The soulful piano keys of “Lost One.” The bellowing horns and drum breaks on “Show Me What You Got.” The screaming high hats from “Oh My God.” These are the sounds of Paolo Banchero’s education.

“Jay-Z was one of the first rappers I ever heard in my life,” Paolo says. “That was when I was growing into my own, just as a kid, as a player. So that CD was always on in the car. I heard it countless times, just running it through, and I just grew to love it.”

SLAM KICKS 27 featuring Paolo Banchero is available now.

Glance at Hov’s discography of album covers. Then watch the way Paolo plays the game. It’s an eerily similar sight. Dimly-lit backdrops and a polished getup. There’s a suave commotion going on. A don-like figure stands center stage with thousands of eyes thrust upon his every move. In turn, the figure speaks an eloquent truth. Both words—and pivots in the post—tell the tale of one wise beyond their years.

Paolo Banchero is here. His days as a Blue Devil are gone. That Rookie of the Year award is off in the distance. He’s dropping 30 on ya head, denting defenders’ chests with his shoulder and towing the Orlando Magic back to the playoffs, with the Air Jordan 39 on his feet. Rarified opulence.

Paolo may have grown up a Hov disciple, but the self-proclaimed music connoisseur is an old soul with an ear for the new school. By February of the 2023-24 season, the soon-to-be All-Star realized he had strayed too far from his roots.

“I just caught myself listening to the same music, kind of getting bored of it,” Paolo says. “And so I was like, Man, I ain’t listening to Jay-Z! I was like, Why am I not listening to Jay-Z? I’ve been listening to all this for months. I’m like, Man, I need to go tap back in.”

He did a bit more than just tap back in. Just like he did with the stack of CDs in his pop’s car, Paolo was swiping through the legends in his music library in search of that old shit. The throwbacks. The music that nurtured his soul.

Between the last two months of the regular season and through all seven games of the Magic’s opening round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Paolo was shuffling through nothing but Lil Wayne, Jay, Nas and Jeezy. “I felt like it gave me a new energy,” he says.

The Pelicans got served a 20-point triple-double in late March. Then there were the back-to-back 32-pieces on the road in early April. Jalen Duren got as close as humanly possible to contest Paolo’s step-back jumper, but Banchero still hit the game-winner back in February. And to close it out, a 26-point double-double to clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a dub over the Milwaukee Bucks in the regular season finale.

This isn’t the stuff of a typical second season. His numbers—22.6 points, 6.9 boards and 5.4 dimes a night—weren’t just an increase in production from year one. We all watched as Paolo took that next step in a future superstar’s career. And he did it in year 2. Wayne’s rhymes, Jay’s tone and Nas’ cadence all fueled the master class that unfolded before our eyes.

In the week of practice leading up to the Magic’s first postseason appearance since 2020, Paolo switched everything up. Lil Baby turned to Lil Wayne. The braids that were once tied to each side of his head were now in tightly bound cornrows. And the slew of Jordan Luka 2 PEs he’d been wearing throughout the season were swapped out for the pair that sits boldly on these pages, the Air Jordan 39.

Those at the AdventHealth Training Center out in Orlando in April got the first look at the sleek mid-top solution in the wild. For days, Paolo couldn’t take ’em off. The Air Jordan 39’s cushioning set-up is fueled by the same magic that propelled Eliud Kipchoge’s world-record marathon time and Mike’s fifth championship in the Air Jordan XII. Combining that full-length ZoomX foam with Air Zoom cushioning became an addictive feeling.

“Once I put the shoe on, though, that was when I was like, It’s over. I gotta be in these. I told Sam [Druffel, Paolo’s sports marketing rep at Jordan Brand] this 39 is their best work in my opinion. As long as I’ve been with the brand, it’s their best work. It’s a super comfortable shoe, I love wearing it,” Paolo says.

That love eventually turned into us seeing the 39 earlier than even the brand had planned. Paolo was diggin’ the sig so much, he asked the team out in Beaverton if he could be the one to debut the model in Game 1 of the playoffs. With a game that so effortlessly paralleled the silhouette’s ethos, the answer was a resounding hell yes.

The 39th iteration of Michael Jordan’s signature sneaker began with Mike’s infamous cross-step. From his three-dribble rule that forced the offense to create art within simple parameters to the fluid footwork that left defenders stuck in the mud, the foundation of Michael Jordan’s game lay in trusting that simplicity. It’s why there’s only nine colorways set to release from now through next spring. It’s why the haptic print upper, the textured tongue and the tumbled leather toe box are most prominent amidst a sea of hidden premium tech. The Air Jordan 39 is the epitome of refined elegance.

The essence of clarified minimalism that permeates around the Air Jordan 39 is exactly why Paolo is leading the charge for the game shoe. His movements on the block and in transition are that of a calculated craftsman. A polished spaceship hardwired with a jet engine.

“How can I get to the basket or make a play without taking seven or eight dribbles? I think in the playoffs, that was what I really honed in on and realized,” Paolo says. “That was something that I knew coming into the playoffs—I was going to have to make a lot of mid-range shots. I was going to have to shoot catch-and-shoot threes. I was going to have to take what the defense gives me and basically cut the fat from my game and just be as efficient as I could.”

The triple-white “Sol” colorway—marked with a dash of red at the tongue’s Jumpman logo—rode with Paolo through a combined 45 points in the first two games of the series.

“It felt like I was floating. Obviously, I’m a big guy. I play with a lot of force, I cut a lot, I jump, and there’s just a lot of force being thrown around in my shoes,” Paolo says. “But those shoes, I don’t feel limited at all. I feel like I can make any movement, any cut. I can put however much force I need to into the shoe, and it’ll hold up. It just performed really well. I think I noticed it right away. Sometimes, a shoe feels stiff or a shoe feels too narrow and stuff like that. I think there was just a sense of freedom when I was in the 39 where I felt like I could move and do anything.”

At 6-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo is a walking force of nature, yet he glides across the hardwood with an unmatched fluidity. Getting bullied is unavoidable. Every team knows it. It’s why they routinely pack the paint and force him to operate in the midrange any chance they get. But that’s where the magic happens.

In that seven-game playoff series, Paolo was straight spot hunting. He wasn’t taking half the shot clock to break his guy down or analyze the rotations. Everything was an instinctive reaction. If he drove toward the paint and saw bodies, he was pulling for a middie. If he saw the slightest crack of daylight, he was absorbing contact and dishing to the open shooter. If they sagged off at the top of the key, hand down, man down.

He wasn’t worried about the stats, wasn’t worried about the percentages. He “just wanted to do whatever it took to win and get the job done.”

“That whole series, I progressed and I learned every game. The first two we lost and everyone thought we weren’t ready, and Cleveland was talking a bunch of smack, saying we were kids,” Paolo says.

The last thing that Paolo Banchero is is a kid. Scratch that. It’s not even in the vocabulary. We all watched the same maturation this year. The Magic may have dropped their first two games in the playoffs, but in Game 3? The production that played in the background of those car rides with Dad started to emerge in the back of his mind. Back to the basics. A surgical 31 points through three quarters. Jumpers met nylon. Fadeaways stood unbothered. Getting to the rim was the regimen. Drop-steps were imposing. The Magic pulled Paolo before the fourth up by more than 30.

Game 5 featured 39 points on 57 percent shooting from three. Game 6 consisted of 27, 10 of ’em in the fourth to tie the series at three a piece. “That was just dope to do in front of the fans, in front of the home crowd, just to be able to protect home court like that,” Paolo says.

From October to early May, sellouts at Kia Center became common practice. For the first time in what feels like a long time, there’s a bonafide superstar wearing the Magic blue. He rocks with the old and the new. He’s laser focused on his growth. And since the season wrapped, he’s been back in his hometown of Seattle, surrounded by the love, comfort and inspiration that raised him. He’s been refining his tools, trusting his instincts and evolving every day.

“When I first got to Orlando, there weren’t a lot of expectations for the team, and so there were a lot of expectations for me. But I wanted to have that rub off on the team. I wanted it to be team success. I wanted people to come back and start coming to the games,” Paolo says. “So it’s just been awesome seeing the fan base grow, obviously, the organization grow, us just getting more serious and being in the playoffs.

“But now I think it’s time to transition, kind of from that beginner stage of success and being happy about having success. Now, we’re trying to be one of the household names of the East and of the League. That’s not going to be easy—I know that, we all know that—but I think we’re all ready for it and we’re all excited.”

The 2023-24 season saw Paolo storm the Magic Kingdom, take the throne and reveal a path to immediate success for an entire organization. The time of chipping away at the end of the tunnel is over. The lights are shining bright, the expectations are thunderous and the hopes of an entire fan base rest upon his shoulders.

“I think eventually, when it’s all said and done, I’ll look back to my second year, last year, and kind of look at it as the start,” Paolo says. “That was kind of the start of something special.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens. Action Photos via Getty Images.

The post Refined Elegance: Paolo Banchero Covers SLAM KICKS 27 with the Air Jordan 39 appeared first on SLAM.

Check out the top 30-21 players here and 20-11 here.

10. Klay Thompson

“Buckets and Chill.” The cover line from SLAM 215—featured below an iconic photo of Klay Thompson rocking sunglasses and lounging in a beach chair—pretty much sums it up. Laid-back off the court, Thompson has always been an assassin on it. He’s won four championships, made five All-Star teams and scored over 15,500 points with the Golden State Warriors. When Klay (also known as “Game 6 Klay”) had the hot hand, it was a wrap for whoever was on the other side. In 2015, he set the NBA record for points in a quarter with 37.

9. Devin Booker

If we’re talking pure bucket-getters, Devin Booker’s name has to be mentioned. The dynamic guard from Grand Rapids, MI, has developed a complete offensive game. He can attack the basket and finish around the rim; his mid-range arsenal is elite; and he’s a serious threat from behind the arc. Just go watch the highlights from his 70-point masterpiece in 2017 or his 59-point gem in 2019 or his 62-point outburst this past season. At 27 years old, Book is a 4x All-Star with even more room to improve. Rest assured, there are a lot more buckets to come.

8. Derrick Rose

D-Rose graced the cover of SLAM while he was a freshman at Memphis in 2007-08. The cover line read: “Fresh to Death. Derrick Rose is the NBA’s next big star.” Truthfully, that prediction could have been made even earlier, when the explosive guard was lighting up the court at Simeon Career Academy (IL) and made his appearance at the Top 100 Camp. In 2011, at the age of 22, Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history. His career has been filled with adversity due to numerous injuries, but the 3x All-Star has persevered through it all to leave a major imprint on the game. 

7. Anthony Davis

From Perspectives Charter (IL) to the University of Kentucky to the NBA, Anthony Davis has more than lived up to the hype. It all started when the kid from Chicago hit a major growth spurt in high school, maintaining his guard skills while adjusting to a new big-man frame. Davis went on to win the Naismith Award, Wooden Award and an NCAA championship in his sole season at Kentucky before getting drafted with the first overall pick by New Orleans. He’s been hampered by injuries throughout his 12 years in the League, but Davis has still accomplished basically everything there is to accomplish at the highest level, including getting a ring in 2020. 

6. Kyrie Irving

The man with arguably the greatest handles of all time attended the Top 100 Camp back when he was a high school sensation in New Jersey. Irving spent one year at Duke before entering the 2011 NBA Draft, where he was picked first by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s been an All-Star eight times and sunk one of the biggest shots in NBA history in 2016, helping the Cavs complete their epic 3-1 comeback to win the title. With that shot and countless ankle breakers, mind-boggling layups and cold-blooded game-winners, Irving’s highlight reel is a must-watch. Really, it’s the work of a basketball genius.

5. Dwight Howard

Not too long ago, when the role of center was viewed very differently, Dwight Howard was perhaps the most powerful and unstoppable force in basketball. A young superstar at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Howard won Gatorade National Player of the Year and then was selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He bounced around quite a bit after leaving Orlando in 2012, which led many to forget what he did during those early years in the League, including making five consecutive All-NBA First Team appearances and winning three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. Consider this your reminder.

4. James Harden

From Artesia High School in Lakewood, CA, where he won two state championships and was a McDonald’s All-American in 2007, to now, James Harden has carved out an incredible career that frequently gets overlooked. This is a guy who averaged 31.7 points, 8.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds (!) over a five-season span from 2015-20—a stretch that included an MVP award in 2018. He was named to the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team in 2021, and deservedly so. 

3. Kevin Durant

Coming out of the DMV, Kevin Durant was one of the most hyped prospects in the nation. And since then, well, he hasn’t disappointed one bit. The future Hall of Famer has said that he probably would have gone straight to the NBA from high school if the one-and-done rule didn’t exist. Instead, he starred at Texas for one season and then got scooped with the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007. Durant is undoubtedly one of the greatest offensive talents in NBA history, winning the League’s scoring title four times. When he has it going—which, over the past 17 years, has been a very common occurrence—there’s literally nothing anyone can do to stop him.

2. Stephen Curry

A slept-on prospect from Charlotte Christian School named Stephen Curry attended the Top 100 Camp before going to Davidson, where he became a 2x consensus All-American and led the Wildcats to the 2008 Elite Eight. The skinny kid with a baby face from North Carolina was still somewhat slept on, falling to seventh in the 2009 NBA Draft. But even those who foresaw greatness in Curry could not have predicted this: 10x All-Star and All-NBA, 2x MVP, 4x Champion and the all-time leader in three-pointers made. Oh yeah, and he completely changed the way the game is played.

1. Kobe Bryant

It was clear when he was dominating at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania that Kobe Bean Bryant was special. He was one of the first future stars to attend the Top 100 Camp, jumping straight to the NBA in 1996. It wasn’t long before he was dominating at that level, too. The résumé is undeniable—18x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 12x All-Defense, 5x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 MVP, the list goes on—but Bryant was most defined by his relentless work ethic, remarkable determination and absurd competitiveness. The Mamba Mentality, as his approach to the game and other endeavors came to be called, continues to inspire people everywhere.

The post NBPA Top 100 Camp Top 30 Players: 10-1 appeared first on SLAM.

We compiled a group of individuals (programming note: 30 entries, not 30 people total) who mean something special to SLAM and to our audience. Read the full list here and order your copy of SLAM 248, where this list was originally published, here.

It’s kind of crazy to look back and realize that Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson played just two seasons together. The Clippers drafted them 15 picks apart in 2000—Darius third, Q 18th—and split them up in the summer of 2002 when Darius was dealt (along with Harold Jamison) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andre Miller and Bryant Stith. In those two seasons, the Clippers won 70 combined games and did not make the playoffs. Miles started 27 games, Richardson 28. From a basketball standpoint, it was barely a ripple—the anticipated Clippers revival (or perhaps vival, wasn’t no “re” about it) never really transpired, at least not until the rise of Lob City. But you can’t just measure impact by Ws and Ls or points or any of that.

As they tell it, Darius and Q were on their way to being AND1 guys when Michael Jordan himself made sure they joined Jordan Brand. Jump, men. They got all sorts of rare retro PEs, head-tapped their way into the public consciousness back when Melo was still hoopin’ at Towson Catholic, landed a well-deserved KICKS cover. They were an unlikely pairing who meshed in unlikely ways; Miles a willowy 6-9 rim runner who ate up the court with huge strides, Richardson a solid 6-6 with a seemingly bottomless post-up bag and three-point range.

It’s kind of crazy to look back and realize that Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson played just two seasons together. The Clippers drafted them 15 picks apart in 2000—Darius third, Q 18th—and split them up in the summer of 2002 when Darius was dealt (along with Harold Jamison) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andre Miller and Bryant Stith. In those two seasons, the Clippers won 70 combined games and did not make the playoffs. Miles started 27 games, Richardson 28. From a basketball standpoint, it was barely a ripple—the anticipated Clippers revival (or perhaps vival, wasn’t no “re” about it) never really transpired, at least not until the rise of Lob City. But you can’t just measure impact by Ws and Ls or points or any of that.

Miles was the one with the superstar vibe, the one who ended up on the “Roc L.A. Familia” SLAM cover alongside Lamar Odom and Elton Brand, all wearing each other’s jerseys. Elton was far from alone in rocking an oversized Miles 21 jersey, wasn’t even the only one to wear it backward. Miles had Iverson’s vibe and Pippen’s game, a long, lanky stat-sheet filler who on his best nights looked like he could very well fulfill the promise that led to Sports Illustrated putting him on their cover with Kevin Garnett peeking out from behind.

Want a wild stat? The Clippers weren’t very good, only had four nationally televised games in Darius’ and Q’s two seasons—one in their first season, three in their second—but the Clippers went 4-0 in those games, including a win over the Shaq and Kobe two-time defending champion Lakers in January 2002. In their final national TV game, against the Mavs a week later, they both played 30-plus minutes off the bench, both scored 15 points, both filled every box-score box—hit a three, had at least one rebound, assist, steal and block.

Their Clippers promise went mostly unfulfilled—which perhaps should not have come as a surprise given a young team in the Donald Sterling days. A rose might grow from concrete, but it is not a common occurrence. As for expectations, those are ours, something separate from the careers that actually play out. So after the summer of 2002, Darius and Q wound up journeymen on their own journeys: Darius with injury-plagued years in Cleveland, Portland and Memphis; Q breaking the Suns single-season three-point record in Phoenix before playing in New York (twice), Miami and Orlando. Darius played his last game at 27, Q at 33; both of their final seasons mere epilogues.

But their stories didn’t end, their journeys weren’t over. And a full decade-plus after their final games, they’d reunite—on a podcast this time—as the Knuckleheads, both giving flowers to former teammates and opponents as well as receiving their own. They’re both active on social media, often in SLAM’s IG comments showing love to both active and retired hoopers. Maybe Darius and Q were never All-Stars and never won championships, but they found one another, they bent basketball culture in their direction, and honestly? That’s more than enough. 

Photo via Getty Images.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson appeared first on SLAM.

Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary, Gotham, Blue Bloods) plays Matt and Glenn Davis (actor, producer and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company; The Christians, Head of Passes, The Brother/Sister Plays, Downstate) plays Shawn. Collectively they perfectly (serious when it needs to be, and hilarious just as accordingly) bring to the forefront themes around race, family dynamics, friendship, death and betrayal. The play was written by Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) and directed by Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun, Fences), while Khloe Janel absolutely kills it from the DJ booth. 

You can catch King James at the Manhattan Theatre Club until June 18.  

The post New Off-Broadway Play “King James” Examines How LeBron’s Time in Cleveland Helped Bring Two Strangers Together  appeared first on SLAM.

But admittedly, the 37-year-old is still dealing with the narrative that followed him throughout his 16 years in the NBA. 

“Even when I go on the golf course now, I feel like people still have a misconception of who I am,” Smith says over Zoom. “Even if they know I play golf, I still feel like they still expect me to act a certain way [as] opposed to, like, just a regular dude out here playing golf, you know what I’m saying? Oh, We’re gonna take shots at the golf course, we’re doing this, we’re doing that. It’s like, Nah, we playing golf! Like, the music ain’t blasting, I’m being respectful to the game, I’m being respectful to people in my group, to the caddies. I don’t know what you would think it was. And it’s hard for me because it’s like again, I get caught up in that.” 

“That” would be the countless headlines from his time in L.A., New York, Denver and most definitely Cleveland. After the Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Championship, Smith earned the nickname “Henny God” for carrying a bottle of alcohol in his hands and then being shirtless during the parade (Smith clarified on the “The Warzone” that it was actually champagne).  

Despite the fact that he was a certified bucket, set multiple three-point records, won two championships and a Sixth Man of the Year award, the jokes continued. In 2021, a TikTok of him on the NCAT circulated on social media, with one student noting he was “probably off the Henny right now.”  

After picking up golf 14 years ago at a fundraiser while he was with the Nuggets, Smith is stepping into a new chapter, both as a student-athlete and the co-host of a new golf podcast, “Par 3.” Here, he talks with SLAM about his NBA days, what it’s like to still be misunderstood and life on the links.

SLAM: When you were in the League, there were a lot of misconceptions about you. How did you deal with that?

SMITH: I deal with it to this day, honestly. People already have so many misconceptions of who I am and so many things that they already have an opinion about before they even meet me. Men and women still tell me to this day, I didn’t think you were like that. Like, I thought you were way more arrogant or way more, you know, just self absorbed or something like that. It’s just, no. I mean, I acknowledge that there are other people out here in this world and it’s not just about me. I understand everybody has feelings and emotions and everything else. 

I almost questioned myself like, What persona am I giving off that people have this type of perception of me? Because if y’all really think that I’m like that and then when you finally meet me you’re like, shell shocked, it’s like, Damn, you know? So for me, I kind of questioned myself and took it back to like, Yo, you gotta make sure you on your Ps and Qs, because so many people are watching, and it’s influencing so many different people in a way that even I can’t even control because if I had it my way, it wouldn’t go the way it’s gone. 

SLAM: Is that a realization that you’ve come to since your pro career ended, or did you feel that way while you were playing, too? 

SMITH: I thought about it more throughout my career because it was, for me, once it got out of hand, it’s like, there’s not so much I can say. My platform wasn’t as big as it is now; there weren’t these platforms where people could really [be in] touch with me and have a better type of understanding of who I am or whatnot. It was literally only what the coaches were saying, if you were a superstar player or the GM. And there wasn’t an outlet for the sixth man or the seventh, eighth, ninth man on the bench and stuff like that. There weren’t any podcasts and interviews and Instagrams to really have that link—or touch—with the fans.

So you can have way more ways to, you know, express yourself and give people a better understanding. For me, it was always, Oh, he’s the bad guy. And everybody was like, Oh OK, well he’s the bad guy. And it was like, Alright, well, did you even take time to know who the bad guy is, where he’s from, what he’s about? You just know that this person told you that he’s the bad guy and y’all just run with it. It’s been like that for so long. Even when I played for the Knicks, the media really ran that team. We had one of the best seasons we’ve had and then one person says something about the coach and then all of a sudden it’s like, Well, he’s got to go. It’s like, Yo, how do you fire the best coach that we’ve had for so long? Just because you want to listen to what somebody in the media is talking about, as opposed to people who actually know the game, the success of the game. You get into that political game and it’s like, what do you do?

SLAM: If you played golf when you were younger, do you think you would have pursued golf or basketball?

SMITH: I probably would’ve chose golf.

SLAM: Wow. Why?

SMITH: I feel like it’s way more on you. I think basketball is very easy to not take the blame.

It’s like, Oh, well they weren’t making shots. I did my job, I had 25 to whatever my numbers were. Golf, nah, it ain’t none of that. This is all you, champ. It’s tough because even in golf, like little times you’ll see people get mad at the caddies and thinking the caddie is getting the wrong number or whatever. But at the end of the day, you hit that shit bro, don’t get mad at anybody else, that is on you! This is not that! And that’s what I love about the game so much, because it’s all accountability. That’s all it is. If you could be accountable for every shot you take and be able to bounce back from a bad shot to your next shot being a good shot, that’s what life is. For me, that’s all it’s about. And that’s where the game is, when you start playing the game like that, it’s like, Oh, OK. I feel like you have a better chance of figuring it out.

SLAM: What do you think is more of an adrenaline rush: knocking down threes in a playoff game or getting a hole in one?

SMITH: Yeah, I think it would be a hole in one. A hole in one is just a perfect swing. I mean, it’s crazy, because it really doesn’t have to be a perfect swing, where if you hit that shit and won. There’s very few people who do it. [Thinking about basketball again] I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know. That’s tough. I just thought about that Atlanta series and that’s tough. 

SLAM: What was more nerve-racking: walking onto the golf team at North Carolina A&T or going to the NBA combine or training camp? 

SMITH: Walking onto the team for sure because like hoop, no matter what, I’m used to being in the gym. I have routines, and regardless of whoever is in there, I don’t really care about—not that I don’t care about them, but I know that I spent so much time on this regardless of who’s out here. I know what I’m capable of, and I know what I’m going to do. But on the golf course, it don’t work like that. I know that at the end of the day, I can rely on my shooting, get into my step-back, going left or right. Defending. I know where I can hang my hat on the basketball court. On the golf side, it’s like one day it might be my driver, the next day it might be just my putt, the next day it might be my wedges. But it’s never all in unison. Basketball, because I’ve done it so much, it’s like, OK, this is easy, like I don’t even think about it no more. But now in golf, where you already don’t have that confidence, and then you add in competition and then you add in other people just watching and critiquing and it’s like…

SLAM: Does that frustrate you at all? To have played at the highest level in one sport and then pick up a different sport and have to build your skills? 

SMITH: No, I love it, because the expectations are so low for me. It’s like I really get to learn and ask all the dumb questions. I’m already a person who likes to ask questions. People always try to make you think that every question that you ask, it’s just like common sense. Like, well, if I’m asking you, it’s not common sense. Don’t make me feel dumb because I’m asking you this question, I don’t care what kind of question it is. If I’m asking you, then I genuinely wanna know, I’m not just asking you just to be an asshole just to be asking. I want to know.

I think a lot of times in this new world, we don’t have space to ask questions. Or not even ask questions, [but] for people to have the patience to answer questions.

SLAM: What’s your relationship like with basketball today? How do you feel about the game?

SMITH: Nah, I ain’t playing. Nah, I can’t afford to mess up my golf game. If I go out there and get hurt, I can’t afford it. If I can’t play golf, I’m miserable. I’m gonna stay in shape, I’m gonna do my yoga, I’m gonna do my stretching. I work on my flexibility more and my calisthenics. I do a little cardio here and there, but not as much anymore. But on the court, nah.

SLAM: Do you miss hooping at all? 

SMITH: I mean, I have golf, but it’s not the same. I definitely miss hooping. I love the game, and I feel like if I wanted to I still could [play], but I’m at a different point in my life where I’m like, I’m kind of glad I’m out of the hamster wheel. 

Portraits Atiba Jefferson, Action Photo Getty Images.

The post JR Smith Talks Golf and Dealing with the Narrative That’s Followed Him Throughout His Career appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-7 forward was the obvious choice for this month’s “G League Player to Watch”—not just because of his absurd individual production, but because he led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on an impressive run to sneak into the playoffs.

First, a brief history lesson. Rio Grande Valley (RGV) has been the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA’s official minor league, reaching six finals and claiming four championships since 2010. Last season, an RGV squad led by MVP Trevelin Queen cruised to the title, going undefeated in the playoffs. The Vipers also won it all in 2019 with a roster that included Gary Payton II and Isaiah Hartenstein.

This year…it wasn’t looking good. Heading into March—the last month of the regular season—RGV had a 10-12 record. The team had dropped four of its previous five, including an embarrassing 26-point loss to the South Bay Lakers at home. If the Vipers wanted to keep their streak of six straight playoff appearances (excluding the season canceled due to COVID) alive, then they had to turn things around right away.

OK, back to Days. An undrafted rookie out of LSU, he signed a Two-Way contract with the Houston Rockets back in October. The 23-year-old is an extremely versatile forward, capable of filling multiple positions with his size, strength and mobility. He has spent most of this season with the Vipers and proven to be a reliable 3-and-D player. At the beginning of March, he stepped up big time…

27 points, 7 rebounds vs. Oklahoma City

33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs. Birmingham

26 points, 10 rebounds vs. Greensboro

28 points, 11 rebounds vs. Iowa

32 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs. Iowa

22 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals vs. Memphis

The Vipers won all six of those games to climb back into the playoff picture, and after splitting their next four, they locked up the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Days posted 25.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game across that stretch, shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. He barely turned the ball over—just seven times in 10 games—despite averaging 38.6 minutes (the fifth highest mark in the league). Less than 72 hours after the Vipers clinched their playoff spot, he was named G League Player of the Month for March.

The Vipers upset the 2-seed Lakers in the Conference quarterfinals with guard Jalen Lecque sealing the deal with this tough game-winning lay-up. And Days? He delivered, of course: 21 points (on 7/13 shooting), 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. 

You can catch Days and the Vipers in the G League Finals as they face off against the Delaware Blue Coats. Tune in now through April 9 on ESPNU and ESPNews.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Luka Garza, Forward, Iowa Wolves: 30.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, 68 FG%, 46 3P% (4 GP)

Carlik Jones, Guard, Windy City Bulls: 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2.3 steals, 46 FG%, 35 3P%

Jahmi’us Ramsey, Guard, Oklahoma City Blue: 26 points, 4.4 rebounds, 58 FG%, 38 3P%

Lester Quinones, Guard, Santa Cruz Warriors: 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 46 FG%

Jack White, Forward, Grand Rapids Gold: 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 55 FG%, 38 3P%

Trevelin Queen, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants: 23.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 50 FG%

Mfiondu Kabengele, Forward, Maine Celtics: 21.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 61 FG%, 41 3P%

Zavier Simpson, Guard, Lakeland Magic: 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.7 steals, 50 FG%, 43 3P%

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS

Eastern Conference: Long Island Nets (23-9)

Western Conference: Stockton Kings (25-7)

Scoring Champ: Carlik Jones (26.1)

Assists Champ: Jacob Gilyard (9.7)

Rebounds Champ: Jayce Johnson (13.5)

Blocks Champ: Jay Huff (3.1)

Steals Champ: Jaden Springer (2.3)

3PT Champ: Mychal Mulder (129)

MARCH CALL-UPS

Luka Samanic, Forward, Maine Celtics to Utah Jazz

Xavier Sneed, Forward, Greensboro Swarm to Charlotte Hornets

Jay Scrubb, Guard, Lakeland Magic to Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones, Guard, Santa Cruz Warriors to Golden State Warriors (twice this month)

Trevor Keels, Guard, Westchester Knicks to New York Knicks

Lindell Wiggington, Guard, Wisconsin Herd to Milwaukee Bucks

Jamaree Bouyea, Guard, Sioux Falls Skyforce to Washington Wizards

Jared Butler, Guard, Grand Rapids Gold to Oklahoma City Thunder

Sam Merrill, Guard, Cleveland Charge to Cleveland Cavaliers

Jay Huff, Center, South Bay Lakers to Washington Wizards

Xavier Moon, Guard, Ontario Clippers to Los Angeles Clippers

More below:

Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Rio Grande Valley Vipers to Houston Rockets

Kobi Simmons, Guard, Greensboro Swarm to Charlotte Hornets

Gabe York, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants to Indiana Pacers

Skylar Mays, Guard, Mexico City Capitanes to Portland Trail Blazers

Shaquille Harrison, Guard, South Bay Lakers to Portland Trail Blazers

Jeenathan Williams, Guard, Salt Lake City Stars to Portland Trail Blazers

Justin Minaya, Forward, Mexico City Capitanes to Portland Trail Blazers

Photos via Getty Images.

The post G League Player to Watch (March): Darius Days appeared first on SLAM.

February 9th 2003. How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days was the number one movie in the world. “All I Have” by Jennifer Lopez featuring LL Cool J was sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100. Kobe Bryant was on the cover of SLAM 66 wearing a jet black Lakers jersey with his three Larry O’Brien trophies. It was a cloudy night in Georgia but even then there were 24 extra stars in the Atlanta sky. On that night at Philips Arena, the NBA hosted its 52nd Annual NBA All-Star Game. 

It was a time before TikTok, NFTs, and NBA Twitter. It’s now 2023 and at times it feels like we’re living in some twisted up future, but at least the game of basketball is still good. 

By the time you’re reading this, the League will be getting ready to host the 72nd Annual All-Star Game in Salt Lake City and if we’re lucky, it’ll be a classic much like Atlanta’s game 20 years prior. Generally speaking, ‘03 is a year strongly etched into the memory of all within the culture. Baggy pants, bulky kicks, triple-layered headwear, spinning rims, Playstation 2… could it have all been so simple then? 

The 2003 NBA All-Star Game was one of the most stacked events of all time, both in star power and personality. Society was reaching a breaking point when individuality, charisma, and style were placed on a similar level as skill. The Western Conference All-Stars included Steve Francis, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Yao Ming as starters, with Shaquille O’neal, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Gary Payton, Stephon Marbury, and Peja Stojakovic coming off the bench. The West was helmed by then-Sacramento Kings head coach, Rick Adelman. Peja was an injury replacement for his teammate Chris Webber.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars included Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal, and Ben Wallace as starters, with Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Brad Miller, Jamal Mashburn, Antoine Walker, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas coming off the bench. Isiah Thomas, who coached the Indiana Pacers at the time, led the charge for the East.  

There are a lot of things you may have forgotten about the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. So, allow us to remind you. 

First off, the jerseys. It marked the first time since the ‘90s that the NBA designed and deployed All-Star Game jerseys. In the previous five years, players just wore their own jersey from their respective teams (All-Star Weekend in 1999 was canceled due to the lockout). And the jerseys were fresh as hell. The retro design recalled some of the late ‘80s All-Star Game jerseys, swapping out the short shorts for a baggier option. 

The main focus entering All-Star weekend was Michael Jordan, who was preparing to retire for a third and final time. He was a starter and an All-Star for the 14th time in his career, an accomplishment that didn’t come without its fair share of controversy. Allen Iverson and Vince Carter were both near at the peak of their popularity in 2003 and were voted as the starting backcourt for the Eastern Conference by the fans. Carter had missed a big chunk of games that season as a result of injury and there was a ton of pressure on him to give up his starting spot to Jordan. He resisted the notion for quite some time but he eventually relented and gave up his starting spot to his elder UNC alum just before gametime. The scrutiny turned ugly after a while, and the Atlanta crowd even booed Carter when he was being introduced before the game. 

For the record, Jordan was perfectly fine with coming off the bench. When asked about it during the game, Jordan said, “Vince surprised me. I told him as I told the rest of the players, I started 13 times, I didn’t need to start [a] 14th time. You know, they were adamant about getting me to start. Vince actually came to me right before we went out and said that he would love for me to take his spot. He’s very respectful. I think he took some undue punishment, all during this week about him being very honorable to the fans, and even at the end, when he gave it up, I really didn’t want him to back down from what he actually stood for and I’ve supported him in that sense. But he wanted me to take his spot and I thought it was very gracious of him and very respectful.”

Problem solved, Jordan started. 

Another wrinkle out of the gate was Jordan’s coach for the game, Isiah Thomas, who is arguably Jordan’s biggest rival and definitely his most prevalent foil. If Jordan had a nemesis, it was Zeke (or Jerry Krause). But Thomas had coached the Pacers to the best record in the East by the break, so he was his coach for the night. Infamously, there is a conspiracy that Isiah Thomas led a charge to freeze Jordan out of his first All-Star Game in 1985. Jordan was a rookie and finished the game with seven points on 22.2 percent shooting in a 140-129 loss. And now 18 years, two retirements, and 13 All-Star appearances later, Michael Jordan was the elder statesman in the All-Star Game, with Yao Ming as the lone rookie to participate in the game. 

Jordan, however, was aggressive but wasn’t hot right out of the gates. He started the game 0-7. He began the game only 10 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in the All-Star game’s  history and the Atlanta crowd was hungry for him to break the record (a record that’s been snapped by the late-Kobe Bryant and LeBron James since then). Each missed attempt by Jordan was followed by hushed sighs of resignation by the crowd but the voracious outbreak when he finally made a jumper was well worth the wait. 

The first quarter was a relatively competitive defensive performance for both sides, the first quarter ended with the East leading 23-18 off the strength of a 13-0 run. Jordan never really got any hotter from the field, but he eventually broke the record and finished with 20 points on 9-27 (33.3 percent) shooting. 

The pace and level of play picked up considerably but the defensive effort faltered in the second quarter when the reserves checked in. The signature playground style of all-star ball had infiltrated every corner of the game and it was fun as hell. A sequence of lobs from Brad Miller to Vince Carter followed by Stephon Marbury to Shawn Marion early in the second quarter was especially electrifying. Shortly afterwards, Dirk Nowitzki went on a mini-heater in two minutes and scored all nine of his points for the night. All-Star games are interesting in that way. Basketball is improvisational like jazz and these are the best artists in the world. You never know when a player might go off onto a solo and strut his shit. 

Rick Adelman decided to indulge every hoops fan everywhere and played a lineup of Francis-Garnett-Duncan-Shaq-Yao. If any lineup with four seven-footers could work in a real game, I feel like this would be the one. Great mix of shooting, passing, mobility, length, and defense. They went on an 8-2 run in just over two minutes to secure a 55-52 lead heading into halftime. 

Halftime was a show in itself. The NBA had orchestrated a tribute for Michael Jordan that involved Mariah Carey coming out and singing in two different Jordan jerseys. She sang “Boy (I Need You)” while wearing a mini-dress styled to look like Jordan’s Bulls jersey. While they played a montage of Jordan highlights, Seinfeld clips, Gatorade commercials, SNL monologues, and Spike Lee poetics, Mariah Carey changed into a floor-length dress designed after Jordan’s Wizards jersey.

Mariah Carey gave chilling renditions of “My Saving Grace” and “Hero” at the center of a stage placed on the court. Jordan was moved to tears during the performance and Mariah Carey introduced Jordan to the crowd for an opportunity to address them. It took the standing ovation over a minute to calm down enough for Jordan to even get any real words out. When he could finally speak, he tearfully thanked the fans, his family, and expressed his gratitude for being able to pass the game along to the next generation. Much of the next generation was sharing the floor with him in this game and they’d determine how it would end. 

 If basketball is jazz, Tracy McGrady’s third quarter was like Miles Davis at his peak. He was cashing jumpers from all over the court and making daring forays to the cup, it was very clear why he was arguably the best scorer in the world at that moment. Iverson got it going as well with the pass-first Jason Kidd by his side in the backcourt to start the half rather than Michael Jordan. For the West, Kevin Garnett continued his impressive play on both ends of the floor. He hardly missed anything and remained a conduit of unbridled energy. Kobe got it going as well after pretty much sleepwalking through the first half.  

In the third, Shaq was throwing Jordan’s layup back to the three-point line. The crowd booed Shaq for hampering their hero but the East largely controlled the third quarter, eking out a 93-86 lead heading into the final frame. 

As usual the fourth quarter was more competitive than the rest of the game. Shaq dominated the reserve minutes but most of the Eastern Conference starters remained on the floor, even at the beginning of the quarter. Both of the Boston Celtics young guys, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker, complained about the lack of playing time they received in the game. Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers did not publicly complain but he only played four minutes. Isiah Thomas met all complaints with a closed ear, “it’s my team” he commented.   

Michael Jordan is one of the clutchest players in NBA history, if not the most clutch. He had won games, and championships, with his elite shot making ability with the game on the line. With 10.1 seconds left and the game tied at 120 a piece, and a young Shawn Marion on him with overtime looming, Jordan posted up in complete isolation. He took a few dribbles in the midpost, then turned over his shoulder and shot his patented turnaround jumper. He missed. The crowd sighed as it clanged off the rim. Overtime, the sixth instance this happened in All-Star game history. 

And then it’d eventually go into double overtime—the first time in NBA All-Star game history. 

Isiah Thomas must have felt guilty about the lack of minutes allocated to his bench players (along with the starters probably being exhausted with the extra basketball time on this night) because he put in a few guys who hadn’t seen many minutes down the stretch to start double OT. The West quickly jumped out to a lead and never relinquished it again. Garnett dominated against the smaller East lineup, finishing with 37 points on 70.8 percent shooting. The West held on to win the game 155-145 despite Iverson’s best efforts. 

The game came to a close with the usual procession of handshakes, hugs, and high-fives, as the players rushed to get off to a night on the Atlanta streets. Peace to mankind, it was a beautiful time to be alive. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Here’s a Look Back at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta  appeared first on SLAM.

“After one of the natural disasters they had over there, I saw a picture where it’s flooded and kids are still playing basketball with the hoop still standing,” he said to NBA.com. “Just showing love for the game over there and how pivotal basketball is, how far it stretches. It’s crazy then just seeing the support I have from the Philippines.”

Clarkson, whose mother is of Filipino descent, recently told the Philippines media that it was important to him to represent the country at this year’s All-Star event in Salt Lake City. “I know in the West they’ve got a lot of talented guards,” he said to ESPN. “But I feel like I can represent Utah, the Philippines at the All-Star Game, if it happens. It would be exciting if that happens.”

Whether he’s selected or not, Clarkson has been having quite the year so far, from putting up career-high numbers—21.1 points and 4.3 assists—to embracing his role as an experienced guard. Having played with and learned from the likes of King James, the Black Mamba and Lou Williams, JC knows firsthand what stepping up as a leader looks like, too, telling NBA.com: “Being around Kobe and Bron, there’s been [lots] of vets I’ve been around in the NBA, you know. Lou Williams, guys like that. It’s kinda pushing me to a leadership role in my ninth year in the League. Just seeing how they handled it and kinda doing the same.” 

After getting traded to the Jazz from Cleveland, Clarkson has found all the support he needs to thrive. “The trade was definitely a lot to take in. I didn’t know what to expect,” Clarkson told The Athletic back in 2021. “But when I got here, the team, the coaching staff, the city and the fans, they welcomed me with open arms. The Jazz showed they invested with me and made me feel comfortable. I feel free here.” 

It’s that freedom that has allowed Clarkson to remain true to himself. As head coach Will Hardy recently emphasized to Andscape, Clarkson is “a very creative player, and he sees the game in a unique way sometimes. And I have to give him the latitude to be himself out there because when he plays freely, he plays with his instincts, he’s at his best. He’s a guy that I definitely don’t want to put in too narrow of a lane because of his ability to impact the game in a lot of ways. Off the court, he is as fun-loving and easy going, engaging a person as I’ve been around in the NBA.”

Clarkson is undeniably one of the most unique and stylish players in the League, from his painted nails and his appearances at Paris Fashion Week to his eternal presence on @LeagueFits. Regardless of what other people might think, Clarkson has always remained true to himself. “Everybody around the League knows who I am and respects it,” he told Marc J. Spears.

What many have also come to respect is Clarkson’s commitment to the grind. The 46th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft has come a long way from playing on the then-Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League his rookie year. And he was just coming off the bench a year ago. He’s now a solidified starter, second on the team in scoring, and, as Hardy pointed out after the Jazz’s win against the Cavaliers, can make “some big plays.”

Even when Donovan Mitchell made his well-awaited return to the Beehive State on January 10, it was Clarkson who stole the show. But anyone who saw his tunnel fit that night already knew what type of time he was on. Clarkson pulled up wearing a black graphic tee from his brand, Shop Sixx, that has a printed skull in the middle and icy blue lettering spelling out his name. 

Many fans will recognize Clarkson’s sartorial side; he once told @LeagueFits, “When I take a night off from dressing, I think I go 0-20 and it ain’t a good look.” Well, that night against Spida and the Cavaliers, he went 11-19 from the field and erupted for 32 points in the win. 

Clearly, Clarkson isn’t taking any time off soon.

And as the Jazz look to continue their climb up the NBA standings—as we go to press, they’re
No. 8 in the West—they’ll look to Clarkson for his leadership, energy and the unwavering passion he brings to everything he does on and off the court. 

“His ability to kind of reform himself, reshape himself around that idea is leadership in itself,” said teammate Mike Conley, according to KSL.com. “And he’s been awesome.”  

He’s also got a dedicated fan base rooting for him, one that extends 7,400+ miles from Utah to the Philippines. Clarkson has said he plans on suiting up for the Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup next summer, too. 

But until then, he has business to handle at home. 

Photos via Getty Images

The post Jordan Clarkson Has Brought His Game, and Tunnel Fits, to Another Level in Utah appeared first on SLAM.

Beginning the game with 38,352 points on the list—needing only 36 more points to make history in yet another category—James broke a record that not many thought would be broken. It’s another major accomplishment to add to his resume: Rookie of the Year, four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, four regular-season MVPs, 19 All-Star selections, three All-Star MVPS, 18 All-NBA selections, six-time All-Defense, fourth in all-time assists and now the all-time scoring leader.

At 38, James has continued to consistently play at a high level and his longevity is nothing short of amazing. What’s even more noteworthy is the impact he’s had on, and off the court, as both a leader, cultural icon, entrepreneur and father.

SLAM has captured the King’s career over the years, from the time he was in high school to the superstar he is today. You can read every feature and cover story we’ve ever written about LeBron James in the SLAM Digital Archive. Subscribe here.

Here’s a look back at a few of his most iconic SLAM covers and moments.

SLAM 54: OHIO PLAYER

Okay, technically this wasn’t a SLAM cover, but as legendary photographer Atiba Jefferson recently wrote, you never know who you are shooting. Back in ’01, LeBron James was just 16 years old when he was featured in SLAM 54, and as Ryan Jones highlighted, he was already being compared to the greats and used to signing autographs. His potential was all there.

Who would’ve thought that he’d go on to become the all-time great he is today? Well, it’s safe to say that at that point, everyone knew something was special about the kid from Akron.

You can read the entire feature by subscribing to the SLAM Digital Archive.

SLAM 62: The Takeover

After much thought, there’s no getting around this, so I’ll just say it: LeBron James may be the best high school baller ever. 

It didn’t take long for LeBron James to get his first SLAM cover. When he and Sebastian Telfair appeared on the cover of SLAM 62, Bron had already been deemed the Chosen One, and as former SLAM Editor-in-Chief Russ Bengtson wrote, had solidified himself as the best high school player ever.

SLAM 71: KING JAMES

When Russ wrote that “we’ll see how ready he really is” by the time LeBron James’ rookie season started, it seemed almost like a prophecy. He was more than ready and way, way more than the hype.

Even back then, a rookie LeBron James was truly ready to rule.

SLAM 93: HERE COMES THE REIGN

Remember this kid? It’s not like you’ve had a chance to forget.

In December 2005, James appeared on a unique SLAM 93 cover that truly captured his greatness. That year, he was selected as an All-Star, won MVP and made the All-NBA First Team.

SLAM 106: BRON IS THE ONE

The SLAM 106 coverline says it all. Bron was always the one, and at 22-years old, he led the Cavaliers on their first-ever NBA Finals run.

SLAM 171: NO DOUBT IT’S BRON’S WORLD

Just a few years after The Decision, SLAM 171 captured NBA Champion LeBron James on the cover. For all the naysayers and haters, the sentiment still stands: it’s Bron’s world.

SLAM 192: CHARGED UP

In November of 2015, LeBron James was back in Cleveland would go on to lead the franchise to greatness, winning a championship in 2016.

SLAM 220: A LOVE SUPREME

The legendary Scoop Jackson wrote a masterpiece on LeBron James’ impact, connection to the game, and his new chapter on the Lakers. Read it here.

SLAM 229: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

In December 2020, SLAM 229 featured the champs, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James and Davis won a championship with the Lakers in the NBA bubble, defeating the Miami Heat in the Finals.

SLAM 233: ‘BOUT THAT TIME

A cultural icon. SLAM 233 was a different type of cover for LBJ, who graced it alongside Bugs Bunny. The moment captured Bron’s impact as a media mogul and entrepreneur when he appeared in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Go behind the scenes on the making of the film in the cover story. Read here.

The post Recognize Greatness: Here’s a Look Back at LeBron James’ Iconic SLAM Covers Over the Years appeared first on SLAM.

It was 2019 when Isaiah Mobley said those words to SLAM. He was about to begin his college career at the University of Southern California, while his younger brother Evan—the No. 1 prospect in the class below him—would have one final year at Rancho Christian High School. The nation’s best sibling duo was breaking up, but, as Isaiah hinted, the brothers would be reunited soon.

Evan eventually followed Isaiah’s footsteps to USC, where the two shined side by side for a season. Then Evan was off to the NBA—selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021—while Isaiah chose to remain in L.A. The Mobley brothers were split up again… 

And then they were reunited. Again.

With the 49^th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers took Isaiah. This time, the Mobley reunion has looked a bit different. The brothers haven’t spent much time on the floor together. Instead, Isaiah, who is signed to a two-way contract, has been dominating for the Cleveland Charge—the Cavs’ G League affiliate—this season.

At 6-8, 238 pounds, Isaiah is an athletic and versatile big man, just like Evan. Growing up, the two developed their skill sets in competitive games of one-on-one.

“Evan would always want to play me one-on-one after practice because he would play against his teammates and do really well,” Isaiah said in 2019. “I just remember that I was beating him but would have to try harder because he was getting better. His competitive drive…he would try to play until 100 until he could win. I think that rubbed off on me because when I was younger, I played hard always and played to win, but not as intense as I do now.” 

He later added: “We used to [fight a lot] because [Evan] had temper tantrum problems, but now he got it under control so we don’t have no problems. It was good though—he was a sore loser, which is good. It plays into [who he is] now because he plays hard and he hates to lose. I used to beat him in 90 percent of stuff and he used to hate it. One-on-one, I’d beat him, and he’d try to fight me. But, also, I think that’s why he is so good now.”

Fast forward four years and Evan is helping lead a Cavs squad that sits at fourth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings, while Isaiah is helping lead a Charge squad that sits at first in the G League’s Eastern Conference standings. 

In January, Isaiah averaged 23.6 points (on 52 percent shooting), 9.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per contest. He led the Charge in scoring four times, in rebounding three times (including a 19-board game against Fort Wayne) and in assists three times. His three-point percentage dropped, but for the full year (showcase + regular season), he is knocking down 35 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. Led by Mobley and guard Sharife Cooper, Cleveland has won nine of its last 10 games.

Below are Isaiah’s highlights from a recent victory over the Wisconsin Herd, in which the 23-year-old forward notched 30 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Peep his creativity on offense—Mobley attacks off the bounce, finishes jump hooks in the paint and steps out for threes. (You can see shades of all that in this video of him and Evan playing one-on-one from 2019.)

As of January 27, Mobley ranked seventh in fan votes for the G League’s Next Up Game, a new event to take place at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City. (Our previous two “G League Players to Watch,” Luka Garza and Kenneth Lofton Jr, placed one and two in fans votes, respectively). 

With Isaiah starring for the Charge and Evan doing his thing for the Cavs, Cleveland must be super thankful that the Mobley brothers always find a way back to each other.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (JANUARY STATS)

Sharife Cooper, Guard, Cleveland Charge: 27.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 50 FG%

Mason Jones, Guard, Mexico City Capitanes: 24.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 49 FG%, 40 3P%

Scotty Pippen Jr., Guard, South Bay Lakers: 24.3 points, 8.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 50 FG%, 40 3P%

Charles Bassey, Center, Austin Spurs: 23.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 71 FG%

Lindell Wigginton, Guard, Wisconsin Herd: 24.7 points, 6.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 48 FG%, 46 3P%

Gabe York, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants: 24.0 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 48 FG%, 39 3P%

Zavier Simpson, Guard, Lakeland Magic: 15.9 points, 9.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 57 FG%, 63 3P%

Jay Huff, Center, South Bay Lakers: 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 61 FG%, 44 3P% 

JANUARY CALL-UP TRACKER

Chris Silva, Forward, College Park Skyhawks to Dallas Mavericks

Deonte Burton, Forward, Stockton Kings to Sacramento Kings

Donovan Williams, Forward, Long Island Nets to Atlanta Hawks

Dru Smith, Guard, Sioux Falls Skyforce to Brooklyn Nets

Saben Lee, Guard, Raptors 905 to Phoenix Suns

PJ Dozier, Guard, Iowa Wolves to Sacramento Kings

Joe Wieskamp, Forward, Wisconsin Herd to Toronto Raptors

Sterling Brown, Guard, Raptors 905 to Los Angeles Lakers

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA G League Player to Watch (January Edition): Isaiah Mobley appeared first on SLAM.

The former lottery pick scored nine points and grabbed three rebounds during the 10 minutes he played off the bench to help the Cavaliers beat the Trail Blazers 119-113. He also won the junkyard dog chain for his efforts in his first game since suffering a season-ending torn ACL in December 2021.

“It felt good,” Rubio said of his first game, per ESPN. “It felt weird in the beginning, especially the first time, but after that, it felt back to normal. Of course, rhythm and all that stuff will come, but today was a lot of emotions out there. Working hard all year just to be healthy and grateful to be out there playing basketball again.”

Ricky Rubio with his first bucket of the season!

Welcome back, @rickyrubio9 pic.twitter.com/95Zx4AIGWO

— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2023

The 32-year-old point guard was a critical part of Cleveland’s success last season. After he suffered his knee injury, he was traded to Indiana for Caris LeVert, but come back via free agency because of the chemistry and camaraderie he saw in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell, who played with Rubio in Utah, was excited to see his teammate back on the court.

“I couldn’t stop smiling,” Mitchell said. “It felt like my rookie year. For me, it’s just a full-circle moment, but it’s great to see him out there after the ACL. And also, hitting two big 3s for us, leading the offense.”

Never too high, never too low.@ThatsJared | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/TnDCLMMgpp

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 13, 2023

Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters during a pre-game scrum that he wanted to play Rubio in two stints in the first half. However, Rubio played six minutes, so Bickerstaff played Rubio for a third stretch in the third quarter. After the game, Rubio said he felt good physically because the cardio workouts he did in rehab were more challenging than game action.

The Cavs admitted Rubio has been ready to play “for a long time,” but Rubio understood why they held him out. Regardless, Rubio said the process of coming back was “frustrating” but he’s happy to be “playing the game I love,” after 380 days.

“I didn’t work just to come back today,” Rubio said. “I worked hard to come back stronger than ever. It’s not just about today. I’m looking forward to having a strong season, not just a comeback season.”

Cleveland (27-16) is set to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road on Saturday.

The post Ricky Rubio Feels ‘Back to Normal’ After Comeback Game appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN Sources: After a full year of rehabilitating an ACL tear in his left knee, Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio is targeting a return against the Trail Blazers on Thursday. Rubio will practice today, and if all goes well, play in Portland tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wB5RzNhRdy

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2023

If all goes well when Rubio practices with the team on Wednesday, then he will play against Portland, per Woj. The Cavs (26-16) will welcome Rubio’s vaunted playmaking abilities and veteran presence on a team looking to lock in their playoff spot after All-Star weekend. Before he tore his ACL, Rubio helped lead Cleveland to a 20-14 start.

When he was last healthy, Rubio averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. Rubio is known as one of the most popular teammates in the NBA and was a close friend of Donovan Mitchell while they played on the Utah Jazz.

The post REPORT: Ricky Rubio Set to Return to Action on Thursday appeared first on SLAM.

The only thing is, Atlanta has a STEEP asking price for Atlanta. An Eastern Conference executive reportedly told Heavy Sports that the Hawks want a “big-time return for Collins” and “something in that neighborhood” of what the Utah Jazz received when they traded their All-Star cornerstones, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, over the summer.

Gobert was traded to Minnesota for four first-round picks and one pick swap, while Mitchell was traded to Cleveland for three first-round picks and two pick swaps, Collin Sexton and All-Star candidate Lauri Markkanen.

Collins is averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the 2022-23 campaign. His lower numbers can be attributed to a new role and adjusting to De’Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray taking up more shots and opportunities to score. However, Collins was a major contributor to Atlanta making an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021 and certainly has All-Star talent.

It’ll be interesting to see if any team will take a significant step forward and essentially give the farm away for Collins by the time the trade deadline ticks down. The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly the main team showing interest. The Nets reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Collins during the 2022 NBA Draft and are looking to add a star or “power-forward-like player” heading into the season’s stretch run.

Atlanta will look to build a consecutive win streak when they take on the Bucks on Wednesday.

The post REPORT: Atlanta Wants John Collins Trade Package Similar to What Utah Got for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

He’s become a premier playoff performer during his six postseason tours; however, the Jazz only won two playoff series; Mitchell was a standout and did everything he could to help lead Utah over the hump before they traded him to Cleveland last summer.

Now that trajectory is skyrocketing again after he dropped a Cavaliers franchise record 71 points, career-high tying 11 assists, and eight rebounds in 50 minutes on 22-34 shooting from the field and 7-15 shooting from beyond the arc to lead the Cavaliers to a 145-134 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls. He also hit a career-high 20-25 free throws.

71 PTS
8 REB
11 AST
W

Donovan Mitchell sets a new scoring record for the Cleveland Cavaliers and becomes only the 7th player in NBA history to score 70+ points in a game. pic.twitter.com/qbOwr3sqyH

— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2023

Mitchell has scored the most points in a game by any player since Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant put up 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006. Then-76ers center and eventual Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain holds the single-game record for most points scored after he scored 100 against the Knicks on March 2, 1962.

“To be there in the record book with guys like Wilt is truly humbling,” said Mitchell, per ESPN. “I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league. I’m speechless and blessed to be in the company of that greatness.”

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Mitchell’s coup-de-grace happened during overtime, as he scored 13 points. He forced overtime after rebounding his intentionally missed free throw and hit a circus shot layup with 3.0 seconds left to tie the game up at 130-all. The clutch bucket broke the Cavaliers’ previous single-game scoring record of 58 points.

Spida is the seventh player in League history to join the 70-point club. Chamberlain did it six times, while Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, and Booker each scored at least 70 points once.

“We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary.

“Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way.”

The three-time All-Star scored or assisted on 99 points, the second most in a game in NBA history and the most since Chamberlain’s legendary 100-point outing. His 55 second-half points are tied with Bryant for the most by any player over the past 25 seasons.

The post Donovan Mitchell On His ‘Humbling’ Franchise Record 71-Point Outing appeared first on SLAM.

The Nets have beaten the Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Wizards, Raptors, Pistons, Warriors, Bucks, and the Cavs, 125-117 on Monday to continue a win-streak tied for the longest in the NBA this season. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving dropped 32 points apiece to outlast a monster 46-point effort from Darius Garland, who single-handedly brought the Cavs back after scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter.

However, Kai and KD responded to Garland’s onslaught by scoring a combined 21 points on 7-10 shooting, 3-5 from beyond the arc. Durant and Irving have scored 30 points in the same game five times this season, tied for the most such games with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The All-Star duo’s big-time contributions have helped raise Brooklyn’s ceiling to the point they look like championship contenders again after 13 of their last 14 contests. As of Tuesday, Brooklyn is first in offense (120.1 offensive rating) and 10th in defense (111.9 defensive rating) in the previous 14 games.

“To be honest, we’ve always been about basketball,” said Durant, per ESPN. “The outside noise makes it seem like we don’t care about the game, but so many voices speak about our locker room who don’t have any idea what’s going on.

“We’ve always been about the game.”

The @BrooklynNets are in the midst of their longest winning streak since 2006

Peep the best play from all 9 games! pic.twitter.com/jLuPLlUdxi

— NBA (@NBA) December 27, 2022

The win streak coincided with Durant passing five-time champion Tim Duncan (26,496 points)after he dropped a 20-footer in the second quarter.

“At some point, you’ve got to be able to celebrate some small wins,” Durant said of overtaking Duncan. “To be able to pass a legend, it’s something I’ll call my folks about tonight. I know that I’ve got more to do.”

pic.twitter.com/K3OH3gez2F

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 27, 2022

Brooklyn has a chance to lengthen their streak with a Wednesday night contest against the Hawks on the road.

The post The Brooklyn Nets Are on Their Longest Win-Streak Since 2006 appeared first on SLAM.

The 10-year veteran had a breakthrough in Indiana when he joined in 2017, where he earned All-NBA and All-Defensive Team honors and the Most Improved Player Award.

Victor Oladipo back in Indy pic.twitter.com/F4v9CX5A0M

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) December 12, 2022

Injuries stopped that momentum and put a pause on Oladipo achieving a higher level of stardom, but Oladipo remains hopeful of returning to his All-Star form.

“The way you build your character and who you are as a person is how you handle those moments. And I’ve always been an optimist,” Oladipo said. “Even though what happened to me was catastrophic, it doesn’t mean that I can’t still be happy, and I can’t still come back from it and be my best self.”

Oladipo hasn’t returned to the production he would have hoped for. When he was traded from Indiana to the Houston Rockets, he played a total of 20 games before being shipped again in March of 2021 to the Heat, where thus far, in three seasons, he’s only played 16 games.

Oladipo averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in his four years as the Pacers superstar. He became a fan favorite in Indiana during his first year with the team as he led them to the fifth seed of the East while going toe-to-toe in a seven-game playoff series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sound up! Welcome back, @VicOladipo pic.twitter.com/95yPHz2A3G

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 7, 2022

Oladipo’s run with the Pacers was a glimpse of true blossom and an emphasis on why he was selected second overall in his draft. Nothing can take away his moment Monday night, and Oladipo hopes the air in the building refreshes his game as the elite two-way player he once was.

“It definitely brings some nostalgia, you know, just walking into the building,” Oladipo said. “But I’m focused on the good energy. And I let the bad energy go a long time ago, in terms of my injury and everything.”

The post Victor Oladipo Set to Play in Indiana For the Time Since He Left in 2021 appeared first on SLAM.

“He’s Mitchell,” LeBron James said, per ESPN. “He’s a special kid.” 

pic.twitter.com/0lHc7ZjOtw

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 7, 2022

Last season, Cleveland rose to playoff contention thanks to their top-10 defense and All-Star play of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, but mid-season injuries led to Cleveland collapsing and finishing the season looking to win the play-in tournament to make the postseason. However, the Cavs lost to the Nets in the first play-in game, and then their season was ended by Atlanta Hawks shortly after.

The Cavs went into the offseason knowing they had a recipe for success with their stifling defense and All-Star play, as well as the emerging talent of second-year big man Evan Mobley. When the rebuilding Utah Jazz made Mitchell available via trade, Cleveland swooped in as a partner and has greatly benefitted from the transaction.

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Mitchell has embraced becoming a key leader on this young team and his role as THE featured scorer on a team looking to take the next step. This season, he’s averaging 29.0 points. 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavs rank in the top 10 in offense (113.2 offensive rating) and are the No. 1 defensive team in the League (106.6 defensive rating).

“I think I fit in because I filled a void,” Mitchell said last week after Cleveland played Orlando, per The Athletic. “It’s what was needed. Darius in the backcourt did a lot last year, I’ve been saying that, and did it phenomenally well, but just kind of being in the game on the other side of the backcourt, making life easy for him and vice versa.

“It’s a comfortability thing coming into that situation, and then (coach) J.B. (Bickerstaff) going out and saying, ‘Be yourself.’ When you have the full support of your teammates and your coaches, it goes a long way. When a team trades for you, that means they see value in you and what you can possibly do. Just doing that on a nightly basis.”

The Cavs also embrace their “Let ’em Know” team motto and Junkyard Dog chain confidence, giving the three-time All-Star the chain after he dropped 43 points to help the Cavs beat the Lakers on Tuesday.

“It’s a guy that you can depend on in the thick of it, which isn’t always easy, and not everybody wants it, but he gives confidence to everybody on the floor because they believe in him, and they know that he’s capable of it, but he doesn’t do it in a way that takes away from other people,” Bickerstaff said, per The Athletic. “He empowers his teammates around him. He shares the ball. He’s not coming down just every possession and it’s just about him. He comes down, and the possession is about what’s the best shot available. If that’s a pass because they double-team him, he makes the pass; if it’s his shot, he takes his shot; if it’s attack and drop off to the big, he makes that play. To be honest with you, it’s unique in that, in his ability to take and make big shots, but to empower his teammates at the same time.”

pic.twitter.com/ENydzrIjnr

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 7, 2022

Mitchell is becoming an MVP candidate with the third-best record in the East while leading this young and fun Cleveland team to prominence. Spida seems to be enjoying the vibes his Cavs teammates have bought, and his resulting play is all the proof they need to know they’re doing something right.

It remains to be seen how far Mitchell can lead Cleveland after all, he’s only won a playoff series three times in his career, and he’s gone one-and-done in the playoffs just as many times. Not to mention that Mitchell is a proven playoff killer, averaging 28.3 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting during his postseason career.

The post ‘GO THE F HOME’: Donovan Mitchell’s Dominance Sends a Message to the Lakers (and the NBA) appeared first on SLAM.

A key piece for this Cavs team’s production, however, has come from second-year player Evan Mobley. The team wanted to get Mobley more involved this season, and the coaching staff has even said they see Hall-of-Fame potential within Mobley.

When Mobley was asked about his offensive growth per The Athletic, he said;

“You definitely want to get better every single time and get more uses for sure. So I was expecting that.”

So far this season, Mobley has a total of seven double-doubles and has taken his offensive game up a notch shooting a career-high 54.5 percent from the field. With each game, Mobley continues to improve from the previous one, and his teammates are all for it.

When asked about how it has been to play with Mobley, Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland stated;

“It’s crazy ’cause he’s 21 like he hasn’t really just got all his tools together. I mean, sometimes it still looks like he’s trying to get used to his seven-foot size out there. I mean, he’s really a unicorn, like there’s not a lot of people like him on this planet, and it’s cool to just have him as a teammate for sure.”

Mitchell also spoke on Mobley’s noticeable improvement this season, saying;

“I’ve never seen a young guy on a nightly basis, not knowing if it’s going to be offense or defense or show up on the stat sheet, but understanding it and not complain, that’s huge,” Mitchell continued, “that’s not typical for a second-year player who should have been the Rookie of the Year last year. Like, typically, you come into your second year expecting to be that guy, and he’s understanding that the role is going to change night to night — damn near triple-double with blocks some nights, holding down the defensive end when Jarrett Allen is out, when J.A. is in, being able to be there for us on the offensive end. I’ve never seen that out of a young guy. That’s a huge credit to him. And him as a person as well.”

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised Mobley for stepping out on the court and focusing on the one thing that matters, winning instead of hunting for shots and being a player that “tried to get his stats as a rookie.”

Mobley is definitely a future star in this League, and it seems like he’s made a true home within the Cavaliers organization. SLAM can’t wait to see what the rest of this season has in store for Mobley and the resurged Cavs.

The post Evan Mobley’s Teammates Are Impressed With His Development in Year Two appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakeshow struggled on both ends of the floor. They allowed the Pacers to score 32 points in the final frame and scored 22, shooting 8-22 from the field. While Anthony Davis scored 25 points on the night, he was only able to take two shots in the final quarter. Head coach Darvin Ham held himself accountable for the Lakers’ fourth-quarter woes.

“That falls on me,” Ham said per MSN. “That falls on me. I’ll take responsibility for that”.

Davis, who rounded out his 25 points with 13 rebounds and six assists, believed Ham was not the sole bearer of blame. 

“It’s not just on him. It’s on us, too,” Davis said per MSN. “I mean, we got enough years in the League for the guys that were on the floor late game to execute. Obviously, he’s a coach, you take the blame. But it’s on us players to go out there and execute.

“We know what we’re doing. We’re talented enough and smart enough on the floor to win a basketball game like that — So it’s not on him.”

LeBron James recorded 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in his third game back from a groin injury.  He agreed with Davis that there is more to the loss than Ham’s shortcomings.

“Everything has to go wrong in order for you to lose a game like that, and everything went wrong,” he said per ESPN. 

The Lakers look to bounce back during their six-game road trip featuring match-ups against the Bucks, Cavaliers, and 76ers.

The post ‘That Falls On Me’: Darvin Ham Takes Responsibility for Lakers’ Late Game Collapse appeared first on SLAM.

This season, the only unanimous MVP in NBA history is scoring 32.2 points, grabbing 6.7 rebounds, and dishing out 6.6 assists per game and is set to join Steve Nash and Larry Bird as the only players with multiple 50/40/90 seasons while he shoots 52.8 percent from the field. 44.3 percent from deep and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.

However, the main thing that’s stood out during Curry’s hot start to the season is his finishing in the paint. Within three feet of the rim, he’s making a remarkable and career-best 79.1 percent of his attempts, according to Basketball-Reference. Per the NBA, Curry is hitting 76.4 percent of his looks in the restricted area, 12th most efficient

“Obviously knowing I can shoot the ball and put a lot of pressure on the defenses there, you gotta be able to have a change-up to get to the paint and find creative ways to finish,” Curry said after the Warriors’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11, per YahooSports. “I’m not playing above the rim so it’s just about playing angles and having some touch in there. Gotta use your shot as a threat to open up driving lanes and I’ve been able to do that. Even coming off great screens from guys, not being afraid of contact either. I don’t get to the foul line that much, but still just trying to figure out how to get your lane, get your driving angle, protect the ball, get it on the rim and hope it goes in.”

Curry is also making 5.7 two-pointers per game and 63.7 percent of his attempts inside the arc; both are career-highs. He’s third in the League in scoring and leads the association in made three-pointers by a wide margin, 77 compared to the 55 Buddy Hield has made.

As it stands, Curry could join Larry Bird and Steve Nash as the only hoopers with multiple 50/40/90 campaigns.

“You run out of adjectives to describe Steph’s play. He’s just amazing night after night,” Steve Kerr said. “He’s in such great shape. If there’s one area where he’s dramatically better now than when I first got here, it’s his strength and conditioning. He’s much bigger and stronger, much more capable of defending at a really high level and sustaining two-way basketball for an entire game. And just knocking down shots from all over and finishing at the rim. He’s unbelievable.”

The post Did You Know: Stephen Curry Scoring With the Best of Them At the Rim appeared first on SLAM.

The Hornets star was putting the finishing touches to his best game of the season after scoring a season-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and six assists. Ball was forced to go to the locker room before the Hornets ruled him out for the rest of the game and now, more than likely, the next couple of games. It was only his third game back since returning to the court.

Losing the 21-year-old again will only add to Charlotte’s early-season injury woes. Gordan Hayward has missed the last eight games due to a shoulder injury, Dennis Smith Jr. has missed the previous three games because of an ankle sprain, and Cody Martin, who only played for one minute the entire season, is out for four weeks after getting knee surgery.

After losing to the Pacers, Kelly Oubre sounded off on how the team copes with these injuries. The 26-year-old is averaging 18.2 points for the season.

“It’s very tough, but we have to be professionals about it,” said Oubre, per ESPN. “It’s the game of basketball, and those things happen. But people who are suited up and who are healthy enough to go out there, we have to go pick up that slack.”

PJ Washington also chimed in on things, reiterating that the Hornets have to find ways to win games. Charlotte is only 4-12 on the season, which is good for 14th in the Eastern Conference.

“We all know at some point everybody’s going to get back out there, and we can’t wait for it,” Washington said. “But right now, the problem is we’re losing games, so we’ve got to figure it out and start getting some wins.”

The Hornets will aim to turn things around on Friday when they play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 P.M.

The post Kelly Oubre and PJ Washington Reflect on Hornet’s Early Season Injury Woes appeared first on SLAM.

This past summer, they traded most of their future draft picks to get three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. They paired him with one of the most dominant offensive bigs in the NBA in, Karl Anthony-Towns.

More importantly, they have one of the brightest and freakishly athletic young talents in the League, Anthony Edwards. So how is this group not reaching the success everyone had deemed them to be atop of? D’Angelo Russell’s struggles may answer that.

whole squad ate tonight.

DLo – 30 PTS / 2 REB / 12 AST / 1 STL
KAT – 29 PTS / 12 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK
TP – 19 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST
Rudy – 15 PTS / 12 REB / 1 AST / 2 BLK
Ant – 10 PTS / 7 REB / 1 AST pic.twitter.com/q0z2JWrr52

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2022

While basketball is team-oriented, Russell’s raw production has undoubtedly taken a dip. The Ohio State alum is averaging 14.4 points per game on 32.9 percent shooting from long distance. The only way to combat that kind of slow start through the first 14 games of the season; is to put in more work.

“[Russell was] Extremely locked in in his preparation coming into that game,” said head coach Chris Finch in an interview on KFAN Radio. “I’ve never had a player not benefit from extra work. D’Lo put the work in when he needed to, and it paid off for him and for us.”

0 was in his bag tonight

30 PTS / 2 REB / 12 AST / 1 STL pic.twitter.com/Q99BxNADKB

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2022

Russell had a much-needed 30-piece against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. The narrow victory proved to Finch that the “little live 5-on-5 drills” he conducted in practice were starting to revive Russell’s shooting touch.

“Playing a little live 5-on-5 against coaches and against other players so he could feel a bit more of the rhythm of a game and how he wanted to play,” said Finch. “I told him when he was playing to be very aggressive, shoot it all the time. Just shoot yourself back into a rhythm.”

The 11 assists that night were also an encouraging factor in his performance. Russell’s facilitating, as always, helped Edwards make the cuts for his explosive slams, while Anthony-Towns, in pick-and-pop situations, knocked down the treys that led to victories.

Once everyone finds their game for the Wolves, the team will be a force in the Western Conference; there’s just too much talent not to believe it. For Minnesota to have their star point guard work his way out of the struggles can greatly inspire the rest of the group to find their rhythm.

The post D’Angelo Russell’s ‘Extra Work’ Results in Breakout Game appeared first on SLAM.

The other half of the legendary Splash Bros has been going through a tough start to begin the season. However, Thompson believes that that shouldn’t discredit the four championships he’s contributed to the team and his legacy as one of the greatest shooters of all time.

11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
Grew up in the 11th house on 11 Lane
K is the 11th letter in the alphabet
Wears number 11

11.11 || @KlayThompson pic.twitter.com/OzZTyxSEEf

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 11, 2022

He’s currently averaging the lowest points per game since his rookie season (12.5) at 14.7. The 20 points per night that NBA fans are accustomed to seeing for years has come in the way of his red-hot three-point shooting or his point totals at the foul line. This season, however, Thompson is shooting career lows in both statistical categories; his three-point percentage currently rides at 33 percent, while his free throw shooting takes a significant drop to 75 percent.

Doubters will have a field day with numbers like this, but there’s plenty of hoop action for Thompson to redeem where his strengths are.

“You just can’t please everybody,” Thompson said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “But for myself individually, it’s about rediscovering that form of efficiency and that two-way play that made me great. And I feel like I’m well on my way there.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Thompson plans on shutting the critics down. On Jan. 9, when he returned to action after two seasons missed due to a torn Achilles and ACL, Thompson dropped 14 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers, showing promise that the injury did not hold him back. The five-time All-Star played a pivotal role in Golden State advancing to their sixth NBA Finals since 2015.

The Warriors ultimately won the 2022 NBA Finals after beating the Celtics in six games. Despite winning his fourth title after an arduous journey just to get back to the hardwood sanctuary, Thompson believes that his injuries weren’t accounted for enough in their title victory.

“Yeah, that’s true, but I feel like I deserve more credit for battling through all that injury s—,” said Thompson. “I helped a team win a championship last year, and people still want to discredit what you do.”

An 82-game season has its ways of bringing the lows of a player, but for Thompson, his Hall-of-Fame career can be a testament to how quickly he can flip the script on his struggles. In doing so, the Dubs may be competing in mid-June once more for a back-to-back title, solidifying the greatest dynasty of the new generation.

“On the bright side, I’m happy to go through this now compared to a few months from now,” said Thompson. “I have no doubt in my mind I’ll get back to form; I was there last year. We won a championship – The proof is in the pudding. But there’s one more thing I’ll say: You can’t take away the hardware.”

The post Klay Thompson Addresses the Latest Backlash Towards Him and the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

MarJon picked up a new ritual recently that *may* have helped his game. pic.twitter.com/S3WOidJHJt

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 15, 2022

The 24th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft in this year’s draft finished with a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds on 7-9 shooting. Teammate and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was once in Beauchamp’s shoes as an uber-athletic rookie prospect, and he has advice for him: stay humble. 

“It reminds me a lot of how it used to be when I was younger,” Antetokounmpo said, per The Athletic. “When I was younger, I remember when I had some good stretches, and I heard you guys talk, or my teammates talk about me, I felt good about myself, and then I played terrible. I hope he can stay humble, and I’m going to try also my best not to talk about him in the media all the time because I know he’s gonna be on Twitter somewhere. So he’s going to go through his feed and see this. Marjon – stay humble, keep hooping, playing great. But at the end of the day, it’s not about now, tomorrow, whatever the case might be; it’s about being the best that he can be. And right now, he’s playing well.” 

Giannis sends it off to MarJon!!

Learn how @clovercommerce powers small businesses through every stage of business growth https://t.co/7hl0Cf8LbG pic.twitter.com/z1z2cp7nHq

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 15, 2022

Beauchamp was a bright spot in an otherwise difficult night for the Bucks in their 121-106 loss. The Bucks fell to 10-3, 1-3 in their last four games. It was their second consecutive loss and their second straight to the Hawks. The Bucks are now 1-2 in their season series against Atlanta.  

MarJon getting it done on both ends tonight.

20 PTS | 8 REB | 78% FG% | 3-4 3PM pic.twitter.com/tEDg2YdrHG

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 15, 2022

Beauchamp’s minutes and production have steadily risen over Milwaukee’s last few contests. He is now averaging 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds on 42.2 percent shooting from the field while playing 18.1 minutes per game. The Bucks have the opportunity to end their losing streak on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Shares Advice For Marjon Beauchamp: ‘Stay Humble’ appeared first on SLAM.

pic.twitter.com/hHYM8Q7vx0

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 14, 2022

Garland’s career-best outing was briefly the season-high across the League before Joel Embiid erupted and dropped a career-high 59 points against the Utah Jazz. Garland is the fourth player in Cavs history to score at least 50 points, joining LeBron James (nine times), Kyrie Irving (twice), and Walt Wesley (once) on the exclusive list. Cleveland’s single-game scoring record is 57 points, shared by James and Irving.

Garland was four points shy of tying the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse mark held by Irving and James Harden.

“I didn’t even know I had 50 until I went to the bench,” Garland said, per ESPN. “No one told me, and I wasn’t paying attention to anything except trying to win the game. That’s the great thing about this group of guys. No one cares about individual numbers. It’s all about the team.”

Garland played a significant role in Cleveland even being competitive. The Cavs were down 99-75 late in the third quarter before DG had a fourth quarter for the ages.

The fourth-year guard scored 27 points in the final frame, routinely slicing and dicing offense (4/6 from the free-throw line) and stretching (six made triples) Minnesota’s defense to its utter limit.

“Incredible performance, master class by Darius, and we’re hoping for many more of those out of him,” teammate Kevin Love said. “That was just beautiful. He got to his spots, kept us right there, and gave us a chance at the end, and that’s all you can ask.”

27 points in the final 12 minutes.@dariusgarland22 scored the most points in a 4th quarter by a single player in franchise history. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/QsdBgw9qaC

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 14, 2022

Cleveland ultimately lost its fourth game in a row, but it comes with the caveat of missing Donovan Mitchell (sore ankle) and Jarrett Allen (sprained ankle) from their lineup. The Cavs will look to break their losing streak on Wednesday when they take on the Bucks at Milwaukee.

The post Kevin Love Calls Darius Garland ‘Incredible’ After 51-Point “Masterclass’ appeared first on SLAM.

However, Boston’s All-Star duo changed that narrative and blossomed into the mature stars that Celtics fans had been hoping for since 2010 when they beat the Miami Heat to advance to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

A credit to their dynamic run was the message shared by former teammate Kemba Walker, who spent time with the team from 2019-2021. During an appearance on NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast, Walker talked about the importance of the duo playing team basketball in order to reach new heights.

“They’ve always seen the talks and people saying they can’t play together. But I always just tried to tell them, ‘Just block that out,'” said Walker. “I always told them, ‘This organization ain’t going nowhere without you two.’ Literally.”

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The two frankly needed each to go on the journey they did last season. In the games Brown missed, the team went 8-8; without Tatum, the Celtics had a record of 2-4.

Of course, the stud defensive unit of Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams may have contributed to a portion of those victories, but the team certainly doesn’t match the post-season threats of a Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks without the star power and intangibles of Tatum and Brown.

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“My main thing to those guys was that they had to love each other,” said Walker. “Those two guys, Jayson and Jaylen — you two guys have to come together as much as you can and lead this team to the promised land. They can’t go anywhere without those two guys. Those two guys are so special, and they’ve shown it.”

The chemistry they’ve developed has grown into this season, as the Celtics currently have an 8-3 record, tying the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second-best in the conference.

The road towards another shot at a championship remains long for the Celtic. If Tatum and Brown still look to win the ultimate prize, they must still consider the leadership-quality messages of Walker.

The post Kemba Walker: Boston ‘Won’t Go Anywhere’ Without Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown appeared first on SLAM.

Since becoming the last coach to be a part of this feat, Vaughn has been receiving a lot of praise around the league for making this possible. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers told the media on Wednesday, ​“It’s never been for me how many Black head coaches there are, for me it’s been about Black coaches having the same opportunity as everyone else at becoming head coach. The fact that it’s now 16 only amplifies that – Jacque Vaughn didn’t get the head job because he was Black. He got it because he was the most qualified.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed how Vaughn’s hiring has shown growth within the hiring process for Black coaches.

“The most impressive thing about there being 16 Black head coaches in the NBA and the most significant thing is that there is equal opportunity for Black coaches to be head coaches, which hasn’t always been the case,” said Bickerstaff. “Owners and general managers are open-minded enough to see past the exterior and see the real qualifications that make leaders, teachers, and coaches.”

In what is such a momentous time for Black history, players have shown frustration on the matter over past months. Tracing back to June before the NBA Finals started when there were only 15 black head coaches, Celtics star Jaylen Brown told reporters the eventual rise of Black head coaches is related to the “grand scheme of things that kind of goes on in America.” Brown added,”I don’t understand what took so long, to be honest.”

The post Jacque Vaughn’s Promotion to Head Coach Creates NBA History appeared first on SLAM.

“I played with a really dominant, great leader in Milwaukee in Giannis,” DiVincenzo said when talking about the leadership of the Greek Freak and Stephen Curry, per NBC Sports. “And coming here, obviously hearing a bunch about Steph, he’s really shocked me in terms of how down-to-earth as a person, down-to-earth as a leader and as a basketball player, how damn good he is.”

The 25-year-old is “blown away at how great a leader Curry is both on and off the court and how the four-time NBA champion has exceeded all his expectations.”  

DiVincenzo is particularly impressed by Curry’s ability to listen. 

“I think that’s what makes him such a great leader and such a great player because, obviously, he knows other people see different things and he could blow you off at any time, but he doesn’t, and I think that’s the biggest thing as a leader that’s important,” the Villanova product noted.

After straining his left hamstring and watching the Warriors’ 0-5 road trip from his couch, DiVincenzo will likely return to play Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

“It was frustrating not being with the guys,” DiVincenzo said, per East Bay Times. “I knew, selfishly, it was the best thing for me getting back on the court. But I’m all about everyone being together. That was frustrating.”

The Warriors hope DiVincenzo’s veteran presence can boost the struggling bench. The guard averaged 15 minutes in his first three games with the Dubs. Upon returning, he wants to “take the energy to a whole other level” and have a “plus/minus in the energy and be really high on that end.”

On the hardwood, DiVincenzo can help loosen up the scoring load and, hopefully, give Jordan Poole a jumpstart. 

“Not going to come here and try to be a hero on Friday. Just coming in with that second unit and letting Jordan get back to his, letting his mind go free and letting him do his thing,” DiVincenzo said of his role. 

“For me, to keep the offense moving, facilitate everything. So when it comes back to JP, he doesn’t have so much pressure to initiate everything and try to be aggressive scoring the ball. Take a little bit of that load off him.”

DiVincenzo and the Dubs take on the Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow night in the Bay Area.

The post Donte DiVincenzo ‘Blown Away’ by Stephen Curry’s Leadership appeared first on SLAM.

Each team has lost the games they’ve played this week, possibly due to the distraction centered around the coaching staff, but veteran leader Al Horford believes the Celtics need to move on from Udoka if his decision happens to ship him to Brooklyn.

“Right now, our focus is on our group and continuing to move forward,” Horford told NBC reporters during the team’s shootaround this morning. “If that materializes for (Udoka), obviously, we’ll be happy for him, but at this point, we’ve already moved forward — We need to bounce back. That’s what’s on my mind.”

The Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in an overtime thriller Wednesday night, marking their third loss in the last four games. The team averages the most three-pointers (15.4) and sixth most blocks (6.1) across the League under interim Coach Joe Mazzulla. One thing that hasn’t helped is that Boston isn’t forcing many turnovers. They’re averaging 5.7 steals per game this season versus the 7.2 they created last season under Udoka.

That Udoka defense of last year led the team to the NBA Finals, but the past is the past. Horford wants the team to focus on Friday’s game versus the Chicago Bulls.

Considering the reasoning behind the suspension of Udoka, there’s no surprise that a title-contending organization like the Celtics is allowing Udoka to seek coaching opportunities outside Beantown. The objective remains to bring home an 18th title.

“The games are coming on. Things are not going to get easier, ” said Horford. “We’ve got a big challenge starting tonight with Chicago. So, our group, we’re moving ahead. We have to focus and look ahead.”

The post Al Horford Wants Celtics to ‘Focus On Our Group’ So They Can ‘Move Forward’ appeared first on SLAM.

Garland didn’tmissed a beat despite doing no live work since he suffered a laceration on the inside of his eyelid in Cleveland’s season opener against the Raptors. He stepped on the court ready to go and recorded the highest-scoring opening quarter of his career with 14 points on 3-3 shooting from three. 

Garland admitted he was “super scared,” per The Athletic when his injury first happened. 

“I rolled over; I felt blood coming out of my eye. So that’s when I got really nervous. And I was ready for surgery in Toronto. I was expecting that. I was expecting stitches and being out a couple of months. But by the grace of God, I’m here with two eyes now, and I’m back, and I’m healthy.”

The guard “tried to stay high” during his two weeks on the sideline, but he had his struggles.

“Just sitting over there and just have to wait and just seeing everybody get loose warming up and going through full practice and stuff, it was just kinda aggravating. I just tried to stay high. My teammates, they were winning. They was doing well, so I was happy about that. But I just wanted to be on the floor with them. I wanted to feel that energy. But I’m happy to be back now.”

Garland’s backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell doubled down on Garland’s excitement to be back.

He looked “like a little kid” during shootaround, Mitchell said.

“You could tell he was excited, just running around the gym, kinda just happy, a little bit of a different step to him. When you’re out for that long, and I’ve been there, it can kind of take a toll on you.”

Coach J.B Bickerstaff echoed Mitchell. “I mean, like you could feel it. [Garland] was excited this morning at shootaround. He was ready to contribute in a big way. And I mean, like, there was not any shyness to him. It was, I’m going out here, and I’m gonna assert myself on this game, and his teammates followed him.”

The Vanderbilt product led the Cavs to a 114-112 OT win against the Boston Celtics, finishing with 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, and three steals. And, of course, the Junkyard Dog Chain.

“Boy, did I,” Mitchell said about missing Garland. “He really set the tone tonight. I can’t speak for everybody else; I just didn’t know what his rhythm was going to be like after being out (two weeks). I think that’s the biggest thing. When you have your legs, when you have your energy, you’re excited, and he came out like he’s been playing with us down this whole stretch. He’s going to score the ball, and his passing, man, he’s creating, finding guys, making the game look easy, and really kind of sparked us, especially in that first half. Always under control. It’s great to have him out there.”

Now that the Cavs have Garland back, the Cleveland quartet of Mitchell, Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley can continue to build their chemistry and solidify their spot atop the Eastern Conference. The Cavs look to extend their record to 7-1 with a win against the Pistons tomorrow night.

The post Darius Garland ‘Happy as Hell’ To Rejoin Cavs After Eye Laceration appeared first on SLAM.

Through the first six games of the young season, Cleveland ranks first in three-point accuracy and fourth in made triples per game. Nearly 40 percent of Cleveland’s total points have come from beyond the arc, ranking them around other analytically driven teams like Boston, Utah, and Indiana. The Cavs are also the fifth-most accurate team from the corner and second-best at hitting threes from above-the-break

While Cleveland continues to thrive from beyond the arc, they’ve nearly erased mid-range jumpers from their shot profile. As of Tuesday, Cleveland is shooting mid-range shoots five percent of the time, tied for 25th in the NBA.

“It’s all about our spacing,” Dean Wade told cleveland.com. “Our spacing is unbelievable. There are so many open shots, and it’s obviously a lot easier to hit shots when you’re open. We just let the ballhandler make plays and find open windows. Our confidence is super high. Everyone put in a lot of work this summer. The coaches believe in us. That raises our confidence too.”

*sound on*

let’s go cavs pic.twitter.com/sWZTkhIqCK

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 31, 2022

The surge in three-point shooting came after the Cavs added the dynamic scoring Donovan Mitchell over the summer. The three-time All-Star has averaged 7.7 long-range attempts over his career. Last season, he shot a career-high 9.8 three-point shots (654) per game while making them (232) 35.5 percent of the time. Spida is shooting 9.2 threes per game this season on a career-best 45.5 percent clip.

Last season, Kevin Love led Cleveland in both categories, taking 477 and drilling 187.

Mitchell’s sharpshooting has unlocked another level that has transformed Cleveland’s offense into a dynamic, spaced-out, drive-and-kick-heavy offense.

“Watch the way the game is being played and how teams are defending and what you can do to attack it. If you’ve got the right people who can get in the paint, then you can find those shots,” Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I knew we’d be able to get open ones. Then it’s just a trust in the guys who have put in the time to make them. At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to.”

Cleveland is thriving despite the absence of Darius Garland, who’s missed the last six games due to an eye injury. Because of Mitchell’s flamethrowing, Caris LeVert’s drive-and-kick game, and Garland’s shifty, probing dribble-drive attacks, multiple Cavs have had career-best starts to the season. Their backcourt has also created a lot of “wide-open” shots for Cleveland to cash in.

Dean Wade is shooting an insane 62.5 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 80 percent of the “wide-open” looks he gets. Love is lighting up the rim at a 47.2 percent rate from deep; he’s already got four games where he’s hit multiple triples in one night, including eight in Sunday’s win against New York. Out of the 36 threes Love has attempted, only four have come with a defender within four feet.

Cedi Osman is shooting 36.7 percent from deep, with 29 of his 30 being open or “wide-open,” and LeVert is hitting triples at 48.5 percent. He’s had just two of his 31 attempts get contested. Mitchell is Cleveland’s most heavily guarded shooter, but only 20 of his 55 attempts were contested.

“It’s just what the defense gives us and the type of 3s that we get,” Bickerstaff explained. “Can you create the open look and make the right pass? The way our guys have been shooting the 3, it’s hard to tell them not to take open shots, no matter the number of them.”

pic.twitter.com/Fa4snPIaJu

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 31, 2022

It doesn’t matter if the Cavs get harder closely from outside; they are knocking down 41 percent of their heavily contested three-pointers, the third-best in the NBA.

From the beginning of training camp until now, Cleveland has been confident they could be more than capable of adopting a new identity as a three-point shooting team. Evan Mobley said he “didn’t know how good it could have been.” Wade remembered how during Cleveland’s third practice, the Cavs “didn’t miss a shot in like four days.” He went on to remark that “the amount of shooters we have on this team is crazy. So many different teams.”

“We’re creating open shots, and we’ve got the right guys taking those shots,” Bickerstaff said. “I hope we took lessons from last year. You go back and look at the numbers; we created open shots at a high level. We didn’t make them.”

Cleveland will continue their long-distance revolution when they host Boston on Wednesday.

The post How Cleveland Transformed Into A Record-Setting Three-Point Shooting Team appeared first on SLAM.

The injury happened in Charlotte and started a wild string of injuries for the Nets.

Before Dinwiddie was injured, numerous trade rumors were swirling around involving Dinwiddie and eventual-now-former Net James Harden. If Dinwiddie had not gotten hurt, then there is a huge chance he might have been involved in a trade deal for Harden. Had Dinwiddie stayed in Brooklyn, he would have played a significant role as the primary point guard because of the vaccination rules situation with Kyrie Irving.

Due to the injury, Dinwiddie was traded as part of a 5-team sign-and-trade that dealt him to the Washington Wizards.

Let it fly pic.twitter.com/W3U2W50lL6

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 26, 2022

Dinwiddie was always a media favorite during his time as a Net. After the Maverick’s win against the Nets Thursday night, Dinwiddie was asked if he ever thought about how his career would look if his time in Brooklyn never ended on an ACL tear.

“I don’t know if the trade still happens or not or if I’m in it,” Dinwiddie said per The Athletic. “Regardless of whether it happens or not, I believe the Nets are a championship team. Just because if you look how close that team was, we were steamrolling people before I got hurt. Even if they make the trade and I’m in it, that means they probably get to keep one of Caris (LeVert) or Jarrett (Allen), which obviously really would have been needed. Or I’m not in it; it means I’m still here, and I’m with Harden. So either way you slice it, all three of those scenarios, the team probably wins the championship.”

The Nets would definitely benefit from an energetic rim protector like Jarrett Allen right now, who has emerged as an All-Star center since signing a five-year deal worth $100 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though Nets coach Steve Nash said a while ago, he wasn’t sure the team would have been able to offer Allen the five-year, $100 million contract he got from the Cavs. Ironically since all this, Allen and Caris LeVert have reunited and are once again on this year’s Cavs squad.

One thing is for sure; both guys are currently making huge differences for their respective teams. It is still early in the season, so there is still a ton of optimism for Net’s fans that the team will be able to turn things around. The team, without question, has enough talent to make a deep playoff run with a lineup headlined by Irving, Kevin Durant, Patty Mills, and Ben Simmons.

Just need to give them some time and let the chemistry develop because they still have a long season ahead.

The post Spencer Dinwiddie Opens Up About Getting Traded After His Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

As Boston weathered the storm behind their decision to suspend Udoka for violating team policy, team owner Wyc Grousbeck said that promoting Mazzulla “was never in question.”

“But during those talks, the one part that was never in question was who would step in if it wasn’t going to be Ime,” co-owner Wyc Grousbeck told the Boston Globe. “[Stevens] put his mark on that when he said, ‘I stand by this recommendation and feel extremely strongly about Joe.'”

The 34-year-old is undoubtedly a mastermind at what he does. He went from being a contributor to West Virginia’s 2010 Final Four team and carving out an overseas career to catching the coaching bug while helping other professional players work out. That realization led him to coach at D2 Glenville State, where he constantly studied film and searched for unique strategies and drills.

By 2013, he became an assistant coach at Fairmont State, becoming a player development guy as he designed workouts programs for each player in the program. Mazzulla then became an assistant on the Boston G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, where he caught the eye of former team executive Danny Ainge. After one season, he returned to Fairmont as their head coach from 2017-2019.

“Some coaches know X’s and O’s, and some are really good with building relationships, but very few can do both,” former Red Claws head coach Scott Morrison said. “Joe showed he could do both right out of the gate.”

As the leader of Fairmont, Mazzulla became legendary for his long hours watching game film, his knowledge of the college basketball rulebook, and for holding himself accountable and putting himself through a military-style workout for being one minute late to a workout. That obsessiveness led to Stevens hiring him as an assistant in 2019.

“We always knew Joe was too good to be at a Division 2 college,” former Fairmont forward Vince Franklin said. “His brain was just working way too much for that.”

When Ime Udoka was suspended for the 2022-23 season, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens wasted no time promoting Mazzulla to interim coach. As Boston figured out what they would do regarding Udoka, team owner Wyc Grousbeck said that promoting Mazzula “was never in question.” That confidence in Mazzulla came from Stevens witnessing Mazzulla’s competitive fire, basketball resume, and maniacal preparation

“He just told me he believed in me and that I was ready,” Mazzulla said. “And I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’

The Celtics, who are 3-1 on the season, are back in action on Friday when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden.

The post Celtics Owner Wyc Grousbeck: Hiring Interim Coach Joe Mazzulla ‘Was Never in Question’ appeared first on SLAM.

The USC product suffered an ankle injury and was forced to sit out at the end of training camp and Cleveland’s first three preseason games. Because of that untimely injury, Mobley lost the valuable opportunity to play alongside the combination of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Caris LeVert.

Without sizable time to find a rhythm post-injury and to build chemistry with the Cavs’ new backcourt in Garland and Mitchell, Mobley feels like he has “gotten off to kind of a slow start,” per The Athletic. 

Following Sunday’s OT win against the Washington Wizards, the 21-year-old hadn’t taken double-digit shot attempts this season. On Sunday, Mobley shot 28.6 percent from the field and finished with two field goals. 

After Tuesday’s practice, Bickerstaff said, “we’ve gotta get him more involved.” 

“Again, it’s a mix of time together and where he was in the preseason and then him coming back and then Darius being gone. There are some things that we’re still working through. He’s so skilled and so talented, and we want him involved in our offense in a bunch of different ways.”

pic.twitter.com/9PmVr6NJaY

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 27, 2022

Bickerstaff likes the shots Mobley is taking but wants him to take more. The Cavs believe Mobley is “the guy who can help take [them] to the next level.” In his rookie season, the center averaged 15 points on 50.8 percent from the field, 25 percent from three, and 66.2 percent from the free-throw line. For Cleveland to rise to a championship-level team, they need Mobley to continue to improve his strength and consistency. 

“Evan’s basketball IQ is what we teach every single day,” Bickerstaff said during training camp. “We were talking about teaching guys how to play basketball; that’s what Evan excels at naturally. He just understands the game at a higher level than most second-year players do, and even as a rookie.”

Mobley is looking to play with more freedom and ease on offense, becoming a simultaneous creator and attacker. 

At Wednesday morning’s shootaround, he said he is “going to stay consistent with it.” 

“I know shots are going to start falling,” Mobley said “And I’m going to be in a better position to take those shots as well.”

On Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, Mobley seemed to have regained some of his flow. The second-year center finished with 22 points on 9-15 shooting, including 17 points in the second half. 

“He was determined to help us win this game,” Bickerstaff said. “We know what he’s capable of. We believe in him a lot. And he was attack-minded, and he went out to prove a point. I think he did that.”

Step back 2⃣ #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/24Vi3YypFd

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 27, 2022

Teammate Dean Wade added: “every time he touched a ball, he’s looking to be aggressive. That’s always good to see, especially out of him. Sometimes he goes to make a play but doesn’t look to score, and I think tonight he was always looking to score, and that’s what we needed him to do. So wh n he plays like that, we’re a hard team to beat because he’s going to take at least two guys to stop him. And he’s obviously a great passer, so he can make those passes out. Tonight was exciting to see him just attack every time he touched it. It was fun.”

Mobley’s bounce-back game helped the Cavs seal a 103-92 win over the Magic and earned him the infamous Junkyard Dog Chain award for the night.

While he may have gotten off to a slower start to the season, Mobley looks to build on his 22-point performance against the Boston Celtics tomorrow night.

The post J.B. Bickerstaff On Getting Evan Mobley ‘More Involved’ Offensively appeared first on SLAM.

The point guard is a critical part of the Magic’s squad, averaging 15.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 30 minutes of action per game. Alongside budding star and SLAM 235 cover star Paolo Banchero, the Magic are working towards building something reminiscent of their Finals runner-up teams in 1995 and 2009.

His return timetable will be determined as he undergoes further evaluation.

The post Cole Anthony’s Health Status Uncertain After Suffering Oblique Injury appeared first on SLAM.

The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/52Bh8RfBSt

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 26, 2022

The incident occurred during Boston’s Oct. 24 matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Williams was given a technical foul and ejected with 8:58 left in the fourth quarter. Boston ultimately lost 120-102.

Williams will serve his suspension when the Celtics host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 28.

The post Grant Williams Suspended For ‘Recklessly Making Contact With’ and ‘Directing Inappropriate Language Toward’ A Referee appeared first on SLAM.

“It meant a lot,” Mitchell said. “The guys in the locker room, when I saw RoLo get it last time, I was like, ‘Oh, this is pretty dope.’ For me, just to feel a part of the group. They’ve accepted me since day one. Just to go out there and continuously just find my way, whether it’s offensively, defensively. Then to get this, it’s awesome.”

Even before Mitchell arrived in the Land, it was becoming clear that the team was truly starting to buy into the underdog-mentality. Darius Garland, who averaged a career-high 21.7 points last season, once described the team as a “pest” on the hardwood, and that’s become apparent not only in their on-court play and defensive dominance, but in their demeanor. Lamar Stevens was the one who started the barking last year, and since then, the whole team has caught on to it.

“Lamar [Stevens] started it, but I kinda adopted it,” Jarrett Allen told SLAM. “I think it’s perfect for what the team is trying to achieve…. We’re a young team, but we have the talent to back up the scrap.”

The Junkyard Dog Chain perfectly encapsulates all of the energy and excitement building around the Cavs’ young squad—designed by The Foundry at Jared, the hardware is made up of 14k Yellow Gold and features the 216 Cleveland area code, JYD [Junkyard Dog] acronym and Cavalier logos from throughout franchise history on the piece. Past recipients to rock the Junkyard Dog Chain, which is given to a player after every team win, includes Stevens, Garland, Kevin Love, Dylan Windler, Isaac Okoro and 2021-22 Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley.

Last Saturday, Robin Lopez became the first recipient of this season’s Junkyard Dog Chain after putting up 12 points in his Cavs debut.

As the latest Cavalier to win the award, Mitchell is continuing to impress and is setting franchise records, including being the first in Cavs’ history to put up back-to-back 30-plus point games to start the season. With a new superstar at the helm and a stacked roster of hungry talent, this is only the beginning of the team’s continued ascension.

But then again, Darius Garland did warn us back in February that the Cavaliers are ready to earn their respect.

“I think we’re starting to put the League on notice that we’re not just any slouch anymore. Like, you just can’t come into Cleveland and roll over us. I think we definitely deserve our respect.” 

Photos via Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post How the Cleveland Cavaliers Have Bought into the Underdog Mentality this Season with the Junkyard Dog Chain appeared first on SLAM.

The Heat seemed like the clear landing spot for Mitchell as NBA fans believed they had enough assets to send the Utah Jazz in exchange for the shooting guard. A deal like that would have pushed the Heat toward favorited championship odds, especially considering Mitchell and Adebayo’s chemistry at the Miami Pro League over the summer. Mitchell and Adebayo were also seen working out with one another throughout the offseason

“I said this to somebody, I was like, ‘Man, I’m working out with Bam [Adebayo] and others, and I’m thinking like, ‘This is just preparing. This is what it’s going to look like.'” Mitchell said on J.J Redick’s “Old Man and the Three Podcast.”

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A post shared by 13am Adebayo (@bam1of1)

Adebayo wasn’t the only player in the Heat roster that would spark rumors of Mitchell joining the Heat. Jimmy Butler had spent the second week of his off-season with Mitchell at a restaurant in Miami for basketball media influencer Chris Brickley’s birthday

In that same late June period, rival Kevin Durant had requested a trade from his team and the NBA world believed Heat President Pat Riley would pull the trigger for the future Hall of Famer.

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A post shared by Chris Joseph Brickley (@cbrickley603)

The Heat ended up standing pat during the off-season, but they extended Tyler Herro to a four-year deal worth $130 million. Though securing the young star bodes well for the Heat, the East has gotten much more competitive, especially with Mitchell making the Cavs a potential top-five seed in the conference.

Cleaveland’s future success rides on the play of Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley in order to consider the Cavs the winners of the trade. As for Miami, the team’s lack of trades and signings puts pressure on them to succeed at the same rate they did last season. If this season goes any worse, the question arises of why the Heat didn’t make the effort of making the Butler, Adebayo, and Mitchell big three.

The post Donovan Mitchell Touches On Working Out With Bam Adebayo Over the Summer appeared first on SLAM.

At first, Angola thought the game, compared to soccer, was sorta soft. He first tried playing basketball at 10 years old, but ended up picking up the ball, running with it and being called for a travel. He’d bring his soccer ball to every game and tournament, and during timeouts, he’d start playing soccer on those very same nets.

And yet, coming from a poor family, Angola soon learned that there were opportunities that could come from playing basketball, like getting an education, housing and even food, all provided for.

“Something on my mind I don’t have to pay for,” he’d think to himself. 

At 14 years old, Angola then made the decision to move from Colombia all the way to the United States, by himself, to play for then-prep school Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. He went on to suit up for Northern Idaho College after, and now looking back, Angola admits that any money he had at the time, he’d send to his family back home rather than spend it on himself. He would sometimes go long periods of time without eating.

Eventually, the 6-6 guard got the opportunity to play at Florida State, where he averaged 12.5 points during the 2017-18 season, and after going undrafted in 2018, he signed with the Orlando Magic to play with their Lakeland Magic G League squad, making him the first Colombian-born player in the L. 

“When I found out that I was going to Orlando, I started crying. You got to think about it, like, when I tell you the stuff that happened in my career, there’s a lot of stuff. I used to eat out of the trash,” he admits over the phone. “So, when I got a call from my agent saying, ‘Hey, you’re going to Orlando, they want to sign you and do Summer League with them,’ I got on my knees and started praying.’”

This past August, Angola even got the opportunity to represent his home country in the World Cup Qualifying Round, where he averaged 17.8 points and 2.8 assists for the Colombian National Team. 

Angola is just as dedicated to giving back to his community—he has his own foundation in his namesake, and he recently played in the Barrio Basketball League alongside other Colombian national teammates like Romario Roque and Jaime Echenique, who’s currently signed to the G League’s Capital City Go-Go and was called up to the Wizards last season, before they headed off to Brazil to compete in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers against Chile, Brazil, Mexico and the United States for the very first time. 

Founded by SLAM FTW’s Andres Puerta and Jonathan “DJ Yonny” Avila, the Bario Ball League put on for the city of Medellin with a pro-basketball showcase, as well as a basketball clinic for over 200 youth with Jr. Knicks jerseys, as well as bags and other giveaways, all donated by the team.

“Colombia needs to be on the map,” says Puerta over Zoom, later adding: “There needs to be exposure here, they need to have a mentality where it’s just not soccer, and these basketball organizations got to support the talent. Whatever it takes to take it to the next level—because they’ve done it with music, they’ve done it with soccer and these other sports—but there’s [basketball] talent here, [too].” 

“For us, Barrio Ball is basically basketball from the hood and there’s hoods all over the world,” adds Avila. “So, we want to do that and not only educate and inspire young kids, but take some of these local, unseen talent that the world hasn’t seen, and bring them to light.”

Adds Jonathan Ochoa, manager of fan engagement for the New York Knicks: “Our goal with the Barrio Ball League is to go to communities in need and provide them with the resources to play the game of basketball [and] then source the top local talent and host streetball games to help them garner exposure.”

From Angola to Echenique, Roque, Leyder Moreno, the “female LeBron of Colombia” Manuela Rios, Juan Palacios, and elite skills coaches like Alvaro Cortes, who are training the next generation, the talent in Colombia is visible everywhere. It’s time for the rest of the world to finally take notice.

For Jaime Echenique, the reality of being the first player from Colombia to ever suit up in an NBA game didn’t really hit him until a teammate put it all into perspective.

“He said, ‘Okay, think this: in the 75 years of the NBA, there was never a Colombian in the NBA.’ And I said, ‘Okay, yeah, you’re right.’ [He then goes], ‘After all, how much is the population in Colombia?’ I said, 50 million, and he says, ‘You are the first after 50 mil to get to the NBA.’ And I said, ‘Well, you got a point. You got me on that.’ I kind of understood a little bit better,” Echenique says over Zoom. 

Echenique’s journey to the NBA started at Trinity Valley Community College, where he arrived on campus speaking barely any English at the time and had to take classes to better his proficiency. His transition on the court was just as challenging—the 6-11 forward still remembers how much he struggled in his first training session there. “Man, oh my God, I remember the first workout, it was horrible.”

During that time, Echenique admits that he didn’t have his sights set on one day making it to the League—instead, he was focused on just trying to get a Division I scholarship. Still, his talent and skill set were enough to earn him a starting spot as a freshman in 26 games, where he averaged 9.2 points. After a consistent sophomore campaign, Echenique committed to Wichita State over offers from programs like Baylor, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky and Illinois. 

In Kansas, he averaged another 9.2 points per game and 6 rebounds as a junior, and upped his scoring average to 11.3 points his senior year and earned All-AAC Second Team honors that season. He went on to sign his first pro contract with the Acunsa GBC of the Spanish Liga ACB, where he averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. 

Then the Wizards came calling with an opportunity to compete in the 2021 NBA Summer League. “I was pretty nervous. It was my first time,” he says. “Obviously, I was living the dream, I’m with an NBA team [but] I was missing layups. Literally, the coaches were tired of me. I didn’t think that they would play me…[In] the last five minutes, I was being really vocal, really loud. Doing what I do best and commanding the team, playing good defense and running the court. I think that those kind of [moments had the coaches] like, ‘Huh, he can play.’” 

Against Brooklyn, Echenique finally found his rhythm and showed out, dropping 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. His performances were enough to earn him an invitation to Wizards training camp and soon a 10-day exhibition deal with the team. In October, he signed with the Go-Go as an affiliate player, and by December, he was making his NBA debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers, making NBA history in the process. 

But what a lot of people don’t know is that heading into the last game of the G League Showcase, Echenique had sprained his ankle pretty badly. “Nobody knew that. So by the time I got called up, my ankle became swollen. And I told the trainer—sorry for what I’m going to say—tape that b—- up,’” he says now, with a chuckle. 

“Then I got into the game and it was an amazing experience. By the time I [got in], I wasn’t thinking I’m about to make history, I was like, let’s get the job done, let’s be focused, communicate. Just do what I do.” 

“I think what happened was an appetizer, that was the beginning of something more that helped me to push even further,” he adds. “When I got back to the gym, I was pushing as hard as I could and going [into this year’s] Summer League, I was even pushing to a higher level to understand how to be part of a role, because sometimes the younger guys, including me, [what] we don’t understand is like, we’re trying to impress everybody [and] doing so many things. One of the coaches once told me, ‘When you go to the League, you get paid for maybe one or two good things. That’s all. That’s the main thing that I can focus on.”

Having experienced firsthand the grind of going from playing in Colombia to college, and now the pros, that’s why Echenique says it’s especially important to not only provide more showcases and tournaments for players in Colombia to get more exposure, but to make sure they’re competitive enough to challenge them at the next level. 

“The level of competition and the quantity of competition in Colombia has to increase in order to get more exposure. Like, we don’t have AAU tournaments, we don’t have showcases like that. We have a state tournament, maybe national teams, and a select group of [players] can go to those tournaments. So, creating more quantity [of opportunities], with a lot of quality in Colombia will be a huge wake up call for a lot of [teams] overseas—doesn’t matter if it’s in the United States, there’s [also] a lot of European teams [that can] come here and start picking up [players] to go to their [leagues].” 

He’s not alone in thinking so. For pro hoopers like Leyder Moreno, who played high school ball at Texas Christian Academy, he wants to not only let people know that soccer isn’t the only sport Colombians are good at, but that they can also hoop at the highest level. “People think we don’t play, but we want to show people there’s basketball in Colombia, ” he says, later adding: “One of my friends, [Jaime Echenique], he made it to the NBA as the first Colombian. We’re proud of him, [and if] he keeps working, he’s going to make it. Everybody’s behind him. He [has] support from the whole country, everybody’s excited to see him and, of course, not just him. Like, why not other players, [too]?”

Romario Roque, the starting point guard for the Colombian National Team, echoes that sentiment while also expressing that the issue at hand is exposure. He admits over Zoom in August, just a few weeks before Colombia is set to play Mexico in the FIBA World Cup qualifier round, that the lack of visibility is one of the reasons why he decided to also take his talents overseas to Switzerland. There, he’s been able to learn how to utilize his skills as a playmaker and get his teammates more involved. 

Roque initially played soccer growing up, but around the age of 10, he discovered his love for the game while shooting around on a local court with a friend. Shortly after that, he started watching highlights of streetball games on Youtube and clips of NBA superstars, including the late Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. 

“[My] dream is to play in the NBA one day but I also understand what it takes to get to the NBA,” Roque admits over the phone, via a translator. “I still have it in mind as one of my goals.”

For Roque and teammate Juan Palacios, the chance to compete against Team USA at the FIBA World Cup is an opportunity that can “open doors” and show that not only is Colombia good enough to compete, but to compete against some of the very best.  

“It’s a challenge and it’s an opportunity to show that we’re not just lucky,” says Palacios, “but that we’re actually good enough to play against these great teams.”

The game has taken Palacios all around the world—from Colombia to New York at the age of 15 to play at Our Savior New American, where he went on to average 20.2 points per game as a senior in high school, and then eventually to Louisville. Throughout his 13-year career as a pro, he’s played everywhere, including Spain, France, Lithuania and Turkey.

“I think the most important thing is, like they say, the more stronger survive, [but] I believe it’s the most adaptable survive. You know, you can be the strongest but I might be someone stronger or [a] situation stronger that you cannot deal with. But if you are adaptable to every situation, you [are] able to figure out what’s going to work in the place that you are with the coaches that you [have]. My slogan is movement. The more you move, the more you live, and the more experiences you have.”

The lack of exposure and coaching expertise available in Colombia is exactly why one of the country’s most prominent trainers, Alvaro Cortes, has dedicated himself to training up and coming players, oftentimes free of charge. 

Alvaro’s resume speaks for itself: he’s coached at the high school level, for various programs and basketball clubs, and has worked alongside everyone from Puerto Rican basketball coach Carlos Morales to Drew Hanlen and Michael Lancaster. He’s trained pros from around the world, including Renaldo Balkman, former NBA guard Greivis Vásquez and former West Virginia power forward Devin Williams. 

“What I’ve learned from [training in the] United States and all the techniques and offseason workouts that are going on, my dream is to bring that type of basketball knowledge here to Colombia and offer it to the people here and take them to the next level,” Alvaro says via a translator. “My dream and motivation is to one day have my own facility and court to [give back] to the kids that don’t have the resources to one day go to a private gym or or attend some workouts that you need to pay for. 

“[I want to] produce more players to [go on and] play in college and in the NBA, not just have Jaime be the only one. I want to produce another Colombian NBA player.” 

Known as the “Chris Brickley of Colombia,” Alvaro’s day-to-day includes waking up at 4 a.m. and getting through his first training session by 6, followed by two more workouts after that. Then he has another 2-3 workouts throughout the afternoon. One of the players he trains is Samir Viveros who is from Buenaventura, and has been working with him on his defensive game and building up his IQ.

“Everything has changed for me ever since working out with Alvaro,” he says. “My mental game, my physical ability, I’m actually getting the right training.”

And then there are standouts like Rios, who is pioneering the women’s game in Colombia and dominating as the top player in the Americup and the South American Games. In 2019, she and her Colombian National teammates played against Team USA at the Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Argentina—and even got a legendary photo opp with the USA’s squad: a smiling Rios can be seen surrounded by WNBA greats like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and 2022 WNBA champions A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. 

When asked about her thoughts on how the game can continue to grow in Colombia, Rios says there also needs to be a women’s pro league there, just as there is the W in the States. It’s a dream that’s shared amongst her teammates.

“A pro league for women would be a great start, but of course with that there needs to be people to buy into this league,” she says via a translator. “A lot of the women on the Colombian team, their dream is to get to an Olympics and to represent Colombia, and definitely giving an opportunity to women to have a league here.”

Photos by Andres Puerta and via Getty Images.

The post Meet the Colombian Hoopers Ready to Take the South American Country’s Game to the Next Level appeared first on SLAM.

The rebuilding Jazz decided to move Mitchell to the Cavs over the summer, but it seems like Spida may have found an ideal fit in Cleveland. Mitchell has been labeled an All-Star piece that can help push Cleveland over the top as a playoff contender. The Lousiville product grew into that while in Utah; as a Cav, Mitchell has a better idea of how to mesh well with his new teammates and seems to be at ease.  

“He’s comfortable,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said per ESPN. “I think it’s that easy. This isn’t something he hasn’t done before. He’s carried teams on his back, so he understands the moment, and he’s capable of it. It’s not new, and it’s what we expected from him.”

Mitchell allowed the game to come to him on Wednesday, starting slowly with just four points in the first quarter. However, when his All-Star teammate Darius Garland exited the game with a left eye laceration, Mitchell ramped it up and carried a more significant offense load on his shoulders.

“That’s the big thing playing with a bunch of good guys, trying to find your spots, especially against a team like Toronto,” Mitchell said. “You don’t want to come in full bore; that’s how they want to turn you over. And then [Garland] goes down, so I’m on the ball more, directing traffic.”

“He’s an elite basketball player. There’s not many guys in this league that are better than Donovan or are capable of doing the things he can do. He puts so much pressure on the defense,” Coach Bickerstaff added. “He has the ability to make all the passes, so again that’s, he’s hard to deal with, but he makes defenses have to make tough decisions over and over again.”

Despite a few miscommunications with his new teammate and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen, Spida had a strong debut. Natural growing pains will come with learning each other’s games, and the vibes remain positive after they opened the season with a 108-105 loss to the Raptors.

“It’s part of the game, part of the growing as teammates. It’s our first game playing together, our first official game playing together. We still have a lot of things to iron out, a lot of things to communicate about off the court after it happens,” said Jarrett Allen.

For the Cavs, Mitchell’s record night signals a high ceiling for the marriage between the All-Star and the rest of the team. As the guard put it, the Cavs “did a good job. But [they] can do an even better job.” Cleveland looks onwards and upwards as they seek to grab their first win of the season against the Chicago Bulls this Saturday.

The post ‘Comfortable’ Donovan Mitchell Drops 31 in His Cleveland Cavaliers Debut appeared first on SLAM.

The talent may not be elite on the roster, but that’s what makes Lakers Coach Darvin Ham even more impressed with Brown’s start.

“Mike [Brown] is a great ambassador for the game and a great coach in his own right,” Ham told the Sacramento Bee after the Lakers lost to the Kings to end the preseason. “making sure they’re detail-oriented, making sure they’re consistent. He’s a guy that’s passionate but not emotional — At the end of the day, he’s going to make sure he has all of his resources in order — to reemphasize why they should be doing exactly what he’s asking of them to do.”

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Brown is at the helm of a team in a 16-season playoff drought, the longest of any franchise in the history of the NBA. It may be a mountain to climb in this new tenure, but Brown has been through the highest and the lowest of being an NBA head coach.

Notable moments of Brown’s career were when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals, surrounding the team’s former superstar, LeBron James, with various shooters and stout defenders. Later in his tenure with the Cavs, Brown orchestrated back-to-back 60+ win seasons, earning Coach of the Year honors in 2009.

Although his coaching career took a slight bump with the Cavs and Lakers in the early 2010s, Brown picked his name right back up as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, winning three championships in five years (2017-2022) with the Golden State Warriors.

One of the philosophies Brown has seemed to incorporate into the Kings from the Warriors is the expectation of relentless defense from the young assets. Kings star De’Aaron Fox believes Sacramento has benefitted from Brown’s heavy ‘attention to detail’ defensively. James noticed that playing defense is also a tenet of Brown’s coaching philosophy.

“He’s someone that, if you don’t defend, you won’t get on the floor,” James said. “When he came to Cleveland, we became one of the best defensive teams in the League every single year. That gave us a chance to win every single night. Offensively, some nights we weren’t that good, but we were always in games because we defended.”

IT’S GAME DAY! #RoarWithUs pic.twitter.com/2CsVAhTlTi

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 19, 2022

Sacramento fans could be heavily intrigued by that, considering Fox hasn’t returned to that pesky defender he once was in the 2018-19 season, where he attributed 133 total steals (sixth best). Of course, Brown first wants to see stout defensive teamwork before jumping into individual accolades.

“Although we want everybody to bring it defensively as an individual, it’s not one guy guarding the ball,” said Brown, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s five guys guarding the ball, so we want to see five guys on a string. We want to communicate — Those are some of the things which are staples that we want to see on the defensive side of the ball, but the biggest thing is competing.”

The Kings aren’t expected to become the NBA’s best defensive team or break the 16-year curse of missing the playoffs, but wilder things have happened from first-year coaches, and Brown looks to fill the hearts of the many Sacramento fans that have been desperate for a team built towards long-term success.

The post ‘Detail-Oriented’ Mike Brown Inspiring Confidence in and Out of Sacramento appeared first on SLAM.

LaVine told reporters he wasn’t experiencing specific pain or soreness in the knee and described his absence the same way the Bulls did, injury “management.” The injury hasn’t sparked concerns in LaVine, especially after they decided to re-sign the former UCLA Bruin.

“I just want to make sure I’m safe with bringing myself back in and managing it the way it is,” LaVine said, per the Chicago Tribune. “Just going forward, I want to make sure I’m 100% at the end of the season.”

Zach LaVine (left knee management) is OUT for tonight’s season opener in Miami. pic.twitter.com/U6njQJ833h

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 19, 2022

The Bulls haven’t announced LaVine’s availability in a road game against the Washington Wizards or their home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sources: Zach LaVine may also miss Friday’s game vs. Wizards, with likelihood the two-time All-Star makes his season debut in Saturday’s home opener vs. Cleveland. https://t.co/YdRRrgua5y

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2022

However, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that LaVine would miss Chicago’s contest against Washington. Furthermore, Chicago said that there’s no timeline or goal date to determine what his availability will be going forward.

“I wish I had a crystal ball to look into the future. I really do,” LaVine said. “It’d be great if I could figure that out. I’d look up some lottery ticket numbers if I could do that.”

The post REPORT: Zach LaVine Ruled Out for the First Two Games of the Season appeared first on SLAM.

At age 21, the Cavaliers coaching staff has noticed the improvement each time around in practice for Mobley, which is what led assistant coach Greg Buckner to expect his young star center’s jersey to be hung up in the rafters when it’s said and done.

“He has the skill level to be a Hall of Famer,” Buckner told cleveland.com. “I tell him, ‘I want to remind you every day that when you get finished with this game, you are going to be a Hall of Famer and if you’re not, you let your body down, you didn’t reach your full potential.”

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In his rookie season, Mobley, along with All-Star Darius Garland, led the Cavs to a 44-38 record, a winning mark they hadn’t been done since LeBron James was in Cleveland in 2018. The 7 footer was scoring effectively last season, averaging 15 points and shooting over 50 percent from the field. Still, head coach J.B Bickerstaff sees Mobley reliability on other areas of the floor.

“He has the ability to be a superstar without being the leading scorer,” said Bickerstaff. “…Very few superstars, which he’s going to work his way to be, can be that type of player without dominating the ball on the offensive end of the floor. We believe he has the ability, and we’ll get there.”

Mobley, who was All-Rookie First Team last season, even had the chance to train with Kevin Durant this summer.

“This offseason when I got in the gym, I was really focused on what I needed to work on for the upcoming season,” Mobley said. “Every single rep was very intentional…He [Durant] would go at me, and I would go at him. We were just working on our games. He told me that he liked my game. It challenges you.”

With superstar Donovan Mitchell coming over to the Land, high expectations ride the shoes of Mobley and Garland to keep the same level of play they had last season. If Mobley is any better than he was last season, they’ll likely be the team to beat in the East.

Photo via Getty Images.

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Porter was traded to the Rockets after a tough stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since coming over to Houston, it still was not always easy for KPJ, spending some time between the G-League and playing for the Rockets when first traded. However, now Porter has found a role amongst the team and is looking like the right fit in the Rockets backcourt alongside teammate Jalen Green.

General Manager Rafael Stone and Coach Stephen Silas feel that they have invested a significant amount of time and energy into KPJ, both on and off the court. Porter’s rapid growth is what gave them the confidence to keep helping the 22-year-old to develop and become a franchise cornerstone.

Last season in just 61 games with Houston, Porter averaged 15.6 points on 41.6 percent shooting from the field. To go along with scoring in bunches, he also averaged 6.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds while playing 31.2 minutes per game.

It will be truly interesting to see how KPJ and the Rockets do this season, being one of the youngest teams in the NBA. That being said, they are definitely a team on the rise and should be taken seriously in any matchup they get. Happy to see things finally trending in a positive direction for both Porter Jr and the Rockets organization.

Photos via Getty Images.

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Curry, arguably the greatest shooter of all time, has four titles under his name with a Finals MVP to back up his coveted career. The Warriors superstar believes there’s another teammate who was playing for the legacy he has submitted in Golden State.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke, Curry remarks on the legacy of his longtime teammate, Andre Igoudala, who he believes was a significant contributor to the Warriors’ four titles and is a sure shot at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Absolutely, I didn’t know that was much of a debate,” said Curry on Igoudala being labeled a Hall of Famer. “He’s kind of the mature vet that’s still putting up solid numbers but impacting winning at a level that is a difference maker.”

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Igoudala’s four championships with the Warriors may be underestimated by playing with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry through the years. However, his defensive tenacity in the 2015 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off Golden States’ illustrious dynasty.

Igoudala scored 16.3 points, four assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game and won the 2015 Finals MVP. In that series, Curry and Thompson averaged 34.2 percent shooting from their three-point distance, but Igoudala’s heroics kept James shooting at 38.1 percent from the field when guarded by him.

Iggy is now in the later stages of his career. He rejoined the Dubs over the summer and averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during the regular-season. When it came down to the postseason, Coach Steve Kerr trusted the 38-year-old to play during the 2022 Finals. Iggy rewarded that trust by posting seven points and three assists during Game 1 and played spot duty the rest of the Finals as a 3-and-D wing.

“I hope there’s a keen eye part of just watching his career unfold,” said Curry. “Seeing the different iterations of himself that impact winning, that’s what it should be about.”

Igoudala enters his 19th season in the League, more importantly, his last go at defending a championship for the Warriors. The farewell tour starts against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Chase Center.

The post Stephen Curry Believes Andre Iguodala is ‘Absolutely’ An Hall of Famer appeared first on SLAM.

However, the 25-year-old Raptor hopeful is seemingly taking responsibility for his basketball fortunes. At the moment, Jackson is attempting to win the final spot on the Rosters roster after signing a non-guaranteed one-year deal in August.

“Every place is different,” Jackson said, per the Toronto Star.” I can’t say that every organization that I’ve been a part of has been great in helping its players succeed, but with that, what I have learned is you’ve got to be the one to make sure that you’re getting everything that you need.

“You have to make sure you’re working on the things you need to work on because, at the end of the day, it is your career; it’s not theirs.”

Jackson is fighting for a roster spot after lasting two seasons with the Suns, who traded him to Memphis in a four-player-deal after the 2018-19 season with which he played 22 games. As a free agent, Jackson ended up signing with his hometown Detroit Pistons, with whom he spent a season-and-a-half before ending the 2021-22 season with the Sacramento Kings.

“I’m a strong believer in just taking something away from everything that happens — good or bad,” he said. “That’s all I’ve been trying to do my entire time in the League and also from mistakes that I’ve made in the past. I’m trying to help young players to not make those same mistakes. Any time I can give a little bit of knowledge that I have to another player who’s come up after me, I take the chance.”

Jackson is battling Justin Champagnie, D.J. Wilson, and Gabe Brown for Toronto’s final roster spot, but it seems like none of the four have firmly made their case . Jackson’s case is aided by his relationship with Raptors assistant coaches Earl Watson and Nate Bjorkgren in Phoenix. The two coaches were consulted before Toronto signed Jackson.

Jackson contributed 13 points and was a plus-24 when Toronto beat the Celtics in overtime last week, 125-119. Jackson, Brown, and Wilson were effective during Toronto’s fourth-quarter rally that produced that Toronto preseason win. Champagnie missed three of Toronto’s preseason games with a hip injury and played just eight minutes in Sunday’s loss to Chicago.

“I think he knows he needs to continue to work at his game,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “Those guys, at that part of their careers, certainly don’t want you to think,” Well, we’re not sure if you’re gonna work hard. He’s done a good job with all that stuff. He’s been around. He’s a pro. It took him a little while to make an impact. We’ve figured out how to put him in some situations, and he’s taken advantage of that, especially in that (Boston) game.”

Jackson and his contemporaries have their final chance to make their case on Friday when Toronto closes the preseason against Boston Celtics.

Jackson told the Toronto Star that he appreciates being able to compete for a roster, and he’s comfortable with whatever the outcome is.

“Everybody’s been super respectful here, super nice. Definitely glad that I got to where I am now. I still have the opportunity to do what I love to do, and I’m going to come out and make the best of it every day. I’m gonna come out and work hard, give it everything I’ve got, and if that’s not enough, that’s not enough.”

The Raptors open the season with a home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Josh Jackson On His Journeyman Career: ‘It’s Your Career, Not Theirs’ appeared first on SLAM.

With Father Time catching up, no one knows how long the four-time NBA champion can carry the load for the Lakers. In fact, The King made it known not long ago that he is ready to take a backseat.

In 2017, he was ready to “give the keys” to his former teammate Kyrie Irving when they played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. When things didn’t end up working out, James made his way to LA, where you can now see him having that same trust in his current teammate Davis.

AD recently told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that the future Hall of Famer has been “in his ear about taking over the reins of the team.” The 29-year-old is most certainly capable of doing so. It’s all about staying healthy and getting his three-point shot back to its standard form. As a career 30.3 percent shooter from behind the arc, Davis shot the deep ball at 18.6 percent last season.

With these hurdles standing in the way of the former NBA champion, he has accepted the challenge.

“I’m excited for this challenge and what’s ahead,” said Davis. “I think we have a great group of guys to get the job done. It’s now about putting in the work – I went into this summer focusing on strengthening my body. I have to be on the court and at my best to put us in position to be our best. I’m ready to do that.”

The Lakers will open up their season on Oct.18 versus the Golden State Warriors.

The post Anthony Davis: LeBron James Has Been ‘in His Ear About Taking Over the Reins’ of the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Heading into training camp, Mitchell has challenged himself to be a leader defensively, acknowledging that his biggest weakness has been on the less glamorous side of the court, and the only way this team reaches its destiny is with him committing to be an elite two-way backcourt.

“I can play defense. I know that for a fact,” Mitchell said confidently, per Cavaliers Nation. “I haven’t shown that, and that is what I’m looking forward to doing here.”

The three-time All-Star will be holding down the backcourt with rising young talent, Darius Garland. His play last year with the Cavs earned him his first All-Star selection, and it came by way of his elite playmaking and scoring and his swiper instincts defensively, averaging 1.3 steals a game during the regular season. Though the Cavs didn’t make the playoffs, this upcoming season’s hopes are much higher than simply making the playoffs.

Mitchell may have averaged 1.5 steals a game in his final season with the Utah Jazz, but it didn’t mitigate any narrative that Mitchell will commit to playing defense.

If the Louisville product does decide to play hard on the defensive side, it could elevate him into the top 10 player conversation around the League. Defense wins championships, and the Cavaliers roster knows that Evan Mobley can defend well in the paint; it’s just up to Mitchell to provide that spark against an East packed with dangerous guards.

He’ll start with the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 19 in Scotiabank Arena.

The post Donovan Mitchell Knows ‘for A Fact’ He Can ‘Play Defense’ appeared first on SLAM.

To achieve their vision – the Larry O’Brien trophy in Salt Lake – a rebuild was necessary. After moving Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, and Jordan Clarkson remain on Utah’s roster.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz and Lakers are currently in ongoing trade talks for the sharp-shooting Bogdanovic.

“Those conversations continue to evolve, we’ve continued to be in touch with them directly and their representation,” Zanik said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of change this summer, so it’s natural for us to have those conversations.”

The 6’7″ forward averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. In addition to the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks have expressed interest in Bogdanovic. If Bogdanovic is moved to the Lakers, it will be the second trade of the season between LA and Salt Lake. Earlier this summer, Utah gave up Patrick Beverley for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. 

As the Jazz continue to prioritize and acquire young talent, it is no surprise that they have made Bogdanovic and their remaining vets available.

“We wanted to give the organization every opportunity to build the greatest base of flexibility, young players, and assets going forward to make really good decisions so that we could reach the ceiling that we want to get to,” Zanik said.

The new-look Jazz begins their 2022-23 season on Oct. 19 against the Denver Nuggets.

The post REPORT: Lakers and Jazz in Trade Talks to Acquire Bojan Bogdanovic appeared first on SLAM.

Mitchell says in his introductory to the Cavs that his deal to the New York Knicks looked done, and maybe, it should have, considering the team’s packages. One of New York’s best offers at Utah’s CEO Danny Ainge was a deal centered around Mitchell for RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and three unprotected first-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

At the start of trade talks in July, New York offered Utah a Donovan Mitchell package including RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Jazz turned down that offer and Robinson signed a $60M extension to stay w/ NY. https://t.co/3eDg2Mf7f1

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 2, 2022

The NBA world was shocked to see the Knicks add RJ Barrett to the deal, considering he’s one of their bright young talents, by giving them a 20-piece a night at 22-years-old. The talent Mitchell can be at his peak is off the charts, and the homecoming would’ve seemed fitting to embark on that journey.

“I thought for sure I was going back home; I’m not gonna lie about that,” Mitchell told reporters on Wednesday in his introductory Cavs press conference, per the New York Post. “Who doesn’t want to be home next to their mom?” 

The all-star guard is from Elmsford, NY, a town located in Westchester County. He lived there until his high school days, when he would end up in Canterbury School in Connecticut and Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He left his mark at Louisville, where his play earned him the 13th selection in the 2017 NBA draft.

Mitchell did all he could in Utah, but the pieces to a title just seemed like lost hope. Though he never spoke about where he wanted to play next, it did seem like the Mecca was one of his more intriguing options. Ultimately, Mitchell ends up in Cleveland and will look to team-up with All-Star Darius Garland and promising center Evan Mobley. The three look to form a dangerous Big 3 in the East.

While the homecoming party in New York will have to wait, fans can get a proper show with Mitchell in the Land before he hits free agency in 2025.

The post Donovan Mitchell ‘Thought for Sure’ Jazz Would Trade Him to Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

While the team was 19-7 when Danny Ainge took over, the Jazz had only won season playoff series over the past five seasons despite occasional regular season dominance. As the season progressed, Ainge realized that the Jazz “didn’t really believe in each other.”

The personal revelation led Ainge to ship off Gobert to Minnesota, Mitchell to Cleveland, O’Neale to Brooklyn, and Ingles to Portland; however, he never played for the Blazers due to a torn ACL.   

“What I saw during the season was a group of players that didn’t really believe in each other. Like the whole group,” Ainge said, per ESPN. “I think they liked each other even more than what was reported, but I’m not sure there was belief.”

Ainge was hoping the team would remedy their issues by the beginning of the postseason, but after a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, despite Luka Doncic missing multiple games, Ainge knew it was time to begin their rebuild. 

“When we got to the playoffs, I thought, well, this team that has had some disappointing playoffs, so I thought maybe they’re just waiting for the playoffs. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it was clear the team didn’t perform well in the playoffs again.”  

“Like I believe every one of these guys went into every game believing they were going to win, don’t get me wrong on that. I’m just saying when adversity hit, the resolve you could see in a team that has a true belief in having each other’s back or one another.”

Utah’s shift to a rebuild was expected after the Jazz dropped another first-round series. Ainge’s ambitious moves to trade Gobert and Mitchell results in Utah receiving a pevy of picks and young players. Utah begins its most challenging season yet against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 19.

The post Danny Ainge: Utah Jazz ‘Didn’t Really Believe in Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Donovan Mitchell in a trade, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022

Utah received Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks, and two picks, according to Woj. Restricted free agent Sexton reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade deal so the Cavs could move him to Utah.

Sexton has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to join Utah, sources said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022

According to Woj, Cavs GM Koby Altman “circled back” with Utah GM Justin Zanik on Tuesday. The two teams negotiated a deal they had discussed previously. The Knicks declined to do a trade deal on Monday night after re-signing RJ Barrett, opening the door for Cleveland to secure a deal.

https://t.co/5lqkyvBvSP

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 1, 2022

The epic trade makes Cleveland a more significant threat in the East as they form a Big 3 around Mitchell, their All-Star duo of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and their future All-Star building block in Evan Mobley.

The post REPORT: Cavaliers Acquire Donovan Mitchell in a Blockbuster Trade appeared first on SLAM.

It’s not just an opinion your favorite hooper or an NBA fan has. Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy had some major praise for the Brooklyn Nets star.

“I will go on record and say this,” Handy said. “He is probably the most skilled player to ever play. Offensively, probably the most skilled player to ever put on basketball shoes.”

“He’s the most skilled player to ever put on basketball shoes”

– Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy on Kyrie Irving pic.twitter.com/7kYivjBGjP

— ⁶ (@JP3Visualz) August 17, 2022

Irving is known as perhaps the best “iso” scorer of his generation. Irving’s has the kind of skill level and talent that your favorite hooper would want to have. The handle, the shot-making ability, and the swag come straight out of NBA 2k. Over his 11-year career, Irving has become a seven-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA selection, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, and a 2014 All-Star game MVP, and reached the pinnacle of playoff success after hitting a clutch stepback jumper over Stephen Curry to help the Cavaliers win their first title in 2016.

Irving has become a lightning rod for controversy since demanding a trade out of Cleveland. Fans have frequently given him a hard time for some of his takes about NBA media or joking about the Earth being flat. But there’s no denying his talent. Irving averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The 2022-23 season might end up being the most consequential of Irving’s career. The former No. 1 overall pick opted into the final season of his contract after his reps and Brooklyn couldn’t agree to an extension. The offseason debacle began after Irving decided to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19. The Nets were prepared to force Irving to sit for the season because of that decision.

The front office reversed course in December as the NBA dealt with a League-wide virus outbreak. Irving was only able to play road games until New York City lifted its vaccine mandate. The lack of a deal seemingly lead to close friend and teammate Kevin Durant requesting a trade. Irving reportedly wants to play in Brooklyn regardless of Durant’s presence on the team.

Some fans may not agree with Handy’s take, but Irving has arguably the best handles in the NBA and is an elite shooter from all areas on the floor. He would be a terrific addition for the Lakers if they were to work out a deal for him this offseason.

The post Lakers Assistant Coach Phil Handy Calls Kyrie Irving ‘the Most Skilled Player to Ever Play’ 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

Shams Charania of The Athletic leaked the opening day and Christmas Day contests over the weekend. Some other key dates include the All-Star weekend that’ll be contested from February 17-19. The regular season will end on April 9, the Play-In tournament will take place from April 11-14, and the playoffs will start a day later on April 15.

The most noteworthy game will most likely be between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies on their way to winning their fourth championship since 2015. The two Western Conference foes have formed a fierce rivalry over the last two years after a pair of intense and physical playoff games and their recent second-round playoff series.

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 2022-23 season will see the Warriors attempt to defend an NBA title for the first time in eight years. With their foundational core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green returning and their future stars like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole all returning, the Dubs will be loaded.

The Boston Celtics will look to run it back and return to the NBA Finals after losing to the Warriors in six games. There will be some exciting storylines coming out of Beantown as Boston looks to integrate Malcolm Brogdon into the lineup. It’ll also be interesting if the front office continues to pursue a Kevin Durant trade. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will also return as perhaps the top wing-duo in the League.

Don’t count out the Bucks, Heat, and 76ers either. The Heat are always a threat, the Bucks lost after suffering injuries at the most inopportune time, and the 76ers will have an entire season of James Harden x Joel Embiid to work with.

Another question that needs answers will be can the Phoenix Suns continue their dominant stretch and improve upon their 64-18 record from last year. Getting better after being the top seed in the playoffs is difficult, but Phoenix brings back their entire team and is still headlined by Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

It’ll be fun to see how Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz will fare after Jalen Brunson and Rudy Gobert left for New York and Utah, respectively. The Minnesota Timberwolves are throwing it back to yesteryear with a twin tower lineup featuring Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Not to mention how much better the Grizzlies will be after earning the second-best record in the NBA last season.

Last but not least, how will the LA teams play? The Lakers are coming off a tumultuous season but added a new head coach in Darvin Ham, who’s been trusted to improve a roster that still boasts LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. The Clippers are perhaps a more significant title threat with the return of Kawhi Leonard and the addition of former All-Star point guard John Wall to the lineup.

Below are the team schedules for each team by division and conference. The Eastern Conference is first followed by the West.

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

The post NBA Releases 2022-23 Regular-Season Schedule appeared first on SLAM.

TSA reportedly stopped Shumpert at a checkpoint around 2:40 p.m., and authorities were then asked to investigate a potential drug violation. After police had searched his belongings, they found a ‘green leafy substance’ which was later confirmed to be marijuana after tests, and Shumpert himself admitted it was marijuana.

Shumpert surrendered to authorities without incident. Shumpert was allegedly carrying 6.12 ounces of marijuana. The former Dancing With the Stars winner faces up to two years in jail and $10,000 in fines if he is found on “state jail felony” charges.

Shumpert, a 2016 NBA Champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also had stints with the Knicks, Nets, Kings, and Rockets. Shumpert made the all-rookie team in 2012 with the Knicks, holding career averages of 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 10 NBA seasons.

The post REPORT: Iman Shumpert Arrested on Charges of Possession of Cannabis appeared first on SLAM.

Keegan Murray in Summer League (6 games):

21.8 PPG
7.2 RPG
49/40/84%

He has as many 20-point games as Paolo, Chet, Jabari, Ivey and Mathurin combined (5). pic.twitter.com/9DC7BnCk2H

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 14, 2022

Murray’s performance at the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League has impressed incoming head coach Mike Brown. Brown was hired after playing a prominent role in the Warriors, winning three titles from 2017-2022.

“I’m just getting to know Keegan,” Brown said per Fox40, who was asked if Murray’s approach to the game and personality was similar to Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, “All those thing are correct, his temperament, he’s about as even-keeled as I’ve seen from any young person. His work ethic, so far, is off the charts. His development from his first year at Iowa to this year has been amazing; he went on a huge growth spurt. There’s a lot of positives about him — it’s gonna be interesting to see which way he goes in this business.”

“I will say one thing about him. I know at maybe 35, 36, when I got my first head job in Cleveland, I wasn’t as composed as he is right now — I compare myself at 35 to Keegan at 21; he’s light years ahead of where I was then. He’s gonna be fine in that area, and obviously, he’s showing a lot of promise as a young player, and I’m excited about being around him, and I hope all of Sacramento is too. “

Sitting down with Kings head coach Mike Brown, who chats about Sacramento’s offseason thus far, style of play, gushes about Keegan Murray (clip below), reflects upon his coaching history, strong first impression of De’Aaron Fox & more.

FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/wUHcChQQ9N pic.twitter.com/jplgv9JId2

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 15, 2022

Brown also complimented how efficient Murray’s shooting stroke has been and was impressed at how Murray didn’t “chase points, did he chase the ball” when he struggled during the second game of the California Classic. Being able to be impactful beyond just getting a bucket proves how patient and understanding of his role Murray is even as a rookie. He also lauded Murray’s defensive acumen against Paolo Banchero and Bennedict Mathurin.

As an assistant coach on Coach Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, Brown collaborated with Kerr and Draymond Green to implement a Warriors defensive scheme that has helped to make the Warriors the defensive standard of the NBA as a switch-heavy defense.

Brown has also served as the head coach of the Cavaliers in two separate tenures (2005-2010, 2013-2014) and led the Lakers (2011-2012) as well. Brown was an assistant coach on Wizards, Spurs, and Pacers before taking the Cavs job in 2005.

The post Mike Brown Impressed by Keegan Murray’s Play at Summer League 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.

Without further ado, here is the running NBA Trade Rumor Thread:

7/25:

Shams Charania from The Athletic reports that the Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Kings, Heat, Hawks and the Knicks have expressed interest in Donovan Mitchell.

Per Charania, the Jazz, Knicks and Paces are also reportedly interested in Russell Westbrook and draft capital from the Lakers.

The Boston Celtics have emerged as a potential suitor for Kevin Durant, reportedly offering up Jaylen Brown as the main piece in the initial trade proposal. However, according to The Athletic, that offer was reportedly rejected. Read more here:

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly offered Collin Sexton a three year contract in the range of $13.3 million per year for three seasons. Sexton is reportedly “dismayed” with the team’s current offer.

Sexton played 11 games this year before tearing his meniscus.

“Utah had asked about a package involving Mitchell Robinson, and at least 3 first-round picks and the Knicks declined to meet that asking price”@IanBegley with the latest on the Donovan Mitchell trade front, including the Jazz asking for Quentin Grimes in a deal pic.twitter.com/4m1x30mgY5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 15, 2022

REPORT: The Jazz-Knicks deal was “close” on Tuesday night, but the Knicks ended up declining.

The Jazz reportedly wanted Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, and 6 1st-round picks.

(via @tjonesonthenba) pic.twitter.com/KxUOdLfsZx

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 15, 2022

The Nets asked the TImberwolves for the farm after asking for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and four draft picks in order to acquire Kevin Durant.

REPORT: The Brooklyn Nets asked the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and 4 draft-picks in exchange for Kevin Durant.

The Timberwolves declined.

(via @chrisbhaynes, @VinceGoodwill) pic.twitter.com/EUdjmDXArD

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 7, 2022

According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, the Warriors are interested in acquiring Kevin Durant. KD won back-to-back titles in three years with the Dubs. Per multiple reports, the Nets have made it clear that their trading partner will have to give up the farm in order to complete the blockbuster trade. Those acquirements consist of an All-Star level player and multiple draft picks.

Marc J. Spears: Warriors ‘have interest’ in trading for Kevin Durant [report]https://t.co/5lar5wEukf pic.twitter.com/bXGN5CDgPk

— KNBR (@KNBR) July 3, 2022

League sources: For now, there are no plans by the Utah Jazz to trade star guard Donovan Mitchell. The Jazz are committed to building around him. The Jazz are not done in trade talks. Expect more activity

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 1, 2022

The Jazz and Timberwolves have reportedly agreed on a trade to flip Gobert for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, and multiple first-round picks, per Woj.

Utah is trading Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly shipped Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless, and a 2024 lottery-protected first-round pick per Adrian Wojnarowski.

Atlanta is trading Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a future first round pick, sources tell EPSN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Atlanta is trading Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a future first round pick, sources tell EPSN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After KD’s blockbuster trade request was reportedly made official, it seems as though Kyrie Irving is most likely headed out of Brooklyn too. Irving is on the last year of his current deal and listed the Lakers, Clippers, Mavs, Knicks, Heat, and 76ers as his preferred trade destinations.

The latest on Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Nets from @wojespn.

Join us now on ESPN2 for our NBA Today Free Agency special as we break it all down. pic.twitter.com/dsRBjecW8S

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 30, 2022

BREAKING: Kevin Durant has reportedly requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets, per his agent Rich Kleiman to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Durant has targeted Phoenix and Miami as his preferred destinations, per Woj.

Durant requested a trade with the team today, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/BkNEHwkrc0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The Jazz are reportedly trading Royce O’Neal to the Nets for a first-rounder .

Utah is trading Royce O’Neale to Brooklyn for a first-round pick, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

The Bulls are reportedly shopping Coby White, per Sam Amico of Hoopshype.

Bulls Remain Active In Trying To Trade Coby White https://t.co/QblzrfaVuW

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

Amico also reports that Julius Randle could be a name to watch on the trade market as the New York Knicks look to make it back to the playoffs next season.

Julius Randle is a name to watch on the trade market, per @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/Zd49mnz72R

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 30, 2022

The Wizards are reportedly exchanging Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith for Will Barton and Monte Morris. Should Smith play one game for Denver, it’ll be the record-setting 13th team he’s played for in his career.

Washington is finalizing a trade to acquire Denver’s Will Barton and Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Knicks are sending Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to the Pistons as well as some draft capital in order to free up $30 million in cap space to acquire Jalen Brunson on Thursday.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks will unload $19M more in salary, clearing the way for cap space to try and sign free agent guard Jalen Brunson.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Houston Rockets have reportedly bought John Wall’s contract as of Monday night. The five-time All-Star and the Clippers are reportedly set to reach an agreement once free agency starts, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

ESPN story with @espn_macmahon on John Wall exiting the Houston Rockets with intentions to sign a free agent deal with the LA Clippers: https://t.co/IuLK7oFwP9

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

After a successful postseason run, a key piece for Miami may not come back. PJ Tucker is rumored to take a better offer from the Philadelphia 76ers.

The possibility of Kyrie Irving departing from the Brooklyn Nets gains more momentum by the day, as he has been given permission to seek a sign and trade.

John Wall hasn’t played an NBA game for the Houston Rockets since April of 2021, he is willing to agree to a buyout if it comes down to it.

The San Antonio Spurs have been receiving calls about all-star point guard DeJounte Murray, teams that are included are the Knicks, Timberwolves, Wizards, and Hawks. Murray publicly reacted to the rumor on Twitter.

The Cleveland Cavaliers sacrifice pick 49 in exchange for Sasha Vezenkov, who has been a euro-league stash after being picked in the 2017 draft.

The Pistons traded away Jerami Grant for a 2025 first round pick that belongs to the Bucks, read more here:

The Hawks are looking to level up for Trae Young byfinding him a better co-star, read more here:

After not being offered an extension, DeAndre Ayton’s future with the Phoenix Suns looks to be in doubt. Read more here:

The Dallas Mavericks are going all in for Luka Doncic’s win now window by trading for Christian Wood, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski.

JaMychal Green was sent from the Nuggets in exchange for the Thunder’s No. 30 pick in this upcoming draft, read more here:

The post The NBA Trade Rumor Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

That heat became Jayson’s comfort zone. He’d go from lighting up the competition all throughout St. Louis to hitting up the BBQ joints all around the city. St. Louis is known for dozens of smokehouses, and folks out in the 314 have become linked to a specific way of making ribs. Rather than being slow cooked over indirect heat, they grill their ribs and douse them in hot sauce. Real talk right here: a report came out in 2015 confirms that St. Louisans consume more barbecue sauce than any other area in the entire country. 

Tatum started to get fired up in high school. His senior year at Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, MO, is highlighted by 10 different 30-plus point outings and six different 40-plus point outings. He was already heating up during his time with the appropriately named Red Devils. He brought his flames with him to Duke, where even on a loaded roster of offensive weapons, he managed to catch fire for seven different 20-plus point games in his lone season with the Blue Devils. It didn’t take long for the flames running through him to show up on the NBA level. As a rookie, he helped to lead the Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the mighty LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Now everyone could have the soul-awakening flames that Tatum had passed down to him. Everyone, including Ruffles®. It was only right that Tatum’s official Ruffles flavor would be Flamin’ Hot® BBQ. With a spice worthy of Tatum and St. Louis, his Flamin’ Hot® BBQ flavor packs in all the heat he’s been dominating the competition with. 

Ruffles® wasn’t the only major company to notice all the flames Tatum had been burning with. The illustrious Jordan Brand also took notice of his ability to catch fire. They scooped him up in 2019 and started gifting him with player exclusive colorways of Air Jordans. 

This season, as he and the Celtics marched to the NBA Finals, he played in the Air Jordan 36. The silhouette is a technological basketball performance beast. A new upper made of Leno-Weave got rid of unnecessary weight, a full-length Zoom Strobel unit held the foundation, and a hollowed-out Eclipse Plate provided structure and unique real estate for the Jordan team to test the boundaries of colorways. 

A three-way concert kicked off between Tatum, Ruffles® and Jordan Brand. Together, the trio cooked up an Air Jordan 36 PE that honored the long history of Jayson’s spirit. Featuring Ruffles®’ signature blue, white and red, Tatum’s newest colorway boasts a printed pattern and ridge-like finishes across the tongue, collar and heel pull tab. Direct nods to Ruffles are on the outsole and the insole, where “Own Your Ridges®” is written.

The flames got extra hot when Tatum wore them against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of the 2022 playoffs. He shocked the world with a twirling, game-winning layup that brought his fire all the way from St. Louis to Boston.

Want a chance to score a pair of these exclusive Flamin’ Hot kicks? From now until July 31st, Visit RufflesSneakers.com to learn how you can have a chance to win an autographed pair of Jayson Tatum’s Size 15 Air Jordan 36 “Ruffles” PEs.

The post The Story Behind Jayson Tatum’s ‘Ruffles’ Air Jordan 36 PE appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks are the most aggressive team in trade talks around the league right now with the goal of finding a co-star to pair alongside Trae Young, per @wojespn.

John Collins is expected to be involved in any deal Atlanta makes this week. pic.twitter.com/PPiGerZGSD

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 21, 2022

In order to pair another star with All-Star point guard Trae Young, the Hawks are reportedly willing to move John Collins. The forward out of Wake Forest is expected to be involved in any deal Atlanta pursues despite coming off inking a five-year deal last summer.

This past season, the Hawks could not recapture the magic that helped them make a run to the Eastern Conference Championship before falling to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Young earned another All-Star bid, but the Hawks finished the regular season with a 43-39 record and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the play-in tournament for the eighth seed.

The No. 1 seeded Miami Heat ended Atlanta’s season with a first-round sweep.

The post REPORT: Hawks Will Be Aggressive in Finding Trae Young a Co-Star appeared first on SLAM.

This list is also featured in our special issue, SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time. Shop here.

Check out the full list below to see who our number one is and where your favorite team ranks. We expect that there will be some disgruntled fans out there, but that’s what makes this fun, right?

No. 66-75

Last but certainly not least. From the 1997-98 Pacers who put up a fight against the Chicago Bulls’ “Last Dance” squad to the 2018-19 Raptors that made history in the 6.

READ HERE

No. 65-55

These squads set the foundation for greatness to come. The birth of the Celtics dynasty with Bill Russell to the 2004-2005 Phoenix Suns had the best record in the L.

READ HERE

No. 54-44

Rewriting history. The 2003-04 Pistons that ended the Lakers’ Finals run to Milwaukee’s first title.

READ HERE

No. 43-33

Heavyweights turned champions. From the 1983-84 Celtics that brought the ‘chip back to the Bean over LA to the 2011-12 Heat that won LeBron James his first ring.

READ HERE

No. 32-22

Tight spaces and pressure packed situations formed these teams into dynasties. From the 2001-02 Lakers completing the three-peat, to the Spurs squad that gave Tim Duncan his third ring.

READ HERE

No. 21-11

These squads made history. The 2015-16 Warriors that won 73 games to the Cavaliers team that upset them in that same Finals.

READ HERE

No. 10

Back to back. Miami became the first Eastern Conference team to repeat as champions since the “Last Dance” Bulls.

READ HERE

No. 9

At the height of their dominance in 2000-01, the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers generated one of the best postseason runs ever when they lost just one game in the 2001 playoffs.

READ HERE

No. 8

Paid in Full. The early 80’s were mostly dominated by the Lakers and Celtics, but the 1982-83 Sixers, led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone, swept LA in the Finals.

READ HERE

No. 7

The first of six rings for Jordan, this Bulls squad redeemed themselves when they swept the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and then defeated the Lakers in five.

READ HERE

No. 6

A revenge tour and Magic’s first regular-season MVP, this “Showtime” Lakers team returned to the Finals after missing it the previous season.

READ HERE

No. 5

A coin flip in ’69 allowed the Bucks to draft Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which brought a championship in his second season as he averaged over 30 points per game and earned MVP honors. Legendary.

READ HERE

No. 4

Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics were flying high in the mid 80’s. Larry himself won his second Finals MVP trophy in ’86.

READ HERE

No. 3

The opening act before Showtime. The Lakers capped off a tremendous season and brought vindication to the franchise. Wilt Chamberlain was the Finals MVP, and Jerry West could finally feel like a winner.

READ HERE

No. 2

One of the most talented teams ever assembled in the L, the Warriors lost only a single game during the 2017 playoffs. Adding Kevin Durant made their 2016-17 squad unstoppable.

READ HERE

No. 1

Top 2 and they’re not 2. The 1995-96 Bulls weathered a perfect storm; getting Michael Jordan back in full form, adding Dennis Rodman, the Bulls won their fourth title.

READ HERE

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: FULL LIST appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s our No. 21-11:

21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 21-11 appeared first on SLAM.

Where the Cavs front office and Sexton may disagree is the amount of money Young Bull will make. According to NBA insider Michael Scott of the Hoopshype podcast, the Cavs want to retain Sexton, and Sexton will be demanding “starting guard money.”

“The Cavaliers want to retain Collin Sexton,” NBA insider Michael Scotto said on the HoopsHype podcast. “He’s going to demand starting guard money, I’m told.

“There are some teams who will be in the market for a point guard this summer, including the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards, who would have to acquire Sexton in a sign-and-trade if they want to get him. Last season, no restricted free agent signed an offer sheet, and players such as Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen switched teams via sign-and-trade.”

Sexton led the Cavs in scoring in 2020-21 (24.1 points per game) and 2021-22 (16.0 points per game) before he suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee 11 games into the season.

Should Cleveland decide to extend Sexton, he will be joining a team with a new pecking order after Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen broke out and earned All-Star nominations. With Allen, Garland, and Evan Mobley as their franchise cornerstones, the Cavs (44-38) earned a spot in the Play-In Tournament thanks to their identity as a top-five ranked defense.

The Cavs also acquired Caris LeVert at the trade deadline. Both Sexton and LeVert play the same position. If Sexton returns, the Cavs will be facing a question of who starts and who comes off the bench. Both guards have experience playing a reduced role, with Sexton embracing the Cavs and asking him to take fewer shots for the team’s benefit. LeVert went from key weapon to coming off the bench to playing second-fiddle in his short time in Indiana.

The experience the two have in different roles will help make whatever transition Coach J.B. Bickerstaff will make. The main question will be if Cleveland wants to pay Sexton when they have a logjam at guard and will also need to prepare for extension talks when Garland becomes eligible in 2023. The other question will be does Cleveland believe they will repeat their success with Sexton next to Garland, LeVert, Allen, and Mobley.

Regardless, Cleveland has a bright future with Bickerstaff and GM Koby Altman at the top of the helm and Garland’s rise as the team’s face combined with the rapid development of All-Rookie center Mobley.

The post REPORT: Collin Sexton Wants ‘Starting Guard Money’ in New Cavs Deal appeared first on SLAM.

“Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career. He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league’s premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento.”

Brown is currently the lead assistant with Golden State, whom he was with when they won back-to-back NBA Championships in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Current Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was lost for words when speaking about Brown leaving Dub Nation to join Sacramento.

“I don’t even know where to begin. What Mike has done for me, this organization in his six years here — He’s an amazing coach, friend. Sacramento made a great choice.”

Brown was named Coach of the Year back in 2008-09 after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a franchise-record 66 wins alongside a then 24-year-old LeBron James. Brown holds a 347-216 career record as a head coach (61.6 winning percentage), having led six of his seven squads to the postseason when being at the helm.

Brown will remain with the Warriors through the 2022 playoffs before heading to Sactown.

The post Sacramento Kings Officially Announce Mike Brown as Next Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

The sudden rise could certainly be attributed to the All-Star campaigns of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen and the outstanding play of rookie big man Evan Mobley and a top-5 defense, but the longest-tenured vet Kevin Love, who finished the season as a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award, noted that team therapy played a significant role in the team gelling well and helping them to focus.

According to Insider, Love told his teammates that they should work with the therapist in question, Mayur Pandya. Love also credits Pandya with helping improve his and his teammates’ game overall, at least from a mental standpoint.

“Boosting mental performance and resilience is the reason we are here today,” Love said, “We’re all much better for it and having these conversations, and having Dr. Pandya taking the time, and for the organization understanding that it’s important.”

Pandya has been with the Cavs since the 2018-19 season, but his services weren’t highly sought after according to Love, at least not until this year.

Love said his teammates grew more comfortable with going to a therapist after DeMar DeRozan opened up about his battles with mental health last June, with his Instagram post serving as the catalyst for mental-health treatment becoming normal for NBA players.

Pandya worked with the Cavs individually and in group sessions per Love, with groups being split up into two groups featuring vets and younger players in both groups. The two groups used meditation and therapy to help players sharpen their mental focus, resilience, and chemistry.

“Everybody has their own journey and mental-health journey, but we’re not meant to go through this alone,” Love said. “Having diversity within our group, how we grew up, where we were born, socioeconomic status, wherever we may be, I think there’s a lot of problem-solving there.”

Love said meditation and therapy helped the players sharpen their mental focus, resilience, and chemistry. Love said he discovered meditation in 2017 when the James-led Cavaliers were in the middle of four straight seasons in which they made it to the NBA Finals.

The post Kevin Love Credits Cavs Therapist With Cavs Resurgent Season appeared first on SLAM.

#LetEmKnow, K Love pic.twitter.com/YPIvJSnf3P

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 5, 2022

Instead, the idea of a rise to playoffs was catapulted to Finals contenders status when LeBron James decided to sign with Cleveland as a free agent. The Big 3 guided the Cavs to a historic championship in 2016, bringing the Cavs back from a daunting 3-1 deficit to beat the 73-9 Warriors.

The Cavs would meet the Dubs two more times in the Finals, losing both, and the last without Irving, who requested a trade out of Cleveland and landed in Boston. Since then, Love has gone through some injury-plagued seasons, and at the same time, the Cavs struggled to remain relevant after James left Cleveland for a second time, missing the playoffs for three straight seasons.

The 2021-22 season offered some hope and reprieve for Love and the Cavs. Cleveland finished the regular season at 44-38, finishing eighth in the East thanks to a top 5 defensive team and the breakout seasons of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and the excellent play of rookie big man Evan Mobley. Love also finished as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award after averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds.

However, the Cavs could not win either of their play-in games, losing to the Nets and then the Hawks, leaving them with a 10th place finish.

In his latest Instagram post, Love revealed just how gratifying the productive season was after the five-time All-Star prioritized making his body durable and buying into improving the culture around a young Cavs team that’s not close to their ceiling. The change in Love’s perspective allowed him to accept a new role as the first player off the bench so that Mobley and Allen could thrive like they did as well.

Love captioned his reflective post stating he wanted to ‘help lead a young team in taking the next step’ in their evolution while also striving to ‘be the vet I never had early in my career.’ He also emphasized just how necessary sacrifice was in order to help the team make a leap in their development. He went on to thank J.B. Bickerstaff for trusting him and being honest so that he could ‘be the best version of myself.’

The 2011 Most Improved Player then listed off his accomplishments of the season, leading bench players in double-doubles, breaking a franchise record for made three’s off the bench, leading the team in made triples, and tying the League leader in charges taken. Love also made sure to brag on his availability and leading the Cavs in games played, reiterating that he played every game this season except for eight after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Love also stated that he felt like a runner-up finish for 6Moty ‘meant something to me to earn my respect back in a League and game that I’ve dedicated my life to.’ He concluded his post by saying, ‘keep showing up. Remain hungry.
And fuck what THEY think.”

The post Kevin Love Reflects on ‘Helping Lead a Young Team in Taking the Next Step’ 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.

After a slow start, much like his previous game against the Charlotte Hornets, he put together another epic performance in the second half, scoring 32 of his 38 points in a 107-101 Atlanta win. Young spearheaded the Hawks in the scoring column erasing a Cleveland halftime double-digit lead by the end of the third quarter.

Trae Young and the Hawks come storming back in the third quarter.

This season, the Cavaliers lost 17 games after leading by 10+ points, most in the NBA pic.twitter.com/0viGPDRyFr

— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2022

Ice Trae highlighted this by knocking down a pair of three-pointers on his way to scoring Atlanta’s final 12 points. Young sparked a 17-8 Hawks run over the final 3:48 to go into the 4th quarter with an 84-all tie.

Young scored or assisted on 43 points in the second half, personally outpacing the Cavs for the final 24 minutes (40 points). The Oklahoma products performance not only punched Atlanta’s ticket to the playoffs, but he also made a little history along the way.

After dropping 32 in the second half, Trae Young became the 1st Hawks player in the last 25 seasons with 30+ points in a half of a playoff/play-in game, per @ESPNStatsInfo. https://t.co/94YIJNBhsD

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) April 16, 2022

“Trae has a great deal of confidence in his game, his ability, and he continued to believe,” Hawks Coach Nate McMillan said about his superstar guard, per ESPN. “I didn’t see any panic in his play. He came out in the second half, remained aggressive. Those shots started to fall, the same shots that he was taking the first half; they started to fall in the second half.”

Young talked about his mindset going into the second half after the game.

“I felt like I was letting my team down in the first half.”

Trae Young scored 32 points in the second half to send the Hawks to the playoffs pic.twitter.com/ybFpsjJRfs

— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2022

Trae Young and the Hawks get to test their luck starting on Sunday when they take on the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

The post Trae Young Bails out Atlanta Hawks With Huge Second Half Scoring Binge appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks big man had to be helped off the floor after fouling Evan Mobley and forcing him to the floor. When Capela grabbed Mobley by the shoulders, the momentum caused a collision by the sidelines.

Clint Capela went to the locker room with an apparent leg injury after this foul on Evan Mobley. pic.twitter.com/hGv3O9KvSd

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 16, 2022

According to the Hawks, Capela would not return to the game after suffering what was diagnosed as a hyperextended right knee. ESPN’s NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, reported that Capela would undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine the extent of the damage. The timetable of his return is unknown.

There’s initial optimism that Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela hasn’t suffered significant right knee damage, but an MRI on Saturday will determine extent of possible injury, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 16, 2022

Before the injury, Clint Capela had seven points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes of action. 

The injury is a significant loss for the Atlanta Hawks. Capelaposted a strong performance in the first play-in game against Charlotte with 15 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Without Capela, Coach Nate McMillan and his staff have to find other production options to replace the Swizz product, who averages a double-double with 11.1 points and 11.9 rebounds in the regular season.

SLAM will follow this injury situation as it develops.

The post Clint Capela Suffers Knee Injury in Atlanta Hawks Victory Over the Cavs appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN Sources: Cleveland’s All-Star center Jarrett Allen (finger) is a go vs. Atlanta in the Play-In Tournament game (7:30 PM ET, ESPN). Allen completed his pregame routine and will play for the first time since March 6.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2022

The Cavaliers will get to play their Triple Towers lineup after it was reported that Jarrett Allen would play against the Hawks, barring a setback, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Jarrett Allen will play tonight vs. Atlanta in elimination Play-In Tournament game, barring setback in warmups, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/exIpyYBiQl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 15, 2022

Allen suffered a fractured finger on his left hand on March 6. The injury forced him to miss 19 games, including the Cavs’ Play-In tournament loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Cavs went 7-11 after Allen went down. The late-season slide forced the Cavs to fall from sixth in the East standings to eighth and play in the Play-In Tournament for the first of two chances to clinch a playoff appearance. The winner of the Cavs-Hawks matchup will take on the No. 1 seed Miami Heat on Sunday

Allen finished the regular-season averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in 56 appearances.

The post REPORT: Jarrett Allen to Play Friday Play-In Game Against Atlanta appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks were in control for the entire game, but a 42-point third-quarter explosion basically put the game away to the point that questions were raised on why the starters were in the game so late in the final quarter.

The Hawks DOMINATE the Hornets, 132-103, to move on to a 2nd play-in game pic.twitter.com/Z6vn0T1q8W

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 14, 2022

Hawks Coach Nate McMillan answered that question jokingly after the game via ESPN.

“The coaches were yelling and screaming at me, ‘Get the guys out so that we could get them a rest in!'” McMillan said via ESPN. “But it’s time to play. It’s game time. We should be ready when we go to Cleveland.”

Trae Young is definitely ready for the Cleveland matchup. Even with a 3-13 shooting performance in the first half, the attention of the Hornets’ defense opened up opportunities for his teammates, particularly Clint Capela. Capela exposed Charlotte’s need for a center, putting a stat line of 15 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.

The no-look alley pic.twitter.com/XTudyKwcio

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 13, 2022

After knocking down a second-quarter buzzer-beater just before the half, Ice Trae took advantage of Charlotte’s adjustments to his playmaking by knocking down open shots in the second half and finished with 24 points and 11 assists.

After stating that the Hawks needed to find motivation in the regular season to play like it was the playoffs, Young has again raised his level of play in big games. As the Knicks, Bucks, and Sixers saw last year, when he connects with his patented floaters and logo threes, it opens up lanes for his teammates that deflates defenses.

Trae draws four (4) defenders then drops a no-look dime pic.twitter.com/lt9P8MePsz

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 14, 2022

The winner of the Hawks and Cavaliers collision course on Friday night will face the Eastern Conference’s top seed in the Miami Heat.

The post Atlanta Hawks Stamp Their Ticket To Play Cavs By Blowing Out Charlotte appeared first on SLAM.

It sounds easy. Lots of regular season wins. A strong postseason record. A championship. And there you go: a good NBA team. 

Which, yeah, that’s true. But when you decide to rank the 75 best NBA teams of all time—something we tasked ourselves with as a way to celebrate the NBA’s 75th anniversary—it gets a little tricky. Because the numbers do lie: a certain number of wins doesn’t necessarily reflect a certain level of dominance, nor does it take into account level of competition. And then there’s an intangible, incalculable factor, a feeling that certain teams give off that even if the game is close, or the series is close, they’re gonna come out on top. And they always do. That’s gotta count for something, right?

SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time is AVAILABLE NOW!

So this list was pretty damn impossible to put together. We tried our best, mostly guided by the idea that the way to measure the true quality of a team is to think about how much better they were than everyone else they played against. Some decent team in the 2000s would almost definitely destroy an excellent team from the ’70s if we teleported all of the players into the same dimension and let them go at it, but that’s not how this works. This is about dominating your era. 

Another caveat: While it helps, you don’t have to win a championship to be on this list. For one, that’d result in just ranking every NBA champion, which while doable is just not that fun. And secondly, there were some incredible NBA teams that fell short of championships but were still so far ahead of the rest of the League (besides the champion) that they deserve to leapfrog some actual champions. 

And then there’s the two teams in the 2016 Finals, which was maybe the toughest part of this list. You’ve got the record-setting 73-win Golden State Warriors and a great (but not otherworldly) Cleveland Cavaliers team. By almost every account, the Ws were a better squad, but the Cavs came back from down 3-1 to win the Finals. And a seven-game series is played to determine which team is better, so how could those Cavs be lower on this list? We decided they couldn’t, but that was tough. So they sorta met in the middle, and the Ws wound up many spots below where they otherwise would’ve been with one more win, and the Cavs catapulted even higher than they would’ve been had they won an ordinary Finals.

If you have an issue with the aforementioned paragraph or really anything on this list (and I certainly expect y’all to), you know how to reach us: @SLAMonline on Twitter, @SLAM on IG, @SLAM on TikTok, SLAM Magazine on Facebook and trashtalk@slammediainc.com to hit us via email. We want to hear some opinions, or just send us your lists—we’re genuinely curious. Hit slamgoods.com to order your issue now. — Adam Figman, Editor in Chief

SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time is available now in these exclusive gold and black metal editions. Shop here.

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As Love has gotten older, he has become more of a role player for Cleveland, but it’s a role he is learning to embrace.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Love spoke about the positives that his role as a bench contributor has had on his career.

“Coming off the bench, I think it can add a lot of time to my career,” says Love. “I feel great. My body feels great. Mentally I feel great. In this league, if you can rebound and you can shoot, you can basically play for as long as you want. I have no [plans on] slowing down or stepping away anytime soon.”

This season, Love has played in 71 games for the Cavs but has started only four of them, the fewest total of any season in his NBA career by a large margin. The second-lowest total came from Love’s 2012-13 season, where he only played 18 games, starting all 18 of them.

Coming off the bench hasn’t hindered Love’s production thought, as he is currently averaging a respectable 13.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

Now 33-years-old, Love is in the latter stages of an NBA career that produced five All-Star appearances, two All-NBA mentions, and was the 2010-11 NBA Most Improved Player.

While Love may not be an All-Star anymore, he has still played a prominent role in the Cavs’ most successful season in years. Cleveland is currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with a record of 43-37 and is on pace to clinch a postseason appearance for the first time since 2018.

Cleveland has just two games remaining this season, closing out the regular season on Sunday, April 10, against the Brooklyn nets.

The post Kevin Love on Bench Role With Cavs: ‘I Think it Can Add a lot of Time to My Career’ appeared first on SLAM.

Cleveland’s Evan Mobley will be out the next three games rehabbing his sprained left ankle, Cavs say.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 30, 2022

The Cavs’ next three contests will be against the Mavericks, Hawks, and Knicks. Mobley will not be traveling with the team when they travel to Atlanta and New York. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, when the former USC center first suffered the injury, Mobley’s MRI confirmed the injury, but the results came back negative for anything more extensive.

Mobley averaged 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the seventh-place Cavs (42-33).

The post Cavs Announce Evan Mobley Will Miss Next Three Games appeared first on SLAM.

First winning season secured since 2017-18 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/nE2FXoPDcI

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 29, 2022

The Cavs’ turnaround to seventh place in the Eastern Conference was created by GM Koby Altman, who has built this franchise around a mix of youth in All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley, who have been guided by the leadership of veterans like Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, two former NBA champs, and Caris LeVert who arrived in Cleveland at the trade deadline.

Keys to the City. : @CGatewood_ pic.twitter.com/CKnUHz6COk

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 29, 2022

Garland has posted career-high numbers across the board at 21.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game. He’s also shooting a career-best 46.3 percent from the field. Allen has also averaged a career-high 16.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Mobley is averaging 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in his first season out of USC.

The Cavs are ranked fourth in the League in defensive rating (108.0) but 20th in offensive rating (110.4) with a net rating of 2.5, which sits them at 11th.

Cleveland (42-33) return to the hardwood on Tuesday when they host the Mavericks.

The post Cavs Achieve First Winning Season Since 2017-2018 Campaign appeared first on SLAM.

Crawford, who was drafted eighth overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, suited up for nine different teams throughout his career.

After stints with the Bulls, Knicks, and Warriors, Crawford joined the Atlanta Hawks in ’09 where he backed up stars Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby. He averaged 18 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists off the bench that year, leading to him winning his first Sixth Man of the Year award. In addition, he also set an all-time NBA record for most career four-point plays in 2010, surpassing Reggie Miller.

In 2019, Crawford put the perfect cherry on top to his legacy by becoming the oldest player to tally 50-plus points; a record previously held by Michael Jordan. During the game, Crawford shot 60 percent from the field, 7-of-13 from three-point range, and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Throughout his time in the NBA, Crawford has been a prominent figure in the basketball community with his filthy handles and crazy hoop mixtapes over the year. His game has opened the doors for many of the finesse players we see today such as Lou Williams, Immanuel Quickley, and Bones Hyland.

As we’ve said before, a moment of appreciation for all that he’s done for the game.

The post Three-Time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford Retires from the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons’ absence has left some wondering if he would play for the Nets at all this season.

On Tuesday, Coach Steve Nash spoke to media to dispel those rumors, stating that he believes the chances of Simmons playing this season are “extremely high.”

The good news comes some bad, as Nash also told reporters that Simmons wouldn’t be traveling with the team while he continues to rehab.

Simmons was sent to the Nets along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond as part of the trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn, fellow new arrivals Curry and Drummond have picked up the slack. Curry and Drummond have played in 11 games so far, with Curry averaging 15.8 points and 3.2 assists and Drummond averaging 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The Nets could really use the presence of Simmons, and quickly. Brooklyn is currently sitting at the back of the Eastern Conference playoff race in eighth place with a record of 36-33, 3.5 games behind the sixth, and final non-play-in seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (39-29).

The post Steve Nash Says Ben Simmons Likely to Play in Regular Season appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday night, Irving had a bonkers evening of scoring, building his high career-high on an insanely efficient 20-for-31 from the field, 8-for-12 from deep, and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. And just for good measure, Irving added six rebounds, four assists, and four steals to his boxscore.

60.

(via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/VKdGBfmhj4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 16, 2022

Perhaps most impressively of all, Irving scored 41 of his points in the first half.

It's always special to see one of the league's best get in the zone like this.

(via @BrooklynNets) pic.twitter.com/v3GBWBirvA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 16, 2022

The performance from Irving was so dominant that the opposing Magic fans gave him a standing ovation following the game.

On top of being an NBA season-best, Irving’s 60-piece is the most scored by a player in a single game in Nets’ franchise history.

After the game, Irving talked about some of the shots he chose to take throughout the night, and in response, he said that while that’ not usually how he plays on Tuesday, he had to “get in my Kobe bag.”

Irving’s teammates and coaches didn’t mind the mentality either.

“He’s just incredible. It felt like he had my career highlight reel in the first 12 minutes,” Nets çoach Steve Nash told the New York Posts’ Brian Lewis following the game. “It’s special to watch him on nights like this where he’s in total control, total command — It’s a pleasure to see it up close.”

“We seen he was well on his way to a high-scoring night so 60 — the night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, and then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an incredible place right now,” Kevin Durant told ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

The win over the Magic was a big one for the Nets, as they work to try and play themselves out of the play-in game and into the top six seeds in the East. Currently, Brooklyn is eighth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 36-33 and are 3.5 games back of the six-seed Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Kyrie Irving Drops 60 Points, Sets Franchise Record for Points in a Game appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas was asked by the media on Thursday about his relationship with the Celtics and if he ever tried to return to the franchise over the past few seasons.

Thomas responded by saying that it was difficult to talk about but that he “opened my arms to try and come back.”

Thomas played for the Celtics from 2014 to 2017 and found a lot of success with the franchise. Thomas played in 179 games for Boston over three seasons, where he averaged 24.7 points and 6.0 assists per game. During his time with the Celtics, Thomas was also named to two All-Star teams, one All-NBA Team, and finished fifth in MVP voting for the 2017-2018 season.

In 2017, Thomas was traded away to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the package that brought Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. Thomas would only play in 15 games for the Cavs before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers later.

That 2017 trade seemed to spark the beginning of some tumultuous times in Thomas’ career. He has yet to catch on anywhere in the League ever since, playing for seven different teams since his time with the Celtics, including two separate stints with the Lakers.

This year, Thomas has played in six total games for three different teams: the Mavericks, Lakers, and is currently playing for the Charlotte Hornets.

Thomas is set to get a reunion with his former squad on Wednesday when the Hornets play host to the Celtics at 7:00 p.m.

The post Isaiah Thomas on Celtics Reunion: ‘I Opened My Arms to Try and Come Back’ appeared first on SLAM.

The second-year guard ran roughshod over the Cavaliers’ defense in the second half, scoring 14 points in the third quarter to erase Cleveland’s early 21-point lead late.

Hope you’re awake now if you weren’t already. Tyrese Maxey is HIM.

33 PTS
5 AST
4 REB
5-6 3PM

(via @sixers) pic.twitter.com/YnxW4CzEQh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 5, 2022

Maxey officially took over the game in the final quarter, hitting a huge three-pointer to give the Sixers a one-point lead followed by a second to extend the lead to 110-106 that had Sixers Nation blowing the roof off the arena.

The Kentucky product finished the night with 33 points on 10-15 shooting while hitting 5-6 shots from beyond the arc. Despite the new “Big 3” talk in Philadelphia, Maxey doesn’t see it that way.

“I don’t think we look at it as Big 3, Big 2,” Maxey said per ESPN. “I think we look at it as one unit.”

His huge game was not lost on The Beard, who was in foul trouble early in the first half. Afterward, he sent out a tweet shining the light on his young teammate.

when your lil bro finally beat you in 21 pic.twitter.com/iF8MjcWUao

— James Harden (@JHarden13) March 5, 2022

Maxey, Harden, and the Sixers do not have long to celebrate their win due to an impending showdown Saturday night against the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat in South Beach.

The post Tyrese Maxey Lifts 76ers To 125-119 Win Over Cleveland appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that OG Anunoby would miss the next two weeks of the season due to a fractured finger.

Raptors Coach Nick Nurse told Wojnarowski that after the two weeks, Anunoby would be re-evaluated to determine when he would return to play. If Anunoby remains out just two weeks, he will still miss seven games, including matchups with some of the NBA’s best like the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets.

He will join another important Raptor, Fred VanVleet, on Toronto’s injury list, as VanVleet is recovering from a knee injury and has missed the past three games.

Anunoby is a big part of the Raptors’ success so far this season, as he is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, all career-highs for the fifth-year NBA player.

The timing of the injury isn’t great for the Raptors, as they currently are in the thick of a playoff race, sitting at seventh-place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 34-28, just 2.0 games back of the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics.

The Raptors will go again on Friday night when they play host to the Orlando Magic (15-48) at 7:30 p.m.

The post REPORT: OG Anunoby to Miss Two Weeks With Fractured Finger appeared first on SLAM.

That’s why Nets fans had a reason for optimism on Thursday when general manager Sean Marks told the YES Network that newly-acquired forward Ben Simmons would begin being worked “into game shape” after next week.

Simmons has yet to play a game this season, as he has sat out the entirety of the year waiting for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons got that trade at the trade deadline a few weeks ago, when he, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond were shipped to Brooklyn for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons is also not the only one missing time for the Nets at the moment, with Kyrie Irving still only able to play away games and Joe Harris recently ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Curry and Drummond have already picked up some slack since the trade, with Curry averaging 16.6 points per game for the Nets and Drummond averaging 9.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Before this season, Simmons had more than proved his worth as one of the NBA’s best, accumulating three All-Star appearances and being named to two All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team.

The Nets are currently fighting to stay in the playoffs altogether, as they are now eighth in the East with a record of 32-32 but are just 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-placed Washington Wizards (28-33) and 5.0 games back of the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers (36-26).

Brooklyn looks to end their three-game losing streak on Sunday when they head to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (38-27).

The post REPORT: Ben Simmons to be Worked ‘Into Game Shape’ Next Week appeared first on SLAM.

Back in Decemeber, Isaiah Thomas talked to SLAM about his love for the game. Now, three months later, there’s something special about seeing IT not only step up, but show out after signing a series of 10-day contracts and hoopin’ in the G League.

The Hornets recently signed Thomas to a deal after three explosive outings with the Denver Nuggets’ NBA G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, where he scored 42, 45, and 46 points, respectively. The last showcase was against the Hornets’ G League team, the Greensboro Swarm. In his debut as a Charlotte Hornet on Wednesday, Thomas contributed 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists in only 14 minutes of action off the bench to help lead Charlotte to a much-needed 119-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He scored his first points as a Hornet off a simple pin-down action that sprung him open for a sweet pull-up from beyond the arc.

Isaiah Thomas scores his first points as a Hornet pic.twitter.com/xNtbdB0ZlS

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 3, 2022

After the game, Terry Rozier shared what makes him so excited about reuniting with the former All-Star in a Hornets uniform.

“He never ceases to amaze me, the way he can put the ball in the basket,” Rozier said of Thomas, his former teammate in Boston via ESPN. “With his leadership and his voice, he’s already making a difference in the locker room.”

This is not the first time the Washington product started out the gate fast on a 10-day contract. In December, Thomas led the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring with 19 points in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

@isaiahthomas puts up 19 points in his return to the @Lakers and his 2021-22 NBA debut! pic.twitter.com/tgblSNIWGX

— NBA (@NBA) December 18, 2021

The Hornets will be Thomas’ 10th NBA stop over his 12-year career, including a memorable three-year tenure with the Boston Celtics. During his time in Beantown, Thomas was made the All-Star Game twice and earned a Second-Team All-NBA selection in 2017.

The post Isaiah Thomas Makes His Charlotte Hornets Debut appeared first on SLAM.

Harden, along with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, hosted a packed house party in his Philadelphia home debut, putting up a stat line of 26 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds to lead the 76ers to a 123-108 win over the struggling New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

Beard debut tonight in Philly. How many he dropping? (via @NBCSPhilly) pic.twitter.com/d3qxRyCMEC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 3, 2022

The Beard displayed the entire repertoire of what he has to offer to the Sixers.

First, he got his superstar center involved early in the post to start the game off.

James Joel pic.twitter.com/J9HTlCeyEg

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 3, 2022

Then after finding his rhythm midway through the first quarter, Harden dropped his first points came with 5:32 mark with a step-through drive to the basket to draw the foul and a free throw.

First bucket of many at the crib. (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/1Xtq0IylIj

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 3, 2022

Then the next time down, the Beard showcased his step-back 3 point shot that NBA fans have grown to love for five fast points at the drop of a hat.

knew it was good the second the ball left his hands. pic.twitter.com/C649T63d2q

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 3, 2022

The Sixers have now moved to 3-0 with Harden in the lineup. His partnership with Embiid (27 points and 12 rebounds) and surprisingly seamless transition with Maxey (25 points, four boards, three dimes) have helped the Sixers emerge as the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers (38-23) take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (36-26) at home on Friday night.

The post James Harden Picks Apart the Knicks in 76ers Home Debut appeared first on SLAM.

Cleveland guard Rajon Rondo will be out two weeks with a toe sprain, team says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 25, 2022

Rondo has put up 7.5 points and 5.0 assists per game in 14 appearances. The two-time champ has brought a veteran presence to a young Cavs team that has shot up the Eastern Conference playoff standings. His injury further depletes a Cavs backcourt that is missing Collin Sexton and Caris LeVert due to injury. Darius Garland is also day-to-day with a back injury.

The Cavs (35-24) have 23 games remaining on their schedule, including a matchup with the Wizards coming on Saturday.

The post Rajon Rondo Out Two Weeks With Toe Sprain Per Cavs appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that Cavs guard Caris LeVert would be out up to two weeks with a right foot sprain.

LeVert is a very recent acquisition for the Cavaliers, making his way to Cleveland at the NBA trade deadline two weeks ago from the Indiana Pacers. To acquire LeVert, the Cavs had to send the injured Ricky Rubio, a 2022 first-round pick and two second-round draft picks.

Since coming to Cleveland, LeVert has played just four games but has an average of 13.3 points and 3.8 assists per game. LeVert is capable of much more, and with more time, Cavs fans may soon watch the LeVert, who was averaging 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game with the Pacers, emerge.

The Cavaliers (35-24) are fifth in the East and are 3.5 games back of the first-place Chicago Bulls.

If LeVert is out for two weeks, he could miss up to seven games for the Cavaliers, including matchups against teams at the top of the East in the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, and a rematch with his former team, the Pacers.

The post REPORT: Caris LeVert Out Up to Two Weeks With Foot Injury appeared first on SLAM.

These schools haven’t received a lot of national attention for their contributions to the game. Nevertheless, HBCUs have produced some terrific talent, who have gone on to enjoy careers in the NBA, such as Leonard “Truck” Robinson (Tennessee State, New Orleans Jazz), Donald “Slick” Watts (Xavier La., Seattle SuperSonics), Caldwell Jones (Albany State, Philadelphia 76ers), Purvis Short (Jackson State, Golden State Warriors), Larry Smith (Alcorn State, Golden State Warriors), and Kyle O’Quinn (Norfolk State, Philadelphia 76ers), among many other.

Right now, Robert Covington from Tennessee State, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, is the only active NBA player from an HBCU.

This number could change with some future potential prospects playing at Black institutions, like Joe Bryant (Norfolk State), Tyree Corbett (Coppin State), Kyle Foster (Howard), M.J. Randolph (Florida A&M), and Jalen Johnson (Alabama A&M), to name a few. Today’s HBCU stars are well-coached, with the likes of LeVelle Moton (North Carolina Central University), Robert Jones (Norfolk State), Johnny Jones (Texas Southern), and Byron Smith (Prairie View A&M) among the many impactful mentors.

In addition, the NBA and the NBPA will host a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game between Howard University and Morgan State on Saturday, Feb. 19 during NBA All-Star Weekend at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Throughout Black History Month, SLAM spotlighted five HBCU legends who were not only dominant players during their time, but also trail blazers of the game.

Check out our list from Week 1 (Earl Monroe, Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn, Willis Reed, Avery Johnson), Week 2(Sam Jones, Ben Wallace, Dick Barnett, Bobby Dandridge, Marvin Webster) and Week 3 (Earl Lloyd, Lindsey Hunter, Al Attles, Ronald “Flip” Murray, Cleo Hill).  

Mike Davis was an outstanding scorer. Not only did he finish his career as the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer with 2,758 points, but Davis is also the CIAA’s second all-time leading scorer behind Hall of Famer Earl Monroe (2,935). During the 1967-68 season, Davis averaged 36.3 points a game, and in 1969, he was named CIAA Player of the Year. Davis went on to play for the Baltimore Bullets and the Buffalo Braves during his four NBA seasons, as well as for the Memphis Tams in the ABA.

Travis Grant was a scoring machine during his days at Kentucky State. He averaged 33.4 points a game during his career while taking the Thorobreds to three straight NAIA championships. The three-time NAIA All-American finished his career with 4,045 career points. In 1972, Grant was selected as a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Draft.  

Zelmo Beaty could make things happen on both ends of the floor and was both a brilliant scorer and rebounder. He finished his college career with 2,285 points and 1,916 rebounds. In 1962, he led Prairie View A&M to the NAIA championship and was the third overall pick in that year’s draft by the St. Louis Hawks. 

Beaty, who played six seasons in St. Louis and with the ABA’s Utah Stars, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Marques Haynes had an amazing college basketball career. He guided Langston University to an incredible record of 112-3 over his four years, which includes a 59-game winning streak. Haynes was the team’s all-time leading scorer, and a four-time All-State, All Conference selection and the team’s Most Valuable Player.

As one of the all-time greatest ball handlers, Beaty had a magnificent professional career with the Harlem Globetrotters where he showcased his sensational dribbling skills.

Elmore Smith was a tremendous rebounder who averaged 22.6 rebounds a game at Kentucky State and grabbed 1,917 rebounds during his college career. He was also a great scorer around the basket and averaged 21.3 points a game. Playing alongside All-American Travis Grant, Smith helped lead Kentucky State to two NAIA championships.

A third selection overall with the Buffalo Braves in 1971 NBA Draft, Smith played eight NBA seasons for the Braves, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s Top 20 Men’s HBCU Players of All Time: PART 4 appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN Sources: The Cleveland Cavaliers are promoting assistant general manager Mike Gansey to GM, an ascension in the wake of Koby Altman's elevation to President of Basketball Operations: https://t.co/zLQlc54bGO

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2022

The Cavs elevated Gansey to GM in the wake of the Cavs rewarding Koby Altman with an extension and ascension to president of basketball operations. Altman served as the principal architect of the Cavs’ rise up the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Ganey previously served as assistant general manager after a remarkable rise from becoming GM of the Canton Charge, where he won G League Executive of the Year in 2017. He worked in the front office of the Canton franchise for the last decade after starting as an intern in basketball operations in 2011.

The 39-year-old previously played college basketball for St. Bonaventure and West Virginia before playing professionally in the then-NBA D League for the Erie Bayhawks and Idaho Stampede. He also played professionally in China and Germany.

The post REPORT: Cavs to Promote Mike Gansey to General Manager appeared first on SLAM.

One of, if not the most important connection that resides on the court lies between the point guard and his big man down low. Being able to effectively read one another’s movements, eyes, even predicting each other’s decisions before they’re made, all heavily contribute to the depth of a team’s offensive repertoire. In Cleveland, the offensive depth between the trio of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is otherworldly. 

“I mean, they do it all for me,” Garland tells SLAM of Mobley and Allen over Zoom. “They’re setting all the screens and stuff, so [I’m] just trying to keep the connection with them going and with my teammates as well.”

The chemistry the three have built is unlike any other guard/big pairing in the League. A little under eight times per game, the 6-1 Garland will snake around a neck-jerking screen set by either the 243-pound, 7-6 wingspaned Allen, who has had beef with the rim all season, or by the mobile 6-11 newcomer Mobley, who will snatch the ball out of the air and slam it down on your head with ease. Or, you could drop down and take away both options, and leave a 37.7 percent three-point shooter open at the top of the key, waiting for the ball to drop through the net. 

It’s a pick your poison situation in Cleveland, and one of the youngest cores in the NBA is beginning to realize just how lethal of a connection they’re building. 

In his third year in the League, Garland is averaging career-highs across the board, good for 19.7 points, 8.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, as of late January. The Gary, IN, native’s ability to score with ease has been on display ever since he was picked 5th overall by the Cavs back in the 2019 Draft. His continued ability to make the players around him better has made waves across the League. 

In 10 out of 11 games played in December, Garland dropped five or more assists, gathering three double-doubles, including back-to-back 30-pieces against the Wizards and Jazz in the first week of the month. Within this world of hyper-proficiency resides the imposing forces of Mobley and Allen, who have received more than half of their buckets via Garland’s hand. DG’s assisted on 81 for Allen and 73 for Mobley. His career and team-high 8.2 assists has him on pace to rank in the League’s top 20 in assists per game for the second-straight season. 

The 22-year-old knows that as the team’s leader on the floor, he needs to make his voice heard. 

“I’m starting to become more vocal, talking to a lot of the guys and trying to put them in the
right situation where we can be successful,” he says. “So that’s just changed over my last couple of years, for sure.”

After Collin Sexton underwent left knee surgery for a torn meniscus in late November, DG took the reins of a team with a 9-8 record and whose identity was slowly being chiseled out behind head coach JB Bickerstaff. Two things were for sure, though: lobs and threes were plentiful, and Garland went to work with both, averaging two more shots from beyond the arc with defenders dropping underneath top of the key screens in order to take away easy toss ups at the rim to Mobley and Allen. 

“My teammates and coaching staff, they give me the confidence to shoot the ball. And even if I don’t shoot it, my teammates are on me, talking about, Shoot the ball, and stuff like that,” he says. “So they’ve definitely forced me to shoot it a little bit more than I want to, but as long as the teammates want me to and the coaching staff wants me to, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

The ascension of DG’s control over the flow of the game, coupled with the immeasurable wingspan taking up the paint, has given way to lots of excitement for hoops fans in Northeast Ohio. Lobs, threes and blocks are bountiful and the rest of the League has been paying attention.

On November 5, with 4.8 seconds left in the game, Garland calmly walked to the stripe, down one to the Toronto Raptors. Cool, calm and collected, the former Vanderbilt guard sank both free throws, snapping the Raptors’ five-game winning streak, and scoring 17 of his 21 points in the second half. In the locker room, Garland’s composure was doused by the water bottles of his teammates, as he wiped his soaked face with a towel, looked around the room and let out a series of barks, the team’s unique celebratory cheer. 

From grabbing every 50/50 ball and finishing each possession to knocking down clutch free throws down the stretch, Garland has proven this season that his continued progression and connection with the Cavs young core is built to disrupt the fabric of the League for years to come. 

The Cavs’ 102-101 November win over the Raptors may not have been the teams’ first realization of their dog mentality, but it was certainly the start of many instances in which Garland and the Cavs put everyone else on to it. 

That mentality has resided in the Cleveland organization for a minute now—a young team with a scrappy spirit and with the game to back it up. “Just being a pest, really,” Garland says of the team’s character.

“I think we’re starting to put the League on notice that we’re not just any slouch anymore. Like, you just can’t come into Cleveland and roll over us. I think we definitely deserve our respect.” 

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 2: The Land is available now!

Portrait by Jimmy Longo/Cleveland Cavaliers and Getty Images.

The post Darius Garland’s Elite Play Has the Cavs Ready to Disrupt the Fabric of the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Three players from the Cleveland Cavaliers teamed up to participate in the All-Star Skills Challenge. First-time All-Stars, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen teamed up with rookie Evan Mobley, whose star shined brightly in the NBA Rising Stars tournament, took on the Antetokounmpo brothers (Giannis, Thanasis, and Alex) and a team of rookies that consisted of Cade Cunningham, Josh Giddey and Scottie Barnes.

The Skills Challenge received a new look as the NBA revamped All-Star Weekend. The format featured the three teams participating in a competition broken down into three rounds of shooting, passing, and dribbling ability.

Round One (Shooting):

Team Cavs should thank their lucky stars they dominated this part of the competition because the next two rounds were not as kind. The Cavaliers trio played strategically, placing Jarrett Allen first and downsizing to Evan Mobley then Darius Garland. Garland dropped 24 points, outscoring the Antetokounmpos brothers by himself, followed by Mobley with 18.

Evan Mobley and Darius Garland close out the first round of #TacoBellSkills with a show for the Cleveland crowd!

Team @cavs in the lead on TNT pic.twitter.com/5vMS172BPh

— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2022

Round Two (Passing):

At this point of the competition, it looked like it was a two-team race between Team Cavs and Team Antetokounmpo despite the smooth execution of the weave to pile up the points by Team Cavs.

“This is poetry right here”

Cavs were in sync during the #TacoBellSkills challenge pic.twitter.com/pGugDBdLCw

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 20, 2022

The Greek Freak turned on the competitive drive that captured him two MVP awards, and his brothers tied Team Rooks at the end of round two. However, Team Antetokounmpo won the tiebreaker to collect 100 points from the passing competition for a tie leading into the skills competition that counted 200 points.

Round Three (Skills competition) and tiebreaker:

The idea of giving 200 points to the winner of the third round made this competition much more exciting. At this point, Team Rooks looked dead in the water when they put up a time of 1:18.5. That time presumably wasn’t fast enough to win the round.

In the end, poor shooting by Team Giannis and slow times by Team Cavs bailed the rookies out, and they took the 200 points to go to the final round. That left Team Giannis and Team Cavs with one shot for a chance to take on the rookies in the final round.

Darius Garland knocks out Team Antetokounmpo

Cavs move on to the final of the #TacoBellSkills pic.twitter.com/mfmkFOftPt

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 20, 2022

In a surprise to some, Giannis did not take the shot, and Thanasis missed to the right. On the other hand, Garland hit his attempt to win the tiebreaker and a trip to the finals.

Final Round (Half-court shot):

The rules were simple, whichever team could make a half-court shot the fastest would be declared the winner of the Skills Challenge. Cade Cunningham knocked down the half-court shot for the rookies to set the bar at 9.9 seconds.

It didn’t take long for Evan Mobley to close the deal for the hometown Cavaliers. The moment became a classic after legendary sharpshooter Reggie Miller screamed, “Cleveland, this is for you!” over the airwaves as the competition concluded.

“CLEVELAND THIS IS FOR YOU!”

Evan Mobley wins the #TacoBellSkills Challenge for Team Cavs pic.twitter.com/hORIPbs6mS

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 20, 2022

The post Cleveland Cavaliers Represents By Taking the NBA All-Star Skills Challenge appeared first on SLAM.

“The door’s not closed on that,” James told The Athletic. “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing, I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”

During his last tenure with the Cavaliers, The Chosen One finally delivered on his promise to lead the Cavs to a championship after leading the franchise to a title in 2016, famously climbing back from a 3-1 hole to upset the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in seven games, the first such comeback in League history.

If he were to return for the third time, he’d be joining a young team that, barring an epic collapse, would be making their first playoff appearance since he left Cleveland to join the Lakers in 2018. Playing with an exciting core of Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Evan Mobley Bron will be a free agent after the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season.

“I think Koby and those guys have done an unbelievable job drafting and making trades,” James said. “I think big fella (Allen), that acquisition was amazing for them to make that trade. Obviously, Darius Garland is a big-time player. And I think the role that Kevin (Love) is playing right now has kind of uplifted those young guys, seeing a veteran that could sacrifice, a champion that’s won a championship, all the things that he’s done, to come off the bench and play this role. I am not surprised by anything that they’re doing right now.”

The King has averaged 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game in his third season with the Lakers (27-31) and 19th overall season. As a Cavalier, James won two MVPs, won a scoring title, made six All-Star teams with three All-Star Game MVPs, was named to 10 All-NBA teams, and made two All-Defensive teams.

The post LeBron James On Return to Cleveland: ‘The Door’s Not Closed On That’ appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve got a myth to get out of the way: NBA defense wasn’t better in the ’80s and ’90s. 

Those dudes, for the most part, just hit people. They called that defense. 

There are exceptions, of course. Scottie Pippen, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, 
David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Gary Payton, John Stockton, Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning were all defenders ahead of their time—mentally, physically, technically and strategically. 

But defense in this era is a different game. This isn’t just about the new glossary of fancy terms that get yelled out on courts today. This is about a total redefinition of defensive responsibilities, an intellectual overhaul that has swept across the League. 

The new standards for guarding have touched down in Cleveland, where Jarrett Allen is an all-encompassing fortress. He doesn’t just lock down the interior. What started as something of a joke has become something closer to a revelation; the 6-10 Allen has been entrusted to switch pick-and-rolls on the perimeter. 

“I don’t really know how it happened, to be honest,” Allen tells us about the decision that he’d be guarding in space this season. “But I know last year, we were joking around, saying, you know, Let’s just switch 1 through 5. Partly just joking. And then this year we ended up adding Evan [Mobley] and Lauri [Markkanen] and Isaac [Okoro], great defenders. And then DG, he’s alright,” he says with a pause to allow his point guard, Darius Garland, the proper time to react to the playful slight on the group Zoom call. 

“And then we decided, Hey, you know, we’ve got all these bigs, why not just switch 3 through 5? Nobody’s gonna be able to really score against us in the paint. You blow by Evan, then you have to go up against me and Lauri. So we decided, Hey, this just might work. We tried it, what, in like the fifth game? And it worked. So don’t change what’s working.”

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 2: The Land is available now!

“Working” is a humble way for the 23-year-old to talk about his breakout season.  

Allen’s numbers are career-best across the board. The 2017 draftee has never averaged more points, rebounds or assists, played as many minutes per game or had a better shooting percentage. 

If the season ended today (as of early January), Allen would finish with the seventh best single season field goal percentage in the history of the League. That’s seventh ever, throughout 75 years. 

It’s been dunks, lays, jump hooks and extensions out to the middle. And, as confirmed by the history-maker himself, a three-ball is in the works. 

“It’s just a testament to the team and how we’re playing together,” the Texas alum says. “As corny as it sounds, it’s a team game. Everybody sharing the ball, especially my point guard DG getting me open, throwing me lobs. That’s one of the main reasons that I’m doing what I’m doing. And partly to the work I put in this summer. I made a big emphasis to improve my offensive game, whether it’s passing, scoring in the post, just all of it.”

That connection with Garland has proven devastating for opponents, something the old NBA defenses would’ve needed Hakeem or one of the Georgetown boys to contain. 

“DG, he just said he’s shooting seven threes a game and he’s shooting them super efficiently,” Allen continues. “So it’s really one of those pick-your-poison things. Do you want DG to get hot on the pick-and-roll? Shoot this floater? Or do you want to get dunked on by him throwing the lob to me? It’s one of those things. It’s tough to guard because each option usually leads to a bucket.”

Allen, DG and Mobley make up the Cavs’ young core. Hitters like Markkanen, Okoro and Cedi Osman have filled in the gaps. There’s even more talent—losing Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio to unfortunate injuries until the 2022-23 campaign stings, but the rest of the active players, including NBA champion and five-time All-Star Kevin Love, have the Cavs in the hunt for home court advantage in the 2022 playoffs.  

“Kevin’s a kid at heart, to be honest,” Allen says. “He kinda fits into our group, our young guys.”

It’s a group that has started barking together. Yeah, barking. Like dogs. Literally. 

“I didn’t start it,” Allen says. “Lamar [Stevens] started it, but I kinda adopted it. I think it’s perfect for what the team is trying to achieve. And it was fun. People look at us like, Why the hell are they barking? Honestly, I don’t know why, but it gets the team going. It’s funny. It’s one of those scrappy mentalities that I think works well with us. We’re a young team, but we have the talent to back up the scrap. I think that’s a perfect mentality for this team right now.”

Team, indeed. Excluding Sexton and Rubio, who would be part of this statistical crew, there are six Cavs averaging at least 11 points per game, as we head to press. Allen, Mobley and Love combine to pull down around 26 boards a night. Over 60 percent of their buckets come from assists. And thanks to Allen, the team has the third best defensive rating in the NBA, behind just the Warriors and the Suns. 

“It’s not a fluke,” Allen says. “That’s what people need to start realizing. You see people saying, Oh, man, they got the three bigs. Oh, this was just a lucky game for them. Oh, it’s not the new Cavs. It’s just a lucky game for them.

“But I’m just gonna keep asking: How many lucky games are we gonna have in a row? How many times are we gonna have to show that we’re a tough team, [that] you’re gonna have to play us hard, before they realize that we’re actually one of the top teams now?” 

Portrait Jimmy Longo/Cleveland Cavaliers and Getty Images.

The post How Jarrett Allen Established Himself as One of the Best Defenders in the League appeared first on SLAM.

When Daniel Arsham was told that he would become the creative director of the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was such a historic move that even he wouldn’t be able to tell you that he dreamt of it. The opportunity had never existed until he and the Cavs made it one. 

The genre-bending artist, who is most well known in the world of art galleries and museum exhibits, and has produced collaborations with Porsche, Dior and KITH, to name a few, became the first creative director in franchise history in the fall of 2020. 

Arsham was most recently contracted by recording artist Gunna to design the album cover for his latest project, Drip Season 4, which he brought to life via a casting of the College Park native’s face adorned with an iced-out chain and black angular sunglasses and sky-blue diamonds jutting out of the sculpture’s shoulders, forehead and face. 

Drippy https://t.co/Uy8MIeHzPQ

— Daniel Arsham (@DanielArsham) January 5, 2022

Arsham’s love and admiration for hoops is reflected in some of his most well-received pieces, including Moving Basketball, which was featured as the centerpiece of the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Public Art Collection, launched by the family of Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. 

After his installation at the arena, Arsham says numerous conversations with director of brand strategy Grant Gilbert is what led to the brand-new role, placing the contemporary artist in command of the organization’s visual identity. 

“I mean, frankly, I sort of just kept telling [Grant], like, You guys need to change this, you need to change that. The jerseys this season are a little bit lacking. You know, court designs. I had comments about a lot of different things, more so just as a fan of the team,” Arsham tells SLAM. 

“And at some point, he sort of jokingly said, Why don’t you work for us and, like, fix it? Arsham says with a laugh.

The 41-year-old fine artist grew up watching the navy blue and orange Cavalier uniforms jet up and down the court. Arsham, his father and grandfather were all born in The Land. His personal history with the city and the team is more than rich, it’s historic, making this year’s All-Star Weekend even more special. 

When conversations surrounding the organization’s plans for the weekend began, Arsham was told that teams are typically given the option between handing the responsibility off to the League or designing the logo themselves. As soon as he heard the latter, Arsham knew this would be something that would definitely be completed “in-house.”

Alongside the Cavs’ design team, Arsham led the creative direction for this year’s All-Star logo, which features the team’s wine and gold coloring. Most noticeable is the fifth tip of the star, which morphs into Terminal Tower, the landmark skyscraper of downtown Cleveland. 

“The game itself is not really about the team, it’s more about the city. And in some ways, I think that’s also my job—really not only to highlight the Cavs themselves, but it’s such a team that’s ingrained within the city,” Arsham says.

A city whose working-class history often overshadows its modern evolution, Cleveland has seen quite the revitalization on the court, thanks to the continued growth of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Now it’s Arsham’s turn to convert the grind, the wins and the growth into the next set of ground-breaking pieces. 

From collaborations with StockX, pop-up team shops and art exhibits to highlighting local designers and artists, Arsham and the city of Cleveland will be putting on a show throughout All-Star Weekend. 

“Cleveland, it’s a midsize city,” says Arsham. “So, for it to be able to host an event of that scale, and have all those people in town and everything, it’s obviously a moment for us to show what we’ve got.” 

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 2: The Land is available now!

Photos courtesy of Daniel Arsham.

The post Daniel Arsham’s Creative Vision is All Over This Year’s All-Star Weekend appeared first on SLAM.

Joel Embiid finished with 42 points, 14 rebounds, three triples, and 11 free throws while shooting over 65 percent from the field. After getting his 23-game streak of scoring 25+ broken on Tuesday, Embiid came back with a vengeance.

Thursday’s performance now brings Embiid to nine total games scoring 40+ — the most in the League. Embiid now leads the NBA in points per game, barely edging Giannis Antetokounmpo by 0.2 points with 29.6. Embiid also broke the tie with the Greek Freak for the most games this season with 35+ points and 12+ rebounds with 10 total.

This win comes without Philadelphia’s newly acquired superstar guard James Harden, but Embiid remains optimistic on what the 76ers will look like when the 2018 MVP takes the floor.

“I mean, he used to say Scary Hours. I say scary minutes,” said Embiid after the Bucks game per Yardbarker. “For all the 48 minutes, we’re going to be on the floor all together. I’m just excited for us to be healthy. I got to keep doing what I’ve been doing, and I’m sure my teammates are gonna follow. We’re pretty excited about what we can accomplish.”

There’s now a three-way tie between the 76ers, Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers for the third seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the All-Star break. With the way Embiid has been playing recently, it’s not out of the realm of possibility the 76ers take that place — and maybe more.

That’s certainly true when Scary Minutes takes the floor.

The post Joel Embiid Wills 76ers Past Bucks, Furthering His MVP Case appeared first on SLAM.

There’s no myth or magic to Evan Mobley’s game. He does what he does. After sweeping nearly every postseason conference award during his lone-season at USC, including Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft says he came into the League with the goal of finding his rhythm and making an immediate impact. “I just wanted to come in and get acclimated as quick as possible,” he says over Zoom. “I feel like I’ve been getting better and better every game and feel like I still have a little bit to go. But I feel like it’s been good so far.”

A few games into the regular season, Mobley soon realized that he could hold his own in the Association, playing against the very same stars he watched growing up. “You start seeing that they’re players just like you, and you don’t have to look at them as anything more than [what] you are because you’re in the same position,” Mobley says. “I try to go out there and trust in what I’ve been doing my whole life.”

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 2: The Land is available now!

Now, those same players around the League have started taking notice of Mobley, including the King himself. “He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this League,” LeBron James said back in October after the Cavs played the Lakers. Mobley finished with 23 points that night. 

Added Anthony Davis: “His game is going to progress. He’s going to keep getting better and better. You see the potential to be a three-level scorer, watching film on him a little before the game.”

Against the Wizards, Mobley dropped 21 points and impressed Kyle Kuzma so much with his up-and-under finish at the rim that Kuz dapped him up right after the play. “You damn right I’m going to dap him up. I just saw the closest thing to George Gervin in the flesh!!!” Kuzma tweeted.

So yeah, Mobley really is that guy. And the Cleveland Cavaliers really are that team again—by the time we went to press, they’re sitting at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. They’re young, hungry, and equipped with a standout rookie who can hold it down on both ends of the floor—from finishing at the rim like a guard to snagging his own offensive rebounds to dishing out some assists, and against the Bulls, a notching a career-high 5 blocks, which was a first for any rookie this season and the first time a Cavaliers rookie has had 5 blocks since LeBron James in ’04. 

“I felt like coming in, my defense was going to be a strong attribute that I have just because of my length and agility. That’s what I normally just rely on, and depending on who I’m guarding, I’ve just tried to play him differently—if it’s, like, a guard, [I] give him a little bit more space, so I can react in time. And then if it’s a big, press up a little bit more [and] just use my length at the end of the shot and contest all shots. And if not contest, block it. Coming in, that was what my mindset was: to have a strong defensive presence.”

As of this writing, Mobley is ranked No. 6 in the League in blocks and No. 27 in defensive rebounds. He’s also leading all rookies in rebounds (8.1) and blocks (1.7) per game and sitting at No. 3 in field goal percentage (50.5). 

“It’s great, but I feel like I’m not satisfied,” he says when asked what it’s like to see his name at the top of the statistical leaderboards. “I still feel like I need to get better in certain areas, so I’m gonna still keep working, get better at those things and hopefully keep making a big impact on my team and keep winning.”

When asked to elaborate on what he wants to work on, he says: “[Be] a little bit more attack-minded offensively, and then defensively, just maintaining what I’ve been doing and gradually getting better throughout the years and learning new things, because, I mean, you can always get better at something.”

He credits his teammates for helping with his transition from college to the NBA, specifically vets like Kevin Love, as well as the young core guys like Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland—both of whom were also on the same Zoom call when we caught up with Mobley back in early December. 

When asked what advice they’ve given their new rook, Garland and Allen both harped on the fact that it’s a long, 82-game season. “Keep working,” Allen says. “This is a long season, there’s gonna be ups and downs. But, [when] Evan came in, he blew away all of our expectations. Like, man, does he really need our advice? You know, he’s already coming out here and killing it.”

“I was the same way, just telling him that it was going to be a long season and just enjoy it,” Garland adds. “I mean, it really goes by fast. I only have three years in it, but [they] went by super quick. Just enjoy the process and have fun with it.”

With his name among the top candidates in the Rookie of the Year conversation and with a pivotal starting role on the team, Mobley says he doesn’t feel any added pressure this season. He’s just out there hoopin’ with his teammates and posterizing his opponents along the way. 

“I just go out there, have fun with my guys and play the game. I feel like they’ve helped me not feel pressure because they believe in me. Same with the coaching staff, they all believe in me and put trust in me to do the right things. And they believe that I’m a good player. So there’s no pressure when I go out there. I just go out there and play.” 

Portrait by Jimmy Longo/Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Rookie Sensation Evan Mobley is Putting His Own Stamp on the Association appeared first on SLAM.

Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen has replaced James Harden in the NBA All-Star Game.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 14, 2022

Darius Garland is the other player that will be representing the Cavaliers at the All-Star game. Both Garland and Allen will be on Team LeBron this year.

Cleveland officially has TWO All-Stars this season.

Darius Garland AND Jarrett Allen (replacement for James Harden) are going to the All-Star Game #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/0VdRU2sSy8

— Whistle (@WhistleSports) February 14, 2022

As of Monday, Allen has averaged a career-high 16.2 points and 11.2 rebounds, along with 1.4 blocks per game as a vital piece of the Cavs’ three-headed monster of seven-footers that Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has utilized throughout the season.

The Cavs have been the darling of the NBA as they’ve seemingly taken a considerable step forward as playoff contenders, sitting at third in the Eastern Conference at 35-22.

The post Jarrett Allen Named to First All-Star Game appeared first on SLAM.

Full trade: Indiana sends Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick via Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah, per sources.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2022

LeVert scored 22 points, including some huge baskets down the stretch to help his new team rally against his old team for a 120-113 comeback victory on Friday night. LeVert received a standing ovation from the Pacers fans during pregame introductions. The Pacers also honored the 27-year-old guard with a special highlight package during the first timeout.

Pacers President Kevin Pritchard spoke with ESPN about Caris LeVert before the game how he struggled with his decision to trade LeVert about one week prior.

“He was one of the hardest people I’ve ever had to trade,” Pritchard said. “He is a special person, and I want to thank Caris. He’s probably going to go score 50 tonight.”

Caris LeVert (22 PTS) with a HUGE clutch bucket for the @cavs late in the 4th!

Watch Now on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/TTs3NXTxum

— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2022

With the win, Cleveland notched their fifth straight (35-21) to stay in contention for the Eastern Conference’s top seed behind the Miami Heat. After the game, LeVert couldn’t hide his excitement after playing with his new teammates.

It didn’t take @CarisLeVert long to realize that this is a special, resilient, fun @cavs team, and he can’t wait for what lies ahead.#LetEmKnow | @SerenaWinters pic.twitter.com/JmKq1klZaA

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) February 12, 2022

The post Caris LeVert Helps Cleveland Cavaliers Burn His Old Indy Team After Trade appeared first on SLAM.

Philly, we go Hard(en). pic.twitter.com/hfjdxVmlSw

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 12, 2022

Joel Embiid had a chance to speak his thoughts on the trade after the Sixers took care of the Thunder for their 33rd win of the season via ESPN.

“Yeah, I’m happy that I’m not going to be answering any more questions about that subject,” Embiid said after finishing with 25 points and 19 rebounds in 35 minutes in a 100-87 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center Friday night. “It’s good that not just for me, but my teammates, the whole organization. The whole year, it was pretty annoying with the whole situation, but I’m glad that everybody has moved on.”

“I wish everybody the best in whatever they want to accomplish, but I’m focused on winning games here and trying to win a championship.”

Joel Embiid was locked in on both ends of the floor for the @sixers in their win!@JoelEmbiid: 25 PTS, 19 REB, 4 AST, 5 BLK pic.twitter.com/n7JufVz5CH

— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2022

Harden, who has missed several games due to a hamstring injury, is not expected to play Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That leaves only two games for Harden to play before the All-Star break, either against the Boston Celtics at home Tuesday or the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks.

But in true Troel fashion, he explained the tweet he sent out after the trade went down.

pic.twitter.com/OzKxG4HRlO

— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 10, 2022

“Honestly, I don’t even know what the tweet was about,” Embiid said with a sly smile. “I just tweeted a random person. I just saw the picture on the internet, and I thought he was well dressed. He had a nice suit on, good looking, you know, he had some swag.”

“So I just thought it was a good picture.”

The post Joel Embiid ‘Happy’ Philadelphia 76ers Has Moved On From Ben Simmons appeared first on SLAM.

The Pacers are trading Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday to the Kings for Tyrese Hailburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson, per @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/VwjKcZ0BkA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 8, 2022

The Pacers are also sending Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday to the Kings and will be receiving Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson.

Sabonis has been involved in trade rumors since December. When the reports first came out, it was reported that the Pacers not only wanted to trade Sabonis but Caris LeVert and Myles Turner to jumpstart their rebuilding process. So far, only LeVert has been moved after the Michigan product was traded to the Cavaliers over the weekend.

The Kings moving Haliburton comes as a surprise after Sacramento told potential trade partners they wanted to keep De’Aaron Fox and Haliburton and build around the budding backcourt. However, the NBA is a business, and when you get a chance to acquire an All-Star, you have to pull that trigger sometimes.

Sabonis averages 18.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, one of seven players in the League to put up similar numbers.

The Pacers (19-36) face the Hawks (25-28) on the road on Tuesday.

The post Update: Pacers Sending Domantas Sabonis to the Kings appeared first on SLAM.

“We are very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience,” Cavs GM Koby Altman said in a statement on Monday. “Caris LeVert fits uniquely into our culture, and his Ohio roots brings an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster. We also want to send our best wishes to Ricky Rubio and his family. Ricky has been the consummate professional, and his leadership both on and off the court was invaluable, and we respect everything he brought to this franchise.”

OFFICIAL: #Cavs acquire F Caris LeVert.

DETAILS: https://t.co/AvCpnTb3av pic.twitter.com/28cLLHjmvl

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 7, 2022

LeVert will reportedly take on the off-guard spot opposite All-Star point guard Darius Garland who has been hampered by a sore lower back as of late. The acquisition of LeVert adds scoring punch to a lineup that is missing Collin Sexton since he went down for the season with a knee injury in February.

“He and Garland in the backcourt is really dynamic,” Carlisle said. “These guys have improved a great deal today.”

LeVert has been in trade rumors since December when the Pacers were rumored to be looking to trade former All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and LeVert to help speed up their rebuilding process. When the Cavs and Pacers agreed to the exchange, it was about 90 minutes before tipoff of their game against each other on Sunday. Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the news pregame with assembled media.

News of the trade was delayed so Carlisle could notify LeVert was headed down the hall.

With the Cavs (33-21) squarely in the driver’s seat as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, LeVert can help raise the ceiling of a team that has blasted away any preseason expectations many around the League had for them. Cleveland still has time to make one more move as well. The NBA’s trade deadline isn’t until Thursday.

LeVert signed a three-year, $52 million contract with Brooklyn in 2020. Since re-signing with Brooklyn, he’s been moved to Indiana and now Cleveland. The 27-year-old guard averaged 18.7 points and 4.4 assists for the disappointing Pacers (19-36). The Cavaliers will return to action on Wednesday when they play the Spurs at home.

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