25 times—eventually extending to 50 when it became easy.

“They was tough,” Ja says. “I know most people now fall in love with the fancy part of the game thinking they gotta have a trainer to get better, but my dad preached that I didn’t need any of those things.”

Before Ja was a teenager, Tee realized he was unlike other children in his age group. Ja’s feel for the game was clear against older competition.

“I noticed his IQ,” Tee says. “Having a basketball background, I knew what I had to do to make him effective on the court. I knew he was special around 11, 12.”

Another one of Tee’s plans was to build his son up mentally. Ja, who calls Tee his “biggest hater,” was always looking for validation after a good game. It never came. Instead, his father’s criticisms taught Ja to be resilient and never complacent with his game.

“I was the one saying, ‘You’re overrated,’ because I refused to give him the stamp of approval because he started to work hard,” Tee says. “I could tell he was looking for that, but I had to fight it off because he was playing very well.

“He was always looking for the perfect grade, and that was my way for continuing to motivate him. I always told him he ain’t do nothing ’til he reached his dream of playing under the big lights.”

“I’d say my 8th, 9th grade year is when I finally began to realize what he was actually doing—preparing me,” Ja says.

During the summer of his junior year, Morant attended Chandler Parsons’ basketball camp in Spartanburg, SC. A late addition, Morant’s name wasn’t on the camp roster, and he was placed in an auxiliary gym.

This is where Murray State head coach Matt McMahon first heard about Ja Morant. McMahon received a call from then-assistant coach James Kane about a player he stumbled across by accident.

Kane was scouting Tevin Brown, a small forward from Alabama, when he went to the concession stand and saw Morant, an incoming senior playing 3-on-3. Kane immediately called McMahon, urging him to make the trek to Spartanburg to see this camper, who, according to Kane, had all the pro intangibles.

“You could see it right away when we watched him play that summer—just his ability from an athleticism and explosive standpoint,” McMahon says. “We started to see his ability to find people on the court, his court vision and feel for the game.”

A scholarship offer followed after Morant scored 36 points against Brown’s team the following day. McMahon made it a priority to steer Morant to Murray State that summer. South Carolina’s Frank Martin was also interested in Morant, hoping he could sway him to stay home, but Morant had committed to the Racers on his official visit.

“It was just like home, and everybody’s family down there,” he says. “That was one of the reasons that I committed.”

If there’s one thing Tee knows about Ja, it’s that he’s never been one to duck smoke on the court, as was evident against Marquette in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It was Ja Morant versus Markus Howard, two of college basketball’s premier playmakers, taking center stage.

Ja ruled the entire game, leading the 12-seeded Racers to an 83-64 upset win and finishing with 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds, becoming the eighth player in NCAA history to finish with a triple-double and first since Draymond Green in 2012. His full repertoire was on display no matter the defensive schemes the Golden Eagles threw at him.

He scored or assisted on 55 points—the most points created by a player in the past 10 NCAA tournaments—and his 16 dimes were second-most in the tournament since UNLV’s Mark Wade’s 18 in ’87.

“Ja is fearless when it comes to competition,” Tee says. “To come out of there with a triple-double and the victory wasn’t surprising to me.”

—

It’s a Monday afternoon and Ja has walked into a ballroom for his first-ever SLAM cover shoot at the Legacy Hotel on the campus of IMG Academy. He comes off coy until Lil Baby blares out the speakers. He begins to recite lyrics while posing for the photos you see on this page.

“Most of the top players get this, so for me to have this opportunity to be on it is an honor,” Ja says on making his first cover. “It’s a check off my bucket list.”

For the past two weeks, he’s been doing his pre-draft training at IMG. He also spent time in the gym with Allen as the soon-to-be-rookie prepares to begin his pro career. The most important piece of advice the HOFer has passed along beside shooting tips is maintaining a healthy diet to sustain the rigors of an 82-game season.

Ja says hearing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver call his name on draft night hasn’t hit him yet, but he’s definitely thought about it. When he does, he’ll be one of two players to be selected from South Carolina and first from a mid-major since Derrick Rose (Memphis) in 2008.  

“I’m so proud of the kid,” Tee says, envisioning the moment, while watching Ja from afar. “He’s showing other kids that with maximum effort, you can reach your dream. It’d be evident when he goes across the stage, and I’d be the proudest father in the world.”

Whichever city Ja Morant ends up in, there’ll be a spotlight. So he better get used to it.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 222 FEATURING JA MORANT

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.

The post DREAMS 2 REALITY: Ja Morant Got It Out the Mud 😤 appeared first on SLAM.

Portland is heading to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. CJ McCollum had himself an afternoon, finishing with a 37-point performance and putting on a clinic in the pick-and-roll.

Damian Lillard struggled to get it going in the first half and finished with 13 points. Evan Turner had 14 points off the bench. The Blazers will face the Warriors on Tuesday night.

Raptors 92, Sixers 90 (Toronto wins series 4-3)

Trailing two, Kawhi Leonard received the inbounds pass and dribbling to the right corner and hitting the game-winning bucket to take Toronto to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Leonard finished the night with 41 points in 43 minutes. Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry were the only other starters to finish in double digits with 11 and 10, respectively. The Raptors will face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

The post Post Up: Kawhi Leonard Hits Game-Winner as Raptors Advance to Eastern Conference Finals 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

With under a minute left, Kawhi Leonard called his own number and hit a clutch 3-pointer, finishing with 39 points and even up the series at 2-2. Marc Gasol finished with 16 points and Kyle Lowry contributed 14 points. Toronto returns back home for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Nuggets 116, Blazers 112 (Denver evens up series 2-2)

Jamal Murray had a stellar 34-point performance on the road. He also went 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap had 21 points apiece, and Gary Harris finished with 14. Will Barton (11 points) knocked down some huge shots down the stretch, including two key 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter.

The post Post Up: Kawhi Leonard Scores 39 Points as Toronto Ties up Series 2-2 appeared first on SLAM.

Now, at 21, Under Armour has helped to bring back that nostalgia, creating a Sub-Zero-themed Anatomix Spawn to commemorate Smith’s love for his favorite character and the recent release of Mortal Kombat 11.

Smith Jr stopped by the LA-based boutique BAIT for Fight Klub, a pop-up to celebrate the drop of the sneakers and game. We caught up with the New York Knicks point guard to talk about the UA x Sub-Zero concept, playing Mortal Kombat and more.

SLAM: How did this whole Sub-Zero Anatomix Spawn concept come to life?

Dennis Smith Jr: We came up with the idea of the shoe in Las Vegas during Summer League when they released the HOVR Havoc. They showed me that shoe for Summer League and I seen it—it was dope. I just ran an idea about them with my move—the hesitation is like the Sub-Zero—that’s what we call it. It freezes people. I was just telling them the idea that it would be dope if we came up with the shoe that went together with Sub-Zero. That was what laid the foundation for the shoe and they came up with the design and it came out good.

SLAM: What were your thoughts when you first saw the shoe?

DSJ: I liked them and thought it was dope. Y’all been doing a lot helping me promote it as well with SLAM Kicks. The reviews have been great. A lot of players and a lot people locally have been showing me a lot of love. I think it’s a great look.

SLAM: The Anatomix Spawn is one of many Under Armour shoes you’ve worn since being in the League. Where does it rank among your favorite hoop kicks?

DSJ: These number one in terms of comfort, how they look and stability.

SLAM: What is it about Sub-Zero that makes him your favorite character in Mortal Kombat?

DSJ: I grew up playing with game with my cousins and most of them like Scorpion. We always viewed Sub-Zero-Scorpion like Duke-UNC—how they were rivals—and I started liking Sub-Zero. It started at probably 4, 5 years old.

SLAM: You got a couple reps in with MK11. What were your overall thoughts?

DSJ: It’s kind of hard to play [laughs]. The controls is different, but I could tell when I get used to it it’s going to be a good game. I’m going to catch a lot of Ws in it. That’s for sure.

SLAM: Is this a game you can see playing against some of your teammates or other NBA gamers?

DSJ: Maybe, if I find other people that play Mortal Kombat. There’s a lot of people that been feeling the shoe and been giving positive reviews on it, so I might be able to find a couple people to play me.

SLAM: If you were to be put in Mortal Kombat, what would your name be?

DSJ: Jung Lao [laughs]. His name is Kung Lao and I’d be Joon Lao. See what I did there?

SLAM: What’s Jung Lao’s costume looking like?

DSJ: I want the same kind of gear like Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Reptile be wearing—the little suits, but mine is going to be red.

SLAM: What would your fatality be?

DSJ: I don’t know. It’d be something crazy. I gotta think about my super powers if I’m freezing or burning people, you know what I’m saying? I gotta think about that.

SLAM: You have a costume that’s mixed with Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Reptile—all-red. Are you on the air or on the ground?

DSJ: I want it to be on the ground. I can’t take Sub-Zero’s because I want to be faster than everybody and be like the Flash of the Mortal Kombat world. I think that’d be dope.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

The UA Anatomix Spawn MK11 ‘Sub-Zero’ is available now.

Photos courtesy of Under Armour.

The post Dennis Smith Jr Talks Under Armour x Mortal Kombat Collab ❄️ appeared first on SLAM.

Kyrie Irving was the C’s leading scorer with 26 points to win Game 1 on the road. Al Horford finished with 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Jaylen Brown finished with 19 points. Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier finished with 13 and 11, respectively.

Warriors 104, Rockets 100 (Golden State leads series 1-0)

In a game that went to the wire, the Warriors came out with the W at home. Kevin Durant finished with 35 points. Stephen Curry had 18 points, Draymond Green and Andre Iguoadala had 14 points apiece. Chris Paul was ejected after receiving his second technical foul late in the final seconds.

The post Post Up: Kevin Durant Drops 35 Points as Warriors Take 1 appeared first on SLAM.

Seven Celtics players finished in double digits in the first round sweep. Gordon Hayward led all scorers with 20 points off the bench. Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum scored 18 points apiece; Al Horford and Kyrie Irving had 14 points each. This was Boston’s first 4-0 series win in eight years.

Warriors 113, Clippers 105 (Golden State leads series 3-1)

The Clippers couldn’t come out with the much-needed win at home, as Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 65 points. The Clippers outscored Golden State in the third quarter, 30-25, and cut it to one early in the fourth, but Steph Curry scored seven of the Dubs’ final 10 points.

Raptors 107, Magic 85 (Toronto leads the series 3-1)

Kawhi Leonard put up 34 points in 35 minutes to put the Raptors one win closer to the second round. Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell had 16 points each, and Serge Ibaka had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Blazers 111, Thunder 98 (Portland leads series 3-1)

CJ McCollum (27 points) and Damian Lillard (24 points) snapped an eight-game road playoff losing streak, and return back to Portland with a chance to end the series on Tuesday. Lillard caught the hot hand in the third quarter, knocking down three-straight triples, finishing with 15 points.

The post Post Up: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum Lead Trailblazers Over Thunder to 3-1 Series appeared first on SLAM.

In his first playoff game as a Celtic, Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and dropped seven dimes at TD Garden. Jayson Tatum finished with 15 points, and Al Horford posted a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds).

Boston also got 30 combined bench points from Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward.

Blazers 104, Thunder 99 (Portland leads 1-0)

Damian Lillard scored 30 points, knocking down five triples, as the Blazers protected home court. CJ McCollum had 24 points and Enes Kanter had a 20-point, 18-rebound performance.

Bucks 121, Pistons 86 (Milwaukee leads 1-0)

All five starters finished in double digits, as Giannis Antetokounmpo was the team’s leading scorer with 24 points in 23 minutes. He also had a mean dunk from inside the free throw line.

Eric Bledsoe finished with 15 points, and Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez had 14 apiece. Sterling Brown had 11 points.

Rockets 122, Jazz 90 (Houston leads 1-0)

Houston went up 20 points under the nine-minute mark as they cruised to victory. James Harden was two rebounds shy of a triple-double, leading the team with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Eric Gordon was the second-leading scorer with 17 points, and Clint Capela finished with 16 points and 12 boards.

The post Post Up: Damian Lillard Drops 30 Points As Blazers Defeat Thunder in Game 1 🎯 appeared first on SLAM.

Toronto took care of business at home as four Raptors finished with 20-plus-point performances: Pascal Siakam (23 points), Norman Powell (23 points), Kawhi Leonard (22 points) and Danny Green (21 points).

Spurs 112 (47-34), Cavaliers 90 (19-62)

LaMarcus Aldridge posted a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Davis Bertans had 14 apiece.

Hornets 104 (38-42), Pistons 91 (39-41)

Kemba Walker scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half as the Hornets have won three straight and are doing everything to get that eighth seed.

Thunder 132 (47-33), Timberwolves 126 (36-44)

Russell Westbrook (27 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) got his 32nd triple-double of the season in Sunday’s matinee. Paul George also had 27 points, too, and Dennis Schroder had 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Thunder are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference.

Nets 108 (41-40), Pacers 96 (47-34)

D’Angelo Russell posted 30 points to give the Nets a playoff berth since 2015. Joe Harris was the team’s second-leading scorer with 19 points. Jarrett Allen had 12 and Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert had a combined 30 bench points.

Mavericks 129 (32-48), Grizzlies 127 (32-48)

Salah Mejri’s bucket in the fourth quarter kept Dallas’ hopes alive. He then scored the first seven points in overtime, finishing the game with 19 points.

Rockets 149 (53-28), Suns 113 (19-62)

James Harden only needed three quarters to get a 30-piece in the rout. The Rockets also made 27 3-pointers, setting a new NBA record for most made 3’s by a team. Eric Gordon (26 points) led the team with eight triples.

Bucks 115 (60-21), Hawks 107 (29-52)

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30 points helped the Bucks get to 60 wins for the first time since 1981. Khris Middleton chipped in 21 points.

Magic 116 (41-40), Celtics 108 (48-33)

The Magic will see postseason play after breaking a seven-year playoff drought. Terrence Ross was Orlando’s leading scorer with 26 points; Nikola Vucevic finished with a double-double (25 points, 12 rebounds) and Evan Fournier dropped 24.

Knicks 113 (16-64), Wizards 110 (32-49)

Mario Hezonja put a 30 points (career high) and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute left. Kevin Knox put up 16 points and Dennis Smith Jr had 15 off the bench.

Blazers 115 (51-29), Nuggets 108 (53-27)

Damian Lillard led all scorers with 30 points. Enes Kanter, filling in the void with Jusuf Nurkic out, had 11 points and 13 rebounds. Seth Curry and Rodney Hood had 11 points apiece off the bench.

Pelicans 133 (33-48), Kings 129 (39-42)

Ian Clark had a career-best seven 3-pointers to finish the game with 31 points. Elfrid Payton was big down the stretch, scoring 12 of his 25 points in crunch time.

Lakers 113 (37-44), Jazz 109 (49-31)

Four of five starters finished in double digits. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 32 points. Despite finishing with five points, Jemerrio Jones, who was a late season acquisition, grabbed 16 rebounds in his first start in front of the Staples Center crowd.

Warriors 131 (56-24), Clippers 104 (47-34)

It was a special night at Oracle Arena. Golden State brought out the “We Believe” jerseys for their final regular season game at home. Stephen Curry had 27 points as the Warriors clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The post Post Up: Warriors Clinch Top Seed in Win Over Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

Despite not having Luka Doncic, the Mavericks defeated the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Trey Burke had 25 points off the bench, and Devin Harris chipped in 15 points. Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points.

Hawks 136 (28-49), Bucks 135 (57-20)

Trae Young’s shot off a deflection at the buzzer gave the Hawks the W in overtime. Young finished the game with 12 points and dished out 16 dimes. Four of five starters finished in double digits as Justin Anderson (24 points) was the team’s leading scorer.

Lakers 130 (35-42), Pelicans 102 (32-46)

Alex Caruso had a career-high 23 points as the Lakers got the Sunday afternoon win. Rajon Rondo had 24 points and 12 assists, and JaVale McGee had 23 points and 16 rebounds.

Kings 113 (38-39), Spurs 106 (44-33)

Buddy Hield’s 26 points propelled a Kings win on the road. Sacramento’s other four starters finished in double digits, and got a combined 25 bench points from Yogi Ferrell and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Wizards 95 (32-46), Nuggets 90 (51-25)

Troy Brown Jr had the hot hand from deep, knocking down five 3-pointers, to have a career-high 24 points. Thomas Bryant and Jabari Parker had 20 apiece. The Wizards scored 13 straight points in the third quarter after trailing by double digits and held the Nuggets to 28 points in the second half.

Warriors 137 (52-34), Hornets 90 (35-41)

Golden State completely obliterated the Hornets at Oracle Arena. Six players finished in double digits with Stephen Curry (25 points) leading the way. Klay Thompson had 24 and Quin Cook had 21 points off the bench. The Warriors made 21 3-pointers and shot 63.6 percent from behind the arc.

Clippers 113 (47-31), Grizzlies 96 (31-46)

Aside from Danilo Gallinari’s stellar night – 27 points and 15 rebounds – the Clippers’ bench was a key factor in the win. Montrezl Harrell (20 points) and Lou Williams (17 points). Jamychal Green, another reserve, had 15 points. The Clippers also honored L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was fatally shot earlier in the day.

The post Post Up: Trae Young Hits Buzzer Beater as Hawks Defeat Bucks in Overtime appeared first on SLAM.

Four of five Clippers starters finished in double digits, as Danilo Gallinari posted 26 points. Ivica Zubac had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds), Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell combined for 53 points off the bench. The Clippers are now in fifth place in the Western Conference.

Bucks 127 (55-19), Cavaliers 105 (19-55)

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 27 points and grabbed 10 boards. Khris Middleton had 17 points and Eric Bledsoe and Tony Snell had 12 apiece. The Bucks improved to a League-best 55-19.

Pacers 124 (45-29), Nuggets 88 (49-23)

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 of his 35 points in the first half, setting a career high. Both Myles Turner (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Domantas Sabonis (15 points, 13 rebounds) had double-doubles. Aaron Holiday and Tyreke Evans had 11 off the bench.

Hornets 115 (34-39), Raptors 114 (51-23)

Trailing two, Jeremy Lamb got the ball, lost control and heaved it from half court to give Charlotte the win at the buzzer. He finished with 13 points. Dwayne Bacon was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points.

Rockets 113 (47-27), Pelicans 90 (31-44)

James Harden had 29 points in 28 minutes of action. Eric Gordon, who knocked down six 3-pointers, finished with 18 points. Chris Paul had 10 points and 13 dimes, and Clint Capela was two points shy of getting a double-double, but had 17 rebounds.

Spurs 115 (43-31), Celtics 96 (43-31)

Boston had no answer for LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored 48 points at TD Garden. He also grabbed 13 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds).

Warriors 121 (50-23), Pistons 114 (37-36)

Twenty-four hours after losing to Dallas, Steph Curry (26 points) and Klay Thompson (24 points) combined for 50 points in the home win. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green each had 14 points. This is the Warriors’ sixth-straight season with 50 or more wins.

Lakers 111 (32-41), Kings 106 (36-37)

LeBron James finished with 29 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds to get his eighth triple-double of the season and snap a five-game losing streak. Kyle Kuzma had 21 third quarter points and finished with 29 points. The Kings came back from a double-digit deficit and cut it to two with 16 seconds in the game, but LeBron James made it a two possession game.

The post Post Up: LaMarcus Aldridge Puts Up 48 Points Against Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

New York ended the game on a 13-1 run to get the late win at Madison Square Garden. Mario Hezonja, who found himself in between the basket and LeBron James, shadowed James as he drove and blocked the potential game-winning shot. All five Knicks starters finished in double digits with Emmanuel Mudiay leading the way with 28 points.

Heat 93 (33-36), Hornets 75 (31-38)

Goran Dragic (19 points) and Dwyane Wade (17 points) were big off the bench for Miami, who are now two games ahead of Charlotte in the eighth seed. Bam Adebayo (16 points, 9 rebounds) was one rebound shy of a double-double.

Sixers 130 (45-25), Bucks 125 (52-18)

Sunday’s matinee between two of the top teams in the East lived up to its expectations. Giannis Antetokounmpo (career-high 52 points) and Joel Embiid (40 points) dueled, as the Sixers came out with the win on the road. Jimmy Butler was the Sixers’ second-leading scorer with 27 points.

Pistons 110 (36-33), Raptors 107 (49-21)

Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson combined for 45 points as Detroit came out with the win down the stretch. Andre Drummond posted another double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Magic 101 (33-38), Hawks 91 (24-47)

Nikola Vucevic had a monster stat line – 20 points and 27 rebounds – at Amway Center. Aaron Gordon added 22 points, and D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier finished with 11 apiece.

Kings 129 (33-35), Bulls 102 (19-51)

De’Aaron Fox dropped 17 points and Buddy Hield had 16 points in front of their home crowd. Marvin Bagley III scored a game-high 21 points off the bench, and Harry Giles finished with 16 points. The Kings dominated the paint, outscoring the Bulls 80-56.

Rockets 117 (44-26), Timberwolves 102 (32-38)

Chris Paul had 25 points and 10 dimes, and James Harden and Clint Capela had 20 points apiece. The Rockets made 17 3-pointers and are 11-1 in their last 12 games.

Clippers 119 (41-30), Nets 116 (36-36)

With the game tied at 116, Lou Williams got the rock, shot from way behind the arc to knockdown his first career game-winning buzzer beater on Sunday night. Williams finished with 25 points and six rebounds. Six Clippers finished in double digits.

The post Post Up: Lou Williams Knocks Down Buzzer Beater Against Nets 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Toronto tied its franchise-record 3s made with 21, as Kyle Lowry hit six triples to finish with 24 points. Pascal Siakam, a MIP candidate, had 20 points. Danny Green finished with 15 points.

Pistons 131 (34-31), Bulls 108 (19-49)

Detroit scored 42 points in the third quarter in the rout to win five straight. Four Pistons starters finished in double digits – Blake Griffin (28 points), Reggie Jackson (21 points), Andre Drummond (18 points) and Wayne Ellington (13 points). Langston Galloway added 21 points off the bench.

Sixers 106 (42-25), Pacers 86 (42-25)

Joel Embiid, who returned after missing the last eight games with a sore knee, finished with a team-high 33 points and 12 rebounds. Tobias Harris had 16 points and Ben Simmons had 15. Philly moved into the third place in the Eastern Conference with the win.

Hawks 128 (23-45), Pelicans 116 (30-39)

Kevin Huerter led all scorers with 27 points and John Collins posted a double-double (23 points, 10 rebounds). Alex Len added 19 points and was a rebound short of a double-double, and Trae Young had 10 points and 10 dimes.

Grizzlies 105 (28-40), Magic 97 (31-37)

Mike Conley scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, as Memphis closed the game on a 17-2 run. Avery Bradley had 21 points. CJ Miles, Joakim Noah and Delon Wright had a combined 33 bench points.

Rockets 94 (41-25), Mavericks 93 (27-39)

Chris Paul came up huge on the final possession of the game, blocking Jalen Brunson’s shot as time expired. Paul, who finished with nine points and nine assists, ranks No. 7 on the All-Time Assist Leaders list after passing Isaiah Thomas. Eric Gordon posted a team-high 26 points and James Harden had 20 points.

Timberwolves 103 (32-35), Knicks 92 (13-54)

With no Karl-Anthony Towns, Taj Gibson (25 points) filled in the void on the offensive side. Jeff Teague finished with 20 points and Keita Bates-Diop put up 18 points.

Spurs 121 (38-29), Bucks 114 (50-17)

LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan combined for 57 points on Sunday night. Marco Bellineli scored 16 points off the bench. The Spurs have now won five straight.

Suns 115 (16-52), Warriors 111 (45-21)

Devin Booker posted a game-high 37 points and 11 assists on the road in Oakland. Kelly Oubre had 22 points, Deandre Ayton had 18 points and nine boards. Golden State struggled to get it going from the 3-point line, shooting 10-43 from behind the arc. Kevin Durant (25 points) went to the locker room after rolling his ankle and didn’t return to the game.

The post Post Up: Devin Booker Scores 37 Points as Suns Stun Warriors 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t think there’s anybody like me,” he says. “I’m just one of one.”

He’s rocking the eye-catching “Gym Red” Jordan XIIs as he goes through a series of skill work on the perimeter. Shortly after, he switches into a pair of “Lucky Charms” Kyrie 4s to go head-to-head with a teammate in a game of King of the Court. Aside from the variations of heat, one thing that’s evident is Christopher’s shorts game. The folding of the waistband is a common trend in grassroots basketball, but he also tucks in the bottom of his shorts, something he says he started doing ever since he dropped 43 points in a tournament with his shorts tucked in.

Back on the hardwood, Christopher wins a couple games and changes into the cream-colored Don C Air Jordan IIs for his first-ever SLAM photo shoot. His affinity for the bright lights and cameras is evident—he very clearly enjoys being the center of attention. 

“He’s definitely very charismatic, and as a basketball player he’s always had a level of confidence that is rare,” says Mayfair head coach Tony Davis, who’s known Christopher since he was eight years old. “I think that’s one thing that helps separate him—he has an undying belief of his abilities and you don’t see that in teenagers.”

As he wraps up his media obligations, Christopher switches into an off-court pair—Balenciaga Triple S sneakers—as he grabs his Gucci backpack and is off to be a student for a couple hours before he’s back in the gym for afternoon practice. 

Ask Christopher, a top-10 player in the Class of 2020, what he’s looking to accomplish this season and he mentions one goal. 

“Just to lead my team [to a championship],” he says. “Being the guy on the team everybody kind of looks at just to put my teammates in the spotlight for them to do well.” 

This past summer was an eventful one for Christopher. He spent the course of three months playing with California Supreme in the EYBL, Nick Young’s MHP team in the Drew League, the inaugural SLAM Summer Classic and was selected to participate in the Nike Skills Academy. But his most memorable moment of the summer may have been actress Tracee Ellis Ross posting a photo of them together wearing the same Supreme t-shirt at a Migos concert.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross)

Christopher comes from a lineage of hoopers, too. His sister Paris played at Mayfair and St. Mary’s; his brother Patrick, who also starred at Mayfair, was an All-Pac-12 guard at Cal and had a short stint in the NBA along with some time spent in the D-League and overseas; and his older brother Caleb shared the backcourt with Josh last season and is now playing a post-grad year at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix.

“Being the youngest kind of shaped me more than anything else,” he says. “Just being able to see my siblings’ success, I was able to learn from it.”

The youngest brother in the Christopher family is making his own lane and riding his own wave. And as one of high school’s most elite scorers on the West Coast, he wants y’all to know something. 

“I’m the best player in California,” he says. “I think I’ve proved that regardless of what anyone says.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Portraits by Ryan Young.

The post JUST DIFFERENT: Five-Star Guard Josh Christopher Is Riding His Own 🌊 appeared first on SLAM.

What’s your response to those who say you guys can’t do it again?

After asking for the question to be repeated, he pauses before he finally gives an answer.

“We’re just going to do it,” Stanley says. “For the people who say we can’t do it again, you’ll see the show.”

Last season’s talk around California high school hoops was about all the transfers who enrolled in Sierra Canyon School, a prestigious private Pre-K-12 college preparatory in Chatsworth. Located on the outskirts of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, Sierra Canyon has a reputation for being a school attended by children of A-list celebrities. 

Stanley, son of Jerome Stanley, the first black sports agent to represent a No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, transferred to Sierra Canyon from Harvard-Westlake for his junior year. Scotty Pippen Jr, whose father needs no introduction, made the cross-country trek from Pine Crest (FL) HS. Kenyon Martin Jr, ditto, enrolled from nearby Chaminade. In total, there were six transfers and a head coaching change at the school. 

At a time when superteams are now the norm in the NBA, Sierra Canyon has followed suit, putting together a big-name-heavy team that was both glorified and scrutinized for its newly formed roster. Some had the squad as favorites to win it all; others prayed for their downfall.

“We were a bunch of individuals and that was a big thing throughout the year,” says Stanley. “Everyone knew us—but as a team it was a big question mark.”

In the first 10 games of last season, the Trailblazers went 9-1. A three-point loss to Bishop Montgomery in January had many questioning Sierra Canyon’s validity after falling to a team that was missing three key starters. As the season progressed, Sierra Canyon went undefeated in league play to capture another Gold Coast title and began the postseason in the CIF-SS Open Division 1A playoffs, which is regarded as one of the toughest divisions in interscholastic sports. 

And as the horn sounded and the game clock read all zeros inside the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento last March, the Trailblazers celebrated everything doubters said they couldn’t do as they hoisted the CIF-SS Open Division State title to conclude a memorable 27-4 season.

Stanley led all scorers with 23 points while Pippen Jr added 21 as Scottie stood courtside, ecstatic of what his son had accomplished. Andre Chevalier, an assistant coach who took over the reins after former coach Ty Nichols resigned, credits last season to making him an overall better person, but, most importantly, a better coach. 

“It was a great learning opportunity for me,” Chevalier says. “I became better as a coach as a result of having to coach these guys, and as they came together as a group throughout the year, we began to see that it was going to be a special run.”

Chevalier, who hails from Maryland, relocated to Southern California with his mother in middle school. He starred at Cleveland HS in Reseda before earning a scholarship to Cal State Northridge, where he was the Matadors’ point guard in the early ’90s. He has the second-most assists (481) in school history and was inducted into the Matador Hall of Fame in 2016. Now the 2018 L.A. Times Coach of the Year is at the helm for one of the most high-profile basketball teams in the nation in a digital age where almost all grassroots hoops fans who own a cell phone have chimed in about his team.

“I just stay silent because our actions will speak louder than words,” Chevalier says. “Never do I have to respond to anything. We work to accomplish our goals.”

“I really don’t feel that much pressure,” says Kenyon Martin Jr, who prefers to be called KJ. “Growing up and seeing [my dad] play and just seeing how the guys are and what they do at that level, it gives me expectations for the future, so I follow the steps.”

Having a father who was a former No. 1 NBA Draft pick and made a career off playing with tenacity for 15 years in the League has given the younger Martin an appreciation for the type of work that needs to be done to reach that level. 

“Coming in every day—even if you don’t play well—just play hard,” KJ says, reflecting on his dad’s advice. “No one can teach you how hard to play. [My dad] just tells me to go out and play hard.” 

This season, KJ continues to do that. At 6-6, the power forward’s motor is a clear indication that he’s from the Martin bloodline. He hovers from the short corner to each block for any openings to receive passes off penetration from his teammates. In the Trailblazers’ 2-2-1 full-court press, where the team goes from defense to offense in a matter of seconds, KJ surveys the court like a safety on a football field, looking to intercept anything in his vicinity.

When he gets a steal, he dribbles en route to the basket with a full head of steam or advances it to his teammates as he trails for the alley-oop or cleans anything around the rim. And on defense, he patrols the paint, usually swatting shots a few rows into the bleachers. 

Martin Sr, who’s normally sitting in the front row at home games, is perpetually present to offer his son on-the-fly advice on the intricacies of the game or later in detail during film sessions, where missed assignments and late rotations (and not huge dunks) are the focal points.

For Pippen Jr, there can be two types of pressure—being the point guard on a top team and bearing the surname of a six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer. 

“I feel like being the point guard for one of the top teams in the nation and [being] Scottie Pippen’s son comes with a lot of pressure,” says Pippen Jr. “Everybody wants to know who I am and how do I perform night in and night out.”

The 6-2 guard is the engine of the Trailblazers’ high-powered offense. As a facilitator, playing with guys like Cassius and KJ makes his job much easier. Many times, Pippen Jr can call his own number and break down defenders straight to the rim, but he usually likes to connect with the aforementioned pair on plays that cause raucous cheers throughout the gym and inevitably end up on social media. 

“I still get shocked at times because this only happens once,” says Stanley, a viral sensation who has amassed over 360,000 followers on Instagram. “I get hyped every time I see something, whether it’s me, my teammates and seeing who comes to the games, because this is high school basketball.”

Despite their short time together, the trio plays as if they’ve known each other since childhood. 

“Their off-the-court camaraderie is amazing,” Chevalier says. “They hang out with each other, love each other, fight as brothers. That transitions to the on-the-court camaraderie that helps us win games.”

The Trailblazers are 30-3 and attract flocks of fans from all over whenever they hit the court. Their games are typically standing room only, and home games are streamed live online. Plus, the status of fans coming to see the most electrifying HS team West of the Mississippi can vary on any given night. Aside from Pippen Sr and Martin Sr, who are regulars, Kanye West and multiple Kardashian/Jenners have made appearances over the last year.

Stanley has his top-5 list—Barack Obama, Travis Scott, Drake, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant—of stars he’d like to come through this season. As of this writing, James, Kendall Jenner and close friend Taco (of Odd Future fame) have been some of the big names to make an appearance.

—

It’s the Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving break and the triumvirate plus Chevalier are filtering through the locker room for interviews for a docu-series that’s scheduled to air in the coming months. Shortly after, the Trailblazers go through a team shootaround, a game day ritual, before they pose for SLAM photos throughout campus.

About six hours after our shoot, Sierra Canyon hosts Hollywood HS and completely obliterates them, 105-28. Stanley, who throws down an insane Eastbay dunk during the game’s first half, refers to these types of games as “aggressive scrimmages,” and pays them no mind after they’re over.

The only thing he’s worried about during his final year is to make his mark on HS basketball and attain the individual accolades that come with being a top basketball prospect—Jordan Brand Classic and Gatorade POY—while he makes a decision on which college he’ll suit up for in the fall.

Oh, and lead Sierra Canyon back to the Golden 1 Center come this March. 

“Everybody on the team has the same goal,” he says. “We’re all just trying to win state.”

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM PRESENTS THE GREATEST COLLEGE PLAYERS OF ALL TIME HERE.

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post Welcome to the Sierra Canyon SHOW 🍿 appeared first on SLAM.

Landry Shamet had the hot hand early in the Sunday matinee win, scoring 18 of his 21 points in the first 12 minutes. Shamet’s seven 3-pointers were the most by any rookie in a quarter since 2002-03. Danilo Gallinari was the second-leading scorer with 20 points.

Trailblazers 118 (39-24), Hornets 108 (29-34)

Rodney Hood looked like the player NBA fans used to see during his days in Utah. He had a season-high 27 points in the second half. In his last five games, Hood was 7-of-32 from the field and 1-of-10 from behind the arc. Jusuf Nurkic had 26 points and 15 rebounds.

Cavaliers 107 (16-48), Magic 93 (30-35)

Four of five of the Cavs’ starters finished in double digits in the home win. Collin Sexton put up 17 points and Kevin Love had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points off the bench.

Hawks 123 (22-42), Bulls 118 (18-46)

Trae Young and Kris Dunn were jawing (and even shoved) back and forth, which resulted in Young getting ejected in the second half after hitting a deep 3-pointer and taunting Dunn. Young, who was thrown out in the third quarter, finished with 18 points. Alex Len was Atlanta’s leading scorer with 28 points.

Wizards 135 (26-37), Timberwolves 121 (29-34)

Bobby Portis had a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for Washington, which had lost its last five of six games. Bradley Beal and Jabari Parker had 22 apiece.

Pistons 112 (31-31), Raptors 107 (46-18)

Blake Griffin (27 points) protected his home court in overtime against the visiting Raptors. Reggie Jackson finished with 19 points, Andre Drummond had another double-double (15 points, 17 rebounds) and Wayne Ellington had 11 points. Despite the loss, Kyle Lowry had a season-high 35 points.

Thunder 99 (38-24), Grizzlies 95 (25-39)

Trailing three down the stretch, Russell Westbrook (22 points) knocked down a 3-pointer to tie it at 93 followed by a mid-range jumper to take the two-point lead. Paul George (right shoulder soreness) cheered from the sidelines, as Abdul Nader scored 15 points off the bench. Jerami Grant and Steven Adams had 13 points apiece.

Rockets 115 (38-25), Celtics 104 (38-26)

Harden put up 42 points against the C’s at TD Garden, scoring 40 or more points for the 24th time this season, as Houston has won the last five games. Eric Gordon had 32 points (eight 3s), and Chris Paul posted a double-double (15 points, 12 assists).

The post Post Up: James Harden Drops 42 Points Against the Celtics 🚀 appeared first on SLAM.

In 1972, Embry was named Milwaukee’s general manager, becoming the first African-American GM in major American professional sports.

“I was stunned,” Embry later told The Undefeated. “I had no idea because back in those days I never gave it a thought that anyone would even think about considering me as a general manager—it never happened before.”

Before taking front offices roles, Embry was a player. He landed with the Cincinnati Royals via trade in 1958, where he spent eight seasons, including six alongside Oscar Robertson. He was later moved to Boston and was a part of the C’s 1967-68 championship team under Red Auerbach. Embry finished his career in 1969 after a brief stint with the Bucks. He averaged 12.5 points and 9.1 rebounds overall.

At 6-8, 240 pounds, the five-time All-Star was nicknamed “The Wall” for the hard screens he’d set on opponents. With his playing career over, Embry now served as a key figure in the Bucks’ front office. At the time, he downplayed holding the position, but admits being nothing short of ecstatic knowing he made history.

“I was just kind of nonchalant about the whole thing, but I was really excited inside,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure that I would be successful and hopefully be a general manager for a long time. And inspire others.”

As a GM, one of the key moves Embry made was trading for his former teammate in Robertson ahead of the 1970-71 season, the same year the Bucks won their first-ever title. After Milwaukee, Embry took the GM job for the Cavaliers in 1985.

Nine years later, another promotion came, as Embry became the NBA’s first black team president. He won Executive of the Year in ’92 and ’98 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame the following year.

“A lot of things were not that easy for him on his way to where he is today,” Robertson said in 2017. “There was not a plan for a lot of African-Americans in those days, to be honest. People think because they see him now, ‘Everything was so wonderful.’ But he persevered. And I’m happy for him for that.”

Prior to the NBA, Embry played college ball in his home state, starring at Miami (OH) University from 1955-58. He won two All-Mid Conference titles in ’57 and ’58, and was a part of the school’s first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament—an 82-77 upset over Pitt—where he posted 21 points and 20 rebounds.

In three years (freshman weren’t allowed to play varsity), Embry grabbed 1,117 rebounds, putting him second all-time for the Redskins (now RedHawks). In 1970, he was enshrined into the Miami University Hall of Fame, as his No. 23 jersey hangs inside Millett Hall. Embry was also inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2006. Earlier this month, the school hosted “Wayne Embry Day” to honor his accomplishments. 

With over 60 years of experience, Embry remains connected to the game, serving as the senior basketball adviser for the Toronto Raptors since 2004. The team also has the “Wayne Embry Fellowship” for those who aspire to work on the business side of the NBA. The fellowship gives participants an opportunity to gain firsthand experience in a professional basketball environment and learn a range of fields from coaching to scouting to player development, as well as gain operations experience at Summer League in Las Vegas and Basketball Without Borders at All-Star Weekend.

Last month, Embry was one of four NBA/WNBA players to receive the 14th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award on MLK Day in Memphis.

“Having lived through [the] ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and having to go through what we went through back before the civil rights movement and all with Dr. King … it’s just an inspiration to be able to have achieved and contributed to a lot of what Dr. King stood for and efforts and sacrifices that he made to make it possible,” he said. “That’s inspired me to want to make things better for others.”

There are currently four active African-American GMs—Elton Brand (Philadelphia Sixers), Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers), Masai Ujiri (Toronto Raptors), James Jones (Phoenix Suns)—in the League. A true basketball pioneer, Embry, 81, laid the foundation for them and for those who aspire to follow a similar path.

“Hopefully I set an example,” he said. “… I think that when I was named general manager, my intentions were to not fail. … I was asked at the time that if I saw any significance or found any significance in being the first. And I said, ‘Only if it’s significant to others. And hopefully I’m not the last.’”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty.

The post BHM 2019: Wayne Embry Became the First African-American General Manager appeared first on SLAM.

Terrence Ross put up a team-high 28 points off the bench north of the border as the Magic ended Toronto’s seven-game winning streak. Big man Nikola Vucevic posted 23 points and 12 boards.

Nuggets 123 (40-18), Clippers 96 (33-27)

Denver defended home court Sunday afternoon against the Clippers behind stellar performances from Nikola Jokic (22 points, 16 rebounds) and Paul Millsap (21 points, 16 boards). The Nuggets are now 26-4 at home and three games ahead of the Thunder for third place in the Western Conference.

Knicks 130 (12-48), Spurs 118 (33-28)

The Knicks snapped its 18-straight home game losing streak on Sunday night. Damyean Dotson finished with 27 points (eight 3s), and Dennis Smith Jr and Kevin Knox had 19 apiece. Emmanuel Mudiay (19 points) and Mitchell Robinson (15 points) came up huge off the bench, too. New York’s last home victory was on Dec. 1.

The post Post Up: Knicks End 18-Straight Home Losing Streak 🗽 appeared first on SLAM.

Kevin Durant took home MVP honors in the 2019 All-Star Game as Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis on Sunday night in Charlotte. Durant scored a team-high 31 points as Team LeBron rallied back from down double digits in the second half. Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James had 19 apiece, Kyrie Irving had 13 points and James Harden had 12.

For Team Giannis, Giannis Antetokoumpo scored 38 points and was looking like an MVP favorite for the first three quarters. Paul George was the second-leading scorer with 20 points, Stephen Curry put up 17 and Joel Embiid finished with 10.

Check out some of the best highlights below.

STEPH x GIANNIS. OMG. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/h2mOBDJSk2

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 18, 2019

PG Giannis off the glass! (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/8Q4qm1zPyH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 18, 2019

PG out here makin’ it look easy. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/rgvSou31HR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 18, 2019

D-Wade and LeBron connecting just like old times. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/lhGu9Ngs1a

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 18, 2019

We miss these lobs. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/HacXe69DIP

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 18, 2019

RELATED
Every Dunk from the 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

The post Post Up: Kevin Durant Named All-Star Game MVP as Team LeBron Defeats Team Giannis 🏆 appeared first on SLAM.

After a stellar four-year hoop campaign at Coppin State University—Ready finished her career ranked amongst the all-time leaders in points, rebounds, assists and steals—she was offered an assistant coaching position on the men’s team at her alma mater. An eventual promotion made her the first female Division I recruiter in the NCAA.

It wasn’t long before Ready received a phone call from Rob Levine and Karl Hicks, two NBA executives who were at the forefront of the upstart Development League (now the G League), which would operate as a pipeline to the Association. The call was an inquiry to see if Ready had any aspirations of coaching at the professional level.

On Jan. 4, 2001, Levine officially announced the NBDL, with Fayetteville, NC serving as the first of eight cities to have a team. The rules of the league were simple: prospective players needed to be 20 years or older and were eligible to be picked up by any NBA team.

Seven months later, Ready broke important ground by accepting a position to join the Greenville Groove, becoming the first female assistant coach of a men’s professional team.

“There were lots of sleepless nights up late watching video, writing scouting reports and doing game prep,” Ready said during an interview in 2015. “I did everything the right way and worked my tail off.”

The league began its inaugural season that November with teams located in southeastern U.S. cities. There was a 56-game regular season from mid-November through March, followed by the playoffs. That year, the Groove won its first (and only) D-League championship.

Ready’s time with Greenville came to an end the following season. She had a stint on the Washington Mystics’ coaching staff before taking a sideline reporter position to cover the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets) during the team’s first season in ‘04. During the next couple of years, Ready reported at all levels (NBA, WNBA and NCAAW), honing her craft.

In August of 2015, Ready hit another career milestone when Fox Sports Southeast announced she would transition from the sidelines to the broadcast booth with Eric Collins and Dell Curry, making her the first full-time female NBA game analyst.

“When I was a coach and considered getting into television, this was the job that I wanted,” Ready said, shortly after the move. “This was the reason that I got into sports broadcasting, because I wanted to be a game analyst.”

Women in sports often receive more backlash compared to their male colleagues. But anyone who knows basketball can easily see how much Ready offers as an analyst.

“Due to my coaching background, I’ve always felt comfortable with my knowledge of the game,” Ready told espnW. “I never felt like I had to prove that to anybody. There were always coaches and executives that would stop me and say, ‘Hey, I heard you calling the game and you were great!’

“To me, that was the most important thing, because these basketball minds in the NBA appreciated my knowledge and what I brought to the table.”

Some of those basketball minds include Dell Curry and Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing.

“Whoever doesn’t think she’s qualified for the job, come ask me or ask any player or coach in the men’s locker room,” Curry told CNN. “They know that she’s qualified and she can do the job.”

Ewing, a former Hornets assistant who’s currently the head coach at Georgetown, cited her playing career at CSU, as well as her dedication to the craft.

“She’s played,” Ewing said. “She’s done all the work. She’s done her homework. She’s studied her craft. She’s good at it. That’s the bottom line. She’s good at it.”

Marvin Williams, a 14-year veteran who’s been in Charlotte since 2014, also voiced his support for Ready—not only for her accolades, but also for inspiring the next generation.

“I think it’s amazing, man,” Williams said via CNN. “It’s a true testament to how hard she works, how good she is at her job, and I think a lot of women out there as well as young girls should be inspired by her hard work and her accomplishments.”

Following 15 years with the Hornets, Ready recently accepted a new job with Turner Sports. She’ll be covering NBA games for TNT on virtual reality.

Good morning! I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining The Turner Sports Family this month! I’ll be partnered w/ ⁦@ripcityhamilton⁩ for the rest of the @nba season including playoffs, broadcasting ⁦@NBAonTNT⁩ VR! Join in on the fun! https://t.co/Xskyg2ZtdQ

— Stephanie Ready (@StephanieReady) December 17, 2018

Breaking barriers is something Ready, 44, has done throughout her entire career, and she’s cognizant of how the landscape of women working in male-dominated fields has progressed drastically over that time.

“Being a double-minority, if you will, because I’m African-American and a woman in the sports industry, [you] have to really be conscientious of how you get to where you are and again who became before you,” she told Hornets.com.

“I’m hoping that as these walls start to come down and people start to give women more opportunities in male-dominated fields that the younger generation won’t have those biases and those narrow minds,” she added in a separate interview. “We’re getting to the point where a whole group of youngsters – both boys and girls – where this is all they know. They’ve seen women doing the same jobs that men do. That’s how they’ve grown up. They don’t know any different and it’s going to change the way our society views things.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty.

The post BHM 2019: How Stephanie Ready Has Paved the Way appeared first on SLAM.

Josh Richardson used to be shocked during his early years in the NBA. For rookies getting acclimated to life as a pro, the first couple months can be a huge culture shock. There’s the traveling, rookie and team obligations, plus all kinds of meetings and the constant games and practices. It was way different than the field he had planned on entering: medicine.

“[I’m] not really shocked about it anymore,” he says. “My first couple of years, I definitely looked up like, This is crazy [and] not what I expected. But now that I’m here, I’m trying to make the most of it.”

Richardson was born and raised in Edmond, OK, where his first sport was football. He played multiple positions on the gridiron—quarterback, wide receiver, safety and defensive end—before he picked up a basketball. His introduction to hoops began after watching his mother, Alice, referee his older sister Alex’s games. The eldest Richardson, a two-way athlete, starred at Santa Fe (OK) HS where she averaged 18.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a senior. She holds the career (409) and single-season (127) blocks records and won state titles in both volleyball and basketball before playing at Oklahoma State and Central Oklahoma University.

Richardson also made a name for himself at Santa Fe. He was named to The Oklahoman Super 5 First Team as well as the Oklahoma Coaches Association “Large West” All-State Team and took to his talents to Knoxville to play for Cuonzo Martin at Tennessee. As a senior, Richardson led the Vols in scoring (16.0 ppg), field-goal percentage (46.1), assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.1 spg). He was also a two-time SEC All-Defensive Team selection.

In 2015, the Miami Heat selected Richardson 40th overall in the NBA Draft. In 52 games, he averaged 6.6 ppg, spent time in the D League and was named Rookie of the Month in March. He made significant progress during his second season—his averages nearly doubled—but only appeared in 53 games (starting 34) due to an MCL injury.

Flash-forward to his fourth year and J-Rich is averaging a team-high 17.8 ppg in 35 minutes, coming off a career-best 37-point performance against the Warriors on Sunday. The second-round pick went from being an unknown prospect with limited expectations to an integral part of the Heat franchise. But if you mention his time over the last four years and what he’s transitioned into, it comes as no surprise to the 25-year-old swingman.

“Nah,” he says blatantly, when asked if he’s shocked by any of this. “As I got more time in the League, I could definitely start seeing how I could be more effective.”

Prior to last season, Richardson and the Heat agreed to a four-year, $42 million extension. Aside from leading the team in points, J-Rich is tasked with guarding other teams’ go-to guys on a nightly basis. Regardless of which superstar is on the opposing end, Richardson, who categorizes himself as a “super-competitive person,” takes pride in guarding some of the League’s best.

“I think there’s a certain competitiveness that comes with being a good defender,” he says, “so the defensive end is a lot of will—and I have a lot of it.”

During a gloomy Sunday afternoon in early December, Richardson strolls through the lobby inside the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Heat are in town to face the L.A. teams and defeated the Clippers 121-98 at Staples Center the night before. Twenty-four hours after the victory, J-Rich poses for photos as some fancy interior decorations drape from above. He casually walks outside, his 6-6 frame blending in with the holiday shoppers on Wilshire Boulevard and the adjacent Rodeo Drive.

Shortly after, Richardson heads back to the hotel and sits down on a nearby couch. He reflects on the past four years, explaining the ins and outs of the business and describing his relationship with Dwyane Wade, his current teammate and someone who took him under his wing and mentored him when he first got to the League.

“He’s been good and made things a lot smoother, like my rookie year transitioning to the NBA,” Richardson says. “This year, just transitioning to a bigger role within the team, he’s made it a better transition than I think it would’ve been if it was just me trying to do it.

“I’ve learned a lot from him already having played with him before,” he adds. “Now just trying to pick his brain about small stuff and issues that I can fix in my game—working out with him after practices and things like that.”

Based off the numbers and production, Richardson stands to be the next face of the Heat organization, though he claims to not be thinking so far ahead.

“It hasn’t really hit me,” he says. “I’ve just been trying to go day by day, win games this season and take it for what it is next season.”

Upon first appearance, what’s instantly noticeable about Richardson is his laid-back demeanor. He speaks in a low tone and has this free-spirited aura about him that makes him unique. Alice Richardson, a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the U.S. Air Force who’s now an ordained Baptist minister, will tell you her son has been like that since his childhood days.

“I think that’s something he’s always had,” she says. “He just handles things well. That’s why we knew he was a born leader because he doesn’t allow things to rattle him a whole lot. Not that he’s inhuman or anything like that, but he just processes it well.”

Richardson did just that back in November when he found his name in trade talks while the Heat were reportedly looking to shop him for Jimmy Butler.

“I was kind of worried when I first heard about it,” Richardson says. “I wasn’t sure how to react to it because it was the first time it ever happened. After a day or two, I started praying about it and whatever happened was going to happen and I couldn’t control it.”

Miami is currently 25-29 (No. 9 in the East) and Richardson isn’t going anywhere. He’s had three 30-plus-point outings, as the team looks to make a postseason run in the coming months.

“It’s been rewarding to see him continue to move forward and grow,” Alice says. “For any parent to watch their child develop is one of the most rewarding things in life.”

“I’ve learned in the League and college that things aren’t going to go the way you think they’re going to go,” he says. “There’s going to be some twists and turns. You just have to stay pushing it and stay persistent with it and hopefully it works out in your favor.”

Turns out he chose the right profession after all.

—

COP A SLAM SOUTH BEACH HOODIE HERE. 

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Portraits by Tim Hans and via Getty.

The post GOT NEXT: Josh Richardson Is Taking Over in Miami 💯 appeared first on SLAM.

Joel Embiid put up 37 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers defeated the Lakers in the Sunday matinee. Tobias Harris had 22 points in his second game with the Sixers, JJ Redick had 21 points and Jimmy Butler finished with 15 points. Philly shot 60 percent from the field.

You think JJ Redick deserves a spot on the best shooters of all time list? (via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/eps9HR1KKW

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 10, 2019

Mavericks 102 (26-29), Trailblazers 101 (33-22)

Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr combined for 52 points on their home court. The Mavericks came down from 15 points in the final 10 minutes. Damian Lillard caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 16 straight points, but missed a layup in the final seconds to give the Blazers the lead.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/MqS7BBQGDf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 10, 2019

Kings 117 (30-26), Suns 104 (11-47)

Marvin Bagley III posted a career-high 32 rebounds off the bench for the Kings to give the Suns its 14th straight loss. Four of Sacramento’s starters scored in double digits with Buddy Hield leading the way with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox was one dime shy of a double-double (17 points, nine assists).

Career-high 32 points for the rook tonight. Salute, @MB3FIVE!

: @SacramentoKings pic.twitter.com/Yud5dz7lM3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 11, 2019

Magic 124 (25-32), Hawks 108 (18-38)

Big man Nikola Vucevic had himself a 19-point, 12-rebound performance in the win. Jonathan Isaac and Evan Fournier had 17 apiece. Orlando led by as much as 26 points in the third and led 98-74 heading into the fourth quarter.

Warriors 120 (40-15), Heat 118 (25-29)

Down three with under a minute left, Kevin Durant hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 118. On the Warriors’ next possession, DeMar Cousins got an offensive rebound and was fouled with 5.4 seconds to go, knocking down two free throws to give Golden State the lead. Durant finished with 39 points, Klay Thompson had 29 and Stephen Curry had 25.

KD. BUCKET-GETTER. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T83hCjdqhB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 11, 2019

The post Post Up: Kevin Durant Torches Heat for 39 Points at Oracle Arena 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

After Saturday night’s 28-point and 12-rebound performance, LaMarcus Aldridge notched his 15th double-double of the season. With no DeMar DeRozan (sore left knee), Rudy Gay had a double-double of his own (22 points, 11 rebounds).

Grizzlies 106 (20-30), Pacers 103 (32-16)

Four of five of the Grizzlies’ starters finished in double digits with Mike Conley leading the way with 22 points to snap an eight-game losing streak. Jaren Jackson Jr finished 20, Marc Gasol had 18 and Justin Holiday scored 16.

Nuggets 126 (33-15), Sixers 110 (32-18)

Nikola Jokic had another amazing stat line (32 points, 18 boards, 10 assists) as the Nuggets defeated a shorthanded Sixers squad. Jokic joined Oscar Robertson as the only two players in NBA history with multiple 30-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist games before turning 24. Denver dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring the Sixers, 42-22.

Warriors 115 (35-14), Celtics 111 (30-19)

Kevin Durant put up 33 points at TD Garden to give the Warriors their 10th straight win. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Stephen Curry caught fire, hitting five three-pointers in a row, to finish with 24 points. Curry extended the lead to four after making two key free throws down the stretch.

Blazers 120 (31-20), Hawks 111 (15-33)

CJ McCollum got his first career triple-double (28 points, 10 rebounds, 10 dimes) in the home win. Seth Curry, who got the start with Damian Lillard out, finished with 22 points. The Blazers shot 50 percent from the field.

The post Post Up: Kevin Durant Puts Up 33 Points in Win Over Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

We caught up with McCollum to talk getting a signature shoe, the design process, keys things he needs in his sneakers and more.

SLAM: What was that feeling like when you first heard you were getting a signature sneaker?

CJ McCollum: It was a dope feeling, honestly. Just to be able to have creative control over logo, location of it, theme of the shoe and all the things that go into making a personalized shoe I thought was good. It’s a unique experience that I’m definitely grateful to be a part of.

SLAM: Now to see it unfold and have a pop-up in the city you play in must be crazy, right?

CM: Yeah, man, it’s a dream come true to be able to have that pop-up shop and hand-pick some of the gear that would be displayed and have a hand in the designing process of T-shirts, jackets, hats, logo stuff, themes and figuring out how we wanted to set up the pop-up shop. It’s a great experience and opportunity for me to learn more about creating these types of things and for people to learn more about the Li-Ning brand, especially up here in Portland being exposed [to] some of the gear we offer.

SLAM: How hands-on are you in the design process, whether it’s with your sneakers or apparel?

CM: When we’re creating a theme shoe, they’re constantly looking for my feedback—sending me pictures of the shoes, figuring out logo location [and] colors that I’d like to see. I’m very involved in the process. In terms of gear, I give them my feedback on what I like and don’t like with the fitting, logo location, colors, hoodies, the design process—everything. I have a hand in at some point or another because at the end of the day, it’s about making it the way I want it to be made and making sure I like it and approve of it because as the person that has to play in it and wear it every day, it’s important that I feel comfortable with it.

SLAM: What’s the No. 1 thing for you when it comes to performance?

CM: I think comfort is everything for me—just making sure the shoe is comfortable first and foremost; making sure I’m able to move, get in and out of my cuts in a comfortable manner, making sure the mid-foot and some of those areas of the foot are patted in a position to wear, so I can freely move and not have to worry about it from a weight-standpoint. And the size of the shoe to make sure it’s not too bulky, not too high, too low and find that comfort zone. I usually play in mids for the most part and have had success with that.

SLAM: Dwyane Wade is also at Li-Ning, and you mentioned he’s one of your favorite players last time we spoke. Is there a special-edition tribute pair in the works?

CM: We’re definitely in the process of working on a tribute shoe and recognizing D-Wade with the career and impact he’s had in my life that’ll be discussed as the season progresses. Big fan of D-Wade. Happy birthday to the OG, 37 years young, doing his last dance right now and finishing up a great, great run.

I’m just thankful to have the friendship and mentorship and be able to have a Hall of Famer—not only on the court but off the court—from a business standpoint that understands life and the importance of building your brand outside of sports and being able to have that relationship is influential.

SLAM: This colorway pays homage to Portland with the roses. Any other special colorways you’re breaking out this season?

CM: Yeah, actually, I just played in a Dark Knight-themed shoe. The Dark Knight’s one of my favorite movies, so one of the homies designed it and I had Li-Ning bring it into production. I’m looking forward to showcasing that and I got some other colorways. I got an “Ace of Spades” shoe I played in. Blackjack is one of my favorite pastimes when I’m gambling. There’ll be some themed shoes—Black History Month, a wine-themed shoe because I’m a fan of wine. But there’s always something that we’re working on depending on the day of the week and time of the year.

SLAM: As you continue to grow with the brand, where do you see the CJ McCollum line going in a couple of years?

CM: I just want to inspire, continue to innovate and figure out ways to change the game, whether that’d be attracting more players or people to the brand. And just showing people that there’s a lot of unique stuff happening with the Li-Ning brand in terms of colorways, gear, lifestyle and continue to expose people to things they may have never been exposed to before.

Feature and body photo courtesy of Cooper Patterson

The post CJ McCollum Talks Li-Ning Signature Sneaker, Design Process and More appeared first on SLAM.

Victor Oladipo led all scorers with 21 points as the Pacers have won four of the last five games. Darren Collison also had 19 points. Myles Turner was one point shy of a double-double to go with his 16 rebounds and had this huge block in the first half.

Myles Turner said NAH (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/HpUMWaGYOb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 21, 2019

Clippers 103 (25-21), Spurs 95 (27-21)

Tobias Harris’ 27 points helped the Clippers snap a five-game losing streak. Harris also had nine rebounds and assists to complete his near-triple-double performance in San Antonio. Montrezl Harrell, who was inserted into the starting lineup, finished with 18 points. Patrick Beverley posted a double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds).

Wolves 116 (22-24), Suns 114 (11-37)

With time winding down, Derrick Rose had the ball on top, dribbled and hit a step-back jumper to get the W at home. Rose finished with 31 points off the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns also had himself a 30-piece of his own. And yes, we know it was “just the Suns.”

DERRICK ROSE FOREVER (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/uVdm5lFazV

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 21, 2019

The post Post Up: Derrick Rose Hits Step-Back Game-Winner Against Suns 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Giannis Antetokounmpo made it a special return for Mike Budenholzer, the former Hawks coach that’s now at the helm for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo scored 33 points in Atlanta and Eric Bledsoe had 24 points and 10 assists. The Bucks now have the second-best record in the Association.

The Greek Freak finished the weekend off with 3⃣3⃣ points and the W. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/fXkE4mGKN2

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 14, 2019

Sixers 108 (28-16), Knicks 105 (10-33)

Emmanuel Mudiay had a look at the end of regulation to take it to overtime, but the Knicks fell on their home court. Four of five starters finished in double digits as Joel Embiid led the way with 26 points. Ben Simmons was one dime shy of a triple-double but finished with 20 points and 22 rebounds. Kevin Knox had a career-high 31 points. This was the Sixers’ seventh straight win over the Knicks.

20 points. 22 rebounds. 9 assists.

Ben Simmons balled out in the Big Apple. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/9RbmYYaTev

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 14, 2019

Raptors 140 (33-12), Wizards 138 (18-26)

Both Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal dueled out in D.C. Leonard scored 41 points and 11 rebounds, and Beal had 43 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds as the Raptors got the road W in double-overtime. Leonard had 13 straight points in the fourth quarter and in OT.

Beal joined Oscar Robertson as the only player to record multiple 40-plus point, 10-plus rebound and 15-plus assist games in a season.

BIG duel out in DC. 41 points and 11 rebounds for Kawhi Lenoard and 43 points, 15 assists and 10 boards for Bradley Beal. (via @NBA ) pic.twitter.com/34VpfdSItg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 13, 2019

Magic 116 (19-24), Rockets 109 (24-18)

The Magic closed the game on a 20-6 run in the fourth quarter to get the win at home. Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon had 22 points apiece. Terrence Ross had 17 off the bench for Orlando. James Harden had a near triple-double with 38 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. This was Harden’s 16th straight game with 30-plus points.

Warriors 119 (29-14), Dallas 114 (20-23)

Stephen Curry went off for 48 points, knocking down 11 3s, Sunday night in Dallas. Kevin Durant also had 28 for the Dubs. With the game tied at 114, Curry called his own number, broke down his defender and hit his final three-pointer of the game.

Mavs guard Luka Doncic had 26 points, his fourth straight game scoring 25 or more points, and joined Curry (5 games) as the only rookies in NBA history to do that.

.@StephenCurry30 put on a SHOW tonight in Dallas.

Peep his 1⃣1⃣ made three-pointers. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/y0V6WGl5h3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 14, 2019

Steph Curry with the DAGGER in Dallas! (via @NBCSWarriors) pic.twitter.com/Oe4ldcGNSK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 14, 2019

Nuggets 116 (28-13), Trailblazers 113 (26-17)

Nikola Jokic had 40 points (season-high), 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Mile High City. Jamal Murray added 24 of his own as this was the Nuggets’ 12th home win in a row. Damian Lillard had 26 points for Portland.

Cavaliers 101 (9-35), Lakers 95 (23-21)

The Lakers went into the fourth quarter trailing by 10 and would cut it to three off a Kyle Kuzma triple with 22.6 seconds left in regulation. Kuzma had 29 points in the loss.

All five of the Cavaliers’ starters finished with double-digit performances, as Cedi Osman was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points. Tristan Thompson posted 15 points and grabbed 14 boards. The win on Sunday also snapped a 12-game losing streak for Cleveland.

The Young Bull dancin’ to the cup! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4E1UD4owUN

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 14, 2019

The post Post Up: Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal Duel Out in D.C. 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Tobias Harris scored 28 points in the Sunday afternoon victory. Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had 13 apiece. The Clippers have 11 consecutive games against the Magic.

Nets 117 (20-21), Bulls 100 (10-30)

The Nets won in the Windy City with D’Angelo Russell leading the way with 28 points. Russell caught fire from behind the perimeter, making six three-pointers. Jarrett Allen was the team’s second-leading scorer with 19 points. Brooklyn’s currently on a three-game winning streak.

Timberwolves 108 (18-21), Lakers 86 (21-18)

The Lakers got off to a rough start, scoring three points halfway through the first quarter. L.A. is still without LeBron James, who’s missed the last six games with a groin injury, and are 1-5 without James. Four of five of the Wolves’ starters scored in double digits. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins had 28 apiece on a day where head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired after the double-digit win.

Hi haters, Andrew Wiggins just scored 25 points in the first half. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/RxR2VPrXIf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 6, 2019

Hawks 106 (12-27), Heat 82 (19-19)

Trae Young’s 19 points and John Collins’ double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) played a big role in Atlanta’s win. Dwyane Wade scored 11 points and hit one three-pointer to make 500 three-pointers in his career. After the game, Young and Wade swapped jerseys.

The rookie and OG. Respect. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/EX9yhdv48W

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 7, 2019

Wizards 116 (16-24), Thunder 98 (25-14)

Bradley Beal scored 25 points on the road against the Thunder. Otto Porter had 20 points and five dimes, and Jeff Green also had 16. Despite the loss, Russell Westbrook posted his 116th career triple-double after dropping 22 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists.

Raptors 121 (29-12), Pacers 105 (26-12)

Norman Powell had a season-high 25 points in the home win. He made 10-of-12 shots and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. Kyle Lowry, who missed the last six games, scored 12 points dished out eight assists.

Hornets 119 (18-20), Suns 113 (9-31)

Both teams battled down the stretch as Hornets came out with the win in the desert. Kemba Walker scored Charlotte’s last 11 points to complete his 29-point performance, including a mean side-step coming downhill. Devin Booker left the game with sore back and only had seven points in the contest.

Cardiac Kemba ICED the game with this. #BuzzBoyz (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/6SJPHAOctW

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 7, 2019

The post Post Up: Bradley Beal Drops 25 Points Against Thunder 🙌 appeared first on SLAM.

Evan Fournier hit a floater late in the fourth quarter to give the Magic the win at home. D.J. Augustin had a team-high 26 points and 8 assists. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic had 22 apiece as the Magic got their second straight win.

Evan Fournier for the win! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/gC4cNtzwa9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Raptors 95 (27-11), Bulls 89 (10-27)

Kawhi Leonard continues his scoring barrage this season as he finished with 27 points (12 in the fourth quarter) against the Bulls. Pascal Siakam posted a double-double with a 20-point, 12-rebound performance. The Raptors outscored the Bulls, 13-2, on the break and capitalized on the Bulls’ 18 turnovers and scored 21 points.

Timberwolves 113 (17-19), Heat 104 (17-18)

On the road in the 305, Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points, 18 boards, 7 assists and 6 blocks to lead the Wolves over the Heat. He became the first player to post a stat line since Kareem Abdul Jabbar (35 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists, 8 blocks) did against the Suns on Nov. 14, 1975. All five of the Wolves’ starters scored in double digits as Robert Covington was the team’s second-leading scorer with 16.

Mavericks 105 (17-18), Thunder 103 (22-13)

Luka Doncic continues to win over those that doubted him before he stepped on an NBA court. The favorite for ROY had 25 points, including a nice stop-and-go move that forced Paul George to lose his balance. OKC led by six in the final two minutes, but the Mavericks made a run off of the Thunder’s miscues in crunch time.

Russell Westbrook struggled to get going on offense and shot 4-for-22. He finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, the first time he didn’t finish in double figures in each category since April 12, 2007.

Luka with the stop and go! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4pTg7Vrzjl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 31, 2018

Trailblazers 129 (21-16), Sixers 95 (23-14)

C.J. McCollum went off in Portland with 35 points in the rout against the Sixers. Al-Farouq Aminu had 16, Damian Lillard had 15 and Jusuf Nurkic finished with 14 for the Blazers. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, the team’s leading scorer (26.5 ppg) and rebounder (13.3 rpg), who sat out with soreness in his left knee.

Lakers 121 (20-16), Kings 114 (19-16)

After losing to the Kings Thursday off a Bogdan Bogdanovic three-pointer at the buzzer, the Lakers got their revenge Sunday night at home. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the way with a season-high 26 points as LeBron James, who celebrated his 34th birthday, looked on from the sidelines with a groin injury.

Brandon Ingram scored seven crucial points down the stretch to complete his 21-point stat line. Josh Hart also had a season-high 22 points. The Kings led 110-103 with less than five minutes to go as the Lakers scored 12 straight points. The Lakers lead the season series 2-0.

The post Post Up: Young Lakers Get Revenge Against Kings in LA appeared first on SLAM.

Blake Griffin missed two free throws that would’ve given the Pistons the lead but he couldn’t connect. Alex Len had 15 points and a season-high 17 rebounds and Vince Carter contributed 18 in the win.

Pacers 105 (22-12), Wizards 89 (13-21)

Myles Turner took full advantage of the Wizards, who were coming off a back-to-back after winning in triple-overtime, scoring 18 points and grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds. This is Turner’s fourth straight double-double of the season.

Celtics 119 (19-13), Hornets 103 (16-16)

After Friday’s loss to the Bucks that prompted a players-only meeting, Kyrie Irving posted a team-high 25 points as the C’s defeated the Hornets at home Sunday. Jayson Tatum also had 16. Al Horford, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds, returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a sore left knee.

Nets 111 (15-19), Suns 103 (8-25)

The Nets’ backcourt of Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell was too much for the visiting Suns. Dinwiddie led the way with 24 points and Russell chipped in 18 as Brooklyn has now won the last eight of nine games.

Bulls 112 (9-25), Cavaliers 92 (8-26) 

Following Lauri Markkanen’s career-high 32 points against the Magic, the second-year forward posted 31 points at Quicken Loans Arena. The win was also the first time this season the Bulls have won consecutive games.

Heat 115 (16-16), Magic 91 (14-18)

Four out of five starters finished in double digits for Miami as Tyler Johnson was the team’s leading scorer with 25 points. Justise Winslow had 22 points and Josh Richardson finished with a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds). The win, which was the Heat’s fifth straight, also gave Erik Spoelstra his 500th career victory.

Flash Forever 3⃣ (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/DBz1F7D0aj

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 24, 2018

Kings 122 (17-15), Pelicans 117 (15-18)

The Kings overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter as Buddy Hield went off against his former team, scoring 28 points at home. Willy Cauley-Stein had 22 points and 17 rebounds (a career high), Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in 24 points, while De’Aaron Fox finished with his own double-double (19 points, 11 assists) and an amazing chase-down block.

@swipathefox (via @SacramentoKings) https://t.co/dSeGvGQK5M

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 24, 2018

Timberwolves 114 (15-18), Thunder 112 (21-11)

Down one with 17 seconds to go, Andrew Wiggins took matters into his own hands, driving to the basket to give the Wolves a one-point lead on a night where Russell Westbrook posted a 17-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double (his 9th of the season).

Warriors 129 (23-11), Clippers 127 (19-14)

In a game that went to the wire, Steph Curry hit the go-ahead layup with 0.5 seconds to give the Warriors the win. Curry finished the night with 42 points, tying his second-highest scoring performance of the season. Kevin Durant had 35 points.

And with the go-ahead bucket to give the Warriors the win! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/G4JPnYKQ03

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 24, 2018

Blazers 121 (19-14), Mavericks 118 (15-17)

Damian Lillard was going to do everything in his power to get his team the win in front of his home crowd. And he did. Lillard scored 33 points in a game that went to overtime after Luka Doncic hit a ridiculous corner three-pointer in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to tie the game up at 107.

Grizzlies 107 (17-16), Lakers 99 (19-14)

Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr had an evening in L.A., scoring 27 points in 31 minutes with his father courtside. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol contributed 17 apiece, and Garrett Temple had 14, including a corner three-pointer that was the dagger.

The post Post Up: Steph Curry Finishes with 42 Points Against Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

We recently caught up with McCollum, who spent a good portion of his childhood at the Boys & Girls Club in Ohio, to talk about the importance of his partnership and the NBA.

SLAM: Why was it important for you to partner with American Express and the Boys & Girls Club?

CJ McCollum: It’s extremely important to me. One, I spent a lot of time at the Boys & Girls Club and it impacted my life, gave me a safe space and an opportunity to do something positive outside of playing sports and being able to find other kids and have that structure, so it was crucial to me. They’re doing a lot of good things in the community with the partnership with American Express and the NBA—anyone who spends money on NBAstore.com with their Amex card before December 25, 10 percent of the total spent will go to the Boys & Girls Club, so I’m excited about the things they’re doing and how it’s impacting the kids now.

SLAM: Do you have any favorite Boys & Girls Club memories from your childhood?

CM: Man, a lot, honestly. Playing a lot of basketball [and] pool; I was really nice in ping-pong back in the day, now I’m not. Just being able to go there early on the weekends and after school during the week just gave me an escape from distractions outside of the neighborhood, kept me focused and allowed me to do homework and focus on certain things I may not have focused on if it wasn’t for the Boys & Girls Club.

SLAM: You’ve done a ton of charity events, what are some of the common questions you get from the kids?

CM: What kind of car do you drive? How big is your house? Did you go to the Boys & Girls Club growing up? How did I work on my jump shot? The main message I try to give kids is take advantage of the resources and the Boys & Girls Club, ask questions and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself in the classroom… I just try to encourage the kids to not be afraid to do the right thing all the time—ask questions. One of the reasons why I became successful in the classroom was that I wasn’t afraid to ask for help, and I think that’s what allowed me to be successful outside of sports.

SLAM: We recently asked fans who would win one-on-one, prime Kevin Durant or prime Tracy McGrady? Who do you think and why?

CM: Man, that’s a tough question and it’s funny you ask. I’m friends with both—T-Mac’s my guy and has helped me over the course of my career in terms of just understanding the game better, meditate and see the game before playing. Obviously people know I know KD, but that’s my homie…you look at their games and they’re similar—explosive, scoring wings, tall, who can play the 3 the 4 and the 2 as well—but look at their primes: T-Mac was unbelievable.  [He averaged] 32 points per game, scored 13 points in 32 seconds; Prime KD is another very, very good player. I really think it depends on who gets the ball first, honestly. Both very good, hard to guard…it just depends on who gets the ball first and dribble limits. I think the dribble limit will matter because that cuts out creativity and they’d have to work on the fadeaway, and they both have fadeaways. I think it’ll be a very good game. I’m not going to say who I think will win because this is a hypothetical that’ll never happen, but I think it’d be a good game. I’d pay to see it. I think one-on-one would be enjoyable for the fans especially in the All-Star setting.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrK-RR_g9I_/

SLAM: So you’re in favor of something like King of the Court during All-Star Weekend?

CM: Oh man, that’d be a lot of fun. Guys would really compete and get after it because it’ll be mano a mano. A lot of creativity comes from playing one-on-one. You see Celtics guys playing after practice. I know a lot guys around the League in the summertime like to play ones. I’ve played ones with Melo, CP, Donovan [Mitchell], D-Wade—the list goes on and on… That one-on-one is always a good way to warm up and get loose. I would love to see it, man. It’s the ultimate challenge because it’s just you and another person and you get to work on your moves and counters.

SLAM: To you, who’s the best one-on-one guy in the League right now?

CM: Man, that’s tough. Dame is good one-on-one; Kyrie is good; KD, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George—there’s a lot of really good one-on-one players with handles that can shoot over the top of you. I don’t know who’s the best, per se, but there’s a lot of guys who can get buckets.

SLAM: Is there at least a top-5 list?

CM: You trying to get me in trouble, fam. You trying to get me headlines. I don’t know, man. I like my game.

SLAM: Another question we asked fans was, ‘Who is the best player to ever wear No. 3?’ What’s your pick and why?

CM: I’ll give two NBA and two WNBA. For me, one is Allen Iverson. I had braids, crossover, everything—so I emulated my playing style and my swagger on the court after A.I. D-Wade is another one who was influential in me wearing No. 3 with how he attacked the basket and was fearless. Going to Marquette he was under the radar…WNBA [is] Diana Taurasi. I’m a fan of her game—always got buckets, poised, big shot, controls the offense [and] was a winner in college. Candace Parker is a very talented athlete. She can get to the cup, has post moves, point-forward.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrVnfqtAack/

SLAM: Do NBA players discuss these type of questions or is that just for the media?

CM: Yeah, I think it’s something y’all do to start up stuff. With me having a podcast and being involved in journalism, I get why it starts. You have to look forward to something over seven months…we just like watching good games. We don’t care who the matchup is. We just want to see guys compete.

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post CJ McCollum Talks Giving Back, NBA One-On-One Matchups and More appeared first on SLAM.

“I seen guys go there and their first two to three weeks they broke,” he says. “It’s a different type of mindset and something you have to be willing to do and be mentally prepared for.”

During his senior year, Harrell averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds on a 38-1 team. He was named MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic in 2012, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. A four-star recruit, he was ranked 90th in the Class of 2012 and originally committed to Virginia Tech, but decided to re-open his recruitment when Seth Greenberg, the Hokies’ then-head coach, was relieved of his duties. North Carolina State also expressed interest and while it would’ve been fitting for Harrell to play in his home state, he would have had to sit out for the year if he chose to transfer within the conference, per ACC rules.

He had about a dozen offers before signing with Louisville to play for Rick Pitino. There, he was a part of the 2013 Cardinals team that won a national championship, which was vacated earlier this year due to NCAA violations. As a junior, he averaged 15.7 ppg and 9.7 rpg before being selected with the 32nd overall pick by the Houston Rockets in the ensuing NBA Draft.

Draft analysts pointed to four valuable traits—length, strength, athleticism and motor—coming out of college. The motor and where it comes from starts back in Tarboro. A town located in Edgecombe County with a population of less than 11,000 in 2017, the blue-collar way of life taught Montrezl the value of hard work.

“I was never one of those guys who had the hype coming into the basketball game or had a big name,” he says. “Always playing with that chip on my shoulder and going about the game…being a hard worker and never letting anybody outwork me in general.”

Growing up, he idolized some of the League’s big-name superstars—Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant—but he also had an appreciation for under-the-radar players like JJ Hickson, Kenneth Faried and Zach Randolph.

“A lot of undersized guys who would play hard and extremely aggressive,” Harrell, who is now in his second season with the Clippers, says of the latter.

On the court, Harrell’s intensity is visible, as he uses his 6-8, 240-pound frame and 7-4 wingspan to be active on the defensive end, trying to block every shot attempt and corral every rebound in sight. And on offense, he uses that same motor to be a spark and punish the rim. In a recent home game, Trezz tipped a pass to force a turnover, sprinted down the court, set a screen, rolled to the basket and had an emphatic two-handed dunk that brought fans to their feet.

“Do anything and everything in my power to help my team win,” says Harrell, when asked about his mentality on the floor. “Whatever they need from me for the night, whether it’s scoring the ball, blocking shots, rebounding, extra possessions—just whatever it takes to win the game of basketball.”

In a League that’s shifting to pace and space where three-point shooting centers has become the norm, Harrell’s game may not be glamorized, but basketball zealots can appreciate what he brings on a nightly basis. ESPN‘s Stephen A. Smith called Harrell the closest thing to Dennis Rodman in today’s NBA.

“It’s a tremendous compliment and huge blessing just to be compared to someone of that caliber and the things he brought to the game of basketball—toughness, the grit that he played with and always competing on both ends of the floor,” Harrell says.

In July, the Clippers re-signed Harrell to a two-year, $12 million deal, after acquiring him from the Rockets in the 2017 Chris Paul trade.

“Wherever I ended up, I was going to go with the same type of mindset and same type of aggression that I bring every game,” he says. “I’m happy to be back here with the program that I’m well familiar with and the coach that I know.”

Aside from negotiating his new contract, Harrell used his summer to spend time with his two children—a one-year-old son and a five-month old daughter.

“I took my summer to be around my family,” he says. “I just took my time to be around them and watch them grow.”

In between daddy duties, Harrell hit different spots in the city to find some hoop. During the week, he was at Rico Hines’ afternoon pickup runs with a plethora of NBA players. On the weekends, he became a regular at L.A.’s famed Drew League, playing with former teammate James Harden’s LAUNFD (LA Unified) squad throughout the two-month season. He even suited up in the Venice Ball League on the blacktop of Venice Beach and made stops in the 305 for the Miami Pro League and in New York to visit Dyckman Park. LA and NYC were his two favorite spots to ball.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmPQrMPF0Gx/

“In those atmospheres, it’s just about hooping. That’s what it’s all about out there,” he says. “They don’t care who your name is, where you’re coming from or what statute you’re at right now. I used that time in the summer to get better and [apply] all the things that I’m [working on] to in-game situations to see how they work.”

This season, Harrell is averaging career-highs in points (15.1), rebounds (9.7) and field goal attempts (9.2) in 25 minutes, as the Clippers currently sit at 17-13. In November, the team won 11 of 14 games and was briefly tied for first place in the Western Conference. With Lob City being a thing of the past, few expected the Clips to do anything this season.

So is Trezz surprised by the early season success?

“It’s surprised people doing things, writing stories like you guys,” he says. “We knew what we wanted to do coming into the season and we knew what we had in our locker room. As far as everybody surprised that we’re one and two in the West or where we are right now is up for y’all to debate. We don’t really care what anyone outside of this locker room and program thinks.”

A day before the team hosts the Heat, Harrell is sitting in the lobby of the team’s facility in Playa Vista. After practice, he’s one of the last few players still in the building. He finds a seat near the entrance and reminisces about everything from his days at Hargrave to this past summer to the beginning of the season.

He mentions the Clippers’ mantra—“LA. Our way.”—that’s featured in the rafters of Staples Center. He can give two shits about what anyone outside of the locker room projected for his team this season.

“Y’all are not the ones getting in between those lines and playing for us each night—we are,” he says. “As far as the superstars on our team, we have 15, 18 guys that are superstars on our team. You have teams that have guys that have superstars and it’s not always good. You see some guys break down their team; some guys can’t get along. We don’t have nothing like that to worry about because we have 15 to 18 guys in our locker room that can be a superstar any night.”

Even if many don’t have the Clippers in the Finals conversation, Harrell continues to approach the game with the same mindset and has not lost sight of the task at hand.

“Just do anything I can to put our team in a position to be in the playoffs,” he says. “The ultimate goal is an NBA championship. That’s what we’re fighting for and that’s what we’re playing this game for and what the long 82-game season is about.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Associate Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post On The Rise: Montrezl Harrell Will Never Be Outworked 💪 appeared first on SLAM.

After posting 22 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, Ben Simmons joined Grant Hill as the youngest player in NBA history with that stat line (and zero turnovers) in Sunday’s win against the Cavs at Quicken Loans Arena. Joel Embiid scored 24 points and Jimmy Butler had 19 after missing two games with a strained groin.

22 points. 14 dimes. 11 boards.

Ben Simmons went to WORK in Cleveland! (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/NKpbf6D4LH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 16, 2018

Nets 144 (13-18) Hawks 127 (6-23)

Brooklyn scored a season-high 144 points as D’Angelo Russell led the way with 32 points in a point guard duel with Trae Young. The Hawks cut the Nets’ 21-point lead to two, but Brooklyn went on an 11-5 run in the second half. Russell gets to go at his former team as the Lakers visit Barclays Center Tuesday.

Pacers 110 (20-10), Knicks 99 (9-22)

Victor Oladipo scored 26 points in the win over the New York. Myles Turner was the Pacers’ second-leading scorer with 24 points. Indiana had a three-point lead at the half but they extended the lead to seven in the second half.

Wizards 128 (12-18), Lakers 110 (18-12)

Despite everything that’s been said about John Wall and the Wizards in the media as of late, Wall made it sure to be known that he can still get buckets with the best of them.

He had a season-high 40 points, joining Gilbert Arenas as the only player in Wizards/Bullets history with multiple games of 40-plus points and 10-plus assists (he finished with 14 dimes.)

The Lakers looked every bit of a team that played a back-to-back and struggled to get into a groove during the whole game. LeBron James had a season-low 13 points in the loss.

John Wall dropped a season-high 40 points tonight in D.C. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/N9gux3ta1D

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 17, 2018

Kings 120 (16-13), Mavericks 113 (15-13)

De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield combined for 56 points as the Kings led the entire second half. Dirk Nowitzki also made his home debut after missing 26 games while recovering from ankle surgery. He scored three points in just eight minutes of play.

Swipa. #WhatYo1sLookLike (via @SacramentoKings) https://t.co/qp7j76dQUf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 17, 2018

Heat 102 (13-16), Pelicans 96 (15-16)

Dwyane Wade (19 points) had a tear-drop with under a minute to go to extend the Heat’s lead to eight in The Big Easy. Josh Richardson led all scorers with 22 points and Hassan Whiteside had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Davis had a double-double of his own with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Dwyane Wade still making big plays in crunch time. (via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/0HSh3WqH9S

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 17, 2018

Nuggets 95 (20-9), Raptors 86 (23-9)

Four Nuggets starters finished in double digits as Nikola Jokic was the leading scorer with 26 points. Jamal Murray had 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets went on a 23-2 run in the second half and shot 42 percent from the field at home. Kawhi Leonard had with 29 points and 14 rebounds.

The post Post Up: John Wall Goes Off for 40 Against the Lakers in D.C. appeared first on SLAM.

Green also had 46 and a game-winner at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in the Lonestar State a few weeks ago.

The post Jalen Green CRAZY Matchup with Isaiah Hill! 🔥 Combine for 76 Points! 😤 appeared first on SLAM.

Malcolm Brogdon came up huge down the stretch, knocking down a go-ahead three-pointer in Toronto. Brogdon finished with 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 and a season-high 19 boards. Brook Lopez also chipped in 19, too.

Malcolm Brogdon with the go-ahead triple against the Raps and the Bucks get a HUGE win up North. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/vBs95YwEK2

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 10, 2018

Pelicans 116 (14-14), Pistons 108 (13-11)

With Anthony Davis not 100 percent and missing the first half with a right hip injury, Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle filled in the offensive void in Motown. Holiday and Randle combined for 65 points on the road.

Spurs 110 (13-14), Jazz 97 (13-14)

Four of five Spurs starters finished with double digits as DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 26 points at the AT&T Center. Rudy Gay was the second leading scorer with 23. San Antonio’s 13th win of the season put Gregg Popovich fourth all-time in league history with 1,1210 wins, tying Pat Riley. Donovan Mitchell had 27 for the Jazz.

Hornets 119 (12-13), Knicks 107 (8-19)

Cardiac Kemba is always putting on for his home state every time he comes back to The Garden. Walker, who posted 25 points, led the Hornets over the Knicks on Sunday night. Jeremy Lamb chipped in 19 points. Despite the loss, rookie Kevin Knox tied a season-high 26 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds.

Cardiac Kemba was in his bag earlier at The Garden. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/f8qHEZdFp6

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 10, 2018

The post Post Up: Kemba Walker Shows Out Sunday Night at MSG appeared first on SLAM.

Nico Mannion vs. Shadow Mountain was the GAME OF THE YEAR @niccolomannion

: https://t.co/rlwgG04Fpi pic.twitter.com/JBVGLq2p5f

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) December 1, 2018

Also, don’t try to get in Mannion’s head either because he’ll tune you out and more than likely drop a 30-piece on your team. Just look at what he did in front of a crowd of hecklers on the road below.

The post Don’t Make Nico Mannion Mad! 😤Intense Rivals Shadow Mountain vs. Pinnacle! appeared first on SLAM.

Kyle Kuzma (23 points) and LeBron James (22 points) were the Lakers’ leading scorers as the pair sat the fourth quarter in Sunday’s rout at home. Micheal Beasley, who’s been inserted into the rotation again, scored a season-high 14 points. Devin Booker left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury.

Never gets old. (via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/2Zj8txTzI4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 2, 2018

Pelicans 119 (11-12), Hornets 109 (11-11)

Anthony Davis feasted in Charlotte with a near triple-double: 36 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists. Jrue Holiday chipped in 19 points and eight dimes as well, and Julius Randle dropped 13 points off the bench.

3⃣6⃣, 1⃣9⃣ & 8⃣

Anthony Davis COOKED in Charlotte. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/SnpwV8rCL9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 3, 2018

Sixers 103 (17-8), Grizzlies 95 (13-9)

Every time they step on the floor, the Sixers are looking like one of the top favorites in the East with the addition of Jimmy Butler. Butler was the second-leading scorer with 21 points behind JJ Redick’s 24 in the home win. Ben Simmons (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Joel Embiid (15 points, 14 rebounds) posted double-doubles, respectively.

That’s toughhhhhhh, Jimmy. (via @sixers) https://t.co/bEjaUYIk6L

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 3, 2018

Heat 102 (9-13), Jazz 100 (11-13)

Late in the game with the game tied at 100, Dwyane Wade knocked down two free throws to give the Heat the two-point lead at American Airlines Arena. Hassan Whiteside had 23 points and 20 boards. Ricky Rubio was Utah’s leading scorer with 23.

Spurs 131 (11-12), Blazers 118 (13-10)

DeMar DeRozan erupted for a season-high 36 points in San Antonio, dissecting the Blazers’ defense in the mid-range area. LaMarcus Aldridge (29 points) and Rudy Gay (18 points) were the two other starters in double figures.

DeMar in the mid-range … yeah, that’s a bucket. So smooth. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/ytysq0p57w

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 3, 2018

Mavericks 114 (11-10), Clippers 110 (15-7)

Dennis Smith Jr., who lost a tooth in the first half, made a huge block on Tobias Harris in the fourth quarter. Harrison Barnes led all scorers with 30 and JJ Barea was huge off the bench to contribute 24 points.

Dennis Smith Jr with the block! Peep Luka’s reaction though. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/SlS64LB2j1

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 3, 2018

The post Post Up: DeMar DeRozan Scores 36 Points Against the Blazers appeared first on SLAM.

Despite Devin Booker’s 37 points in Motown, it wasn’t enough as the Suns dropped another one on the road. Andre Drummond finished with 19 points and 16 boards. Blake Griffin had 16 and Langston Galloway (15 points) and Stanley Johnson (14 points) were the two leading scorers off the bench.

Magic (10-10), Lakers 104 (11-8)

Nikola Vucevic lit up the Lakers for 31 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists as the Magic left L.A. victorious. Terrence Ross, who made a lay-up topo put Orlando up two, finished with 16 points in a game that went down to the wire. LeBron James was the Lakers’ leading scorer with 24 points.

Peep the numbers.

Nik Vucevic went off for 31 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. (via @nbatv) pic.twitter.com/I4bulQOZ8L

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 25, 2018

Knicks 103 (6-14), Grizzlies 98 (12-6)

Enes Kanter feasted with a 21-point, 26-rebound performance in Memphis. Tim Hardaway Jr. also contributed 22 points and Emmanuel Mudiay had himself a nasty poster to go along with his 17 points. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol combined for 50 points as the Grizzlies have dropped the last two games.

Emmanuel Mudiay with the POSTER! (via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/INzCOai06z

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 26, 2018

Sixers 127 (14-8), Nets 125 (8-13)

Jimmy Butler, who scored a season-high 34 points, took matters into his own hands (again!) in the final seconds and hit a game-winning three-pointer at Barclays Center on Sunday night. The side-step on the right wing was similar to the one he had earlier this month against the Hornets. Joel Embiid posted a double-double (32 points and 12 boards).

Jimmy Buckets called GAME (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/qOUHGeMK3W

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 26, 2018

Hawks 124 (4-16), Hornets 123 (9-10)

John Collins was the savior with the game-winning block. Collins finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Kent Bazemore contributed 20 points and the go-ahead bucket to give the Hawks the lead.

Raptors 125 (17-4), Heat 115 (7-12)

Four of the five Raptors’ starters finished in double digits as Kawhi Leonard led the way with 29 points. Pascal Siakam was the second-leading scorer with 21. Dwyane Wade, who came off the bench, holds the franchise record for most points (33) by a bench player and finished with 35 points in the loss.

Jazz 133 (9-11), Kings 112 (10-10)

Ricky Rubio went off in Northern California, dropping a team-high 27 points against the Kings. Both Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert chipped in 18 apiece, too. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings with 20 points in the home loss.

Clippers 104 (13-6), Blazers 100 (12-8)

Patrick Beverley’s offensive rebound and two made free throws were huge for the Clippers to escape the Moda Center with the W. Tobias Harris had himself a career-high night, scoring 34 points, and Danilo Gallinari contributed 17 while Montrezl Harrel was a spark off the bench with 12 points. Damian Lillard had 30 points for the Blazers.

The post Post Up: Jimmy Butler Serves Up Season-High 34 points in Brooklyn appeared first on SLAM.

LeBron James lit up Miami for a season-high 51 points tonight after Saturday’s disappointing loss to the Magic. James, who notched his 12th career 50-point game, hit six three-pointers in 38 minutes. He caught the hot hand scoring 19 first-quarter points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 19 points off the bench as the Lakers prepare for James’s return to Cleveland on Wednesday.

The King taking flight in the 305! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/RIIUajAY56

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 18, 2018

Grizzlies 100 (10-5), Timberwolves 87 (7-10)

Marc Gasol was one assist short of a triple-double (26 points, 13 rebounds, 9 rebounds) to lead Memphis to the road win. Mike Conley and rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed with 18 and 13, respectively. Karl-Anthony Towns and newcomer Robert Covington had 15 apiece for the Wolves.

Magic 131 (9-8), Knicks (4-13)

The Magic went 2-for-2 on the weekend to protect their home court. Aaron Gordon scored 20 of his 31 points in the first quarter, Nikola Vucevic finished with 28, 10 and 9 and Jonathan Issac chipped in 16 points as the Magic, who’ve won their last seven of nine games.

Trailblazers 119 (11-5), Wizards 109 (5-11)

Damian Lillard erupted for 40 points in the nation’s capital as the Blazers snapped a two-game losing streak. Lillard’s backcourt mate C.J. McCollum dropped 25 and Jusuf Nurkic had 13 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 8 dimes.

.@Dame_Lillard messed around and had a 40-piece in DC. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/8QIl7pIChC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 19, 2018

Spurs 104 (7-7) , Warriors 92 (12-5)

Despite having 8 points, Patty Mills nailed a dagger down the stretch to put the Warriors away. LaMarcus Aldridge led all scorers with 24 points and DeMar DeRozan dropped 20 points. Rudy Gay contributed 19, including a rim-rocking dunk in the first half.

RUDY (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/umIeFRa2Tz

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 19, 2018

The post Post Up: LeBron James Scores Season-High 51 Points in Miami 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

The “City Edition” threads, designed by Magic Johnson, are an ode to the Lakers’ five championships during the Showtime era. The team is set to debut them on Wednesday at home against Portland.

So far this season, Kuzma is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 48.3% from the field. SLAM caught up with the young forward to talk about his favorite jerseys, playing with LeBron James, on-court kicks and his partnership with American Express.

—

SLAM: What was it like during your rookie year to see people rocking your jersey?

Kyle Kuzma: It’s an awesome experience [based on] growing up where I grew up [in Flint, MI] and my love for the game. I was the kid wearing a jersey at one point and to see people wearing my jersey is a priceless feeling.

SLAM: What were some of your favorite jerseys you had growing up?

KK: I had a turquoise Grant Hill Pistons jersey. I had a Tim Hardaway Miami Heat jersey. I had countless Kobe jerseys.

SLAM: Speaking of Kobe, you wore his jersey prior to a game against Toronto and Nick Van Exel‘s last year. Any other throwback Lakers jerseys you’re going to bring out this season?

KK: Yeah, stay tuned on that one. I don’t want to leak it all out but I got a few—3 or 4 more jerseys that I gotta rock this year.

Kyle Kuzma #PulledUp in the white @kobebryant No. 8 joint. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/2EvvV1l1HC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 4, 2018

Kuz rocking the Van Exel jersey. Different. pic.twitter.com/C3ufyXHUDB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 4, 2018

SLAM: Can we get some hints?

KK: I got an ’86 jersey [and] a 2001 of another player, not Lakers. I got a few.

SLAM: Last season, you won League Fits Rookie of the Year. Any predictions for 2018-19? 

KK: MVP. Easy.

SLAM: You and LeBron have developed an on-court chemistry this season. What’s that been like?

KK: It’s been great. He’s a pass-first guy, a facilitator and I have a scoring mentality, so it kind of works hand-in-hand learning from him every single day. Being around him and him helping me has been great for my development.

SLAM: You were eight years old when LeBron made his NBA debut and now you’re on the same team. Did it ever hit you early on this year that you guys were actually teammates?

KK: Yeah, I think the first time we worked out in the facility. Just knowing that he was my teammate and being on the same court as him. After that day, I got used to it but it was unbelievable.

SLAM: Sneaker-wise, you’re switching it up from older Kobes to even wearing the LeBron IVs at practice. What else can we expect from you this season?

KK: I have plenty of older things that I’m going to bring out still with shoes that are in the warehouse I haven’t touched. People are going to be excited when they see what I got.

SLAM: In your downtime, have there been any rookies that you’ve enjoyed watching? 

KK: Yeah, Allonzo Trier…Being un-drafted and the way he’s playing right now is unbelievable. I really like watching him play. He kind of reminds me of myself. I wasn’t un-drafted, but to watch him take the League by storm and have little expectation is refreshing to see.

SLAM: What’s your advice to guys that go late in the draft or go un-drafted?

KK: Once you get here, it’s an equal playing field. It’s not where you get drafted, it’s what you do when you get drafted—whether that’s coming in and being a starter right away or playing your part, it’s all a journey and a marathon and always be consistent and be ready when your time is called.

SLAM: What’s your partnership been like with American Express and seeing all the fans out here the night before the team unveils the “City Edition” jerseys?

KK: It’s great. I’m excited to be a part of the American Express launch. Being here and partnering with them is great because it’s opening up the new jersey launch here.

RELATED
Kyle Kuzma: ‘I Want to Be a Mount Rushmore Player’

—

Drew Ruiz is a Social Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post Kyle Kuzma Talks Favorite Jerseys, Playing with LeBron James and More appeared first on SLAM.

Kemba Walker and Tony Parker combined for 48 points in the Motor City in Sunday’s matinee game. For all the Father Time jokes that tend to be attached to Parker’s name, he still has some game left in the tank, doing all this in 28 minutes.

Tony Parker with a season-high 2⃣4⃣ points on the road. The man still has a lot left in the tank. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/mZEmCOtcUu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 11, 2018

Miles Bridges also had himself a night in his return to Michigan and threw down a MEAN windmill dunk. The Hornets started the second half strong with a 10-2 run to open up the third quarter and scored the first eight points in the fourth quarter.

Magic 115 (6-7), Knicks 89 (4-10)

Terrence Ross led all scorers with 22 points off the bench as the Magic visited The Garden. Nikola Vucevic also contributed huge in the win with a 21-point, 14-rebound performance. Mo Bamba, a Harden native, showed out in his home state, too, finishing with 15 points and eight boards. The Magic made a season-high 17 three-pointers from the behind the arc.

Bucks 121 (10-3), Nuggets 114 (9-4)

Brook Lopez had a career-high eight three-pointers and 28 points in the road win. Giannis Antetekounmpo (22 points, 9 rebounds) also had himself a night, including a nasty in-and-out crossover and left-handed dunk in the first half.

HOW DO YOU STOP THIS? (via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/dVvsIHA0Dc

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 12, 2018

All five Bucks starters scored in double figures. Paul Milsap led the Nuggets with 25 points and Nikola Jokic finished with 20 as the Nuggets have lost three straight.

Blazers 100 (10-3), Celtics 94 (7-6)

Damian Lillard had a double-double (19 points, 12 assists) at the Moda Center. Jusuf Nurkic also had a double-double of his own and finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Blazers. Al-Farouq Aminu hit a clutch three-pointer down the stretch to put Portland up six with a minute to go.

Dame really has unlimited range. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/AaMFDWuUar

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 12, 2018

Lakers 107 (7-6), Hawks (3-10)

Compton native Tyson Chandler saved the day for the Lakers after making the game-winning block Sunday night in L.A. Despite missing two clutch free throws late in the fourth quarter, LeBron James followed up with a put-back dunk to end with 26 points. Kyle Kuzma was the second-leading scorer with 18 points.

Tyson Chandler protecting his home court in LA for the win! pic.twitter.com/hVDAeV2dMJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 12, 2018

Rockets 115 (5-7), Pacers (8-6)

Aside from everything going on in Houston with Carmelo Anthony, James Harden was in his duffle, dropping a season-high 40 points as the Rockets got their first home win of the season. Chris Paul added 26 points. The Rockets also shot 42.6 percent from three-point land to make a season-high 20 triples.

40 points. 9 assists. 7 rebounds.

The Beard's is different. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/VQTYzQyDGK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 12, 2018

The post Post Up: James Hardens Lights Up the Pacers for 40 Points 😱 appeared first on SLAM.

Peep the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpyXJHkrtsQ

Ibaka is averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds this season.

The post Serge Ibaka Drops Career-High 34 Points Against Lakers 🎥 appeared first on SLAM.

After Saturday’s afternoon win in Detroit, the Sixers came up short Sunday in Brooklyn. Despite Ben Simmons (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Joel Embiid (16 points, 15 rebounds) posting double-doubles, D’Angelo Russell led all scorers with 21 points. Caris LeVert had 18 first-half points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson chipped in 21 points off the bench, including this left-handed baseline dunk that had no one on the Sixers squad wanting to contest it.

No one was trying to jump with Rondae. (via @BrooklynNets) https://t.co/dgPQdQhKqp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 5, 2018

Wizards 108 (2-7), Knicks 95 (3-7)

John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 48 points as the Wiz ended a five-game losing streak. Dwight Howard, who returned to action Friday night, had 10 points in 31 minutes. Enes Kanter was the Knicks’ leading scorer with 18 points.

Magic 117 (3-6), Spurs 110 (6-3)

Four of the Magic’s starters finished in double-digit figures: Aaron Gordon (26 points), D.J. Augustin (18 points), Evan Fournier (16 points) and Nikola Vucevic (13 points). Orlando also got some positive bench contributions from Terrance Ross (17 points) and Mo Bamba (12 points). Bamba also grabbed 11 boards, notching his first career double-double, as the team was on a four-game losing streak. DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 25 points, but couldn’t rally San Antonio to a win at home.

Suns 102 (2-7), Grizzlies 100 (5-3)

Devin Booker took matters into his own hand down the stretch, sinking a 17-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds on the clock in Phoenix. Booker also scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and finished with seven dimes. Trevor Ariza chipped in 16 points.

D. BOOK CALLED GAME (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/u2tJP6ptGM

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 5, 2018

Trail Blazers 111 (7-3), Timberwolves 81 (4-6)

Aside from getting bodied by rookie Josh Okogie, Jusuf Nurkic finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds 24 hours after Portland lost to the Lakers at home. Nurk wasn’t the only Blazer to post a double-double as Meyers Leonard (15 points, 12 rebounds) finished with one of his own. Damian Lillard finished with 18 points and C.J. McCollum contributed 16, respectively. Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points, his fourth game with 20 or more points. Derrick Rose, who scored a career-high 50 points earlier this week, earned a DNP-CD, and Jimmy Butler sat out during Sunday’s game.

Raptors 121 (9-1), Lakers 107 (4-6)

There’s always a player that tends to go off against the Lakers and Sunday’s game at STAPLES Center was no different. With no Kawhi Leonard (foot soreness), Serge Ibaka finished with a career-high 34 points (hitting his first 14 shots) as the Raptors had a 31-point lead in the first quarter. Kyle Lowry had 21 points and 15 assists. The Lakers never seemed to get in an offensive groove and their defense was horrendous. Kyle Kuzma was the team’s leading scorer with 24 points and LeBron James scored 18 points.

Serge Ibaka goes 15-17 from the field en route to a career-high 34 PTS in the @Raptors 9th win of the season! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/VNPRIIzfeX

— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2018

Bucks 144 (8-1), Kings 109 (6-4)

The Greek Freak messed around and had a triple-double (26 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists) in a rout against the Kings. Aside from his stellar stat line, Giannis put Kosta Koufos on a poster in the second half. A total of eight Bucks players finished in double figures. Kings forward Justin Jackson had 22 points in 25 minutes off the bench.

ANOTHER GIANNIS POSTER. How do you stop this man??? (via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/CsccZvGIzH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 4, 2018

The post Post Up: Giannis Antetokoumpo Posts Triple-Double in W Against Kings appeared first on SLAM.

Bulls guard Kris Dunn will miss 4-6 weeks with a “moderate MCL sprain,” the team announced on Tuesday.

INJURY UPDATE: Kris Dunn will miss 4-6 weeks with a moderate MCL sprain.

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 23, 2018

Dunn suffered the injury in the second quarter of a 115-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. He ended up logging 30 minutes in the game, finishing with 9 points and 7 assists.

The Bulls currently sit at 0-3.

RELATED
Kris Dunn: ‘I Was in a Terrible Situation Last Year’

The post Kris Dunn to Miss 4-6 Weeks with Moderate MCL Sprain appeared first on SLAM.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the New Orleans Pelicans will have an affiliate in Birmingham, AL. The team will play in Erie, PA next season before renovations for an arena in Birmingham are complete.

New Orleans is launching a G League affiliate in Birmingham, Ala., league sources tell ESPN. Team will start play in Erie, Pa. next season until renovations are complete on arena in Birmingham.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2018

The G League was established in 2001 and currently has 27 total teams. It tips off on November 2nd.

The Pels are off to a hot start this season, winning their first two games by double digits. They retake the court Tuesday night at 8pm ET against the Clippers.

RELATED
Pelicans Wouldn’t Trade Anthony Davis for Anyone—’Even Beyonce’

The post Report: New Orleans Launching G League Affiliate in Birmingham, AL appeared first on SLAM.

“Kids these days,” says Will, via phone from Federal Way, WA, “always want to see the results immediately.”

And for the McDaniels brothers, results on the court weren’t immediate, not like those for the typical highly touted prep talent who sit atop recruiting rankings and are in the public eye long before they enter high school.

Jalen McDaniels was ranked No. 98 in the Class of 2016 before committing to San Diego State University. The idea of redshirting became a reality for the four-star recruit, who arrived to campus with a 6-10, 190-pound frame and sat out the majority of what would’ve been his proper freshman season while getting both stronger and better.

“Just soak up the game,” Will, who knew it’d be beneficial, told Jalen. “Then when your time comes, you’ll be prepared.”

In Jalen’s first 10 games following his redshirt year, his minutes on the floor were sporadic, only scoring in double figures twice. He posted 15 points and 10 rebounds en route to a win over Gonzaga, earning him a starting role in the lineup in late December.

As the season progressed, Jalen led the Aztecs in points (226), rebounds (8.5 per game) and field-goal percentage (62.8) in Mountain West Conference play. He was one of four freshmen to post double-digit rebound performances in his first nine games, the most by a freshman since Kawhi Leonard in 2010, as the Aztecs captured their fifth MWC championship since 2011 and punched a ticket to the Big Dance.   

“At first I didn’t want to do that,” he says, referencing the year he spent redshirting, “but it made me a better player and person.”

In March, Jalen tested the NBA waters, declaring for the draft without signing with an agent to retain his eligibility. With a glimpse into what the pro process was like, he returned to school with a better understanding of what teams were expecting from draftees.

“It was all about competing 24/7 when you go to each team, and they’re looking at everything,” he says. “You have to be a perfectionist, and I feel like when you do that, that’s when you grow.”

Meanwhile, Will noticed a difference in his youngest son, Jaden, now a senior at Federal Way (WA) HS, during the EYBL’s opening session in Dallas this past April.

“He was doing some shit that I’d never seen him do before,” Will says.

The shit Will was referring to was Jaden’s versatility to thrive from anywhere on the court—low-post, high-post, short corner, on the perimeter and in the open court—making him a nightmare for opposing teams as he blossomed into contention for top player in the Class of 2019.

“It was fun just competing against all the top guys that were ahead of me,” Jaden says. “I was just showing that I could play, too.”

Jaden averaged 18 ppg and 9 rpg, shooting 48 percent from behind the arc for the Seattle Rotary. He led the squad to its first Peach Jam berth in six years and his ascension into the national spotlight was the talk of the summer, jumping to No. 5 in ESPN’s Top 100 and then earning an invite to this past August’s SLAM Summer Classic.

“My whole thing has been, you always have to keep working,” says Will, who’s quick to reiterate that prep stars can be here today and gone tomorrow. “I thought [the ranking] was cool, but we never paid too much attention to it.”

Jaden possesses the same stature as Jalen, but at 6-9, is the prototypical point-forward in today’s game. Aside from a wiry frame that he’s still filling into, good luck trying to find a major flaw in his game. Pull up highlight tapes and his full repertoire is on display—let’s just say there’s a lot of Kevin Durant in his style of play.

“It means a lot,” Jaden says of the comparison. “I look up to KD and I model my game after him.”

Both Jalen and Jaden were in attendance for Nike’s The Academy and got a close-up of one of the L’s deadliest scorer’s mannerisms during pickup games.

“We played 5-on-5 and I was on Kevin Durant’s team,” Jalen says. “Just watching and seeing the things that he does is something to pick up.”

“It was a great experience,” Jaden adds. “Watching KD and everything he does is the same—the way he shoots [and] everything is on point.”

The duo speaks to us on a Saturday afternoon during Labor Day Weekend in a gym in Montebello, CA, a suburb about about 20 minutes east of downtown Los Angeles. Jalen arrives in town by train, a two-hour trek from San Diego, while Jaden, flew in that morning from Seattle. It’s the brothers first SLAM photoshoot together.

The two are in their natural element getting flicked up by our photographer. Jaden is posted in a black Seattle Rotary jersey, rocking the vibrant “Lucky Charms” Kyrie 4s, while Jalen keeps it clean and simple—SDSU home whites with white-red AJXIIIs.

As they pose for a plethora of shots around the gym, they each take turns attempting to dunk on each other for the perfect stills. Jalen pleads his case as to why he didn’t get bodied after little bro outstretches his lanky arms for the left-handed slam.

As our interview portion moves inside the gym, Jalen proves to be a seasoned vet when it comes to being in front of the mic, whereas Jaden, a bit camera shy, answers in a sotto voce tone until competition-related questions are asked.

“No,” Jaden says when asked if Jalen can beat him in a shooting competition. “I have a certified strap.”

“We can do it right now,” Jalen instantly claps back.

Before the competition juices get flowing again, they discuss everything from working on weaknesses to the individual goals they’ve set for the coming season.

“I want to be Conference Player of the Year,” Jalen says. Of course, this will likely be his final season at SDSU before he declares for the 2019 NBA Draft.

And Jaden?

“Win another state championship,” he says. His Eagles squad took the Class 4A state title in 2016. “That’s mandatory and all I can think about.”

When the college questions pour in (Jaden says he doesn’t have his options narrowed down yet; days later, he’d post his final five, consisting of SDSU, UCLA, Kentucky, Oregon and Washington), Jalen claims he won’t be steering his younger brother to SDSU, one of the myriad of schools recruiting Jaden. He does say that he’ll be there for advice, if his baby bro needs any.

“I already went through this process, so I’m not going to get into the way he thinks,” Jalen says. “Of course I go to San Diego State, but it’s his choice.”

As everything wraps up for the day and the interview and photo shoot come to a close, the three-point competition can finally get going. For now, bragging rights are on the line, similar to childhood games in Federal Way, and the McDaniels brothers take turns showing off their fluid shooting strokes until it’s time to call it a day. If it were up to them, they’d spend the entire day honing their craft.

“They really love to work on their game,” says Clint Parks, a SoCal-based trainer who works with Jalen and Jaden. “If they’re not in the gym, it doesn’t feel right.”

—

Drew Ruiz is an Editorial Assistant for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos by Nate Hoffman.

The post NBA-Bound Bros Jalen and Jaden McDaniels are Pushing Each Other into the Next Gear 📈 appeared first on SLAM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoWwzt1AxHq/?taken-by=slamonline

—

The AJXXX3 releases Oct. 18 for $175 ($185 globally). Studio 23 opens its doors Oct. 20 and is located at 620 S. Broadway St. 

The post Travis Scott, Bronny James and Mikey Williams Hit Up Jordan Brand’s Prepare to Fly Event appeared first on SLAM.

After the panel, they filled the roles of motivational coaches, as attendees were split up into groups and went through circuit-like training before the grand opening. The space, which is open now until Aug. 12, serves as a hub for Nike — sponsored athletes and fitness enthusiasts and brings all aspects from the Nike Training Club app — like workout programs and educational workshops — to life.

SLAM caught up with Kuzma during the event to talk offseason training, nutrition, giving advice to draft prospects and more:

—

SLAM: How important is offseason training and getting your body right to you?

Kuz: Offseason training is huge because it’s your time to not think about the team goals. It’s all about you and your individual goals. For me, training is a big part of my life because it’s what I do. It’s definitely huge.

SLAM: Anything you’re specifically trying to focus on this offseason?

Kuz: My body — getting stronger in my lower body in my stability and stances. That’s just the biggest thing.

SLAM: What’s your favorite Nike basketball campaign?

Kuz: Probably the old Kobe [Bryant] ones. I feel like those are the best ones that you always remember. That one campaign with the Kobe System when it really came out with the commercial with Kobe and Kanye [West]. That’s probably my favorite campaign.

SLAM: Speaking of Kobe, is there any specific signature sneaker model that you could just wear forever?

Kuz: Playing-wise, man, the Kobe 4, 1 and A.D. Mid. Those are my favorite ones — the look and durability on the court.

SLAM: You were the lead for the “Final Seconds” Kobe 1 Protro this past season. What was that like to be a part of that campaign?

Kuz: It’s super dope. Like you said, modeling for Nike and doing the Kobe shot — I’m already a Kobe fan and play for the Lakers — it’s kind of like a dream come true. You always dream of being a poster boy for something and being that type of guy. It was a special feeling for sure.

SLAM: What advice do you pass along to the No. 27 pick or guys that were selected after in this year’s draft?

Kuz: There’s a lot of things. The main thing is once you get drafted, you can be the No. 1 pick or the 60th pick — you’re an NBA player. It’s up to you to create however type of career you want to have. That’s the biggest thing. It’s an equal playing field once you get to the NBA.

SLAM: Is there something that you took for granted early on that you really focus on now as a pro?

Kuz: My nutrition. Coming from high school in Flint and not having enough money to eat healthy, going to college and you’re not thinking of eating salmon; you’re just trying to get by. Being a pro, you have to eat because you want your career to be super long and eating is a little thing, but it’s a big thing.

Registration for the Just Do It HQ is available via the NTC app or nike.com/la.

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post Kyle Kuzma Talks Offseason Training, Favorite Kicks And More appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM caught up with the 15-time All-Star to talk his favorite All-Star Weekend memories, picking his squad if he was a team captain, his son Shareef and more.

SLAM: What was your favorite All-Star Weekend memory?

Shaquille O’Neal: Being a medium juvenile delinquent and not knowing where I was going to go in this life, watching the NBA All-Star Game, I said, “Damn, I wish I was good enough one day to make it there.” And then finally your dreams come true and you’re there. Then you look around and Denzel Washington, Halle Berry—oh shit, Rihanna’s at the game—so you seen all them superstars now and they’re coming to watch you play. Now that they’re here—I gotta put on a show. All the ones that I got an MVP in, I always just wanted to put on a show for the fans, for the people and for the crowd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf–BxnneKj/?hl=en&taken-by=slamkicks

SLAM: If this whole team captain thing was around during your time, who’s on your squad?

Shaq: Pick a year.

SLAM: We can do any year.

Shaq: No, pick a year.

SLAM: OK, let’s do the 2000s.

Shaq: I’d definitely have A.I. on my squad, T-Mac, [Kevin] Garnett—I like Garnett. I’d also have White Chocolate on my squad because he’s a very All-Star Game-type player. Alonzo Mourning on my squad because I don’t feel like tussling against him. The other team would probably keep Yao Ming. Kobe didn’t pick me, so I can’t pick him. It’s 2000 and we played together all the time, so it’d be good to just get away and go against each other in the All-Star Game. That’ll be fine. He already picked LeBron [James], so I can’t pick LeBron. I’m going to go with D-Wade. And C-Webb. A lot of guys. GP‘s still in the League so I definitely gotta go with GP.

SLAM: Any untold All-Star stories?

Shaq: I can’t tell you. They’re rated-R. One time, I met a girl named Julia and we were about to fall in love and she met Jeff and then she left me for—that’s a joke [Laughs]. I could see it now: ‘Shaq loses Julia to Jeff.’

SLAM; Is there favorite All-Star Game memory that sticks out to you?

Shaq: My favorite one is the one in Phoenix [in 2009]. I wasn’t even a starter, I was playing for Phoenix at the time and nobody was taking over the game, so I was like, “Man, fuck it.” And the other team didn’t have a lot of bigs, so I’m like every time I get it I’m going to score. Kobe was on that team also and he kept feeding me and feeding me and it felt like old times. So then when they called MVP, it was me and Kobe that got the MVP. My little son Shareef was right there standing. They gave the trophy to Kobe and then [he] gave it to Shareef and I thought that was big because he has kids, too, so he could’ve took it home to his beautiful daughters, but he said to give it to Shareef and he’d get his later. That, right there, was probably my favorite one ’cause one, I was much older [and] wasn’t even really thinking about getting MVP. Got the MVP, shared it with [Kobe] and we had great flashbacks of what we did in 2000 to 2003, and then at the end he gave Shareef the MVP trophy.

SLAM: Speaking of Shareef, he and your other children have experienced plenty of All-Star Games. What’s it like to see them grow?

Shaq: They like it. They get to hangout with the Quavos, see different people and different things. It’s fun for them. As a parent when you see your child having fun, that’s what it’s all about.

SLAM: What did you tell Shareef when he didn’t make the McDonald’s All-American roster?

Shaq: I told him, “Now you have to get back in the lab.” When people don’t think you’re good enough and you think you’re good enough, now you have to show them. People don’t think you’re good enough, well get back in the lab. We don’t cry and complain about not making it. They didn’t pick you, so you think you should’ve been there, now you gotta make them say, “I made a mistake—he should’ve been there.” It’s actually good for him ’cause growing up in a certain environment, he really didn’t go through the same struggles me and you went through. It’s actually good to bring him back down every now and then so he learns how to re-fight ’cause when you have everything, you don’t really have to fight. Crazy thing about his style and the way he’s been playing is I never pushed him to be a basketball player. I told my kids all the time, “We don’t need another NBA player. I need a hedge fund manager, I need an engineer, I need a couple lawyers and somebody to takeover all of these businesses I’m building for the family.” As a proud dad, I’m proud to say I never had to call an AAU or college coach and say, “Look at my son.” He’s done it all on his own. Now that he’s done it all on his own, he’s going to have to learn how to go through the trials and tribulations of what it takes to be great. I’m kind of disappointed he didn’t make it because I wanted him to go on the father-and-son thing, but he’s a strong kid and was really upset. I said, “Well if you’re upset, then get your ass back in the gym and show ’em.”

SLAM: Is there anything you wish you had in your game when you watch Shareef play now?

Shaq: Well I had everything he had, but it’s just that when I was coming up, big guys played the power game inside. I could do all that and it’s especially how I made a name for myself by getting the ball and taking it coast-to-coast, making crazy passes. I learned that from Magic [Johnson]. There was this little white guy who I always used to play against in Germany—his name was Mitch Riles. He looked like Larry Bird and I was Magic Johnson; he had the green Weapons and I had the purple and gold Converse logo. Me and this kid used to fight everyday. We’d play a seven-game series everyday. I learned how to do all the handle and do all that, but when I was coming up I was like Patrick Ewing ain’t shooting jumpers and fadeaways—he’s dunking on people and getting his knees up, so I’m going to do start doing that. I kind of shied away from it, so people starting fearing me and I was like, “You know what, I’m going to play my whole career through intimidation.” But I had everything [Shareef] had. It’s just that I thought when he was born, he was going to be about 6-7, 6-8, so I was training him to be like a T-Mac or a Kobe. And then he sprouted up to be, like, 6-11. The good thing about the way he plays is how all the bigs are playing now—pick-and-pop and all those things. I don’t really pressure him about going inside.

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. Photo courtesy of American Express/Getty Images. 

The post Shaquille O’Neal Talks About All-Star Weekend Memories and Helping His Son, Shareef appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a Thursday afternoon at CBS Studios in L.A. and May, 25, is one of four speakers on a panel hosted by Kenny Smith to kick-off the Future of Flight event. Shortly after she discussed how much Michael Jordan influenced her, Jordan Brand unveiled the 2018 NBA All-Star Game jerseys along with upcoming footwear—from highly coveted retros like the Black Cement IIIs, more colorways of Russell Westbrook’s recently released signature sneaker, the Why Not Zer0.1, to pieces from the brand’s recently released Season of Her collection, featuring select footwear and apparel that caters to the female demographic. May, who recently styled upcoming pieces for the campaign, has played an integral part its development.

SLAM caught up with May to talk about the Season of Her collection, the response and design process for her sneaker, inspiring females and more.

SLAM: What’s it been like to see the evolution of Jordan Brand incorporating a women’s line with the Season of Her Collection?

Aleali May: It’s mixed emotions. Sometimes I was like, Damn, finally, ’cause we’ve been trying to get lit and then it’s also like, Wow, this is actually happening because we’re the target that’s missing. But mind you, when you think of women, these are the mothers that buy shoes for their kids. They want to look fresh when they go to the office or when they’re outside of it. Young moms, too. I got friends that have kids and they buy them the kids’ size, and to have something for her, that’s really something significant because we’re a part of sneaker culture too. Women buy, so it’s amazing. We have me, Maya Moore… we had to have this.

SLAM: Your Jordan 1 was a big hit that people were camping outside of UNDFTD for a few days to grab a pair. What was that feeling like?

AM: Honestly, I thought it was going to be one of those things where you walk in and see the pop-up, buy the shoes, flick up. I didn’t know it was going to be crazy. The day before it was like 2 p.m. and they were like, ‘Hey, can we start camping?’ And then we were like, wait what? I never imagined, for myself, to have a Jordan. I’m from South Central—everyone wears Jordans. When we all meet up for Christmas, we all wear the latest Jordans, and to see myself have one, I’m honestly still taking it in ’cause this is a dream come true, and it’s really cool that my city is in it. That’s something that’ll be a part of history forever. That’s the part that’s mind blowing is that as long as the world is what it is, it’s going to stay there. Really I did this for women and my city. I did this for my family. My uncle, G, put me on Jordans. For us to celebrate, I think that was the highlight—to see his face—because he bought me my first [pair]. It was lit.

SLAM: How much did the Slauson influence you as a kid and your style?

AM: First of all, I went to Hillcrest [Drive Elementary School] in the Jungles. My friends had the Looney Tunes pullover so I had to go to the Slauson Swapmeet and get the Looney Tunes pullover; then they had the bamboo earrings and I wanted to get them bamboo earrings; then I wanted to get the slouch socks. I actually used to get my uniform from the Slauson Swapmeet. That was really like the hub. [Me and my grandmother] would go and buy jewelry. That’s what it was, you know? That’s why I needed to have it there. Even though [UNDFTD] is on La Brea, there’s a lot of people that have never been to the Slauson Swapmeet. There’s a lot of people who’ve never had Roscoe’s, Randy’s Donuts and just having them have that shopping experience of like, ‘Damn, this is what it feels like?’ Also, it brings more people to go the Slauson. For me, I felt like I wanted to redirect it and bring some money to the neighborhood, so whoever seen the pop-up wants to see what the Slauson is; or I’m going to buy a piece of jewelry now. You know, really just highlighting how I grew up. And everybody has love for they city so that’s really what it was.

SLAM: When did it really hit you that you were actually doing a shoe with Jordan Brand?

AM: When I was on the flight back—you know, I’m a girl—so I cried. I just can’t believe that I just left this Jordan meeting and I sat in this meeting that you can imagine: it’s an all-white room, every product in there was all white. It’s a really long table where it’s you and a bunch of people with notebooks, talking and they were like, ‘What [shoe] you wanna do?’ And I was like the 1. I was a little nervous to ask for it because everybody wants to do a 1. They were like OK and I said corduroy and Gemo [Wong, Senior Design Director for Special Projects at Jordan Brand] was like, ‘Corduroy?’ He shook his head and for me, I was like what is going on right now? It was one of those things where you need your friend to be there ’cause then y’all can be looking around at each other…but it’s still surreal. I kept my guest pass and hung it up in my room. It’s a start of something that’s great.

SLAM: What was that one Jordan that pulled you in?

AM: I’ve always worn them when I was little, but I had a pair of XIIs and I’d frickin’ run around with the dogs. They were so bad I had to clean them so many times. But the Flu Games—those my shit.

SLAM: If you’re able to collab with Jordan again in the future, what’s the next shoe you’d love to work with now that you have the AJI and AJVI?

AM: The IV. I love the IVs. I just heard when I was little about the Military IVs and my dad was in the military, so automatically I’m like well whatever that looks like. I love the IV, man. Besides the VI—I like Is, IVs and VIs—that’s my swag. They go with everything. They don’t exactly look like basketball shoes, and for me, I have a small frame so it’s trying to find things that compliment my style and I can wear and swag out in. Every colorway. I even asked Frank [Cooker] for them and they were too big, but I was like, ‘Fuck this, I’m ’bout to wear two socks’. [Laughs]

SLAM: What kind of advice would you give the women that look up you?

AM: Like how they were saying on the panel, Jordan followed his own lane. I think the most important part is to be yourself. Being yourself is going to get you where you are. There’s a lot of times where I’m like, ‘Do I have to be this girl to get this? Do I have to do this?’ Instagram will also mess you up in the head, too. But if you stick to who you are and you’re like, this is me—unapologetic—people are going to respect that. People are going to see you making your own waves, making your own moves so that’s important to stay true to who you are. Also, learning yourself a little bit more. The older you get, the more you’re going to evolve, travel, take more things in and the more your style’s going to change—everything. You do this for you.

The post Aleali May on Working with Jordan Brand appeared first on SLAM.

The potential player possibilities were endless and the new format has stirred up a plethora of questions and hypothetical captains and lineups, so we caught up with Gary Payton, a nine-time All-Star, to get his thoughts on the new format, which players he’d handpick for his squad, who deserves to be an All-Star this year and more.

SLAM: What were your initial thoughts when you heard of the new NBA All-Star voting process?

Gary Payton: I thought the really great thing about it is it gives more people more involvement with the voting, and then it gives the players a voting opportunity because they play against these players all the time. So it’ll make it more legit. Sometimes players get hurt, some of them get voted in and the other players might be playing very, very well and not have an opportunity. I thought that that was a good opportunity and idea of what the NBA came up with.

SLAM: Did you ever think the NBA would change its East vs. West format?

GP: Didn’t think that was going to come. When Adam Silver announced that we’re going to have captains and they’re get to pick their teams like a playground, I said now that’s going to be OK. To try it here in L.A., where you know a lot of pickup basketball is played and now you get to pick and it’s not just an East against West but it’s everybody, it’s going to be pretty good.

SLAM: If this was around during your time and you were asked to be a captain, who are the other four players you’re choosing?

GP: [Laughs]. It depends because you know how it’s going to go. One person might pick and then my player might not be there. But if I would’ve had an opportunity to pick my four, I would’ve had to go with John Stockton, Karl Malone, Shaquille [O’Neal] and I’d probably try to get Allen Iverson.

SLAM: So you’d still want to play against guys like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson?

GP: I want to play against those guys. It makes the game better when you don’t stay with the guys that are good as you are and it’s not an even game. When you play against guys you want to compete against, then that means you’re going to compete hard because you picked these certain guys and they say, ‘OK, you didn’t wanna pick me? We going go at it.’ So that’s what I want. I want to go at a guy that got the same mentality as me as that you didn’t pick me, I’m going to go at you every time in this game. And that’s what’ll make it very interesting.

SLAM: Who do you think deserves to be an All-Star next month?

GP: Giannis is playing very well in Milwaukee. I think [Karl-Anthony] Towns from Minnesota who hasn’t been an All-Star deserves to be an All-Star. We’re still looking at the same guys who have done it and are doing it well. I think these kids—[Andrew] Wiggins, he deserves to be an All-Star—never been an All-Star. These type of guys need to just get a feel for it and I think they’re going to breakthrough eventually. But we still got the top guys who are playing very well and we can’t take that away from them. The West has gotten tougher, so that’s a big problem; the East is up there now and they have a lot of good rookies that have a chance—Ben Simmons and [Joel] Embiid got a chance. I think he and Embiid are going to be All-Stars. These are going to be first-time All-Stars and I think it’s going to be a good fit for the NBA to see these young talents come in and be in their first year and get an All-Star bid. Boston’s got [Jayson] Tatum and he’s playing really well. You know, there’s a lot of players that can play.

SLAM: What were some of your favorite All-Star Weekend festivities?

GP: The best times for me was riding on them buses, going to practice, going to the Players’ Association party and doing things like that. Then you have all your tennis shoes things—adidas things and Nike stuff—going to all these types of situations. All the stuff for the kids. It was just beautiful just going to see that. When I was playing, I couldn’t really see that because they had us doing a lot of stuff. They had us doing Media Day and stuff like that, but now not being a player and not being in the NBA, going to see this stuff for yourself like the fan zone—all that stuff is great to go see with your kids and walk around and see the things that the NBA has now put together for fans to see their favorite player putting up the big ole boards where you can stand against them and put your hand out and do all that stuff. But especially bringing us in there to make appearances and do signings is even better because you get to see one of your legends players that you’ve never seen come, sign autographs and interact with them.

SLAM: Any untold All-Star Weekend stories?

GP: [Laughs]. See, that’s why I’m glad there was no social media. When we were in our locker room or on our buses, we used to do a lot of stuff [like] good pranks. We used to talk about a lot of guys and do a lot of things, but it’s stories that you sit there and just talk to these guys and get to understand them. We always used to talk about who’s the No. 1 team and after this [All-Star] game you’re going to have to play us on Tuesday. And I’m going to get some reps because I’m going to bust you when I see you Tuesday. We used to always crack on each other and that was a big thing about me. I’m going in there imitating Karl Malone. He always used to wear jeans and cowboy boots, and when he went out there to practice, I put on his cowboy boots and his jeans; and they were big and would yell, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy.’ I used to always do that to him every time…I had his belt, everything, and then I put some tobacco in my mouth. We used to do all kinds of stuff, so it was real, real fun.

SLAM: Is there a favorite All-Star Game memory that sticks out to you?

GP: We had some good ones. The Michael Jordan time when the West was up about 20 and he willed his team back… I think the most satisfying one to me was in Phoenix when me and Mitch Richmond and I had like 17 or 18 assists and [he] got MVP because I kept feeding him. But you remember them types of games because the crowd was so hyped and we came back and won the basketball game. You remember stuff like that because it was really, really fun…it was really competitive. We started to play in the third and fourth quarter. We’ll cruise for one or two quarters, but then we’ll get the lead and be in the huddle and then we’ll be like, ‘It’s time to go, you guys. It’s time for us to play’. And that was big for us.

SLAM: Who are some of the players you’ve been keeping tabs on this season?

GP: Giannis from Milwaukee—I love watching him play. [Russell] Westbrook is one of my favorites. Isaiah Thomas is one of my favorites. I’ve really gotten keen to [Jimmy] Butler [who’s] playing exceptional ball in Minnesota. The kid that I really like as a rookie—there’s two of them—is the kid from Utah (Donovan Mitchell) and [Kyle] Kuzma for the Lakers. I think he was a big steal for the Lakers for them to draft up and see him because I’ve seen him play for years at the University of Utah, and I said he was going to be a good basketball player and what happened? He turned out to be a top rookie now that he’s scoring the basketball. Just to be able to see these kids play—Tatum out there in Boston has been playing very well. I’ve had him at Nike Elite camps for the last three years and I’ve always said he can play like a Glenn Robinson or Glen Rice because he can shoot the basketball at will. Now that they’re expanding his range to the 3-pointer out in Boston, they’re giving him an opportunity and he’s looking better.

SLAM: It’s obviously still early, but who’s your pick for Rookie of the Year?

GP: That’s a good one. I think I’m going to have to give it to Ben Simmons. He’s doing a very great job out in Philadelphia. The Mitchell kid from Utah is playing exceptionally well and Kuzma. That would be my top three, four now, but I’ll have Ben winning it if it would go down today.

—

NBA All-Star Voting presented by Verizon is open until Jan. 15., via NBA.com and the NBA App. Tickets for all All-Star fan events are now available on NBATickets.com.

The post Gary Payton Talks About His All-Star Weekend Memories appeared first on SLAM.

Thompson, an avid COD gamer, hopped on the sticks for a bit with JaVale McGee prior to traveling to L.A. to face the Lakers tonight, when the team will retire Kobe’s No. 8 and 24 jerseys.

We caught up with Thompson to talk Call of Duty, the Warriors’ brotherhood, his favorite Kobe memory and more.

SLAM: You guys are in LA [tonight], the night the Lakers are retiring Kobe’s numbers. Is it still weird when you’re facing the Lakers and he’s not out there?

Klay Thompson: Not really. This man gave 20 years—more than enough to that organization. He’s a worldwide icon. I do miss playing against him, but it’s an honor to play in front of him when his jersey’s getting retired. There’s a lot of hype over that game.

SLAM: Favorite Kobe memory?

KT: Definitely the first time I ever played against him at STAPLES my rookie year [laughs]. That was surreal. I was always so fortunate enough to go watch him play, and to be on the court and not in the stands for the first time and [I] had a pretty good game, so that’s my favorite moment. It was just another regular season game, but to me, though, that was the “Mama, I made it” moment.

SLAM: Speaking of the Lakers, everyone seems to have an opinion regarding Lonzo Ball and everything he does is documented. What’s something you’ve noticed about him when you’ve played against him?

KT: I don’t ever really judge anyone until I get to know them, but with Lonzo, he’s going to be a great player in this League. He’s already had his second triple-double. I don’t care what anybody says. It’s hard to do in the NBA. I’ve never gotten a triple-double and I’ve been in the NBA for seven years. For him to do that within 15 games is ridiculous. They got a great piece in him, [Brandon] Ingram. They got a young team. I know they’ve been young for a while, but they’ll be good soon. And Magic [Johnson] at the helm? They’ll be good, so I don’t got no worries about the Lakers. They’ll be competing with us very soon.

SLAM: The Warriors, in general, has a brotherhood from top to bottom. How’s that been a key part of the team’s success?

KT: When guys stay ready — you see it through this stretch we’re going through — we’re missing two of our All-Stars and another star in Zaza Pachulia. But we’re still out here getting wins by double digits, so guys are ready to step up and play. Most importantly, guys, when their number’s called, they just want to perform because they’ve been waiting and itching for this time, you know? We get Jordan Bell, JaVale [McGee], Patrick McCaw, Omri Casspi, Andre Iguodala, [Shaun] Livingston — I can go down the list of guys who we can insert into the starting lineup and we don’t miss a beat. We definitely miss our two All-Stars and Zaza — even Nick Young — but our team is ridiculously deep, and we’re able to sustain through rough patches when key guys are out.

SLAM: You’re on a team that’s broken multiple records. Is there any other accolade you’d like to break?

KT: Go 16-0 in the playoffs? I don’t know [laughs]. It’s hard to say, but that’s definitely one of them. We were so close last year. But I don’t even want to think about records; I want to think about winning championships, honestly. The thing about our level of play is to always be able to compete for championships.

SLAM: If you could give a number, how many championships would you like to have when you retire?

KT: [laughs] You put me on the spot. I want to play ’till I’m 38, 39 years old, and the goal is to win a championship every year. Why else do you play? I got two now, so 15 championships. I want to win one every year, man. You know what I mean? It might not be realistic, but that’s what the goal is. If I could fill up my fam that’d be nice. I just want to get three, though. You can’t look ahead because you start to get in trouble when you start looking ahead.

SLAM: What were some features you liked about Call of Duty: World War II?

KT: Man, I don’t know. It’s pretty basic, but at the same time it has some complex parts about it. The maps — it’s just evolved. I’ve been playing that game since I was, like, 15, so you don’t appreciate it as much as you would ’cause I’ve been playing so many of the versions, but if I went back and played, let’s say, Modern Warfare 2 or the first World War II game, you could see the huge difference. It’s crazy to see how far graphics and technology in the game’s come. It’s just fun playing with all your friends, man, especially when you’re the best one. You always brag on top of the leaderboards and it’s nice.

SLAM: So you’re a 10 on the sticks?

KT: I would say 8 and a half ’cause there’s some real life professional gamers out there. Nah, I’ll give myself an 8 if I went that far.

SLAM: So do you have a public gamer tag you share with fans or you keep that private?

KT: I’m not going to put that gamer tag out there because my stuff will get flooded so quick, so I gotta keep it lowkey. You might run into me if you can decipher the tag.

SLAM: Who would you say is probably the nicest gamer on the team?

KT: Myself. Behind me, JaVale, but I’m good at everything — whether it’s Call of Duty, 2K, Fifa, Madden — I’m getting wins. I’m nice.

SLAM: CODWWII focuses on brotherhood. It’s obviously a different setting, but how much is brotherhood important to you on and off the court?

KT: It’s huge on the court because we go through a lot. We spend like more than 60 percent of our time every year on the court; off the court, too, we build relationships that’ll last a lifetime especially when you’re competing for championships. That’s really priceless obviously.

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90.

The post Klay Thompson on Kobe Bryant, Lonzo Ball and Call of Duty: World War II appeared first on SLAM.

Upon arriving to the facility, I was greeted by Kortney Dalrymple, Senior Scientist at GSSI, who brought us into a conference room to meet with other Gatorade personnel along with NBA G League reps.

I sat in a quick briefing and learned about the partnership, what to expect moving forward from the NBA and Gatorade, and learned about the “Sweat Test,” a two-part physical assessment based on one’s fluid balance and sweat sodium.

“They don’t take or drink enough,” says Dalrymple, when asked about the biggest mistake she sees amongst athletes. “They don’t take in enough carbohydrates during exercise as well. It’s a lot to do with education.”

This season, each NBA G League player will receive a personalized hydration and fuel plan for before and after practices and games, as well as feedback on how well they met hydration and fuel needs.

“Those are critically important that ultimately really spoke [to] what is the best way for our athletes to fuel their bodies to not just facilitate, but accelerate the achievement of their performance goals,” says Malcolm Turner, President of the NBA G League. “I think that’s what we’re really excited about—our ability to roll out Gatorade’s Sport Science Institute.”

Turner knows that a plethora of players in the NBA G League may not be cognizant of the proper nutrition and hydration their bodies need in order to compete at the highest level, but the partnership with Gatorade will change that.

“Player development is clearly the focus,” says Turner. “We have a record number of NBA players being assigned to this league, a record number of times [and] rookie development is taking place at unprecedented levels.”

We were asked to submit urine samples to see our hydration level before the testing process. Shortly after, my weight was taken so that Dalrymple and her team would see how much weight I lost during the assessment. We were provided with a water bottle and Gatorade, and told we could drink as much as we felt we needed to. Patches were placed on each forearm so my sweat would be taken back to the GSSI lab for testing.

The first part of the “Sweat Test” started with some jogging and dynamic stretching before moving on to various plank workouts, followed by multiple endurance exercises some of the players do on a daily basis. The second part consisted of various games of 3-on-3. I was weighed once again after the games concluded.

Once back at the GSSI lab, I received my Sports Nutrition Report. During the pre-testing, my urine sample came back indicating that I was in fact hydrated before the workout, but my practice results came back differently. I learned that my carb intake was high (68 g/h), and both my sweat rate (1.1 L/h) and sodium rate of loss (890 mg/h) both rated as moderate.

Another key thing I didn’t realize till now was I tend to over-drink on the court. My total intake was 511 milligrams while I ended up losing 875 milligrams during the hour-long testing. I lost 37 ounces but drank 52 ounces, which caused a body mass change of +0.7 pounds. Based on all the numbers provided, I received a Hydration Strategy Score of 70 due to my carb intake and over-drinking problem.

“There’s a certain amount of sweat we need to run the sample,” says Dalrymple. “We took the sweat patches off, brought them to our lab and we syringed the sweat out of the patch and then pipetted the certain amount of sweat into a sodium analyzer and I was able to calculate your sweat sodium concentration.”

Lastly, I received pre-practice and during practice recommendations. So about four hours before, it’s best to consume 20 ounces of water followed by another 14 ounces two hours before start time. In regards to during, I was given one recommendation of drinking 15 ounces from a bottle of Gatorade to keep my total sodium intake at 200 milligrams.

With the partnership and future testing, the NBA G League hopes to produce a higher percentage of athletes to the NBA with Gatorade’s technology and an app that’s scheduled to release within the next couple of months.

“We’re a league of aspirations and opportunities, so it’s a great opportunity for our players to get NBA-style coaching, training, and now with partners like Gatorade to really help plug some of the development opportunities off-court in terms of enhancing performance,” says Turner. “I think all players are starting to see that.”

—

Photos: Eric Nalpas/Gatorade

The post We Worked Out at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute appeared first on SLAM.

“There’s only one ball.”

Prior to last season, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni did, what some at the time deemed unthinkable, and moved All-Star shooting guard James Harden to the point guard position. Again, NBA Twitter went crazy.

Harden at the point raised concerns and many questioned if it was the right move. And on October 26, Harden dropped 17 dimes to go with his 34 points as the Rockets defeated the Lakers. The Beard led the League in assists (11.3) and D’Antoni was praised for the move, making it one of the many reasons he earned Coach of the Year honors.

Immediately after Paul’s Instagram post, he and Harden wasted no time getting to work to build that camaraderie to prepare them for this upcoming season. During the summer, they spent their days working out and playing pickup ball at UCLA, Lifetime in New York and Paul even made his Drew League debut, joining Harden’s LAUNFD squad that had social media buzzing with highlights and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2017-18.

Bringing in Paul, a ball-dominant point guard himself, continues to raise concerns whether the Paul-Harden backcourt could actually work with Harden coming off one of his best seasons in eight years.

Is Harden going to be OK going back to playing off the ball? Will/can CP3 play off the ball? Can this actually work if they’re both interchangeable? Knowing how Paul’s an emotional leader, will they eventually clash?

Eye Test vs. Analytics Twitter have ongoing debates about Paul—whether he’s in the Top 10 discussion or not—but despite the numbers and his playoff track record, he’s still a valuable asset, especially to a team like the Rockets.

Before Paul’s arrival, Houston had a 55-win season, shot 35.7 percent from deep and tallied 1,181 threes to lead the League in 3-pointers made. They also ranked top five in points per game (115.3), assists per game (25.2), fast break points per game (16.7) and catch-and-shoot points per game (30.2).

With CP3 in Houston, the Rockets will have another stellar playmaker on the floor. Paul last averaged double digits in assists in 2015-16, but he’ll have many options and opportunities on the floor now to once again average 10-plus dimes a game in H-Town.

In pick-and-roll situations, where Chris Paul excels, Clint Capela is going to feast as he did with Harden last season.

On the perimeter, he has two lethal shooters in Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson (along with Harden). Anderson (40 percent) and Gordon (37 percent) can wreak havoc when they get it going from beyond the arc. We can expect to see both of them along with Harden get more looks on the perimeter with Paul on the floor.

When he’s not picking apart defenses in the PNR or whipping across passes to Harden, Anderson or Gordon, Paul can call his own number as he did with the Clippers. A mid-range maestro, Paul shot 51 percent from mid-range and ranked second in pull-up points per game (10.3). On a nightly basis, he’ll defend other PGs and bring that tenacity on the defensive side as he’s developed a reputation around the L for being a hard-nosed defender.

All eyes will be on the Rockets with Training Camp starting this week as Paul gets ready to accomplish something he couldn’t do in New Orleans or Los Angeles: win an NBA Championship.

Previous Rankings:
2016: No. 11
2015: No. 7
2014: No. 3
2013: No. 3

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2017-18—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

No. 50 – Dion Waiters
No. 49 – Ben Simmons 
No. 48 – Brook Lopez
No. 47 — Harrison Barnes
No. 46 — Jrue Holiday
No. 45 — Lonzo Ball
No. 44 — Myles Turner
No. 43 — Goran Dragic
No. 42 — Andre Drummond
No. 41 — Al Horford
No. 40 — LaMarcus Aldridge
No. 39 — Kevin Love
No. 38 — Paul Millsap
No. 37 — Hassan Whiteside
No. 36 — Andrew Wiggins
No. 35 — Marc Gasol
No. 34 – DeAndre Jordan
No. 33 — Bradley Beal
No. 32 — Kemba Walker
No. 31 — CJ McCollum
No. 30 — Devin Booker
No. 29 — Nikola Jokic
No. 28 — Joel Embiid
No. 27 — Mike Conley 
No. 26 — Kyle Lowry
No. 25 — Rudy Gobert
No. 24 — Gordon Hayward
No. 23 — Kristaps Porzingis
No. 22 — Carmelo Anthony
No. 21 — DeMar DeRozan
No. 20 — Blake Griffin
No. 19 — Draymond Green

The post SLAM Top 50: Chris Paul, No. 18 appeared first on SLAM.

After watching 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike hit that remarkable fade away put-back, giving the Sparks its third title in team history, Parker, who was named Finals MVP, ran over to celebrate with her teammates and dedicated her first title to Pat Summitt, her former college coach at Tennessee, who passed away from dementia last June.

But the championship hangover is long gone, and the Sparks know that the Lynx, still woeful after losing at home in Game 5, are looking forward to this series that much more, despite reaching the Finals in six of the last seven seasons.

“Our mindset has been to stay in the moment and worry about what you can control,” says Parker, a few minutes after the team’s practice on Friday afternoon. “We know we have our work cut out for us and we want to make things difficult and shots difficult for them on the offensive end—really control the tempo of the game.”

Look at the storylines from whatever angle and it’s obvious this isn’t just another WNBA Finals. Before today’s 3:30 p.m. EST tip-off, the Sparks and Lynx join the Houston Comets and New York Liberty (1999 and 2000) as the only two teams to have met in back-to-back Finals. As both teams are on the quest for another title, the winner would tie the Comets (1997-2000) for the most championships in WNBA history. The Sparks can also become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Lisa Leslie led LA to consecutive ones back in 2001-02.

The Sparks and Lynx met three times this season, with the Sparks winning two of those three, but both sides are familiar with each others’ play and know who the key factors are that make each side go.

“It is exciting,” says Sylvia Fowles, the League’s MVP, on facing the Sparks again in the Finals. “I try not to look at it like a rematch, but in the back of my head that’s hard to do.”

And, according to Fowles, the only thing missing to cap off her MVP season is the championship hardware.

“You have a lot of women who are fighting hard to get this title,” says Fowles. “So if there wasn’t a title attached to it, I think it would be somewhat pointless.”

Maya Moore is averaging 19 points and five assists per game in the postseason and is looking to bring another title back to the Twin Cities. But she’ll have to duel with Alana Beard, the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, who’s appointed the task every game night of limiting Moore from filling up the stat sheet.

“It takes a team to guard Maya because she’s capable of doing so many things offensively [and] you can’t technically defend her with one person,” says Beard, someone she picked as the top five toughest women to guard in the W. “I have to do my job, but at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to how we defend her as a team.”

Beard’s ability to lock up the WNBA’s top scorers on a nightly basis led the Sparks to the League’s second best defensive rating (96 points per 100 possessions) during the regular season behind the Lynx (94.1).

There’s no coincidence that Moore averaged 10.7 points against the Sparks and shot 39 percent from the field and 22 percent from deep when both teams faced each other during the regular season.

“I know it sounds cliché, but it’s not something that I work for,” says Beard, on her prowess on the defensive side. “I don’t work to be noticed; I work because it’s my job and to help my team in the best way that I can.”

Both teams have four of the five last MVPs, but regular season accolades, advanced statistics and winning percentages are meaningless for two of the top teams with 0-0 in a series that requires a team to win three games to be crowned a champion.

“This is what we worked for and to see how this team has developed over the course of the year to where we’re in the Finals for the second year, it’s something that I hold close to my heart and that I’m excited for,” says Beard. “It would mean a ton to bring another championship to LA, but we have one game to win first.”

Related
Chiney Ogwumike Previews ’17 WNBA Finals
The WNBA Has a Sneaker Heat Wave
Lynx Assistant Coach on Why Minnesota’s so Dominant

Game 1 of the 2017 WNBA Finals starts at 3:30 EST on ABC

The post Run it Back appeared first on SLAM.

With Kobe Bryant playing defense, Wiggins took two dribbles, gave a little shoulder fake and buried a turnaround jumper to cut the deficit to three as Bryant tried to contest the shot. The two exchanged words on the opposite end of the court, and Bryant, who made a myriad of those mid-range jumpers throughout his career, told Wiggins how much that move—from the dribbles to the shot to the back-peddling—looked familiar.

Wiggins finished the night with 30, but the Wolves would end up losing. Despite the outcome, Wolves fans could appreciate the fact the 2014 No. 1 Draft pick, who landed in Minnesota after a trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, was going at Bryant. Now, when Wiggins is on the floor, shots like the one he hit over Bryant have become the norm.

In 2015, Wiggins first made his #SLAMTop50 debut at No. 38 and moved up to No. 31 last year, but comes in at 36 on this year’s list. As he prepares to enter his fourth season, two things (OK, one for sure right now) will look different: his teammates and his contract.

This offseason, the Wolves acquired Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson—four veterans with experience in the Playoffs, a place Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns have yet to visit. The last time the Wolves played in the postseason, Wiggins and Towns were in elementary school. With the new additions, the Wolves could potentially be in a position to break the 14-year drought.

In regards to his contract, reports came out in July that the Wolves were working on something along the lines of a five-year, $148 million extension. Glen Taylor, the team’s owner, told the Associated Press that the 22-year-old star “can’t be paid for what he’s doing today,” and that he needs 100 percent commitment—especially with his defense and rebounding—before going forward with the process to give Wiggins the max.

At 6-8 with a seven-foot wingspan, Wiggins has all the intangibles to be in the discussion for top two-way players under 25, but his play on the defensive side still raises some concerns. The positive to this is that during training camp, which is right around the corner, he can soak up knowledge from someone like Butler who knows a thing or two about defense.

In terms of rebounding, there’s no question Wiggins can easily grab eight to 10 boards a game, but he averaged a mere four rebounds per game last season. Will Wiggins make it a priority to up his rebounding numbers this season? Not sure. Many can argue that guys like Gibson, Towns, Gorgui Dieng and Cole Aldrich, the team’s key assets in the paint, already fulfill all of the rebounding duties.

When it comes to points, Wiggins has excelled in that field since he entered the League after spending one year at Kansas. Last season, he averaged a career-high 24 ppg, shooting 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep while playing 37 mpg. Wiggins ranked in the top 10 last season in two-point field goals made. Also, 23 percent of his points came from the mid-range area, as he shoots 44 percent from the left side of the court—his bread and butter.

In shots 10 to 16 feet from the basket, Wiggins shot 36.5 percent, and 38 percent on shots further than that, according to Basketball Reference. With Teague and Butler on the team, more opportunities for Wiggins to get more looks from the 3-point line will likely open up when Teague collapses the defense on dribble-drives and Butler hits the extra pass on the perimeter. In regards to corner threes, Wiggins shot 45 percent from the right side and 30 percent from the left side, respectively.

Although the Timberwolves won’t be under the same media microscope as the Cavaliers, Celtics, Rockets and Thunder, they’ll have tabs kept on them to see if the organization benefitted from its offseason acquisitions, or if Wiggins was deserving of getting all those M’s (assuming he gets the max).

Previous Rankings:
2016: No. 31
2015: No. 38
2014: Not Ranked

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2017-18—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

No. 50 – Dion Waiters
No. 49 – Ben Simmons 
No. 48 – Brook Lopez
No. 47 — Harrison Barnes
No. 46 — Jrue Holiday
No. 45 — Lonzo Ball
No. 44 — Myles Turner
No. 43 — Goran Dragic
No. 42 — Andre Drummond
No. 41 — Al Horford
No. 40 — LaMarcus Aldridge
No. 39 — Kevin Love
No. 38 — Paul Millsap
No. 37 — Hassan Whiteside

The post SLAM Top 50: Andrew Wiggins, No. 36 appeared first on SLAM.

These were the exact words Blake Griffin opened up with in Jordan Brand’s campaign video earlier this month for the Super.Fly 2017, a performance silhouette Griffin has been the face of since 2012, to describe playing basketball outdoors. The video takes place in a park where people are playing 5-on-5, kids are on the sidelines, a group of friends is chilling nearby and Griffin talks about how playing basketball on the blacktop molded him into the player he is today.

The blacktop was where a person earned their stripes and where your toughness was tested. Long before social media, performance facilities, apps like Open Runs and Infinite Hoops and Instagram trainers, the perfect place to play basketball was to travel to a local park in your neighborhood with a group of friends in hopes of finding others to get some run in.

There were no mixtapes, rankings, individual workouts or AAU tournaments every other day—just your five versus another five doing everything possible to win and remain on the court.

It’s where “I got next” are the three universal words that imply you and your squad face the winners and you can match up with someone to show you belong despite age, race or size. Where you had to earn respect—enough to be given a nickname and have other players pick you up if they needed an extra guy. Where arguments (and sometimes altercations) over points and foul calls are the norm, rims have missing nets or little remains of the chain are visible, and the intensity when it’s point-up feels like the final seconds of Game 7.

SLAM OG Scoop Jackson best described hooping outdoors in “Heaven: Playground Basketball,” an ode to the blacktop to coincide with the Super.Fly 2017 release on Jordan’s website.

“There’s a feel, spirit, connection and beauty to this game when played away from the lights, cameras, corporate impurity, insanity and pageantry that is close to indescribable,” says Jackson. “The words fail to do justice for or justify.”

Being a Los Angeles native, playing basketball outdoors is really a thing of the past. And while the whole L.A.-New York basketball debate is a never ending topic, the one thing I can respect about New York other than the fact that there’s damn near a court on every block, is that you can more than likely find a run somewhere at anytime of the day.

But this past weekend, Jordan Brand restored that feeling of competitive outdoor basketball in L.A. with “The Playground,” an all-day, win-or-go-home-style tournament that featured some of the highly touted high school players in the Los Angeles area.

Outfitted in different colorways of the Super.Fly 2017 and custom-made shorts made by Don C, four players served as team captains, handpicking a group of their closest friends for bragging rights to show who was the best team in front of Griffin and the spectators that hovered around an outdoor court in the heart of Downtown L.A.

Although Cassius Stanley’s Team Saiyans came up short in the semifinals and Harvard-bound Spencer Freedman and Beyond the Arc won The Playground’s first-ever championship, the experience was a memorable one.

“It’s been nothing but just fun stuff with all of my friends like Shareef [O’Neal], Bol Bol and Josh Christopher,” says Stanley, ESPN’s No. 11-ranked player in the Class of 2019 from Sierra Canyon (CA) HS. “It’s interesting because in the beginning it’s a little weird to get acclimated, but once you start playing, it’s just basketball and it’s fun.”

Related
Playground Basketball Is Dead? Hardly
Heaven On Earth: Q+A With Rick Telander
Heaven Can’t Wait: An Excerpt From Heaven Is A Playground

Photo courtesy of Cassy Athena

The post Jordan Brand Brings Outdoor Hoops Back to Los Angeles with ‘The Playground’ appeared first on SLAM.

Before the start of the 2016-17 NBA season, Lillard, whose stage name is Dame D.O.L.L.A., an acronym that stands for “Different On Levels The Lord Allows,” dropped The Letter O, a 12-track album with features from Jamie Foxx, Lil Wayne and Juvenile. Long before the album, he released songs via his SoundCloud account and bodied multiple freestyles on Sway Calloway’s “Sway in the Morning” show, proving that  his rap career isn’t just some kind of fad.

Since the release of his album, Lillard has performed on stage across different venues in Portland and has gotten praise for his passion in music from fans and NBA players—both young and old. He also launched his record label, Front Page Music, to give up-and-coming rappers an opportunity to break into the music industry.

Last month, Lillard performed in front of a VIP-only crowd at JBL Fest, a three-day music festival that took place at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Rehab Pool in Las Vegas. We caught up with Lillard before he hit the stage to talk his rap career, storytelling through music, who he’d like to work with in the future, #4BarFriday and more.

SLAM: What’s the music process like for you?

Damian Lillard: The music process for me is pretty simple. Anytime I’m a part of something, I’m just living and seeing things. I go a lot of places and visit a lot of cities, so I make what I want of it. Usually I take a lot of notes and I’m always writing stuff because I might want to come back to it. It might be something I want to remember. And I listen beats a lot when I’m on the plane, during the season on road trips, [and] when we get a day off in the hotel room. I’m always having that in mind. Then I’m rapping to myself, recording it on my phone over and over, getting the flow down, adding bars to it and then I go to the studio and record it.

SLAM: Is your routine any different than the way you approach basketball?

DL: Not really. With basketball—even on a game day—it’s on the fly. I don’t have a set lunch time. Some days I take a nap; some days I won’t take a nap. It’s the same with music. I get up on Tuesday, workout and if I’m not doing something, I’ll call the studio if I want to come record. I go there sometimes with stuff I have to record. Other times I’ll go, listen to beats and it’ll make me feel some kind of way and then I’ll end up recording something to that specific beat. It’s never a schedule or planned out real well. It was different with my first album, though. That was planned out. I knew what I wanted to get done and that was that.

SLAM: Performing on the court has been something that’s come natural for you. Is it different being behind the mic?

DL: I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, but I’ve had moments where I’m curious where things should be done, which way I should go or how I should go about doing certain things as an artist. For me, it’s kind of fun because in basketball, I’ve reached a high level as an athlete. But as an artist, there’s a lot of things I can learn. So I have a lot of things I can learn with people I deal with in music like Brookfield Duece and Danny From Sobrante—two of my artists from my record label [Front Page Music]—that have been doing music for 15 years. It’s kind of like I’m in the learning position again the same way I was an athlete where I had to be humble enough to listen to people and allow people to coach me up and say, ‘You shouldn’t do this, you should do it like this. And when this happens, you’re supposed to handle it like this.’ I’m learning how to become a better artist the same way I learned to become a better athlete.

SLAM: What was your favorite thing about recording The Letter O?

DL: It was a fun process because it was something that I hadn’t done before. I was working out in the morning getting that out the way and from noon to midnight it was just listening to beats, coming up with hooks and verses, and bouncing ideas off songwriters and other artists. It was fun. It was different and something that I’m looking forward to doing again.

SLAM: How does your upbringing and city play a part in storytelling through your music?

DL: I’ve seen it done so many times. People talk about how rich the history in Oakland is when they talk about point guards and they do the same when they talk about music. It’s been done so many times before that, so I’ve seen how it should be done. Coming from that environment, I have so much to tell for myself. It’s a thing that you pick up. Everybody raps—even the people who don’t pursue a career in rap, they rap. I got a song on The Letter O called “Growth Spurt” where the person that was rapping with me was my friend. He’s not a rapper, but he has a job and he can rap. It’s just what I come from so it’s natural.

SLAM: You’ve already worked with some big names, but who’s someone you’d like to work with?

DL:  In the future, I would like to work with more artists that I’m a fan of. A lot of the artists I work with I’m a huge fan of, so going forward that’s who I want to work with. I had Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Jamie Foxx on there. It’s the artists I listen to on my own time—Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, NaS, J. Cole.

SLAM: Both you and Kanye are adidas guys. Has there been any talks about you two working on a track?

DL: Definitely. I think with us both doing music and him obviously being who he is and also being with adidas and having a shoe line, I think it’d be a cold collaboration if we did music together and a shoe together. That’ll be real cool to do.

SLAM: Your #4BarFriday contest has really taken off over the last four years. What’s it been like to see all the under-the-radar talent on there?

DL: It’s been crazy just because you see all these people that can really rap. They spend a lot of a lot of time and are fully invested in rap careers and might not get the break that they’re looking for, or be on a platform that’s going to give them that opportunity or ultimately accomplish what they’ve set out to do. It makes me happy that I can give them that platform to a certain extent. It’s also humbling because I understand that if I wasn’t an NBA player, it’d be super hard for me to put out music the way I have. It makes me respect these artists even more.

SLAM: What’s next for the #4BarFriday series?

DL: We always try to sit and brainstorm ideas to keep it moving forward and make it a better platform. You look back to what it was, where it started and where it’s at now and it’s 10-times what it started as. And hopefully going forward, we can continue to make strides and improve.

SLAM: Would you ever try and go heads up with a battle rapper?

DL: It’s kind of like UFC and boxing. One goes to the other and it’s both combat, but it’s not the same thing. A lot of battle rappers can rap, but if you send a rapper in there that’s not a typical battle rapper, he’s ain’t used to that kind of performance. It’s disrespectful; it’s a battle. I couldn’t see myself doing it but I’m a huge fan of it.

SLAM: What are your thoughts on the rap game and how much it’s changed over the years?

DL: That’s the way it’s always going to be. The game of basketball has evolved. It might be older players that don’t like the way the game is being played now. They might say these guys couldn’t play with us and new players might say the same about them. The same thing goes for music. Older hip-hop artists might say these dudes can’t rap and they couldn’t hang with us, and new guys might say the same about the older rappers. It’s something that has grown on people so you gotta respect and accept it even though it might not be your cup of tea.

For me, I’m a fan of bars. I like music with a message and storytelling. I’m going to listen that. Here and there I might listen to a newer artist and like songs that they put out, so I don’t see why it’s ever a big deal.

SLAM: Who are your favorite rappers ever?

DL: I’d have to say 2Pac, he’s my favorite rapper of all time. Biggie, Andre 3000, Lil Wayne, Nas, Eminem and Jay-Z.

SLAM: You’ve performed on stage before, but what do you think it be like to perform on stage at a festival like JBL Fest?

DL: I think it’s probably going to be a different crowd than I usually get in front of which I think it’s cool. People will respect the music, the story and also the fact that I’m an athlete and really diving into something else that I really care about. And I’ve also done a lot of performances in Portland. I’ve been in front of a crowd that loves who I am as an athlete, so it will be fun to get in front of other people and allow them to hear my music that they might not have heard. It’ll be pretty cool.

SLAM: The partnership has been going for two years and they’ve been involved both on- and off-court. What’s it been like being a JBL ambassador?

DL: It’s great and it’s really obvious. Listening to music is a way for me to block everything out. And also, me being an athlete that’s so heavily involved in music, having a speaker—a high-quality speaker—it goes hand in hand. It only makes sense for me to represent that and be a part of that.

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via JBL.

Video by VASHR.

For more about JBL and Damian please visit: http://www.jbl.com/artists-and-partners-lillard

The post Damian Lillard on His Music, Favorite Rappers, Kanye West and JBL Fest appeared first on SLAM.

At 52, “The Jet” has lived through the music careers of NBA players like Kobe, AI, Shaq, and Metta World Peace—all of whom crossed over into the music industry at one point or another during their time in the L.

We caught up with The Jet inside JBL’s social suite after the performance to talk about his initial thoughts on Dame’s rap career, favorite Shaq rapping memory, music in 2017 and more.

SLAM: What were your first thoughts when you heard about Damian’s rap career?

Kenny Smith: I was excited to see if he was actually good because most rappers can’t play ball [laughs]. So we wanted to see if a baller could rap. Shaq was probably the best at it when he was out, but I wanted to see if [Dame] could be the new Shaq, so to speak, and make some platinum records. I was surprised at how he controlled the crowd. I’ve seen him control the crowd in an NBA arena, but he controlled the pool party crowd, which is kind of tough.

SLAM: Especially since the music crowd can be pretty harsh if the artist is wack.

KS: Oh, no question. People are not in their normal state of mind, so it’s tough to get them to really like what they’re doing, but he did a really good job.

SLAM: What does that say about someone who’s succeeding in two lines of work like Dame?

KS: I think that just says a lot about his work ethic. He obviously has a great work ethic—it’s put him where he is. I have a daughter that’s in music so I know what it takes. My daughter [Kayla Brianna] put a single out. I’ve been in those studios and have picked her up at four in the morning when she’s been in there since four in the afternoon. I understand what this is all about and it’s a lot of work ethic.

SLAM: You’re an OG when it comes to music. What are your thoughts on the current state of hip-hop?

KS: It’s a natural evolution. It’s always constantly changing and moving. What it always turns back to is you’re going to make people have a lot of fun or you’re going to say something that impacts their lives. You gotta be one of those two people no matter how you get there.

SLAM: Do you and your kids ever have disagreements over music?

KS: Oh, without a question because they come from a different era. The funny thing is the only disagreements we have is they don’t know the samples in songs. I always know which records [artists] sampled and they’re like, How do you know? And I was like, I was rocking to the original!

SLAM: A lot of players have on-court Shaq memories, but are there any that you have from his music career?

KS: When he did the song with Biggie he had me. I’m from New York City, Biggie was the greatest rapper alive without question and still is in my book. So I was like, Big Fella, you’re official.

SLAM: What are some of the things that have caught your eye here at JBL Fest?

KS: I’ve been partnering with JBL for two years now individually, so nothing surprises me anymore. Just the quality is great; everything that’s going on here is top notch, first class.

SLAM: Along with Dame, you’re also a JBL ambassador. What was it about them that you felt was right about the partnership?

KS: We all probably been rocking with JBL and didn’t even know it. The movie theatre—all of those speakers are JBL. Eighty-five percent of the cars in the world have JBL audio in them. I always knew that kind of stuff because I’m a techy guy. When I got the opportunity to partner with them, it was a no-brainer.

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via JBL.

The post Kenny Smith on Damian Lillard’s Music Career, Shaq and JBL Fest appeared first on SLAM.

From the time after the lottery till the week of the draft, the reports came. The Lakers were shopping Russell around to make room for Lonzo Ball, who eventually became the team’s pick in the 2017 Draft and Summer League MVP, but nothing was set in stone.

Then two days before the draft, it happened. The Lakers traded Russell and center Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 pick.

“My agent called me and told me what was going on,” says Russell, on how he found out about the trade. “I kind of figured a little bit, but I was prepared for whatever was supposed to come.”

The trade was the first big move by the Magic Johnson-Rob Pelinka regime.

“I’m going to do what it takes to get the right players in here with the right mindset. D’Angelo is an excellent player…but what I needed was a leader,” said Johnson, during Ball’s introductory press conference at the team’s facility, regarding the Russell trade. “I needed somebody also that can make the other players better and also that players want to play with.”

While many believed a Ball-Russell backcourt was something that could work, it made no sense. When former general manager Mitch Kupchak was relieved of his duties earlier this year, Johnson and Pelinka inherited his baggage—notably the contracts of Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov—and needed to act fast to bring the Purple and Gold closer to its championship prominence.

The trade cleared up cap space as the Lakers hope to land a superstar to join its young core of players.

It’s a Tuesday afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton ballroom in Marina Del Rey, CA, and Russell, one of two NBA players at the Gatorade Player of the Year Awards, a ceremony that has recognized the nation’s elite HS athletes for their athletic excellence and academic achievement since 1985, is available to speak with reporters.

A myriad of media sit down in their designated areas and wait with scheduled times for players they’ve requested interviews with. As Russell enters the building, he circles around, shadowed by PR staffers who introduce him and announce about a 5-minute window to get questions in before he’s onto the next publication.

As the clock ticks, questions regarding advice he’s given award winners Michael Porter Jr, a Missouri commit, and Megan Walker, a UConn commit, swirl around him from other reporters.

“It’s been great,” says Russell, when asked what the past month has been like for him. “Definitely a transition for me, but it’s great all around.”

Russell was officially introduced as a member of the Nets last month and expressed how opinions from critics—especially Magic—regarding his lack of leadership and maturity were “irrelevant.”

“I am looking forward to the challenge,” says Russell. “You saying my leadership is being questioned, this is an opportunity to make the best out of it.”

It’s obvious that the Association is a cutthroat business. A plethora of players can be here today and gone tomorrow.

So does Russell feel like he was betrayed?

“No, it’s a business, honestly,” he says. “A lot of great players have been traded before me and they’ve made careers out of it, so I would never say that.”

The official schedule for the 2017-18 season hasn’t been released yet, but there’s one game that Russell’s already looking forward to.

“Yeah,” says Russell, on if his return to Staples Center as a member of the Nets is something that he’s anticipating. “Leaving L.A.—this is where I got drafted to—so anytime someone gets traded from where they’ve been drafted… they know it’s not a normal game.”

For now, Russell is on a team that hasn’t seen the postseason since 2015 and combined for 41 wins in the past two seasons. With the change of scenery, he’s far away from the glitz and glamour of L.A. and can focus on reviving his career in Brooklyn.

“It’s a new situation for me,” he says. “So I’m looking forward to it.”

—

The post Business Moves appeared first on SLAM.

The move left many wondering why someone would join a team that just eliminated them in the playoffs. After the move, Durant received all sorts of backlash online, in person and on national television.

With a team of talent that is something that would’ve been ideal in NBA 2K, Durant in a Dubs jersey was reality. Inserting Durant into the Warriors’ lineup instantly made them the favorites to win the NBA Finals, allowing KD to be a step closer to what he’s been dreaming of his whole life: an NBA championship.

Last night, Nike Basketball hosted the premiere of Still KD at the London West Hotel in Los Angeles. The film, which is exactly 35 minutes and 35 seconds long, follows Durant after making his decision to play for the Warriors, giving viewers an in-depth look to understand KD off the court after leaving Oklahoma City, and the journey—both good and bad—throughout the 2016-17 season leading up to being named a champion and Finals MVP.

We caught up with Brandon Loper, director of Still KD, about the process of making the film, working with KD, the 35:35 time limit and more.

SLAM: What was the whole process like while filming Still KD?

Brandon Loper: First off, it’s a dream come true project for me. I’m a basketball fan—huge sports fan—and when this project came up, I wanted to do this and that, but they said it was going to be a bit different. He’s the best basketball player in the world, so you kind of have to have some limitations to what you want to do and how you want to treat it. We found a way to approach it where we can still get the access we needed and tell the story that I and the team wanted to keep him focused on winning the championship.

SLAM: Given the access throughout the season, what was something you realized about Kevin that’s different from watching him on TV?

BL: Seeing him be so great on TV and as a fan, you realize that he puts in a lot of work. But when you really get that access and you’re filming him every single day, you see how much work he’s putting in. That’s his goal in life—to be a great basketball player and human being, so you really get to see that whereas on the other side you see him score a lot of points, but to see him work that hard is impressive and inspiring.

SLAM: Did he have any input in it or was he too busy with the season to really pick and choose what he liked and disliked?

BL: Yeah, we were presenting things a long the way. Part of the process was we were doing some episodic content leading up to it, and we’re showing him footage, there’d be interview questions we’d send him or I’d text my camera guy about what we wanted to do. He had glimpses of what we wanted and I laid out what I wanted to do, but with documentaries, things change. I wanted more drama, but they didn’t lose a game till the Finals so we had to roll with that. Towards the end, he got to see it and we talked about music, had a one-on-one and talked about things he liked and didn’t like. Overall, from the first feedback he gave, he was really digging it. And I think it’s ‘cause we spent a lot of time on researching what he likes. I just approached it in a way that I wanted to work really hard and make it the best as possible to tell his story.

SLAM: What would you say was the hardest part about directing the film?

BL: The hardest part was finding a structure. I had to tell these two parallels of who he was as a person, where he came from, where’s he going—these deep most intimate parts—but also, structurally, we were trying to tell the story about the championship. That was the hard thing—the structure. But I think we landed at a good place and it keeps you engaged where it’s bouncing back and forth from the personal stories to the playoffs.

SLAM: How did the whole 35:35 concept happen?

BL: The whole time that we had been talking, no one really gave me a limit on the film whether it’s a commercial being a 30- or 60-second spot. With films, it needs to be 65 or 70 minutes plus to be considered a feature. For this, there wasn’t really talk about an exact length. I had the idea of it needing to be 35 minutes, but it got to a point where we needed credits, so it’s 35:35 with credits. I really wanted that to be a strong concept that came through because the story of 35 means a lot to him and I wanted to respect and pay homage to that in running time.

SLAM: Any other basketball films in the works?

BL: I don’t have any other basketball-related films in the works. I’ve always wanted to work on sports projects. My goal in life as a kid was to make the Alabama Crimson Tide highlight video for the football team. I’ve made documentaries about coffee, commercials, shorter documentaries about musicians and things like that, but as far as sports documentaries go, this is the pinnacle.

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. 

The post Still KD: Through the Noise appeared first on SLAM.

These are the two words Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray uses to describe his teammate Kenneth Faried to a group of people standing around the baseline as they watch two teams scrimmage. The term “OD,” an acronym for over-doing, is probably not the first time someone has used it when talking about Faried.

It’s a Wednesday morning at Sports Academy, a performance facility in Thousand Oaks, CA, and adidas is hosting its annual Nations Training Camp. The camp, which will be held for two days, is a temporary home for some of the best high school players in the nation.

Players are broken up by position and participate in skills development sessions for two hours all throughout five regulation-sized basketball courts. Some of the guards in attendance are working on various dribbling combos with Drew Hanlen, founder and CEO of Pure Sweat, a skills development company that works with an array of NBA clients from Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal.

“My goal is to show them that there’s still a lot of room for growth,” says Hanlen on his objective when he works with grassroots athletes. “If they want to play at the highest level in the NBA, there’s a lot of little nuances they’re going to have to pay more attention to.”

Faried and Murray are two of the Three Stripes’ athletes who are getting work in with the young bucks. In the middle court, Faried decides to step on for a half-court scrimmage. As the ball makes its way around the perimeter, the defense is scrambling and Faried sees an opening as he drives to the cup from the top of the key. Once he puts the ball on the floor, everyone in the gym knows he’s going straight to the basket.

As he rises up, some players in the paint attempt to stop this freight train coming at them with no mercy, but it’s too late. Faried is trying to put anyone in the vicinity of the rim on a poster. But he gets fouled and misses the dunk. There’s a sigh of relief from the defense as they realize none of them got baptized. Onlookers on the baseline look around with that Did you just see this shit? look.

The next time Faried’s team is on offense, the play starts with a high ball screen. The Manimal, a nickname Faried earned because of his intensity on the court, sprints from the paint to set the screen. No one on defense calls out the pick, and Jules Bernard, a 6-5 small forward from Windward (CA) HS, is a victim of a vicious screen that leaves him grabbing his side as he tries to get back into the play.

And here’s @KennethFaried35 setting NBA screens on one of the campers. (HS kids: call out the screen.) #ThePath pic.twitter.com/HTCo15YDTx

— Drew Ruiz (@DrewRuiz90) June 28, 2017

“It’s good to experience because in high school, I’m normally the more stronger player in the nation as a guard, so knowing that that’s what an NBA screen feels like it tells me I need to get stronger,” says Bernard. “Right now, I still have room to grow—strength-wise—and it shows me more I have to grow to be an NBA-caliber player.”

Summertime is an important period for players looking to take their game to the next level. Highly touted athletes trade in personal time with friends and family vacations for two-a-days and AAU tournaments in different cities every weekend. And events like adidas Nations—with NBA athletes, coaches and trainers on-hand—serves as an assessment for what aspects of their game need improvement.

For Moses Brown, a 7-1 center from Archbishop Molloy (NY) HS, who’s ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s Top 100 in 2018, these two days are vital as he looks to be regarded as an all-around player at a time where the traditional center is a thing of the past.

“You get to see the physicality that’s at the highest level when you’re playing against those guys,” says Brown, “You can tell the difference between your skill-set and theirs and how much stronger they are.”

Bernard also makes sure to soak up as much knowledge as he prepares for his senior year.

“The little details they use—footwork, stuff like that, that make them great players,” he says.

For now, these kids are still students of the game, but Faried knows he’ll be suiting up with and/or against some of these same faces in a couple of years.

“These are going to be the kids that are going to replace me in the League and hopefully be All-Stars or superstars and everything else in the League,” says Faried. “So I just get a glimpse at our future and some of these kids are going to be my future teammates.”

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. Photo courtesy of adidas

The post Kenneth Faried, Jamal Murray on Helping the Next Generation at adidas Nations appeared first on SLAM.

“I said I was going to do it and it was going to happen organically, but at one point, I was like, ‘Can we just get this over with already?’” says Taurasi, on Wednesday afternoon via a conference call, regarding the Qs about breaking the WNBA’s all-time points record. “I was, like, 81 points behind and they were asking me what I thought…it got to the point where I just really wanted to get it over with so our team can move on.”

Last Sunday, the Mercury traveled to Staples Center to face the defending champion Sparks on Father’s Day. And then it happened.

In the second quarter with under a minute to go, Taurasi received the ball at the top of the key as she patiently waited for a screen from Emma Cannon. Once it came, Taurasi turned the corner and went around Nneka Ogwumike for a layup to officially make her the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.

After the play, the game was stopped as everyone in attendance acknowledged her with a standing ovation. Despite it technically being an away game, Taurasi, a native of Chino, CA, a city about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was right at home.

“Yeah, it was huge [for] my family to not only being there, but friends, coaches that I hadn’t seen in years came to the game,” says Taurasi, who starred at Don Lugo Antonio HS. “It’s been a long time playing in the WNBA, [and] for them to all be there in Los Angeles where I grew up and played most of my basketball early on in my career—that just meant a lot. It’s the arena where I used to watch Kobe play every single week.”

In the same arena Bryant broke a plethora of records during his 20-year career with the Lakers, he was one of those acknowledging fans in attendance with his two daughters, Gianna and Natalia, as they sat courtside and witnessed history.

“It’s huge and I respected and admired the way Kobe did it,” says Taurasi. “His talent is one of a kind, but his work ethic is one of a kind, too.”

The level of respect is mutual from the Black Mamba to the White Mamba, the nickname Bean gave DT for noticing the same desire and competitiveness she had when stepping foot on the hardwood.

“To be that great for so many years is a testament to her work ethic and commitment to the game,” Bryant told ESPN after the game. “Her intellect and sacrifice—she’s just a phenomenal athlete.”

Mercury head coach Sandy Bordello, who’s been at the helm since 2013, knew the kind of player Taurasi was during their time with UMMC Yekaterinburg, a basketball club in Russia, Taurasi and Britney Griner play on in the offseason.

“I think her will to win,” says Brondello, on what separates Taurasi from other players she’s coached. “She’s very driven and is going to do anything it takes…It’s all about winning for her.”

It took Taurasi 13 seasons and 377 games to move up to No.1—four years and 100 games less than Tina Thompson. Thompson, along with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and others congratulated her on the milestone on social media.

“There’s a certain synergy about basketball players that we have certain respect for each other,” says Taurasi of the support amongst her peers. “That meant the world to me.”

Since entering the league in 2004 under Geno Auriemma’s tutelage, the array of accolades amassed over the years has solidified her to be up there with the WNBA’s all-time greats.

“Those names paved the future for us and they were able to make an impact,” says Taurasi on her predecessors. “If I left a little mark of me being a little bit more popular or visible or being able to set the standard a little bit higher, I’m just proud and have so much respect for every player that’s played in the WNBA.”

After signing a contract extension till 2020, the three-time champ will look to bring more hardware to the Phoenix faithful. And along the way, more points will be scored and there’ll potentially be more firsts.

Just chill out on asking about other record-breaking questions too soon.

Related
Diana Taurasi Becomes the Top Scorer in WNBA History
Diana Taurasi is Cold-Blooded

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90.

The post One for the Record Books appeared first on SLAM.

A showcase was put on for some of the top AAU and HS programs in Southern California leading up to the highly anticipated rematch between Compton Magic and Big Ballers after the Magic defeating LaMelo Ball’s squad by 52 points in their first meeting. The Magic, an adidas-sponsored team, debuted the Crazy Explosive ’17 before they hit stores July 27, en route to defeating the Big Ballers 63-59 in double-overtime.

We caught up with Young before tip-off to talk the Crazy Explosive ’17, AAU, LaMelo Ball and his sneakers.

SLAM: Since joining adidas, you’ve been given your own logo and have been featured on different campaigns. What does that mean for someone like you who’s known for having a unique style?

Nick Young: It means a lot, especially for me being into shoes, fashion and all that. Just getting noticed for things I do is big.

SLAM: Adidas unveiled the Crazy Explosive ’17 earlier today. Have you hooped in those yet?

NY: Not yet. I just got them today, but they feel comfortable. I told them I need some in every color for the Drew League coming up. I need to test them out, but adidas has been looking out. It’s a family here. They’ve been doing a lot more [for me] than I’ve been getting noticed in the past from other brands. [laughs]

SLAM: Speaking of hooping shoes, what are some of your go-to’s on-court?

NY: I like to go back in the day to the Crazy 8s. I like the Swaggy’s—the [Crazy Explosive with] Boost. Get those, they in stores. They come in all white and there’s some Lakers-colored ones. And they got some All-Star editions that didn’t come out and PEs.

SLAM: And off-court?

NY: I like the Alexander Wang adidas they came out with. Those are fire. The NMDs, of course, and I’m waiting to see what Pharell drops with his new ones.

SLAM: What’s something you look out for whenever you do these grassroots-related events?

NY: Just giving back and seeing the reaction from the kids, talk to the youth and see what’s going on. I ain’t been to a high school game in a while, and just to be out here and be in this environment is fun. It’s always good to give back.

SLAM: AAU has obviously changed drastically since you played. What’s the biggest thing about it today?

NY: If you got a name in AAU, you for sure going to the League now. So I tell them just to stay in the gym because this is where it’s at. They start early just preparing them. I think it’s good for the culture.

SLAM: LaMelo Ball is one those of well-known AAU kids who’s playing tonight. What are your thoughts on his game?

NY: I think it’s nice. I haven’t seen him play live, but I’ve seen videos on Instagram and seeing him do the pull from deep. I think he’s going to be alright. I might stay to watch that.

SLAM: There was a game of his that was recently criticized on social media solely because of his shot selection. How crazy is it to have adults on the Internet criticizing a 15-year-old?

NY: It’s crazy, but I think they’re doing the right thing. Like I said, before the Draft, Ball was the only name I knew, so obviously they’re doing something right. I’ve been talking to my friends about it and they’re going to be alright. They’re known. Daddy got them doing the right thing. He’s got them out there.

SLAM: For someone who’s no stranger to criticism, what advice would you pass to LaMelo as he goes through his basketball journey?

NY: Just stay focused and continue to do you because anyway it goes, they’re going to have something to say even if you try to fit in and do what they want you to do. At the end of the day, just be yourself, stay on the court and stay hooping.

SLAM: LaVar has said some pretty wild things, too. Any take on that?

NY: He do say a lot of wild stuff, but that’s a dad. I would probably say some crazy stuff too if my son was entering the Draft and was one of the top players coming out. He’s just being a dad. He’s going to say he’s better than Jordan. I’m not going to tell my kid Jordan’s better than me any day, so you just gotta take it for what it is. His dad is out there, but he’s a dad at the end of the day.

SLAM: You’re a parent yourself and your son has started playing sports. What kind of sports dad are you?

NY: I get into it a little bit some days. When he isn’t focused, I get a little upset but I try to let him find his way on the court and I don’t tell him anything. I want him to find that love for the game before I force him into it. I want him to love being a kid first before I get him out there training him all day.

—

The post Nick Young Talks LaMelo Ball and Crazy Explosive ’17 appeared first on SLAM.

It’s family that is most important to the Ogwumike’s. Their father, Peter Ogwumike, emigrated from Nigeria to the United States in the 1980s where met his wife, Ify, at a community college in Colorado before relocating to Houston. That’s where Chiney and Nneka established themselves as one the best sibling duos to come out of the state.

Although there’s a 628-day gap in age, Chiney, 24, jokes that she and Nneka, 26, are like identical twins and have to do almost everything together. The decisions they’ve made during their hoop journey support that, too.

Nneka earned a scholarship to play at Stanford. Two years later, Chiney followed in the same footsteps and joined her big sister in Palo Alto. The tandem left behind an extensive list of accolades at The Farm, making a combined six Final Four’s in seven years.

In 2012, Nneka was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. Chiney, a sophomore at the time, would dominate the PAC-12 for two more years before being selected No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2014. The Ogwumike’s joined Peyton and Eli Manning as the only siblings to be taken first overall in any professional draft.

Four years later, with the Sparks fresh off a championship and the team’s MVP looking to have another huge year, the elder Ogwumike recently made another important decision: joining adidas as one of the brand’s four newest signees. The decision came down to one important factor for her.

“Family orientation,” says Nneka, about what separated adidas from its competitors. “I like the culture of family and also how much they express displaying and advocating individuality for the athletes. They always say the athlete first. That’s definitely what drew me to adidas.”

And guess who was another of those four athletes that followed in her older sister’s footsteps?

“I think that we both know that we came into this game together and we are a package deal,” says Chiney, jokingly. “When looking for something that speaks to us as a brand, adidas was perfect and we knew that we wanted to do that together.”

Last week, the Ogwumike sisters took to Instagram announced their partnership by posing with a pair of Yeezys in-hand while sitting around an array of adidas silhouettes. They join Nneka’s teammate Chelsea Gray and Minnesota Lynx rookie Alexis Jones as the new additions to the Three Stripes family that already includes Candace Parker, Moriah Jefferson, Imani Boyette and Morgan Tucker.

“I’m really happy to be a part of the ‘Here to Create’ campaign because when it comes to athletics, you really create for yourself and you help cultivate a well-oiled machine when you’re creating as a team,” says Nneka. “That’s really what they embody and that’s what we’re all about.”

The Sparks began their season Saturday at home, with Nneka wearing the Crazy Explosive. Adidas provided player exclusives for Ogwumike and Parker for the opener. Nneka’s rocked a black-gold pair that featured “2016 WNBA Champs” on the tongue, while Parker balled in a white-gold look with “Ace 3″ on the tongue. Parker’s PE also included hidden accents all over the shoe, like the insole that said “For Pat,” a tribute to the legendary Pat Summitt, who passed away last June at the age of 64. Parker famously dedicated her Game 5 Finals performance to her former college coach.

Nneka learned about the shoe way before putting it on her feet because that was Parker’s go-to shoe last season.

“I know quite a bit about the shoe because Candace wears that shoe when she plays,” says Nneka. “She always said that she loved how it feels, what it allowed her to do on the court and that’s what I’m all about for a shoe.”

It’s a cloudy Wednesday afternoon and both Nneka and Chiney are handling last-minute brand obligations inside the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown Los Angeles. The two are moving swiftly throughout the 12-story facility—the lobby, to a secret room, the rooftop and finally the gymnasium—before the shoot is over.

While a myriad of cameras, brand reps, make-up artists and stylists following their every move, Erica and Olivia, the two younger sisters of the Ogwumike family who are in town for the summer, shadow Nneka and Chiney and make sure to get a few glamour shots in with adidas gear.

“We fell into basketball and fell in love with it,” says Chiney, who’s still in the middle of rehab for an Achilles injury. “I think that adidas really allows us to be our true selves. We stick together, as the Cheetah Girls say.”

Family forever.

—

Related
Best Sneakers of 2017: adidas Crazy Explosive

Photos courtesy of adidas 

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90.

The post Family Forever appeared first on SLAM.

With Russell as a central building block, the Lakers’ rebuilding process is well underway, as the front office continues to put pieces of the puzzle together to bring the purple and gold back to its championship prominence.

After going head-to-head against Devin Booker in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Continuum this week, we spoke with Russell about COD’s growth, his second year in the League, Magic Johnson and more.

SLAM: How did you grow in your second season?

D’Angelo Russell: A lot—playmaking abilities, competing. I just feel like throughout the season, I’ve gotten way better with a lot of things.

SLAM: Individually, what grade would you give yourself this past season?

DR: I would say a B.

SLAM: What’d you tell your teammates when you’ve had yet another roller coaster-type of season (26-56 record)?

DR: I would say every team goes through struggling and can’t get a win. In practice, I would let guys know this was where we buckle down and take every second of practice seriously because it’s going to translate over to the game.

SLAM: There was some debate about whether the Lakers winning five of the last six games was good or bad, considering the NBA Draft implications. Does any of that matter to you?

DR: I don’t even know how it works. I’d be lying if I said I knew the ins and outs and the percentages and stuff. I have no idea how that works.

SLAM: The average NBA spectator thinks certain teams tank on purpose. How do you react to that?

DR: I don’t know. This year was the first year I got to be part of a—what you would consider—tanking. Last year I was too, but with Kobe, I had no idea what that meant. This year, I guess we were supposed to lose, you know? We started winning and a lot of fans were getting upset. It plays a percentage or whatever in us getting better with that pick, but I just don’t understand why you want to lose. How can you go out there and try to lose?

SLAM: Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are now key figures in the organization. What were some things you’ve already tried to pick their brain about?

DR: Just what I can do to be the best I can be for the team. It’s easy for a front office to think they can get somebody better than you, but I try to ask them and figure out what I could do to be the best I could be for myself and for the team.

SLAM: And what are some of the things they’ve told you they expect from you?

DR: Being an all-around better leader, a player that comes out every night on a consistent basis and dominates the game the way I know I can, and just try to change my body. I’m a skinny guy that you wouldn’t consider a strong, athletic guy, so try to change that and better myself for the eye test. 

SLAM: There are reports of Brandon Ingram going to workout with Kobe. Will you be working out with Kobe too?

DR: I’m going to definitely reach out to him. I just feel like there’s so many guys reaching out to him, tugging his way.

SLAM: Ingram got off to a slow start and picked it up later in the season. Did you tell him anything in that process?

DR: Yeah, I let him know that what he was going through was what I was going through last year. I let him know that it’ll all get better, especially the struggling and not playing the way he could play and that it’ll get better and it’ll get easier. The time from Summer League last year to Summer League this year, it was so easy for me. It was way easier than last year, so I could imagine for him.

SLAM: You told us last September you were a big Call of Duty head. What are some of the new features you’re really enjoying?

DR: Definitely the new maps. The advantage the maps give you throughout the game is unbelievable. If you know a map or you’re familiar with it, you can use that as your advantage going into games or playing online.

SLAM: Games like Call of Duty can be real intense but therapeutic at the same time. Does it relax you during your downtime?

DR: It’s just another way to compete, honestly. I feel like if you’re a professional athlete, you have to compete of some sorts. A lot of the time, professionals in [my] profession are successful. Getting an opportunity to compete in something different is even better like video games, card games, anything like that. Like you said, it’s therapeutic, but at the same time you have to be competitive to win.

SLAM: What’s is been like to see Call of Duty’s growth from its early stages till now?

DR: It’s great. The fans all over the world have been keeping up with very little movement and update added to the game. It’s been like under a microscope—everybody knows everything about it. That’s pretty sick. I can imagine in a few years from now.

—

Action photo: NBAE/Getty Images, Video game photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

The post D’Angelo Russell on Brandon Ingram, Magic Johnson and How Players View ‘Tanking’ appeared first on SLAM.