Ja Morant’s first signature sneaker set the standard high. Clean colorways and a smooth, comfy ride stamped the low-top sneaker’s wide-spread adoption from the high school circuit to college and NBA arenas. The debut was built on a clear cut foundation that screamed success since its debut, and for the sequel, Jarrett Mann, Head of Design for Nike Men’s Global Basketball Footwear, and Ja found even more areas to explore.

“The Ja 2 is building on a lot of the fundamentals of the Ja 1 and his style of play,” Mann says. “We know that Ja is a high flyer, and we also know that he changes direction and requires control. So really, the icons of this shoe were about bounce and control.” 

Ja solidified the check list for his signature series throughout the process of the 1. Comfort, stability, homages to his family along with a number of other items show up in the Ja 2 through an evolved lens.

To support the bunnies of the highest flyer in the L, the Ja 2 doubles down on its forefoot Air Zoom unit with the inclusion of a full-length Cushlon cushioning system. Other enhancements for comfort include a more pronounced ankle collar system, a sleek waterfall-inspired inner lining and a ballistic mesh vamp. But the hallmark of the sneaker resides in the ribbed midfoot panel. The molded aesthetic is more than just for show, bringing functional support as the model’s mainstay lockdown system for the 25-year-old who routinely evades the laws of gravity. Pair that with the raised sidewall guardrail and a stitched medial panel, and the checklist’s nearly complete. 

“Definitely the comfort level is obviously the first thing I recognize when putting on the shoe. That’s the first thing that everybody looks for,” Ja says. “Once I stepped in those shoes, I felt real comfortable in them. After that it was lacing ’em up and getting right. Making sure I can do everything I normally do on the court when you see me play, and I was able to do that at a very good level. And that was the whole goal with the Ja 2, to make sure I’m the best Ja out there on the floor.”

Improvements have been made, but “the core things always stay the same,” Ja says. “My checklist, that’s locked in stone. We know that every time we step in the room to speak on the Ja [line]. So it’s really just what other stories am I comfortable expressing through my shoes?”

The Nike Ja 1 served as the testament to his rise. Those images of sun-stained cones, flipping tires–which inspired the 2s traction pattern–and 12 a.m. workouts, now embroidered at the heel, are still present. The Nike Ja 2 amplifies those experiences and searches for even more by delving into the strength of the palette and his stash of stories.

On top of the personal memories exists a collection of shades and tones that aim to evoke the same feelings we all experience when watching No. 12. The “Purple Sky colorway paints that on-court energy in a galactic collection of plums, mismatched neon Swooshes and paint-splattered midsoles echoing the sights of the night sky.

The vibrant red, gold and black “Nightmare” composition captures the nightly reality for Ja’s opponents: an unstoppable display of speed, hops and will that you can’t shake loose. Light greys, ice blues and hits of metallic gold envision his trips to the top in the “Tree Topper” colorway. But of all the upcoming releases, the one Ja’s most excited for represents those closest to him. 

“‘In the Woods’ is probably one of my favorites and pretty much the biggest one for anybody who knows me or my family and how we get along,” Ja says. “We call where I’m from back home ‘The Woods.’ And it’s pretty much sitting around a cook-out and we’re all there together just bonding, listening to music, you play cards. It’s a lot of fun.”

When asked how the chosen colors correlated with those memories from South Carolina, Ja points to the light brown highlights, royal blue Swooshes and evergreen collar lining. “You’re gonna see dirt,” Ja laughs. “And then my grandma’s porch and the house color. It’s all in there.”

And as Mann explains, using different textures and finishes only magnifies the end result. 

“Texture is extremely important, and it’s all the team who obsesses over the work. Something as simple as ‘In The Woods,’ you’ve got a textile that feels a bit more rugged and tactile,” Mann says, as he floats the heel of the Ja 2 colorway in front of the camera.

“And if you look at the “Purple Sky” colorway, you get this sheen and shine with star graphics. So really, this shoe as you see it, you’re going to see a ton of colorways, a ton of expression all brought to life with those materials. [There’s] a lot more to come, but definitely, we’re looking at how do we interpret the things that we hear from Ja and put those into the shoe.”

Turns out, Ja and the Swoosh struck another gold mine. 

Photos via Nike and SLAM KICKS.

The post The Second Generation: Behind the Design of the Nike Ja 2 appeared first on SLAM.

There’s an elite group of current NBA players who are Nike athletes with signature sneaker lines: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker and Ja Morant. An argument can be made that none of those future Hall of Famers has the best Nike sig on the market at this exact moment. There’s a strong case that Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty sharpshooter, currently holds the heavyweight belt.

Ionescu took the hoops world by storm in college and put together one of the best amateur careers ever. She was the first player in NCAA history with 2,000+ career points, 1,000+ career rebounds and 1,000+ career assists; she shattered the NCAA triple-double record; she broke the Pac-12 (RIP) all-time assist record…and those are merely a handful of her many accomplishments while starring for Phil Knight’s pride and joy, the University of Oregon.

Sabrina’s been killing shit for so long, and it’s scary to think she’s just now entering her prime. She’s proved that she belongs in any conversation in which the greats, men or women, are being discussed. She further solidified that when, after setting the all-time WNBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest record in 2023, she went toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend.

Ionescu fell just 3 points shy of Curry in what was the first-ever NBA vs WNBA Three-Point Contest, but even a blind man could see that Ionescu was right where she belonged—under the brightest lights, front and center on a basketball court, representing both a group of women who’ve arrived and a group of young girls who are on the way.

“Just to be able to have this be the first of this kind of event and come out here and put on a show but understanding what this means,” said Ionescu. “I’m excited to change the narrative and be able to do it alongside the greatest to ever do it.”

It wasn’t just Ionescu’s sweet stroke that captivated the eyes of viewers; her kicks did, too. She was sporting her Nike Sabrina 1s in a clean colorway of Liberty hues.

On a few occasions, Ionescu spoke to the idea of the Sabrina 1s embodying a story about defying those who doubted her ability to play basketball, let alone with boys, when she was growing up.

Well, defy she did. With the Sabrina 1s, Nike and Ionescu laid the foundation of a gold mine for her signature line, as they quickly became one of the more popular on-court picks among the basketball community.

“Not a women’s basketball shoe or a men’s basketball shoe, but just basketball,” Ionescu said to ESPN this year, when describing the Sabrina 1s. “Being able to tell that story and have people authentically buy in and respect that, I think the time is now in terms of wanting that to be pushed.”

Everywhere you look(ed)—high school, college, the WNBA, the NBA, your local basketball gym—you are/were sure to see a fair share of feet in various colorways of the Sabrina 1. The model was the fifth-most played in sneaker in the 2023-24 NBA season, with players clocking a total of 17,209 minutes played in the silhouette.

And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Ionescu and Nike are running it back and running it up.

Sabrina and the Swoosh launched Ionescu’s second sneaker, the Nike Sabrina 2, along with an apparel collection this past June. Instead of a complete design overhaul, they built upon the first silhouette, maintaining a similar shape, cut and cushion.

“At the center of the collection is the Sabrina 2 signature sneaker, built for players who want to accelerate and cut with quickness,” the brand said. “Nike design teams partnered closely with Sabrina to combine the best of the Sabrina 1 with fresh upgrades that create a sneaker that’s 28 grams lighter and doesn’t sacrifice support, stability or comfort.”

Some of these “fresh upgrades” include a Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole (the first ever in a Nike Basketball sneaker), a Nike Zoom Air Unit in the forefoot, an updated band system around the midfoot and a new “S”-inspired pattern that provides multidirectional traction for quick cuts. Additionally, select colorways will showcase mirror-finished Swooshes, which Nike explains are “an affirmation from Sabrina to the next generation to see themselves in the shoe.”

At first glance of the Sabrina 2, and even the Sabrina 1, it’s obvious where Ionescu’s inspiration comes from. Two sneakers in, and her signature line has drawn early comparisons to Kobe Bryant’s.

Throughout her storied college career and early years with the Liberty, Kobes were Ionescu’s go-to sneaker. The fact that Ionescu’s line is mentioned in the same breath as Bean’s says a lot about the WNBA All-Star’s cultural appeal, but more importantly, her ability and commitment to leading the push to elevate the women’s game to national, and ultimately global, mainstream relevance. It’s a vision she and Kobe shared.

Ionescu first met Kobe in 2019 when he and his daughter Gigi pulled up to watch her Ducks dismantle the USC Trojans. Ionescu developed a close relationship with the Bryant family shortly thereafter. Kobe kept tabs on her throughout the season, often sending words of encouragement as she continued to etch her name in the history books. That summer, Ionescu trained with Gigi and even helped Kobe coach his girls’ team, of which Gigi was a member.

“If I represented the present of the women’s game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it,” Ionescu said during her tribute at Kobe and Gigi’s Celebration of Life service in 2020.

It’s over four years later, and Ionescu still “represents the present.” And at only 26 years old, she represents the future, too. Think Kobe rocking No. 8 for the purple and gold.

“I grew up watching Kobe Bryant game after game, ring after ring, living his greatness without apology,” she recalled. “I wanted to be just like him, to love every part of the competition, to be the first to show up and the last to leave, to love the grind, to be your best when you don’t feel your best and make other people around you the best version of themselves. And to wake up and do it again the next day. So that’s what I did: Wake up, grind and get better. Wake up, grind and get better.”

If you see Ionescu walking through the tunnel before a game, scroll through her Instagram feed or observe her demeanor during interviews, you’ll see a charming personality that everyone likes being around. But underneath that is a fierce competitor who approaches her craft with utmost seriousness and focus, with a long list of results to show for it.

As we go to press during the Olympic break, the New York Liberty are hitting on all cylinders and have the best record in the W by a comfortable margin. Ionescu is averaging 19.8 points, 6.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1 steal playing a career-high 33.7 minutes per game.

Ionescu’s impact on the court is undeniable, and her influence off the court is just as powerful. On the heels of the Sabrina 1 and with the latest release of the Sabrina 2, she continues to push the boundaries and create waves for those coming after her, like fellow Nike signature athletes A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark—each reported to have their first signature sneaker coming soon.

Ionescu is programmed for greatness—all she has to do is continue being confident and unapologetic about who she is and what she brings to the table, just like Kobe.

Ionescu is a blessing to the game of basketball, and her presence will transcend well beyond her playing days, just like Kobe.

Once, while in college, she said Kobe texted her. “Be you, it’s been good enough, and that will continue to be good enough.” He wasn’t lying.

“I wanted to be a part of the generation that changed basketball for Gigi and her teammates,” said Ionescu in her tribute, “where being born female didn’t mean being born behind, where greatness wasn’t divided by gender.”

From her consistently dominant play to the huge success of the Sabrina 1 and now the 2, there doesn’t seem to be a height that Ionescu can’t reach. For the younger generation who wasn’t lucky enough to watch Kobe in real time, just watch how Ionescu, one of his closest mentees, dissects her opponents with a relentless will to excel.

And in her new Sabrina 2s, she’s gonna look magnificent doing it.

Photos via Getty Images and Nike.

The post The Sequel: Uncovering the Inspiration Behind The Nike Sabrina 2 appeared first on SLAM.

An oatmeal, dairy-free Greek yogurt with frozen fruit, unsweetened almond milk and agave nectar smoothie has already been consumed. Numerous t-shirt and short combinations, along with shower shoes, socks and enormous size 15 low top LeBron’s have been neatly stuffed into his official 2024 Final Four backpack. Ambling, but not with a residual slumber as Lil Wayne’s high pitched helium balloon voice swims through his headphones, he folds his immense 6-foot-10 frame into the passenger seat of the waiting gray Toyota Highlander with red leather interior. 

The day’s work beckons. 

At 7 AM, he begins the first of his scheduled workouts, this one at the OverDrive Elite facility in New Canaan, pushing himself through strength and conditioning drills that stress speed, lateral movement and the loosening of the hips along with lateral, forward and vertical explosion. 

Within minutes he’s drenched in sweat. Throughout the day he consumes copious amounts of water.

Two hours later he’s devouring a savory egg white breakfast bowl with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and rye toast, between gulps of coconut water as the Highlander eats up the road and the scenery transitions from the bucolic pleasantry of Connecticut to the suffocating congestion of lower Manhattan.

Burns was the third ranked prep prospect coming out of his home state of South Carolina, behind Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, the top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft. 

A bright student, he earned enough credits to graduate after his junior year at York Preparatory Academy and accepted a scholarship offer from Tennessee, where he redshirted.  

After transferring to Winthrop, he tore through the Big South and was named the conference Player of the Year as a junior in ‘21-’22.

“We were looking to get older and I knew he would be a great addition to our program,” says Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts. “I like underdogs, kids that have innate leadership skills and unique personalities.”

“DJ comes from a great family,” Keatts continued. “He wasn’t as valued as much as he should have been. What he does can’t be replicated. And his vision is extraordinary. I really liked the kid and his game was completely different from anyone I’ve ever coached.”

That March Madness success had long been marinating, going back to when his parents watched in wonder as their two-year old son danced and glided around a roller skating rink with his much older cousins. 

“DJ was a very active child who was always physically advanced for his age,” says his mother Takela Burns, a longtime educator and assistant middle school Principal in South Carolina. “He was this hyper ball of energy and inquisitive. If he wasn’t running around these country acres somewhere, he was talking me and my husband’s ear off.”

One of the things he internalized was the family tradition of sharing and giving. His grandmother was a foster parent that also adopted kids from challenging circumstances and with various disabilities. His parents took in a number of children from unstable homes, some of whom lived in the Burns household for years. 

Takela, who played ball in high school, was DJ’s first basketball tutor at the age of six. His father took over the coaching responsibilities when his son began playing rec ball at eight.

That unselfishness, vision and passing acumen on the court that had television announcers like Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas, Ian Eagle and Grant Hill gushing during the NCAA Tournament—pronounced spontaneous combustions of “His footwork’s incredible!”and “Is there anything he can’t do out there?”—were present from Day One.

“Little DJ was such a happy kid who’d give you the shirt off his back,” says his father, Dwight Sr., a South Carolina probation and parole agent who can be seen on fall Saturday afternoons sprinting beside Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney during halftime and post-game jogs to and from the locker room. 

“DJ loved being in the gym. He played guard, center, forward and was very skilled at a young age,” Dwight Sr. continued. “He had a soft lefty shooting touch and a sweet handle. The thing he loved most was passing. He’d celebrate more when his teammates scored than when he did. The only thing he cared about was winning.”

When the coaches would assemble to pick their squads, 8-year-old DJ served as his father’s de facto scout and general manager. “He’d be like, ‘Daddy, pick him!’ and he’d be pointing to a kid that wasn’t very good but was hungry, willing to hustle, unselfish and a good person,” he adds. “I’d ask him about a kid that was scoring a lot during tryouts and he’d be like, ‘Nah, we don’t want him. He’s selfish, doesn’t pass and travels all the time.’ I always listened to him and our teams always won.”

—

At 10:45am, Burns saunters onto the basketball court inside the high-end waterfront condominium One Manhattan Square building located on 225 Cherry Street. The wide grin splashed across his robust face immediately brightens the sleepy atmosphere. 

He stretches while listening to the playlist he’s cultivated that now fills the gym, with his favorite artists Lil Wayne, G Herbo and Lil Tony in heavy rotation.

“Lil Wayne is obviously the GOAT!” he playfully shouts to no one in particular before starting his workout under the direction and watchful eye of his trainer Nate Brown, who has previously worked with Malik Monk, Derrick White, Brandon Ingram, Tobias Harris and Jamal Murray, among others, during their pre-draft preparations. 

For the next 90 minutes, he pushes through a high-tempo, dizzying array of full court dribbling drills while handling two balls simultaneously. He then transitions to shooting every conceivable shot off pick and rolls, pick and pops and screen and catches. 

The angles while smooching the rock all over the backboard are reminiscent of a pool shark’s english. 

“This summer, our objectives were to sharpen up an overall skill set that he could showcase in an NBA setting,” says Brown. “We elaborated more on stretching the floor because in the pro game, you have to be able to knock down that deep ball.”

Back in the Highlander, he relaxes while heading towards Greenwich Village for a well-deserved lunch break. Stalled in traffic near Union Square as food options are being discussed, the conversation shifts to what his favorite movie is. 

Burns excitedly scoots forward in his seat and straightens up. Through a thin smile, the words burst gently out of his mouth.

“Yo, fo’real, I love Paid in Full with Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris and Cam’ron,” says Burns. “The dialogue, the cinematography, the music, the Harlem scene in the ‘80s, the wardrobe, the acting, the slang, the story arc, the message and the fact that it’s based on a true story? Maaaaan, I love how all of that comes together. That’s my favorite movie of all-time!”

The driver, stuck at a red light, turns with a mischievous smile to meet Burns’ steady gaze. “Oh, word?” he says to his oversized passenger. “Cool. Change of plans, we’re going to Harlem right now then.”

As the vehicle idles in midtown traffic on the sun-splashed, pleasant spring afternoon, Burns glances out the window at the teeming sidewalk while his ears are assaulted by honking horns. 

“Why is there so much traffic at lunchtime? Why is everyone honking their horns? Why is everyone so angry looking and walking so fast? Man, all of these folks just need a massage,” he says while shaking his head.

As the street arteries become uncongested and the glass skyscrapers of multinational corporations give way to the opulent billion dollar apartment buildings inhabited by wealthy celebrities and business tycoons, Burns notes to himself, “Oh, this is where the rich folks live. I need to come back here sometime and do some shopping.”

When they pass 96th street and creep a little further uptown, as the previous decadence gives way to the Spanish Harlem version of Park Avenue, with its sagging, depressing, brown brick housing project facades, Burns is amazed at the dichotomy. 

He’s told that this neighborhood forged Alpo, the real-life teenage drug lord that inspired Cam’Ron’s character, Rico, in his favorite movie. “This is amazing,” he says softly. “To experience this neighborhood and these streets, to see these people and the real culture behind Paid in Full. Maaaaaan, this is awesome.”

While exiting the Slutty Vegan takeout restaurant on West 135th Street with his order of a plant-based burger and fries topped with vegan beef and cheese, jalapenos, onions, lettuce and diced tomatoes, along with a large raspberry lemonade, he looks up and down the wide bustling thoroughfare and says, again to no one in particular, “Maaaaaan, I love Harlem! There’s so much Black history here.”

His meal is consumed while double-parked with the windows down. As the laughter and rhythms of the street pour in, the crew heads back toward the FDR Drive en route to lower Manhattan.

 As the banter turns toward his musical tastes, he casually mentions that he plays the piano, standup bass, tuba and the saxophone.

—

Burns sneaks in a quick cat nap before arriving at the Basketball City complex at Pier 36, 299 South Street. 

He walks gingerly into the mammoth complex, where all seven regulation courts are empty. The silence is soon replaced by his curated playlist once again when he pairs his iPhone with a nearby speaker device. Armed with the knowledge of his proficiency as an instrumentalist, as he works out with another of his trainers, Mike Collins, it’s now evident that he moves and plays to an inner biological symphony. 

There are elements of Jazz, Hip Hop, Trap, New Jack Swing, smooth R&B, Rock and Roll, buck nasty Funk and a taste of heavy metal in his gait and body language during the hour-and-a half workout that stresses the long ball off the dribble and the catch-and-shoot from the corners, wings and straight away.

“We started working together after the Final Four run, and I was pleasantly surprised by his humility, hunger, and ability to work at a high level with an attention to detail,” said Collins. “DJ enjoys the hard work. I know he’s tired and sore by the time he gets to me, but he has never complained. Not once.”

“People see how big he is, but they don’t understand how quick he is in tight spaces. He has a nice, smooth release and he’s banging in 200 to 300 long-range jumpers a day during our sessions alone, making over a thousand a week. He’s going to show folks some things they never saw from him in college.”

At 5:00 PM, Burns is back in Stamford at the Haute Healing Oasis Whole Body Wellness Center for an hour and a half of massages and non-steam infrared sauna treatments that soothe his joints, ligaments and muscles. 

After a short rest, he’s back at the Overdrive Elite facility from 8 to 9 o’clock for rigorous stretching exercises and medicine ball work to reduce his upper body excess and strengthen his core. 

From there, he’s off to grab a small dinner portion of baked fish and vegetables before being dropped back off at the Marriott, where a comfortable bed and a good night’s sleep await.

The next morning, around 5:15 AM, he’s up and eager to do it all over again. It’s a routine that he’s been following for six days a week over the last month.

—

Burns, who received his Bachelor’s Degree from Winthrop in Sociology and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Psychology at N.C. State, has yet to fully reflect on his spectacular nine-game postseason run. 

His mind will invariably wander toward the 24-point, 11-rebound, four-assist gem against Oakland in the NCAA Tournament, where he converted an absurd 75 percent of his shot attempts. 

And then there’s the monstrous performance against Duke in the Elite Eight, scoring 29 points, snagging four rebounds and dishing out three assists in the 76-64 victory that propelled the Wolfpack into the Final Four. 

He quickly turned the page to address the next challenge, proving those who relegated him to an afterthought as the NBA Draft approaches wrong.

At the pro day organized by 4Life Sports Management, the agency that reps him, at the Lakers training facility in El Segundo on May 21st, NBA reps in attendance were shocked at his body transformation. The buzz at the combine centered on his surprisingly accurate three-point shot and the fact that he’d shed approximately 50 pounds after his Final Four appearance. He has since been invited in for private workouts with the Cavaliers, Nets, Bucks and Rockets, with others calling to express interest. 

When Burns recently returned home for a brief visit, he even kept it real while trying on an expensive Gucci shirt that he purchased during the NCAA Tournament.

“When it first arrived, I couldn’t fit into it. Maaaan, those buttons were screaming at me” says Burns. “When I got back from New York, that beautiful butter soft thing fit me perfectly.”

In essence, that’s all he’s searching for moving forward, the perfect fit. “I just need one general manager, one organization, one coaching staff to believe in me and take a chance on me,” says Burns. “It won’t bother me if I don’t get drafted. When I get to Vegas for summer league, they’re gonna see what I can do. And the one team that gives me a shot will not regret it. I’ve been a winner every step of the way. I see no reason for that to change now.”

Photos via Getty Images. Exclusive photos by Kim Toledo and Brandon Christopher Hyman.

The post The Behind The Scenes Story of How DJ Burns Transformed His Body Heading Into the NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

He was in class that morning when the text came through. It was John Calipari: I’m coming to the game today. Knowing the guy who had just recruited him would be in the building, the Arkansas commit suddenly had even more motivation for that night’s game. “My family was there, my future head coach was there—and just for him to pop up like that was very special,” Fland says. “I just wanted to put on a show.” 

It all hit even harder at the gym that night. “I was tearing up before the game, and then once I saw they were honoring me for making the McDonald’s All American Team, the tears came running down,” he says. Once the game tipped, Fland immediately made clear that the emotion of the occasion wouldn’t derail him from performing at the level that has made him a top-20 recruit and arguably one of the top point guards in the 2024 class. The line: 29 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to lead his Archbishop Stepinac (NY) squad to a senior-night dub. 

His only slight disappointment afterward? “Man, I was trying to get 50,” Fland says. “I was locked in.”

It was a dominant but not at all surprising showing from Fland, the 6-3, 175-pound, Bronx-born guard who checks all the boxes for an elite floor general. Explosive and in-control, he dictates pace as a scorer and playmaker, a skill set made clear by the players whose games he works to emulate: everyone from LeBron and SGA to Ja Morant, Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley. That includes working to perfect one of the game’s most unstoppable shots.

“If you go on YouTube and search my name, you’ll see a step-back as the thumbnail. Just watch how many step-backs I do,” he says. “I’m so quick, they try to play the shot and the drive, and when I see that they’re playing the drive, it’s easy for me to snatch back and step back.”

The path that took Fland from the Bronx to White Plains (where Stepinac is located) and will see him in Lexington leading a typically loaded Wildcat recruiting class next winter has included plenty of stops that allowed him to show his skill set and sky-high potential. He’s been among the best hoopers at his age level since anyone can remember. “When I was in, I think, second grade, we were ranked top 25 in the country,” he says of his AAU squad. “Yeah, second grade, but it was something to us.”

A few years later, he led his AAU team to the national championship game, where he missed what could have been a game-winning shot. “That moment taught me that, you know, there’s going to be lows,” he says now. “I was so used to winning. That was an eye-opener for me. That taught me I gotta get better.”

The improvement really hasn’t stopped, as he’s shown time and again against elite competition. He was a member of the U17 US national team that took gold at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and was selected to join the stacked US roster for the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit. With that résumé, where can he still improve? “Before Coach Cal left on senior night, he said I need to talk more, be more vocal—it helps everybody on the floor, and it helps me.”

That shouldn’t be too difficult. Fland brings the same energy to every court he steps on, with his Bronx roots always on display. 

“New York is different. When people say that, it definitely is true,” he confirm emphatically. “You gotta have some swagger to you. You can’t be stiff. When you walk in the gym, they gotta know, Oh, he’s from New York.”  

Portrait by Marcus Stevens.

The post Stepinac’s Boogie Fland is Ready to Put on a Show at Arkansas appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

“Swagger” may be an overused term, but there isn’t a more perfect way to describe the style of play that encapsulated the 2018-19 Murray State Racers. Mid-major program? Who gave a damn. 

Led by head honcho Matt McMahon, the leaders of the Ohio Valley Conference sent a message to America with every dub: “we’ll see y’all in March.” 

A big reason why was because of a tatted standout with freeform dreads, a taper fade and had an unrelenting athletic ability. Ja Morant was simply “The One” down in Calloway County. As a sophomore, he had one of the greatest individual seasons in program history. But it was the national stage where Morant’s legend grew. 

He was the first player to average 20 points and 10 assists in the modern era, dropping 24.5 points and 10 dimes a night. He racked up the sixth-most assists in NCAA history for a single season. He recorded the ninth-ever triple-double in NCAA Tournament history. He had 14 contests with 20 and 10, with a career-high 18 dots in a win over UT Martin. The man was straight filthy–Xxplosive like Dr. Dre’s cut off The Chronic. 

Behind the back snatch then reassess. In-and-out cross into a hanging lay while drawing the contact. And-one. Cradle the baby. Flying to the rim as fast as he flew off of it. Hard to predict, nearly impossible to contain. Lobs came from anywhere and everywhere; halfcourt, baseline out of bounds, in the fastbreak. Backscratchers, reverse alleys and tomahawk posters galore, with air guitar cellys following suit. Opponents spent more time looking up at the rafters than they did tracking the midsection of their opponents’ threads. 

But then came Morant’s single-handed demolition of UT Martin. After hitting a back-door cut from the baseline, Morant received the ball, and without taking a dribble, immediately rose up over a defender—who attempted a wildly ill-advised charge on the bounciest player in the world—and slammed it home while nearly clearing the defender with his legs spread like MJ. The highlight would introduce millions upon millions to the name of Temetrius “Ja” Morant and the high-flying Murray State Racers. 

“Downtown” Tevin Brown lit up Racer Arena with nearly three trey balls a game while Leroy Buchanon cemented the Racer’s otherworldly backcourt. In the paint, Darnell Cowert resided with sheer force. The former JUCO product quickly found his footing in the OVC, utilizing his graceful footwork to dance around defenders for 10.3 points and 6.5 boards a game. 

Two non-conference losses left the Racers with an early indication of their postseason success, with respective games against Alabama and No. 7 Auburn providing down-to-the-wire tests in late November and December. The Racers would sprint their way through the OVC, collecting a 16-2 conference record on the way to their second-straight conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

After cementing their staying power in a 20-point beatdown over Marquette, the Racers fell in the Round of 32 to No. 10 Florida State, but not before enacting enough jaw-dropping displays to craft their own “One Shining Moments” reel. The Racers weren’t just the Cinderella team of the 2019 tournament, they recaptured the magic that’s cooked up in mid-major programs across the country. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: 2019 Murray State appeared first on SLAM.

“Hey man, you can at least tag me in the post,” Maxey told Embiid. “Like, you got a million followers.”

According to Maxey, Embiid went to the media, presumably sometime around when the Sixers beat the Celtics at home on January 14, and allegedly asked them to “Find me a picture of me and Ty so I can post it.” After the game, he posted another flick on the gram, without telling Tyrese. The caption? “#0>>> THE FRANCHISE @tyresemaxey.” 

SLAM 248 featuring Tyrese Maxey is available now.

The Process has seen something in Maxey since the beginning. Maxey remembers during the Sixers matchup against the Nuggets on January 9 his rookie year, which was the first game he started, when Joel asked him if he could get 40 that night. “I’m like, Me? Me, get 40? I rarely play,” he tells us, looking back. “I had, like, 39 and I’m like, dang, he said that and I knew I could probably do it, but at the time, like, Man, That’s gonna be tough.” It was the most points scored by a Sixers rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997. 

This season, Embiid was the one who pushed him again when the Sixers played the Pacers on November 12. By the fourth, Maxey looked up at the scoreboard and saw that he already had 45 points. That’s when Embiid let him know. “Joel [is like], You gotta get 50, you gotta get 50. I’m not really trying to press it, but he grabs the ball, like, Here, you need to shoot again.

“I always say this, man. Joel is probably one of the first people that believed in me here,” Maxey adds. “He really believed in me from day one.”

Mad Max has come a long way since his rookie year. From coming off the bench to starting full-time, he’s played an instrumental role in the team’s success this season—they’re the No. 3 team in the East at press time. An hour or two before his first-ever SLAM cover shoot, the All-Star voting results dropped and his name was listed alongside some of the best in the L. 

By the time the cameras start rolling and we’ve got No. 0 with us, he instantly commands the room, and the camera, all while having fun with it. In between takes, he’s dancing and rapping along to Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.” With a big smile on his face, he sings the chorus. “I’m ILL!” 

The moment is giving major main character vibes. And just like Weezy at the end of that video, what’s so fire about Tyrese Maxey’s rise to stardom is that it’s to be continued…

Let’s go back.

Maxey’s basketball career, starting from college, has been unconventional. And yet, he’s somehow been able to handle the chaos—including the Covid pandemic which cut his lone season at Kentucky short. Even after being selected No. 21 in the 2020 NBA Draft, Maxey ended up having to report to training camp late due to a positive test, which left him wondering how that would look to his new teammates, especially the vets. He wondered to himself, How are the vets gonna look at me? Are they gonna say anything to me? Are they gonna mess with me or is this gonna mess up my playing time?

That season, he started six games in January but mostly came off the bench, with the exception of two games in May. After the Sixers lost to the Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, news reports and criticism circulated about his teammate Ben Simmons. By February of the ’21-22 season, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn for James Harden. The new addition put Maxey back to shooting guard. He worked through it and went from averaging just 8 points as a rookie to 17.5 points that year. 

But then, in the 2023 offseason, Harden requested a trade. “Now I gotta be back on the ball,” he explains of the sudden positional change. “Then James leaves and I gotta go back on the ball. It’s been a lot but, you know, it’s an ever- changing, adapting environment that we live in.”

Maxey has talked before about how he picked up some things when playing alongside Harden, even shouting him out on NBA TV for the “little James Harden stepback” move he’s added to his bag. Still, he admits that it was tough for him last year when he would start some games but then come off the bench. “That’s difficult,” he admits. “Especially when you wanna win, you wanna do whatever is best for the team, but you also wanna play well for you [and] to help your brothers win. It’s a hard job.”

After all the narratives that have surrounded the Sixers over the years, mostly filled with drama and negativity from the media and fans, Maxey has developed a desire to speak up for athletes and create his own narrative on his podcast, “Maxey on the Mic.” “I just kinda wanna be a voice for some athletes, because athletes go through a lot, as far as just social media, what people say about them. A lot of people don’t know it’s hard. [There’s] pressure out there.”

He also leans on prayer and his family to help him emotionally during those hard moments. He confides in his uncle, Brandon, and his parents, both of whom he watched work extremely hard within their own careers growing up. Before retiring, his father Tyrone coached for 20 years and would be tough on Maxey when he was younger: “If I passed the ball and somebody dropped it, he would yell at me first.” Meanwhile his mother Denyse worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield and started from “the bottom,” he says, and then worked her way up at the company. Denyse, he describes, is also a “tough, tough, tough mother,” but would always tell him, Control what you can control and everything is in God’s hands.

It’s helped him whenever he’s had to deal with major change, including adjusting from former head coach Doc Rivers, whom he says “tried to challenge me early” by having him sit and watch the veteran players, to Nick Nurse. “Coach Nurse, his personality is a lot different,” Maxey says. “He’s a great dude. I love him, and the way he coaches is special. The way he does things, the way he adjusts on the fly has been great.”

His ability to adapt to whatever situation he’s in is just one of his many super powers. Maxey, a huge Marvel fan, told us before he got drafted that if he was an actual superhero, he’d call himself Maximus and would want to have the ability to max out all of his strengths. Now, four years later, he has a few things to add, super speed being one of them. “I’m like, well, I could be faster, you know what I mean?” he says. He’d also max out his vertical. “I just think it’s cool when people jump up and dunk and block shots and stuff. I see so many people like Rayjon Tucker, that’s somebody that comes to mind…Ja Morant, of course. They do cool things when they’re up in the air like that. I feel like I have some type of vertical ability, but not like them, jumping off two feet. It looks so crazy sometimes.”

Athletes are often called otherworldly, and while Maxey is undeniably talented, very, very fast and has a hot hand like he’s Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet, he’s also human. He sees a bigger picture in the type of impact he’d want to have. “I would wanna max out me being positive, like, me having a positive effect on people, because the world is just so [much] better…That’s just something I try to bring, not just [to] this organization, not just this team, [but] my life and [the] people who I’ve impacted in general.

“We’re blessed to be here, we’re blessed to be living, we’re blessed to be walking around in 2024. You know, some people can’t say the same…I get to play the game that I love every single day and I have fun while doing it with a smile on my face. And while I’m doing that, I’m on TV, kids are watching and I’m trying to inspire them to make their dreams come true—not just basketball dreams, but life dreams. I tell everybody that you can do whatever you put your mind to. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t, as long as you get one percent better at it, you know what I mean?”

Life can be unexpected, but at the end of the day, it’s about controlling what you can control. That’s been Maxey’s true power, and it’s why in Year 4, he isn’t at all surprised by his success so far. 

“I just put a lot of work in. It’s like, every shot that I’ve shot this season, I’ve done it before a million times in the gym. Reps over reps. I don’t have to think, you know what I’m saying?…I’m just confident. I wanna help us win, and I’m in a position now that I can have the ball in my hands [where] I feel like I have control over helping us win games.” 

SLAM 248 IS OUT NOW!

Photos via Getty Images. Portraits by Alex Subers.

The post Tyrese Maxey Talks Rise to Stardom, Joel Embiid and Finding Control Through the Chaos appeared first on SLAM.

This story and so much more is featured in the latest issue of KICKS 26. Get your copy here.

First Team

P.J. Tucker

As sure as the sun rises in the eastern sky, P.J. Tucker is back on our First Team. There’s nobody in the League more versed, more versatile and more willing to play in any pair. He cemented himself long ago on this list, yet he keeps on proving himself over and over.

James Harden

James Harden is a fairly uncommon human being in general. He did, after all, help to rewrite the NBA rule book with his singular style of play. His seventh signature silhouette, the best of the 2022-23 campaign, is particularly exceptional. It’s got a funky shape, it’s got an upper that looks like a puffer jacket, it’s full of the best tech the Stripes has to offer and it had incredibly hard colorways throughout the season. 

DeMar DeRozan

It’s not a shot at P.J. to say with confidence that DeMar DeRozan has the best Kobe collection in the League. As has been printed in these pages many times, he’s played in every Nike Kobe silhouette throughout his career and continues to add Kobe PEs that look more like art pieces than sneakers to his collection.

Ja Morant

Before his signature sneaker debuted on Christmas Day 2022, Ja Morant had been hooping in high quality Kobes and original versions of the early Kyries. Then he stomped into the signature game with a handful of unique colorways. And because he moves differently than just about everybody in the League, there’ll be more originality in his future.

Stephen Curry

The best shooter ever had variety in 2022-23. Curry 10s, FloTros of the 1 and 2, some sprinkling of the 4 FloTro all got court time with No. 30. There aren’t many others who tell stories with their footwear like Stephen. His nonstop commitment to the underrated and underrepresented often gets communicated through his footwear. 

Second Team

LeBron James

Flavor after flavor after flavor. LeBron James’ 20th season will be remembered for the multitude of colorways he played in. Both the Nike LeBron 20 and the Nike LeBron NXXT Gen appeared under the bright lights in equally subtle and outrageous makeups, night after night. 

Paul George

Even though his signature line has wrapped up, Paul George didn’t miss a step. Each game brought a new chance for him to show off his unexpected appreciation for basketball sneakers, like, for example, wearing the “All-Star” Nike Kobe 6 while playing in the City of Angels. You get the connection?

Malik Monk

Malik Monk very much understands how to properly apply hues to footwear. All of his Kobe PEs, be it 5s or 6s, are consistently fire. None of them are really that similar, either. There’s a ton of variation from pair to pair, with browns and blues and purples and blacks and pinks
showing up throughout his stable. 

Trey Lyles

Look, let’s be honest here, yeah? Kobes are this generation’s Jordans. Trey Lyles has a stockpile of rare heat that he’s amassed over the years and most of them aren’t protros. He’s on this list because he consistently hoops in heavy hitters from the game’s most cherished line, oftentimes reminding people about pairs or colorways they’d previously forgotten. 

Jayson Tatum

Another visual storyteller, Jayson Tatum started the season with many versions of the Air Jordan 37 and Air Jordan 38 Low that let the public in on what matters most to him. Once ASW rolled around and he got to unveil his first signature with Jordan Brand, the storytelling door flew clean off the hinges. Tatum tells us a whole lot about himself without ever saying a word. 

MVP: P.J. Tucker

LeBron James only has four MVPs. Michael Jordan only has five MVPs. What in the hell is good with that? That’s not the truth. Both deserve a minimum of 10. In the context of basketball sneakers, P.J. Tucker is LeBron. He is MJ. In our pages, he will continue to get his shine until he hangs up his sneakers for good.

We’ve called him a lot of things over the years, like the Michael Jordan of wearing Jordans. We’ve compared his conquering of basketball footwear to passages in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Now that we’ve finally gotten him on the cover and had a chance to listen to him speak openly about sneakers, he’s the MVP because he loves it all more than anyone else. We hear you, P.J. 

Rookie of the Year: Jalen Williams

The list of Stripes silhouettes that Jalen Williams played in is mighty long. It includes the Harden Vol. 7s, Crazy 97s, Dame 5s, Top 10 2000s, D.O.N. 4s, Agent Gils, Harden Vol. 4s, D Rose 1.5s and Dame 8s. 

Williams maintained a steady rotation throughout the season, varied with many colors. He seems to be a student of the sneaker game. He joined the likes of Tracy McGrady, Nick Young and Jaylen Brown when he rocked mismatched adi joints. The young star popped out to All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City with one white Harden Vol. 7 and one pink Harden Vol. 7. His name will most definitely show up again in these pages next year.

Most Improved Player: Paul George

The Swoosh decided to end Paul George’s signature line at the PG6. It went out with a bang, concluding after the drop of his collab with Hot Wheels. 

The ending of one thing is the beginning of another. Freed up from being required to play in his latest signature model, PG hit the ground running by wearing Kobe 4s, Kobe 5s and Kobe 6s. He dug into the closet for the return of the PG1, the PG2 and the PG2.5. Strategically, he secured this spot when he played in the “Draft Day” Kobe 4s in Charlotte. That was a wakeup call signifying there was another knowledgeable sneakerhead ready to show out. 

LeagueFits Arrival Sneaker of the Year: Russell Westbrook

Michael Jordan’s retirement in 1998 gave the first class of Brand Jordan athletes the full sneaker spotlight. They were getting to play in retro colorways made just for them. Guys like Ray Allen, Derek Anderson, Vin Baker, Eddie Jones and Michael Finley are the reason every sneakerhead knows what PE (player exclusive) stands for. Retro PEs continued for the next couple of Jordan athlete generations, with guys like Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson gaining fame for their heat. 

But Jordan Brand changed up the overall thought process a few years back. Retro PEs are far more rare now. 

Their scarcity is why Russell Westbrook’s Air Jordan III colorway is getting the nod for the LeagueFits Arrival Sneaker of the Year. Seeing these IIIs in the wild is like seeing the Loch Ness Monster finally reveal itself. 

Best of the Brands:

Curry 10

adidas Harden Vol. 7

Jordan Tatum 1

New Balance TWO WXY v3

Nike LeBron 20

PUMA MB.02

READ MORE: KICKS, NBA, WNBA

• 
  EXCLUSIVE Derrick Rose Interview Former MVP on his Past, Present & Future
  It was in mid-November when the SLAM crew flew into Chicago for the main photo shoot of this special issue. There, at Simeon Career Academy, we shot the… Read more: EXCLUSIVE Derrick Rose Interview Former MVP on his Past, Present & Future
• 
  SLAM’s Adidas Collab Welcomes The Return Of The Crazy Two For The First Time 
  words, photography & design // Nick DePaula When you ask anyone to pick their favorite cover of SLAM, it’s the 15th issue featuring a fold-out cover of rising… Read more: SLAM’s Adidas Collab Welcomes The Return Of The Crazy Two For The First Time 
• 
  SLAM Replay: Looking Back on a Year of Hoops, Moments and Kicks
  It’s almost the new year, but until 2025 tips-off, we’re looking back on the past year and all our favorite moments that happened both on and off the… Read more: SLAM Replay: Looking Back on a Year of Hoops, Moments and Kicks
• 
  These OLD SLAM ADS Promised to Help You Dunk and Improve Your Vertical—Guaranteed
  This story is published in OLD SLAM ADS. Get your copy here. My 40-year-old knees are worn out. Worn out like the lawn behind my childhood home, and… Read more: These OLD SLAM ADS Promised to Help You Dunk and Improve Your Vertical—Guaranteed

The post The 2022-23 KICKS Awards: First Team, MVP and MORE! appeared first on SLAM.

And yes, they’re ranked.  

No. 1

Last week messed around and got a triple double/Freakin’ brothers every way like MJ/I can’t believe, today was a good day

— “It Was a Good Day,” Ice Cube

When Cube performs the song now, he switches MJ to Kobe, but this still remains a classic line that everyone knows no matter what age, race or nationality. Who doesn’t love a good day?

No. 2

Real sick, brawl nights, I perform like Mike/Anyone—Tyson, Jordan, Jackson/Action, pack guns, ridiculous

— “Victory,” The Notorious B.I.G.

No. 3

Simple and plain, give me the lane/I’ll throw it down your throat like Barkley

— “Rebel Without a Pause,” Public Enemy

Chuck D shouts out one of his favorite 1990’s NBA players on one of the hardest songs of that era.

No. 4

Just like I’m the king on the microphone, so is Dr. J and Moses Malone

— “Basketball,” Kurtis Blow

No list of this kind would be complete without the inclusion of the OG hoop hip-hop song.

No. 5

It’s Hovi baby you Kobe, maybe Tracy McGrady/Matter fact, you a Harold Miner, JR Rider, washed up on marijuana/Even worse you a Pervis Ellis, you worthless fella

— “Pump It Up (remix),” Jay-Z

Jay washed Joe Budden on his own beat with a couple bars that only true hoop heads will understand.

No. 6

Top baller in every state/In Chi I’m Mike/Boston I’m Kenny/In Miami I’m Timmy and Phoenix I’m Penny

— “What Means the World to You,” Cam’Ron

No. 7

Two shooters by the door and they grippin’ the thirty/That’s why they both got fifty pointers like Mitchell and Murray

— “Nothin Less,” Conway the Machine

No. 8

I used to be jealous of Arron Afflalo/He was the one to follow/He was the only leader foreseeing a brighter tomorrow

— “Black Boy Fly,” Kendrick Lamar

This bar is just the tip of the iceberg for Kendrick, speaking about his friend turned NBA player from Compton. The song shows a level of vulnerability that is not often seen in hip-hop.

No. 9

I got a chopper and a trimmer/Shooting like Jimmer

— “Sure Thing,” Lil Wayne

No. 10

Hip-hop scholars since being knee-high to a duck/The height of Muggsy Bogues, complexion of a hockey puck

— “Steve Biko (Stir it Up),” A Tribe Called Quest (Phife Dawg)

No. 11

Hold up, I ain’t trying to stunt, man/But these Yeezys jumped over the Jumpman/Went from most hated to the champion God flow/I guess that’s a feeling only me and LeBron know

— “New God Flow,” Kanye West

The epitome of talking yo sh$% and backing it up. It was a good run while it lasted.

No. 12

New York is the town and the team is the Knicks

— “One Two Sh**,” A Tribe Called Quest

Phife may be the hip-hop king of sports-related bars. RIP to the 5-foot assassin. 

No. 13

Real G’s move in silence like Giannis

— “Giannis,” Freddie Gibbs

No. 14

If I ain’t in Japan, I’m in the Valley (Valley, ooh)/Or maybe next door in Gary Payton bowling alley (Ooh)

— “Hope I Don’t Go Back,” E-40

A flex isn’t truly a flex if it isn’t true. The Vallejo rapper was actually neighbors with The Glove when he dropped this single.

No. 15

Kobe ’bout to lose a hundred fifty M’s / Kobe my n***a I hate it had to be him / B**ch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym / (B**ch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym)

— “Stay Schemin,” Drake

No. 16

She got me back livin’ sweeter, fresh Caesar/Guess, David Robinsons, Wally moccasins

— “Street Dreams,” Nas

No. 17

I was popping blue devils, Coach K ain’t recruit me

— “No Hook,” Dave East

This isn’t just a creative drug reference. East actually played AAU ball with Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley and received a DI scholarship, so this line is actually dope and believable. 

No. 18

See I used to pay Kobe, but now I pay LeBron

— “24-23,” Young Jeezy

No. 19

My team in the cut, packing metal things/I’ve got more foreign shooters than the Sacramento Kings

— “Follow Me Gangster,” Lloyd Banks

In 2003, when Banks dropped this song, Peja Stojakovic was the only foreign shooter on the Kings squad. But it’s still a super slick line.

No. 20

Kobe doin’ work / 2-4 on my shirt / He the greatest on the court / And I’m the greatest on the verse / Going for the fourth ring like it was his first / Gotta get the bling

— “Kobe Bryant,” Lil Wayne

As a huge sports fan, it’s only right that Wayne dedicated an entire song full of clever bars to Bean. 

No. 21

Country n**** never seen a passport/‘Til I popped off and got a bag for it/Now I’m at the Garden sittin’ half court/Watchin Jr. catch it off the backboard

— “Amari,” J.Cole

Dreamville boss Cole shouts out his fellow Fayettteville, NC, native Dennis Smith Jr. 

No. 22

Imma make you see L.A. like Ed O’Bannon

— “Sonset,” Ras Kass

No. 23

But I’m limitless mentally, I’m lyrically ZMT/LeBron shit, I was in that 6 after 23

— “Ambition,” Wale

No. 24

See the shots that I took (ayy), wet like I’m Book (ayy)/Wet like I’m Lizzie

— “SICKO MODE,” Drake

No. 25

I crossover like Steph Curry, crossover like CP/But I will not crossover so n***** can buy the CD

— “Just Another Day,” The Game

No. 26

Now who’s the first pick? Me. Word is born’in/Not a Christian Laettner not Alonzo Mourning

— “Can We Rock (What’s Up Doc),” Shaquille O’Neal aka Shaq-Fu

The beginning of Shaq’s career as a rapper started with this feature on a Fu-Schnickens song. Compared to later disses of fellow players, Zo and Laettner got off easy with this kinder and gentler version of Shaq.

No. 27

27. I’m Killa, you Andre Miller, got a basic game/I told your b**ch to hurry up, we don’t wait for trains

— “Cookin Up,” Cam’Ron

No. 28

And my shot kinda rusty but the fade clean/And me and Steph Curry on the same team

— “Cruising,” Lecrae 

No. 29

I’m Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf/I don’t pledge allegiance I raise the roof

— “Life Gets Brutal,” Heems

No. 30

I was raised to live, Lord I pray you forgive/If not, I just handle it like Jason Kidd

— “You’re Only a Customer,” Jay-Z

No. 31

Life is a journey before I went the rap route/I served ni**** off the bench like Stackhouse

— “Journey,” Cormega

No. 32

I’m slamming n***** like Shaquille, s**t is real /When it’s time to eat a meal, I rob and steal

— “Gimme The Loot,” Notorious B.I.G.

No. 33

From the past to the present, shouting out to the greats/Still love Phi Slama Jama, repping U of H

— “Houston Is,” K-Rino

IYKYK, Rino is a rap legend in the state of Texas. His reminiscent bars shouting out the early 80’s college squad that included Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler show genuine love to his city.

No. 34

And on top it’s lonely so keep your homies right by your side/And if life is short then we’ll be the shorts of the Fab Five

— “The Intro About Nothing,” Wale

No. 35

We back to back, back to back like the Comets

— “Getchya Hands Up,” ESG

Not only is this track a bonafide Texas classic, it is also one of the very few times that a WNBA team has gotten a shout out on a dope record. That’s the kind of love a four-peat championship team should receive!

No. 36

Like Kareem I got the hook up

— “Sum Sh** I Wrote,” Common

No. 37

Motor city technically Rasheed Wallace /Then moved to Chicago for dollars like Ben Wallace

— “Jingling,” Cool Kids 

No. 38

I’m from a place where junkheads and zombies dwell/And n***** keep the heat blazin’ like Bonzi Wells

— “Biscuits,” Trife 

No. 39

Courtside seats, this the big bag/Hit a Ja Morant shot, get ’em big mad

— “Big League,” Yo Gotti

No. 40

With my hair slicked back, I look like Rick Pitino

— “Nana,” Action Bronson

The fact that Bronson has very little hair on his head and bears little to no resemblance to the legendary coach makes this line equally ridiculous and dope. 

No. 41

Big ass shotgun look like Lauri Markkkanen

— “Bloxk Party,” Sada Baby

Well before he had a career year with the Jazz, Detroit rapper Sada Baby shouted out the All-Star forward on his 2018 underground hit.

No. 42

I got a crime record longer than Manute Bol

— “M.V.P.,” Big L

No. 43

Kevin Garnett earrings look like Fiji water

— “Stealing,” Gucci Mane 

No. 44

I got game, but not the hoop court/And plus, basketball’s never really been my sport/I probably woulda made it to the NFL/But I had grams for 50 in my possession to sell

— “Know What I’m Talkin Bout,” Keak Da Sneak 

No. 45

B**ch you ugly like yo daddy Reggie Miller

— “I’m Good,” YG

No. 46

Guaranteed, make ’em jump like Rod Strickland

— “Triumph,” Raekwon

No. 47

Either that or quit it, throw in the chair like you Bobby Knight

— “NBA,” Joe Budden

No. 48

Even if you have braids like Latrell/I got more numbers in my system than Pacific Bell/Pass the basketball around and go tell/Smoother than Rick Fox puttin’ on his hair gel

— “NBA,” Kool Keith

No. 49

I get my hair cut correct like Anthony Mason/Then I ride the IRT right up to Penn Station

— “B-Boys Makin with the Freak Freak,” Beastie Boys

Not the most technical bars, but anything that shows love to A. Mase is all love.

No. 50

We ballin’ like the March Madness

— “March Madness,” Future

Although he isn’t an elite lyricist, it’s hard to front on a song that’s this good and that name checks the biggest college hoops tourney in the world.

Photos via Getty Images, Portrait by Atiba Jefferson.

The post 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop: These are the Most Iconic Basketball References of All-Time appeared first on SLAM.

Do you have a favorite SLAM cover? Of course you do. Many of us take it a step further—we have a top 5 list. A list that we keep stored away for barbershop discussions or comments sections. Our GOAT list usually ticks a few criteria boxes: 1, how iconic the cover is; 2, the impact of the player’s career; and 3, the cover’s concept.

One of the dopest concepts in recent years was SLAM 222. It was the second year SLAM dropped “The Future Issue,” this time with a Back to the Future theme that saw each cover athlete rocking a SLAM cover tee—of the cover they were on. It. Was. Sick.

Not only did the concept hit very different, the choice of ballers was perfect. The first cover featured Zion Williamson, the No. 1 draft pick (already on his second SLAM cover). The second cover featured 2020 draftee LaMelo Ball. They both had enough hype from their pre-NBA careers to make them household names in the basketball universe.

But it would be Ja Morant who would make this trilogy truly complete. The discussion around the other two names meant that the 2019 draft prospect got comparatively little airtime, so the casual hoops fan might have been forgiven for not knowing who he was. Like any classic SLAM issue, though, its iconic status would develop as a player’s career gained traction. Ja’s reputation as one of the most spectacular players in the L grew quicker than his locks, putting dudes on posters early.

Zion’s cover probably goes the hardest in this set, but the fact that Ja is fast becoming your favorite player’s favorite player means that his SLAM cover debut has secured its place in SLAM cover history, and all three versions of SLAM 222 on your top 5.

The post The SLAM Archives: SLAM 222 Featuring Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and LaMelo Ball From July of 2019 appeared first on SLAM.

“You gotta think: somebody that can keep a dribble, show the ref that you’re holding them off balance but keep themselves on balance to finish or practice being unbalanced and finishing, they’ve mastered it,” Shumpert tells us on set. “You watch so many different players that come out of college polished [and] able to do things that we weren’t working on cause the college game wasn’t half that stuff wasn’t even allowed. The game is evolving and there’s becoming a universal understanding of what you can do.”

To put on performances like what we’ve seen so far this NBA season—from 71-point nights to 100-plus game totals—is as much testament to the level of talent as it is passion. “This young group, they’re so talented and in love with [the game],” Shumpert continues. “You know what I’m saying? They sleep with basketballs [and] their game shoes on. I love that. They be in pressure situations and they’ll still windmill it. Like, they don’t care and they are so locked in and so in love and trusting of their bodies. Me being somebody that had all them surgeries, I’m like, I wish I could trust my body on game 55, [and] I’m just doing a windmill on a breakaway in traffic. 

I remember being that young and just dribbling to a place and just being like, f*** it, let’s try it. I’ve never done it from this angle, turn this way contorted, but let’s do it. It’s like, those kids that were like five and they were trying those grown moves and you like, bruh, your ‘lil self can’t do that, like calm down. But they kept doing it and kept doing it and now they look at a grown up like, you ain’t even worked on the stuff I worked on. I mastered it.” 

Shumpert, who suited up for the Knicks and won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016, has both played alongside and against NBA superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Now, he’s witnessing firsthand how the next generation of standouts not only look up to the older players, but are taking their game even further. “Now, they look at a grown up like you ain’t even work on all the stuff I worked on. I mastered your game in my mind at eight. I start working on Steph Curry game, too, then I added a ‘lil Melo game ‘cause I had to learn how to play in the post. Now I got Kyrie Irving all up in my head so you can’t stop me. It’s crazy. It’s so cool to talk to a kid now that’s playing in the pros and they be like, yeah I been watching Kyrie my whole life and I be like, dang bro that’s crazy. I’m old. Me and Kyrie are old? Wow. Kyrie [is] younger than me so I’m like, Kyrie is who you look up to? We’re watching a new generation of just killas. It’s cool.”

As for the level of competitiveness in the League, Shumpert’s next take sparks a conversation amongst the Starting Five: “They wanna win but I meant the competitive nature of I’m gonna score on this end and you can’t score on the other end. I think the grittiness of that has left—part of it is them adjusting to officiating, the hand checking is gone, the ability to rough somebody up sorta got taken away completely but I just felt like that’s what [is lacking] when I watch it…I know what it’s like to be in the League and it’s like Iman you got four fouls, stop and I’m like, dog who’s letting somebody lay a ball up? Like why y’all mad at me, bro? I didn’t even foul ‘em, like that was a tic-tac call. But it’s like you don’t just get layups, you don’t just get open shots, you have to do it under duress or I don’t believe it. 

I’m one of those guys. I don’t believe he’s that good [if] he can’t do it under duress,” he adds. “…That’s what I end up watching but like I said that’s my personal [opinion]. I want y’all to play how I want y’all to play and it’s like nah, they worried about scoring 150 points and they’re doing it very well.”

As for what SetFree, Kiss and Danielle think? Watch the DraftKings’ Starting Five series here.

Photos via The Compound and DraftKings.  

The post Iman Shumpert Shares His Take on the Competitiveness of the NBA on DraftKings’ Starting Five  appeared first on SLAM.

 “We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but it was a great experience,” Collier says after his Wheeler (GA) High squad fell to SoCal power Sierra Canyon at USC’s Galen Center while 2 Chainz, Lil Dicky, Caleb Williams and other luminaries looked on. “Seeing all those celebrities courtside, the attention leading up to the game, it was new to me, and it was definitely intense. But it was great.”

The crowd was drawn in large part by a Sierra Canyon roster dotted with names like Hardaway, Pippen and James, of course, but the savvy fans in the building knew all about Collier, too. The 6-4, 205-pound lead guard is a consensus top-five player in the 2023 class—and depending on which ranking you check, you might just find him at No. 1. He didn’t have his best game in L.A., but even on an off night—he scored 17 in the loss—he showed plenty of signs of the skill set that made him arguably the most coveted prospect in the country.

The Trojans secured Collier’s commitment last November, and also signed his Wheeler teammate, top-60 big man Arrinten Page. They’re now a squad that could challenge for Pac-12 and national honors next spring. For Collier, the draw of L.A. was less about bright lights and famous fans than the chance to be near family and thrive in a system perfectly suited to his game.

“I got a lot of family out there—my brother and uncle, a lot of my cousins, they’re really all in L.A.,” he says. “And definitely Coach [Andy] Enfield, the program they have, I want to help get them to a Final Four and play that style they ran back at Florida Gulf Coast. I still watch those ‘Dunk City’ March Madness highlights on YouTube—all the dunks.”

Collier is indeed the sort of player a coach can build a championship contender around. Strong and savvy, he’s an athletic guard and great passer who plays aggressive but under control. Asked to name role models for his game, he offers the unlikely combination of Chris Paul—“his high IQ, getting teammates involved, the way he uses the pick and roll”—and Ja Morant—“a little bit, not as athletic, but always attacking the rim.”

Collier won’t call his game “complete” just yet—in particular, he knows his jump shot is still a work in progress—but he’s shown more than enough on some of the biggest stages at the prep level to justify the lofty ranking and high expectations. It was his run last summer that confirmed just how good he is and could still be. Coming off a knee injury, he snatched MVP honors at both Stephen Curry Camp and Under Armour Elite 24, then dominated on the EYBL circuit. He still has unfinished business at Wheeler—a state championship was understandably at the top of his senior year to-do list—but as far as individual high school résumés, Collier’s is stacked.

That résumé brings welcomed benefits—like the coveted photo shoot, seen here, he wrapped up a couple of days before our call—as well as attention that could derail a player lacking his focus and family support system. But in either case, Collier is good. “I’d say it’s a blessing, but I don’t really pay attention to all that,” he says. “It’s great to be recognized, and it’s also having a target on your back, getting everybody’s best game. But it doesn’t really impact me. I’ve got bigger goals in mind.” 

Portraits by Matt Odom.

The post National Player of the Year Isaiah Collier on Committing to USC, Handling the Spotlight and Making His Game Complete appeared first on SLAM.

He and Nethongkome started making the 1 by just talking. And then there was more talking. And a ton more talking. Morant was hype to get this going, emphasizing yet again what he’s said a few times in the past—he always wanted to sign with the Swoosh and get his own signature. So he and the design squad talked and talked and talked, about his wishes about his game, about previous Nike Basketball silhouettes that they’ve all loved to hoop in. 

Nethongkome went back with all of that information, studied Morant’s movements with the famous Nike Sports Research Lab to get a silhouette in the works, and then something started to take hold around the one-of-a-kind athleticism that #12 possesses. 

“Obviously, [this is] something I dreamed for, something I’ve wanted all along and finally, I got it,” Morant said post-griddy. “The process is a pretty long process. You just be ready for the shoe to come out, ready for the shoe to be done, ready for the world to know. It definitely was tough for me to keep quiet, but once they laid out that first pair, I tell them every time I see them that, ‘Y’all did it again.’ They just made my shoe come to life.”

The trio laughed at the story of Morant wearing the first prototype for the majority of a middle-of-the-process meeting, to which the former Rookie of the Year later admitted that he got “a little emotional” when he finally saw them for the first time. 

“When we met with him to unveil the shoe for the very first sample, that rough sample, he wore it the entire time,” Nethongkome told SLAM after the panel. “He was like a kid in a candy store. It must have been six hours… We were there for six, I think he had it on his feet for five.”

“A day I’d been waiting on for a long time,” Morant said. “Actually being able to finally get on the court, move, run around in them, dunk, which everybody likes that I do, it felt good.”

There are three areas of focus that had Morant so enthralled. Nethongkome calls them out as dynamic lockdown (showing up in the midfoot), a responsive forefoot and support for landing. That forefoot mudguard on the 1 helps with stability for the shiftiest player in the League. Also showing up in the forefoot is a Zoom bag. The midsole is elevated slightly in comparison to more recent Swoosh pairs, aided by a padded and plush collar. And because Morant is a two-foot jumper as he engages his personal thrusters, the sidewall guardrail was raised for when he decides to come down and join the rest of us who are gravity-bound.  

No. 12’s first sneaker also features the appearance of a brand new element. With the tunnel walk in mind (SHOUT OUT TO @LEAGUEFITS!!!), Nethongkome lifted the Swoosh up off the heel so that Morant could hold his sneakers while getting his pregame fits photographed. 

“I want him to be able to hold the shoe in a different way than other athletes when they walk in the tunnel,” Nethongkome said. “It’s integrated as a pull tab and also as a hold that encourages him to bring it into the tunnel.” He calls it a “protruding Swoosh,” holding up the 1 in exactly the way he imagined it during the 18-month creative process. 

It takes a long time to make this all happen. Over the last year and a half, Nethongkome and the Swoosh squad got to know Morant and his family pretty well. 

“I would just say he was involved and always accessible and open,” Munson told us. 

“Ja has been in the weeds with us, which is nice to have,” Nethongkome added. “He’s only a text away to get feedback.”

Samples and weartesting and colorway ideas and material resourcing and the science of how thick or slim to make the Zoom bag requires precision. All that and more is why Morant had to keep the 1 a secret for so long. And within everything that’s happened since the decision was made and this launch moment, there was enough space for a log to be kept of what Morant hoped to see realized with the 1.  

“There was a checklist of things he wanted an update on and the first thing he saw was Khairi’s name,” Nethongkome said. “So that, to me, nothing else mattered in that moment. He just was so in love with that.”

As of right now, Morant hasn’t played in too many different colorways. 

But that’s all about to change. 

“You only saw a sliver of what we’ve been working on the past 18 months and I just wish you could see what’s behind the other closets we have hidden. But just keep it locked,” Nethongkome said. “There are a lot of cool things coming out.”

True to that, Munson said during the panel that the 1 is among the richest number of drops they’ve had. He later told us about how they love to watch Morant be incredibly supportive of young kids coming up. The obvious example of that support is how he’s established a new tradition of giving away game-worn 1s to courtside fans. More than that, though, it’s what he does for his team, for people from Memphis to Dalzell, bringing so much hope and inspiration each and every time he jumps into the stratosphere and comes down to griddy. 

The post Inside the Design of the Nike Ja 1 appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr joined the LeagueFits ‘Survival of the Fitted’ podcast and weighed in on everything from his top dressed players in the League to why teammate Ja Morant dresses like a rapper.

Jackson also shared whether he’d rather be an NBA All-Star or LeagueFits All-Star? (hint: there is a right answer), if SOTF hosts, Ian and Joe, can qualify to get a 10 day contract, and so much more.

Check out the latest episode, and be sure to subscribe here.

The post WATCH: Jaren Jackson Jr on His Top Dressed Players in the League and Why Ja Morant Dresses Like a Rapper appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what happened in the NBA and WNBA over the weekend. Let’s get it!

Draymond Green Gets Candid in Interview with Taylor Rooks

Draymond Green recently sat down with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report. The Warriors legend dropped some revealing gems during their interview. Green admitted “the writings on the wall” when he was asked about leaving the Warriors as a free agent.

The two parties have had some incredible highs as four-time champs and a record-setting 2015-2016 regular, but the lows have been low during public spats with head coach Steve Kerr, Kevin Durant, and a controversial altercation with teammate Jordan Poole. When it comes to that infamous moment, Green said their relationship is “a work in progress,” and he’s willing to do the work because he was wrong.

He also said they “definitely moved forward” and that he’s “seen improvements day by day, week by week, month by month.”

TOMORROW pic.twitter.com/avHPFxt6MV

— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) January 13, 2023

Ja Morant’s Challenge to All Rim Protectors: ‘Jump with Me if You Want to Go Viral’

Do not get it confused; Ja Morant will never back down. The former No. 2 overall pick has posterized many a rim protector. Few, if any, were as impressive as Morant’s yam on Jalen Smith. The unbelievable slam was punctuated by Memphis winning their ninth straight game after beating Indiana, 130-112, on Sunday.

Postgame, Morant admitted his thunderous dunk was his best of the difficulty. Morant felt so good about it that he challenged all rim protectors to jump with him if they wanted to go viral.

“It’s what everybody has been waiting for. I finally made it.”

jump with me if you want to go viral https://t.co/3ESSiC3A1w

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 15, 2023

Jonquel Jones is Headed to New York Via Blockbuster Trade

Jonquel Jones is on the move! The 2021 MVP was a part of a three-team deal that will send her to the New York Liberty, while Rebecca Allen and Natasha Howard will be sent to the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, respectively. The Wings will also receive Liberty guard Crystal Dangerfield, Kayla Thornton will go to New York, and Ty Harris is headed to Connecticut.

Connecticut will also receive the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft.

JONQUEL TO BROOKLYN?!

Welcome to free agency @RachGall @Winsidr pic.twitter.com/PpZqvW1hgn

— WSLAM (@wslam) January 15, 2023

Nikola Jokic’s Game-Winner Sinks Orlando

Nikola Jokic delivered a stepback game-winner to sink the Orlando Magic 119-116. The back-to-back MVP posted 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists on 8-11 shooting from the field and 1-4 from beyond the arc.

“He stepped back, got the space, and just shot over the top,” teammate Aaron Gordon said per ESPN. “It was a beautiful shot.”

EVERY ANGLE OF NIKOLA JOKIC’S STEPBACK GAME-WINNER pic.twitter.com/007JQYDLas

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

LeBron James Inches Closer to History After Scoring 38,000 Career Points

The King is the second player to score 38,000 career points and is now 364 points away from breaking Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbarr’s career scoring record. James accomplished the historic feat after knocking down a three-pointer from the top of the arc. The four-time MVP posted 35 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the Lakers’ heartbreaking 113-112 loss to the 76ers.

LeBron tonight:

35 PTS
8 REB
10 AST

Only the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points pic.twitter.com/W7DvUvFB7s

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

The post Weekend Recap: LeBron James Makes History and Ja Morant Challenges All Rim-Protectors appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State outlasted Memphis 123-119 due to Jordan Poole’s magical 32-point outing helping make Ja Morant’s 36-point effort mute. The win was highlighted by some heated jaw-jacking between the Warriors and Grizzlies, particularly between teammates Klay Thompson (24 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 dimes, two blocks, one steal) and Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks.

#NBAXmas was a vibe.@MichelobULTRA || Joy Cam pic.twitter.com/N4sPUkAExM

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

At one point, Thompson hit a mid-range J from the free-throw line to put the Dubs up 16, and while he ran back to play defense, Brooks stumbled backward and fell. Replays showed Thompson leaning over Brooks and sticking his tongue out in Brooks’ face as he shuffled back to the other end of the court.

“Some good, old-fashioned trash talk,” Thompson said per ESPN. “It’s always fun to talk trash. We’ve been doing that since we were in middle school. You usually play your best, or you get frazzled. For me, it’s usually the former.”

Get hype, #DubNation pic.twitter.com/0Ao8iD1njD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Although the Warriors and Grizzlies may not call it a rivalry, it’s hard not to call it with all the evidence in front of us. The contention started after the Grizzlies outlasted the Warriors during the 2021 play-in tournament to get a first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz. The following year, the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 4-2 in the second round of the Western Conference semifinals.

That playoff rematch lit the flames of a burgeoning rivalry as Green got ejected in Game 1 for a Flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Clarke, and then he got elbowed in the eye during Game 2.

Brooks earned a one-game suspension for his role Gary Payton II missed extensive time after he fouled Payton hard on a fast break resulting in Payton suffering an elbow injury that knocked him out of 10 postseason games. The damage only seemed to stoke some flames as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Brooks out for violating an unwritten code.

From there, the second-round playoff series only got more heated and physical as Golden State tried to prove the old grizzled (no pun intended) vets had some juice left in them and could outlast the young and hungry Grizzlies. Once the series was over and Golden State marched on to win their fourth title in eight seasons, the Warriors, specifically Thompson and Green, took offense to Memphis talking trash and called them out for what they perceived to be disrespectful comments.

Way to bring the energy tonight, #DubNation

pic.twitter.com/pFXTGubWTj

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

After the championship parade, Green and Morant had a back-and-forth on Twitter, with both parties declaring their excitement for a primetime Christmas. The anticipation and hype did not fail as the Dubs and Grizzlies put on a show. However, the Grizzlies will have to wait a little longer to exact their revenge after losing on Sunday.

The post The Memphis-Golden State Rivalry Continued with ‘Trash Talk’ on Christmas Day appeared first on SLAM.

When we caught up with Redick after filming was done, he was just as reflective about his playing career and going into broadcasting and sports media.

“I think a big part of it was just going to play for the Clippers, to be honest with you,” Redick says of how he’s transitioned into media while being introverted. “Duke felt like a bubble. And then Orlando is a smaller market, even when we were really good it didn’t feel big. And when I went to the Clippers, big media market, a lot of eyeballs, we were a good team. The city’s huge. You start meeting people, you’re randomly at a fundraiser for the Democratic Party at Magic Johnson’s house and you’re up on stage with Harry Reid. And you’re like, what? How did I f***ing end up here? I’m taking a picture with Diane Keaton. 

“By the time I was doing ESPN [and] by the time we had launched the ‘The Old Man and Three’ in 2020, I was very comfortable by then. I look at those four years in L.A. as sort of the growth and the journey. That, to me, was a pivotal moment in my life—and it coincided with me becoming a father.  That gave me a whole new perspective on things and what mattered and not caring as much to be honest with you. Not being so sensitive.” 

The decision to get into podcasting for Redick really started out of curiosity. “It was something other than basketball, which is something that I had thought about for a long time,” he says, later adding: “It’s weird, because I grew up so introverted and now I have to have gotten comfortable. I have to talk a lot on camera.” 

It was around 2012-2013 when Redick, who was then playing on the Orlando Magic, took a trip to Boston to visit his best friend from high school. They hit up Fenway, as well as Harvard, where they ended up having a two-hour long conversation on the quad. “I remember thinking at the time, ‘I wish somebody had recorded that.’ I didn’t have the podcast [yet].” This moment ultimately contributed to the start of a journey that would lead to Redick diving into podcasting. 

Now, Redick has established himself as one of the strongest voices within sports media, offering both a deep knowledge of the game, as well as a player-first perspective. Whether he’s challenging Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take, interviewing superstars around the NBA on the “The Old Man and Three” podcast, including Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum, alongside co-host Tommy Alter, or going back and forth with the DraftKing’s Starting Five about the state of the game today, Redick admits that these are all skills—public speaking, asking questions, getting subjects to open up—that he’s had to learn and develop over time. Since he became the first active player to host a podcast when he launched a weekly show with Yahoo Sports in 2016, Redick has spent the past five years perfecting his craft with the same preparedness and attentiveness to the game as he did as a player. 

“There are certainly comparisons, there are certainly similarities. I think a lot about preparation. For me, being undersized with a short wingspan, not particularly bouncy, not particularly agile—I mean relative to you, I’m a better athlete, but relative to NBA players, I was on the lower end of the spectrum. So I had to prepare and people tell me all the time, and it drives me f***ing crazy, ‘Oh, you’re a natural.’ And I’m like, ‘Mmm, no, I’m not.’ It goes back to the extroverted thing. I’m not. I’ve actually got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of reps. Like last year, I would do a f***ing five-minute SportsCenter hit at 12 o’clock, I’m preparing 45 minutes for that. I get the questions. I’m doing my research. I’m thinking about clips. I do it the same way I played. That’s how I had to play and I look at it [like] I have to do it the same way here…Look, if we’re being honest, you go to Miami in Game 4, you’re down and you hit a big bucket down the stretch, you make the game-sealing free throws, and Joel gets the rebound to end the game and you’re going back in the locker room with your teammates to fly back to Philly to close them out. There’s no better feeling than that. We probably, as athletes, we probably won’t ever feel that again. There’s got to be some level of acceptance on that but you can still grind and search and challenge yourself in ways that you approximate that.”

When he’s watching the game these days, Redick pays keen attention to body language—a skill he learned at Duke while playing under Mike Krzyzewski. 

“I think it’s because I played for Coach K, I am big on watching body language—and I know that sounds weird. There’s four or five actions you can run in the NBA, and there’s three or four ways to defend those actions, generally. There’s some creativity around watching Phoenix or Dallas—the different ways they get into the pick and roll. I find it fascinating and when I call their games, I’ve tried to find ways to point this out and break it down because I think most casual fans [are like], ‘Explain pick and roll. What’s that?’ [and] the Twitter nerds, they love it.  But I watch body language a lot and when I’m evaluating a team, I’m watching the body language. When I’m evaluating a team winning or losing, I’m watching the body language. I’m watching players that have edge—I am fascinated by Jose Alvarado, T.J. McConnell, Marcus Smart. I love watching those guys. 

“And then, as a true basketball fan, and this is where I, like, for whatever reason, run into such headwinds. I appreciate greatness. Shouldn’t we all? I guess not because so much of the narrative side of it is pointing out all the failures of great players versus celebrating the longevity, the scoring, the winning. It annoys the f**** out of me, to be honest with you. It does. I love watching Tatum play, I love watching Ja Morant. I view games through the analytical lens for sure, but I’m also just a basketball fan. I retired and I was like, I’m going to take a break, and then I had to sign up for ESPN, but then, like, f***ing two weeks into the season I’m like, Jesus, man, I’m doing the same thing I did as a player. I’m watching eight [NBA] League Pass games, switching back and forth channels, channels, channels, and then it’s 12:30 at night and I’m like, Okay, I can finally go to bed because I’ve watched all the games.”

For Redick, there’s “two components” to the way he approaches his work now as an analyst and podcast host: “There’s the analysis of the game, which to me, seems very black and white,” he explains. “In that, I can go look at advanced stats, and I can talk about them all day, I can watch a play, and I can break that down. It’s cut and dry. The narrative side of media, which is where I think I’ve made some headway, if that makes sense, that is the gray. Tobias [Harris] and I talk about this all the time, because he was such a black and white person, and it used to drive me crazy. I’d be like, ‘Dude, you gotta learn to live in the gray.’ And I like to live in the gray. That’s how I operate in my life. And so I think, every conversation we have about narrative, it’s always super nuanced. I enjoy having those conversations. That, to me, is where you get a lot of disagreement. And that’s inevitable, because so and so player, team, their stans. And you are never going to change the opinion of a stan. You’re just not. But I enjoy having those conversations. And I’m not always right. I know I’m not always right. And I knew when I was wrong. I do, or at least I try to. Kings fans, I’ve acknowledged that I’ve admitted the whole trade, whatever.”

Then there’s Redick’s ability to understand his subjects, an attribute that has made him so compelling as an analyst. He’s been there, not just on the court, but as a professional athlete who’s been put under a magnifying lens by the media and general public. When the scrutiny surrounding Russell Westbrook gets brought up mid-interview, Redick offers both perspectives—there’s the one that only he, and his former NBA teammates, could ever possibly understand, and then there’s the outside, fan perspective. “So, number one, we’ve all been memed and GIF-ed. I think we’re all cognizant that the camera is on us, but we’re also human. And I remember during the [NBA] bubble, our second game, we got blasted by the Clippers and I had to lay down because of my back, so I never sat on the bench. I’m rolling my back …and I’m, like, staring into the abyss. That became a GIF for, like, four days and it’s like, Yeah, you caught me in a bad moment. I was f***ing pissed. We were losing by 30 in the third quarter. Like, it happens. So, the body language part I get and certainly players like Russ are scrutinized, especially once different storylines get added in.” 

It’s in the gray area where Redick shines most. By intertwining his knowledge of the game and 15 years of playing experience with his understanding of how NBA fandom works, as well as the media, Redick has been able to get players around the League to let their guard down and open up about never-before talked about topics, from mental health to getting cut from a team, in a way most broadcasters could only imagine. He’s still that same determined, competitive and straight-up clutch sharpshooter that he was at Duke and in the League—the only difference now is that he’s bringing that same passion to every assignment, every game and every interview. 

“It’s the juice. Yeah, that’s the juice for me,” Redick says of getting players to open up. “When I played, the competition part was such a drug. And the highs of it were just so good. The lows were so bad. But it was so addicting, all of it was so addicting. And as athletes we really struggle to recapture that in our post-playing days, it’s damn near impossible. I sometimes get it on the golf course. Going back to recording, for the podcast, for me, that is the drug. When PJ Tucker talks about how, at the end of his first season, the Raptors cut him and prior to cutting him for the playoff run, they brought him into the office, the whole staff was there, and they showed we’ve had a camera on you. For the last two weeks, here’s your body language in huddles, here’s your body language when your teammates scores, here’s your body language in practice. Like, when he tells that story, that’s a high for me. When DeMar [DeRozan] opens up about his mental health approach and his struggles and his journey there, that’s a high for me. You don’t always get that in every interview or every episode, but when you get it, God, it’s so f***ing good.”

Watch the latest episode of the DraftKings Starting Five series featuring JJ Redick here. 

The post JJ Redick Quickly Became a Rising Star in Sports Media by Approaching it the Same Way He Approached the Game appeared first on SLAM.

Pat McInally has lost track of how many times he’s told the story, but he still has a lot of fun telling it. And why wouldn’t he? Not many people can claim to have inspired arguably the most enduring and iconic sports collectible line, well, ever.

Not long after he retired from a 10-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, McInally was writing an advice column for parents of young athletes when he met then-Kenner executive Bruce Stein. When the toy executive asked McInally if he had any ideas for new products, McInally thought about the ubiquity of G.I. Joe figures and of the popularity of real-life athletes. Eventually, the idea evolved into a pitch: Why not something that combined the fame of the biggest sports stars with the coolness of an action figure? 

When the team at Kenner heard the idea, McInally remembers, “Everybody loved it. They were all asking, Why didn’t we think of this?” The Starting Lineup brand launched in 1988 and became an instant classic. Featuring NFL, MLB and NBA greats, the line was a hit with kids and collectors alike, building on what at the time was cutting-edge realism in design. Retired in 2001, it lived on as a cultural touchstone with legendary status among collectors.

And now, with a level of realism the original line couldn’t have imagined, Starting Lineup is back. McInally’s genius idea has been upgraded for the times, building on a few decades’ worth of advances in digital technology while maintaining the inspiration behind the original line. For fans and collectors of all ages and interests, it’s reason to celebrate.

The folks at Hasbro, which now oversees the Starting Lineup brand, are pretty excited about it as well. 

“I’ve lived this as a collector, so it’s incredible to now be a part of it,” says Justin Spagnuolo, Director, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing at Hasbro. “It’s been so cool seeing how deep the collection’s roots go—the Facebook groups that follow all the old-school stuff, collectors still buying, selling and trading. It’s a live thing, so it’s great seeing the interest in the new line.”

The new generation of Starting Lineup kicks off with eight current NBA All-Stars, a group that, from all-time greats like LeBron James and Stephen Curry to young stars like Ja Morant and Luka Dončić, harkens back to the legends of the original late ’80s run. McInally comes from football, of course, but he has great appreciation for the value the original NBA lineup played in the launch of the brand.

“Michael Jordan was the key, of course,” McInally says of the player whose career statistical peak coincided with the Starting Lineup launch. “I remember that first set had Jordan, Patrick Ewing, all those guys. Let’s face it, they were neat.”

From the head-to-toe, hyper-realistic detail of the players themselves to the NFT trading card included with each new figure, the 2022 relaunch is light years beyond the original run. But the history that aligns McInally’s perfect idea with the newest iteration of the line is what makes Starting Lineup special. And the best part? 

As Spagnuolo promises, “We’re just getting started.” 

The post The Evolution of Starting Lineup: How the Brand is Changing the Game of NBA Action Figures appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis (19-11) is second in the West behind the Nuggets, who have a similar record. Morant is averaging 27.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field and 34.6 percent beyond the arc. Morant has done a lot of heavy lifting, with Desmond Bane still missing in action because of a sprained big toe he suffered in November.

That said, Morant is confident in Memphis’ place within the NBA hierarchy. The 2022 All-Star told Andrews that he believes the Boston Celtics (22-9) are the team to beat and the main team the Grizzlies will have to run through in order to win a championship. When the NBA Today host asked about the Western Conference, Morant said, “I’m fine in the West.”

The strong words come a season after the Grizzlies finished second in the West and lost a six-game second-round series to the eventual champion Warriors. The Southwest Division winners gave the Warriors a run for their money, but a Morant knee injury and the championship DNA of the Warriors were too much for the Grizzlies.

Through it all, the ’22 playoff run was marked by plenty of jaw-jacking, hard-nosed defense, and remarkable shotmaking from a Grizzlies team looking to burst through the championship scene. Memphis will look to exorcise those demons this season and make it to the Conference Finals and possibly beyond, with the Warriors facing some trouble with their win-and-develop-now approach to the season.

The post Ja Morant: Memphis Grizzlies Are ‘Fine in the West’ appeared first on SLAM.

But being 6’2″ and leading the NBA in paint scoring? Nah, Ja Morant is different for that. The fourth-year guard says the answer is simple as the fact that “motherf—ers can’t stay in front of me.” We can laugh at the comment all we want, but big facts are big facts; the 23-year-old out of Murray State led the League in points scored in the paint last season, becoming the first guard to do so in at least 25 years.

The behind-the-back in-transition at the speed he’s going. Sheesh, Ja. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/ztqceYs5Ss

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 14, 2022

And he does it with a God-given burst, the ability to change directions like a cheetah chasing it’s prey, and a shifty handle that even Allen Iverson could admire. Not to mention his supernatural ability to finish at the rim going around and through centers, Morant has taken notes from athletic guards like Derrick Rose and Iverson, two elite guards who won MVPs in 2001 and 2011, an ironic ten-year gap.

“People look at that athletic stuff, but that happens once a game or once every two games,” teammate Desmond Bane said of Morant’s highlight-reel dunks per ESPN. “But he finishes with 26 points and 20 of them are in the paint, so it’s like, how the hell did he get the other 18?”

Come on now, Ja. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/BcW8dIlKiO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 16, 2022

One weapon Morant uses is his floater. Morant has 40.7 percent of the 90 floaters he attempted this season, and he’s averaging 14.5 points in the paint per game, good for seventh-best in the League. Last year, he hit same shot 44.7 percent of the team.

“It allows me to not receive contact every time,” Morant said, “being able to have that floater right before I get to the big.”

Morant can also dive deep into his bag and finish with either hand, and he thrives launching to the rim off one foot, two feet, leaping off his left instead of the right or vice versa. Morant is finishing his lefty layups 57.5 percent of the time this season.

Trip dub in The Garden? Go crazy, Ja.

27 pts
14 ast
10 reb

(via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/YEE2tb27un

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 28, 2022

Morant has 37 games with 20 paint points amongst guards in the last 25 years, fourth behind Dwyane Wade (56), Russell Westbrook (54), and Kobe Bryant (39). This season, Morant is the only player 6’3″ and under in the top seven of paints in the point scored per game. The only guard ahead of him Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 6’6′ breakout point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I can’t just rely on dunking every single play, so I have to have different types of finishes to be able to get my shot off,” Morant said, “whether it’s high off the glass, same leg/same hand, reverse, hanging in the air forever.”

Memphis will look to win their fifth game in a row against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

The post How Ja Morant Became the Top Paint Scorer in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

The @memgrizz announced the following medical update: pic.twitter.com/dqrovrIQYW

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) December 8, 2022

The Grizzles said Bane is progressing in rehab and that if his sprained toe responds positively to a “reloading protocol,” he’ll be able to return to play by the end of December or early January. Bane was initially expected to miss at least 2-3 weeks of action.

des bane wit the dot cause he aim different pic.twitter.com/TVd9YjqCMM

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) November 12, 2022

Bane was averaging a career-high 24.7 points. 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game and quickly established himself as the Robin to Ja Morant’s Batman when he suffered his toe injury.

The post Desmond Bane Expected to Miss An Additional 3-4 Weeks Due to Big Toe Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Every few years, someone tries to claim the dunk is dead.

OK, so not dead dead—it’s still the highest-percentage shot in basketball, and it’s always satisfying to see someone yam over a defender or finish with a flourish on the break. But when the game evolves, as it always does, and players boasting dazzling handles or dead-eye accuracy from deep rise to prominence, the narrative shift almost feels inevitable. Some may ask, Are dunks still the most exciting part of the game?

According to highlight reels and quite possibly your social feed, the answer is, emphatically, Did you just see that?!?!? Take Ja Morant. The Memphis Grizzlies’ fourth-year guard with a skill set so compelling that it’s difficult to argue for anyone else as the most dynamic—maybe the most fun—player in the League today.

Ja was a mid-major star at Murray State and a rookie phenom in his first season with the Grizz, and he’s only gotten better since. His offensive game is much more than scoring, let alone dunks. He led all of Division I in assists as a sophomore, dropping 10 dimes a game even as he averaged nearly 25 ppg, and he averaged 7.1 apg through his first three NBA seasons. And from midrange 

to beyond the arc, his jumper keeps backpedaling defenders honest. But the dunks are the hook, the inspiration for the viral posts on loop, the thing that gets kids and old heads alike out of their seats.

Morant dunks like he’s got a point to make, like it’s vital that you remember what you just saw. He is quick, fast and explosive, a blur of hangtime and extension and angry finishing. All the great ones dunk like they’re mad—at the defender, at the rim, at some perceived lack of respect from someone, it doesn’t matter who. Ja’s got that, and he’s shown it repeatedly, most memorably against Minnesota in the playoffs last spring. Off two feet, from well outside the circle, a finish that blew the roof off the gym. He already boasts an incredible collection of posters, and he came close to topping all of them against Cleveland during his rookie season, nearly hurdling a defender five or six inches taller and almost finishing a dunk that any other 6-3 guy would be crazy to even attempt. Everyone was amazed, but no one was surprised. This is what Ja does.

And of course, he does it with style, from the chutes of color in his stand-up dreads to the notches on his eyebrow. It’s all captured in his likeness here, imbued with the personality and charisma he brings to the game. 

The dunk is very much alive. Thanks, Ja.

The post Starting Lineup’s New Ja Morant Action Figure Captures the Personality and Charisma He Brings to the Game appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it.

AD Went Off and Dropped a 55-Piece in Washington, DC:

Hear straight from Mr. 55 Points pic.twitter.com/ktoVNdXLO1

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 5, 2022

Anthony Davis dropped a season-high 55 points (31 in the second half) on 22-30 shooting from the field (2-3 from beyond the arc) and grabbed 17 rebounds to help the Lakers drop the Wizards 130-119. Davis is the first Laker to drop back-to-back 40 balls since Kobe Bryant did it in 2013. AD scored 44 against Milwaukee on Friday. He’s averaging 35.3 points per game over his last nine appearances.

“Our team is locked in right now,” Davis said, per ESPN. “Very focused on both sides of the ball. Overall, we’re just trying to make up ground.”

The Lakers (10-12) won their fifth straight road game and are now 8-2 over their last 10 games after starting the season with a 2-10 record.

He’s Baaaaack:

Khris Middleton returned to Milwaukee’s starting lineup on Friday when the Bucks took on the Lakers. The former champion played 27 minutes and posted 17 points on 6-11 shooting (3-4 from the three-point line), two rebounds, and seven assists in a 133-129 loss to Los Angeles.

“It felt really good to be back out there with the guys competing, playing,” Middleton said, per ESPN. “Just a range of emotions. Been through a lot these last couple months — happy, sad, anxious, nervous. To finally get out there and play and get a lot of those nerves past me, it felt pretty good.”

Khris made his return to the court tonight.

17 PTS | 2 REB | 7 AST | 3-4 3PM pic.twitter.com/gMCAWWyNlA

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 3, 2022

Grand Theft Alvarado Makes Pelicans History:

Jose Alvarado dropped a career-high 38 points on 12-19 shooting (8-11 from downtown) to help the Pelicans sail past the Nuggets, 121-106. Alvarado’s 38-point effort was the most a reserve has scored in Pelicans history. It’s also the most scored by an undrafted player in franchise history. Alvarado has also set the season-high mark for a bench player to score.

“It’s amazing,” Alvarado said, per ESPN. “Like, it could never get old. It is my second year, and every time they scream out ‘Jose’ and do the chant or just show me so much love, it keeps giving me goosebumps. And it makes me want to keep playing as hard as I can.”

JOSE’S WORLD

WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT pic.twitter.com/1qddXzB7wB

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 4, 2022

Ja x Jaden Jersey Swap Moment:

Ja Morant and Jaden Ivey, the two most explosive point guards in the League, exchanged jerseys after their latest battle over the weekend. Morant led the Grizzlies past the Pistons, 122-112, after contributing 33 points, 21 in the third quarter, and 10 assists to help Memphis win for the fifth time in their last five games.

Morant was on fire, going 8-10 from the floor and assisting on all three buckets he didn’t score to help Memphis build a 101-83 lead. Ivey (10 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals) has looked at Morant as a big brother since his mom, Notre Dame WBB head coach Niele Ivey was hired as an assistant on Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff during the 2019-2020 season.

Ivey and Morant formed a tight bond while Morant would do his pregame workout, primarily by talking about upcoming games or life. Coach Ivey was also responsible for pregame scouting reports and did skill work with players. That relationship helped Jaden gain the confidence to pick Morant’s brain whenever he was at Memphis games or practices.

The two explosive point guards share a similar electrifying downhill style. Morant’s success as Rookie of the Year and All-Star can be a blueprint for a rookie looking to become a centerpiece of the Pistons’ rebuild toward championship contention.

Draymond Gets Fined, but a Fan is Cool With It All:

On Thursday, Draymond Green was fined $25k for “directing obscene language toward a fan” when the Warriors took on and lost to the Mavericks, 116-113.

The fan involved in the interaction, Alykhan Rehmatullah, defended the four-time champ on Twitter after identifying himself as the fan Green was arguing with. Rehmatullah said he and Green “were just having fun” and offered to “match the $25k to your favorite charity or NBA Cares.” Rehmatullah told ESPN that he “didn’t take offense” and when Green called Rehmatullah’s pledge “a cool gesture” and said, “you don’t see that happen.”

The exchange occurred with 11:20 left on the clock when the teams were lined up for a free throw attempt after Rehmatullah started giving Green a hard time about his sneakers. In Green’s perspective, there was “a lot of name-callings,” which led to Green turning around and telling the fan to “sit down, shut up, and watch the f——ing game.”

The two haven’t spoken to each other, but Green said he was planning to do so while saying that “the money should go somewhere” and that it should specifically “help someone’s kid.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post NBA Weekend Recap: Khris Middleton is Back (and Better) While Anthony Davis Made Lakers History appeared first on SLAM.

It was nearly 35 years ago when a new, first-of-its-kind line of sports collectibles landed on store shelves and changed, well, everything. A slight overstatement, perhaps, but for collectors and diehard sports fans, the arrival of the Starting Lineup brand really was a game-changer, an unprecedented way to express their fandom, scratch their collecting itch and rep the players whose games inspired them. The line quickly became iconic, and more than two decades later, the Starting Lineup brand remains just that—a classic, cultural reference point and a coveted collectible.

And now, to paraphrase one of the stars of the original Starting Lineup NBA run, “They’re back.”

After hinting at it last spring and summer, Hasbro this fall confirmed the return of Starting Lineup for a new generation of fans and collectors—and fittingly, the new line not only highlights the best and most dynamic players in today’s NBA, but does so with cutting-edge technology that adds brand-new digital components and brings an almost unbelievable level of realism to play. The result? Once again, Starting Lineup has changed the game.

And while the brand will once again run across all the major sports leagues, it’s the NBA’s unequaled star power that will lead Starting Lineup’s rebirth.

“If you look at the history of the original line starting in 1988, one of the most iconic Starting Lineup figures was that ’88 Michael Jordan,” says Justin Spagnuolo, Director, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing for Hasbro. “The NBA just felt like the right way to go, and the League and the Players Association have been great partners in getting us there.”

While everything about the new line nods to the brand’s history, the line itself couldn’t be more of the moment. Just look at that list of players: LeBron James. Stephen Curry. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ja Morant. Luka Dončić. Joel Embiid. Jayson Tatum. Trae Young. An eight-man rotation you could put up against pretty much any lineup in NBA history, with a barrel full of championship rings, MVP awards and All-Star bids among them. 

Now look closer, literally, at the players themselves. The level of detail, the accuracy, the video-game realism…it’s crazy. And yes, that’s very much by design. “For us, the player likeness is the No. 1 thing—that’s been the Hasbro specialty, being as authentic to the player as possible,” Spagnuolo says. “We know from a consumer standpoint, that’s what the fans want, to be as lifelike as possible. To get that kind of likeness on a 6-inch figure is staggering.”

As an example, Spagnuolo points to Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies’ all-everything, highlight-generating young guard. From his hair to kicks—literally, from head to toe—Morant’s likeness is incredibly lifelike. Spagnuolo says that when Morant first unboxed his own Starting Lineup likeness, he was “blown away by how much it looks like him. It’s all about that level of detail, and we’ve carried that across the board.”

As one of the League’s most exciting young players, Morant represents everything the new Starting Lineup is striving for: a signature look, a dynamic style of play and a game worthy of immortalizing. Beyond marveling at the detail of his own replica, Morant shared with the Starting Lineup team how much he appreciated being included in the line as “a sign of how hard I’ve worked.” It’s a message that resonates with the Starting Lineup creative team.

Of the full lineup, Spagnuolo notes the unique mix of personalities and skill sets they bring, and the range of up- and-coming stars to Hall of Fame-bound veterans. 

“You’ve got guys like Ja, who’s absolutely ridiculous and ready to take over, and then a global icon like LeBron James. We’re just trying to cast the widest net and bring all these personalities to life.”

Of course, it’s not only the personalities and the game that have changed—this new generation of NBA superstars exists in a very different world than the original Starting Lineup run. That’s reflected throughout the new line, from each player rocking highly detailed shoes that are accurate to brand, model and colorway—which the players themselves determined, of course—to relative heights that are realistic to scale, to articulation that allows fans to recreate signature poses and shots, from dunks to dribbles to jumpers. Then there are the accessories: two extra sets of hands to customize the action, a display base and flight stand, a Panini trading card and a link to a Panini NFT trading card.

There will be much more to come in the resurgent Starting Lineup run, including more NBA players (hey, no spoilers), the recently announced NFL line, and…well, you’ll just have to wait and see. But it feels appropriate that the NBA line is leading this return. In the same way that the greatness of today’s stars, from LeBron to Luka to Ja, has been built on the foundation of Jordan and those who came before and after, there’s a direct line running from those original Starting Lineup figures through the newly launched line. In both cases, they’ve evolved, taking the best of the past and lifting it to new heights.

As Spagnuolo puts it, “History is a big part of our story.” Indeed, it’s the combination of that rich history with next-level tech innovation and the NBA’s biggest stars that makes the present and future of Starting Lineup so cool to be a part of. 

The post The Rebirth of Cool: Starting Lineup is Back with the First in a Series of NBA Action Figures appeared first on SLAM.

The last time we caught up with the man behind the 7, the same one who founded the AND1 mixtapes, he was quarantining in Mexico and designing impactful social justice-inspired t-shirts that were worn by players around the NBA from inside the Bubble in Orlando. At the time, The Compound was located in the Bronx, but since its relocation to Kings County, it’s obvious that Set Free’s initial vision for the space has reached a different magnitude. He’s created a space entirely for artistic expression and curation, and nearly every square inch of the studio is, in his own words, a “living, breathing creative gallery,”—once you walk past the KG jersey, there’s even a custom Star Wars-inspired wallpaper of Luke Skywalker that reads, Meanwhile back at The Compound, the battle continues, and with Yoda saying, “Do or Do Not. There is No Try!”

As we walk throughout the studio, and past a room still in construction that Set Free reveals is going to become a recording studio—the space feels like a sneak peek into his mind, passions and interests, from the work of art to the sports memorabilia and vintage antiques. Hanging up on one wall are stunning, black-and-white portraits of the late-DMX and The Lox—Jadakiss has also been featured in a recent episode of DraftKings’ new The Starting Five series, which is filmed live in The Compound. In another corner of the room is a sophisticated-looking lounge area with microphones set up for podcasting, and a set of turntables on top of an antique, wooden chest—a nod to Set Free’s DJing days. Not too far away is an antique barber chair that looks like it’s from the early 1900s, down to the red leather and wood paneling. Wherever you turn, there’s something to marvel at. 

“A lot of art galleries, you can’t touch anything, you don’t feel like you are part of it,” Set Free later says while sitting inside his office. “I wanted The Compound to be this living, wall of art that you can be a part of and it inspires you to create.” 

The Starting Five series is filmed, specifically, in the living room-type area with plush, brown leather couches that are perfect for not only kicking back, but debating the game, music and culture. It’s here where Set Free has powerful conversations about basketball lifestyle with exclusive guests Jadakiss, former NBA star Baron Davis and streetball legend “Skip to My Lou.” In a recent episode where the Yonkers music artist discusses one of his most special albums, you might notice that sitting on a coffee table are an assortment of memorabilia—from magazines (including a copy of the SLAM Presents Warriors special issue) to action figures. 

When we stopped by The Compound in November, it appeared that Set Free had switched it up with works of art one could only imagine to see in person—from Kevin Durant’s KD10 signature kicks, which he wore when he won his first NBA championship in 2017 (a gift to Set Free from KD), to the AND1 mixtapes in their original yellow, blue, brown and fire-engine red cassette boxes. 

It’s one thing, though, to see the mixtapes in person, but it’s another to later hear from Set Free about how he thinks the game has evolved and is moving to its own beat. 

“I just love seeing the game evolve with the new generation of young stars. [With the griddy dance], I don’t think there was ever an NBA player that did a dance [like Ja Morant], [Stephen] Curry with the shimmy with the shoulders. It’s exciting, it’s like seeing two generations of the game being played. On one hand you got Ja Morant, Trae Young, Luka [Doncic], [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown and then you still have [James] Harden, [LeBron] James and Kawhi [Leonard]. Seeing these two worlds is incredible, and then with seeing the worlds you’re also seeing the connection. One of the things I say is, [when we were growing up], everybody in the NBA wore high top sneakers. Now all the guys are wearing these low cuts, and they look incredible. LeBron even took his sons to the Nike meeting to design a sneaker with him. So, you know, you’re seeing a generational culture clash that’s really exciting. I’m seeing Ja dunking over veterans and I’m like, Oh my goodness. But then I’m seeing LeBron dunking on kids, and it’s incredible. So, for me, just to see the older generation and the younger generation, with the music, fashion, with the style of play—it’s been one of the most exciting years I’ve seen in a while.”

When asked to describe the tempo of the game today, in relation to music, Set Free pauses and marvels at the thought. “Wow,” he whispers, later adding: “Creatively, intensely fast. It’s like some of the things I’m seeing, [I think when] Ja Morant went up [for a dunk], caught some contact in the air and changed it to a finger roll. … LeBron is still dunking like he’s in his twenties, Tatum is going crazy, Zion, when he’s playing, it’s very intense, creative and it’s fast.” 

Set Free isn’t just an admirer of how the game is being played, but the culture of the game as a whole. When asked who stands out to him style-wise in the tunnel, he doesn’t hesitate to name LeagueFits MVP Jordan Clarkson. “He’s a star. … He puts it together right. I don’t think it’s about the brands, he wears high end [brands] and pieces nobody knows. You don’t have to go to Paris anymore, just watch the beginning of Sportscenter.”

Other fashionable players around the League that he mentions include Jayson Tatum and James Harden, but when asked what he thinks about players walking the runway at New York and Paris Fashion Week, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Set Free explains: “What happened is, [there] was a transition, though, from players sitting front row in Paris, and shoutouts to Virgil [Abloh], he kind of brought a lot of NBA players to his shows. The NBA players were always the model type—they’re thin, slim, tall, the exact build of a model—so it was just a transition from them sitting in the front row to being on stage now. I always thought it was coming.”

Nearly every answer from Set Free, whether it’s about basketball, fashion, and hip-hop, is woven together through the lens of a passionate admirer of the culture. “For me, music is a beat that always never changes. No matter the artists, it always does something the same way. Basketball is the only thing with a genre of music connected. So, when you say basketball, you say hip-hop. If you say golf, you don’t see music. Tennis, there’s no music [there]. But it’s always been this way [with basketball]. At one point it was Public Enemy that drove that beat and then Nas and Mobb Deep, it’s still this same connection to me from Drake to Rick Ross at one point, Lil Wayne and Cash Money at [another] point. 

“I mean, for me with the AND1 mixtape, it started with Common and Mos Def and Busta Rhymes, but now it’s 2Chainz, Lil Baby, J Cole but it’s still the same feeling now and which I’m happy about. Super happy about all the collaborations, the [DJ Khaled] album, NBA Youngboy, Griselda is one of my favorites. Of course, the legends of the Jadakiss’s and Cam’rons, and all the “babys”—Lil Baby, DaBaby, I’m baby-ied out, in a good way…It’s an exciting time in music [and] I love how the players embrace it. You know, you’ve seen them [wearing] in ear [headphones], over-ears coming through the tunnel, pregame, shootaround. You see them [mentioned] in lyrics, and even with the griddy-thing…I don’t think music is going to leave the NBA, hip-hop is so connected [with it]. At one time it was movie stars like Jack Nicholson, Bill Murray, but now those [courtside] seats are filled by Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.” 

Just as the game is changing, Set Free and The Compound are also constantly evolving, too. As a self-declared “artistic, cluttered minimalist,” Set Free admits that when he first arrived at the space and it was empty, he could look at every blank wall and know exactly how many frames would fit. 

“[When I walked in] and saw it empty, I literally [knew] every block where everything fits. I stood in the middle, and was like, five paintings fit there, three fit there, six on that wall. If you’ve noticed, every space is almost full. I’m going crazy because I’m waiting on tables for that space. For me, it’s just art and math. Like that gray wall, ten frames is going to fit perfectly on that.” 

Like every artist, Set Free is rarely ever satisfied with the way things look in The Compound, and he’s constantly been moving and changing the layout around. But like every visionary, he sees an opportunity to create something new and innovative. That’s the future of The Compound. 

“It’s always evolving. But I think that’s what keeps it fun. Like, usually [with] the last Compound [space No. 1], maybe twice a year, definitely maybe once, I would take all those 10 frames down, put them back in storage and go get new art and put it in that sport to keep [it] refreshing.”

With his blessing, Set Free wraps up the interview by encouraging us to wander freely around the space and take it all in. To get close enough to really see every intricate detail of the art, the jerseys, the mixtapes and the NBA championship kicks. After all, The Compound is meant to capture all of your wildest, most creative curiosities.  

The post Inside the Creative Mind of Set Free Richardson and the 3rd Version of his Famed Creative Space—The Compound appeared first on SLAM.

ICYMI: 

Most of the fireworks on Friday night happened in Houston in an absolute shoot-out between the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined for 83 points, but it wasn’t enough. After leading by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, Atlanta squandered the lead, and the Rockets surged late to capture their fourth win of the season, 128-122.

Despite Murray scoring a career-high 39 points and making a career-high eight threes, the Hawks couldn’t get the job done. A big reason for this was their performance on the boards in the absence of Clint Capela, who was out due to dental pain. Houston outrebounded Atlanta 59-28. This included a 22-6 drubbing on the offensive boards and a 37-22 advantage on the defensive boards.

Most of the headlines after the game were about the aftermath of a third-quarter scrum between each team’s respective backcourt. Young and Murray did plenty of showboating on the way to scoring a combined 83 points, and you get the sense that Green and Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t like it one bit. Green and Porter took to Instagram to mock Young following the game. Green waved goodbye to the Hawks after their 18-point fourth quarter. 

Ja Morant messed around and dropped a triple-double in Madison Square Garden, dropping 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 dimes. He’s been highly productive during Desmond Bane, who suffered a sprained big toe injury on Nov. 15 and won’t be back for at least another week.

Postgame, Morant credited New York Knicks point guard and Chicago/Memphis legend Derrick Rose for paving the way for hyper-athletic guards by saying; 

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

Klay Thompson was off to a rough start on the offensive side of the ball to begin the season, but he’s beginning to get on track. He shot 61.5 percent from the field in Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Golden State scored 47 points in the first quarter and never really looked back. They had crisp offensive execution the entire game. 

The Boston Celtics continued their winning ways. They have won 12 of their last 13 games. They are a League-best 16-4 on the season. Jaylen Brown had 36 points in their most recent win sans Jayson Tatum against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics are poised for a return to the NBA Finals if they keep playing the way they’re playing. 

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and the Brooklyn Nets are now only a single game under .500 following their 111-97 win against the Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Seth Curry was a big factor in the win against his former squad, with 29 points on 11-15 shooting. 

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind and is turning some heads. Fox has been shooting a career-high 53 percent from the field, helping him average 25.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

Fox has the Kings sitting in sixth place in a jammed Western Conference with a record of 10-8. Fox’s play has been so good that this past weekend, he inked a deal with one of the biggest and most well-known sports agencies in basketball Klutch Sports. For Sacramento, Fox’s recent play and lead role in the Kings’ resurgence could be just what the team needs to end their 16-year playoff drought.

The Kings have the talent and youth to be very disruptive if given a postseason opportunity. The team’s additions of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk (in addition to Fox’s play) have been a great fit. Hopefully, Fox and the team can continue this momentum.

Over the weekend, the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in their last four games. During the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Russell Westbrook was going up for a layup after previously grabbing a rebound and was fouled on the way up by Spurs center Zach Collins. When Westbrook rose up from the ground heated from the foul, you could see that he had a cut and was visibly bleeding from his forehead.

The two teams got together for what seemed like a couple of seconds after the foul, but everyone was calmly escorted to their respective benches. Westbrook, who was fuming for a good reason, was taken away by LeBron James, who quickly compressed Westbrook’s head wound with a towel and walked him over to the bench to be further examined by the Lakers team doctors.

Once the situation calmed down, a Flagrant 2 foul was given the Collins, and a tech was given to Westbrook. Postgame, James commented on the altercation, saying;

“I saw where the cut was immediately. It was just common sense to put pressure on the cut right away. Don’t let it continue to go. Before we became teammates, we’ve always been like brothers and cool and things of that nature. His health is more important than the game of basketball. We were just trying to stop that and let the training staff do their job after we got him over to the bench.”

Miami center Bam Adebayo has had a quiet yet phenomenal stretch over the Heat’s last six games averaging 25.5 points per game and 10.2 rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field. However, in Adebayo’s last two games, he has scored over 30 points and has been a key contributor toward the end of games on both the defensive and offensive sides.

The Heat are currently on a three-game win streak led by Adebayo’s diverse and consistent play, and the team looks to carry that momentum into their Wednesday matchup with the 2022 Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND:

Ja Morant’s father asked for his son’s jersey for the first time in Morant’s career. Morant stated that it was “special” for him to get a triple-double in the Garden and that it was a place that he always had a special feeling for.

Morant admitted after Sunday’s game that MSG was special for him to have a triple-double since it was a place he watched in so many games on television as a kid — which was why his father made the unusual request for his jersey.

“It’s just the bright lights, man,” Morant told ESPN post-game. “Having a triple-double in the Garden is crazy. Growing up actually watching teams come here and play, watching the Knicks play — everybody loves the Garden. We really called it the bright lights. Everybody is watching. So for me to be able to go out and play like I played tonight was big-time for me.”

The post ICYMI: We Got You Covered With Thanksgiving Weekend News appeared first on SLAM.

Rose has been in the League since 2008 and, like Morant, was also a lottery pick after the Chicago Bulls selected him with the first overall pick. Rose is the youngest player ever to win the NBA MVP Award at just 22, and if Morant keeps up his current level of play at 23, he could possibly join him.

Rose and Morant have very similar play styles from their relentless slashing, defying the laws of physics for crafty layups, and making memorable electrifying finishes at the rim.

As Morant and Rose squared off in the Garden last night, you could tell that Morant and Memphis were on a mission. Morant powered the Grizzle’s to a win over the Knicks by dropping his fifth career triple-double. Morant finished with 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Postgame, Morant reflected on the comparisons that he has drawn to Rose.

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

It is always nice to see the next generation give their respect to those who helped to influence them and their game coming up. It just goes to show no matter what stage of your career that you’re in, respect for the game never goes out of style.

The post Ja Morant: Derrick Rose ‘Made it to Where People Believe in’ Athletic Guards appeared first on SLAM.

They now have the highest offensive rating in the League t. 

DeAaron Fox battled Ja Morant throughout the night, and he finished with a big 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. He also made five three-pointers en route to victory. His backcourt mate and newcomer Kevin Huerter continued his impressive play and great shooting as well; he had 18 points on 60 percent shooting and 57.1 percent from the three-point land.

Domantas Sabonis filled the stat sheet with nine points, 13 boards, and eight dimes. The veteran Harrison Barnes also had 26 points. Malik Monk coolly knocked in two free throws to extend their lead with 3.9 seconds remaining in the game and permanently out of reach (amidst Morant’s heckling). 

Head coach Mike Brown’s new scheme has the Kings playing inspired basketball and has freed up the talented roster for balanced contributions from all over the roster. 

“We made a lot of mistakes down the stretch that could have cost us the game, but we found a way to win,” Brown said following the game. “Hopefully, we’ll learn from that.” 

This is the Kings’ first time winning seven straight games since 2004. Sacramento hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006, but if they continue at this rate, their winning streak might be enough to break their sustained absence. 

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When Brown was asked how to keep the Kings head on straight following their recent successes, Brown said, “you just keep telling them the truth. There’s nothing tricky about it, you know?”

“You play well; you tell them you play well. When you don’t play well, you tell them we’re not playing well,” Brown said. “As long as you keep it real with them, all those guys in the locker are all competitive, and they want the truth. And they’ve responded to the truth. We’ll keep them grounded that way.”

The post Don’t Look Now: the Kings Have Quietly Won Seven Straight Games appeared first on SLAM.

Long before the franchise relocated to Memphis and emerged into this year’s exciting squad, led by superstar Ja Morant, the team was based in Vancouver and had a mix of success and promise, as well as controversy throughout the years. It’s this haunting history that’s captured the attention of director Kathleen S. Jayme as she looks to uncover the answer to that very question—what led to the team leaving Vancouver in the first place?

The new film, The Grizzlie Truth uncovers the mysterious history and so much more. Featuring exclusive interviews from former players and coaches, including Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Mike Bibby and even Stu Jackson, as well as Vancouver Grizzlies fans who witnessed everything unfold, Jayme passionately investigates the history, identity, and fandom surrounding the team in an engaging and shocking film that’s a must-watch for every fan of the game.

Check out the trailer below.

The post WATCH: ‘The Grizzlie Truth’ Uncovers What Actually Happened to the Vancouver Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

However, as the Grizzlies prepare to take on the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at 8:00 P.M, the team listed their All-Star point guard as questionable via NBC Sports. A potential return to the court after missing only one game against the Brooklyn Nets is definitely possible.

For the Grizzlies, there’s no better time to get Morant back than now. The Kings are on a six-game winning streak, and with Memphis still without Desmond Bane, it’s going to take a little more from this team to come out with a win. Bane was averaging 24.7 points with an impressive shooting percentage from three at 45.1 percent.

On the season, the Grizzlies are 10-7, which is good enough for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. These next two games will be important because Memphis has a chance to overtake the fifth seed from Sacramento (9-6). A win on Tuesday for the Grizzlies and a win on Friday versus the New Orleans Pelicans (10-7) will put them in a prime position to do so.

The post Ja Morant Set to Return From His Ankle Injury Sooner Than Expected appeared first on SLAM.

Bane has dropped back-to-back thirty-point games, tallying 31 points (and six rebounds and four assists) against the Kings and 38 points (and seven assists) against the Nets. In his past two games, the TCU product has shot 73.9 percent from three.

“Shots are falling,” Bane said, per ESPN. “Early on, I was getting similar looks, and now I kind of got my legs under me, and (now) they’re falling.”

Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins described Bane’s “great two-game performance.”

“He’s been playing great all season — I think his defense was really good as well — When he’s in that zone, he’s hard to stop.”

In his third season with the Grizzlies, Bane is averaging 22.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 46.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Last season, the guard averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists during his second year in the League. Bane continues to grow into a lethal two-way player, keeping the Grizzlies rolling and putting the League on notice.

“Back-to-back performances show you how good he is,” Morant said. “I don’t feel like I’ve got to say it when you can see it.”

Bane looks to go back-to-back-to-back as the 3-1 Grizzlies take on the 4-1 Jazz tomorrow night.

The post Ja Morant: Back-to-Back 30-Point Outings ‘Show How Good’ Desmond Bane Is appeared first on SLAM.

During Brooklyn’s loss to the Bucks, 110-99, Kyrie Irving took that message to another level while defending his teammate.

he’s improvising out there pic.twitter.com/bRoImkSLgv

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 22, 2022

When Irving sliced through the lane and set Simmons up for a layup deep in the paint, Simmons instead passed the ball back to Kevin Durant, who was standing behind the three-point line. On-court mics caught Irving saying, “shoot it, Ben!” Postgame, Irving elaborated on his plea for Simmons to shoot the ball at that moment.

“When I passed it to him, I felt like he had a layup at the rim,” Irving said, per ESPN. “And I looked him eye to eye, and I was like, “Shoot it, Ben!” And, of course, again, it’s just a clip. It’s a full game that we can look at and dissect, and that’s what I’ll do. This is a big-picture thing. We want Ben to be aggressive every single play, we want him to get an assist every single play, we want him to rebound, we want him to play against the best player, we want him to do all the things we know he’s capable of, but at this time he’s going to have to work himself into his own confidence and feel good about himself.”

“I’m not going to say I’m being patient or humble about it, but the reality is that we’re just going to keep having to try this experiment every single night until we get the right recipe.”

this ball movement pic.twitter.com/9cGvWCrCUM

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 25, 2022

The season is young, but Simmons is still trying to reestablish his rhythm after missing a year and a half of basketball while he refused to play for Philly while dealing with mental health issues. When he was traded, Simmons missed the rest of the regular season and Brooklyn’s first-round loss due to a back injury that ultimately required surgery.

So far, Simmons is averaging 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field. The three-time All-Star has fouled out of two of the four games he’s played and is averaging 3.3 turnovers during the 29.5 minutes he plays per game.

Although the Nets sit at 1-3, Irving and the rest of his teammates reiterate that Simmons and Brooklyn will have better days. Coach Steve Nash said Simmons “is a huge piece of the team” and that the Nets will have to “support him and keep working with him” as they build up his confidence and help him regain his rhythm.

“I just think like, if we’re going to come in and be honest as a team, I’m not trying to just be critical over what Ben’s done right or done wrong every single night,” Irving said. “He’s a basketball player; he’s a professional; he has the skills to be a great professional; he’s done it in the past. And he hasn’t played in two years. So you guys keep coming in here asking me, ‘What about Ben?’ ‘What about Ben?’ and it’s just he hasn’t played in two years. Give him a f—ing chance.”

backdoor delivery pic.twitter.com/RCgaWThUKi

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 25, 2022

Irving further defended Simmons when he said that they “stay on him” and that as Simmons continues to hoop and gets back into the groove of things, “we’re going to really have to jell as a team in order to learn how to win as a group.” He also said that no one will be asked to “go out there and be Superman.”

Simmons said he was “more comfortable” on the court after each game. Simmons was also transparent about feeling “a little hesitant” after he “got hit and tweaked” his back.

“I think each game I feel more comfortable,” Simmons said. “I think once I got hit and tweaked my back a little bit, I was a little hesitant after that, as you guys could probably see, but I definitely feel like in each game, I’m progressing a little bit in terms of my physicality and aggression.”

The post Kyrie Irving Urges Patience With Ben Simmons: ‘This Is A Big Picture Thing’ appeared first on SLAM.

Morant doesn’t remind Durant of any other player.

“He’s a unique player. A lot of athleticism and creativity out there. Body type reminds you of somebody like—well, he’s taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], but a wiry, strong player — but he’s an incredible player, man,” Durant said per Bleacher Report.

The Murray State product lived up to Durant’s pregame praise with 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in a 134-124 Memphis win. Morant, Durant, Desmond Bane, and Kyrie Irving combined to score 150 points on 62 percent shooting from the field.

At just 23-years-old, Morant has the rest of the NBA on watch.

A 2022 All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player, the guard led the Grizzlies to second in the Western Conference last season. Morant has averaged 35.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds this season while leading the Grizzlies to a 3-1 start. Memphis ousted the Nets, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks but fell to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant’s teammate Ben Simmons spoke on 12 before their Monday night match-up. The duel between Simmons and Morant ended late in the fourth quarter after the 2022 All-Star baited Simmons into fouling out as the Grizzlies inbounded the ball.

“He is an incredible athlete — He pushes the pace, gets his team going, shares the ball. He’s relentless at the rim.”

The Morant magic continues Thursday Night versus the Sacramento Kings.

The post Kevin Durant Calls Ja Morant ‘The Face of Our League Going Forward’ appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons was frustrated with the officiating all night, but none vexed him more than his sixth and final foul, a touch foul when Simmons aggressively defended Ja Morant near halfcourt while Morant tried to waste time with 3:52 left in the game. 

Simmons and Coach Steve Nash were flabbergasted by the call. 

“I just saw the play,” Simmons said after the game. “It wasn’t a foul. [Orr] called it a foul, made a mistake, it is what it is … it’s really frustrating … it’s not a foul, but it was bullshit. It’s frustrating because it’s late game, fourth quarter, it’s a physical, close game. It’s the NBA. It’s not college. It’s not high school. Some people are going to get hit; some people bleed; it’s basketball.”

Ja Morant just explained how he baited Ben Simmons into a sixth foul by remembering something that happened during his rookie year. pic.twitter.com/lKgerareWm

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) October 25, 2022

Morant believed he had something to do with Simmons’ getting called for the foul and explained how he baited him into being disqualified. 

“If y’all want to go dig up a play, I think my rookie year I was in Philly, and the same situation happened like that versus Ben in the first half. I went to look at Coach to get the play, and [Simmons] ran through the ball, got the steal, and went to dunk — I knew it at that moment. Once I seen him and I was rolling the ball, and I was at half [court], I looked at Coach, and I see him try to like ‘oh yeah.’ So I knew I had him. He was going to press up, and I was just going to force the ref to make the call.” 

Morant and Simmons were going at it all games, each receiving technicals in the first half. Morant finished with 38 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Simmons finished with seven points, eight dimes, and three boards. 

The post Ja Morant Takes Credit For Baiting Ben Simmons into Fouling Out appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins’ improvement comes after he joined a Warriors team that allowed him to take a lesser role as a valuable third scorer and premium defender tasked with defending any opponent’s top perimeter threat. It’s the kind of role that’s allowed him to prevent anybody from saying he didn’t live up to his potential as Maple Jordan.

The rapid development caused Coach Steve Kerr to rave about how “confident” he looks this season and how he’s used his role on the ’22 title team to “springboard” into possibly having a better year than he did last year. During the Finals, Wiggs averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while primarily being a thorn in Jayson Tatum’s side. He also played tough defense against Luka Doncic and Ja Morant while being a go-to scorer late in the shot clock.

“I think (Andrew) Wiggins — this is I’ve ever seen Wiggs,” Kerr said. “He’s an All-Star last year; he helped us win a championship. I think he’s used that momentum that he gained a year ago to kinda springboard into this season, and I don’t think he’s ever looked more confident.”

"This is the best I've ever seen Wiggs." pic.twitter.com/XopHFZCytm

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 24, 2022

As of Tuesday, Maple Jordan is averaging 22.3 points, a career-high 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game on 52.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from downtown. It’s a small sample (three games), but it’s the type of production that justifies Golden State’s commitment to its future while prioritizing its veteran championship experience.

“Not only in his own game but with what we’re doing, the way we play. You saw the extra pass last night that he made to (Stephen Curry) for the three. He’s making those simple plays, but then he’s attacking when he needs to attack and playing just really efficient basketball, playing great defense. So a lot of good stuff, but we have to put it together as a team, and that’s gonna take some time.”

Draymond Andrew pic.twitter.com/GDNRYHOHSR

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 24, 2022

The post Steve Kerr Believes ‘This Is the Best I’ve Ever Seen’ Andrew Wiggins Play appeared first on SLAM.

Clarke has carved out an excellent role coming off the Grizzles’ bench. Over the course of three NBA seasons, Clarke has averaged 10.9 points per game for his career. The stat that jumps out at you when looking at Clarke’s game is that he’s shooting 59.1 percent from the field for his career. This past season alone, Clarke shot a career-best 64.4 percent from the field for the entire season.

Another reason for the extension is that Clarke has been ranked in the top five in several categories, like second-chance points, points in the paints, and offensive rebounds. Because of things like this, Clarke has been critical in the Grizzle’s emerging as a powerhouse team within the Western Conference.

With such a talented young core of players like Clarke, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane, the Grizzles have a real shot at being a top-seeded team in the Western Conference. The sky truly does seem like the limit for this squad, and with tip-off around the corner, anybody who is a basketball fan should be excited about what is to come.

Photos via Getty Images.

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First Team

PJ TUCKER

Julius Caesar reigned over the mighty Roman Empire with the famous words of “veni, vidi, vici.” Those words translate to “I came, I saw, I conquered,” which Jay-Z used in a song during his mighty reign over music. Hov is PJ Tucker’s favorite musician. This season was yet another encore of conquering for the NBA’s mighty, unbeatable, unrelenting, reigning Sneaker King.

DEMAR DEROZAN

By now it’s common knowledge that DeMar DeRozan has played in every single pair of Nike Kobes throughout his career. The amount of variety, from the lows to the mids to the highs, lands him on this list yet again. What gets him second billing, though, is his “WNBA” Kobe 6 PEs. Bean’s relationship with the W needs no explanation, so please watch the WNBA and please support the WNBA in the same way DeMar DeRozan does.

STEPHEN CURRY

Stephen Curry came out the gates with an entire pack of Curry 9 colorways done in collaboration with Sesame Street. But the 9 wasn’t just another silhouette. It’s the second one in his line to obsolete rubber midsoles in favor of the Flow tech that is pioneering different construction in basketball sneakers. Many more fire colorways followed after Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch got their shine.

TRAE YOUNG

Trae Young and adidas handled their business for this introductory silhouette. The Trae 1 was treated with numerous colorways, some of which matched the Hawks’ uniforms and some of which stood out as singular statements. “I think this shoe is going to bring out a lot of the creative ideas in my mind,” Trae told us in last year’s issue of KICKS. He was right.

JA MORANT

Sheer volume of high-level Kobes, KDs and Kyries would’ve been enough 
to land Ja Morant a spot on here. His intention on creating separation became crystal clear when he started to mix in outrageously loud customized Kobe 6s. The only part of Ja’s sneaker season that was as rare as the actual pairs was him repeating sneakers; almost every game came with something different. 

Second Team

JAYSON TATUM

Jayson Tatum has great chemistry with Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown and Al Horford and he’s just as in sync with Jordan Brand’s Senior Promo Colorway Designer Kelsey Amy. Together, the duo made dozens of Air Jordan 36 PEs that told Tatum’s story, illustrated his interests and paid homage to the legendary Kobe Bryant.

DEVIN BOOKER

Back again with his now-familiar rotation of Kobe 4, Kobe 5 and Kobe 6 PEs, Devin Booker introduced us to a couple of new 6 colorways that were adorned with, of course, “Be Legendary,” the pair of words that Kobe left him with back in 2016.

LAMELO BALL

For someone who isn’t even from this planet, LaMelo Ball did a damn good job of introducing the world to his first signature sneaker. The lead colorway’s all-red makeup contrasted crazy against Charlotte’s uniforms, while the mismatched “Rick and Morty” drop proved that traditional rules were of no concern to the 1-of-1 hooper.

DONOVAN MITCHELL

A ton of colorways, a few more colorways and then a couple of extra colorways define the D.O.N. #3’s run this past season. Spida has proven time and time again that he’s going to use his signature line to express himself, be it his love of Marvel, Monster’s, Inc. or the University of Louisville.

LEBRON JAMES

Nothing new here. Well, that’s technically not true. The King did play in the LeBron 19 this past season. And some retros in new colorways. The nothing  new here is that we’ve seen this man display an arsenal of ridiculous sneakers for almost two decades, so when he pulled out a golden version of the Nike LeBron 20-5-5 in his home region of Northeast Ohio, it was a reminder of just how long King James has been at the top.

MVP

PJ TUCKER

There’s grandeur in PJ Tucker’s consistency and his intentionality in this sneaker game. Sure as Alexander the Great rising each morning to examine how he could extend his rule across lands far away from Macedon, PJ’s extensive knowledge of history has furthered his dynastic rule as the Sneaker King. He’s the one pulling out samples that were made for Ray Allen and Gary Payton, playing in Kobe 6 PEs inspired by Kanye West’s original run of Nikes. He even played in those OG Yeezys this past season. The throne is being watched, meticulously.

Rookie of the Year

JALEN GREEN

In addition to several in-line adidas models, Jalen Green (bigggggg SLAM Fam) spent his rookie season in D.O.N.s, Dames, Hardens and Traes. But to keep it a Bucky Barnes, the real reason that our guy Jalen is getting this award is he wore the adidas Gil Zero twice. For the uninitiated, the Gil Zero is the actual silhouette that reintroduced the low top back to modern basketball over 15 years ago (absolute all due respect to Bean and his fourth sneaker). The young fella showing love to Gilbert Arenas made him the easiest pick of this entire awards section.

Most Improved

Stephen Curry

You’re for sure saying to yourself that Stephen Curry has had almost a decade of signature sneakers and that KICKS just put him on the first team from this past season a few pages back. You’re asking how it’s possible that he’s also being awarded with the Most Improved title. But never before have we’ve seen someone with such a technologically advanced main silhouette mix in old models like the Curry 1 (in new and old flavors) and the Curry 6. He also debuted the Curry 4 Flotro, an update of his iconic model from five years ago that now makes use of his groundbreaking Flow tech in the midsole. Those three factors are how this seasoned sneaker vet was a lock for Most Improved.

LeagueFits Tunnel Look of the Year

Jayson Tatum

So long ago that it almost feels like a myth here in 2022, Jordan Brand used to lace their players with amazingly beautiful colorways of retros. Seeing the old Jordans, as well as pairs in the late teens and early ’20s, in colorways that didn’t have red or black was a thrill, and those pioneering players and their PEs became legendary, lore-like figures in the annals of basketball sneaker history. Jayson Tatum pulling up to the NBA playoffs in a brand-new Air Jordan XIV PE was a brief return to the glorious days of yesteryear.

Best of the Best

Jordan

PJ Tucker

Eminem x Carhartt x 

Air Jordan VI

adidas

Jalen Green

adidas Gil Zero 

Restomod

PUMA

LaMelo Ball

PUMA MB.01

Nike

PJ Tucker

Nike Air Yeezy 2

Reebok

Montrezl Harrell

Reebok Kamikaze II Low

Under Armour

Stephen Curry

Under Armour Curry 1

The post The 2021-22 KICKS Awards appeared first on SLAM.

HOW DOES IT FEEL, SUN FANS??? #CTSun pic.twitter.com/3twme5dlRy

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 25, 2022

DeWanna Bonner led all scorers with 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Alyssa Thomas followed up with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Jonquel Jones dropped 11 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists, and Natisha Hiedeman rounded out Connecticut’s double-digit scorers with 11 points, two boards, and two dimes.

Bonner also became the 10th player in WNBA history to knock down 300 career field goals and passed Angel McCoughtry in the process of doing so.

“Our team is incredibly confident in what they do and who they are,” Sun Coach Curt Miller said, per ESPN. “We’re back to the semis for four straight years. This group wants to take another step, and there’s not one person that’s going to pick us to beat Chicago. So we’re going to go with the underdog mentality and give it our best shot.”

.@DEEBONNER24 with a BIG 21-5-5 Game 3 to lead the @ConnecticutSun to the Semifinals of the #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @google pic.twitter.com/eJAZpTCFrM

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 25, 2022

Marina Mabrey posted a team-high 20 points, Veronica Burton contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and four dimes, and Teaira McCowan followed up with eight points, 12 boards, and two blocks.

The Sun won Game 3 after holding the Wings to perhaps the worse scoring effort of the season. Connecticut held Dallas to 22 points in the second half, and their final tally of 58 was a season-low. Dallas shot just 6-27 from the field in the second half and turned the ball over 11 times.

Part of Dallas’ offensive struggles could be attributed to Isabelle Harrison suffering an ankle injury in the first-quarter that she wouldn’t come back from. Not even Arike Ogunbowale’s short-lived return from abdominal surgery could spark Dallas’ stagnant offense. The former national champ went scoreless in six minutes, going 0-3 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc.

Bonner credited Connecticut’s defensive clinic to second-year guard DiJonai Carrington. The 35-year-old forward believed Carrington’s “defensive pressure was unbelievable,”, especially in the last 20 minutes of the game.

Carrington was so successful as a defensive pest that she got into a squabble with Mabrey midway through the fourth. The two guards were jaw-jacking as Mabrey set up to inbound the ball from the sideline.

“Forget all that; the credit to this game goes to DiJonai Carrington,” Bonner said. “I think she was the difference maker for us this whole game. Her defensive pressure was unbelievable; she kinda jump-started us the whole game. So take the ball out of my hands and give it to her cause tonight was all about her and her pressure. She definitely jump-started us that second-half, and (I’m) definitely so proud of her.”

The semifinal matchups will start on Sunday, with Las Vegas and Seattle kicking off the action at 4 p.m EST on ESPN. The Sun and Sky will play at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN 2. The Sky swept their regular-season series with the Sun, 4-0, winning by an average of 4.5 points per game.

The post Connecticut Advances to Second-Rounds After 73-58 Rout Over Dallas appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:

– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Per Charania, the upcoming season will begin on October 18, with the four inter-conference foes facing off against one another. The Celtics and 76ers will kick off the action on TNT, while the Warriors will host the Lakers on the same night they conduct their ring ceremony.

The Warriors and Lakers are facing off for the second year in a row after opening up the season against each other last season. The Warriors won three Out of the four times the Western Conference titans faced off last year. The Sixers and Celtics split their season series. The Heat eliminated the 76ers team finishing the season with an identical 51-31 record. The C’s advanced to the Finals but fell to the Warriors in six games.

The Warriors and Celtics will have their Finals rematch on December 10.

Golden State-Boston NBA Finals rematch dates for the 2022-23 season, per sources:

Dec. 10 in Golden State
Jan. 19 in Boston

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

The Christmas Day matchups will be highlighted by a second-round playoff rematch between the Grizzles and Warriors and a playoff rematch between the Bucks and Celtics. The Grizzlies and Warriors have been jaw-jacking since the Warriors won the Finals, and Draymond Green and Ja Morant made it clear on Twitter that they wanted this matchup on Christmas.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 22-23 season should be fun with the healthy return of stars like Kawhi Leonard, the heightened expectations for the Lakers, and the title defense of the Warriors. Not to mention how the Bucks and Celtics will respond after tough losses in the playoffs.

The post REPORT: Opening Night Schedule for 2022-23 Season Leaked appeared first on SLAM.

The coast-to-coast finish was a display of speed, power, and athleticism reminiscent of Bronny’s father, 18-time NBA All-Star LeBron James. Even the four-time MVP couldn’t hold back as players across the League, from Stephen Curry to Ja Morant, reacted to one of the nastiest jams we’ve seen in a while.

Bronny finished with a game-high 25 points, but it wasn’t enough to pull out the dub as the California Basketball club fell 97-85. The team will finish its European tour against an Italian squad on Thursday.

The 17-year-old James, who is entering his senior season, is reportedly being recruited by teams such as UCLA, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others, according to ESPN’s Paul Biancardi. The G-League Ignite and Australia’s National Basketball League are also viable options for James, according to The Athletic.

Bronny is set to play another season at Sierra Canyon High School in the fall, where he’ll play with a star-studded core, including his brother Bryce, Justin Pippen (the son of Scottie Pippen), and the recently transferred Ashton Hardaway (the son of Penny Hardaway). Isaiah Elohim, the No. 4 player of the 2024 class, per 247Sports.com, will also play with Sierra Canyon next season.

Expectations are high for James and Sierra Canyon, with a stacked roster and national attention heading into the season. If his recent EYBL and international performances are any indications, James will be just fine as he continues to grow in the national spotlight.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post WATCH: NBA Players React to Bronny James’ Ridiculous Poster Dunk appeared first on SLAM.

One question that Green was asked was what player he thought reminded him the most of himself. The four-time champ gave a unique and unexpected answer, revealing that he thought the reigning Most Improved Player of the Year award winner Ja Morant resembled him the most. Not necessarily because of how Morant plays, but Morant’s approach towards the game and how he leads his teammates.

“I’m going to have to go with, in a much different way, Ja Morant,” he said. “I ain’t bowing down to none of y’all. I don’t care what you’ve accomplished before I got here. That has absolutely nothing to do with me. I believe in myself and my abilities. I’m going to show you that. I’m going to lead. I’m going to talk to you and let you know about it while I’m doing it. I’m gonna carry others with me, and most importantly, I’m gone do it my way. And all of those things that I just named, I see Ja Morant do.”

Which younger player reminds @Money23Green most of himself?

We were not expecting this answer… pic.twitter.com/0EvEWlIUhx

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 11, 2022

When Green elaborated more about his stance, he admitted that he’s “nowhere near the same player” that the electric Morant is. Morant has already developed a reputation for his downhill attack-the-rim style and “he got that dog in him” mentality. Last playoffs, Green and the Warriors witnessed it first hand when they played the Grizzlies in the second-round of the conference playoffs.

The Grizzlies ultimately lost the series in six games; the tide turned when Morant suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the final three games of the playoffs. The rivalry between the two franchises has gotten more intense and physical as each game went on. This summer, Green and Morant had a back and forth Twitter exchange where Morant challenged he Warriors to a Christmas day game.

The post Draymond Green Believes Ja Morant Reminds Him Most of Himself appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins has since brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Canada as he hosted youth camps in Vaughan and Mississauga. The 2022 All-Star returning to his hometown allowed him to prove to the kids attending his camp that when you believe in yourself and shut out the outside news, you can reap a lot of awards.

“I feel great,” Wiggins said per the Toronto Star. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people had counted me out, but to be back and … winning a championship? All the sacrifices, all the ups, and downs, all the stuff was worth it. It makes the story that much better.”

HOW'S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

It was a challenging and humbling lesson Wiggins learned as he went from being a volume scorer in Minnesota known for putting up empty calorie stats on losing teams. When he arrived in Golden State, Wiggins was able to thrive as the third star on a group headlined by Stephen Curry and Klay Thomspon.

Under the watchful eye of GM Bob Myers, Coach Steve Kerr, Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green, Maple Jordan embraced being a two-way wing that could be relied on to get a bucket late in the shot clock while guarding the toughest perimeter threat.

“When I step on the court, I’ve always been confident in what I can do,” he said. “When I was in Minnesota, I put up numbers. But people said, ‘He put up numbers on a bad team.’ So, I go to Golden State, and I’m not scoring as much, but I’m doing a lot at a more efficient rate, so the whole world gets to see.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

He played a pivotal role in guarding offensive threats like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Jayson Tatum. He took on each assignment and won more than his fair share of battles, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

“It’s been a different type of summer, but the best summer of my life,” he said. “It’s been amazing coming down here and feeling all this love and positivity. It’s been great. Just being able to bring the trophy back home to where it all started for me —— where all my friends and family are, that helped me get to the place where I’m at now.”

Wiggins hopes to come into the 2022-23 season with a freshly minted extension after carrying a significant two-way load last season. The Warriors will likely have to lean on Wiggins as they implement Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman into the lineup after they let several veterans walk away in free agency.

The post Andrew Wiggins Feeling ‘Great’ During ‘Best Summer’ of His Life appeared first on SLAM.

12 is simply different.

(via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/NII8jKnYes

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2022

When Morant’s teammate, Desmond Bane, was asked about Morant and his human “highlight reel” moments on an Old Man and the Three podcast episode released on Thursday, Bane said he and the Grizzlies have come to expect these moments from 12.

“At this point, it’s becoming routine.” Bane said. “We play Ja’s on a highlight reel somewhere.”

“It’s not fair to say that it’s normal because it’s definitely not. But we see it so much it’s just like — that’s Ja. That’s who we know Ja as, and then when we go on the road, and you hear the ohs and ahs, and you see the way these other players talk about him, you really get an appreciation for how special he really is. There’s nobody in the League that’s doing stuff like him. He’s like a mix of like healthy Derrick Rose and AI; he’s one of his own.”

“At this point, it’s becoming routine. We play, Ja’s on a highlight reel somewhere.” —@DBane0625 on being teammates with a human highlight reel like @JaMorant

Full conversation with @jj_redick and @talter: https://t.co/n4IX6hJjqg pic.twitter.com/I1aIfe7Ocr

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 7, 2022

That’s a lot of high praise from Bane, and you could sit there and ask, “well, that’s his teammate. What else is he supposed to say?”

Let’s be honest here, though, Morant has evolved and grown his game through three seasons. Not only did he win the MIP, but he also earned his first All-Star nod after leading Memphis to the second-best record in the West at 56-26. Memphis ultimately lost 4-2 to the eventual-champion Warriors in the second round of the postseason. Last week, the Grizzlies awarded Morant’s efforts with a max extension.

Morant averaged a career-best 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.4 percent from deep last season.

The post Desmond Bane Speaks On Playing With Human ‘Highlight Reel’ Ja Morant appeared first on SLAM.

BREAKING: Memphis Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr., underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot on Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for 4-to-6 months, sources tell ESPN. Jackson is expected to make a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/RBFlyYiiUq

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The procedure will knock the versatile big man out for at least 4-6 months before he makes a full recovery, according to the Grizzlies.

The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update. pic.twitter.com/pFV4gNVMVk

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) June 30, 2022

Jackson is coming a breakout season after averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a League-best 2.3 blocks per game in his fourth year in the NBA. Jackson was integral in the Grizzlies finishing second in the West with a 56-26 regular-season record.

Jackson has suffered two knee injures that knocked him out early during the first two seasons of his NBA season. However, Jacksons fortunes turned around last season after he played 78 games and earned first-team All-Defensive honors.

The pairing Jackson has formed with Ja Morant has made the Grizzlies one of the more dangerous up-and-coming squads in the NBA going into the 2022-23 campaign. As long as the team stays healthy, there’s no telling how quickly they’ll become a title threat in the coming future.

The post Grizzlies Announce Jaren Jackson Underwent Right Foot Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After four seasons, Morant has emerged as a certified superstar after winning Most Improved Player of the year, earning his first All-Star bid, and being named to the All-NBA Second Team. Morant also averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while leading Memphis to a 56-26 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. Morant led the Grizzlies to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs before Memphis fell to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games.

“Over the past three seasons, Ja has truly emerged as an NBA superstar and must-see TV,” Jim Tanner, Morant’s agent, told ESPN. “From Rookie of the Year to NBA All-Star starter, to All-NBA Second Team and Most Improved Player, we are incredibly proud of him for his dedication to improving his game and developing into a team leader. The Grizzlies are a perfect fit for Ja. The organization and the city have embraced him.

“The sky is the limit for Ja both on and off the court, and we look forward to helping him continue to build his legacy in the league.”

Memphis is my home

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

Morant and the Grizzlies will look to take the next step as one of the youngest and hard-nosed teams in the League. Led by Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, this Grizzlies team could be a threat for many years to come. They even have a budding rivalry brewing with the 2022 champion Warriors. Morant and Draymond Green have gone back and forth on Twitter. Klay Thompson called Jackson out for some tweets he perceived as disrespectful.

damn pic.twitter.com/nU7WexVjN8

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

The young and hungry Grizzlies vs. the grizzled veteran Warriors could be the best NBA feud since the Kings and Lakers, Lakers and Spurs, or even Cavaliers and Pistson when LeBron James was coming up in the League as a young and upcoming threat to the NBA’s hierarchy.

The post REPORT: Ja Morant Locked in With Memphis After Signing Max Extension appeared first on SLAM.

So far we have seen the Knicks land, Jalen Brunson, on a massive four-year deal, and Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns have re-signed to their teams on supermax deals. Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal will remain with the Bulls and Wizards respectively after signing max deals. Young All-Stars like Ja Morant, Darius Garland, and Zion Williamson have also signed max extensions with their teams.

The Warriors will also look to be putting a different bench mob on the court this coming season after they let Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., and Juan Toscano-Anderson walk away in free agency. The decision seems to imply that the Warriors will invest 100 percent into their win-and-develop model as they keep their championship core intact while empowering Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Moses Moody.

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber is finalizing a three-year, $33 million contract extension, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Kleber was entering the final year of his deal, now under contract through 2025-26.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2022

Montrezl Harrell is headed to Philly after a tumultuous offseason where he dealt with some legal troubles surrounding marijuana trafficking that was later reduced to misdemeanor possession in a Madison County (KY) courthouse. The charge will be expunged from his record in 12 months if Harrell doesn’t get in any more legal trouble.

James Harden recruited Harrell due to their relationship as teammates on the Rockets. Harrell is expected to bring some toughness and grit to a Philly team that needed a backup big man behind two-time MVP runner-up Joel Embiid.

ESPN Sources: Free agent C Montrezl Harrell is signing two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, including a player option. Harrell brings more toughness to a team searching for it this offseason. He was Sixth Man of the Year with Doc Rivers/Sam Cassell in 2019-2020 w/ Clippers.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2022

Sources: The Toronto Raptors signed Thaddeus Young to a two-year, $17 million extension, which includes player incentive bonuses and a $1 million partial guarantee for the 2023-24 season, @hoopshype has learned.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 5, 2022

Gary Harris’ two-year extension with the Orlando Magic is flat $13M each season. The second season is fully non-guaranteed, a league source told @spotrac.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 5, 2022

Sumner is fully recovered from a torn left Achilles that cost him the entire 2021-2022 season. He had been coming off his best NBA season with the Pacers prior to the injury, and now he’ll join the Nets’ backcourt rotation. https://t.co/5HfzZmkDZN

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2022

Free agent TJ Warren has agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

Free agent center Gorgui Dieng has agreed to a one-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

Cole Swider signed a two-year Two-Way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, a league source tells @spotrac.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 4, 2022

Free agent center Serge Ibaka has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2022

The Brooklyn Nets signed Wake Forest Alondes Williams to a 2-way deal.

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 4, 2022

Dragic is signing a one-year, $2.9M deal with the Bulls, sources said. https://t.co/f6VK9np1cf

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

Free agent Josh Okogie has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has agreed on a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension that could earn him as much as $231 million, CAA Sports’ Co-Head of Basketball Austin Brown tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/z4lnVLD1GM

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Restricted free agent Cody Martin has agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal to return to the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2022

Free agent G Eugene Omoruyi has agreed to a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his agent Mike George of @OneLegacySports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland has agreed on a five-year, $193M maximum designated rookie contract extension that could be worth as much as $231M, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. It is the largest deal in franchise history.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Free agent guard Damion Lee has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Free agent Donte DiVincenzo has agreed to a two-year, $9.3M deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent guard Raul Neto is signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed to a three-year, $25.5M deal to return to Golden State, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $6.6 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, with player option in second season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Robin Lopez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent F/C Drew Eubanks is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers on a one-year deal, his agent James Dunleavy of @excelbasketball tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

John Wall officially agrees with the Clippers on a two-year deal for the taxpayer midlevel. https://t.co/5yCuV4cePg

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2022

Free agent C Jusuf Nurkic has agreed on a new four-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6vmHrdOZI3

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

NBA All-Star Zach LaVine has agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million maximum contract to return to the Chicago Bulls, with a player option in Year 5, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

The defending champs lose another valuable two-way star after Otto Porter Jr. signed with the Raptors on a two-year deal that has a player option.

Free agent Otto Porter Jr. — vital member of Golden State Warriors championship team — reached an agreement with the Toronto Raptors on a two-year deal with a player option, league sources tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/ck81fptKZh

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022

Free agent G Theo Pinson is returning to the Dallas Mavericks on a one-year deal, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent Aaron Holiday has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed on a new four-year, $60 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of @Wassbasketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/dnKtVQmln9

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Bruce Brown has agreed to a 2-year, $13M+ deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN.

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 1, 2022

#Pistons to re-sign Marvin Bagley III, add Kevin Knox as free-agent frenzy begins: https://t.co/WVHahAmeKR

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 1, 2022

Ricky Rubio played an integral part in the Cavs’ resurgence to the playoff scene last season before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in December. Rubio was traded to the Pacers near the trade deadline but the Cavs and Rubio were mutually interested in bringing back the former lottery pick point guard.

Free agent guard Ricky Rubio is nearing a deal on a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Zion Williamson, the 2021 All-Star phenom, has locked in on signing a max extension deal with the Pelicans. Williamson missed all of the 2021-2022 season while he recovered from foot surgery. The deal keeps Williamson in New Orleans through 2027-28.

Williamson said after the season ended, “I couldn’t sign it fast enough.” Indeed, the All-Star locks in commitment to New Orleans.

The deal is expected to include protections that both sides were sorting through overnight and will finalize, sources said. https://t.co/n0hyRwRk9e

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

The Golden State Warriors lose one of their best and most versatile defenders after Gary Payton II decided to head towards playing for the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year deal. Payton led the League in steals per 36 minutes.

Warriors were unwilling to meet that high of a price tag (and resulting tax spike) for Gary Payton II and have now lost their defensive ace off the bench to the Blazers. He led the NBA in steals per 36 minutes last season. https://t.co/iaY6xmUrG7

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Andre Drummond is finalizing a deal with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent Kevin Knox has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent Kevin Knox has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent JaVale McGee has agreed to a three-year, $20.1 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, with player option for third season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Ja Morant is locked in with the Grizzlies after his agent told Woj that he signed a five-year max extension to lead Memphis as its lead guard for the foreseeable future.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Karl Anthony-Towns has reportedly agreed to a four-year super max extension per his agent. KAT’s contract will begin during the 2024-2025 season.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract value to six years and $295M.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Jalen Brunson has reportedly agreed to the four-year deal that the Knicks offered him. Woj reported that the near-max deal includes a player option on its final season.

Free agent guard Jalen Brunson has agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks, his agents Aaron Mintz and Sam Rose of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option on the final season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

The Wizards have added three veteran guards to join Bradley Beal in recent days — Will Barton, Monte Morris and now Delon Wright leaves the Hawks for Washington. https://t.co/4YFMxR2o7Z

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Kyle Anderson has agreed to a two-year, $18M deal to join the Timberwolves, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of @wassbasketball tell ESPN. https://t.co/fWzhFhVfkx

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris has agreed on a two-year, $26 million contract extension, his agents Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Anthony Gill is signing a two year-deal with the Washington Wizards, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Restricted free agent C Nic Claxton has agreed on a two-year, $20 million deal to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent Troy Brown Jr. has agreed to a minimum deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Lonnie Walker IV is signing a one-year, $6.5M deal with the Lakers, sources said. https://t.co/7xBnStLWfo

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Rockets restricted free agent Jae’Sean Tate has agreed to a three-year, $22.1 million deal to return to Houston, his agents E.J. Kusnyer and Jordan Cornish of @beyond_am tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent center Dewayne Dedmon has agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, agents Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier of @steinbergsports tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Davon Reed has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Denver Nuggets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent guard Jevon Carter has agreed to a two-year deal to return to Milwaukee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Wesley Matthews has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent G Trevelin Queen has agreed a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent F Nic Batum has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent G Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5M deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his agent Thad Foucher of Wasserman tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Chris Boucher is returning to the Toronto Raptors on a three-year, $35.25M deal, his agent Sam Permut of @RocNationSports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Jones’ agent, Austin Brown of @CAA_Basketball, tells ESPN the second year is a player option.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Amir Coffey has agreed to a three-year, $11M deal with the Clippers, his agents Bill Duffy and Marlon Harrison of @BDA_Sports and WME Sports tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent G Tyus Jones is returning to the Memphis Grizzlies on a two-year, $30M deal, his agent Kevin Bradbury of @REP1Basketball tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent Danuel House has agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Bobby Portis has agreed to a four-year, $49 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Deal includes a player option in Year 4.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent PJ Tucker is finalizing a three-year, $33.2 million fully guaranteed deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, his agent Andre Buck (@andrebuck14) told @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Victor Oladipo has agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein has agreed to a two-year, $16 million-plus deal with the New York Knicks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fully guaranteed deal for Hartenstein.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent center DeAndre Jordan has agreed to a deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Sources: Malik Monk is signing a two-year, $19M deal to join the Kings. https://t.co/spgbvRZspx

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have reportedly finalized a four-year supermax extension that he will likely sign sometime next week. Shams Charania reports that he will be the cover athlete for NBA 2K23.

The Phoenix Suns and All-NBA guard Devin Booker are finalizing a four-year, $214 million supermax contract extension that he’s set to sign as soon as next week, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

Booker will also be the cover athlete for NBA 2K23, per sources.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Nikola Jokic has reportedly signed the richest deal in NBA history after signing a supermax contract extension with the Nuggets on Thursday.

Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has agreed to a five-year, $264 million supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, the richest deal in NBA history, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fifth season (2027-28) will be a player option at $60M.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Bradley Beal will stay in the Nation’s Capital after he reportedly signed a five-year max deal.

All-Star guard Bradley Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251 million maximum contract to stay with the Washington Wizards, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons has agreed on a four-year, $100 million contract extension, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + WME Sports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The Spurs are pulling the qualifying offer on Lonnie Walker IV, making him an unrestricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Expect a strong market for Walker immediately.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Jalen Brunson is headed to New York after Shams Charania reported that he intends on signing a four-year deal with the franchise.

Free agent Jalen Brunson intends to sign a four-year, near $110M deal with the New York Knicks in free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The Mavericks never received chance to make offer, sources said.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

According to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic, P.J. Tucker will be pursued by Atlanta, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Chicago. and Philadelphia during the free agency period of the NBA offseason. Furthermore, Schiffer reports that Tucker is unlikely to return to South Beach.

Multiple teams — including Atlanta, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Chicago and Philadelphia — are expected to compete for PJ Tucker in free agency. All are expected to offer the full mid-level/TPMLE exception. He is unlikely to return to Miami, per sources.

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) June 30, 2022

Trent Forrest will be an unrestricted free agent after the Jazz decided not to extend a qualifying offer to the point guard out of Florida State.

The Utah Jazz will not extend a qualifying offer to point guard Trent Forrest, making him an unrestricted free agent, League Sources tell The Athletic. There is interest in working something out during free agency. Forrest was a member of the rotation this past season

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 30, 2022

Per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, Juan Toscano-Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent once the free agency period of the NBA offseason begins on Thursday. The 29-year-old became the first Mexican-American to win an NBA title after the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals.

“I got a championship with my hometown team,” JTA told Thompson during a phone interview Wednesday night.

“I’m stamped in the Town. I’m stamped in my country. That shit can’t nobody take from me. You’ve got to give a little to get a little. And I gave up playing time to, you know, become a legend. I’m a legend in the Town. I’m a legend in Mexico. And I’m not saying that myself. It’s showing, know what I mean?”

Juan Toscano-Anderson is at peace with leaving the Warriors.

“I’m stamped in the Town. I’m stamped in my country. That shit can’t nobody take from me.”

It’s time for the next chapter of his storybook journey.https://t.co/m94B7ILm2u pic.twitter.com/5OxoGWXG6P

— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) June 30, 2022

According to Tim Reynolds, the Heat does not have a meeting scheduled with restricted free agent Jalen Brunson on Thursday.

The Heat are not planning to meet with Jalen Brunson today, and they did not have such a meeting scheduled, per league source.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

The Cavs are reportedly expected to match offers given to restricted free agent Collin Sexton. Multiple reports say Sexton wants a “starting guard” extension. The Alabama product is coming off a season-ending torn meniscus.

Cavs Expected To Match Outside Offers For Collin Sexton – Hoops Wire https://t.co/9k5zuRmUAd

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

The Jazz won’t extend a qualifying offer to forward Eric Paschall, sources tell @Tjonesonthenba.

He will become an unrestricted free agent.https://t.co/fcOCtqEmMN pic.twitter.com/ok07Xpx9Dr

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) June 30, 2022

Kemba Walker and the Pistons have reportedly agreed to a contract buyout. Walker will be a free agent after he clears waivers. Walker last played for the Knicks last season before he was traded to the Pistons as New York clears space to sign fellow free agent Jalen Brunson.

Four-time All-Star guard Kemba Walker and the Detroit Pistons are finalizing a contract buyout, sources tell ESPN. Once Walker clears waivers, he’ll join free agency.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, the Heat have guaranteed the contracts of Max Strus, Gabe Stevenson, and Omer Yurtseven as of Thursday morning.

Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Omer Yurtseven are still on the Heat’s roster this morning, which means their full $1.8 million salaries for next season are now guaranteed. This was seen as a formality. Carry on.

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 30, 2022

The Sacramento Kings are exercising the option on PF/C Chimezie Metu for the 2022-2023 season, sources tell ESPN. Metu averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21 minutes a game for the Kings last season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Patty Mills will be exploring his options on the free-agent market after declining to sign his player option with the Nets on Wednesday afternoon.

Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills declined his $6.2M option and will become a free agent, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Kings won’t be offering a qualifying offer to Donte DiVencenzo, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Sacramento Kings are declining to offer Donte DiVencenzo a qualifying offer, which will make him an unrestricted free agent, sources tell ESPN. There will be significant interest in DiVencenzo on the open market.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Lu Dort will be a restricted free agent after the OKC Thunder decided to not sign Durt’s team option for the 2022-23 season, per Shams Charania.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are declining the $1.9 million team option on froward Lu Dort for 2022-23 season, which makes him a restricted free agent and allows sides to negotiate a new deal in free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

James Harden will hit the free-agent market for the first time in his career but he is likely to re-sign with the 76ers.

ESPN Sources: 76ers star James Harden has declined his $47.3M option and become a free agent. He keeps real the possibility of negotiating a new deal that would deliver the Sixers roster-building flexibility in free agency – including use of the full $10.5M exception.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Bobby Portis told the Bucks that he’ll decline his player option and will instead become a free agent.

Portis has early bird rights in Milwaukee.

The maximum that he can sign for is 4 years/$49M.

The contract has to be for a minimum of 2 seasons and cannot include an option in year 2. https://t.co/Nu5KC9G8D9

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2022

Bradley Beal has made his long-awaited decision and will become a free agent for the first time in his career after declining his player option.

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has declined his $36.4M option and become a free agent, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Beal is eligible to sign a 5-year max to return to Wizards – or sign elsewhere on a 4-year deal.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Jae-Sean Tate will be a restricted free agent after the ROckets declined his team option for the 2022-23 season. Shams Charania reports that Houston and Tate are mutually interested in signing a new deal once free agency begins on Thursday.

The Houston Rockets have declined forward Jae’Sean Tate’s $1.8 million team option for next season, making him a restricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Rockets and Tate have mutual interest in discussing new deal in free agency beginning Thursday night.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

The Cavaliers have reportedly elected to not offer Moses Brown a qualifying offer to Moses Brown, per Michael Scott of the Hoopshype. The decision allows Brown to enter the free-agent market as an unrestricted free agent.

Sources: The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t tender a qualifying offer to center Moses Brown, @hoopshype has learned. The 7-foot-1, 22-year-old center will become an unrestricted free agent. Brown could be an intriguing development option for NBA teams around the league.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 28, 2022

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Taurean Prince and the Timberwolves have reportedly agreed to a two-year contract extension.

Minnesota Timberwolves F Taurean Prince has agreed on a two-year, $16 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Ivica Zubac and his reps have reportedly agreed to a three-year extension with the Clippers, per Woj. The Clippers declining to sign his team option led to the agreement with Zubac.

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $33 million extension, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. The Clippers declined his $7.5M team option for 2022-2023, clearing the way for Zubac’s new deal.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

Tony Bradley is reportedly opting into his player option and will remain with the Bulls next season, per Woj.

Chicago Bulls center Tony Bradley is exercising his $2M player option for next season, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

The post 2022 NBA Free Agency Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

Leading up to tonight’s festivities, we’re taking a look at the  “who’s who” of the 2022 NBA Draft class, specifically the blue chip prospects. Let’s get it.

Paolo Banchero

Immediately following Paolo Banchero’s first game at Duke —a 22-point, seven-rebound performance against then-No. 10 Kentucky—it was clear the consensus five-star recruit was destined for stardom. Not every player can live up to the expectations of being Duke’s next star, but Banchero did so easily.

While Duke was the biggest stage the 19-year-old’s played on thus far, he’s never shied away from the spotlight.

He finished his one-and-done year at Duke, averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. The 2021-22 ACC Rookie of the Year scored at least 17 points and played at least 33 minutes in all five of Duke’s NCAA Tournament games.

Banchero’s a well-rounded player with good size (6-10, 250 lb. frame) that can do a bit of everything. With a mix of post moves and faceup versatility, Banchero is arguably the best shot creator in the class. He possesses excellent body control and uses his frame to fend off defenders before bursting with an explosive spin move or up-and-under when attacking off the bounce.

Banchero is also an unselfish playmaker. Since he often draws double teams, Banchero has no problem trusting his teammates and kicking the ball out to the open man. In college, he showed comfortability with having an offense run through him, and he projects as a player who could serve a similar role in the League.

“My passing is probably my favorite part of my game if I had to choose one,” Banchero said during his SLAM 235 cover shoot. “I don’t know; it’s just something that I always thought was so cool; I don’t know why. Growing up, I fell in love with no-look passes, and I don’t know why, but I thought that was the coolest thing you could do on the court. So, I would go practice them, go to the playground and practice them, do crazy stuff. Eventually, that stuff turns into a real skill.”

While he dominated nearly every aspect of the game in college, Banchero will look to refine his three-point shot at the next level. His 33.8 percent mark was good enough to keep defenses honest, but with the League’s current emphasis on spacing and three-point shot-making, Banchero will look to become a more significant threat from deep to become an even more outstanding offensive player.

Between his size, rebounding ability, and offensive versatility, Banchero has the tools to thrive as a power forward, or even a small-ball center, at the next level.

“I don’t think there’s anything on that court that I can’t do,” Banchero said. “I’m gonna always play hard, I’m going to always bet my teammates involved, but like I said, you know, I can score, pass, defend. I’m just going to be able to do whatever the team needs me to do.”

Jaden Ivey

Like sunlight traveling to the Earth, Jaden Ivey has grown considerably from his freshman to sophomore year with the Purdue Boilermakers. Showing promise as a freshman making the Big 10 All-Freshman team, Ivey made the jump to consensus All-American status as a sophomore.

Ivey’s production jumped dramatically, going from 11.1 points to 17.3 points per game this past year, with increased efficiency from the field (46 percent), the free-throw line (74 percent), and from three (35.8 percent), all while playing 31.4 minutes per game. 

But what makes him so lethal is his speed on the open floor; in the blink of an eye, Ivey will be grabbing a rebound on one end, then he is jamming it home just a few mere seconds later. Purdue played at the fifth slowest pace last year in the Big 10, primarily due to their big lineup; Ivey was the one exception where he would speed past everyone for easy drives and transition buckets. Ivey plays in turbo mode throughout the game, always looking to draw contact for free throws, as hinted by his almost six free throw attempts per game.

His defense is much improved as well, especially going beyond the regular box score stats of steals & blocks. He was overall a positive defensive player for the Boilermakers. As mentioned, his north & south speed, his lateral quickness, and quick hands give Ivey the physical tools to be a great defensive player.

He also looks to cause disruption wherever he can, averaging only 1.8 fouls last year which is a rarity for someone of his playstyle on defense. With all that intensity, he seems fine going deep into games while playing heavy minutes. 

NBA scouts love his potential, knowing he was going top five at the early stages of the college season.

“That first round of games in Indy, he was one of the most impressive players on the court in terms of NBA upside,” said one NBA scout per YahooSports. “After we all started going to practices at Purdue last fall, it was clear he was a top-five lock.” 

Despite being held to nine points by Saint Peter’s, Ivey’s talent was verified even more during the NCAA Tournament last March. Ivey dropped 22 points in the opening round against Yale and followed that up with an 18-point performance against Texas, where he shot 57 percent from the field.

Talent must run in the family, given that Ivey’s mom, Niele, played in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever, Detroit Shock, and the Phoenix Mercury. Niele Ivey is also the head coach for the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. 

Scoring wings are hot commodities in the modern NBA, especially if Ivey can turn a franchise around in a short amount of time. When he steps into the League, he’ll bring an energy that can change the dynamic from day one.

Jabari Smith

Franchise saviors come around occasionally, but when they do, they take over the NBA with their powers. This year it’s Auburn’s Jabari Smith, a 6’10 forward native of Georgia who is currently seen as one of the top three picks in the upcoming Draft.

At Auburn, Smith was a consensus second-team All-American, First-team All-SEC, and won SEC freshman of the year and the Wayman Tisdale Award in one year. Smith also helped lead the Tigers, to, at one point, the top spot in the AP rankings and earned a two seed in the NCAA tournament. Though the Tigers were bounced in the second round, Smith came of age when he posted 20 and 14 in Auburn’s first-round win over Jacksonville State.

Smith, from the moment he walks into the NBA, will be one of the better shooters in the rookie class. Besides his physical build, Smith’s high release point has drawn people to call him a Kevin Durant-like player. 

“The comfort level he has in the halfcourt is the biggest thing,” one NBA scout said per Nathan King of 247 Sports. “He thinks he can make any shot over anyone. That smooth confidence is big for the League.”

Without question, Smith’s physical tools allow him to do things few and far between have been able to do in the League. The pro game has embraced an outside-in playstyle, and Smith’s ability as a 6’10 forward who can shoot will be coveted by many. Shooting 42.0 percent from three in college cannot be glossed over, nor can his 42.9 percent shooting from the field.

Smith also presents advanced defensive skills for his age, a side of the game other prospects take longer to develop. In college, Smith showcased a feel for how to move his feet, communicate, and give effort on each defensive possession. As basic as that sounds, those skills are essential to being a quality NBA defender.

Smith also rotates well from the weak side providing help defense as an extra shot blocker. He averaged 1.0 blocks per contest; although that isn’t the end-all for determining defense, Smith has shown that he’s a willing and able defender who can only improve as a pro. 

Smith is currently seen as a transcendent talent going into the NBA Draft, likely to land as a top-three pick; whoever lands the Auburn product will be getting a player who likely turns their fortunes around and perhaps can one day be an NBA superstar.

Chet Holmgren

What makes a great NBA draft prospect? Is it dominance? Versatility? Potential? Whatever it maybe, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren has it all.

Quite possibly the most unique and versatile prospect we’ve ever seen, Holmgren embodies the skillset of the vaunted basketball unicorn. He has the perimeter skills of a guard and has displayed the inside dominance to be compared to some of the game’s greats. 

He first went viral in high school for crossing up two-time MVP Stephen Curry at the SC30 Camp in 2019, and since then, the Minneapolis native hasn’t looked back.

A consensus five-star recruit and the No. 1 player of the 2021 class, Holmgren joined one of college basketball’s national powerhouses and didn’t disappoint. Holmgren averaged 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in his only season with Gonzaga and displayed his dominance on both ends of the floor.

Holmgren is the total package in nearly every sense of the word.

Standing at 7’0 with a ridiculous 7’6 wingspan, he established himself as college basketball’s premier rim protector last year, racking up 3.7 blocks per game, good for fourth in the nation. His size allows him to alter nearly every shot in his vicinity, and his skill as an ambidextrous shot-blocker could translate into elite interior defense once he gets to the League. 

And once Holmgren blocks a shot, he can lead the pack in transition. He’s comfortable with the ball in his hands and doesn’t hesitate to initiate his own offense. The consensus second-team All-American and first-team All-West Coast Conference selection shot 60.7 percent from the field last season with an absurd 73.7 percent shooting on two-point field goal attempts. Whether it’s in the low post or as an off-ball cutter, Holmgren’s defensive assertiveness is matched on offense.

But he isn’t a one-trick pony—like we said, he’s a unicorn. In addition to his paint dominance, Holmgren shot 39 percent from beyond the arc. It was on 97 attempts, but Holmgren has showcased a smooth jumper with a quick trigger that keeps defenses on their heels. And since he has an above-average basketball IQ for a player his size and age, Holmgren is as dynamic as they come.

“Coming to see me would definitely be a unique sight or experience,” Holmgren told SLAM in 2019. “Not a lot of guys play the way I do, especially at my height.”

At 195 lbs., he’ll likely have to put on some extra weight to handle the 82-game schedule and sheer size of the big men he’ll face in the NBA, but he won’t back down. Don’t get it twisted. Holmgren has the aggressiveness of a ’90s big and will mean-mug his way down the court after a thunderous dunk or smacking an opponent’s shot off the backboard.

His skillset and limitless potential force us to bear the question: is there anything Chet Holmgren can’t do?

The post 2022 NBA Draft: The Blue Chip Prospects appeared first on SLAM.

2021-22 All-NBA teams:

First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum

Second: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan

Third: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

Although Jokic is the reigning MVP, he wasn’t the leading vote-getter for All-NBA First Team, Antetokounmpo was. The Greek Freak received all 100 votes for one of the forward spots on the First-Team. Jokic and Joel Embiid, who finished as runner-up for the ’21 and ’22 MVP, split votes as the First-Team center. Embiid ended up being named as the center for the Second-Team.

Antekounmpo was not only the lone unanimous All-NBA selection this season, but he also became the first player over the last 50 years to be a unanimous selection to the All-NBA First Time in four consecutive seasons, according to ESPN Stats and Information research.

Doncic became the fourth player in NBA history to earn his third First-Team selection before turning 24-years-old, joining Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, and Max Zazlofsky. Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Doncic were joined by Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker. According to the NBA, this is the first time since 1954-55 that the First-Team comprises players at least 27-years-old or younger.

Booker and Tatum earned the First-Team nod for the first time in their career. This is the first overall All-NBA selection for Booker and Tatum’s second nod. Tatum is the first Celtic to make All-NBA First-Team since Kevin Garnett did it in 2008. He’s also the youngest Celtic to earn an All-NBA First-Team selection since Larry Bird in 1980.

The Second-Team is rounded out by Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan, and Durant. Chris Paul, Trae Young, LeBron James, Pascal Siakam, and Karl-Anthony Towns filled out the Third-Team. James picked up his record 18th All-NBA nod, placing him ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan for most All-NBA picks, and became the first player in League history to make the All-NBA in his 19th+ season.

Paul is the first guard since Bryant to make an All-NBA team in his 17th+ season.

The post Nikola Jokic Headlines 2021-2022 All-NBA Teams appeared first on SLAM.

That subsequent offseason featured a roster overhaul after two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn, and Andre Igoudala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal to acquire D’Angelo Russell. The Warriors would also lose Klay Thompson for the first of two-and-a-half seasons after he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

The following two seasons were a far departure from the supernova of greatness NBA fans grew accustomed to for the previous five seasons. The Warriors moved to San Francisco, leaving the fan-favorite Oakland Arena for the posh new Chase Center. What followed the subsequent two regular-season campaigns was a 15-50 COVID-19 shortened season 2019-2020, punctuated by the three-month absence of Stephen Curry due to a broken hand.

“None of these people really removed us from this space,” Green told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk of the team missing the playoffs the previous two seasons. “Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, ‘All right, the Golden State Warriors’ time is up.'”

Draymond: “None of these people really removed us from this space. Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, 'All right, the Golden State Warriors' time is up.'" https://t.co/gNK8gsRYwV

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 23, 2022

The Warriors didn’t spend that season just losing; at the 2020 trade deadline, the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins, a top-3 protected first-round pick and a second-rounder. Although the Warriors weren’t invited to the Orlando Bubble, the future looked bright.

The Warriors spent the offseason going into the 2020-21 season drafting James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick. However, the Warriors’ wind got knocked out of them when Thompson tore his Achilles during a pickup game, forcing him to miss the entirety of the season.

The Warriors responded to yet another tumultuous season by qualifying for the newly-created Play-In Tournament thanks to Curry’s scoring prowess, winning his second scoring title and leading the Warriors to a 39-33 record. However, the Warriors hit a brick wall after playing so hard to get to the Play-In Tournament, ultimately losing to the Lakers and the Grizzlies for the final two spots in the playoffs.

“We didn’t leave the space because we just got too old to do it,” Green told Youngmisuk. “We didn’t leave the space because all of us went our separate ways. We left the space because Klay Thompson was out, and then he was out again, and Andre [Iguodala] wasn’t here.

“And then Steph Curry was out. We didn’t leave this space because we weren’t capable of being in the space anymore.”

Heading into this last regular-season campaign, many around the NBA believed that the Warriors would once again be title favorites when healthy. Thompson finally had his glorious on-court return, playing for the first time in 941 days in January against the Pacers. But the season was marred by injuries to Draymond Green and Curry. However, the emergence of third-year guard Jordan Poole helped offset those losses.

The Warriors (53-29) finished the regular season with the third-best record in the West. They went on to gentlemen sweep the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, beat Ja Morant and the upstart Grizzlies in six games, and are on the verge of zooming past another superstar in Luka Doncic and the Mavs in a sweep.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

This run is even more impressive because the Warriors have beaten the young teams and superstars who are supposed to have next as this Warriors core grows older. Even as their Western Conference foes continue to grow, none of them have close to replacing the Warriors at the top of the League they ruled for five straight seasons.

Heading into Tuesday’s Game 4 against the Mavericks, the Warriors will have their first chance to sweep a WCF foe since 2019, when they beat the Trail Blazers to advance to that fateful 2020 NBA Finals loss. The Dubs have won nine straight conference finals games, going back to a Game 7 win against the Rockets in 2018

“For us to get back to this stage and win one playoff series, let alone where we are now, it’s not motivation,” said Curry, who finished Game 3 against Dallas with 31 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. “It’s more of an excitement that we can do it a different way.

“The motivation is that we’re back on this stage with an opportunity to chase the Finals appearance after a two-year hiatus with our core and a new cast of characters.”

The post Draymond Green Speaks On the Warriors’ Two-Year Playoff Hiatus appeared first on SLAM.

As the League celebrates it’s 75th anniversary, there’s quite a few Top 75 lists out there already. In fact, we’ve got quite a few of our own, from SLAM’s Top 75 Players of All Time Special Issue to most recently our Top 75 NBA Teams of All Time (shop here). We could’ve easily left it at that, but after checking out Tracy McGrady’s new Ones Basketball 1-on-1 League, we started thinking about the best 1-on-1 NBA players of all time.

So, we decided to have some fun with it and put together a bold list, categorized based on height, of all of the names that should be included in that conversation.

6-3 AND BELOW

1. Allen Iverson
A one-man revolution where the cross was just the beginning. He’s the master mixer on
our list for a reason.

2. Kyrie Irving
Hang it in the Louvre. KAI’s game is entirely its own art form.

3. Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all time needs just a sliver of space to make you pay, all while
staring down the crowd as the ball drops through the net. Uncanny.

4. Derrick Rose
Athleticism that was unparalleled and the nonexistence of fear had D. Rose bullying the
League as the youngest MVP ever.

5. Chris Paul
A mid range savant. A floor general. A Point God.

6. Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero was lethal, tactical and surgical in leaving defenders guessing what portion
of the bag was about to be unleashed.

7. Damian Lillard
You can pick him up, but what comes next is entirely on you.

8. Russell Westbrook
Shot out of a cannon, if No. 0 is barrelling down the court, you best clear the runway.

9. Isiah Thomas
Lower to the ground just meant more ways to attack as the handle powered the
creativity that No. 11 enacted on his way to snagging two.

10. Jerry West
The Logo was constantly carving up defenses to drop buckets and dimes left and right.

11. Ja Morant
The ascension has been recognized. Call 12, and he’s always gonna answer.

12.Baron Davis
A blend of everything. Baron gave birth to the uber athletic displays of guard play that
we’ve become enthralled with over the years.

13. Trae Young
There’s a new villain in town and he’ll take your heart and your team’s straight to the
offseason.

14. Tiny Archibald
Ain’t nothing tiny about this man’s game. Nothing.

15. Stephon Marbury
The inspiration behind one of the greatest hoops flicks of all time attacked the game entirely on his own terms.

16. Tim Hardaway Sr
Having a killer crossover named after you is a mic drop moment.

17. CJ McCollum
The slipperiest shooting guard in the L. Shaking and baking is his M.O

18. Deron Williams
D Will mastered his own pace to the game. Separation was key and once he created it, you might as well just head back down for O.

19. Donovan Mitchell
Picking up this man is like taking a trip throughout the Spida-Verse, sprawling, spinning and overstimulated with flashes of colorful creativity and blinding moves.

20. Jrue Holiday
Always reliable, always locked in, always ready to pull it in your eye. Second-guessing is the greatest compliment a hooper can recognize and Jrue sees it often.

21. Steve Francis
Constantly sending defenders stumbling, Steve Francis doesn’t often get his due as one of the shiftiest guards to ever step on the hardwood.

22. Tony Parker
Some speed is built, some is gifted. TP’s froze defenders in a picture frame as he weaved around the paint for dimes and buckets.

23. Kemba Walker
We know y’all remember THE step back. Nuff said.

24. Chauncey Billups
Decidedly different. Big guard, big body, big buckets.

25. John Wall
Revolutionary athleticism instilled John Wall as the next box-office point guard. Go do your Google searches and watch his mixtapes to see what we’re seeing.

26. Lou Williams
Lou Williams is too smooth with it: a certified bucket, 3x NBA Sixth Man Player of the Year and a derserver of the utmost respect. 

27. Monta Ellis
Those 360 layups were just a regular thing for Monta Ellis. That’s what type of time he was on. 

28. Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel was waaaaaay too quick with it, from the crossovers to the high-flying drives to the lane to those insane dishes and dimes.

29. Jamal Murray
We’ve already told you this before: there’s music in Jamal Murray’s game. Try not to get lost in the melody, though, because he will drop 50 on you. Again and again.

30. Brandon Jennings
Dropping 55 points as a rookie is quite the statement, but then again, Brandon Jennings was never one to shy away from any moment. His game was too electric.

6-4 TO 6-8 

1. Michael Jordan
   The greatest. Put MJ in any situation, matchup or moment and you already know the outcome. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. Kobe Bryant
   He was constantly ascending past the depths of what competing truly meant. He knew your next move before you’d even had a chance to formulate the thought.

3. Tracy McGrady
   Scoring 13 points in 33 seconds is wild, but that’s just what T-Mac was about. One of the most complete scorers in the history of the Association.

4. Carmelo Anthony
   The fadeaway. The jab step. The spot-up jump shot, and his signature “washing machine” spin move. Carmelo Anthony remains one of the game’s most unstoppable scorers of all time. 

5. Kawhi Leonard
   Best believe, any matchup against the Klaw will result in him getting the last laugh. Trying to defend him in a 1v1? Now that’s pure comedy. 

6. Dwyane Wade
   The nickname was fitting: the Flash was one of most elite and efficient shooting guards who attacked the basket with an explosiveness that couldn’t possibly be contained. 

7. James Harden
   Equipped with a signature-move so iconic, a few names on this list have tried it out, the Beard is truly lethal with the rock in his hands.

8. Julius Erving
   A wizard who truly transcended the game. Every move was a symphony of basketball played at its finest. 

9. Charles Barkley
   A relentlessly physical rebounder with an attitude to match, Sir Charles was a force to be reckoned with.

10. Devin Booker
    With the words “Be Legendary” tattooed on his forearm, D-Book has continued to transcend his game towards just that no matter if he’s pullin’ up from midrange or hitting clutch shots from deep. 

11. Scottie Pippen
    One of the game’s greats could really do it all, from dishing out dimes and orchestrating an offense to snagging boards and holding it down on the defensive end. Versatility at it’s finest.  

12. Paul George
    PG’s all-around game is just one of the many things that define his greatness. His explosiveness and ability to create his own shot is another.

13. Paul Pierce
    The Truth can be hard for many to accept, but his dominance was nothing but pure facts. Shaquille O’Neal had a thing for nicknames, and when Paul Pierce dropped 42 on the Lakers in ’01, Shaq went over to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett and told him to write this down: “My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth. Quote me on that and don’t take nothing out.” Enough said.

14. DeMar DeRozan
    The King of the Fourth is a true revolutionary when it comes to the art of the midrange.

15. Jimmy Butler
    They call him Jimmy Buckets for a reason. That’s exactly what you’re gonna get.

16. Jayson Tatum
    JT moves different out there on the parquet floor, from the lethal step back and sidestep threes to the sheer dominance every time the rock touches his hands. That’s what happens when you’re mentored by none other than the Mamba.

17. Vince Carter
    Once Vince Carter got within eyesight of that line, it was over before it had even begun.

18. Zion Williamson
    You can’t be contained when the limits never existed. The same goes in the paint, or anywhere on the floor, when it comes to Zion Williamson. 

19. Penny Hardaway
    One of the greatest guards ever. That spin fake into a stepback, move? Pure magic.

20. Luka Doncic
    Luka plays at his own pace while completely dominating in the process. Different.

21. Dominique Wilkins
    With legs like propellers and arms that could absorb contact, Nique had underrated shot-making ability that went along with his otherworldly athleticism. 

22. Grant Hill 
    Versatility in a human being. Grant Hill was a threat to score from all three levels.

23. Elgin Baylor
    Surrender the skies to Elgin Baylor. Aerially gifted with merciless finishes at the rim.

24. George Gervin
    Smooth, refined, patient, disciplined and measured. Ice’s game was where fundamental met flash.

25. Alex English
    Nobody scored more points in the 1980s than Alex English. Nobody.

26. Joe Johnson
    His nickname is Iso Joe. Nothing more needs to be said.

27. Bradley Beal
    Bradley Beal technically has a perfect jumpshot. Pair that exquisite form with his handles and the result is a scoring machine.

28. Klay Thompson
    One of the best shooters ever is also a big body that precisely clamps players of all heights and weights.

29. Gary Payton
    Possibly the best perimeter defender to ever play, Gary Payton could also get to the tin whenever he wanted.

30. Jamal Crawford
    Jamal Crawford is creativity unleashed through instinct and intellect.

6-9 AND UP

1. Shaquille O’Neal
   The most physically dominant player ever. Realistically, there’s nobody stopping the Diesel.

2. Kevin Durant
   Size, skills, smarts. There have been very few other players that are more offensively complete than Kevin Durant.

3. LeBron James
   The case can be made that LeBron James is the best player ever. Full stop.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
   Try guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo without any help defense. Get the picture?

5. Kevin Garnett
   The only part of Kevin Garnett’s game that outshined his skills on both sides of the ball was his competitiveness, a trait that’s gone nearly unmatched throughout history.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon
   Possibly the best two-way center ever, who dominated with equal doses of agility and nimbleness, power and force.

7. David Robinson
   Dunks and jumpers with the left, blocks and steals with both of his hands and a compressed trampoline in his right leg, David Robinson’s basketball IQ was just as ridiculous as his athletic capabilities.

8. Karl Malone
   Brute strength. Left side of the post to the right side of the hoop every single time. Never could be stopped.

9. Wilt Chamberlain
   Scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 points for a season and if blocks and steals were tallied when he played, Wilt Chamberlain’s mythic status would be even greater than it already is.

10. Joel Embiid
    Joel Embiid is a guard stuck inside a 7-2, 280-pound body.

11. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    The author of the game’s most unstoppable shot, its leading scorer and a shot-blocking terror.

12. Larry Bird
    Larry Bird was so good at scoring that he would tell bigger, stronger and more athletic defenders exactly what he planned to do with the ball and they still couldn’t contain him.

13. Anthony Davis
    Middies, catch-and-shoot threes, barrels to the rim, pick-and-roll ball containment, weakside shot-blocking and passing lane invader properly describes Anthony Davis.  

14. Moses Malone
    Quite possibly the most underrated great in NBA history, Moses Malone was unstoppable from the block and even if he did miss, he’d consume offensive rebounds with such ferocity that the ensuing putbacks would be uncontested.

15. Dirk Nowitzki
    It’s real when a singular shot is credited to a player. Basketball now has the one-legged fadeaway thanks to Dirk Nowitzki.

Subscribe to the official podcast of the basketball bible, SLAM’s “No Pump Fakes.”

Follow host Theus McBee on Instagram @theuselijah and Ahmad Smith, @akisnba.

The post SLAM’s Official Top 75 Greatest 1-on-1 NBA Players of All Time List appeared first on SLAM.

The two-time MVP achieved the record with 46.2 seconds left to go before halftime after missing his first five attempts.

Stephen Curry has just become the ONLY player in League history to record 500 career playoff threes.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) May 10, 2022

Curry dropped 32 points in the late win, knocking down eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds to cement Golden States’ comeback win on Monday night. Curry also dished eight assists and corralled five rebounds as Golden State rallied from seven points going into the fourth quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies 39-29 in the final frame.

A master at creating separation. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/yAhRnDSj7r

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 10, 2022

Chef Curry tied the game at 90-all with a fall-away baseline J with 3:25 to go, while a pair of free throws with 45.7 seconds to go gave the Warriors their first lead of the night, a 94-93 edge.

The fact Golden State did this without shooting the ball very well and turning the ball over 16 times could be interpreted as a mixed bag. It would be valid to say the Warriors should’ve dominated tonight with Ja Morant not being in the lineup and being in the crib.

The win is all the sweeter because of the leadership and high-level play of Curry. Recently hired Kings head coach Mike Brown heaped praise on the all-time three-point king calling him the easiest superstar to be around.

“The great part about Steph, he’s got to be easiest superstar to be around — He’s always thinking about how can he help the team next.”

“The great part about Steph, he’s got to be the easiest superstar to be around… He’s always thinking about how can he help the team next “

Mike Brown on Stephen Curry’s positive mindset even through tough stretches of play. pic.twitter.com/tI53w0GQDA

— NBA (@NBA) May 10, 2022

However, the Grizzlies were 20-5 without Morant in the regular-season. Be that as it may, the Warriors showed their championship mettle against a Grizzlies team that has routinely clawed back from deficits throughout the playoffs. This Game 4 loss will ultimately be a lesson for Memphis on closing out high-stakes games against championship contenders like Golden State.

The Grizzlies-Warriors shift back to Memphis for Game 5 on Wednesday, with Memphis looking to close the series deficit to 3-2.

The post Stephen Curry Takes Charge and Leads Warriors to Game 4 Win appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t even know what that means in the playoffs. I did not even understand what he meant by that,” Brooks said.

The 26-year-old later followed up by saying he would “take the playback if he could.”

“It’s in the past,” Brooks said per ESPN. “I didn’t mean for it to hurt somebody. If I were to take it back in a moment, I would. But it’s in the past.”

Brooks will be back in the Grizzlies lineup for Game 4 against the Warriors, while Ja Morant remains doubtful to play while he deals with some knee soreness that he experienced in Game 3.

Ja Morant reacted to Jordan Poole grabbing his knee.

(via @JaMorant) pic.twitter.com/9XhvkPfYxG

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 8, 2022

The Grizzlies look to tie the series up 2-2 on Monday.

The post Dillon Brooks on Steve Kerr’s ‘Code’ Comments: ‘I Don’t Even Know What That Means in the Playoffs’ appeared first on SLAM.

Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant (right knee) is likely to miss Game 4 vs. Warriors, coach Taylor Jenkins says.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 8, 2022

However, Morant is now listed as doubtful on the injury report for Game 4. He was seen walking into the Grizzlies shootaround on Monday morning, but according to Mark Medina, he was in street clothes and didn’t participate in “any on-court work.” Medina also reported that the Grizzlies are still “working through” Morant’s injury while declining to share any details on Morant’s MRI results.

Morant is currently on the injury report as doubtful for game four. https://t.co/RQPCv0MbSN

— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) May 9, 2022

The Grizzlies were 20-5 when Morant wasn’t in the lineup this season. Something that Coach Steve Kerr gave Memphis plenty of credit for.

“They’re a hell of a team — They’re really deep.”

Steve Kerr on if Ja Morant doesn't play for the Grizzlies tonight: "Memphis went 20-5 without him. They're a hell of a team. … They're really deep."

— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) May 9, 2022

The controversy behind Morant’s injury has picked up quite a bit with Morant, in a since-deleted tweet, calling out Jordan Poole and the Warriors for “going against the code,” something Kerr rallied around after Gary Payton II suffered a fractured elbow during Game 2. The injury might’ve occurred after Jordan Poole accidentally grabbed at Morant’s knee while attempting to force a turnover.

Some fans had fought back against the narrative, claiming that the injury more than likely occurred earlier when Morant collided with Klay Thompson as he attempted to close out on Splash Brothers’ long-distance attempt. Some even pointed out that Morant tripped Stephen Curry as the two-time MVP drove past him. When Thompson heard about Morant’s claim, he laughed, outright dismissing the notion Poole could do that.

“I don’t even think he’s strong enough to affect somebody’s knee,” Thompson said. “We’re not out there trying to hurt people or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break.”

Klay Thompson started laughing when he heard Ja Morant tweeted that Jordan Poole broke the code.

"I don't even think he's strong enough to affect somebody's knee. We're not out there trying to hurt people, or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break." pic.twitter.com/Srz8FZurJ1

— Sam Hustis (@SamHustis) May 8, 2022

The Grizzlies and Warriors will lock horns on Monday, with the Warriors looking to take a 3-1 series lead with a Game 4 win.

The post Ja Morant (Knee) Listed as Doubtful for Game 4 appeared first on SLAM.

The infraction occurred when Brooks chased Payton down in transition in an attempt to stop a fast-break layup. Brooks hit Payton in the head in the subsequent action; the hard foul resulted in Payton hitting the court hard and staying down for several minutes. The incident makes the second straight game in the second-round series where a starter will miss a large chunk of a playoff game due to a Flagrant 2 ejection.

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said per ESPN. “There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow — He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”

“The line is pretty clear; you don’t hit on the head when he’s in midair, breaking his elbow. That’s where the line is.”

Payton will undergo an MRI on Tuesday for further evaluation. A timetable for his return has not been determined.

The second-round series has undoubtedly lived up to the hype. Heading into Game 2, Memphis and Golden State were aware that their series would be a physical affair. Kerr said Game 2 would be their most physical game all season, which turned out to be accurate by all accounts.

“Playoff basketball is supposed to be physical,” Kerr said. “Everybody’s going to compete. Everyone is going to fight for everything.”

Without Payton in the lineup, who started Games 1 and 2 due to his defensive acumen, the Warriors will have to rely on someone else to guard Ja Morant, who just dropped 47-points in the Grizzlies’ 106-101 win over the Warriors.

Kerr said he hopes Andre Iguodala can fill the task once he returns from a back injury, hopefully by Game 3. Another solution might be to guard the reigning Most Improved Player by committee and hopefully slow him down with different coverages and defenders.

The Grizzlies-Warriors series shifts to San Francisco on Saturday.

The post Gary Payton II Suffers Broken Elbow After Dillon Brooks’ Flagrant 2 Foul appeared first on SLAM.

The 47-point effort Morant put on the veteran Warriors feels as inevitable as Thanos collecting the infinity stones. Each bucket felt heavier and heavier as it fell through the nylon. The Murray State product made 15-31 field goal attempts, knocked down 5-12 triples, and hit 12-13 free throws. Can’t forget the eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals he collected, either.

The newly crowned Most Improved Player award winner started the night off hot, scoring 21 points and five dimes in the first half, punctuating his Hulk-like evening with a hammer in transition. Morant’s athletic exploits are well-chronicled at this point, and when you’re that athletic and explosive, the main question fellow hoopers and media will ask is, where is the jumper?

The Warriors’ decision to make Morant beat them as a shooter didn’t pay off on Tuesday didn’t pay off as Morant trusted his jump shot when the Warriors sagged off him in the lane; the 2022 All-Star matched the sure-fire Splash Brothers in made three-pointers. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to bury 5-23 shots from beyond the arc against the Grizzlies’ lengthy and physical perimeter defense for the night.

Stepback 12

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/9agrz2sMNd

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 4, 2022

Speaking of Curry, Morant outdueled the former MVP once again in Game 2. Morant scored the final 15 points of the night, hitting a three, and walked Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins down the lane for two tough finishes on a pair of isolation possessions in the final two and a half minutes. Morant also sank a floater to give the Warriors a 104-101 lead and then the final free-throws of the night to seal the Grizzlies’ series-tying win.

“Definitely big time,” Morant said per ESPN. “I felt like this was a must-win game for us. For me, I was frustrated with myself missing that layup in Game 1.

As if 47 points wasn’t INCREDIBLE enough, @JaMorant scored the final 15 points to lead the @memgrizz to the Game 2 win and even the series at 1-1! #GrindCity pic.twitter.com/4sUG8KZSaL

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2022

The Grizzlies-Warriors series heads back to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday. After Game 1, Curry let Morant know this second-round matchup would be a battle but fun. As the Grizzlies celebrated their hard-fought win, Morant returned the favor as the two superstars walked past each other.

“I was able to return that message tonight — I am having a lot of fun.”

JA DROPS 4⃣7⃣

GRIZZLIES EVEN UP THE SERIES #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/IJXeDcpQaP

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2022

The post Ja Morant on His 47-Point Outing: ‘This Was a Must-Win For Us’ appeared first on SLAM.

Green has even gone to social media to make a case that other players, who don’t necessarily have the same reputation for the physical play he does, should be kicked after Player A accidentally kicked Player B in the groin or Player C committed a hard foul on Player D.

When the Inside the NBA crew questioned him about his aggressiveness, he reminded the legendary basketball media crew that the Warriors still won thanks to the collective defensive effort of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who both got clutch defensive stops against Ja Morant late in the fourth quarter to secure their tight win and the hot scoring of Jordan Poole who scored a team-high 31 points.

“We won the game,” Green said.

That doesn’t negate the fact that the Warriors and Green need each other. The former DPOY missed two months due to a back injury, and without the Michigan State product in the lineup, the Warriors went from 34-12 when Green played to 19-17 without him.

In the 17 minutes Green played in Game 1, he posted six points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Without Green on the floor, Poole, Kevon Looney, Jonathon Kuminga, Otto Porter Jr., and Andrew Wiggins picked up the slack on the rebounding side, helping the Warriors win the rebound battle 50-47. The Grizzlies led the League in rebounding, corraling 49.2 boards per game; in the playoffs, they bring down 46.4.

“That’s what it takes when you lose a guy,” Green said.

In the meantime, the Warriors and Green will have to contend with Green’s physical play and a looming suspension if Green picks up another Flagrant 2 foul. League rules state if a player picks up four flagrant foul points, one point for a Flagrant 1 and two for a Flagrant 2.

The last time those rules reared their ugly heads in the playoffs for the Warriors was Game 5 of the infamous 2016 NBA Finals, which Green missed due to picking up a Flagrant 2 and his fourth point in the previous game. The Cleveland Cavaliers used his absence to spark a 3-1 comeback, the first time a team climbed back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.

Defiant as ever, Green won’t allow those memories to deter him from playing hard. He also expressed some frustration with the flagrant foul system.

“My reputation is a badge of honor,” he said. “Not everybody can earn that reputation. So, life goes on. I’m never going to change the way I play basketball. It’s gotten me this far: Three championships, four All-Stars, Defensive Player of the Year. Not gonna change that.”

“There’s a lot of things in this league that are probably old and outdated and (don’t) make sense, and people are too lazy to go change things; there’s a laundry list of things that are old, and they worked in the ‘60s, but they probably don’t work today, but people are too lazy to go change them.”

Game 2 of the Warriors-Grizzles story takes place in Memphis on Tuesday.

The post Draymond Green Insists He Won’t Change Playstyle: ‘My Reputation is a Badge of Honor’ appeared first on SLAM.

By the end of this game, Morant had the entire arena, along with any NBA fan that loves this game screaming at the top of their lungs. The Murray State product officially put his name in the hat of the undisputed future superstars after finishing Game 5 with 30-point, 13 rebounds, and nine assists to lift Memphis to a shocking 111-109 victory as time expired.

The 2022 All-Star’s poster at the end of the third quarter would impact national headlines even if the Grizzlies lost.

12 is simply different.

(via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/NII8jKnYes

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2022

But it was his 18-point 4th quarter that set the League on fire. He overcame six missed free throws to lead Memphis on a 23-7 run to make the game close. Morant then took the game over late in the fourth quarter.

First, with a little over a minute left in the game, Morant received a tap back rebound from Brandon Clarke to knock down a huge three-pointer to give his team the lead.

12.

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/yBc4zqPkic

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2022

Then after Anthony Edwards knocked down a clutch corner three-pointer to tie the game at 109, Morant closed the game out in spectacular fashion.

JA MORANT IS UNREAL!

The @memgrizz win Game 5! pic.twitter.com/h7setPIvTp

— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2022

Memphis now owns a 3-2 lead in this first-round Western Conference series, with Game 6 being Friday night in Minnesota.

The post Ja Morant Sends Minnesota to the Brink of Elimination With Game Winner appeared first on SLAM.

And yet, back in December Ja had made it clear via Twitter who he felt was deserving of the award: Desmond Bane.

On Monday night, the SLAM 238 co-cover star posted on his Instagram story that he gave the award to Bane and left it in his kitchen.

“You deserve it killa!” he wrote in his caption.

Bane has improved across the stat sheet in his second year and is averaging 18.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. When Morant was out with a tweaked knee last month, he stepped up and averaged around 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in three games. He dropped 34 points in a Game 4 loss to the Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies are currently tied with Minnesota 2-2 going into Game 5.

The post Ja Morant Wins 2022 Most Improved—and Gives Award to Desmond Bane appeared first on SLAM.

While Ja Morant (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) will deservedly receive most of the attention for the Grizzles’ Game 3 comeback due to his triple-double performance, his backcourt mate Desmond Bane deserves some credit too, after being a major cog in Memphis’ comeback bid thanks to his timely long-range shooting.

Memphis started the game down 12-0 and found themselves down 26 points in the first half and 25 in the second before going on significant runs to get back in the game before halftime and snatch a 2-1 series lead in the second half.

The Timberwolves really blew TWO 25-point leads pic.twitter.com/pWyR5D61M3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 22, 2022

The triumphant comeback began with the hot shooting of Bane, who scored a game-high 26 points (7-15 from beyond the arc) and grabbed six rebounds.

Desmond Bane led the @memgrizz in scoring while draining 7 three-pointers to lead #GrindCity to the 26 point comeback victory!@DBane0625: 26 PTS, 6 REB, 7 3PM

MEM vs. MIN Game 4: Sat. 10pm/et on ESPN#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/JbK9397lY9

— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2022

Then after D’Angelo Russell hit a three-pointer to put Minnesota up 79-54 in the third quarter, Bane helped his team erase a 25-point lead with a massive 23-4 run to tie the game at 83-83, capped off by a three-pointer with 8:30 left in the game. This fourth-quarter dagger in the corner effectively put the game away as Memphis outscored Minnesota 37-12 in the final frame to match the fourth-largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

THAT CATCH AND SHOOT BADGE GO CRAZY pic.twitter.com/YMwC2IEipt

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 22, 2022

After the dust settled, Bane was proud of his teammates for staying composed to clinch an emotional Game 3 victory.

“Everybody stayed with it, stayed resilient throughout the whole entire game; it’s an emotional victory — coming from being down a lot,” Bane said per Yahoo Sports.

“We’ve got to keep our heads; it’s first to four.”

Game 4 of the Grizzlies-Timberwolves series takes place on Saturday.

The post Desmond Bane Powers Memphis Comeback Bid to Beat Timberwolves appeared first on SLAM.

Although he scored 32 points, Morant was unhappy with his overall performance and on Instagram posted a captionless picture that featured a clip from the Last Dance where Michael Jordan spoke about can trash when they’re in the lead.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 12 (@jamorant)

The All-Star point guard had the best total floor game of his playoff career, leading Memphis to a 124-96 blowout. Despite only scoring 23 points in the game, he made his teammates better and controlled the game with a near triple-double adding nine rebounds and 10 assists. His playmaking opened up the offense and allowed seven Grizzlies players to score in the double figures.

Ja spin.
JJJ block.
JJJ three.
Ja three.

What a @memgrizz run on NBA TV!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/L5fr72yYiK

— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022

While Morant was working his magic with his teammates on the floor evening the series, his family became one of the more fun storylines of the NBA playoffs. His father has collaborated with Karl Anthony Towns’ father to add a fun trash-talking element to the series that started at the end of Game 1.

KAT and Ja’s dad’s are still talking trash to each other pic.twitter.com/stJECBnvug

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 20, 2022

For the first time in the series, Morant’s daughter, Kaari, has become a viral sensation after cameras panned her enjoying her dad’s latest exploits on the court.

This moment of @JaMorant’s daughter, Kaari

So wholesome

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/SLusGpnhuW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 20, 2022

Once his post-game on-court interview concluded, Morant motioned his daughter to join him as he carried her on his shoulders to walk back to her grandfather.

Ja and Kaari walking off in #PhantomCam after the Grizzlies Game 2 win! pic.twitter.com/Ae85LGbr8H

— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022

As the series shifts to Minnesota, Morant’s family has brought an up and personal visual of total family support for a superstar we haven’t since Stephen Curry rose to prominence during the 2014 playoffs. Something that impressed ESPN analyst Jalen Rose to the utmost earlier this week.

.@JalenRose says the NBA “is in the best position that it’s been in since Michael Jordan retired.”

Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/I8i0TlrU0e

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 18, 2022

The pivotal Game 3 matchup is on Thursday, where the winner will go up 2-1 in their first-round matchup.

The post Memphis Grizzlies Even Series Led By A Ja Morant Family Affair appeared first on SLAM.

JA OFF A TRAMPOLINE WITH THE TWO HAND!!!!!

(via @NBAUK) pic.twitter.com/jMoqZrlCCA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 16, 2022

However, Anthony Edwards showed the NBA world that he is not a young player that is not afraid of the moment. Edwards matched Morant’s 19 first-half points and engineered the Wolves’ offense in the second half to the first upset of the NBA playoffs.

Edwards shined in his first playoff game scoring 36 points while adding six assists in a 130-117 Minnesota win over the Grizzlies for their first road playoff victory since 2004. The Timberwolves now lead 1-0 going into Game 2 on Tuesday night with the win.

@theantedwards_ was feeling it in his playoff debut dropping 36 points to give the @Timberwolves the 1-0 series lead!

36 PTS | 6 AST | 2 BLK | 4 3PM

GAME 2: T-WOLVES/GRIZZLIES
Tues. 8:30pm/et on NBA TV#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/iyE4Jet5Fj

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2022

According to ESPN Stats and Info, the former top pick in the 2020 NBA draft is now one of only four players with more than 35 points in a playoff game before turning 21-years-old. The others were Derrick Rose, Tyler Herro, and Magic Johnson. Edwards was dominant from all areas of the court, knocking down four three-pointers, finishing strong at the rim, and hitting all eight of his free throws.

Although it surprised many, Edwards’ confidence did not waver in any way in this game, as he stated after the game.

“I told [teammate Taurean Prince] I treat every game the same,” Edwards said via ESPN. “I didn’t feel any different — like a regular-season game to me.”

“I love my shots,” Edwards said. “Whatever shot I take, whether it’s a step-back trey-ball or a step-back midrange or a floater or a layup — whatever my shot is — I like it. Sometimes, [Timberwolves coach Chris Finch] may not like it, but I love my shot. I’m just trusting myself.”

The two young stars, Morant and Edward, will continue to share the spotlight for the rest of the series after a historic performance in Game 1, becoming the first opposing players in NBA history to each top the 30-point mark in a playoff game at 22 or under. Morant finished with 32 points.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wants to see how consistent Anthony can be going forward.

“Let’s just see what he does over the long haul. He’s had two really good games,” Finch said via Twincities.com. “I know he’ll be locked in. Can’t get bored, you know? Can’t get bored.”

Tune in to see Game 2 on Tuesday night and find out.

The post Anthony Edwards Makes Playoff Debut History in Game 1 Win appeared first on SLAM.

In many ways, it’s indicative of the competitive culture this Grizzlies team has embraced. “Get better every single day,” Jenkins says, when asked to summarize his system. “Simple as that. We know our goal is to just find our best version. I’m repetitive because I don’t want them to be thinking anything other than, Hey, there’s going to be this marker that people are going to talk about. We are really trying to find our best selves defensively, offensively, spirit-wise, all that just gets better every single day.”

Even though the season isn’t quite over yet, the Grizzlies indulging in some fun feels appropriate. One season ago, Memphis was fighting to finish anywhere above .500 and make the play-in game. This season, as the second-youngest team in the NBA, the Grizzlies finished 56-26, the second-best record in the League and tied for the most wins in franchise history. The Grizzlies are the first team in the history of the NBA to lead the League in rebounds, blocks and steals, and have contributors firmly in the conversations for MVP, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.

SLAM 238 featuring the Memphis Grizzlies is available now.

A little over a year ago, Ja Morant was on the cover of SLAM fronting a story about how the Grizzlies seemed poised to go from rebuilding to contending. Well, that future is right now. These Grizzlies have proven that a youth movement in modern sports can be a good thing, maybe even a great thing. 

The crazy part is how it almost didn’t even turn out this way. The Grizzlies began this season 9-10 and had the worst defense in the NBA. And then, just when you thought things looked dim, in the final game of that opening stretch, Morant went out with a non-contact knee injury. Things went from dim to dimmer.

While Morant avoided serious injury, he did miss a few weeks, and the Grizzlies promptly won 10 of their next 11. Ever since then, the Grizzlies have pulled off a dazzling transformation, morphing into a top-five team on both defense and offense. How did this happen? If it was easy to figure out, everyone would be able to do it. But a franchise that won only 22 games five seasons ago has turned into a victory machine. Winning time? Right now, that’s in Memphis, mane.

A few minutes after Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke is crowned the Simon Says champ, Jaren Jackson Jr sprawls on a couch near the locker room. Jackson, in his fourth NBA season, is still just 22 years old, a few weeks younger than Morant. Jackson Jr or “Trip” as he is known among his teammates, has embraced the nickname “Block Panther,” emerging as the interior defensive stopper who allows his teammates on the perimeter to swipe at loose balls and overplay passing lanes. Besides leading the NBA in blocked shots, he’s also second on the Grizz in three-point attempts, making him a prototypical modern big in today’s NBA.

“The culture here is crazy,” Trip says. “We don’t know how important it is, because we just do it naturally. It’s just ironic that we all kind of hang out and do the same stuff, enjoy the same stuff. We just ride with it. But it obviously helps—it helps us win, it helps us communicate, it helps us understand each other better off the court. It’s just a big deal for us. We love it.

“We just kick it with each other. We go out to eat, we hang out, we go to each other’s rooms on the road, we go play video games—we just chill.”

Perhaps no Grizzlies player is more chill than Dillon Brooks, who always arrives for press conferences wearing sunglasses and speaks in a whisper. Yet on the floor, he plays with ferocity, particularly on the defensive end, a clear throwback to the Grizzlies’ grit-and-grind heritage. (“I’m trying to smile more so I don’t get too upset out there and they start teeing me up again,” Brooks recently joked.) In his fifth season in Memphis, Brooks is the longest-tenured Grizzlies player, and also the their second leading scorer this season, at 18.4 ppg. Still, his relentless defense-first mindset seems to set the tone for much of what the Grizzlies do.

Brooks cites improved team defense as a reason for the Grizzlies’ current success. “Play physical,” he says. “Make the refs call every single foul and see if they can do it. Slide our feet from one to 12. We are contesting at the rim, and we are doing it as a team. Playing team defense, communicating, talking. It is really good to see us get out and run and do what we are good at. That is what we have to bring to the playoffs.”

Morant sees a major difference between this year’s team and last season’s squad: “Attention to detail,” he says. “I feel like we’re way more locked in. No matter what goes on during the game, if we’re missing some shots we move on. And I feel like last year we had times where we missed coverages, where we talked about it for two days, and teams made us pay for that. And I feel like now we’re very locked in and feel like everybody is just locked down on the defensive end and knowing we can score the basketball.”

Morant began this season with a flurry of ninja emojis on everything he tweeted, using the phrase, “Welcome to the dark.” Morant eventually provided some context, noting that the work done in the dark is eventually seen in the light. And then he welcomed the rest of the NBA into the darkness. 

Morant finished his third season averaging 27.4 points per game, and despite being listed at just 6-3, he led the NBA in points scored in the paint. There were literally dozens of highlights along the way, from Ja scoring 52 in a game (prompting an online MVP endorsement from Allen Iverson) to dunks over bigs and gravity-defying blocked shots to hitting the griddy on the way back to the locker room after every win.

Along the way, Ja turned his Twitter account into a personal bully pulpit, campaigning for Jackson Jr to win Defensive Player of the Year, for Desmond Bane to win Most Improved, for Jenkins to win Coach of the Year.

While the Grizzlies have had explosive performances from a variety of players this season—eight different players have been a game’s leading scorer this season—perhaps nobody has been more consistent than Bane, the second-year guard.

Projected as a spot-up shooter when the Grizzlies drafted him out of TCU, Bane has developed into a dynamic all-around guard, able to score off the dribble, run the offense as a secondary ballhandler and still shoot the lights out—as Jackson Jr said after a recent game, “Des is, you know, all hail Des.” Over the Grizzlies’ last 17 games, Bane led the team in scoring eight times and along the way set a franchise record for made threes in a season. 

“Coach always talks about the energy and the ball,” Bane says. “Guys tend to shoot it better as long as you just keep moving the ball. We stay consistent with our work habits and our approach. Shots are going to find a way.”

The roster that Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman and his basketball operations staff has assembled is filled with a“bunch of hoopers,” as the players like to say. Memphis finishing with the second-best record in the NBA wasn’t just because of the four guys you see on the cover of this magazine—it’s taken major contributions from guys like Steven Adams, who set a franchise record for offensive rebounds in a season. It’s been guys like Tyus Jones, who led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio. Some nights it’s been rookie Ziaire Williams, who started 30 games this season and developed into a crucial rotation player. It’s been Kyle Anderson, who gives Jenkins incredible versatility in the lineups. It’s been Brandon Clarke, who is not only apparently great at Simon Says, but has been on the finishing end of many highlights this season. It’s been DeAnthony Melton, known as “Mr. Do-Something” for his uncanny ability to make impact plays on both ends of the court. It’s been John Konchar, Killian Tillie and Xavier Tillman Sr. Even two-way players like Santi Aldama have had memorable moments this season. 

“We have a squad,” Brooks says, “so you may not get to see those guys play a lot, but they exceed. It is special to see, and we are going to need that all year. You never know what is going to happen with injuries or COVID. Teams know when they play us, no matter who is on the floor, guys are ready to play.”

“The phrase we keep talking about,” says Jenkins, “is Everybody Eats. When you’re playing with that rhythm, that just inherently creates confidence amongst all five guys out there. It becomes infectious. It doesn’t matter when we sub guys, they just kind of pick up where that first group left off.”

For the Grizzlies, the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of their pack is the wolf. Every player has embraced their role, and whenever their time comes, each player is ready to play. With so many young players destined to be in Memphis for a while, the future looks blindingly bright. But don’t overlook the present, either.

“We expect to win every game we play,” Jackson Jr says. “We don’t go in thinking that we’re down, even if we don’t have players playing. Because the way we’re taught to play, everybody knows how we’re supposed to play—move the ball, make defenses work. We like to tire teams out, run them, make them work on defense. We work so hard on defense. Everybody can play defense. If you play defense, you’re going to end up hooping.”

And somewhere on the journey, the Grizzlies figured out that playing with a little attitude was a good thing. Against the Lakers in January, Desmond Bane brushed against LeBron James, who pushed back and caused a momentary pile-up in the paint. As Bane stepped to the charity stripe, LeBron could be overheard on the broadcast telling the Grizzlies to stop talking ish. The Grizzlies would go on to beat the Lake Show, 127-119, for their ninth straight win. 

A few weeks later, after the Grizz drubbed the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on national television, Jaren Jackson Jr and Morant faced the media together. 

“We play with energy, we play with intensity,” Trip said. “We love that. That brings joy to us. That back and forth, that’s just what we like, so, if you want to play that game, we can play that game. It’s cool. It’s all in between the lines. It’s never personal. I don’t care who I’m talking to, it’s just a person, and I’m just going to say what I feel, and I’m going to do what I feel, too.”

And then Morant sat up in his chair, and with a smile, summarized the Grizzlies way, for a team and a city that has been overlooked for far too long: “Ain’t no runnin’ in the M, man. We climb up the chimney.”

“Yeah, for sure,” agreed Trip.

“We gonna let everybody know that we’re here,” continued Morant. “We’re gonna play hard, trying to get a win.

“And if you don’t like it?” Morant asked rhetorically.

“Oh well.”

SLAM 238 is available now in these Gold and Black Metal Editions, as well as a Cover Tee. Shop now.

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post The Memphis Grizzlies Defied Expectations This Season—But This is Only the Beginning appeared first on SLAM.

The backcourt of Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell combined for 59 points last night as Edwards finished with 30 points and Russel with 29 points.

The Timberwolves finished the fourth quarter on a 23-11 run led by big shots from second-year star Edwards including this huge dunk.

THERE IT IS pic.twitter.com/epHTOH8dwF

— x – Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 13, 2022

Veteran guard Patrick Beverly was proud of the young star and let reporters know how he felt about him stepping up in the big moment.

“No one can guard him, and I been telling him that all year,” Beverly said. “I don’t care who plays him. I done seen the best defensive guys, and I’m one of the best defensive guys on earth. No one can guard him. Credit to him, his hard work and patience at a young age understanding what comes with the game. This is his moment, and he deserves all of it.”

The Timberwolves will meet the second-seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs starting on April 16. Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant was excited to finally see who their first-round matchup would be, and made sure to show some love on Twitter by shouting out Edwards.

This season the Grizzlies and Timberwolves split their regular-season matchup at 2-2, so this matchup of up-and-coming stars should be very entertaining.

The post Patrick Beverley On Anthony Edwards’ 30-Piece: ‘No One Can Guard Him, and I Keep Preaching That to Him’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Grizzlies have gone 7-0 since Morant suffered a tweaked knee injuries, beating formidable opponents such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, and the Brooklyn Nets. In that seven-game span, Memphis has scored 124.4 points per game, which would rank first in the NBA by almost ten whole points.

What makes this even more impressive is that the Grizzlies have held opponents to 106.1 points per game in that same span, which would rank sixth in the League.

Some stars of the show? Desmond Bane, who has averaged 22.5 points and shot 58.5 percent from deep, was huge for Memphis earlier in the run, though he sat out the last game due to left ankle soreness. Dillon Brooks churned out 30 points in Friday’s victory over the Phoenix Suns, who own the best record in the NBA. De’Anthony Melton has nearly doubled his season average of points per game (10.8), with 19.4 points scored in this span.

However, It’s been a total team effort, as 10 players have scored in the double-digits multiple times in this seven-game window. This young Grizzlies team has a chance to make history down the stretch with their team one win shy away from matching the franchise-best 56 wins they had during the 2012-2013 campaign.

Sitting one game back of the franchise’s 56 win-mark as the all-time high,

Memphis plays Utah tomorrow, Denver Thursday, the Pelicans Saturday, and Boston Sunday.

The post Memphis Grizzles Win Seven Straight Down the Stretch appeared first on SLAM.

In the three games Memphis has played since Morant went down, Bane has averaged around 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting a ridiculous 60.8 percent from downtown on 7.6 triples attempted per game. This shooting prowess is nothing new, as he’s 10th in the League in three-pointers made this season with 209.

He’s scored 20+ in eight of the last 10 games and shows no signs of slowing down. Bane’s per-game scoring average has doubled in his sophomore year, improving from 9.2 points per game in his rookie year to 18.2 points per game this season.

Fresh off of a playoff-clinching victory over the Indiana Pacers off the back of Bane’s 30 points, the Grizzlies will defend FedExForum against the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow at 8 PM EST.

The post Desmond Bane and the Grizzlies Flourishing in the Absence of Ja Morant appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Athletics’ Shams Charania, Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant will be out for at least two weeks with a knee injury.

The injury news comes at the worst time for the Grizzlies, who only have eight games left to play this season after their 133-103 win against the Indiana Pacers tonight. Currently, Memphis is in second place in the conference with a record of 50-23, just two games ahead of the Golden State Warriors.

If Morant is out for the expected timeline, he will return three games before the start of the NBA Playoffs.

Morant is a vital piece of the Grizzlies and is having his best season in the NBA thus far. Morant was averaging an eye-popping 27.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game this year and earned his first NBA All-Star Game nod as a result.

Despite Morant’s outstanding season and his importance to the Grizzlies, they have gotten along just fine without him this season, going 16-2 in games without Morant this season.

On Saturday, Memphis will have a chance to improve that record without Morant when they host the Milwaukee Bucks (45-27).

The post Ja Morant Out For Next Two Weeks With Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee Volunteers finished the regular season 26-7 (14-4 SEC) as they entered the SEC tournament as a two-seed. In their first game, they defeated Mississippi State 72-59, Then defeated seed 3 Kentucky Wildcats 69-62 behind a 19 point performance by freshman guard Kennedy Chandler to send the Vols to the SEC championship.

The Volunteers would go on to dominate Texas A&M 65-50 to secure the school’s first conference championship since 1979. Chandler was named the most outstanding player of the tournament as his stellar shooting has continued to dazzle the country. He averaged 13.8 points and 4.6 assists on the season.

Tennessee will enter the NCAA tournament as a two-seed and will face Longwood in the first round of the tournament. Tennessee is a team that needs to advance far in every bracket entry submitted.

Virginia Tech Hokies 

Before the ACC tournament, The Virginia Tech Hokies’ ticket to the tournament was not secure after finishing the regular season 23-12 record (11-9 ACC). Entering as the seven seed a big run in the conference tournament would’ve kept the Hokies dancing in march, and they did just that.

In the first round, the Hokies took down the Clemson Tigers 76-75 from a buzzer-beater by guard Darius Maddox as time expired on the clock. They defeated Notre Dame, 87-80, and North Carolina, 72-59, to reserve their spot in the ACC championship game. In a classic David and Goliath matchup, the Hokies faced the Duke Blue Devils and stunned the basketball world by dominating them 82-67 to take home the school’s first ACC championship.

Junior guard Hunter Cattoor led the Hokies in scoring, finishing with 31 points, knocking down seven out of nine three-pointers. Virginia Tech will enter the NCAA tournament as an 11-seed and face the six-seeded Texas in the first round.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa came into the Big 10 tournament with a 26-9 regular-season record (12-8 Big 10), with most of their losses coming in the conference. In the first two rounds of the Big 10 tournament, they blew out Northwestern 112-76 and bested Rutgers 84-74. Their next round matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers was nail-biting finished as guard Jordan Bohannon sank a bank shot as time expired to give the Hawkeyes the 80-77 edge over the Hoosiers.

They matched up against the high-powered Purdue Boilermakers in the conference championship. Behind sophomore star Keegan Murray’s 19 points and 11 rebounds, Iowa took home the Big 10 title crown in a 75-66 victory. Iowa is entering the NCAA as a five seed and will play the University of Richmond in the first round.

With three Iowa players averaging double-digits in Keegan Murray, Jordan Bohannon, and Patrick McCaffery, the Hawkeyes can be a real threat this year.

Murray State Racers

After an impressive tournament run back in 2019 led by Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant the Murray State Racers looks to put the country on notice once again. Entering this year with an impressive 30-2 record going undefeated in conference play (18-0 OVC), the Racers have won 18 straight games since losing to Auburn, 71-58, on Dec. 22.

They knocked out Morehead state 71-67 to capture the school’s 18th OVC conference championship. Junior guard Tevin Brown scored 23 points and six rebounds to help the Racers continue dancing into the NCAA men’s championship tournament. Brown, who played along with Morant as a freshman back in 2019, has been the teams’ anchor averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 44 percent from the floor.

The Racers will be a seven-seed in the tournament and match up with San Francisco in the first round. If you are a fan of Cinderella teams, Murray State is the perfect team to bet on.

The post Best Not Be Sleeping: Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Iowa, and Murray State appeared first on SLAM.

The tourney hasn’t even begun, and yet we’ve witnessed Hunter Cattoor light it up against Duke en route to Virginia Tech’s first ACC Championship, Murray State earn their first tournament bid since Ja Morant was the Racers point guard, and Iowa secured their first Big Ten Tournament Championship since 2006.

With Selection Sunday and conference tournaments wrapping up this past weekend, there’s a lot to preview, and SLAM Newswire has got you covered.

The Heavy Hitters

This year’s No. 1 Seeds: Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, and Baylor are loaded with talent as we take a deep dive into how the heavy hitters on the men’s side got to the first round of the tournament.

Led by two Wooden Award Candidates while boasting a nation-best 87.8 points per game, the hype around Gonzaga (26-3) is real. With WCC Player of the Year Drew Timme, who averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and top-three projected pick in this year’s draft Chet Holmgren patrolling the paint, the Bulldogs have been one of the most dominant teams in college basketball this season – dropping just three games to tournament-bound teams (Duke, Alabama and St. Mary’s).

The No. 1 team in the West region boasts 10 Quadrant 1 wins, making their 24th appearance as a program in the tournament with a matchup against No. 16 Georgia St (18-10) in the opening round.

Fresh off of their 12th Big 12 tournament championship in program history, Kansas (28-6) enters the Midwest region as one of the most battle-tested teams in the tournament. Bill Self leads a loaded roster full of experienced hoopers, headlined by conference-leading scorer and Player of the Year Ochai Ogbaji. Ogbaji averaged 19.7 points per game while shooting 40.5 percent from three – the Jayhawks lead the nation with 12 Quad 1 wins while snagging a Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament championship.

Possessing one of the strongest resumes in the country, Kansas ranks as the top seed in the Midwest region, facing off against Texas Southern in the first round.

In his first season as a Division One coach and head honcho at Arizona, Tommy Lloyd led the Wildcats (31-3) through a famed season, securing the regular season and Pac-12 tournament championship while gathering quality wins against UCLA, Illinois, Michigan, and USC.

Led by Pac-12 Player of the Year Bennedict Mathurin (17.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game) alongside the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and its Most Improved in 7’1 junior Christian Koloko (11.9 points and 7.2 boards per game), the Wildcats are ranked as a one seed for a reason, as their balanced offensive and defensive schemes have been giving teams trouble all season long.

First, though, they’ll meet the winner between Bryant and Wright State in the opening round.

Rounding out our heavy hitters is the Baylor Bears (26-6), defending their national championship out of the East region. Scott Drew’s Bears feature a bevy of offensive talent with six players averaging more than 8.0 points per game, led by junior guard Adam Flager (13.4 points and 3.1 assists) and senior Big 12 First Team selection, James Akinjo (13.4 points and 5.7 assists). Snagging wins against Villanova, Iowa State, Texas, and Kansas contributed to the program’s 10 Quad 1 dubs. The Bears will be matching up against No. 16 Norfolk St.

Best Not Be Sleeping

You cannot be caught sleeping against Tennessee, Murray St., Virginia Tech, or Iowa despite the seeding.

The No. 3 seeded SEC champions enter the tourney on a seven-game win streak, having defeated Kentucky, Auburn, and Arkansas since mid-February. Led by freshman sensation Kennedy Chandler, the Volunteers (26-7) are a two-seed for a reason. The Volunteers are built to make a deep run this March in a stacked South region that features No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Villanova, No. 4 Illinois, and No. 5 Houston. Behind 11 Quad 1 wins, Chandler’s 13.8 points and 4.6 assists, and 53.8 percent shooting splits, the Volunteers will face off against No. 14 Longwood this weekend.

Virginia Tech (23-12) is riding high after upsetting No. 1 Duke in the ACC Championship game, grabbing their first tournament championship in program history. Despite dropping nine games in conference play, the Hokies’ 82-67 upset win over the Blue Devils behind senior Keve Aluma’s 19 points and Hunter Cattoor’s 31, the No. 11 seeded Hokies are a veteran-heavy squad with enough momentum to carry them deep into the tournament. First, though, they’ll meet No. 6 seeded Texas in the first round of the East.

For the first time since 2006, the Iowa Hawkeyes (26-9) are Big Ten tournament champions. Sophomore All-Big Ten First Team selection Keegan Murray has blossomed into a projected lottery pick in late June, averaging 23.6 points and 8.6 rebounds on 55.5 percent shooting from the floor. Competing in the conference that leads the nation with teams seeded in the tournament, the Hawkeyes grabbed nine Quad 1 wins, defeating Michigan St., Ohio St. and No. 3 Purdue in the Big Ten Championship behind Murray’s 19 points and 11 boards. With four players averaging above double-digits, No. 5 Iowa will have a battle on their hands when they face off against No. 12 Richmond in the first round of the Midwest region.

In case you haven’t been following along with the mid-majors or Ja Morant’s Twitter this season, the Murray State Racers (30-2) are for real. Since dropping a 71-58 road loss to Auburn in late December, the Racers have gone undefeated in conference play and are riding an 18-game win streak. The Ohio Valley Conference champions are led by junior Tevin Brown – who played with Ja Morant and Murray State as a freshman during the Racers’ last tournament run in 2019 – is averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, three assists, and a conference-best 3.1 made threes a game. The No. 7 seed in the East will see No. 10 San Francisco in the tournament’s first round.

Games You Can’t Miss

With the first round of the tournament set to start this Friday, here are the games you can’t miss.

No. 3 Texas Tech Vs. No. 14 Montana State

Texas Tech boasts a bevy of veteran players who hang their hat on defensive pressure and home-court advantage – going undefeated in conference play at home. But the No. 14 Bobcats cannot be counted out solely based on their seeding luck as they’ve made their second national tournament appearance in three years.

No. 6 Texas Vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech

Anchored by wins over Kansas and Tennessee, the Texas Longhorns are ready to start the tournament anew after dropping 3 of their last four regular-season matchups. However, the No. 11 seeded Hokies and sharpshooter Hunter Cattoor could pose an upset level threat, having just beaten No. 2 seed Duke in the ACC Championship.

No. 8 San Diego State Vs. No. 9 Creighton 

The 8/9 matchup is always intriguing. With both the Aztecs and Creighton losing their respective conference tournament championships, both teams will be looking to exact revenge and start the tournament with a dub.

No. 5 Houston Vs. No. 12 UAB

Houston has weathered a storm of injuries and adversity all season long. With another AAC tournament championship under their belt, the Cougars will have to get past UAB and Jordan Walker’s 20.2 points per game on 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness Preview appeared first on SLAM.

The league’s greatest attraction sparked a huge Memphis fourth-quarter comeback scoring 15 of his game-high 37 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 118-114 victory to beat the New York Knicks on Friday night.

With less than four minutes left in the game, Morant went on a personal 10-0 run to turn a 106-105 deficit into a comfortable 115-108 lead with a minute left in the game. Morant’s numbers stacked up well against Knicks forward Julius Randle’s 36 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. But after the match, Morant wanted to shine the light on his teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr.

“Jaren is what everybody needs to be excited about,” Morant said about Jackson’s defensive dominance via ESPN. “His defensive presence was big for us. We’re a totally different team with him out there on the floor. He sparked us.”

5️⃣ BLOCKS FOR THE B1OCK PANTH3R@jarenjacksonjr | #GrindCity pic.twitter.com/cwfZDU7oqn

— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) March 12, 2022

Jackson finished with 13 points, but it was his season-high five blocks for Memphis supported Morant’s scoring explosion. Jackson had three blocks during a critical stretch during the Grizzlies’ 31-18 run in the fourth quarter to finish the comeback.

JAREN JACKSON JR.
BIG-TIME DENIAL.

From down 15.. MEM down 1 on @NBATV pic.twitter.com/elmvIKjcS1

— NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2022

The New York Knicks was held to only 18 points in the quarter, shooting 27 percent, including forcing the Knicks to miss four out of their five attempts from the three-point line.

Memphis goes on the road to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

The post Ja Morant Praises Jaren Jackson Jr. In Grizzlies Win Over Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

KD, a walking bucket by his onw right, found himself very impressed with the overall performance of Tatum, calling him a “shot maker.”

Kevin Durant on Jayson Tatum: “He made some tough shots and three point shots over us… he’s an elite shot maker.” pic.twitter.com/KEkhTXQS7F

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022

The term “shot-maker” was nowhere near attached to former Duke Blue Devil when he was mired in a considerable shooting slump featured by a stretch where he missed 20 straight 3-point shot attempts. Now the pendulum has completely swung the other way for Tatum. In his last three games, he has shot 52.5 percent (42-80) from the floor while averaging 41 points per game, which has led to three Celtics wins.

The 24-year-old forward has taken the next step as a superstar by putting up big games against other top stars. Before this one-on-one matchup with Durant, Tatum scored 33 points on a 12-25 shooting clip in a win over Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. After that, he dropped 37 points against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Those matchups — when you’re playing one of the better teams in the league, two of the best guys — as a competitor, those are the kinds of moments that as a kid you looked forward to,” Tatum told ESPN about playing his peers. “When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of it.”

It’s about drive. It’s about power. Tatum wants this dub and it shows here on his 49th point. Coming down to the wire on this Celtics vs. Nets game.

(Via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/741luVB9kC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 6, 2022

Tatum’s play coincides with the overall improvement of play from the Boston Celtics, who have won 21 of their last 27 games. Something that was not lost on his teammate, Jaylen Brown, who spoke on just that after the game.

Jaylen Brown on the Celtics offense: “This man to the left was unstoppable, that helps your offense… all season we’re just trying to make the right plays, learn and grow” pic.twitter.com/H3q65QMddO

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022

The Celtics take on the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

The post Jaylen Brown Calls Jayson Tatum ‘Unstoppable’ After 54-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

Superstar Ja Morant tweeted that a few weeks ago. “ZW8” refers to rookie Ziaire Williams, who wears No. 8 for the Grizzlies. The tweet alludes to the fact that Williams was not selected to participate in the Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland—a clear snub, in Morant’s opinion. ZW8 has been a starter for Memphis—one of the best teams in the League at 43-21—since the beginning of January. 

As part of the three-team trade involving Steven Adams, the Grizzlies also acquired the rights to the No. 10 pick in the 2021 Draft, where they landed Williams. The 20-year-old didn’t have an exceptional freshman year at Stanford, but with his size (6-9) and athleticism, it was easy to see his potential. He developed a reputation as a solid shooter in high school, when he was a teammate of Bronny James at Sierra Canyon and the No. 8 overall prospect in his class (the highest-ranked recruit ever to commit to Stanford). That didn’t carry over to college—Williams shot just 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from three for the Cardinals. Still, he displayed an impressive ability to score at all three levels. And he occasionally did stuff like this:  

ICYMI, check out the flight of @StanfordMBB‘s Ziaire Williams on this throwdown dunk, the Play of the Week! #Pac12Hoops | @PacPremierBank pic.twitter.com/33wiQVMszB

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) January 13, 2021

Williams was in the Grizzlies’ rotation from day one. His shooting has been erratic, as it was at Stanford, but it’s clear that the rookie is getting more and more comfortable with the flow of the NBA. His confidence is rising. He is finding rhythms. He is figuring out how to impact winning.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins likes Ziaire’s versatility on both ends. Offensively, he spreads the floor for Morant and runs with him in transition (the two have quickly built strong chemistry). Defensively, he can guard multiple positions, using his 6-10 wingspan to be disruptive (he has already matched up with Stephen Curry, Khris Middleton, Brandon Ingram, Luka Doncic and more elite scorers). Coaches and teammates have praised his work ethic and willingness to learn.

The result? Williams has steadily improved and his role has steadily increased. He has been in the starting lineup for 23 games, 16 of which the Grizzlies have won. In the month of February, he averaged 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, shooting 58 percent from the field and 46 percent from three. He put up a career-high 21 points (on 9/11 shooting), 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a 120-108 victory over the Knicks on Feb. 2.   

“He just has continued to work, continued to believe in himself, started playing with confidence,” Morant said about Williams. “He knows the work he puts in. He knows the shots he can make. He knows what he’s capable of. And now everybody’s getting to see it and I’m proud of it. I’m a proud big brother!”

Three weeks later, on the road against Minnesota, Williams went off for 21 points again (on 7/11 shooting)—this time in a 119-114 loss. 

“I think the number one thing is we want him to play to his strengths,” Jenkins told reporters afterwards. “The way he can run the floor, he’s got a great connection with the guards, especially Ja—all those transition lobs and easy looks in transition. He started off shooting it well [from the] corner. Not so great from the wings. So we told him, just keep putting in the work, man. Keep putting in the work. He’s getting a lot more comfortable with the NBA line all around. Then his ability to shoot off the bounce is at a really high level—we knew that coming out of college. Getting in there, midrange pull-ups, but then getting to the free throw line, knocking down big free throws on small volume, but those are big shots for him. So he’s expanding his game, not just being a guy who just stands in the corner. I’ll also say defensively expanding his game. Tonight’s a great learning lesson where he can be better, we can be better. But he always responds and brings a better effort the next time.” 

Jenkins opted to go with John Konchar over Williams in the fourth quarter of that game for defensive purposes. Williams had, according to his coach, just made “too many mistakes” in coverages.

The rook understood. He likes to be coached that way—to be held accountable, so that he can continue to grow.

“I’ll never forget my first press conference with the Grizzlies, I promised [Jenkins] that I was going to give him everything that I had, and I told him that I want him to coach me as hard as possible,” Williams said. “Constructive criticism—that’s the only way I can get better, that’s the only way the team can get better.

“I definitely [welcome it] from all of the coaches, not even just Coach Taylor,” he added, “to push me to my limits and beyond.”

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Ziaire Williams appeared first on SLAM.

In fact, if you look at the four highest single-game scoring performances in Grizzlies franchise history, Morant holds or is tied with every mark except third place (Mike Miller with 45). Three of those games from Morant have come in the past two and a half weeks. However, when he finally broke the 50 point mark, he had nothing but praise for those around him:

“[I’m] just thankful for my teammates, my coaches… they believe in me, have all the confidence in the world that I can go and make the right play, and tonight they was looking for me. Like I said before, as I got close [to the record], they told me to go ahead and go get it. That’s why y’all see every time they got the ball; they was looking for 12, man.”

With that help, Morant scored 52 points on 73.3 percent shooting while making all four of his three-point attempts. That was the first time a Memphis Grizzly has ever scored 50+ in an NBA game. That historic game came with a win, too, as the Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs 118-105 in FedExForum.

On Thursday, Morant and the Grizzlies will travel to Boston to face the Boston Celtics.

The post Ja Morant On Historic Game: ‘They Told Me to Go Ahead and Go Get It’ appeared first on SLAM.

Allen Iverson, Hall-of-Famer and one of the most adored players in League history, certainly thinks so. Following Morant’s record-setting 52 point performance Monday night, Iverson took to social media to praise the Grizzlies superstar MVP candidate.

Posting a picture of his MVP trophy from the 2001 season with Morant’s jersey on it, Iverson’s message is clear. Morant promptly responded to the former 11-time All-Star.

Iverson averaged 31.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in his 2001 MVP campaign while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 56-26 record before losing in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. This season, Morant is averaging 27.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game and is the spearhead of a 43-20 Memphis Grizzlies team currently holding the third seed in the Western Conference.

The post Ja Morant On Allen Iverson’s MVP Praise: ‘Pass the Torch OG’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, LeBron James and Kevin Durant – the two captains for the All-Star game – selected their teams for the All-Star Game taking place in just under two weeks.

Each captain had to select their starting lineups first and then select their reserves. Because Durant is injured and will not be playing in the game, nine players were available to be drafted instead of eight, with Jayson Tatum replacing Durant as a starter.

James opened the draft up by selecting Giannis Antetokounmpo first overall, with Durant using his first pick to draft Joel Embiid.

James rounded off his starting lineup by selecting Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic. Durant’s starting lineup will consist of Embiid, Tatum, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, and Trae Young. Wiggins and Young were the final two starters selected in the draft.

Between the two, Durant has the least experienced starting lineup with Wiggins and Morant, both first-time All-Stars and Young just in his second All-Star Game.

Durant got the first pick to open up the reserves section of the draft and used the pick to select Devin Booker, and James used his first pick to draft Luka Doncic.

Durant filled out his reserves by selecting Karl Anthony-Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball, and Rudy Gobert.

James reserves will be Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and James Harden.

Harden was the last pick of the All-Star Draft, with Durant creating a funny moment where he opted against drafting his former teammate, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, to take Gobert instead.

The All-Star Game is scheduled to occur in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA All-Star Teams Set, Giannis Antetokounmpo Selected First Overall appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, during a broadcast on TNT, the NBA announced the reserves for the upcoming 2022 All-Star game, a week after the starters had been announced.

In the West, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz had two players named: Chris Paul and Devin Booker for the Suns and Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell for the Jazz. The roster comprises Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

The West will have to add one additional player before the All-Star game, as Green won’t be active for the festivities. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will name Green’s replacement before the All-Star Game draft.

The remaining West All-Stars are made up by the five starters, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Ja Morant.

In the East, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, Darius Garland, James Harden, Fred VanVleet, Jayson Tatum, and Khris Middleton all got the nod, representing different teams from each other. They’ll be joining the East’s five starters of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, and Trae Young.

While there is a boatload of talent in this year’s All-Star game, some names that arguably deserved consideration were left off. Dejounte Murray and Deandre Ayton are putting together excellent seasons in the West but were not named to the All-Star team. Paul George was having another All-Star-caliber season but hasn’t played in over a month due to an elbow injury.

In the East, Jarrett Allen, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown have seasons potentially worthy of the All-Star distinction.

All-Star captains James and Durant will draft their teams live on TNT on Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The NBA All-Star Game is on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA Announces Reserves for 2022 All-Star Game appeared first on SLAM.

The 6’5 guard out of TCU has made huge strides in his second year in his production. As of Wednesday, Bane averages 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while playing 30.2 minutes per game. Alongside All-Star Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the young core of Memphis has led the Grizzlies (35-18) to the third-best record in the Western Conference.

Banes’ rise in production comes courtesy of the motivation he’s found playing against the players drafted ahead of him in the 2020 draft. As he returns from a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Grizzlies will be playing an opponent with a player drafted ahead of the 23-year-old guard. Players such as Devin Vassell, Udoka Azubike, Deni Avdija, and Tyrese Maxey.

Against Maxey, Bane scored a career-high 34 points in a 122-119 loss to the 76ers on Monday.

“If there’s an opposing player on the court that got drafted before me, it’s a little motivation for sure,” Bane said, “And a lot of times, they’re not even on the court. They’re going through those dog days, trying to find their way into the rotation, or whatever the case may be.”

“I take it personal, for sure.”

Until Bane plays in the 2022 Rising Stars Challenge, Bane will be coming at the necks of teams and players that were picked ahead of him. Morant has advocated for Bane to win the League’s Most Improved Player award this season.

Desmond Bane https://t.co/mZGsuVDd1g

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) December 28, 2021

“Des can tell you. I always say, ‘Yeah, bro, you’re the goods,'” Morant told reporters back in December. “That’s just him. He’s a professional scorer, can shoot the ball with the best of them, can get downhill, can make plays for others. In this league, to have a guy [in his] second year do that is big time. He’s always asking questions, always watching film, always in the gym, and it’s showing.”

The Grizzlies are scheduled to play the New York Knicks in the Garden on Thursday.

The post Desmond Bane On His Motivation As A Late First-Round Draft Pick appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the NBA announced the five starters from both the Western and Eastern Conferences, with a few first-time All-Stars making the list.

The two captains are a pair of familiar faces to the All-Star Game in LeBron James, making his 18th All-Star appearance, and Kevin Durant, making his 12th All-Star appearance.

Joining James in the west as starters are Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Andrew Wiggins and Ja Morant. Joining Durant in the east are DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There are two first-time All-Stars among the 10 starters, both in the west, in Wiggins and Morant. Young will be making his second All-Star appearance.

The All-Star reserves, which are voted on by the head coaches across the NBA, will be announced on Feb. 3.

The All-Star Game will take place in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 19.

The post NBA Announces Starters for 2022 All-Star Game appeared first on SLAM.

One of the reasons the Grizzlies find themselves so far up the standings is the play of third-year point guard Ja Morant.

Morant has put up All-Star level numbers this year, and when speaking with Drew Hill from the Daily Memphian, he said he believes his season deserves some recognition.

“I deserve this. I earned this. I worked for this,” Morant said, “This is the way I wanted it. I didn’t want to be no alternate. I don’t want to be a spot-filler.”

Morant’s confidence in himself is well deserved when you look at his numbers. Through 36 games, Morant is putting up 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three.

Those numbers, along with the excellent play of teammates Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr., have catapulted the Grizzlies to the top half of the western conference. Currently, the Grizzlies sit third in the west with a record of 32-17, trailing only the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.

Morant was second in votes for Western Conference guard with just over 2.6 million votes, trailing only Stephen Curry in the most recent return of All-Star fan voting.

The All-Star Game, which is taking place in Cleveland this year, is just under a month away, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 20. The starters for the All-Star Game will be announced later this week on Thursday, Jan. 27, with the rest of the roster being announced on Feb. 3.

The post Ja Morant on Potentially Being an All-Star: ‘I Deserve This. I Earned This’ appeared first on SLAM.

“He’s got a certain kind of makeup that I think is really special,” Donovan said. “He’s ultra-competitive and he has unbelievable confidence and belief in himself. But it’s not cross-the-line arrogant. That’s really a hard combination.”

Dosunmu had just scored 14 points without missing a shot in merely his sixth NBA outing. It was clear to Donovan then that the 6-5 guard, who fell to the Bulls in the second round of the 2021 Draft, was already worthy of a spot in the rotation. After three years at Illinois, in which Dosunmu led the team in scoring every season and was a finalist for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy as a junior, the Chicago native came in ready to contribute right away. Throughout the month of November, he averaged 6.8 points on 52 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from three.

In December, as more and more players began testing positive for COVID, Dosunmu stepped into a bigger role. He made his first career start on December 6^th, recording 11 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in a 109-97 win over the Nuggets. Coach Donovan reiterated the same message about the rook afterwards: “For me, so much—and I said this way back when—it’s his makeup. It’s who he is as a competitor. There may be guys that shoot it better than him. There may be guys that are faster than him. There may be guys more athletic than him. But he’s got a big heart and he competes and he impacts winning.”

Over the past week, with several key guys sidelined due to injury or COVID, the Bulls have struggled to find consistency. Dosunmu has been a massive bright spot, however, continuing to make significant strides with an increased opportunity. On Saturday, he got the starting nod again and notched a career-high in points (21) and assists (10). He shot 9/10 from the field as well, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to have at least 20 points and 10 assists while shooting 90 percent. Though the Bulls narrowly lost to the Celtics, 114-112, Dosumnu did a little bit of everything, including defend Jayson Tatum for much of the night. According to NBA tracking data, in two matchups against Boston, Dosunmu has held the former All-Star to just 4/13 shooting.

Making history as a rook @AyoDos_11

21 points | 10 ast | 9-10 FG | 3-3 from three pic.twitter.com/FwovG8mrBA

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 16, 2022

Two days later, on his 22^nd birthday, Dosunmu put up another ridiculous stat-line in a nationally-televised game against the Grizzlies: 15 points (on 7/12 shooting), 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. He also accepted the challenge of guarding superstar Ja Morant, blocking his shot once and forcing him into multiple turnovers. 

The Bulls were in desperate need of a win on Wednesday, and Dosunmu delivered yet again. He tallied 18 points (on 7/8 from the field and 3/4 from three), 8 assists and 3 rebounds, helping Chicago grab a 117-104 victory over Cleveland. That string of three games, beginning in Boston, is about as good as it gets from a rookie.

The rook from Chicago is fearless.@calamos | #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/2SJZAWEKE3

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 20, 2022

Dosunmu doesn’t play out of control on offense, but he isn’t tentative, either. He attacks off the bounce, navigates to the paint and kicks it out to open shooters. When his teammates do the same (mainly DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine), he spots up behind the arc and lets it fly without hesitation. His three-point percentage (45.7) ranks first among rookies who have attempted more than 12 this season (Dosunmu is 32/70). He looks comfortable as a playmaker out of pick-and-rolls, using a little floater in the lane or pulling up for midrange jumpers. 

On the other end, he hasn’t backed down from guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. He defends with high energy and does whatever he possibly can to disrupt his matchup’s rhythm. So far this year, he has done an impressive job on elite scorers such as Bradley Beal, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Caris LeVert, Cade Cunningham and the aforementioned Tatum and Morant. With Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball expected to miss 4-6 weeks after a procedure on his left knee, Dosunmu should continue to get big minutes and take on tough defensive assignments.

Of course, the major reasons Dosunmu has thrived in his increased role have been obvious to the Bulls organization from day one: he is ultra-competitive, extremely confident in his abilities and utterly fearless. Now those things are becoming obvious to everyone. 

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Ayo Dosunmu appeared first on SLAM.

While Morant flexed in front of the Memphis faithful following his clutch bucket to ice the Grizzlies late victory, his joyful moment was interrupted by a young fan wearing a Stephen Curry jersey who extended his hand out for a dap. As if he were the Grinch who stole Christmas, Morant stared at the boy, talked his talk, and ultimately denied the fan a high-five.

LET EM KNOW, JA! (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/iBrgAB98TZ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2022

During his regular postgame media appearance, Morant said that the boy showed an apparent lack of respect for the Grizzlies when he showed up to the FedEx Forum in the enemies’ colors.

“He was disrespectful with that jersey on,” Morant said per ESPN. “We Memphis. It looked like he wanted to cheer, but he had that jersey on. I apologize to him, but in that moment, bro, take that jersey off and then dap me up. Somebody find his information. I’ll send him one myself.”

“Number one, we’re one of the best teams in the league,” said Morant. “I feel like that’s number one. And number two, we’re showing how deep our roster is. No matter what’s thrown at us, we bounce back from it and come out and win games. We’ve got to keep it rolling, continue to play together, continue to battle.”

Now at 29-14 and in the middle of a 10-game win streak, the Grizzlies have undoubtedly gained the attention of the League’s elite after leapfrogging the Jazz for third place in the Western Conference standings. And that’s with Dillon Brooks in and out of the lineup due to injury and virus protocols and Morant missing 12 games after suffering a sprained knee in November.

CALL 12. pic.twitter.com/T7pnA9xzXO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2022

“They’ve turned into one of the best teams in the league,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said, “Building this team from the ground up in the last few years.”

The Grizzlies have grabbed the minds of many due to Morant’s incredible exploits and have gained the attention of the League’s elite as they continue to build on their win streak. Curry, who had multiple entertaining moments with Morant last season, will surely keep this Memphis team on his radar as the Grizzlies grow.

“They’re obviously fueled by everything that Ja (Morant) does and how explosive he is,” Curry said. “They obviously got us last year in the play-in game and got us twice this year, and we got them once, so it’s a natural evolution of a team trying to take that next step.

The post Ja Morant on Grizzlies: ‘We’re One of the Best Teams in the League’ appeared first on SLAM.

One factor that has helped Morant succeed as much as he has in the League is his confidence and swag. Morant is known for his aggressive playstyle, preferring to fearlessly attack the basket similarly to former MVPs and legends like Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook.

“I don’t fear nobody, dawg. I don’t care if you 7’7″ or whatever. I’m coming straight at you.”

For example, In the Grizzles’ 110-106 victory over the Cavaliers, Morant scored six points in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead field goal that extended the Grizzlies’ win streak to six. Morant’s final tally for the night was a team-high 26 points, five rebounds, and dished out six assists.

On Tuesday, Morant admitted that he loves being the guy to take clutch shots, and as a point guard, knows his job is to make the right play, whether that’s him shooting or passing. Morant has posted 30.7 points and 6.2 assists during the Grizzlies’ six-game win streak. 

why should i be scared? we put on our shoes the same way . https://t.co/4f1W0sPIdt

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 5, 2022

“It was definitely tough to get to the rim against their big guys, but I made some big shots to close it out,” he also said, per ESPN. “It’s a good feeling, knowing everyone has the confidence that I can do it.”

Morant averages 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for the year while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from the three-point range. His points and steals per game are career-highs, as well as his shooting marks from the field and long-range. The fact Memphis is 25-14 thanks to Morant’s stellar play has led to Desmond Bane, his teammate, giving him high praise.

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“He’s special,” Bane said per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “People debate whether or not he should be an All-Star, but I think we should be debating whether he’s the best point guard in the League.”

“I don’t think it’s any question he’s an All-Star. The real conversation is, ‘Is he the best point guard in the league?'”

Bane is having a season worthy of praise himself, averaging 17.6 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting, 41.3 percent shooting from three, and 90.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Morant’s stellar season has helped lift the Grizzlies into the top of a competitive Western Conference, currently fourth in the west with a record of 25-14.

The post ‘I Don’t Fear Nobody, Dawg’: Ja Morant Helps to Seal Grizzlies’ Win Over Cavs appeared first on SLAM.

Early in the season, Memphis got off to a rough start struggling to find a notable seed in the East with a 9-10 record. Once Morant went down back in November, the Grizzlies went on a 10-2 run making their way to the fourth seed.

Morant made his return against OKC, a team the Grizzlies destroyed by a historic 73 points a few weeks ago but coincidentally fell short to last night. In turn, Grizzlies fans pinned the blame on Morant telling him to ‘sit back out.’

Despite the turn of events, Morant posted 16 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

Following the loss, Morant did not shy away from the fact that the lack of support and blame hurt him:

“Even during the game, I was running down the court, and I heard some of my fans courtside tell me I need to sit back out,” Morant said. “So, I just don’t understand what they wanted to get out of that. I feel like that just makes it worse.

“I’m just frustrated. Normally, y’all have seen it, when anybody says something negative about me, it fuels me,” Morant continued. “But, tonight, the remarks from the fans actually hurt. I’m going to do what I normally do and bounce back, and I’m very excited for this next game.”

Later that night, Morant tweeted that he was taking a break from social media “for a while” but later deleted the tweet replacing it with a change of heart that read “appreciate da real ones.”

The post Ja Morant ‘Hurt’ After Backlash From Fans appeared first on SLAM.

Morant, who has already been out with a sprained left knee, missed the last five games for the Grizzlies. He stated to reporters during the Grizzlies’ media day on September 27th that he was vaccinated. According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant received his booster shot as well.

Ja Morant is fully vaccinated and has had his booster shot, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/p1fz4H1RKm

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 8, 2021

The Grizzlies (14-10) have maintained without their star point guard. They have won their last five matchups, including blowing out the Oklahoma City Thunder (7-16) by a record 73 points in a 152-79 win. Their next game is Wednesday, hosting the Dallas Mavericks (11-12).

The post Ja Morant Enters Leagues Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

And this is why:

And this is why:

And this is why: 

There are more, too. A lot more. The Pelicans have a saying to explain clips like those: “Not on Herb.” As in, “You can try that, [insert name of elite offensive player here], but it’s not going to work. Not on Herb.”

You’ve probably seen that as a hashtag (#NotOnHerb) on Twitter recently. Word is finally starting to spread about what the 23-year-old rookie has been doing down in New Orleans. First, a little background: Jones, a 6-8 point-forward out of Alabama, was the 35^th overall pick in the 2021 Draft. He had a breakout year as a senior with the Crimson Tide, averaging 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks, and winning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC. His size, length and quickness allowed him to guard every position on the floor; and under head coach Nate Oats, he often orchestrated Alabama’s offense, pushing the ball in transition, making unselfish plays for others and improving drastically as a shooter. Given his versatility, Jones projected as someone who could come in and potentially contribute right away. But very few envisioned him having this type of impact—the type where #NotOnHerb has become a thing—this early on.

Jones is logging 26.2 minutes per game and has earned a spot in the Pelicans starting lineup, mainly because of his prowess on defense. He embraces his role as “Straitjacket” and welcomes the opportunity to guard the opposing team’s best player. 

“To be great on defense, you have to really want it,” Jones told Will Guillory of The Athletic. “You have to play with a different kind of aggression, a different kind of desire. I take pride in always being the guy who’s ready to lay it all out there for my teammates. That’s what I care about the most.” Not scoring (he’s only averaging 5.7 shot attempts per game). Not highlights. Not getting his. Just laying it all out there for his teammates, especially on the defensive end. That’s what Herb cares about. That’s his mindset. 

“He’s my favorite player on the team by far,” Devonte’ Graham said about Jones last week. “He’s one of those guys that just does everything he’s asked. He doesn’t complain. If he’s [not] shooting the ball, he doesn’t care. He just makes winning plays. Guards the best [opponent] every night.”

Of course, it’s not easy to take on that responsibility every night, and Jones has struggled at times (Luka Doncic dominated their head-to-head battle on Wednesday). But he welcomes the challenge and approaches it without fear or hesitation. He held former No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards to 14.3 percent shooting from the field (2/14) in three games against Minnesota, and All-Star Donovan Mitchell to 21 percent (3/14) in their two meetings with Utah, according to data from the NBA. He has spent significant time defending both guards (62 percent of the time, per the NBA, including matchups with Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Ja Morant and Bradley Beal) and bigs (38 percent). His awareness and instincts—partially influenced by his experience as a free safety in childhood, as Guillory notes in his piece—have led to a lot of steals (14 over his last five outings). When he’s on the floor, Jones just disrupts the flow of the other team’s offense. It’s that simple. 

The numbers clearly back that up. Opponents have scored an estimate of 118.8 points per 100 possessions with Herb on the bench, but that mark drops to 108.8 with him on the court. He has the best plus-minus of anyone in New Orleans’ regular rotation and leads all rookies in steals per game (1.5) and deflections per game (3.0). A lot of what he does—bringing constant energy, picking up 90 feet from the basket, knowing when and where to be in help, taking on those tough defensive assignments so that guys like Brandon Ingram can focus on offense—doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, either. That, coupled with the Pelicans’ overall struggles, has led Jones to fly a bit under the radar through the first quarter of the season.

But the hype is building. The word is spreading. #NotOnHerb is catching on. People are finding out about the rookie in NOLA, and why they call him “Straitjacket.”

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Herbert Jones appeared first on SLAM.

“To be honest,” says Jackson Jr, “I’m outside for probably a total of, like, 20 seconds a day. I never care. I walk outside from the hotel to the bus, get on the bus, the bus pulls into a garage, I get out and walk in. I’m gonna wear what I want.”

However brief the catwalks, the 22-year-old makes the most of the moment. Leather, bold prints and blinged-out choker necklaces tend to accentuate his pregame looks. Between games, he’ll throw a pair of $1,200 Gallery Dept. jeans, a faux fur and some exclusive Dunks onto his IG feed, too.

“You’re supposed to talk with clothes,” says Jackson Jr, who says stylist Toni Lowe is as vital to his life as his phone. “I’m just trying to dress to let other people know they can wear whatever they want. That’s really the goal. This is the best quote in the world and it’s by me: Clothes are amazing because they don’t speak. That’s why I love clothes.”

Over his first few pro seasons, Jackson Jr has fashioned himself as a nice high-flying complement to Memphis sensation Ja Morant. Two weeks into a 2021-22 season that he hopes is a bounce-back year from the injury-plagued ’20-21 campaign that limited him to just 11 games, Jackson Jr’s averaging 12 points, 5 boards and at least one head-turning outfit per night—whether at the FedExForum or on roadtrips. 

And speaking of trips, the Virgil Abloh (rest in peace)- and Ian Connor-inspired hooper hints that his runway shows will be moving from NBA arenas to the global stage soon. “Not everything that’s great is in the States—just know that,” says Jackson Jr, while keeping specifics close to the custom-fitted vest. “I’m going to be pushing other projects. You’ll be seeing me more in a corporate-clothing way. I’m still the same person who wears crazy shit, but I’ma definitely go corporate on y’all.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Jaren Jackson Jr’s Bold Fashion Style is Making a Statement in Memphis, and Soon Worldwide appeared first on SLAM.

On Friday night, Morant left the game following a non-contact in which he couldn’t put weight on his left leg. As Grizzlies fans held their breath, they got good news that it wasn’t a season-ending injury. 

As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant suffered just a left knee sprain, which was great news. 

While there’s timeline yet on a timeline for a return from this left knee sprain, there’s optimism he won’t be out long. Morant amazed those in organization in how he attacked rehab a year ago with a fairly serious ankle injury and will return this season. 

Through 19 games this season, the rising star has averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per contest. The Grizzlies certainly have the talent to stay afloat in the meantime, but currently have a 10-10 record. 

The post Ja Morant Avoids Major Injury, Diagnosed With Sprained Left Knee appeared first on SLAM.

“Me, I’m not a big fan on the leaving,” Morant said. “As long as I’m here, I’m here; that’s my focus. Regardless, I’m going to make the best of any situation, continue to just go out with my teammates, win games, play in front of our fans and do whatever I can to continue to bring love.”

When Morant was asked if he believed the Grizzlies “will be able to win,” he responded, “one hundred percent, no question.”

Morant has been one of the most exciting young players in the NBA for the past two seasons. He’s averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game and won the 2020 Rookie of the Year award.

This season, Morant has gotten off to a hot start, dropping 37 points in the Grizzlies’ 132-121 season-opening win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Ja Morant on the Grizzlies: ‘I’m Not a Big Fan of Leaving’ appeared first on SLAM.

He knows he has to take it to another level this spring and summer in order to avoid falling through the cracks. Even if that means thinking outside the box and making drastic changes and bold sacrifices. And, so, he does. 

Chandler ultimately chooses to leave his local AAU program and instead joins Mokan Elite, one of the top programs in the prestigious Nike EYBL circuit. The move requires him to hop on a flight every Friday so that he can practice with the team 450 miles away in Kansas City, MO, throughout the weekend, and then hop on a flight right back home every Sunday to return to school. The move would automatically place Chandler on the grand stage. All he had to do was perform, and the weekly travel sacrifices would pay off. 

“It was tiring. I had to do schoolwork when I was in Kansas City,” Chandler recalls of his Mokan days. “I missed school every Friday. I was like, Am I even going to pass? Because I was missing school [sometimes]—either I was going to school and checking out early or I flew Friday night. So it was a tough decision for me to make.

“My name was nowhere freshman year. I tell people I had doubted myself freshman year. Was this even for me? Because I was getting no looks. My name wasn’t out there. I was just a freshman point guard playing at a Christian high school in Memphis, TN. After I played for [Mokan Elite], my first game with Mokan, I picked up four offers in one day and that’s when I knew—like, Yeah, it’s coming. It’s starting. Four offers in one day, that’s more than the [total] offers I had before. I only had three offers before entering that first game in Atlanta for the first EYBL session.”  

He hasn’t looked back since. The offers began to pile up by the dozens. From Duke and Kentucky to North Carolina and Kansas, he soon became one of the most sought-after recruits in the Class of 2021. 

Mokan went on to win the EYBL title that summer—the program’s second title after winning it all with Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr a few years back—by defeating a Jalen Green-led Team WhyNot in the championship, capping off in grand style a summer for the ages for Chandler.

But going to Kansas City wasn’t the only sacrifice Chandler found himself making. A year later, the 6-1 guard boarded a flight again, this time to Wichita, Kansas; and it wasn’t a round-trip. Looking to take it up a notch once again, and willing to make the necessary moves in order to do so, the point guard left Briarcrest Christian after nine years—yes, he had been attending the same school since second grade—and enrolled in a school almost 600 miles away for his senior year. At Sunrise Christian Academy, Chandler had left behind family and longtime friends in order to join a program that competed in a challenging national schedule. He was simply looking to test himself as he prepared to make the jump to the collegiate level. 

And just like he did when he changed AAU teams, Chandler found a way to lead his newest squad to another championship game, this time taking Sunrise to the GEICO Nationals title game. They would fall short to Montverde Academy but nonetheless Chandler had left an even bigger impression on scouting services—he walked away from high school as the unanimous top rated point guard in the country on ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports. 

“I never expected to leave all my friends and family not being able to see me because of the pandemic. This was the second hardest choice I ever made. Me going to a school 12 hours away from home. My family had to watch my games online,” says Chandler. “I loved the school, Coach [Luke] Barnwell, the team, the coaches, the players. I’m glad I made that move [last] year…I never been that far away from home. For Kansas City, I was just flying out of town every weekend, but this was like college. Waking up on my own, getting ready for college. Sunrise got me ready for it.” 

Next up is the University of Tennessee—a place that already felt right to him before he even got a scholarship offer or went on an official visit. Chandler tells the story of when he visited campus as a high school freshman for the first time. There was a football game against Alabama. “They got killed,” he says of Tennessee before he burst out laughing. But the unofficial visit made a lasting impression on him regardless.  

“When you go to a college, you want to see that it feels like home,” he adds. “And Tennessee felt like home on an unofficial visit. I had not [even] taken an official visit and I [already] felt comfortable with the coaches, compared to the other coaches I had visited.” 

He isn’t shying away from stating exactly what he’s chasing after this upcoming season. Chandler has a list he’s hoping to check off one by one beginning this fall and going straight through the winter and next spring. 

“At Tennessee, I want to come in and show them why I was the number one point guard in the nation—who’s coming into their program and why he should be here,” says Chandler. “I want to win a national championship at Tennessee. I set goals, and my goal is I want to make them come true, and my [ultimate] goal is to go to the NBA.”

He continues listing more: “SEC Player of the Year. Win the SEC Tournament. We got a really good chance, we got a lot of good players coming back and good players that’s coming in. And making it to the Final Four and winning the national championship. Those are my goals for next year.”  

Along the way he’s developed a tight-knit friendship with current Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. He says that after Ja got drafted by Memphis in the summer of 2019, the future Rookie of the Year reached out to him asking where he could get some good runs in around town. Chandler pointed him in the right direction. The two remained friends ever since. When Chandler announced his college decision date, Morant quote tweeted “my brother” with a heart emoji in support. Trae Young also quote tweeted Chandler after he announced his decision, showing love and telling him to “go crazy.”

Just like Morant and Young, Chandler is a small PG by NBA standards. He’s studied how they’ve been able to succeed at the highest level of basketball, in hopes of one day replicating them. Another small guard he admires is Chris Paul. When Chandler was invited to the CP3 Elite Guard Camp, he took advantage of the opportunity and asked the NBA superstar how he’s been able to hold his own so well in the Association despite the size disadvantage. CP3’s response had a lasting effect on him. 

“He was like, You just gotta play physical. You have to play like a dog,” recalls Chandler. “And ever since then—he had shown us clips of him when he was in the NBA—I had learned from that and I’ve watched the clips all the time ever since.”

Chandler’s confidence is limitless despite his size. He’s seen how his meteoric rise over the past two years has been the result of betting on himself and sticking with his gut when it comes to decisions that require sacrificing much more than your average high school prospect. He’s aware of how far his confidence has brought him, and it’ll continue to be the driving force behind his success at Tennessee and beyond.     

“I’m a true PG and anybody would love playing with me. I get everybody involved. The game just comes to me,” says Chandler. “I can get around the rim, finish around the rim any time. People used to go under screens because I wouldn’t shoot the ball, but now you really can’t do that, so it’s hard to defend me.” 

FOLLOW @SLAMUNIVERSITY ON INSTAGRAM FOR ALL THINGS COLLEGE HOOPS!

Portraits by Christian Quezada.

The post Kennedy Chandler is Ready Make His Mark at Tennessee appeared first on SLAM.

Morant recently told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto that he is a top-five point guard in the NBA today. He put himself on that list alongside Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.

“The point guard position is so loaded. Some guys have to get left out,” said Morant.

The former rookie of the year averaged 19.1 points and 7.4 assists per game last season. While he does need to improve on his 3-point shooting, he certainly is on his way to becoming one of the top point guards in the NBA.

As Morant enters his third NBA season, he has extremely high expectations for himself.

The post Ja Morant Says He Is A Top-Five Point Guard in NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies’ electric second-year point guard, has dazzled fans with his superb playmaking, delicate floaters, and furious, seemingly earth-shattering dunks thus far in the playoffs.

Ja Morant first career playoffs:

30.2 PPG
8.2 APG
48.7 FG%

That’s the highest ever PPG by a Grizzly in a single playoffs. pic.twitter.com/ctVPOOPO3Q

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 3, 2021

Morant impressed in the play-in tournament, leading the Grizzlies to wins against the Spurs and the Warriors. However, in the Grizzlies’ first-round series against the top-seeded Jazz, Morant took his game to a whole new level.

Despite the Grizzlies losing in five games, Ja Morant averaged a staggering 30.2 points (on 48.7 percent shooting) and 8.2 assists per game—the 30.2 points being the highest ever averaged by a Memphis player since the franchise was created.

In total, Morant scored 151 points and accounted for 51 assists— the first player in NBA history to accumulate 150+ points and 40+ assists throughout their first five playoff appearances, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Even though the Grizzlies weren’t able to overcome the combination of Donovan Mitchell’s explosive offense and Rudy Gobert’s stifling defense, Morant remained confident after the deciding Game 5 loss and noted that the Grizzlies are far from finished.

Per Grizzlies broadcast host KJ Wright, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins noted that after the game, Morant’s first words to the team in the locker room were that of unity and conviction.

“We will be back,” he said.

The post Grizzlies Star Guard Ja Morant Dazzles in Playoff Debut appeared first on SLAM.

In what have been two of the most discussed first-round matchups, Dallas Mavericks floor general Luka Doncic stole the spotlight in the final game of the evening thanks to his 42-point, 14-assist outing.

But was it enough to get past a Los Angeles Clippers team that had won two straight to even the series?

No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers 129, No. 8 Washington Wizards 112

PHI wins series 4-1

The first of three teams to be bounced from the playoffs tonight, the Washington Wizards couldn’t hang with the Philadelphia 76ers even without Joel Embiid playing.

Sharpshooter Seth Curry exploded for a team-high 30 points and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ben Simmons silenced his critics with 19 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and two blocks. Meanwhile, veteran forward Tobias Harris rounded off a nice first-round series with 28 points and six assists of his own.

Washington showed some promise at points over the five-game series but, ultimately, Philly had too much talent for the D.C.-based squad.

The Wizards got another good game from youngster Rui Hachimura, who had 21 points on 8-for-13 from the field. All-Star Bradley Beal capped off another spectacular season with a game-high 32 points, while Russell Westbrook chipped in 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

Nonetheless, Washington’s lack of depth proved to be costly down the stretch. The Wizards trailed by just two at halftime, but as the game got deeper, Washington’s starters began to lose steam, and Philadelphia pulled away.

No. 4 New York Knicks 89, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 103

ATL wins series 4-1

The New York Knicks disappointed a packed Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night when they were the second team pf the day to be eliminated from the playoffs.

In what was a tough series for the big man, Knicks star forward Julius Randle had another disappointing outing for New York, putting up 21 points on 8-for-21 shooting, while also turning the ball over eight times.

Randle finished the playoffs averaging 18 points, 4.0 assists and 4.6 turnovers per game while shooting 29.8 percent from the field—a stark contrast from the 45.6 percent he shot from the floor in the regular season.

Reggie Bullock, who averaged 8.0 points on 37.9 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range, started the game off well. Bullock went for 12 points in the first quarter after nailing four shots from beyond the arc; but he was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

The star of the show, 22-year-old point guard Trae Young, put together another masterpiece with a game-high 36 points. Wednesday was the third time in the series where Young scored at least 30 points in the series, as the Knicks defense continued to be confounded by his craftiness.

Atlanta also received double-digit contributions from De’Andre Hunter (15), Clint Capela (14) and John Collins (13) in the points column, while holding the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting from the field.

The Hawks will be moving to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll take on the 76ers.

No. 1 Utah Jazz 126, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 110

UTA wins series 4-1

The third and final team to get booted from the playoffs was the Memphis Grizzlies.

Still, just as young guns Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks shined for the Grizzlies throughout the series, the duo was excellent yet again on Wednesday, with both scoring 27 points.

Brooks’ scoring output through the series was impressive, putting up 25.8 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting, and Morant paired that with his 30.5 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting. While Memphis’ season may be over, their young core is only just getting started.

Despite feeling ill coming into the game, Utah Jazz centerpiece Donovan Mitchell handled the Grizzlies with ease, dropping 30 points and dishing out 10 assists.

Defensive weapon Rudy Gobert may have had even more impact than Mitchell though, as the Steiffel Tower notched a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double while blocking three shots.

Despite moving on to the second round, the Jazz didn’t leave the court entirely happy, as starting guard Mike Conley left the game early due to injury. The All-Star’s status moving forward is unclear, but Utah will need him when they take on one of the Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers 100, No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 105

DAL leads series 3-1

Playmaking extraordinaire Luka Doncic rewrote history books at the end of Wednesday night’s slate of games.

Doncic put up a blistering 42 points and 14 assists, scoring or assisting on 31 of the Mavericks 37 made field goals. The only other player to finish with double-digit scoring for Dallas was Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 20 points.

Fifth-year pro Dorian Finney-Smith was hugely impactful for Dallas on the defensive end, helping keep Kawhi Leonard (who shot 7-19 from the field) contained, while snatching the opponent five times and recording a block.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who had even the series at 2-2 following Game 4, kept the game within reach all night. They even cut the Mavs’ lead to one point with under one minute left.

But, in the end, they couldn’t stop Doncic enough to come out on top. Clippers forward Paul George finished with a team-high 23 points, while Leonard and Reggie Jackson (6-12 from 3-point range) each had 20 points.

LA just couldn’t get the buckets to fall on Wednesday night, shooting just 41.3 percent from the field as a team.

Game 6, which will be in Dallas, takes place on Friday, June 4.

The post Post Up: Three Teams Sent Packing appeared first on SLAM.

The Washington Wizards, just one loss away from elimination, were set to fight the 76ers to stay in the playoffs. Following that matchup, the Memphis Grizzlies looked to even the series with the Utah Jazz.

(#1) Philadelphia 76ers 114, (#8) Washington Wizards 122

76ers lead 3-1

The Washington Wizards needed a win Monday night to avoid being the second team sent home from the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Thanks to breakout games from frontcourt studs Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura, the Wizards were able to best the 76ers.

Gafford, who made his first start for the Wizards, managed to put up 12 points and block five shots while Hachimura had a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double. Bradley Beal led the Wizards in scoring, dropping 27 points on 9-23 shooting from the field.

On the other side, Philadelphia losing their first postseason game wasn’t optimal, of course. However, the real cause for concern lies with All-NBA center Joel Embiid.

In the first quarter, the four-time All-Star fell awkwardly on his knee, causing him to miss the rest of the game. While the 76ers may not need Embiid to close out the Wizards, Philadelphia may only go as far as Embiid can take them on the rest of their postseason journey.

The positives on the court for the 76ers took the form of Tobias Harris, who had a 21-point outing, and rookie Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 15 points off the bench.

(#1) Utah Jazz 120, (#8) Memphis Grizzlies 113

Jazz lead 3-1

The Memphis Grizzlies couldn’t replicate the underdog success of their fellow eight-seed Wizards on Monday, but they did keep the Utah Jazz within reach all night.

Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell looked healthy and dangerous, racking up a game-high 30 points and dishing out eight assists. Freshly minted Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson chipped in 24 points, and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert had 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

The Grizzlies managed to have three players finish with at least 20 points in Ja Morant (23), Jaren Jackson Jr. (21) and Dillon Brooks (21). Memphis had a late surge in the fourth quarter, cutting the Jazz lead to just two with five minutes left to play, thanks largely to a 15-point fourth quarter from De’Anthony Melton.

The post Post Up: Eight Seed Excitement appeared first on SLAM.

“The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought great excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans.  An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved.”

The NBA Fan Code of Conduct can be read here.

There’s a list of prohibited items in NBA arenas as well.

Fan conduct started making news when Washington Wizards superstar Russell Westbrook had popcorn dumped on him by a fan in Philadelphia as he left for the locker room with ankle issues.

The fan’s season ticket was revoked and the Sixers banned him indefinitely from the arena.

Russell Westbrook appeared to have popcorn poured on his head by a fan on his way to the locker room with an apparent injury.

The fan was ejected from the game. pic.twitter.com/WgtvKMFYHH

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2021

On the same night, Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young was spat on in Madison Square Garden. The NBA offered Young the option of filing a complaint against the fan, but Trae refused.

That fan is banned indefinitely from MSG.

Damn… Crazy ! @50cent y’all good?!
https://t.co/p8jSbwyozT

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 27, 2021

A few days later, the Utah Jazz banned three fans for a verbal incident that occurred during Game 2 of the first-round series concerning Ja’ Morant’s family on Wednesday night.

Jazz owner apologized to the entire Morant family.

Memphis Grizzlies and Morant family… we are embarrassed and sorry. The @UtahJazz have zero tolerance for offensive behavior. We are committed to creating a respectful, competitive environment. https://t.co/cLsKWSk1l1

— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) May 28, 2021

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fan behavior at games hasn’t been a real concern other than isolated incidents. Nonetheless, with restrictions being uplifted and teams starting hosting upwards of 10,000 fans in their arenas, fan conduct is now a concern.

The post NBA Releases Official Statement on Fan Conduct at Recent Games appeared first on SLAM.

SHOWTIME JA. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/geI6einfoE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

At one point in the 2nd quarter, Morant attempted to defy gravity single-handedly but was no match for Rudy Gobert’s timely block. Do you think that stopped the former ROY? Nah. It was clear that Ja was on his Grizzly.

“I’m not afraid,” Morant says, per ESPN. “I mean, that’s his job: to protect the rim. My job when I’m attacking the rim is to go finish. Obviously, he got a good block, but as you seen, I was right back inside the paint.”

LOOK AT THIS pic.twitter.com/c4TkVEDShz

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 27, 2021

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Morant managed to drop double-digit points in every quarter of Game 2, bringing the Grizzlies back from a 20-point deficit in the third to a 2-point Jazz lead. Morant was 15-of-26 from the floor and 15-of 20 from the free-throw line.

His spectacular 47-point performance is the most in NBA playoff history by a player 21-years of age or younger, as well as a franchise record for the playoffs. The only other players to drop 40 in the postseason include previous LeBron James (45), Magic Johnson, Tracy McGrady, and Luka Doncic.

Morant has also placed himself on the list of greats who scored the most points in their first two career playoff games.

Ja is making history pic.twitter.com/y35OJH5BDF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2021

“Honestly, it’s not that surprising,” Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell says, per ESPN. “He’s a gamer. He goes out there and competes…Tonight, he was aggressive from the jump. At a young age, for him to be able to have that is definitely special. That’s something that I respect about him and about his game. He doesn’t quit.”

Although Morant finished with 47 pts, 7 dimes, and 4 rebounds, he still wasn’t satisfied with how the night ended. The Grizzlies were outscored by the Jazz in a 141-129 Game 2 loss tying the match-up 1-1.

“We lost,” Morant says, per ESPN. “Obviously it wasn’t enough.”

The Game 3 faceoff will take place on Saturday, with the Grizzlies having a home advantage.

The post Ja Morant Makes Franchise History in 47-Point Game 2 Performance appeared first on SLAM.

The evening started with the Washington Wizards looking to even the series against the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks attempting to do the same against the Atalanta Hawks. The evening game was another one vs. eight seed game, with the Utah Jazz taking on the Memphis Grizzlies.

No 1. Philadelphia 76ers 120, No. 8 Washington Wizards 95

The Wizards looked out of their depth Wednesday night, with the D.C. squad trailing by double-digits almost the entire game. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons each finished with 22 points, and Tobias Harris added another 19 points.

Embiid getting wild after the and-one (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/j6Dgb8cBEa

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

No Wizards player finished with more than 11 points except Bradley Beal, who had a game-high 33 points.

Smooth. (via @WashWizards) pic.twitter.com/zdxamYksgL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

While the Wizards being down 2-0 in the series is bad enough, the injury to Russell Westbrook could be cause for more concern. Westbrook left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, and if he’s unavailable for the next two games, that might be a wrap for the WIzards. An altercation between Westbrook and a fan stole headlines when Westbrook confronted a fan who dumped popcorn on him.

Lakers’ LeBron James weighed in as well:

By the way WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the was on the other . #ProtectOurPlayers

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 27, 2021

No 4. New York Knicks 101, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 92

The most exciting game of the evening belonged to the Eastern Conference’s four vs. five seed matchup. The Knicks struggled in the first half containing Trae Young and entered halftime down trailing 57-44. But the Knicks’ offense came alive in the second half, and the defense held the Hawks to under 20 points in both quarters, which eventually gave them the late third quarter.

It was a big night for Derrick Rose off the bench, scoring a team-high 26 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Four other Knicks also went double-digit in the scoring column, including Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks.

I love playoff basketball. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/P6kJpNtGfh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

Still, Trae Young had another big night for Atlanta, dropping 30 points and seven assists.

That's NASTY, Trae. (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/Mo9qBFcXru

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

No. 1 Utah Jazz 141, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 129

Offense was easy to come by in the final game of Wednesday night, with a reinvigorated Jazz team dropping 141 points to defeat Memphis. Three players put up more than 20 points for Utah, including Donovan Mitchell (25), Mike Conley (20) and Rudy Gobert (21). Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in an additional 18 points, and Mr. Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson, added 16.

Sensation Ja Morant kept the Grizzlies in the game nearly single-handily at points, finishing with 47 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas both had solid scoring nights, finishing with 23 and 18 points, respectively. Bench scoring was an issue for the Grizzlies, as only 14 points came from their bench all night, and seven of them came from De’Anthony Melton alone.

SHOWTIME JA. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/geI6einfoE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

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Morant’s story is captured in the six-part docu-series, PROMISELAND, which is set to air June 3 on Crackle. Directed by Dexton Deboree (Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1), the film will tell the “coming of age story” of Morant’s upbringing down South and his eventual rise to NBA stardom.

As told through Ja’s perspective, viewers will also get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how he navigated his rookie season and grappled with the reality that both the world and the 2019-20 NBA campaign were forced to come to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series also features exclusive interviews with those around the game, including NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, WNBA All-Star and MVP A’ja Wilson, and Morant’s teammates Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke. Both his father, Tee and his mother Jamie also make an appearance, as well as rapper Moneybagg Yo.

PROMISELAND is produced by DLP Media Group (30 for 30’s Lance, Rodman: For Better or Worse), Falkon Entertainment, RTG Features, Interscope Films and Waffle Iron Entertainment.

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If the first two days of playoff action are any indication of what we can expect the rest of the way, basketball fans across the world are in for a treat. We’ve broken down each of the Sunday’s matchups below.

No. 1 Sixers 125, No. 8 Wizards 118

PHI leads series 1-0

After slipping into the playoffs with a successful play-in tournament, the Washington Wizards were set to face a tough task against the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the Philadelphia 76ers. The game was close through the first half before the Sixers took control in the third quarter.

Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards with 33 points while Tobias Harris dropped a playoff career-high with 37 points. Meanwhile, Ben Simmons produced 15 rebounds and 15 assists and Joel Embiid scored 30 points. The Sixers played great team basketball and overcame shooting just .312 from deep in the win.

No. 2 Suns 99, No. 7 Lakers 90

PHX leads series 1-0

In a highly emotional game, we saw Chris Paul and LeBron James both take hard falls in Game 1 of this series. While both appear to be good to go moving forward, fans from both teams had to temporarily hold their breath.

Devin Booker carried the Suns offensively in his playoff debut, scoring 34 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds. DeAndre Ayton, who is set to earn an extension this summer, proved his worth as well as he produced 21 points and 16 rebounds. The Lakers’ superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis had a tough game, combining for just 31 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.

No. 4 Knicks 105, No. 5 Hawks 107

ATL leads series 1-0

In perhaps the most even matchup on paper of the day, the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks took things down to the wire. In a game between two teams who haven’t been to the playoffs recently, things looked to be headed to overtime before Trae Young silenced the crowd with a game-winning bucket.

Young finished with 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the way for the Hawks. To help him out, Bogdan Bogdanovic caught fire late in the game, scoring 18 points on the night, including four made threes. Surprisingly for the Knicks, Alec Burks led the team in scoring with 27 points alongside Derrick Rose off the bench who produced 17 points. Their best player in Julius Randle struggled offensively, finishing with just 15 points on 6-for-23 from the floor.

No. 1 Jazz 109, No. 8 Grizzlies 112

MEM leads series 1-0

The Memphis Grizzlies came into this series as a major underdog, but took full advantage of the Jazz in Game 1 as they were without Donovan Mitchell. While Utah jumped out to an early first quarter lead, Memphis took absolute control in the second and third quarters. Things got close late in the fourth quarter on a huge Jazz run, but Ja Morant’s clutch buckets down the stretch saved the Grizzlies.

Dillon Brooks was the star of the game, finishing with 31 points on the night, 29 of which came through the first three quarters of play. Ja Morant had a fairly quiet night until the fourth, notching 26 points while Jonas Valanciunas had a 15 point, 13 rebound double-double. In the absence of Mitchell, the Jazz couldn’t get the offense going early enough, as Bojan Bogdanovic led the team in scoring with 29 points, 19 of which came in the fourth quarter. Rudy Gobert fouled out for the first time all season while Mike Conley contributed 22 points and 11 assists.

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Despite concerns from some players and teams of the new tournament, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this week that he hopes the new play-in tournament becomes a regular thing.

Silver attributed the success to the incentive it gave teams to care until the end of the regular season on ESPN Radio.

“Over the past few years, pre-pandemic, there’s been a lot of reference to our long regular season and the issues around player resting, and we tried to address that as well,” Silver said. “We moved to a 72-game season because of the pandemic and somewhat condensed so we had 10 fewer regular-season games, and I had hardly heard a mention about it…I think the way we dealt best with the resting, although we have some rules around it now, was the motivation for teams to care about being in the playoffs and their actual play-in position.”

“That incentive is what made the biggest difference, not the reduction of the 10 games,” he continued.

The commissioner mentioned the possibility of changes with the format, which saw the 7th- and 8th-place teams battle for the No. 7 seed, with the loser hosting the winner of a game between the 9th and 10th seeded teams for the final 8th seed.

After the final tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies went to a wild overtime finish where reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Ja’ Morant outlasted MVP candidate Stephen Curry to get in the playoffs, this new format will surely be something to look out for in the future.

@JaMorant came up HUGE in the #StateFarmPlayIn to send the @memgrizz into the #NBAPlayoffs!

35 PTS
15 in the 4th and OT

: MEM/UTA Sunday, 9:30pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/bvbgxPUEMU

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2021

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Playoff seeding came down to the wire, with a play-in tournament deciding the final two seeds in each respective conference. In a season where things seem wide open, nearly every series should be competitive.

With the playoff matchups finally set, let’s take a look at each Western Conference series in the first round. Our Eastern Conference series preview is available here.

1 Utah Jazz (52-20)
8 Memphis Grizzlies (38-34)

The Memphis Grizzlies, although finishing the regular season with the ninth-best record in the West, won two games in the play-in tournament to capture the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. After beating the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies beat Steph Curry and the Warriors in overtime on Friday night to secure this spot.

Now, Memphis will take on the Utah Jazz, who finished the season with the best record in the League. Ja Morant is the clear player to watch for the Grizzlies in this series, as the rising star will make his playoff debut. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert will look to show exactly why they both signed massive contracts last offseason. In the regular season, Utah won all three matchups against the Grizzlies and will look to continue that trend in the postseason.

2 Phoenix Suns (51-21)
7 Los Angeles Lakers (42-30)

After a season full of injuries, the Lakers fell in the standings late in the year and were ultimately part of the play-in tournament. In an absolutely exceptional game, the Lakers beat Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors to claim the seventh seed in the Western Conference and a series with the Phoenix Suns. On the back of a LeBron James’ game-winning three, both he and Anthony Davis will look to defend their title.

In three matchups this season, the Suns got the best of the Lakers, winning the season series 2-1. However, the Lakers were without one or both of James and Davis in all three games. Although Phoenix was excellent in the regular season, they’re going to face one of the most talented No. 7 seeds we’ve seen in the last decade or more. With veteran point guard and a future Hall of Famer at the helm, an overall young Suns team will need him to help navigate the playoff waters. One key storyline to watch will be Devin Booker and his first ever playoff appearance.

3 Denver Nuggets (47-25)
6 Portland Trail Blazers (42-30)

Unlike last season, there was a pretty significant drop-off between the top and bottom halves of the Western Conference playoff race. Although just a few seeds apart, the Nuggets finished the shortened regular season five games ahead of the Trail Blazers. Although they lost their starting point guard in Jamal Murray late in the season, Denver finished the season as strong as anyone could have expected.

The Nuggets won the regular season series against Portland 2-1, proving to be the better team. With that in mind, both teams will look a bit different in this series. Denver made a significant move at the deadline acquiring Aaron Gordon, while the Blazers made a splash bringing in Norman Powell. Nonetheless, the question for the Nuggets will be where their ceiling is without Murray. Although they’ve got the projected NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. will need to continue his dominance to keep their offense alive.

4 LA Clippers (47-25)
5 Dallas Mavericks (42-30)

In one of the most anticipated matchups of the first round, the Mavericks will take on the Clippers for the second-straight season. The only first round rematch in Western Conference year-over-year, Dallas will hope for a different result this time around. This is yet another series in which the seeding is close, but five games separate the two teams.

After being knocked out in the first round by the Clippers last season, Dallas took the regular season series 2-1 during the 2020-21 season. This included hem coming out swinging in 51-point win early in season after their first matchup since the 2020 playoffs. In their last playoff series, Kristaps Porzingis missed the final three games of the series due to a knee injury and will likely be the X-factor of the entire series this time around. If he can stay healthy and contribute on both ends of the floor, him and Luka Doncic have a real chance at a first-round upset.

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On Wednesday night in the first round of the play-in tournament, he exploded for 23 points and 23 rebounds in an absolutely dominant performance. On the biggest stage of the season, Valanciunas was one of the main reasons Memphis was able to pull off the four-point win. 

This notched his sixth game in a Grizzlies uniform with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds. This puts him second all-time in franchise history behind Zach Randolph (12).

On the Toronto Raptors for the first seven years of his career, Valanciunas was solid, but was just a traditional big man. As the NBA adjusted to a more heavy 3-point game, it wasn’t until his final season on Toronto that he tweaked his game and started stepping beyond the arc more regularly. 

Since then, he’s taken his game to a whole new level. The Lithuanian center is a career .358 3-point shooter. This season in Memphis, he’s converting on .368 of his 0.9 attempts from three per game. While that isn’t a high volume of attempts, it’s enough to keep defenses honest and allows him to space the floor. 

The 29-year-old finished the regular season averaging 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Valanciunas is under contract for one more season at $14 million, which is a great value for the Grizzlies for how much he produces. 

Valanciunas and his superstar teammate Ja Morant will take on the Warriors next in a win or go home scenario on Friday night.

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It is in this moment that 19-year-old rookie RJ Barrett, in a scenario very similar to a high school freshman entering the cafeteria for lunch for the very first time, finds himself looking around the plane for a place to sit. He eventually turns to Julius Randle, who is entering his sixth year in the NBA and therefore is already sitting in his preferred spot, and asks if he could join him.     

“He didn’t really know where to sit. He came and was like, Is it cool if I sit right here? And I was like, Hell no! Nah, I’m joking. I was like, Yeah, of course, man. I’ve always sat on the same place on the plane my whole career. He sat next to me and it’s just kind of been our thing…First day, and ever since then, hasn’t changed,” says Randle. “They have the table where the guys play cards. I’ve always sat to the left of the table—directly there. I sit there and [RJ] sits by the window.”

Julius, who knew exactly what it was like to be a top draft pick headed to a big city with tons of expectations and very little patience after being selected with the seventh pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, became the perfect mentor for Barrett. Whether fate or just pure coincidence, it’s impossible to trace back the grand return of the New York Knicks to relevance this season without looking at how Randle and Barrett sprouted in The Garden by developing a strong chemistry that extends beyond the hardwood. One that seems to have started on (or at the very least facilitated by) an October flight in 2019.

“We’ve been sitting beside each other since day one. Just cracking jokes…We can play cards, we listen to music, we do all that at the front of the plane. It kind of just happened and we just stuck with it,” says Barrett. “We’ve always just had an understanding with each other. Sitting together at the beginning kind of helped me because I was the rookie coming in. So, it was like [a] big brother just helping me out. We even watch film together on the plane, showing me little things.”

That plane seating decision may have not seemed like a big deal at the time, but it helped pave the way for the creation of the most important Knicks duo in recent memory. The Knicks are back. The most valued franchise in the NBA is making noise again. A real foundation is now in place, with Randle and Barrett at the center of it.

Order your copy of SLAM 232 featuring Julius Randle and RJ Barrett now.

It’s a Thursday afternoon in late April and RJ Barrett is sitting in his home office in White Plains, NY. The team is enjoying a day off, 16 hours after winning at home in overtime against the Atlanta Hawks in the second game of a back-to-back. Randle dropped 40. The Knicks extended their winning streak to eight—their longest streak in seven years. The team has moved up to sole possession of the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference on this day. With less than a month to go in the regular season, the thought of the Knicks being in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 seems like a real possibility. It’s been eight years. The city is buzzing.

There’s a lot to be excited about, and RJ is cheesing hard when he joins us via Zoom from his home.

“I feel like we were the only ones that kind of believed in ourselves. No one thought we were going to be here,” says Barrett. “No one thought we were going to be in this position except for us. Even making the playoffs, we’re very excited for that. It’s not just about making the playoffs. We want to go far. We want to try to win championships. That’s what we’re about.”

“From the media’s standpoint, I could certainly understand how we would be ahead of schedule,” says Randle. “For me—unless you’re, like, the Lakers or Brooklyn [where] it’s championship or bust in their minds, probably—I came to this season with an open mind. We had a new front office. Guys I was really familiar with were Wes [William Wesley] and Leon [Rose]. New coaching staff, different players. So, it’s hard to really put a cap on what you can be. I just tried to come into the season with an open mind. I wanted to improve as a player and really put my best foot forward as far as how I could help the team. Quickly, as the season started in training camp and as the season went on, I could tell things were a lot different [and that] we had a chance to be good if we just trust in each other, believe in each other and follow Thibs’ lead.”

It was in July of 2017 when Barrett first caught the attention of Randle. At the time, Randle had just completed his third year in the League and was enjoying his offseason in L.A. when one day he decided to tune in to the U19 FIBA World Cup in Egypt. The real draw for the former Kentucky star was that his former head coach John Calipari was coaching the American team. As a true Big Blue Nation supporter and overall student of the game, Randle tuned it to root for his guy. It was the tourney’s semifinals and Team USA was facing off against Canada. Barrett, only 17 years old at the time, ended up dropping 38 points, 13 rebounds and 5 rebounds while leading Canada to a shocking 99-87 upset victory over the United States.

It marked the first time that an American team of any age group had lost a game in international competition in six years, while also being the first time ever that a Canadian men’s basketball team had claimed gold at any level. Randle vividly remembers his thoughts after watching that contest.

“I watched that game. He went crazy. I remember he got a 30-ball,” recalls Randle. “I was like, That kid is going to be special! I could tell right away. You don’t just see that happening.”

Beyond the career-high production from Randle and the second-year leap from Barrett, there’s a visible overall culture shift with this team, one that everyone has bought in on. Head coach Tom Thibodeau’s teams have always been known for their hard-nosed defense and grittiness. As of late April, the team ranks No. 1 in the NBA in fewest points allowed (104.7 per game) as well as No. 1 in fewest made field goals by opponents (38.0 per game). For reference, the franchise ranked 17th in points allowed last season (112.3 ppg). In their largest margin blowout win in 25 years—by 44 points against the Detroit Pistons on the road—in early April, the orange and blue didn’t allow a single field goal to the Pistons starters in the first quarter; that hasn’t happened in 22 years.

“We’re a team that we go back to the gym at night. Almost every night. We’re always working before practice, after practice. Come back again at night. We land somewhere, we all go to the gym now. We’re always in the gym. That’s been showing out there on the court…This is a very special team. And I feel like we’re the start of something good in New York Knicks basketball again,” says Barrett. “I think our team describes New York. I think we’re tough, gritty, resilient. And we go in with our hard hat and work hard every day.”

Adds Randle, “After the first game of preseason, honestly, I saw it was different. And then I think the third game of the preseason, when we played Cleveland back-to-back, I was like, Oh, nah, we got a chance to do something or surprise people! We went to Indiana, played them tough—should’ve won the game. And from that point on, I’m like, Yo, just keep building! I really wasn’t focused on the wins and losses. We were just trying to focus on building our identity of who we were as a team. Confidence for a team is everything. That’s really what happened with us. Game by game, our confidence just grew to where every game we come in [and] we expect to win the game.”   

For Randle, the journey has taken him from four rebuilding years with the Lakers (tough years where the team finished 30 or more games under .500 in three of those) to then one season in New Orleans, where he enjoyed some of the best numbers of his career but nonetheless missed the playoffs. He opted out of the second year of a two-year deal with the Pelicans in the summer of 2019 and ultimately took a leap of faith in signing with the rebuilding Knicks. After a tough first season as a team in New York, Randle is now averaging career highs in points (24.2) and rebounds (10.3) as of press time. He’s been filling up the stat sheet, becoming the first Knick in over three decades to record multiple triple-doubles in a season. He got his first All-Star nod in March and is now gearing up for some playoff action—the first of his career.

“I had never seen [Julius] in person before, so when I [first] saw him I actually was like, This dude is 6-9, 250!” says Barrett while bursting out laughing. “My favorite stories are just him working hard. Us landing somewhere and [he’s] always going to the gym. He just became an All-Star, and he was in New York working after the All-Star Game before anybody even got back….As soon as he gets to the arena, he has his headphones on. He’s kind of just in a zone. He doesn’t really speak until we get on the court.”

For RJ, who’s still only 20 years old, his first 18+ months in the League have been a rollercoaster. As the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, which became the Knicks’ highest draft pick since Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing went number one in 1985, he saw his share of ups and downs as a rookie. The team was losing. A lot. The head coach was fired. The team president was fired. Although many jumped at the opportunity to critique his shooting numbers, he still showed glimpses of what could be. There were a couple of 27-point performances. He became the first Knicks rookie in 40 years to post a 15-15-5 stat line. He was third (behind only Zion Williamson and Ja Morant) in scoring among all rookies—and yet somehow was absurdly snubbed from the NBA All-Rookie Team.

Not only are his averages and shooting percentages up across the board this season (posting 17.6 points and 5.8 boards as of press time), there’s an aura and swagger to him. He’s become a fan favorite in the Big Apple.

“This year he’s just a complete—I wouldn’t say 180 [degrees], but as far as his mentality, he doesn’t let things affect him,” says Randle of Barrett. “He’s very steady, confident and knows who he is as a player, and he’s just been proving it.”

A few days after our Zoom calls with both guys, the Knicks winning streak came to an end following a loss to Phoenix at home. The streak topped off at nine—the team’s second best stretch in 25 years. The vibe in the city remained unchanged, though. This time it just feels different.

Yes, the Carmelo Anthony-led 2012-13 team did indeed make it to the second round of the playoffs, but that squad never had a sustainable young core to build a future around. Therefore, that era came and went so fast, still leaving the franchise with the worst record in the League over a 20-year span when Randle joined in 2019. This team, though, hasn’t even scratched the surface. From Immanuel Quickley having one of the best rookie seasons in the Association, to Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel becoming major defensive forces in the paint, it’s been a well-balanced mix to complement vets like Derrick Rose, Reggie Bullock, Alec Burks, Elfrid Payton and Taj Gibson.

Players on other teams, from LeBron James to Marcus Morris, have taken to Twitter to acknowledge the resurgence of the team. “And the league is simply better off when the Knicks are winning,” LeBron tweeted on April 22. Yet, being patient and realistic is very important here—one thing that Randle and Barrett constantly preached during our call.

“We’re aware of [the excitement]. We hear it. You can’t really escape it. We hear it but that’s not where our focus is. We have a game-to-game focus. Thibs does an amazing job of preparing us from game to game,” says Randle. “Our game to game attention to detail and focus, it’s different than any team I’ve ever been on.”

“[Thibs] came in and he was just very honest from the beginning. He told us, We have a long way to go but we’re going to try to turn this around. And that’s exactly what we’ve done,” says Barrett. “Honestly, I’m not really surprised. We worked too hard. We work so hard and we have no egos. I feel like we deserve everything that is happening right now but we know that we have a long way to go.”

—

Action photos credits via Getty.

Portraits by Niko Rodriguez and Kevin Clark at the New York Knicks. Follow Niko on Instagram @technicalbasis, and Kevin on Insta @kevin_clarkk.

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