Giants of Africa (GOA), an organization dedicated to inspiring youth through outreach programs, has encouraged young boys and girls with the value of dreaming big. Since 2003, GOA co-founder and Vice-Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, has brought together a diverse group of working professionals from the African diaspora to build over 30 basketball courts and help lead camps in over 16 countries. 

“We must look within and recognize that each and every one of us can start small, with a single idea or opportunity,” Ujiri said at a GOA’s AfriCAN event in Toronto. “When we come together and support one another, we can make a real impact.” 

Hosting the first ever Giants of Africa Alumni Reunion, which took place in Las Vegas last month during the 2024 NBA Summer League, GOA was able to bring together former campers and clinic participants to not only set the stage for future initiatives but also to communicate to a younger generation the power and opportunity behind playing basketball. 

“Our dream was just to make sure that kids coming after us didn’t go through what we went through as international students. We wanted to provide an avenue where the transition will be smoother than what we went through,” said GOA co-founder and former Georgetown Hoyas basketball player Godwin Owinje. 

Owinje, a current NBA and international scout for the Brooklyn Nets, is living proof that having the heart to follow your passions can lead to a higher calling. Coming from a small neighborhood in the Delta State of Nigeria, where most kids don’t normally go to college or even finish high school, and where soccer runs rampantly along the streets, the 6-8 Owinje had to learn what basketball was. 

“The reason I [tell] [my] story is because if someone like me can make it out of the neighborhood that I came out of, anybody can do it,” said Owinje. 

Although Owinje has an undying love for his college team and shouts “Hoyas for Life!” his heart truly lies with the kids whose smiles radiate ever so brightly in the midst of doing what they love. 

“We hammer home, whenever we’re talking to these kids, that if you dream, own that dream and do everything you can, do everything possible to achieve that goal you set for yourself of what you want to become,” he said. 

Ndeye Fatou Beye, a GOA alum (2018) and current basketball scout in Senegal, is one of the many people Owinje and Ujiri have reached with the program. 

“[The program] is opening your eyes to not only say like, ‘I’m a young girl, I’m a Black woman, I’m African, I can’t achieve any goals.’ It made me open my eyes, to be able to say, you know what, I can be whoever I wanna be if I believe in myself. And Masai was always there to tell us it’s not because you’re from Africa; you can be who you wanna be in the future, and that’s really impacted my life. And yeah, ’til that day, I have the same mentality to always believe in myself no matter what and no matter where I am right now,” she says. 

Using basketball as a stepping stone to achieve her goals, Beye utilized the confidence she learned at the camp and the lesson of “how to be in a society dominated by men and in the sport industry” to help foster BAL4HER, a program dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s leadership while encouraging young women and girls to invest in themselves. 

And as an alum, Beye is excited to make a similar impact. “And I think right now I want to be more impactful in the life of young women right now because that will make the difference,” she says. 

Standing firm as the epitome of what it means to “dream big,” Tolulope Omogbehin, known widely as “Omos,” credits his rise in the WWE world not only to his impressive 7-3 stature but also to the lessons he learned as a young adult in the GOA camps. 

“I remember the first time we went to the camp, Masai said use basketball as a tool to get to where you want to get to in life,” Omos recalls. “And as a young person, I never truly understood what that meant.” 

“It wasn’t until being in the WWE for the past five years and doing that, and all the training from basketball, the perseverance, the teamwork—all those things have helped me become professional in what I’m doing today,” he says. 

With a height one would call “ NBA perfect,” it’s expected of someone like Omos to simply take basketball and run with it. However, for him, using basketball as a tool to take the nontraditional route opened up a sea of possibilities that set him apart from the rest. 

And his success is a testament to that. 

“‘Dream big’ is like not having a cap on the possibilities of your life, right? I think for me, I’ve always had an imaginative mind, and I think GOA kind of helped and expanded that and like, while you might think this might be the end for you, you can dream before that, because you never know where you’re gonna land,” Omos adds. “It can always be a dream, you can always dream.” 

As GOA continues to expand to more countries, build more courts and push more initiatives to foster growth in the African diaspora, GOA alumni like Omos and Beye continue to inspire, expanding the minds of the next generation of basketball players. 

“Like I told them in the alumni reunion the other day, it doesn’t matter how big or small you affect another kid, another person’s life or another youth in Africa’s life, it means the whole world to that person, just like it meant the whole world when we did it to you,” Owinje says. 

Not only are the alumni affecting the very lives of the youth, they’re also living, breathing, testaments to the importance of never letting go of a dream, no matter where you’re from, and no matter how out of reach it may seem.

Portraits via Giants of Africa.

The post Giants of Africa Alumni Are a Testament to the Impact of International Hoops and What It Means to Dream Big appeared first on SLAM.

Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, is an athletic wing and efficient shooter from beyond the arc. For his career, Beasley averages 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

“If you pay attention to how I play, that’s how the NBA plays today,” he said, per Sports Illustrated. “I stay in shape and play everyday. If I get the call, I can definitely make an impact. The NBA is on some s—. Donovan [Mitchell] scored 71, Luka [Doncic] 50, LeBron [James] still scoring 40. The game is wide open. When I was playing, the game was about defense. It is about holding teams to 75, 80, 90 points. Now it’s like a rodeo.”

Beasley spend the first two seasons of his NBA career with Miami and bounced around with Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Houston, Milwaukee, and the Los Angeles Lakers with stints in China as well. He recently played in Puerto Rico and in the Big3 league.

Beasley’s opinion about the NBA is certainly understandable as fans watch the NBA transform from an inside-outside League to an outside-inside League with teams setting three-point shooting records yearly and most shot diets consisting mostly of three-pointers, layups, and free throws. As a three-level scorer and capable long distance shooter who can play and multiple defend multiple positions, Beasley fits the mold.

Beasley last played with the Lakers during the 2018-2019 campaign. He averaged 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field.

The post Michael Beasley Believes He Can Make An Impact in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

The SLAM 240 cover star is the projected no. 1 overall pick due to his dangerous combination of length, shooting, and guard skill that makes him as unique of a unicorn as a draft prospect can be at 18-years-old with a massive 7’2″ frame to work with.

Have you seen a basketball player like this? No, you haven’t.

Victor Wembanyama covers SLAM 240. https://t.co/7XlmKr6Qrr pic.twitter.com/4pgLywxohB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 3, 2022

When Le Parisen asked the LNB All-Star MVP about his thought process behind NBA teams tanking with the hopes of possibly drafting him with the first pick of the upcoming NBA Draft, Wembanyama seemed wholly unimpressed. He was so unflattered by the idea that he called it “a weird strategy,” and he found it “unreasonable.”

“Tanking? It’s a weird strategy,” Wembanyama said. “I find it unreasonable, and I try not to think about it. I also heard that the NBA considered changing a few rules for me, but that doesn’t concern me.”

The LNB All-Star Game MVP… @vicw_32!

27 PTS | 12 REB | 4 AST | 3 STL | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/dI6OzsBfDR

— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2022

As of Thursday, the four teams with the best odds of winning the lottery are the Detroit Pistons (9-28), Charlotte Hornets (9-26), Houston Rockets (11-23), and San Antonio Spurs (10-24).

Wembanyama’s game has attracted heightened attention after the NBA bought the streaming rights to stream his games with Metro 92 and the French national team this year.

The post Project No. 1 Overall Pick Victor Wembanyama Calls Tanking ‘a Weird Strategy’ appeared first on SLAM.

“I’d like to think it works to our advantage,” said Hill, per The Athletic. “I think we have to be mindful and respectful that these players are on airplanes all throughout the regular season and kind of move from city to city, bed to bed, hotel to hotel. It’s a grind. I think once we get there and we get settled, we can kind of plant some roots for a couple of weeks. I think it is something that can work to our advantage.”

Team USA came up short in their last World Cup, finishing only seventh place while losing to France in the quarterfinals. The red, white, and blue had previously won the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

In FIBA’s latest power rankings, the U.S. was ranked second behind Spain for the first time since 2010. Although the U.S. won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, this was not convincing enough to take the number one spot. 

The draw for the 32-team World Cup field will begin on April 29.

The post Team USA Will Play the 2023 World Cup In The Philippines appeared first on SLAM.

On Wednesday, Griner’s legal team announced that she was in the process of being transferred to a Russian penal colony to serve her nine-year sentence for alleged drug smuggling. While Griner’s family may not know where she is for some time because “notification is given via official mail and normally takes up to two weeks to be received,” it is well known that Russian penal colonies have far harsher conditions than Griner’s previous jail in Moscow. 

This heartbreaking news sparked reactions from many prominent women’s basketball figures and organizations.

Following BG’s legal team’s announcement, President Joe Biden stated that he is “determined to get her home.”

“My hope is that now that the [midterm elections are] over, that Mr. Putin will be able to discuss with us and be willing to talk more seriously about a prisoner exchange,” Biden said.

U.S. officials made a “serious” offer to Russia to trade for BG’s freedom in June, but the offer was unsuccessful. In a statement Wednesday morning, the White House revealed that despite numerous additional attempts, they had not received a legitimate counteroffer from Russian officials.

“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” it said. “The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.”

“Our primary concern continues to be BG’s health and well-being. As we work through this very difficult phase of not knowing exactly where BG is or how she is doing, we ask for the public’s support in continuing to write letters and express their love and care for her.”

“We are thankful for everyone’s support and hope that as we near nine months of detention, that BG and all wrongfully detained Americans will be shown mercy and returned home to their families for the holidays.”

The Women's National Basketball Players Association's Statement Regarding Brittney Griner's Transfer to Russian Penal Colony. pic.twitter.com/mQg0kJ57I3

— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) November 9, 2022

Now, and every day, we continue to pray for BG and her family. Visit WeAreBG to learn more about what you can do to help.

The post Joe Biden Is ‘Determined’ to Bring Brittney Griner Home appeared first on SLAM.

• Extended, the USA record for most consecutive games, won to 29
• Became the first team to hold an opponent under 50 points in a World Cup semifinal game
• Recorded the largest margin of victory (40 points) in a World Cup semifinal game with 40 points

While Canada was No. 4 in the FIBA world rankings, they quickly became another victim of Team USA’s onslaught in the Cup this year.

Following their sub-par performance against Serbia on Thursday – when they trailed in the first and second quarters for the first time during the tournament – Team USA’s starters came out with a chip on their shoulder. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jewel Lloyd, Chelsea Gray, and Alyssa Thomas began the game on a 15-0 tear, holding Canada to only seven points In the first quarter. 

“I think that we weren’t happy with the way that we started yesterday against Serbia,” Breanna Stewart said per ESPN. “There were moments that we played well, but there were a lot of moments that we didn’t, and really making sure that that was the point of emphasis today. It was the way that we started the game, especially with our starters, that five, we wanted to make sure that we set the tone for the entire game.”

Draymond layup package!? High off the glass. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/tR0g1jE6PE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 30, 2022

Team USA followed the starter’s lead, doubled down on their defensive focus, and held Canada to an eight-point third quarter and 22 percent shooting from the field. The explosive trio of Stewart (17 points), A’ja Wilson (15 points, 12 rebounds), and Kelsey Plum (14 points) outscored Canada 46-43 by themselves.

“I was really pleased with our team’s attention to detail in the scouting report. Canada’s had a terrific tournament,” Coach Cheryl Reeve said. “I wanted them to make sure they understood what they just did and how hard they made it for Canada to score the ball…that was a quality win for us. Our goal is to win a gold medal, and we’re in position to do that.”

The women’s national team will compete for a gold medal Saturday at 2 a.m. ET against China. Team USA won their group play battle with China, 77-63. They are seeking their fourth consecutive World Cup championship.

The post USA Women’s Team Set to Play China in World Cup Final appeared first on SLAM.

However, Team USA has won three straight World Cups for a reason. After Kahleah Cooper went down with an undisclosed injury, the U.S. reeled off a decisive 20-0 run and ultimately beat Serbia, 88-55, to cement their spot in the World Cup semifinals.

“I think that was kind of a moment where we really had to lock in,” A’ja Wilson said of Copper’s injury. “That first quarter kind of stumbled us a little. I know I was kind of caught off guard. We can’t have that. So I think for us and for the rest of the way, we’ve really got to lock in from the jump and understand that we can get whatever we want, we’ve just got to stay the course.”

Semi-Final update

Canada USA will be the first game of the day tomorrow, at 17:00 Sydney time (GMT+10)!#FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/AZ0WQye1bQ

— FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) September 29, 2022

Serbia, the No. 10 team in FIBA’s ranking, succeeded in executing its game plan to clog up the paint and make the game a grind-it-out physical matchup. Team USA ver Team Servia marked the first time that the Americans were outscored in the pain, 28-26. Kelsey Plum (17 points admitted that Serbia was “more physical than we’ve seen in the whole tournament.”

Team USA’s struggles with Serbia’s physical defense was illustrated by their 17 turnovers, the first time they turned the ball over more than their opponent during the World Cup.

“They had a lot of bodies in the paint,” Alyssa Thomas (13 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists) said. “Rightfully so, with us scoring 94 points in the paint [against Korea], I would do the same. But they focused on that, and we really had to knock down outside shots.”

Instead of relying on the paint to beat the Serbians, Team USA knocked down 11 three-pointers and hit 2-12 free throws. The Americans closed the first half with a 12-0 run to grab a 50-33 lead, and started the second-half with an 8-0 run. Team USA also held Serbia scoreless from the 3:39 mark of the second frame to the 5:15 mark in the thrid, allowing Serbia to score seven points the rest of the third quarter.

“I think we needed this push,” Wilson said. “I think we needed that first quarter to kind of wake us up a little bit because that’s what we’re going to see. It’s going to get tougher from here on out. So I think it was a good game for us to have. It’s also a good game for us to kind of see and toughen it out.”

Team USA will face Team Canada on Friday for the right to play in the gold medal game. The winner of the US-Canada game will play the winner of the Australia-China semifinal.

The post A’ja Wilson: Team USA ‘Needed This Push’ From Serbia Ahead of World Cup Semifinals appeared first on SLAM.

“Kah is just electric,” Stewart told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “It seems like she just slithers to the basket. She’s able to find these gaps where she gets in and is able to get an easy layup. But she’s a spark. Whenever her name is called, she’s ready.”

Wilson also chimed in, saying, “Kah is very versatile,”

“We need a spark off the bench from her. Even in the starting lineup, she’s just going 100 percent through and through. When it comes to USA Basketball, it’s all about knowing your role, and I think for it to be a rookie, to come in and instantly understand her role, is huge for us. So we play off her energy.”

So far, Cooper has averaged 11 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field, and 41.7 percent from three, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while playing 20.0 minutes per game for Team USA.

Team USA Coach Cheryl Reeve also commented on Cooper’s recent play.

“She has been absolutely pivotal to not only penetration that you get, but her defense,” Reeve said. “She’s really taken some players out of games, and so kudos to her. She’s been an important part for us.”

With such high praise and respect coming from both coach and peers, Cooper spoke about what being able to play for Team USA meant to her. Cooper had this to say: coming off a disappointing semifinal loss in the playoffs.

“It was just important that I didn’t miss a beat and that competitor and that fire in me continued to stay lit,” Cooper said. “I think this is special, and this is a big-time opportunity for me.”

One of Cooper’s personal bucket list goals is to win gold as a part of the US Women’s Basketball team, and with this roster, that goal, without a doubt, is attainable. If Team USA can keep dominating, as their recent play has shown, they will likely bring home gold, and Cooper can check an accomplishment off her list.

The post Kahleah Cooper’s ‘Electric’ Play Leading Team USA into World Cup Quarterfinal appeared first on SLAM.

After shattering their record for most points scored in a game and the most points scored in a match by ANY team in the World Cup with 145 against South Korea, they reached another milestone. Defeating Bosnia 121-59, the star-studded squad recorded the USA’s 27th consecutive win, breaking the country’s previous record. 

Team USA has been rolling through this year’s World Cup competition. Seven of the team’s 11 active players scored in double-digits, led by Kelsey Plum with 20 points and seven assists, while Chelsea Gray followed close behind with 16 points and seven assists. Breanna Stewart and Shakira Austin each added 15 points to the team’s total. Austin finished shooting 7-9 from the field in just 13 minutes of action.

The USWNT continues its road to the trophy on Thursday against Serbia.

The post USA Women’s Basketball Breaks Second Record in Two Days appeared first on SLAM.

• 2020 Olympics
• 2020 Women’s National Team
• 2018 World Cup
• 2016 Olympics
• 2015 Women’s National Team
• 2014 World Cup
• 2011 Women’s National Team

In honor of BG, no one on the USWNT will wear No. 15 during the 2022 FIBA World Cup. Players traditionally wear Nos. 4-15; however, they will don Nos. 4-14 and 16 this year. 

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A post shared by WSLAM (@wslam)

Although they were missing WNBA champs members Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Chelsea Gray, the USA Women’s team opened the World Cup with a decisive 87-72 win over Belgium. Alyssa Thomas nearly finished with a triple-double, recording an impressive stat line of 14 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Breanna Stewart poured in 22 points, almost trying her World Cup record, as well as three blocks and three steals. 

The USA Women’s National Team continues its World Cup run against Puerto Rico tonight at 8:30 ET.

The post Honoring Brittney Griner: No One Wearing No. 15 for USA Women’s Basketball National Team appeared first on SLAM.

The defending BAL champion Zamalek (Egypt)—who defeated US Monastir, 76-63, last May—and four other teams will be returning from the 2021 season. According to the League, teams will be divided into the Sahara and Nile conferences where they’ll compete in a 15-game group phase.

The season’s opener will see Senegal’s Dakar Université Club (DUC) take on Guinea’s Seydou Legacy Athlétique Club (S.L.A.C).

“We are thrilled to welcome seven new teams and four new countries into the second season of the BAL,” says BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall via an official press release. “Defending Champion Zamalek will anchor the five returning teams, after representing the BAL in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup this month in Cairo.  The competition to bring home the 2022 BAL Championship Trophy is heating up, and we are excited that more fans will have an opportunity to watch the games live in three world-class African cities.”

In order to qualify for this season’s league, teams residing in Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia had to win out their respective national leagues while the remaining six teams from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Mozambique, South Africa and South Sudan earned their participation by way of the Road to BAL qualifying tournaments that ran from October to December of 2021.

The Sahara conference’s play will run from March 5-15 in Dakar while the Nile’s will run from April 9-19 in Cairo with the top four teams from each conference advancing to the single-elimination BAL Playoffs from May 21-28.

“The Road to BAL 2022, which was successfully completed at the end of last year, provided fans with some exciting close games and captivating action. We are optimistic that this expanded BAL season will be a huge success,” says FIBA Africa and BAL Board President Anibal Manave.

Photo via BAL/Getty Images.

The post Basketball Africa League Announces 12 Teams and Game Schedule For 2022 Season appeared first on SLAM.

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE
CONGRATS, @LynxCoachReeve
pic.twitter.com/vlNGaC8MR3

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) December 8, 2021

Reeve was an assistant coach for the National Teams that won gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the 2014 and 2018 FIBA World Cups. Reeves has helped lead Team USA to a 57-4 overall record and a 38-0 record in FIBA play.

Now, the three-time WNBA Coach of the Year will look to help lead the team to the 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Washington D.C, the World Cup in Sydney, Australia and if the team qualifies, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Moments after the announcement, Dawn Staley, who is the head coach of the South Carolina women’s program, shared a message congratulating Reeve. Staley coached the Women’s National Team at the Olympics, where they won their seventh-straight Olympic gold medal.

We know we’re in good hands.

@dawnstaley with a message for new #USABWNT head coach @LynxCoachReeve pic.twitter.com/fDfWn71t5f

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) December 8, 2021

The post Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Named USA Basketball Women’s National Team Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

Kahleah Copper really picked up where she left off overseas. SHEESH @kahleahcopper

(via @EuroLeagueWomen) pic.twitter.com/AmLP54eQtq

— WSLAM (@wslam) December 7, 2021

In 26 minutes, the 2021 All-Star dropped 35 points, grabbed three rebounds and four steals on an efficient 12-18 shooting from the field, leading Avenida (6-2) to a 77-69 win over MBA Moscow (2-6).

The former 7th overall pick in the 2016 draft has been playing in the EuroLeague since November 16th, when Spanish club Perfumerias Avenida announced its signing of Copper. Since joining the EuroLeague, Copper has been on a tear. In her November 24th debut, Copper scored a team-high 25 points, shooting a scintillating 9-11 from the field while swiping two steals in Avenida’s 96-54 win over KSC Szekszard.

In her very next game against UMMC Ekaterinburg, Copper dropped 34 points, six boards, and three dimes in 30 minutes on the court. Copper and Perfumerías Avenida Basketball Club’s next matchup will be against fellow WNBA guard Jasmine Thomas and TTT Riga on Saturday.

The post Kahleah Copper Becomes First Player to Record Multiple 30-point Games in EuroLeague This Season appeared first on SLAM.

Good morning from Tokyo. Mad good Olympic debut for 77. pic.twitter.com/tr4ztOAce5

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) July 26, 2021

“The Don” quickly asserted his dominance and interstellar range, scoring 15 points before five minutes had even ticked off the clock, and Argentina was forced to watch as stepback three after stepback three were launched from well beyond the international 3-point line.

Doncic erupted for 48 points—31 of them poured in by the half—11 rebounds and three blocks in just 31 minutes of action. Slovenia’s first-ever Olympic games saw their superstar shoot an efficient 18-for-29 from the field and 6-for-14 from three.

“We tried everything that we would have tried against a normal player,” Hernandez said, “but he’s not a normal player,” Argentina’s head coach Sergio Hernandez said.

First one #miSlovenci #Olympics pic.twitter.com/npwKb6YqAv

— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) July 26, 2021

The face of the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic flirted with the 55-point record of Brazilian Hall of Fame wing Oscar Schmidt (set in 1988) but was pulled with a few minutes remaining.

“I don’t care about records,” Doncic said. “We got a win and that’s what we came here for.”

The post Luka Doncic Erupts for 48 in Olympic Debut appeared first on SLAM.

Jerami Grant is expected to be cleared from quarantine and will be available to travel with Team USA to Japan, sources said. Americans have final exhibition against Spain set for 9 p.m. ET.

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 18, 2021

Initially reported by The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania, Grant entered health & safety protocols on Thursday alongside Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal, despite not testing positive for the virus.

Team USA’s Jerami Grant has entered health and safety protocols at Team USA camp, sources tell me and @joevardon. Grant has not tested positive for coronavirus. He and Bradley Beal are in protocols in Las Vegas.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 15, 2021

The runner up to the Most Improved Player award in the 2021 season was officially cleared to play hours before USA’s final exhibition game against Spain in which Grant scored five points and grabbed three boards in their 83-76 win over Spain.

While Grant will travel with the team to Tokyo, another key player will not initially travel with the team, Chicago Bulls star guard Zach LaVine.

Team USA’s Zach LaVine has been placed under health and safety protocols and will not travel with the team to Tokyo today. USAB hopes LaVine will be able to join the team in Tokyo later this week.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2021

LaVine is the third player to undergo USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols and will not travel with the team this week to Tokyo.

USAB hopes LaVine will be able to join the team later this week in Tokyo as their first matchup of the Olympics takes place on the 25th against France.

The post Jerami Grant Expected to be Cleared from Quarantine, Zach LaVine Enters Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Samuelson was originally set to be on the roster for the USA’s first-ever 3×3 team.

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Due to her diagnosis, Samuelson was placed under USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols on Saturday despite being fully vaccinated. The former fourth overall pick would have been the first USA player to compete at both the Youth Olympic Games and the Olympics.

The former UConn Husky standout will be replaced by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, joining Aces teammate Kelsey Plum, Chicago Sky center Stefanie Dolson and Dallas Wings guard Allisha Gray before the Games begin.

A third-year pro in the WNBA, Samuelson wasn’t a newcomer to playing 3×3 in international competition, having played on the USA’s 3×3 national team at the 2019 World Beach Games in Qatar. Young also participated in the 3×3 Olympic qualifying team training camp in February of 2020 in Chicago.

Suffice it to say, Samuelson’s experience will be missed.

With a retooled roster, the USA 3×3 team is set open the tournament on Saturday against France followed by Mongolia.

The post Storm’s Katie Lou Samuelson Withdraws from Olympics After Testing Positive for COVID-19 appeared first on SLAM.

The Australian National Basketball League’s (NBL) Rookie of the Year averaged just shy of 11 points, 7.3 rebounds and a league-high 7.6 assists in 32 minutes per game with the Adelaide 36ers. As of presstime, Giddey was No. 11 on ESPN’s Top 100 draft rankings.

His game on the court is naturally unselfish. At 6-9, Giddey easily fills up the stat sheet with jaw-dropping assists and a handful of boards (grabbing the sixth-most rebounds in the NBL this season). He finds joy in the little things, like the seams of the ball lining up perfectly in a shooter’s shot pocket or the gleam on his teammate’s face after receiving a clean pass to the bucket.

Giddey turned heads in April when he became the youngest player since LaMelo Ball to record a triple-double in NBL history, scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 10 assists against the New Zealand Breakers.

His first few games as a pro weren’t so easy, as Giddey struggled with his confidence. As the season continued, his jitters dissipated and he broke out in his fourth game, posting a 12-point double-double, finishing the season with 13 total double-doubles and three triple-doubles.

“I think my whole game kind of went to another level,” Giddey says. “Playing with that swagger and confidence is what I love doing, and when I’m doing that, I think that’s when I’m at my best.”

It’s the first day of the NBA Combine and Giddey is calling from Chicago where he and 69 other young hopefuls are itching for their name to be called on July 29. His morning starts with an early lift, then transitions to a skill development session with former Texas A&M and Melbourne United guard Darryl McDonald. After a break, he heads back to the gym where he gets up hundreds of shots a night.

The one outlier in Giddey’s game is his jump shooting, but the Melbourne native has one person in his corner to help him course correct: Andrew Gaze, arguably the greatest player and shooter in the history of Australian basketball, a seven-time league MVP and 14-time scoring champ.

Josh’s relationship with Gaze started before he was even born, when Warrick and Gaze were teammates on the ’93 and ’97 Melbourne Tigers championship teams. Throughout his career in Australia, “Drewey” to close friends, was an integral part of Giddey’s growth.

“There’s no one really better to learn from and kind of get advice from and be in the gym with this summer,” Giddey says of his summer sessions with Gaze.

As a pass-first point guard, Giddey’s stalky frame is enticing as taller ballhandlers find more success in the League. He’s a gifted passer who thrives in transition with an advanced ability to find the descending big man in pick and roll scenarios.

Armed with a bounty of knowledge and experience from mentors, a year playing professionally and a playmaking bag rivaled by the League’s top guards, Josh Giddey is ready for what he’s been waiting for. 

“It’s exciting, because this is the stuff I’ve wanted to do my whole life, and for it to finally be here…it’s coming really quickly. I’m trying to take it day by day. Being around the guys I am, talking with these teams,” he says. “I’m trying to just enjoy the whole process.” 

Jared Ebanks is an editorial intern at SLAM and a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Follow him on Twitter @JaredEbanks.

Photos via Getty Images.

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The star-studded roster capped off its dominant run in the World Cup with a 83-81 victory over France.

No better feeling

#GoldHabits x #USABMU19 pic.twitter.com/quBJmxX4BC

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 11, 2021

A star-studded roster faced a daunting matchup with France in the championship, pitting 7’1″ Chet Holmgren on the 7’2″ 17-year-old Victor Wembanyama. The projected first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama posted a team-high 22 points and eight rebounds while swatting eight shots in the process.

France continued to give the US fits throughout the game, leading by four heading into the fourth quarter. Holmgren’s length and ease around the rim got the ball rolling with five straight points out of the quarter that snowballed into an 11-0 run.

The Gonzaga freshman – named tournament MVP – finished the tournament averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and just under three blocks a game while shooting an astronomical 62% from the field and 53.8% from downtown, all in 21 minutes a game.

#FIBAU19 MVP

Congratulations @ChetHolmgren pic.twitter.com/ZM1R4gGYJj

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 11, 2021

Purdue’s Jaden Ivey provided a much needed scoring punch in the USA victory, dropping 16 points, four boards and three steals, averaging 12.3 points and 1.6 steals per game.

Holmgren and Ivey represented the US in the tournament’s All-Star Five, rounded out by Webmanyama, Canada’s Zach Edey and Serbia’s Nikola Jovic.

The USA has now won back-to-back FIBA U19 championships, both under TCU head coach Jamie Dixon.

The post USA beats France in Thrilling FIBA U19 World Cup Championship appeared first on SLAM.

As the NBA season prepares to come to a close next month, Team USA is here to keep basketball in our everyday lives, continuing to announce their men’s and women’s rosters for both Olympic and FIBA play this summer.

With the USA’s Olympic men’s basketball roster, Olympic women’s basketball roster and Olympic women’s 3×3 roster set, 26 players were invited to compete for the 12-man USA Men’s U19 World Cup roster.

After 10 training sessions in Fort Worth, TX, the roster has been announced, featuring a litany of the game’s youngest stars.

Chief among these players stands ESPN’s 2021 No.1 overall prospect, Chet Holmgren, and the nation’s top point guard, Kennedy Chandler.

The 2021 USA Men’s U19 World Cup Team roster is set

The 12-member squad will go for gold at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup from July 3-11 in Latvia.

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) June 25, 2021

Holmgren and Chandler are two of the six players featured on ESPN’s annual rankings of the top 100 high school recruits, and are joined by Patrick Baldwin Jr. (ranked fourth), Peyton Watson (ranked 10th), Harrison Ingram (ranked 20th) and Caleb Furst (ranked 71st).

The remaining six spots are filled by those who just completed their freshman season in college: Jonathan Davis (Wisconsin), Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Louisiana Tech), Adam Miller (LSU) and Mike Miles (TCU).

The USA has won four of the last six U19 golds since 2009, amassing a 99-14 overall record since the event was launched in 1979.

The star-studded roster is led by TCU head coach, Jamie Dixon, with two Division 1 head coaches serving as assistants (Stanford’s Jerod Haase and Yale’s James Jones).

The team will continue to train at TCU’s campus in Forth Worth through June 28 before heading to Latvia, where the FIBA U19 World Cup will be played from July 3-11.

The post 2021 USA Basketball U19 World Cup Roster Announced appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, Wiggins confirmed on Instagram that he will be representing Team Canada this summer for the Olympic qualifying tournament.

This is big news for Canadian basketball fans, as Wiggins’ presence was anything but a given heading into the summer. Wiggins hasn’t played for Canada since 2015 in a FIBA event, and that most recent pairings left a bad taste in the mouths of both parties.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andrew Wiggins (@22wiggins)

Now, six years later, Wiggins returns a much more mature and polished professional basketball player than he was in 2015. Wiggins was great for the Warriors this season, averaging 18.6 points per game and shooting a career-best 38 percent from three and 47.7 percent from the field. Wiggins also took a major step defensively, helping the Warriors to the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Team Canada will have some weapons, with Wiggins potentially joining R.J. Barrett, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks this summer.  

The post Andrew Wiggins Confirms He Will Represent Team Canada in 2021 Summer Olympic Qualifying appeared first on SLAM.

pic.twitter.com/7socHMLMkH

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) May 18, 2021

“For months, I saw others get contracts, chances, opportunities. I told myself I just need ONE ten-day contract, one chance to get back on the floor and I would blow it out the water,” Lin wrote alongside a photo that showed him dressed in his Santa Cruz Warriors G-League uniform.

“After all that’s how my entire career started – off one chance to prove myself. For reasons I’ll never fully know, that chance never materialized. But I proved I’m better than ever and an NBA player. And like I’ve said before…dream big dreams, risk big heartache.”

While with the Golden State Warriors affiliate, Lin averaged 19.8 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from 3-point range. All the while, he spoke out against crimes against Asians, including an incident where a player called him “coronavirus” on the court.

He also spent time with the Warriors, Rockets, Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks, and Raptors. He was part of the 2019 Raptors team that won the franchise’s first championship. 

The highlight of Lin’s career came in 2012, when the Knicks called him up to the NBA. Over the inspiring 12-game Linsanity stretch, he averaged over 22.5 points.

Even though Lin does not say he’s walking away from basketball after averaging 22.3 points and 5.6 assists a game in China last year, many are hoping that the Linsanity era in the NBA isn’t over.

Lin’s has career averages of 11.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.8 rpg and 1.1 spg in nine seasons.

The post Jeremy Lin Shares Thoughts on the Future of His Basketball Career appeared first on SLAM.

The new documentary film, TO THE LINE, focuses on the growth of the game in New Zealand. Created by first-time filmmakers Jack Chapman and Antony Young, TO THE LINE documents the journey of the Rongotai College basketball team as they embark on a run in the 2018 Nationals.

The film focuses on Rongotai guard, Finn McClure, who not only shoots the lights out but is also a leader on and off of the court. Viewers get an inside look at McClure’s challenging journey as he aims to earn a scholarship at a DI college in America.

Chapman says the story was continuously changing throughout the filming.

“We wanted to explore the process of the youth wanting to pursue basketball in New Zealand,” Chapman said. “The character of the kids playing basketball here is a different mentality.”

The film highlights Steven Adams‘ influence in his native New Zealand, giving the young Kiwi basketball players hope that they could make it to the States to get the chance to follow in his footsteps.

“He’s a starter on a good-quality team that is marketed extremely well,” former Tall Blacks coach Kenny McFadden expressed in the film. “With his success itself, the next Kiwi kids are saying, Why not me?”

Chapman says Adams epitomizes the approachable Kiwi spirit and occasionally returns to coach Kiwi kids and show them genuine support.

TO THE LINE showcases these young athletes with vivid dreams and impeccable drive as they work hard to get an opportunity to live out their hoop dreams.

—

Charlie Desadier is an intern at SLAM. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post ‘TO THE LINE’ Documentary Film Explores Basketball’s Rise in New Zealand appeared first on SLAM.

Following the workout, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz referred to the 16-year-old French big man as “arguably the best prospect in the world regardless of age.”

Standing at 7-3 with a 7-8 wingspan, Wembanyama has a chance to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 Draft, according to Schmitz.

Schmitz says that Wembanyama is not your typical big man.

Despite his huge feet and thin frame, he moves like a wing. Not only does he put a lid on the rim like Rudy Gobert, he also shows the floor-spacing potential of a young Kristaps Porzingis, with a far better handle and passing feel.

When being asked about how he has been able to become such a unique talent at his size, Wembanyama talks about always having a ball in his hands.

“That comes from the fact that I’ve always been balling since I was young. Even when I was not in a club yet, when I was 5 or 6 years old, I always had a ball.”

Wembanyama will need to put on some size to reach his full potential at the next level. When it comes to the NBA, he still has plenty of time to not only get stronger, but also improve his game.

Remember the name Victor Wembanyama.

The post 2023 NBA Draft Prospect Victor Wembanyama Impresses Against Rudy Gobert appeared first on SLAM.

Eugene “Pooh” Jeter, a guard for the Fujian Sturgeons, has been in the CBA for eight years following a long career in Europe and one stint with the Sacramento Kings. Here, in his third diary for SLAM, he describes the state of things in China, his journey back to L.A., the passing of his grandpa and more.

DIARY 1 (March 27, 2020): Pooh Jeter Describes Returning to a New World

DIARY 2 (April 5, 2020): Pooh Jeter Gets Out of Quarantine

—

By Pooh Jeter, as told to Alex Squadron:

Yooo! Wassup everybody. Hope all is well. Grace, peace and blessings to you and your loved ones. In this diary, I’ll be talking about the reasons I returned home to Los Angeles, the CBA season and my 91-year-old grandpa passing away from COVID-19.

2020 is incredible, huh? And it’s only MAY! Who knows what these next seven months are going to be like. But the rule of the game is to take care of today and let tomorrow take care of its own self. One day at a time.

OK, let’s start here: Once I heard the news that the CBA season was going to be pushed to July, I really had to make a choice. It seems like this whole situation—with me going back to China and now returning back home—has been about choices. Life is really about choices. In March, when they were saying the season was going to start in April, I made the choice to get back over to China and do my quarantine. While I was in quarantine, they said the season was going to start in May. I thought that was pretty good because it would allow us to get into game shape. Then after quarantine, while I was practicing, they pushed it to July. I had to talk with our GM and coach about how my family needs me at home. And they totally understood. I took all the proper steps and followed their directions on everything regarding the situation.

We were going like two-a-days, but once my coach got the news about the season starting in July, he decided to cut down to one practice a day for a week and then ended up calling for a three-week break. So once that break started, I felt it was the perfect time for me to get back home to my family. We don’t even know for sure if the season is going to start again in July. I’d rather, until they figure out a set schedule, just go home to be with my family and help my wife out. And when it comes time for me to go back, then we’ll work on that. If my family was able to come to China with me, that would’ve been a different story. But I really need to be there for my family; that was one of my main concerns even going to China in the first place, knowing about the lockdown in the US. I figured the season was going to start in April and I’d be back sometime in June. Now if the season starts in July, I probably won’t be back until September. So if I did stay, I would’ve been gone from my family from March to September.

Most Americans in China are probably going to be doing the same thing because nobody’s practicing right now. All the teams have really just shut down for a good three weeks until the league makes a decision. But I think some people are going to stay because the situation in the states isn’t too good. So they’re thinking that they might as well just stay out there because it’s safe in China. What I was seeing in my city, in Quanzhou, everything was basically back to normal. I think schools might be starting back up this month. Things were definitely heading in that right direction. I felt really safe in China, especially in my city. Players may stay for that reason or they may just go home until things get figured out. 

When you make a decision, you have to put every scenario on the wall. You have to prepare yourself. So it may be the case that if I do go back to China, I have to do another two-week quarantine where I’m not allowed to leave my room at all again. But hopefully by that time, everything will be a little better. But who knows? That may be one of the options.

In terms of returning to practice, everybody was getting their temperature checked before entering the facility. Whatever building you enter in China, there’s a mandatory temperature check. Restaurants, hotels, etc. But once we were in the facility, practice was live, 5-on-5, all types of scenarios. We were really practicing. That was one of the best things. I’m lifting everyday. We’re practicing everyday. I was only in three places while in China—my hotel, the gym and this restaurant called Piggys. In the restaurant, their tables were already set up for social distancing, but it was pretty much normal. Once you got your temperature checked, got your wipes and cleaned your hands, then you just enjoyed your meal. 

The team got a flight for me from Xiamen, one of the biggest cities in our province, straight back to L.A. Airports in China aren’t packed at all. Nobody’s really traveling right now. I got to the airport, got my temperature checked, went through the process. It wasn’t like when I arrived in Shanghai, it was a little easier now. While in the Xiamen airport, I had to fill out some paperwork stating everything I did while in China. Right before I got on the plane, they checked my temperature again; and when I was on the plane, I got my temperature checked like three times during the flight. The flight attendants came to my seat and checked to make sure I was good. They weren’t messing around. The flight was empty. I don’t think that the plane had more than, like, 20 people. 

When I got to L.A., as soon as I got off the plane, the CDC was right in the tunnel asking questions. You had to go through two people. They’re checking temperatures, asking where you’ve been and stuff like that. You go to another person and they give you a pamphlet and talk you through doing a self-quarantine. I just couldn’t believe LAX was that empty. It’s unbelievable. Nobody was at the airport.

They didn’t give us a set date to restart the season in July. Once we’re able to figure something out, I told the team just let me know. I’ve shown that I’m dedicated and determined to hoop. I went through that whole process already. It was just tough thinking that I’d be waiting until July. And all I could think about was my family. I have two boys that are active and they’re staying home. They can’t move around. I love my team because they really understood. They got it. They accepted it. Once you have a family, they are your whole responsibility. 

Another reason why I came home early was because of my grandpa. In late April, my almost 92-year-old healthy grandpa had some type of stroke and ended up passing away in a hospital in Detroit, MI. We’re still trying to figure out if he had COVID-19 before the stroke or if he ended up getting the virus after the stroke in the hospital. So much is going through my mind right now. My g-pops, who was turning 92 on May 9, was a boss and respectable man. I see who my pops gets it from. My g-pops was still cutting hair, exercising everyday, had a girlfriend and was always using FaceTime to see us. The only thing he didn’t have was Instagram. Grandpa is the OG, “Original Gene.” Meaning he is the foundation of being Eugene Jeter. My dad is JR, I’m the 3rd, and my son is the 4th. When my son came into the world five years ago, I made sure that my g-pops came out to L.A. for us to take our “Jeter Generational Dreams” picture. Shout out to my photographer Zyaire (@porterhousela on IG). My bro pics are fire. I’m so happy I didn’t procrastinate on getting this picture done. My g-pops and son have plenty of pics together, and I’m so thankful that God allowed him to see me grow up and meet my son. Aye, y’all should’ve seen how proud he was when I played against the Pistons in Detroit. He was like, “Look at my name on the back of an NBA jersey. And it’s on the back of a Kings jersey. We sure are Kings, huh Pooh?”

The last time I physically saw my g-pops was last year when he came to L.A. Like I said, he was over 90 years old. So that means he was born in the late 1920s. Geez, that was long time ago. Lol. I have a Tesla Truck. The one that has the wing/falcon doors that open up and basically do everything for you. So when I picked him up from the airport and pushed the buttons for everything to open, he was like, “What in the world is this?” I greeted him outside of the car with a hug, took his luggage from him and put it in the back seat. I get back in the car and the passenger door is still open because he’s still standing outside of the car saying, “Pooh, what is this?” I’m like, “Grandpa, can you please get in the car?” It’s like somebody tagged him in a game of freeze tag, because he didn’t move at all. He was stuck. So he finally gets in the car and is looking around saying, “Man, you got you a spaceship, don’t ya? Wow. Does it put my seatbelt on for me?” We both started crying laughing. But just think about the cars he saw from the time he was born until now. I would’ve probably did the same thing. But I’ma miss you like crazy, g-pops. Now I have another Angel watching over me and my household.

To all my readers, please tell people that you LOVE THEM because you don’t know when it’ll be the last time you ever see or speak to them again. So I love YOU!  Peace be with you. Talk to y’all soon. 

—

Pooh Jeter also runs Laced, the only black-owned shoe store in Los Angeles with a Nike account. The retail location is closed due to coronavirus but the online store remains open. Follow Jeter on Instagram and Twitter.

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

The post SLAM DIARY: CBA Guard Pooh Jeter Returns Home From China appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a big dream, of course; but that’s what the City of Lights is all about.

Led by David Kahn, the former President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Paris Basketball was founded in 2018. The team currently plays in LNB Pro B, the second division of France.

Their vision: To establish a prominent franchise and brand in one of the most recognized places in the world.

“I joined Paris Basketball because I was convinced by the project,” says Amara Sy, a veteran forward and legend in the French leagues. “As a competitor, I was [intrigued] by the opportunity to write history and be a part of the builders of a Parisian club that would be set to last.”

Their mindset: To strongly embody the culture and spirit of Paris.

“On the court, we fight hard,” Francisco explains. “Paris has a tough mentality. It’s a big city where you will find a lot of [talented people]—in sports, of course, but also in music, in fashion. To make it here, you need to believe strongly in yourself and fight hard, whatever the conditions.”

“Paris is unique. We have our own vibe. We’re not copying anything,” adds Sy. “I was born in it, so I know the depth of this culture made from the playgrounds—trash talk, attitude, pride, talent. I can tell that that mindset infuses the team.

“You can feel the energy around the team, the mentality of everyone working to create something big. We’re young but we have a true identity and fierce ambition and this comes from the Parisian mindset.”

Their blueprint: To thrive on the court, climb divisions and increase their visibility.

“The sooner the better—we need to get in first division,” Francisco says. “Paris needs to be among the best teams. And once we’re there, the sky’s the limit. I’m sure it can be the coolest team outside the NBA.”

“I first want to shout out David Kahn. We needed someone to embody this crazy ambition to have a club in Paris and he’s the one [who had] the courage to do it,” Sy emphasizes. “He knows the way to do it. On our side, as players, we’ll try hard to get the club as soon as possible in the French division 1. Once we’re there, you’ll see that Paris will be unmissable on the European scene.”

Their hype: Local fans have already begun to embrace the organization, its identity and its potential.

“We’re in second division right now, but the stadium is crowded,” Sy tells SLAM. “Parisians are curious about the project. We have very [talented] players. Some of them came from EuroLeague to be a part of this. Others are considered NBA prospects, such as Juhann Begarin.”

“When we’re playing at home, we have French rappers sitting courtside. The best producers are there as well. It’s a whole vibe,” Francisco describes. “Keep in mind that we’re only two years old and playing in second division. It’s very unusual. James Harden and Donovan Mitchell came by last summer. When you go to the playgrounds in Paris, you will see our t-shirt on the kids. I think Paris Basketball has been adopted by the Parisian. I’m sure it will one day be adopted by foreigners as well.”

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos by Yoan Guerini.

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There is hope that the season could pick up in early May. Several Americans have already flown back to China and undergone a two-week quarantine, such as guard Pooh Jeter, who’s keeping a diary with SLAM.

Sylven Landesberg—a small forward for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls—is averaging 26.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Born and raised in New York City, Landesberg was a McDonald’s All-American in 2008 and starred for the University of Virginia. He’s since pursued a career overseas, spending time in Israel, Spain, Turkey and China.

Less than a week ago, Landesberg had his bags packed and was bound for Hangzhou. As he details in his first SLAM diary below, things changed quickly:

—

By Sylven Landesberg, as told to Alex Squadron:

This is my first season in China. It’s crazy how it went on like this and has ended so abruptly. I was hoping for a little more, man, but some things are out of our control. I got to China early September. I got home (to Queens, NY) toward the end of January. It’s crazy, it felt like the virus was actually following me on my way out of China. We went to play our last game before the Chinese New Year break in Liaoning. They have Lance Stephenson and Brandon Bass. Before we were going there, we had no cases in my [home] city of Hangzhou that we knew of. Then I remember when we got to Liaoning, two days into being there, I think there were like three cases in Hangzhou. We play the game. I already had a trip booked to Tokyo for the Chinese New Year because we had a few days off.

I head to Tokyo. And when I get there, I see that Liaoning now has 2-3 confirmed cases. So I’m supposed to be in Tokyo for like 3-4 days. The first day, I hear about Liaoning. The second day, I start hearing more and more about how it’s spreading and spreading. I hit my agent up, it’s like 630 in the morning in Tokyo. I asked him, ‘What’s the word man?’ He’s like, ‘Well the team said because of the virus you can probably stay in Tokyo for an extra 2-3 days and then come back.’ My immediate mindset was, because at the time I thought the season was going to resume: Alright, I’m going to be in Tokyo for about a week. I’m not going to be able to touch a ball or get any type of work in. So I told him: ‘If they’re telling us to be here for an extra week, I’m just going to go home.’ He was like, ‘Yeah man, that’s probably a great idea.’

I got home and then the situation in China just started escalating day by day. I was keeping up with it. It’s crazy. Obviously it’s terrible what’s taking place there and what’s taking place in the world, but as far as the league too, just to try to keep up, nobody knows what to do in this situation. This is something that hasn’t been handled before. This is all new ground for everybody in it. So the league just kept going back and forth, like, We’re going to start [now], and [then], We’re going to delay it for an extra two weeks. Then it kept going another two weeks, another two weeks. Every few days, they’d just keep adding more and more days until I’m in the situation I’m in now—just being home for awhile.

I’m from Queens, NY. When they set a potential restart day of April 15, I got a flight back [to China]. I was supposed to leave March 26, get there, do a two-week quarantine and be ready to play. I kept going back and forth with my agent and trying to make sure the league wasn’t going to get postponed longer. I wouldn’t want to be in a situation where I’m just out there instead of being home, where every other day the league is getting postponed more. I’d rather be home with my loved ones, especially at a time like this. The day of the flight came, the 26th. My flight was at 1 p.m. in the afternoon. It’s so hard getting [to China] right now, so I had to go from New York to Seattle, Seattle to Vancouver, Vancouver to a city in Asia and then from that city, I was going to my city in China. I think that’s just because of what’s going on. When I went there [initially], I flew directly in.

I live in Astoria so it’s like a 10-minute drive to the airport. I cut it close [laughs]. I knew it was going to be empty. I got through security and they were calling my name to board. The flight had wifi. I passed out before we even took off. I wake up—I’m in the air for about two and a half hours now—and I see my phone has a bunch of notifications. I see I got a message from my teammate [Marcus Denmon], the other American who plays with me there. His message was just like, Yo man, it’s crazy, go look at the messages Alex sent you. That’s my agent in China. I open his message and two and a half hours into this flight, he just writes this whole thing like, I’m so sorry, the Chinese government shut down its borders to people coming in. I got a flight for you back from Seattle to New York when you land. I landed in Seattle around 5 p.m., walked around and grabbed some food, saw Lake Tacoma and then flew back to New York at 11 p.m. later that night.

China’s borders are still shut off, so I don’t think legally I can [return yet]. We’re still hoping, staying positive and optimistic that the league will resume. I’m not going to lie, it’s hard to stay in basketball shape without playing basketball. I’ve been doing the best I can with in-house workouts. I try to stay on top of it daily. It’s just not the same. I’m trying my best to stay in the best shape I can so that if the season does resume this year, we can go finish it out.

I don’t think my city got hit too bad. I think they’ve been back to regular life activities for a few weeks now. I know when they first got into quarantine—they got quarantined for a little bit—it sounded pretty similar to New York. They were still able to leave the house for necessities. There were supermarkets open, but most restaurants and businesses were closed.

This is a situation nobody’s ever dealt with. It’s hard to even give input on this because I’ve never been through this. This is my first time going through it to. I’m taking it day by day. Obviously it would be great to have a definite decision instead of being in limbo, but at the same time, I understand the other end of the table.

Right now, there’s no definite for me or for anybody involved in the CBA, I don’t think. They’re still trying to figure out what they’re doing with the league and we’re just patiently waiting. But what’s going on right now is a lot bigger than basketball, man. There are a lot of people being affected by this. I hope everybody’s able to make it out OK.

—

Follow Sylven Landesberg on Twitter and Instagram.

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

The post DIARY: CBA Forward Sylven Landesberg Turned Around on Way to China appeared first on SLAM.

Ball’s manager Jermaine Jackson was involved in the purchase as well.

While Ball will soon turn his attention to the NBA, he and Jackson will be taking steps to develop the program by bringing in top quality resources and attempting to recruit high school prospects.

“When high school kids hear LaMelo owns the team, they will want to come,” Jackson said. “They’ll know they will be taken care of. We’re going to put the organization on steroids, building it into a program that guys want to play for.”

The program served exactly that purpose for Ball, who opted to play his pre-NBA draft year in the league and has now established himself as a potential top choice in the draft.

In Sam Vecenie of The Athletic‘s most recent mock draft, published today, Ball was upgraded to the top prospect.

Ball’s 2019-20 campaign was cut short by a foot injury but not before scouts were able to see for themselves compelling enough evidence to start taking the youngest Ball brother seriously as a legitimate prospect.

Ball’s length and basketball IQ make him an imposing guard with a considerable ceiling in an uncertain draft class. That wasn’t known to be the case prior to his stint in Australia.

“Melo loves the Illawarra fans,” Jackson told ESPN. “He loves that community. They opened their arms to him.”

The post LaMelo Ball And Manager Buy Illawarra Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

The Liaoning Flying Leopards, who currently employ Lance Stephenson and Brandon Bass, are nearing a deal with former NBA lottery pick O.J. Mayo.

According to ESPN’s Kevin Wang, the 32-year-old is in the midst of a 14-day quarantine, after which he’ll seek medical clearance to suit up for the squad as their third permitted import player.

Mayo has played for several international basketball teams in Puerto Rico and Asia since he was suspended from the NBA in the summer of 2016 but hasn’t yet played in the CBA, China’s premier league.

Mayo has been eligible for reinstatement to the NBA since 2018-19 but it’s unclear if he’s formally applied for it. The Milwaukee Bucks renounced his rights at the time of the suspension, so he’d be an unrestricted free agent if he ever returned stateside.

The post O.J. Mayo Nears Deal With Chinese League Team appeared first on SLAM.

When the season does eventually pick up again, the CBA will serve as a blueprint for the rest of the world’s professional sports leagues. The plan is to compete in empty arenas and follow an adjusted schedule. SLAM will be getting periodic updates from players in China, including Eugene “Pooh” Jeter.

Jeter is a guard for the Fujian Sturgeons. He’s been in the CBA for eight years now following a long career in Europe and one stint with the Sacramento Kings. Here, he describes his recent journey from Los Angeles to Fujian, what it looks like on the ground there, the rules of his quarantine and his outlook for the future.

—

By Pooh Jeter, as told to Alex Squadron:

Wassup, SLAM family. Grace, peace and blessings to all. My name is Pooh Jeter. Welcome to my “Diary from China.” Live from Fujian. This is my eighth season playing in the CBA. These next couple of months, I will be giving you information about my whole experience dealing with COVID-19. Are you ready to keep your butt in the house? Are you ready to worship God and not worry? Are you ready to start focusing and bettering yourself? I hope so, because right now, we see that our lives are way bigger than sports.

OK, about the last week. So I flew from LA to Taipei a week ago. First of all, LAX was empty. That was kind of weird. My flight was at 11:45 pm and I pulled up to the airport at like, 10:50 [laughs]. For me to leave [my house] around the time I left and get to the airport at that time was crazy. Everybody got their face mask on and this and that. Everybody got that look on their face when we’re going from LA to Taipei. I knocked out the whole flight. I get to Taepei, I’m looking for a face mask because now I’m going to China. All the face masks were sold out in LA. You couldn’t get no face mask, no hand sanitizer, nothing. I go into a little store [in the Taipei airport], they had the face masks. I got two of those.

Now from Taipei to Shanghai, it was like, OK, this is getting real. When we landed in Shanghai, we had to wait on the plane for like 30 minutes. They were calling different people that were sitting in the back, so everybody’s looking like, What are they doing? Everybody’s alert and on-guard. [After getting off the plane], we had to go through this tunnel to go downstairs to get on the bus. Now we’re all on the bus, everybody got their gloves on, keeping their distance, don’t want to touch anything. We get off the bus on our way to the baggage claim and there’s a huge line. People got their whole suits on, face masks, like Star Wars gear. It’s really serious. We landed at, like, 12:00 pm. My flight to Quanzhou wasn’t until 8:00 pm. So I’m in the airport for, like, eight hours. This whole process—they are walking around, spraying stuff in the air, everybody’s asking questions. When it gets to the time to get interviewed and all that, I sat down, they asked me all type of questions: Where have I been? Have I been in contact with people who have the virus? It was a whole interview process that I had to do, like, three times. Everybody had yellow stickers. I heard you can get green, yellow or red stickers. Green stickers probably means that wherever you came from, nobody has the virus. Everybody from the states got a yellow sticker because that shows you came from an environment where people have the virus. I don’t know what red means, but I have a yellow sticker on my passport.

I get my bag and then go up these stairs, it’s probably like 3:00 pm at this point now. Everybody coming internationally, we’re all upstairs in this room. Everybody’s separated. They’re calling your name, this and that, so they can take you to get your ticket. At 6:00 pm, it’s my turn to get my ticket. I’m in a different terminal. I have to go to Terminal 2. I get in this van. Inside, there was plastic everywhere. Everything was just covered in plastic. When I tell you they ain’t playing, they ain’t playing at all.

I get to the ticket counter, somebody has to escort me inside. Once I got through the security part—[there were] more questions—then I go upstairs. By this time, it’s 7:30 pm, and I’m like, Yo, can I at least eat? I didn’t really have a chance to eat at all. 

I fly into my city. Bro, the same process again. I land there probably around 9-10 something. I went through the same process. Interviews, signed papers. Where have you been? You did that in Shanghai, you didn’t do that here, so where you been at? They do temperature checks all the time because they want to see who has a fever or not. I’m waiting at the airport, answering questions, [getting my] temperature checked. I couldn’t go to where I was living before, I had to go to a random hotel for two weeks. All of my stuff is at my other spot. I get into the van [to the hotel], there’s plastic everywhere again. I get to the hotel, you already know [what happened]. The process—where you been at? [It was done] by doctors at the hotel. Wherever you go, you have to make sure you give them your information. They’re not playing. They’re not playing about this. It seems like they got the world on their shoulders. It started here, so now they got to make sure that they’re doing their part so other countries can know how to survive.

Somebody from my team was able to leave me some McDonald’s. That Big Mac had no chance [laughs]. I [entered the hotel] through the back. I don’t even remember what the lobby looked like because they had stuff blocked off. I went to the elevator, went straight to my room and have been in my room since.

I can’t leave my room. I’m really in quarantine. I can see what’s outside through my window but there’s no view at all. I can’t go, like, in the hallway. I think nobody has really taken the risk to go down the hall or get on the elevator. We’re supposed to do this for two weeks straight. I’m on day nine. I have five more.

You know what’s so crazy about playing in China, I’ve been here for eight years and I don’t do much. Outside of going to the gym or going to get something to eat, I’m in my room all day. I don’t really go sightseeing or go anywhere. I’m in my room or at the gym or going to get something to eat. But now I get food delivered to me, so the only thing I’m missing is the gym. I get breakfast, lunch and dinner—you just got to order before certain times—and I have a lot of snacks.

I don’t watch TV at home, so I’m really catching up on all my shows. I just watched the last season of Snowfall, now about to go into Tiger King. I’ve been talking to family, eating, reading, doing my own workouts that my trainers gave me because they gave me some bands. I’m, like, running in place [too]. I get my temperature checked in the morning and at night. I open up a window for a few hours to get some air in. And that’s it. It’s really just time to reflect, time for reading, time to execute so many other things outside of basketball. Ty Lawson, my teammate, is a couple of doors down from me. I haven’t seen him though.

I found out through my agent [about the season being pushed back to May]. And a couple of my teammates and some players in the CBA. You know, the word keeps on spreading. When I saw it, I was like, Here we go. When it comes to this league in China, nothing really surprises me. I’ve seen a lot of stuff. But also, I’m looking at it like, coming through this quarantine, if we would’ve started April 15, there probably would’ve been so many injuries. Doing two weeks of quarantine into practicing for a week then going into four games a week, you know how crazy that is? I also looked at it as a cool way of getting back into game shape.

I end [my quarantine] next week, so I’ll have time. But we’re going to find something new out everyday. With the virus or with the season or who knows. We just don’t know. You just got to go with the flow of things. I’m already in a situation where I really can’t do anything. Man, things happen for a reason. It’s not just me, there are other players that flew over here as well. Now they reported that starting tomorrow, no foreigners can come into China. So we got to see how long that’s going to be or what the league’s going to do. When I tell you things are out of our control and just control what you can control, that’s really all we can do. That’s the whole waiting game. Who knows? I got to make sure that I’m mentally and physically in shape.

There are so many ways to look at it. One thing for me is, Dang, I’m not there [in LA] to be with my wife and my kids. That’s the only thing because everything else is closed so it’s not like I’m kicking it with homies or I’m in the gym working out. It’s really that valuable time being able to physically hug my family. Other than that, I’d be doing the same thing.

—

Pooh Jeter also runs Laced, the only black-owned shoe store in Los Angeles with a Nike account. The retail location is closed due to coronavirus but the online store remains open. Follow Jeter on Instagram and Twitter.

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

The post DIARY FROM CHINA: Pooh Jeter Describes Returning to a New World appeared first on SLAM.

“We’re just going to plan as if it’s going to happen and we’re going to try to put together a roster,” Kerr told reporters during a conference call Tuesday, but admitted that everything remains very much “up in the air.”

The Olympics are scheduled to kick off July 24.

Per The AP and ESPN :

“Everything’s just up in the air,” Kerr said. “There’s no sense of whether things are going to be delayed or anything. We’re all kind of wondering what’s going to happen and so is the rest of the world.”

The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that the uncertainty of things right now is “an unprecedented situation for the whole world.”

“The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage,” the IOC said, adding that any other “speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

Officially, no part of that plan has changed yet. Like the NBA and the rest of the sports world, USA Basketball is very much in wait-and-see mode.

“(Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich) and I have spoken a couple of times over the last week or so,” Kerr said. “We’re all kind of sitting here wondering what’s going to happen, and so is the rest of the world. We’re just going to plan as if this is going to happen, and we’re going to try and put together a roster, and that’s all we can do.”

Related Steve Kerr: ‘We’re Never Going to Be the Team We Were’

The post Steve Kerr: Team USA Still Planning on Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports that Chasson Randle, who played 49 games for the Wizards last season, has been blocked from signing two 10-day contracts with NBA teams because of his contract with Tianjin.

Due to the outbreak, the CBA suspended operations after games on January 21st. There have been reports that the CBA intends to resume operations on April 1st but those have not been confirmed by the CBA. Most USA-born players have returned stateside to resume training while they await news on the CBA resuming play.

There are nearly-100 foreign-born players signed to contracts in China, including several former NBA players. For those players to return to the NBA or the NBA G League, they would need to acquire a release from their CBA contract and a letter of clearance from FIBA.

Below is a list of former NBA players currently signed in China:

Many of those players, including Randle and former Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, have expressed interest in returning to the NBA this season.

Playing in the CBA has long been a draw for former NBA players for several reasons. The salaries are general larger than most other overseas leagues, the style of play is conducive to putting up big stat-lines and the season ends in March.

The early end date has allowed players to make an NBA return in time for the stretch run and the NBA playoffs. How the changes in the CBA schedule this season impact players remains an open question. It’s one that several players would like an answer to.

The post Ex-NBA Players In Limbo As Chinese League Manages Virus appeared first on SLAM.

The entire crowd shot up. Fans recorded it on their phones. Teammates swarmed him. It looked like a game at the famous New York City streetball courts. “It’s over!” the DJ yelled six times. No one at the tournament was going to out-jump the 6-9, 215-pound, 15-year-old Efe Abogidi. 

And then Abogidi vanished. The dunk was more than two years ago. The slow motion video still exists on the NBA’s Instagram, totaling nearly 2 million views. But, until recently, an online search of Abogidi told little of what happened to him. No high school stats. No more viral videos of him dunking. No articles updating his development. Just left in the abyss of the NBA’s 32,700 Instagram posts.

—

Efe Abogidi flew down on the fast break. He wasn’t planning to take off from the foul line, but he was surely going to dunk. Maybe a simple one-handed flush. Or maybe a crafty reverse slam. But as his head approached the basket, Abogidi felt a push in his back. He fell to the ground. It was his first ever major injury—a torn ACL.

That was 2017, just weeks after the free-throw line dunk and leaving Africa. He was playing in one of his first events for the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. And now he was injured, far from his home in Nigeria and out for nine months.

Abogidi was used to living away from his parents and five siblings, having initially attended the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, one of six NBA Academies that stretch from India to Mexico to Shandong. The Academies are designed to train top international high school players from their selected areas—not only providing them with rigorous basketball schedules, but strength and conditioning coaches, medical training staffs and access to local schools. 

“Three-hundred-sixty-degree holistic development, […] everything that allows them to become a successful basketball player, successful student and a successful human being later in life,” says Chris Ebersole, the NBA’s Director of International Basketball Operations. 

In 2016, only two years after Abogidi started to play basketball, he won MVP at a camp in Lagos. That same year, the NBA was starting its Academy system. They took notice of the high-jumping kid.

“Anyone who was at that camp came away remembering that kid because he blows you away with once-in-a-lifetime explosiveness and athleticism,” says Ebersole.

Abogidi rode the eight-hour bus to join the first-year Academy in Senegal. A year later, he went viral for his free-throw line dunk. 

The best players from the Academies around the world are ultimately funneled into the Global Academy, which is located at the renowned Australian Institute of Sport. Shortly after his dunk, Abogidi ended up in Australia too—only to tear his ACL. 

“It was pretty [difficult]. […] Coming from Africa to another country, you just got hurt, you have to adapt to the weather, the place, the feeling,” Abogidi remembers.

In 2018, Marty Clarke, an Australian native and former Saint Mary’s College assistant, was hired as the new technical director at the Global Academy. Abogidi was still recovering from his first injury when Clarke arrived. Not long after, Abogidi endured a setback that would require surgery and keep him out for another year and a half. Clarke wondered if Abogidi would play again.

“The initial damage to the knee and secondary damage to the knee was severe,” Clarke remembers. “There’s another 50 years of life after playing. What’s that going to be like if you can’t walk, if you can’t pick up your kids, if you can’t ride a bike? You have to be cognizant of that as well.”

Abogidi had traveled across the world to play basketball. He had already sat out one year. And now he had to sit out another. He wondered why he stayed in Australia. His mental state, Clarke adds, was not “ideal.” 

At first, the long days at the Academy, for 11 months of the year, didn’t help. Structured much like college, Abogidi’s days include individual morning workouts, classes, afternoon team practices and conditioning or lifting somewhere in between. The Academy emphasizes independence, as the students are expected to make their own appointments, do their own laundry and get to practice on time. But they don’t play games against college students. They play against grown men—professionals in the second division of the Australian National Basketball League. “It’s not an easy life,” says Clarke.

Abogidi was left to watch from the sidelines during practice. “In a team, you gather respect of your teammates from what you do on the floor,” Clarke says. “But he wasn’t on the floor, he couldn’t be around them.”  

As Abogidi struggled to find motivation after the second surgery, his coaches, doctors, athlete welfare officer, physical trainer and strength and conditioning coach all sat down with Abogidi to fix some of the bad habits he had fallen into.

“It was a plan of rehab, taking charge, being on time, making his appointments and not relying on other people to be there for him,” Clarke says.

Abogidi bought in. His grades especially shot up. This year, he earned a 97.8 percent in US History and 96.8 percent in English. On the court, he lived in front of the shooting gun, developing a three-point shot that hadn’t been a part of his game before. Now “he smiles a lot,” says Clarke.

As Abogidi got healthier, Clarke started to point college coaches back in his direction. And in the spring of 2019, Abogidi was “surprised” to find a Facebook message from a coach at Washington State University. 

“I hadn’t played for a while. That a college like Washington State would contact me and tell me, ‘We have interest in you,’ I was really excited about it and I wanted to take it to the next level,” remembers Abogidi.

The Washington State head coach, Kyle Smith, had recruited players from the Global Academy before. When he got the job at Washington State prior to the 2019-20 season, he asked Clarke for a few potential prospects to pursue. Smith was inheriting a program that had only made the NCAA Tournament three times in the past 30 years. Every single recruit counts in the effort to become relevant again. 

When Clarke mentioned Abogidi as a potential longshot, Smith didn’t balk. He didn’t see someone who had been injured for two years. Instead, he saw a 6-10 “elite athlete” with a 7-4 wingspan and ripped arms—a “definite high-major talent” when healthy. (Because of his size and large hands, teammates call Abogidi “The Klaw” after Kawhi Leonard.) Smith saw someone who had moved across the world to play basketball—despite being injured for most of it.

And on top of that, Abogidi happened to have an uncle living in Pullman, the rural city of 30,000 people where Washington State is located. It all convinced Smith that Abogidi would not only contribute to the program, but stay committed to it. Still, it was hard not to forget Abogidi hadn’t played five-on-five basketball in two years.

This past July, Smith traveled down to the NBA Academy Games, an event that brings together all of the Academies to compete in a tournament. Abogidi still hadn’t returned to gameplay, though. (His first official, competitive five-on-five games take place on December 19-22 at the G-League Winter Showcase.) Instead, he spent the entire weekend on the bench. “I saw him clap a lot,” jokes Smith.

Smith did get to witness Abogidi in warm-ups, healthy enough to entertain the crowd with a few slams.

“He dunks with his head, so the knee didn’t seem to be bothered,” Smith says. When Abogidi did a recent vertical leap test at the Global Academy, he reached up to 43 inches. 

But it was Abogidi’s newfound ability to shoot that really caught Smith’s eye. With awe, he remembers Abogidi hitting 20 free throws in a row like it was no big deal. At the Academy, Abogidi has made 97 of 100 free throws. 

It impressed Smith enough to offer Abogidi a scholarship. Despite the injuries and frustration, Abogidi had been willing to redesign his game, to develop a shot, just in case he couldn’t jump again. Smith was sold.

The good news is, Abogidi can still jump.

—

Abogidi, the newly signed Washington State commit, will occasionally update his Instagram followers on his progress. It might not reach the NBA’s 42.5 million followers, but his 2,430 will do. He keeps a folder of basketball-related workout videos on his page. The first, from 77 weeks ago, shows Abodigi nailing a three. His follow-through is long, natural and easy—like someone who has shot threes their entire life. There are more videos of him shooting jumpers. Pull-ups and step-backs. 

Twenty-four weeks ago, the videos begin to change. The dunks start coming. In one clip, Abobigi throws down a one-handed alley-oop off a pick-and-roll.

In the next, he starts from the three-point line, plants both feet around the restricted area and pushes off his injured knee. The video switches to slow motion as he hangs in the air. He swings the ball in a circle, creating a 360-degree, windmill motion. Without much trouble, he hammers the ball through the basket so hard it sounds like thunder. He faces the camera, an almost shy smile spread across his face. 

Some cheers are heard in the background. They’re not as loud as they were in Senegal, but they will do. He will hear them soon enough.

—

Benjamin Simon is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminSimon05.

Photos courtesy of NBA Academy/Nicole Sweet; Portrait courtesy of NBA Academy/Floyd Malon

The post ‘He Dunks With His Head’: High-Flying Efe Abogidi Is Ready to Level Up 📈 appeared first on SLAM.

“I believe in myself and I’ve worked hard to get here,” says the 18-year-old Ball, who’s currently tearing up the Australian National Basketball League

LaMelo is putting up 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and seven assists a night Down Under.

Per Yahoo Sports:

So, does Ball believe he should be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft? “Most definitely. I believe in myself and I’ve worked hard to get here,” Ball told Yahoo Sports. “The other guys at the top of the draft, James [Wiseman] and Anthony [Edwards], are very talented too. But just in the way I believe in myself, I think I’m the top pick.”

Ball was the first player in the NBL since 2005 to post back-to-back triple-doubles, finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists Saturday night.

“Basketball is just basketball,” he told Yahoo Sports, shrugging with a smile. “It’s been a little different everywhere I’ve played, but the game stays the same. And if you’re talented enough, you can play anywhere and against anyone and that’s just what I’ve been doing over here.”

One thing’s for sure, LaMelo Ball is the player in the 2020 class to beat right now, and it doesn’t stop after draft night. “I don’t want to be a player that’s just drafted and is a role player in the NBA,” he told Yahoo Sports. “I want to keep rising from there and be one of the best to ever play the game. I’ve been working my whole life for this.”

Related LaMelo Ball In Conversation For No. 1 Pick In 2020 NBA Draft

The post LaMelo Ball: ‘I Think I’m the Top Pick’ appeared first on SLAM.

The qualifying process will involve four segmented mini-tournaments, each hosted in a different country around the world. The winner of each segment will stamp their ticket to Japan.

As a result of the win-or-go-home style of the qualifying tournaments, exactly which teams will face off against which is particularly important for the countries hoping to claw their way into the international spotlight.

Already slated to participate in the men’s division of the Tokyo summer games are Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, Spain and the United States.

Joining them will be whichever four teams emerge from the following four groupings.

Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments

Tournament #1 (Belgrade)

• Dominican Republic
• Italy
• New Zealand
• Puerto Rico
• Senegal
• Serbia (host)

Tournament #2 (Split)

• Brazil
• Croatia (host)
• Germany
• Mexico
• Russia
• Tunisia

Tournament #3 (Kaunas)

• Angola
• Korea
• Lithuania (host)
• Poland
• Slovenia
• Venezuela

Tournament #4 (Victoria)

• Canada (host)
• China
• Czech Republic
• Greece
• Turkey
• Uruguay

The women’s draws were also revealed today, although the qualification process for the women’s tournament is different than that of the men’s. The only two women’s teams that are already locked in for Tokyo are host country Japan and 2018 FIBA World Cup winner, the United States.

The remaining 10 teams will be decided in four similar qualification tournaments wherein the top three teams from each segment can earn their way to Japan.

Japan and the United States will participate in the qualifying tournament but will proceed to Japan regardless of their finish.

Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments

Tournament #1 (Belgrade)

• Mozambique
• Nigeria
• Serbia (host)
• United States

Tournament #2 (Bourges)

• Australia
• Brazil
• France (host)
• Puerto Rico

Tournament #3 (Foshan)

• China (host)
• Great Britain
• Korea
• Spain

Tournament #4 (Ostende)

• Belgium (host)
• Canada
• Japan
• Sweden

The post Field Set For 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments appeared first on SLAM.

According to Carchia, unless a team was one of the four-worst squads the previous season, only one foreign-born player will be permitted on the court at one time. Those basement dwelling four teams can play two at the same time but only during the first three quarters of the contest.

Previously teams could play two foreign-born players at the same time, except in the fourth quarter when only one was permitted.

It’s unclear if the changes have anything to do with the ongoing conflict between China and the NBA but it’s important to note that the CBA has made efforts in the past to promote the use of local players, long before Daryl Morey ever sent out his landscape-altering tweet.

The rule changes could have an impact on fringe NBA players who seek short-term employment in the Chinese league. There’s no shortage of players who revitalized their career – or at least their brand – playing in the CBA.

This offseason, for example, we saw California-born Jeremy Lin ink a contract with the Beijing Ducks. The 31-year-old recently dropped 40 points in his preseason debut in the league and the potential impact he could have on the franchise is profound.

Rules limiting foreign assistance, however, prevent teams from stacking their squad with NBA ringers.

Lin joins former NBA players Ekpe Udoh and Justin Hamilton on the Beijing roster and while two of them will be eligible to be listed as active for a given game, only one will be allowed to play at a time.

The post Chinese League Announces New Regulations On Foreign Players appeared first on SLAM.

Just as Stephon Marbury delivers the instruction, a translator repeats it back in Chinese. He tries to match the level of intensity in Marbury’s tone and mimics his hand motions. 

It’s around 10:15 a.m. at a gym in Beijing, China, and practice has already been going on for over an hour. Head coach Stephon Marbury is preparing his team, the Beijing Royal Fighters, for the start of the CBA season in November.

From here, he’ll will be off to Wukesong Stadium to watch USA play against Poland in the FIBA World Cup. Life out here is very, very busy. Marbury’s days are always full.

The lights were off when he pulled up to the facility, which is on the third floor of a larger sports complex, around 8:45 a.m. Two red, horizontal banners hang from a perch above the Royal Fighters’ floor. Translated, they say:

“When you pull out your sword, make it shine.”
“The more you sweat, the less you regret.” 

Marbury leads a fast-paced and rigorous practice. The first hour consists of fundamental drills (shooting, passing, dribbling, rebounding, defense, transition) that incorporate a lot of cardio. Players get two-minute water breaks in between each drill, but otherwise there’s no downtime. Marbury strolls the sidelines twirling a whistle, his translator not far behind.

“You can’t play here if you’re not in shape,” Marbury later tells SLAM. “Because the game isn’t the same at home as far as the timeouts. You know how you get about nine timeouts in the NBA. TV timeouts, referee timeout… [Here], the games fly by. A game could be over in an hour and 40 minutes. You’re constantly on the court, so if you’re not in shape, it’s a wrap. And everybody knows when that team is not in shape.”

For the rest of practice, they go over the offense and do some live scrimmaging. Marbury is vocal during this period, constantly stopping the action to give feedback. He’s only been a coach for a few months now, but the job comes naturally to him. The team runs some 17s and huddles up at center court to conclude.

“We’re gonna be the best conditioned team in the CBA,” Steph says to the squad. “When we get on the court, we’re not gonna get tired in the fourth quarter. We’re gonna stay at a high level the whole time we’re on the court. If we do it now in practice, when the game comes, it’s gonna be easy. Great work. Together on three.”

After retiring as a player in February of 2018, Marbury didn’t anticipate returning to the game right away. This opportunity, though, was too great to pass up. The Royal Fighters allowed him to not only take over the program, but also to pick his own roster.

“It was a golden opportunity,” he says. “It’s rare that you get to do that. It was basically a clean budge to pick all of the guys that I wanted.” 

His resume and fame in China made the usually difficult recruiting process much easier. As a member of the Beijing Ducks, Marbury was a three-time champion and the 2013 CBA MVP. He’s put together a team with good size (they signed former Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado), capable shooters and guards that can penetrate. They are embracing a free and aggressive style of play. Marbury emphasizes pushing the tempo and picking up full-court on defense, while also searching for opportunities to trap.

“When they first came, they weren’t playing together,” he says. “They were just playing helter-skelter basketball. Now they’re playing together, moving the ball, making the extra pass.”

It’s been nearly a decade since Marbury first came to China. On the day he arrived, around 4,000 people greeted him at the airport. He was in a dark place in his life and ready to accept something new. He wanted to keep playing basketball, but understood that that wasn’t going to happen in the United States. The immediate love that he felt from fans in China helped him heal. That love is the reason he’s still there, still involved with the CBA and embedded in the local culture. 

“I was really depressed [when I first got here],” Marbury explains, seated outside a museum in the heart of Beijing dedicated to his career. “I was down from dealing with all of the different things that I was dealing with. From my dad dying, things going on with the Knicks, there were a lot of different things that were going on in my life at that time. But when I came here, and the way that they treated me and greeted me, they basically lifted my spirts up. And during that time, I needed it. I needed it badly.”

This is home now—almost 7,000 miles from where Marbury grew up in Coney Island, NY. The decision to come here in 2010 has changed everything. Basketball has been the one constant throughout his unpredictable journey. It was the force that initially bonded him to this new world, and with his head coaching position, it continues to today. He’s a major part of the growth of the sport in China and an inspiration to the millions of young players there, including those on the Royal Fighters.

“It’s a connection that has been formulated from basketball,” Steph says, when asked about his relationship to China. Our interview is periodically interrupted by people passing by who want to take a picture or simply stand by him.

“Playing basketball allowed me to interact and to melt into the culture and for me to be able to have the opportunity to learn a new way of life and implement that into my life so that it can continue to prosper and be better.

“For me to be here and experience all of what I’ve been able to experience has been nothing but life changing.”

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

The post Stephon Marbury Opens Up About Life in China, Coaching a Team in the CBA appeared first on SLAM.

Lawson spent the last two seasons playing for the Shandong Golden Stars, though he’ll switch teams this year, as his contract is with the Fujian Sturgeons.

The point guard hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2016-17 season where he suited up for 69 games with the Kings. He’s played in 551 NBA contests since being selected in the first round of the 2009 draft with the majority of his time coming as a member of the Nuggets.

The post Ty Lawson To Spend Another Season In China appeared first on SLAM.

Led by Ricky Rubio and Marc Gasol, Spain went undefeated on their way to a title. They locked up their second WC championship with a 95-75 victory over Argentina. With an average age over 30, their 12-man roster was actually the oldest to take gold since 1978. 

Much of the conversation surrounding this year’s tournament centered on the players not participating. Ben Simmons (Australia), Jamal Murray (Canada), James Harden (USA), Anthony Davis (USA) and Damian Lillard (USA) are just a few of the guys who dropped out in the weeks prior. But to focus on those absent was to ignore and disrespect the talent that was on display, as Donovan Mitchell and Gregg Popovich emphasized during a postgame press conference. 

“I know that people are going to focus on who we didn’t have, but how about we focus on who we do have,” Mitchell said, after USA’s loss to France. “Our [NBA] season ended, and we came out ready to work with Coach Pop and all his coaches. It’s not about who’s not here.”

“It’s also a disrespectful notion to bring something like that up and say, ‘You didn’t have this guy or that guy,’” Pop added. “That’s disrespectful to France and whoever else is in the tournament. France beat us. Doesn’t matter who is on the team, and I couldn’t be prouder of these 12 guys who sacrificed their summer to come here, having never played with each other before, and they put themselves in the arena and competed, and they deserve credit for that.” 

Under intense pressure and amid crazy environments, players from across the world shined out in China. Let’s focus on that. Below are some of the standouts.

—

Ricky Rubio (Spain): Gold Medal, MVP, All-Star 5

Rubio was the floor general for the champs. He controlled the pace of games and was aggressive on both ends, averaging 16.4 points, 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. In the final against Argentina, he led his team with 20 points and kept them in the driver’s seat. Since 1994, he’s the only player to record 100+ assists and 50+ steals in a single World Cup. Spain had a balanced attack, but Rubio was their most reliable creator on their road to the title.

Marc Gasol (Spain): Gold Medal, All-Star 5

When Spain needed him most, Gasol delivered. His best game came in the semifinal against Australia, a double-overtime thriller. The big man finished with 33 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks and made clutch free throws down the stretch. He followed that up with another impressive performance in the final (14 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks), earning a spot in the All-Star 5 alongside Rubio.

Luis Scola (Argentina): Silver Medal, All-Star 5

Though Argentina ultimately fell short of gold, Luis Scola was the biggest story of the tournament. Participating in his fifth World Cup, the 39-year-old forward set records, posted incredible numbers (17.9 points, 8.1 rebounds) and steered a team (along with star point guard Facundo Campazzo) featuring no NBA players on an improbable journey to the final. During the group stage, he passed Australia’s Andrew Gaze to become the second leading scorer in World Cup history. He had 20 points in a shocking win over Serbia in the quarterfinals and 28 points in another upset over France in the semis. 

When Scola first joined the senior national squad in 1999, his current teammate Maximo Fjellerup was a one-year-old. It’s been two decades since then and somehow Scola’s still going strong. His legendary run was what stood out the most from this competition.

Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia): All-Star 5

Serbia underachieved at the World Cup, but Mr. Automatic exceeded expectations. Bogdanovic was unstoppable offensively, averaging 22.9 points on an insane 56% shooting from the field and 53% from deep. With the closer arc, he nailed more threes by himself (35) than seven of the 32 teams in the pool. He dropped 30+ twice and helped guide Serbia to a victory over the United States in the classification round. 

Evan Fournier (France): Bronze Medal, All-Star 5

While Rudy Gobert held down France’s defense, it was Evan Fournier who carried them on the other end. The 26-year-old guard was the go-to scorer his team desperately needed. Fournier showed the full arsenal during the tournament, working off high screens to create open threes, midrange fade-aways and floaters in the paint. His 158 points (19.8 per game) was the most ever recorded by a French player in the World Cup (previous high was Maxime Dorigo with 153 in 1963). 

Patty Mills (Australia)

Head coach Andrej Lemanis (NBL) had Patty Mills sprinting around screens like Ray Allen, orchestrating the pick-and-roll up top and pushing the ball in transition—an approach that led the Boomers to a fourth-place finish, their highest ever rank in the World Cup. Patty was the only player to score 15+ points in each of his eight games and went for 30 or more twice. Along with Bogdanovic and Corey Webster (see below), he was clearly one of the best shooters in the tournament.

Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic)

Czech Republic made the most of their first appearance in the World Cup. They caught people’s attention with a win over Turkey to advance out of the opening group stage and continued on to the knockout round. Satoransky was at the center of everything they did, posting 15.5 points, 8.5 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. He was the only one in the tournament to average 15+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists.

Cedi Osman (Turkey)

Don’t let those missed free throws against USA cloud Cedi’s overall World Cup. Turkey was competitive throughout and he was the primary reason, averaging 20.4 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. After an encouraging NBA season, the young forward showed further signs of improvement out in China.

Corey Webster (New Zealand)

If you didn’t know who Corey Webster was a few weeks ago, you should now. The 6-2 guard from the NBL was a star for New Zealand, putting up 22.8 points and 5.6 assists per game. He was the focus of an offense that averaged the most points of any team at the World Cup (99.4). Through five games, Webster was also in 50-40-90 club.

Kemba Walker (USA)

USA had its struggles, finishing in seventh place—their worst ever ranking in the World Cup. But Kemba put together some really nice performances and led the squad in both points (14.4) and assists (5.4) per game, even while battling illness for a portion of the trip. He took over late in an overtime win against Turkey and was in full control during back-to-back victories against Greece and Brazil that secured a spot in the quarterfinals.

Guna RA (Korea)

The leading PPG scorer (23.0) in the entire tournament, big man Guna RA did all he could for his country. He was the only player to notch a double-double in every game he appeared in and capped an incredibly productive run with 26 points and 16 boards against Ivory Coast to help Korea get in the win column.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via FIBA and Getty.

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“Now, the game is truly global,” Kobe told SLAM earlier that day.

He’s a major reason why.

Bryant grew up and developed his skills in Italy—his father, Joe, played pro there—before moving permanently to the United States at the age of 13. His eventual success in the NBA inspired countless others to pursue basketball, from Los Angeles all the way to Beijing. Since retiring in 2016, Kobe has continued his efforts to spread the sport globally, taking on the role of ambassador for the World Cup. 

Having competed with and against so many international players, Kobe knew it wouldn’t be an easy road for USA this year. Back in March, prior to rosters being finalized, he spoke to SLAM and a few other reporters about the tournament and cautioned that they were not a lock to win gold.  

“We made the assumption in ’06 [when USA won the bronze at the FIBA championship] and prior to that, that some of these players aren’t in the NBA, so they must not be very good,” he said. “When I came in ’08, it was like, Listen, that’s not it. There are plenty of players that are insanely good that choose not to come play in the NBA, so let’s understand that.“

The 2019 silver medal went to Argentina, a team with no current NBA guys on its roster. Spain, led by Ricky Rubio and Marc Gasol, claimed gold.

“Put the best players that you think are going to make the best U.S. team out on the floor, we are still going to have challenges,” Bryant added during a recent press conference, alluding to the fact that many superstars from the US declined the opportunity to participate this summer.

“It’s not going to be a cakewalk. The days of the ’92 Barcelona Dream Team are gone.”

We sat down with Kobe while he was out in China to further discuss the expansion of basketball, memories from Italy and more.

—

SLAM: Describe your role as global ambassador and why you wanted to be involved in the World Cup.    

KB: Well, growing up overseas, I’m basically an international kid. I learned how to play the game on an international level before I got back to the States. When I was growing up over here, the game wasn’t as global as it is now, so I had to get up and record games super, super early and listen to [Italian coach] Dan Peterson break down the game and all sorts of stuff. Now, the game is truly global. So it’s an honor for me to come back at this stage in my career and help expand the game even further.

SLAM: What are your early memories of playing basketball in Italy and how did that upbringing influence your game?

KB: Some of my early memories are playing Minibasket. I think that really helped mold me because we played on smaller courts and smaller rims at a really early age and that taught us how to shoot the ball correctly and how to be fundamentally sound. Every week in practice, we wouldn’t scrimmage ever. It was all fundamentals. Passing, screening, moving off the ball, shooting. All the basics. And if we did scrimmage, we’d scrimmage full court no dribbles allowed. So that set the foundation for me for how I came to understand the game and how I now teach the game.

SLAM: What’s your style of coaching and who are the people you drew from? [Kobe coaches his daughter Gigi’s AAU team]

KB: I draw a lot from Phil [Jackson]. Phil’s coaching philosophies and my coaching philosophies were put into the Wizenard series. If you want to learn a lot about how Phil used to do things and how I do things now, I put a lot of that into the Wizenard book. It’s one where you don’t give directions so much as ask questions. You want to get players thinking on their own and figuring things out on their own. We don’t have sets. We don’t have plays. We have ideas. Within those ideas, the players are responsible themselves for figuring out what is the best idea to use at what time and why. When you have players that can think, particularly at a really early age, and you start teaching them that at 11, 12 years old, then when they get to 17, 18 years old—how are they going to be processing the game then? It’s really fun to watch them work through those ideas. 

SLAM: Can you talk about your performance in the 2008 gold medal game against Spain? [Kobe scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help USA defeat Spain in the ’08 Olympics]

KB: It was a great game. There was a lot of hype around the game. Spain was one of those teams that we couldn’t really blow out because they were too fundamentally sound. They understood how to use the clock and minimize possessions. So as a result, they were always in striking distance. I just had to bide my time because I knew they were going to be there in the fourth quarter. Just kind of laid in the weeds a little bit and then in the fourth quarter, tried to create some separation at the right time where I felt like they couldn’t get it back. And that’s how I paced that game out. 

SLAM: Whether it was in international competitions or the NBA, who were the toughest guys you faced head-to-head during your career? 

KB: There were a lot of them when I first came into the League. Having to deal with John Stockton was tough. Dealing with Gary Payton was tough. Clyde Drexler was tough. Michael [Jordan] was tough. Then you kind of transition out of that, because I’ve seen so many generations. AI was tough. McGrady was tough. Durant, Melo. All these guys. I feel like I’ve seen so many generations that my list could go on for a long time. 

SLAM: You’ve obviously witnessed the game change quite a bit through the years, especially moving out to the three-point line. What do you see as the next evolution of basketball? 

KB: I think it just goes the opposite [way]. It goes back to midrange. I’m just kind of sitting here waiting for all these statistical people to figure out how to make midrange sound appealing after all these years of making it sound not appealing. Because it’s coming. 

SLAM: What’s the best advice you can give to young players coming up in the League?

KB: Be consistent. That’s the most important part. Be consistent with your work.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via FIBA and Getty.

The post Kobe Bryant Talks FIBA World Cup, Growing Up in Italy, Coaching Style and More appeared first on SLAM.

Rubio averaged 16.4 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.6 rpg and 1.5 spg and passed Pablo Prigioni (Argentina) as the World Cup’s assist leader, according to FIBA.

“Right now we made history, and we were ready for that,” Rubio said after the game. “We had a great tournament. We had to fight for this one. It’s just amazing how the whole tournament has been for us as a team. We weren’t the biggest or most talented team, but we were the team with the biggest heart. We showed it tonight and in the whole tournament. Couldn’t be more proud of my teammates and our coaches. This will go down as a memory for us as a family.”

Five other Spanish players finished in double figures: Sergio Llull (15 points), Marc Gasol (14 points), Rudy Fernandez (11 points), Willy Hernangomez (11 points) and Juancho Hernangomez (11 points).

Spain started the game scoring 14 of the game’s first 16 points and holding Luis Scola scoreless in the first half. Scola finished the contest with 8 points and 8 rebounds. In the second half, the Spaniards went on a 14-0 run and extended the lead to 22 points.

Spain dominated all facets of the game – out-rebounding Argentina (47-27) and outscoring them in the paint (44-30).

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Things are no longer a “cakewalk” according to Bryant, who points out that his own 2008 Olympic quad had to sweat out its Gold Medal victory.

The Black Mamba adds that global hoops competition will only become more fierce in the coming years, and that Team USA must “respect everybody.”

Per The Athletic:

“Put the best players that you think are going to make the best U.S. team out on the floor, we are still going to have challenges,” Bryant said Friday in Beijing, between World Cup semifinal games. “It’s not going to be a cakewalk. The days of the ’92 Barcelona Dream Team are gone.”

Bryant, 41, was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and an anchor for the 2008 “Redeem Team,” which came here to Beijing and avenged a spate of American hoop embarrassments at the 2002 and ’06 World Cups and 2004 Olympics.

“That was a hell of a team we had,” Bryant said. “We still needed a real late push to beat Spain in that gold medal match.”

This summer, All-Star-caliber players James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond backed out of commitments to play at the World Cup. LeBron [James], Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving were never in the mix.

“It’s not a matter of the rest of the world catching up to the U.S., it’s that the rest of the world has been caught up for quite some time,” Bryant said. “And it’s to the point now where us in the U.S. are gonna win some, we’re gonna lose some. And that’s just how it goes.”

Related Kobe Bryant Hung His Olympic Gold Medal in Pau Gasol’s Locker

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Nikola Jokic finished with a near double-double (9 points, 7 rebounds) in the win. The Serbians caught fire from behind the arc, hitting 8 triples, to head to the second quarter with a 32-7 lead.

“We have good character guys,” Gregg Popovich said after the game. “It’s a tough turnaround, but when you miss that many shots there’s a lot of defensive transitions you have to get to. Bogdan was just on fire. I’m just impressed with their character and persistence. Tonight was a great example of that.”

Following the win, Serbia will have a chance to play for 5th place while Team USA will play for 7th place in Beijing. Serbia will face the winner of the Poland-Czech Republic, while Team USA will face the losing team. 

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“Coach (Vincent) Collet and his group have done an outstanding job,” Gregg Popovich said after the game. “It’s the best French team that I have seen because they play at both ends of the court.”

Evan Fornier (22 points) and Frank Ntilikina (11 points) also finished in double figures. Nicolas Batum praised Gobert after the win.

France will face Argentina in the semifinals while Team USA faces Nikola Jokic and Slovenia tomorrow.

The post Rudy Gobert Leads France to Upset over Team USA at FIBA World Cup 🇫🇷 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.

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“I thought Brazil gave us a tough fight in the first half,” Turner said after the game. “They played with a lot of heart, but we turned it on in the second half. We came together as a unit and executed.”

Jaylen Brown (11 points) and Harrison Barnes (10 points) also finished in double figures. Team USA will head to Dongguan to face France in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The post Kemba Walker & Myles Turner Lead Team USA over Brazil at FIBA World Cup 🇺🇸 appeared first on SLAM.

Gregg Popovich‘s game plan for slowing down The Greek Freak worked to perfection, as the rest of his squad shot just 25 percent from the field.

Things also grew testy in the game’s dying moments after Antetokounmpo’s brother Thanasis took Harrison Barnes down with an unnecessarily hard foul.

Per The Athletic:

Giannis Antetokounmpo sat the whole fourth quarter. His brother nearly killed Harrison Barnes on a dirty play after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

“Yeah, I said something to Giannis. Well, Giannis said something to me, really,” [Jaylen] Brown said.

“We took exception to that hard foul,” [Marcus] Smart said. “The game was pretty much over, and you had no way of blocking the shot. At that moment, you’ve got to prepare for injuries, and you don’t want nobody to be injured. We just let them know it’s a learning moment for him (Thanasis) at that time. Because if the tables were turned and somebody did that to (Giannis), we’d probably be having a whole different discussion right now.”

Even with Barnes on him to start, Antetokounmpo came out hungry. He bullied his way in for a layup, canned a 3 and then dunked hard over Milwaukee teammate Khris Middleton for his first three baskets. But he grew tired as the game wore on — and probably tired of watching Greece miss shot after shot. Pop used Barnes and Smart and Brown to guard him.

“Over the course of the game, he dwindled a little bit,” Brown said.

Related Brazilian Coach: ‘We Have Several Players Who Can Stop’ Giannis Antetokounmpo

The post Team USA Stifles Giannis Antetokounmpo, Beats Greece appeared first on SLAM.

Jaylen Brown put up a 20-piece in a 98-45 rout over Turkey earlier this morning. Walker, the C’s newest member, had 15 points and dropped 8 dimes.

Check out some other highlights from Team USA.

The post Boston Celtics Young Core is CRAZY! ☘️ FIBA World Cup Highlights appeared first on SLAM.

Jaylen Brown lead all scorers with 20 points and 7 rebounds, including a poster dunk with USA up 60 points; Kemba Walker had 15 points and 8 assists; and Harrison Barnes finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

“I think we’ve got a lot of room for improvement,” Brown said after the game. “Of course, we are looking forward to the next matchup. I think we are focused on us and getting better and representing our country the right way.”

Next up for Team USA are the Group F winners Brazil and Greece in the second round.

The post Team USA Defeats Japan 98-45 in FIBA World Cup 🇺🇸 appeared first on SLAM.

Antetokounmpo was limited to 13 points and fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

Anderson Varejao led the way for Brazil with 22 points and nine rebounds, and 39-year-old Alex Garcia improbably held The Greek Freak in check.

Per Eurohoops:

“Why this sport is wonderful? On the other side, you have a guy who won MVP, he’s 23 years old, and who stops him tonight? The guy who is 40 years old and kicks his ass. That’s basketball,” said the brother of the late, great Drazen Petrovic while slapping his hand on the table euphorically.

Coach Petrovic also mentioned that he wasn’t worried at all about Giannis; he was afraid of EuroLeague stars Kostas Sloukas and Georgios Printezis might do.

“We showed that we have several players who can stop Antetokounmpo. But yesterday I was more occupied with Sloukas and Printezis, and that’s what happened today. When I was preparing this game, a lot of people talked and joked about how to stop Antetokounmpo. I had for six months in my head, since the semifinals between Toronto and Milwaukee, how to stop Antetokounmpo. The problem tonight for us was Sloukas and Printezis.”

Related Giannis Antetokounmpo: ‘I Would Exchange the MVP Title for the Gold Medal in China’

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Mitchell and the rest of the USA squad are in China with a 2-0 record in Group E of the FIBA World Cup. Earlier this morning, Team USA defeated Turkey in a nail-biter against Turkey. Mitchell, who’s been one of the US’s top players since training camp, is looking to bring a gold medal back to the States in a couple of weeks.

Check out some highlights between USA and Spain from last month.

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Turkey had every chance to capitalize in overtime, but missed four (!!) consecutive free throws, which led to Khris Middleton getting fouled and sinking the game-winning free throws to put Team USA 2-0 in Group E. Kemba Walker also finished with 14 points.

Tatum rolled his ankle in transition and exited the game in the overtime. The sprain doesn’t seem to be serious as the 21-year-old was able to walk on his own without a noticeable limp.

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In the back of his mind, Dirk knows that he’ll eventually return to the game. He continues to take advantage of opportunities to help push it forward, recently accepting a position as Global Ambassador for the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

Dirk’s own influence on growing the sport across the world cannot be understated. He was a champion and MVP with the Mavericks and had countless legendary performances in FIBA and Olympic tournaments. Amid his 20s, he’d go home every summer to play with the German national team. He was named MVP of the 2002 World Cup and still holds the record for the most points in a FIBA game (47 against Angola in 2006).

With his competing days behind him, Dirk sat down with SLAM out in Beijing to shed light on being a WC ambassador, changes to the League, his plans for the next chapter and more.

—

SLAM: Can you talk about your role as ambassador and why you wanted to be involved in the World Cup? 

DN: Well, you know, I’m of course sad that my competing days are done. But I still want to help grow the game internationally. I’ve had great success in FIBA competitions and it’s always been fun competing at the highest level, so when they approached me to see if I wanted to do this, of course I was on board. Growing the game internationally, growing the game here in China—there are some amazing fans here—and we have some of the best athletes [here right now for the World Cup], so it should be a fun few weeks. Hopefully we can grow the sport even more. 

SLAM: On your journey from Germany to the NBA, your big break was the 1998 Nike Hoop Summit [Dirk had 33 points and 14 rebounds and led the World Team to a win over USA]. Can you just describe that experience and how important that game was in launching your career?

DN: That game really put me on the map. Back in the day, we didn’t have Twitter or Instagram or all the social media stuff. Nobody knew who I was. I got invited to this game and it was a great experience for me. We got to go to the Final Four semifinals in the Alamodome which was an amazing, amazing experience. And I was able to play well in that game and all of a sudden had all this hype around me that I never had. Everybody said I was going to get drafted and I had like 40 college offers. It was an amazing time for me, a very exciting time. All of a sudden to be on the map in the U.S. That was amazing. 

SLAM: When you think back on your career with the German national team, is there a specific moment that sticks out? 

DN: It has to be the Olympic tournament in ’08, even though we didn’t make it out of the first round. Just to be there and I got to carry the flag in for my nation, got to lead my nation into the stadium—I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life. There were some other great tournaments: ’02 championships, ’05 European championships—of course, we got a medal there. But nothing tops the Beijing Olympics for me.

SLAM: How much bigger is basketball in Germany now compared to when you were a kid growing up there?

DN: It’s of course grown a lot. I think it shows in our national team—we have three NBA players on that team now. The game has gotten so much better, the league has gotten so much better in Germany, so it’s been fun to watch—not only in Germany, but the growth of the game [everywhere]. We have players from Africa, Australia, from all over the world that are having an impact in the NBA now. It’s been amazing to watch the game grow the last two decades and it’s still going to grow. 

SLAM: Can you compare the NBA now to what it was when your career started? What are the major differences?

DN: The NBA when I first got there, every 4 or 5 was big and strong. They were rebounders and screen-setters. Then the NBA changed some of the rules—they brought in the back-down rule and put in the zone and the game changed. Now every big man has to be able to shoot—at least the 4s can all shoot threes now. The League has gotten smaller, faster, more skilled. Even some of the 5s now can pick-and-pop and stretch you to the three-point line. So, it’s been amazing to watch the skill level, especially from the bigs, get so much better from when I first got in the League. 

SLAM: How do you envision the game continuing to evolve? Where does it go from here?

DN: That’s a good question because now we have Steph Curry pulling up from half-court and making every shot. I’m not really sure where this game is going to grow, if they’re going to put in a four-point shot or—I have no idea. But it’s been already amazing to see where guys are making shots from now and the athleticism. On Instagram and Twitter, you have videos from all these high school kids now jumping out of the gym and dunking. It’s hard to see where it can get even more athletic, more skilled, but I’m sure there are ways for it to grow even more. 

SLAM: Have you given any serious thought to what the next chapter of your life will look like? 

DN: Not really. We’ll see what the next chapter brings. I’m sure there will be opportunities. There’s going to hopefully be an opportunity to stay with the Mavericks who I’ve been with for a long, long time. Maybe have an impact there doing something that I love. But for now, I just want to step away from the game and enjoy my family who had to sacrifice so much and I want to travel and expose my kids to different languages and cultures and eventually I’ll come back to the game; but as of now, I’m going to just enjoy the family life. 

SLAM: What’s the best advice you can give to young players coming up in the League? 

DN: Well, I always try to see myself as a student of the game. It sounds silly, but never think that you’ve made it. Somebody else is working out in the gym. Always try to get better. Listen and learn. Watch your veterans. And just always, every summer, try to add something new to your game and never stay the same player. That’s how I always looked at it. I never wanted to be satisfied. I always wanted to be the best player I could be. It’s really all about hard work and putting the time in. To be consistently good for a long, long time takes a lot of work.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via FIBA and Getty.

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The USA led the entire game, and by as much as 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Jaylen Brown dropped a team-high 19 points (8-11 FG). Myles Turner scored 10 points with 15 boards. Kemba Walker and Donovan Mitchell both added 12 points.

“We got a lot of room for growth,” Brown said after the game. “It’s going to be good when it all comes together, but we got to keep working, keep watching film and keep holding each other accountable.”

For Canada, Kyle Wiltjer dropped a game-high 21 points (8-13 FG). Khem Birch came off the bench to score 13 points with a team-high 6 boards.

Team USA will play its first FIBA World Cup game against the Czech Republic in Shanghai on September 1.

RELATED: Patty Mills Leads Australia Past Team USA in World Cup Exhibition Game

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It was the first loss for the United States in a major international tournament or exhibition since the 2006 FIBA World Championship semifinals against Greece.

Patty Mills dropped a game-high 30 points (4-10 3FG). Joe Ingles scored 15 points with 7 dimes and 4 boards. Andrew Bogut came off the bench to add 16 points (7-8 FG), 9 boards and 4 dimes.

For the USA, Kemba Walker dropped a team-high 22 points. Harrison Barnes scored 20 points (3-5 3FG) with a team-high 6 boards.

“They wanted it more than us tonight. Lesson learned for us,” Walker said after the game.

Team USA will travel to Sydney for an exhibition game against Canada on Monday.

RELATED: Kemba Walker Leads Team USA Past Australia

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Myles Turner added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the U.S., which pulled away in the second half.

Patty Mills and Chris Goulding each scored 19 for Australia, and head coach Gregg Popovich said it was good for the Americans to get tested early in the lead up to the World Cup that starts next week in China.

Per The AP:

“We have guys that are just starting to play with each other,” said U.S. guard Donovan Mitchell, who had 13 points. “We got off to a little bit of a rough start in the first half, but the third quarter, we really picked it up defensively.”

Walker was one the keys for the second-half resurgence for the Americans, scoring 21 of his 23 points after halftime.

“I’m one of the leaders of this team, so it’s important for me to set that tone,” the Celtics guard said.

Adversity struck, and the U.S. answered.

“One of our big mantras has been ‘composure and poise,’” Popovich said. “Things are going to go the other way in some games. And the way you respond to that is really the measure of how you’re going to do.”

Related Kemba Walker ‘Could Care Less’ About Trash Talk from Serbian National Team Coach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

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

Photos via Getty.

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The announcement with SLAM, a full-service basketball media company, will see them take the lucrative position of Front of Jersey Sponsor on the Illawarra Hawks Home and Away Jersey for the NBL20 season.

The deal will catapult exposure of the Illawarra Hawks into an international market, predominately in the USA.

Illawarra Hawks General Manager, Mat Campbell said he was excited to welcome SLAM to the Illawarra Hawks family.

“Today’s announcement marks a major milestone for the Illawarra Hawks ahead of what is to be the most exciting season in the club’s history. This partnership with SLAM provides synergy between two great brands that will see unprecedented international exposure for both the Hawks and SLAM, as well as the NBL and Australian Basketball.”

SLAM’s Chief Operating Officer, Dave Schnur, is also looking forward to the partnership. “We’re always looking for ways to diversify our marketing strategy,” Schnur says, “and this is a great opportunity to uniquely align with a team featuring top American talent in one of SLAM’s most popular markets.”

SLAM remains one of the most influential media outlets for basketball around the world, sporting over 10 million fans across its various channels. In its 25-year history, SLAM has published over 200 issues and features the biggest names in basketball on its cover.

The Illawarra Hawks first official game of the NBL season is due to tip-off on October 6 at the WIN Entertainment Centre. Tickets will go on sale to the general public through Ticketmaster on Tuesday August 27.

The post SLAM Partners with the Illawarra Hawks, LaMelo Ball’s New Team appeared first on SLAM.

“Let’s let them [Team USA] play their basketball and we will play ours and if we meet, may God help them,” Djordjevic said in a semi-serious tone, during an interview for the Serbian national television (RTS), per Mozzart Sport.

Djordjevic also said “welcome to the club” when asked about Gregg Popovich having to manage a squad without a lot of the usual NBA headliners.

Kemba Walker, for one, doesn’t mind the pre-tournament trash talking.

Per ESPN:

“You’ll have to ask Sasha,” Popovich said. “I don’t really pay attention too much. I’ve been doing this too long. But he’s a hell of a coach. He’s a competitor, and he’s been a hero in Europe as a player. He was fantastic, and they have a program that goes way back with a lot of success.

“They do have a heck of a team. There is no doubt about that. They’re deep and talented, and they are going to work their fannies off. They want to win just like anybody else. People will talk, but that is usually not something I respond to.”

U.S. point guard Kemba Walker welcomed the trash talk.

“I could care less, man,” Walker told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Honestly, we’re going to take it one game at a time. At the end of the day, we both have to make it to a certain place for us to even play each other.”

“I guess when we get there, if we match up, then we’ll see what’s up,” the veteran Boston Celtics player added. “But it’s fine. I’m fine with a little bit of trash talking. I don’t mind it at all.”

Related Kemba Walker: ‘Everybody is Kind of Doubting’ Team USA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

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

Photos via Getty.

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In just a few days, the tournament will kick off in China (a first-time host) with a record 32 teams. Seven are from the Americas, eight from Asia and Oceania, five from Africa and 12 from Europe. Over 16 days (Aug. 31-Sep. 15), 92 games will be played in eight different cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Dongguan, Foshan, Nanjing and Guangzhou. 

The participating countries were divided into eight groups during a live draw back in March:

GROUP A: Cote d’Ivoire, Poland, Venezuela, China

GROUP B: Russia, Argentina, Korea, Nigeria

GROUP C: Spain, Iran, Puerto Rico, Tunisia

GROUP D: Angola, Philippines, Italy, Serbia

GROUP E: Turkey, Czech Republic, USA, Japan

GROUP F: Greece, New Zealand, Brazil, Montenegro

GROUP G: Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Jordan

GROUP H: Canada, Senegal, Lithuania, Australia

These teams will matchup in the first round of the tournament, spanning from Aug. 31-Sept. 5. The top two from each group will then advance to the second round, where they will be coupled with two other teams from a separate group. Once again, the pool will be cut in half before the quarterfinals, which begin September 10. The bracket then becomes single elimination up until the championship (September 15) in Beijing. 

Seven countries (two from the Americas, two from Europe and one each from the Africa, Asia and Oceania regions) will qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo based on the results of the World Cup. 

USA took home the gold medal in the previous World Cup (2014), with Serbia claiming silver and France winning bronze.

Here are seven storylines to keep an eye on this year: 

1. Who Will Lead Team USA?

With big names like Anthony Davis, James Harden and Damian Lillard dropping out of the pool, the question remains: Who will be the leader of Team USA? This is the final roster:

PG: Kemba Walker, Derrick White

SG: Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Joe Harris

SF/PF: Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum, Harrison Barnes

C: Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Mason Plumlee

Seven of those have Team USA experience, having thrived on the junior level. Kemba Walker was named MVP of the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in 2008 and is likely to take on another big role with this squad. At 29, the three-time All-Star is a veteran presence and perhaps USA’s best overall playmaker. Walker, who signed with the Boston Celtics this summer, is coming off the best year of his career, in which he averaged 25.6 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. 

“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of us,” Walker told reporters after a practice in Las Vegas. “I think a lot of us are happy those guys pulled out. This is our chance to get on the big stage and showcase our talents. It’s a chance for us to do something new, to be a new-look team.”

Both Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton are used to carrying significant scoring loads. Mitchell averaged a team-high 23.8 points per game in 2018-19, while Middleton, a first-time All-Star, posted 18.3 points on 38% shooting from three. 

Tatum and Brown have shown incredible potential and are looking to further prove themselves after a rocky overall season in Boston. The World Cup provides their first platform.

And of course, head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Steve Kerr will be stabilizing forces. This will be Pop’s first time at the helm, as Mike Krzyzewski recently stepped down after 12 years with an 88-1 record and five gold medals. 

2. The New Boston Celtics

Four Celtics—Walker, Tatum, Brown and Smart—are headed to China. That core has already spent ample time bonding, on and off the floor, at training camp and during exhibition tours.

“Obviously me, JB and Smart got a lot of chemistry, so now we’re trying to add Kemba and get him acclimated,” said Tatum. “Dinners—things off the court are just as important, so we’re starting that early this offseason.” 

We’ll get a chance to see how Walker gels with some of his new teammates in live, competitive action. And the fact that they have the next month or so to get to know each other better, things should be a lot easier when the NBA season comes around. 

3. The Antetokounmpo Brothers

“I would exchange the MVP title for the World Cup title in China.” – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Along with his siblings Thanasis and Kostas, the Greek Freak will proudly represent his country in the upcoming World Cup. 

“It is an incredible feeling that all three of us are together,” Giannis told FIBA. “We have worked very hard to get here and to achieve this. That’s why I know that our mother is proud, as is our father, who I’m sure is watching us from the heavens.”

From being named Most Valuable Player to getting his own signature sneaker from Nike, this has been the summer of Giannis. He’ll become the first player to compete in the World Cup right after winning MVP. He was back in Greece with his family promoting the Zoom Freak 1 not too long ago and the support was incredible. 

Together, the Antetokounmpo brothers are hoping to dominate Group F (Greece, Montenegro, Brazil, New Zealand) and make some serious noise in the tournament. 

Greece was the last team to beat Team USA in the World Cup, winning 101-95 in the 2006 semi-finals. Giannis was just 11 years old at the time. 

4. Rui Hachimura

Former Gonzaga standout Rui Hachimura made history in June, becoming the first Japanese player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft (No. 9 by the Washington Wizards). He’s already a hero back home and will now try to guide his country as far as he can through the World Cup. Tokyo is hosting the 2020 Olympics, so Rui figures to remain in the spotlight for awhile. 

“I think 2020 will be another landmark opportunity to make basketball popular in Japan, and I think Rui will have a big part in that for sure,” Gonzaga’s team video coordinator Ken Nakagawa, whose parents were both Japanese, told SLAM.

It all starts this summer. Just how special is the soon-to-be face of Olympic basketball? The 6-8 forward will have a major opportunity to show out when Japan plays USA on September 5th, the final day of Group E competition. 

“Japan hasn’t had a lineup like this before, and I think, looking around the world, there are few teams that can form a lineup like this,” Hachimura told FIBA. “I’m thrilled about it.”

5. The Group of Death

Only two teams from a stacked Group H (Canada, Senegal, Lithuania, Australia) can advance to the second round. 

Though Canada will be without several notable players, they still have NBA talent (Cory Joseph, Khem Birch), former college stars (Oshae Brissett, Melvin Ejim, Brady Heslip, Kyle Wiltjer) and head coach Nick Nurse in the mix. Senegal, led by Minnesota Timberwolves big man Gorgui Dieng, went 10-2 in the African Qualifiers. For Lithuania, Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas form as talented a frontcourt as you’ll see in the tournament. And finally, Australia will try to make up for Ben Simmons’ absence with guys like Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Andrew Bogut, Aron Baynes and Jonah Bolden (a team that beat USA in an exhibition). 

“With the team that we’ve got, that we will have, we’re going to be confident. We believe. Even the last couple of tournaments we’ve been to, we were right there,” Ingles told FIBA. “For me and our team, when we play for our country, we take tremendous pride in that. We’re not representing one person, we are representing 23 million people or whatever we got in Australia right now.”

6. Nikola Jokic Leads Serbia

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic had a monster 2018-19 NBA season: 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He’ll be the centerpiece on a deep Serbian squad that includes Sacramento’s Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica, Dallas’ Boban Marjanovich, Milos Teodosic and Miroslav Raduljica.

With the Joker ascending into a superstar, Serbia is slated as the second favorite to win the World Cup behind the United States and far ahead of Spain at No. 3, per Westgate Superbook. 

Serbia locked up silver at the previous World Cup in 2014 (without Jokic) and at the Olympics in 2016 (with Jokic). They seem like a good bet to reach the podium once again and are the most likely team to give USA trouble. 

“Let’s let [Team USA] play their basketball and we will play ours and if we meet, may God help them,” coach Sash Djordjevic said during an interview with Serbian national television, per Mozzart Sport.

7. Luis Scola

The Argentinian power forward will be playing in his fifth FIBA World Cup, dating back to 2002. As of right now, Scola is third in total points scored in World Cup competition, just 21 shy of Australia’s Andrew Gaze at the No. 2 spot. 

Scola recently guided Argentina to a championship at the Pan American Games in Peru, dropping 28 in an 84-66 victory over Puerto Rico in the Finals. It was the fifth major honor the big man has earned with the national team, including Olympic gold in 2004, the FIBA Diamond Ball in 2008 and two FIBA Americas Championships in 2001 and 2011. 

Throughout July and August, much of the conversation about the World Cup has centered on guys deciding not to play, such as AD for USA, Simmons for Australia and Jamal Murray for Canada. Scola’s story is the complete opposite. He’s participated whenever given the opportunity and at 39, ten years older than anyone else on the Argentinian team at the Pan-Am Games, is still going strong.  

—

For more news and information, head to the FIBA website.

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

The post 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Preview: Details and Major Storylines appeared first on SLAM.

Melo’s participation “would’ve been more of a distraction,” according to Colangelo.

Team USA has been rebuffed by a number of superstars this offseason, but Colangelo believes it has enough to win the FIBA World Cup in China.

Per The Athletic:

“First of all, I had a great relationship with Melo. He did a great job. He actually might have been as good or better in international play as he was in the NBA. Point is, he was very good in international play,” Colangelo said.

“I understood why the agent, he’s looking to get him the exposure, looking to get him another shot. But the only way (Anthony) can really be satisfied is for him to have another shot in the NBA, with another team and recently, he’s been aggressive media-wise, letting people know, ‘I feel like I can still play. I just need an opportunity, blah, blah, blah.’ With us, that would’ve been more of a distraction, as we discussed it. We need to focus on this team concept. We have a bunch of new guys and we’re going to go with this new group. And when you insert a different element and it detracts in any way, you lose it. That was it. That’s no reflection on Carmelo. I love the guy. But I don’t think it would’ve been healthy for our program at this time.”

Anthony participated in all but two international competitions since Colangelo took over USA Basketball in 2005 with a mantra to restore this country’s reputation and ranking.

Related Chauncey Billups: ‘Scoring 30 Meant Too Much’ to Carmelo Anthony

The post Carmelo Anthony Was Turned Down By USA Basketball appeared first on SLAM.

Tatum, 21, says that he is ultimately aiming to be “one of the best” players in the NBA.

Tatum and Boston Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown have impressed incoming All-Star point guard Kemba Walker during Team USA’s training camp this summer ahead of the FIBA World Cup.

Per NBC Sports Boston:

“I want to be one of the best,” Tatum said after Team USA’s practice Tuesday on the campus of UNLV. “There’s a lot of challenges that come with that. I’m excited.”

Pressed on the topic Tuesday, Tatum admitted he came away wanting more, especially in a season that frustrated many on Boston’s roster.

“Man, it’s hard to pinpoint one thing from last season,” said Tatum. “All my stats were better, I did better, just not the jump that I expected — and the rest of the world expected. Which, I should have known with the team, the dynamics — we had so many guys, so many talented people trying to win a championship and everybody had to sacrifice and step back a little bit. It didn’t work. Last year is behind us. Everybody is kinda tired of talking about last season. We got a new team, new guys, so we’re just trying to move on, get ready for next season.”

Walker has glowed about his new teammates, particularly the combo of Tatum and Brown, and the opportunity to play alongside a talented young duo.

“Those dudes are so talented, it’s unbelievable,” said Walker. “I competed against those guys, what, four times a year? Might catch a few games here or there. End of the day, you don’t see them every day. You know what I mean? For me, to be here and see those guys, and the way they compete and how much passion and love they have for the game, the intensity they have for the game, that’s special to me.”

Related Jayson Tatum: ‘I Know I’m Going to Be an All-Star’

The post Jayson Tatum: ‘I Want to Be One of the Best’ appeared first on SLAM.

Walker considers it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to prove doubters wrong.

Donovan Mitchell adds that the squad will be playing with “more of a chip” on their shoulders during the FIBA World Cup.

Per NBC Sports Boston:

“I love basketball. I love to play. And what better opportunity to do that than to play for your country?” Walker said Monday after Team USA’s first day of training camp on the campus of UNLV.

“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of us. I think a lot of us are happy those guys pulled out. This is our chance, this is our chance to get on the big stage and showcase our talents. It’s a chance for us to do something new, to be a new-look team.”

Walker appreciates that players dropping out has opened the opportunity to play with a bunch of his new teammates. He knows how much it means to players like Smart and Jaylen Brown.

“This is USA Basketball, this is a huge achievement,” said Walker. “It’s a huge honor to be a part of this.”

Related Kemba Walker: ‘It’s Cool to Wear Antoine Walker’s Number’

The post Kemba Walker: ‘Everybody is Kind of Doubting’ Team USA appeared first on SLAM.

“KOBE! KOBE! KOBE!”

Bryant, who is serving as a global ambassador for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, was in Shenzhen to host the official draw ceremony on Saturday night. With help from several other former NBA players—including Hall of Famer and current president of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao Ming—he revealed the eight groups for the initial phase of competition, beginning August 31. 

It’s a fitting new role for the Mamba, who has two Olympic gold medals (’08, ’12) and a WC championship (’07) on his resume. And the enlivened crowd outside the arena made perfectly clear just how widespread and powerful his influence is. He’s been consistently active in efforts to grow basketball and impact the next generation of athletes, whether it be in the United States or overseas. 

SLAM took part in a roundtable interview with Bryant during the weekend to get his thoughts on the upcoming Cup, his career with Team USA and much more:

—

Q: How happy are you to have the role of global ambassador for the 2019 World Cup? 

KB:  I’m very happy. Being around the game at this level is always very exciting and very energizing. I owe so much to the game of basketball, FIBA in particular, so it feels good to come back and be a part of it.

Q: When you think back on your career with Team USA, is there a specific memory that stands out? 

KB: For us, it was always the interaction with other athletes. That’s always the most enjoyable thing. Spending time with your competitors. Seeing Tony [Parker] not in a Spurs uniform [smiles]. Once you get past how different we all look without having our Laker colors or him having a black and white on, it gets down to competing. And competing against those guys and seeing the same moves that they do every time you play them in the regular season, just under a different circumstance. That’s the most fun. 

Q: How does the mindset and approach change when you move from the NBA to the World Cup? 

KB: It’s preparation. It takes time to prepare. You can’t just jump in and play. I won’t say the rules are different, but the style of play is very, very different. So you have to, at least for myself, watch a lot of film and try to read up on a lot of the guys that I’m playing against because some of the players—we made the assumption in ’06 [when USA won the bronze at the FIBA championship] and prior to that that some of these players aren’t in the NBA, so they must not be very good. When I came in ’08, it was like, Listen, that’s not it. There are plenty of players that are insanely good that choose not to come play in the NBA, so let’s understand that. So that means that when we’re playing against Greece, Spain, France, Lithuania, Serbia and so forth—We have to research these players and watch them and study them. Because if we do not, we will be in trouble. 

Q: Can you understand a player rejecting an opportunity to play in the Olympics or the World Cup? 

KB: No [laughs]. No—if you can play, you play. It’s kind of a no-brainer to me. 

Q: Even the NBA guys? 

KB: Yeah. I’ll play anywhere. It’s a big difference playing for the Lakers or playing for the Dallas Mavericks or the Portland Trail Blazers or whatever It is, and then playing for the United States of America. That’s a big deal. It should be interpreted as such, and we certainly felt that way. Coach K did a great job making sure our young players understood the historical context and the contributions that we are making to our country in our small way.

Q: Do you think the US is a lock to win the World Cup? 

KB: No. It goes back to the answer I gave earlier. If they have the maturity and understanding that there are plenty of players who just choose not to come play in the NBA because they are comfortable—families, school, etc.—and decide to just stay where they are; if we understand that there are players out there, plenty of them, that can show up any given night and wear you out, then we will be OK. But if we go in there thinking we’re just going to slap a team together and play and win, we’re going to be in trouble. 

Q: What do you think about the choice to have Gregg Popovich replace Mike Krzyzewski as coach of Team USA? 

KB: I think it’s pretty interesting because coach Pop wins all his NBA championships with European players anyway [laughs]. There all international players. I mean, pretty much all of them. So it’s pretty funny that he’s coaching Team USA and going up against the international players when that’s all he drafts and that’s all he trades for. I think that’s good for us because he understands how good these players are. It won’t be something that he’ll take lightly in the least bit. So from that standpoint, it’s good. 

Q: Do you have bad memories of the referees from your games in Olympic and World Cup competitions? 

KB: Nah. Obviously I had a great time. Played in Beijing in ’08. London in ’12. They were all great experiences. What I enjoyed about the game was—the first couple plays I realized, the FIBA game is more physical than the NBA. You can put hands on guys, there’s more checking, there’s more physicality. And we were a team in the past, with ’06, that kind of fell backwards to that. In ’08 we did not, and I was pretty vocal about the fact that, Hey listen, last I checked, we’re bigger, we’re stronger and we’re faster. The fact that the game can be more physical should be really exciting for us [laughs]. That means we get to hand check, we get to hold, we get to bump you off of cuts and screen and rolls. Let’s go. From that standpoint, I started hand checking guards. It was fantastic. So nah, I had a great time. Wish we could do that in the NBA. 

Q: The 2008 gold medal game in Beijing—where does that rank among the most memorable games of your basketball career? [Kobe scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Team USA defeat Spain.]

KB: It’s right up there at the top because what was at stake. I still tease Pau [Gasol] about it to this day, like I don’t understand why they did not double me in the last two minutes. I hadn’t shot the ball all game long and so the last two minutes, I’m in single coverage. It’s still up there as one of my favorite games to play in.

Q: How do you envision the game of basketball continuing to grow in places outside the US? What are the next steps of that process?

KB: Things like this help. Being able to expand the game, communicate the game and also countries coming together and figuring out systematically, How are we going to teach the game to the next generation? It’s about growth. You always want to grow the next generation and the next generation and the next generation, and teach the values of the game, teach the things that you’re learning from the game of basketball that won’t just help you be a better basketball player, but also a better person. Getting families involved in it. Having get-togethers like this is a great example of that because you can have the different heads from different countries kind of powwow about how we can grow the game. But it’s grown tremendously since I was a kid. Tremendously. 

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

The post Kobe Bryant Talks 2019 FIBA World Cup, Team USA Memories and More appeared first on SLAM.

Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre was sold out to witness global ambassador Kobe Bryant draw the groups for the upcoming 2019 FIBA World Cup:

Several other former NBA players—including Yao Ming, Stephon Marbury, Andrey Kirilenko, Yi Jianlian and Arvydas Sabonis—were also in attendance for the event. Peep the highlights below:

The group phase of the World Cup will begin Aug. 31 in China. Y’all ready?

For more information on the 2019 World Cup, click here.

The post Groups for the 2019 FIBA World Cup Are Set 🌎 appeared first on SLAM.

No one ended up winning the bet: “None of us did,” Garnett said.

“We all tried to dunk on Yao, but he would block it or we would miss.”

here’s my Q&A with kevin garnett. why he thinks AD should talk to danny ainge, his advice for kevin durant and the time team USA put a million dollar bounty on yao ming: https://t.co/xgUhm8aEKk— alex (@steven_lebron) February 15, 2019

Alas, they would have to settle for the greatest dunk in basketball history instead.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

I have to ask you about Vince Carter’s dunk over Frederic Weis at the 2000 Olympics. You were the first one on the court to greet Vince after the dunk, give him a little chest bump. What do you remember about that exact moment?

KG: “Everything just paused. First of all, people didn’t know, we had a bounty out on Yao Ming. The whole USA team had a bet. We had a million dollar bet on who was going to be the first person to dunk on Yao Ming. None of us did. We all tried to dunk on Yao, but he would block it or we would miss. So, the first thing I thought of when I saw Vince dunk over Frederic was oh shit, you won the million dollars. But then I realized it obviously wasn’t Yao. I pushed Vince, and if you look at the clip, he almost punches me in the face by accident. But my first thought was, oh shit, you won, you got the million.”

The post Kevin Garnett: Team USA Had $1 Million Bounty on Yao Ming appeared first on SLAM.

NBA and @FIBA announce their plan to launch the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa. @NBA_Africa #NBAAllStar https://t.co/mhnp0bgNX4 pic.twitter.com/S5NjSf4ksP

— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2019

This will be the first NBA-affiliated league outside of North America, and former President Barack Obama is expected to be involved with the league’s operations.

“The Basketball Africa League is an important next step in our continued development of the game of basketball in Africa,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Combined with our other programs on the continent, we are committed to using basketball as an economic engine to create new opportunities in sports, media and technology across Africa.”

The post NBA Announces Arrival of Basketball Africa League in 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Naismith Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is finalizing a deal to become head coach of EuroLeague power Panathinkaikos of Greece, sources told ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2018

Pitino has agreed in principle to deal, per source. He’s expected to coach his first game on Dec 27. https://t.co/syP1vaY22J

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2018

The roster for Panathinaikos includes Nick Calathes, Georgios Papagiannis, Keith Langford, Deshaun Thomas, James Gist and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis’ older brother.

In October of 2017, Pitino was fired from Louisville amid an FBI probe into college basketball and an investigation into the use of strippers and prostitutes during recruiting visits.

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Rick Pitino Hoping to Become Candidate for NBA Head-Coaching Job

The post Report: Rick Pitino To Become Head Coach of Panathinaikos of Greece appeared first on SLAM.

The film explores Abdul-Qaadir’s relationship with basketball and the immense part it plays in her identity. As she looked to join a team overseas following her NCAA career, she ran into her first major roadblock as an athlete—the FIBA ban on headgear, which kept her and her hijab off the professional court.

The documentary follows Abdul-Qaadir and her parents as they figure out different options for Plan B, even including a possible career shift. While FIBA slowly revisits its rules, viewers get a glimpse of Abdul-Qaadir’s day-to-day life, such as practicing her faith, getting married and, of course, hooping.

The world premiere for the film will take place at DOC NYC, America’s Largest Documentary Festival, on November 10.

RELATED:
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir Releases Trailer for ‘Life Without Basketball’

The post Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir’s Documentary ‘Life Without Basketball’ Premieres November 10 appeared first on SLAM.

The Black Mamba recalls the time he hung his 2008 Olympic Gold Medal—which he’d won with Team USA in a bitterly-fought war against Spain—in Pau Gasol‘s locker.

Gasol didn’t appreciate the gesture, naturally, but Bryant evidently believes it helped kick up his game (and attitude) a notch.

Per Kobe’s chat with Lewis Howes (via reddit):

“Pau hates it every time I tell this story,” Bryant recalls. “He hates it.

“So now we come back to start training camp and Pau shows up first day of training camp, I have my gold medal hanging in his locker.

“The one thing he truly, truly love is his country. That is like everything to him. So it just drove him crazy.

“He said ‘You’re an asshole!’

“I said, ‘Listen Pau, you lost to the Celtics, you lost to us in the gold-medal match, let’s not make this three in a row this year. Let’s win this thing.’ That was it for him. Pau was a phenomenon to begin with. For him, it was just stepping up a level of physicality, that we needed him to get to, which he did and we went on to win back-to-back championships.”

The post Kobe Bryant Hung His Olympic Gold Medal in Pau Gasol’s Locker appeared first on SLAM.

Breaking: Ex-Louisville commit Brian Bowen has signed a contract with the Sydney Kings, making him the first player signed to the NBL "Next Stars" initiative. The NBL is intent on creating an alternative pathway for pursuing one and done caliber prospects: https://t.co/1BWgZAXunP

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) August 7, 2018

Bowen’s NBL debut will be the first time he’s played organized basketball since the Jordan Brand Classic in April 2017. Bowen led all players in a group that included eight future NBA Draft lottery picks with 26 points in that game.

Bowen, the No. 13 recruit in the class of 2017, was held out of play at Louisville after the FBI’s investigation into college basketball linked Bowen’s father to a $100,000 payment from adidas. Bowen transferred to South Carolina, where he practiced but didn’t play in any games. The NCAA ruled Bowen ineligible to suit up for the Gamecocks in 2018, which led to the decision to explore professional options overseas.

Bowen won’t be the first player to attempt making the jump from Australian ball to the NBA — the Oklahoma City Thunder selected former 5-star recruit Terrance Ferguson with the 21st pick in 2017 — however, he will be the first player to sign as a part of the NBL’s “Next Stars” program. In an attempt to lure more top prospects not enamored with the idea of college ball, the program will allow eligible players to not count against teams’ cap against more than three foreign players. The NBL will also play the salaries of Next Stars players instead of teams.

NBA veteran Andrew Bogut will play with Bowen for the Kings.

RELATED: Louisville Officially Fires Rick Pitino ‘For Just Cause’

The post Former 5⭐️ Recruit Brian Bowen Signs with Sydney Kings 🇦🇺 appeared first on SLAM.

I have some good news to share with you on this beautiful day from The Netherlands. My heart literally warms up now I can finally share with you all that I’m returning to play Basketball. I will be playing in China ! God is good ! Thanks lord for giving me another chance in life and thank you fans for your the love and support during all those hard years. Never give up on yourself and keep believing that only god can create the miracles you’re hoping for. Basketball and my children have always been the light in my life and this is where my focus is right now. Thank you @mr2rchiang and @iamzoul for believing in me and the opportunity to start over again! Thank you @starburymarbury for being my inspiration LETS GOO ! #china #basketball #yes

A post shared by Lamar Odom (@lamarodom) on Jul 26, 2018 at 5:40am PDT

Odom, 38, last played in the NBA during the 2012-13 season. Over 14 years in the League spent with the Clippers, Heat, Lakers and Mavericks, LO averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

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The Top 60 Hoopers to Come Out of NEW YORK CITY

The post Lamar Odom Returning to Pro Basketball in China 💯 appeared first on SLAM.

This was Maker’s second game with the national team.

Thon Maker out here throwing knees! #Boomers pic.twitter.com/feizBcSBkc

— Ricky Mangidis (@rickm18) July 2, 2018

The ruckus was triggered by an elbow during Australia’s blowout win.

Per the Journal Sentinel:

Then, with one thrown elbow by Philippines player June Mar Fajardo, the contest turned into an all-out melee. Punches and chairs were thrown as players and spectators alike got involved in a brawl that spilled off the court.

After toppling a pile, Maker was punched in the back of the head by Terrence Bill Romeo of the Philippines. Maker responded by charging at Romeo and kicking at him with his left leg. The kick did not connect — it’s unclear if Maker intended to inflict damage — and Maker kept his momentum moving away from the fight.

Thirteen players were ejected — four from Australia, including Maker, and nine from the Philippines. The game actually continued, with the Philippines forced to play with just three players. When Philippines captain Gabe Norwood fouled out, it left just one player available for the Philippines. That’s when the game was stopped, resulting in an 89-53 victory for Australia.

The post Thon Maker Involved in Massive FIBA Brawl appeared first on SLAM.

Now, Doumbouya is the one getting ready for the 2019 NBA Draft, playing as the youngest face on Poitiers Basket 86 in France’s LNB Pro B division. Standing at 6-9, close to 230 pounds, and still growing, he has one goal in mind: “I want to dominate the players I’m going up against in all facets of the game,” says Doumbouya. “Be dominant for myself and my team, help them win anyway I can.”

Doumbouya, 17, has had his fair share of highlights with Poitiers, from pin-down blocks, to posting 26 points on 12 shots. On Monday, it was announced that he was making the jump to France’s top division (Pro A), to further help him get ready for the NBA. He’ll be joining Limoges CSP, where he’ll most likely play as the youngest member on yet another squad, which is nothing new for the French-Guinean prospect.

At 13, a year after he discovered basketball, Sekou was already playing with kids two years his senior. While his mom started receiving 40 phone calls a weekend, Sekou was out putting on a show, from reverse slams to only using his left hand to score more than 30 points after injuring his right shooting hand. It was those type of performances that got him invited to train with the U18 national team at 14, leading to his 2016 FIBA performance, and ultimately his first pro contract with Poitiers at 15.

“He always had a drive to get better, to dominate,” says Poitiers’ head coach, Ruddy Nelhomme. “Playing against kids his own age is just too easy.”

Over the past two seasons, Doumbouya has gotten used to the physicality and speed of the pros by playing with grown men. His mature game has garnished comparisons to Paul George, with his ability to guard one through four. Sekou’s teammate Anthony Goods, who’s played in the G League, says he’s similar to Carmelo Anthony, because his strong frame helps him produce with limited dribbles, with range that stretches to the three-point line. Ron Anderson Jr., whose father played in the NBA, also sees flashes of Lamar Odom. Just like Odom, Sekou uses his left hand to attack and often pushes fast-breaks after crashing the glass.

“I have the talent,” says Doumbouya, on one day becoming France’s best player. “I just to need to keep working, that’s all… It just depends on me.”

Even though it’s easy for Doumbouya to coast on his athleticism, he’s fixed on the technical and mental side of the game. Along with attending private school to earn his high school diploma, he’s working with a sports psychologist to develop the same focus he saw in Michael Jordan, whose highlights he regularly enjoys.

“Sekou definitely has a killer instinct in him,” says Goods, who notes that unlike other youngsters, Doumbouya isn’t shy around his elders. It’s to the point that the team reminds him to understand his game, such as what shots he’s capable of making.

In Poitiers, Doumbouya is often the last to leave the gym, working to become as versatile as possible. This time around, after a two-hour team practice, Doumbouya is joined by forward Mike Joseph for a half-hour of speed and strength training. He encourages his 24-year-old teammate, yelling “allons-y” (meaning “let’s go,” in French), then follows his own lead by working out until he’s flat on his back, shaped like a starfish, drenched in sweat.

M’ Mah Marie Doumbouya says her son is a born leader, having grown up as the man of the household, as his father stayed in Guinea on military duty. “He knew that he needed to be the example,” says M’ Mah Marie, who moved to France with Sekou when he was one years old. “He always wanted to know how everyone was doing, to give his advice to his younger and older sisters.”

At 17, he’s still learning how to use his leadership, such as when he should speak up around a team of vets after a tough loss. But Sekou is said to be constantly coming to Nelhomme and teammates for advice. His willingness to learn has helped his jumper, improving from a 57.6% to a 79% free throw shooter, while he’s upped his points and rebounds per game averages from last season.

There have also been bumps along the way. After his 26-point performance in February, he followed it up by going for zero points in the next matchup. Instead of soaking up, he was in the gym the next day, working on his game.

“What surprises me most about Sekou is his ability to bounce back,” says Anderson. “I don’t recall many 17-year-olds growing up, who would take it that personally… He’s a young man who’s trying to play basketball for a living, but still trying to enjoy being 17.”

On his way to a video game event at a mall in Poitiers, organized by his team, Sekou sits in a compact Opel Corsa. He pulls the front seat all the way back to make space for his legs, which are clothed in black jeans with self made rips at the knees. Comfortable, he pulls out his phone to blast Kodak Black’s “Skrilla,” which he raps along to.

Songs blare from his phone until he climbs up the mall’s staircase up to the ground floor, where he admits to his teammates that he’s horrible at 2K. He’s still the first to play, trying to engage local kids who pass by. He then picks the Utah Jazz, featuring Rudy Gobert, but leaves his own game when Goods screams there’s a “barbecue chicken alert.” After exchanging laughs as his teammate’s game winds down, Sekou returns to his own, ultimately losing by double-digits to a 13-year-old.

Despite the loss, Sekou is still all smiles. He says he fell in love with basketball after experiencing the energy surrounding it. He loves hearing the oohs and ahhs after a dunk or an ankle-breaking crossover, whether that be in a real game or in 2K.

When he made the trip to Los Angeles during NBA All-Star Weekend for Basketball Without Borders, a camp for the world’s top international prospects, that part of the game was only amplified. There, he saw how many people loved basketball as much as he did. From the all-stars who rooted for their fellow players, to Migos, who Sekou only dared to stand beside as he snuck his way down to the court.

“There was an enthusiasm around the game that was unlike anything else I’ve experienced before,” says Doumbouya. “It’s what I want to be part of. It motivated me.”

(Photos courtesy of Poitiers Basket 86, Jordan Bonneau, and Bryan Meler) 

The post Meet Europe’s Next Elite NBA Prospect: France’s Sekou Doumbouya appeared first on SLAM.

Per Dodo Catacutan of Esquire Philippines:

“Days ago, officials in a basketball league Pacquiao owns (eponymously named MPBL) enforced a rule limiting teams to only one Fil-foreign player who could be no taller than 6-4. Meaning, any passport-bearing Filipino player with foreign blood, whether born here or overseas, has to fight for that one spot open in each of the MPBL’s 26 teams. Additionally, should this Fil-foreigner happen to have been sired by a tall dad and had grown a shade over 6-feet-4, sorry na lang siya. That’s it for him!”

Pacquiao, who stands at just 5-5, spent three years as a player-coach for the Philippine Basketball Association’s Kia Picanto. The renowned boxer appeared in nine games and scored 0.8 points per game.

Check out Pacquiao’s hoop highlights in the video below.

The post Manny Pacquiao’s New Basketball League Doesn’t Allow Hoopers Over 6-4 appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic, after the win, told ESPN that his official decision on whether or not he’ll play in the NBA next season will be announced “soon.” Here’s his full quote:

“I will tell about all at the right time, right now I just want to celebrate with my team. Soon I will tell.”

European Champion
Euroleague Champion
Euroleague MVP
Euroleague Final Four MVP
19 years old

Luka Doncic might be the European Chosen One #EuroDrip pic.twitter.com/NFadz8GKaE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 20, 2018

Real Madrid beat Fenerbahce today, 85-80. Doncic had 15 points and 4 assists in the win today, following up a 16-point effort against CSKA Moscow on Friday.

#CHAMP10NS
The moment pic.twitter.com/1A3hqnzDe6

— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) May 20, 2018

Related
SLAM 216: Luka Doncic Cover Story

h/t ESPN

The post Luka Doncic Leads Real Madrid to Euroleague Championship, Named Final Four MVP appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, averaged 16.1 points and 4.4 assists per game for Real Madrid.

The 2017-18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP!

What a season from @luka7doncic pic.twitter.com/QWNgutxJne

— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 19, 2018

Real Madrid will play Fenerbahce for the EuroLeague championship on Sunday.

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The post Luka Doncic Wins EuroLeague MVP 🏆 appeared first on SLAM.

LaVar Ball gave a glimpse of where LaMelo might end up next after touring the facilities of Asseco Gdynia–one of the top teams in Polish basketball history–during the latest episode of “Ball In The Family.”

“To me, this Polish team I think is going to be right for Melo. The next move could be here … The facility looks amazing: nice, big offices, weight rooms and nutritional rooms, it just got a better, professional feel about it.”

The market Asseco Gdynia is in is far larger than the one LaMelo played in while with BC Yvtautas–Prienai, Lithuania has a population of approximately 10,000 while the metro population of Gdynia, Poland exceeds 1,000,000.

To see the Ball family’s tour of Poland, skip ahead to the 9:35 mark in the episode embedded below.

The post LaVar Ball Says Poland’s Asseco Gdynia Could Be ‘Next Move’ For LaMelo 🇵🇱 appeared first on SLAM.

LiAngelo added 44 points in Vytautas’ 127-110 win.

“BBB London Clash Game” ended with the W & @MELOD1P triple-double: 39 pts, 16 reb & 16 ast. @LiAngeloBall 44 pts, @bigkev610 12 pts & 23 reb #BCVytautas pic.twitter.com/NJ0c1SwRt6

— BC Labas GAS Prienai (@bcprienai) April 2, 2018

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LiAngelo Ball Scores 72 Points in BBB Exhibition Game

The post LaMelo Ball Posts 39-Point Triple-Double in BBB Exhibition Game appeared first on SLAM.

LaMelo Ball added 36 points in Vytautas’ 159-115 blowout win.

W @LiAngeloBall with 72 pts, @MELOD1P added 36 pts#BCVytautas #BBB pic.twitter.com/tJNHPVhxrk

— BC Labas GAS Prienai (@bcprienai) March 27, 2018

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LiAngelo Ball Declares For 2018 NBA Draft

The post LiAngelo Ball Scores 72 Points in BBB Exhibition Game appeared first on SLAM.

Speaking to Lithuanian media on Monday, LaVar said Lonzo will leave the Lakers if they don’t sign LiAngelo and LaMelo.

LaVar Ball on his big plan how he's going to bring Lonzo, Melo and Gelo to one NBA team: “Lonzo will be on his 3rd year and I want let every NBA team know, that Lonzo is not going to resign with the Lakers, but will go to any team, that will take all of my three boys.” pic.twitter.com/GErdXjraYU

— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) February 12, 2018

“If [the Lakers] don’t take Gelo this year, I’ll bring back Gelo here (Vytautas) to play with Melo for two years. Lonzo will be on his third year, and I want to let every NBA team know that Lonzo is not going to re-sign with the Lakers, but will go to any team that will take all of my three boys.”

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The post LaVar: Lonzo Ball Will Leave Lakers If They Don’t Sign LiAngelo, LaMelo appeared first on SLAM.

Valanciunas—who played in the Lithuanian League before entering the NBA—added that “the sky’s the limit” for the Ball Brothers.

What do you think the Ball family is getting themselves into?

 

JV: “They’re getting themselves into a great opportunity. Lithuania is beautiful country. I hope they’re going to like it.”

 

Do you feel like it’s a situation where they can play a lot of minutes and build their brand internationally?

 

JV: “Sure. The sky’s the limit. They go out there, they’re sure they can play.” […]

 

“We have many, many great players. Our basketball school is good. So they choose a really good school.”

 

Is this situation big news for the local market?

 

JV: “Yeah, it is big news. It’s a great opportunity for both. For them and for us.”

RELATED:
Report: LaMelo, LiAngelo Ball ‘In Serious Discussions’ To Sign With Lithuanian Club

The post Jonas Valanciunas: ‘Great Opportunity’ For LiAngelo, LaMelo Ball in Lithuania appeared first on SLAM.

In a report by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, LaVar Ball said the plan is for the brothers to play for the same overseas team.

LaVar Ball told ESPN that LiAngelo and LaMelo have signed with Lonzo's agent, and the goal is to find an overseas team that will play both at the same time. This also means there’s no chance of LaMelo playing college hoops — https://t.co/gYhyEIaPFO

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 7, 2017

LaVar Ball told ESPN that his sons LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball have signed with agent Harrison Gaines, ending any speculation that LaMelo will play college basketball. The plan is now for both to play on the same team overseas. […]

 

LaVar Ball said Gaines has been dealing with various overseas clubs about LiAngelo and LaMelo.

 

Sources told ESPN that several teams in Europe and Asia have expressed interest.

RELATED:
Report: LaMelo, LiAngelo Ball ‘Exploring Options’ To Play Overseas

The post LaMelo, LiAngelo Ball Sign With Agent, Will Play Overseas appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Vertical’s Shams Charnia, LaMelo, 16, and LiAngelo, 19, have already “started initial contact” with overseas teams.

Sources: Both LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball beginning to explore options to sign professionally overseas. Story with details: https://t.co/M49at6hQAz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 5, 2017

Harrison Gaines, the representative for LaMelo, 16, and LiAngelo, 19, started initial contact with overseas teams this week, sources told Yahoo Sports.

 

For LaMelo and LiAngelo, the decision to turn pro means the end of their prospective collegiate careers. LaMelo Ball had previously committed to UCLA.

RELATED:
LiAngelo Ball No Longer At UCLA, LaVar Says Family Is ‘Exploring Other Options’

The post Report: LaMelo, LiAngelo Ball ‘Exploring Options’ To Play Overseas appeared first on SLAM.

#NBA: Ben Simmons commits to Aussie Boomers for Tokyo 2020 https://t.co/ggYyimZt69

— Melanie Dinjaski (@MelanieDinjaski) November 10, 2017

Simmons, 21, was born in Melbourne, and says “Australian basketball is going in the right direction.”

The star rookie is averaging 17.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the Philadelphia Sixers.

Per Wide World of Sports:

Simmons, a Melbourne-born, Newcastle-raised 21-year-old who is a dual citizen of the Australia and the United States through his American father, says he is looking forward to donning the green-and-gold in Japan.

 

“I definitely want to play for the Boomers. I’ve told a lot of my guys and my coaches that I’ll definitely be wanting to play,” Simmons told Wide World of Sports at the launch of Call of Duty: WWII.

 

“It’s going to be a great team. A very young, quick team. I think the future of Australian basketball is going in the right direction.”

The post Ben Simmons to Play for Australia in 2020 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Beginning on Nov. 23, teams from the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe will matchup for the right to play in China in 2019. Each Qualifier will have 16 teams, except in Europe, where 32 squads will be playing for the chance to represent their country in the World Cup. From those groups, five teams from Africa, seven from the Americas, seven from Asia, and 12 from Europe will advance to China.

What makes the Qualifiers special is the national pride at stake. Teams will play at home in front of their own fans, which for many countries is totally new. Fans will get the opportunity to see homegrown talent as they compete to play in the best international basketball competition in the world.

While the NBA is the ultimate goal for any player, being able to suit up and play alongside your fellow countrymen is something that attracts the games biggest stars to the World Cup.

Spain’s Pau Gasol has been playing for his country’s senior national team since 2001 and still feels the passion to go out there and play for the flag.

“We lost in 2003 in the [EuroBasket] Final, we lost in 2007 at home. That really hurt, but at the same time motivated us to go and win three out of the next four European championships,” says Gasol. “It was an incredible experience to go through. The team unity that we’ve shown has been so critical in every tournament.”

For players who have played on the FIBA stage, the chance to represent their country and fans is an experience like no other. A loss in the FIBA World Cup isn’t just a letdown for the player, but also for the country—an emotional relationship that is rarely felt in professional sports.

“When I pull on the green and gold jersey, I personally feel a lot of emotions,” says Australia’s Brad Newley. “I feel like I’m representing all the little kids in the stadiums around Australia playing and getting up extra shots. I’m representing them and their parents…When you put on the Australian jersey, I feel like I’m representing those people.”

The games will be broadcasted on the ESPN App. Click here for #FBWC 2019 Americas Qualifiers homepage and here for the games schedule.

The post This Is My House: Pau Gasol On The Emotion and Passion Of The FIBA World Cup appeared first on SLAM.

Gros scoop basket de la rentrée: Boris Diaw d'accord avec Levallois. Il sera un joueur des Metropolitans dès que la DNCG dira ok. @RMCsport

— David Cozette (@DavidCozette) September 14, 2017

Diaw’s contract will have an NBA opt-out clause, reports Sportando.

Boris Diaw’s contract with French team Levallois Metropolitans will have an NBA opt out clause.

— Sportando (@Sportando) September 14, 2017

The Jazz waived Diaw in July and he said he’s had a few contacts with NBA teams.

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The post Boris Diaw To Sign Deal in France with NBA Opt-Out Clause appeared first on SLAM.

Source: Ty Lawson and Donatas Motiejunas have left the NBA and are signing as teammates in China with the Shandong Golden Stars.

— David Pick (@IAmDPick) August 8, 2017

According to “15min” in Lithuania, Motiejunas’ deal is worth $2.5 million, and potentially $3 million with bonuses.

Lawson’s deal is worth $2.4 million, and can also grow to $3 million with bonuses.

Source: NBA free-agent PG Ty Lawson signed with Shandong some time ago. $2.4M net with bonuses that can push his deal to $3M total.

— David Pick (@IAmDPick) August 8, 2017

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The post Ty Lawson, Donatas Motiejunas Agree to 1-Year Deals in China appeared first on SLAM.

“Nate!” Shaun Jayachandran shouts from the other side of the yard where the Crossover Academy volunteers are huddled. “When do we get the courts?” The term courts here is used generously. Vidyaniketan lacks any real basketball facilities, instead boasting two overlapping half-courts, with one of the hoops about six inches too low and the other far taller than regulation. Still, it’s an enormous improvement from just a few years ago. When Nate first got Vidyaniketan involved with Crossover in 2014, this area was nothing but sand and mud. After partnering with the program and seeing how eager the children were to practice the skills that they learned, Nate fundraised and lobbied hard to give them somewhere to play. This is the kind of incremental but meaningful change that Shaun aimed to make when he founded the Crossover Academy.

It started with a modest and open-ended objective: get kids to play sports and stay in school. As basketball continued to grow as a global sport, Shaun looked at the landscape and wanted to get involved. “I started thinking about how I could combine my work in education with coaching and having a family history in India to build something that would be impactful,” he recalls. From that kernel of an idea, the Crossover Academy was born. In 2012, Shaun took two volunteers to India to run the pilot program with 45 students at St. Patrick’s School in downtown Chennai. Now in his sixth summer, Shaun has convinced 14 volunteers, many of whom are Indian-American basketball players themselves, to come to southeastern India for two weeks in the middle of the summer to teach basketball to over 300 children from marginalized communities and provide them with hope for a better future.

Once the clock hits 3:45 p.m., the handball team disperses and Shaun jumps into action trying to get the attention of 120 students ranging from the ages of 9 to 14. He divides the kids into groups and assigns them names of prestigious American universities, a tactic that he describes as a way to help them even begin thinking about a college education as something that is within their reach. As a school that works with Teach for India fellows like Nate, Vidyaniketan has a relatively low dropout rate but escaping poverty and improving social standing after graduation is still extremely difficult. In other schools throughout Chennai, the dropout rates can reach as high as 50 percent.

“Who’s on Team Vanderbilt? You’re with Coach Nikhil.” The kids swarm Nikhil Lal, a team manager for the Princeton University men’s basketball team and one of Crossover’s most experienced coaches. He leads his team in stretching and conditioning, later focusing on teaching a proper defensive stance and how to move on defense without crossing their feet. Nikhil has the children shuffle their side-to-side while rolling a basketball from one end of the court to the other to reinforce good defensive positioning. ”How do you make sliding fun?” Shaun remarks as he looks on. There’s an immense challenge in establishing fundamentals for a sport with which these kids are only barely familiar.

But training elite basketball players or finding India’s version of Yao Ming is not why they’re here. Instead, Shaun and his coaches are intent on instilling the five pillars on which the Crossover Academy is based: leadership, gender equity, character, teamwork and communication. Shaun has a great admiration for the legendary John Wooden and how he integrated the Pyramid of Success to teach valuable skills that are applicable both in the game of basketball and life in general.

“Having taught in some exceptional private schools, I typically saw it wasn’t that ‘Student A’ was smarter than ‘Student B,’ but ‘Student A’ might have those skills of how to be a leader, how to shake hands, how to look someone in the eye, how to be part of a system,” he explains. “Teamwork, communication, all of those pieces play a part in sports but also very much play a part in how you conduct yourself and help determine who is successful.” Throughout the after-school program, students rotate through four 30-minute sessions: basketball skills, conditioning, yoga and a classroom session focused on establishing those core pillars. Over the course of just two weeks the students rapidly progress in their basketball skills, starting with the most basic of dribbling drills and eventually reaching the point where Shaun is excitedly explaining the concept of a pin-down screen to free a teammate for an open shot.

The fact that there’s no established culture of basketball in India plays into the hands of Crossover, which insists on operating with an even number of male and female students. “Sports in developing countries are usually isolated more to boys. So I wanted a sport where the boys weren’t lightyears ahead of the girls at the starting point and therefore they couldn’t automatically exclude the girls from playing by saying you’re not good enough,” Shaun reasons. “And so if they’re all in the same boat starting at step zero, it gives everyone equal leverage. It’s pretty cool watching how fast the girls evolve into it when they’re given an opportunity.”

At the end of the camp, Crossover presents each student with a certificate and a basketball to take home and offers them a challenge: if you practice so much that you wear that ball out, and if you go to school everyday, you’ll get a new ball next year. While we debate the merit of participation trophies in American youth sports today, we often take the mere opportunity to participate for granted. “Basketball is our vehicle of change,” Shaun likes to say. Crossover’s premise is that by giving these children a chance to engage in structured play, they’re exposing them to something that was so instrumental in many of our lives growing up: the experiences of playing as a team, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes in a safe setting. “They don’t have the means to be in piano class, ballet, and horseback riding all simultaneously. In fact, they’re in none of those things,” Shaun says. “So for someone to come and teach them how to play and that there are rules and now there’s a fairness in a world that is typically unfair to them, that there is an actual fairness to a game. Like, ‘this is how the game works’—it excites them, like, ‘I get it, I can do X, I can do Y.’ And so there’s a connection point because they see somebody older than them who is taking time out to play, to be part of their life instead of, ‘Hey you should be going to school, you should be studying, you should be going to work,’ or, ‘It’s X number of years until you get married.’ Instead it’s just, ‘We’re just here to play,’ and sometimes that’s the opening you need to connect with a kid.”

Of Crossover’s five pillars, gender equity is the trickiest concept to teach to young children, especially those who have grown up in a country like India that lags behind more developed countries when it comes to women’s empowerment. Still, Nate insists that Crossover’s emphasis on gender equity has made a dramatic impact among the girls that attend Vidyaniketan. He recalls two seventh grade girls that forcefully stood up to three older boys that tried to cut to the front of the line for water on a particularly sweltering summer day in Chennai. “I think one of the biggest impacts that Crossover has had is that girls and boys are working together. We stress a lot on teamwork and things like that [at Teach for India] but the kids are always conflicted between school and their communities where it’s girl separate and boys separate because we are conservative as a country and a society,” Nate says. “I think it makes the teachers’ jobs so much easier because Crossover explicitly expresses it and then we can build our classes around it.”

Just three miles east of Vidyaniketan, Shilpa Tummala leads another group of Crossover coaches at Holy Angels, an all-girls K-12 school with over 2,000 students, over 100 of which are participating in this year’s Crossover program. Holy Angels has two actual basketball courts, which allows nearby St. Raphael’s to bring over another 85 girls to join the program. In years past, the American International School in Chennai has hosted the two-week program and students from all over the city were bussed in to participate. But this year, a scheduling conflict threw Shaun and his volunteers an unexpected curveball and forced them to adapt on the fly, deciding instead to bring the camp directly to the schools.

On one of the courts, Shilpa works with a group of 40 girls, urging them to get in a defensive stance, slap the ground and yell “Defense!” on her cue. What appears to be a basic warmup exercise is soon revealed to be quite more difficult than that. Shilpa has a number of factors working against her, including the fact that almost none of the children have heard English spoken with an American accent before today. She soon learns that it takes quite a bit of coaxing to get a group of 8-to-13 year-old girls to be loud, forceful and confident while learning a new sport on a typical Chennai summer day as temperatures creep into triple digits.

What Crossover is attempting to do in a society that doesn’t encourage young girls to be outspoken is fairly radical. The students haven’t encountered a role model like Shilpa, who just finished earning a degree in neurobiology while also playing Division I basketball at Harvard University. After some experimentation and ad-libbing, Shilpa manages to connect by teaching them a simple call and response.

“What is a leader?” Shilpa prompts, to which the group of 40 young girls respond with “a strong woman!” as they shout and flex in unison. It’s not hard to see how a moment like this could have a lasting impact on a young girl that has dreams of striving for more than the seemingly preordained blueprint that the circumstances of her birth have laid out for her.

One such girl who fits that description is Affra, a sixth grader at Vidyaniketan who is participating in Crossover for the fourth consecutive year. Affra carries herself with unexpected confidence and poise as she stiff-arms traffic and makes her way through the dusty side streets of Chennai. She strides with such confidence because she’s been doing it for years, getting herself ready and walking to school each morning after her mother, Aysha, has left for her job cooking and cleaning for a wealthy family on the other side of the city. The young girl’s father took his own life just a few years after she was born, leaving Aysha and Affra to piece together the 4,500 rupees (about $70) for rent each month. There’s usually no money to spare for something like food for breakfast before school. Her morning walk from the small fourth floor apartment where she lives with her mother to Vidyaniketan lasts just under a mile and concludes with Affra crossing six lanes of traffic, which she navigates with ease. She says that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up, just like Nate. In four years, she’s never missed a day of Crossover.

Despite the progress that Crossover’s focus on gender equity has made in the classroom and on the playground, it’s an entirely different challenge to get that mindset to translate to the students’ communities outside of school. Many parents in India don’t want their daughters to play sports because sports are simply not seen as something a girl should do. Once you get past the 10th grade, there’s a significant imbalance of boys and girls in the classrooms because parents opt to pull their daughters to send them to an all-girls school, even if that school may be of lower quality. Even when girls have the opportunity to go to college, they’re typically married off immediately after and, at that point, the culture is such that it becomes the husband’s decision if he wants to allow his wife to have a career or if she’ll stay at home to raise the family. Educators like Nate and Shaun know they’re fighting an uphill battle and that change will not be immediate. The goal, according to Nate, is to keep chipping away in hopes that eventually programs like Crossover will make a significant impact. “We know that even if our kids themselves couldn’t escape, the hope is that they will ensure that their kids are not bogged down like they were suppressed by their previous generation,” he says. “I know if Affra’s mom doesn’t let her go to college—if I lose that battle, I know for a fact that the seed in the girl is planted and she wouldn’t let her own daughter her stifled by society or norms. Change may not be occurring immediately, but I’m sure that these children’s children will have way more broad-minded parents than their parents ever were. We’re just hoping this snowballs.”

—

Conrad Kaczmarek is a writer living in Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter @ConradKaz.

Photos by Rob Hammer

The post World Runners appeared first on SLAM.

“Taj Mahal, got it crossed off,” Durant said in a video posted on Saturday.

The three-hour journey each way didn’t seem to phase Durant as he took-in the monument on the final day of his India tour.

Picture perfect moment at the #TajMahal with the @warriors 2017 NBA championship trophy #DurantInIndia pic.twitter.com/xVbsxyuaBE

— NBA India (@NBAIndia) July 29, 2017

Kevin Durant x The Taj Mahal! pic.twitter.com/YYzC7lEUCe

— NBA (@NBA) July 29, 2017

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The post Kevin Durant Visits the Taj Mahal on India Tour appeared first on SLAM.

The agreement is reportedly “one of the largest single-season deals” in CBA history.

Source: Terrence Jones, former HOU, NOLA and MIL forward, signed one of the largest single-season deals in China history with Qingdao.

— David Pick (@IAmDPick) July 30, 2017

Free agent Terrence Jones' one-year deal with China's Qingdao will be worth $2 million, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 31, 2017

Jones, 25, reportedly received interest from several NBA teams but was only offered a minimum deal, per Amico Hoops.

https://youtu.be/UsKfCiHbMU4

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The post Terrence Jones Agrees to 1-Year, $2 Million Deal in China appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN, Jennings is hoping to return to the NBA once the Chinese season ends next year.

NBA free agent guard Brandon Jennings tells The Undefeated he has accepted a one-year, $1.5 million deal to play… https://t.co/JQ5PWSQgWO

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 28, 2017

NBA free agent guard Brandon Jennings tells The Undefeated he has accepted a one-year, $1.5 million deal to play for China Shanxi.

 

Jennings hopes to return to the NBA after his season in China concludes.

Earlier this month, Shanxi had offered a deal to Ty Lawson, who is still “weighing his options.”

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The post Brandon Jennings Agrees to 1-Year, $1.5 Million Deal in China appeared first on SLAM.

There are no more sounds of basketballs bouncing on the wood court, no rims clanging, no instructions from the coaches, and no squeaking from the soles of the royal blue Nike KD 9s that the 21 young players have laced up over their feet.

It’s a state of peace rarely found in the culture that created Yoga in its never-ending quest for tranquility. India is expected to overtake China as the world’s largest population in a few years, and every hectic moment in the country is a full-court press of pressure, from competing for the highest grades in the cutthroat national examination systems, jostling for space in Mumbai local trains, to queuing up in desperate masses outside ATMs when the currency was de-monetized. We Indians are in a constant state of squeezing in together and fighting to make our space.

Which is why the first class of recruits into the Academy—launched in May as the NBA’s biggest investment in India yet—enjoy the luxury of being free from the tougher distractions of life. They are in a world of their own, a secluded lagoon of basketball, where international coaches are training India’s best young prospects to make the next big jump and inspire a nation of young Indians to be devoted to the sport.

Despite a population of over one billion, not a single Indian has played in an NBA game. In 2015, the Mavs made 7-2 big man Satnam Singh the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA, but he has since only played for the Texas Legends, the organization’s G League affiliate. Last year, Palpreet Singh Brar was drafted by the G League’s Long Island Nets but never made the roster. India has a long yet largely unsuccessful basketball history, but there is potential in the grassroots to unearth a player capable of participating in NBA basketball.

Robin Banerjee, a 6-3 14-year-old, is one of those young players with hoop dreams. Banerjee’s father owns a small printing business in Patna, Bihar, a poor state that has rarely produced basketball talent in the country. Banerjee, however, had passion and aptitude for the sport early in his life. At 12, he left Patna to attend a specialized coaching center in Varanasi, another small town in a neighboring state. Last year, he heard about the ACG NBA Jump program that scouted the best prospects for the Academy, so he traveled about 430 miles southeast all alone on a train to take part in the event in Kolkata. He and two others were chosen from among over 600 aspiring ballers. A few months later, he qualified as one of the final 21 prospects. [As of presstime, the NBA Academy was planning to invite three more prospects for a total of 24, but they hadn’t been selected yet.—Ed.]

The Academy’s location at the Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Center in Greater Noida is secluded from “real” India. Here, Banerjee and the other young prospects play, live in large dormitory-style rooms, eat their meals, and have access to exclusive club gym and swimming facilities. Twice a day, Banerjee takes part in training with coaches from Spain, Belgium, the United States and India.

“We practice all the time,” Banerjee says, “and when we’re done, there is nothing else to do but more basketball. There is a TV in our room where we watched the playoffs together.”

To spread the game in the grassroots, the NBA has been making inroads in India for several years. Their most concentrated efforts have come through the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program, a strategy that has been introducing basketball curriculum to schools since 2013 and has reached over six million kids and five thousand coaches.

“No development programs can work on their own—there has to be an entire ecosystem,” says Yannick Colaco, the Managing Director of NBA India. “We had to start at the base of the pyramid, the bottom. To get kids to have fun playing basketball.”

Once the game is more ingrained in the culture, the Academy hopes to find the diamonds in the rough. India’s tussle against a large, competitive population is also the country’s undeniable advantage.

The NBA’s Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum was in India for the launch of the Academy. Tatum was previously part of Indian basketball history when he called out Singh’s name with the 52nd pick for the Mavericks at the 2015 NBA Draft. Now, he is hopeful that a successor can rise from the Academy.

“There will be a lot of divergent pathways,” Tatum told us in an interview from Mumbai on the day before the Academy’s launch. “Some kids will play at DI colleges in the US. Some will play in the G League. Some in other leagues around the world. We’re hopeful that in the next five to 10 years or so that we’ll see an NBA talent coming through.”

Potential NBA talent in India has been squandered too often. Skilled players have either been scouted too late or not provided the correct infrastructure to raise their games to be more competitive at the international level. The most poignant case is of Amritpal Singh, a powerful, 6-10 center. Amritpal is the son of a farmer, born in the tiny Punjabi farming village of Fattuwal. He didn’t know what a basketball was until he was 18 years old. By 22, he was the captain of the Indian national team, leading the group to surprising victories over China. The now-26-year-old has also played professionally in Japan and India.

Amritpal’s story can be seen as encouraging. But from another perspective, Amritpal’s case is a sobering reminder that a great number of young players weren’t getting the guidance and training at an early age to make the most of their potential.

With the Academy, there is now some hope the next generation of Amritpals can be scouted and taught the game earlier. Colaco says the Academy hopes to employ a holistic, 360-degree approach to player development with focuses on education, leadership, character development and life skills. The NBA will provide education for those selected at the public school in Jaypee Greens. The Academy has already hired a technical director to customize a future woman’s program.

There are similar NBA Academies in China (in Hangzhou, Jinan and Urumqi) and in Senegal (in Thies). India is a unique culture, however, and Tatum understands both the challenges and the opportunities that this program presents for the League’s ambitions.

“I think the opportunity is that in a short amount of time, there are kids here who have been identified through a national scouting network,” Tatum says. “What’s so positive is the level of talent we’re seeing from young kids in a market where basketball infrastructure hasn’t been great. It is a huge opportunity that we’re excited about.”

For now, the millions of young players who are beginning a relationship with the sport can have a realistic goal in mind, an aim to be among the chosen few at the NBA Academy India, to find breathing space for themselves from the cacophony of the country with the calm of basketball. For recruits at the Academy, like Banerjee, the promise is now of a brighter future beyond their wildest dreams, of earning a scholarship in a college abroad, of playing in a foreign professional league, and, of course, in the holy grail of hoops.

It’s simple, really, as the young Banerjee says: “I want to play in the NBA.”

—

Karan Madhok is a SLAM contributor. Follow him on Twitter @Hoopistani.

Photos via Basketball Federation of India and NBA Academy India.

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h/t GuyRanCourt

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Silver added that if relatively small countries like Serbia, Lithuania and Latvia can produce multiple NBA players, so should the world’s most populous country. Starting at 22:35:

https://youtu.be/f7O9su6n__g?t=22m35s

“It frustrates me that there are no Chinese players in the NBA right now.

 

“There’s probably more basketball being played in China than anywhere else in the world. And more NBA basketball is being watched in China than anywhere else in the world.”

 

“One of the things that we have worked on with Yao is the creation of academies in China.

 

“So we can bring together some of the best players at a young age, they can compete against each other, they can compete internationally in the summer, because ultimately that’s what enables them to become NBA players.”

The NBA is working with Yao Ming to create basketball academies to foster more organized, high-level training for Chinese players. And slow progress is being made.

Houston’s 2016 second-round pick, 21-year-old Zhou Qi, is working out with the Rockets this summer and has a chance to make the roster next season.

Last summer, Zhou dropped 13 points on 5-9 shooting against Team USA in the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase.

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Jordan Brand Signs Chinese Basketball Association’s Guo Ailun

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Tatum was on stage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to call the 52nd pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, a little-known 7-1 giant out of Punjab. That young man, Satnam Singh, turned out to be the first Indian player ever to be drafted into the NBA. “I was so thrilled to be a part of that,” says Tatum, “to know that I’ll be part of that history.”

Tatum—and the NBA—haven’t stopped shaking hands with India since. Last summer, he visited the country with Robin Lopez and Seth Curry to attend a Jr. NBA Elite Camp in Noida, a city close to the country’s capital, New Delhi. Tatum is back in the country, helping the NBA launch its most-ambitious investment in India yet: an elite basketball academy where the League will develop top young male and female prospects from around the country. The NBA’s hope is that the results will pay off longterm to build a stronger basketball culture in the country.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the official opening of NBA Academy India at the Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Greater Noida. Twenty-one elite male prospects, who were selected following a three-month, nationwide basketball talent search, will receive scholarships and training the first-of-its-kind academy.

The NBA says that the Academy in India will employ a holistic, 360-degree approach to player development with focuses on education, leadership, character development and life skills.

The official opening of NBA Academy India follows the launch of academies in Hangzhou, Jinan and Ürümqi, China; Thies, Senegal; and the planned launch of NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. The Academies include educational development for top international male and female prospects and mark the NBA’s most significant investment in elite player development.

While the Academy will serve to the top-of-the-line prospects in the country, the NBA has taken steps to reach deep into the grassroots to make basketball more ubiquitous around India. Over the last few years, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program has trained millions of young players and instructors. The NBA also launched an ‘NBA Basketball School’ earlier this year in Mumbai, with plans to open more in the near future.

We caught up with Tatum over the phone from Mumbai earlier this week to discuss the ambitions for the Academy, the challenges and opportunities presented by India, and more.

SLAM: What has been your very first impression of India and of the basketball talent available for the NBA Academy?

Mark Tatum: My first impression was that the players had a true understanding of the game, and I was impressed by their willingness and desire to learn. I remember Seth [Curry] was teaching them how to shoot and Robin [Lopez] was taking them through drills. I remember vividly a couple of big, young gentlemen listening intently to what Robin had to say. They had knowledge and a passion to want to get better.

SLAM: Cricket is India’s most important sport and basketball is still not popular in the mainstream—no India-born player has played in the NBA. Why did the NBA show so much interest in India and choose to invest in this massive venture?

MT: India has 1.3 billion people. We think it has the potential to be the next China for the NBA. I had the opportunity to call out Satnam Singh’s name as the 52nd pick in the draft—I think it was inspiring and will inspire more Indian kids to play. The sport is really growing in popularity here. Our Jr. NBA program reached six million youth and we have taught five thousand physical education teachers since 2013. We have seven million Facebook fans from India, and that number is growing at a rapid pace.

This Academy is really the next step in helping to develop elite talent in the marketplace by providing best-in-class training and development. For us, it’s a longterm opportunity and investment.

SLAM: Many in India believe that the best-case scenario is to follow that China model. The two countries have similarly large populations and potential, and if India can get a breakthrough like Yao, it would be huge for basketball and NBA in the country. But what do you think India can offer to the basketball world that perhaps differs from any other model?

MT: India is unique in the size of its middle-class population and how young the demographic is. In terms of basketball, China is a very mature basketball market: they have been playing the sport for over a hundred years. The game was brought there in the early 1900s! For us, the opportunity in India is to get more younger kids and more instructors teaching basketball, playing in schools and having a younger demographic who likes action. These youngsters are multi-talented. They are engaged in digital and mobile activities, which the NBA is perfectly suited for.

SLAM: The Academy aims to employ a “holistic, 360-degree approach to player development with focuses on education, leadership, character development, and life skills.” Why has the NBA chosen to taken this additional responsibility for youth development outside the basketball court?

MT: We believe basketball and sport have benefits beyond the sport. Life lessons from team sports, specifically basketball, can help improve individuals and society. The lessons that I learned growing up playing basketball and baseball growing up were: how to be a good teammate, how to respect others, the values of hard work, that if you work hard at something you can get better at it. You learn how to overcome adversity and learn how to lose too.  For us it’s about more than basketball on the court – there can be really valuable life lessons that individuals learn from the game.

SLAM: There are already NBA Academies in China, Africa, and Australia. Many of them follow the NBA’s basic curriculum and philosophy in coaching and player development. Each culture is different, and India obviously has its own separate set of challenges and opportunities. What will be the approach for the Academy that will be unique to India at the grassroots level?

MT: I think the opportunity is that, in a short amount of time, there are kids here who have been identified through a national scouting network. What’s so positive is the level of talent we’re seeing from young kids in a market where basketball infrastructure hasn’t been great. It is a huge opportunity that we’re excited about.

The challenge is that there hasn’t been a strong culture of basketball for over a century. How do you quickly build that culture? How do you expose these kids to the best competition in the world? The academy concept is really going to help with that. We’re going to accelerate the development with access to best coaches and best trainers. They’ll have a chance to travel and play against other academies in China, Australia, Africa, and potentially, teams in the US. This is a tremendous opportunity and we have some of the top prospects in the country.

SLAM: You played a part of Indian basketball history two years ago when you called out Satnam Singh’s name in the draft. When you were informed of the Mavericks’ pick, did you feel that this was going to be a historic moment?

MT: Oh yes, I remember that moment so vividly! I was thrilled to be a part of history. Earlier on draft day—all the draftees were at one hotel—I spotted Satnam and went up to say hello to him. He was so nervous and excited about the prospect of hearing his name. I said, ‘Satnam, I hope I get to call your name tonight’.

How the draft works is that I wait in a room in the back. I get a card handed to me, and when I saw his name, I began to smile from ear to ear. I knew how happy he would be and what a huge moment it would be for the youth in India. So, I went out there. I knew where he was sitting, glanced at him, and called his name. it was an exciting moment for me, for him, for the country, for the history of the NBA. We’ll look 10-20 years from now and realize what a big day it was.

I know that he is working hard—he is very talented, very skilled. He had a decent season in the D-League and I think he learned a lot. I still view him as a young big man who has an opportunity to make it.

SLAM: From what you know of India’s potential, how long do you feel it would be for India to produce a decent NBA talent?

MT: There will be lot of divergent pathways. Some kids play in Division I colleges in the United States; some will play in the D-league; some will play in other leagues around the world. We’re hopeful that in the next five-to-ten years or so that we’ll see an NBA talent coming through these academies.

Related
Billion To One: Satnam Singh Q+A

—

Karan Madhok is a SLAM contributor. Follow him on Twitter @Hoopistani.

Photos via NBA

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But even the presence of The Answer and White Chocolate himself wasn’t enough to steal the spotlight from the home team. The Ducks feature a rabid base of perhaps the Chinese Basketball Association’s most passionate fans and a few months before this game, these fans were rewarded with their first CBA title.

When the starting line-ups were announced, the biggest cheers were reserved for the new messiah of Chinese basketball. In my beginner’s Chinese, only three syllables stood out from the PA announcer: “Ma Bu Li”, the man who rose to heroic heights to deliver Beijing their elusive title, whose statue now stood by the parking lot outside the famous arena.

Stephon Marbury.

A pregame incident gave the first hint of true lore of Marbury in one of the world’s most populous cities. A few young fans were called midcourt to answer questions from the hype-man at the game, and a friend translated for me. One girl, aged around 10 or so, was asked who was her favorite Chinese player on the Ducks—each CBA team is allowed only two or three foreigners and the rest of the roster is packed with China’s finest. With little hesitation, the girl screamed out, “Ma Bu Li”.

Everyone laughed, then cheered, and there was no clarification or follow-up. Her answer immediately made complete sense. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, in another time, in another life, Stephon Marbury was once the quintessential great New York City player. At the height of his NBA career, he was a scoring superstar point guard years ahead of his time, and one of the most loved and complicated players of his generation. But now, he was here. He was in China.

And he was one of them.

I spent three more years in Beijing and during the course of this time, Marbury brought two more championships to the Ducks, made memorable playoff runs every year, and became a cultural icon in China. He was featured on Chinese national stamps, acted in a musical about his own life, became the first foreign athlete to receive a Chinese permanent residency (green card), named a ‘Model Citizen’ of Beijing, and a museum was built in his honor.

But after six years with Ducks, the 40-year-old is parting ways with the organization. Unlike some of his previous basketball breakups, the goodbye to Beijing has been congenial; Marbury was grateful for what the team and the city meant to him, and hopes to continue playing basketball elsewhere.

Beijing and Marbury forged a city-to-player relationship like no other. The playoff nights at the Wukesong in particular, were epic, where fans in those ubiquitous white and light-blue Marbury Ducks jerseys (I bought one, too!) roared for him pregame, chanted his name at every heroic moment, cried in joy alongside him when he shed tears over the championships.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I think they – Beijing – are the best fans on the planet,” Marbury told me in an interview I conducted with him for SLAM at his apartment in Beijing two years ago. “The energy that they bring towards the players and the atmosphere in Wukesong is different and it’s rare. And it’s consistent throughout the whole game. They’re very knowledgeable, they understand the game, they know when someone’s shot isn’t going, and they know when someone needs to be encouraged. You can’t really put a price tag on that or compare it to anything.”

Former NBA players had taken their talents to China before, including the great lockout journey to the East that included JR Smith, Wilson Chandler, Patty Mills, and Kenyon Martin, and during my time in the country, former All Stars like Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas. But none of them embraced the ‘Middle Kingdom’ like Starbury. He embraced the culture, food, language, and the people like none other, and they embraced him back. For him, China was not just a stepping stone, it was the destination. Later this year, he will even release a film called My Other Home about his journey East, from New York to Beijing.

This comfort in what he often called his ‘new home’ was evident when I met him. “Beijing is home,” he said. “I mean, America’s gonna always be home. But this is where I live at, this is home. This is where my life is at – here in China.”

“At first, it was a trying time because it was all brand new,” he said of his early years in China, when he played two losing seasons in for Shanxi and Foshan. “I was ready to do something different and be a part of something different. I wanted to evolve to a new area in my life and in basketball. It was a trying time because of the culture barrier and not being able to speak the language and not being able to communicate.”

“I understand the culture now. I love the food. I now know why people do what they do when they do it. Even though I can’t speak the language as well as I would like, I know a little bit more than when I first came here.

“It’s just growth.”

—

Karan Madhok is a SLAM contributor. Follow him on Twitter @Hoopistani.

Images via SLAM China

The post My Other Home appeared first on SLAM.

The Ducks had the right to choose whether Marbury, 40, would serve as a player or assistant coach next season. But the club had concerns over his age and health, which ultimately led to the two sides amicably parting ways.

Marbury wrote a letter to fans on Weibo, indicating that he still has plans to play in the CBA next season.

“First, the team did not decide who would be the head coach, apparently the team is in a rebuilding progress. Coach Min who led this team to [three championships] might not be the head coach anymore which makes it hard for me to accept the offer of becoming an assistant coach.”

 

“I appreciate them allowing me to keep competing and winning in this great league the CBA. I have not decided which team yet…but there is one thing I’m 100% sure of no matter the team I play for the love between me and the club is always there, we will keep working with each other in the future.”

 

“Though I am 40 years already, I can still play at a very high level. I was still able to lead the team to compete, even with an injured leg. I still have a lot in the tank that makes me really want to play for another year.”

After joining the Ducks in 2011, Marbury brought the team three championships and has a statue in his honor outside the team’s arena.

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Come Home With Me: Stephon Marbury SLAM 190 feature story

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BWB Europe will bring together the top male and female players born in 2000 from across Europe to learn directly from NBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and to compete against the best young players from the continent.  BWB Europe will also include a variety of NBA Cares and Jr. NBA community outreach efforts with youth in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in partnership with local community organizations.  These programs will highlight the power of sport to promote cultural understanding while teaching the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle and the values of the game, including teamwork, integrity and respect.  Nike, a BWB global partner since 2002, will outfit the campers and coaches with Nike apparel and footwear.
 
BWB has reached more than 2,720 participants from 134 countries and territories since 2001, with 43 campers drafted into the NBA.  Twenty-three former BWB campers, including 13 former BWB Europe campers, were on opening-night rosters for the 2016-17 season including Omri Casspi (Minnesota Timberwolves; Israel; BWB Europe 2005), Danilo Gallinari (Denver Nuggets; Italy; BWB Europe 2003) and Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies; Spain; BWB Europe 2003).
 
The first-ever Basketball without Borders camp took place in Europe in July 2001.  Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslav national team, reunited to work with 50 children from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia and Montenegro at La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy.  The NBA and FIBA have staged 49 BWB camps in 30 cities across 25 countries on six continents.  More than 230 current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players have joined more than 185 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to support BWB across the world.

(Photo credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

The post NBA & FIBA Will Host 1st Ever Basketball Without Borders Camp In Israel appeared first on SLAM.

Still, Brody, who’s talking on the phone from his Tel Aviv home, is in good spirits. He usually is, but that’s especially the case whenever he’s given a chance to talk hoops. Conversations with Brody frequently derail; almost all make their way back to basketball. A question about Israel’s political standing in the early 1980s could end with him talking about a chat he once had with “Billy” Walton or the time Bill Russell announced at an annual NBA All-Star Weekend legends banquet—an event Brody never misses—that his salary was greater than Wilt Chamberlain’s.

But we’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s back up and answer the question you—Young Basketball Fan Unaware of 1970s Geopolitics—are no doubt pondering: Who the hell is Tal Brody?

“He’s the Forrest Gump of Israeli basketball,” says Dani Menkin, an Israeli filmmaker whose new movie, On The Map, documents the ’76-77 Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team and with it, much of Brody’s life. Few know as much about Brody as Menkin, but even that comparison—describing Brody as a Forrest Gump-like character—doesn’t do the man’s life justice.

Forrest Gump witnessed important events. The difference between Forrest and Brody (aside, of course, from one being fictional) is that Brody didn’t just observe history. He altered it.

* * *

Israel in the 1970s wasn’t exactly a hot tourist spot. Emerging out of the shadows of the Holocaust and WWII, it was officially formed as a Jewish state in 1948, only to immediately find itself engaged in a virtually neverending war with its Arab neighbors. There was the war after Israel declared independence in 1948; the Suez Crisis (where Israel, France and Britain attacked Egypt) in 1956; the Six Day War in 1967 (Israel, again, against Egypt, Jordan and Syria); and then the Yom Kippur War six years later.

The latter battle drained the soul of the country. On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria, with help from Arab allies, launched surprise aerial attacks on territories captured by Israel during the Six Day War. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Sirens rang through the country a bit after 2 p.m., halting the calls of repentance ringing out of the synagogues, where many of Israel’s reserve soldiers were spending the day.

The fighting raged on for 19 days, with heavy casualties on all sides and Israel, despite its miniscule size (it’s roughly as big as New Jersey), losing just under 3,000 men and women over that three-week span. Every Israeli knew someone in the army, and so everyone knew someone who had been lost in the battle, and just 13 months had passed since 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics had been captured and later murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group.

Israel was in a state of mourning.

Brody first traveled to Israel about eight years prior, to compete in an international Jewish Olympics, the Maccabiah Games. A native of Trenton, NJ, he was an All-American point guard at the University of Illinois before he was drafted No. 12 overall by the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets in 1965.

“Tal had a lot of talent,” says HOFer Rick Barry, who was drafted the same year as Brody and later traveled to Israel as his guest. “He was a damn good basketball player. I think he would have had a good NBA career.”

Brody was Jewish and attended Hebrew school as a kid, but his connection to Israel—despite both his father and grandfather having emigrated to Israel from Europe before arriving in the US—was loose, at best. Still, that summer he leapt at the opportunity to play in the Maccabiah Games and represent Team USA. He led the Americans to a gold medal and afterward was approached by some of Israel’s top basketball decision makers as well as Parliament members about remaining in the country and helping it build a strong basketball program.

The sport was new to Israel, where soccer was still No. 1. Professional hoops games were often held outside, sometimes in sandstorms. Israel was also struggling economically (due to boycotts from its neighboring Arab countries and the Soviet Union) and its underdeveloped culture was vastly different than America’s, too.

“There was chicken every day for lunch and dinner,” Brody says. “The refrigeration wasn’t very good either.”

And yet something about the experience, about living in a Jewish state surrounded by Jewish people, ignited a flame inside of him. Brody remained in Israel for the ’66-67 season, only returning to the US in 1968 so he could fulfill his mandatory military service for the Vietnam War. During the Passover holiday two years later, while at Fort Pope in North Carolina, he received a postcard from Moshe Dayan, Israel’s then-defense minister, asking him to return and “continue his work.” After completing his military service Brody made Aliyah—Hebrew for “going up,” and the word used in Israel to describe immigrating to the country.

“My dream was always to play in the NBA—I was only supposed to be in Israel for that one year,” Brody says. “But I replaced that dream with a challenge. I saw what basketball was doing for the country and that I could help bring pride to Israel.”

Leon Wandel remembers hearing the sirens on Yom Kippur in 1973. Born nearly 40 years earlier in Belgium, he and his parents survived the Holocaust by hiding in a neighbor’s home. Later in life, he became a FIBA official. But he had friends in Israel and that year decided to spend Judaism’s holiest day with them. Then war broke out. Wandel asked how he could help.

“They said, ‘Make sure we can play this basketball season,’” Wandel recalls. “That’s all they wanted.”

By then Brody emerged as the best player to step foot on Israeli soil, earning the nickname “Mr. Basketball” and transforming Maccabi. But it took years for the club to rise to the level of its European counterparts.

Then the 1977 FIBA European Championship Cup [known today as EuroLeague] arrived, and Maccabi Tel Aviv won its first two games to advance to the semifinals. No Israeli team had ever made it that far. There, Israel was slated to face CSKA Moscow, one of the league’s top franchises, boasting some of the world’s best players.

“The odds of Maccabi winning that game were maybe 10 percent,” Wandel says.

There was just one problem: the Soviet Union had broken off diplomatic ties with Israel about a decade earlier, and politically supported Israel’s Arab enemies, too. CSKA Moscow refused to travel to Israel for the game, and the Soviet Union refused to grant visas to the Israelis and host the game itself. It was up to Wandel to find an alternate location. The game wound up being played in the tiny Belgium town of Virton.

With hundreds of Israelis in attendance and millions more tuning in on TVs back home, Brody and Co. stunned the world with a 91-79 win. After, a euphoric Brody had a message for Israelis and also the world.

“We are on the map!” he proclaimed in Hebrew to an Israeli TV camera as thousands of Israelis flooded the streets. Brody forcibly waved his right arm while yelling, as if wanting to further drive the point. “And we are staying on the map–not only in sports, but in everything.”

Three weeks later, they knocked off Mobilgirgi Varèse to capture Israel’s first EuroLeague title. Israelis, and Jews, knew whom to thank.

“Tal was the symbol of somebody who made Aliyah, who became Israeli, and who has been vocal about his pride for his home country,” says former NBA commissioner David Stern. “This was an event that transcended basketball. That’s the magic of the sport, and few people illustrate that more perfectly than Tal.”

* * *

Brody retired soon after but has remained a strong presence in Israel. He served as an assistant coach and front office member for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He’s worked as a broadcaster and helped cultivate the relationship between Israel and the NBA. He ran for office and in 2010 was named the country’s first Goodwill Ambassador by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s a position and title he’s embraced.

“He set an example for so many. He was a trailblazer,” says former Cleveland Cavaliers and Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt, who made Aliyah himself in 1981. “He showed how an immigrant could come to Israel, become a citizen, be embraced by society and mold Zionistic and sports dreams together.”

“He’s dedicated his life to being a real advocate for Israel,” says Sacramento Kings forward and Israeli native Omri Casspi. “That’s something I’ve looked to emulate.”

Sometimes Brody wonders what his life would have looked like had he remained in the NBA. Then he sees people like Blatt and Casspi, and Maccabi Tel Aviv becoming a premier EuroLeague franchise, and stories from Stern about all the NBA-crazy Israeli fans who stay up until 3 a.m. watching games, and he thinks about all the endangered Jewish people Israel has saved over the past 40 years and any regret he might have momentarily felt suddenly washes away.

“I see how basketball influenced my country,” he says, “what winning gracefully and beating teams like Moscow meant to Israelis. The journey has been a beautiful one.”

—

Yaron Weitzman is a Senior Writer for SLAM. Follow him @YaronWeitzman.

Photos: Shmuel Rahmani, Tal Manor

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