My 40-year-old knees are worn out. Worn out like the lawn behind my childhood home, and for the same reason. It’s the reason I bought a rim and backboard set with the cash I saved on my 12th birthday. It’s why I had my dad lower the rim after the first week. It’s why I replaced it with a spring-loaded rim a year later. Before that, it was the reason that my Spalding Micro-Mini hoop snapped within an hour of purchasing. The reason the old lady next door complained. The reason why Shawn Kemp was (and still is) my hero. It’s the reason why, even all these years later, the skin on my palms at the base of my fingers is rough. It’s why my 1994 NBA All-Star Weekend VHS tape went fuzzy.

It’s because all I ever wanted to do was dunk.

The problem was that I did most of my growing early so, by the age of 16, my height was just about scraping 5-10 and my fingers just about scraping the rim. Hope, as usual, would be found within the hallowed pages of SLAM. It wasn’t in a frame-by-frame SLAMADAMONTH spread, either (although those were insanely dope). No. It was the ads that provided a solution to my problem with gravity. The range of Jump Higher programs on offer in our first two decades was wild, and within our magazines were scattered a medley of options. It wasn’t just me who wanted more bounce. We all did.

The ad that initially stood out to me was from the late ’90s. What’s crazy is that the program didn’t even have a name; it was just a lot of writing (we had larger attention spans back then…) and a black and white pic. The text implied that someone was giving away some top secret, Area 51 type of info. This, combined with a mysterious photo that was giving “Loch Ness Monster” style vibes had me completely locked in. The pic featured a young-looking kid jumping freakishly high (a trampoline?! definitely not…) with a defender helplessly waiting to have a basketball smashed into his unathletic face. It was significant that the kid featured was white. I was (and still am) also white and, until YouTube and Mac McClung (shout out to Rex Chapman, too) proved otherwise, our destiny was to replicate Larry Bird’s dunk package, if we were lucky. If this program could get a white kid dunking, then there was hope for us all. Surely.

I never did meet anyone who got their hands on that report—it claimed to be free—but the brand name, “Why Almost Everyone is Wrong About How They Train to Increase Their Vertical” was possibly a little long and not too catchy. Others, though, really stayed in the memory bank and, despite being pricey, saw a lot of success.

Jumpsoles and Strength Shoes were the early big hitters. For a long stretch, it would be common to find both brands battling it out in an issue, fighting for our pockets and their share of a bunny-hungry market. While basically the same product, Strength Shoes provided an entire shoe, along with Bob Knight and Bobby Hurley Sr’s approval. Jumpsoles, on the other hand, were strapped onto your existing shoe. This flexibility, as well as an athlete endorsement from the greatest short dunker (at the time) ever witnessed in Spud Webb, made sense. Although he was winning dunk contests almost 10 years before this product hit the market, we didn’t ask questions.

For a short period, we saw ads from imitation products such as Gainers and Skyflex, who apparently didn’t get off the ground (pun intended, always). Jumpsoles and Strength Shoes would hold their solid grip on the market and remain in our pages for a long time. My skeptical assumption, combined with the fact that I didn’t want to risk spending more money than I ever had in my bank account, was that they probably didn’t work. I’d heard reports of Yeah, right moments where a dude who couldn’t touch the rim wore them for five minutes and went on to throw down a windmill, all in an effort to sell units to kids at a camp. Others reported that the shoes would blow out your knees or that just working the calves would never be enough. Still, there have been countless others who claim them to be totally legit, and the fact that both of these brands exist today is perhaps proof of this.

Other equipment-based products available included ankle weights, vests, even a board with bungee straps that promoted itself with the tagline, “INCREASE YOUR VERTICAL BY ACTUALLY JUMPING!” Still, other programs boasted “No special shoes or weights necessary” and products like the Air Alert series began to push plyometrics over physical products. The fact that these brands required no actual equipment (other than books or DVDs) to be shipped, combined with the rise of the internet, meant that this section of the market was even more competitive. Names such as AIRBORNE!, JUMP ON, Mad Bounce and Vertical Leap Beyond Belief would fight for the attention of SLAM readers, all following a similar format. Some would refer to their information being “top secret…until now!” Quotes would be included from happy customers whose lives had been drastically altered by jumping higher. An ad by Leapfrog attempted to hook us in by sending customers a “dunk montage of 75 slams including a 6-1 LEAPFROGGIN’ jam over a 6-3 person.” I would’ve loved to have seen that whole thing. Oh, and they all, of course, guaranteed a specific gain of inches, a claim that was awkwardly comparable to a completely different industry that was spamming our in-boxes at the time. Fulfilling the desire to perform and/or impress is big business.

In the end, I never did invest in a “jump higher” type of program (three-pointers are cooler these days anyway, right?) but I remain fascinated by how synonymous they are with SLAM and, in turn, basketball culture. If I could go back to when I was a teen, I don’t think I’d opt for Strength Shoes or Jump Soles, not even Air Alert (which is still going btw!) for that matter. Too much effort. Instead, I’d give the Vertical Growth supplement pills a go. What could go wrong? If not then the Vertical Blast 2000 would have done the job. They worked for Todd from Phoenix, AZ, (pictured with a female companion no less) so why not Sammy from Erdington? If I wasn’t too late (this particular ad states that it’s only available to the first 125 “athletes” who respond) then a bottle of Adenotrex looked like a safe bet.

If all else failed, then there’s one product that couldn’t. Genuinely. The Slam Station springboard—”a stable but portable ‘mad ups’ producing dunking machine that gets you where you want to be…ABOVE THE RIM.” Incredible.

I barely ever dunked on a regulation rim ( a couple of times, maybe), but my dunking fantasy remains. And sometimes, after bending down to rub my aching 40-year-old knees, I still think to myself, “Why didn’t I send for that top-secret jumping info in SLAM…” 

The post These OLD SLAM ADS Promised to Help You Dunk and Improve Your Vertical—Guaranteed appeared first on SLAM.

It’s hard to believe but there was a time when the Boston Celtics weren’t a top team. You’ve gotta hand it to them, though, they had a solid start—winning almost 11 successive titles from 1957 through the following decade. Following that, if the trophy wasn’t residing in Bean Town, they pretty much remained in the championship conversation until the late ’80s. Despite their rich, dynasty-defining imprint on NBA history, something changed in the early ’90s. The combination of Larry Bird inevitably calling time on his storied legacy, then the tragedy of Reggie Lewis, passing away in 1993 meant that some shaky seasons followed.

Sure, some solid draft picks made for potential franchise players (we see you, Toine), and there were a couple of savvy signings (much love, Dana). But chemistry lacked and the newly built TD Garden (then the FleetCenter) felt like an unworthy new address for the banners imported from their old home. Boston’s lack of success would be reflected in their notable absence from the first five years of SLAM covers (not counting iconic gatefold joints), with a worthy face not emerging until 1999—Issue 35, to be exact.

In the 1998 NBA Draft, the Celtics would use their 10th pick to select Paul Pierce. Despite Pierce’s hatred of the franchise (understandable, being from Cali), he would prove to be an excellent choice, putting up numbers that placed him in the Rookie of the Year conversation toward the end of the ’98-99 season.

This conversation was seemingly wide open and crashed into the SLAM offices in what would prove to be a toxic fashion. Some team members chose Vince (the eventual Rookie of the Year), Scoop was counting on J-Will and Tony G had The Truth as his pick. “If we were a band, we would’ve split up,” was how Tony described how real it got at the SLAM Dome. Three dope covers was the compromise and, as a result, the Celtics would solidify their biggest basketball achievement of that particular decade: their first solo SLAM cover.

Boston’s journey to the championship over these past few years has been a long flight with turbulence. I know I speak for the worldwide hoops community when I say that it’s dope to see such a storied franchise continuing to build on its legacy and reclaim its place as the best in NBA history.

No doubt.

The post The SLAM Archives: SLAM 35 Featuring Paul Pierce From August of 1999 appeared first on SLAM.

When the 1992 Olympic Dream Team used a ridiculous, 46-1 first-half run to turn its opening game against Angola into an emphatic statement of what was ahead for the rest of the world in Barcelona, it did more than just validate forward Charles Barkley’s prediction that Angola was “in trouble.”

It began a brand-new era for USA Basketball. After decades of sending the nation’s top collegians up against the world’s best, it was time to show everybody just how Dr. Naismith’s invention was meant to be played. From that point on, NBA stars populated teams that played in—and most of the time won—the biggest competitions.

But U.S. basketball domination didn’t start in ’92, and USA Basketball’s tradition isn’t just about the Dream Team. The country’s hoops governing body has created a legacy of success that has featured some of the game’s greatest players and most exciting results. The U.S. first stepped onto the international stage in 1936, when the sport was initially contested at the Olympics, and since that time it has been the world leader in the sport. As the nation’s governing body, USA Basketball has been the north star for the sport and has played a role in bringing basketball to America and the world. It has also provided an opportunity for U.S. fans to experience the game’s best playing together, as part of a vibrant red, white and blue tradition. 

In 1974, the Amateur Basketball Federation of the United States of America (ABAUSA) was formed to bring all of the nation’s various organizations under the same governing body. Fifteen years later, the ABAUSA changed its name to USA Basketball, but its mission remained clear: provide the best possible support and leadership for U.S. teams to compete and win on the world’s biggest basketball stages, while also growing the game throughout the country. To say that it has been successful in that mission is a gigantic understatement. 

Under USA Basketball’s leadership, the nation’s top players and coaches continue to dominate. The Men’s National Team has won nine of the last 11 Olympic Gold medals (the U.S. did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Games) and the last four. It has also captured four world championships over the last three-plus decades—in 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014—and another in 1954. There have been numerous titles in competitions like the Pan Am Games and other tournaments worldwide. As the Paris Olympic Games approach, the U.S. is heavily favored to defend its Gold-medal status, thanks to a team of 12 NBA All-Stars that includes four MVPs and six NBA champions. It’s another example of the strong relationship between USA Basketball and the country’s greatest players, whose desire to represent their country is deep, and whose talent is overwhelming. Former NBA All-Star and 1996 Gold medalist Grant Hill, now USA Basketball’s Men’s Team Managing Director, selected the team and filled it with versatile standouts. 

“The United States is home to some of the best basketball players in the world, and I appreciate the vast interest in being part of this roster,” Hill said. “These decisions weren’t easy, but it was a pleasure to go through the process and reach this outcome.”

EARLY DOMINANCE

More than 40 years after Naismith invented his game, the International Basketball Federation (originally known as FIBB) was born in 1932, and plans were made for the sport to be part of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A field of 22 squads played, but it was really only about one team: the United States, which finished the competition 4-0 (there were no medal rounds) to claim the Gold. 

Six straight Golds followed for the U.S., which was rarely challenged. The nation’s best collegians and recent graduates took on the world. Rival teams were often comprised of much older players, some of whom were paid—although no country would ever admit to it. It didn’t matter. From 1936-68, the U.S. went 55-0 in Olympic play, the type of dominance many expected from the country that invented the sport.

Among the standouts during that stretch were center Joe Fortenberry, who averaged 14.5 ppg in 1936, forward Clyde Lovellette (13.9 ppg) on the ’52 team, San Francisco big man Bill Russell (14.1 ppg) in 1956, 1960 standouts Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas, both of whom averaged 17.0 ppg, and Spencer Haywood, whose 16.1 ppg led the 1968 squad to Gold.

Haywood was the first college freshman ever invited to try out for the Olympic team, and the 19-year-old from tiny Trinidad State JC in Colorado proved he belonged. Not only did he score plenty—he had 21 in the Gold medal win over Yugoslavia—he also set an Olympic record for field-goal percentage (71.9) that still stands.

But Haywood, like so many of the great players who have represented the U.S. internationally, was part of a team. He could have scored even more, but he blended with other standouts to help continue a tradition that has defined USA Basketball: representing the United States.

For decades, the U.S. was the world’s supreme basketball powerhouse, but trouble was looming. The Soviet Union had invested heavily in its sports programs, with the goal of promoting Communism around the world. When Haywood stood on the podium and watched a giant American flag unfurl in the Mexico City arena, he could not have known the turbulence that lay ahead.

BIG CHANGES

The next 20-plus years were a time of great transformation for the nation’s top basketball organization. It all began in 1972, when the United States team suffered a crushing, 51-50 loss to the USSR in the Gold medal game in Munich. The contest featured enough confusion and controversy to fill an entire Olympiad. A U.S. protest was denied, and the American players refused to accept their Silver medals. It was the first Olympic loss in U.S. history, and it remains a dark chapter.

Two years later, the ABAUSA was created as a response to a decision by the international body (by then renamed FIBA) to revoke its recognition of the AAU, which had governed the sport in this country. The new organization brought together representatives from every amateur basketball confederation in the country and began its 50-year run of leading the nation’s basketball fortunes.

One of its first successes came in 1976 at the Montreal Olympiad, when the U.S. gained a measure of revenge for the ’72 debacle. The Americans rolled to a 7-0 record and the Gold medal. Although the final win came against Yugoslavia, which had upset the USSR in the semifinals, and not the Soviets, it was still a great first act on the largest international stage for America’s new governing body. 

Since the U.S. didn’t participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and the USSR boycotted the ’84 Games in Los Angeles, the two basketball superpowers didn’t meet again until 1988, in South Korea. The matchup didn’t take place in the final round, rather in the semis, and the U.S. was unable to overcome a loaded Soviet team that included future NBA standouts Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis and fell, 82-76. Although the Americans won the Bronze by routing Australia, it was clear changes needed to be made, since the U.S. was using college players against teams with much older—and professional—competitors. 

In April of 1989, FIBA made the historic decision to allow countries to use professional players on its international teams. Although the U.S. delegation voted against the change, the 56-13 decision was emphatic and created the opportunity for the U.S. to bring its best players to the world. Then-ABAUSA president Dave Gavitt declared the move necessary “in this new, worldwide era.” That October, the ABAUSA changed its name to USA Basketball.

FIBA had taken the big step. It was time for the United States to show basketball fans everywhere, from one side of the world to the other, what that meant.

STILL DREAMING

Barkley’s pre-Olympics prediction that Angola “was in trouble” could have applied to every opponent the Dream Team faced in 1992. The U.S. roster, comprised of 12 future Basketball Hall of Famers, blitzed to the Gold medal and won its eight games by a combined 43.8 ppg. Croatia’s 32-point defeat in the Gold medal game was the closest any rival came. Head coach Chuck Daly, who never called a timeout during the Olympics, put it well afterward.

“You will see a team of professionals in the Olympics again, but I don’t think you’ll see another team quite like this. This was a majestic team.”

Daly was right. There have been other teams filled with NBA stars that have brought Gold medals to the U.S. The ’96 version was nearly as dominant, winning its eight games by an average of 31.2 ppg. But the first squad, which included some of the best players to walk the planet (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird) and one of arguably the top five collegians of all time (Christian Laettner), remains the ultimate standard.

Yes, there was that hiccup in 2004 when the U.S. managed only a Bronze. But in every other Olympic competition since the Dream Team’s triumphant march onto the world’s court, the United States has been golden. The 2008 “Redeem Team” re-established the U.S. as the world’s best and began a run that American fans hope will continue this year in Paris.

Although the 2021 U.S. team dropped its first game to France, snapping its 25-game Olympic winning streak, it rebounded to roll into the Gold medal rematch with its group-stage nemesis. Thanks to 29 points from Kevin Durant, who averaged 20.7 for the tournament, the U.S. avenged its earlier loss and brought home a fourth-straight Gold medal, 87-82, over France. 

The tough road demonstrated how USA Basketball had helped spread the game across the planet. When Jordan, Magic and Bird formed the Dream Team and overwhelmed all comers in ’92, the sport of basketball was still germinating worldwide. Over the next 30 years, it has blossomed remarkably, with many different countries boasting the kind of talent capable of challenging the U.S. The game is now loved worldwide and its growth is encouraging, due in large part to USA Basketball’s ability to nurture it at home and export it around the globe.

THE FUTURE

The U.S. Olympic team may be the most visible part of the USA Basketball profile, but the organization promotes and grows the game at every level. That means sponsoring youth camps and clinics, coaching academies, regional and national tournaments and international teams that participate in a variety of competitions. 

It’s not all about winning. USA Basketball is committed to player development, safety and good sportsmanship. The organization continues to make sure the game thrives at all levels, and while it is fun to root on the U.S. teams against the world, it is also important to make sure all who play the game do so in environments that feature everything necessary for success and enjoyment of the sport.

As the 2024 Men’s National Team prepares for Paris, they carry with them all the years of training and development USA Basketball has given them. The world will be watching. And that includes the young athletes of USA Basketball’s development and junior teams, who might one day be a part of history.

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Winning Time: Chronicling the History of USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team appeared first on SLAM.

Bird vs. Magic. Larry vs. Earvin. The Hick from French Lick vs. Buck. A folk hero vs. a showman. No matter which way you slice it, there’s only ever been one matchup that built college basketball into the living, breathing sensation it is today. The historic rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been referenced ad nauseam. The Finals appearances, the championships, the rings; their legends were first intertwined on that one fateful night, March 26, 1979, when college basketball sprouted from a simple pastime on tape delay into a gargantuan titan. 

The two were polar opposites. Bird despised any and all attention from the media; Magic welcomed it. Bird was methodical; Magic put on a show. One was a forward who could pass and shoot like a guard. The other was a guard the size of a forward dishing out no-look dimes in transition. The arrival of two superstars who went decidedly against the grain of the game’s positional rigidity served as the catalysts for the evolution of college basketball. 

Behind the immaculate play of senior forward Larry Bird and a supporting cast featuring Carl Nicks, Alex Gilbert and Bob Heaton, Indiana State University had achieved their first-ever postseason appearance. With season averages of 28.6 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, No. 33 would lead the Sycamores to topple No. 8 Virginia Tech, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 2 Arkansas and No. 2 DePaul in March.

Bird’s star had been rising in Terre Haute for years, deciding to forgo his selection in the 1978 Draft for his final year of college eligibility. The latter would institute a massive shift in attention toward the Hoosier State and ISU’s bright baby blue threads. Winning 33 straight that season helped a bit, too. 

A 35-piece in the Final Four from the collegiate Player of the Year, on 16-19 shooting, would send ISU to its first NCAA Championship game against the Michigan State Spartans and a dime-dropping 6-8 point-forward from the factory side of Lansing, MI. 

The Spartans hadn’t fared as well leading up to March, losing four of their six contests in January. Yet the smile, humor and larger than life personality of Magic Johnson refused to let the team dwell on missed opportunities. Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent, Ron Charles and Co. responded in kind. 

After averaging 17.1 points, 8.4 dimes and 7.3 boards throughout the season, Magic’s Spartans (25-6) would knock off No. 3 LSU, No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 9 Penn for the collegiate showdown of the century. 

Formerly known as the Special Events Center at the University of Utah, now the Huntsman Center, the Sycamores and Spartans would meet for the first time in the history of their respective programs. Looking back 45 years later, the true essence of the game didn’t lie on the court, but rather in the grandeur of the moment. In a post-John Wooden era, two stars injected the college game with a level of anticipation that even the release of Avengers Endgame couldn’t match. 

After leading by nine at half with Dick Enberg on the call, Michigan State refused to look back, trouncing Indiana State 75-64 and capturing the program’s first NCAA Championship. Despite leading the tournament in points and rebounds, Larry Legend was uncharacteristic in his final collegiate game, going 7-21 from the field with 19 points and 13 boards. Meanwhile, Magic Johnson put on yet another historic March performance. The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player poured in a game-high 24 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. 

The sheer impact of that 1979 championship game hasn’t been replicated. And it probably never will. All these years later, college basketball still hasn’t seen a game draw anywhere near the level of audience it did in the late ’70s, equaling a 24.1 overall viewer rating. For the non-stat historians, that equates to roughly two out of five television viewers tuning into the game.

The hype wasn’t just felt in family rooms across America. Shockwaves from the historic matchup were simultaneously sent throughout the nation’s broadcast boardrooms. It was time to fully capitalize on college basketball. Magic and Bird had cemented it, so much so that CBS eventually made the push to completely overtake the tournament’s television rights in 1982. Bird and Magic were the only justification they’d need. College basketball deserved the primetime spotlight.

TV deals skyrocketed and the playing field was opened from 40 to 64 total teams. March Madness had been born. Before the 24-hour news cycle and the dedicated Selection Sunday special, Bird and Magic had successfully propelled the game to unseen heights. In just a few years, the arrival and obsession with “superstars” in the NBA would catapult the L into unequivocal success. And who would be credited with that impact? Bird and Magic.

Photos via Getty Images

The post When March Went Mad: Looking Back at the Legendary Matchup Between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson appeared first on SLAM.

Alright, let’s take a collective moment and rummage through the memories. Think of the greatest game you’ve ever seen. Michael Jordan’s “last shot” over the Utah Jazz for the 1998 Finals? Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals? How about Syracuse and UConn’s six-overtime bout in 2009? The question is honestly subjective. These are all fair responses, but if we’re talking star power and buzzer-beaters, it’s got to be the 1992 Elite Eight matchup between Duke and Kentucky. 

Two legendary coaches, two legendary squads and a litany of future NBA staples. Last week we chronicled the game that jump-started the allure of March Madness. This week, we’re diving into the two teams that epitomized the glory, emotions and thrills of what Larry Bird and Magic Johnson started. 

But this game wasn’t just a game. It was an epic, a heavy-weight showdown, like if Hov and Biggie battled in a cypher. Shot for shot, bar for bar. 104-103, Duke. 

The image of Christian Laettner spinning and rising over Deron Feldhaus is seared into the minds of Dukies, Kentucky diehards and basketball fans alike spanning generations.

After putting together a 26-6 record and securing the No. 2 seed in the East region, Kentucky ran through Old Dominion, Iowa State and No. 3 UMass leading up to the matchup of the century. Led by sophomore Jamal Mashburn and “The Unforgettable’s” – four seniors in John Pelphrey, Feldhaus, Richie Farmer and Sean Woods – Rick Pitino and the Kentucky Wildcats weren’t to be trifled with. Matter of fact, they’d steamroll you. 

On the other side of the aisle, Mike Krzyzewski had assembled one of his most treasured rosters. Senior center Christian Laettner, sophomore Grant Hill and two juniors in Bobby Hurley and Thomas Hill were seemingly unstoppable, aside from those two measly losses on their record. The reigning national champions had hardware on the brain. 

The tension inside of The Spectrum in Philadelphia – now known as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex – could have been cut with the dullest of knives. Duke in their home whites, Kentucky in their away blues. 

With just under eight minutes to go, Duke had assumed complete command with a 79-69 lead. Yeah, Kentucky wasn’t having that. In just over two minutes, the Wildcats had enacted an emphatic 12-2 run to tie the game at 81 a-piece. The catalyst? Returning to Pitino’s pressure man-to-man defense that extended the full 94 feet of the court. 

The Cats attacked, clawing their way back into the game. Duke’s frustrations mounted and then boiled over when Laettner emphatically stomped on the chest of Kentucky’s Aminu Timberlake. Ejection? Up to you. Technical? For sure. Game changer? Kind of. 

The final five minutes of the game turned into a slugfest. I mean yes, it was physical. Physical to the point of frustrated stomps. But the greatness in the contest lies in both teams’ complete refusal to simply miss shots. The last 25 minutes of the game saw both teams shoot a scintillating 63 percent from the field. 

“It was like being in Carnegie Hall and just seeing the best musician or the best singer, and just sitting there in amazement at what they were doing out on the basketball court,” Pitino said to the media ahead of Louisville’s matchup against Duke in March of 2019. 

When the buzzer had sounded, Kentucky knocked down just under 57 percent of their attempts and a whopping 54.5 percent from downtown. Meanwhile, Duke went OFF, hitting over 65 percent from the field and a clean 50 percent from deep. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there’s still time on the clock. Precisely one minute. 

Thomas Hill had just tied the game at 93 with a step-through floater. Now was the time for Kentucky to capitalize on their forceful second-half run. The play was discombobulated from the start, but Deron Feldhaus came through with a put-back that eventually sent the game into its impending, and illustrious, overtime. 

6-7 forward John Pelphrey knocked the lid off the rim with four minutes to go, giving Kentucky a narrow three-point lead before racing back to the other end and drawing a momentous charge against Brian Davis. All-American Bobby Hurley responded in kind with a trey of his own. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s best player – Jamal Mashburn – had fouled out midway through the period. 23 points, 10 boards and two steals were sitting on the pine. And one after another, the Blue Devils and Wildcats answered buckets with buckets. 

With 7.8 seconds left, Sean Woods caught the sideline inbound, immediately deployed a rapid double cross against Hurley, drove into the paint, and cast up a contested floater over the outstretched hands of Laettner. Glass then net. 103-102 Kentucky. 2.1 seconds left. 

“I was always the playmaker. I was known for and good at getting people the ball. At this particular time, it was just my time to go get a shot,” Woods told the NCAA in 2017. 

That was until Grant Hill and Christian Laetner connected on one of the most spectacular passes in basketball history. 

In the huddle, Pitino devised a strategy based on Clemson’s loss to UConn in an eerily similar situation during the 1990 tournament. No one would defend the inbounder. Send two on Laettner instead. In the end, it didn’t matter. We all know what happens next. 

To be honest, the pass was just as tough as the shot that ended numerous collegiate careers. We’ve seen far too many failed full-court heaves to not acknowledge the precision with which Grant Hill threw that 75-foot dot. The leather met Laettner’s palms perfectly, who faked to his right before pivoting his left foot to meet his right. The most hated 6-11 man in America rose over Feldhaus and sent the Blue Devils back to the Final Four. 

Antonio Lang immediately dropped to the paint. Thomas Hill was in tears. And Laettner was mobbed by a pile of blue and white threads in front of the Wildcats bench. 

“The Shot” and Laettner were immortalized along with Duke’s eventual national championship. And while there’ve been plenty of March buzzer beaters since ‘92, even ones for the chip, nothing can really touch the magic between Duke and Kentucky’s matchup all those years ago. Hell, we’re still writing about it 32 years later. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Greatest Game Ever Played: Chronicling Duke and Kentucky’s Illustrious 1992 Elite Eight Matchup appeared first on SLAM.

Population…roughly 3,000.                                                      

It is here where the epicenter of the biggest story in high school basketball originates.  

It is here where one of the most highly touted high school prospects in recent memory began his hoops odyssey.

A journey that technically can be traced back to the early 1990s. That’s when Cooper Flagg’s mother, Kelly, was turning heads on the hardwood at Nokomis Regional High School on her way to scoring 1,257 career points. Nokomis would become the same school where almost three decades later, one of her three sons would begin capturing the attention of the basketball universe.    

Kelly went on to play DI ball at the University of Maine from 1995-99, where she embarked on an incredible run that included four consecutive American East titles and making appearances in the NCAA Tournament all four years. Her senior year, when she was the team captain, Kelly was a starter and led the Black Bear over Stanford to the program’s first and only NCAA Tournament win.  

She was already a Maine hoops legend in the ’90s, but her contributions to the game were only just beginning. 

Enter…Cooper Flagg. It wouldn’t take long for Kelly to notice that Cooper—born seven years after her collegiate run and a minute after his twin brother Ace—wasn’t the typical elementary school kid. Looking to challenge him, she enrolled him on a 4^th grade rec league team—as a 2^nd grader. 

“I remember the ball was going out of bounds on the baseline, the other team’s end of the floor. He jumped up in the air and palmed the ball. Cooper didn’t just chuck it back inbounds to anybody, he kept it in play and found a teammate at the same time. Moments later, he sprinted down to the other end of the floor and caught it for a layup. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a 7-year-old have those kinds of instincts,” she recalls. “It was apparent to us that year when the rec season ended that he needed more. That is not what you normally see in a 7- or 8-year-old kid.

“There were a lot of weekends we went to play and they would only have five or six kids,” she adds. “As a second grader, he never left the floor and would just be exhausted because they would play two or three games in a day. The next year, we got him on a team as a third grader with fifth grade boys. That was a really good fit for him. Their team played more of a five in, five out style.”

“I remember the first couple of practices just being really tough. I would come out really tired and exhausted,” says Cooper. “I think I had a bunch of bruises. It was just really rough to start out because of how much older everyone was. I was also just as tall as them from a really young age, so I didn’t really feel out of place, but you could tell that they were more physically developed than me… That’s something that I look back on and I’m really thankful for. Both of my parents always pushed me to play against older competition. It helped me to develop a lot earlier.”

SLAM 247 featuring Cooper Flagg is out now. Shop here.

At the end of Cooper’s third grade year, Kelly was approached by Andy Bedard, whom she had gone to college with but had subsequently lost contact with. He had gotten her number from Amy Vachon, the current women’s basketball head coach at the University of Maine and expressed interest in having her sons join the youth team he was coaching, which also included his own son, Kaden. Andy had begun hearing rumblings that Kelly’s kids were pretty good at basketball. There was only one little problem: Andy was based out of Portland—an hour and a half away from where the Flaggs lived.

But with the family committed to the game (Cooper’s dad, Ralph, also hooped collegiately at Eastern Maine Community College) and the boys’ continued development, they decided to make the trip multiple times per week, on weekdays. At times, these trips even included numerous family members and car swaps. When Kelly wasn’t able to drive the boys all the way to practice, she says her father would take them halfway, where Ralph, who worked in Portland, would meet them. The boys would hop in his car, and he’d drive them the rest of the way to practice.

“We would then hop in the vehicle, and I would have already made lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sometimes we ordered a pizza ahead and grabbed it on the way so that they could get some food,” says Kelly. “We would get down there for practice at 4:30. We practiced until 6 or 6:30, and then we would head back home. There were a lot of [long] nights for 10-year-olds [where] we were getting home at 9 at night on a school night. It was a big commitment, and we did that twice a week, but it was all worth it.”

To help pass time in those long car rides, Kelly would have the boys watch recordings of the 1980s Celtics’ championship teams. It helped set the foundation for their basketball knowledge, serving as a way to learn the game’s history while also doubling as elite film study sessions… and three-plus hours of much needed in-car entertainment.

“We would always either have the ‘85 or ‘86 Celtics championship games on or the Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird movies. It instilled Bird’s mindset within me and Ace. How he was always the hardest worker, no matter what,” recalls Cooper. “Especially from that Celtics team that played against the Rockets, it was more about the teamwork and the ball movement.”

By the time Cooper and Ace were ready to attend high school, it was an obvious choice where they would go—Nokomis Regional, the same program where their mom starred in the early ’90s, and, well, the only high school in the city of Newport.

They entered their freshman year in the fall of 2021 under a unique set of circumstances. With the world still reeling from the effects of a global pandemic, Cooper, Ace and his teammates had to wear masks while playing. But more unique was the family affair that the opportunity provided. On the team was also their older brother, Hunter, who was a senior. But as the season progressed, the roles between the younger brothers and their oldest sibling began to shift.

“The team was really bad for years leading up to that year and that run they had,” Kelly says. “They were 1-17 for two years in a row. In Hunter’s junior year, they were 3-15. Hunter was a big who got a lot of minutes and was a starter in his sophomore and junior years. Early on in [Cooper’s and Ace’s freshman] season, all three of them started. Cooper averaged six dunks a game in middle school. The buzz that his name was generating in the state of Maine around basketball was extraordinary before he even played his first high school game. People just couldn’t wait to see him play. A couple of games into the season after a successful preseason, the coach had Hunter and another senior coming off the bench. The both of them handled it so well even though it was a tough pill to swallow. All the seniors were so gracious and were just excited to have a winning team. Even the parents of the senior boys were amazing.”

That season ended up being one for the ages. The team went 21-1 on their way to capturing the state title. Cooper began to show the same flashes of elite talent that the rest of the world has now caught up on. He averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists that season as a ninth grader. The USA Basketball website highlights one particular outing where he dropped 32 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 blocks and 3 steals in an early January game.   

“[Having Ace, Hunter, and me on the same team] was always something we were excited about. It was a really fun year in general because it was going to be our last year with Hunter. We knew that we probably weren’t going to be going back to Nokomis after that year, so we had a lot of fun with it,” says Cooper. “Winning the state championship together was a dream we always had, and something we wanted to do together for the community… We knew what the team was going to be because we had a fall ball team that had been playing together since the summer. Ace and I had been playing up with the varsity [team] during the summer.”   

As if the Flaggs’ story so far wasn’t already a Hollywood-type script, the story behind the supporting cast of that championship team really drives home the point. When Kelly was a senior at Nokomis, she shared the floor with teammates Penny, Jaime, Katie and Amanda—fast forward some three decades later, and their respective sons—Dawson Townsend, Ethan Cote, Alex Grant and Madden White—were all now sharing that same floor with Kelly’s kids at the very same school. A reminder of just how small the Newport community really is.  

After the movie-esque season, though, came a difficult decision. The family had to decide between continuing their high school careers at Nokomis or making the sacrifice of relocating in search of a chance to take their games to the next level. In the end, the latter took precedence, and Cooper and Ace found themselves on their way to Florida for their sophomore campaigns, enrolling at national powerhouse Montverde Academy. Aside from featuring an unmatched alumni list that includes Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid (transferred out), D’Angelo Russell and RJ Barrett, among a plethora of other NBA players, the Eagles are renowned for their state-of-the-art facilities and playing a top-notch national schedule that competes against the country’s top talent. It’s been regarded as the closest thing to a DI program at the high school level. In fact, since 2021, Montverde has had 12 players selected in the NBA Draft. In contrast, during that same period, Duke has had eight and Kentucky has had seven.    

“There were these whispers about a kid that was potentially very good, from Maine of all places, and they were playing at The Big House, which is 30 minutes from our school in Florida in a Made Hoops event,” recalls Montverde head coach Kevin Boyle. “So, I went there to watch some of our younger guys and to see what kind of potential Cooper had. You could just see he had a competitiveness and athleticism that at minimally, he was going to be an outstanding player.”  

The move to Montverde helped raise Cooper’s profile on a national scale while also taking his game up a notch. In 2022, he became the youngest ever USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

The competitive side of Cooper is no more evident than when you hear him talk about the driveway battles he’s had with his family throughout the years. Those would get really heated sometimes, and no one was safe from it, not even his own mother. 

“Countless hours spent in the driveway battling against both of [my brothers]. Too many fights to remember. Just a lot of fun we used to have playing against each other and just battling,” says Cooper. “Me and my mom used to battle all the time [too]. I think the last time we played was in fifth grade. She actually got hurt when we were playing, and we haven’t played since. So I never beat her. I was beating her that one time. I was up 9 to 8 in a game to 11, but then she got hurt.”

“That’s not exactly the way I remember it happening,” says Kelly, after getting wind of Cooper’s 1-on-1 recollection. “He may have been in the lead, but I’m sure had I not torn my meniscus, I would have come back and beaten him in that game. I drove to the left and did a hard jump stop. He went flying, and I would have scored and tied up the game. When I planted it, I just felt [like] something was not right. So, he technically has never beaten me.

“I didn’t play them that often,” she adds. “Every once in a while, I would get in there just to remind them who the boss was. All three of our boys had battles. Those occurred daily, or at least several times a week. Every single time that the three of them went out to play, we knew that it was going to end in some sort of physical fight or verbal altercation. There was usually someone bleeding at the end. The ball was chucked across the street. It didn’t end well. I attribute that to their competitiveness, especially in those early days of wanting to win.”

Stories of just how competitive Cooper is are rampant. When Coach Boyle is asked for a story that perfectly reflects Cooper’s personality, he laughs for a few seconds before recalling the time Cooper had to be separated from a practice scuffle…with his own twin brother.

“It was Cooper and his brother swinging at each other in practice when they were on opposing teams,” Boyle says. “They got tangled up in a few plays and we had to break them up after throwing punches at each other. It’s a good story because it just shows the competitiveness in him because the family all love each other dearly, but when they’re on the court, they’re competing. It’s one of the few fights at practice we’ve had since I’ve been at Montverde. It brought a smile to my face, it brought me back to the St. Patrick [HS in Elizabeth, NJ] days.” 

As impressive as his game is, it’s the fact that he’s still only 16 years old that really hits. He’ll be 17 for his first four months of college since his birthday isn’t until December. Beyond the skill set, hard commitment to both ends of the floor, impressive athleticism, otherworldly confidence and poised demeanor, Cooper is barely old enough to be in his current grade. 

This past summer, though, Cooper Flagg-mania hit a new tier. Unless you spent the warmer months of 2023 living under a rock, you likely saw highlights of Cooper in your feed at some point while scrolling on your phone. His name would trend on Twitter periodically and videos of him absolutely manhandling his peers drew the attention of hoop fans and added fire to the frenzy. This all led to an epic run at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam.

Playing for Maine United, which earlier in the spring looked to be in jeopardy of even qualifying for Peach Jam, Cooper and company ended up going on a Cinderella-type run in the days that followed. Although they entered the U16 Peach Jam with a 9-9 record, the team went undefeated (4-0) in pool play on its way to the championship game, where they ultimately fell short. Flagg averaged 25.4 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the tournament and even had LeBron James approach him at one point to chop it up—an interaction that made the rounds online.

“It’d be tough for anybody to do a scouting report on me in terms of how they’re going to take me out of a game,” Cooper says. “They can take certain parts of my game away, but I think that I’m too versatile and too much of a well-rounded player that no team can take me out of the game.

“In terms of challenging, I don’t really know if I could say something that’s really challenging because most of the things that people would see as challenging are an outcome of some opportunity that I’ve been given. You have to look at it in that way.”      

For Cooper, though, it wasn’t just about shocking the world in leading an unbeknownst AAU team from Maine, of all places, to the title game of the most prestigious grassroots circuit in the world—all after barely maintaining a .500 record going into the final session. It was more about the fact that this very same AAU program was full of teammates that he met when he would travel 3+ hours for practice as a fourth grader. It was the culmination of an almost decade-long journey alongside some kids from The Pine Tree State with similar hoop dreams as his.        

Not long after, Cooper found himself having to make yet another high-stake, life-altering decision this past summer: stay in his current class and continue to the dominate everyone in front of him, or reclassify up and join the senior class of 2024, which would expedite his ultimate dream of going pro one day. He chose the latter, of course.

And although everyone watched his meteoric rise this year on social media, what they didn’t see was that behind the scenes, Cooper was taking summer classes when he wasn’t traveling around the country and tearing up every event he stepped foot in, all in order to put himself on track to have enough credits to reclassify up to the Class of 2024.  

“It was really tough because when I was home, the main thing I was doing was schoolwork,” Cooper says. “I had to focus on schoolwork over seeing my friends that I hadn’t seen in months. Trying to balance all those different things was tough but something that I had to do.”

All those previous decisions led to this current decision, his most important one yet. Deciding between UConn and Duke. Cooper visited both campuses in recent weeks, and when it came time to pick a destination, he went with his gut feeling, just like he has with every other decision.

“I think after I got on campus at Duke, I really started to feel it, to be honest,” he says. “That’s something the coaches definitely stressed to me, that once you get to campus, it’s something you have to feel. And [I knew then] I wanted to go to Duke and that’s where I wanted to play college basketball. What went into the decision, I mean, I was just looking for a coaching staff I was really comfortable with, but [also] a coach and staff that was really going to hold me accountable. Being on the visit, I got to see them in practice, and see how they were holding their guys accountable, and really pushing them to be better. For me, ever since I was a little kid, I always had dreams of playing Division I basketball at the highest level. Especially with a place like Duke, once we got to campus, we felt it.

“I’m honored that I have the opportunity to join The Brotherhood, and hopefully I’ll be one of the players that recruits are looking at some day and someone they can see themselves being. Especially from all the love I saw this last weekend when I was there, it made me really excited, all the [Cameron] Crazies and the fans. I think it’s going to be a really exciting year and [fans] should just get ready because I know that I’m all about winning, so I’m trying to keep that winning culture that Duke has.”

In Durham, after wearing No. 32 his whole life—a jersey number retired by Duke thanks to Christian Laettner—Cooper has chosen to wear No. 2 instead next year, in honor of his close friend Donovan Kurt, who attended Nokomis Regional back in Maine (he wore No. 2) and passed away last year after a long battle with brain cancer (visit here to support families of children fighting cancer in Maine).          

“[This] is something that I’m trying to carry with me. [I want to] prove that kids from Maine can make it if they put their minds to it and they really work hard enough,” says Cooper. “That’s something that I’m taking a lot of pride in. It’s proving to everybody from Maine, the rest of the country, and around the world, that kids from Maine can make it.”     

SLAM 247 COVER TEES AVAILABLE NOW.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post No. 1 HS Recruit Cooper Flagg Announces He’s Headed to Duke on the Cover of SLAM 247 appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s a nice and simple number, though: 

Five. 

Jayson Tatum has had five 50-plus-point games in his career. That’s more than Larry Bird, more than Paul Pierce, more than John Havlicek, more than Isaiah Thomas, more than Sam Jones, more than Bob Cousy, more than Kevin McHale and more than Ray Allen. 

Tatum has scored at least 50 more times than any other Celtic. He and Bird are the only players to ever score 60 for the League’s most storied club. 

Here’s one more easy number to put all of that into perspective: 

24. 

As in, he’s only 24 years old. 

The above is special regardless of age. The skill level is magnified under the intensity of the attention that the Cs have always received. Last season’s run to the Finals has heightened the attention around Tatum even more. He’s delivered, making expectations seem more like invitations to demonstrate his dominance. A few more numbers, true as we go to press, to illustrate the evolution super clearly: 

—Career-best 31 points per game

—Career-best 8.6 rebounds per game 

—Career-best-tying 4.4 assists per game 

—Six 40-plus-point games

—10 30-plus-point games 

The eye test is a resounding pass. He scores a 100 on that, an A+, gets five gold stars and one round of applause. 

Tatum scores in every single way imaginable on the floor. Single coverage is pretty much no coverage for him. Going up against a double team is like a fun challenge that he can solve most of the time. These days, it looks like triple teams are becoming a necessity. 

He’s been surpassing the ghosts of Celtics past in mostly the Air Jordan 37 Low. Jordan’s signature foam, Formula 23, is stacked in the heel for landing, while an Air Strobel unit and a Zoom Air unit are double-stacked in the forefoot. Tatum’s shown off a variety of PEs while he’s been in the 37. 

But things are about to change…

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Jayson Tatum’s Game is Already Otherworldly, but He’s Just Getting Started appeared first on SLAM.

For the past 30-plus years, I’ve had the chance to witness the remarkable career of Duke Men’s Basketball legend and basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill. I’ve gone from being just a fan to a friend. We’ve talked many times about what it was like to be an African American student and athlete at Duke University, and recently I had the chance to ask him a few questions about the evolution of Duke Basketball, from a racial standpoint, and how basketball fans across the country and the world perceived Duke Basketball, then and now.

9TH WONDER: You know as well as I, and we’ve talked about this many times, but when people think of Duke—the campus, being on the Men’s Basketball team, even playing for Coach K—Black and Duke don’t go together, at least in the minds of many people. Did you feel that way before you got to Duke? 

GRANT HILL: I understand—now—the sort of thought process behind that. And in large part, I had a similar relationship in the NBA in the 1980s [with] the two franchises that really kind of ushered the League into this new era, the Celtics and the Lakers. As a young Black boy, I gravitated to the Lakers. They were exciting, they were Showtime, you had the personality of Magic [Johnson], but they were Black. And Boston—Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge—they were white. This was me as a young 10, 11, 12-year-old, not fully aware of some of the racial dynamics and history that existed in Boston at that time. I think I naturally gravitated toward a Laker team much like I gravitated toward the Georgetown Hoyas. 

And so I understand, looking back at it now, how people perceived that, particularly while we were there. We didn’t have Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, but we had Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley—Danny Ferry before that—and we had success. And so I think that helped shape a lot of people’s perceptions, particularly people in our community, about how they felt about Duke at that time. But, also, I don’t know if I was fully aware of what those perceptions were, and I think we were insulated. We’re in a world now where everything’s at our fingertips. There’s technology, there’s social media, fans. Anyone and everyone has an opinion. Back then it was the Durham Herald-Sun and USA Today. And then, within the community of Durham, which as you know has a strong African American population and history, I, along with my other Black teammates, always felt that love, or at least love and respect. It’s difficult, because [North] Carolina, the rivalry makes it interesting. But I think even people who were maybe Carolina fans were always like, Yo, I rock with you, or, I don’t like Duke, but I love the way you play. So I felt that rivalry, but I never felt that deeper sort of angst within our community toward Duke and the Duke Basketball program.

So part of that is, look, the five schools that I looked at, three of them were state schools: North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan. And then two were small private schools, Duke and Georgetown. And the reality is, Georgetown’s very similar to Duke. But the perception about Georgetown was very different, in part because they had an all-Black basketball team and a very strong Black leader as a coach. But the schools themselves were very similar—they all were predominantly white institutions. So I always kind of looked at things through that lens. There may have been more Black students at Carolina or at Virginia or at Michigan, but the schools were bigger, and so naturally they were going to have more of us. But I think the percentage of Black students was probably very similar to Duke and Georgetown at those other schools. I feel like we weren’t fully aware of those perceptions that were out there at that time.

9TH: So probably the two most polarizing figures around that time, when it comes to [the perception by some of Duke] being non-Black or being against Black people or being anti-Black, or anything dealing with Black and basketball, are Coach K and Christian Laettner. And they were the two quote-unquote “symbolic” reasons why I, as a Black man, should hate Duke. But what people don’t realize is Coach K’s from Chicago, and although Chicago has diverse places and not-so-diverse places, it’s never been on the record that he’s been against African Americans or anything like that.

And even when we talk about Christian Laettner, he loved hip-hop. Not to say that makes him Black, but he loved hip-hop. So in that insulated blanket that you guys were in, did you ever feel—from your teammates or the program itself—any type of racial tension? Did you feel any different being a Black player for Coach K? Like, Well, he does this for the white boys on the team, or anything like that?

GH: No, no, I didn’t. And Christian, when I arrived, was—look, let’s face it, Christian was one of the great college basketball players of the modern era. You go from 1980 onward, there’s not someone who’s as accomplished, who had as much success, and Christian was dominant. And so there was a respect for that and an understanding that he was our horse. It was interesting, you talk about Christian, Christian not only loved hip-hop, but I think he really respected and took the time to try to understand Black culture.

And I think it’s maybe more accepted now in some ways, but back then, that was—you’re talking about a southern school in 1990! And so the perception…obviously the I Hate Christian Laettner documentary, I think, dispelled a lot of perceived myths of him at the time. But yeah, we were just trying to win. And ultimately, it was like, What’s going to give us the best opportunity to be successful? We needed Christian to be great. We needed Bobby [Hurley] to become the player that we knew he could be. I needed to do what I did. So there were obviously issues of race on campus. I remember when I first arrived around this time, 32 years ago, [Republican] Jesse Helms was running against [Democrat] Harvey Gantt.

9TH: I remember that.

GH: In the state of North Carolina! And there were a lot of people, a lot of students, who opposed Jesse Helms. A lot of Duke students, Black and white. And I mentioned that in my book, but I say that in part to represent that there were matters and issues of race that emerged on campus, and I’m sure emerged at a lot of campuses. Do we have enough African American faculty members? Just things of that nature that were indicative of the times.

But in terms of Duke basketball…I don’t know. Like I said, I was oblivious to it. And I joke, and this is maybe simplifying things, but everywhere we went, we were hated. And any time a team came to Cameron, they were hated. And you just thought that was ACC basketball. You thought that was also a byproduct of us being really good. And even when we played non-conference teams, they wanted to play us. They wanted to boo us. They wanted to beat us. And the crazy thing on that front is when you went to a lot of these games, a lot of times you looked in the crowd, and in the students’ section it was predominantly white. You know what I’m saying? You go to Florida State, you go to Clemson, you go to Carolina, you go to NC State, you look in the crowd, and I’d say 90 percent, 95 percent of the student population was white. So I just thought that was [because] we were good. People wanted to beat us. And when [opposing teams] came into Cameron, the Cameron Crazies, they dished it out, too. And so I just thought that was part of intercollegiate sports at that time. I really did. I understand now, but at the time, I was a little bit oblivious to all of that. Not a little bit—I was very much oblivious to all of that.

9TH: If Duke was like that in 1990, do you feel as if, over the years, it has gotten Blacker? The basketball team?

GH: Well, I think part of what played into this feeling was that Duke Basketball, from ’85, ’86, when that team emerged, really until present day, has been good. And particularly ’86 to maybe the mid-2000s, we seemed to have a steady stream of really good white basketball players who were like, Player of the Year [level], and were cocky. And you had a Danny Ferry, you had a Bobby, you had a Christian, you had a JJ Redick. You had guys that didn’t mind playing the role of villain, and I’m sure that rubbed people the wrong way. And like I said, played into this narrative. [But] I’ll say this, and I don’t know if people fully understand this, but when I was at Duke, those three years that we recruited, we tried to get guys.

9TH: Y’all tried to get Chris Webber.

GH: Jerry Stackhouse came on a visit. He obviously chose to go to North Carolina and had a great career at Carolina and a great pro career. We brought in Chris Webber on a visit. He chose to go to Michigan, had a Hall of Fame career. And there are other guys as well. So it wasn’t like we weren’t trying to recruit certain guys. We were trying to win. And I think it’s just, not all those guys necessarily wanted to come to Duke, for whatever reason. And we missed out on white guys, too. But I think this idea that Coach or the program only exclusively went after good white players or good guys or guys who fit a certain mold, I think that was inaccurate. I was there. I housed those guys. I mean, I used to entertain Stackhouse. When Chris Webber came, we threw a party trying to…we understood how good he was, and guys chose to go elsewhere.

And so I think as Coach K [increased] his success and stature…and I think the Olympic team and getting validation from those pros, I think a number of things may have played into where now we field teams [where] we’re all Black, or at least predominantly Black. So it’s almost ironic, the irony and all. It’s like the so-called perception of Duke Basketball and how that’s changed, particularly in the last decade. But look, Coach K…you know Coach K as well as anyone. All he wants to do is win.

9TH: That’s it.

GH: And he wants to get the best players that give him an opportunity to win. And that was up until this last year [when he retired], and that was certainly back in 1990 when I first arrived
on campus.

Oh, one other thing. I do think the fact that we played and we beat two very significant teams, UNLV, who was dominant, and then Michigan, and sort of what they represented culturally, and we beat both [of] those teams—I think that also played into people’s feelings about us. And, of course, our star guy was Christian Laettner, and we had a Bobby Hurley and then Coach K, and we were categorized as good versus bad. And I think the media did that. 

9TH: What was the soundtrack of the locker room while you were there?

GH: That’s a good question. I don’t know. I think it changed every year because music was changing. So it was really kind of whatever was in. I think Poor Righteous Teachers, Jungle Brothers, LL Cool J. NWA’s second album. I’m trying to think what else. I remember my third year, that was The Chronic, that was a big album. And I also remember Geto Boys. That was big. [A] Tribe [Called Quest]. Oh Tribe! My second year, ’92, Tribe. And then my senior year, it was Cube, it was Wu-Tang. It was hip-hop. I mean, I knew about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but that wasn’t in the locker room, that was just more in the school. 

But yeah, it was very much hip-hop. It was embraced socially on campus with the non-Black students, which obviously is the same as I would assume it is now, the present day.

9TH: And it’s crazy because the time you played at Duke, ’91-94, if you place the the rap albums that came out those three years, it is insane. And movies, too. I’ve talked to a lot of guys who went to school with you, and a lot of white guys, and they say, I was here when Grant was here.
And I was like, What was your music of choice? They were like, Nas. And I was like…[Wow]. And this is a guy our age, corporate, and he loves Nas and Wu-Tang. So it’s funny to say this out loud, but you played at Duke during the golden era, during the golden era of hip-hop. It’s incredible to say out loud. 

GH: Durham always gave us love, man. Anyway, I just think it’s important. I think you understand the city there, but we’d go off campus, we were out and about. People showed a lot of love. So I’m looking at Duke’s perception in the Black community through the lens of the residents of Durham. And so if we were in the West End, or if we were at McDougald or whatever, we were out and about like that. It was always love. Now, maybe the love was like, Yo, the Duke basketball players, they’re coming over and they’re spending time, they’re doing things, they’re hanging out, whatever it is. And ironically—well, I can’t say this with absolute certainty, but DC loved Duke.

9TH: Wow. 

GH: Now if I say that, people may hate on me for saying it, but think about it. Coach K helped build some of his foundation by going up to the DMV.

9TH: Yes, absolutely. He did.

GH: Know what I mean? He got a lot of people out of the area. And so because of that, there was a lot of love. When I went home, people used to rock with Duke.

9TH: Wow, I never thought of that. That’s an interesting dynamic.

GH: Yeah. So I’m looking at it through that lens. All I know is the DMV, and I know Durham. I’m not going to these other places. And so I didn’t realize it until I left school and I got into the League and I started to understand how people perceived us. But look, the foundation, you got Johnny [Dawkins]—no disrespect to David Henderson, Mark Alarie, those guys, they were just as important. [But] you get your backcourt from DC. Then you come back, you get Billy King. Then you get the Player of the Year, Danny Ferry. That got it rolling. 

It’s just interesting. I don’t feel like the Black community looks at Duke Basketball the same as they did 30 years ago.

9TH: No, not at all. It is ever-changing. It’s always transforming, all the time. And they don’t look at it the same. It’s a respect factor. It’s still I don’t like Duke, or whatever, but it’s a respect factor. It’s the “Duke Starting 5 Haircut” the 2015 national championship team had. 

And on top of that, we have to understand that this generation of Black kids, they don’t really remember the Laettner years. A lot of these kids, their memory [goes back to] Kyrie Irving. And that’s the beginning. And if they’re looking at TV for the last 10 years, 12 years, all they see is all of these Black players. So if you’re a kid watching ball for the last 12 years, you don’t see Duke through the same lens as people saw Duke in 1991. 

And I think that’s a beautiful thing. 

Photos via Getty Images

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The three-time All-Star officially passed the three-time MVP for most 50-point games in Boston Celtics history after he scored a season-high 51 points on 15-23 shooting from the field, 7-12 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe to lead Boston to a 130-118 win over Charlotte. Tatum has posted more 50-point games than Bird and Paul Pierce COMBINED.

“He makes me look like a better coach,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said per ESPN. “He didn’t settle for shots; he got catch-and-shoots, he got off the dribbles, he got layups. The other piece of that is the humility of our team to really work with him to get those 51 points.”

JAYSON TATUM 51 PIECE

HE DROPPED 18 PTS IN Q4 pic.twitter.com/dinmve9N8T

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

Tatum’s 51-point effort was his first 50-point outing since he scored 54 and 51 last season and notched a career-high 60 points during the 2020-21 campaign. Tatum has tied Gilbert Arenas for the third-best scoring performance on MLK Day after Agent Zero dropped 51 points in 2007.

“It’s been a while since I scored 50,” Tatum said per Yahoo Sports. “So I needed that one.”

Tatum scored his 51st point with 38 seconds left after knocking down his seventh triple of the evening, which drew “MVP ” chants from the Charlotte crowd. After Charlotte cut Boston’s lead to 98-95 following a pair of free throws from Jaden McDaniels, Tatum came in and responded with 18 fourth-quarter points to put the game out of reach.

Boston (33-12) holds the top spot in the League after Tuesday and is 4.5 games ahead of Brooklyn (27-15) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

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The NBA MVP trophy will be known as The Michael Jordan Trophy. Feels right. pic.twitter.com/baVlwnwOZf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 13, 2022

Jordan’s bonafide’s include winning five MVPs, going six-for-six in the NBA Finals with six Finals MVPs, and 10 scoring titles; he’s a 14-time All-Star and three-time All-Star Game MVP. He’s also been the Defensive Player of the Year, a nine-time All-Defensive team member, and an 11-time All-NBA member. MJ had his iconic No. 23 retired by the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.

The Michael Jordan Trophy will stand 23.6 inches tall and weigh 23.6 pounds, nods to his legendary jersey number and six titles with the Bulls. The MVP trophy has a five-sided base, a tribute to his five MVPs, and its six-sided name badge honors each of his championships. The base is shaped at a 15-degree angle for the 15 seasons Jordan played in the NBA.

Although Jordan approved the design and was involved every step of the way, the Michael Jordan Trophy doesn’t depict him. The Michael Jordan Trophy is a bronze player representing a player “breaking out of a rock to reach for the ultimate rock — a crystal basketball,” per the League. The MVP award symbolizes how hard work leads to something more polished and, finally, something great as you get to the top of the trophy.

“Anybody should be able to see this and see themselves in it,” said longtime Jordan Brand designer Mark Smith, who oversaw the trophy’s design. “They should feel the excellence of Michael Jordan and his pursuit. It’s got his name on it, but it isn’t him. It’s everybody. It could be a shipbuilder, or it could be a teacher or a lawyer or a writer who looks at it and says, ‘That’s what I’m trying to do.’”

A legendary namesake for the pinnacle of basketball performance.

The new Michael Jordan Trophy for the NBA #KiaMVP features a player breaking out of a rock as the patina of the trophy grows more burnished – “raw to refined” – signifying the MVP’s hard work achieving the honor. pic.twitter.com/NNsZkkDO9H

— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2022

The League had decided to rebrand most of its trophies in the last two and add a couple. The NBA introduced the Jerry West Award, given to the Clutch Player of the Year. Like most NBA awards, a media panel decides the winner, and coaches will nominate players for the clutch award. The DPOY will now receive The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, the ROY will receive the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, the Sixth Man of the Year will receive the John Havlicek Trophy, and Most Improved Player will receive the George Mikan Trophy.

“Our new collection of trophies celebrates some of the greatest and most impactful players in the history of the NBA,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “As we recognize the League’s top performers each season, we also pay tribute to the legends who embody these prestigious awards.”

“I’m always going to numbers and symbiology as key root DNA to make something specific and authentic for that person,” Smith said. “When you start putting all these things together, there’s only one person, and it becomes very unique. Not different, but very unique.”

New names and trophies for NBA’s major individual awards:

– MVP: The Michael Jordan Trophy
– DPOY: Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy
– ROY: Wilt Chamberlain Trophy
– Sixth Man of Year: John Havlicek Trophy
– Most Improved: George Mikan Trophy
– New Clutch Player of Year: Jerry West Trophy

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 13, 2022

Other redesigned or reimaged trophies include some being named for Joe Dumar (sportsmanship), Red Auerbach (Coach of the Year), the Kobe Bryant All-Star MP award, and the Larry O’Brien Trophy for NBA champs and the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy.

The Eastern and Western Conference Finals winners get the Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson trophies, while the East finals MVP gets the Larry Bird Trophy, and the West finals MVP gets the Magic Johnson Trophy. Divisional winners get trophies named after Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (Atlantic), Wayne Embry (Central), Earl Lloyd (southeast), Willis Reed (Southwest), Sam Jones (Northwest), and Chick Cooper (Pacific).

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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.”

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Doncic’s final stat line for the night was 41 points on 50 percent shooting (14/28) to go along with 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and three steals to help the Dallas Mavericks secure a 129-125 win.

“We’re just trying to do the best we can to make his job a lot easier out there on the floor when he gives the ball up, and the only way you can do that is knock down shots and take them with confidence and make a play,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. postgame, per ESPN.

Mavericks Maxi Kleber also went on to add to what Hardaway said, stating,

“Obviously, Luka is probably the best guy to make tough shots and make shots when they count, but he also knows when to make the right basketball plays,” Kleber said. “And especially when we came into overtime, they were like really aggressive with him, and he made the right play, I don’t know, three or four times in a row. We just got hot and made all those shots.”

Doncic’s 40-point triple-double performance was also one for the history books, as he now becomes the 10th player in NBA History with three or more 40-point triple-doubles.

The list includes many impressive names, such as NBA Legends Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, and The King LeBron James. This recent outing adds to what has been such a stellar start to the 2022-2023 season for Doncic, as he has put up over thirty points in each one of the four Mavericks games so far.

The Mavericks’ record currently sits at 2-2, placing them as the 10th seed in the Western Conference.

Although it is still very early into the new NBA season, we would not put it past Doncic to definitely continue to play at such a high level. Only time will tell if Doncic can sustain this level of play and carry it on to the playoffs later down the road; for now, let’s just appreciate the nightly magic we witness.

The post Luka Doncic Becomes The 10th Player In NBA History With Three or More 40-Point Triple Doubles appeared first on SLAM.

Russell is iconic not only because of his winning as a player and coach (back-to-back titles in ’68 and 69) but because of all he endured as one of the few Black players in the NBA at the time. The Celtics may have been one of the most progressive teams after drafting Russell and other Black players like Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, K.C. Jones and Al Butle, but that contingent of players, especially Russell, had to deal with the racism and bigotry that was prevalent not just in Boston but across the states in general.

The battles he fought on and off the court could’ve made the 11-time champ bitter. Instead, Russell has become the elder statesman of a League that has embraced many legendary and unique players like Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.

When commissioner Adam Silver sat down with Howard Stern of Sports Illustrated to talk about his bond with Russell, he called the NBA legend “the founding father of the modern NBA.” and the Babe Ruth of the NBA who was able to talk and stand with his current contemporaries.

“He’s sort of the founding father of the modern NBA,” Silver says. “And with that, I think he became the League’s DNA for our players to feel comfortable speaking out on societal issues. I would say a lot of the courage of the modern-day players, there’s a direct through line to Bill, against the whole shut up-and-dribble crowd.”

Silver went on to talk about how much he loved hearing Russell’s story about his playing days, including his disdain for being asked to sign autographs. Silver also spoke about Russell’s fight for civil rights and the big man’s iconic 1961 protest.

Russell and his teammates, Jones, Sanders, and Butle, walked out of an exhibition game after they were refused service in a restaurant in Lexington, KY. Silver also admired Russell’s support for Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who hasn’t played in the NFL since protesting against police brutality during the 2016 season by kneeling during the national anthem.

“He recognized the value of the platform that was afforded him by being an MVP, NBA champion player,” Silver says. “And he was realistic about that — He ultimately decided; obviously, he could do more through the platform that playing offered him. But he tweeted that clearly in support of these players, saying that, ‘I have your back.’ And again, classic Bill, he wasn’t saying that means you shouldn’t be playing—because he kept playing—but it was just saying, ‘I understand. That’s something you all should be thinking about.'”

He also detailed how happy he was to see modern players come up and give their respect to Russell and their reactions as Russell told stories of his playing days with the Celtics.

In the coming days and years, Silver will also make sure to continue to draw inspiration from his friendship with Russell and hopes to one day pass that knowledge on to his two young daughters.

“For whatever my children want to do in their lives, it may have nothing to do with sports, or it may not be something which traditionally you think of as a competition where people get objectively ranked,” Silver says, “but I’d want to teach them that quality of truly being willing to give your all to what you’re passionate about. And that’s the unique quality that Bill had.”

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The main issue that plagued Boston was turnovers. In Game 6, Boston coughed the ball up 22 times, and Golden State took advantage of Boston’s mistakes by scoring 27 points off the turnovers. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart combined for 13 turnovers. The Celtics are winless in the playoffs when they turn the ball over at least 15 times.

“I think just our level of poise at times throughout this series and previous series, myself included, taking care of the ball, things like that. But it’s easy to look back and see all the things you could have done better. We tried. I know that for a fact.” Tatum said.

According to Statmuse, Tatum committed a postseason record of 100 turnovers.

Jayson Tatum is the first player in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason. pic.twitter.com/Jd7PKvYHCJ

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2022

Tatum finished the season-ending loss with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 31.7 percent from the field with 23 overall turnovers in the Finals.

In 18 games, the 24-year-old averaged 27 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Tatum’s memorable playoff run ended with him becoming the youngest player in playoff history to post 600 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in a single postseason.

Led by Tatum, the Celtics went on a revenge tour through the East, beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heat as he won the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy and led the Celtics to their first Finals appearance since 2010.

“It’s hard getting to this point, and it’s even harder getting over the hump and winning it,” Tatum said about the lessons he learned from the playoff run.

Tatum had a crazy playoff run:

— 1st in points
— 1st in assists
— ECF MVP
— Youngest ever with 600/100/100
— Beat KD, Giannis, Jimmy
— Dropped 46 down 3-2 at Bucks
— Dropped 13 assists in Finals debut
— Won 2 Game 7s

Head high. pic.twitter.com/Sc5w4gSoHK

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2022

This was the first Finals run of Tatum’s young career, and hopefully, it won’t be the last. Tatum and Brown have proven to be a dangerous duo at the wing. The core of Boston’s group is under contract next season, Tatum, Brown, and Smart made history as the first trio to finish a Finals game with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Michael Cooper did it in 1984.

Boston’s most glaring issue heading into next season will be finding a dynamic point guard or developing Smart to the point that he can make Tatum and Brown’s jobs easier as all-around wings.

“They won and we lost. We did it to ourselves. For sure, we had opportunities to go up and win,” Brown said per The Boston Herald. “I guess we’ve shown our immaturity at times, and it stings. Still a young group. Still got a lot to learn. Nothing to hang our head about. Tough day for Boston. Tough day for the Celtics. Yeah, I don’t know what to say.”

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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.

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The three leading men of Boston became the first trio of teammates to finish a Finals game with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Michael Cooper did it in 1984.

Brown got the Celtics off to a strong start attacking the rim, scoring 22 of his 27 points in the first half. Brown also posted nine boards and five assists. Tatum helped Boston cross the finish line, scoring 15 of his 26 points in the second half while contributing nine rebounds and five dimes. Smart finished Game 3 with 24 points, seven points, and five assists.

“I was born in ’98, so that’s way before my time,” Tatum said in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “But that’s great company to be in.”

With two 3-pointers from Jaylen Brown… Brown & Jayson Tatum are the first pair of teammates in Celtics history to each make 50 3-pointers in a single postseason pic.twitter.com/O94a6VrMLD

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 9, 2022

Tatum and Brown are also the first Boston teammates to knock down at least 50 three-pointers in a single postseason. The All-Stars accomplished the feat after Brown hit the first of his four triples in the first half.

In previous playoff runs, Ray Allen made at least 50 threes when Boston made a run to the Finals during his tenure in Beantown. However, his closest teammate, Paul Pierce, maxed out at 40 during Boston’s 2008 and 2010 run to the Finals. Larry Bird only made 80 three-pointers in the postseason for his whole career.

Boston is up 2-1 in the Finals after Wednesday’s Game 3 and has a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead on Friday. Celtics and Warriors fans will wait with bated breath for an injury update on Stephen Curry’s foot injury he suffered in the fourth quarter.

The post Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart Join Elite Company With Game 3 Outing appeared first on SLAM.

4. 1985-86 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 67-15

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Rick Carlisle, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Jerry Sichting, David Thirdkill, Sam Vincent, Bill Walton, Scott Wedman, Sly Williams

From the 1983-84 season all the way through ’87-88, Larry Bird averaged 27.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. Three of those seasons ended with Bird winning League MVP honors. Two of them ended with championships. For a few years in the middle of arguably the NBA’s greatest decade, Bird was the best player alive.

Whether the ’85-86 Celtics are the greatest of the franchise’s 17 NBA title teams is up for debate; there are, after all, a lot of great ones to choose from. Let’s just agree that this squad is on the short list. It starts, of course, with Bird, the 6-9 assassin who did everything there was to do on a basketball court very, very well. In his third and final League MVP season, Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 boards, 6.8 assists and 2 steals per.

Equally as consistent and nearly as productive was Kevin McHale, the low-post menace who accounted for 21.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Alongside veteran center Robert Parish (16.1 ppg and 9.5 rpg) and reserve big man Bill Walton, the future Hall of Famer getting his last chance at glory after an injury-riddled career, they formed the most imposing frontcourt in the League.

Though less acclaimed, the backcourt of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge could kill you with scoring, defense and—especially in Ainge’s case—sheer distraction. These two knew their roles and played them to perfection. The group was coached by KC Jones, an eight-time champ during his own Celtic playing days who caught an unfair rep as a roll-the-balls out spectator on the bench, but who knew exactly how to motivate his tough and talented squad.

Make that tough, talented and motivated as hell going into the ’85-86 season. The previous summer, they’d lost 4-2 to L.A. in the Finals, Boston’s first ever Finals loss to the franchise they’d dominated throughout their history. They weren’t about to let the Showtime squad do it back-to-back.

The Celtics set the tone early that season. After an OT loss to the Nets on opening night, Boston roared to a 17-2 start. They put together a 13-game win streak in mid-winter, and topped that with a 14-game unbeaten run in March and April. Their League-best 67-15 record included a pair of head-to-head victories over the team everyone assumed they’d once again meet in the Finals: a 15-point home blowout in January, and a 6-point win at the Fabulous Forum a month later.

They hit the playoffs in stride and never let up: a 3-0 sweep of the Bulls, a 4-1 series win over the Hawks and a clean sweep of a 57-win Milwaukee squad in the Eastern Conference Finals. And then it was time for the Finals matchup they’d waited all year for. And waiting for them was… Houston?

Indeed, Houston. The Rockets rode the Twin Towers pairing of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson to a 4-1 WCF upset of L.A., earning a well-deserved spot in the Finals but spoiling the widely expected L.A.-Boston rematch. Houston might have ruined the narrative, but if the Celtics were disappointed, it certainly didn’t show in their play.

The Rockets showed up, and led by 23-year-old future Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon (24.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg and 3.2 bpg for the series), they kept things competitive. But this series was only ever going to end one way. Boston took a 2-0 lead at home with a pair of comfortable wins at the Garden, then stole the middle of three games in Houston to ensure they returned home in control. In Game 6, they smothered the Rockets from the jump, rolling to a 55-38 halftime lead and never let up, posting a 114-97 victory to clinch the title. McHale scored 25.8 points per game, but it was Bird, with a staggering stat line of 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game, who rightfully claimed his second Finals MVP trophy.

Lakers or no Lakers, this was Bird’s—and Boston’s—year.

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6. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 65-17

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Branch, Frank Brickowski, Michael Cooper, AC Green, Magic Johnson, Wes Matthews, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Mike Smrek, Billy Thompson, Mychal Thompson, James Worthy

One of the greatest teams in Lakers history began and ended the regular season with losses. A truer representation of the Lakers’ dominance came in the stretch of March and April, in which they won 21 of 22, a run that served as a statement of intent for the postseason. These guys were serious.

They were motivated, too. A year earlier, they’d missed the Finals for the first time in five years and watched as Larry Bird and the hated Celtics won their third title of the decade. They’d be in no mood to watch this time.

Magic Johnson was already a three-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP, but unlike his rival Bird, he had yet to win a regular-season MVP. He went out and put up numbers that would make it hard to give it to anyone else: a career-high 23.9 ppg and a League-high 12.2 apg, along with 6.3 rpg and 1.7 spg. Those numbers helped cover for the diminishing production of living legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who, at age 39, still averaged 17.5 ppg.

The rest of the Showtime squad was at or near its prime. James Worthy and Byron Scott were terrors running with Magic on the break, with Worthy averaging 19.4 ppg and Scott adding 17. Second-year forward AC Green was a famously weird stylistic fit on Hollywood’s favorite squad, but his 10.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg spoke to his value in the paint. Vets like Michael Cooper, Mychal Thompson and Kurt Rambis personified the team’s underrated defense and toughness.

After that dominant regular-season—they finished six games ahead of Boston and a full 10 games clear in the West—the Lakers looked basically untouchable through the first three rounds of the playoffs: 3-0 over Denver, 4-1 over Golden State, 4-0 over Seattle. It all set up the seemingly inevitable matchup with the Celtics, who’d needed seven games to get past Milwaukee and Detroit in the East. The Lakers had all the momentum, but they knew better than to take the Celtics lightly.

They did anything but, walloping Boston by a combined 32 points en route to a 2-0 lead before eventually taking a 3-2 lead back to Los Angeles for Game 6. Down 5 at the half, the Lakers blew the roof off the Forum with a 30-12 third quarter and cruised to victory behind a throwback 32-point effort from Kareem. But it was Magic who added another Finals MVP to his first regular-season trophy. In this moment, the League belonged to him.

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But Ime Udoka did that in his first go-around as the big dog of the Celtics, leading Boston from a .500 start in the first 50 games of the season to a 26-6 finish over the final 32 games of the season. The Celtics also finished the regular season with the best defense in the League and remained the best among active teams in the playoffs.

It hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbow for Udoka. Despite serving as an assistant under Gregg Popovich, Brett Brown, and Steve Nash, the 44-year-old took several interviews but was told no by several teams — like Detroit, Indiana, and Cleveland —before Boston took a chance on him.

“I can go down the list. That was tough because I believe I was ready. But I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of an organization that’s pushing for winning and championships. You can be in a lot of different situations. There are only 30 teams, and I get that, but to not be in a rebuild and being in an expectation pressure-filled situation, I wouldn’t trade that in any day.” Udoka told Yahoo Sports.

When Udoka took on the Boston job following Brad Stevens’ abrupt resignation after eight seasons for a front-office gig, he did so while facing one central question. Could Boston afford to ask a first-year head coach to lead the Celtics where Stevens couldn’t?

“The one thing I would say is the disappointment of coming in second a few years really hurt,” Udoka said after the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday. “But if you told me I’d have to wait for Boston and get [bypassed] by some of the ones that I got beat out on, it’s a no-brainer for me. I’m happy to be in Boston.”

In just one year, Udoka proved that he could. He’s proven himself to be a defensive mastermind, excellent communicator, and one of the brightest faces in the coaching profession. Udoka is tops amongst the record-high 15 black head coaches in the NBA right now, the most at any point in League history.

“I mean, the proof is in the pudding,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown told Yahoo Sports. “Look around the League. Now you’re starting to see what we can do in the coaching ranks. Before, the talk was that certain people of color were not qualified to do their jobs or whatever the excuse was. Man, you give these guys an opportunity, and look what they did with it. First-year head coach Ime Udoka took us to the Finals. Look at Monty Williams in Phoenix; look at Dallas with Jason Kidd. You look at all these coaches around the League, and I’m happy to see that they’re finally getting an opportunity. Black coaches and people of color are deserving, and they’re capable of getting the job done just like anybody else.”

While Udoka will get plenty of credit for guiding the Celtics to a massive turnaround in the second-half of the season and directing a top-ranked defense, he also deserves flowers for empowering Jayson Tatum and Brown despite talk around Beantown that Brad Stevens should break up the Brown-Tatum connection. Something Brown acknowledges was hard to ignore.

The NBA Finals begin Thursday, with the Warriors hosting Game 1 in San Francisco. The Warriors have a combined 123 games of experience compared to the 0 the Celtics have played. This is also their sixth Finals appearance in six years. With that insight, it makes sense that Udoka, Brown, and the Celtics have embraced being underdogs in the title series.

“We’ve been who we’ve been all year, and our defense travels well and carried us through the playoffs,” Udoka told Yahoo Sports. “We’ve played Golden State well this year. We blasted them at their place, had a tough loss at our place early in the season. And so it’s a new series. We know who we are and the things we do well, so we’re confident in that.”

“The Warriors are a tough team to play against,” Brown told Yahoo Sports. “They’re smart, experienced, and they’ve got a lot of firepower. I’m excited and looking forward to the challenge.”

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The Celtics’ Eastern Conference Finals series win was largely thanks to their efforts of inaugural Larry Bird winner, Jayson Tatum. Tatum finally helped the Celtics get over the ECF hump after three tries since Boston drafted him third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Celtics have made four conference finals appearances since 2017.

Jayson Tatum hoists the Larry Bird Trophy awarded to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP #PhantomCam #BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/vRMUNs1sqm

— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2022

The former Duke Blue Devil finished Game 7 with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in 47 outstanding minutes. He averaged 24.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game for the series, never ceasing to make the most critical plays when Beantown needed him to make them. Tatum put together the sublime Game 7 performance while wearing a No. 24 armband in honor of mentor Kobe Bryant.

“It’s a great honor,” Tatum said. “This is my third time, and to get over the hump with this group, it means everything. So i couldn’t be prouder of these guys — the road that we took to get here, not a lot of people believed in us. We took the toughest route, and it worked out.”

Jayson Tatum discusses winning the First-Ever Larry Bird Trophy awarded to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and getting to the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV. pic.twitter.com/CrM0vfBjMj

— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2022

The 2022 NBA Finals begin on June 2, with Golden State hosting Game 1 taking place in Chase Center. It will be the Warriors’ sixth appearance since 2015 and the 10th they’ve made in franchise history. The Celtics have made the NBA Finals 20 times in their history, winning 17. Their most recent title run came under the leadership of Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.

The Celtics’ improbable road to the Finals comes after Boston finished the regular season with the best defense in the League and won 26 of their last 32 games after going .500 in the first 50 games of the season. Boston (51-31) earned the No.2 seed in the playoffs, eliminating the Nets in a four-game sweep, finishing the defending champion Bucks in seven, and beating the Heat in seven games.

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At this point in the list, we’re getting into dynasty territory. Clutch moments and high-pressure situations were the norm for these squads, many of whom won multiple championships over a three to five year period. Different.

From iconic three-peats to historic dubs, here’s our picks for No. 32-22:

32. 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 59-23

Roster: Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dion Glover, Robert Horry, Linton Johnson, Sean Marks, Tony Massenburg, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker, Glenn Robinson, Malik Rose, Beno Udrih, Mike Wilks

The Spurs and Pistons came into the season having split the previous two NBA championships, and both upset higher-seeded opponents (the Suns and Heat, respectively) in the Conference Finals that spring. That set up a title bout that made up for a relative lack of star power with heavyweight intensity and dominant D. Five of seven Finals games ended with the losing team not breaking 80 points. The series ended with Tim Duncan securing his third ring.

31. 1963-64 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 59-21

Roster: John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Clyde Lovellette, Johnny McCarthy, Willie Naulls, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried

Yawn, another title run, but at least Boston got a new Finals opponent to break up the monotony. The San Francisco Warriors tried to play immovable object to the Celtics’ unstoppable force, and in Wilt Chamberlain, the Dubs at least had the firepower. But Boston had the balance, experience and pedigree: John Havlicek and Sam Jones led the offense, and Bill Russell did his usual work, dominating defensively and on the glass to lead Boston to its seventh championship in eight tries.

30. 1969-70 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 60-22

Roster: Dick Barnett, Nate Bowman, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Bill Hosket, Don May, Willis Reed, Mike Riordan, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, John Warren

When a new decade brought an end to the Celtics’ dominance, the Knicks asserted themselves as the class of the League. Behind MVP Willis Reed’s 21.7 ppg and 13.9 rpg and Walt Frazier’s stylish 20.9 points and 8.2 dimes per, New York rolled to the League’s best record and a Finals meeting with the Lakers. What followed was a seven-game classic against West, Wilt and Baylor, best remembered for Reed’s Game 7 effort on a bum leg that inspired his teammates to victory.

29. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Paul Westhead, Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brewer, Michael Cooper, Clay Johnson, Magic Johnson,Eddie Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, Mark Landsberger, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Kevin  McKenna, Norm Nixon, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes

Pat Riley was second choice. When Paul Westhead was fired (at Magic Johnson’s urging) 11 games into the ’81-82 season, Lakers owner Jerry Buss named Jerry West head coach. Only West didn’t want it, so Riley—the former player turned broadcaster turned inexperienced assistant—got the gig. Duly motivated, Magic, Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes led L.A. back to the Finals, where they bounced the Sixers in six. Showtime was in effect, and one of the greatest coaching careers was born.

28. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 58-24

Roster: Kobe Bryant, Joe Crispin, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, Robert Horry, Lindsey Hunter, Mark Madsen, Jelani McCoy, Stanislav Medvedenko, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Penberthy, Mitch Richmond, Brian Shaw, Samaki Walker

The third title of the Shaq-Kobe axis didn’t come easily. That Western Finals series with Sacramento was brutal, and there were those who thought the Lakers shouldn’t have won it. But they did, and then L.A. dusted Jersey in the Finals, behind another overpowering performance from O’Neal. The dynamic duo was again tremendous, while Derek Fisher provided stability at the point, and supporting players like Rick Fox and Robert Horry stepped up when needed.

27. 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, Bruce Bowen, Jackie Butler, Tim Duncan, Francisco Elson, Melvin Ely, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Jacque Vaughn, James White, Eric Williams

These Spurs scored when they needed to, and they moved the ball like no one else. But the real strength of the team was on defense, where San Antonio could stifle rivals, just like it did Cleveland in the Finals sweep. Tim Duncan was a no-frills frontcourt star, with point guard Tony Parker’s creativity and Manu Ginobili’s flair and passion the keys to the team’s success. Role players like Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley helped complete a pure team.

26. 1980-81 Boston Celtics

Coach: Bill Fitch

Record: 62-20

Roster: Tiny Archibald, Larry Bird, ML Carr, Terry Duerod, Eric Fernsten, Chris Ford, Gerald Henderson, Wayne Kreklow, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Rick Robey

After Magic Johnson got his title in 1980, it was Larry Bird’s turn. He and the Celtics waged a year-long battle with the Sixers that culminated with a seven-game Eastern Finals series that featured three big Boston comebacks. Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were interior forces, while Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford and Cedric Maxwell patrolled the perimeter. The Rockets were tough in the Finals, but they weren’t tough enough to stop the Celtics machine.

25. 1989-90 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 59-23

Roster: Mark Aguirre, William Bedford, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Dave Greenwood, Scott Hastings, Gerald Henderson, Vinnie Johnson, Stan Kimbrough, Bill Laimbeer, Ralph Lewis, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Isiah Thomas

The Bad Boys went back-to-back with the same formula that won their first title: ferocious defense, timely offense and a Mean Streets attitude. Isiah Thomas smiled a lot, but he was a killer. Joe Dumars quietly piled up the points. Bill Laimbeer made no friends inside. Dennis Rodman rebounded and defended like a dervish. Mark Aguirre scored in many ways. James Edwards was a force in the post. And nobody wanted to mess with John Salley.

24. 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 65-17

Roster: Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Sun Yue

The first of back-to-back titles was Kobe Bryant’s initial one as undisputed leader of the Lakers and redemption for the Mamba. A year after losing in the Finals to ancestral rival Boston, the Lakers piled up 65 wins—third most in franchise history—with Bryant leading the way but receiving plenty of help from Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum inside. The anticipated Finals matchup with Cleveland and LeBron James didn’t happen, so L.A. whipped Orlando instead.

23. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 66-16

Roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Scot Pollard, James Posey, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine

Depending on how you define it, the Super Team era started in Boston in the summer of ’07, when future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce to give the Celtics their best team in (at least) 20 years. Behind Pierce’s scoring, Allen’s shooting and KG’s two-way play, the Cs posted an NBA-high 66 wins and bounced LeBron and the Cavs en route to the Finals, where they renewed their rivalry with the Lakers. Not long after, they hung banner No. 17.

22. 1992-93 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 57-25

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Ricky Blanton, Bill Cartwright, Joe Courtney, Jo Jo English, Horace Grant, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Rodney McCray, Ed Nealy, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Trent Tucker, Darrell Walker, Corey Williams, Scott Williams

The Lakers and Pistons had taken some of the magic out of title repeats by the time the Bulls
won their second straight, but no team since the Celtics’ ’60s dynasty had won three in a row. The Bulls felt like making history. The formula by now was familiar: Jordan averaged League-
highs in points (32.6) and steals (2.8), Scottie Pippen was a terror at both ends and Chicago made the big plays when it mattered, edging Barkley and the Suns in the Finals to seal the threepeat.

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

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The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 32-22 appeared first on SLAM.

From dominant big threes and electrifying duos to all-around greatness, here’s our top 43-33:

43. 1958-59 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 52-20

Roster: Gene Conley, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Bennie Swain, Lou Tsioropoulos

The greatest rivalry in NBA history began, for all practical purposes, in the spring of ’59, and it foreshadowed the decade to come. Led by veteran guard Bill Sharman’s 20.4 ppg, five Celtics averaged better than 15 ppg en route to the League’s best record. They needed seven games to dispatch Syracuse in the conference finals, setting up a first-ever Finals meeting with the Minneapolis Lakers. Three Cs averaged 20-plus, Bill Russell pulled down 22.1 boards per and Boston swept their way to the title.

42. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 60-22

Roster: Mengke Bateer, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Speedy Claxton, Tim Duncan, Danny Ferry, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Goldwire, Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Tony Parker, David Robinson, Malik Rose, Steve Smith, Kevin Willis

The Kings, Mavs, Spurs and Timberwolves all finished ahead of the three-time-defending-champion Lakers in ’02-03, but one of them would still have to beat L.A. when it mattered. Led by Tim Duncan, fresh off a second straight League MVP award, and second-year point guard Tony Parker, San Antonio got its chance in the second round and dispatched Shaq and Kobe in six games. They handled Dallas and New Jersey in similarly businesslike fashion en route to the chip.

41. 2018-19 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jordan Bell, Andrew Bogut, Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Marcus Derrickson, Kevin Durant, Jacob Evans, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Jonas Jerebko, Damian Jones, Damion Lee, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Alfonzo McKinnie, Klay Thompson

The three-peat was never a given, but it was right there, within reach. As injury-impacted NBA championships go, this one is right up there. With Steph, KD and Klay, the Dubs were the scariest offensive team in the League; but a mix of minor and major injuries to the Splash Bros, Durant and much of the supporting cast in May and June were too much for the Dubs to overcome. Toronto got them in six games in the Finals. You just know they’d love a do-over.

40. 1993-94 Houston Rockets

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Scott Brooks, Matt Bullard, Sam Cassell, Earl Cureton, Mario Elie, Carl Herrera, Robert Horry, Chris Jent, Vernon Maxwell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Richard Petruska, Eric Riley, Larry Robinson, Kenny Smith, Otis Thorpe

Go ahead and attribute Houston’s first title to Michael Jordan’s baseball flirtation. Others have done it, and it’s just wrong. The Rockets excelled at both ends of the court, had all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon and his Dream Shake in the middle and boasted a versatile lineup of fierce gamers like guards Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell and rugged Otis Thorpe. Houston outlasted the Knicks in a classic Finals series and deserves a title with no asterisk.

39. 1983-84 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 62-20

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Quinn Buckner, ML Carr, Carlos Clark, Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Scott Wedman

After two years of watching hated rivals Philadelphia and the Lakers hoist the trophy, Boston reclaimed its rightful spot atop the NBA. Or at least that’s how Celtics fans figured it. Call the roll: Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale were up front. Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell and Gerald Henderson handled the backcourt. The Celtics had way more regular-season victories than anyone else and won a thrilling seven-gamer over L.A. to take the title.

38. 2011-12 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 46-20

Roster: Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Eddy Curry, Mickell Gladness, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Ronny Turiaf, Dwyane Wade

Although LeBron James had taken his talents to Miami a year earlier, the Heat hadn’t won a title. In the lockout-shortened ’11-12 campaign, James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh & Co. changed that. The Big Three were a force all season, and a strong supporting cast helped fuel a focused postseason run. The seven-game Eastern Finals series with Boston was a grind, but the Heat dominated OKC in the Finals to take the title.

37. 1972-73 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 57-25

Roster: Dick Barnett, Henry Bibby, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, John Gianelli, Phil Jackson, Jerry Lucas, Dean Meminger, Earl Monroe, Luther Rackley, Willis Reed, Tom Riker, Harthorne Wingo

If it’s possible, the Knicks five-game wipeout of L.A. in the Finals was actually an anticlimax after their thrilling Eastern Finals upset of the Celtics. The Knicks were the consummate collection of team players. Backcourt men Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe were practically unguardable. Dave DeBusschere was a force inside, while Bill Bradley patrolled the wings. Jerry Lucas was the League’s best passing big man, and Willis Reed could still hang with the best centers around.

36. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: Kobe Bryant, John Celestand, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, AC Green, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Sam Jacobson, Travis Knight, Tyronn Lue, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice,
John Salley, Brian Shaw

This was the first of three straight for the Big Brother-Little Brother Lakers. Shaq and Kobe were together for three seasons before ’99-00, and although their relationship wasn’t always the warmest, their talent was overwhelming. There was just no stopping the Diesel. O’Neal overpowered defenders and swept the boards clean, while Bryant provided offense from all over. Glen Rice was a potent outside weapon, and a cast of veteran winners completed the Laker machine.

35. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 60-22

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ron Boone, Marty Byrnes, Kenny Carr, Jim Chones, Michael Cooper, Don Ford, Spencer Haywood, Brad Holland, Magic Johnson, Mark Landsberger, Butch Lee, Ollie Mack, Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes

Showtime made its NBA debut in Magic Johnson’s rookie season, when the 6-9 point guard brought fun back to the Lakers and kick-started perhaps the League’s most entertaining decade. Johnson revitalized center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and served as the trigger for a raucous L.A. attack that was bolstered by Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes and Jim Chones. The Lakers ruled the West and finished off Philadelphia in six, with Johnson scoring 42 in the Finals-clinching victory.

34. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Justin Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Ognjen Kuzmic, David Lee, Shaun Livingston, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Klay Thompson

The Warriors’ first title in 40 years—and the first of three in four seasons—was accomplished primarily by the never-ending shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, whose solution to tough defenses was simply to move back another step or two. Draymond Green handled the tough work and never backed down from a soul, while Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights did what was necessary. The Warriors dumped the Cavs in six to take the crown.

33. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers

Coach: Jack Ramsay

Record: 49-33

Roster: Corky Calhoun, Johnny Davis, Herm Gilliam, Bob Gross, Lionel Hollins, Robin Jones, Maurice Lucas, Clyde Mayes, Lloyd Neal, Larry Steele, Dave Twardzik, Wally Walker, Bill Walton

The Blazers weren’t overpowering during the regular season, but by the playoffs, they had become the perfect team, working as a highly efficient unit under coach Jack Ramsay. It all started with Bill Walton, a pivot savant who could pass, score and rebound. Maurice Lucas provided the muscle, with Lionel Hollins, Dave Twardzik, Bob Gross and Larry Steele willingly playing supporting roles. Portland overcame Julius Erving’s high-flying Sixers in the Finals with textbook unselfish basketball.

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

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2021-22 All-NBA teams:

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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While it helps, you don’t have to win a championship to be on this list. There were some pretty 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. 

This week, we’re unveiling who we think deserves to be included on this list, which is featured in our SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time special issue. Here’s our top 65-55:

65. 1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 54-28

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Calvin Garrett, Magic Johnson, Eddie Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Swen Nater, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers would have to wait one more year to finally beat the Celtics when it mattered most. Led by Kareem’s 26.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg in the series, the Lakers forced a Game 7 on the road. But whether it was the mystique of Boston Garden, that famously tricky parquet floor or simply a deep and talented Celtics team that had the benefit of homecourt advantage and League MVP Larry Bird, L.A. couldn’t quite vanquish its franchise kryptonite.

64. 1976-77 Philadephia 76ers

Coach: Gene Shue

Record: 50-32

Roster: Jim Barnett, Henry Bibby, Joe Bryant, Fred Carter, Harvey Catchings, Doug Collins, Darryl Dawkins, Mike Dunleavy, Julius Erving, World B. Free, Terry Furlow, Caldwell Jones, George McGinnis, Steve Mix

This Sixers squad might be best remembered for a roster that included future coaches (Doug Collins, Mike Dunleavy) and the fathers of future All-Stars (Joe Bryant, Harvey Catchings, Henry Bibby). Of course, Philly also had Dr. J in his first NBA season after a legendary five-year ABA run, and second-year big man Darryl Dawkins, a few years shy of his Chocolate Thunder prime. A fascinating roster, but no match for Bill Walton and the Blazers in the Finals.

63. 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 62-20

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Ron Filipek, Johnny Green, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Jim Reid, Chet Walker

Philly finished with the League’s best record, eight games clear of the Celtics in the East, thanks to balanced production from future Hall of Famers Hal Greer (24.1 ppg), Billy Cunningham (18.9 ppg), Chet Walker (17.9 ppg) and of course, Wilt Chamberlain, who put up 24.3 points and pulled down 23.8 boards per. The Sixers didn’t lose more than two straight all season…until the East Finals, when they blew a 3-1 lead against Russell, Havlicek and the eventual champs from Boston.

62. 2001-02 Sacramento Kings

Coach: Rick Adelman

Record: 61-21

Roster: Mike Bibby, Chucky Brown, Doug Christie, Mateen Cleaves, Vlade Divac, Lawrence Funderburke, Bobby Jackson, Scot Pollard, Brent Price, Jabari Smith, Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Gerald Wallace, Chris Webber

For Kings fans, it is still a crime, the grandest larceny ever. Game 6 of the Western Finals against the Lakers was flat stolen from Sacramento. Missed calls. Allegations of referees fixing the proceedings. It was ugly, nasty business. And it robbed the team with the NBA’s best record, the one with Chris Webber in charge down low, Peja Stojakovic shooting from everywhere and a deep supporting cast of a title. It’s that simple. And that outrageous.

61. 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics

Coach: George Karl

Record: 64-18

Roster: Vincent Askew, Frank Brickowski, Sherell Ford, Hersey Hawkins, Ervin Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Nate McMillan, Gary Payton, Sam Perkins, Steve Scheffler, Detlef Schrempf, Eric Snow, David Wingate

What happens when one of the greatest teams in franchise history meets the greatest team in NBA history? Well, you can figure it out. The Sonics won the Pacific by 11 games and had a star-studded lineup with ferocious Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton on the perimeter, talking junk and stealing everything, smooth Detlef Schrempf all over the place and Hersey Hawkins shooting the lights out. Seattle was great. Really great. Unfortunately, the Bulls were greater.

60. 1956-57 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 44-28

Roster: Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Dick Hemric, Jim Loscutoff, Jack Nichols, Togo Palazzi, Andy Phillip, Frank Ramsey, Arnie Risen, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Lou Tsioropoulos

The birth of a dynasty. Led by the in-their-prime backcourt of Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, and the frontcourt pairing of rookies Tom Heinsohn and Bill Russell, the Celtics made the franchise’s first Finals appearance in the spring of ’57. St. Louis took Boston to double OT in Game 7, but Heinsohn (37 points, 23 boards) matched Bob Pettit (39 and 19), and Russell went for 19 and 32 to help the Celtics claim the first of their 17 banners.

59. 2017-18 Houston Rockets

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 65-17

Roster: Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza, Tarik Black, Bobby Brown, Markel Brown, Isaiah Canaan, Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, Gerald Green, James Harden, Nene, RJ Hunter, Aaron Jackson, Demetrius Jackson,  Joe Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Chinanu Onuaku, Chris Paul, Zhou Qi, Tim Quarterman, PJ Tucker, Briante Weber, Troy Williams, Brandan Wright

Unfortunately, these Rockets, which featured the dynamic backcourt of James Harden, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon, won’t be remembered for their NBA-best record or high-scoring ways. They will be remembered for that 25-point second half in Game 6 of the Western Finals against Golden State and then a homecourt loss two days later that ended the series. Houston played fast, used Clint Capela to handle the rough stuff inside and still wonders what might have been.

58. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 62-20

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Zarko Cabarkapa, Steven Hunter, Jim Jackson, Casey Jacobsen, Joe Johnson, Maciej Lampe, Shawn Marion, Walter McCarty, Steve Nash, Bo Outlaw, Smush Parker, Quentin Richardson, Paul Shirley, Amar’e Stoudemire, Yuta Tabuse, Jake Voskuhl, Jackson Vroman

These Suns didn’t care much about defense, and they flamed out in the Western Finals against San Antonio, despite having the NBA’s best record. But what a fun team to watch. Led by League MVP Steve Nash, Phoenix pushed the tempo feverishly and featured a talented collection of scorers. Nobody could dunk like Shawn Marion, unless it was Amar’e Stoudemire. Joe Johnson was deadly from three, and Quentin Richardson shot from everywhere. Good times.

57. 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Frank Vogel

Record: 52-19

Roster: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Avery Bradley, Devontae Cacok, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, Anthony Davis, Jared Dudley, Danny Green, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Markieff Morris, Zach Norvell, Rajon Rondo, JR Smith, Dion Waiters

One year after failing to make the playoffs, the Lakers won it all in the COVID-19 bubble. Anthony Davis joined LeBron James in a formidable pairing, and the duo combined for 51.4 ppg. The Lakers lost only five games in their four playoff series. James led the NBA in assists, the supporting cast handled its roles without complaint and the Lakers won it all in a season they dedicated to the late Kobe Bryant.

56. 2009-10 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 50-32

Roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Marquis Daniels, Glen Davis, Michael Finley, Kevin Garnett, JR Giddens, Eddie House, Lester Hudson, Oliver Lafayette, Marcus Landry, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Nate Robinson, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine, Henry Walker, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams

The Celtics’ Big Three led the squad on another trek to the Finals that included an Atlantic Division title. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were again the engine on an Eastern Conference title team, with help from point man Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins, while Rasheed Wallace provided support up front. Boston led the Lakers, 3-2, in the Finals, but ultimately lost a seven-game decision.

55. 1996-97 Utah Jazz

Coach: Jerry Sloan

Record: 64-18

Roster: Shandon Anderson, Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley, Greg Foster, Jeff Hornacek, Stephen Howard, Adam Keefe, Karl Malone, Chris Morris, Ruben Nembhard, Greg Ostertag, Bryon Russell, John Stockton, Brooks Thompson, Jamie Watson

The Jazz had plenty of great seasons during the Karl Malone-John Stockton years, but this might have been the best. Malone was League MVP, and Utah set a franchise record for wins that still stands. Stockton once again ran the show and set up everyone, while Jeff Hornacek and Bryon Russell were valuable on the perimeter. The Jazz looked good, but as usual, the Bulls looked better, taking the Finals in six.

Read here to find out who made the No. 75-66 spot on the list.

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We know there will probably be some disgruntled fans out there, but we’ve come up with a list that we’re standing by. Here’s our top 66-75 best teams of all time:

75. 1997-98 Indiana Pacers

Coach: Larry Bird

Record: 58-24

Roster: Travis Best, Etdrick Bohannon, Austin Croshere, Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Fred Hoiberg, Mark Jackson, Derrick McKey, Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Mark Pope, Jalen Rose, Rik Smits, Mark West

Yes, the ’97-98 Pacers lost a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series to the Bulls, but this was an extremely strong team. Indy was the next-to-last partner in Chicago’s “Last Dance,” but the Pacers won 58 games—second best in the East—and boasted a deep lineup led by the trio of sharpshooter Reggie Miller, 7-4 tower Rik Smits and do-everything forward Chris Mullin. The loss was disappointing, but the Pacers had plenty to be proud of.

74. 1994-95 Orlando Magic

Coach: Brian Hill

Record: 57-25

Roster: Nick Anderson, Darrell Armstrong, Anthony Avent, Anthony Bowie, Horace Grant, Geert Hammink, Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Tree Rollins, Donald Royal, Dennis Scott, Brian Shaw, Brooks Thompson, Keith Tower, Jeff Turner

In just their sixth year of existence, the Magic reached the Finals, thanks to the dynamic pairing of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. Orlando posted the East’s best record and then outlasted the Pacers to win the conference. Shaq was unstoppable inside, and Hardaway dazzled all over. Add in Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott’s long-range shooting and Horace Grant’s steady interior game, and the Magic were quite strong, even if Houston did sweep them in the Finals.

73. 1986-87 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 59-23

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Rick Carlisle, Darren Daye, Conner Henry, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Fred Roberts, Jerry Sichting, David Thirdkill, Andre Turner, Sam Vincent, Bill Walton, Scott Wedman

A year after domination, the Celtics returned to the Finals once again, but lost to the Showtime Lakers in six. The usual cast was back for the conference title winners. Larry Bird was practically infallible, and Kevin McHale and Robert Parish plundered inside. Dennis Johnson ran the show, while Danny Ainge irritated everybody but Celtics fans. But Boston lacked a strong bench, and that’s why the ’86-87 edition was very good, but not a champion.

72. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach: Scott Brooks

Record: 47-19

Roster: Cole Aldrich, Nick Collison, Daequan Cook, Kevin Durant, Derek Fisher, James Harden, Lazar Hayward, Serge Ibaka, Royal Ivey, Reggie Jackson, Eric Maynor, Nazr Mohammed, Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Reid, Thabo Sefolosha, Russell Westbrook

This was it. This was the last time the Thunder’s Big Three would be together, and Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden almost got it all done. The Thunder won the West and made it to the Finals. They even won the first game against Miami before dropping four straight. Durant, Westbrook and Harden combined for 70 ppg in the series but couldn’t finish the journey and hoist a trophy.

71. 1992-93 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Paul Westphal

Record: 62-20

Roster: Danny Ainge, Charles Barkley, Cedric Ceballos, Tom Chambers, Richard Dumas, Frank Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Tim Kempton, Negele Knight, Dan Majerle, Oliver Miller, Jerrod Mustaf, Kurt Rambis, Alex Stivrins, Mark West

The Suns had reached the Finals before, in 1976, but fell to Boston. This time would be different, even if they were facing the Bulls. Phoenix had the NBA’s best record, the League’s best offense and Charles Barkley, acquired from Philly in a blockbuster. The Suns were deep and fast and fun. But when they lost Game 4 of the Finals to Chicago to fall behind 3-1, you knew it was over. And it was.

70. 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tony Campbell, Michael Cooper, AC Green, Magic Johnson, Jeff Lamp, Mark McNamara, David Rivers, Byron Scott, Mychal Thompson, Orlando Woolridge, James Worthy

There would be one more last gasp for Showtime, but this really felt like the end of an era. Sure, the Lakers won the Pacific, put up the most wins in the conference and reached the Finals after posting a perfect 11-0 playoff record. But the usual suspects—Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, etc.—were beat up by the same Detroit Bad Boys they had defeated a year earlier.

69. 2018-19 Toronto Raptors

Coach Nick Nurse

Record: 58-24

Roster: OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher, Lorenzo Brown, Marc Gasol, Danny Green, Serge Ibaka, Kawhi Leonard, Jeremy Lin, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Loyd, Patrick McCaw, Jodie Meeks, CJ Miles, Malcolm Miller, Greg Monroe, Eric Moreland, Norman Powell, Malachi Richardson, Pascal Siakam, Jonas Valanciunas, Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright

In Canada for just one year, Kawhi Leonard proved his absolute greatness. The Raptors had been good, but they weren’t championship good. No way. Then Leonard averaged 26.6. He hit a quadruple-doink jumper to beat the Sixers in the Eastern Semis. And Kyle Lowry brought the toughness, while Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam bumped and banged inside. The Trophy had never been north of the border, but Leonard made sure it got there.

68. 1961-62 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 60-20

Roster: Carl Braun, Al Butler, Bob Cousy, Gene Guarilia, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Gary Phillips, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders

Bill Russell didn’t lead the NBA in points, rebounds or assists, but he earned his third MVP award for leading the Celtics to a League-best 60 regular-season wins and his (and Boston’s) fifth title. It was arguably his best statistical season—a career-best 18.9 ppg, along with 23.6 rpg—and he upped those averages to 22.9 points and 27 boards in the Finals to lift Boston from a 3-2 deficit to a 4-3 victory over the Lakers.

67. 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Billy Cunningham

Record: 62-20

Roster: Maurice Cheeks, Doug Collins, Earl Cureton, Monti Davis, Darryl Dawkins, Julius Erving, Lionel Hollins, Ollie Johnson, Bobby Jones, Caldwell Jones, Steve Mix, Clint Richardson, Andrew Toney

It’s easy to forget how close the early ’80s Sixers came to dynasty status. There were Finals losses to L.A. in ’80 and ’82, and of course, before their eventual revenge in ’83. But the ’80-81 squad, led by Dr. J in his only NBA MVP season, was right there: They matched Boston’s 62 regular-season wins and took a 3-1 lead on the Celtics in the ECF before an epic Larry Bird-led comeback carried the Cs to the Finals.

66. 1984-85 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 63-19

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Quinn Buckner, Rick Carlisle, ML Carr, Carlos Clark, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Scott Wedman, Ray Williams

The ninth Celtics-Lakers Finals matchup would be the first from which Boston did not emerge victorious. You could almost call it an upset. Larry Bird claimed his second straight MVP award, and the Cs won a League-best 63 games, then cruised through the Eastern Conference playoff bracket before stomping the Lakers by 34 in Game 1. Kevin McHale averaged 26 points and 10.7 rebounds for the series, but Boston couldn’t slow the Kareem-Magic-Worthy trio and fell 4-2 to L.A.

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Not only did Butler drop 41 points, 27 of which came in the second half, but he also posted nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks, including a block on Jayson Tatum when the Duke alum attempted a three-pointer in the left corner. Butler is now the first player in NBA history to put together a 40/9/5/4/3 game in the playoffs, according to Statmuse.

“Jimmy Butler is an elite competitor,” Spoelstra said, per ESPN. “There’s a lot of guys in this League that are playing basketball. He’s competing to win. That’s a totally different thing, and he does that as well as anybody in this League.”

Masterful in the midrange.
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/Q57Dh8Pgtx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 18, 2022

Butler has now become the second player in franchise history to score 40+ points in five games this postseason, the first being Dwyane Wade. Butler has also recorded his fifth career playoff game with 40 points on 60 percent shooting, tied with Charles Barkley for third-most in the last 30 postseasons, followed by Shaquille O’Neal (8) and LeBron James (12) via ESPN Stats and Info.

The only other players to have a 40-5-5-4 playoff game are James, Russell Westbrook, Paul Pierce, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Larry Bird, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Per Statmuse, Jimmy G. Buckets surpassed James and Wade for most 40/5/5 playoff games in Heat history.

“I don’t do this to score 40 points; I play the way that I play to win,” Butler said following the game. “It just so happened I scored 40, but if I scored 40 and lose, I’m gonna be really ticked off.”

Jimmy Butler is everywhere.
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/d8eKSNt2CK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 18, 2022

Miami will look to take a 2-0 lead on Thursday’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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The making of the NEW Larry O’Brien Trophy from start to finish!

Game 1 of the #NBAFinals presented by YouTube TV begins Thursday, June 2 on ABC pic.twitter.com/wyzS3b6w7U

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2022

The NBA has added two new trophies, Conference Finals MVP awards named after Magic Johnson (Western Conference) and Larry Bird (Eastern Conference). The two legends helped raise the profile in the League in the early 1980s by becoming the first superstars of the NBA that then-commissioner David Stern built the NBA around. The trophies raise a sterling silver ball, similar to the conference champion trophies.

Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. The two NBA legends are honored as the namesakes for the trophies that will now be awarded each year to the Eastern & Western Conference Finals MVPs. pic.twitter.com/9G5oiCvEfV

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2022

The NBA renamed its two conference championship trophies after Bob Cousy (East) and Oscar Robertson (West). A silver basketball highlights both trophies. They are quartered into four sections representing making the playoffs, winning the first round, winning the conference semifinals, and winning the conference finals. The underside lists the teams in each conference and the conference finals logo.

The most significant change for the L-O-B trophy where that the award now sits on a pair of circular stacks. The top disc lists the team names of the first 75 NBA champions. The title of each NBA champion will be written on the bottom disc of each new trophy, ensuring that each team will receive a one-of-kind trophy bearing its name.

The disc has enough space to have the next 25 champs leading up to the League’s 100th anniversary season. The trophy has been shifted forward to symbolize the League looking ahead to its future.

The Bill Russell Trophy, given to the Finals MVP, also changed. The trophy is gold vermeil to match the L-O-B and will feature similar masking to reveal the net and basketball channels.

“Symbolically, the trophy represents the end of a journey that these athletes go on, and I felt the symbols to celebrate the players had been under-celebrated,” Vince Solomon, who collaborated with trophy manufacturer Tiffany & Co to design the six League trophies, said. “It was very exciting and unprecedented to be able to push the boundaries and (figure out) what materials need to be and don’t need to be associated with it and what we needed to do to create a cohesive collection of trophies. Here we have every trophy having a relationship with the other one.

“A lot of it served as inspiration for what this next era would look like. One of the main rules was using the past to infuse what the future would look like. Using the history to set the table for the next era.”

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As the League celebrates it’s 75th anniversary, there’s quite a few Top 75 lists out there already. In fact, we’ve got quite a few of our own, from SLAM’s Top 75 Players of All Time Special Issue to most recently our Top 75 NBA Teams of All Time (shop here). We could’ve easily left it at that, but after checking out Tracy McGrady’s new Ones Basketball 1-on-1 League, we started thinking about the best 1-on-1 NBA players of all time.

So, we decided to have some fun with it and put together a bold list, categorized based on height, of all of the names that should be included in that conversation.

6-3 AND BELOW

1. Allen Iverson
A one-man revolution where the cross was just the beginning. He’s the master mixer on
our list for a reason.

2. Kyrie Irving
Hang it in the Louvre. KAI’s game is entirely its own art form.

3. Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all time needs just a sliver of space to make you pay, all while
staring down the crowd as the ball drops through the net. Uncanny.

4. Derrick Rose
Athleticism that was unparalleled and the nonexistence of fear had D. Rose bullying the
League as the youngest MVP ever.

5. Chris Paul
A mid range savant. A floor general. A Point God.

6. Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero was lethal, tactical and surgical in leaving defenders guessing what portion
of the bag was about to be unleashed.

7. Damian Lillard
You can pick him up, but what comes next is entirely on you.

8. Russell Westbrook
Shot out of a cannon, if No. 0 is barrelling down the court, you best clear the runway.

9. Isiah Thomas
Lower to the ground just meant more ways to attack as the handle powered the
creativity that No. 11 enacted on his way to snagging two.

10. Jerry West
The Logo was constantly carving up defenses to drop buckets and dimes left and right.

11. Ja Morant
The ascension has been recognized. Call 12, and he’s always gonna answer.

12.Baron Davis
A blend of everything. Baron gave birth to the uber athletic displays of guard play that
we’ve become enthralled with over the years.

13. Trae Young
There’s a new villain in town and he’ll take your heart and your team’s straight to the
offseason.

14. Tiny Archibald
Ain’t nothing tiny about this man’s game. Nothing.

15. Stephon Marbury
The inspiration behind one of the greatest hoops flicks of all time attacked the game entirely on his own terms.

16. Tim Hardaway Sr
Having a killer crossover named after you is a mic drop moment.

17. CJ McCollum
The slipperiest shooting guard in the L. Shaking and baking is his M.O

18. Deron Williams
D Will mastered his own pace to the game. Separation was key and once he created it, you might as well just head back down for O.

19. Donovan Mitchell
Picking up this man is like taking a trip throughout the Spida-Verse, sprawling, spinning and overstimulated with flashes of colorful creativity and blinding moves.

20. Jrue Holiday
Always reliable, always locked in, always ready to pull it in your eye. Second-guessing is the greatest compliment a hooper can recognize and Jrue sees it often.

21. Steve Francis
Constantly sending defenders stumbling, Steve Francis doesn’t often get his due as one of the shiftiest guards to ever step on the hardwood.

22. Tony Parker
Some speed is built, some is gifted. TP’s froze defenders in a picture frame as he weaved around the paint for dimes and buckets.

23. Kemba Walker
We know y’all remember THE step back. Nuff said.

24. Chauncey Billups
Decidedly different. Big guard, big body, big buckets.

25. John Wall
Revolutionary athleticism instilled John Wall as the next box-office point guard. Go do your Google searches and watch his mixtapes to see what we’re seeing.

26. Lou Williams
Lou Williams is too smooth with it: a certified bucket, 3x NBA Sixth Man Player of the Year and a derserver of the utmost respect. 

27. Monta Ellis
Those 360 layups were just a regular thing for Monta Ellis. That’s what type of time he was on. 

28. Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel was waaaaaay too quick with it, from the crossovers to the high-flying drives to the lane to those insane dishes and dimes.

29. Jamal Murray
We’ve already told you this before: there’s music in Jamal Murray’s game. Try not to get lost in the melody, though, because he will drop 50 on you. Again and again.

30. Brandon Jennings
Dropping 55 points as a rookie is quite the statement, but then again, Brandon Jennings was never one to shy away from any moment. His game was too electric.

6-4 TO 6-8 

1. Michael Jordan
   The greatest. Put MJ in any situation, matchup or moment and you already know the outcome. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. Kobe Bryant
   He was constantly ascending past the depths of what competing truly meant. He knew your next move before you’d even had a chance to formulate the thought.

3. Tracy McGrady
   Scoring 13 points in 33 seconds is wild, but that’s just what T-Mac was about. One of the most complete scorers in the history of the Association.

4. Carmelo Anthony
   The fadeaway. The jab step. The spot-up jump shot, and his signature “washing machine” spin move. Carmelo Anthony remains one of the game’s most unstoppable scorers of all time. 

5. Kawhi Leonard
   Best believe, any matchup against the Klaw will result in him getting the last laugh. Trying to defend him in a 1v1? Now that’s pure comedy. 

6. Dwyane Wade
   The nickname was fitting: the Flash was one of most elite and efficient shooting guards who attacked the basket with an explosiveness that couldn’t possibly be contained. 

7. James Harden
   Equipped with a signature-move so iconic, a few names on this list have tried it out, the Beard is truly lethal with the rock in his hands.

8. Julius Erving
   A wizard who truly transcended the game. Every move was a symphony of basketball played at its finest. 

9. Charles Barkley
   A relentlessly physical rebounder with an attitude to match, Sir Charles was a force to be reckoned with.

10. Devin Booker
    With the words “Be Legendary” tattooed on his forearm, D-Book has continued to transcend his game towards just that no matter if he’s pullin’ up from midrange or hitting clutch shots from deep. 

11. Scottie Pippen
    One of the game’s greats could really do it all, from dishing out dimes and orchestrating an offense to snagging boards and holding it down on the defensive end. Versatility at it’s finest.  

12. Paul George
    PG’s all-around game is just one of the many things that define his greatness. His explosiveness and ability to create his own shot is another.

13. Paul Pierce
    The Truth can be hard for many to accept, but his dominance was nothing but pure facts. Shaquille O’Neal had a thing for nicknames, and when Paul Pierce dropped 42 on the Lakers in ’01, Shaq went over to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett and told him to write this down: “My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth. Quote me on that and don’t take nothing out.” Enough said.

14. DeMar DeRozan
    The King of the Fourth is a true revolutionary when it comes to the art of the midrange.

15. Jimmy Butler
    They call him Jimmy Buckets for a reason. That’s exactly what you’re gonna get.

16. Jayson Tatum
    JT moves different out there on the parquet floor, from the lethal step back and sidestep threes to the sheer dominance every time the rock touches his hands. That’s what happens when you’re mentored by none other than the Mamba.

17. Vince Carter
    Once Vince Carter got within eyesight of that line, it was over before it had even begun.

18. Zion Williamson
    You can’t be contained when the limits never existed. The same goes in the paint, or anywhere on the floor, when it comes to Zion Williamson. 

19. Penny Hardaway
    One of the greatest guards ever. That spin fake into a stepback, move? Pure magic.

20. Luka Doncic
    Luka plays at his own pace while completely dominating in the process. Different.

21. Dominique Wilkins
    With legs like propellers and arms that could absorb contact, Nique had underrated shot-making ability that went along with his otherworldly athleticism. 

22. Grant Hill 
    Versatility in a human being. Grant Hill was a threat to score from all three levels.

23. Elgin Baylor
    Surrender the skies to Elgin Baylor. Aerially gifted with merciless finishes at the rim.

24. George Gervin
    Smooth, refined, patient, disciplined and measured. Ice’s game was where fundamental met flash.

25. Alex English
    Nobody scored more points in the 1980s than Alex English. Nobody.

26. Joe Johnson
    His nickname is Iso Joe. Nothing more needs to be said.

27. Bradley Beal
    Bradley Beal technically has a perfect jumpshot. Pair that exquisite form with his handles and the result is a scoring machine.

28. Klay Thompson
    One of the best shooters ever is also a big body that precisely clamps players of all heights and weights.

29. Gary Payton
    Possibly the best perimeter defender to ever play, Gary Payton could also get to the tin whenever he wanted.

30. Jamal Crawford
    Jamal Crawford is creativity unleashed through instinct and intellect.

6-9 AND UP

1. Shaquille O’Neal
   The most physically dominant player ever. Realistically, there’s nobody stopping the Diesel.

2. Kevin Durant
   Size, skills, smarts. There have been very few other players that are more offensively complete than Kevin Durant.

3. LeBron James
   The case can be made that LeBron James is the best player ever. Full stop.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
   Try guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo without any help defense. Get the picture?

5. Kevin Garnett
   The only part of Kevin Garnett’s game that outshined his skills on both sides of the ball was his competitiveness, a trait that’s gone nearly unmatched throughout history.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon
   Possibly the best two-way center ever, who dominated with equal doses of agility and nimbleness, power and force.

7. David Robinson
   Dunks and jumpers with the left, blocks and steals with both of his hands and a compressed trampoline in his right leg, David Robinson’s basketball IQ was just as ridiculous as his athletic capabilities.

8. Karl Malone
   Brute strength. Left side of the post to the right side of the hoop every single time. Never could be stopped.

9. Wilt Chamberlain
   Scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 points for a season and if blocks and steals were tallied when he played, Wilt Chamberlain’s mythic status would be even greater than it already is.

10. Joel Embiid
    Joel Embiid is a guard stuck inside a 7-2, 280-pound body.

11. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    The author of the game’s most unstoppable shot, its leading scorer and a shot-blocking terror.

12. Larry Bird
    Larry Bird was so good at scoring that he would tell bigger, stronger and more athletic defenders exactly what he planned to do with the ball and they still couldn’t contain him.

13. Anthony Davis
    Middies, catch-and-shoot threes, barrels to the rim, pick-and-roll ball containment, weakside shot-blocking and passing lane invader properly describes Anthony Davis.  

14. Moses Malone
    Quite possibly the most underrated great in NBA history, Moses Malone was unstoppable from the block and even if he did miss, he’d consume offensive rebounds with such ferocity that the ensuing putbacks would be uncontested.

15. Dirk Nowitzki
    It’s real when a singular shot is credited to a player. Basketball now has the one-legged fadeaway thanks to Dirk Nowitzki.

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Follow host Theus McBee on Instagram @theuselijah and Ahmad Smith, @akisnba.

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Luka Doncic now has the most 40-point playoff games by a player 23 or younger after dropping his 6th postseason 40-piece tonight.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) May 3, 2022

Doncic has eclipsed Larry Bird, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Tracy McGrady, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker for most 40-point games in just 17 career playoff games. Luka Magic is tied with Stephen Curry and George Gervin. To top off this accomplishment, Doncic’s playoff career average of 33.5 points per game matches that of the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan.

The only thing that Doncic and the Mavs could’ve asked for was a win to go along with his primetime performance. Phoenix went into Game 1 of their second-round series with Dallas focused on preventing the Mavs’ other playmakers from getting into a rhythm. The rest of Dallas’ starters combined for just 39 points; the second time in Doncic’s playoff career, he scored more points than his teammates in the starting lineup.

“He got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange, and then also I thought he got his teammates some great looks that we normally had made,” Coach Jason Kidd said per ESPN. “I thought he played great.

“We’ve just got to get someone to join the party.”

The Suns also made to sure blanket Dwight Powell during pick-and-roll situations and prioritized switching on screens set by Maxi Kleber, who scored 19 points on 6-9 shooting. The breakout star of the first round, Jalen Brunson, had a tough night shooting, scoring 16 points on 6-16 shooting, and Spencer Dinwiddie finished with eight points on 3-8 shooting.

Game 2 of the Phoenix-Dallas series will take place on Wednesday.

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That’s how I learned about the Hall of Famer English, and even though I was a kid in the ’80s, he and the Nuggets were overlooked by adults back then, too. Just ask an NBA fan of any age this question: Who scored the most points in the 1980s? Even if they know Michael Jordan’s career started too late and that Magic Johnson was too pass-first, they have a host of household names to offer up. Moses Malone. Larry Bird. Dominique Wilkins. George Gervin. All-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 6-7, 190-pound English outscored all of ’em. English used his elite mid-range game, willingness to run the floor and all-around efficiency to score 21,018 points in the decade (Moses was second at 19,082). 

The above would be interesting to SLAM readers at any point in the magazine’s history and to be sure, Alan Paul did a piece on English for SLAM 21 back in 1997 that pointed this out. Sadly, the scope of the eight-time All-Star’s achievements and the lack of credit they’re given have renewed relevance in the wake of the NBA selecting a mostly glorious 75th Anniversary team that did not include English. 

Besides being wowed by Nuggets box scores in the paper and enjoying the occasional game on TV against my local Knicks or Nets, my love for English was enhanced by the fact that my late grandfather recognized him on a plane once and asked for his autograph. I still treasure the little scrap of paper that says “Best Wishes Ben Alexander English.” 

Speaking on the phone from his native Columbia, SC, the University of South Carolina legend and current member of the school’s Board of Trustees chuckles at my autograph memory (“We were certainly flying commercial back then!”) and proves to be a charming and engrossing subject. 

SLAM: You played for the Bucks and Pacers before you went to Denver. What’s the short version of what happened at your first two stops? It looks like you were putting up numbers from the very beginning of your career. I would have thought Nellie [longtime Bucks’ coach Don Nelson-Ed.] would love you? 

ALEX ENGLISH: I got drafted by the Bucks in the second round. Wayne Embry was the GM and Nellie was an assistant coach. I had a make-good contract, which meant I had to make the team to get the contract. I signed for $55,000 with a $10,000 bonus if I made the team. That was a lot of money back then! I made the team and had a decent rookie year. I mostly played behind Bob Dandridge. The next year they traded Dandridge to the Bullets but drafted Kent Benson, Marques Johnson and Ernie Grunfeld. [Johnson and Grunfeld] played my position. I was the sixth man [English averaged 9.6 ppg in just 18.9 mpg.—Ed]. Nellie was the head coach by then and we made the playoffs. The NBA standard contract was getting ready to change. I was a restricted free agent—I could go anywhere I wanted but my current team could match. At midnight on the first day of free agency, [Pacers’ coach and GM] Slick Leonard signed me to a three-year deal: $135,000, $155,000, $175,000. I signed that contract. The Bucks had the opportunity to match and I’d have to stay. Wayne says Don said it was too much for me. So they let me walk. I had a good year and a half in Indiana but then they had the chance to bring George McGinnis back home so Slick Leonard traded me to Denver for him. 

SLAM: That trade was during your fourth season. In year five of your career, Doug Moe becomes the Nuggets’ head coach. In my mind, that’s when your career started.

AE: Well, I was putting up good numbers in Indiana, that’s why the Nuggets wanted to trade for me. I was [an] all-around [player]: rebounded, blocked shots, passed the ball. Averaging about 16 points a game, maybe 8 or 9 rebounds. But, yes, what happened in Denver was Doug Moe. He was the best at up-tempo offense. 

SLAM: You guys were the highest-scoring team in the NBA in the ’80-81 season even though Donnie Walsh started the year as the head coach and Moe was an assistant. In Coach Moe’s first full season, ’81-82, the Nuggets averaged 126.5 ppg! Still the most in NBA history.

AE: It was Doug’s system. We played at a breakneck pace, and people couldn’t keep up with us. Once we got in shape, we were unstoppable. We had Dan Issel and we got Kiki Vandeweghe, too. They talked about us being a “high-powered offense.” It was just natural to us. That was what we did. One thing we knew was that other teams feared us. Teams knew they had to be ready to roll as soon as they got to the arena to play us. 

SLAM: Was playing on those teams so much fun?

AE: Fun doesn’t even begin to describe it. I couldn’t wait to play every single night. It was almost like a dance. Like making ballet. That was my art. Every night was a different game, so we were making different art every night. I miss it so much. 

SLAM: Do you have a favorite memory as a Nugget?

AE: Wow, there were so many wonderful moments. That was a good squad with good people. I miss that camaraderie. We did things as a team—parties, cookouts, all that stuff. That’s the thing I miss about being in that setting. And it showed on the floor. We all accepted our roles. If we didn’t do what was expected, we felt bad about it. My team relied on me to get 26 points a night, pass the ball, block a few shots, get 6 or 7 rebounds. TR Dunn knew we depended on him to lock up Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan as best he could. Fat Lever knew we were expecting near a triple-double. Bill Hanzlik was gonna play defense and frustrate the other team. And Coach Moe was there the whole time. He gave us the tools and leeway we needed.

SLAM: You rarely missed a game and led the NBA in scoring for the ’80s. You were still left off the 50 Greatest list in ’96 but were elected to the Hall of Fame in ’97, which was the first year you were eligible. The NBA had a chance to make include you with the 75th Anniversary team this season, but you were left off again. How did that make you feel?

AE: I felt slighted. It’s been like that throughout my career. Look at the record in my Nuggets’ career. All those playoff appearances. Reached the Western Conference finals. I was an all-pro three years [English was second-team All-NBA in ’82, ’83 and ’86.-Ed]. The scoring. And then they don’t tend to look at the other things. I’m the all-time Nuggets leader in points and assists. I blocked shots. Got steals. To see how I was treated…I rarely watch NBA games anymore because I’m so disappointed to not be in that group. When I look at who they chose, not to slight anyone, but I know what I did. To be slighted like that, it soured my taste for the League.

SLAM: After an amazing decade in Denver and one season in Dallas, you retired from the NBA and spent a season playing for Napoli in the Italian league.

AE: I’m a world traveler and I always wanted to live in another country. Unfortunately, I played for a team in Naples that wasn’t what it could have been, but I still wouldn’t change that experience for the world. Eating the food, meeting the people there.

SLAM: You had a stint as President of the NBA Players Association while you played and after your season in Italy, you returned to the States and worked for the PA, right?

AE: Yes, I’d planned on working for the NBPA and I did that under Charles Grantham. A lot of stuff they have in place, I put there. The player programs, AIDS education, money management and degree completion, rookie transition program. Those are programs I put in place that are still there now. The high school camp the PA runs, we put that together. I wanted the PA to get a connection to the players before they get to the NBA. The guys who are still running it—Tim McCormick and Purvis Short—those were my guys. I’m proud of all that work.

SLAM: After you left the PA, you did some work with the NBA and then transitioned into coaching.

AE: Yes. I found out the NBA was going to do a developmental league and wanted to put a team in Charleston, SC. I petitioned for that job and got it. I moved to Charleston as the head coach of the Lowgators. We were the subject of the first sports reality show [Down Low, Life in the D League, from ESPN. Google it!-Ed]. It was revolutionary. My team lost in the championship. After that first year, the Hawks asked me to be an assistant coach. Then I coached with the Sixers and Toronto.

SLAM: Let’s talk about all your connections to the women’s game, from the WNBA to South Carolina to the fact that your daughter, Jade-Li, is now leading the women’s basketball division at Klutch Sports.

AE: I was in New York when Ange-Marie Hancock put the template for the WNBA together years ago. You look at how much it’s grown…last year’s WNBA Finals was so exciting. 

Overall, the game is so pure. It’s like [how] it used to be with men. There’s the mid-range game, post-ups, an emphasis on getting position. The women look for three-point shots but it’s not the total game. Fortunately, for me, I’ve gotten to see some of the best right here at South Carolina. A’ja Wilson. Aliyah Boston. All the other women who have been here. We have the greatest women’s coach there is in Dawn Staley. I’m just a big supporter. We’ve got two top-10 high schoolers right here in this city and the fan support here is off the charts. That’s from watching Dawn. One of the girls [HS senior Ashlyn Watkins-Ed.] is signed with Dawn. The other is in the 11th grade—Milaysia Fulwiley—and I’m telling you, she is a game changer. Like the same way Magic changed the game. Hopefully she signs here, too.

Ben Osborne is a former SLAM Ed. and is now Head of Content for Just Women’s Sports.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Alex English Opens About His Prolific Career and Supporting Women’s Hoops in South Carolina appeared first on SLAM.

In Chicago tonight, Jayson Tatum just scored his 2,000th point of the season. pic.twitter.com/TzE0y6bepK

— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) April 7, 2022

The Duke alum joins Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce, and Isaiah Thomas in the exclusive club.

Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, all career-high numbers, in 75 appearances this season. He has scored 40+ three times and has scored 50+ twice this season, including a season-high 54 against the Brooklyn Nets in March. Tatum has also posted 30+ points 28 times this season.

Per Keith Smith, the Boston Celtics can clinch no worse than the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference if they get one more win over their last three games or if the Bulls and the Raptors have to lose one more game over their final stretch of regular-season games.

The Celtics have road games with the playoff-bound Bulls, Bucks, and Grizzlies to close out their regular season.

The post Jayson Tatum Becomes Seventh Ever Celtic to Score 2k Points in One Season appeared first on SLAM.

Fresh off of scoring a season-high 54 points at home against the Brooklyn Nets on national television Sunday, Tatum took his high-scoring tour on the road to Charlotte, where he lit the Hornets up for 44 points to lead the Celtics to a 115-101 win Wednesday night.

With 98 points combined in back-to-back games, Tatum tied Kevin McHale’s franchise scoring record over a two-game span.

Certified. Bucket. Getter.

Jayson Tatum dropped 44 tonight

(: @celtics) pic.twitter.com/SyTzLAXfC8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 10, 2022

Setting Boston scoring records is starting to become a trend for the three-time All-Star as he just recently tied Larry Bird for 50 point games in franchise history over the weekend.

After Jaylen Brown called Tatum “unstoppable” after the Nets game, Celtics teammate Derrick White talked about the influence the superstar forward’s hot streak has on how the team gels.

“They’re doubling, so everybody’s in rotation kind of chasing,” said Derrick White via NBA.com. “So it’s an opportunity for me and everybody else just to take advantage of what the defense gives us and be aggressive.”

Tatum simply cannot miss rn (via @celtics) pic.twitter.com/a6rVDqDDXE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 10, 2022

On the other hand, the former Duke Blue Devil is appreciative and thankful after working his way through a slow start at the beginning of the year.

“I’m in a lot better zone than I was to start the season,” Tatum said with a smile. “But it was just part of it. I believe in the work I put in, and I never doubted myself. I’m just thankful my teammates didn’t doubt me either.”

Not only is he matching scoring marks from legends like Bird and McHale, but Tatum also has a few of his own. The 24-year-old forward owns three of the top four scoring totals over three games in team history.

Most points in a 3-game span in Celtics history

1. Jayson Tatum – 135 PTS (3/3/22 – 3/9/22)
2. Jayson Tatum – 128 PTS (4/28/21 – 5/2/21)
3. Larry Bird – 126 PTS (3/12/85 – 3/15/85)
4. Jayson Tatum – 124 PTS (3/1/22 – 3/6/22) pic.twitter.com/MctBp5jaqJ

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) March 10, 2022

He gets to try to continue his hot streak Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons.

The post Jayson Tatum Ties Kevin McHale’s Two-Game Celtics Scoring Record appeared first on SLAM.

KD, a walking bucket by his onw right, found himself very impressed with the overall performance of Tatum, calling him a “shot maker.”

Kevin Durant on Jayson Tatum: “He made some tough shots and three point shots over us… he’s an elite shot maker.” pic.twitter.com/KEkhTXQS7F

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022

The term “shot-maker” was nowhere near attached to former Duke Blue Devil when he was mired in a considerable shooting slump featured by a stretch where he missed 20 straight 3-point shot attempts. Now the pendulum has completely swung the other way for Tatum. In his last three games, he has shot 52.5 percent (42-80) from the floor while averaging 41 points per game, which has led to three Celtics wins.

The 24-year-old forward has taken the next step as a superstar by putting up big games against other top stars. Before this one-on-one matchup with Durant, Tatum scored 33 points on a 12-25 shooting clip in a win over Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. After that, he dropped 37 points against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Those matchups — when you’re playing one of the better teams in the league, two of the best guys — as a competitor, those are the kinds of moments that as a kid you looked forward to,” Tatum told ESPN about playing his peers. “When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of it.”

It’s about drive. It’s about power. Tatum wants this dub and it shows here on his 49th point. Coming down to the wire on this Celtics vs. Nets game.

(Via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/741luVB9kC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 6, 2022

Tatum’s play coincides with the overall improvement of play from the Boston Celtics, who have won 21 of their last 27 games. Something that was not lost on his teammate, Jaylen Brown, who spoke on just that after the game.

Jaylen Brown on the Celtics offense: “This man to the left was unstoppable, that helps your offense… all season we’re just trying to make the right plays, learn and grow” pic.twitter.com/H3q65QMddO

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022

The Celtics take on the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

The post Jaylen Brown Calls Jayson Tatum ‘Unstoppable’ After 54-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

With his recent 54-point outburst, Jayson Tatum is now tied with Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in Celtics history.

“This is what I dreamed about as a kid, and I waited my whole life to get to,” Tatum said per CBS Sports. “Obviously I have a long way to go, a long way to what I’m trying to accomplish, but [I’m] staying in the moment and just enjoying it. Having fun doing what I love everyday.” 

Only two Celtics with four 50+ point games pic.twitter.com/c0GFb0yG2u

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 6, 2022

Tatum kept things efficient shooting 16-30 from the field overall, knocking down eight three-pointers while shooting 14-17 from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and three assists.

It’s about drive. It’s about power. Tatum wants this dub and it shows here on his 49th point. Coming down to the wire on this Celtics vs. Nets game.

(Via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/741luVB9kC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 6, 2022

The Boston Celtics hot streak coincides with their franchise player as they have won five of their last six games. They’re currently ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics go on the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night.

The post Jayson Tatum Ties Larry Bird For Most 50 Point Games in Celtics History appeared first on SLAM.

Brown also added 11 rebounds for his 25th career double-double. The sixth-year wing is the fourth player in franchise history to put up at least 50 points and 10 rebounds and joins Hall-of-Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and teammate Jayson Tatum as the only Celtics to put up the line. Brown is just the seventh Celtic player to record a 50-points in franchise history. 

“I was just being aggressive, getting to the basket,” Brown said per the Boston Globe. “I didn’t feel like those guys could stay in front of me, so I was just going to keep getting to the basket, blowing by them on the first step, and I looked up, and I had 47, and I was like, ‘Damn.’”

Brown has been struggling with his shooting in the last 10 games, which could be attributed to him missing 15 games thus far. However, Brown busted out of his cold streak shooting 19-for-29 from the field, including 5-for-10 from the three-point line, 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

At 18-19, the Celtics have been struggling with health all season, losing players for stretches at a time due to injury or teammates entering health and safety protocols and missing at least 10 days. Just as every other team in the NBA has had to, the Celtics will have to come up with a solution to their problems if they plan on contending for the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Boston Celtics look forward to protecting home-court against the San Antonio Spurs (14-21) on Wednesday night.

The post Jaylen Brown Drops Career-High 50 Points In Win Against Magic appeared first on SLAM.

Congrats to Nikola Jokic of the @nuggets for moving up to 8th on the all-time TRIPLE-DOUBLES list! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/UDqElBOphs

— NBA (@NBA) December 7, 2021

Joker finished the Nuggets’ 109-97 loss to the Bulls with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists.

It took Jokic 471 games to post 60 triple-double, versus the 897 it took for Larry Legend to reach 59. He is currently just two triple-doubles behind James Harden, who surpassed Bird in November and has since posted two more for a total of 62.

The post Nikola Jokic Surpasses Larry Bird to Become Eighth on All-Time Triple-Double List appeared first on SLAM.

Harden recorded his first triple-double of the season, his 13th with the Nets, after dropping 18 points, 12 dimes and snagging 10 boards in 29 minutes on the hardwood, tying Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird for 7th all-time in triple-doubles – Harden’s 59th all-time.

“I’m just playing. The confidence in my rhythm and all that is coming back – Game by game, I feel more better. Overall, much better,” Harden said via SB Nation’s Chris Milholen.

Beard outlet to KD for a smooth jam. Spookiest duo in the league right now? (via @BrooklynNets) pic.twitter.com/1wOB2xj1xH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 1, 2021

The self-proclaimed ‘poster boy’ of the League’s revamped shooting fouls reached the line only 15 times in his first five games of the season, the first time since 2011 that he’s attempted less than five throws a game, reports Tom Haberstroh. In Friday night’s win over the Pacers, Harden returned to the stripe a whopping 19 times.

Yet he only needed to see the free throw line three times on Sunday to record his first triple-double of the season. It seems as if Harden has found his groove within the League’s new style of shooting fouls. He’ll have the next two nights off before his adjustments are tested again against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

The post Harden Back in Rhythm After Tying Larry Bird for 7th in All-Time Triple-Doubles appeared first on SLAM.

Sports Illustrated took over a decade to figure out a blueprint for what their magazine should look like.

SLAM took one issue.

The magazine would change over time. Their voice would evolve. The magazine cover looks drastically different today. But flip through a present-day issue of SLAM, and it still reads pretty much the same from front to back as the very first issue, which came out almost 30 years ago. 

The first issue of SLAM featured short-bit culture stories on Pearl Jam’s near-decision to name themselves after Atlanta Hawks guard Mookie Blaylock and basketball’s growing popularity in Japan. There’s a dunk of the month. There’s a one-page feature on high schooler Steve Wojciechowski, along with profiles of college point guard Jason Kidd, perennial NBA All-Star Charles Barkley, and New York–playground legend Joe Hammond. There are full-page photospreads of the latest sneaker releases, and a six-page photo essay on playground hoopers around the country, including a cameo from a 16-year-old Paul Pierce. 

This is what SLAM still is today: a magazine celebrating the sport of basketball. A casual voice. An all-encompassing approach of covering high school, college, and the pro game. A magazine highlighting sneakers and athletic apparel. A personality-driven publication. A magazine that didn’t tie themselves to the current news cycle.

Founder and publisher Dennis Page established a blueprint for what a modern-day basketball publication could look like from the very beginning.

“We were passionate,” he said. “The feel of the magazine was like if you were playing in the playground. That’s how people spoke.”

Page was inside the Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden where the 1994 Source Awards was taking place when record label executive and friend Alan Grunblatt tossed out the idea of a magazine merging basketball and hip-hop. He went home that evening and drafted up a table of contents.

A Trenton, New Jersey, native, Page studied broadcasting and film at Boston University and got his first full-time job selling ads for the alt- weekly Boston Phoenix. Page loved magazines. He dreamed of running his own one day. The goal was always Rolling Stone. Page was working for another rock ’n’ roll magazine, Circus, in 1980 when Stanley Harris called. Harris was the founder of Harris Publications, a New York–based publisher started in 1977 with a portfolio of special-interest magazines. They had puzzle books and monthly magazines on topics ranging from gardening to guns. Page was offered a job to manage a new guitar magazine. It was a chance to run a magazine even if it wasn’t Rolling Stone. 

“I didn’t know shit about playing guitars,” Page said. “But I was good at the advertising and publishing business. So I said yes.”

He became the publisher of Guitar World, which arrived on newsstands in 1980 and became the number one guitar magazine. The success of the publication earned him a lot of goodwill with Harris. Page kept searching for the next idea. He convinced Harris to start another magazine in 1987. It was called New York Talk.

“We launched it during a huge snowstorm and couldn’t get the issue out to the newsstands,” Page recalled. “It was an omen of failure.” 

The magazine borrowed from the concepts of Village Voice and the East Village Eye and covered the local news along with the New York film, television, and music scene. The newsstand was about taking a successful idea you liked and trying to improve upon it yourself. A lot of these publications failed, including New York Talk, which folded after three years.

Page’s new magazine idea, inspired by his conversation with Grunblatt, was more aligned with his interests. He fell in love with basketball in sixth grade watching a high schooler named Lew Alcindor, became a high school and college hoops junkie, watched streetball legends at New York playgrounds, and joined the NBA craze during the era of Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson.

But he couldn’t figure out the table of contents.

“I started by building a hip-hop magazine about basketball,” Page explained.

He had the two components in the wrong order.

Another lightbulb moment hit.

It would be a basketball magazine with a hip-hop voice and not the other way around.

It would look like Vibe.

It would read like The Source.

He pitched the idea to Harris, who asked him to get it on newsstands immediately.

Page needed an editor-in-chief. He called Village Voice editor Tom Curtis, who said no, but recommended Time Inc. writer Cory Johnson, a St. Joseph, Michigan, native who studied journalism at NYU and wrote for a bunch of magazines, including Sports Illustrated, People, and TIME.

“Tom told me this guy who makes Guitar World wants to start a new basketball magazine and asked me if I had any ideas for it,” Johnson recalled. “I said, ‘Abso-fuckng-lute-ly I have ideas.’ I was in the thick of learning how magazines were made. It was what I did all day.” 

A meeting was set at a French bistro restaurant located in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, named Raoul’s. Johnson sat down and pitched his vision to Page. He read a lot of Marvel comics growing up and loved how comic book writer Stan Lee would engage readers at the back of every one of them. Lee responded to fan letters and sent no-prizes—an envelope with no contents inside, which became a running joke with the readers—to anyone who wrote to him about continuity errors or typos. Johnson wanted the magazine to start by engaging their readers in the letters section.

“I presented a pretty laid-out plan,” he recalled. “There would be short features in the front like New York Magazine’s Intelligencer section. There would be one-page profiles like Interview magazine. The features section would be in the style of Vanity Fair. The sections in the back would be devoted to angles around the business of hoops. I wanted the last page of the magazine to be a dunk of the month.

“I wanted it to feel like Surfer magazine. I loved that magazine so much I taught myself to surf. Their ideal was: surfing was not about the celebrities at the top of the pyramid who did it, but instead it was about the everyday experience of the sport. I always thought Sports Illustrated had this pyramid when it came to basketball where they didn’t love the game, but instead they loved the heroes of the game. Their editors thought it was all about the stars and not about the game itself. I wanted to flip that approach upside-down. I wanted the magazine to be about the experience we all had playing the game of basketball. Sports Illustrated was only about Michael Jordan. I wanted us to be about the game of basketball.” 

There was one last thing they needed to figure out together.

A name for the magazine.

The two tossed out every basketball-related term they could think of. 

Crossover.

Dribble.

Jam.

None of them felt right.

They finally landed on SLAM.

Johnson was hired and moonlighted as the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “I would be fact-checking a murder story for People and I’d get a phone call from Dennis,” Johnson said. “I would hop in a taxi, race downtown to approve a layout, then race back. It was like I had moved on to my new girlfriend without telling my existing girlfriend.”

Page scrambled to place ads in the magazine. Today, he credits The Source and Vibe for making his job easier back then. Page didn’t have to explain what hip-hop was to advertisers. Guitar World art director Susan Conley designed the magazine layout. Johnson assigned stories to people he knew in the industry, including basketball writer and New York–streetball historian Vincent Mallozzi, People reporter Nancy Jo Sales, and Vibe senior editor Bonz Malone. He also wrote a couple of stories himself and attributed them to made-up names in the masthead. “I wanted to make it look like a real magazine since it was just a couple of other guys and myself working on it,” Johnson explained. “Russell Shoemaker, the senior editor in the masthead, that’s me. Russell was my best friend from church. Shoemaker was my godfather’s last name. I just put their names together.” 

Page cringes at some of the stories today, especially a SLAM NBA All-White Team feature where the magazine interviewed white players around the league and nominated Chris Mullin, Dan Majerle, Detlef Schrempf, Tom Gugliotta, John Stockton, and Rony Seikaly. Scott Hastings, a white power forward from Independence, Kansas, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, nominated Karl Malone, who didn’t make the team. “The guy drives a diesel and raises cattle,” he explained. “You don’t get any whiter than that.” 

Fortune business writer Andy Serwer flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, and wrote the cover story on Larry Johnson. The Hornets forward was one of the most exciting young stars in the league. Selected first overall by Charlotte in 1991, Johnson won Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and 11.0 rebounds in his first season. He played an above-the-rim game and was a product of a UNLV team that embraced a hip-hop aesthetic. Johnson was a signature sneaker athlete with Converse, starring in a series of popular commercials wearing a grey wig and flower-print dress as Grandmama, an elderly woman alter-ego. He fit the profile of what SLAM envisioned as their ideal cover subject.

The first issue was finally ready for the newsstand. 

The cover featured a photo of Johnson soaring in mid-air wearing Charlotte’s famous white-and-teal jersey. The basketball in his right hand sat just above the magazine’s logo. Above the logo was the magazine’s slogan THE IN YOUR FACE BASKETBALL MAGAZINE. The caption said LARRY JOHNSON, LIVIN’ LARGE! Cover lines filled the rest of the cover, including BARKLEY: KING WITHOUT  A CROWN; KILLER BLOCKS! SHAQ, ROBINSON, MOURNING, OLAJUWON & MORE; JASON KIDD’S KRAZY MAD MOVES; KENTUCKY’S BLUE MADNESS; SLAMBOYANT SNEAKS; and SLAMADAMONTH! Every caption was a way to draw a potential reader into picking up the magazine.

Page waited to see if anyone was interested in his new project. 

“That was the business at the time,” he explained. “There was no internet, Instagram, or Facebook. The newsstand was the true test of whether there was a community out there who cared about your idea. We would have three issues to test whether there was an audience. If it sold, we would keep it rolling. If it didn’t, then we wouldn’t.”

There was some concern about starting a basketball magazine immediately after Jordan retired, but they were alleviated when Harris delivered some excellent news. The newsstand sales were strong enough for SLAM to continue. A second issue arrived on newsstands in October of 1994, with Seattle Supersonics forward Shawn Kemp on the cover. Johnson was replaced by Tony Gervino on the masthead three months later when Shaquille O’Neal appeared on the cover of the magazine’s third issue. He had accepted a job offer to become a Vibe senior editor.

“We sold more copies of our first issue than they did,” Johnson explained. “They spent like $15 million to launch it. We spent $100,000 tops. I was called into their office, and they asked me, ‘How did you do it?’ I explained how the magazine worked and what our editorial focus was. They asked me if I would be interested in being a senior editor. I figured I would eventually have a shot at the editor-in-chief role, so I made the jump.”

Today, he is still proud of leaving an editorial blueprint behind for his successors.

“The magazine unquestionably looked better in the years after I left,” Johnson said. “But the fact it is still largely all the same ideas I brought to the table is enormously gratifying to me and tells me I got a lot of stuff right. I didn’t get it right because I was a genius. I got it right because there was something wrong with the way magazines were covering sports.” 

***

IF YOU SCAN THE FIRST THREE ISSUES OF SLAM today, you’ll notice the cover photos didn’t come from original photoshoots. The photos of the early covers were licensed from the NBA. “None of the players would pose for us,” Page said. “We had to buy existing photography in the very beginning.” SLAM had a vision to one day follow the lead of Rolling Stone. Founder and publisher Jann Wenner was a 21-year-old UC Berkeley dropout who couldn’t get anyone to take his music writing seriously in 1967 when he scraped together $7,500 from family and friends and convinced San Francisco Chronicle writer Ralph J. Gleason to help him put together a new magazine. The first issue of Rolling Stone arrived on newsstands in the same year, with John Lennon of The Beatles on the cover. The magazine debuted at the height of the hippie movement and became the definitive counterculture magazine of their era, introducing a new generation of artists, including the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, to the world. Wenner described Rolling Stone as “a publication not just about music but also about the things and attitudes that music embraces” in his first column. The magazine plucked writers from obscure places and turned them into culture-defining voices. Their photographers captured defining images of an entire generation of rock stars. The magazine’s portrait photography of cover subjects set the standard for every other publi- cation. Being selected for the Rolling Stone cover became the highest honor for any music artist. 

“Jann broke the mold on alternative magazine publishing,” Page said. “As far as I’m concerned, they changed print publishing. The way Rolling Stone shot their covers provided the vision for every magazine that came after them. Nobody had shot athletes that way before and we wanted to be the first. We would consider ourselves lucky if we could shoot a cover that was one-tenth as good as Rolling Stone.”

By the time SLAM published their first issue, Rolling Stone was no longer a cultural force on the newsstand. The magazine, which was once bursting with creative energy, grew into a $250 million conglomerate in the 1980s and lost the qualities that defined them. The Rolling Stone cover increasingly became a landing spot for established celebrities and was no longer a birthplace for new stars. A writer who joined the mag- azine in 1993 compared his new job to showing up to the party just in time to see a cigarette floating in the last cocktail of the night.

SLAM’s goal was to become the modern-day basketball version of Rolling Stone, embracing the same rebellious streak which gave birth to the rock ’n’ roll magazine three decades earlier.

But they needed to find their voice first. 

Cover Story: The NBA and Modern Basketball as Told Through its Most Iconic Magazine Covers is reprinted with permission from Triumph Books. All rights reserved.

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The real fireworks started in the pregame show with Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley debating the top centers in Lakers’ history. After Shaq listed himself in the top-three—under Kareem Abdul Jabbar and above Wilt Chamberlain—Barkley voiced his own thoughts on the take:

“YOU’RE NOT BETTER THAN WILT. STOP IT!”

“YOU’RE NOT BETTER THAN WILT. STOP IT!”

Welcome back to another edition of Shaq vs. Chuck pic.twitter.com/CWB3squoTT

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 19, 2021

Last year, Barkley shared his own list of the top 10 NBA players of all time—which included Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Shaq wasn’t too happy then that he wasn’t included.

“I have a problem with your list, Chuck,” O’Neal said on “Inside The NBA” on TNT. “You ain’t got me in the top 10. Whatever you’re smoking down there in Reno, you need to take it back to wherever you got it from.”The Inside the NBA panel showed the League’s all-time 75 players to celebrate their 75th anniversary. The list included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain.

In response, Barkley made sure to note just how dominate the four-time NBA champ truly was:

“I’ve never seen anybody like Shaq. Ever. Shaq is the most dominant big man ever, in my opinion,” Barkley said. “But, I put him behind Magic, Bird, LeBron, and Kobe. I didn’t put him behind anyone crazy.”

The post Charles Barkley Argues With Shaq Over Top Lakers Centers of All-Time appeared first on SLAM.

The NBPA Top 100 Camp, though, has always been and remains the most “You had to be there” event on the calendar. It’s as super exclusive and private as it gets. Since its inception in ’94, the camp’s true vibes have only been experienced by a select few. If you haven’t played in it, are a parent of someone who has, or worked in it in some capacity, then “you had to be there” certainly applies to you.

With its sole priority and mission being on the development of its invite-only attendees, instead of self-branding, self-promotion or looking to push a product (sneakers, sports drinks—you get the picture), the camp has purposely never been open to the general public, nor have its games ever been televised or live streamed in the past. Instead, the camp has focused strictly on the kids it serves and on creating an atmosphere where they don’t have to worry about playing to the crowd or looking good on television. The result has naturally been an ultra-intense competitive aura, where the players get after it and are locked in on learning from and listening to their camp counselors. You won’t find many showcases or tournaments that have the same type of intensity from its players as the NBPA Top 100 Camp garners, and the exclusive, intimate setting is the main driver behind that.

Purvis Short, a former NBA player and currently Chief of Player Programs at the NBPA, has seen the camp grow from just a concept to now one of the most prestigious invitations a young hooper can ever get.  

“My second year, working as an employee at the union, NBA players wanted to create a camp that would really be unique. Something that would help future NBA players establish a better foundation—not just with basketball, but in the areas of life skills [too],” says Short, who played for the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and the New Jersey Nets. “The mission was to create this basketball camp that would focus on life skills as much as it focused on basketball development. What we wanted to do and the way we started out, we actually started out on academic institution campuses. Our first six years, we were at Princeton University. The first year we had Kobe [Bryant], Jermaine O’Neal, Baron Davis—they kind of set the tone that this camp was truly unique and that it would be a camp for the elite players and that there was a serious undertone with it.

“I think in the early days, in the beginning, it was about creating this exclusive camp where everyone that came in knew that we were there for a purpose—we wanted to shut out a lot of the noise, if you will. At some point, we may open it up to the public, but we just felt that in order for us to create the foundation, the kind of atmosphere of a camp that we wanted to create on behalf of our players, then we should start out with no fans and really focus on what’s important.”  

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Aside from the effects of the ultra-exclusive-private atmosphere it provides on the hardwood (the basketball portion of the camp is composed of games officiated by NBA referees to go along with skill development drills stations), another factor that goes into the high intensity of the week-long camp is its coaches program. Made up of current and former NBA players—in the past it has included the likes of Rajon Rondo and Andre Iguodala— the coaches program provides mentorship directly from those who have already reached the same level that the campers dream of one day getting the opportunity to also experience.

And as if the intimate and exclusive vibe of the camp, along with an all-NBA coaches program, weren’t unique enough, what also separates the NBPA Top 100 from any other grassroots event out there is that it has a classroom/workshop component as well. And not just for the players. The parents also sit in on parents-only workshops, with topics including everything from handling expectations to going through the agent selection process. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the parent workshops will be done via Zoom this year while the players’ in-classroom component is also being altered.

“As much as [NBA] guys were committed to improving [HS players’] basketball skills, they were also committed to improving their life skills. And, so, over the years, it just kind of evolved. We were different in that we did a lot of life skills teaching and group discussions—trying to help these young men identify issues that not only are they struggling with but also understanding the resources available and how to deal with problems. Also, basic professional skills, basic etiquette skills,” says Short. “It was really our players’ mandate. They really wanted to create something that would stand the test of time and in some small way make a difference in the lives of some of these guys. And we’ve stayed true to that mission.” 

Another major change to this year’s camp is its location. After years on the campus of the University of Virginia, the NBPA Top 100—which actually will only have 60 campers this year as a precautionary measure due to the same COVID-19 pandemic that forced the cancellation of last year’s festivities—has relocated to the ESPN Wide World of Sports inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The spacious 220-acre multi-purpose sports complex allows the NBPA Top 100 Camp to follow all necessary safety protocols—which for the players this year included testing upon arrival as well as a quarantine/isolation period before the start of camp (which runs from Tuesday to Friday this week). The large complex allows Top 100 to create a true “bubble” experience on the same site where the NBA finished its 2020 season last summer.

“There were a lot of things that went into that decision. Number one—just from a growth standpoint, we were very fortunate when we got into the University of Virginia; they had just opened that arena. [But eventually] we had really outgrown UVA and so in the process of looking for a new location, we were fortunate enough to land in such a luxurious, top-of-the-line place,” says Short. “There were certain standards of protocol that we wanted to be sure that happened. If we’re going to bring these kids in, we want to make sure that we’re giving them the best tests we could give them. That we’re as safe as possible. We feel like we have a robust COVID protocol. We’re going to see how it unfolds, but we’ve taken additional steps. We’ll have cohorts, pods, if you will. So, teams will stay together through the week.” 

Among the top players in this year’s camp are Keyonte George, Jazian Gortman, Brandon Miller, Jarace Walker, and Bryce Griggs. Additionally, there’s a slate of legacy players that will also partake in this year’s camp, including Juwan Howard’s son Jett, Larry Hughes’ son Larry Jr, Ricky Davis’ son Tyree and Ron Harper’s son Dylan, among a few others.

For those wondering if they’ll ever get the chance to experience the action at the most exclusive grassroots event on the calendar, this year might be your first chance at getting a glimpse. The NBPA is currently finalizing a deal to have its championship game live-streamed on Friday—the first time ever in its camp’s history that a game is broadcasted. More details regarding the live stream are expected in the coming days.

“We feel it’s time. One thing about Top 100, we don’t just do stuff just to do it. We really try to be particular about the things that we do. For the first time ever, we will be streaming our championship game. We’re really excited about it. And hopefully if we can pull this off and it comes out pretty good, we’ll expand it. But we do feel in this moment and time that it’s the right thing to do,” says Short. “When we had our camp in 2019, we had just been granted the right to have NCAA coaches and NBA scouts there. We had over 300 NCAA coaches that attended and over 30 to 40 NBA representatives that attended. For us, that spoke volumes. So, slowly, we’re starting to roll things out. There’s a lot of excitement about where Top 100 could be in five years. Top 100 was never designed to be out in the media. It was always this hidden gem.” 

As the camp soon approaches its 30-year anniversary, Short has accumulated endless stories of memorable moments throughout the decades. But one sticks out the most, which he finds himself retelling to campers often.

“As a player, I was known as a shooter. When I was a little younger, I would challenge all these good kids when they came through camp. I would want to shoot against them and I never let anybody win. When Kobe came to our camp, I use to shoot against him. We’re shooting and I’m killing it. Talking s**t to him. And he did something that I had never seen before. Typically, we just played H-O-R-S-E. I always felt, if I start off first, I’m not gonna miss. I’m gonna run the table; the game is going to be over,” recalls Short. “I missed, and Kobe had like an R or S. Kobe goes out to the three-point line and he starts shooting left-handed jump shots. Left-handed three-point jump shots. I had not been able to do nothing with my left hand other than eat with it. [Kobe] was in high school. I’ve seen Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kareem, and Dr. J, and these guys were just phenomenal. Kobe beat me. He really set the tone, he and the other guys that came in that first year. We were trying something new and we were just blessed to get probably one of the greatest groups of high school players that’s ever been assembled.”

You had to be there.

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Up-and-coming players such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Devin Booker, and Nikola Jokic have continued to shine brightly, thriving in what have been perceived to be less glamorous NBA markets, while the parity amongst teams provided the thrillingly unpredictable season that fans have been clamoring for.

On top of all that, as the league’s collection of stars continues to grow, the pantheon of current all-time greats does as well. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have been joined by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in recent years.

With that said, although today’s fans have a natural inclination to try to establish who the best player in the NBA is (perhaps due to what will be a never-ending ‘GOAT’ debate), what’s become clear is that the days when that was possible—if there even has been in the post-Michael Jordan era—is gone.

There’s no sole Wilt Chamberlain that’s performing athletic feats that lead to astronomical numbers that don’t look real on paper. There’s no, as previously mentioned, sole player reminiscent of a matured Jordan whose playmaking was as masterful as his aggressive play style was menacing.

These days are a lot like the ones is Jordan’s early years, where he, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Larry Bird could have been considered equal. Or like James’ early years, with he, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan vying for the title of best player in the world.

There’s no longer one king of the court, and perhaps there may not need to be.

Instead of one face of the NBA, there are now several players deserving of the title:

King James, commander of the 10th Legion (pointed Julius Caesar reference).

King KD, basketball savant (and renowned tweeter).

King Curry of the Bay, master archer (and golfer).

King Giannis the Humble, of Greece and Nigeria.

King Kawhi, the second cyborg on this list.

The five players with a right to claim the title as best player in the league due to the combination of their abilities, impact and accomplishments.

This coregency is routinely noted by fans that would rather rank players by tiers but the idea hasn’t gained enough traction among mainstream analysts and media. If it had, the mystifying debates about the best player in the league would have given way to discourse about how this quintet has succeeded in very different ways and the different groups of people each represent.

One last thing: the Hardens, Jokics and Westbrooks also deserve praise as recent MVPs. Their crowning—their coronation as kings—occurred during their award ceremony.

Without multiple championships or MVP awards (either in the Finals or regular season), they won’t be seen in the same light as the aforementioned players.

Even still, in an empire, there are multiple kings.

[Editor’s note: In this metaphor, one may still wind up wondering who the emperor—the king of kings—is (if anybody, it would likely be LeBron, who’s also known as “the Little Emperor” in China).]

The post State of the NBA: There’s No Longer, and No Need For, One King appeared first on SLAM.

Inches away from the baseline, Paul whipped his ninth assist of the game— the 1,041st of his career—to a cutting Jae Crowder who cashed in on a midrange jumper. A nine-time All-Star, Paul would notch the milestone assist in his 125th postseason game, leaving him with a career average of 8.3 assists per game in the playoffs.

Congrats to @CP3 of the @Suns for moving up to 10th on the #NBAPlayoffs ASSISTS list! #ThatsGame pic.twitter.com/NVSj5HQETu

— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2021

Paul, who is averaging 27.5 points and 8.5 assists in the Finals, could realistically displace Larry Bird at the seventh spot, as the Hall of Fame forward sits 21 dimes behind the two-time Finals MVP.

The Point God and his Suns squad will head to Milwaukee next to face the Bucks in Game 3 of the 2021 NBA Finals, on Sunday night.

The post CP3 Moves Up to 10th All-Time Playoff Assists, Passes Kobe Bryant appeared first on SLAM.

Jokic, now in his sixth season after being selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, becomes the lowest draft pick in NBA history to win the MVP award.

Jokic, oftentimes compared to a modern-day Larry Bird due to his dynamic abilities on the court (and an appearance that screams “average Joe” rather than basketball prodigy), had a career season in 2020-21 with averages of 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in 34.6 minutes per game.

Despite being an aggressive high-volume scorer, Joker also managed to shoot 56.6 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from 3-point range and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line; good for a career-high true shooting percentage of 64.7. Looking at other numbers, such as win shares per 48 minutes (.301), box plus-minus (8.7) and total RAPTOR (+9.3), Jokic’s contributions to the 47-25 Denver Nuggets’ success are startling.

Games like a 50-point, 12-rebounds affair against the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 6, an 18-assist triple-double against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 28 or a seven-steal performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 12 help highlight Jokic’s dominance this season, with Jokic powering the Nuggets through injuries, COVID-related absences and a Western Conference stacked with as much talent as ever.

Jokic, currently averaging 31.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 block and 0.7 steals per game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, is as deserving of the award as any player in recent seasons.

The Serbian warrior, blessed with soft touch, nifty footwork, preternatural passing ability, an elite basketball IQ and a bevy of unique moves to get his shot off, should become a household name after being named the 2021 NBA MVP.

Jokic will formally be announced as the 2021 NBA MVP Award winner during TNT’s pregame show, which begins at 7:30 (EST) on June 8, per the Denver Post’s Mike Singer.

The post Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic Named 2020-21 NBA MVP appeared first on SLAM.

Randle has been named the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Improved Player this season. In one of the more heartwarming scenes, Randle was presented his award by his young son, Kyden.

Who better to present Julius with the award than the only and only, Kyden! pic.twitter.com/bM2jlQGYEh

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 25, 2021

Randle became the first New York player to win the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award with 98 first-place votes, totaling 493 total points. Detroit Pistons forward, Jerami Grant was the only other player to receive a first-place vote (2) finishing second with 140 points.  Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. finished in third place with 138 points. 

Randle set career highs for averages in points and assists with 24.1 points and 6.0 assists while matching his career-high in rebounds with 10.2.  

The 6-9 power forward is only the sixth player in NBA history to average at least 24.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season, joining Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić (who did so this season), Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

Before signing as a free agent with New York back in 2019, Julius played four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and one season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Randle has career averages of 17.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

This award was designed to honor up-and-coming players who has made significant progress over the previous season or extended career.

The New York Knicks are counting on award winning numbers from Julius Randle to even their first round series with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

The post Knicks’ Julius Randle Wins 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award appeared first on SLAM.

Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight season. While he certainly will be considered to win it for a third straight season, he’s got plenty of competition. The NBA has seen an emergence of the big man this season, with most of the guys in the MVP race playing the forward or center position.

A third of the way through the 2020-21 season, we broke down our top five MVP candidates.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

28.0 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.1 SPG

Only Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird have ever won three straight NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. While the odds are against him, Antetokounmpo will have the chance to be the fourth player to ever accomplish this.

While his numbers are down from a season ago, there’s no denying the massive impact he makes for the Bucks every single night. Both offensively and defensively, Antetokounmpo is typically the best player on the floor at any time. His fate of winning this award may come down to if he can once again lead Milwaukee to the best record in the NBA.

Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)

29.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.4 BPG, .434 3P% 

Kevin Durant is coming off of an Achilles injury looking as good as he ever has. After missing the entire 2019-20 season, he’s been one of the most lethal scorers in the league all season long and is second in the NBA in points per game.

Leading the star-studded Brooklyn Nets, Durant will have the opportunity to push for his third NBA championship since 2018 while also winning an MVP award along the way. With his size and length, there’s really nobody who can slow him down when he puts his mind to scoring.

Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)

29.6 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG, .400 3P% 

When it comes to pure dominance, Embiid has taken the cake this season. To this point, nobody has even able to slow him down offensively. He’s averaging a career high in points per game as well as three-point percentage.

On the glass, Embiid has been among the best in the NBA while also being one of the best defenders in the league. He’s averaging over one steal and block per game and has been the defensive anchor that the Sixers have needed, leading them to a top-three defensive rating this season.

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)

25.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, .381 3P%

While he hasn’t won an MVP award since the 2012-13 season, he’s deserving of being in the conversation every single year. This year is no different, as he has been one of the best players in the league even in his 18th NBA season at age 36.

While his numbers aren’t the best they’ve ever been, the impact he’s made and the efficiency that he has played with have been impressive. Coming off of an NBA title, James once again has the Lakers looking like a clear favorite to win another this season. When LeBron James is on the floor, the Lakers are nearly impossible to beat. He’s also shooting one of the best three-point percentages of his entire career.

Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

26.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, .381 3P% 

After putting his talent on full display once again in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, helping the Nuggets to a Western Conference Finals appearance, Jokic has continued to improve in the 2020-21 season. At the center position, he averages the most assists per game (8.7) in the league.

When it comes to the modern NBA big, Jokic is exactly what a team is looking for. Not only can he pass, but the 25-year-old can score from anywhere on the floor. Whether he attacks you in the paint with his craftiness around the rim, or steps out and shows you his range, good luck slowing Jokic down offensively.

The post NBA Award Watch: 2021 Most Valuable Player appeared first on SLAM.

—

About Last Night, based on David Mamet’s acidic and observant play, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and directed by Ed Zwick, is the epitome of a mediocre movie. “You’ve a right to wonder why anyone would want to work so hard—with such an expenditure of imagination—to transform a play with such a distinctive voice into a movie that sounds like any number of others,” wrote Vincent Canby in the New York Times. But in the summer of 1986, a bubbly romance starring two members of the short-lived Brat Pack was an obvious to-do that carried an unforeseen cultural impact.

Riswold and Davenport, coworkers at Portland, Oregon–based ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, were in Los Angeles to edit a Jordan spot for Nike. They decided to catch About Last Night . . . . Riswold deemed it “terrible.” The highlight came in the coming attractions, long before Rob Lowe and Demi Moore’s stylized romantic travails.

“Tube socks! Tube socks! Three for five dollars! Three for five dollars! Three for five dollars!” a slight, young African-American man bellowed to a procession of disinterested pedestrians. Then he turned to the audience, all puckish confidence.

“Hi, I’m Spike Lee and when I’m not directing, I do this. It pays the rent, puts food on the table, butter on my whole wheat bread. Anyway, I have this new comedy coming out, this very funny film: She’s Gotta Have It. Check this out.” Then the proper preview, illustrating a New York City love rectangle between the gorgeous graphic artist Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) and three very different suitors. The film was shot in sultry black and white and featured not a trace of Hollywood slickness, including expensively coiffed white folks and Sheena Easton tunes. Everybody on-screen looked and acted like a real person. It was the opposite of the high-concept misery Riswold and Davenport were doomed to endure.

Lee returned in vivid color.

“So, you’re bugging out, right? Yougonnagoyougonnagoyougonnago? If you don’t, I’ll still be here on this corner.”

This is somebody worth seeing, Riswold thought.

The admen answered the young filmmaker’s plea and saw his debut feature back in Portland. Lee played one of the men vying for Nola’s affections. Mars Blackmon was a motormouthed, bespectacled city kid who worshipped at the altar of Michael Jordan and Nola. It was a close race as to who was more important.

Then, said Riswold, came the “wonderful, serendipitous stubbing of the toe.” In a memorable scene, Mars has sex with his dream woman in his Air Jordans. Riswold said he and Davenport turned to each other and said, “You’d better be thinking what I’m thinking.” Davenport, in particular, loved She’s Gotta Have It. It was so different and new. Mars Blackmon popped from the screen. Davenport said Riswold saw the opportunity to unite Blackmon with his basketball infatuation. The idea was too much damn fun to pass up, especially if the hip, young director with that unapologetic style worked behind the camera.

Davenport hounded Riswold, a brilliant and prolific talent, to see if he had written the script for the commercial. In the middle of the night. The next morning at work. Then an hour later. “Once it’s on paper,” said Davenport, who didn’t recall this follow-up, “you can react to it and you can make sure everyone is on the same page.”

“Shut up!” Riswold finally said. “I’m trying to write the script!”

Wieden + Kennedy had Nike as a client; Jordan was a layup. Lee was a different story. He picked up his office phone and dialed 718-555-1212, information for Brooklyn. He asked for Spike Lee. Soon Davenport was speaking to the future director of Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Black KKKlansman. Davenport couldn’t believe his luck and gave Lee the pitch.

“Bullshit,” Lee replied. “Who is this?”

Davenport finally convinced the auteur he wasn’t a film school classmate pulling an awful prank. It sounded great to Lee, who had craved this kind of exposure since graduating from film school. The lifelong Knicks fan would star and direct the commercial (a rarity for African-Americans back then), take home a $50,000 paycheck, and work with Jordan. This was sweet vindication. Nike gave Lee only a Jordan poster—which hung in Mars’s bedroom—for the film. That was it. The director had to buy two pairs of Air Jordans out of his own pocket. Now he was poised to be the face of its ad campaign alongside one of America’s most popular ath- letes. That’s the way it had to be. Lee owned the rights to the Mars Blackmon character, Davenport said, and nobody knew Mars better than the guy who created him and played him.

Nike couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Lee knew sneakers represented more than footwear. They defined a person. DJ Clark Kent believed Lee created sneaker culture. Nike played a memorable role in She’s Gotta Have It. The kicks received another stage two years later in Do the Right Thing, Lee’s brilliant drama about racial tensions boiling over on a scorching day in a Brooklyn neighborhood. When Buggin’ Out’s white, pristine Jordans—108 American dollars, with tax—are scuffed by an indifferent bicyclist, a passel of Bed-Stuy allies deem them “fucked up” and ready for the trash. A brief, potent argument on racial politics ensues.

“Yo, what you want to live in a black neighborhood for anyway, man?” the black Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) tells the white man (JohnSavage),who owns a brownstone. “Motherfuck, gentrification.”

“As I understand, it is a free country, a man can live wherever he wants,” says the building owner, who sports a Larry Bird shirtsey.

Buggin’ Out is nonplussed. “Free country? Man, I should fuck you up for saying that stupid shit alone.”

*At that point, Kent said, the Jordans became a character.*

Riswold and Davenport didn’t feel like they were about to enter risky territory. For one thing, Davenport said, Nike had total faith. “Nike ads back then weren’t as iconic or held to such high esteem and regard as they are now because we were just starting out,” Davenport said. Phil Knight was so averse to research and marketing that Scott Bedbury, Nike’s worldwide advertising director from 1987 to 1994, was warned not to mention either to Knight. Bedbury finally asked his boss why. “Marketing?” Knight scoffed. “That’s what other companies do. We don’t do that here.” What Knight abhorred was traditional advertising, which Wieden + Kennedy avoided. Both parties believed that didn’t work anymore.

Riswold’s scripts, featuring Mars expounding on various topics, were terrific. Davenport could visualize Lee saying the lines as Mars. Riswold gave Mars and Jordan dialogue that sounded comfortable, not a thinly disguised sales pitch. And it told a story.

“Jim is the mastermind behind that, hands down” Davenport said.

“It’s not all that hard,” Riswold said. “It really isn’t. My sisters know how stupid I am. Advertising is very, very simple. It’s just populated by people who have very little to do but to make it difficult.”

Wieden + Kennedy had reservations. “We were doing Honda scooter commercials at the same time with Lou Reed and Grace Jones,” Riswold said. “There were questions: Are we pop culturing Nike? Are we turning them into Honda?” But Riswold said agency heads David Kennedy and Dan Wieden saw how excited he and Davenport were about the pairing. And if they fucked up, Riswold half-joked, they’d only lose their jobs.

With the script having garnered the right people’s approval, the shooting began. Jordan was clearly the alpha male with nothing to prove. “He was immediately friendly,” Lee wrote, “but in a challenging kind of way.” The first time the two met, Jordan said, “Spike Lee.” Lee interpreted that sparse greeting as a challenge. Show me what you’ve got. Jordan knew. About a year before the commercials aired, Knight and Jordan were out at dinner, when Jordan unleashed “Pleasebaby- pleasebabypleasebabybabybabyplease.” He said it another two or three times.

“What the hell is that?” Knight asked.

That was Mars Blackmon’s signature line from She’s Gotta Have It, which Jordan loved.*

Davenport witnessed Lee and Jordan grow comfortable with each other. There were no problems. Lee was not like most commercial di- rectors, men with outsize egos. He worked with a small, diverse crew devoid of hangers-on and company men. Like She’s Gotta Have It, the shoot was a low-tech, simple affair. It worked.

“We knew with the first shot we had something magical,” Riswold said.

*Knight said he relayed Jordan’s love of the film to Weiden + Kennedy, who then talked to Jordan and created the spot.

Davenport thought the first spot, which ran in 1988, was perfect. Mars Blackmon came across as authentic and believable, Davenport said. Mars was the proxy for every basketball fan—“and a better actor,” Riswold said. The motormouth brought Jordan down to earth, made him human, a perfect retort to the otherworldly athleticism. Riswold’s script took the burden off Jordan to act. Jordan’s assignment was to express disapproval or approval, have fun, and dunk. He could joke at his untouchable image without risking anything. Jordan and Lee, Riswold thought, made each other look good.

“In order to have effective advertising rather than traditional advertising, you really need to know who the subject was,” Knight said. “And so we want to know who Michael was, and Michael really liked this character, so what we were showing was that something he really be- lieved in. And that’s sort of been the cornerstone ever since.”

“Nike was very fortunate to have had Wieden + Kennedy as its ad agency, because Wieden understood pop culture, it understood Nike, and it understood Nike’s messaging, and it understood how to get to that part of the athlete that the consumer wasn’t seeing,” Nike’s Mark Thomashow said.

Riswold saw the footage from the shoot. When everything was put together, he entered Dan Wieden’s office.

“Wieden,” Riswold said, “all I can tell you is, we’re blessed.”

The post How ‘Mars Blackmon’ and Michael Jordan Got Connected appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a fascinating thing, watching an argument evolve.

Before it can evolve, of course, it has to exist. Something has to pull an idea out of the ooze and lift it into the light, to make it a thing people can see and hear, ponder and take sides on. It’s not always clear when such a thing happens, or why, but at some point, the existence of the argument is acknowledged. Accepted. Eventually, no matter what side you might be on, or whether you think the argument itself is valid, its presence is confirmed. It exists. It’s real.

When was this particular argument born? The possibility might’ve occurred to some as early as 2007, when a 22-year-old LeBron James dragged a thoroughly overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers roster to the NBA Finals. For others it might’ve been 2008, when certain numbers—30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists over the course of a full season—proved too incredible to ignore. Then came 2009 and 2010, back-to-back MVP awards, an accumulation of accomplishment far behind the dreams of most players’ careers, let alone a guy who was just 25.

Of course, it wasn’t something anyone had to take seriously until he won a championship. That finally came in Miami in 2012, and again in 2013, and with that, the argument was undeniable. A tangible thing. Ten years, four MVPs, two titles, and the feeling that he was nowhere close to finished. Whatever you thought of LeBron after his first NBA decade, no one who understood the game thought he wasn’t in the conversation. An acronym so overused it barely merits a mention here, but for the record, yes: Greatest of All Time. Whether or not you thought he was the GOAT was beside the point. It only mattered that there was a case to be made.

That was seven years ago. The argument has indeed evolved. It looks nothing like it looked in 2013.

Remember 2016? Remember last month?

The evolution has been slow and gradual at some points, dramatic at others. The accumulation continues, a man climbing so many lists of career achievement that it starts to seem unfair. How does he stay so healthy? How can he stay this good for this long? That’s part of the evolution, too, the extent to which LeBron has changed the argument, strengthened his case, in ways both predictable and unforeseen.

GRAB YOUR COPY OF LEBRON VOL 2

The thing about evolution is, it keeps going. That’s the point. And what sets LeBron apart, at least for this moment, is that he’s still going, even as no one else in the argument is. Every other name you might wish to put forward in this argument is retired and enshrined in Springfield. Only LeBron is still active—and not just active, not simply playing out the string like so many of the greats do. Year 17, and he’s still inspiring new arguments, like what it means to not give the MVP award to a guy who averaged 25, 10 and 8 in the regular season, then just shy of 28, 11 and 9 in the playoffs en route to another title. With LeBron, there’s always so much more you could argue about.

But that’s off topic. Seasonal arguments come and go. This one’s bigger. Comprehensive. And as LeBron keeps going, keeps evolving, he forces the argument to do the same. Year 17, and the world keeps waiting for #WashedKing to show up, and then he goes and posts career-high assists in career-low minutes, and the argument evolves again.

And now here we are, waiting to see what’s next. The other guys—you might have a half dozen names in mind, but more likely, it’s just the one—they’re waiting, too. Most of them probably are at peace with it. Michael Jordan…well, who can say for sure. But all he can do, all any of them can do, is wait. Wait and see what else LeBron does, and for how much longer. The argument’s evolution is out of their hands. Only LeBron can influence it now.

But actually, no, that’s not quite right. Only LeBron can change the facts of the argument—that’s true enough. But it’s the rest of us who decide the narrative, set the terms, pick and choose the particular set of stats and milestones and frozen moments with which we make our argument, whatever it might be. As long as the argument exists, you can choose your fighter and state your case. For some of us, there’s nothing LeBron can do to change our position; for others, LeBron’s already done more than enough.

And so consider this a plea for peace, or sanity, or maybe just common sense: It’s time for us to evolve past the argument. It’s time for the most passionate, engaged basketball fans on the planet—if you’re reading these words in this magazine, that’s you pretty much by default—to recognize the impossibility of a debate that crosses eras and styles and a thousand other variables, and to accept that impossibility as a blessing. A thing of beauty. To know that you can choose, but that you don’t have to, and that you can be right either way.

Michael Jordan, as others have documented at length, had excellent timing. As recently as five years before he was drafted, the NBA was considered a second-class league lacking star power or national relevance. Jordan would eventually lift the League to unprecedented heights, but the dirty work of lifting the NBA out of the gutter of public perception had already been done in the few years before his arrival—by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, mostly, with a notable assist from Julius Erving along the way. When he was drafted in 1984, Jordan joined a league that was growing in popularity, a media landscape being dramatically altered by ESPN, and the very idea of marketing being reimagined by Nike. Jordan the player still had to be remarkable, and he was, but the work of crafting and promoting his legend was hardly a solo act.

LeBron James played his first NBA game six months after Jordan played his last, but he might as well have joined an entirely different league. In a lot of ways, it was Jordan’s league—not literally in 2003, of course, not with Shaq and Kobe running together and Allen Iverson already an icon—but to the extent that Jordan’s place in the history of the game was unquestioned. The “GOAT debate” wasn’t really a debate at all; most just accepted that it was Jordan, and then it was everyone else. The cases you could make for the others—Russell’s defense and leadership, Wilt’s sheer statistical dominance, Oscar’s completeness, Magic’s passing and vision, West and Bird defining clutch—were all absorbed or devoured by Jordan. The breadth of his skill set, the depth of his competitiveness, and those half dozen rings were simply too much to argue with.

Into this stepped LeBron, a Jordan obsessive like any ’80s kid, but also, already, a student of the game, possessed of a combination of size, strength, vision, athleticism, speed and basketball intelligence that still, all these years later, stumps any attempt at succinct comparison. There was some Jordan in his game, sure, but there were also traces of Oscar and Bird, hints of Wilt, and a whole lot of Magic Johnson. LeBron’s passing—his ability to find and make passes even as a rookie that many of the League’s point guards would be reluctant to try—was one of his greatest assets; the irony is that, in the evolution of the argument, it was also seen as a crutch.

It will seem a distant memory by the time you read this, but the 40 or so hours between Games 5 and 6 of this year’s Finals brought back a taste of the criticism that LeBron endured in torrents earlier in his career: He’d rather pass instead of taking the game winner. Jordan would never. This was both historically ignorant—Steve Kerr says hello—and spoke to how warped the argument was from early on. As the logic went, being a passer on the level of Magic Johnson was held against LeBron because it kept him from being Jordan-caliber clutch.

But, again: The argument evolved. Maybe it’s the 11 Finals games with a triple-double, one more than Magic and Bird combined, and precisely 11 more than Jordan ever managed. Making Finals triple-doubles look like light work seems as good a definition of “clutch” as any you might come up with.

If there’s any certainty in this argument, then, it’s in the different ways the players themselves made their case. Across eras in which the style, pace and officiating changed so drastically, each imposed himself on the game in ways that at times seemed unstoppable. As he reminded us all via sometimes selective hindsight this past spring, Jordan did it with singular, almost sociopathic focus. Once he found the coach and wingman he needed to win titles, he couldn’t imagine playing without them; lesser teammates, meanwhile, were essentially intimidated into competence or cast aside. His legacy and greatness are forever linked with a single coach and a singular system.

LeBron? The coach, the system, and even the Robin to his Batman have all proven flexible; success and failure have increasingly come on his terms, wherever and with whomever he deemed the right fit at the time. The willingness to switch franchises, deemed a threat to his legacy when he first left Cleveland for Miami, has over time helped define it. Each of the three times he’s left a team, he’s won a championship with his new team two years later. Call it ring chasing if you want, but the rings weren’t there until he brought them.

Michael Jordan changed the game of basketball. LeBron James is changing it still. Jordan might still be the guy you’d want taking the last shot; LeBron might be the guy you’d want starting and playing 44 minutes in a Game 7. You can choose any number of criteria, or, again, you can choose not to choose at all. You can embrace the idea that there is no single greatest of all time, that there are at least two right answers, neither of whose greatness does anything to diminish the other’s.

The argument has evolved, as has the game and its players. Among the greatest, only one is still going, 17 seasons and immeasurable impact already in the books. The only wrong choice is choosing not to appreciate him while you can.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF LEBRON VOL 2

Ryan Jones is a Contributing Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @thefarmerjones.

Photos via Getty.

The post LeBron James vs Michael Jordan: The GOAT Debate appeared first on SLAM.

In a bonus feature from The Last Dance’s limited blu-ray gift set, Jordan told Stuart Scott just that while appearing on his Sunday Conversation show back in 1998.

“It’s not fair, you know, but it’s a standard of measurement. When I came in, [it was] Dr. J, Elgin Baylor. It’s just a standard of measurement for people to compare to. But there’s never going to be another Michael Jordan. There’s never going to be another Dr. J. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird.

Now, there’s gonna be a Kobe Bryant, there’s gonna be a Grant Hill, Anfernee Hardaway. These guys are going to have similar traits, it’s how they manifest those traits to be the best basketball player, the best role model that they can be.”

That wasn’t the last time Jordan spoke on the subject. The Bulls icon has since been honest about who he thinks deserves the GOAT title – and it’s not himself.

In 2009, Jordan told Michael Wilbon that he “doesn’t want” the title because he hasn’t played against legends in the league prior to himself — like Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West.

He shared those same sentiments in a recent interview with Cigar Aficionado.

Still, don’t get it twisted. Back when MJ had his hoop earring in, he made it clear that he doesn’t think there will be another like him.

The post Michael Jordan on Legacy: ‘There’s Never Going to Be Another’ appeared first on SLAM.

Durant, who has played in the league for 12 seasons, signed a four-year, $164 million contract with Brooklyn in the 2019 offseason. By the time the deal expires, he’ll be 34-years-old and young enough to secure one more lucrative contract.

Of course, nothing is set in stone, but if he was to play out the rest of his career with Brooklyn, that would give Nets fans at least five more years or rooting for KD.

In the age of nonstop player movement, it’s always refreshing to hear that a player doesn’t plan to leave their team.

Such a mentality arguably made the careers of players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Larry Bird more respectable. Meanwhile, modern-day contemporaries like Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid have either stated or demonstrated their loyalty to their first and only teams.

However, quite a few current superstars have already played for more than one team.

In fact, Durant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard — who many would be tempted to list as the three best players in the league — have each played for three different franchises. Other All-NBA talents, like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler, are already on their second, third or fourth team.

Durant spending the rest of his career with Brooklyn can only enhance his legacy, as it will be one of the toughest challenges in his career. Whatever success he has there will be seen in a quite different light than his accomplishments with the Golden State Warriors.

The post Kevin Durant Considering Brooklyn His ‘Last Stop’ appeared first on SLAM.

—

As told to Isis Haywood and Kaela Crowell:

There were some really painful moments over my career, but somebody had to go through it.

I’m not saying I’m the only player that’s been through hard times, but I think the choices I made as a young player were crucial for those that came after me. Now is the time for the truth to be heard.

From the 1800s, slaves were often renamed when they stepped on the plantation. Names meant identity—by changing them, owners were re-scripting identities for hundreds of years.

I grew up with the idea in my head that I was going to be the best cotton-picker in the state of Mississippi. That was my goal. Who am I now? Some know me from playing on the US Olympic basketball team. Some know me from my years in the NBA and the ABA. I’d venture a guess that most know me as the 21-year-old who, in his first NBA season, went through a battle in the Supreme Court. Haywood vs NBA overruled an old requirement that a player could only be drafted by an NBA team four years after his high school graduation.

I doubt, however, that many people know my story up to that point.

I am a Black man from the Deep South, born in the heavily sharecropped area of Mississippi. I lived in what was modern-day slavery. In the 1940s, my mother and father weren’t afforded the privilege of choosing a soulmate. To put it simply, they were paired to create a family of tall and strong negroes because cotton is heavy. My father passed away from a heart attack while my mother was carrying me. He was climbing a ladder, in the process of building an additional room for the family. There was little concern for the comfort of the 10 of us on the plantation—our sole purpose was to make the white people rich.

I was born in 1949 by the assistance of a mid-wife because hospitals did not accept Black people at the time. I was child No. 8 in the family line.

I learned how to pick cotton before I took my first steps. My first memory is riding on my mom’s cotton sack and her saying, “Pick the lower bowls of cotton, son, because I don’t want to bend down with my back.” My dad’s name was changed many times through the years. The name “Haywood” was for people who worked in carpentry, so my life was seemingly predetermined. I was to be a carpenter or a cotton-picker. At 13, I became the primary source of income for my family. I picked up to 200 pounds of cotton for $4 a day.

Around the age of 14, I began work as a caddy at the country club to get out of the cotton field. It was there that a joke rooted in racism and hate was designed to ruin my life. A few men welded a quarter onto a nail, so I bent to pick it up. I pulled hard to get it off and then was accused of trying to steal it. The man overseeing the club brutally punched me in the face and I fought back. I was thrown in the Belzoni jail and knew I was destined to be placed in Parchman Prison, where I would be forced to work on a farm for the rest of my life. My mother understood I had to flee from Mississippi. She said to me: “Whatever happens, you got to get out of here because you have something special to give to the world. You’re my baby and I gotta get you out of here. You’re different.” We gathered all of our money and I caught a bus up north.

I went to live with my brother Roy, a student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. I had all of my belongings in a 10-pound paper bag—one pair of shoes, one pair of pants and one shirt. Most of what I knew up to that point was picking cotton. My brother heard of a basketball showcase in Michigan and decided to put me in an exhibition game. I had played throughout my childhood and was very tall. Because of those exhibitions, my talent was discovered.

I was further motivated to succeed for my family back home. Players would throw away their Converse shoes for adidas ones, and I’d dig up the old pairs and send them to Mississippi.

I dominated at the age of 15. I was schooling the other high school players easily. Will Robinson, a family friend and mentor of mine, decided to put me up against college-level players to see if I would still dominate. And I did. Then Robinson had me compete against the pros from the Detroit Pistons. And I beat them, too. While juggling my new life as an athlete, I battled with finding a new identity away from the cotton field. I struggled with my English. I was also forced to walk with books on my head to correct my posture—I was so used to looking down to show submissiveness to my white owners in Mississippi.

During my first high school season, I was an All-American. By my second year, I was one of the top players in the world. I went to the University of Tennessee, becoming one of the first Black players in the Southeastern Conference. From there, I moved on to Trinidad State Junior College, the same year as the 1968 Olympics.

Because I was at a junior college instead of a major university, I was able to try out and was eventually picked for the Olympic Games. They were held amid the civil rights movement, so brilliant Black athletes not only trained to compete but also strategized protests to stand against racism. I helped bring back the Gold medal for Team USA and Black people greeted me as soon as I stepped off the plane. I scored the most points of any Olympic basketball player until 2012, when Kevin Durant broke my record. One of the coaches in Mississippi decided to hold a parade for me, saying: “He’s one of us.” But what did that truly mean? I wasn’t afforded the privileges of white people, so I did not attend. Returning to Mississippi would’ve reminded me of the injustices I faced since birth.

Still, my success was being celebrated in Mississippi, and for the first time, the name Haywood meant something different. When my mother was on her deathbed, I asked her: “What was the worst thing I did?” She said not coming back for that parade, because our families had struggled for over 200 years to get our name respected. Through me, my mother had hoped to change the meaning of the Haywood name, to be more than a cotton-picker or sharecropper.

I returned from the Olympics with a plan to play at the University of Detroit and get my friend Will Robinson chosen as the first Black coach in the NCAA. I felt a responsibility to the Black community. I just wanted all of us Black people to succeed.

Once I officially signed, the organization drew back on their promise to make Will the coach. I felt betrayed and lost. I wanted to leave school, but I was out of options. I played one season and then had to make a decision. Transferring would mean I’d have to wait a year before playing again. I was invited to join the ABA, a professional league. In my first season (1969-70) for the Denver Rockets, I was named Rookie of the Year and won MVP, averaging 30 points and 19.5 rebounds. My contract was for 1.9 million and I was apparently the “highest-paid player in the basketball universe.” The deal consisted of around $400,000 paid out over four years, and I was told that the $1.5 million was supposed to accrue from a long-term annuity tying me to the organization. None of it was guaranteed. I asked for the contract to be adjusted, considering I signed it underage. I had trusted that it would be written with integrity after everything I did for the ABA. When I walked in with my lawyer, who happened to be Jewish, the owner said to us: “Get your nigger ass out of here and take that Jew-ass lawyer with you.” Word for word. I realized that these guys were like the same white owners I had from birth. It was like I was back in Mississippi.

I couldn’t go back to a university, having already completed a year in the pros. And at the time, I wasn’t permitted to enter the NBA until I was four years removed from high school. I met the owner of the Seattle SuperSonics, Sam Schulman, who was willing to sign me and fight against the League on my behalf. We launched an anti-trust suit that would come to be known as Haywood vs NBA. In the meantime, I was playing games for Seattle in the face of adversity and hate. Imagine this: An announcer would come on the loudspeaker in front of thousands and say, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have an illegal player on the floor! No. 24, Spencer Haywood, must be exported out of the arena!” Sometimes they’d do just that—toss me from the building.

Fans would antagonize me with remarks like, “You’re destroying basketball as we know it!” In my mind, I was the perfect candidate for this movement because I had been through this my whole life, starting in the cotton field. I didn’t break. Despite the challenges, we took Haywood vs NBA all the way to the Supreme Court. They ruled 7-2 against the NBA’s old requirement that a player had to be four years out of high school to enter the League. It changed the game forever.

My motivation was considering all the future players. The NBA’s position shifted once they realized that if they had guys coming in early, they could expand the organization from 14 teams. It grew the worth of franchises. My sacrifices have made owners and players rich. I feel as though I carved out a space for Black athletes to be millionaires. I’m not looking for praise, but the part that hurts is that for years I would go up to a player and say to him, “Hey man, I’m Spencer Haywood, just wanted to introduce myself.” And they would turn their backs on me.

The NBA gained billions for my actions but said that I would never be recognized for the work that I did. I was to be an example of what could happen if you challenged them, so they excommunicated me. I was turned away from the Hall of Fame twice, despite all of my accomplishments.

I was finally inducted in 2015, but many players didn’t even stay to watch the screening of my video. They have never fully embraced me for what I’ve done. None of the players who went straight to the NBA out of high school—Kobe, LeBron, KG, T-Mac—would’ve been able to do so without the Spencer Haywood Rule. None of the players who left college early for the NBA—Bird, Magic, Jordan, Zion—would’ve been able to do so without the Spencer Haywood Rule. The truth is, most players come into the NBA under the Spencer Haywood Rule. And I believe it should bear that name, just like the Oscar Robertson Rule or the Larry Bird Rule.

I watched players I dominated on the court make it into the Hall of Fame before me, but because I was not passive about oppression, I did not get the same nod.

The struggle has been ongoing for 400 years. My story tells of the pain that many other African American men have faced. I didn’t have many options in my time, but you do. Protest, march, go into the spaces that celebrate you as Black athletes and people, whether it be attending an HBCU or refusing to play for ownership that doesn’t see the color of your skin. Be intentional about your decisions—taking a stand could be the move to change your career and generations of lives after you.

My name, my voice was silenced for years. What I really want is respect for what I did, from players and from our community. That would mean everything to me.

Black people’s purposes have been attempted to be pre-defined for us since the beginning of time. Giving us specific names like Haywood based on what we were supposed to do to help white people. Or even attempting to dismiss that name, discouraging courageousness and allowing for a continued cycle of systematic oppression. The time has come where Black people’s voices will be heard, and others will have no choice but to listen.

My name is Spencer Haywood. What’s yours?

—

100 percent of proceeds from SLAM’s new issue will be donated to charities supporting issues impacting the Black community. Grab your copy here.

The Spencer Haywood Rule, a book about the life of the Hall of Famer by Marc J. Spears and Gary Washburn, is available for preorder now. Grab your copy here.

Photos via Getty.

The post How Spencer Haywood Changed the Game Forever appeared first on SLAM.

Dr. J. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. Isiah Thomas. Larry Johnson. And now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“It’s crazy that [Converse] kind of started the whole sneaker thing in the NBA back in the day,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says. “A few of the best players in the League at that time. Dr. J, Magic and Larry Bird.”

But that’s the past.

“The biggest lesson is that while legacy affords Converse legitimacy, we’ve got to create our own path to connect with the basketball community today,” Ron Johnson, Converse’s General Manager of Global Basketball, tells KICKS.

That means working with Gilgeous-Alexander, Kelly Oubre, Natasha Cloud and Draymond Green to reestablish Converse Hoops and the sneakers the brand releases. So far the All Star Pro BB, the G4 and the All Star BB Evo have dropped with the full support of those players. Johnson and his team are still learning about what makes each one of them different.

“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a pathfinder,” Johnson says. “We loved his story–growing up in Hamilton and making his way into the NBA to being one of its rising stars–he’s made it happen for himself through his vision.

“The always energizing, fashion-forward creative Kelly Oubre was the first to join the squad,” Johnson continues. “Kelly is as invested in creative culture as he is basketball. We knew he would be a strong advocate for Converse Hoops as we re-entered the space for the first time in nearly a decade.

“WNBA Champion and social activist Natasha Cloud, we had been following her before her WNBA championship run and worked with her during our Pro Leather campaign in 2019,” Johnson says. “Her love and passion for basketball is equaled by her bold personal vision and sense of purpose off the court. She is a true advocate for the underrepresented communities she stands with.

“NBA champion and avid investor Draymond Green is a proven competitor,” Johnson says. “He’s known for his do-it-all approach on-court that contributed significantly to the Golden State Warriors’ success over the years.”

All four of them will be heavily involved in the storytelling and sneaker creation processes. Johnson and his staff repeatedly emphasize the importance of giving them their own space to be inventive, whether that means working on colorways or on marketing campaigns.

“Obviously as a kid, you see a shoe but you don’t really realize everything that goes into making the shoe from the ground up,” SGA tells KICKS. “That’s probably the biggest thing I realized. It’s a whole process. It’s not just glue the sole to the upper and the upper to the sole, put the laces in.”

“We started this campaign a while back called ‘Converse All Stars,’” Brodrick Foster, Global Footwear Product Director at Converse, says. “That idea exemplifies why we don’t have signature athletes, because we feel everyone can be an All Star. That’s always just been our mantra and our game-changing mindset and why you’re going to start to see these exciting colors and materials and storytelling.”

“We believe that Converse Basketball’s distinction is in offering athletes the ability to showcase their individuality on the court and to support their creative vision off of it,” Johnson says. “That’s what sets us apart. We’re just truly getting started. Expect to see more from us as we color outside the lines and bring a new and fresh perspective to the game and the culture surrounding it.”

Kiss the past goodbye.

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GRAB YOUR COPY OF KICKS 23

Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photos via Converse and Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images.

The post 2020 Vision: The New Path For Converse Hoops appeared first on SLAM.

Just a little patience. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander moves with just a little bit more poise than everyone else does. He’s on his own time, on and off the court. He’s always been that way.

“That was the way I grew up and was raised,” Gilgeous-Alexander tells KICKS. “To be different and be yourself no matter what or who says anything about you. Just be yourself. That was something that was instilled in me very early. From my parents to the people I’ve been around, it’s always been about being yourself. Individuality, and influencing the world through that. The biggest thing is don’t be afraid to be yourself. Follow your heart. Just be who you are. And go about life that way.”

Gilgeous-Alexander is the latest ballplayer to sign with Converse Hoops. The Hamilton, Ontario, native and second-year pro decided to jump from the Swoosh to Converse and take the road less traveled. It could make all the difference.

He joins Kelly Oubre, the Phoenix Suns’ bucket-getter, Natasha Cloud, point guard for the reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics, and Draymond Green, three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, on the Converse Hoops roster.

“I just think where I’m at right now in my career, kind of wanting to get out there a little more, express myself a little bit more, on and off the court, the things they do with their brand, and the vision they have, it was perfect timing,” Gilgeous-Alexander says. “And I’m excited for it.”

Truthfully, there’s a lot to be excited about. Converse reintroduced themselves into the basketball market in April 2019 with the All Star Pro BB silhouette, and they have big plans for the future, pursuing ideas informed by their legendary past. The brand’s connection to the game goes back to 1917, when the All Star basketball shoe (canvas upper and thick rubber outsole) was first produced. The mid-’70s, ’80s and ’90s treated their basketball division very, very well. Julius Erving has been connected to Converse since he was the most entertaining player in the world. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas led a group of elite NBA guys who got the Weapon tons of national attention. And Larry Johnson’s Aero Jam silhouette set the stage for his extremely famous “Grandmama” commercials. The 2000s then saw a downturn in activity.

Oubre, Cloud, Green and, maybe most notably, Gilgeous-Alexander are being entrusted to bring Converse back to the top by being unique off the court and performing well on it.

Now that the NBA has returned, Gilgeous-Alexander will be lacing up the Converse All Star BB Evo. He’s part of a dynamic offensive attack for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that casts him as a catalyst for scoring. It’s only his second year in the League, and he’s only 22 years old, but he’s already become a problem for defenses. That same patience he moves with off the floor translates to his in-game style. Though he has plenty of rhythm to himself, his rhythm isn’t standard for the League. He’s somehow both faster and slower than people think, lulling them to sleep with rock-the-baby dribble combos that quickly turn into accelerated contact finishes at the rim. He’s got shifty head fakes that he relies on and a stepback jimmy for when people don’t bite. He craftily works angles to his favor, either by kissing a shot off the glass or uncovering a gap between multiple defenders. His ones are dictated at his speed. And it’s really all done with just a little patience.

“We’ve been talking about this kid for quite some time,” Brodrick Foster, Global Director of Footwear at Converse, says. “Personally, I know of him because he’s a Canadian kid. One of my really good friends who played for St. John’s back in the day, he came through his AAU, Gauchos. As a team, when thinking about who was next…we would just slide the note of his name and text every day. And then when Adrian Stelly, who’s our sports marketing rep, came down and told me we were gonna sign him, I was so happy. This kid is going to be a big deal later on.”

“Later on” might not be all that much later. SGA is averaging almost 20 points per game in just his second season. He’s shown up big in clutch moments for the Thunder, and he already has real playoff experience as a member of the Clippers squad that took the Warriors to six games last season. And he spends nearly every day of work with Chris Paul, soaking in lessons from this generation’s best floor general.

Foster is one of the leaders on the Evo silhouette, so not only has he spent lots of time crafting the sneaker, but he’s also spent time listening to what Gilgeous-Alexander’s looking for.

“Shai is an artist,” Foster says. “He colors up shoes and he’s texting us all the time, like, Hey, what do you guys think of this? What do you think of that?”

Gilgeous-Alexander really does spend a decent chunk of time with a pencil and paper.

“I sketch a little bit,” he says humbly. “As a kid in elementary school, you have art block or art period. I don’t know, I just always looked forward to that, was always excited for that part of school. And then I got away from it a little bit and then picked it back up a little bit more once I got to the League and had a lot more free time. Didn’t know what I was doing with my free time so I started drawing a little bit more and found my love again.

“A lot of it is clothing stuff,” he continues. “I’ll sketch out pants or hoodies or shirts. If I get an idea, I’ll put it in my notes and then I’ll try to go to the sketching board and sketch it, whether it be a symbol or meshing two symbols in one, and then try to put it on a hoodie in a cool way. Whatever it may be, but most of the time, it’s clothes or shoes.”

The mutual admiration for expression and creativity is what brought SGA and Converse together. Foster and his team have left the door wide open for any of the four players to communicate their ideas and feelings. Converse has spent decades dedicating real estate on sneakers in imaginative ways, both internally and externally with collaborators. They’ve released Chuck Taylors in all the standard primary colors; in collaborations with Jerry Lorenzo, Tyler, the Creator, Virgil Abloh and Millie Bobby Brown; and in dropped colorways with messages of support for the LGBTQ community.

Ron Johnson, Converse’s General Manager of Global Basketball, says that Gilgeous-Alexander, Cloud, Oubre and Green will have the chance to cook up anything they want to.

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“The democratic and expressive nature of the game is what brought us back,” Johnson tells KICKS. “It’s who we are as a brand. It’s the start of our story, and it’s what led us to have one of the most iconic shoes in the world. Every person has a different experience or entry point to the world of basketball. And the game extends well beyond the court—to the streets and culture where basketball is played, lived and consumed. That’s why it’s important to create space for our roster to be authentic to themselves. We would be doing a disservice to them to only think of them as professional basketball players. They’ve got bold ideas, strong personal vision and creative points of view. The world deserves to see their full story, and we’re happy to celebrate and amplify them as they create progress.”

The canvas that Gilgeous-Alexander will get to paint on is the Evo. It’s Converse Hoops’ third basketball silhouette, directly shaped by insight from players and by studying the All Star Pro BB.

The Evo’s foundation is a Nike React midsole, which then trails up to a 5/8s cut. A plushly padded collar transitions into an engineered mesh upper. And the lead colorway is split right down the middle.

“We got a lot of learnings from our BB Pro last year,” Foster says. “The lacings might be a little bit too long. The material’s a little too tight. So it was a lot of things that we learned throughout this process. There were really three things from the BB that we wanted to improve.

“One was the lockdown,” he continues. “Players don’t want to worry about coming out of their shoe when they’re running and cutting and jumping. Ankle support was another thing that came out of it. Some [players] really talked about how they had heel slippage. How do we perfect that? And last but not least, I’m gonna harp on this: LeagueFits All-Stars. Style. We’re going to be the lifestyle basketball brand that you see that is always going to have that look and authentic feel when it comes to our basketball sneakers.”

Foster and his team hit the Nike Sports Research Lab at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR, to figure it all out. Because the Swoosh owns Converse, they work in the same space, use the same tech and get to call on insight from the same designers. Eric Avar, who has worked on the Kobe Bryant and Penny Hardaway signature lines and the OG Nike Hyperdunk, among a multitude of other huge projects, had a big influence on Converse’s reentry into hoops and the BB.

It makes sense that Gilgeous-Alexander would feel comfortable in Converse’s new basketball models; he’s spent years playing in the Black Mamba’s Nike series. Avar was the mastermind who helped to develop Bean’s light and low-cut footwear, a similar road that Foster and Converse Hoops are traversing now. Foster knows that because of the groundwork that Avar and Bryant laid, both consumers and athletes tend to mess with low silhouettes. So the Evo isn’t a traditional mid or high.

Another insight borrowed from Nike can be seen in the cushioning. The Swoosh’s React foam is a proprietary material they made in 2018. They count it as their most durable, lightweight and responsive foam.

“When I go to look for a car, the first thing I look [for]—of course the exterior’s going to be the thing that draws me in—but I say pop that engine,” Foster says. “What does that engine look like? And for us, our engine works so well; and the feedback that we got from all consumers and athletes [was] that Nike React works so well, we kept the same engine. There was no need to change that. Of course, you’re going to see some things like ice bottoms and some color outsoles. The aesthetic is going to change, but the core of the engine and how it runs will be the same ride.”

Foster, as he mentions the look, says, “The last part is really around that functionality and style. That’s why you see the knit upper. It gives you a little bit more mobility. And then that style point is that 50-50 split. It gives you that yin and yang look. You can have bold blocking or you can have a little bit more settled down. These are the things that our athletes talked to us about. There’s times when you can just have something as simple as a black and red with the white but there might be something I want to be a little more bold, like an Oklahoma City where it’s blue, orange, a little bit of white. There’s also allowing for graphics that you may see later on.”

SGA has already shown off a few graphic treatments on the Pro BB, working out in a low with the OKC logo on it and playing in a mid with an image of fire on it. He won’t give any insights for what he has planned yet, saying that it’s still a secret. But he does offer that there will be layered storytelling between the court and the tunnel. (One time for @LeagueFits.)

“So whether it’s a fit through the tunnel or before the game, kind of having the same theme or colorway as the shoe on the court,” he says. “Expressing my love for fashion, whatever it may be, in the summertime and fashion shows. Just connecting the two and showing the world that passion for both.”

Everything else will come in time. Just move like Shai. Have a little patience.

—

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Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images.

The post THE ARTIST: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Covers KICKS 23 appeared first on SLAM.

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“I have no interest in going with Nike. I don’t even know what Nike is. No way I’m going.”

Those are the words that David Falk remembers Michael Jordan uttering to him when he approached MJ about hopping on a flight to Beaverton, OR, to meet with the sportswear brand to discuss an endorsement opportunity in the summer of 1984.    

Falk, a 33-year-old sports agent at the time who had served as a junior agent for the legendary tennis star Arthur Ashe and had also repped No. 1 draft picks like John Lucas, Mark Aguirre and James Worthy at the ProServ sports agency, had arranged the meeting.

“He didn’t know anything about Nike. He wanted to go with adidas. He had a friend named Gary Stokan, who had played at NC State and was [now] the local adidas rep in the southeast. He supplied Michael with adidas,” recalls Falk. “He couldn’t wear them in the games because they were a Converse school—Carolina. But he loved adidas.”

ProServ actually had a really good relationship with adidas. The sports agency had become known for representing some of the biggest stars in tennis who also happened to be adidas endorsees, including Ashe and Stan Smith (who has one of the most famous signature sneakers of all time with adidas). The agency’s relationship with the German company, though, went deeper than just representing athletes who had deals with the Three Stripes.

“Ironically, we had represented the owner of adidas—named after Adi Dassler, who is the founder of the company. His son Horst Dassler had run the company for 15 years. Probably the most powerful man in the world of sports, and we actually represented him. I didn’t, but there was a gentleman in our firm that represented him,” recalls Falk, who aside from the aforementioned names, has also represented Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Moses Malone and Dominique Wilkins, among many other NBA superstars. “They were just not in a position to execute a deal of that level—they told us that. The head of international marketing for adidas said to me, Hey, we really appreciate Michael’s interest. There is no way we could make this deal.”      

As a result, an official meeting between adidas and Jordan never ended up happening, says Falk.    

The agent had grown close with a few Nike executives over the years. At the time, adidas had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar while Converse had the likes of Dr. J, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Aguirre. Although Nike was relatively new to the sportswear business, Falk had a few of his clients sign with the Swoosh in the years leading up to Jordan, including Moses Malone and Phil Ford. Falk had specifically developed a good relationship with Rob Strasser, who was the head of marketing for Nike at the time.

“So, I told Nike, Look, I think [MJ] can put you on the map in basketball single-handedly. He’s really exciting. Nobody knew he’d be as good as he is. But we all knew he’d be a very exciting player,” says Falk. “I told them, If you want to sign him, I want him treated like a tennis player. I want his own line of shoes and clothes. And they were open to that.

“We wanted to treat him like a tennis player. Tennis players and golfers typically use their own line of products. That’s the way it works in golf. That went against the grain of what everybody was thinking in 1984 in the NBA. Everybody thought that was a bad idea. Rod Thorn, who was the GM of the Bulls, said to me, ‘David, we love Michael, but if you try to treat him like a tennis player, you’re going to separate him out from the rest of the players.’ I said, ‘Exactly, because he is different than the rest of the players!’”

And so, while Falk had been able to talk Nike into considering giving Jordan his own line as a rookie, his new client didn’t seem to have any interest in a cross-country flight to the West Coast to meet with the brand. Frustrated, Falk went to Jordan’s parents to explain the situation and eventually got a Don’t worry, he’ll be on the plane, from the them. Jordan, forcibly, boarded a plane to Oregon.

At the meeting, Falk recalls Nike having prepared a music video-type presentation, featuring songs like “Jump” by The Point Sisters and “Jump” by Van Halen. But that was only after Nike execs struggled to get the video to play for what seemed like forever.

“The problem was that Strasser, who was about 6-3 and 350 pounds, could not get the machine to start. So, he’s sitting there and he’s trying to get the machine to start and it won’t start. And Michael is sitting there watching, not very happy. And Strasser is sweating like you wouldn’t believe. Like in the movies. He was sweating like a river,” recalls Falk. “There was only one African-American executive from Nike that was supposed to come to the meeting—it was Howard White, who ultimately became Michael’s service representative and who I had known for years; he was the point guard at Maryland before John Lucas. Howard shows up, like, 40 minutes late, and the machine isn’t working. You could have not scripted a worse start for an important meeting.”  

“They finally got the video going. Michael never cracked a smile. Then we moved it to the boardroom and Strasser made a presentation about a line of shoes and clothes that would be Michael’s line. And he still didn’t crack a smile. And I know that when this is over, he’s going to curse me out for making him fly six hours to Oregon to sign with a company he didn’t want to be with.”

Falk and the Jordan family went to dinner afterward before their flight back to North Carolina. During casual conversation at the restaurant, Falk tried to get MJ to give his thoughts on the meeting. It was then when the super agent saw that the Tar Heel star had what it took to become the business mogul he has transitioned into today.

“He looks at me and goes, I don’t want to go anywhere else. This is it. I almost fainted. And I realized at that time, which was my first business meeting with Michael Jordan other than meeting to present our services, this man is really smart—for a 21-year-old young athlete, he kept all his emotions in check. He’s at the table playing a big stage game of poker, not letting on what he has. It blew me away. I was stunned.”

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Throughout the years that followed, Falk looked at his role as that of a teacher instead of an agent. He set out the mission of teaching MJ the business—teaching him how the game was played off the court. Not only was MJ receptive to the knowledge, he sought it out himself. Falk has countless stories of the times Jordan would come up to his office or hit his line inquiring about the strategy behind certain deals. And eventually Falk wasn’t the only one that MJ approached with those questions.  

“He soaked it all in. That experience of managing his own brand as long as he played from 1984 to 1999—he met tons of corporate executives at very high levels, including Warren Buffett. I think that was all part of his ongoing business education. He took it very seriously,” says Falk. “On the investment side, he would sit down with the people in our office who managed his money and they’d give him a book that was an inch thick. He had studied that book and he would ask questions. Like, The return on this is supposed to be eight percent [but] looks like it’s only seven percent? It blew me away how prepared he was. But he took it all seriously because he’s a very intelligent person. He was very involved.”

The next three marketing deals after the Nike partnership were Chevrolet, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. Although MJ was known for his ultra-assertiveness on the hardwood, in the boardroom his approach was a bit different, according to Falk. He was more of a poker player, showing no emotion. In many occasions, he didn’t really say much during meetings, says Falk. He’d listen. He was very analytical. He simply had a good sense of what he was looking for in partnerships.

Despite MJ’s status and Falk’s extensive network and relationships, landing marketing deals for NBA stars on a national scale back then wasn’t as prevalent and easy as it is today. There were still racial prejudices and stigmas that the League dealt with.  

“[Back then,] no one had a brand in basketball. No one had any endorsements in basketball, basically. Magic Johnson—who had played five years in the NBA and was the Rookie of the Year, the [Finals] MVP as a rookie and an NBA champion—the only deal he had outside of Spalding and Converse shoes was a one-year deal with 7UP. One year and then it went away. Dr. J didn’t have deals. Bird didn’t have deals. Jabbar didn’t. Nobody had national deals because at the time, the feeling on Madison Avenue was that the NBA had two big problems—one, it was too black, and two, they thought it was too drug-infested. They estimated that 75 percent of the players were taking some sort of illegal drug. So it was not the darling of Madison Avenue that it is today.”

Just as influential as Falk and Jordan became in opening doors for NBA players through unprecedented off-court marketing opportunities, they also made waves by implementing clauses (or opt outs) in basketball contracts. They chose not to partake in the union’s group licensing program—betting on themselves that they could garner much more money doing their own marketing deals. They also added a unique clause in MJ’s first professional contract that allowed him to participate in competitive pick-up games during the offseason—which at the time wasn’t permitted.  

“We did some very controversial things early in his career. We opted him out of the NBA Player Association group licensing program. Only two players in history have ever done that—Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing—and then they changed the rule. We changed the contracts—created the Jordan ‘Love of the Game’ clause—that a player didn’t have to get permission to play basketball [during the] offseason. How do you stay in shape if you’re not playing? He had his own line of shoes and clothes. Almost everything we did, people said, You can’t do that; what you’re trying to do, it will never work. That’s what they told us with the shoes. You’re going to create a line of shoes for a rookie? It will never work! That’s what they told us,” recalls Falk. “And the first year Jordan sold $126 million worth of product. It outsold every other shoe company in basketball—as a rookie.”

It was then when Falk realized that they had built something historic by choosing to go with Nike through the golf player approach that ultimately allowed MJ to have his own line as a rookie. That’s something that rings truer today than could have ever been imagined back then.  

“Jordan sells $3 billion worth of product a year. He sells more product that if you took every player in the League that has their own shoes, and you added up all the sales together and multiplied it by three, they don’t sell $3 billion,” says Falk. “If I could do it again, and I knew exactly what was going to happen, I would have signed him with Nike for a dollar a year and a 50-50 royalty [split]. But I wasn’t smart enough to know that we were going to sell—when Nike told me their projections for Jordan sales were $3 million, between three and four, and they sold $126 million the first year, you realize that the guarantee is irrelevant.”

—

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Franklyn Calle is a senior producer at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7.

Photos via Getty.

The post Exclusive Interview With Michael Jordan’s Longtime Agent David Falk appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas says Jordan has always been pleasant in his presence, and that he long ago left their fierce competition where it belonged: on the basketball court.

Zeke adds that MJ is the fourth greatest player he ever faced.

Per CBS Sports:

“I was definitely surprised,” he says. “Because we’ve been in each other’s presence before, and I’ve never gotten that type of reaction from him. We were even at dinner a couple times and he was always pleasant. Always good to my kids. Always good to my son. He even gave my son a pair of gym shoes.

“The competition that we all had on the floor, I truly just thought it was on the floor.”

For Thomas, Jordan’s greatness too often overshadows the ’80s own version of historically great basketball, and its historically great players.

“When you put Jordan and his basketball team in the ’80s, they weren’t a very successful team,” he says. “They just weren’t. When you talk about Jordan and his team dominating, they dominated the ’90s. But when you put him with those Lakers teams and those Pistons teams and those Celtics teams, they all beat him. They just did.

“What separated Jordan from all of us was he was the first one to three-peat. But he didn’t three-peat against Magic [Johnson], Larry Bird and [Julius Erving].”

Related Isiah Thomas: ‘I’ve Paid a Heavy Price’ for Not Shaking Bulls’ Hands

The post Isiah Thomas ‘Definitely Surprised’ Michael Jordan Called Him an A-Hole appeared first on SLAM.

To celebrate #TBT, SLAM will be posting an old, iconic cover story on the website every Thursday.

SLAM 32, featuring Allen Iverson, was published in March of 1999.

—

Shut up.

All of you who have been talking, writing, miming about Allen Iverson’s posse, his hair, his Benz, his jewelry, his clothes, his music. Stop for a minute—just a minute—and listen. (The previous sentence should have read “Stop for a minute—just a minute—and watch,” but since the NBA seems intent on killing itself, listening will have to do.) Listen to the one person who has any real stake in Allen Iverson’s life.

Listen: Anything that has anything negative to do with my name, negative people will bring it back up, and they’ll try to tear me down. But it’s going to be like that for the rest of my life, you know?

Allen Iverson says this from the back of a black stretch Lincoln, slowly rolling through New York City traffic, Primo-blessed All City flowing through the speakers. Draped in his signature Reebok fatigues and enough ice-dipped platinum to ensure Patrick Ewing’s family’s “survival” for countless generations, Allen Iverson sounds like a hypocrite. Just another young superstar with an attitude. Look at the 23-year-old with the jewels and the shady friends and the arms full of new tattoos, worrying about getting torn down. Isn’t he doing that himself?

Listen: I dress the way I want to dress, I look the way I want to look— people don’t understand. “He wanna wear the cornrows, and all that, it’s supposed to be some thug image.” It’s not that. It’s I’m tired of being on the road—I go out and I have a game and I wanna get my hair cut, the barber pushes my hairline all the way to the back of my head. I’m tired of that, so I get my hair braided and I can wear my hair like this for two weeks and play two, three games. I’ll never cut my hair again. My son, I’ll never cut his hair. He’s gonna wear cornrows—is he a thug? You know it’s not about that. I guess I am hip-hop, but I’d rather be like that right now. When I get to 30 or maybe—well, I’m 23, and maybe when I get to 24 I’ll want to change.

Explanations can be awfully simple when you let them come out. Allen Iverson isn’t trying to be a gangster—he just never had the chance to be a kid. He grew up poor, spent his 18th birthday in prison on trumped-up charges that were later dismissed. After that, two years under John Thompson’s lock-and-key at Georgetown, then, at the ripe old age of 21, introduced to Philadelphia as the Savior. Black Jesus, Part II. When your name’s been in the headlines since high school, your life is no longer your own.

Listen: You know, people just make mistakes; everybody makes mistakes. The people that write them negative articles, they make mistakes—if not every day, every other day. The same person that’s bashing you on TV, whether it’s a commentator or reporter, that same person has made mistakes in his life but was never in the spotlight, so people didn’t hear about it, you know what I’m saying?

Allen Iverson spends a lot of time defending his life. Too much time. People forget what it’s like to be 23—and will never understand what it’s like to grow up the child of a 15-year-old mother in a crowded house with raw sewage on the floor, and then be given a ticket out. Not only a ticket out, but the ticket—virtually unlimited riches, millions of adoring fans. Success came quickly. Iverson scored 30 points in his first game on 15-19 from the floor; last year’s stats (22 ppg, 6.7 apg and 3.7 apg) were All-Star numbers on any other team. But for every person who wants to see him succeed, there are two hoping he’ll fail. Charles Barkley, who in his illustrious career has spit on a little girl and thrown a grown man through a plate-glass window, called him “playground Rookie of the Year.” Yet through all of this, AI’s remained the same—true to himself, true to those who’ve stayed true to him. Doesn’t this mean something?

Listen: I’m confident, not cocky.

Over the course of four hours, Allen Iverson repeats this phrase many times in many forms, as something of a mantra. It is unclear who he is trying to convince, me or him. The truth is this—whatever it is he’s got, Allen Iverson has earned the right to it. After all, who else has gone from prison to NBA Rookie of the Year? Who else, once touted as the best football prospect in the land, has emerged instead as one of the best basketball players on the planet? Who else has a crossover that broke off Michael Jordan, not once but twice?

Listen: If I played the two-guard position, I know for a fact—and I put that on everything I love—I would lead the League in scoring every single year. But the picture’s bigger than that. I’m a point guard and I want to be the point guard. I want to learn the point guard position, and that’s more important to me than having the scoring title and all that. I want to be a point guard, and that’s that. You know, I want to score and get assists and and steals rebounds and blocks—I want to do every single thing there is to do on the basketball court.

Confidence—or cockiness? Know where this is coming from: ever since AI was a shorty, his dream was to play in the NFL or the NBA. Everyone told him it was a one-in-a-million, a one-in-a-billion chance. “I always told them, ‘Not me, man. I’m different,’” Iverson says. “I always used to feel like that. I’m not sayin’ it to be big-headed or anything, but I had that much confidence in myself.” He still does. He’s earned it.

Listen: I want to be a Sixer for the rest of my career. I don’t want to play for no other team. I don’t think that’s fair to kids and fans, man, to see a guy be here and then jumpin’ around to different teams. I just don’t.

The cover is no joke. Even though he did roll in seven-plus hours late to the photo shoot, AI’s got a lotta love for Philly—a lotta love for the game. The Sixers went 31-51 last season, and A.I. wants to stay? What kind of modern-day power move is that? We won’t go so far to call him a throwback—Nate Archibald 2000, The Funk Doctor—but he’s got roots. Followed Jordan as a kid. Magic. Bird. Because underneath all the perceptions, all the lies, damn lies and headlines, Allen Iverson is a basketball player. This interview probably won’t change your view of AI—as a matter of fact, it will probably just reinforce whatever way you’re leaning. But still, do yourself a favor. Do Allen one. Listen.

SLAM: What’s your definition of a true point guard?

Allen Iverson: Someone that just understands the game, knows how to get people involved with the game. Knows when to go and when not to go. The leader on the court, the vocal leader, the leader by example. The guy who plays every game like it’s his last.

SLAM: Do you want to meet the definition or redefine the position?

AI: No, I want…I trust my coach to teach me how to be a true point guard, whatever that definition is, the real definition. Not out of my eyes, but John Stockton’s eyes and Magic Johnson’s eyes. You know, guys like that. I think my coach will teach me how to be a true point guard, the best I can be at that position. I might never be a John Stockton or a Magic Johnson, [but] I want to know the point guard from John Stockton’s perspective. I think I have more physical talents then John Stockton, but I think he knows it mentally better then me, so I’m leaving it up to my coach to teach me how to be a true point guard from his perspective and with my ability.

SLAM: I know Coach Brown has a rap for being kind of tough on point guards. Is he?

AI: Yeah he is, he is. I mean it was tough in the beginning with my coach, because I didn’t understand him and he didn’t understand me, but eventually just playing together and learning from him and him learning how I feel about different things, we got tighter. That’s what makes me look forward to this season even more, because me just putting my pride aside and listening to how he wanted me to play and run the team—it worked out. I became a better player by listening to what Larry Brown had to offer.

SLAM: Has part of it been you changing after being in the League for two years?

AI: I haven’t changed. I think my game has changed, because I have learned…you know, my first year at Georgetown, I was just reckless, because I was trying to make a name for myself. I was trying to show myself and everybody else that I could be successful on the college level and that I was a good basketball player, and I went through the same thing as a pro. I was young and I didn’t know the game and I still don’t know it like I want to know it. But I haven’t changed, I’m just learning. I guess I have changed but I’m learning—it’s not because I want to change my image; I want to change my style of play.

SLAM: At Georgetown you were the Big East’s defensive player of the year both years. People don’t really talk about that since you’ve been in the pros. Have you been paying more attention to offense?

AI: Well, they might not notice—I was fifth in steals, but people just talk about my offense. I’m not a great defensive player; I know I have to get better—and Coach Brown lets me know that every chance he gets. I gamble too much, ’cause I’m always trying to get a steal. In this league, if you go for a steal and you don’t get it, nine times out of 10 you get hurt for it, they exploit that. I’m always trying to make something happen on both ends of the court, and you hurt the team gambling a lot on defense, because once you miss a steal, the defense is on their heels.

SLAM: Do you think you can become a great defensive player?

AI: I think so. I think all that is mental. That’s like offense. Once you start believing you can become a great offensive player and you feel that way, then your body and your mind are going to respond. So, that’s that same thing with defense. There’s a lot of people that just concentrate on trying to be a great offensive player when you’re supposed to be concentrating on being a great defensive player, too.

SLAM: It seems the offense wasn’t that big a switch, though. You scored 30 your first game in the League.

AI: Offense just—I mean, whether it is good or bad, offense is just the most exciting part of any game—football, baseball, basketball. Defense, you know, you have to be really talented to be a great defensive player, because there are so many great offensive players. And to be a great defensive player, that’s special because you stopping a great offensive player. That’s like a linebacker—if you a great linebacker, that’s serious, man, to able to get to Barry Sanders every time you want to. That’s crazy, that’s talent.

SLAM: Can anybody stop you one-on-one?

AI: No, I don’t think so. And I really believe this in my heart. I respect Derek Harper, because I think he is the greatest defensive player I ever played against and I ever watched, but I don’t think he can stop me. I don’t think nobody in the League can stop me—and I know that there’s a lot of guys in the League that feel the same way I feel, so I don’t think that’s no big-headed or conceited comment. I don’t really think nobody can stop me. Maybe in college, when they ran box and ones on me, but in the NBA, where it’s just man to man? No one can stop me. A team may be able to do something with me, but no one man can stop me from doing whatever I want to do on the basketball court.

SLAM: Do you think you deserve $100 million?

AI: Do I deserve it? Yeah, I think I deserve it. I don’t know if that’s what I’ll ask for, but I think I deserve it. I think I deserve more, you know, that’s just who I am. I feel everybody deserves whatever they want, really. Whatever the franchise feels they need or want to give you, they should give it to you, you know? And that’s real. They got enough money to give people whatever, you know what I’m saying?

I think the crazy thing about this lockout [is] when you look at guys like Kevin Garnett’s salary, pshhhh, Kevin Garnett—I think—should have gotten more than what he got. And they’re able to pay him that, you know. All that money the [owners] got and they’re getting off of us, it shouldn’t be no problem—nobody’s salary. They pay Kevin Garnett what they know they can pay him. They give him this money, and everybody’s beefing, when number one he deserved it and number two they felt like he deserved it. And they felt like they had to give it to him, so what’s wrong with that? I don’t see anything wrong with that.

SLAM: Who did you start out watching when you first followed basketball?

AI: Zeke. Michael [Jordan], of course, but Zeke was always my man. I loved Isiah.

SLAM: Did you like the Pistons?

AI: Nah, I was always a Bulls fan, ever since Michael got there. I remember one time the Knicks beat ’em, and I damn near cried—I had tears in my eyes.

I was a Bulls fanatic. Because I love Mike, I love Pippen, I love Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong and Paxson, Luc Longley, Cartwright and I just loved the Bulls, and now that I play them I hate them. Because I remember Scottie Pippen when the Knicks used to beat him all up—and then now, for them to talk shit to me on the court while I’m playing? I still love Pip today and Mike and Dennis Rodman, ’cause they great basketball players. Then to hear the way they talk shit on the court, I’m like, “Dog, I remember when you didn’t say shit on the court, you know you was so humble and you wouldn’t say nothing on the court and now even you talk shit?”

SLAM: When did you start playing basketball?

AI: I think I was like nine or 10 years old. I always thought basketball was soft. Now I come to find out I was outta my mind, playing against Shaq and Barkley and Kevin Willis. Charles Oakley. Serious. I never wanted to play it, when my mom bought me some Jordans—I came home from school, she was like, “You going to basketball practice today,” and I was like, “I ain’t playing no basketball, it’s soft. I don’t want to play no basketball, I don’t like basketball.” I’m crying all the way out the door, she pushing me out the door. I got out there and seen kids that was on my football team and, um, I just enjoyed it. I came home and I thanked my moms, and I’ve been playing basketball ever since.

SLAM: What was your home court growing up?

AI: Newport News [VA]—Anderson Park, that’s where like it first started. And then Hampton [VA]—Aberdine Elementary School, ’cause that’s where I watched my uncles and my uncles’ friends, the people I thought that were sooo nice, so cold on the court. I watched them, and I had to play right after school—in the 8th grade or 7th grade—when it was blazing hot, like 105 or something like that. Then they came at five, six o’clock when the sun is going down, and they ran. I could never play with them, ’cause they would never let me. I guess they thought I wasn’t good enough, I was too young. And then, ninth or tenth grade, they want to pick me first—“Yo, I got AI.” It was just a great feeling, man, because that’s where I always wanted to play. [Before] they hollering at me to get off the court and they screaming at me because I was trying to play while they were playing. And then to go back and be able to play against them and kill them.

SLAM: Is there any one who you really learned the game from?

AI: Coach [John] Thompson. He the one that really taught me how to play basketball. I still don’t know it like I want to know it, but he gave me a clear picture of how to play it.

SLAM: Are you up on your NBA history? I know your rookie year was the NBA at 50, so you were at All-Star Weekend with all those guys…

AI: That was crazy, playing the rookie game and looking in the stands and seeing Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain—I was like, oh my god. Doc—Doc! It just felt crazy. I was like, I’m gonna show in front of these cats tonight. It ain’t gotta be scoring, it could be everything else, but I just want to perform for those guys. I was so hype, it was showtime and it was fun. It’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Red Auerbach—my coach—during the [rookie] game at halftime, he was like, “I don’t know what you out here doing, Allen. People came here to see you score; you ain’t have to prove no point. I understand you out here passing—and I respect that—but put the ball in the hole, too. Everybody want to see the whole game.” ’Cause I wasn’t trying to take over the whole spotlight and shine and score 30 points and all that, I was just dishing crazy, and he was like, “This half I want to see you score.” I was like, “A’ight,” and that’s what I did. In the second half, I started scoring.

SLAM: So he was actually coaching out there?

AI: Coaching. Really coaching. He was talking to me during the game, and at one point I just blacked out, I couldn’t believe he was coaching me—it felt so good man. I wanted to, right there, scream up in the stands—“Mom, did you see him talking to me? Did you see him coaching me?” I mean, he was one of the greatest coaches ever, and just for him to say something out of his mouth to me was enough. Even if it was not coaching me, even if he was just speaking to me, it would have made me feel good, but he was coaching me. I felt like crying, because I felt like I really did something in my life for me to be on the sidelines with him coaching.

SLAM: Talk to me about Doc a little bit.

AI: Doc was Mike in his time. Everybody was like—there will never be another Dr. J, da da da. That’s how crazy this thing is. Nobody ever thought there would ever be anyone better then Doc or like Doc. Or Magic, and then come Mike. It’s crazy, Doc started all that. Mike did some shit that Doc never did and vice versa, but Mike took it to a completely different level.

SLAM: What was it like playing against him for the first time? How different was it from just seeing him play?

AI: It was just wild. I can’t even remember the feeling. Just me being on his court, playing against world champions and the greatest basketball player in the world. I wasn’t out there crazy in awe or anything like that—’cause that’s just not me. I’m in the same profession you are and I respect you and what you did for your family and team, but once we get on the dance floor, I’m in a whole ’nother mode. I might feel different if I meet you before the game in the hallway, but once we get on the dance floor, I’m a do my thing and I’m not going to be in awe of nobody. But it was a crazy feeling just playing against him.

Really the only guy that flipped me out when I was on the same court with him was Sprewell. ’Cause if I could be any other basketball player, I would be Sprewell. What he did was foul, everybody know that, and I would never do no shit like that. I mean, I guess he just flipped out and snapped and he’s going to learn a lot from it and he’s a good dude, ’cause I know him as a person. But as far as talent, if I could be any other player, I wouldn’t be Michael Jordan, man. I wouldn’t take Michael Jordan’s game, I would take Latrell Sprewell’s game. I love the way he play. I love the way he play and he hard, hard on the court. You know, he might talk shit to you, he might not. He might give you 30 or 40 with a regular look on his face, like, “Whatever. This is what I do. That’s the way I play. I don’t gotta talk shit, ’cause I do this. I do this nightly. I don’t have to talk no shit to you to prove nothin’ to you.” But Spree, man. Spree’s something else.

SLAM: What is it? What is it about his game?

AI: Energy. He can play the whole damn game. He got pride with his game, you know, And he just hard. When I look at him I see myself, ’cause he don’t care who you are, he just go at you. He go right at your chest, crazy, hard. He can shoot, he can run, he can dribble, he can jump. He’s smart, he know the game.

If not Sprewell, if I had a choice, it would be Shaq. I don’t think nobody could beat my team 10 to 15 times if Shaq was on my team. Never. I mean, that guy has talent that’s just unbelievable. He’s unbelievable. If I played with him, I don’t think nobody could beat me. I don’t know if you beat me in a series, but you won’t sweep me. That’s why I look at [the Lakers] and I’m like—Utah was a great team, Karl Malone, John Stockton did great, but you got Shaq on your team. How can you live with yourself knowing you got swept and you got Shaq on your team? Shhhh…

SLAM: If Mike steps and the Bulls are no more, who’s the next squad?

AI: Who do I think? Really, in my heart? Philly. I’m not gonna say nobody else, ’cause I don’t believe that. I just believe it’s my time. I believe it’s our time. Philly was always one of the great teams. I think it’s time for that to come back.

SLAM: How bad do you want that?

AI: More than anything in the world. [Pause.] Anything. I think that’s the only thing that gonna separate me from a great player. Great players win, man. I’m not a great player. I’m nowhere near a great player now, ‘cause I don’t know the game mentally like I should. But I’m learning, believe me—I know so much more then I knew when I was a rookie, and great players win. You can be a great player, [but] if you lose, you lose. You can have the greatest stats ever, but if you lose, you lose. Ain’t nothing better than winning. When I win, then I get the respect I deserve. Until then, I’m just another basketball player. The average player, you know.

SLAM: What do you want your NBA legacy to be?

AI: Titles. I gotta have titles. Hopefully I can play, like, Robert Parish years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar years. Hopefully. I don’t wanna go until I get some titles. And not just one. I want titles. Plural.

SLAM: Add some gold to that platinum?

AI: No doubt. Add some gold. I need it, man. I’m hungry—I’m starvin’—I’m starvin’ for success. That’s what I want now. I love lookin’ at my mom and sayin’, “You made somethin’. You made somethin’ outta me.” I love that. So I’m starvin’ for success. I mean, I wanna be good. I want to be somebody.

SLAM: How important is the individual stuff—MVP, scoring title, that sort of thing? You wanna be remembered as the best player in the game? The best point guard?

AI: I wanna be remembered as the best player in the NBA. I want to be the best, the very best. And with the company I’m keeping right now? With the guys I’m playing with? Boy. That’s a huge statement. With the talent that we got right now in this league, with the Shaqs and Grant Hills and Latrell Sprewells and Gary Paytons and Tim Hardaways and Penny Hardaways. [Pause.] That’s a big statement, but I’m willing to try and back it up. I want to be the greatest basketball player. With Michael Jordan, that’s some big words, but that’s the challenge of my life. Maybe people won’t consider me to be the best, maybe some will. Who knows? I mean, the sky’s the limit.

—

Russ Bengtson is a freelance writer and the former Editor-in-Chief at SLAM. He tweets @RussBengtson.

Photos via Getty.

The post SOUL ON ICE: The Allen Iverson Cover Story From SLAM 32 appeared first on SLAM.

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LIVE FROM MADISON STREET: Zach LaVine Talks Playing in Chicago

—

Freezing.

That’s the best way to describe Chicago in February, most years. We’re talking that long-underwear-wearing, seeing-your-breath, can’t-hardly-go-outside type cold that you feel in your bones. But in February of 1988, the last time NBA All-Star Weekend came to the Windy City, there was no hotter ticket.

The main event was Saturday night’s Dunk Contest: Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins. Jordan and Wilkins had squared off in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest when MJ was just a rookie, with Nique taking home the hardware. But injuries starved fans of the much-awaited rematch for three years. Spud Webb won in ’86 with MJ sitting out, and Wilkins didn’t participate when Jordan won it in ’87. The drama built and built, as finally the high-flying duo would face off in Chicago. Mind you, these weren’t just the two best dunkers in the NBA at the time, but also the League’s top two leading scorers that season.

Of course, in 1988, there was no texting, no Instagram highlight pages to see NBA highlights instantly (horrifying, right?). For the players, short of checking the box scores in the newspaper every morning, All-Star Weekend was the only real time during a season to check in with your friends from around the League. That made it equal parts competitive basketball and fun-as-hell bonding session. Which is why, starting in Denver at the 1984 All-Star festivities, future Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson rallied the other perennial participants in the game to sit courtside during the Saturday night events, just to kick it and support their (freakishly athletic) peers.

“It’s funny, when we talk about the framers of the Constitution, in terms of Ben Franklin, John Adams, so forth and so on,” says Thomas, reflecting on the evolution of that tradition, “I look at what we did in the sport of basketball, particularly around the All-Star Game—Magic and I were kind of framers of that weekend, in terms of how people participate, look at it and play in the game.”

Best believe Zeke, Magic and the rest of the All-Stars were on the hardwood for the Dunk Contest in ’88. NBA Senior Photographer Nat Butler also had a courtside seat that night, from which he captured iconic flicks of MJ soaring toward the hoop, tongue hanging out, rocking the Air Jordan IIIs. “Anytime MJ did anything in that building, the old Chicago Stadium was just so loud and noisy,” Butler recalls. “And that night it was fans—it was not All-Star corporate suits and stuff. It was Chicago Bulls fans. Basketball fans.”

The atmosphere was set. Everyone was in position. And then the show began. Nique and MJ made quick work of the rest of the field to advance to the finals. Wilkins then promptly earned back-to-back perfect 50s for a tomahawk slam off the backboard and a ridiculous windmill from the baseline. It was like Nique really hated the rim and was giving that thing a beating with every monster slam. Mike’s first two dunks in the finals were equally jaw-dropping—a 50 for a double-pump between his legs from the left side, and a 47 for an air-walking jam from the right side that really made it look like he could fly.

“Had we not had the benefit of replay to watch it over, your eyes couldn’t catch in real time what they really had done in the air,” says Thomas, thinking back to the epic dunk display. “Your eye really couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.”

When Wilkins got a 45 for his third and final dunk, MJ suddenly had an opening to win it. But he’d need something special, something to cement his victory that night and his place in history as a two-time dunk champion, plus bragging rights over Nique. “I found the guy who started it all. Dr. J was sitting over there,” Jordan would say afterward. “He was looking at me and he pointed, like, Go back and do the free-throw line.”

Jordan actually missed his first attempt. But on the second try, he gave himself a running start the length of the entire 94 feet of the court, took off from the foul line, cocked the ball back midway through the air, and dunked it FTW. The Chicago crowd went apeshit.

“Michael was always very wise to the importance of certain moments,” as Butler puts it.

The enduring legacy of the greatest Slam Dunk Contest in history makes it easy to forget that another all-time NBA great delivered a signature ASW moment of his own on the same floor about an hour earlier. In fact, Butler remembers Larry Bird’s 3-Point Shootout performance as the more electric event that night.

“Obviously most people think of Jordan winning the Dunk Contest, and I’m a huge MJ guy, but for me, Bird winning the 3-Point Contest was crazy exciting,” he says. “Bird was talking shit like he always does beforehand, and the simple fact he never took off his warm-up jacket was so cool to me. And then walking off with the Joe Namath finger in the air, not saying a word, just the finger in the air. To me, that was such a Larry Bird moment.”

You see, Bird had won the 3-Point Contest—or the Long Distance Shootout, as it was still referred to in those days—in 1986 and 1987, the first two years the NBA ever held the competition. He owned this event. “Larry walks in and says, ‘I hope all you guys in here are thinking about second place, because I’m winning this,’” Lakers guard Michael Cooper famously told ESPN.

When All-Star arrived in Chicago, Bird defeated a field that included Danny Ainge, Dale Ellis, Craig Hodges, Mark Price, Detlef Schrempf and Byron Scott without even taking his warm-up off. No, really—dude did the whole contest with his shooting shirt on, like it was light work. (It was.)

He drained the last three shots from his last rack in the finals against Ellis, and on the last shot, he was already walking away holding one finger in the air, not even looking at the hoop anymore, when it splashed through the net. Cash.

“He didn’t take off his top yet. I’d hate to see when he takes off his top,” Jordan told the cameras watching backstage. With a third straight victory in dramatic fashion, it meant there was—at that time in history—still no one to ever win the 3-Point Contest whose name wasn’t Larry Bird.

“It’s a little bit harder than it looks,” Bird told the late Craig Sager on the TV broadcast afterward. No one believed him.

Sunday’s All-Star Game was icing on the cake. Jordan scored 40 points, including 16 in the final six minutes, to lead the East to a 138-133 victory. The West didn’t even get to within 8 until a couple cheap buckets in what was a meaningless final minute. But the way Jordan’s East teammate Doc Rivers remembers it, Mike was pissed it was even that close.

“The thing I remember the most about [Jordan] is the halftime speech at the All-Star Game,” Rivers, a Chicago native, told the Chicago Tribune in 2013. “Barkley was laughing; a couple of guys were joking around. He basically informed us that we were going to win the game. And whoever didn’t feel that way shouldn’t play in the second half.”

Thomas, always the competitor, finished with 15 assists—8 of them to Jordan. On the other side, Johnson had 19 dimes for the West squad. “Magic and I always took it upon ourselves to make sure that we had the hometown crowd involved,” says Thomas, who himself grew up on the West Side of Chicago before leading the Detroit Pistons to a pair of NBA titles. “If you look at any of the All-Star Games, we always tried to make sure the hometown person, whoever he was, we always tried to make sure that those players shined. It was very easy to play to Jordan, because he was the best player and he was the crowd favorite.”

Michael added 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 blocks and 3 assists in just under 30 minutes of court time, earning unanimous MVP honors in his home arena. “In a league of stars, in a game of stars, you were the star of stars,” the late David Stern told MJ during the post-game trophy presentation.

It capped off an All-Star Weekend consisting of the greatest Slam Dunk Contest ever, an iconic 3-Point Contest, and a Sunday game that featured the greatest to ever do it dropping 40 to win MVP.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 226

Abe Schwadron is a social editor at FanDuel and former Senior Editor at SLAM.

Photos via Getty.

The post ALL OF THE LIGHTS: Remembering 1988 All-Star Weekend in Chicago appeared first on SLAM.

“Nobody was really talking about us, you know?”

Kemba Walker is seated in the Optum Lounge of the Auerbach Center, where the Boston Celtics practice, thinking back on this summer. When he was in China for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, along with Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the four of them discussed the doubt placed on their team at home.

“Granted, they lost a few guys who made this team go,” Walker continues, “but I still felt like we would be pretty good just because of the talent that I knew we had and how much the young guys wanted it. Guys like Smart, JB and JT, I could tell how much they wanted to become better players and how disappointed they were about last year. Those kinds of things played a part in how I felt like we were going to be this season.” 

Of course, last season informed a lot of the early projections. The Cs were favorites to come out of the East in ’18-19 but did not live up to expectations, finishing as the No. 4 seed and getting bounced in the second round of the playoffs. That fact, combined with key losses in free agency, bred skepticism. But skepticism is OK. In many ways, it’s welcomed. 

There’s less pressure in being the underdog. And once the wounds of a disheartening year began to heal, those remaining could find the positives in it. Sometimes, there have to be lows to be highs. The group had to learn from their mistakes. They used failure and doubt as further motivation, and they set out to prove everyone wrong. 

“We were just talking about what we wanted to do this season, how we wanted to come out and really shut people up,” Smart recalls of those conversations in China. “We just knew everybody was going to doubt us. So for us, it was just coming out and being able to show what we were capable of.”

—

“I’ve got sunshine…”

“…on a cloudy day” 

Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have spontaneously broken into a duet of The Temptations’ “My Girl.” They harmonize and trade lines, singing into the shotgun microphone set up for our video shoot. It’s so seamless that it sounds rehearsed.  

“When it’s cold outside…”

“…I’ve got the month of May” 

Spirits are high at the newly constructed Auerbach Center. It’s early January and the team has entered a new decade near the top of the Eastern Conference. As of this writing, they are 31-15 and 18-5 at TD Garden. 

There’s a laidback, relaxed vibe to the shoot. Guys arrive one by one, led by the veteran Gordon Hayward, rocking their green and gold City Edition jerseys. They joke with each other and gang up on one of the equipment managers, who walks on set in a full uniform. 

“That’s how you know you don’t hoop, because nobody wears their socks to their calves like that,” Smart says. 

“You got to stop skipping leg day, Andy,” Brown chimes in. 

“He’s skipping every day.”

The returning players will freely admit, there was, at times, an absence of joy in the locker room last season. It was due in part to a reluctance to open up about personal issues outside of basketball. No one wanted to share, and the chemistry and happiness of the whole team suffered because of it. Bottling their problems didn’t work, so they’ve taken the opposite approach this year.

“We’re happy [now]. Everybody’s actually talking to one another,” Smart says. “Last year, we didn’t really talk to each other as much as we do now for whatever reason. Everybody was dealing with their own things personally, so it was kind of hard to sit down with one another and really listen because you were dealing with your own things and you were trying to figure out things for yourself.”

Marcus was coping with the death of his mother. Gordon was fighting back from his gruesome ankle injury. Jayson wasn’t making the jump he anticipated for himself and dealt with outside scrutiny. Coming off an impressive 2018 postseason run, Jaylen had to take a step back and battled anxiety and self-doubt. 

“It’s kind of hard to listen to somebody else’s problems when you have your own,” Smart continues. “This year, everything we have—internally and externally—it’s out in the open. We’re always around each other, laughing and smiling. Just trying to really enjoy being around each other.”

By his own admission, Marcus is the team comedian. 

“He’s just nonstop, he always got jokes” Tatum describes. “Or often—I ain’t gonna say nonstop. It’s just often.”

“I bring joy to the locker room, that’s what he wanted to say,” Smart responds. 

“That ain’t what I wanted to say.”

“Is it my turn?” Brown asks. He seems eager to share his opinion about Marcus. “No comment. I plead the fifth.”

Smart will fire back, naturally. He pokes fun at Jayson’s beard (“He finally got it to connect!”) and Jaylen’s aloofness (“You be in the sunken place”). He confidently assures everyone that he’ll win a shooting contest. The others lightheartedly accuse him of messing up the backdrop for our photos—it’s suddenly crumpled and folding—and he objects. 

“We’re a fun group,” Walker says. “I don’t think a lot of people understand how much fun we have with each other. We love being around each other, love playing basketball with each other, love helping each other get better.

“One through 15, we all get along. It’s just a really fun environment to be a part of. Nobody wants to come into work and it not be good vibes, but that’s not the case here. We have really high character guys. Everybody has one goal, everybody wants to win, everybody wants to become better players. It just makes things easier.”

The core of that group, featured on the cover above, has meshed easily. It’s a combination of veterans and youth, of reserved personalities and, in Marcus’ words, more “off the wall” ones. They complement and balance each other out.

On the floor, they are versatile and dynamic, capable of playing multiple positions and filling various roles. 

“It makes us really tough to guard,” says Hayward. “I think it’s a team that can make adjustments and morph in a game. That makes us pretty special.”

“I think we’re all interchangeable so it’s kind of hard for teams to game plan because you never know what position somebody might be in,” Brown explains. “They might be bringing the ball up, they might be in the corner, they might be coming off the action. It makes it a little bit harder to defend when everybody’s interchangeable.” 

All five of them have the ability to take over a game—some by scoring, some by playmaking, some by defending. There’s no strategy as to who will be “the guy” on a particular night—they just react to who gets the hot hand. When Jayson has it going, for example, they feed him the ball and slide into different roles. They can shape shift in ways most other rosters can’t. With Jayson or whoever shouldering the load offensively, the rest of the squad has more energy to invest on the opposite end. Boston currently has the No. 3 defense in the NBA. 

“It takes a lot of pressure off me, not having to do too much [offensively,]” says Walker, who carried much of the weight during his tenure in Charlotte. “I definitely think it allows me to tap into different parts of my game.”

Kemba, a three-time All-Star, is averaging 22.3 points and 5.0 assists. Normally soft-spoken, he perks up when asked to talk about his new teammates.

“Marcus, he’s the heart and soul of our team. He’s just the ultimate competitor. Always gets us going, always gets our energy going. We definitely feed off of him tremendously.”

“Gordon has that veteran leadership and to me, he’s the X factor for us. As Gordon goes, it just makes our team that much better. He’s definitely a very special talent and I’m just happy to see him back to his comfort zone. I know it’s been a rough couple of years for him and I’m just happy that he’s back to his old self.”

“JT, the ability that he has for his age [21] is just scary. As he gets older and matures, he’s just going to continue to get better because he works so hard and he wants to be great. That’s something that you can’t take away from him. He wants it. That’s one of the special attributes about him—how much he really does want to be a special player in this League and he definitely will. He’ll be a top-five player in this League one day, for sure.” 

“Jaylen, he’s a guy who’s worked extremely hard at his game. And this season, you can see how much it’s paying off. He can do it all. He can score, he can pass, he can rebound, he can shoot. He’s fearless. He’s a competitor. And he still has so much room for improvement. He’s going to be a special talent, which he already is to me.”

JT and Jaylen are prime examples of the turnaround for this franchise. They’re making the leaps that many predicted, only a bit delayed. Tatum is posting career-highs in points (21.5) and rebounds (6.9). The same goes for Brown (20.1 points, 6.6 rebounds), who’s also shooting 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from three. They’ve been spreading the floor and understanding when, where and how to pick their spots.  And, as Smart adds, “JT finally grew out the rest of his beard, so that was good for us.” 

Both have benefitted from their previous struggles. They learned a lot through the difficult times and have relished the absence of pressure this go-around. 

“I think just hooping has been a key for us, instead of thinking about so much of the stuff that we had to think about last year,” Brown says. “Just play basketball and let the cards fall where they may. This year has been totally different, but I think we all needed last year. I think everybody right here [he gestures to Smart, Tatum and Hayward] has gotten better through the experiences of last year.” 

“We understand how last year went,” Tatum says. “Obviously not trying to have a repeat of that. I think this year focusing more on ourselves and the guys in the locker room and not paying attention to the media and kind of enjoying being the underdog, whereas last year we were expected to win a championship.”

The strong bond between the two young cornerstones has continued to grow as well, even if it’s veiled in sarcasm. 

Jaylen: “I ain’t even like this dude.” 

Jayson: “I’m sick of him.”

Jaylen: “Nah, JT cool.”

Jayson: “I know I’m cool.” 

Jaylen: “He’s aight, you know what I mean? I think we got a few similarities but we got a lot of differences at the same time. But it kind of, like, works. I don’t disrespect him for none of the stuff that he’s into—whatever that may be.”

Jayson: “What am I into? [laughs]” 

Walker is the new piece to this puzzle, but also perhaps the biggest one. He’s fit in perfectly thus far. Like several of his teammates, he identifies as an underdog, someone perpetually slept on. He sees a lot of himself in Marcus, Gordon, Jayson and Jaylen. Suffice it to say, the marriage has worked. 

“I think that’s why we get along so well, because we all have one goal,” Walker says. “We want to win and we want to become great players. We’re all gym rats. We’re all always in the gym. So yeah, that’s what makes us so special.” 

—

All around the Auerbach Center are reminders of the Celtics’ storied past. Large images of former franchise legends (Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird/Kevin McHale, Ray Allen/Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett) adorn the walls. Banners (a lot of them) hang from the ceiling over the practice court. The leprechaun logo, which has become synonymous with winning, is everywhere—at the bottom of recovery pools, on workout equipment, blown up on the exterior of the facility, etc. 

The long and winding road has led here—to the Optum Lounge on this January afternoon, where Jaylen and Marcus are entertaining the room with karaoke duets. Armed with confidence and free from burdens, the Celtics have established themselves as contenders once again.

“Look at the League now, the talent is more dispersed,” says Brown. “I think this year is kind of unique. It hasn’t been like this in a while. So I think that it’s anybody’s game. We probably don’t realize how close we can be to getting the job done.”

“Certainly the Celtics have a long history and tradition of success. You come here to compete at the highest level, and that means all the way to the Finals,” Hayward says. “So it’s been a goal since I’ve gotten here, definitely a goal of ours this year. I don’t think that as a team we look at that every day. We just look to get better and focus on the task at hand.

“And like Jaylen said, let the cards fall where they may.” 

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 226 FEATURING THE CELTICS

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos by Matthew Coughlin and via Getty.

The post TOGETHER: The Boston Celtics Cover SLAM 226 ☘️ appeared first on SLAM.

Instead, they went with Marvin Bagley III, leading to plenty of heartache in Sacramento while Doncic blossomed into a superstar for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Luka blunder was one of several thorny issues former Kings head coach Dave Joerger and general manager Vlade Divac did not see eye-to-eye on.

Per The Athletic:

According to two sources who witnessed the interaction, Joerger told Divac, in a passive-aggressive jest, that he had negotiated an in-season trade with the Mavericks that would finally bring Doncic their way.

So Divac, unamused by his coach’s barb, fired back. “Do I get their coach, too?” he said in reference to the Mavericks’ Rick Carlisle.

“They came to Madrid (to see him play for Real Madrid and to share a dinner on June 5, 2018),” the 20-year-old Doncic told The Athletic about the Kings’ contingent’s visit during the draft process. “They came with the owner. Everybody came, so I honestly thought they were going to pick me.”

So, I asked, was it ever made clear to him why they didn’t?

“I mean, I think it’s because of Euroleague; it’s different basketball,” Doncic said. “I was averaging in Europe — in the Spanish League — like 12 points (per game). And in Euroleague 14 (points per game). So it’s different basketball.”

Related Steve Kerr: Luka Doncic ‘Reminds Me a Little Bit of Larry Bird’

The post Luka Doncic: ‘I Honestly Thought [Kings] Were Going to Pick Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic, 20, is “really good for the NBA,” says Kerr.

Luka had 20 points and eight rebounds Tuesday night to lead the visiting Dallas Mavericks past Golden State 124-97.

Per ESPN:

“He’s really good for the NBA,” Kerr said prior to Tuesday’s game against the Mavericks. “He’s important for the league — and [that] doesn’t really have anything to do with him coming from Europe. It’s more just what a wonderful basketball player he is. He’s different. He’s got this incredible knack for seeing the floor and being a step ahead. He reminds me a little bit of Larry Bird in that regard. He’s kind of one step ahead in the chess match. But he’s got this James Harden skill set with crossovers and stepbacks.

“He’s a brilliant player, so young; he’s going to be one of the cornerstones of this league for a long time. He’s very important to the NBA.”

As someone who has both played with and against some of the greatest players of all time, Kerr appreciates the way Doncic is handling his rise in the league and all the extra attention and scrutiny that comes with it.

“He seems to be handling his business pretty well, so I don’t worry about him,” Kerr said. “I think anybody in that situation has a lot coming at him in terms of the notoriety and the attention, the strategy, people game planning for him, that kind of stuff. None of it seems to faze him.

“He’s playing at a really high level. He’s handling himself well. I love the manner in which he plays, with a smile on his face — he’s obviously having fun out there. And is a brilliant basketball player; he makes his teammates better — great passer, great shooter — and he’s great for the game.”

Related Jerry West: Luka Doncic ‘Will Be the Best Player Dallas Has Ever Had’

The post Steve Kerr: Luka Doncic ‘Reminds Me a Little Bit of Larry Bird’ appeared first on SLAM.

O’Neal, to no one’s surprise, picked himself and Bryant as the superior superstar duo.

Jimmy Fallon: “In your prime, do you think you can beat LeBron and AD? You and Kobe.”

O’Neal: “Do I think or do I know? I like having this conversation because of course, it can never be answered, but yes. The answer is yes. Hell yes. Hell yes. Of course. Because there’s only one contributing factor — who is going to guard me?”

Speaking of endless debates, Magic Johnson says James could overtake Michael Jordan as the NBA’s greatest player ever by winning “two or three” more titles.

Per Business Insider:

“For him to really catch Michael, it’s that next two or three championships,” Johnson said. “If he could get a couple more championships, then he’ll be probably the greatest that’s ever played.”

At the 29th Annual Achilles Gala in New York City, Johnson described James as “a special player” and said the four-time NBA MVP is “playing as well as I’ve ever seen him play” in his 17th year in the league.

“For me on my books right now, I would say Michael [Jordan] was the freakiest player in the game,” Johnson said. “He was the greatest to play on the floor because I couldn’t jump as high… But Michael going 6-0 in the NBA finals, oh man. That’s awesome.

“I went to the finals nine times in 12 years, but we only won five,” he added. “But I’ll take those five, trust me. As long as it was two more than Larry [Bird], that’s all I care about.”

Related Kobe Bryant: ‘It Was Important That I Win Championships’ Without Shaquille O’Neal

The post Shaq Says He and Kobe Would Beat LeBron and Anthony Davis appeared first on SLAM.

Stern was the commissioner of the league during a critical 30-year period of growth prior to his retirement in 2014. After taking the realm in 1984, Stern worked tirelessly to grow the game at home and abroad.

Stern assumed the post with league stars Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas already running the show for their respective franchises. Not long after, a next generation of superstars anchored by Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon took the reins.

Stern oversaw several eras of talent and through it all helped mold the professional game into a wildly marketable product. He played a vital role in the implementation of the WNBA and the then-NBA D-League, as well as the growth of the game in the lucrative Asian market.

On Dec. 12, Stern is said to have suffered a hemorrhage while dining out at a restaurant.

The post Commissioner Emeritus David Stern Passes Away appeared first on SLAM.

“I like being an entertainer,” says Doncic, who more or less single-handedly outplayed the hapless Golden State Warriors Wednesday night.

Carlisle has little doubt the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year is about anything other winning, and concedes that a special talent like Luka deserves a bit more freedom on the court.

Per ESPN:

“Guys like Doncic, [Larry] Bird, Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson — sometimes they get bored and they want to get into a creative state and do some things to kind of break up the monotony,” Carlisle said. “But the important thing is to understand that there’s a time and place for everything. The most important thing is not to compromise your opportunity to win. I give him the trust to figure those things out.”

Off the top of his head, Carlisle can tell you how many followers Doncic has on Instagram. It’s three million and counting. And it’s a concern for Carlisle.

“Social media has created really an undue pressure on guys like Luka to generate highlights,” Carlisle said. “[Fans] want to be seeing stuff every day on their phones.”

Even the threat of Doncic’s passing frequently leads to fun. His pass fakes have caused several defenders to look like fools, turning their heads or even their whole bodies as he either lays the ball in or dishes to another teammate.

“That’s what I do. I like to enjoy the game,” Doncic said. “I like to be an entertainer. Sometimes it’s good to be, sometimes it’s too much. I just like to enjoy playing basketball.”

Related Rick Carlisle: Luka Doncic ‘Having One of Those Magical Runs’

The post Rick Carlisle: Social Media Pressure on ‘Guys Like Luka to Generate Highlights’ appeared first on SLAM.

A lot can happen in a year.

Today, Gaffney and Jones are freshmen at Ohio State and Texas, respectively, while Lecque is a rookie with the Phoenix Suns. As for Clarke, he’s still at Brewster, prepping for his senior season of high school ball—like we said, a lot can change in a year. In this case, it was this September that Clarke announced his decision to reclassify to the 2020 class at the same time he announced his commitment to Kentucky, where he’ll headline yet another loaded recruiting class in Lexington next fall.

For now, the 6-7, 190-pound shooting guard has time to reflect on the busy—and very fun—summer that brought him to this point. You can start with the second annual SLAM Summer Classic in August, when Clarke and a bunch of the other best high school players in the country came to NYC and took over the legendary Dyckman Park and Times Square. “The SLAM Classic was lit, yo—that was the craziest environment I’ve ever been around in my life,” he says. “The first year was lit, but this year was really over the top.”

There were more formal runs on the Nike summer circuit, of course, but for on-court highlights, it’d be tough to top his invite to trainer Chris Brickley’s already-legendary Black Ops runs, where he had a chance to test himself against NBA talent—all while rocking a customized t-shirt with his Instagram handle, @tclarke, printed across the back.

“The Black Ops runs were crazy,” Clarke confirms. “Playing against players I used to watch on TV. People like Donovan Mitchell, Carmelo Anthony, Dennis Smith, getting schooled by a guy like Trae Young, shooting the basketball and turning around before he even makes it. It was a fun experience. But the main thing I learned is that I could play with anybody—in the country, in the world. It doesn’t matter who it is, I feel like I can play with ’em. That built my confidence a lot.”

Not that Clarke was ever lacking in confidence. Coming up in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood—where his first jersey was a Kevin Garnett Celtics No. 5, and where he watched old videos of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan at his grandfather’s side—he polished his game and his toughness at the Vine Street Community Center, mindful from an early age that basketball could provide a path to something better. 

“Going through what I’ve gone through…I don’t really like to talk about my struggles, but I didn’t have the best life when I was younger,” he says. “I think it influenced me to be better. I used to be at Vine Street every single day, trying to get better.”

The work paid off, as did a willingness to adapt and relocate in an effort to maximize his opportunities. He spent eighth grade at a boarding school in Connecticut, played his freshman year at The Rivers prep school in the Boston suburbs, and then switched to Brewster a year later. Then came the reclassification this fall, a jump that college coaches and recruiting analysts, who immediately put him in the top five of the 2020 rankings, all recognized he was ready to make.

As arguably the best perimeter scorer in any class, Clarke knows his strengths. “You know, I’m flashy, creative. I like to make a lot of plays for people, but also score the basketball, at will, whenever I need to,” he says. “I’m never going to run away from smoke. I’m here. I want to show everybody what I can do.”

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 224

Ryan Jones is a Contributing Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @thefarmerjones.

Portraits by Johnnie Izquierdo.

The post LEVEL UP: Class of 2020 Star Terrence Clarke Puts On for the City appeared first on SLAM.

His father, Lindsay, was the general manager of the Victorian Basketball Association in Australia and their house was attached to a massive sports facility called Albert Park. “I don’t know a day without basketball because of the environment I was born into,” Andrew says. 

The story of Andrew Gaze and his passion for the game began in that stadium and eventually led him to play professionally in four different countries, participate in nine combined Olympic and FIBA tournaments and have an inconceivable NBL career. He is, without question, one of the greatest Australian basketball players ever. 

At 6-7, Gaze was big for the guard position and a knockdown shooter. He retired as a seven-time NBL MVP (the trophy is now named after him), 16-time NBL scoring champion (including one season in which he averaged over 44 points per game), and as the all-time leader in points, assists, field goals made, three-pointers made, and free throws made. He also won two NBL titles with the Melbourne Tigers and an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs. Though he had just two brief stints in the NBA (26 total games), Gaze had several more opportunities to join the League. For various reasons, as he details below, he decided to pass on them. 

His greatest honor was being able to represent Australia in international competitions. After a remarkable 16-year run with the national team, Gaze currently stands as the second highest scorer in Olympic history and the third highest in World Cup history. 

Since his retirement in 2005, he’s served as a coach (most recently with the NBL’s Sydney Kings) and commentator. SLAM caught up with him at the 2019 World Cup in China, where he was calling games for FIBA, to discuss his journey, the state of basketball in Australia, LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton joining the NBL and more.

—

SLAM: How would you describe your game?

AG: Slow and unathletic [laughs]. One that relied more on experience and structure… To see how the game is played now, it’s athleticism and a lot of natural ability. I came through an era where I was fortunate that I played with teams and for coaches that had enough structure that I could exploit my skills. I was never athletically gifted or good enough to just go out there and show my talent, I needed a lot more system to help me contribute.

SLAM: Did you have other offers to join the NBA throughout your career? If so, why did you pass up on them?

AG: My boyhood dream was always playing for Australia. The closest I got to knowing about the NBA was having the Converse Larry Bird and Magic Johnson pictures up on my wall. I had a life-size, full-scale picture of Pete Maravich on my wall. Our exposure to the NBA was really limited. Obviously, you know about the players. But we’d get a Sports Illustrated or something that’s three months old and try to learn about the League. We didn’t get to see a lot. It was on television a little bit, but not consistently. So never really got to see a lot. My dad would have friends in the States who would send him out tapes that we would get to see sometimes. But it wasn’t like today where you can just pick up your phone and see a game.

SLAM: Do you ever think about how things would’ve gone if you had moved to the NBA at the peak of your career?

AG: I remember there were times where I had some opportunities to look at programs. Probably the one that stuck out the most was following my time at Seton Hall [Gaze played for Seton Hall during their run to the NCAA Final in 1988-89, averaging 13.6 points and 4.5 rebounds], probably around 1990-91. I remember my dad was really good friends with Dave Gavitt who was the commissioner of the Big East Conference. He went on to be the general manager or somehow involved with the Boston Celtics and he was really keen to get me over there. At that time, I think it was probably a lack of self-belief and a lack of feeling like that was something that was going to be a priority or that that was something where I really had the confidence that I would be able to contribute.

And like I said, when you’re born into a family and environment where your whole being, your whole sense of doing something enormous was representing your country and competing in the Olympic games. As obscene as the money was in the NBA back then, and even now it’s off the charts, the experience is why I would’ve wanted to go, more-so than, Well, this is the NBA. I just didn’t have the same motivation, I guess. I regret nothing, but it’s something that I look back on and perhaps because you get caught up in the narrative of the NBA and what it means today you go, Well, maybe I should have been a little bit more dedicated to that. But I have no regrets. I’ve been blessed and I’m absolutely realistic about the opportunities that I’ve received and how I have no right to be disappointed or regretful of anything because I’ve been given way more than I should’ve ever received. I’m just incredibly grateful for the opportunities I did have.

SLAM: Who were the toughest players you ever matched up against?

AG: Oscar Schmidt was just a freak. Great size, he could shoot the ball from anywhere, and his greatest asset was that he could miss six in a row and it didn’t faze him at all. He had this incredible self-confidence and great ability. And with his size, he was very, very tough to stop. Matching up with Drazen Petrovic was very, very difficult. We learned a lot from those experiences. Toni Kukoc—he was at a younger stage when we got to play against him, but even then, you saw this incredible talent with his size and passing ability. Reggie Miller in the 1996 Olympics. The World Championships when we played in Toronto—Shaq was on that USA team. I think Mark Price was on that team. Dominique Wilkins, too.

SLAM: What are your thoughts on LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton joining the NBL and how do you think it will impact the popularity of the league in Australia?

AG: The popularity is getting stronger. But it is pretty popular [already]. The league has got great recognition. It’s getting better. The marketing of the competition is a whole lot better now than it was a few years ago. Those guys coming through, and it’s not just those young guys. You know, Torrey Craig came through. Terrence Ferguson was a young guy, he came through. There have been many players that have come through the Australian system and gone on to the NBA. If you go back, I think it would’ve been in the 1990s, Doug Overton came out of college, went to Australia and went on to have a long, successful NBA career. And he’s just one example of many who’ve had that experience. Our league right now, it’s great to have the young guys coming through because it’s recognition. One, of the standard of the competition. But two, of the development programs we have in place. You look at the Australian players who are now in the NBA and the systems that we’ve had that have enabled them to have their skills to play at that level. And beyond the NBA, even at the next level down, I think we have over 200 kids at various levels playing college basketball. We got players in Europe playing at a very high level. I think that’s evidence of the development programs… With the guys you’re talking about with RJ and LaMelo, I think that they have respect for the teaching and the coaching that can help them on their journey.

SLAM: What sort of things do NBL programs preach that can be beneficial to guys like LaMelo and RJ?

AG: I think that they will learn team concepts. I know perhaps at the next level that becomes even more significant, but how you can work with the ball and away from the ball is just as important. Understanding team concepts. Because when you start matching extraordinarily elite athlete with extraordinarily elite athlete, then the IQ of the game, the understanding of how you read and react and how you work with your teammates to create opportunities—I think that’s a little bit more prevalent in our league.

What we do is a little different from the college system. I look at a lot of college games these days and I think that they’re a little bit behind in regards to the rules—as far as the shot clock is concerned, as far as borders are concerned. I think that because of the rules, along with other things, there’s attractiveness in coming to Australia, which might provide a better example of what they might receive at the next level.

SLAM: Are there other players in the NBL right now that you think have a future in the NBA?

AG: I think there are many players right now who are more than good enough to play [in the NBA]. A lot of it is being in the right place at the right time with the right program and system. You look at Mitch Creek, for example. He’s good enough. There are a lot of worse players in the NBA than Mitch Creek. You look at Chris Goulding. He could possibly find a home. They’re getting a little older and maybe the opportunity isn’t there for them, but there’s a lot of players either in Europe or around the world that are good enough to play but just need to find the right opportunity with the right system.

Our development programs—there’s a lot of kids coming through right now. There’s a kid that’s two years away from college. He’s only in his second to last year of high school. That’s Josh Giddey. I coached him throughout the juniors. He’s got college programs ringing him up and saying come play for us. And there’s a number of Josh Giddey’s in Australia where they’re so young so there’s still a lot of years to develop, and who knows how they end up turning out. But there are a lot of kids that you look at coming through the ranks that are potential NBA talents.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty and Zach Samberg.

The post Australian Basketball LEGEND Andrew Gaze Talks Career, NBL and More appeared first on SLAM.

“He’s so young,” Ainge thought following his exchange with the 22-year-old forward.

Last season’s Boston squad came up well short of expectations—to say nothing of the level the ’86 group played at—making Brown’s query all the more confounding.

Per NBC Sports Boston:

“He might have handled a difficult situation better than anybody on our team last year,” Ainge said during a recent taping of The Michael Holley Podcast alongside Celtics managing partners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca. “Very mature kid, wants to be great, knows that his time is coming.”

“It’s hard for him to be patient, but he has been patient. And he continues to work,” Ainge continued. “He’s trying to find ways to get better, and I think Jaylen’s going to be a very good player and has a very bright future.”

Right now, that future includes a stint alongside teammates Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart on the U.S. National Team.

“He came and sat behind me, and he said, ‘Do you think we’re as good as the 1986 Celtics team?’ ” Ainge said. “And I went, ‘Oh my gosh. He’s so young.’ “

And to Ainge, Brown’s comparison was a sign of naivete.

“I mean, I just don’t think they could even grasp that 1985 loss to the Lakers and the torture of that series and what that led (to), and Larry Bird was in his prime, one of the greatest Celtics of all time,” Ainge said. “But it was just fascinating. (Brown) was looking at it like matchup to matchup to matchup, like you’re doing a video game. That was a real awakening to me — just the perspective of guys.”

Related Celtics Owner: ‘It Was One of the Hardest Teams to Love’

The post Jaylen Brown: ‘Do You Think We’re as Good as the 1986 Celtics Team?’ appeared first on SLAM.

This story was originally published in SLAM 32 (March 1999).

—

Shut up.

All of you who have been talking, writing, miming about Allen Iverson’s posse, his hair, his Benz, his jewelry, his clothes, his music. Stop for a minute—just a minute—and listen. (The previous sentence should have read “Stop for a minute—just a minute—and watch,” but since the NBA seems intent on killing itself, listening will have to do.) Listen to the one person who has any real stake in Allen Iverson’s life.

Listen: Anything that has anything negative to do with my name, negative people will bring it back up, and they’ll try to tear me down. But it’s going to be like that for the rest of my life, you know?

Allen Iverson says this from the back of a black stretch Lincoln, slowly rolling through New York City traffic, Primo-blessed All City flowing through the speakers. Draped in his signature Reebok fatigues and enough ice-dipped platinum to ensure Patrick Ewing’s family’s “survival” for countless generations, Allen Iverson sounds like a hypocrite. Just another young superstar with an attitude. Look at the 23-year-old with the jewels and the shady friends and the arms full of new tattoos, worrying about getting torn down. Isn’t he doing that himself?

Listen: I dress the way I want to dress, I look the way I want to look— people don’t understand. “He wanna wear the cornrows, and all that, it’s supposed to be some thug image.” It’s not that. It’s I’m tired of being on the road—I go out and I have a game and I wanna get my hair cut, the barber pushes my hairline all the way to the back of my head. I’m tired of that, so I get my hair braided and I can wear my hair like this for two weeks and play two, three games. I’ll never cut my hair again. My son, I’ll never cut his hair. He’s gonna wear cornrows—is he a thug? You know it’s not about that. I guess I am hip-hop, but I’d rather be like that right now. When I get to 30 or maybe—well, I’m 23, and maybe when I get to 24 I’ll want to change.

Explanations can be awfully simple when you let them come out. Allen Iverson isn’t trying to be a gangster—he just never had the chance to be a kid. He grew up poor, spent his 18th birthday in prison on trumped-up charges that were later dismissed. After that, two years under John Thompson’s lock-and-key at Georgetown, then, at the ripe old age of 21, introduced to Philadelphia as the Savior. Black Jesus, Part II. When your name’s been in the headlines since high school, your life is no longer your own.

Listen: You know, people just make mistakes; everybody makes mistakes. The people that write them negative articles, they make mistakes—if not every day, every other day. The same person that’s bashing you on TV, whether it’s a commentator or reporter, that same person has made mistakes in his life but was never in the spotlight, so people didn’t hear about it, you know what I’m saying?

Allen Iverson spends a lot of time defending his life. Too much time. People forget what it’s like to be 23—and will never understand what it’s like to grow up the child of a 15-year-old mother in a crowded house with raw sewage on the floor, and then be given a ticket out. Not only a ticket out, but the ticket—virtually unlimited riches, millions of adoring fans. Success came quickly. Iverson scored 30 points in his first game on 15-19 from the floor; last year’s stats (22 ppg, 6.7 apg and 3.7 apg) were All-Star numbers on any other team. But for every person who wants to see him succeed, there are two hoping he’ll fail. Charles Barkley, who in his illustrious career has spit on a little girl and thrown a grown man through a plate-glass window, called him “playground Rookie of the Year.” Yet through all of this, AI’s remained the same—true to himself, true to those who’ve stayed true to him. Doesn’t this mean something?

Listen: I’m confident, not cocky.

Over the course of four hours, Allen Iverson repeats this phrase many times in many forms, as something of a mantra. It is unclear who he is trying to convince, me or him. The truth is this—whatever it is he’s got, Allen Iverson has earned the right to it. After all, who else has gone from prison to NBA Rookie of the Year? Who else, once touted as the best football prospect in the land, has emerged instead as one of the best basketball players on the planet? Who else has a crossover that broke off Michael Jordan, not once but twice?

Listen: If I played the two-guard position, I know for a fact—and I put that on everything I love—I would lead the League in scoring every single year. But the picture’s bigger than that. I’m a point guard and I want to be the point guard. I want to learn the point guard position, and that’s more important to me than having the scoring title and all that. I want to be a point guard, and that’s that. You know, I want to score and get assists and and steals rebounds and blocks—I want to do every single thing there is to do on the basketball court.

Confidence—or cockiness? Know where this is coming from: ever since AI was a shorty, his dream was to play in the NFL or the NBA. Everyone told him it was a one-in-a-million, a one-in-a-billion chance. “I always told them, ‘Not me, man. I’m different,’” Iverson says. “I always used to feel like that. I’m not sayin’ it to be big-headed or anything, but I had that much confidence in myself.” He still does. He’s earned it.

Listen: I want to be a Sixer for the rest of my career. I don’t want to play for no other team. I don’t think that’s fair to kids and fans, man, to see a guy be here and then jumpin’ around to different teams. I just don’t.

The cover is no joke. Even though he did roll in seven-plus hours late to the photo shoot, AI’s got a lotta love for Philly—a lotta love for the game. The Sixers went 31-51 last season, and A.I. wants to stay? What kind of modern-day power move is that? We won’t go so far to call him a throwback—Nate Archibald 2000, The Funk Doctor—but he’s got roots. Followed Jordan as a kid. Magic. Bird. Because underneath all the perceptions, all the lies, damn lies and headlines, Allen Iverson is a basketball player. This interview probably won’t change your view of AI—as a matter of fact, it will probably just reinforce whatever way you’re leaning. But still, do yourself a favor. Do Allen one. Listen.

—

SLAM: What’s your definition of a true point guard?

Allen Iverson: Someone that just understands the game, knows how to get people involved with the game. Knows when to go and when not to go. The leader on the court, the vocal leader, the leader by example. The guy who plays every game like it’s his last.

SLAM: Do you want to meet the definition or redefine the position?

AI: No, I want…I trust my coach to teach me how to be a true point guard, whatever that definition is, the real definition. Not out of my eyes, but John Stockton’s eyes and Magic Johnson’s eyes. You know, guys like that. I think my coach will teach me how to be a true point guard, the best I can be at that position. I might never be a John Stockton or a Magic Johnson, [but] I want to know the point guard from John Stockton’s perspective. I think I have more physical talents then John Stockton, but I think he knows it mentally better then me, so I’m leaving it up to my coach to teach me how to be a true point guard from his perspective and with my ability.

SLAM: I know Coach Brown has a rap for being kind of tough on point guards. Is he?

AI: Yeah he is, he is. I mean it was tough in the beginning with my coach, because I didn’t understand him and he didn’t understand me, but eventually just playing together and learning from him and him learning how I feel about different things, we got tighter. That’s what makes me look forward to this season even more, because me just putting my pride aside and listening to how he wanted me to play and run the team—it worked out. I became a better player by listening to what Larry Brown had to offer.

SLAM: Has part of it been you changing after being in the League for two years?

AI: I haven’t changed. I think my game has changed, because I have learned…you know, my first year at Georgetown, I was just reckless, because I was trying to make a name for myself. I was trying to show myself and everybody else that I could be successful on the college level and that I was a good basketball player, and I went through the same thing as a pro. I was young and I didn’t know the game and I still don’t know it like I want to know it. But I haven’t changed, I’m just learning. I guess I have changed but I’m learning—it’s not because I want to change my image; I want to change my style of play.

SLAM: At Georgetown you were the Big East’s defensive player of the year both years. People don’t really talk about that since you’ve been in the pros. Have you been paying more attention to offense?

AI: Well, they might not notice—I was fifth in steals, but people just talk about my offense. I’m not a great defensive player; I know I have to get better—and Coach Brown lets me know that every chance he gets. I gamble too much, ’cause I’m always trying to get a steal. In this league, if you go for a steal and you don’t get it, nine times out of 10 you get hurt for it, they exploit that. I’m always trying to make something happen on both ends of the court, and you hurt the team gambling a lot on defense, because once you miss a steal, the defense is on their heels.

SLAM: Do you think you can become a great defensive player?

AI: I think so. I think all that is mental. That’s like offense. Once you start believing you can become a great offensive player and you feel that way, then your body and your mind are going to respond. So, that’s that same thing with defense. There’s a lot of people that just concentrate on trying to be a great offensive player when you’re supposed to be concentrating on being a great defensive player, too.

SLAM: It seems the offense wasn’t that big a switch, though. You scored 30 your first game in the League.

AI: Offense just—I mean, whether it is good or bad, offense is just the most exciting part of any game—football, baseball, basketball. Defense, you know, you have to be really talented to be a great defensive player, because there are so many great offensive players. And to be a great defensive player, that’s special because you stopping a great offensive player. That’s like a linebacker—if you a great linebacker, that’s serious, man, to able to get to Barry Sanders every time you want to. That’s crazy, that’s talent.

SLAM: Can anybody stop you one-on-one?

AI: No, I don’t think so. And I really believe this in my heart. I respect Derek Harper, because I think he is the greatest defensive player I ever played against and I ever watched, but I don’t think he can stop me. I don’t think nobody in the League can stop me—and I know that there’s a lot of guys in the League that feel the same way I feel, so I don’t think that’s no big-headed or conceited comment. I don’t really think nobody can stop me. Maybe in college, when they ran box and ones on me, but in the NBA, where it’s just man to man? No one can stop me. A team may be able to do something with me, but no one man can stop me from doing whatever I want to do on the basketball court.

SLAM: Do you think you deserve $100 million?

AI: Do I deserve it? Yeah, I think I deserve it. I don’t know if that’s what I’ll ask for, but I think I deserve it. I think I deserve more, you know, that’s just who I am. I feel everybody deserves whatever they want, really. Whatever the franchise feels they need or want to give you, they should give it to you, you know? And that’s real. They got enough money to give people whatever, you know what I’m saying?

I think the crazy thing about this lockout [is] when you look at guys like Kevin Garnett’s salary, pshhhh, Kevin Garnett—I think—should have gotten more than what he got. And they’re able to pay him that, you know. All that money the [owners] got and they’re getting off of us, it shouldn’t be no problem—nobody’s salary. They pay Kevin Garnett what they know they can pay him. They give him this money, and everybody’s beefing, when number one he deserved it and number two they felt like he deserved it. And they felt like they had to give it to him, so what’s wrong with that? I don’t see anything wrong with that.

SLAM: Who did you start out watching when you first followed basketball?

AI: Zeke. Michael [Jordan], of course, but Zeke was always my man. I loved Isiah.

SLAM: Did you like the Pistons?

AI: Nah, I was always a Bulls fan, ever since Michael got there. I remember one time the Knicks beat ’em, and I damn near cried—I had tears in my eyes.

I was a Bulls fanatic. Because I love Mike, I love Pippen, I love Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong and Paxson, Luc Longley, Cartwright and I just loved the Bulls, and now that I play them I hate them. Because I remember Scottie Pippen when the Knicks used to beat him all up—and then now, for them to talk shit to me on the court while I’m playing? I still love Pip today and Mike and Dennis Rodman, ’cause they great basketball players. Then to hear the way they talk shit on the court, I’m like, “Dog, I remember when you didn’t say shit on the court, you know you was so humble and you wouldn’t say nothing on the court and now even you talk shit?”

SLAM: When did you start playing basketball?

AI: I think I was like nine or 10 years old. I always thought basketball was soft. Now I come to find out I was outta my mind, playing against Shaq and Barkley and Kevin Willis. Charles Oakley. Serious. I never wanted to play it, when my mom bought me some Jordans—I came home from school, she was like, “You going to basketball practice today,” and I was like, “I ain’t playing no basketball, it’s soft. I don’t want to play no basketball, I don’t like basketball.” I’m crying all the way out the door, she pushing me out the door. I got out there and seen kids that was on my football team and, um, I just enjoyed it. I came home and I thanked my moms, and I’ve been playing basketball ever since.

SLAM: What was your home court growing up?

AI: Newport News [VA]—Anderson Park, that’s where like it first started. And then Hampton [VA]—Aberdine Elementary School, ’cause that’s where I watched my uncles and my uncles’ friends, the people I thought that were sooo nice, so cold on the court. I watched them, and I had to play right after school—in the 8th grade or 7th grade—when it was blazing hot, like 105 or something like that. Then they came at five, six o’clock when the sun is going down, and they ran. I could never play with them, ’cause they would never let me. I guess they thought I wasn’t good enough, I was too young. And then, ninth or tenth grade, they want to pick me first—“Yo, I got AI.” It was just a great feeling, man, because that’s where I always wanted to play. [Before] they hollering at me to get off the court and they screaming at me because I was trying to play while they were playing. And then to go back and be able to play against them and kill them.

SLAM: Is there any one who you really learned the game from?

AI: Coach [John] Thompson. He the one that really taught me how to play basketball. I still don’t know it like I want to know it, but he gave me a clear picture of how to play it.

SLAM: Are you up on your NBA history? I know your rookie year was the NBA at 50, so you were at All-Star Weekend with all those guys…

AI: That was crazy, playing the rookie game and looking in the stands and seeing Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain—I was like, oh my god. Doc—Doc! It just felt crazy. I was like, I’m gonna show in front of these cats tonight. It ain’t gotta be scoring, it could be everything else, but I just want to perform for those guys. I was so hype, it was showtime and it was fun. It’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Red Auerbach—my coach—during the [rookie] game at halftime, he was like, “I don’t know what you out here doing, Allen. People came here to see you score; you ain’t have to prove no point. I understand you out here passing—and I respect that—but put the ball in the hole, too. Everybody want to see the whole game.” ’Cause I wasn’t trying to take over the whole spotlight and shine and score 30 points and all that, I was just dishing crazy, and he was like, “This half I want to see you score.” I was like, “A’ight,” and that’s what I did. In the second half, I started scoring.

SLAM: So he was actually coaching out there?

AI: Coaching. Really coaching. He was talking to me during the game, and at one point I just blacked out, I couldn’t believe he was coaching me—it felt so good man. I wanted to, right there, scream up in the stands—“Mom, did you see him talking to me? Did you see him coaching me?” I mean, he was one of the greatest coaches ever, and just for him to say something out of his mouth to me was enough. Even if it was not coaching me, even if he was just speaking to me, it would have made me feel good, but he was coaching me. I felt like crying, because I felt like I really did something in my life for me to be on the sidelines with him coaching.

SLAM: Talk to me about Doc a little bit.

AI: Doc was Mike in his time. Everybody was like—there will never be another Dr. J, da da da. That’s how crazy this thing is. Nobody ever thought there would ever be anyone better then Doc or like Doc. Or Magic, and then come Mike. It’s crazy, Doc started all that. Mike did some shit that Doc never did and vice versa, but Mike took it to a completely different level.

SLAM: What was it like playing against him for the first time? How different was it from just seeing him play?

AI: It was just wild. I can’t even remember the feeling. Just me being on his court, playing against world champions and the greatest basketball player in the world. I wasn’t out there crazy in awe or anything like that—’cause that’s just not me. I’m in the same profession you are and I respect you and what you did for your family and team, but once we get on the dance floor, I’m in a whole ’nother mode. I might feel different if I meet you before the game in the hallway, but once we get on the dance floor, I’m a do my thing and I’m not going to be in awe of nobody. But it was a crazy feeling just playing against him.

Really the only guy that flipped me out when I was on the same court with him was Sprewell. ’Cause if I could be any other basketball player, I would be Sprewell. What he did was foul, everybody know that, and I would never do no shit like that. I mean, I guess he just flipped out and snapped and he’s going to learn a lot from it and he’s a good dude, ’cause I know him as a person. But as far as talent, if I could be any other player, I wouldn’t be Michael Jordan, man. I wouldn’t take Michael Jordan’s game, I would take Latrell Sprewell’s game. I love the way he play. I love the way he play and he hard, hard on the court. You know, he might talk shit to you, he might not. He might give you 30 or 40 with a regular look on his face, like, “Whatever. This is what I do. That’s the way I play. I don’t gotta talk shit, ’cause I do this. I do this nightly. I don’t have to talk no shit to you to prove nothin’ to you.” But Spree, man. Spree’s something else.

SLAM: What is it? What is it about his game?

AI: Energy. He can play the whole damn game. He got pride with his game, you know, And he just hard. When I look at him I see myself, ’cause he don’t care who you are, he just go at you. He go right at your chest, crazy, hard. He can shoot, he can run, he can dribble, he can jump. He’s smart, he know the game.

If not Sprewell, if I had a choice, it would be Shaq. I don’t think nobody could beat my team 10 to 15 times if Shaq was on my team. Never. I mean, that guy has talent that’s just unbelievable. He’s unbelievable. If I played with him, I don’t think nobody could beat me. I don’t know if you beat me in a series, but you won’t sweep me. That’s why I look at [the Lakers] and I’m like—Utah was a great team, Karl Malone, John Stockton did great, but you got Shaq on your team. How can you live with yourself knowing you got swept and you got Shaq on your team? Shhhh…

SLAM: If Mike steps and the Bulls are no more, who’s the next squad?

AI: Who do I think? Really, in my heart? Philly. I’m not gonna say nobody else, ’cause I don’t believe that. I just believe it’s my time. I believe it’s our time. Philly was always one of the great teams. I think it’s time for that to come back.

SLAM: How bad do you want that?

AI: More than anything in the world. [Pause.] Anything. I think that’s the only thing that gonna separate me from a great player. Great players win, man. I’m not a great player. I’m nowhere near a great player now, ‘cause I don’t know the game mentally like I should. But I’m learning, believe me—I know so much more then I knew when I was a rookie, and great players win. You can be a great player, [but] if you lose, you lose. You can have the greatest stats ever, but if you lose, you lose. Ain’t nothing better than winning. When I win, then I get the respect I deserve. Until then, I’m just another basketball player. The average player, you know.

SLAM: What do you want your NBA legacy to be?

AI: Titles. I gotta have titles. Hopefully I can play, like, Robert Parish years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar years. Hopefully. I don’t wanna go until I get some titles. And not just one. I want titles. Plural.

SLAM: Add some gold to that platinum?

AI: No doubt. Add some gold. I need it, man. I’m hungry—I’m starvin’—I’m starvin’ for success. That’s what I want now. I love lookin’ at my mom and sayin’, “You made somethin’. You made somethin’ outta me.” I love that. So I’m starvin’ for success. I mean, I wanna be good. I want to be somebody.

SLAM: How important is the individual stuff—MVP, scoring title, that sort of thing? You wanna be remembered as the best player in the game? The best point guard?

AI: I wanna be remembered as the best player in the NBA. I want to be the best, the very best. And with the company I’m keeping right now? With the guys I’m playing with? Boy. That’s a huge statement. With the talent that we got right now in this league, with the Shaqs and Grant Hills and Latrell Sprewells and Gary Paytons and Tim Hardaways and Penny Hardaways. [Pause.] That’s a big statement, but I’m willing to try and back it up. I want to be the greatest basketball player. With Michael Jordan, that’s some big words, but that’s the challenge of my life. Maybe people won’t consider me to be the best, maybe some will. Who knows? I mean, the sky’s the limit.

—

COP YOUR ALLEN IVERSON SLAM COVER TEE HERE.

Russ Bengtson is a freelance writer and the former Editor-in-Chief at SLAM. He tweets @RussBengtson.

Photos via Getty.

The post Can’t Knock the Hustle: The Allen Iverson Cover Story from SLAM 32 appeared first on SLAM.

The future Hall of Famer says Doncic, 20, already a fully-rounded arsenal.

Trae Young adds that he hopes to build a historical rivalry with Luka throughout their respective careers.

Per NBA.com:

“It can go down as a battle like guys like Magic [Johnson] and [Larry] Bird,” Young said on the latest episode of The Ringer’s “Winging It” podcast.

“They battled for years and they were always compared to each other. It could be something like that, where we both can be great.”

Related Dirk Nowitzki: Luka Doncic Has ‘No Fear’

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Michigan State’s Magic Johnson or Indiana State’s Larry Bird? Texas’ Kevin Durant or Davidson’s Stephen Curry? And where does Duke freshman sensation Zion Williamson rank among the greats? We tackled all of these questions and more in our latest special issue: SLAM presents the Top 100 College Basketball Players of All Time.

There’s a ton of cool content from the mag on the way, but in the meantime, enjoy the beautiful cover below and go pick up a copy at your local newsstand or online here.

The post SLAM Presents the Top 100 College Players of All Time Is Out Now 🚨 appeared first on SLAM.

Curry, 30, is averaging 28.6 points a game and shooting 44 percent from behind the arc.

The future Hall of Famer adds that he could still win a third MVP award, regardless of the superstars on his team and the shifting narrative in the League.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

“Everybody can come up with certain narratives,” he says on the topic of the MVP award. “It’s clear who the best guys in the league are, who’s helping the team win. Comparing numbers and styles … beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t know why I can’t [win again], but I feel confident in knowing what type of player I am. I’m sure [Kevin Durant] would say the same thing.”

It’s amazing his name doesn’t come up often enough in MVP conversations, a fact he doesn’t consider to be as puzzling as he does a simple fact of life.

“I definitely feel like I’m better than I was three years ago,” Curry said. “It’s a good feeling knowing successes I’ve had personally don’t get in the way of progress with the team, getting better and finding ways to expand your game. Experience, more maturity and being challenged in new ways definitely helps.”

He pauses before asking: “How many guys have three? Michael [Jordan], [Larry] Bird, LeBron [James]…” His voice trails off before the rest of the elite company is revealed: Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone.

“If it happened, you could add me to that list,” Curry said. “Anybody who’s had one knows the feeling of what it’s like to hold that trophy up the first time, and the next time. You know how driving of a force that can be.”

Related
Stephen Curry: ‘I Can Keep This Up for the Foreseeable Future’

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His game has been a portrait of a masterpiece; the generational work of an artist striving for something that transcends the game; a spiritual declaration; an ethereal awakening, a love supreme; a celestial journey.

The four stages. Like songs. Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland, LA. Solo sessions, but never alone. Seasons of soliloquies. And at the center of it all: A man’s search for something greater than He.

GOD-like in stature, G.O.A.T.-like in performance, the liner notes of LeBron James’ career, if looked at in a Nike X Impulse! way, reads like the set list of more than an athlete. A strive for greatness? More than. Shut up and dribble? More than. King James edition? More than. Something biblical? Less than. But close.

Acknowledgment. Came in the form of a child discovering a path through the intersection of black American culture and creativity. That rhythm of sound the ball made when it left his hands. Heartbeat on bounce, flutter upon rotation through nets, silence when traveling through air. Elvin Jones-like permutations. Adventurous. Lines and spaces filled with non-verbal melodies. We fell in love with the promise he possessed.

Resolution. Revolutionary by nature. Unlike anything we’ve seen before. Game changer. A Jimmy Garrison bass line of subtle dominance. Establishing a foundation for everyone to build on. Super squad. A Coltrane/Tyner connection with Dwyane Wade. Musical movement.

Pursuance. Alto and ulterior motives. Virtuoso performances. Ending doubts and droughts. Even in the quest for efficiency, there is an openness about his improvisational approach to the game and his legacy. Blocks win championships as much as shots. One instrument is no more important than the others. There is no “I” in band or group but there is one in “history,” one in “King.”  Warriors came out to play. Modern jazz. Quartet. Still can’t shade what was done. For The Land: “This is for you!” For the landscape: Affirmation. His favorite thing.

Psalms. The finale. LAL. Inspired by those before. Stirring. Moving. Emotive. Notes of sadness. But trapped inside of that sadness is a brilliance unmatched. Carrying the weight of generations in every game, on every note, every play. ’Til he reaches higher ground. Mood. Tone. A ballad. A marriage of discerning solemnness and abstract enlightenment. The beginning of the end.

The relationship between LeBron and the game of basketball is one unique in both history and its true existence. It is—and remains—one that over the course of time will be the one almost all other careers will be compared to. There’s a commitment there that not even Jordan or Kobe can claim. Not that either his or theirs is more impressive, just that LeBron’s has been so, so deft over the first 15 years we remain mesmerized. Yes, the game has changed. And he changed it. The same way Bird (Charlie, not Larry), Miles, Art (Blakey and Tatum), Dizzy, Oscar, Trane, changed what Duke and Louis created. LeBron existentially rewrote the genre. Gave it a different feel. Took parts Julius Erving and Roger Brown, parts Karl Malone and Magic Johnson, parts Oscar Robertson and Derrick Rose, and orchestrated a magnum opus that will remain relevant long after he decides to never play again.

And that’s the key: For us to fully understand, comprehend and recognize what this all means as it continues to play. This career, this life of his. As we look into the kaleidoscope of his basketball sojourn, his personal pilgrimage, and pull out moments of both brilliance and incompleteness, paradise and pain, we learn to accept and further appreciate his art for what it is, for his ability to compose without judging it against the art of another. He’s given us work that can stand alone and on its own. Separated from the crowd. Where merit and magnificence aren’t always judged just by outcome and supremacy, where they too are judged by influence, impact and the importance that art ends up having on more than just the game. In other words, LeBron’s career is as much about only basketball as jazz is about only music. There’s so much more to gain from it than that. But it’s we who must never forget that, because if we do it will be we who suffer. History forever proves that.

Dragging underachieving squads to the Finals annually, giving an entire city (and state) a resurrected identity and economic sustainability, being possibly the only child athlete-deemed-prodigy of the last four generations to overcome and live beyond every expectation that was designed to set him up to fail, building an empire built on friendship, the fatherhood piece, the “I Can’t Breathe” piece, the EQUALITY piece, the Aaron Miller piece, the insane PERs and advanced stats while never over the length of a career being totally out of both MVP and G.O.A.T. conversations, the unequaled cerebral nature of how he approaches and sees the game, his eminence v. everybody. Future history. Facts.

Masterpieces. Mastered pieces of a dream turned basketball reality. Game soaked in virtuosity. Command and craftsmanship. 4/4 time signature. Genius displayed on the downbeat. Improvisational in nature, unpredictable in proficiency, still accurate in execution. Perfection is not mistake-free. Greatness should always be dissected, examined, re-examined, analyzed, scrutinized, challenged. The debates over years, debates over placement. Through this lens LeBron’s has become the definition of what the love for the game should look like when in the hands and heart of a master. A Coltrane, if we must. A level of artistry only a chosen one can put out there for us to digest and only hope to one day understand. In all of its beauty and complexity, in its haunting honesty, its “introducing humanity to the radiant language of light,” in its liberating altruism. If Jordan’s Kind of Blue, ’Bron’s A Love Supreme. A career supreme. A spiritual achievement. A “wondrous bequeathal.” A seeking. A search. A basketball “Thank You” to God.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 220 HERE!

Scoop Jackson is a senior writer for ESPN and author of the forthcoming book The Game Is Not A Game (Haymarket Books).

Portraits by Joseph L. Sherman. 

The post A Love Supreme: LeBron James Has Painted a Masterpiece appeared first on SLAM.

The Celtics’ president of basketball ops says “LeBron is in every conversation” when it comes to the G.O.A.T. debate.

Final hour of @Toucherandrich: @danielrainge talks @celtics performance and injuries. Plus his thoughts on @KingJames. Plus more on the @steelers and #TheStack.https://t.co/VzghNw9wKt@FredToucher @KenGriffeyRules

— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) January 3, 2019

Ainge adds that he believes James is better than former teammate Larry Bird.

Per NBC Sports Boston (via 98.5 The Sports Hub):

“His career’s not over,” Ainge said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich.” “I’d just like to — why he’s saying that, I don’t know. Maybe he thinks that that sells. Maybe he’s taking the Donald Trump approach and trying to sell himself. I don’t know.”

When asked for his own opinion on the GOAT debate, Ainge gave a diplomatic response.

“Obviously LeBron is in every conversation with who is the greatest player of all time,” Ainge said. “But time will tell. I don’t know if anyone knows who the greatest of all time is, because the years are so different.”

Ainge did make one surprising admission, though: He’d rank James ahead of his former Celtics teammate, Hall of Famer Larry Bird.

“LeBron went to the Finals,” Ainge said. “I would have to say (he’s better than Bird), just because he was able to have more durability and play at a top level of his game for longer.”

Related
LeBron James: 2016 Title ‘Made Me the Greatest Player of All Time’

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In the summer of 2015, the Charlotte Hornets traded the 6-5 Brooklyn guard to the Clippers in exchange for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes. His time in Los Angeles would end up being quick and frustrating, as his playing time dwindled from the start and he never truly found his rhythm and role within the rotation. Eventually, by the time the trade deadline came around, Stephenson’s stint in L.A. had come to an end—he was subsequently traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jeff Green. The short-lived tenure in the City of Angeles, which surely left a bad taste in Stephenson’s mouth, led to a three-year expedition that ultimately brought him back—this time in the purple and gold as he looks for a little redemption.

After he was moved to the Grizzlies, Stephenson’s time in the League got even rockier. Despite averaging a career-best 14.2 points in his 26 games with the team to finish off the regular season in Memphis, including a career-high 33-point performance against the New Orleans Pelicans and then a 26-point outing in the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs, the franchise declined to pick up his team option for the final year of his contract.

This would lead to the toughest point in his career: the 2016-17 campaign. He signed with the Pelicans that offseason but after suffering a groin injury just two weeks into the regular season, which ruled him out for six to 10 weeks and required surgery, he was waived by the team just three days later. He waited around for a call from another team for three months before the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had lost guard Zach LaVine for the remainder of the season to an ACL injury, called offering only a 10-day contract. Yet less than a week after signing with the Wolves, Stephenson found himself battling another nagging injury—this time a grade 2 ankle sprain. He’d nonetheless earned a second 10-day contract with the team before being waived by the franchise after only appearing in six games.

“I had times when I felt like, Man, I don’t think I’m going to be in the League next year. But I always knew that if I worked hard and believed in myself and put God first, I’d have a chance,” Stephenson says. “I was controlling what I could control and that was being in the gym and just working hard because I knew my chance would come again.”

Less than two weeks later, in a rather surprising turn of events, the Indiana Pacers signed the former Coney Island prodigy to a three-year deal, marking the fifth team Stephenson had joined in less than two seasons. The grand return to Indiana, where he first earned his “Lance Makes Em Dance” and “Sir Lance A Lot” monikers, brought back his old swag while giving the Pacers a much-needed energy and confidence spark off the bench. Last season, he helped play a role in Indiana almost defeating the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, coming within 5 points of a Game 7 victory.

“It’s crazy because I went from getting hurt, to the team cutting me, to then doing 10-days with the Timberwolves and then signing a three-year contract with the Pacers,” he says. “It was like, unbelievable. It was definitely amazing and I think that was God answering all my prayers—and just all the hard work I went through to get the opportunity that I got. Just going from not playing at all and doing 10 days to being on a team that actually uses you as much as possible, and then helping the team win—that was amazing.

“I knew what I could do. I just needed the opportunity. I just knew that if I could get the minutes and the playing time to show my talent, I knew what I could do in this League. And so [the Pacers] gave me an opportunity as soon as I came back to the team. I mean, I worked so hard and everything was coming easy to me. When you have a team that believes in you and pushes you to be great, your talent does the rest.”

The Pacers declined their team option for the final year of Lance’s contract last June, which paved the way for him to become a free agent. A week or so later, an incoming call from Magic Johnson secured Stephenson’s return to Los Angeles, where he now looks to take care of unfinished business and redeem the short-lived tenure at Staples Center from three years ago.

“Definitely going through all the situations that I went through after I left the Pacers—being on five different teams—I just feel like it was a great experience through the ups and downs. I learned from all the ups and downs that I went through. I think it made me stronger and it made me the person I am now,” he says. “I learned that you gotta stay positive and you gotta stay hungry throughout the tough times when I wasn’t even playing or getting as much playing time as I wanted. I stuck with it. I learned that I could control only what I could control, and that was getting in the gym and working harder every day, pushing myself to be better and just watching a lot of film. Mostly it was keeping my body in shape because when you’re not playing that much you could get out of shape easily. So my goal was to always be in shape because you never know when your opportunity comes.”

His return to Hollywood has helped bring his flashy NYC-bred handles and off-the-dribble moves back to the national stage, and only five weeks into the season, he’s already become a fan-favorite. He’s shown flashes of the kind of impact and spark he can bring to a team. In only the second week of the season he dropped 23 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists against the Phoenix Suns off the bench, shooting 10-14 from the floor.

“I was at home chilling and I got that call from Magic,” he says. “I was like, No way! They want me on the Lakers? And with LeBron and the young fellas we have, I was like, I can’t turn this down. I’m just happy for this opportunity and I feel like as I continue to work, many [more] blessings are going to come.

“I was like, You think LeBron wants me on this team?!” he continues. “I definitely knew that playing alongside him I could help him and help bring in that energy and that toughness, that defense, and also a clutch performance in some games—I feel like I’m built for tough, close games. I knew I could help this unit. I’ve now played for Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and now Magic Johnson. Talking to those great players helped my game out, just learning how they think.”

A highly touted prospect since his early days at famed Lincoln High School, where he led the school to four consecutive city championships and was ranked among the top-10 players in the Class of 2009, the past eight years since his arrival to the NBA have given the former Cincinnati Bearcat a different perspective on the game and his role. The humbling experiences and particularly the obstacles of the past four years have set the stage for his return to L.A., where he now looks to prove why the Born Ready nickname rings true today more than ever.

“When you’re a rookie, you gotta understand that everyone is good. You might not get your opportunity when you first come in. I remember my first two years I was sitting in a suit behind the bench,” Lance says. “What I took from it was I learned as much as I could from the older guys and what they brought to the table that kept them on the court and kept them in the rotation. It’s not about talent. You gotta know the game. You gotta know the plays, every position, to get on that floor. Eventually you learn you can’t just go. You gotta do it with a team.”

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 219 HERE!

Franklyn Calle is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7. 

Portraits by Ryan Young.

The post BORN READY: The Lance Stephenson Show Is Back in Los Angeles 🍿 appeared first on SLAM.

James Harden was a man on a mission. The star used an array of moves to drop 47 points on the Jazz in the win, including a monstrous dunk on Rudy Gobert. As Utah crept back into the game and pulled it even late in the fourth quarter, Harden took over and hit multiple clutch shots that sealed it for good.

James Harden danced on 'em for the dagger (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/920ZtIfIdj

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 18, 2018

Bucks 107 (20-9), Pistons 104 (14-14)

Milwaukee enjoyed a 15-point lead in the third quarter before Detroit came back, taking the lead shortly in the fourth quarter. But behind Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 32 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, the Bucks held on to the win. Blake Griffin contributed a triple-double (19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) in the loss.

Good luck going up at the rim with Giannis (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/CWHne9W9hD

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 18, 2018

Suns 128 (7-24), Knicks 110 (9-23)

Phoenix’s main core put on an offensive showing. Devin Booker notched a season-high 38 points, TJ Warren scored 26 points and Deandre Ayton had a double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds). Even veteran Jamal Crawford dropped a career-high 14 assists.

"I had my career high in points & now assists in the same building. That's pretty cool."

Former Knick Jamal Crawford loves playing @TheGarden. pic.twitter.com/9sCFeZAenY

— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) December 18, 2018

Kings 105 (16-14), Timberwolves 132 (14-16)

Nine Wolves players hit double-digit points in the all-around team win. Andrew Wiggins led the team with 17 points while Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Buddy Hield put in 21 points for the Kings.

Taj Gibson playing defense with a shoe in his hand (via @Timberwolves) https://t.co/TSHWF9GP5o

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 18, 2018

Bulls 96 (7-24), Thunder 121 (19-10)

With 13 points, 16 rebounds and 11 steals, Russell Westbrook registered his 111th career triple-double. Teammate Paul George added a game-high 24 points. Bobby Portis and Lauri Markkanen each scored 16 points for Chicago.

Clear the deck for @russwest44
2nd half now on @FOXSportsOK #OKCvsCHI pic.twitter.com/6qDLE1v0ag

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 18, 2018

76ers 96 (20-12), Spurs 123 (16-15)

San Antonio’s triple threat of Rudy Gay (21 points), DeMar DeRozan (20 points) and LaMarcus Aldridge (20 points) propelled the Spurs to the win. The 76ers were held to just 17 points in the second quarter, allowing the Spurs to grab the lead. Ben Simmons and JJ Redick led the 76ers in scoring with 16 points each.

That ball movement #GoSpursGo https://t.co/y4SXxgMOye

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 18, 2018

Grizzlies 93 (16-14), Warriors 110 (21-10)

It was a night of memorable buckets for both Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Curry hit a 3-pointer to hit the 15,000-point mark for his career; Durant passed Larry Bird for No. 33 on the all-time scoring list. The pair finished with a combined 43 points in the easy win.

Of course Steph Curry hits 15,000 points with a 3 (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/RdCAKrPxHh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 18, 2018

Blazers 131 (16-13), Clippers 127 (17-2)

Portland and L.A. went down to the wire as the Clippers fought back to make the game close in the final minutes. However, the tandem of Damian Lillard (39 points) and CJ McCollum (27 points) helped the Blazers pull it out. Tobias Harris dropped 39 points in the loss.

D A M I A N pic.twitter.com/E3bDXNkUrN

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 18, 2018

RELATED:
‘My Game Doesn’t Make Sense’: James Harden Says He’s One-of-a-Kind

The post Post Up: James Harden Drops 47 Points in Clutch Win vs. Jazz 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

63 Points in Boston
April 20, 1986

Larry Bird is one of the best players ever. There were very few things he couldn’t do on the court. His words, especially in 1986 when he led the Celtics to the ’chip, carried weight. And on the night that Michael Jordan tore down the Boston Garden for 63 points, Bird summed things up perfectly.

“I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan,” Bird told reporters after the game. “He is the most awesome player in the NBA. Today in Boston Garden, on national TV, in the playoffs, he put on one of the greatest shows of all time.”

It was an awe-inspiring showing of basketball. It was a crack in the status quo for on-court uniforms. MJ showed up with his usual gear—white sweatband on his left forearm, black knee pad on his left knee and chunky white socks. Instead of playing in the Air Jordan II, though, he wore the “Chicago” I.

Bird, Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson had no shot at slowing him down. He relentlessly attacked the rim. He was faster and stronger and more ruthless than the Cs. And yeah, the Bulls lost in overtime, but Michael had made a statement. He was ready for the spotlight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEaMH-cVDf8

Last Game with the Bulls at MSG
March 8, 1998 

Michael knew it was primetime. Like a great performer, he was ready to put on a show for his last game at the Garden. “It’s like stepping on a stage,” Jordan told NBC Sports about playing at MSG.

He brought an OG pair of “Chicago” Air Jordan Is from 1985 with him for his final act.

“It’s been a long time since I wore them,” he said after the game. “It’s kind of fun to come back here and play and remember some of the old days, some of the games that I’ve had here. The shoes are a part of that. My feet are killing me, but it was fun,” he laughed.

His Airness came into the League wearing a 12.5 sneaker but he changed into a 13.5 as the years went on. Even wearing the smaller size, MJ went to work. He hit two amazing layups and nailed classic fadeaways en route to a 42-point performance, rounded out by 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Garden gave him a roaring ovation when he checked out of the game, with a Bulls win locked up. He sat on the bench afterward, for a few moments, with the laces of his first signature sneaker undone.

’85 Dunk Contest
February 9, 1985

He wasn’t even wearing his uniform at first. Mike had drip long before drip was a thing. The “Bred” Is, white socks and black and red sweats started the fit. A black shirt with the sleeves cut off, a red pinny on top of that and gold chains finished it off.

There was the jumping ability. The skill level, the ease, the style. The rookie was different.

Though he narrowly lost the contest to Dominique Wilkins, MJ took to the skies for dunks that saw him swinging in mid-air, helping young fans dream about flight. His legs were flailing out in different directions, his chains were shining against the lights in the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. He was making 360-degree slams look effortless.

He finally wore his Bulls threads to put down his illustrious “Rock the Baby” dunk, followed by an up-and-under one-hander. Then he soared from just inside the free-throw line and punctured the rim. It looked like the “Breds” were floating. Air Jordan for real.

49 Points Against the Pistons
February 12, 1985

1985 All-Star Weekend. Isiah Thomas allegedly organized a freeze-out against Michael Jordan, telling fellow All-Stars like George Gervin not to pass the ball to him and making sure Magic Johnson constantly attacked him, forcing him to play defense. Mike was fuming. He ended up with just 7 points in his ASG debut, shooting 2-9 from the floor.

Fallout from the freeze-out followed the rookie around immediately. Both he and Thomas denied anything happened, with MJ telling the Chicago Tribune he wasn’t aggressive enough and Thomas talking about how much respect he already had for No. 23.

As luck would have it, the first game after the All-Star break featured the Bulls and Pistons squaring off in Chicago. Michael, in a pair of “Chicago” Is, entered the zone. He hit the Bad Boys for 49 points, endlessly bullying his way to the rim.

It was a moment of truth for Jordan, one of the first times he showed the League that his will was monumentally stronger than anyone had realized. There he was, in his signature sneakers, flying up to the rim, throwing down two poster dunks and leading his squad to an overtime win. Cold as ice. Just about freezing.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM PRESENTS JORDANS VOL. 4!

Photos via Getty.

The post The Four Best On-Court Moments Featuring the Air Jordan I 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Nike too was at an interesting crossroads in 1984. They’d recently been passed by Reebok for the No. 1 spot in America, thanks to the Boston-based company’s garment leather aerobic shoes that Nike didn’t have an immediate answer for. Basketball, meanwhile, was something of an untapped market. Nike had made a splash with 1982’s Air Force 1, but the majority of superstars—including Dr. J, Magic and Bird—wore Converse. This was just the way it had been, ever since a salesman named Chuck Taylor got his name on the canvas All-Star back in the ’20s. There were notable exceptions—Puma’s Clyde, adidas’ Jabbars—but signature shoes were just that: exceptions.

For Nike, Jordan represented a huge opportunity if they could sign him. Jordan himself wanted to wear adidas, the brand he wore in high school. But Nike had a plan where other brands didn’t, to not only give Jordan a (for the time) big contract, but to also take his input and create a shoe just for him. And then, beyond that, to give the new shoe a marketing push unlike any that had ever come before. Jordan himself would debut the shoe early in the NBA season, and it wouldn’t go on sale until April of the following year.

If it’s hard to separate the Air Jordan I from sneaker culture, it’s because most of what we know as “sneaker culture” sprung up around the Air Jordan I itself. Much of what we take for granted today simply didn’t exist until the Air Jordan was created. The TV commercials, the limited production numbers, the cult of personality itself—Jordan spawned all of this.

First of all, think of the world as it was in 1984. So much was new, from personal computers to cable TV to hip-hop. For a kid in 1984, there was so much to discover: Atari 2600s and Commodore 64s, ESPN and MTV, Run-DMC and LL Cool J. All of it sudden, it seemed there was so much MORE of everything. As for the NBA, there was the ongoing rivalry of Magic and Bird, Dr. J was flying high for the Sixers, and the year prior the league had introduced yet another ABA innovation—the Slam Dunk Contest.

For Nike, the time couldn’t have been better to introduce something new. And, given their timeframe, what happened next was perfect—the NBA banned their new shoe. Well, not exactly. What they banned was a custom version of the Air Ship, an inline shoe and Air Force 1 successor that had been made up in the Air Jordan’s black-and-red color scheme. It didn’t fit the uniform code, the NBA said, and it was out. Nike responded by doing two things: They created a version of the shoe that added white panels to the black and red upper, meeting uniform regulations. And they turned the ban into that famous TV commercial.

When the ban came down, the NBA season hadn’t started yet, and the shoe wasn’t set to go on sale for another six months. It was the kind of publicity that you literally can’t buy. Jordan talked up the shoe on TV with David Letterman, then wore the “banned” black-and-red model in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest, along with a matching nylon tracksuit. He stripped off the tracksuit after the first round, and lost the competition to Dominique Wilkins, yet still caught the ire of other All-Stars. “Michael is a rookie and he still has a lot to learn,” said the Spurs George Gervin, “just like we all did.” Well, not so much.

When the Air Jordan finally released in April of 1985, the hype had built to a fever pitch. Jordan, voted in as an All-Star starter, was well on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. And with jerseys still being something of a specialty-store item, his shoes were the best way for fans to show allegiance. According to the language of Jordan’s initial five-year, $500,000 per year deal with Nike, the last two years would become guaranteed if he sold $4 million worth of shoes in the deal’s third year. Instead, Air Jordan did $100 million worth of business in the first 10 months. Air Jordans were everywhere.

The outrageous success of Air Jordan would change everything when it came to basketball shoes. The year before Jordan was drafted, the biggest sneaker deal was No. 1 pick Ralph Sampson’s deal with Puma. Jordan’s former college teammate James Worthy, the No. 1 pick in 1982, had signed with New Balance for $150,000 a year. Now, with Air Jordan under his belt, agent David Falk could get a huge deal—with adidas—for Knicks center Patrick Ewing, the first overall pick of 1985. They’d go on to sign Run-DMC too, after the group released a song called “My Adidas” in 1986.

But while other brands played catch-up, Nike was off and running. The original Air Jordan I stayed on shelves for over a year before being replaced by the Air Jordan II, a sleek, Italian-made shoe that did away with the Swoosh entirely and left Jordan’s ball-and-wings logo as the only overt branding outside of a block-letter NIKE on the heels. And the Jordan I’s DNA carried forward in the Dunk, a collegiate model done up in all sorts of team colors. The Georgetown Hoyas, Patrick Ewing’s alma mater, even got their own shoe—the Terminator, made up in navy and grey with HOYAS across the heels.

There were missteps of course, both figurative and literal. Following the immense initial success of Air Jordan, Nike produced millions more pairs, many of which wound up selling for far below the suggested $65 retail price. And Jordan himself would break his foot in just the third game of his second season, knocking him out for nearly five months, including the All-Star break. (He’d return in time to play 15 more regular-season games before turning in a legendary playoff performance—63 points at Boston Garden!—against Larry Bird and the Celtics. In Jordan Is, of course.)

Following that Celtics sweep, Jordan himself wouldn’t lace up a pair of Jordan Is for an NBA game for another 12 years. He never planned on wearing them again. But before what he expected to be his final regular-season game at Madison Square Garden in 1998, he’d found an original pair in the back of a closet and thought it would be cool to wear them one last time even though they were a size too small. He scored 42 points, putting one last mark on a world he—and his shoes—had made.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM PRESENTS JORDANS VOL. 4!

Russ Bengtson is a freelance writer. He tweets @RussBengtson.

Photos via Nike and Getty Images. 

The post Change the Game: How the Air Jordan I Transformed Sneaker Culture appeared first on SLAM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq4-9cHTULQ

Powerhouse opponents characterize Boston and Philly’s history. Before Bird and Erving, it was Wilt Chamberlain against Bill Russell and Hal Greer against Sam Jones.

Today’s Celtics and 76ers rivalry is comparable to its predecessors, and the 2018-2019 NBA season will kick off Tuesday, October 16, with a tribute to their age-old rivalry, when the 76ers visit TD Garden. Their stacked rosters balance the skills of upcoming young talent with those of established NBA veterans, making both favorites to play in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.

The 76ers have Joel Embiid, whose notorious defensive skills, post finishes, and size grant him a dominant presence. However, the Celtics have ultimate ball-handler Kyrie Irving, an expert at poking holes in impressive defensive lineups. While Irving is arguably one of the best players in the League, the Celtics defeated the 76ers in the playoffs without him, and fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward. Welcoming Irving and Hayward back is a recipe for amazing back-and-forth action.

Embiid’s teammate, Ben Simmons, is commonly critiqued for lacking a jumpshot, but his ability to make it to the rim and secure post finishes offsets his developing shot. Simmons is coming back to the regular season after earning the Rookie of the Year title, which Boston’s Jayson Tatum was also a contender to win.

Statistically speaking, Simmons is better than Tatum, with a greater average of points (15.8-13.9), rebounds (8.1-5.0), and assists (8.2-1.6) per game. Yet, Tatum better flaunted his skills during the playoffs and his scoring abilities were crucial in pushing the Cavs to Game 7 in the Eastern Finals. The Celtics ultimately lost, but Tatum lead his team in scoring with 24 points and unforgettably dunked on LeBron James.

Al Horford, Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown will also contribute to the Celtics’ hopeful claim to a championship, while JJ Redick and Markelle Fultz are expected to do the same for the 76ers. Fultz struggled to prove himself last season, but he demonstrated notable improvement this preseason.

Speaking of preseasons, the Celtics only won one of their four games. Their defense was uncharacteristically disappointing, and they struggled offensively with their fast breaks and three-pointers. On the other hand, the 76ers only lost one of four games. Philly spent half of its preseason in China, where they won one game against the Dallas Mavericks and lost the other.

When the Celtics and 76ers enter TD Garden, they will be facing perhaps their fiercest competitors of the season. Both teams have the necessary talent to win, but need to figure out how to best access their rosters’ depths. No shortage of passion is expected at Tuesday’s game, which may foreshadow which team is on its way to becoming the beast of the East.

The post The Celtics and Sixers Open the Season Tonight, Marking Another Chapter in an Epic Rivalry appeared first on SLAM.

Indiana has made it to the postseason each of the last three seasons, but haven’t been able to advance out of the first round. Fans aren’t convinced that this season will be any different, and demand for tickets is down about 9 percent over last season.

The average asking price for a 2018-19 Pacers ticket is $102 on the secondary market. Pacers tickets are ranked No. 26 across the League in terms of price. Only the Hawks, Magic, Pelicans and Hornets have cheaper averages. The Warriors are No. 1 in ticket prices at $463.

Despite the drop, Pacers tickets are the third-most expensive since 2011. The priciest ticket of the decade was $112 last year, followed by $108 in 2015-16.

For the most expensive game of the season, when the Warriors visit on January 28, the average asking price is $267. The second-most expensive game is $201 for chance to LeBron in a Lakers uniform on February 5.

The next two most expensive are against the Celtics. The Pacers and Celtics have had a long and eventful relationship, centered mostly around the Celtics making Larry Bird the No. 6 overall pick in 1978. Bird went on to win three NBA titles with the Celtics, where he played his entire career, before joining the Pacers as head coach. Bird is currently an advisor to the Pacers.

Tickets to the Celtics games are averaging $191 for the April 5 game and $181 for the November 3 game. The fifth most expensive game of the season is a March 14 meeting with Oklahoma City, which checks in at $169.

For fans wanting a chance to get into Bankers Life Fieldhouse, TicketIQ.com has seats available for all games, including many with the company’s Low Price Guarantee. For the February 5 Lakers game, fans can treat themselves to a floor seat in Row 7, Section 16 for $1,106 or for the April 5 Celtics game seats in Balcony 228 on the corner start as low as $48.

RELATED:
Bucks Ticket Prices Up 9 Percent on Secondary Market

The post Pacers Ticket Prices Down 9 Percent on Secondary Market 🎟️ appeared first on SLAM.

He is talking, of course, about kicks.

Both Bernstein and Nathaniel Butler have been shooting the League for over 34 years, beginning in an era when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird ruled and Converse was the king of sneakers. Other stars soon caught on–Hall of Famer James Worthy actually signed a million-dollar deal with New Balance upon going pro–but fan interest in what players were rocking on their feet truly skyrocketed when Michael Jordan took over the NBA.

As the entire thing has blossomed into a full-blown phenomenon, Bernstein and Butler have had a front row seat.

“Once Michael showed up with those first Air Jordans, that was the end of that,” says Bernstein. “Because that created this whole subculture of shoe maniacs that just lived and died by whatever new shoe was coming out.”

So photographers adjusted accordingly, becoming more and more conscious of the kicks on the floor when working.

“Back in the day, no one was requesting it,” Butler says. “I was just doing it. It was, Ah, that looks cool, and you’re just shooting different things. But [Jordan] obviously set the bar.”

Today, there are daily notifications and constant direction from the League about specific colorways, PEs or new models to keep an eye on, and photographers take notice of any design that’s visually pleasing. The task includes grabbing isolated shots—usually during warm-ups, free throws, timeouts, or video reviews—and mid-game action shots.

“You can get the stationary shots pretty easily,” Butler tells SLAM. “But now guys are putting—and Kyrie [Irving] is huge with this—stuff on the sole. So you want them up in the air where you can see the under-side. That requires a little more attention and focus, and it’s tricky.”

“I try to cover myself and get these guys’ shoes as best I can during warm-ups,” Bernstein adds. “I’ve been burned a couple times trying to get shoe shots when I really should be shooting action.”

It makes sense when you consider not only the mounting hysteria around sneakers, but also how the players have come to use them: to push political and social messages, to bring to light significant issues in our country, to pay tribute to friends and family. The list goes on and on.

“I think it’s great, the messages they put on,” Bernstein says. “It’s personal, it lets you know a little bit about the person instead of just the athlete.”

There are instances when photographers actually go into the locker room before the game to snap the shoes by themselves, a detail that says a lot about how far—and fast—the culture has developed.

Perhaps the greatest indicator of its evolution, however, is the increasing number of requests to shoot the guys arriving at the arena. [Obligatory plug to @LeagueFits, which you should go follow.]

“If you tried to photograph Larry Bird walking into the arena 30 years ago, he’d like punch you in the face for doing it,” Butler jokes. “But the guys are into it [today]. It’s another way for them to market themselves.”

Butler goes on to explain the procedure some players currently follow: “Guys will walk into the building wearing these. Then they warm up in these. Wear these, and then change at halftime into these.”

Which just goes to show how much sneakers now occupy the basketball world.

And Bernstein and Butler have been there every step of the way, capturing the various looks and helping to push the ever-growing movement forward.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

All photos by Bernstein and Butler.

The post The Art of Photographing NBA Kicks 📸👟 appeared first on SLAM.

It’s essential that we never forget, and celebrate in every way we can, Antoine Walker the hooper—a fearless, confident, entertaining competitor who was ahead of his time.

It started at Kentucky, where Walker starred on one of the best college basketball teams ever. The 1995-96 Wildcats also had Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Derek Anderson and Ron Mercer and went 32-4 (16-0 in the SEC) en route to a National Championship.

What made Walker truly special, and caught the eye of NBA scouts, was his versatility. At 6-8, he could handle the rock up top, hit from the outside, score from the post, attack the boards, and had the vision and passing ability of a guard.

In a 1996 draft that is considered to be among the greatest in League history, Antoine was selected No. 6 overall by the Celtics. He took center stage on their rebuilding squad, captivating the Boston Garden crowd on a nightly basis. As a rookie, he averaged 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Those numbers are absurd for a 20-year-old dealing with the pressure of playing in such a historic hoops city.

Walker was an All-Star by his second go-around, an automatic double-double (22.4 points, 10.2 rebounds) and a ray of light for a franchise struggling in the aftermath of the Larry Bird era. Paul Pierce came on board the following year, and the two pumped even more excitement into the passionate C’s fanbase. Together they led Boston to the Eastern Conference finals in 2002, averaging a combined 47 points through 16 total playoff outings.

After one more postseason run, Walker was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He bounced around a bit before landing in Miami; and in 2006, helped the Heat win a championship as a key contributor. Antoine led the title squad in three-pointers made and was the only player to appear in every single game.

Two years later he hung up his sneakers, leaving a significant imprint on the League and a montage of shimmies to remember.

Of course, you can’t talk about Walker without mentioning that iconic shimmy.

Throughout his career, Toine was often criticized for relying too heavily on his outside jumper. Over a three-year stint from 2000-03, he averaged at least seven three-pointers per contest. Truth is: Walker was ahead of the curve—a stretch 4 before that role took over the NBA. He would fit perfectly in the modern era of small ball and pace and space. A prime Antoine would be a PROBLEM for opposing defenses given today’s trends.

Not that he wasn’t a problem back in his playing days. A fearless, confident, entertaining competitor.

Never forget.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate News Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty. 

The post The SLAM Legend of the Week: Antoine Walker 💪 appeared first on SLAM.

The King has to “figure out a way to win.”

Bryant defines every great player’s legacy by how many championship rings they collect.

So how do we view LeBron's legacy now?

I put that question to @kobebryant, @paulpierce34, @IsiahThomas, @realgranthill33 @JalenRose, @Dennis3DScott, Vince Carter and others for a virtual panel discussion. https://t.co/lv8McJHzPt

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 11, 2018

The Black Mamba is happy to share the same kind of tough-love advice Michael Jordan gave him years ago when he was struggling to get past the Celtics.

Per Bleacher Report:

LeBron has three rings. He’s been to more Finals than any player in modern times. But he’s 3-6 after this series. Does that matter to his legacy?

Kobe Bryant: “All I thought about as a kid personally was winning championships. That’s all I cared about. That’s how I valued Michael. That’s how I valued [Larry] Bird. That’s how I valued Magic [Johnson]. It was just winning championships. Now, everybody’s going to value things differently, which is fine. I’m just telling you how I value mine.

“If I’m Bron, you got to figure out a way to win. It’s not about narrative. You want to win championships, you just gotta figure it out.”

How should we weigh a star’s supporting cast? Does LeBron get credit for carrying Jordan Clarkson and JR Smith this far, or penalized for losing with them? We saw how the role players blew Game 1 of the series.

Bryant: “Michael gave me some really good advice after the ’08 Finals: ‘You got all the tools. You gotta figure out how to get these guys to that next level to win that championship.’ Going into the 2010 series, I said, ‘Listen, Boston, they got Ray Allen, they got Paul Pierce, they got [Kevin] Garnett, they got Sheed [Wallace], the talent is there. They’re stacked.’ That was the first superteam. [Michael] kind of heard me lament about it, and he just goes, ‘Yeah, well, it is what it is; you gotta figure it out. There’s no other alternative.’ And that’s the challenge LeBron has. You have pieces that you have to try to figure out how to work with. Excuses don’t work right now. …

“It has everything to do with how you build the team, from an emotional level. How do you motivate them? … Leadership is not making guys better by just throwing them the ball. That’s not what it is. It’s about the influence that you have on them to reach their full potential. And some of it’s not pretty. Some of it’s challenging, some of it’s confrontational. Some of it’s pat on the back. But it’s finding that balance, so now when you show up to play a Golden State or a Boston, your guys feel like you have the confidence to take on more.”

The post Kobe Bryant: LeBron James Must ‘Figure Out a Way to Win’ appeared first on SLAM.

KD isn’t worried about his effect on the League’s image.

Kevin Durant to @YahooSportsNBA on claims that he ruined the NBA: "I should be making more money if all that's on me." https://t.co/Z2oXqWMkEO

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) June 9, 2018

Durant adds that it’s much harder to stand out on a superteam.

Per Yahoo Sports:

“My responsibility is to my skills. My responsibility is to myself,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not worried about the NBA. That’s their job. They make too much money. They ain’t paying me enough to dictate the NBA. I should be making more money if all that’s on me. My responsibility is to whatever team I play for. All that other stuff, that’s on y’all.”

Never thinking that basketball would even take him out of Maryland while growing up, Durant is in awe of what he continues to accomplish. He became the sixth player in NBA history with Finals MVP honors in consecutive seasons, joining Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant and James. Only 12 players have multiple Finals MVP honors, with Magic Johnson, Willis Reed, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan being the others.

“Kobe, M.J., LeBron, Kareem, those dudes drive me, they push me every day to get to that level, to that standard and I want to be able to sit back and talk to them about basketball one day,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “I’m happy I’ll be able dial up some of them and get some equity in that deal when it comes to being able to talk amongst the greats and experience what they experienced.

“I feel like it’s easy to be the best player when you don’t have good players around you. I feel like it’s harder to stand out when you have great players around you,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “I pride myself on standing out wherever I am. I pride myself on working hard wherever I go. And I feel like these guys embraced me and I feel like I’m a Warrior.”

The post Kevin Durant Says He Didn’t Ruin the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9: Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James

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—

The legend of Michael Jordan as we know it today started in 1982. With 15 seconds left in the National Championship game against the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas, Jordan caught the rock and hit a clutch jumper from the wing to secure a win for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

He also made a shot in 1989, the one where he was suspended in midair at the foul line, the one that still gives Craig Ehlo and Cavs fans everywhere nightmares. There was the one in Chicago, too, in 1997, where he faded left and beat the Jazz. He did it again a year later, this time in Utah. He held his follow-through for a moment.

One last shot.

There was that 63-point game in Boston, the 69-point performance in Cleveland. The 55-point show against Phoenix in 1993 and then another double-nickel at Madison Square Garden in 1995.

He had the “spectacular” layup, the Shrug, the Flu Game and the Free-Throw Dunk.

Six championships, six Finals MVPs, five regular season MVPs and 10 scoring titles, too.

He had the tongue, the baggy shorts and the revolutionary sneakers.

Air. Jordan.

But before he was the best player of all time, Jordan struggled to prove himself. Basketball purists called him a ball hog. He was, they said, just an athlete. He didn’t have fundamentals, they said. They ridiculed him for not being a winner. Scoring leaders don’t win titles, they said. Older teams beat up on him. They dared him to come down the lane. They invited him to pass to his teammates. Nobody around the League knew what they were doing, though.

They didn’t know about the fire that burned inside of him, the most intense desire to succeed. It drove him to become the best perimeter defender in the League. He refined his mid-range jumpshot and added a meticulous post-game to his offensive arsenal. He was armed with an extensive basketball IQ, one that he built up every time he was knocked down in his early years.

It started with his sneakers. He captivated young kids around the country when the NBA said he wasn’t allowed to wear his black and red Nike Air Ships in-game. The League said the kicks violated the dress code because they didn’t feature enough white.

When the Air Jordan III debuted in 1988, it introduced a mid-cut height, which marked the first of many times that Jordan’s kicks influenced how basketball silhouettes would be designed. When Mike took off from the free-throw line at the ’88 Dunk Contest while wearing the IIIs, which were decked out with the all-new Jumpman logo on the tongue, it was a wrap for every other sneaker on the market.

The kicks and their state-of-the-art technology soared to new heights thanks to his production on the hardwood. He was dominating, altering the way people would play the game for years to come. Mike was proving himself to be the trailblazer for the next generation of basketball. He was a multidimensional weapon who cast a shadow on both offense and defense. There was no planning for him because he had all the answers. His counter moves had counter moves. He was disciplined, supremely focused. Those doubters had given him fuel to develop a fundamentally sound base that he used to endlessly torment opponents.

By the time the 1991 season wrapped up, he had taken down the Pistons and the Lakers, two of the League’s powerhouse teams, and won his first ’chip. And he’d done it in style. Mike wasn’t just winning—he was changing the game, on and off the court. The basketball world was in the palm of his hand.

He also made Space Jam, a career highlight that would justify the No. 1 spot on this list all by itself.

Perhaps the most important thing MJ did was inspire kids around the globe to play and love basketball. Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol are among the European players who have said the Dream Team made them want to start playing ball. Allen Iverson said Jordan made him want to be an NBA player. LeBron James wears No. 23 because of MJ. Kobe Bryant emulated Mike’s entire game. Turn on any broadcast right now, from the WNBA to the NBA to the Liga ACB in Spain, and you’ll see someone taking a fadeaway from the mid-post. You’ll see someone wearing some Air Jordans. You’ll see someone trying to fly.

We all relate to Mike. He was a kid who relentlessly improved himself to silence all the negative noise around him. He learned how to win and went on to never lose again. And in doing so, he taught the future to attempt to do the same.

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SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 100-51
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11
Larry Bird, No. 10
Tim Duncan, No. 9
Wilt Chamberlain, No. 8
Bill Russell, No. 7
Shaquille O’Neal, No. 6
Kobe Bryant, No. 5
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, No. 4
Magic Johnson, No. 3
LeBron James, No. 2

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100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9: Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

Roughly nine hours before LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 points, the King reminded himself, via an Instagram post, to savor the looming achievement.

“While I know it’s never been a goal of yours from the beginning,” he wrote, “try (please try) to take a moment for yourself.”

Special Offer: Click Here To Get 15% Off NBA Store With Code NBASLAM15

Yes, it makes sense that James, who is somehow still in his prime at 33 years old, might need a reminder to take a step back and appreciate his success.

But what’s our excuse?

Too often we have taken LeBron for granted. We have allowed foolish storylines that have nothing to do with basketball distract us. We have let a few subpar performances in a masterful body of work that has spanned over 1,100 games cloud our perception. We have seen so many poster dunks and chase-down blocks and how-is-that-humanly-possible assists that each one has lost a bit of its ability to provoke shock and awe. I mean, we don’t even blink anymore when we see 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists on 10-14 shooting in the box score.

So let this ranking serve as another reminder that we have all been—and still are—witnesses to something special: A player who has earned his place in every “Who is the GOAT?” argument happening at dinner tables and sports bars around the world.

It was a career destined to disappoint. At 17, James was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated and dubbed “The Chosen One.” At 18, he signed a seven-year Nike endorsement deal worth over $90 million before being selected first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. It all made you wonder: How could he feasibly live up to our ridiculous expectations? There was even a famous Nike commercial that played off this curiosity, showing James, seemingly overcome by the pressure, frozen in his League debut.

But while the ongoing story of LeBron has had its occasional distraction—see “I’m taking my talents to South Beach”—the player himself has been a model of consistency where it matters most: on the court. James has averaged more than 25 points per game on at least 47 percent shooting from the field for 14 straight seasons (and over 50 percent in eight of the last nine). He has made 14 straight All-Star appearances (tied for sixth most) and been picked to 11 straight All-NBA First Teams (a feat only Karl Malone has achieved). He has made the playoffs 13 straight years and the Finals seven straight years (the first to do so since Bill Russell’s Celtics in the 1960s). He has missed just 71 regular season games out of a potential 1,214, and has never been sidelined during the playoffs.

That type of durability is remarkable for any player, but especially for someone who carries as much weight and impacts the game in as many ways as James. What separates him from the six other Hall of Famers, or future Hall of Famers, to hit the 30,000 benchmark is this: He is the only one of them to also notch 7,000 assists (he has 8,208 as of this writing, which is 11th all-time) and more than 8,000 rebounds…not to mention the 1,865 career steals (16th all-time), and the countless blocks (including The Block) that are somehow still unfathomable after observing them thousands of times.

The versatile James is not just one of the greatest scorers ever, he is also one of the greatest passers and defenders. At 6-8, 250 pounds, he defines the term “all-around player,” adept at orchestrating an offense and guarding every position.

To have James’ freak athleticism is one thing. To have it and also have his level of basketball IQ is another. That never-before-seen combination has brought LeBron three championships—one against a team with KD, Westbrook and Harden; one against the San Antonio dynasty; and one against the best regular season squad in NBA history—and four MVP trophies (only four others have that many).

And remember, the clock is still ticking. The run is not over. The climb continues. LeBron could, assuming his production persists at a high rate (an extremely fair assumption), retire in the top five in points and assists. No other player ranks in the top 10 in both categories.

So take a note from the King himself and grasp what is unfolding: a career destined to disappoint that has done anything and everything but.

RELATED
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 100-51
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11
Larry Bird, No. 10
Tim Duncan, No. 9
Wilt Chamberlain, No. 8
Bill Russell, No. 7
Shaquille O’Neal, No. 6
Kobe Bryant, No. 5
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, No. 4
Magic Johnson, No. 3
Michael Jordan, No. 1

The post 👑 SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: LeBron James, No. 2 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9: Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

Perhaps unique among the many good and great players who have lost substantial chunks of their careers to injury, offcourt issues or illness, Earvin Johnson doesn’t feel like a guy who got robbed. Or more to the point: In hindsight, and strictly from a basketball perspective, it doesn’t feel like we were robbed of him.

This is not to minimize the impact of his HIV-enforced retirement on the eve of the ’91-92 season, a cultural earthquake whose magnitude is hard to fully appreciate all these years later. Nor is it to forget that, given how little we understood about the virus at the time, most fans immediately assumed he had been handed a death sentence—that he might literally have just months to live. It’s only to say that, by that point, the man known universally as Magic had already lived the fullest possible basketball life.

By the fall of 1991, Magic Johnson had a National Championship ring, and a literal handful of NBA championship rings to go with it. He was an 11-time All-Star and three-time League MVP. He was a lock Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players of all time, facts that were indisputable whether he played another game.

And yet.

Magic was only 32 years old that fall, coming off a season in which he averaged 19.4 points, 7 rebounds and 12.5 assists, numbers almost identical to his full career averages. He was healthy, having led the Lakers back to the NBA Finals the previous spring, where they were the first casualty of Michael Jordan’s burgeoning Chicago dynasty. They would have their hands full fighting off hungry challengers in the West, let alone stopping the Bulls, but with a healthy Magic running the show and competitive as ever, the Lakers would be contenders for the foreseeable future.

Then fate intervened, and with the exception of his (yes) magical ’92 All-Star run, his stint with the ’92 Dream Team, and his brief NBA comeback in ’95-96, Magic’s playing days were over. And so we were robbed. He and all of us, robbed of years of memories, of more highlights, more inspiration, more joy. But again, this is where hindsight eases the bitterness of that loss. With the benefit of time, it’s easy to appreciate just how much Magic we got.

In the social media era, he would’ve been a national celebrity in high school; that talent and style and big, beaming smile would’ve been too much to ignore. Instead, young Magic led his Everett (MI) High team to a state championship in relative anonymity, then blossomed into a star as he carried Michigan State to the 1979 NCAA title at the expense of upstart Indiana State and Larry Bird. It was Magic who took home Final Four MOP honors, and Magic who was the No. 1 pick in that summer’s NBA draft.

That pick belonged to the Lakers, and despite his small-town Midwestern roots, it was immediately obvious that everything about Magic was perfectly suited to the League’s most glamorous fan base. A point guard with power forward size, he did nothing less than revolutionize his position and the possibilities of the game itself. No one was supposed to be able to pass like that, let alone a 6-9 dude who tried to turn every possession into a choreographed track meet with a finish line at the opponent’s rim. His game was the dream offspring of style and substance, his persona an unprecedented hybrid of rabid competitiveness and boyish, smiling joy.

And here’s the thing: If he’d never played another game beyond his rookie season, Magic Johnson might still have ended up in the Hall of Fame. He was that good when it mattered, filling in for an injured teammate who just happened to be that year’s League MVP. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sidelined for Game 6 in Philly, he jumped center for the opening tip, played every position on the floor over the course of the game, and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. The Lakers clinched the title in a route, and the 21-year-old rookie had earned the first of his three Finals MVPs and the first of his five rings.

He did plenty more over the next 11 seasons to confirm his place in the GOAT conversation. Maybe a few more years would have put him over the top, but that what-if seems silly to dwell on. While he could, he gave us everything he had, and it was everything that made basketball great.

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100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

The basketball world outside of New York City knew little of Lew Alcindor in December 1966, when he prepared to make his UCLA debut against USC. There had been occasional dispatches the previous season about a 7-2 freshman who was tearing up the varsity in scrimmages, back before first-year players were allowed to play with the big team. Try to imagine some 18-year-old from Oregon State who had to face Alcindor in a freshman game. He probably went back to his dormitory afterward and wept. So when the soph center poured in 56 in his collegiate debut, a sense of hysteria overtook the Bruin program. (Plus, UCLA had already won two of the previous three national titles.) If ESPN had been around back then, it probably would have commissioned a 30 for 30 immediately.

Alcindor went on to become the greatest college player of all time, helping the Bruins to an 88-2 record over three years and a trio of national titles. He was also responsible for the NCAA’s outlawing of the dunk from ’67-76, a ridiculous ruling that somehow would help Stanford stop Alcindor from scoring 40 on it.

The NBA had never seen anything like him. Many fans just remember Abdul-Jabbar—he converted to Islam in 1968 and started using his Arabic name in ’71—as the guy who later in his career would set up on the block and dribble and shift until he could launch his deadly sky hook. But when he hit the League in 1969, he was an extraordinary basketball specimen, a big man with uncommon speed, athletic ability and skill. He played with supreme confidence, even as a rookie, and demonstrated early that he not only understood the game from a big man’s perspective but also from a larger global view.

Milwaukee won just 27 games in its first NBA season, earning it the right to draft Abdul-Jabbar. Two seasons later, KAJ led the team to the world championship. That year, he won the first of his six MVP awards and led the League with 34.8 ppg while pulling down 16.6 rebounds a night. He was an unstoppable presence who used his size to dominate from above those smaller and his speed and quickness to embarrass the big fellas. Today’s NBA fans marvel at players like Giannis Antetokounmpo; well, they should watch some footage of a young Abdul-Jabbar to see similar skill and athletic grace nearly 50 years ago.

Unhappy with the city of Milwaukee and missing his friends and family on the West Coast, Abdul-Jabbar told Bucks management in 1974 that he wanted to be traded. His final season in Wisconsin featured a losing record—Abdul-Jabbar missed 16 games due to a broken hand—and the Bucks’ trading him to L.A. is generally looked at as one of the worst trades ever, when, in reality, the Bucks ended up with two players—Brian Winters and Junior Bridgeman—whose numbers were retired by the team. And they had to do it. The Lakers welcomed Abdul-Jabbar, but his first few years in L.A. weren’t idyllic, even though he won the MVP award during his first with the team. Sure, he scored a lot of points, but Abdul-Jabbar was, at times, accused of loafing and not caring. His proud, introspective personality was misread as aloof. While Portland and Seattle rose in the West, the Lakers struggled.

Then came Magic Johnson, and everything changed. Abdul-Jabbar was the MVP again in 1979-80, reborn thanks to the enthusiasm and charisma of his rookie teammate. The Lakers would win five titles between 1980-88, and even as Abdul-Jabbar’s totals sagged, his influence on the team and ability to provide a low-post anchor were huge reasons for the team’s success.

In the 1985 Finals against the Celtics, L.A. lost Game 1, 148-114, in what came to be known as “The Memorial Day Massacre.” Three days later, the Lakers rebounded with a 109-102 victory fueled by Abdul-Jabbar’s 30 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks. Los Angeles won in six games, and Abdul-Jabbar was the Finals MVP.

Sure, his last couple of years weren’t overwhelming. But when he bid farewell to the NBA after 20 seasons, 19 All-Star Game appearances and more points than anybody who ever played pro ball—before or since—no one even remembered how many points or boards Abdul-Jabbar averaged at the end. They merely marveled at a player whose career was an overwhelming argument for his groundbreaking talent and remarkable endurance.

When the whispers started back in the mid-1960s, nobody really knew what was coming. Nearly 25 years later, we had all seen. And we were amazed.

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100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

Kobe Bean Bryant entered the NBA straight out of high school and proceeded to play his entire 20-year career for the Los Angeles Lakers. That his career played out under the bright lights of L.A., for one of the most storied franchises in the League, only adds to the allure of his legacy. That he’s been retired for two seasons now almost doesn’t seem real.

A former MVP, five-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 18-time NBA All-Star, two-time scoring champion, two-time Olympic Gold medalist and 11-time First Team All-NBAer, Bryant finished his career with the third-most points in NBA history (33,643), sandwiched between Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. There are more accomplishments that deserve mention, like the nine NBA All-Defensive First Team nods, the Slam Dunk title he added to his résumé as a rookie that helped him burst on the scene, or the fact that he had not one, but two jersey numbers retired by the Lakers. The individual seasons were eye-popping, too, like his League-leading 35.4 ppg (WTF?) in ’05-06 or his nine consecutive 40-point games in ’02-03, to tie MJ’s record, just to name a couple.

And then there are the memories. Oh, the memories. The 81-point game. Sixty-two points through three quarters in another. Remember Game 7 of the 2000 Western Finals vs. Portland? What about Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals vs. Boston? Or that time he casually sank free throws on a torn Achilles tendon? There are dozens more in between, all with a trademark scowl on his face and the roar of a lion in his heart.

Later in Kobe’s career, the “Black Mamba” became a nickname, and then a mentality, which was equally intimidating to opponents and inspiring to the next generation of athletes. He’d work harder, be more tenacious, more of an asshole—he liked being the villain—than anyone else on the court at all times.

And it made him great.

“He pissed me off a lot,” Kevin Durant said in a Nike ad commemorating Kobe’s retirement. “He happened to say, You guys can’t even sit at the lunch table with me. I got five championships. What do you have?” Yup, an asshole ‘til the bitter end.

Kobe is inarguably one of the best players, and most prolific scorers, in the history of the game. His Hall of Fame induction is only a matter of time. Where he ranks on the all-time list of greats will forever be a debate. Should he be higher? Top-5, maybe?

“I would never put myself in the [all-time] starting five ever,” Kobe told Good Morning America in 2015. “I would put the people that I’ve actually learned the most from, being Jordan, Magic, Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon and Jerry West.”

It’s a nice sentiment from Kobe, whose enormous respect for the history of the game has never wavered. But we can all agree that deep down, the famous Mamba mentality would never allow him to truly believe any player was ever better than he was—right?

Photos via Getty Images.

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100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

Considering he was an active NBA player this decade, it is difficult to imagine a player whose greatness has been more inexplicably forgotten by so many than Shaquille O’Neal.

OK, so maybe “inexplicable” isn’t the right word.

There are reasons, some of them valid, why even knowledgeable fans tend to underrate just how good Shaq really was. And, yes, some of them are the big man’s own fault. He was always a guy whose appetites—for jokes, for acting gigs and commercial endorsements, not to mention his literal appetite—made it easy to question his dedication to the game. For a lot of younger fans especially, he’s just that jovial giant goofing on Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA, then hawking Gold Bond and Icy Hot when the game goes to commercial. He’s a “basketball personality” who, rumor has it, used to play the game.

Then there’s that other segment of the audience, fans and even some media types who are old enough to know better. Some fixate on those last few vagabond years of his career, when he was only occasionally healthy and engaged. Others look at how the game has changed, the pace and the emphasis on threes and the relative lack of traditional bigs, and dare to wonder if Shaq could thrive in the modern NBA. And hey, it’s fine to wonder. But it’s not OK to fool yourself.

For a guy officially listed at 7-1, 325 pounds, the outsized career numbers are always a good place to start. He retired after the 2010-11 season with 28,596 points (eighth best all-time), 13,099 rebounds (good for 14 all-time), and 2,732 blocks, placing him eighth on the official list. He was a 15-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA First Team pick. And of course, he’s got those four rings.

Those grand totals aside—and even forgetting about those ridiculously fun first few years in Orlando and his vital contributions to Dwyane Wade’s first title team in Miami in ’05-06—there’s a three-year period in Los Angeles that tells you all you should ever need to know.

From ’99-00 to ’01-02, Shaq averaged 28.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.

That was during the regular season, of course. In 58 playoff games during that same run, The Big Aristotle averaged 29.9 points and 14.5 boards.

For the entire playoffs.

But in the 15 NBA Finals games he played during that stretch—the games with the highest stakes and the most pressure—Diesel averaged 35.9 points and 15.2 rebounds per game.

So, sure, you can wish he’d stayed in better shape, been less of a distraction, put his ego aside in Orlando or L.A., extended his peak. Maybe he’d have another MVP or two, maybe another ring. But if you don’t realize how dominant he really was, if you’ve chosen to believe otherwise, or if you’ve simply forgotten, correct that oversight here. By every measure, Shaq was outstanding.

Photos via Getty Images.

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SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 100-51
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11
Larry Bird, No. 10
Tim Duncan, No. 9
Wilt Chamberlain, No. 8
Bill Russell, No. 7

The post SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Shaquille O’Neal, No. 6 appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

“The most divine teammate there ever was.” That’s how legendary sportswriter Frank Deford described Bill Russell in a 1999 SI profile. There’s no better way to summarize who Russell was as an athlete, though this, courtesy of Jerry West and shared with Deford, is pretty perfect, too: “It wasn’t just that Bill was the whole package—and he was,” West said. “But there was such presence he brought to the game.”

Russell won three consecutive high school state titles, then another two in three years at the University of San Francisco. In 1956, he was drafted by the Celtics, whom he lead to 11 championships in 13 seasons, two of which (’68 and ’69) came with him serving as the team’s head coach, the first black man to hold the position in a major American sport.

Our favorite Bill Russell stat is the following: He played in 11 series-deciding games in his NBA career. Guess his record? Yeah, in those contests Russell was 11-0. You hear a lot of athletes talk about losing not being an option, but for Russell it was almost literally the case. This is why teammates would often find him hunched over a toilet and vomiting prior to big games. “It’s a welcome sound…it means he’s keyed up,” Celtics guard John Havlicek once said. “Around the locker room we grin and say, Man, we’re going to be alright tonight.”

Russell was a majestic athlete. A 6-10 former college high jump standout, but also a brilliant tactician, he was considered by his teammates and opponents to be the most impactful defender the game ever saw. It’s the primary reason he was a five-time MVP. He turned shot blocking into an art, swatting shots softly to teammates, which he realized could trigger fast breaks.

But that all captures who Russell was as a player, not a man. That, at least, was what he’d say—that basketball was what he did, not who he was. Who was he? President Barack Obama once described him as “someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men.” Obama shared those words in May 2011, prior to awarding Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the Civil Rights movement. Russell stood by Muhammad Ali and marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr.

He was one of America’s first black superstars, keenly aware of the burden and importance that came with such a title. In 1958, while touring with a group of NBA All-Stars, Russell and his black teammates were denied hotel rooms in a segregated part of North Carolina. He would describe the incident: “It stood out, a wall which understanding cannot penetrate. You are a Negro. You are less.”

Of course, Russell was, and is, much more, more than a Hall of Fame player, more, even, than an all-time winner, more than an NBA legend—though he’s certainly all those things. Bill Russell is one of the most influential athletes in all of American sports. Hero, icon…choose your label. They all apply.

Photos via Getty Images.

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SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 100-51
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Larry Bird, No. 10
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Tim Duncan, No. 9
SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Wilt Chamberlain, No. 8

The post SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Bill Russell, No. 7 appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

Wilt Chamberlain. His one name says enough. Says it all, actually. Wilt. Before LeBron and Magic and Prince, there was Wilton Norman Chamberlain, the biggest, baddest man on the court—and just about anywhere else. There had been big men in the game before, like George Mikan and Bob Kurland, but when Wilt came to the NBA, even Bill Russell didn’t know what to do with him. In 94 regular season games against his Boston rival, Wilt averaged 29.9 ppg and 28.2 rpg.

He overpowered everybody else, too. In 14 NBA seasons, Wilt averaged 30.1 ppg and 22.9 rpg. When he decided to become more of a passer, he averaged 7.8 apg in ’66-67 and 8.6 the following season. When Wilt played on a team where he didn’t have to score, he set a single season field-goal accuracy rate (72.7 percent) that still stands.

In short, there was nothing Wilt couldn’t do on the court. And he was just as formidable off it. In high school, he was a track star. He cut a couple of pop records in the early ’60s. He almost signed a contract to box Muhammad Ali. No one was going to tell the 7-1, 275-pound Leviathan that he couldn’t do something, mostly because he could probably accomplish it. And, anyway, did you want to be the one to deliver the message?

Wilt used to say that “nobody roots for Goliath” and that may be right. So, Wilt became his own biggest fan. He celebrated his stratospheric statistics that were so prodigious they almost didn’t seem real. One-hundred points in a game? Preposterous. Unless you were one of the 100,000 people who said they were in Hershey, PA, on March 2, 1962, when Wilt hit triple figures against the Knicks. That season, he averaged 50.4 ppg, a record that will never be broken. Even his faults were giant-sized. Wilt didn’t just shoot free throws poorly—he was epically bad from the line, making just 51.1 percent for his career despite trying every possible way of shooting foul shots.

Wilt was supposed to win every game, every championship. When he didn’t, they ripped him. He was selfish. Not a winner. But Russell had all of those Hall of Famers, and Red Auerbach directing the show. Sometimes, Wilt just had himself, and that was almost enough. He won two titles. He scored more than anyone else. He even, well, did more of that, too. Wilt was the giant’s giant, so everybody expected outsized results every time he stepped onto the court. Such is Goliath’s curse.

It is now in vogue to denigrate Wilt’s accomplishments. To consider him a selfish giant who couldn’t deliver enough titles. It’s ludicrous, really. Wilt did what nobody else could. He controlled the game with impunity and rendered those charged with containing him helpless.

After he retired, Wilt’s outgoing message on his answering machine was simple: “Speak!” It was delivered in his trademark baritone, and it challenged the caller to be direct and strong and unafraid, all things he was. So, we speak: Wilt was the best.

Photos via Getty Images.

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SLAM Presents TOP 100 is Out Now!

The post SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Wilt Chamberlain, No. 8 appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

Gregg Popovich stood under a spotlight at the AT&T Center in San Antonio in December 2016. He looked down and fumbled with a tissue, saying out loud that he promised himself he wouldn’t use it. With the mic in his right hand, he looked up and turned to Tim Duncan’s sisters.

“This is the most important comment that I can make about Tim Duncan,” he said. “That I can honestly say to Mr. and Mrs. Duncan, who have passed, that that man right there is exactly the same person now as he was when he walked in the door.”

Pop hugged Timmy after he said that, an emotional moment between two friends with 20 years of memories. They’d won five championships together and delivered 19 consecutive winning seasons to Spurs fans. Pop established himself as the best coach in the NBA over those years, displaying an unmatchable wealth of basketball knowledge. He’d shown that no one in the NBA was better at helping players reach their potential.

But Pop might not have reached his potential without Duncan’s help. Even with everything that Pop knew about the game, he and the Spurs weren’t successful until David Robinson stepped aside and gave Duncan the ultra-green light. Timmy led the Spurs to the 1999 Championship by averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds in the Finals. After dominating the Knicks that year, he never looked back.

He would finish his career with two MVP awards, three Finals MVP trophies, 15 selections to the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams and 15 All-Star appearances. He racked up more than 26,000 points, more than 15,000 rebounds and more than 3,000 blocks. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the only other player in NBA history with those numbers.

Stats aside, TD established the Spurs as a model franchise. Pop had the Xs and Os covered. It was up to Duncan to take care of the rest. So he went to work, every day for nearly 20 years.

He built a culture of dependable excellence. He broke down film, hit the weight room, got up extra shots, just like he was one of the guys. But he wasn’t just one of the guys.

He was the guy.

Duncan was a once-in-a-generation franchise cornerstone, someone the rest of the basketball world looked up to. Teammates in San Antonio got to know his secrets, while players around the world watched how he gave consistent effort, subtly controlling the offense and defense.

He eventually stepped aside offensively, like Robinson did before him, lending a guiding hand to help the Spurs continue their winning ways. There was no drama, no complaining. Duncan was just a normal guy disguised as the best power forward ever. He’s timid around strangers, but playful with those he trusts. He has terrible taste in style and amazing taste in cars. He’d rather be with his family than at some exclusive party. That’s the way he is now and it’s the way he’s always been. Just ask Pop.

Photos via Getty Images.

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SLAM Presents TOP 100 is Out Now!

The post SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Tim Duncan, No. 9 appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
50-11
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

Order your copy of the SLAM TOP 100 issue at our store. 

—

The résumé is, obviously, exceptional, and certainly worth highlighting. Larry Bird was a 12-time All-Star, a three-time NBA champion, a three-time MVP and also a two-time member of the exclusive 50-40-90 club.

His rise began with his on-court rivalry with Magic Johnson, which started back when the two were in college at Indiana State and Michigan State, respectively, and carried into the NBA, which carried the League back into living rooms across the country. Jordan might have transformed the League into the behemoth that it is today, but he wouldn’t have had the freedom to do so had Bird and Magic not saved it first. Bird’s feathery jumper remains one of the smoothest strokes in the history of the game. The cliché eyes in the back of his head might as well have been invented just to describe his unbelievable passing and court vision.

But it’s the stories behind these triumphs that make Bird so special, that give meaning to the moniker of Larry Legend. There are too many to fit here so instead let’s just review a few.

In February 1986, moments before the NBA’s first ever Three-Point Shootout, Bird, who was competing in the event, entered the locker room to size up his competition and also to share a message with his opponents. Actually, he had a question: “Who’s finishing in second?” he asked. He won the competition that year, and the next two as well. For the third one, in 1988, he did so without taking off his warmup shirt.

Just days after the ’86 contest, prior to a matchup against the Blazers, Bird—according to then-Celtic Bill Walton—told teammates that he planned on playing the next game left handed. He didn’t completely live up to his word; he only scored 20 of his 47 points with his off-hand.

Talking trash might have been Bird’s greatest skill. Take, for example, the time he told Sonics forward Xavier McDaniel that he was going to hit a game-winning shot over him. Bird caught the ball about 10 seconds later and drilled a jumper from the right elbow—the spot he’d pointed out—over McDaniel’s outstretched arms. He also had a habit of asking opponents on the road what the scoring records were in their respective arenas so that he’d know how many points to score that night. Oh, and let’s not forget the game against the Sixers where Bird politely reminded Julius Erving that he was outscoring him 42-6 and politely suggested that Dr. J consider retiring.

The two wound up throwing punches and getting ejected.

That’s who Bird was—the rare player who could talk with the best of them and then back everything up. Is he the greatest player of all time? No. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be the most legendary. We will simply never see someone like Larry Bird ever again.

Photos via Getty Images.

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SLAM Presents TOP 100 is Out Now!

The post SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Larry Bird, No. 10 appeared first on SLAM.

100-51 
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No. 5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

All player write-ups by Michael Bradley, Peter Robert Casey, Ryan Jones, Max Resetar, Drew Ruiz, Abe Schwadron, Alex Squadron and Yaron Weitzman.

*Active players

50. Earl Monroe (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

No player has been handed so many fantastic nicknames (Black Jesus, Earl the Pearl) and for good reason: Monroe was the epitome of playground flash meets NBA substance. His moves, like his favored spin, might seem simple now, but in the late ’60s and early ’70s, they were groundbreaking.

49. Bill Walton (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 2x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

He was the center for, and of, what many consider to be the greatest team ever (the ’76-77 Blazers) and proof that big scoring numbers aren’t the only path to greatness, as Walton never averaged more than 18.9 points a game. If not for chronic injuries, he’d likely be in the top 10.

48. Nate “Tiny” Archibald (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

During an era dominated by stalwarts, Tiny never let his height plague his play, leading the league in points (2,719) and assists (910) and was the League’s scoring champion during the 1972-73 season. He spent 13 seasons in the NBA with six teams, including the Celtics’ 1980-81 championship squad.

47. Willis Reed (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 7x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

A staple on the great Knick teams of the late 1960s and early ’70s, The Captain was a fearless interior player and is best known for playing Game 7 of the 1970 Finals with a torn thigh muscle. Unfortunately, injuries limited him over the last three years of his career and forced him into early retirement.

46. James Worthy (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 3x NBA Champion)

It’s an imperfect metaphor, but it helps to think of James Worthy as the Klay Thompson of the Showtime Lakers: easily overshadowed by superstar teammates but no less invaluable to a dynasty. A Game 7 triple-double of 36, 16 and 10 in the ’88 Finals cemented Big Game’s nickname for eternity.

45. George Mikan (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 4x All-Star, 4x NBA Champion)

Throughout the ’50s, nobody could draw a slew of fans or help defenders quite like George Mikan. The 6-10 bespectacled big man—who won four titles with the Minneapolis Lakers—redefined the center position, caused multiple league rule changes and was selected as the greatest player of the game’s first half-century.

44. George Gervin (Hall of Fame, 9x All-Star)

It’s tempting to think Gervin scored each of his 26,595 career points on finger rolls, but the Iceman had much more in his arsenal than that. He claimed his fourth and final scoring title in 1981-82, at age 30, averaging 32.3 per at a time when the three-point shot was still largely an afterthought.

43. Clyde Drexler (Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

Drexler graduated from Houston’s Phi Slama Jama to become one of the NBA’s most potent wing scorers and exciting performers. Drexler was almost unstoppable off the dribble, and when he hit the open court, he was a highlight reel waiting to happen. Later in his career, he extended his game and became a solid three-point shooter.

42. Wes Unseld (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 5x All-Star 1x NBA Champion)

Nothing better sums up Unseld’s uniqueness than the fact that his first NBA season was his best. His rookie averages of 13.8 points and 18.2 boards helped him earn both ROY and MVP honors in ’68-69. At 6-7, 245, the dude who turned outlet passes into highlights remains the game’s most sublime bruiser.

41. Dominique Wilkins (Hall of Fame, 9x All-Star)

You can’t talk about dunking without mentioning The Human Highlight Film. But the two-time Slam Dunk Champion was so much more. A nine-time All-Star and League scoring champ in 1985-86 (30.3 ppg), Nique was a bucket machine. His career scoring average of 24.8 ppg is 13th in NBA history, ahead of Larry Bird and Dr. J.

40. Kevin McHale (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 3x NBA Champion)

We could recite the accolades (three-time champion, seven-time All-Star) but instead here’s a suggestion: Drop whatever you’re doing, cue up YouTube, type “Kevin McHale post moves” into the search bar and spend the next 10 minutes watching one of the game’s all-time artists go to work.

39.  Gary Payton (Hall of Fame, 9x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

The Glove became one of the most feared players during the ’90s for his tenacity on the defensive end. For 48 minutes, Payton was looking to make his opponents’ lives hell, as he’d lock up and let guys know all about it with legendary trash talk learned on the playgrounds of Oakland.

38. Bob Cousy (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 13x All-Star, 6x NBA Champion)

There’s a scene in Blue Chips where 66-year-old Bob Cousy, wearing a shirt and tie, hits 10 consecutive free throws—the last one left handed—while engaged in serious dialogue with Nick Nolte. It wasn’t scripted. Also, he averaged 18.4 ppg through his career and led the NBA in assists eight times during 13 All-Star seasons in Boston. Legend.

37. Russell Westbrook (7x All-Star, 1x NBA MVP)*

How do you capture the brilliance, essence and ferociousness of Russell Westbrook in just a few short sentences? Let’s try this: TWO-TIME SCORING CHAMP! 2017 MVP!! ARCHITECT OF PERHAPS THE GREATEST INDIVIDUAL SEASON EVER! FIRST SINCE OSCAR TO AVERAGE A TRIPLE DOUBLE (AND HE DID IT TWICE)!!! STYLE ICON!!!!

36. Walt Frazier (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

To a millennial, Walt Frazier is the guy with the crazy suits and crazy vocabulary calling Knicks games a few times a week. To the OGs, Clyde was a Hall of Fame point guard who helped lead New York to a pair of NBA titles in the ’70s. Frazier finished with career averages of 19 points and 6 assists per game, plus seven NBA All-Defensive First Team nods.

35. Chris Paul (9x All-Star)*

The greatest point guard of his generation. A brilliant passer who has led the League in total assists three times and a tenacious defender who has led the League in steals five times. Try to ignore the lack of playoff success (he’s never played in a Conference Finals, but that could change very, very soon)—that’s like scanning the Mona Lisa for a blemish.

34. Steve Nash (Hall of Fame, 2x NBA MVP, 8x All-Star)

The floppy-haired guard looked more suited for the skate park than NBA stardom, but the PG was a two-time MVP who could score from all over and set up his teammates like few others. He rode shotgun with Dirk in Dallas and then thrived in Phoenix’s “seven seconds or less” attack as the perfect pass-first maestro.

33. Elvin Hayes (Hall of Fame, 12x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

One of the most durable players in NBA history, the Big E missed just nine games in 16 seasons while piling up over 27,000 points and 16,000 boards. A tough defender and fierce competitor, Hayes helped Houston beat Lew Alcindor and UCLA in 1968’s “Game of the Century.”

32. Rick Barry (Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

Known for his unorthodox free-throw shooting form, Barry is the only player to lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring. The eight-time All-Star led the Warriors to their first Golden State-era title in 1975 with a Finals MVP performance.

31. Jason Kidd (Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

J-Kidd’s list of accomplishments could take up an entire magazine itself, but the CliffNotes version is this: 10-time All-Star, 5-time All-NBA First Team, Olympic Gold medalist, NBA Champion, and Hall of Famer. He’s top-10 all-time in three-pointers made and games played, and second highest ever in career assists.

30. Patrick Ewing (Hall of Fame, 11x All-Star)

The No. 1 pick in the 1985 NBA Draft is one of the greatest to ever suit up in the Knicks orange and blue. Ewing averaged 22 and 10 during his remarkable stretch in Manhattan, earning him ROTY, 11 All-Star appearances and three All-Defensive honors en route to a Hall of Fame career.

29. David Robinson (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 10x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

He averaged 25.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in his first seven seasons, a run so ridiculous it’s easy to forget that he sat out what should’ve been his first two seasons while fulfilling his Navy service. His consistency is overshadowed by Tim Duncan’s, but don’t get it twisted: The Admiral still ranks.

28. Allen Iverson (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 11x All-Star)

Do we really have to spell it out for you? At (maybe) six-foot, Iverson’s style and determination made him one of the most iconic players to ever pick up a basketball, point blank, period. Oh, and he has an MVP Award, 11 All-Star nods and four scoring titles to his name as part of a Hall of Fame career.

27. Dirk Nowitzki (1x NBA MVP, 11x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)*

First he was a curiosity, then he was Steve Nash’s long-haired running mate. Then he was another too-soft Euro who scored in bunches but couldn’t win, and then he did win. And now it’s been 20 years with the same team and that same ugly, beautiful shot. Swish.

26. Kevin Garnett (1x NBA MVP, 15x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

Drafted straight outta high school, KG took the T-Wolves to eight straight playoff appearances, then led the Celtics to an NBA title in 2008. Want proof of his insane versatility as a big man? Garnett became one of only five players in League history to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in 2002-03.

25. John Stockton (Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star)

Stockton played 19 seasons in his Hall of Fame career, and his Utah Jazz teams made the playoffs in all 19 of those campaigns. By the time he hung up his short shorts, he was the NBA’s all-time leader in total assists and total steals.

24. John Havlicek (Hall of Fame, 13x All-Star, 8x NBA Champion)

Havlicek stole the ball! That much you knew. You might not know that Hondo was arguably the best all-around defender of his era and finished his career as the Celtics’ all-time scoring leader. Eight of his 16 seasons ended with titles. Best sixth man ever, and it’s probably not even close.

23. Dwyane Wade (12x All-Star, 3x NBA Champion)*

Wade has the rings and the stats (12-time All-Star, a scoring title and career averages of 23, 5 and 6) to put him squarely in the conversation for third-best shooting guard in NBA history, behind Mike and Kobe. Low-key, he’s one of the best shot-blocking guards to ever do it, too.

22. Scottie Pippen (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 6x NBA Champion)

It’s easy to dismiss Pippen as Michael Jordan’s lieutenant, but the 6-8 small forward helped redefine the position with his ability to pass, defend multiple positions and score from all over. Pippen’s Central Arkansas pedigree made him an unlikely star, but his all-around game made him much more than a supporting actor.

21. Karl Malone (Hall of Fame, 2x NBA MVP, 14x All-Star)

Alongside John Stockton, Malone was part of one of the greatest guard-forward combinations in NBA history, and is currently second on the all-time scoring list with 36,928 points. The Mailman may never have hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy, but he achieved virtually everything else, making a remarkable 11 straight All-NBA First Teams.

20. Charles Barkley (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 11x All-Star)

Sir Charles was strong, bold, mobile and wanted to win by any means necessary. A one-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, the Round Mound of Rebound is one of only four players in NBA history to rack up 20,000 points, 10,000 boards and 4,000 dimes.

19. Stephen Curry (2x NBA MVP, 5x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)*

A skinny kid from Davidson whose early career was sabotaged by bad ankles, Curry has become the NBA’s most deadly long-range assassin. His skill to launch bombs quickly off the dribble and his amazing ability to slalom through defenses make him virtually unguardable.

18. Elgin Baylor (Hall of Fame, 11x All-Star)

Baylor’s résumé is ridiculous. He was an 11-time All-Star. He was named All-NBA First Team 10 times, a number only three players have surpassed. Most noteworthy, though, might be the protest he helped lead prior to the 1964 All-Star Game (Google it) that led to the formation of the player’s union and the rights today’s players enjoy.

17. Isiah Thomas (Hall of Fame, 12x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

Zeke may have had a disarming smile, but on the court, the Pistons’ point guard was a stone killer. He directed the Bad Boys’ physical symphony and stuck daggers into the hearts of rivals with clutch playmaking. The engine of two Detroit title teams and survivor of Bob Knight’s Indiana program, Thomas was a ruthless leader.

16. Jerry West (Hall of Fame, 14x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

West was so good and so prolific that the NBA still uses his silhouette at its logo. That says it all. He played in the All-Star Game during every one of his 14 seasons, made more clutch shots than just about anybody else and was the only player to be Finals MVP on a losing team.

15. Julius “Dr. J” Erving (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 11x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

The Doctor defined cool with his otherworldly vertical jump, trademark afro and overall swagger. Until his knees intervened, Erving was a hardwood acrobat, tormenting ABA and NBA defenders with his hang time and ferocious play around the run. He developed a jumper later on but was known primarily for his high-flying highlights.

14. Moses Malone (Hall of Fame, 3x NBA MVP, 12x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

As the first player to go from high school to the pros, Big Mo knew he could hang with grown men from the beginning. He was the 1982-83 Finals MVP and champion, and his ability to corral rebounds put him in the top-5 (16,212) all time.

13. Kevin Durant (1x NBA MVP, 9x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)*

KD hasn’t even hit his 30s yet, and his résumé already makes him a lock for the Hall of Fame. He was a four-time scoring champ even before he joined the modern day dynasty that is the Golden State Warriors, where he added the hardware that ought to cement his place among the greats to ever play the game.

12. Hakeem Olajuwon (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 12x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

In an era of great centers, Olajuwon proved himself the greatest. David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, young Shaq—he vanquished them all while leading the Rockets to consecutive titles in ’94 and ’95. He’s also the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots. The originator of the Dream Shake, too. That alone validates this ranking.

11. Oscar Robertson (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 12x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

Oscar Robertson was ahead of his time. The first player to ever average a triple-double for an entire season (in 1961-62), the Big O was balling on a different level. He won an MVP and led the Bucks to their only NBA title as part of a 14-year Hall of Fame pro career.

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The post SLAM’s Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11 appeared first on SLAM.

So, we enlisted some help. It’s not that we couldn’t do it alone—we’ve done it many times before—but we wanted to create a system that could protect ourselves from the inevitable “They don’t really know hoops!” that haters spew if (OK, when) they disagree with the list in any form. What we did was create a “board” of voters, a group of individuals who represent the sport of basketball in some fashion, and collected a Top 100 Players of All-Time list from each of them. (SLAM’s editorial staff submitted one list into that group.) Then we averaged them together using a fancy spreadsheet and voilà: We had a list, which became the one we used for our TOP 100 issue.

The folks we gathered lists from are connected to basketball in all sorts of unique ways. We wanted to make sure we were covered from top to bottom. Among those whose experience is on the court, we’ve got a Hall of Famer, a current NBAer, a current WNBAer, an NCAA stud/rookie-to-be and a top high school prospect. Off of it, we’ve got people who cover the sport for a variety of platforms—television, newspapers, books, social media—plus a basketball-obsessed celebrity and a single vote to our edit staff. The group of individuals span just about every age demo and all approach the game a little differently. It’s a good mix, and if our list looks a little awkward at times (like the run of consecutive Lakers in the top 10), it’s because it’s authentically an average of a bunch of other lists.

As for the rankings, we allowed those who submitted lists to dictate how they believe players new and old should be ranked against one another. Most people skewed young, favoring newer legends over old-school favorites—a practice we at SLAM stand behind more often than not—but enough people showed love to the forefathers that they’re repped well throughout.

(A quick note on those lists: They were compiled and averaged in very early 2018, so any amazing performances by active players over the past five or so months were not taken into consideration. Don’t worry, we’ll do all this again soon enough.)

Feel free to let us know what your Top 100 would look like in the comments or on any social network (@SLAMonline), or just argue about it with your friends. That’s what they’re there for. Enjoy.

—Adam Figman, Editor-in-Chief

—

Here are the people we asked to submit their rankings:

—

Below you’ll find 100-51 on the SLAM TOP 100. Here’s more of the list:

50-11
No. 10: Larry Bird
No. 9 Tim Duncan
No. 8: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 7: Bill Russell
No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal
No.5: Kobe Bryant
No. 4: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 3: Magic Johnson
No. 2: LeBron James
No. 1: Michael Jordan

All player write-ups by Michael Bradley, Peter Robert Casey, Ryan Jones, Max Resetar, Drew Ruiz, Abe Schwadron, Alex Squadron and Yaron Weitzman.

*Active players

100. Shawn Kemp (6x All-Star)

He dunked like he had a point to make, and no wonder: Kemp skipped college and endured a difficult rookie season before finding his footing, averaging 18 and 10 over the next decade, including that unforgettable run in Seattle. He was far from perfect, but at his best, he made it reign, man.

99. Lenny Wilkens (Hall of Fame, 9x All-Star)

This left-handed PG could do a little bit of everything. Wilkens was a tremendous passer, stout defender, strong rebounder and was capable of scoring just about anywhere from 15 feet and in. The Brooklyn native was a classic New York City guard: tough, but savvy enough to run a successful team.

98. Spencer Haywood (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

For the first seven years of his career, Haywood was one of the most imposing frontcourt players in the game. A strong, athletic specimen, Haywood exploded on the scene with Denver of the ABA before becoming one of the NBA’s top forwards. Injuries and off-court problems derailed him later in his career.

97. Dave DeBusschere (Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

Turning this over to this writer’s dad, a New Yorker who idolized DeBusschere’s 1970 and ’73 championship Knicks squads: “An all-time great defender and rebounder and an excellent shooter. This ranking is too low.” Two fun facts: DeBusschere spent two years pitching for the White Sox and he was a player-coach for the Pistons at the age of 24.

96. Tim Hardaway (5x All-Star)

In his prime—an eight-season run in which he averaged 20 points and 9 assists—Hardaway was as good as any point guard in the League. But forget the stats, and know that anyone connected to two of the best nicknames in hoop history—the UTEP Two-Step and Run TMC—was a lock on this list regardless.

95. Carmelo Anthony (10x All-Star)*

In late January 2018, Carmelo became the 21st player in NBA history to score 25,000 points, joining Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James as the third active player to reach that milestone. Over the course of 15 seasons, Melo’s showcased why he’s one of the most elite scorers the League has ever seen.

94. Sidney Moncrief (5x All-Star)

Moncrief was a key member of the ’80s Bucks teams that were a perennial contender in the East. While Moncrief is most remembered for being able to jump out of the gym, he was also a fine shooter, rebounder and passer. He averaged more than 20 points a game for four years and was a lockdown defender who won the Defensive POY award in ’83 and ’84.

93. Pau Gasol (6x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)*

Six times an All-Star, twice an NBA champion and a legend in Europe, Pau Gasol will go down as one of the most well-rounded big men to ever lace ’em up. With career averages of 18 and 9, the 7-foot Spaniard remains a matchup nightmare well into his late-30s.

92. Penny Hardaway (4x All-Star)

The numbers don’t do justice to his impact, although averages of nearly 20 points and 7 assists in his first four seasons come close. For that fleeting moment, he was Magic 2.0, and alongside a dynamic young Shaq, he looked ready to take over the League. Injuries cheated him, and us. But we don’t forget. 91. Jack Twyman (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star)

91. Jack Twyman (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star)

No player had averaged 30 points a game in a season until Twyman and Wilt Chamberlain accomplished the feat in the 1959-60 season. Twyman was a swingman with a good shooting stroke and the ability to get to the basket. A Hall of Famer, he is perhaps best known for becoming the legal guardian of teammate Maurice Stokes after Stokes became paralyzed following a fall during a game.

90. Hal Greer (Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

An old-fashioned 2-man who excelled at shaking loose to shoot—and hit—the foul-line jumper, Greer is one of the most underrated guards in NBA history. A 10-time All-Star, he played a key role on the Sixers’ 1967 championship team.

89. Dwight Howard (8x All-Star)*

Don’t let the low free-throw percentage fool you. Dwight Howard, who jumped straight to the League from high school in 2004, is an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Defensive team member and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. In 2008, he anchored the paint for Team USA’s Gold medal run at the Beijing Games.

88. Chris Webber (5x All-Star)

Had his career not been slowed by injuries, Webber would have been much higher on this list. A highly skilled forward with some of the best hands in NBA history, he provided offensive versatility and strong board work for Sacramento’s early-2000s contenders but faded late due to knee woes.

87. Alex English (Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star)

It’d be damn near impossible to find an old-school player who was as smooth as Alex English, who appeared to glide across the court and was a centerpiece of the high-scoring Denver teams of the ’80s. English was outstanding with the pull-up jumper and could finish around the basket with tremendous consistency.

86. Dave Bing (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star)

Long before guys like Westbrook, Curry and Harden took over, Bing helped originate the role of high-scoring combo guard. He averaged 24 points and 6 assists over his first seven seasons in Detroit. They might not know it, but today’s dominant lead guards are following the Duke’s lead.

85. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2x All-Star)*

Antetokounmpo’s “Greek Freak” nickname refers to his combo of 7-foot wingspan, 6-11 height, insane athleticism and All-Star guard skills. At 23 years old, he’s already one of the best players in the NBA. In 2016-17, Giannis became the first player in history to finish in the top-20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

84. Chris Mullin (Hall of Fame, 5x All-Star)

A member of Golden State’s “Run TMC” teams under Don Nelson, Mullin was a versatile scorer and master of completing old-fashioned three-point plays. Mullin lacked overwhelming speed and didn’t jump that high, but he excelled at getting open, burying shots from inside and outside the arc and finishing in the lane.

83. Joe Dumars (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

The ’89 Finals MVP and a two-time champ, Dumars teamed up with Isiah Thomas to form one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history on the Bad Boy Pistons. Primarily known as a menace on the defensive end, it’s easy to forget Joe D averaged over 20 ppg in his prime.

82. Kyrie Irving (5x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)*

Arguably the best ballhandler in the history of the game, Irving made the biggest shot of the 2016 Finals, lifting the Cavaliers to their first-ever title alongside LeBron. After a blockbuster trade sent him to Boston, the five-time All-Star and former ROY is now the face of one of the NBA’s most talented squads.

81. Grant Hill (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star)

It’s too easy, where Hill is concerned, to focus on what could’ve been. For once, focus on what was: He averaged 22, 8 and 6 over his first six seasons, and despite the career-altering injuries, still averaged 17, 6 and 4 over 18 seasons. Yes, he could’ve been an all-timer. He was still awfully good.

80. Dikembe Mutombo (Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star)

The finger wag was Dikembe’s go-to taunt as he let opponents know they failed countless times when attempting to score anywhere near Mt. Mutombo. His defensive prowess to contest shots against some of the League’s best players during his 18-year career made him one of the most respected rim protectors.

79. Artis Gilmore (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star)

By the time Gilmore made it to the NBA, he was something of a legendary figure, having dominated ABA lanes with his 7-2 frame (7-5 with the Afro) and tremendous strength. Gilmore remained an imposing figure in the paint with the Bulls and Spurs, scoring well inside and cleaning the glass.

78. Alonzo Mourning (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

A two-time Defensive Player of the Year who averaged more than 20 points six different times, Zo was everything you could want in a center. But forget all that for a moment because this might be the only Mourning fact that matters: He played six seasons after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2003.

77. Adrian Dantley (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star)

An undersized forward at 6-5, Dantley was a classic scorer who topped 30 ppg in four straight seasons. AD was not known for his willingness to pass the ball and defended with a decided lack of enthusiasm, but when the ball was in his hands, he was an unstoppable offensive force.

76. Kawhi Leonard (2x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)*

Kawhi Leonard has always let his game do the talking. And damn if it doesn’t scream “All-Time Great!” He’s already got two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, a pair of All-NBA First Team nods, a ring and a Finals MVP trophy to his name, and he’s only 26 years old.

75. Billy Cunningham (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

A bouncy small forward with the ability to drive to the basket furiously, the Kangaroo Kid was a dervish who could score, rebound and set up his teammates like few others at his position could. A knee injury and a detour to the ABA curtailed his career, but he became a successful coach who led the Sixers to the 1983 NBA title.

74. David Thompson (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star)

As legacies go, you could do worse than being the primary inspiration for a young Michael Jordan. Thompson’s career was cut short by injures and offcourt issues, but for that soaring six-year run in Denver when he averaged 25 points per game, there were few better, or more fun to watch. Mike knew.

73. Dennis Johnson (Hall of Fame, 5x All-Star, 3x NBA Champion)

A three-time NBA champion and the 1979 Finals MVP, DJ was regarded as one of the best defensive guards of his era, earning All-Defensive honors nine consecutive seasons from 1978-87. He finished with career averages of 14.1 points, 5.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

72. Manu Ginobili (2x All-Star, 4x NBA Champion)*

The stats are nice—two-time All-Star, 2008 Sixth Man of the Year—but don’t do justice to the significance of Ginobili’s career. He starred for the 2004 Gold medal-winning Argentinian Olympic team that knocked off the US, and was an irreplaceable part of the four-time champion Pop/Duncan-led Spurs. Manu is a basketball legend, a player whose importance far outshines his career stats.

71. Walt Bellamy (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star)

Bells announced his presence in the NBA with a remarkable rookie season for the Chicago Packers that included 31.6 ppg and 19.0 rpg. A 6-11 big man who could run the floor and bang inside, Bellamy was known as much for his curious behavior off the court as he was for his talent on it.

70. Vince Carter (8x All-Star)*

It was impossible, back when he led SportsCenter seemingly every night, to imagine the businesslike way that VC would extend his career to its 20th season. But nothing that’s happened since can change the legacy he set in those first few seasons. When you’re the greatest dunker of all time, people don’t forget.

69. Dolph Schayes (Hall of Fame, 12x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

As the bridge between George Mikan’s early dominance and Wilt Chamberlain’s reinvention of the position, Schayes was a legendary center in his own right. He averaged 20 and 13 over his first dozen seasons, and when he finally retired in 1964, he was the leading scorer in league history.

68. Bob Lanier (Hall of Fame, 8x All-Star)

He came into the League a year behind Kareem, and he never did manage to emerge from the shadow of his sky-hooking rival. But Lanier’s own lefty hook was nearly as unstoppable, and career averages of 20 and 10 over 14 seasons confirm that shadow or not, Dobber was a star.

67. Tony Parker (6x All-Star, 4x NBA Champion)*

A six-time All-Star and four-time champion, Tony Parker has been a staple at point guard for the Spurs for two decades, helping build the League’s winningest culture. He’s rarely mentioned among names like Kidd, Nash and CP3 when discussing this century’s best PGs, but he’s right there with ’em.

66. Bob McAdoo (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 5x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

Only six players have averaged more points in an NBA season than the 34.5 McAdoo put up for the Buffalo Braves in ’74-75 (which occurred over a three-year run where he averaged 32.1 and 13.8 rpg). He never matched those numbers in later stints with the Knicks, Celtics or Lakers, but old heads know.

65. Sam Jones (Hall of Fame, 5x All-Star, 10x NBA Champion)

Jones was good during the regular season, but come the playoffs, Mr. Clutch really made his mark. He helped the Celtics win 10 titles, specializing in hitting big shots. Jones teamed with KC Jones to form the League’s sturdiest backcourt and was a mid-range machine who could get to the hoop against practically anyone.

64. Nate Thurmond (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star)

A defensive juggernaut, Thurmond thrived in the ’60s and ’70s, protecting the rim with his athletic and chiseled 6-11, 225-pound frame. He recorded the first-ever quadruple-double (22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks) in 1974 and his No. 42 jersey was retired by Cleveland and Golden State.

63. Connie Hawkins (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star)

His legacy should not be the fact that he was blackballed by the NBA and spent some of his best years playing in the ABL or goofing with the Globetrotters. His legacy should be the dominant athleticism and game-changing skill that inspired Doc, Jordan and countless others to fly.

62. Paul Pierce (10x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

What’s so cool about Pierce’s career is how he smoothly transitioned from volume scorer (26.8 ppg in ’05-06, despite seemingly operating in slo-mo) to member of Boston’s Big 3. It’s a shift that landed him a championship ring and transformed him into a future Hall of Famer.

61. Pete Maravich (Hall of Fame, 5x All-Star)

Known for his shaggy hair, floppy socks and flick-of-the-wrist flair, Pistol Pete Maravich shattered every college basketball scoring record—including career points (3,667) and single-season average (44.5)—in just three years at LSU before becoming a five-time NBA All-Star and Naismith Hall of Famer. In 1988, Maravich tragically passed away at the age of 40 while playing pickup ball.

60. James Harden (6x All-Star)*

As a Sixth Man of the Year playing third fiddle in OKC behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, James Harden needed a change of scenery to reach his full potential. As the face of the franchise in Houston, The Beard’s been an All-NBA First Team performer three times, and is the favorite to win his first MVP trophy in 2018. Yeah…he’s just now entering his prime.

59. Dennis Rodman (Hall of Fame, 2x All-Star, 5x NBA Champion)

Beyond the tattoos, piercings, crazy hair colors and wild off-court antics, Rodman was a furious rebounder and defender who brought toughness and fearless physicality to championship teams in Detroit and Chicago. A little-known college player, Rodman became one of the NBA’s biggest personalities and impacted games without scoring very much.

58. Ray Allen (Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

Allen is one of the greatest shooters of all time, but what made him a legend was that he was more than just a deadeye marksman. He both leads the NBA in career three-pointers and defeated Denzel Washington on-screen in a game of 1-on-1.

57. Tracy McGrady (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star)

The 13 points in 33 seconds will never be forgotten. With his 6-8 stature, he was a mix of Kevin Durant and Paul George in the early 2000s, and it earned him a trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

56. Bob Pettit (Hall of Fame, 2x NBA MVP, 11x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

During 11 seasons with the Hawks, Pettit never failed to score fewer than 20 points or pull down 12 boards per game. A 6-9 bully who could also shoot from the outside, Pettit helped the Hawks to the 1958 NBA title, the only interlude in the Celtics’ 10-year championship run.

55. Reggie Miller (Hall of Fame, 5x All-Star)

Reggie was raining three-pointers and sinking clutch shots—usually against the Knicks—long before his career as a TV analyst. The Hall of Famer and Indiana Pacers legend is No. 2 all-time in three-pointers made (2,560), and is one of only seven players to record a 50-40-90 season (’93-94).

54. Robert Parish (Hall of Fame, 9x All-Star, 4x NBA Champion)

The Chief spent 21 years as a stoic force in the paint primarily for the great Celtics teams of the 1980s. He lacked flash and thunder but was a reliable post presence capable of hitting the mid-range jumper, muscling up other big men and running the floor with surprising agility. It was Larry’s team, but without Parish, there would be no rings.

53. Jerry Lucas (Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 1x NBA Champion)

A seven-time All-Star (and two-time College Basketball Player of the Year), mostly because he was a double-double machine. Also, the only NBA player that we know of to become a best- selling author for a book detailing how to improve your memory.

52. Dave Cowens (Hall of Fame, 1x NBA MVP, 8x All-Star, 2x NBA Champion)

Imagine trying to replace Bill Russell. Undersized but undeterred, Cowens stepped up fearlessly to that impossible task, averaging 17 points and 15 boards as a rookie—numbers he’d maintain for 10 seasons in Boston—claiming MVP honors in ’73, and leading the Celtics to titles in ’74 and ’76.

51. Bernard King (Hall of Fame, 4x All-Star)

King torched anyone who came at him during the 1984 NBA playoffs and was even better the next season before a knee injury flattened the scoring machine. He returned to score plenty but could never recapture the period when he could score at will.

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The 12-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and five-time NBA champion touches upon his relationships with Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas, what inspired him to be great throughout his career, and more.

Click here to find the full, two-part interview.

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Wade also surpassed Larry Bird to move up to tenth on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list.

“It’s different, but tonight is all about being on attack!”@DwyaneWade after scoring 28 points off the bench in Game 2 against the Sixers. pic.twitter.com/Ub7fd6ctTi

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 17, 2018

The post Dwyane Wade Turns Back the Clock, Drops Season-High 28 in Philadelphia appeared first on SLAM.

Cook, who led the Santa Cruz Warriors with 25.3 points per game shot 52.4 percent from the field, 43.7 percent from 3 and 95.0 percent from the free throw line in 29 games in the G-League this year.

Injuries to Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry resulted in Cook being called up to Santa Cruz’s NBA affiliate where he’s averaged 8.8 points per game on 48.7/42.5/89.5 shooting splits in 28 contests.

The NBA’s 50/40/90 club is an exclusive one with only Curry, Kevin Durant, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Larry Bird having made the cut since the addition of the 3-point line in 1979.

The post Quinn Cook Becomes First G-League Player to Shoot 50/40/90 in a Season appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM caught up with the 15-time All-Star to talk his favorite All-Star Weekend memories, picking his squad if he was a team captain, his son Shareef and more.

SLAM: What was your favorite All-Star Weekend memory?

Shaquille O’Neal: Being a medium juvenile delinquent and not knowing where I was going to go in this life, watching the NBA All-Star Game, I said, “Damn, I wish I was good enough one day to make it there.” And then finally your dreams come true and you’re there. Then you look around and Denzel Washington, Halle Berry—oh shit, Rihanna’s at the game—so you seen all them superstars now and they’re coming to watch you play. Now that they’re here—I gotta put on a show. All the ones that I got an MVP in, I always just wanted to put on a show for the fans, for the people and for the crowd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf–BxnneKj/?hl=en&taken-by=slamkicks

SLAM: If this whole team captain thing was around during your time, who’s on your squad?

Shaq: Pick a year.

SLAM: We can do any year.

Shaq: No, pick a year.

SLAM: OK, let’s do the 2000s.

Shaq: I’d definitely have A.I. on my squad, T-Mac, [Kevin] Garnett—I like Garnett. I’d also have White Chocolate on my squad because he’s a very All-Star Game-type player. Alonzo Mourning on my squad because I don’t feel like tussling against him. The other team would probably keep Yao Ming. Kobe didn’t pick me, so I can’t pick him. It’s 2000 and we played together all the time, so it’d be good to just get away and go against each other in the All-Star Game. That’ll be fine. He already picked LeBron [James], so I can’t pick LeBron. I’m going to go with D-Wade. And C-Webb. A lot of guys. GP‘s still in the League so I definitely gotta go with GP.

SLAM: Any untold All-Star stories?

Shaq: I can’t tell you. They’re rated-R. One time, I met a girl named Julia and we were about to fall in love and she met Jeff and then she left me for—that’s a joke [Laughs]. I could see it now: ‘Shaq loses Julia to Jeff.’

SLAM; Is there favorite All-Star Game memory that sticks out to you?

Shaq: My favorite one is the one in Phoenix [in 2009]. I wasn’t even a starter, I was playing for Phoenix at the time and nobody was taking over the game, so I was like, “Man, fuck it.” And the other team didn’t have a lot of bigs, so I’m like every time I get it I’m going to score. Kobe was on that team also and he kept feeding me and feeding me and it felt like old times. So then when they called MVP, it was me and Kobe that got the MVP. My little son Shareef was right there standing. They gave the trophy to Kobe and then [he] gave it to Shareef and I thought that was big because he has kids, too, so he could’ve took it home to his beautiful daughters, but he said to give it to Shareef and he’d get his later. That, right there, was probably my favorite one ’cause one, I was much older [and] wasn’t even really thinking about getting MVP. Got the MVP, shared it with [Kobe] and we had great flashbacks of what we did in 2000 to 2003, and then at the end he gave Shareef the MVP trophy.