Brickley initially named the runs “BlackOps” because he wanted the workouts and open runs to be discreet. Here, he gives us his breakdown of another year of BlackOps Basketball and his award picks.

The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards

Breakout Season: Paolo Banchero

Photo by @kees2life

This was the fourth summer I worked with Paolo. His energy was laser-focused! We would go 60-75 minutes, and he did every drill at game speed. Coming off his first All-Star season and playoff run, he wanted more. I believe we will see Paolo in many more All-Star Games and many more playoff runs. The Magic will be very good this year.

Best Summer Shooter Award: Klay Thompson

Klay came in this offseason looking like a completely different player. He seemed a step quicker, and he shot incredibly well all summer. He literally broke every shooting record this summer. But, in CJ McCollum’s defense, Klay locked in with me in August/September, while CJ held many records and worked with me in May/June.

Best Middle Schooler I Have Ever Worked With: JJ Crawford

During the workout, JJ’s father (Jamal Crawford), Jordan Clarkson and Boardroom’s Nick DePaula were watching. Ju was hitting NBA three-pointers at a high percentage, picking up the ballhandling drills I was giving him and getting buckets on my interns! The internet always gives the interns a hard time, but they can really defend. After the workout, Jamal and I talked hoops for about an hour, and it was one of my favorite conversations of the summer. Jamal is a true student of the game. I’m calling it now: JJ Crawford will be a top-five pick one day!

Draft Day Award: Matas Buzelis and Tyler Kolek

I believe both of these guys will have long NBA careers. Matas will be a name we see on ESPN’s Top 10 plays many times this season. Tyler Kolek is my sleeper from this past draft. The Knicks got a great playmaker and scorer at No. 34. I think he’ll bring great energy with the second unit.

NCAA Award: lan Jackson

The best thing that happened to Ian Jackson was that to start his senior season, he dropped in the rankings. His entire workout approach changed at that moment, and Ian became a man on the basketball court. He worked out with me five days a week—sometimes twice a day—and went hard! I put him in situations where he played 1-on-1 with NBA players, and he more than held his own—he was wowing everyone in the gym. I can’t wait to see what he does at UNC this season.

High School Award: Kiyan Anthony & Chris Cenac Jr.

I’ve seen Kiyan Anthony develop from a little kid running around MSG to getting buckets in the NBA BlackOps runs. He is constantly texting me, showing his urgency to get in more workouts and keep improving. Chris Cenac played in the Brickley Invitational and shocked me during the workout portion. At 6-10, he can shoot the three, finish around the rim, play in the mid-post and try to dunk on you by the rim. It’s no surprise he’s skyrocketing up the rankings!

Chris Brickley Invitational Award: Tyran Stokes and Jasper Johnson

Tyran Stokes is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2026 for a reason—he’s a matchup nightmare. He can shoot and find his teammates, and his motor is always on 100. Jasper Johnson went crazy in the game, hitting tough shot after tough shot. He really reminds me of D’Angelo Russell. Kentucky is producing high-level prospects right now.

Mentor Award: Russell Westbrook

People can say what they want about Russ, but the reality is he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the Top 75 NBA players of all time. This was the second offseason in a row where he took the time to mentor a younger player. Last summer, it was Azzi Fudd from UConn, and this summer it was New Jersey legend Isaiah Briscoe. Russ invited Briscoe to a few of his 6 a.m. workouts and shared some gems. Russ and I have developed a genuine relationship over the years, and I’m thankful to have him as a friend.

GOAT Award: LeBron James

I was blessed to help prepare LeBron for his Gold medal run. His work definitely paid off, as he ended up getting MVP of the Olympics at 39 years old! Aside from his great workouts, toward the end of the summer, I was offered a lot of NBA coaching positions, and I needed someone to talk to who knows the game and the business. I reached out to LeBron with no expectations—if he didn’t respond, I wouldn’t have been upset at all, knowing he has a million things going on. But he sent me some great advice, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. So, thanks to the GOAT for taking the time to do that.

Best Group Workout of the Summer: Kevin Durant and CJ McCollum

There was something special about the energy at The Summit, with music blaring through the Bose speakers. Normally, players gradually work up to game-speed actions, but this workout was different. KD caught the ball in the corner, ripped through hard with two dribbles and hit a beautiful pull-up–just like he was in a playoff game. Then I passed the ball to CJ, and he did the same thing. For the next 65 minutes, both players gave it their all. That was awesome.

Best Rapper Basketball Player: Russ

Russ decided to take basketball seriously and came to me after training with his Atlanta trainer. He became a knockdown shooter. The transformation in his game was insane. He had dribble moves, was hitting NBA threes with consistency and just played with confidence. I think Russ became the best rapper-shooter l’ve ever worked with.

Best BlackOps Matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley, fresh off signing his $175 million deal with the Raptors, was playing with supreme confidence against All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson. There was definitely a sense of major competition. Quickley backed up Brunson for the Knicks before being traded to the Raptors, so it felt like Quick was playing with a chip on his shoulder. Watching these two go at it for almost two hours was super entertaining. It was like watching a great boxing match. They were giving it their all and not letting up. Man, that was a great run!

Photos by @nextsubject.

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By the time the already-dubbed “King James” appeared on the cover of SLAM #78 at the midway point of his rookie season, the most hyped prospect in league history was already meeting, and even exceeding the hype.

“It’s only the beginning,” read the cover text. 

He was lacing up his first signature shoe, the Nike Air Zoom Generation, throughout his historic 20.5.5 rookie year. Only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan had tallied up those kind of points, rebounds and assists totals during their debut seasons by that point. 

It wasn’t just the League that had stamped him as the future — Nike coined him “generational” off top, with a record-setting $90-million rookie shoe deal and a signature series.

To celebrate SLAM’s 30th Anniversary year in 2024, we teamed up with brands around the industry to highlight the players, the covers and the sneakers that have made their mark on hoops culture during that time. We created some fire collabs as a result, layering in the details and memories that have led to SLAM making its mark as a Hall of Fame inductee all these years later for the Class of 2024.

One of the most frequent cover athletes in SLAM history, LeBron James has undoubtedly made a generational impact on the magazine.

The history between SLAM and Bron is also long stamped. SLAM was there early, shooting a young James in Akron during his SVSM High School days and throughout his time as a perennial “Mr. Ohio” player of the year, where he led the Irish to three state championships.

The text behind the tongue of the new SLAM x Nike Air Zoom Generation is updated from the cover and says as much: 

“Since The Beginning…” 

Flipping the hues of his first shoes, a rich red takes on the base color, while a series of design details celebrating his debut signature silhouette all come to life.

The red and black colorway ties back to the original cover shot and the shoe’s iconic first print magazine ad imagery, where James is wearing an era-specific pair of red velour pants.

There’s also a nod to his very first PE, the “Laser” Generations worn on Christmas Day, which was also the first lasered hoop shoe to hit the NBA hardwood.

We created a detailed lasered graphic highlighting the SLAM logo, James’ upbringing in Akron and his first year with Nike that tells the story further.

“I created the hype myself, by playing the way that I play,” reads the inner laser print.

It’s a reference to a standout James quote within the cover feature, when he was asked about what caused the circus and expectations that surrounded him at the time.

In January of 2003, when Nike first wanted to fast-track the design process of creating a signature shoe for LeBron — who was in the middle of his senior season at SVSM — a few potential shoe names were floated. 

“Air King James” was an option on the very first email that proposed the rushed timeline to design and develop the shoes in order to make a December launch.

When the original developer Jeff Johnson entered the shoe into Nike’s internal factory development system, he came up with an (admittedly easy to crack) code name instead, since LeBron hadn’t yet officially even signed with Nike:

“Air Zoom Norbel.” 

There’s a variety of easter eggs and details from the early days of LeBron’s generational starting point with Nike layered into the lasered side panel graphic, box sleeve design and insole throughout. 

While the full Nike track suit and Nike headband may have given it away, when he showed up to a news conference on May 22nd in 2003 to announce which brand he’d be signing with, a simple declaration was all that was needed:

“I’m a Nike guy,” said James.

That statement, his original ‘LJ23’ logo, the ‘KING23’ graphic from his first apparel collection and his then-viral ‘CHOSEN1’ back tattoo are all incorporated into the lasered graphics along the sneaker.

The molded parts on this SLAM Zoom Generation that draft off of his much-discussed silver Hummer H2 are all in chrome, to honor his 18th birthday gift. Along the heel, “SLAM” is also embroidered in the Hummer font. Both the original ‘LJ23’ logo and SLAM ‘S’ can be found stitched along the tongue tabs.

For the very first time, there’s a collar Swoosh placement, just as designer Aaron Cooper originally sketched them up. The logo location was a big debate throughout the year leading into that late 2003 launch, with the Swoosh “bouncing back and forth” on a variety of samples, according to “Coop,” up until the very end.  

“That was constantly the question, ‘Is it a Nike shoe, or LeBron’s signature shoe?’” Cooper told me last year.

“If he was already established in the NBA and it was a more bold signature shoe, it would’ve been directly called ‘The Air LeBron,’ had the Swoosh up on the collar and said ‘KING’ on the side instead of ‘NIKE.’”

With Nike plunking down the aforementioned $90 Mil, and pressure mounting on the shoe all along, a larger logo would only help to better establish the brand and the player together from the start, so the thinking went.

Before even getting to a Phil Knight or Mark Parker call from up top, the logo dilemma simply came down to a vote from LeBron.

“In our conversations, LeBron felt like he hadn’t proven himself,” continued Cooper. “He said, ‘Because I haven’t played yet, it needs to be a Nike shoe first.’”

Towards the very end of the sample process, Cooper grabbed Whiteout to cover up the collar Swoosh, and drew a new logo placement along the middle of the shoe. 

As we all know, LeBron more than proved himself, with this updated logo placement edition of the Air Zoom Generation speaking to the truly generational impact he has left on the game, and standing as a “more bold signature shoe” with his legacy long cemented. 

As SLAM turns 30, LeBron has also left an impact on the magazine, the readers, and the sneaker game all these years later. 

This special edition Air Zoom Generation made for friends & family links SLAM back up yet again with Bron, for one of the most detailed editions of his first signature sneaker to date. 

BUY YOUR COPY OF 30 YEARS OF SLAM

The post SINCE THE BEGINNING // This Nike Air Zoom Generation Collab Celebrates SLAM’s 30th Anniversary  appeared first on SLAM.

After last year’s buzzer-beating thriller courtesy of Cooper Flagg, Vol. 6 is slated to match the energy as 28 of the top ranked hoopers from across the nation descend on the Mecca of Basketball.

If you can’t make it out to catch the action, don’t worry. Just like last year, the SLAM Summer Classic will be live streamed via the NBA App. For those in the city, doors open at 4 p.m. EST at Rucker Park. The Girls game starts at 5 p.m. EST, headlined by Aaliyah Chavez, Sienna Betts and Jerzy Robinson while the Boys game–featuring Kiyan Anthony, AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson–kicks off at 7 p.m. EST.

For more information about the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 6 Presented by NBA2K25 and real-time coverage of the event later this weekend, follow @SLAM, @SLAMHS and @WSLAM on all social media platforms.

Photo via SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5.

The post The SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 6 Presented by NBA 2K25 Returns on August 21 at Rucker Park appeared first on SLAM.

Ever since I can remember playing the game, watching the game, loving the game — SLAM Magazine has been right there. I’ve been wearing a rubber band ever since that first KICKS issue.

It was the foundation. The blueprint. The culture. All along. For both basketball and sneakers. For the last thirty years, and however many years it runs from here…

I knew I could also contribute to the anniversary in a unique way. 

To celebrate the impact of SLAM and its 30th anniversary, we’ve partnered with footwear brands across the industry. We’re looking back at some of the most iconic covers and players over the last 30 years, to tell the story of SLAM’s impact on the basketball world, all through some fire collaborative sneakers. 

My favorite part about SLAM is the chapters. The eras. The way that the magazine and the platform meant different things to different people along the way — each decade — but always made an impact and left its mark.

Tonight in New York, we’ll be previewing some of our upcoming SLAM 30th Anniversary footwear to come at the magazine’s 30 YEARS OF SLAM party, with a runway spanning throughout the entire rest of 2024 of more heat on the way. Here’s an early look at what to expect all year long. 

SLAM x LEBRON x NIKE

By the time the already-dubbed “King James” appeared on the cover of SLAM #78 at the midway point of his rookie season, the most hyped prospect in league history was already meeting, and even exceeding the hype.

“It’s only the beginning,” read the cover text. 

He was lacing up his first signature shoe, the Air Zoom Generation, throughout his historic 20.5.5 rookie year. It wasn’t just the league that had stamped him as the future, but Nike coined him “generational” off top with a record-setting $90 Million rookie shoe deal. 

The history between SLAM and Bron is also long stamped. The text behind the tongue of the SLAM x Air Zoom Generation is updated from the cover and says as much: “Since The Beginning…” 

Flipping the hues of his first shoes, a rich red suede takes on the base color, while a series of design details celebrating his debut signature all come to life. There’s a nod to his first PE, the “Laser” Generations worn on Christmas Day, which was also the first lasered hoop shoe to hit the NBA hardwood. A detailed lasered graphic highlighting the SLAM logo and James’ upbringing tells the story further.

For the first time, there’s a collar Swoosh placement, just as Aaron Cooper originally designed them. The molded parts on the shoe that drafted off of his much-discussed Hummer H2 are all chrome to honor his 18th birthday gift. We’re only just getting started with this one.

***

SLAM x AND1

When SLAM #41 dropped in April of 2000, we had just witnessed perhaps the greatest Dunk Contest performance of all time. Vince Carter was famously a sneaker free agent in just his second season, and he laced up the white and red AND1 Tai Chi for that instant classic array of dunks. 

AND1 had been around for a few years as a rising apparel company by that point and their transcendent streetball Mixtapes were moving major, but now, their footwear was taking off too. VC laced up a simple black and white pair of the Tai Chi on the very next cover slot that was available. The header was straightforward:

“The Greatest Show On Earth” 

To celebrate the 2000s era of AND1 and the impact of the Tai Chi on sneaker culture, we’re creating a new version that brings to life SLAM’s heritage colors of white, grey, black and orange, fittingly the exact shades from that cover shot of Issue 41. 

The mesh fade is a nod to another model from the era that I always loved, the Finger Roll, and a way to bring the Tai Chi’s original yin and yang inspired split read to the side of the shoe. As always, the shoe looks best with a suede color along the inside panel — a bright orange suede is seen on the SLAM edition. 

Our 30th anniversary crest can be seen along the inner collar, along with the three vertical stars found on the cover text. The 3M hits throughout tie back to the bright lights of All-Star Weekend, and the impact of The Greatest Show On Earth all these years later. 

***

SLAM x CURRY BRAND

Stephen Curry had just signed with Under Armour a few months before he was on his first cover of SLAM in December of 2013. And man, what a run he’s had in the decade since. He’s now the President of Curry Brand, his own damn brand within the Under Armour umbrella.

On the original cover, he’s wearing the Anatomix Spawn, a sneaker that marked a new era of design for UA, and the first model he wore with the brand to start the 2013-2014 season. 

The real story is the shoe that Stephen wore for the cover shoot was a mix of blue, purple and teal. In a full circle moment I couldn’t have imagined, I actually photoshopped the original picture, shifting the purple midsole to royal blue, and the teal collar to a Warriors-matching yellow. This was long before the league let go of their color rules, of course. 

A decade later, and Curry Brand has recently launched the Anatomix Spawn through its Flotro filter, remixing the company’s innovative Flow midsole with a modernized version of the original upper. 

While SLAM #173 was just the starting point of Curry as cover man, the SLAM x Spawn Flotro celebrates all of the covers that the 4-time champ has appeared on in the years since. 

The design incorporates a collage of his covers across the entire upper, with torn edges inspired by everyone’s childhood ritual of tearing out the pages of SLAM to tack up on their bedroom walls. 

The concept is also a nod to the generational impact that Curry has had on the game, inspiring young readers and players around the world to reimagine how they approach the game, extend their shooting range, and experience the joy of hoops.

The heel hang tag features the SLAM logo, while a pearlized midsole references the common 30th anniversary stone. The lace tips are a nod to both the milestone and Curry’s iconic jersey number, simply reading “THIRTY.” 

Stay tuned for more on the full SLAM x Curry Brand pack to come. We’ve got another model on the way, too…

***

SLAM x SABRINA x NIKE 

A year after being selected #1 overall in the WNBA draft, SLAM stamped Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu as “The Next Queen of NY” for the mag’s Future Issue. 

The following year, Sabrina was launching her very own signature shoe with Nike, taking her starpower and impact on the game to yet another level. An All-Star and All-WNBA PG in each of the last two seasons, the 3-Point Contest record setter will once again be running point this season for a loaded Liberty squad that reached the WNBA Finals last year.

The expectations are rightfully high yet again as Sabrina enters her fifth season. There’s also equally high expectations for her follow-up signature shoe, the Nike Sabrina 2.

After her debut signature model broke barriers and saw adoption at all levels of the game, inspiring “anyone, anywhere,” the momentum around her second sneaker makes it one of the anticipated models of the entire year.

We can’t wait to share how SLAM x Sabrina comes to life in New York later this year.

***

SLAM x LAMELO x PUMA

Since he was a teenager, LaMelo Ball has been SLAM Fam. He was doing full-scale photoshoots throughout his high school run at Chino Hills, with his starpower and basketball journey taking him around the globe ever since. 

After his Rookie of the Year start in the league, the face of Puma Hoops saw the launch of his first signature shoe coincide with his first All-Star Game appearance during his sophomore season. It was on Issue #237 that he pulled up for the cover of SLAM in his unlaced MB.01s, hitting the league’s longtime logo pose in a custom LaFrancé jersey from his own clothing line. 

With an iced out, 3D UFO pendant on his neck, the cover declared him “Out Of This World.”

With more to come later this year, look for SLAM and LaMelo to bring to life his “rare” and “1 of 1” personality in the loudest way possible, as we team up with Puma to celebrate Ball’s impact on the sneaker industry and his place in the future of both the game and SLAM’s next chapter ahead. 

***

SLAM x PENNY x NIKE 

As we looked back through the decades of SLAM covers over the years, we also looked at the various milestone issues since the very first cover went to print in ’94.

The 30th issue of SLAM featured none other than Penny Hardaway, with a Scoop Jackson-penned cover story that perfectly captured his immediate rise with the Orlando Magic and his mission to stay on top of the game that he poured everything into. 

Around that same time in the late ’90s, Nike had just unveiled one of their most innovative sneakers ever with Penny as the headliner. The Foamposite One has been one of the most unique and iconic sneakers across the industry ever since, with its molded upper and clear bottom making for an unmistakable look and a global following. 

The SLAM x Penny Foamposite takes it back to one of the earliest sketches from designer Eric Avar, who somehow saw the future when first crafting the shoe in the mid-90s. The molded Foamposite upper found here features a printed graphic inspired by Avar’s concept sketch, with the details dialed in from there. 

For the first time, there’s a Swoosh along the shank, just as Avar had sketched it. The tongue logos alternate between Hardaway’s sleek 1 Cent logo and the SLAM logo. The heel tabs feature the three vertical stars found on every cover throughout the magazine’s 30 years, and a number 30 that also honors SLAM’s 30th Issue. 

***

SLAM x ADIDAS 

When you ask anyone to pick their favorite cover of SLAM, it’s the 15th issue featuring a fold-out cover of rising rookies “set to blow up” that quickly comes to mind for many. One of the deepest Draft classes ever posed in front of a brick wall, and SLAM was right there in 1996 to stamp the collection of future Hall of Famers as next up. 

In partnering with Adidas, we’ll be bringing to life one of the brand’s most forward-thinking designs in company history. Yes, that means the Crazy Two is retroing in the future, for the first time. 

With a molded silhouette drafting from the automotive industry, the sneaker was every bit as boundary pushing as it was polarizing when it originally launched.

You’ll be seeing the outsized proportions of the sneaker come to life in an entirely new way later this year, as SLAM looks back to the shades found along the classic “Ready Or Not…” cover from the earliest days of the magazine.

***

SLAM x BUBBA CHUCK x REEBOK 

You already know this was a must. 

As Allen Iverson writes in the foreword of the “30 YEARS OF SLAM” book:

“I am SLAM.” 

The bond and timeline of the two have been linked ever since Iverson was first featured on the cover, while still in college. When Issue #32 dropped though, the impact reached beyond basketball. 

It’s not just an iconic SLAM cover. It’s an image that kickstarted an entire throwback jersey era for the 2000s, and cemented AI as the most culturally impactful icon that the league has ever seen. 

Throughout the detailed Russ Bengtson feature interview with The Answer, there’s a layout graphic featuring Iverson that’s centered around “The 3 of Diamonds.” 

As we all know, there isn’t much explanation needed to explain Allen’s affinity for ice.

The throwback “PHILA” jersey he’s wearing was custom made by a local nearby manufacturer named Mitchell & Ness, to highlight the history of the league in an “Old School Issue” as the NBA was dealing with a lockout that year. It was the chains, the tats, the watch and the earrings that let you know this was still a modern icon of the next millennium. 

Inspired by “frosted” diamond watches, the midsole of the SLAM x Reebok Question Low features a metallic frosted texture that extends up into the shoe’s iconic toe cap. The SLAM logo appears on the heel, while the lettering up the eyelets have been switched out to read Allen’s longtime nickname among his closest friends, “Bubba Chuck.” 

The “3 of Diamonds” logo from the original cover story layout can be found on both the heel of the shoe and through the clear outsole, bringing one of the most impactful covers in SLAM’s 30-year history full circle, celebrating once again that “Allen Iverson is Soul On Ice.” 

***

The post SLAM Celebrates 30 Years With Upcoming Sneaker Collabs  appeared first on SLAM.

“We love you Jujuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!” 

Now all eyes really are on Watkins. She smiles and humbly laughs it off—later she admits that it could’ve been a teammate or something. “I don’t know what that was,” Watkins says, while sitting on the team’s practice court. “That might have been my teammate honestly just trolling me. Sometimes I get recognized, but not too often.”

Juju Watkins covers SLAM 248. Shop now.

Yeah, OK. While she might be humble about all the attention, there’s a reason everyone calls her “The Juju Show.” Watkins was so big time in high school, Chris Brown and 2 Chainz would pull up to her games at Sierra Canyon to watch her play. The No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023 has had legends like LeBron James, whose son Bronny is currently a freshman on the USC men’s team, and USC all-time great Cheryl Miller, as well as fellow California natives James Harden and Paul George, give her nothing but high praise. Step onto the USC campus, and you’ll see her No. 12 jersey in the school bookstore.

“I’ve always dreamt of playing for a college that I love and being able to have so much pride in where I go to college,” she tells us. “To finally be here and have made that decision and be confident [in it] is a dream come true.”

Right outside, there’s a newsstand with copies of the Daily Trojan, and the very first thing we notice is that the main photo in the sports section is Watkins dribbling down the court with the caption, “USC will need a big game from her to pull off the upset against the Bruins.”

She did that and more. A few days after her SLAM cover shoot, Juju dropped a double-double in a win against UCLA in front of a record-breaking 10,657 fans. Her 32 points and 10 boards earned her Associated Press National Player of the Week and the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week. May we remind you: she’s only 18 years old, and yes, she’s already a bucket-getting-dime-dropping-silky-smooth guard with a game so fluid and pro-ready, it’s mesmerizing to watch.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves quite yet. Actually, nah, let’s. That’s what the sports world does with every promising young player, and to keep it real, no one ever hesitates to declare the dudes the next big things. After all, didn’t the world start calling LeBron “The Chosen One” back when he was in high school? Speaking of which, even he’s declared Juju is the future: “She’s the next greatest thing in women’s basketball,” he said in the Los Angeles Times.

As she leads a renaissance of L.A. hoops and a new era of freshman stars, Watkins also represents why women’s sports is not just important to support and invest in, but exciting and special. 

“I think women’s basketball is constantly evolving, so just to be a part of that and be in that mix is an honor.”

It was just three years ago when we were in the gym with a 15-year-old Juju and her pops, Robert, to film her “Day in the Life.” Growing up in the neighborhood of Watts, Watkins was dropping 30 pieces at just 6 years old and was already so dominant that in the middle of a game, a younger boy literally picked her up and tried to take her off the court because he couldn’t guard her. She’d play in the Westchester Park rec league, and according to Robert, would even get “upset” whenever they’d play one-on-one. 

“That’s when I knew she had it,” he told us. “When she started getting mad.” 

Today, Watkins plays with that same fire, but she’s learned to channel it into a competitiveness that’s lethal every time she steps on the floor. She transforms into a different person, she admits, who is drastically different from the laid-back, chill one she is off the court. “Honestly, I just think basketball brings out another side to me. [I’m] very mellow off the court,” she says. “Sometimes it’s too much. Screaming, all that, that’s not really me.” 

The world saw that side of her right from the jump in her college debut against Ohio State. Amid a 32-point performance, Watkins was clapping and screaming in excitement after finishing tough layups at the rim. When the win was secured, there she was again, chest-bumping her teammates. Her performance broke Lisa Leslie’s freshman debut scoring record (30). “I think coming into [my] freshman season, I didn’t really have too many expectations for myself,” Watkins says. “I think just getting my feet wet, I guess as people would say. But now that I’m finally in it, I’m setting more goals for myself and expect more for myself. But honestly, at the end of the day, [it’s] just having fun.”

She’d break another record held by Leslie just six games in, this time for most 30-point games by a USC freshman in program history. She also led the Trojans to a record of 6-0 and their highest AP Top 25 ranking (No. 6) in 29 years. Here’s another crazy stat for you: after a win against Cal Poly, Juju had posted 161 points, 45 rebounds, 19 assists, 14 steals and 8 blocks for the season. According to OptaSTATS, in the last 20 years, only one other NBA, WNBA or Division I men’s or women’s player has put up numbers like that over a six-game span. Guess who it was? LeBron Raymone James.

As of press time, Watkins is posting 26.1 ppg, ranked just below Caitlin Clark for highest average in the nation. For Juju, bringing a winning culture to USC has always been the goal.

“I think I just want to really instill a winning culture here at SC, I think that’s what’s most important—that when my teammates and I leave, SC is still thriving and doing really well,” she says. “[I want to] just make sure that L.A. women’s basketball is always on top and really represent the West Coast and where I’m from [in] Watts.”

Legacy is synonymous with the Watkins family: Watkins Memorial Park is named after her great-grandfather, a local civil rights leader who founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. Juju grew up playing either in her family’s backyard or at the Watts gym, which is also named after him. Both her father and mother, Sari, were athletes in high school and raised Juju to be the best at whatever she did. They also gave her the middle name Skies, fitting given that their daughter would one day play at the same institution as the Hall of Famer Miller, who once said that for Juju, “The sky’s the limit,” per the Associated Press.

“[My mom] loved Lisa and Cheryl, she grew up in that era,” says Watkins. Upon watching the Women of Troy documentary with her mom, she got to see just how “inspiring” players like Miller, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and fellow L.A.-native Tina Thompson truly were, and still are. “It’s really a sisterhood here,” she says. “I love that I can call on them whenever and they’re there for me. I appreciate that.”

Miller and Cooper-Dyke both helped bring the two—and only—basketball championships the Trojans program has ever won (1983, 1984). Those banners are hanging just above the practice court, in clear view from where Watkins is sitting right now. When we ask her about what kind of legacy she wants to leave at USC, Watkins emphasizes bringing USC women’s basketball back to the top. But she’s also thinking bigger. Dreaming bigger. It’s not just about her, but about the next generation.

“I owe a lot of my success to my family and my city, and I’m just planning on doing as much as I can for kids growing up in the same city as me and all around L.A.,” she says, “showing [them] that or being a testament to what can happen when you just work hard and follow your dreams.” 

JUJU WATKINS SLAM 248 COVER TEES AVAILABLE NOW!

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson. Action photo via Getty Images.

The post Queen of LA: Juju Watkins is Leading a Renaissance of Women’s College Basketball appeared first on SLAM.

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

The post SLAM Presents: 30 Players Who Defined SLAM’s 30 Years appeared first on SLAM.

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

I called Chris Paul the “Forrest Gump of the post-2005 NBA” in a 2020 cover story about him. I think that’s pretty self-explanatory but figured I should spend some time here to explain that, because it sets the table for the reason CP3 is on this list.

Let’s quickly run through what earned him that distinction. In 2005, he’s drafted by New Orleans, but due to destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, he spends most of his first two NBA seasons playing home games in Oklahoma City. In NOLA, he becomes homies with Lil Wayne, becomes an All-Star, becomes arguably the best PG in the League, becomes a playoff contender. Then he’s traded to the Lakers, un-traded by David Stern (I can’t emphasize enough how big a deal this was on 2011 NBA Twitter), then traded to the Clippers, becoming the heart of Lob City (another massive part of early 2010s NBA Twitter) and a perpetual postseason contender. He becomes president of the NBA Players Association, signs a long-term contract, and then the Donald Sterling racist audio incident happens, and he’s in the middle of that saga. Eventually he’s traded to Houston, then OKC. Then Covid happens, and Chris is in the middle of setting up the Bubble, lowkey a huge national public health story. Then, while in the Bubble, the Jacob Blake shooting takes place, and Chris—literally on national TV before a Thunder-Rockets game is about to tip—is a part of the group that holds the players off the court, and later as PA president, is the head of the group that figured out how to infuse social justice messaging and action into the NBA’s infrastructure. He leads the Thunder on an impressive run in the Bubble, then later joins the Suns, where he leads the team to the Finals, and is on the team when there’s another racist owner situation with Robert Sarver, who later sells the franchise.

A couple years pass and then CP3 joins the Warriors, where he’s currently attempting to help push the Steph-Klay-Dray group toward another ring. Along the way he played an iconic commercial character (Cliff Paul), amassed 22,000+ points and 11,000+ assists, made 12 All-Star teams and the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team and dropped 13 signature sneakers with Jordan Brand. And he was on the banana boat, because of course he was. The guy is everywhere.

“Forrest Gump of the post-2005 NBA”—undeniably accurate. But that’s not alone enough to make it to this list, because this is the “30 Players Who Defined SLAM’s 30 Years,” and if there wasn’t a direct SLAM connection, Chris would just be a guy who was around the NBA universe for a while, paying us no mind. But CP3 paid us plenty mind. He was first featured in SLAM in April 2003 as a high schooler with a one-page PUNKS article in the back of the mag; his brother CJ once told me that his family had that page framed in their house.

He was on his first SLAM cover in 2006, his second in 2008, his third in 2009, his fourth in 2011, his fifth in 2012 (alongside Blake Griffin), and his sixth in 2020. In his prime, he had a fun, uptempo point guard game that a magazine like SLAM was practically created to celebrate, and in his veteran years, he’s been a methodical game manager who almost exclusively plays on teams we cover deep into the playoffs. He was always relevant in the sneaker world—the aforementioned 13 sigs—and he was early in the tunnel fit game, becoming an @LeagueFits regular during our fashion account’s salad days. (The three hoodies he wore in his most recent cover shoot were produced in collaboration with SLAM and LeagueFits and sold on slamgoods.com, with the profits going to charity.)

A player who’s seemingly everywhere, finding his way into every crevice of basketball culture and NBA happenings for almost two decades, and a publication that covers every crevice of basketball culture and NBA happenings for exactly three decades. It makes perfect sense that the two would have a great, symbiotic relationship.

So, of course Chris was going to be on this list. The guy is everywhere. 

Photo via Getty Images. Portrait by Kyle Hood.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: Chris Paul appeared first on SLAM.

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

First Team

P.J. Tucker

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

James Harden

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

DeMar DeRozan

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

Ja Morant

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

Stephen Curry

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

Second Team

LeBron James

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

Paul George

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

Malik Monk

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

Trey Lyles

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

Jayson Tatum

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

MVP: P.J. Tucker

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

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

Rookie of the Year: Jalen Williams

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

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

Most Improved Player: Paul George

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

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

LeagueFits Arrival Sneaker of the Year: Russell Westbrook

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

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

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

Best of the Brands:

Curry 10

adidas Harden Vol. 7

Jordan Tatum 1

New Balance TWO WXY v3

Nike LeBron 20

PUMA MB.02

READ MORE: KICKS, NBA, WNBA

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

“I’m not missing this game,” he says. “If it happens, it happens.”

What happened next broke the internet. Insider tweets, push notifications and jersey swap graphics flooded social media. Another superteam shaking things up and with it came the inevitable question: Can the Suns’ new Big Three of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker win a championship?

When Beal first heard that the deal was in play, he had his own questions. “I was like, Why are they trading Book? Like there’s no way that this is happening,” Beal says. “Like, this can’t be, this isn’t right. But fast forward, he’s here, I’m here and Kevin’s here and DA [Deandre Ayton]’s here. It’s surreal and crazy to think about how the deal even came to fruition, but it’s done and I’m in an awesome situation where I can compete every single night for a chance to win.”

Bradley Beal has arrived. SLAM 245 is out now, shop here.

The future can be exciting, but with it comes letting go of the past. For Beal, that meant saying goodbye to the city he and his family have lived in for the past decade and to the organization that drafted him as the third overall pick in 2012.

The kid from St. Louis is now leaving as a 30-year-old man, a father and the second-ranked player on the Wizards’ all time scoring list. “It definitely was an emotional time for sure throughout the whole transition of the trade,” he admits. “I’ve been in DC for 11 years and that, that is, uh, a long time, and I’ve established a lot of great bonds and relationships with people in the organization and in the city itself. It was definitely a lot of emotional ties [and] a tough decision to be able to walk away from it, but it was one that was necessary. It’s a new chapter, you know. So I’m excited for it, for both parties, for us, for me moving forward, and for Washington and them moving forward. It’s bittersweet, but I’m happy that I get to move forward into another opportunity.”

Beal turned up for his birthday in DC and then flew to Phoenix the next day for his introductory
press conference with his new team while his family stayed behind to pack and move all of their
belongings out of their home. He had just landed that morning when we met up with him at the Footprint Center for his first-ever SLAM cover shoot. There are screens all over the arena, including on the jumbotron and in the lounge where we’re set up, with a picture of his face and the words, “WELCOME BRADLEY BEAL.”

“It feels like I got drafted all over again,” he says, wearing his Suns uniform for the first time. “I got drafted on my birthday at the age of 19 in 2012. And then here you go, fast forward 11 years later, the age of 30. I’m with a new team. It is definitely coming full circle. Feels surreal in some ways, but I’m definitely excited for this new journey.”

There’s a misconception about adulthood that by the time you’re 30, you’re supposed to have it all figured it out. NBA superstars aren’t the exception to that—they, too, have to deal with big life changes, career moves and saying goodbye to people they’ve spent time with. For Beal, that meant his teammates, coaches and the Wizards ownership group. “It was tough to have those conversations [and say] goodbye, but it was also encouraging. Everybody gets a chance to continue to move forward—some guys get bigger opportunities and bigger roles in DC, which [will] be great for them. And now I have a bigger and better opportunity in front of me, too.”

He can’t help but smile when he talks about how excited he is for what’s next. The respect is already there between Beal and his new teammates: he knows what KD and D. Book are about on the court, having competed against them both over the years. But there are still a lot of questions lingering around how the Suns’ Big Three can work together.

Beal has some thoughts on that, as well as where he wants to take his game next season.

SLAM: Let’s get right into it. A lot of people are wondering how so many offensive superstars can coexist. What’s your perspective on that?

Bradley Beal: In terms of our balance, we’ve talked subtly about how this thing can work. We know it won’t be easy. It’ll be a challenge, but the biggest thing is understanding [that our] one goal at the end of the day is winning. You know, we’re all gonna have our own individual goals, but I think the beauty about our group is that we’re so unselfish. And sometimes we might have to, like, yell at each other to shoot the ball or yell at each other to be aggressive because we have that mentality of deferring to the next man.

So I think it’s gonna be very fun. It won’t be easy. It’ll be a work in progress, I think. You know, it’s very hard to win in our League. I think a lot of people kind of think—they see a team, Oh, they’re gonna win. But, you know, we still have to figure it out. We still have to be blessed and be healthy throughout the year and make it work. But we’ll be a challenge. I think we have a great group that’s ready to fill their roles and accept it.

SLAM: Have you had a chance to connect with your new teammates?

BB: Yeah, my new teammates have been awesome. K [Kevin Durant], Book, D. Ayton, Cam [Cameron Payne], everybody’s been unreal in this whole transition. This is all new for me, but I’m embracing it, and these guys have all embraced me. It’s like, I’m ready to get to work, you know? This is definitely an awesome group of guys to be a part of. We’re still building on our team, but it’s been a joy so far.

SLAM: Do you guys have a group chat already?

BB: Yes, we do have a group chat already that has [been] assembled. That started ASAP.

SLAM: What have the first texts been like?

BB: It’s nothing wild. I think the first thing honestly was Book saying, like, Yo, let’s go work out. That’s what I would love to be a part of, man. I’m just super excited to be around like-minded guys who wanna push each other each and every day…To have that first text be, Let’s get in the gym. I think that’s a great message [for] the season.

SLAM: You and KD go way, way back, and you and Booker play the same position. Having competed against both of them for years, what were your first impressions?

BB: That they’re very humble, and that’s something I take [pride in]. I try to carry myself the same way, with humility at all times. We’re given so much, we’re looked at as role models and we’re blessed. To be able to just be so down to earth like these guys and be selfless, that’s what I wanna be around. That’s what I wanna surround myself with. And like-minded guys on the floor who just want to go win. Whatever that looks like, whatever it takes, that’s what they want to do.

SLAM: After averaging 23.2 points last season, what are your personal goals for the upcoming season?

BB: Oh man, it’s tough. I haven’t really thought about my own goals yet, but I would say the biggest individual piece is getting back to being one of the best two-way players in the League. Showing that I can really compete at a high level and play a meaningful game. You know, playing in the playoffs, winning in the playoffs, advancing past rounds.

Granted, I wanna get back to my All-Star level of play. I really believe that that’s who I am: All-NBA guy, All-Star guy. And I have a good group that can push me to be that every single day. So I’m excited about that opportunity. I get to be around like-minded guys and guys who will push me to make sure that I’m the best version of myself every day.

SLAM: Have you had a chance to talk to head coach Frank Vogel yet?

BB: Yes, Coach Vogel is awesome. I’ve had several instances of speaking with him. A brilliant mind in the game of basketball, NBA champion, defensive-minded coach. You know, I’m definitely excited to be able to see where he’ll take us, our team and where he’ll push us to. I’m definitely ecstatic with his knowledge of the game and his presence as a head coach.

SLAM: Looking back at your time in DC, do you have a favorite memory or defining moment that you’ll carry with you into this next chapter?

BB: I had so many great memories and so many great moments in DC. It’s really hard to pinpoint one. I think I’m just grateful for all the bonds and the relationships I’ve built. I think that’s what I’ll propel into my next chapter of life. I want this chapter to be more or less open and me not trying to control everything.

I think we, as humans, sometimes try to control our lives a little too much. I want to just let this wave kind of take me where it wants to go and let God lead the way and enjoy it every step of the way.

SLAM: What’s the legacy you hope to leave after your 11 seasons in DC?

BB: My biggest thing when it comes to legacy is always the impact I leave on people. You know, whether it’s teammates, the community, my coaches, the organization as a whole, the people that you encounter on a day to day [basis].

I just want, you know, my encounters to be great. I want you to remember me as just a great human being. I can be good at basketball. We’re all good at basketball, but, you know, what kind of person was I? I don’t want to be somebody who puts themselves above everybody else. So, I always try to say my interactions and my moments with people are always my biggest legacy. I want to leave lasting memories with them.

SLAM: With all the hype and attention on the Suns right now, what can we expect from the team next season? What type of time are y’all on?

BB: Expect a very fun team to be playing in Arizona this year. The Phoenix Suns will be hungry. We’ll be very aggressive, but it’ll be a very fun style of play that every fan will love—love to tune in to watch. So, we can’t wait. We’re excited. We have a lot of very talented guys, so we’re excited about it.

SLAM 245 Gold Metal Edition + Cover Tee are available now!

Portraits by Erik Isakson.

The post Bradley Beal’s Next Chapter: Phoenix’s New Star Opens Up About Getting Traded, His Legacy and Returning to His All-Star Form appeared first on SLAM.

Roughly 24 hours after the Phoenix Suns land in Atlanta, having just flown in from New York following a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, Mikal Bridges is told that he has to hop on a flight back to Brooklyn. On a one-way ticket, that is. He’s been traded.

With no chance to grab any personal belongings from his home in Phoenix, Bridges simply gathers the bags he has packed for the five-game road trip (ATL was the fourth stop), says his goodbyes to his teammates and staff—after spending four and a half seasons in the desert—and returns to BK. 

He’ll be living out of a hotel near the Brooklyn Bridge waterfront for the next few weeks until he finds a more permanent spot. But as turbulent as the shift may feel, a change in scenery isn’t the only thing Bridges is going to have to get used to in the coming weeks. 

An entirely different role awaits, as well as an entirely different aura around his name.

In just his third game with the Nets, Bridges posted a career-high 45 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a win against the Heat. His career-high up to that point was 34 points. After having never touched the 40-point mark in Phoenix, he went on to drop 40+ points three times—including twice during a three-game stretch—in the last couple of months of the season with Brooklyn.

“Just having that game [against Miami] and winning, and just all that buzz and being fine, that feeling of being in New York for real and all the love and the publicity after that—I’ll definitely say after that Miami game [is] where I felt [it]. And I had a little [All-Star] break [after], so I went home and then when I came back it was like, Alright, let’s get ready for this, this little second gear,” remembers Bridges. 

With the Nets, he quickly began putting his name in the record books, again and again. He became the first player in NBA history to average 25 or more points while shooting 50/40/90 in his first 10 games with a new team. He also broke the record for most points ever scored in the month of March by a Nets player, which was good for the second-most points by a Nets player in any month in franchise history.  

After averaging 17.2 points per game in 56 outings with the Suns this past season, Bridges’ scoring average skyrocketed to 26.1 points with the Nets. Since the mid-February move, the former Villanova standout went on to finish with 30+ points on 11 different occasions in Brooklyn. Prior to the trade, he had only surpassed 30 points one time this season (and only two other times in his entire career).

He had suddenly gone from being a nice supporting player whose full potential remained hidden while hooping in the shadows of All-Stars like Devin Booker and Chris Paul in Phoenix to emerging as a full-blown bona fide star. A legitimate go-to first option on a playoff team overnight, it seemed.  

“I think the toughest thing was just not having everything, and everything [happened] so fast with the trade. Just had to leave where [I’m] at to come there. I just had my bags and went straight to New York,” says Bridges. “But it was dope. I always wanted to live in New York—came to New York a lot in college, just playing out here [in Philly], went to Villanova, so everybody lives in New York coming from Villanova. But it was great. I love the people here, and I love the vibe in New York and the city. So, I was very excited to come here.

Just being on the East Coast again, I love the East Coast people. Obviously, I love the people in Phoenix as well, they’re great people, but it’s just [about] coming back to the East Coast, to what I’m used to.”

After “blowing it all up” and trading superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant within a handful of days from each other, the Nets had found their new star much quicker than they may have anticipated. Bridges brought much-welcomed hope and excitement to a fan base that was in dire need of it. The franchise had found a fresh identity while in the dawn of a new era.  

But being the guy for any NBA team has its challenges, too. There are defensive schemes thrown at you that others don’t see. You’re scouted differently. And as a leader, expectations are higher than for anyone else in the locker room. The role has a few extra duties. It’s all been part of the learning curve for Bridges, one that he’s welcomed with open arms. 

“I think the biggest challenge is probably always leading, every single time. Even if I get frustrated, guys are kind of looking at me strictly just because, and I feel like that’s a struggle I just kind of [have to] get better at it ’cause it’s emotions in the game and I get frustrated a lot,” says Bridges of his sudden leadership role in Brooklyn. “Just can’t let my emotions bring anybody else on the team down, so, just got to stay positive, even if it’s tough—gotta push through it and try to be level-headed at all times. 

“It’s definitely a challenge, but, you know, it’s something I love and embrace and take on. It’s definitely different, being one of the go-to guys and defenses scout on you. Luckily, I had some time before I got traded—we had a lot of guys out in Phoenix at the time—where I was being that guy. And it was, trust me, a lot of growing pains. It was tough just being that focal point and everybody’s looking at you. But I feel like it’s been good—a lot of learning, still learning to this day—and there’s gonna be a lot more to learn. But I’m here to embrace it and go through the tough times just to blossom later.” 

The trade paved the way for Bridges’ return to the Northeast. He was born and raised just a couple hours south of Brooklyn in the greater Philadelphia area, where he spent his entire life until the Suns traded for him on draft night in 2018.   

“When I was in college, we came to New York a lot, just playing in the Garden [in the annual Big East Tournament] and then having events. Coach [Jay] Wright loved New York, so we had an event called Hoops on the Hudson,” Bridges remembers. “We’d come out here and be out here for a couple days while it was preseason. Just been around and visiting in college and in the summer, have friends who live out here—I just know the speed of New York and I was just super excited to come here.” 

The trade also allowed Bridges to reach an extremely rare feat: playing 83 regular season games. The last time this occurred was in 2014-15 when Josh Smith played for both the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets following a trade. In fact, Bridges hasn’t missed a single game in his five-year NBA career thus far. 

“He’s the iron man of the NBA,” Nets teammate Spencer Dinwiddie told ESPN earlier this year.  

It’s just another prime example of the kind of star the Nets got in February—a certified hooper who can be counted on to show up, whenever, wherever, with whomever.  

“I’m just trying to win, honestly, that’s the biggest thing for me. Obviously, just playoffs and hopefully eventually—the biggest is always a championship, but there’s a lot of steps to do to get there,” says Bridges. “So sustainably just winning and building a really good culture.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens

The post Mikal Bridges is Ready to Embrace His New Star Role in Brooklyn appeared first on SLAM.

BRANDSEEN HAT worn by CHRIS PAUL

HONOR THE GIFT QUARTER-ZIP worn by RUSSELL WESTBROOK

MONFRÈRE JEANS worn by JAREN JACKSON JR.

ESSENTIALS HOODIE, PANTS + UGG SHOES worn by DEMAR DEROZAN

RICK OWENS SHORTS worn by DARIUS BAZLEY

DICKIES SET worn by JAVALE MCGEE

RICK OWENS PANTS worn by JERAMI GRANT

DIOR SHIRT worn by LEBRON JAMES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits by Matt Odom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Problem solved, Jordan started. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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

The Suns are currently 1-9 in their last 10 games after dropping a 30-point decision to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. They’ve also ended their four-game road trip with three straight losses to the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis. The losses can be attributed to the Suns being last in offense (104.6 offensive ratings) and 23rd in defense (117.2 defensive ratings).

Chris Paul, Cam Payne, Cameron Johnson, and Devin Booker have also been out for periods of time due to leg, hip, and foot injuries. Booker has been out since Dec. 17 due to a hamstring injury, and CP3 has been in and out of the Suns’ lineup due to a collection of injuries.

After their 136-106 loss to Memphis on Monday, Suns forward Josh Okogie said that Phoenix can get out of their rut by simply playing “through it.”

"Keep playing. Can't get out of it. You've got to get through it."

Josh Okogie as #Suns are 1-9 in their last 10 after Monday's loss at #Grizzlies to end 4-game road trip with three straight defeats. #MLKDay2023 pic.twitter.com/UCi07VoAKz

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 17, 2023

Okogie is also encouraged by the Suns’ culture persevering through this skid and that Phoenix’s “spirits are still high” despite the losses they’ve dealt with. Okogie believes that once the Suns get healthy, they’ll “be just fine.”

“The way we operate, the way we practice, our attention to detail, we’re still operating like we’re a top three team in the West.”

Okogie and the Suns are set to host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

The post Josh Okogie is Confident the Suns Can ‘Get Through’ Recent Skid appeared first on SLAM.

My name is Sammy, and I’m a collect-aholic. It’s an addiction—more like an obsession. My pursuit to possess every SLAM cover ever released is something that I act upon daily. It’s the eBay search that I’ve saved and the hashtag that I follow. It has me empathizing with the hoarders documented on TV shows. Like them, I want to hold on to something and store it away to capture a moment. It’s a nostalgic task to complete.

Collecting back issues of SLAM is cool (at least I think so; my wife, not so much…), but it’s not unique. Although they’re not as commonly collected as sneakers, trading cards or jerseys, old SLAM mags are widely available, with a community of us who carry a vulture-like quality when it comes to pouncing on a 30-something-year-old hoops fan who happens to be clearing out their parents’ garage. There are small pockets of basketball collectors, however, who obsess over items that are not so common…

Simon Jackson, Autographs

When Simon Jackson (@dallasmavsautos) began collecting Dirk Nowitzki trading cards in 2008, he was quickly impressed by Dirk’s speedy responses to fan mail, specifically autograph requests. His commitment to building a Dirk card collection soon got weighed down by a ton of Dallas Mavs cards. 

“I realized that I’d gained a surplus of Mavericks trading cards by searching for Dirk, which got me thinking…” he says.

Now a Mavs fan, and putting his cards to good use, Simon has made it his mission to get an autograph from every player who has ever stepped on the court in a Mavs uniform. He says there have been 358 players in total (at the time of this writing) and he has 325 of them.

This is some achievement—as an Aussie living in Australia, he acquires autographs by sending stamped envelopes to former players with cards for them to sign and return. He reaches out via Instagram, Twitter and emails. The fact that he has an autograph from Randall Jackson, a man who played 39 seconds for the Mavericks, confirms what I already knew: Simon Jackson isn’t playing around.

Chris Jungwirth, Armbands

When Chris (@nbagameworn_chris) was 14, he noticed players throwing armbands into the stands at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It was the early 2000s—prime KG era—and Chris would sneak from the cheap seats down to the court to grab a grail band from Garnett, or from the visiting Paul Pierce or Vince Carter. He even caught a Rookie LeBron James headband when the Cavs came to town in ’04. Before armband customization was banned for a few years in ’06, players would rock them with short messages, tributes and nicknames.

Chris made note of the ones he needed by studying the SLAMUPS posters on his bedroom wall. Waiting by the team bus, getting to know equipment managers, befriending ball boys and even getting to know players while hanging out by hotels—all of these tactics helped his collection grow.

In more recent years, Chris has splashed a little cash acquiring some of the big names of the past: the iconic “Pip” armband that Scottie rocked while winning hardware, the Reggie Miller finger sleeve that he wore while tearing the beating hearts out of our chests (Yes, I’m a Knicks fan…). He’s also got the unmistakable “Mailman 32” band that Karl Malone rocked while racking up countless buckets. Chris recently dropped $300 on a Jayson Tatum one and has seen a rare Penny Hardaway go for $1,000. I’m still trying to figure out how he managed to talk a Lakers locker room “source” into parting with some Kobe No. 24 finger sleeves for just $150! 

“There are only about five of us continually looking for armbands,” he says. “It gets competitive at times. I’ve been offered $3,000 for my LBJ rookie headband.”

Chris’ collection is currently at 130 armbands and rising. I didn’t even mention the signed PE sneaks he has…

Gerard Starkey, Sneakers

Arguably, basketball sneaker collections are only truly worth discussing if they’re game-worn, and not only that, but worn by the greatest player ever to step onto a basketball court. Gerard Starkey (@gerard_og_vi) had been buying Jordans since he was a 9-year-old skateboarder but when he was 15, he took a leap, figuratively of course, when he got his hands on a pair of Michael Jordan PEs (“Carmine” Jordan VIs). His previous collection suddenly eclipsed by the glow of an MJ exclusive, Gerard set his sights on the shoes that told stories. 

“If you just collect stuff, you end up boxing it and not really enjoying it,” he says. “If the items have a story, then they have context and meaning. If you don’t just have the VIs, but you have the VIs that MJ cut his toe on, then it means a lot more. I started off trying to collect a PE in every style he wore, and then it snowballed.”

He forged a network through his skateboarding and basketball communities. Before social media tied the whole world together, Gerard became tied in with a few of the OG basketball sneaker collectors, guys who’d built up deep catalogs before the market went crazy. He’d help them sell stuff and even claim a pair of game-worn Js in exchange—gathering items that he adamantly says he’ll never let go of. “I don’t sell stuff,” he says. “I don’t sell stuff ever.”

Not only has Gerard built up one of the best MJ sneaker collections in the world, but he’s also built a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable in the game. From offering advice and photo-matching to confirming that a pair has been laced by Mike himself, Gerard provides a service used by Christie’s Auction House as well as high-end collectors who need help sourcing legit items. If there’s a top-tier item sold that has touched Jordan’s feet, it’s usually been through Gerard’s reliable hands.

The game has changed drastically since Gerard started collecting, with the current market allowing millionaire collectors to build a viral-worthy arsenal of MJ PEs in six months. Gerard, though, is unfazed: “They bought their collections. I built mine.”

Ferran Salavert, Jerseys

Hoops hoarders often set out on one path, but become sidetracked by a different obsession. Spanish native Ferran Salavert (@fibawhatelse) initially began collecting FIBA jerseys, primarily from teams in Spain. His favorite, Club Joventut Badalona, produced the likes of Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernández, and his love for the team prompted Ferran to hunt for game-worn jerseys of Joventut Badalona players who made it to the NBA.

“I like the NBA,” he explains, “but my roots are in European basketball.” 

This mission then expanded to Spanish NBA players, which eventually led him to expanding to jerseys of NBA players who hooped in Spain. Needless to say, this has created one of the most beautifully eclectic collections—“The European focus of my collection is what makes it unique”—of game-worn jerseys around. His collection currently stands at 250 jerseys, with his most valuable ones being the Gasol brothers and Ricky Rubio gamers.

Marcin Wójciuk, John Starks Gear

Even though he’s in Poland, Marcin Wójciuk (@john_starks_3) found himself collecting jerseys of each New York Knicks player who took the floor in the ’94 and ’99 NBA Finals. The collection grew, but so did his focus on John Starks. Marcin loved Starks. He could relate to the passion, the hustle and the sporadic nature of his game. This new focus on Starks led to a condensing of the initial collection. Quality over quantity was his new goal—game-worn jerseys and sneaks, the rarest trading cards, signed photos, but only the highest quality Starks items would suffice. 

“The first Starks jersey I bought was a fake,” Wójciuk says. “I waited three months for it to arrive in Poland from the States. I keep it as a reminder of where it all started.”

At the last count, he has 460 pieces. Marcin is still on the hunt for the adidas Intruders (rocked on the cover of SLAM 4) and has a friend who owns the pair that Starks wore in the ’94 Finals. If he’s reading this, I hope he sees sense and sends them to the place where all John Starks-related items can find their true home.

Leo Klein, All-Star Weekend Basketballs

The beauty of basketball collections is that most are never truly complete. New items are released, fresh players join the League and the hunt for another must-have grail item continues. One of the most complete collections I’ve ever seen, however, belongs to long-time NBA fan Leo Klein.

Like others, Leo has some of the more commonly collected items—jerseys and signed photos—only his are in mind-boggling quantities and presented beautifully in a man-cave-style basement to die for. The centerpiece of his incredible collection, though, is something much less common: a full run of NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest money balls dating back to when the competition began in 1986. There are 35 in total, all displayed in custom Lucite cubes. Leo has been to every All-Star game since 1994, picking up much of his collection in person. 

“I was often in the right place at the right time,” Klein says, “and so got handed things that someone in the regular crowd wouldn’t be privy to. Traveling to 25 All-Star games was part of the catalyst in why I decided to see if I could collect a full run of money balls.”

Others weren’t so easy. Despite knowing many of the top NBA personnel, grabbing any of the pre-1990 balls presented a difficult task, primarily because so few were produced. Klein contacted sponsors of the competition, tracked down collectors via auction houses and even placed an ad, specifically to find the balls from ’86 and ’87. 

Leo’s commitment to such a specific item, the way the collection was acquired and the fact that the last ball in his collection was the end of Spalding’s NBA era, make it all so unique. The collection has been valued at anywhere between $150,000 to $500,000, and to the right buyer, he might just consider selling. 

Photo credit Nathaniel S. Butler.  

The post The Most Elite Hoop Collections Out There: From NBA Jerseys to Rare Jordans Game-Worn by Michael Jordan appeared first on SLAM.

The team has been shorthanded the last two games after Devin Booker suffered a hamstring during the front end of their back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans. However, their center DeAndre Ayton, believes Phoenix has no excuse for getting outplayed the way they have during this latest stretch of games.

“The teams we see on film aren’t the teams we play,” Ayton said per NBA Central. “They’re playing harder and with a chip on their shoulder against us.”

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Their two contests with the Pelicans have raised concerns amongst Phoenix fans that the momentum that helped the Suns rise to first place in the Western Conference has halted. Zion Williamson dropped 35 points on a combined 71.1 percent shooting from the field. In the second matchup, CJ McCollum’s posted 29 points and seven assists in 45 minutes to New Orleans get the overtime victory.

Although Ayton credits the efforts of their opponents, the Suns have to answer the reason their defense has gone downhill. They currently have the worst defensive rating (122.4) over five games and have been unable to secure the boards, averaging the lowest defensive rebounds (28.4) across the League during that same stretch.

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Opponents have dominated the painted area against the Suns too, and their next three matchups are against teams finding their form offensively. The Los Angeles Clippers with the return of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Williamson and the Pelicans once more, and finally, the Los Angeles Lakers with Anthony Davis, who has averaged 33.8 points (third best) so far in December.

The Suns can’t afford to lose games in a stacked Western Conference. With the year coming to a close, Chris Paul and Ayton’s leadership must be on full display to regain momentum near the All-Star break.

The post DeAndre Ayton: Opponents Are ‘Playing Harder and With a Chip On Their Shoulders’ Against the Suns appeared first on SLAM.

From his confidence as a shooter to his pesty defensive motives, Alvarado has rightfully earned himself a roster spot in today’s NBA. Of course, Alvarado’s success doesn’t happen if he didn’t stick with the grind it takes to make it in the toughest League in the world.

Alvarado’s competitive fire was forged in Brooklyn, NY, where he learned that setting himself apart from opponents was essential. He carried those lessons to draft workouts with the Toronto Raptors in 2021; Alvarado had a mental edge that impressed 2019 NBA Finals champion Fred Van-Vleet.

“It was probably the best draft workout I’ve ever seen,” VanVleet recollects from the Raptors 2021 workout with Alvarado and now Portland Trail Blazer guard Trendon Watford. “Just the energy, the spirit, the competitiveness. And I just remember watching him [Alvarado] like, ‘I remember being like that.’ You know what I mean? I could see myself in him. Just the mentality.”

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Though the defensive wonder never suited up for the Raptors, it was only a matter of time until a team like the Pelicans would take their chances to build for a playoff push.

In July of 2021, the Pelicans signed Alvarado to a two-way contract, and it paid dividends once they reached the 2022 playoffs as an 8th seed. Though they didn’t win their series against the Phoenix Suns, the Pelicans took the one-seeded Suns to six games behind the pressure Alvarado imposed on Chris Paul.

“There’s no time to take plays off; there’s no time to be emotional,” Van-Vleet said. “You’ve just gotta come in and make a mark. And that’s something I was obviously able to do and something I’m watching Jose do.”

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Alvarado has now earned the nickname ‘Grand Theft Alvarado’ and he keeps living up to that reputation because of his steals from the opposing team’s inbound so far this season.

Van-Vleet is noticing the heart Alvarado shows on a nightly basis, and it won’t be long until the rest of the League puts their flowers on the hustle Alvarado provides to the Pels. A defensive anchor like Alvarado may one day see New Orleans basketball at the mountaintop of the NBA.

“You don’t want nobody to go in your house and take something from you and walk out in front of you, right?” Alvarado said. “So that’s how it is. You go play defense.”

The post Fred Van Vleet On Jose Alvarado’s Competitiveness: ‘I Remember Being Like That’ appeared first on SLAM.

After going undrafted in 2021, the 6-0 guard out of Georgia Tech, who was splitting time between the Pels and their G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, kept telling himself that if he wasn’t going to play, just make sure that it felt like he was out there playing.

Do something that makes you impact the day, he’d say. Not just the game but the day. 

That meant learning how to be impactful in other ways, even if he wasn’t on the court. Not only would he watch the game, but he’d study it, thinking critically about ways he would attack the defense if he was out there. Teammates like Brandon Ingram took notice and would ask him for his perspective. 

“Brandon Ingram used to come to the side and be like, Yo, what you see out there? What do you think we should do with it?” Alvarado recalls over the phone, later adding: “I think little by little I grew more disciplined and it made me lock in more.”

Despite what many had said about him coming into the League—that he was too short, or not equipped to hold his own in the NBA—Alvarado’s emergence last season has made him beloved in NOLA and respected all across the League. He went from being an undrafted player making a little over $400K to securing a four-year, $6.5 million contract and solidifying his spot in the Pelicans’ rotation, all in a matter of just four months. 

The word “UNDERDAWG” isn’t just something Alvarado has written in his Instagram bio, it’s a reflection of who he is and what he’s about. Don’t sleep though, the bag has always been well-equipped with his elite style of play: that baseline sneak-attack move, the same one that earned him the GTA nickname in the first place? He’s been doing that since AAU. His lockdown defense? We’re talking about an ACC Defensive Player of the Year here. And yes, he can shoot, too.  

“Going through the whole pre-draft, even college and high school, they said I wasn’t ready for the ACC. I had a rough two years [in college], my junior and senior year I had a breakout. I won Defensive Player of the Year, we won an ACC championship. Then I come in and they say, The League is pushing it. I’m undrafted, come in on two-way, and six months later I’m playing in a playoff game and my guys want me out there to help win the game. That’s truly what I mean when I say I’m an underdog.”

It’s one thing, though, to surpass other people’s expectations, but as Drizzy once said: You know it’s real when you are who you think you are.

“I always have believed in myself, obviously, but for me to do what I did made me feel so much excitement and belief. It was like, Alright Jose, this ain’t no more if or what. This is you now. This is what it is now. It taught me that if I be me, everything else will take [care] of itself.”

All that waiting and studying and preparing paid off when he saw action on the court in January. The New York-native dropped 13 points against the Knicks during his Madison Square Garden debut (and homecoming) and didn’t back down when he went at it against Joel Embiid a few nights later, earning the respect of the five-time All-Star. By March, Alvarado was putting up 16 points, 10 assists and 6 steals in a win against Houston, followed by a career-high 23 points against the Spurs. 

Then came the playoffs.

During the biggest moment of his career, Alvarado held his own in the first-round series against the Suns. The team’s defensive ace averaged 1.2 steals in 19.5 minutes and understood the assignment when it came to competing against the point god himself, Chris Paul. This postseason performance prompted praise from none other than CJ McCollum: “He was agressive, fearless, showed that New York mentality.” 

Looking back, Alvarado says that there was one moment during the playoffs that might top, or at least match, the MSG performance as his best memory from his rookie season. He still remembers that night vividly, how all of Smoothie King Center—over 17,000 people—chanted his name while his family, including his mom, dad and brother, sat on the sidelines and smiled at him as he dribbled the ball up the court. 

“It was like a movie. I remember it like it was yesterday. I started tearing up, like, wow, and everyone was screaming, ‘Jose!’ It was one of those moments I’ll never forget, it’s one of the best memories I got in the NBA.” 

Alvarado even sat down with his friends and family to process the  journey, how everything he’d worked for was coming true, right before their eyes.

“I was like, I can’t believe everything worked out how we always said it would. How many times have people said, Yeah, we’re going to make it to the NBA or we’re gonna do this? A whole bunch of people and it never really happens for whatever reason. I definitely sat down and went, Wow, you’re living the dream and being more than you thought you could be. 

“I’ve been around a lot of people and this doesn’t come around often. Being able to put an NBA jersey on, being in a rotation, being someone in the lineup. I think I’m always going to embrace that,” he says. “No matter what happens to me later in life, I could always tell my kids or anybody like, Jose, you did something special in that one year. But I’m also looking forward to doing more special things.”

That includes representing Puerto Rico on the national team over the summer at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Alvarado says he hadn’t been to PR since he was around 12 years old, but it nonetheless felt like home as soon as he touched ground. 

“I told my parents that as soon as I got off the plane, it felt like home. I had people [on] the plane waiting for me and they recognized me right away. It was crazy, [I] was like a superstar. I called myself ‘Spanish LeBron.’ I’m glad I did it. Everybody was telling me about how Puerto Ricans are so proud about just being, you know, the love of the game of basketball. Going out there and experiencing that love and everyone showing me so much love just because I’m representing them at the highest level. I’ve been doing a lot but seeing them and putting a jersey on definitely is a memory I’ll never forget.”

The decision to step away from the national team wasn’t an easy one, but ultimately Alvarado felt that he wanted to make the Pelicans his priority this summer. 

“That was a tough decision. I am focusing on being Jose, at a higher level. Just learning. I want to polish my game and obviously make shots. I want to be a high-level shooter. I want to work on my confidence. Most importantly, I want to have guys—like, they respect me already and they love me but I also want to be able to hold the superstars accountable. Just more of being a leader. Just going out there and having fun. I think we’re really good [and] once we click, I think all the guys know that we could be something special.”

Back in May, Alvarado tweeted that he was going to win Defensive Player of the Year one day, and when asked about it, he makes it clear that he wasn’t just talking. To him, it’s not a matter of if, but when.

“When I tweeted it, I meant it,” he says. “Not necessarily to say [that] I will win it next year, but I will win it one year because of just how much I love defense and how much I wanna pride myself on it. This NBA thing is not gonna be an easy route for me, no matter what happens here. I had a really good year, but I’m always gonna have to fight and prove every year that I belong, no matter how long I’ve been in the NBA. So that’s my mindset on everything. And especially, this is where [I’m at]: I do the sneaky thing, which is unique, and I love it—everyone loves it—but I want to show that if you’re in front of me dribbling the ball, it will be a difficult time, too.”

He’s also ready to showcase that his talents aren’t just limited to one end of the floor. 

“I talk to [my agent] Ron [Shade] about this all the time, I don’t think everyone knows how good I am offensively, that’s why people get so shocked. I am good, I’ve shown it. It’s just about showing it on the highest level. But my focus is on being the best defender on the court. I’m not the tallest, I’m not the strongest, I’m not the most athletic, but I want it to be like, Where’s Jose at? or Lock in on him. 

“I want to affect the game, and I’m not gonna affect the game by scoring. I am going to affect the game with my energy and defense. The offense is a plus, I know I can make shots, I know I can get to my spots. So, if I do my thing on defense, the offense will become a little more easy for me.”

With the long-awaited return of Zion Williamson this season, Alvarado believes that the Pelicans are only going to add to what they did last season and could make an even deeper run in the playoffs. 

“We have an important piece coming back with Zion. We did pretty good without him, and adding him will be amazing,” Alvarado says. “The rest is about locking in on us. Not letting the outside distract us, the little noise that would make us not [be] together. I think everyone is so locked in on how good we could be. If we lock in how we are supposed to, and if we get along how we are supposed to, then we will have a memorable season that we could talk about for a very long time. I think the team is really locked in. 

“My mindset is obviously getting past the first round but also winning a ring eventually. This is a building process. If we don’t get a ring this year, we know we could definitely get one in the coming years.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post After a Breakout Rookie Season, Jose Alvarado Says He’s Ready to Take Everything Up to Another Level appeared first on SLAM.

Over the weekend of September 3rd, thousands of fans streamed into the house that Michael Jordan built, the United Center in Chicago. DeMar DeRozan wasn’t laced up. There was no game going on. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters were not there to see Zach LaVine defy gravity but to witness artistry of another genre. Inside this hoops sanctuary, among the six championship banners and Larry O’Brien trophies and retired jerseys hanging in the rafters, was a giant pop-up exhibition featuring 120 fine, street and graffiti artists from 15 different countries. This gallery, containing hundreds of works for sale, with as many interpretations of the game, was the main attraction of Bulls Fest 2022.

The “Art of the Game” exhibition is a collaboration between the Chicago Bulls and local printer, designer and curator Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff, owner of the gallery All-Star Press. This weekend was not the first time the two entities teamed up but instead represented the culmination of over 30 projects the franchise and the local Chicago gallery have collaborated on, going back to 2018. What started as a sourcing of local artists to create game-day posters grew to limited edition stadium merch drops and manifested into Bulls Fest 2022, a spectacle even Tasseff-Elenkoff was taken aback by.

“This was something I have not seen on a scale this large. It was a very special weekend.”

Bulls Fest is indicative of a growing trend in the NBA, and other corporations, of an increased interest in and embrace of street, graffiti and fine art.

The League’s interest is not new, of course. The culture of street art and graffiti mirrored, matured and grew with the popularity of the sport, as basketball overtook baseball and football to become one of the country’s most viable global exports. Hip-hop, along with the astounding levels of play, ingenuity and genius of the athletes, is indeed the engine that powers the viability and allure of the NBA to younger audiences stateside and across the planet.

The players grew up with and were often from the same communities where emerging emcees, b-boys and b-girls, graffiti artists and DJs lived, and innovated the youth cultural practice that would bring together more young people.

From the vibrant sheen and clean and stylized fonts of ’90s Starter jackets and Mike’s gold chains, to Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon commercials and the braids, tattoos and fitted caps of Allen Iverson, the NBA was the first major sports league to follow the lead of the culture, though reluctant and not without a fight, due to generational gaps and racial fears.

Graffiti and street art have been moving to the center of the more formal and fine art world over the last several decades. Banksy is a showstopper at Sotheby’s, OG graffiti writers like Futura and Lee Quiñones have become highly coveted in collections around the globe, and NBA and WNBA teams have commissioned some of the most well-known street artists in the world to honor teams and their players. The Lakers have worked with Mr. Cartoon and OG Slick to create murals and limited merch. The Phoenix Suns partnered with local muralists in 2021 to devise new logos and put the faces of Devin Booker and Chris Paul all over the city.

This past spring, the city of Milwaukee and the Bucks commissioned graffiti writer and muralist Mauricio Ramirez to paint a 50-foot photo-realist portrait of Giannis Antetokounmpo on a building facing Fiserv Forum. The result is a stunning tribute to the Greek Freak, the game of basketball and the team. The mural is part of a business district improvement plan and has become a new landmark and attraction for people to meet in front of, taking and sharing photos. For the artist, it was a dream come true.

“My mom grew up in Milwaukee, and on my dad’s side, everyone lives in Mexico,” Ramirez tells us. “I grew up in the ’90s, playing basketball with friends, and when I was growing up, it was like, Whose house are we playing at?”
His older cousins were into graffiti and stylized lettering and were in the graffiti crew DS aka Drop Squad. For Ramirez, that was “my true introduction to art, color theory, drawing and the tools I was introduced to: markers, spray paint. And since then, I’ve wanted to get better and better. Graffiti and hip-hop are all about skills. Going hard, snapping, and that’s the mindset I bring to each project, especially if it’s in the public.”

Tubz speaks of his work with a similar fervor and extends the analogy to players in the League. “I was thinking about how seriously NBA players take their craft. It’s as serious as I take my art. These players give everything. They dedicate their lives to their sport, their craft. They’re constantly in the gym. They were shooting in the backyard when they were kids idolizing Jordan, doing the fade away, saying ‘Jordan!’ I was doing that, too. And 10 years later, they are in the draft.” Being recognized by the team and franchise he idolized as a kid brings a similar feeling for Tubz and artists like him. “I feel like this is my draft. I’m getting drafted to the big leagues.”

For Tasseff-Elenkoff, who has owned galleries and helped give a platform and profile to underrepresented artists for decades, this moment represents, “a cultural shift toward youth.”

“Murals and street art and people like Shepard Fairey, Cleon Peterson and Pose, are all components of that culture, and on a local level, people like Sentrock and JC Rivera all resonate back to the streets and what kids are interested in. And if brands and these teams want to stay relevant, they have to shift into new media and new culture. And a lot of that, over the last two decades, has been through art.”

The art world, like the league, has scouts who seek and develop new emerging talent and connect artists of the unknown to the largest stages and platforms. Like in any field, there are those who pursue the path for a bottom line and there are those who are called to the space because of a love and vision for the work, a gift of sorts for seeing what others cannot.

Mr. Nice Art is a curator, collector and visionary with an eye for what will be popular in years to come. A kind of shit-talking iconoclast who walks the walk.

“I never wanted to be the person that wanted to be the face of anything,” he says. “Growing up in Chicago, you move in a particular way.” He is shrouded in an MF Doom-like mystery. He does little to no press and is nearly impossible to find pictures, or word of, on the internet. He also might be one of the most important connectors in the world of contemporary art and culture.

Mr. Nice Art grew up in a Southside neighborhood a high school away from Chicago Vocational, home to then-prep star Juwan Howard, whom he first met in the 6th grade. Years later, in 2007, while working retail at Neiman Marcus and styling people like Kanye West and Jerry Lorenzo, he connected again with Howard and his wife when they came in the store. After commenting on Juwan’s Panerai 289 Luminor rose gold watch, the two rekindled their friendship. Howard eventually encouraged Mr. Nice Art to take the commissions he was making from Neiman’s and consider investing in art. While Howard was collecting Kerry James Marshall and other notable—and expensive—artists, it forced Mr. Nice Art to “look for Chicago artists early on, because I couldn’t afford what my boy Juwan was affording. Dude is a millionaire.”

Mr. Nice Art began going to the makeshift studios of young artists and applying what he knew about retail and the maturing of fine watches to the world of art. He developed relationships with unknown painters from the studio, street and graffiti art scenes around the same time hip-hop in Chicago was gaining more and more international notice. Cultural communities often rise together, and in 2012 when Chief Keef and Chance the Rapper were beaming examples of the young genius coming out of Chicago, Mr. Nice Art happened to be working with a local emerging painter and sculptor named Hebru Brantley.

In 2012, Brantley was having a show for private collectors that Q-Tip was DJing. During prep for the show, Howard called and asked what Mr. Nice Art was up to. He told him about Brantley’s show and Howard said something to the effect of, “S**t, hook me up if you think he’s good.” Howard was serious and followed up saying that he would send money to Mr. Nice Art and he should pick out something nice within that budget, keeping the rest for a commission.

Mr. Nice Art attended Brantley’s show and walked away with six original pieces, one of which LeBron James saw hanging inside Howard’s home.

“We always knew Juwan was going to be a coach. As he was playing, he was always directing the game on the court,” says Mr. Nice Art. “To keep it real with you, the Heat had him on the roster not only to be a good example of a Black man but also to be…a mentor to LeBron.”

And the student did receive the lessons. James, as Mr. Nice Art tells, wanted to do something special for his teammates and was encouraged by Howard to think of an investment in art made by a Black artist. Mr. Nice Art connected James with Brantley, who then commissioned 15 original works to celebrate Miami’s 2012 NBA championship.

That was 10 years ago. Since then, athletes have invested millions into the contemporary art market. Mr. Nice Art credits moguls like Swizz Beatz and Jay-Z for pushing the culture forward, and he acknowledges collectors like Patrick McCoy who was a mentor.

“The torch was extended, and guys like me took it,” he adds.

He is preparing for a million things all at once, including connecting some of the younger artists he is working with to the major collections of both private high net worth individuals and the permanent collections of major museums.

“I don’t hear ‘Collect art,’” he says. “I hear, ‘Preserve your history.’ We wouldn’t know what the cavemen were doing if we didn’t see the art they placed on the wall.”

Photos curtesy All Star Press Chicago

The post From the NBA to Top Names Around the League, Here’s How the Basketball Community is Tapping into the Art World appeared first on SLAM.

Whether a player says it or not, going against a former team is always a big deal. However, it is an even bigger deal to make history against them. With about 10:50 left in the first quarter, Paul threw up a lob that Deandre Ayton slammed home to give Paul the 11,000th assist in his career!

With that assist, Paul now sits in the company of two other elite point guards, Jason Kidd and John Stockton, who are the only three players in the NBA to accomplish this feat. Record-wise, Stockton is still the all-time NBA assist leader with 15,806, followed by Kidd with 12,091, and CP3 with 11,009.

“I honestly didn’t have a clue until I checked out of the game,” Paul said when asked when he found out about his historic achievement.

Paul then went on to credit a few of his teammates.

“I’ve been fortunate to play for a while now with a lot of great shooters, great players in general,” Paul then reeled a couple of names such as David West, Peja Stojakovic, and Devin Booker. “I’m privileged.”

Suns Coach Monty Williams even chimed in on Paul’s historic night.

“It’s amazing, I look at him, and I’m like, ‘holy smokes, I get to coach Chris Paul.'”

In addition, Paul is now the only NBA player in history to have over 20k points and 11k assists. That is a record fit for a true Point God. It is about time we gave Paul his flowers and credit for playing the point guard position with such finesse, craftiness, and humbleness. Shout out to CP3! We are all looking forward to seeing how far Phoenix can go with such a great vet on their squad.

The post Chris Paul Becomes the First Player in NBA History to Record 20k Points and 11k Assists appeared first on SLAM.

The energy has truly shifted around the Association since the Golden State Warriors put the haters to sleep and won another NBA championship. This offseason, there was a sudden coaching change in Boston, a reported trade request in Brooklyn by Kevin Durant (that didn’t actually happen), and some major moves during free agency, from Donovan Mitchell teaming up with Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the Cavaliers to Jalen Brunson becoming a New York Knick. Then there’s the highly-anticipated return of Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons and SLAM 240 co-cover star Kawhi Leonard, who is sure to be a scary sight alongside Paul George now that they’re both healthy.

While we’ve dished out some bold takes in the past, this year’s preview might feature our boldest takes yet. Here’s the official 2022-23 SLAM Staff NBA Preview:

Anthony Holt, Slam Goods Apparel Designer

The Cavaliers will emerge as a top three seed in the East. 

With the blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers will claim the No. 3 seed. The championship experience of Kevin Love and Luke Walton will evolve Mitchell into the leader the franchise needs to make a playoff run. The Cavs will reach the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Celtics, who will face the Bucks in the ECF.

NBA Finals Matchup: Bucks vs Grizzlies

Deyscha “Sway” Smith, Associate Editor

Ben Simmons will make a case for winning Most Improved Player of the Year.

Before any of you mention me on Twitter or pop off in the comment section, hear this one out. We all know what happened last year, and by no means is Ben Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star, any sort of “up and coming player.” But if this preseason showed us anything, it’s that Ben is actually back and playing basketball again. After averaging 15.9 points per game during his time in Philly, if he brings that same energy and presence (both literally and in terms of his defensive game) to the Nets this year, by technicality, it’s really only up from here in terms of his overall improvement.

Will he win MIP? Unlikely, but then again, just imagine if he actually did put himself in the running for the award.

PS: When I predicted the Celtics would make the ECF in our season preview last year, y’all called me real bold for that take back then. If Ben gets active and starts playing at that All-Star level again, just make sure your apology is as loud as the disrespect has been.

ECF Matchup: Celtics vs Nets

Joshua Tapia, Editorial Intern

Damian Lillard takes the Portland Trailblazers to a top 5 seed in the West while securing his first MVP. 

Damian Lillard will finish the season above 32 points a night with eight assists. If he disciplines himself defensively, Dame could become a reliable defender against the League’s best scorers.

Here’s my playoff prediction: Lillard will lead the Blazers past the No. 4 seed Mavericks in the first round, the Warriors in round 2, but get defeated in Game 6 against the Clippers.  

Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer

The Sixers are winning the championship.

Everything is coming together at the perfect time in Philly: James Harden is healthy and more motivated than ever, Joel Embiid has a better understanding of how to treat his body to make it last a full season plus playoffs, Tobias Harris is the perfect starter to play next to two stars, Tyrese Maxey is making a leap, and Daryl Morey is going to be aggressive adding role players throughout the season to put around this group in order to ensure the team has everything it needs come postseason time. The 76ers: 2023 Champs. 

Michael Harris, Editorial Intern

The Lakers will make the Western Conference Finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers will figure it out this season. Russell Westbrook will embrace his role off the bench, Anthony Davis will be healthy and be a top three candidate for MVP, while Patrick Beverley will bring the defense at the guard spot necessary to help the Lakers lock down shooters. The Lakers will also finish as the top three seed in the West and make it all the way to the WCF to face the Grizzlies.

NBA Finals Matchup: Heat vs Lakers

Ajayi Browne, Editorial Intern

The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Finals.

The Dallas Mavericks will reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 and Luka Doncic will average career-highs across the board while having his most efficient season on his way to winning MVP. The team’s new additions, Christian Wood and Javale McGee, will give this team what they were missing last year, while Tim Hardaway Jr’s return will be vital, too.

Theus McBee, Co-Host of No Pump Fakes

Anthony Edwards will make his first All-Star Game and the Minnesota Timberwolves will make it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in nearly 20 years. 

The conversation of Ant Man “possibly” being a part of the top five under 25 group will come to an end and we will finally give him his rightful title of “Best Shooting Guard in the NBA.”

Check out the latest episode of No Pump Fakes below:

Najee AR Fareed, Editorial Intern 

Trae Young will make First Team All-NBA, lead the League in assists and take the Hawks all the way to winning a championship. 

The Hawks had a down year last season but their defense should be bolstered by a resurgent Clint Capela, Dejounte Murray’s arrival, and the rise of Onyeka Okongwu. The offense? Ice Trae might hold it down on the offensive end, but the Hawks have much more than just him. Deandre Hunter is taking big steps and John Collins’ lesser offensive load, with the addition of Murray, should free up his game for lobs and catch-and-shoot threes.

The Hawks will win one this season. For 3 Stacks and Lemon Pepper Wings and Zone 6 and Old Nat and everything else we love.

Colby Cusano, Brand Partnerships and Analytics Intern

Zion Williamson will bring the New Orleans Pelicans from an No. 8 seed to a No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and take home the Most Improved Player Award. 

After a decent season that saw them squeeze into the playoffs, the Pelicans are ready to make another run and with a healthy Zion Williamson. They now contain one of the most talented trios in the League.

NBA Finals Matchup: Mavs vs Celtics

Delon George, Marketing Manager SLAMgoods

The Brooklyn Nets will win the title.  

Though a lot of politics surround the Nets’ Big 3, I believe they have a lot to prove individually and together as a team this season. With Kyrie Irving will playing full-time from the start of the season and Kevin Durant avoiding injuries, the Nets are bound to have momentum this year. 

Brooke Brennan, WSLAM Intern

Lonzo Ball will return mid-season and take control of the Bulls’ offense, pushing them to be a top four seed team in the East.

While injury plagued his 2021-2022 season, Lonzo’s return mid-way through this year could give the Bulls the point guard anchor they need to take control on offense. After losing in the first round to the Bucks last year, the Bulls proved that they can be a playoff team, but have to make those adjustments. Returning key players, rising young talent, and added veteran depth will help to develop this team unit.

As for Zo, I project he’ll make an All-Star team in the near future. 

Andrew “Pitt” Pitagorsky, VP of Brand Partnerships

RJ Barrett will win Defensive Player of the Year. 

RJ Barrett will become an NBA All-Star and win Defensive Player of the Year. Going into Year 4 of his young career, RJ will take the next step in his growth and make the leap to the All-Star player we all know he could become. With the help of the coaching staff, and a pure point guard in the lineup, RJ can focus more on the defensive side of his game, and be an elite defender of the League.

Andres Puerta, Social Media SLAMFTW 

The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Miami Heat have a solid starting lineup. They are coming off a great season, with a solid performance in the playoffs from Jimmy Butler who showed what he can do in the playoffs. Tyler Herro showed out as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. They have a competitive group of guys and it doesn’t matter who is on the court. With the Heat being one of the top teams in the East last year, this will be the year they win the Eastern Conference Finals.

Arvind Pitchai, VP of Social Media

Luka Doncic will average a triple double and win MVP. 

Here’s another Luka Doncic prediction: when he averages a triple-double this season, he’ll definitely win MVP. We all know about Luka’s scoring prowess and ability to see the floor, but he also can clean the glass at a high clip. Will this lead the Mavs to the Finals? Who knows but it’s going to be a fun season watching Luka regardless.

Marcus Allen, Social Graphic Designer

The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

A big season from the New York Knicks is upon us as they will make the ECF in 2023. Future star, RJ Barrett will have the best season of his career with his new backcourt partner Jalen Brunson and ultimately earn Most Improved Player and or Defensive Player of the Year. Let’s get it.

Dave Schnur, President

The T-Wolves and the Cavs will go on a playoff run and make the Conference Finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns moving to the 4 full time will be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. He’ll hit a career high number of threes this season, Ant Edwards will make his first All-Star Team, Rudy Gobert is gonna Gobert and D-Lo will get his, too. The Cavs already have a great young core with Garland, Mobley and Allen. Adding a perennial All-Star SG like Spida that can stretch the floor and facilitate will bolster an already potent offense. Garland and Donovan may be the best backcourt in the East. 

Max Resetar, Editor 

Stephen Curry will break his own record of 402 threes in a season. 

The Dubs finally have everyone healthy. Every player on the roster has a clearly defined role and they each understand that their number one target on offense is No. 30, whether that means passing to him, screening for him, or getting the f— outta his way when the reign starts to rain. With a complete season of all the major hitters, their offense is gonna hum all the way to an easy 450 threes for the most recent Finals MVP. 

Celebrate the return of the NBA season, the 2022 WNBA champs and the future of the game with SLAM 240.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s 2022-23 NBA Preview: Crazy Bold Takes for this Season appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/ykBrsEoxc0

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 21, 2022

Robert Sarver has announced that he’s “beginning the process” to sell his majority stakes in the Suns and Mercury. Sarver is currently serving a one-year suspension after the NBA concluded its investigation into Sarver’s “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies.” during his 18-year tenure as owner of the Phoenix franchises.

“Words that I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together – and strengthened the Phoenix area – through the unifying power of professional men’s and women’s basketball,” Sarver said in a public statement. “As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner’s one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.

But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.

BREAKING: In a statement, Robert Sarver writes, in part:

“I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.”https://t.co/fMhWdDIM5M

— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) September 21, 2022

Sarver’s stunning announcement comes after the NBA players union, LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Draymond Green expressed disappointment in varying degrees about his punishment. Green specifically called for the owners to vote Sarver out; James believed the League “definitely got this wrong,” while CP3 tweeted that “the sanctions fell short.”

“I do not want to be a distraction to these two teams and the fine people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world,” Sarver said.

“I want what’s best for these two organizations, the players, the employees, the fans, the community, my fellow owners, the NBA, and the WNBA. This is the best course of action for everyone. In the meantime, I will continue to work on becoming a better person and continuing to support the community in meaningful ways. Thank you for continuing to root for the Suns and the Mercury, embracing the power that sports has to bring us together.”

There were always concerns that Sarver’s stubbornness and desire to paint himself as the victim would make him willing to continue as a pariah in the NBA community, but his decision to sell the Suns and Mercury bails out the league and his ownership peers. https://t.co/LD7o1OYhQ0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2022

Suns vice chairman Jahm Nafaji also came out and called for Sarver to resign as the owner of the Suns and Mercury. Commissioner Adam Silver let it be known that despite the precedent he set in 2015 when the NBA banned Donald Sterling due to his racist remarks, he didn’t “have the right to take away” Sarver’s ownership stakes.

Ownership in Phoenix should be more attractive after back-to-back brilliant seasons where the Suns recorded the best record in the League. According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, League execs believe Phoenix could be a monster free agent destination with the proper ownership due to its warm weather climate

The post Robert Sarver ‘Beginning the Process’ of Selling Suns and Mercury appeared first on SLAM.

Per the Arizona Republic, Najafi wrote, “in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as vice chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver.”

In response to both the NBA’s punishment and the report released by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the law firm that carried out Sarver’s investigation, Najafi stated, “the conduct [Sarver] is alleged to have committed has stunned and saddened me and is unacceptable.”

The Suns’ minority owner “has no interest in becoming a managing partner,” but he cannot “sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans to think that this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege.” 

Alongside vice chair Sam Garvin, who will serve as the Sun’s interim Governor during Sarver’s one-year suspension, Najafi wrote that they will “will work tirelessly to ensure the next team steward treats all stakeholders with dignity, professionalism, and respect.”

Najafi went on to apologize to “all whose lives and professions have been impacted” and reiterated his personal commitment to helping “eradicate any form of racism, sexism, and bias, which is unacceptable anywhere in our society.” Nafaji’s open letter joined the chorus of several NBA figures who expressed that Sarver’s actions have no place in the League and that his punishment didn’t fit his crimes.

Najafi’s resolute call for Sarver’s resignation joins the sentiments of statements from LeBron James, Chris Paul, and NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio. 

The post Suns Vice Chair Jahm Najafi Calls for Robert Sarver’s Resignation in Open Letter appeared first on SLAM.

In the wake of the NBA’s judgment, LeBron James, Suns point guard and former players union president Cris Paul, and the NBPA all issued their own statements about the suspension and fine. Paul said he was “horrified and disappointed” by the report from the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz law firm that conducted the investigation.

I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. My heart goes out to all of the people that were affected.

— Chris Paul (@CP3) September 15, 2022

Although James “loves this League” and “deeply respects our leadership,” he believes that the “League definitely got this wrong.” James went on to say that “there is no place in this League for that kind of behavior,” explicitly rallying against “misogyny, sexism, and racism in any workplace.”

behavior. I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. But this isn’t right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place. Don’t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this aint it.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 14, 2022

The NBPA, led by Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio, also released a statement. Like James, Tremaglio said Sarver’s “reported actions and conduct are horrible” and that Sarver’s workplace misconduct “have no place in our sport or any workplace for that matter.” Tremaglio took over leadership as the players union leader after Michele Roberts retired in September 2021.

Yesterday the NBA released the findings from the independent investigation by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz involving Suns Governor Robert Sarver.

Mr. Sarver’s reported actions and conduct are horrible and have no place in our sport or any workplace for that matter.

— Tamika Tremaglio (@ttremaglioNBPA) September 15, 2022

All issues that led to a toxic work environment for well over a decade.

I have made my position known to Adam Silver regarding my thoughts on the extent of the punishment, and strongly believe that Mr. Sarver should never hold a managerial position within our league again.

— Tamika Tremaglio (@ttremaglioNBPA) September 15, 2022

After the League met with its Board of Governors in New York, League commissioner Adam Silver knew that the NBA’s independent investigation would garner those responses. He’s even admitted to having “private conversations” about what the independent investigators found. He also said he would give players leeway “to speak directly about how they feel.”

“I’d only say disheartening,” said Silver in describing the players’ reaction to the investigation’s findings, per Arizona Central. “Same reaction I’ve had in many cases. I think these are — I think saddened, as I was, I think, for those players to see that we continue to deal with these issues.

“Look, I think it’s no secret this is a league where roughly 80 percent of our players are Black. More than half our coaches are Black. I will say that none of them maybe are as shocked as I am, living their lives, that I don’t think they’re reading this saying, oh, my God, I can’t believe this happens.”

Sarver, the majority owner of the Suns and Mercury, was fined $10 million and suspended for a year for “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies” that were found during a 10-month investigation over his 18-year tenure as a Suns team owner. Phoenix has 14 players that are either Black or mixed race out of their 16-man roster. The Suns also employ a Black head coach (Monty Williams) and general manager (James Jones).

In a separate statement Sarver released on Tuesday, Sarver said that he disagreed with “some of the particulars” that the investigators found but ultimately accepts “the consequences” of the League’s decision.

“Good leadership requires accountability,” Sarver said in a statement released by the Suns. “For the Suns and Mercury organizations, that begins with me. While I disagree with some of the particulars of the NBA’s report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees. I take full responsibility for what I have done. I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values.”

Silver also said he didn’t have “the right” to take away the Suns and Mercury from Sarver. While Sarver is banned from participating in any NBA or WNBA team activities, including games, practices, or business partner activity, he will be compelled to complete a training program focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace.

“In terms of future behavior, there’s no question he is on notice,” Silver continued. “He knows that. I also think, though, if you look at the chronology of the report, most of this activity goes back, most of the inappropriate activity goes back many years.”

The Suns begin their season against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 19.

The post NBPA Reacts to Robert Sarver’s Fine and One-Year Suspension For ‘Deplorable Behavior’ appeared first on SLAM.

The G League set seven points as the target because it wanted to ensure the extra period lasted longer than two possessions. The move mirrors what the NBA has done at its last three All-Star games. Since Kobe Bryant tragically passed away in a helicopter accident, the League opted to set a fourth-quarter “target score” of 24 points, a nod to the Hall-of-Famer’s iconic jersey number. The final frame was untimed as well.

A variation of the “target score” will also be used for the G League’s Winter Showcase in Las Vegas in December. The fourth quarter of the Winter Showcase will also go untimed; the highest score after three periods will have 25 points added to it, and the first team to hit the “target score” will be the winner.

For example, if Team A leads Team B 75-74 after three quarters, the first team to 100 points would be the winner.

The G League is going to a seven-point "target score" finish for overtime games this season (similar to TBT's Elam Ending).

And all 31 games at the Winter Showcase in Las Vegas will utilize a 25-point target score during an untimed fourth quarter.

G season starts Nov. 4.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 1, 2022

The NBA has experimented with the Elam Ending since 2019 after former NBPA president Chris Paul reached out to the League and recommended exploring the concept made famous by The Basketball Tournament, a winner-take-all summer tourney entire moalumf college alum teams, and overseas talent.

In the Elam Ending, the clock is turned off at the first stoppage with 4:00 or less in the final frame, and the target score is eight points more than the highest score at the time.

The G League released its schedule on Thursday, featuring a 50-game slate, an 18-game Showcase Cup to start the year, followed by a 32-game regular-season from Nov. 4-March 25. The playoffs will begin on March 28. The G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes are set to be full members of the League this season and will play a full 50-game schedule and can compete for the League title for the first time.

The Ignite will play their home games out of Henderson, Nevada. The team has been used to develop NBA prospects like Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Hardy, and MarJon Beauchamp.

The post G League Sets New Seven-Point ‘Target-Score’ Finish For Overtime Games appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

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

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

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

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

James had emphasized the importance of unity and cohesion for the team this year, citing that last year the team didn’t have that element which led to more losses than expected.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the meeting also had a crucial component that James and Ham mutually agreed on: running the offense through Anthony Davis. The team seems pleased with Davis’ offseason work and hopes he can take on the lead role.

The team will also expect a bump in three-point accuracy from Russell Westbrook, who shot 29.8 percent from three last year. Remember that the triple-double king hit corner triples at a 43.8 clip last season.

Haynes also added the meeting was deemed “productive and informative.” General Manager Rob Pelinka also attended the hour-long session and expressed his desire to have James retire as a Laker.

The post REPORT: Lakers Meet with LeBron James; Agree to Run Offense Through Anthony Davis appeared first on SLAM.

Known as the elite high school basketball players’ favorite all-star game, the SLAM Summer Classic will again bring together the top boys and girls from across the country to take part in a weekend filled with community, culture and competition. 

For the first time, the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 4 will take place at the famed Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem, NY. The girls game will tip off at 5 p.m. and the boys game will tip off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022.

Among the players taking part are:

Mackenzie Mgbako, Gill St. Bernard School (Gladstone, NJ), Robert Dillingham, Donda Academy (Simi Valley, CA), Simeon Wilcher, Roselle Catholic HS (Roselle, NJ), Jared McCain, Centennial HS (Corona, CA), Judea Watkins, Sierra Canyon HS (Los Angeles, CA), Jadyn Donovan, Sidwell Friends School (Washington DC), Hannah Hidalgo, Paul VI HS (Haddonfield, NJ).

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More than a few previously under-the-radar players have made their mark at the Classic and saw their college and pro stocks rise after the weekend. Previous SLAM Summer Classic participants include NBA stars Jalen Green, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Chet Holmgren, RJ Hampton, Josh Christopher, Jalen Suggs and Cassius Stanley, as well as rising NCAA stars Flau’jae Johnson, Diamond Johnson, Kiki Rice and Angel Reese.  

Partnering with SLAM to put on the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 4 are Gatorade, Spalding, Def Jam, CLOT, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Champs Sports, SHOWTIME^® and Nike.

“The SLAM Summer Classic is unlike any other high school basketball game! We’re so excited to bring it to the legendary Rucker Park and give these athletes an authentic NYC hoops experience,” says Les Green, CEO of SLAM Media Inc. “SLAM is all about celebrating the game of basketball as well as the culture surrounding the game. We’ll give all the young men and women a weekend to remember, full of energy, competitionand fun. With a roster of 24 amazing athletes and eight great partners, this year’s Classic will be the biggest one yet.”

For more information about the SLAM Summer Classic and real-time coverage of the event later this month, follow @SLAM, @SLAM_HS and @WSLAM on all social media platforms. 

The post SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 4 Returns on August 20 at Rucker Park appeared first on SLAM.

Banchero joins a Jordan Brand family that includes Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, Luka Doncic, Carmelo Anthony, Bam Adebayo, Jayson Tatum, Russell Westbrook, and of course, Michael Jordan.

Banchero was grinding in the Summer League with the Zion 2s and Air Jordan 36s this year.

Banchero played two Summer League games before Orlando decided to shut him down. In those two contests, Banchero showed why he was the top overall pick coming out of Duke as he averaged 20 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.

Banchero won ACC Rookie of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American after scoring 17.2 points a game during his lone season at Duke.

The post REPORT: Paolo Banchero Finalizing Endorsement Deal With Jordan Brand appeared first on SLAM.

The owner of two tea shops with plans for expansion. A fan favorite with a clothing line of her own. A cultural icon with an up-and-coming vitamin and supplement company.

Though the businesses that three of the W’s biggest names—Tamika Catchings, Tamera “Ty” Young and Liz Cambage—lead have different goals, what binds them all together is the desire to dominate. They are entrepreneurs and visionaries, and they are changing the game. 

“Basketball is not something that’s going to be forever,” Young says. “To use your likeness and start early with [business] is great.”

Ty Young was always in admiration of Mary J. Blige and Pharrell’s style and sneakers, and she used the money earned from her first job in middle school to buy things so she could dress just like them.

Flash forward to 2016 when Young played for the Chicago Sky and latched onto a sizable groundswell of fan support. The timing was perfect for Young to launch her clothing line: Ty1. Over time, the brand evolved into a full-fledged collection of streetwear from the ambassador of cool. As Young’s popularity in fashion spaces grew, high-profile athletes such as Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul were seen sporting her colorful tees with her signature sunglasses-clad emoji. 

Now newly retired, Young’s brand Ty1 Gear has an Instagram following 40,000 strong. But calm and collected as ever, Young is also realistic about the challenges of building a brand. 

“People see a brand and they see it growing and blossoming and they don’t understand all it takes because there’s also a loss you take when you’re building and creating before you make a profit,” Young says. In order to lift Ty1 Gear off the ground, Young had to find wholesalers, production companies, artists and manage shipping with her family. 

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Additionally, Young mulled over how much product to create because another unwritten rule of the fashion industry is to never have leftovers. If you go onto the Ty1 Gear IG account now, the comments are littered with people begging Ty to restock her apparel, but that’s because she learned how important understocking is.

“When I first started, I tried to accommodate everybody and would be left with so much product because when you give people more, it makes it harder for them to choose,” Young says. 

And time and time again, people aren’t just choosing Young’s brand, they are choosing her as an ambassador. Young recently partnered with Woollier, a premier upscale sneaker brand in Los Angeles, to create her own capsule of sneakers. It’s fitting that the line of kicks Young is collaborating on is called The Dreamer, named accordingly because with hard work, dreams can be hammered into existence. 

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos via Getty Images

The post How Ty Young Built Her Own Clothing Brand, Ty1 Gear appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2022

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2022

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

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 5, 2022

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

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 5, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

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

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 4, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2022

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

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 4, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 1, 2022

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

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

Portis has early bird rights in Milwaukee.

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

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

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 28, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

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

“All of the things that he was great at seeped into me,” the Houston Rockets head coach told CoolxDad. 

It’s powerful conversations like these that members of the Rockets, including Silas, Jae’Sean Tate and Josh Christopher recently had with Kevin Barnett, founder and CEO of non-profit organization CoolxDad, as a part of a meaningful “Father Day Special” campaign made in partnership with SLAM. Barnett, who is originally from Brooklyn, founded the organization in 2020 in hopes of amplifying and uplifting Black men and fathers in his community. 

“We came up with this idea to really tie in the importance of what CoolxDad is and the community that we’re building and shedding light on Black fatherhood,” Barnett says over Zoom. “[When we sat down] with these players and the coach, [we saw] how their fathers believed in them, and how the] life lessons and direction and guidance has led them to be at the ultimate level.”

For Jae’Sean Tate, it was his father, Jermaine, who once sat him down and talked to him about being a man of the house. Tate, who admits that he had to grow up early at a young age remembers the moments where his father would go as far as to pull him off the basketball team whenever he got in trouble or let his grades slip up. “I didn’t finish a season until probably I was in seventh or eighth grade. Those were just some of the sacrifices he made for me, to teach me lessons,” Tate says.

Tate’s father, who played at Ohio State and Cincinnati before embarking on a pro career overseas, would push him workouts, too. They’d spend early mornings and late nights in the gym, and during those sessions, Jermaine had high expectations set: for every airball, Tate would have to do five pushups. “You miss a free throw, another five pushups added on,” he says.

Tate, who also played at Ohio State, has had to persevere through many personal hardships, including losing his mother at a young age. When he went undrafted in 2018, he played two seasons overseas in Belgium and Australia before signing with the Rockets in 2020. This past season, he averaged 11.8 points and 2.8 assists. 

Barnett founded CoolxDad during the pandemic, as he watched innocent Black lives lost at the hands of police brutality. He was angry and frustrated. 

“I had all mixed emotions you could think about, but a few emotions that really stood out was, I’m a Black man in America, and I’m also a father raising, now, two Black children in America. I was at a time where I was like, Man, I want to be a part of the change. But I have to do it in a way that is authentic to me, a way that I can feel that I’m not being forced or following. I was given a gift, and God gave me a gift of CoolxDad. He planted this idea of using the vehicle of fatherhood—something that I’m proud of [and] probably the best accomplishment I’ve ever accomplished in my life—as a way to bring authentic conversations to the forefront.”

When Josh Christopher was suiting up for Arizona State University, the Houston Rockets guard admits that, at one point, he was going through a tough time when his own father gave him the most valuable piece of advice. He’s continued to carry it with him, even today. “During that struggle, he was just telling me, the house is built for the storm not sunshine. That has stuck with me the most probably out of anything he’s ever told me. Another quote was, Adversity visits the strong and stays with the weak. That right there just tells me, you know, tough times obviously don’t last.” 

For Barnett, he wanted to build CoolxDad into a community for men of color to feel a sense of belonging and encouraged them to be vulnerable and push past the stigmas associated with men of color that, in Barnett’s own words, “have combated us for our lives.” 

“Stigma says that we’re deadbeat fathers. We’re not around, not supportive, or empathetic. But that’s not who we are. CoolxDad is a thriving community and provides [the] support necessary resources to bring back the holistic man so that he can see a better version of yourself.”

The non-profit first started with hosting a series of Zoom calls over the course of a month and half, where they opened up about everything from when is the right time to talk to your child about social injustice to opening up about their feelings about the current climate and death of George Floyd. The group initially included Barnett’s own close friends (“It was just the homies.”), but that quickly turned into 30, sometimes even 40 people hopping on the call. 

“At that time, I didn’t know that I really wanted to start a non-profit right, I was just doing the mission.”

Now, CoolxDad has been established into a pinnacle of the Houston community that provides everything from their holiday gift drive initiative, Color Box, which is going on its third year. They’ve also donated toys and gifts to the Boys and Girls Club and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation, as well as a partnership with the Contemporary Arts Museum, where they host a gift wrapping event with all the fathers in the community. The organization also offers financial and business literacy support, as well as mental health, wellness and mentorship opportunities. 

“Nonprofit has a stigma [associated with it], especially in communities of color. [It’s like], here comes another nonprofit telling me what was wrong with me. Are they going to be here for six months or two months, and they’re out? We didn’t want that. What we wanted was to amplify Black culture [and] to make sure that we were being unapologetic and putting our culture at the forefront to ensure our culture that, yo, this were we resonate because this is what we’re here for. That’s what has propelled us to be in the seat that we’re in today because we’re using our culture, events, music, fashion, those [things] that we gravitate towards, that has helped coach us and get through hard times.” 

Silas echoed this very sentiment. He credits a strong support system, especially fatherhood, to helping propel himself, and his players, to the level that they’re at today. That impact isn’t just limited to the basketball court, as CoolxDad is on a mission to show that building the foundation of a support system can also uplift an entire community and nurture the next generation.

“We wouldn’t be in the positions that we’re in if it weren’t for the foundation that was built by our parents and our dads in particular,” Silas says. “Especially in the Black community, you don’t necessarily see that very much, where you know, you’re getting set up or you get a foot in the door because of what your dad did for you. Hopefully this is kind of the start of it, to where, in all aspects of life, we’re opening doors so we can have the opportunities, and oftentimes, it takes somebody to pull you up or give you the benefit of the doubt, even when you have doubts yourself. To have the confidence, that, you’ll be fine. [Like], C’mon, I got you. It’s special.” 

In March of 2021, they hosted CoolxHistory, their initiative to uplift black and brown heritage and culture. On June 25, the program will be throwing a Fathers Basketball Tournament at the Sunnyside Community Center that will feature live music and refreshments. 

Barnett highlights the support of his own family, his wife, and running CoolxDad to helping transform him into the leader, father and Black man that he is today. He wants that for every father, and Black man, too, and with CoolxDad, he’s on a mission to provide an opportunity to connect, open up, and help eradicate social stigmas and injustices.

“We need to build this community, because without having something that we feel safe in and that we can subscribe to, we’re just out here chasing our tails in this rat race. But more importantly, we want to make sure that we bring people to the table to have these uncomfortable conversations, because that’s when understanding happens. And if we can continue to build on that, we can look at minimizing, to then eradicating,  all of these social injustices and situations that we are seeing. And, also a real true perspective on our community.”

You can learn more about CoolxDad, and support the non-profit, here. 

Photos by William Issac and Fred Agho, video credit Vin Luong.

The post Josh Christopher, Jae’Sean Tate and Stephen Silas Open Up About Fatherhood with SLAM and CoolxDad appeared first on SLAM.

Today’s Texas sun is becoming increasingly unobstructed on the trip to Mac’s spot. On the roll, with the wind blowing through and the rental car’s engine roaring, the Texas sun is most definitely keeping the warmth. Early January doesn’t feel like early January. 

Cerulean and cloudless above.

Slow and steady pace.

More ease than worry.

Not late.

Not early.

Right…on…time.

Then it appears, a huge spot where one of the game’s most unstoppable individual talents lays his head. 

Black gates keep Mac’s home safe. There’s no answer to the exterior intercom’s inquiry, but the gates open sesame. They don’t reveal 40 thieves like in the famous tale. Instead, Mac suddenly appears just to the left of the front door of the main house. Calm as always. His pace is slow and steady, with more ease than worry. His hands are in the pockets of his personalized black adidas sweatpants, which he’s styled to rest stationary above his white adidas socks, which then lead down to a pair of adidas Forum Lows that shine and sparkle with their first wear. 

He introduces himself with all the reserved yet knowing energy of the coolest kid in high school. 

He was that. Still is. 

An entire special issue dedicated to T-Mac’s unmatched creativity.

It takes just a beat for Mac to turn and saunter over off to the side of the main house. The Texas sun that was coming out to play during the drive is dropping out of sight behind the tall building that we’re being led to. Sturdy double doors open, Mac hits a light switch and it all comes to life. An NBA-sized court is the star, flanked by a weight room to the right and a kitchen, along with a hallway that leads to an office and a separate room with a barber’s chair, to the left. Moving at this slow and steady pace allows for more to be seen. So when the light flicks on, it’s cinematic, and all that’s missing is a rising orchestral piece to accentuate the grandeur of the one and only T-Mac Arena. 

But, if that music were to be playing, it’d make it more difficult to hear all the late-night swishes that have rang out in here, or all the weights that have clanked together, or all the times that his signature adidas sneakers have squeaked against the hardwood. There are ghosts in this building. Not bad, scary ghosts, but rather the ghosts of T-Mac’s greatness as an NBA player. Ghosts of T-Mac helping the local youth who get to come into this gym and learn from one of the coldest to ever play. To see everything that’s here, but not here at the same time, is an exercise in thinking like Mac, in imagining like Mac. He’s one of the few whose claim of changing the game isn’t just a claim—he did things on the court that nobody had seen before. As a ballplayer, he was a mind-opening inspiration, someone who laughed at previously-perceived boundaries on his way to breaking new ground, or, most often, soaring to new heights. 

The rims in the Arena are soft and forgiving, and their nets offer a serenade when swishes sustain enough to stick in the soul. Treasures, both physical and otherwise, wait here. 

Some of those treasures sit just to the right of the main entrance in the form of a duffle bag overflowing with T-Macs made just for T-Mac. They’re all adorned with the “sample” tag, in his size 16, and they range from 1s to 2s to 3s to Millenniums. Black paint runs the length of the baseline underneath the duffy. “T-Mac Arena” is stenciled in big italics, joined by solid black italics on both sides of the floor, near the half court line, that read “HOF17.” Self-explanatory. The court itself is bouncy under-foot and accented by all the goodies that any ballplayer could ever want. Shooting guns, d-fenders and medicine balls dot the sidelines. A giant T-Mac logo is at halfcourt, directly underneath the highest point of the A-framed building, where the white ceiling slopes all the way up before coming back down again. 

Mac gets the music going on the loudspeakers and we hear Hov, Jada and a bunch of others while he poses with his kicks in celebration of being Striped out for 25 years.    

Before time feels like time, it turns out that nearly four hours have passed us by. We got lost in conversation and in photo shoots and in the confirmations of stories that have long been rumored (the game at Rucker Park on August 14, 2003 would have been the best ever, if not for that blackout). See, what happened was we time traveled, melded the past, present and future, and forgot about the Texas sun. It had gone from high in the sky to closer to the earth. Slow and steady pace. 

The first stop we made was high school, back to Mount Zion Christian Academy, back when he did something he would become famous for. 

“I always wanted to be creative,” Mac says. “You know, I’m a creative thinker, and I want to be the first to do something. I want to do something that nobody’s done, especially on the NBA level. And when I was in high school, a team was playing a 2-3 zone, and I just got tired of the two guys [at the top] stopping me from penetrating to the basket. So I got pissed and I said, I’m gonna split these two dudes, I’m gonna throw it off the glass and I’m gonna catch this off the glass and dunk it.”

He pauses for just a moment to grin. 

“So when I get to the NBA, I wanna throw it off the glass against the best players in the world,” he continues. “I would love to do that. I’ve never seen this in an NBA game, right? Never seen this. We’re in Boston, preseason. Score is 2-0, us. Ball coming down. Kenny Anderson, Paul Pierce, right there. Throw it up. I come out of nowhere. Bahhhh.”

He mimics the throwdown with the animation in his voice sounding like he’s wrapped in the moment all over again.

“Preseason,” he goes on. “I see my teammates Troy Hudson, Pat Garrity, all of them going crazy. Man, wouldn’t that be dope to do that at the All-Star Game with all the best players, with all the celebrities? Philadelphia. So to do this, right, you got to have supreme confidence within your ability. At this point in 2003, I feel like nobody can touch me. In 2002 to 2003, feel like nobody can touch me at this time. I’m highly skilled, I’m confident. I feel great. I’m quick, fast, like, I am at my best. We’re at All-Star Weekend. Jermaine O’Neal gives me the ball coming down on the left side. I see Dirk [Nowitzki] standing right there, I see GP [Gary Payton]. Got the ball in the left hand. Left hand coming around. Everybody do this. Just come out of nowhere. Boom. Boom. Go crazy, everybody go crazy, it was legendary. And I’m like, That’s the moment I’ve been waiting on. Because that, what I just did, I know that’s going to be around for years, for decades. Right? So I was the first one to do that. And that was the creative mind that I had. I just wanted to try different stuff, man. Why not? I worked too hard, bro. I put in a lot of work. You know, waking up 5 in the morning, three workouts a day. I put that in, you know what I’m saying? And that gave me the utmost confidence to be able to try anything on the basketball court because I believed in my ability and I wasn’t afraid to do that.” 

There seemed to be two different versions of McGrady on the court. There was the calmer guy, the one who would accept double-teams and snap crisp cross-court passes to the open man. Then there was the superpower version. That version was able to easily traverse the unseen and narrow bridge between knowing and flowing. That’s a bridge where all the conscious years of skills training, physical training and mental training lead to a disconnection from all of that intention and into a state of complete instinctual expression. Off-the-board tosses and 62-point outbursts and the otherworldly 13 points in 33 seconds, for example. 

And while Mac confirms that there were moments where he slowed down as an individual to get touches for his teammates, he says that he was never disconnected from his mind or body. It was the opposite. 

“I’m aware. I’m aware,” he says again for emphasis about those moments that look like unfiltered genius. “When I could tell one of my teammates ahead of time, Yo, I’m about to throw this off the glass, bro. Chris Whitney, when we was playing against Toronto in Orlando, Chris, watch this, I’m about to throw this off the glass. I know how the flow of the game is going, right? I know there’s nobody out here that can touch me on this basketball court, right? And the moment’s going to present itself. I know it, right? I’ve played too many games, I worked too hard to get that feeling, right? To get that feeling and to be that confident. When you got control, when you know you in control, just play ball, man, and the defense will be at your mercy. I think when you are solely confident in your ability and you know the temperature of the game, the Florida game, when you’re highly skilled, you can pull these things off. That’s all it was. I just, I knew I could go behind my back because when you create this persona, guys know us. It’s real. Guys know you’re the shit. They know this is T-Mac they’re guarding. I’m not saying this is everybody, but some of the guys that are guarding you, you can tell they’re a little timid. That’s what I mean, I’ve got control of the situation because I know these guys [and] they know there’s nothing that they can do with me.”

He credits all that to waking up before the daylight would wash over Toronto, Orlando, Houston and everywhere else he played. It looked easy because it wasn’t. He acknowledges that there was a lot of natural ability at his disposal, but he also emphasizes, multiple times, that he worked as hard as he could. 

There’s this thing that keeps happening with Mac during all this time traveling. His body language and the cadence of his voice keep on illustrating how much this all means to him. Those same hands that used to shoot from anywhere or fling passes from his hip are waving throughout the air. He’s using them as instruments to further add to all the life in his spirited speech. Given the space and time to speak and reminisce, he’s an artist sharing the secrets of his craft. And given that we’re in the physical space of T-Mac Arena, his artist studio as it were, he seems to be somewhere in between then and now, physically sitting in a chair at his home while spiritually floating through memories.  

What that craft did was expand the minds of all the kids who watched him. He introduced possibilities, thought to be just fantasies, into reality. There aren’t many who have been able to accomplish that. 

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McGrady even surprised himself. He points out the behind-the-back dribble move against Shaun Livingston (salute to the three-time champ) from the left post. It was 2006. Out of that move came a fadeaway to the baseline. The shot lofted into a net-ringing swish. Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler was on the mic for the broadcast. He used the word “creativity” in his astonished call of the moment. 

It’s just a snapshot of the brilliance. The snapshots add up to make the mosaic that adidas, all the way back in 1997, was aware would one day be painted. 

This marks the 25th year of the Tracy McGrady and adidas relationship. It’s rare air for one player to be with one brand for that amount of time. 

“It’s unheard of,” Mac says of the longevity. “I think Mike [Jordan] and AI [Allen Iverson] are the only ones that are still doing that at this rate. It’s because of that reason, because we built something that is still relevant to today. When you announced some T-Macs are coming out, they’re still selling out. Why go anywhere else? We’re still doing good things. And you got to understand, I’m still one of the only guys that is selling shoes 25 years later. It’s not many. It’s not many. And I’m talking about guys [in] my era that was superstars. I’m one of those guys that are fortunate enough to still be doing it. So you gotta keep going.”

The line has kept going with the recently released T-Mac Millennium 1s and 2s. The Stripes have retroed his line with the Restomod versions of the 1s, 2s and 3s. That’s where it stands today, after 25 long years. But how did the line start?

“I knew in my third season with adidas that I was going to be a signature guy,” Mac remembers. “Through conversations, through my play and how I was making a name for myself. People saw the talent and the skill level and having that coming out party against New York in the playoffs, where, first game I think I had 25, 26 points in my first-ever playoffs [It was 25 at MSG against the Knicks.—Ed]. And I averaged, like, 16 [points per game] that whole playoff series against a tough Knicks team. I knew I was going to get it, it was just a matter of time. And God bless, he did. My brother Kobe turned down adidas. Kobe was about to sign a $200 million deal with adidas. Who was next in line? I was like, Kob, thank you, brother, thank you, brother. I’m glad you turned down that $200 million because you left me a $100 million, bro!”

T-Mac ended up being the sole face of adidas Basketball throughout the early and mid-2000s. The Stripes didn’t push out other designers alongside of him and they made him the star of some amazing and memorable commercials. He says there wasn’t a discussion about that. It was just natural. He was in the moment and that moment called for him to be the Stripes’ star. 

Like everything he did, from his sneakers to his scoring, No. 1 was No. 1. 

But it’s not like Mac is done accomplishing. The Ones Basketball League will be touring the country this summer, bringing his idea of a one-on-one league to life. He also just started a sports agency with six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. And as we start to wrap up our shoot for the day, a team of elementary school-aged kids start to file into T-Mac Arena. They work on form shooting and ballhandling. Even at that young age, they’re learning the fundamentals. They’ll be next in line, at some point, after the current crop of high school sophomores that Mac has been mentoring through his AAU program. That group of 10th graders, Mac says, has been with him for six or seven years.

“I put in a lot of effort, energy, money behind the youth,” he goes on. “I don’t broadcast that, I don’t show that off a lot. But it’s what I do because I want these kids to win. I know how tough it is to make it and what they’re trying to accomplish. But it’s my job to really give them the tools and information so they can be successful and help them understand that if basketball doesn’t work out, it’s OK, you can win at other things. It’s not everything. There is life for us. We would love to make it to the mountaintop, but when you got an AAU program, maybe one or two of those guys make it. What about the other guys? Like, what are you instilling in them to keep them confident? And I think for me that’s what I really thrive on, is building up the confidence of the kids so when they leave my program and leave me, they’re extremely confident and they know where they’re going, they know the journey that they’re on. And if basketball doesn’t work out for them, there’s still this confidence to feel like they could be successful in life because I gave them the tools in life to be successful.”

That’s the last thing Mac says before standing up out of his chair and walking across the bouncy hardwood floor of the Arena. He’s left the treasures of his sneakers behind him. The patent leather of the 2s and the faux croc skin of the 3s are the ghosts of the past in the present. There’s also the treasures of everything he just said and didn’t say. The ghosts of the future for the kids reading this somewhere who got to see the love and care for craft, the pride in passion, even the way that the old can be experienced anew.   

He exits through those sturdy double doors, revealing that the Texas sun has become the Texas moon. It’s glowing high above a sprawling estate hidden away, where deer roam across guarded grass flatlands that lay behind black gates. 

Portraits Jon Lopez, action photo via Getty Images.

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10. 2012-13 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 66-16

Roster: Ray Allen, Chris Andersen, Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Josh Harrellson, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado, Dwyane Wade

After LeBron James made his famous announcement that he had decided to play for Miami, he sat on a stage with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and talked about how many championships the trio would win with the Heat. “Not two. Not three…” And so on.

Well, after two years in South Beach, James had one title, not two. Nobody was restless, but there was clearly an expectation that after winning it all in 2012, Miami was about to start rolling.

The Big Three was on hand to try for a repeat, but the Heat had also added sharpshooter Ray Allen, who, though 37, provided some needed long-range production and finished the season making 41.9 percent of his three-point attempts. The formula worked. Miami rampaged to 66 wins, 12 better than any other Eastern Conference team.

James once again was the biggest star, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists. But Wade and Bosh were big every night, too. And while Allen was past the days when he could dominate with his long-range shooting, he was an undeniable weapon, as was do-everything forward Shane Battier, who actually shot a higher percentage from behind the arc than Allen did.

The regular season presented few hurdles for the Heat, and neither did the first two rounds of the playoffs. Miami swept Milwaukee in the first round and dusted away Chicago in five after that. But things got interesting in the Eastern Finals, when Indiana—led by Paul George and Roy Hibbert—extended the Heat to seven games in a series so heavy on defense that only one time did a team hit triple figures. In the finale, James scored 32, and Miami routed the Pacers, 99-76, to earn a Finals meeting with San Antonio.

The Eastern Finals series was great, but the Heat-Spurs showdown was even more dramatic. After five games, the Spurs held a 3-2 series lead, and it looked as if Pop’s bunch would close things out in the sixth contest. With 28.2 seconds left, the Spurs led, 94-89, but an Allen three-pointer with 5.2 left forced overtime, and the Heat ultimately prevailed. Game 7 was similarly dramatic. With San Antonio trailing by 2, Duncan missed a pair of shots close to the hoop, and the Heat held on to take the title. Though Miami wouldn’t win seven, as James had insinuated, the Heat had put up back-to-back banners, and that was still pretty darn good.

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Photos via Getty Images.

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

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

32. 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 59-23

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

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

31. 1963-64 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 59-21

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

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

30. 1969-70 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 60-22

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

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

29. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Paul Westhead, Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

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

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

28. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 58-24

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

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

27. 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 58-24

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

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

26. 1980-81 Boston Celtics

Coach: Bill Fitch

Record: 62-20

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

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

25. 1989-90 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 59-23

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

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

24. 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 65-17

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

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

23. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 66-16

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

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

22. 1992-93 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 57-25

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

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

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

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2021-22 All-NBA teams:

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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While it helps, you don’t have to win a championship to be on this list. There were some pretty incredible NBA teams that fell short of championships but were still so far ahead of the rest of the League (besides the champion) that they deserve to leapfrog some actual champions. 

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

65. 1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 54-28

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

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

64. 1976-77 Philadephia 76ers

Coach: Gene Shue

Record: 50-32

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

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

63. 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 62-20

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

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

62. 2001-02 Sacramento Kings

Coach: Rick Adelman

Record: 61-21

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

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

61. 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics

Coach: George Karl

Record: 64-18

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

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

60. 1956-57 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 44-28

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

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

59. 2017-18 Houston Rockets

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 65-17

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

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

58. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 62-20

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

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

57. 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Frank Vogel

Record: 52-19

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

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

56. 2009-10 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 50-32

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

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

55. 1996-97 Utah Jazz

Coach: Jerry Sloan

Record: 64-18

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

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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Devin Booker has been named 2021-22 LeagueFits MVP, while Josh Christopher is the LeagueFits Rookie of the Year and Myles Turner has won Most Improved.

As we noted in his KICKS 24 cover story, Book has always studied fashion, sneakers and art. His straightforward fashion sense and defined aesthetic helped him earn his first LeagueFits MVP title. Clarkson, Oubre Jr., D’Angelo Russell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined Booker for First Team honors. Phoenix teammate Chris Paul joined Booker on the LeagueFits Second Team.

As for the rookies, Jaygup separated himself from an All-Rookie Team that included Barnes, Green, Jonathan Kuminga and David Duke Jr. Christopher, the first and only high school player to be posted on LeagueFits, established himself as a future MVP contender with a strong rookie showing. Between retro shirts, jean jackets and a countless variety of kicks, Christopher was able to beat out Houston teammate Jalen Green (who earned a Third Team spot) for the ROTY award.

Myles Turner earned All-LeagueFits Third Team honors as well as Most Improved. The Pacers center impressed with his one-of-one style throughout the season and truly showed out, rocking everything from lime green knitted sleeves to slick shades.

The All-LeagueFits teams as well as the MVP, ROTY and Most Improved awards were selected by a voting system that included one-third of votes from fans, one-third of votes from LF’s Survival of the Fitted podcast and votes from an exclusive panel that included former WNBA star Ty Young, designer Mamadou, fashion publicist John Guidry, NBA champ Axel Toupane, NFL star and designer Rodney McLeod, designer Caroline Bentley Noble, Los Angeles Sparks’ star Liz Cambage, fashion TikTok influencer Ayeeron, former NBA standout and designer/‘Bucks in 6’ legend Brandon Jennings, Richard aka @thehapablonde and stylist Devon Byrd.

The post Devin Booker Named LeagueFits MVP, Josh Christopher Wins ROTY appeared first on SLAM.

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

75. 1997-98 Indiana Pacers

Coach: Larry Bird

Record: 58-24

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

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

74. 1994-95 Orlando Magic

Coach: Brian Hill

Record: 57-25

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

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

73. 1986-87 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 59-23

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

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

72. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach: Scott Brooks

Record: 47-19

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

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

71. 1992-93 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Paul Westphal

Record: 62-20

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

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

70. 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

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

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

69. 2018-19 Toronto Raptors

Coach Nick Nurse

Record: 58-24

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

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

68. 1961-62 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 60-20

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

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

67. 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Billy Cunningham

Record: 62-20

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

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

66. 1984-85 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 63-19

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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The girl’s national game starts at 6pm ET, while the boys play at 8pm. Here’s the tentative roster for this year’s event: 

Girls Roster:

Kymora Johnson (USA Trials ‘23) 

Zoe Brooks (USA Trials ‘23) 

Angelica Velez (ESPN top 50 ‘23) 

Aalyah De Rosario (ESPN Top 20) 

Paris Clark (MAC Jordan NY Gatorade POY + Arizona ‘22) 

Ayanna Patterson (MAC + UConn ‘22) 

Paulina Paris (UNC commit ‘22 & Jordan Cllassic)

Kate Koval ‘24 fro Ukraine JR National team )

Caroline Lau ( ‘22 Northwestern)

Mackenzie Nelson (‘23 Connecticut Gatorade POY)

Carys Baker (‘23 ESPN #60))

Grace Sundback (‘23)

Zhara King(‘24)

Sahnya Jah (‘23 ESPN top 25) 

Ariel Little (‘24)

Talayah Walker (24)

Qadence Samuels(‘23)

Mia Pauldo (‘25 ESPN #17)

Mya Pauldo (‘25 ESPN #18)

Boys Roster: 

**Subject to change**

Tahaad Pettiford (ESPN #34 ‘24)

Elliot Cadeau (ESPN #10 ‘24)

Chance Westry (Auburn ESPN #33)

TJ Robinson (Bishop Walsh ‘24)

Darryn Peterson (Cuyahoga ESPN #4)

Ian Jackson (ESPN #3 ‘24)

Jaquan Sanders (Seton Hall Commit)

Jerry Easter II (Emmanuel Christian)

Quadir Copeland (Syracuse Commit) 

Rowan Brumbaugh (Texas ESPN #90) 

Malik Bowman (OTE)

Akil Watson (ESPN #24 ‘23)

Christian Watson (Miami ESPN #92)

Tarik Watson (Rivals 41 ‘24)

Ryan Bewley (OTE) 

Elijah Jones (East Carolina Commit) 

Tobe Awaka (Tennessee Commit ‘23)

Aaron Bradshaw (ESPN #20 ‘23)

Kyle Filipowski (Duke Commit) **

Brandon Miller (Alabama Commit) ** 

Desmond Claude (Xavier Commit) **

Justin Edwards (ESPN #13 ‘23) **

Youssouf Singare (Bella Vista Prep) ** 

Isaiah Miranda (ESPN #26 ‘23) **

ACES is a cultural lifestyle brand platform that’s focused on storytelling through collaborations, products, and unique event activations. Founded by former pro hooper turned CEO Brian Kortovich (who joined the ranks of Kevin Durant and Dr. J, Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond when he won a scoring title at Rucker Park in the summer of 2012) the brand has always been tapped into the culture. That impact continues this year as they spotlight the elite talent that hails not only from the five boroughs, but nationally.    

“Grassroots basketball has always been a part of the Brand ACES ethos,” says founder and CEO Brian Kortovich. “The Omni Elite Classic (OEC) is unique because of its organic inception, relevance to hoop culture and how it rallies the local community together. The OEC platform consistently attracts some of the top ranked HS players in the country to NYC, the Mecca of Basketball. We will continue to impact and empower these student athletes by giving them a stage to shine on a national level and organically giving them an outlet to tell their stories.

Special shoutout to the OEC Team. Trevor Harris & Jess Villaplana, Dwight Shaw, Mark Westman, Eric Jones & Dayon Floyd for all of their hard work and efforts.”

Last year, the showcase featured standouts including UConn and SLAM 235 co-cover star Azzi Fudd and NCAA national champion, Kansas’ Kyle Cuffe Jr. In the past, New York’s very own Jahvon “JQ” Quinerly, who just graduated from Alabama, Minnesota Timberwolves’ center Naz Reid, Orlando Magic’s Cole Anthony and Mo Bamba and Pelicans’ PG Jose Alvarado have suited up in the OEC as well.

“Omni Elite Classic is a great platform to allow student athletes to come out and compete at the highest level, in the Mecca of basketball,” says the program’s Boys Director, Trevor Harris. “While the focus is on putting together a roster of high caliber athletes, we also focus on rewarding those that equally excel in the classroom.”

“I am excited for this year’s Omni Elite Classic showcase. It’s the last exclusive HS basketball event of the year where we bring some of the top players in the country from different classes to compete against each other in NYC,” adds Girl’s Director Jess Villaplana.

Read here for more information on the Omni Elite Classic. 

For live coverage of the event, and all things high school hoops, follow @slam_hs.

Photos by Luke Schlaifer, Moving Pictures and Johnnie Izquierdo.

The post The ACES Omni Elite Classic Makes Its Return to the Mecca on May 24 appeared first on SLAM.

Jose Alvarado, Terance Mann, Max Strus, Oshae Brissett and Mac McClung. None of ’em got an invite, initially. They earned it, though, after showing out at the G League’s Elite Camp.

On May 16-17, 44 prospects will participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages and strength and agility drills hoping for an invite to the combine later in the week.

LSU’s Shareef O’Neal, Kansas’ Davis McCormack and UNC’s Brady Manek are among those expected to attend with the hopes of following in the same path the big steppers named above did in their journey to the L.

Here are some of the G League’s Elite Camp biggest success stories.   

“Grand Theft” Alvarado, who attended the camp in 2021, took the NBA by storm this season, but before then, the electric 6-foot guard was just another undrafted player, albeit one with the ACC DPOY award. After signing a two-way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, it took just five games for the team to call Alvarado up from the Birmingham Squadron, where he was averaging 19.8 points and 3.4 swipes per game. His 11 games with 3-plus steals and the two forced 8-second violations he had on Point God Chris Paul in the 2022 playoffs has not only made Alvarado a fan favorite in NOLA but across the entire L. And now, the Elite Camp alum has a well-deserved four-year guaranteed contract to show for it.

In 2019, Terance Mann’s phone was on 1% as he headed to the airport, going home after not being invited to the Draft Combine despite showing out at the G League Elite Camp. As he was preparing to check his bag, the 23-year-old looked down at his phone and saw a number he didn’t recognize. It was the NBA, calling to tell him to turn back around so he could take part in the Combine after all. Now coming off his third year in the League, the FSU product averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 boards for the Clippers, showcasing flashes of brilliance and growth as a secondary option, highlighted by back-to-back 20-pieces in February.

Former undrafted DePaul prospect Max Strus is lighting it up for the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semis. The third-year sharpshooter was able to showcase his scintillating skills for scouts during the Elite Camp in 2019. In 23 minutes per game, Strus is averaging 10.3 points on 41 percent shooting from downtown, knocking down nearly three trey balls a night. The definition of an unphased shooter, Strus shot 50 percent from three with defenders within two feet of him and now remains a vital part of the Heat’s championship run.

Before he was flying through the air in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Oshae Brissett signed with the Toronto Raptors as a two-way player, averaging 14.7 points and 6.5 boards for the Raptors 905 G League squad. Starting the 2021-22 campaign with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (the Pacers’ G League affiliate), the undrafted prospect out of Syracuse was ultimately given the opportunity to sign with the Pacers for the remainder of the season, where he proved a force to be reckoned with in the paint, dropping 27 points and 6 boards in a late February win over the Celtics and 28 and 8 in their final game of the season.

An undrafted guard out of Texas Tech and now the reigning G League Rookie of the Year, Mac McClung showcased his top-tier athleticism and dawg mentality to scouts and coaches at last year’s Elite Camp. After averaging 21.7 points and 7.7 dimes while swiping 1.4 steals per game in the G League, the rookie signed a two-way deal with the Lakers, appearing in their season finale, where he tallied 6 points, 3 boards and a signature reverse throw-down.

Follow along on G League (@nbagleague) and SLAM socials for details on players throughout Elite Camp, storylines and stream info.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The G League Elite Camp Returns to Chicago Looking to Fulfill More NBA Dreams appeared first on SLAM.

Out of the many Suns player who had a rough Game 7 outing, Deandre Ayton’s performance raised a good deal of questions. In 17 minutes of action, Ayton finished with five points and four rebounds on 2-5 shooting from the field. Ayton’s 6’11 frame and 7’6 wingspan would’ve been an advantage against a Mavericks team that had no answers for a player like Ayton who can score on the inside and dominate the gas.

When Coach Monty Williams was asked about Ayton’s minutes, he gave an answer that led to more questions about Ayton’s future with Phoenix. The former No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft is headed into restricted free agency after his representation, and the Phoenix front office couldn’t agree to a long-term extension. Which reportedly led to some tension between Ayton and the front office.

Monty Williams on Deandre Ayton only playing 17 minutes tonight: “It’s internal.”

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) May 16, 2022

According to multiple reports, Ayton and Williams had a few words after the Suns head coach benched him shortly into the second half. The Suns didn’t come out of the break with the necessary sense of energy, allowing the Mavs to raise their lead to as much as 46 points.

Ayton posted 17.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season, but the Suns’ defense didn’t perform at a high level with him on the court (2.3 points per 100 possessions, according to NBC Sports). In the playoffs, Ayton only had a few max contract quality performances, posting 28 points and 17 rebounds in Game 3 of the Suns-Pelicans first-round series and a 25/8 performance in Game 1 of the Suns-Mavs series.

When Devin Booker was about Ayton’s contract negotiations, he didn’t necessarily give his long-time teammate a resounding endorsement or demand that Phoenix re-sign the former Arizona Wildcat.

“His contract situation is between him and the front office. I care about him as a brother. Just making sure his mental is right…whatever happens, happens. Kind of hard to look so far in the future.” – Devin Booker on Deandre Ayton’s contract situation

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) May 16, 2022

The Suns running it back with a similar roster might be the best plan; perhaps add another All-Star level playmaker to help alleviate the pressure off Devin Booker and Chris Paul from having to create shots for their teammates and themselves

Both participants of the 2021 NBA Finals are eliminated from the playoffs after Phoenix and the Milwaukee Bucks lost their respective Game 7s on Sunday.

The post Monty Williams On Why He Benched Deandre Ayton After 17 Minutes: ‘It’s Internal’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Paul, he will return to play at least next season. The 37-year-old veteran point guard still has two years remaining on his contract. The next time Paul will test the market will be Summer 2025 when he’s 39-years old.

“We’ll be right back here next year,” Paul said, putting any retirement notion to bed. “I’m not retiring.”

Paul will be entering his 18th season in the NBA next season. CP3 has build a Hall-of-Fame career since getting drafted fourth overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the then-New Orleans Hornets. The only thing the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon hasn’t accomplished in illustrious career is win a title. He seems to still be game to win that elusive title after struggling against Dallas in the final five games of the series.

In Game 1 and 2, Paul averaged 23.5 points per game. In the final five, the 12-time All-Stat put up just 9.4 points per game. Paul will have a long offseason to rejuvenate his battery so he can help keep Phoenix at the top of the Western Conference hierarchy moving forward. The first order of business for the Suns’ front office will be signing restricted free agent Deandre Ayton to a long-term extension this summer.

The two sides were unable to come to terms on a deal last summer.

The post Chris Paul Won’t Retire After This Season: ‘We’ll Be Right Back Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

The win was primarily due to the Mavs’ stifling defense holding the Suns to a season-low in scoring, regular or postseason, for the second time in the Western Conference semifinal series. The Suns also shot 39.7 percent from the field and coughed the ball up a season-high 22 times. The Mavs also outscored the Suns in transition 21-8.

“I don’t have enough time to talk about everything that’s eating at me,” Coach Monty Williams said per ESPN. “I didn’t think we understood the desperation they were going to play with. Couple that with the turnovers that we had tonight; it’s a recipe for what we just got.”

.@DevinBook gettin’ himself going. pic.twitter.com/Z2nSLuWB8o

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) May 13, 2022

Sunday’s potentially season-altering Game 7 will be Chris Paul’s eighth ever, owning a 3-4 record in such games, while Devin Booker will be playing in his first-ever Game 7.

“Greatest two words in sports,” Booker said. “I’m excited to feel the energy. I’m excited to be a part of it. It’s a great opportunity.”

It has begun. pic.twitter.com/oWCVtwX7JG

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) May 13, 2022

If Phoenix can take any solace, it’s that their 64-18 regular-season record ensures Game 7 will be on their homecourt. So far, the home team of this series has won all six games, none with a margin closer than seven points.

The post Devin Booker On Playing His First Career Game 7: ‘Greatest Two Words in Sports’ appeared first on SLAM.

David McMenamin of ESPN recently dove into the Suns hyped up pregame festivities. There’s times they clown around with each other, while some, like Mikal Bridges, pretends he’s suiting up in Iron Man armor. There’others acting like they’re in the middle of a football play and dancing/meme-inspired gestures that the Suns find and shop around, hoping a teammate will execute it in the tunnel.

Then comes the team’s 15 players dapping up their teammates in 14 unique ways. Each handshake displays just as much muscle memory as the dazzling euro steps, fadeaway, and stepback jumpers they execute shortly afterward.

“It loosens it up a little bit,” JaVale McGee says. “Everybody doesn’t have to be 100 percent serious when they go into the game, but focused. Focused and serious are two different things.”

“We’re the circus, and we pack up and move every day,” Cam Payne added. “because it’s the greatest show on Earth.”

Once all the fun is over, the Suns gather around their veteran leader, Chris Paul, who galvanized the troops with a speech or message to the team to help them set the tone for the evening. The entertaining display of teamwork has become a welcome release for the Suns; a self-described circus show that McGee originated.

As a three-time champion, McGee knows the importance of culture, and setting a tone is just as crucial as the mundane task of setting a screen or making the proper defensive rotation. McGee reminds the Suns that they are “dogs” and the “best team in the motherf…ing world’ played a huge part in the Suns finishing the regular season with the best record in the NBA.

The Suns also finished the year as the only team with top-five rankings in offensive and defensive efficiency. Coach Monty Williams was recently named Coach of the Year, Mikal Bridges finished second for Defensive Player of the Year, and Devin Booker recieved MVP buzz. According to McMenamin, the pregame ritual is the backbone of the Suns performing so well as a team and individually.

Per Deandre Ayton, the Suns have a culture that doesn’t come around too often in a professional setting.

“It feels like a college team sometimes,” Ayton says, “but we get so much money for this.”

Adds Paul: “I’ve been in this league so long that I done seen teams that don’t do anything [pregame]. If you’re on another team and you see that, you’re like, ‘Damn, we ain’t got that.’

“That right there has sort of been our little sacred space.”

When the Suns take the Mavericks o for Game 6 on the road, the culture they’ve built will help them will gather up the energy to close out this semifinal series and win Thursday’s pivotal Game 6.

The post ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’: How the Suns Pregame Tunnel Routine Hypes Them Up appeared first on SLAM.

Through 21 career playoff games,  Dončić has scored 32.5 points per game and is second only to Michael Jordan. The men tasked with guarding Dončić are Bridges, Chris Paul, Jae Crowder, and Deandre Ayton, who have combined to take a 3-2 series lead while being slightly effective in slowing down Dončić. Bridges have guarded Luka Legend for 20 gametime minutes longer than any other Maverick this series.

“To play against unbelievable talent, it challenges me personally,” Bridges said after Game 1, per Sports Illustrated. “It makes me better as a player. I embrace the challenge for sure.”

In a perfect Phoenix defensive possession, Bridges would fight through a screen-and-roll, catch up with Dončić before he gets deep in the paint, giving Ayton, JaVale McGee, or Bismack Biyombo enough time to recover to whoever sets a screen to free Dončić up to score. However, Dončić is an elite scorer for a reason. Dončić is proven to be adept at scoring in the midrange and is capable of hitting stepback triples.

The preferred Phoenix has for their Dončić coverage has had to be changed from drop coverage to Phoenix deciding to switch because Dončić is so lethal with the ball in his hands. Not only is Dončić scoring at will, but Dallas has been able to space the court due to Luka Legend being able to help Dallas average 11.5 corner three-pointers per game, up from 10.1 during the regular-season.

Dallas has shot nearly 41 triples a game through four games, including 44 in their Game 4 win. This is primarily due to Dončić exploiting Phoenix’s defense to open up Dallas’ shooters around the perimeter.

“I think you put all those things into one,” Crowder said about trying to stop Dončić and his sharp-shooting teammates. “Once you get in the game, you gotta read and react. You have to truly know the rotations; you have to know what your teammates are doing. Obviously, knowing your opponent is probably the No. 1 thing, and knowing what the Mavericks are trying to do on the offensive end.

“Dončić does a great job of reading the game and knowing where all his teammates are on the court. We’re playing chess right now.”

The Phoenix-Dallas series shifts back to Dallas for Thursday’s Game 6, with Phoenix looking to close the series out. The Sun’s best chance in doing so might be to allow Dončić to play one-one while blanketing the Mavericks’ shooters and phasing their other scorers out to test Dončić’s stamina.

The post Mikal Bridges on Guarding Luka Dončić’: ‘I Embrace the Challenge For Sure’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

6-3 AND BELOW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-4 TO 6-8 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-9 AND UP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subscribe to the official podcast of the basketball bible, SLAM’s “No Pump Fakes.”

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

The post SLAM’s Official Top 75 Greatest 1-on-1 NBA Players of All Time List appeared first on SLAM.

Well, it seems as though this Mavs team took those challenges to heart, beating the Suns 103-94, holding Phoenix to their worse offensive efficiency of the playoffs, notably making sure that the targeting roles were reversed after forcing Chris Paul into 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on seven turnovers. Phoenix coughed the ball up 17 times overall on Friday.

As far as Kidds challenge for someone other than Doncic to score the ball, five players scored in double-figures in response to Kidd’s gauntlet, led by Jalen Brunson. The two-time NCAA champion finished Game 3 with a game-high 28 points, four rebounds, and five dimes on 47.6 (10-21) percent shooting from the field. Luka Legend posted 26 points, 13 rebounds, and nine dimes.

”I found a way to bounce back tonight,” Brunson said per NBA.com. ”I just can’t be satisfied with this. Sunday’s going to be another brutal game. I have to bring the same energy, the same intensity, the same everything.”

“It was a great team win. JB, Spencer, Maxi, Doe, Reggie, everybody joined the party,” Kidd added per YahooSports.

Game 4 of the Suns-Mavericks series will resume on Sunday afternoon.

The post Jalen Brunson Gets His ‘Bounce Back’ in Game 3 Win: ‘I Just Can’t Be Satisfied With This’ appeared first on SLAM.

However, it’s not Luka Legends’ record-breaking sixth 40-point game at 23-years-old that’s receiving attention at the moment. Instead, the Suns and Chris Paul are relentlessly hunting for a CP3-Dončić matchup out of the pick-and-roll, creating an offensive attack that’s overshadowing the offensive exploits of Dončić.

During Game 2 of the Suns-Mavs series, Paul ran Dončić through 19 ball screens in the second half, scoring 1.81 points per chance on those possessions, per ESPN and Second Spectrum. The back-and-forth between the two All-Stars all but erased the 35-point effort Dončić put up in the Mavs’ 129-109 loss as CP3 torched the suns to the tune of 28 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

“It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll,” Kidd said about the Suns seeking out Luka Doncic, “[Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself.”

Jason Kidd on the Suns’ hunting Luka Doncic: “It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll. [Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 6, 2022

Heading into Game 3 down 2-0, Kidd and Doncic will have to find a way to get vital scorers like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie going and a way to get stops when it matters the most so that Dončić can bring them home during crunch time.

Some of that may depend on Kidd developing a game plan that will lessen the load Dončić carries; as of Game 2, he holds a League-high 38.8 percent usage rate in the playoffs. It was 45 percent in the first half of Game 2.

Defensively, the Mavs could look to do the same to CP3, effectively wearing him as the game goes on so that he loses some offensive potency late in the fourth quarter. Another solution would be to pre-switch, allowing a teammate to switch with Dončić’s matchup before a pick-and-roll action can be run.

Time is of the essence for Dallas to reclaim some momentum as the Suns-Mavs series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Friday.

The post Jason Kidd on the Suns Seeking Luka Doncic Matchup: ‘They’re Going to Put Him in Every Pick-and-Roll’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) May 3, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Luka Doncic Posts Sixth 40 Point Game; Most Ever By a 23-Year-Old appeared first on SLAM.

In the first round against the Pelicans, Ayton averaged 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game on 70.0 percent shooting from the field. A good jump from his regular season when he posted 17.2 points and 10.2 boards per game.

As the Mavericks-Suns series rolls, Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd’s use of small-ball lineups might not be as valuable against Ayton, who is athletic enough to keep up with shooters like Maxi Kleber when Kidd deploys him as small-ball 5. The Suns also have lengthy and versatile defenders like Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cam Johnson, who can chase the Mavericks’ marksman

“We have to adapt,” Kidd said per Sports Illustrated. “Our game plan against Utah is not going to work against the Suns. We’ve already changed that mindset because we’re not playing the Jazz.

Ayton will be tasked with taking advantage of the Mavs whenever he’s in a pick-and-roll situation with CP3, rim-running in transition, and bullying his matchup when he’s given the rock in the low post. Ayton is also a threat to score from deep, sinking 50 percent of his four three-point attempts so far in the playoffs.

“We understand their strength is midrange, but they hurt you with the 3 in transition, and they can hurt you in the paint with JaVale and Ayton. This isn’t Gobert or Whiteside. These guys can put the ball in the basket. So, our bigs are going to be tested.”

The post Jason Kidd on Guarding the Suns’ Big Men: ‘We Have to Adapt’ appeared first on SLAM.

Paul scored 33 points on 14-14 shooting from the field, went 4-4 from the free-throw line, and sank his one and only attempt from beyond the arc. He also hauled in five rebounds and dished out eight assists. The 12-time All-Star became the first player in playoff history to make all 14 of his shots as he led the Suns back from a double-digit deficit.

CP3 scored his 33 points on seven different defenders, asserting his will on the Pelicans’ defense with his signature midrange jumper. Paul scored the dagger bucket with 28 seconds left on the clock when he knocked down 10-foot to give Phoenix a five-point lead.

“It’s unbelievably special; you have no idea how special it is for me,” said Paul, per ESPN. “I had no clue (I hadn’t missed). At halftime, I realized I might need to shoot a little bit more.”

pic.twitter.com/9TAysfbV9p

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 29, 2022

Paul’s perfect doesn’t happen without his pick-and roll partner, Deandre Ayton. Paul and the Suns erased a 10-point deficit in the third quarter after knocking down 13 of their first 14 shots. Paul hit six jumpers while Ayton (22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists) made two.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Paul and Ayton shot a combined 24-26 from the field, the highest combined field goal percentage (92.3 percent) by a pair of teammates in a playoff game in the shot-clock era.

“I don’t believe in heat checks, I don’t shoot enough to take a heat check, and once I miss, I might be cold,” Paul said. “They were sort of letting me get to my spots.”

The Suns and Dallas Mavericks are set for a second-round showdown that begins on May 2 in Footprint Center.

The post Chris Paul Leads Suns Past First Round With Perfect Shooting Night appeared first on SLAM.

There were two plays that showed why Alvarado was rewarded with a four-year deal and has gained a reputation for his scrappy play on both ends of the floor. One came from when Alvarado picked Chris Paul’s pocket from behind.

Jose spawned in from behind. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/GoYiMMXejl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 25, 2022

The second big moment came when Alvarado picked the Wake Forest product 90 feet and forced CP3 into an 8-second violation while the Point God attempted to bring the ball across the halfcourt. Forcing the two turnovers had to be gratifying for the Georgia Tech product after Paul waved him earlier in the series.

“Couldn’t wave me off of that one,” Alvarado said. “I got him — that’s one thing I wanted to do, actually. I got him on my list.”

JOSE ALVARADO LOCKS DOWN CHRIS PAUL

8-second violation on the Point God pic.twitter.com/dVPfDIsY1p

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 25, 2022

The hustle and attitude of the Brooklyn-bred point guard garnered a resonating standing ovation from the NOLA fanbase.

“He’s one of the best guards out there. It’s all love. No disrespect. But I’m going to be there. I ain’t running away from no smoke. It’s nothing personal. I’m going to stand on my own. I’ll pick up fullcourt, make the game difficult for him.”

NOLA Jose Alvarado

(via @PelicansNBA) pic.twitter.com/IUjEw97kZp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 25, 2022

The Suns-Pelicans series moves back to Phoenix on Tuesday for Game 5.

The post Pesky Jose Alvarado Shows His Worth in Two Big Moments Against Chris Paul appeared first on SLAM.

The one issue that remains is the Golden State backcourt. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole are still hot, and each was on fire in Game 3.

Steph
Klay
JP
BUCKETS. pic.twitter.com/cKcxHKYLe2

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 22, 2022

Curry and Poole each finished with 27 points apiece, and Thompson dropped 26 points on his own to cancel out a monster 37-point, 18 rebound game by Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 118-113. The Warriors now lead 3-0 in their first-round series with a chance to sweep over the weekend.

The three guards have led a small ball lineup that has been the difference in this series. Each player has had their chance to shine individually and collectively throughout this series. In Game 1, Jordan Poole got rolling with a historic start. Then it was Curry who exploded in Game 2 to eclipse the playoff career 3,000 point mark while scoring a game-high 34 points in only 23 minutes.

In Game 3, all three made history. Thompson passed Ray Allen for third all-time in playoff three-pointers made. Chef Curry passed James Worthy for 26th on the playoff scoring list. As for Jordan Poole, he became the first guard since the merger to score 25 Pts on 60 percent shooting in three straight playoff games. Jerry West, Lou Hudson, and Brian Winters were the only guards to have done it in history, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole are the 3rd trio in Warriors history to each record 25 points and 50% shooting in a playoff game and the first since 1989.

1989: Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond & Terry Teagle

1958: Neil Johnston, Paul Arizin & Tom Gola pic.twitter.com/wJbmus6noh

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 22, 2022

All three became the first trio in franchise history to record 25 points on 50 percent shooting and the first to do since Chris Mullin, Mitch Redmond, and Terry Teagle did so in 1989.

“He looks like a seasoned vet,” Thompson said about Poole via Yahoo Sports. “The shots he’s been making and taking, he’s kind of been our catalyst on offense. JP, I’ve seen him put in so much work behind the scenes that he deserves this.

“I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Not only is Thompson enjoying his teammate’s play but the opportunity to be back on the floor with his teammates in general.

“So much,” he said when asked how much he missed playoff games on the road. “It’s what you dream of, it’s what you prepare for and I don’t take granted nights like these. That was a ton of fun and just a gutsy win by our squad.

“Everything I worked for the past two years has come to fruition. I’m just incredibly grateful to be here and having fun.”

Golden State will try to close out the series on Sunday.

The post Golden State Warriors Take Command Of Series With Backcourt Brilliance appeared first on SLAM.

It was a reminder to both Williams—the youngest VP of the National Basketball Players Association—and women across the sports landscape of why the efforts of organizations like the NBPA are so vital. 

“We have to support our players because we want the best products on the court,” Williams tells us via Zoom. “See how it goes and see that the value of not only the W but how the value of the brand of the WNBA will grow.”

From the moment Williams stepped into the League out of Tennessee, the 23-year-old has been devoted to making the landscape easier to traverse for future players while growing their individual brands at the same time. 

As a rookie during the Players Association’s annual winter meeting during the 2019-20 season, Williams ran for a VP role in the executive committee against Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyrie Irving. Ultimately losing out to the now Brooklyn guard, Williams’ run planted the seeds within the minds of the Board of Representatives of the unique vision he could bring to the role. 

CJ McCollum, Andre Iguodala and Chris Paul all came up to Williams at the end of the meeting, expressing their support for the youngster and for his passion. “Don’t stop running, we would love to have you on this exec committee,” he recalls them saying.

Next thing he knew, Paul’s three-year term had come to an end, with McCollum consequently filling his shoes as the PA’s next president, leaving his VP seat vacated. 

This time around, Williams received five nominations: CP3, CJ, Andre, Jaylen Brown and one other vote. 

Since last August, Williams has been directly involved with the setup and installation of the social justice committee, which came out of the 2020 Bubble’s social movements and protests. Grant’s focus isn’t on what he can do for the players now. “It’s, What can I do for you when your career is done? What can I do for you when you first get into the League?”

“I’ve just been trying my best to learn and absorb all the information possible, but also impact and speak on my opinion and voice the issues of not only the younger players, but also players who are not in a position of the superstars, and the ones that make millions of dollars already,” Williams adds. 

He’s relatively new to the inner workings of the NBA, like dealing directly with the League office and the players he doesn’t yet have relationships with, but this new landscape has provided Williams opportunities to grow as a leader.

“If I can’t figure it out myself, I’m gonna find someone who can,” he says. “If I can’t help you out today, I’m gonna find a way to help you tomorrow. I feel like servant leadership. I feel like as a man, I’ve really embraced it.”

“Whether it’s the NBA, whether it’s mentoring, I feel like these are all things that are very valuable for the next generation. Because we’ve set ourselves up well as NBA players to make generational wealth,” Williams says. “Now it’s about helping those around us to do the same.” 

Photo Credit Richard Brooks NBPA and via Getty Images.

The post How Celtics’ Grant Williams is Making His Voice Heard as VP of the NBPA’s Executive Committee appeared first on SLAM.

Incredibly humbled to be appointed to President Biden’s HBCU Board of Advisors. Looking forward to working with this amazing group to continue to elevate these historical institutions. #HBCUlove pic.twitter.com/Zc5Im0Alqb

— Chris Paul (@CP3) March 31, 2022

According to the White House, the goal of the Advisory Board is to advance the HBCU Initiative, which the Carter administration started in 1980. The Biden Administration has committed more than $5.8 million towards supporting its financial commitment to HBCUs.

CP3 has become a well-known advocate of the HBCU community, co-producing Why Not Us, an eight-episode docuseries on ESPN that covered the North Carolina Central men’s basketball program. Spike Lee, Henson, and Jerry Lorenzo were also a part of the series. Paul was a part of the push to help start the inaugural NBA HBCU Classic featuring Morgan State and Howard.

Both schools received a $100,000 donation from the League and AT&T to support student-athletes continuing their education.

The 12-time All-Star also partnered with the Harvard Business School to bring its entertainment, media, and sports program to North Carolina A&T and will bring the program to other HBCUs in the future to help provide those opportunities in the same career fields. Paul was also partly responsible for starting voting initiatives to encourage HBCU students to vote.

The post Chris Paul Appointed to President Biden’s HBCU Board of Advisors appeared first on SLAM.

According to Suns reporter Kellan Olson, head coach Monty Williams is hoping that Johnson will make his return to action within the next week.

Johnson has been out nearly a month after suffering a quad injury, last suiting up for the Suns on March 4, in a game where he had a season-high 38 points in a one-point win over the New York Knicks.

With the NBA Playoffs starting in just a few weeks, the news of Johnson’s imminent return is huge for the Suns. Before his injury, Johnson was averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting an astonishing 44.8 percent from three.

Even without Johnson, and point guard Chris Paul who recently returned from a thumb injury, the Suns are dominating the NBA, having already clinched the best record in the league, 61-14, and the one seed in the Western Conference.

Phoenix has just seven games remaining this year, with the regular-season closing on Sunday, April 10, against the Sacramento Kings.

The post Phoenix Suns Announce Cameron Johnson to Return ‘Later This Week’ appeared first on SLAM.

DETERMINATION. DBOOK IS LOCKED IN. (via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/uq7VE7baPn

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 25, 2022

The Suns’ win was not only momentous because it was their League-best 60th of the year and clinched home-court advantage through the playoffs, but it also marked the return of Chris Paul to the lineup after missing 15 games due to a fractured thumb. The Suns went 11-4 while Paul has been out. CP3 finished the night with 17 points and 13 assists.

“We have a special team; it’s that simple,” Paul said per ESPN. “But just being back for the warmup stuff, the pregame stuff, you know what I mean? There’s nothing like being part of this team. I’m just happy that I could get back.”

POINT GAWD IS BACK (via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/xo4YqEZUhR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 25, 2022

With a nine-game lead over the Grizzlies (51-23) and just eight games left both franchises, the Suns (60-14) clinched the top seed in the playoffs off thanks in part to the MVP-level play of Booker. The Kentucky product scored at 45+ for the eighth time in his career.

The fact he isn’t getting any MVP consideration could be considered a slight. At this point, all D-Book can do is just focus on winning and making a second straight Finals appearance.

“The main objective is to win basketball games,” he said per BrightSideoftheSun. “And they’ve been telling me that since I was 18 or 19. So, now that we have the one-seed locked up, been winning basketball games for two years straight now, this team needs some flowers. Coach Monty should have been Coach of the Year last year.”

49 in the Kobe 5. pic.twitter.com/Sp2F0NMtGX

— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) March 25, 2022

The post Suns Clinch Best Record in the League Behind 49 Points From Devin Booker appeared first on SLAM.

If he plays on Thursday, this will be CP3’s first taste of action since fracturing his right thumb on Feb. 16 when the Suns hosted the Rockets. After being ejected in the third quarter, Paul left the game and was seen grabbing his hand as he headed to the locker room.

Injury Report for 3/24 at DEN:@CP3 — Probable pic.twitter.com/iLp6VBIXAc

— y – Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 24, 2022

Shortly after he played in the All-Star Game, the Suns ruled him out and reportedly expected him to miss as many as six-eight weeks. Since CP3 went down, the Suns went 11-4. When healthy, Paul posted 14.9 points and 10.7 assists per game.

The Suns (59-14) have a chance to clinch the best record in the Western Conference and the League with a win over the Nuggets or if the Grizzlies lost to the Pacers on Thursday.

The post Suns Announce Chris Paul Is Probable to Return Against Nuggets appeared first on SLAM.

Just before the NBA All-Star break, superstar point guard Chris Paul fractured his thumb. Over the past few weeks in his absence, the Phoenix Suns have still played great, pulling away with the league’s best record at 58-14. 

However, Paul will be key for the Suns in the postseason as the look to make another trip to the NBA Finals. 

When is Paul expected to return to the lineup?

Over the weekend, Phoenix coach Monty Williams said that there still isn’t a timetable for Chris Paul’s return yet. However, he did mention that the 12-time All-Star is doing “more and more” in his recovery from a fractured thumb.

“I’d rather have him back sooner than later,” Williams added. 

Prior to his injury, Paul had averaged 14.9 points and 10.7 assists per contest in the 2021-22 season. One of the best point guards in the NBA, Phoenix will need him back if a championship is to be won. As talented as the Suns are from top to bottom, Paul is perhaps the most important player on the roster.  

With the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference essentially locked in, it makes sense for the Suns to be cautious in Paul’s return to action. 

The post Suns Coach Monty Williams Gives Update On Chris Paul Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Julius Randle was boxing out Cam Johnson for a rebound in the third quarter. Randle took exception to Johnson pushing him in the back, and an altercation happened.

Both players received double technical fouls for the incident. However, when Randle shoved the referee to get at Johnson, he received yet another technical and was ejected. It couldn’t have been a worse time for the reigning Most Improved Player because he was on fire with 25 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in only 28 minutes.

At that point, the former Tar Heel went into a zone and did not come out. After Randle’s exit, his hot three-point shooting helped the Phoenix Suns erase a 86-76 New York lead.

Johnson went on to score a career-high 38 points, including a career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, to lead the Suns to a 115-114 victory over the Knicks and sent the Phoenix fans home in a frenzy with a 30 footer at the buzzer to win it.

CAM JOHNSON CALLED GAME WITH HIS 9TH THREE OF THE NIGHT. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/RdQvzmcjeu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 5, 2022

The shot was the last of six three-point attempts in the fourth quarter for Johnson to help power Phoenix to their League-best 51st victory of the season. They are currently on a two-game winning streak without their starting backcourt, Chris Paul (thumb fracture), and Devin Booker (NBA’s Health and Safety protocols).

Phoenix gets to face the Milwaukee Bucks next on the road Sunday.

The post Cam Johnson Has A Career Night After Dustup With Julius Randle appeared first on SLAM.

Three players made early news for the All-Star Game. Donovan Mitchell sat out with a non-COVID-19 related illness, and it was announced on TNT that Chris Paul suffered a thumb fracture which will keep him out for six to eight weeks just before the game. He checked in late in the first quarter.

Suns star Chris Paul has suffered a right thumb avulsion fracture and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 21, 2022

Kevin Durant was also unable to attend the All-Star festivities after his mother, Wanda Pratt announced that his grandmother passed away Sunday and left Cleveland to be with his family.

The grandmother of Kevin Durant passed away this morning, Wanda Durant announces. Kevin Durant – named one of the 75 greatest players ever – will no longer attend 75th Anniversary team ceremony tonight at NBA All-Star Game as the family mourns loss.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2022

The event was not just for entertainment but for a good cause. Team LeBron and Team Durant competed for $750,000 in donations for two organizations. Team LeBron played for the Kent State I Promise Scholars Program, and Team Durant played for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. The competition was spread out over three quarters for $100,000 apiece.

Each organization started with a $150,000 contribution, with the winning team earning $150,000 for their respective organization.

First Quarter:

Defense was optional in the first quarter for the players, with the exception of Stephen Curry, who had the game’s only two blocked shots for an extended period. A point that Draymond Green trolled him for during the TNT broadcast.

“Why are you playing so much defense bro?”

This @StephenCurry30 and @Money23Green exchange pic.twitter.com/5V9Nz4TiLm

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 21, 2022

Otherwise, it was lighthearted, running up and down the floor with some high-flying dunks and long-distance shots. On a side note, Giannis Antetokounmpo finally missed a field goal attempt after hitting all 16 of his shots in last year’s event.

Throwback to last year’s Finals… Book and Giannis trading buckets at #NBAAllStar!

TNT & TBS pic.twitter.com/6iEs9nuxD2

— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2022

Another great moment was watching Trae Young and Curry match each other in three-point marksmanship. Knowing that these two will be compared to each other for the next several seasons, this moment sends a message that fans will be enjoying 30 footers for years to come.

In the end, despite Team LeBron running out to an early lead, Team Durant’s late first-quarter run was not enough to make up the deficit at the end.

Winner: Team LeBron wins the quarter 47-45. Kent State I Promise Scholars Program receives $100,000.

Second Quarter:

After showing his defensive prowess in the first quarter, Curry reminded NBA fans of his real forte, shooting the long ball. Chef Curry set the All-Star Game record by knocking down an absurd eight 3 point shots in the first half.

#NBAAllStar record for threes in a half.
There’s nobody quite like Stephen Curry pic.twitter.com/dnKw86B04i

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 21, 2022

Before the Curry fireworks started, Cavs representatives Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland had some solid moments in the second quarter. Garland looked very comfortable on the floor and used this long-range bomb from the logo to spark a 10 point quarter.

Darius Garland from the logo to hype up the Cleveland crowd! #NBAAllStar on TNT & TBS pic.twitter.com/WgjqAk1P5M

— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2022

While Team LeBron had all of the flash, Team Durant had the substance with LaMelo Ball combining with Dejounte Murray making plays for his teammates like Rudy Gobert, Devin Booker, and others. They ran out to a lead and never were in any trouble of losing it.

Team Durant win 49-46. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank receives $100,000.

Third Quarter:

Surprisingly, Curry has been shooting 37.9 percent from deep this season, well short of his career 42.8 mark. Well, he found his stroke in this game. If anyone thought SC30 was hot in the second quarter, the greatest three-point shooter of all time was burning up in the third quarter.

The two-time MVP broke the record for most three-pointers in an All-Star game by this point held by Paul George in 2016, and it was the way he was doing it that set the building on fire.

Stephen Curry is heat checking like no one ever has in an #NBAAllStar Game.

He’s got 13 threes.

Get to TNT & TBS now. pic.twitter.com/Fvj2Ep3fjB

— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2022

Even though Curry was stealing all of the thunder in the third quarter, Team Durant pretty much held the lead the entire quarter. But Team Durant got cold at the end and allowed Team LeBron to pull to a tie at the end of the third quarter.

Even though the period ended in a tie, the third period belonged solely to Stephen Curry, who cemented his claim to MVP after pouring in 45 points on 15-21 shooting from behind the line. At this point, he was only seven points away from the all-time scoring record.

Drive. Give it up. Relocate. Get it back.

Stephen Curry is playing his brand of basketball in the #NBAAllStar Game…

Oh, and he’s made 15 threes pic.twitter.com/FC6cQcdp0p

— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2022

Team LeBron and Team Durant finish the quarter with a 45-45 tie. Now the score is 139-138 Team Durant.

Final Quarter:

In the final quarter, the target score to end the game was set at 163. The gas Curry was cooking with ran out, and he finished with 50 points. Like in previous years, the ball was given to Joel Embiid in the post to score. But Jarrett Allen, with the assistance of LeBron James and Antetokounmpo, slowed him up just enough.

In the end, it was the Captain’s choice on who would close the game out!

BRON. CALLED. GAME.

Listen to the conclusion of the 2022 All-Star Game on NBA Radio.

https://t.co/AYipQpw9t4
pic.twitter.com/ivRfKU2iI3

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 21, 2022

Team LeBron defeats Team Durant 163-160. Kent State I Promise Scholars Program receives a donation of $150,000 for a total of $450,000. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank received a total donation of $300,000.

All-Star Game MVP: Stephen Curry with 50 points.

The post Team LeBron Wins the 2022 NBA All Star Game Behind Stephen Curry’s 50 appeared first on SLAM.

It was just announced on TNT that Chris Paul has a right thumb avulsion fracture and will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks. The regular season ends seven weeks from today.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 21, 2022

Paul averages 14.9 points and a League-high 10.7 assists per game for the Suns, who enter the second half of the season with a 48-10 record.

CP3 momentarily came off the bench for Team LeBron during the All-Star game nearly an hour after news of his injury broke on TNT. Paul was asked numerous times about the severity of his injury during media availability this weekend, admitting that he was frustrated about the ill-time broken thumb.

“We’re 48-10, and if we do miss some time, I know the guys are going to hold it down,” Paul said per ESPN. “There’s always going to be a frustration with injury. My hand surgeon is part of my family now.

“I always want to play. When I felt that in my hand, I was mad for all types of reasons,” Paul added. “Obviously, we’re not going to [rush it]. I’m going to try to heal as fast as physically possible. The second I’m able to play, I guarantee you I will be playing.”

The Suns are 6.5 games ahead of the Warriors and eight games ahead of the Grizzlies for the best record in the NBA, with 24 contests to go in the regular season. Phoenix has won 21 of their last 24.

The regular season ends seven weeks from Sunday, on April 10. The playoffs begin on April 16.

The post REPORT: Chris Paul Out 6-8 Weeks With Thumb Fracture appeared first on SLAM.

He’s only 11 years old, but Lil Noah James already has more Mitchell & Ness jerseys than most of us have probably ever owned. The young hip-hop artist, originally from Bridgeport, CT, and currently residing in Atlanta, has a really impressive collection. When we hopped on a Zoom call in December, he confidently said that he’s owned over 500 in total, many of which he’s since grown out of. As of our call, he says he’s got about 150 that he keeps inside his closet and stored in bins. 

“I started collecting jerseys around the age of 5. My favorite Mitchell & Ness jerseys are the Kobe Bryant [number] 8, I don’t even have that. The Lakers purple and gold one, I like. The black and red MJ one, that’s another one I don’t have. I like the green Kevin Garnett, I have that one. T-Wolves KG, Miami Heat Shaq. A lot of them. LeBron when he played in Cleveland his first year. I like the Scottie Pippen ones.”

Just from listening to Lil Noah, it’s clear that he’s already so passionate about the game—from basketball to his music career. Even though he’s only in elementary school, he can hold his own in an interview—and on a track. He’s already dropped a handful of singles, including  “2K21 (Mamba Time),” a tribute to the late Lakers legend that has garnered over 73,261 streams on Spotify. In the music video, which has 13,000 views on his YouTube channel, James, who idolizes Bryant, rocks a purple Lakers Hardwood Classics satin raglan full-snap jacket while he’s rapping in the booth about Bryant’s dominance. 

“I have a lot of Nike jerseys, but I really like rocking the old ones,” he says. “I look up to my idols like Kobe, LeBron and Jordan, and other people…I like baggy jerseys, so that’s what Mitchell & Ness really brings for me.” 

James wears a jersey pretty much every day and says it’s become a part of everyday life. He’s rocked a few of them at NBA games and events, too, including 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he appeared on an NBA TV broadcast wearing a purple and gold Mitchell & Ness Magic Johnson Lakers jersey. He also wore a black Mitchell & Ness Lakers jacket in the many selfies he took with stars, including LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Ben Simmons, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jayson Tatum and Diana Taurasi. 

James, who mostly listens to Lil Bow Wow, Drake, Lil Baby, Fetty Wap and Soulja Boy, started rapping when he was around 7 or 8 years old. While he often references basketball, he says he also wants to tell his own story through music. “I just write my raps off of how I’m feeling. I only write about my life, I don’t write about stuff that I haven’t done or am going to do. I just write about what’s in the present and about me.” 

On songs like “Thank You,” James opens up about being born prematurely at 25 weeks and 1.5 pounds, as well as about the loss of his twin sister, Nalah Jade. He gives her a shoutout on “Sometimes,” featuring Omar Wilson—“Rest in peace Nalah Jade, I’m always praying for sis”—and keeps it real about having to balance all the traveling he does with school and chores. 

James says that he’s been “working on stuff in the studio” and has about three or four songs that haven’t been released yet. All that hard work is starting to pay off, too, and a few people at his school, New Manchester Elementary, have even started coming up to him to compliment his music. “I was actually shocked that they knew who I was. Two people in school came up to me and asked for an autograph.” 

As he continues to build out his career, we bet Lil Noah James will continue building out his Mitchell & Ness collection. The question isn’t will he rock a throwback in a future video, but which one? 

Get your own Mitchell & Ness Youth NBA Jerseys here.

Portrait via Jamesy Codrington / Maziv Photography

The post Meet Lil Noah James: The 11-Year Old Hip-Hop Artist with the Craziest Mitchell & Ness Jersey Collection appeared first on SLAM.

Recording his third outing scoring 40+ in the past four games, Luka Dončić is leading the new-look Dallas Mavericks into an era without Kristaps Porziņģis. Dončić now has 30 double-doubles, trailing Chris Paul by only one game for the most double-doubles by a guard this season. The Mavericks are 21-9 in such games. How does he do it? He says a good ol’ cup of Joe.

After shipping off Porziņģis to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline, the Mavericks have gone 2-0 with the newly acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns. While their performances aren’t eye-popping, it’s their play styles that are making a difference.

Dinwiddie gives Dallas an added ball-handler with a proven ability to score, though his efficiency is down this season. Bertāns provides the Mavericks with a volume catch-and-shoot big that could go back to his old self with his new team, potentially thanks to Doncic.

This performance by Doncic ties him with Mark Aguirre for the most 45+ points game in Mavericks history with four. He’s also the fourth player in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy) with multiple 45 points, 15 rebounds, five-assist games in a calendar month, with Wilt Chamberlain in January 1966 being the last to do it.

The Dallas Mavericks head into the All-Star break with a 35-24 record with the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

The post Luka Dončić Leads New Look Mavericks Past Pelicans With Near 50 Point Triple-Double appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, LeBron James and Kevin Durant – the two captains for the All-Star game – selected their teams for the All-Star Game taking place in just under two weeks.

Each captain had to select their starting lineups first and then select their reserves. Because Durant is injured and will not be playing in the game, nine players were available to be drafted instead of eight, with Jayson Tatum replacing Durant as a starter.

James opened the draft up by selecting Giannis Antetokounmpo first overall, with Durant using his first pick to draft Joel Embiid.

James rounded off his starting lineup by selecting Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic. Durant’s starting lineup will consist of Embiid, Tatum, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, and Trae Young. Wiggins and Young were the final two starters selected in the draft.

Between the two, Durant has the least experienced starting lineup with Wiggins and Morant, both first-time All-Stars and Young just in his second All-Star Game.

Durant got the first pick to open up the reserves section of the draft and used the pick to select Devin Booker, and James used his first pick to draft Luka Doncic.

Durant filled out his reserves by selecting Karl Anthony-Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball, and Rudy Gobert.

James reserves will be Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and James Harden.

Harden was the last pick of the All-Star Draft, with Durant creating a funny moment where he opted against drafting his former teammate, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, to take Gobert instead.

The All-Star Game is scheduled to occur in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA All-Star Teams Set, Giannis Antetokounmpo Selected First Overall appeared first on SLAM.

“We know Kawhi’s probably not gonna come back,”

“I don’t know,” Lue said. “I’m not a doctor. But hope is stronger than fear. So I’m hoping that these two guys can come back. But you never know.”

Leonard has been held out all season to rehab a torn ACL suffered in Game 4 of the Clippers’ second-round series on June 14. Serge Ibaka shared what he observed with Leonard’s process to return to the floor.

“I saw him a couple times. He [is] doing good, he [is] working so hard,” Ibaka said. “Every day, he’s in the gym. I know Kawhi. He loves this game, and he’s going to try to do [the] best he can to be back strong.

“He [is] working so hard. Actually, it is impressive to see the way he has been working. He’s getting stronger. I know he wants to come back, but it’s just a question of time.”

Ty Lue’s quote might bring closure to the ongoing questions of Leonard’s return. First, it was hopeful that he would be back by the playoff due to reports of how well rehab was going. A report that Yahoo! Sports’ Chris B. Haynes touched on during a Clippers game on TNT a few weeks ago.

Sources: My @NBAonTNT report on Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard now ahead of schedule in rehab from a torn ACL with a strong possibility of a return this season. pic.twitter.com/geyUX5Rgkv

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 7, 2022

After opting out of his contract, Leonard signed a four-year max extension with the Clippers this offseason. He averaged 24.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season.

The post Clippers HC Ty Lue Announces Kawhi Leonard Is Likely to Miss Season appeared first on SLAM.

Jayson Tatum confidently strolled into Capital One Arena in Washington DC wearing a green t-shirt with the words “Believe In Yourself” printed across his chest. Below the text was an image of Dennis Rodman’s iconic “smiley face” hairstyle—only his hair, in this design, was made out of bright yellow flowers. On the back, the shirt read, “If you don’t like it, kiss my ass,” with a pair of lips in place of the word “kiss,” and the letters “always” covering the “ss” in “ass.”

That shirt, “Garden of Legends,” was produced by Always BIY (Believe In Yourself)—a new brand founded by husband and wife Michael and Melek Glasker—in collaboration with SLAM, with the goal of giving the Bulls legend his flowers. The brand, only a little over a year old, has seen its designs worn by many athletes and celebrities, including Chris Paul, Reggie Miller, Sue Bird, Fabolous and Megan Rapinoe. 

The SLAM x Always BIY “Garden of Legends” tee pays homage to modern Black History. BIY highlights the utilization of hair as a form of self-expression and infectious influence in the game of basketball.

Through all of their apparel, the Portland based duo seek to bring others the type of confidence that Rodman always exuded. 

“We’re dropping this in February because we want to modernize Black History Month,” Michael says, adding that the goal is to tell new stories. “We want to highlight how Black people have utilized their hair to express themselves. With Dennis Rodman, he was one of the first people to be uniquely himself. He was coloring his hair, putting designs in his hair, spray-dyeing his hair. He was painting his fingernails; he had a lot of piercings; he was wearing stuff that might have been crazy to people back then.” 

But now, you can easily spot Rodman’s influence, and how he has inspired others to be bold and believe in themselves. “We prefer to push the boundaries personally and I love seeing other people do that,” Melek says. “You can see where that influence came from. [Rodman’s] do-whatever-you-want attitude has been infectious in so many ways.”

The SLAM x Always BIY “Garden of Legends” tee is available now.

When Tatum entered Capital One Arena that night in the “Garden of Legends” tee, he hadn’t made a three-pointer in over a week, missing 20 straight. He went on to sink a career-high nine of them and scored 51 points in a 116-87 win.  

Always believe in yourself. 

The post SLAM Collabs with Always BIY For ‘Garden of Legends’ Tee to Celebrate Black History Month and Unwavering Confidence appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, during a broadcast on TNT, the NBA announced the reserves for the upcoming 2022 All-Star game, a week after the starters had been announced.

In the West, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz had two players named: Chris Paul and Devin Booker for the Suns and Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell for the Jazz. The roster comprises Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

The West will have to add one additional player before the All-Star game, as Green won’t be active for the festivities. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will name Green’s replacement before the All-Star Game draft.

The remaining West All-Stars are made up by the five starters, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Ja Morant.

In the East, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, Darius Garland, James Harden, Fred VanVleet, Jayson Tatum, and Khris Middleton all got the nod, representing different teams from each other. They’ll be joining the East’s five starters of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, and Trae Young.

While there is a boatload of talent in this year’s All-Star game, some names that arguably deserved consideration were left off. Dejounte Murray and Deandre Ayton are putting together excellent seasons in the West but were not named to the All-Star team. Paul George was having another All-Star-caliber season but hasn’t played in over a month due to an elbow injury.

In the East, Jarrett Allen, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown have seasons potentially worthy of the All-Star distinction.

All-Star captains James and Durant will draft their teams live on TNT on Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The NBA All-Star Game is on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA Announces Reserves for 2022 All-Star Game appeared first on SLAM.

“What comes with it is definitely worth it, but it’s not easy,” senior guard Ramel Lloyd Jr. told SLAM. 

While Sierra Canyon may look glamorous on social media and on television, it’s a grind. As such, it’s an opportunity for players like Ramel Jr. to achieve their dreams of making it to the NBA.

“People think it’s sweet here, but we go hard,” says Lloyd Jr. “We’ve got a really tough coaching staff that’s very hard. We’re held accountable at a very high level. So I mean, it’s not easy to play.“

Playing for a high school of this caliber brings additional pressure, but the opportunity also prepares players for the bright lights.

“I’ve played in front of all types of celebrities and crowds,” Lloyd Jr. says. “I mean, nothing at this point really fazes me. Like my high school experience might be even crazier in terms of fans and just how hectic it is here that it might be in college.“

Lloyd Jr. and his teammates, including Bronny James and Amari Bailey, who’s one of the top prospects in the nation, have showcased their high level talent at Staples Center in Los Angeles, playing in front of superstars like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook among others. 

When asked about what moment has stood out most thus far in his high school career, the 6-foot-6 guard . ultimately landed on the game against LeBron’s alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary, back in December.

“There’s been a couple. Obviously LeBron, I’m a huge fan. Drake was at a couple games, which is pretty cool. I think the one that got me though, was Floyd Mayweather. At the Staples Center game, I just had gotten a dunk. I was going by the bench and he looked at me and he said something about the dunk kinda laughing, interacting with me. It was a pretty surreal moment and I didn’t even know he was sitting there until then. I was like whoa is that Floyd Mayweather?”

Making his way to Sierra Canyon took hard work and proving he was capable of playing at that level. Lloyd Jr., who is from California, started hooping when he was four years old and was both mentored and coached by his father at an early age.

“I didn’t really play any other sports growing up. I was always basketball,” Lloyd Jr. explains. “I grew up watching my pops at the end of his professional career so so I was always kind of around it, so that’s what I wanted to do.”

His father, Ramel Lloyd Sr., spent his freshman season at Syracuse before an excellent three-year career at Long Beach State, where he averaged 17.4 points before playing professionally overseas for over a decade.

“Me and my dad, we’re super close,” Lloyd Jr. says. “So it was always easy for us to do it. He’s my best friend off the court, on the court—my coach, my dad, everything in one. We had our battles and fights, but he’s the reason why I’m here today. He taught me everything I know about the game. My whole game is him. You know, he’s the first person to train me and everything I do, I got from him.”

Growing up around a player of his father’s caliber was both inspiring and an opportunity for him to learn how to evolve his game. Although Lloyd Jr. was one of the tallest players on his teams growing up, his father knew he would eventually be a guard at the highest level. 

“I was always pretty tall. But the thing was, I played for my dad so even though he was tall—he’s like he’s only about 6-foot-5 — he knew I wasn’t gonna be big, like 6-foot-9 or 6-foot-10 when I was full grown,” he says. “So even though I was taller than all the kids, he would have me play the guard. He knew eventually I would turn into a guard completely.”

It’s all paid off, as Lloyd Jr. will head to Nebraska next season to play for Fred Hoiberg and the Cornhuskers. In fact, it’s those guard skills that Hoiberg will leverage throughout Lloyd Jr.’s college career. 

“I had coaches recruiting me for all different things: point guard, shooting guard, combo guard, wing, whatever,” Lloyd Jr. says. “At Nebraska I’m going to play a lot of point guard. Coach Hoiberg loves how I read the floor, my vision and just kinda my flow in terms of the pace so he really wants to be on the ball a lot next year. In my opinion, I’m a combo guard. But the game is going towards positionless basketball, so at the next level, I can be one through four.”

Even before he graduates high school and heads to college, Lloyd Jr. still has goals he’s set out to achieve. Before his time at Sierra Canyon comes to an end, he let us know that he’s working towards helping the team win both a state and national championship. 

For a player of Lloyd Jr.’s caliber, the end goal is the NBA. He feels like Nebraska was the perfect fit to give him the best chance of making that goal a reality. 

“Nebraska had all of the tools and things needed for me to become a pro. I felt like Coach Hoiberg and the staff would be big on my development with all the NBA experience. I thought they were really invested in me as a player and as a person and just wanted to see me be better and get better. Just playing in the Big Ten and being able to play right away and just have that experience, I couldn’t really pass it up.”

It’s been a breakout season for the future Cornhusker, as he’s helped lead the Trailblazers to a 19-2 record as of writing this, including ten-straight wins. After overcoming an injury that kept him sidelined over the summer and into the preseason, Lloyd Lloyd Jr. has really hit his stride of late—he won two separate tournament MVP awards and made a statement at the Iolani Classic in Hawaii, where he had three 20-plus point games to conclude the tournament.

“I feel like I’ve always been here,” he says. “I feel like it was just a matter of time for me. To really do it at the big stage, the bright lights, you know, you know, just getting here. This past summer I struggled with injuries and a lot of things that sideline me. So just getting healthy and and coming back now for my senior year playing these big games, I just was really trying to show that I am who I feel like I am—one of the top guys in the country. I’m healthy and I’ve just been doing my thing. So I’m gonna continue to do that moving forward.”

Playing with and against premier competition has surely prepared Ramel Lloyd Jr. for what’s to come at the next level.

“You have to play against the best to be the best, so just constantly playing against top guys and guys with that same potential is only getting me better.”

Photo Credit: Anthony Gallo, Josh Ma and Getty Images.

The post Ramel Lloyd Jr. is Ready For the Next Level at Nebraska appeared first on SLAM.

The Suns’ results over the last two seasons have led to management deciding to sign general manager James Jones to sign a multi-year contract extension, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Exclusive in @TheUndefeated: Suns general manager James Jones signed to contract extension. #nba @espn https://t.co/WPq8iO5aYC

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 25, 2022

Jones joined the Suns as the VP of basketball operations in 2018 before being named interim GM and permanently named to the position in 2019. He is one of 10 Black GM’s in the NBA, winning Executive of the Year last year, hired 2020 Coach of Monty Williams as head coach, building a competitive roster that reached the 2021 NBA Finals after acquiring and re-signing All-Star guard Chris Paul

Jones has agreed to an extension despite a bombshell report from ESPN that Robert Sarver allegedly created a sometimes toxic and hostile workplace of racism and sexism during his tenure as Suns owner. Since then, Sarver has been under NBA investigation. The 18-year owner said that he would support an inquiry into the allegations made against him.

Jones told The Undefeated that the League’s investigation “didn’t give me pause” and said, “None of what’s been said describes the Robert Sarver I know, respect and like — it just doesn’t.” after ESPN’s report was published.

“This organization, business, and basketball, it’s good. The talent, the people here are amazing. I have such a great team that I work with on the basketball side,” Jones told Spears on taking the extension while Sarver is under investigation. “But just as well equally, and sometimes even more on the business side. Because we’re the Suns, right? This is entertainment. And you don’t do the things that we do in a vacuum. That’s what I tell people a lot of times: You don’t do this in the vacuum; it takes everyone.

“And if you have the right mix of people, if you have common goals and you’re aligned, it makes working, coming to work every day exciting. It creates an awesome experience for everyone involved. And so that’s been my experience since I’ve been here. It’s been awesome.”

With the Suns re-emerging as a threat to return to the Finals, and the Suns front office and players squarely behind Jones and Williams, it only makes sense for the franchise to award the architect of their success. Phoenix takes on the Utah Jazz (30-18) on Wednesday in Utah.

The post Suns GM James Jones Signs Contract Extension appeared first on SLAM.

The four-star forward is sitting beside a few of his newfound teammates—Jahki Howard, Chuck Bailey and Braeden Moore—explaining how exactly they all ended up at Donda Academy, the prep school created and backed by Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West. It’s December and the Donda Doves have just wrapped up practice at the team’s training facility. 

Most of the players say they found out about the school after someone from Ye’s camp reached out to them and their families. “We had to make sure it was the right position for us [with] so many of the top players playing with each other,” says Hooks, lounging in a pair of YEEZY slides.

Inside the meeting room on the second floor, the rest of the team still has on the YEEZY 500s they were practicing in. Howard claims that he and Robert Dillingham were the first on the team to start wearing them in games, rocking them in the season opener against Minnesota Prep at the Target Center back in November. Ye was sitting courtside that day. Soon, the whole team caught on. 

“[They’re] mad comfortable,” he says. “Only shoe I could really hoop in.” 

Down the hall, Dillingham and Bryce Baker are getting a quick haircut, while the rest of the team is still downstairs, lingering around the court. There’s a pair of newly released adidas “Amber Tint” QNTMs sitting unclaimed on one of the black chairs courtside, which features a clean black and white aesthetic.

Ye’s impact is everywhere around the gym, from the team’s sleek Balenciaga-produced jerseys to the adidas sneakers to the fact that all of these elite prospects—Dillingham, Zion Cruz, JJ Taylor, Brandon White, Omarion Bodrick, Seven Bahati, Bryce Baker, Hooks, Bailey, Moore and Howard—are here because they’ve trusted his vision enough to leave their respective high school programs to play for Donda Academy instead.

Get your copy of SLAM 236 featuring Ye and Donda Academy.

And yet, there’s a lot of mystery behind what exactly Donda Academy is or why the kids have all chosen to come here. People have questioned whether it’s even a real school or if the kids take actual classes. And that’s not even the craziest thing the players have heard.

“A lot of my teammates, when they left [their hometowns], they had some bad reactions,” explains Moore. “People called them clout chasers and said the [school] offered them money.” 

So allow us to fill in some of the actual facts. The very existence of Ye’s Donda Academy is an honor to its namesake. After all, it was Donda West, a professor for 31 years and chair of Chicago State University’s Department of English, Communications, Media and Theater, who wrote in her memoir, Raising Kanye, that her hope was for more kids to get exposure to travel, different cultures and customs.

“I always think, I got Donda looking down on me. I gotta make this right,” says Shayla Scott, the school’s Vice President and Director of Athletics. A former four-year starter at the University of Pittsburgh who served as an assistant coach at La Salle University and most recently athletic director at The Ellis School before coming to Donda, Scott elaborates on what makes the school special. “That’s one thing that we’re constantly thinking about—how can we do things in a way that is beneficial to who we are and what we have going on. And that might not mean that it’s traditional.” 

The school’s official mission statement speaks of using ethics, integrity and care to “prepare students to become the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators by providing them with a world-class education.”

The program has a lower school that has in-person classes and serves students from age 3 through eighth grade, and the educational program is powered by K12 Private Academy, an NCAA-approved online curriculum. The players, who all live together in luxury apartments with chaperones, start their daily workouts, which occasionally involve weight training, as early as 8 a.m. Classes start at either 9 or 10 a.m. (depending on the day) and are hour-long blocks with breaks in between, and the online curriculum gives them the option to take them wherever they may be. Scott says that sometimes the players take them in their apartment complex, and when they’re on the road for games, academic support staff accompany them. 

As for meals, at one point the team had Ye’s personal chef cooking for them. 

Practice is from 1-3 p.m. with additional workouts afterward, but the players say that the gym—which is a short walk from the apartment complex where they stay—is available pretty much whenever they want it. At any given moment Ye might pull up to a practice, and, as many have seen, he’s there at the games, too. This past December, Ye was spotted dapping up a few of the Doves at their “Homecoming” event at Whittier College. 

Scott admits that when she was first brought on to serve as AD, even she wondered what exactly Ye’s involvement would look like. But through her conversations with him, and what she’s seen firsthand, it’s become clear that Ye is invested in every aspect of the program, as well as the players themselves. On one of the first calls that she was on with him and the school leaders of the K12 curriculum, Scott says that Ye was “passionate and loyal” as he expressed his vision for Donda Academy. 

“When I have opportunities to talk with [Ye] about his vision for the school, it’s by no stretch of the imagination something that’s out of reach. He wants to do all the things, and big things,” she says. “I get really excited whenever we have a chance to just sit down and talk about what we’re doing and how it’s so minor in some respects to what he wants to do.” 

When it came to designing the team’s uniforms, Ye brought in his Innovation of Apparel team to get the players’ direct feedback on what style and cut they’d prefer to wear. (They said “not too baggy” and requested a slim fit.) In early October, the team held a media day-style photo shoot and Scott says Ye was there, too, adding his creative perspective and specific ideas into the portrait sessions. 

As the Donda album played in the background, Ye directed the entire shoot, dictating different looks and poses, and he brought out what Scott called a “bag of goodies” with accessories for the players to wear. Inside were wristbands and the same all-black sunglasses that some of the players chose to rock at their SLAM cover shoot, too. 

Aside from photo shoots and courtside appearances, Ye will often check in to see how the Doves are doing both athletically and academically. A few of them got to meet him on their initial visit, while Scott reveals that Ye has even made it a point to call some of them on the phone just to talk one-on-one. “I remember watching JJ [Taylor] talk on the phone with him for the first time,” she says. “That was really cool that he took that time, and obviously they share a bond of [being] from Chicago together.” 

For many of the players, this is their first time being immersed in an environment of this magnitude. They’re spending significant time away from home, living in Los Angeles and playing in front of sold out crowds littered with other high-profile celebrities. They still make time to be, well, teenagers, when they’re not training or going to school; they all mainly hang out together, going to the movies or taking trips to Six Flags and the Santa Monica beach. 

“In actuality, anybody can do school this way,” says Scott. “But, to know that we’re doing it because of the support we have from Ye and all the parents and players, I think is really, honestly, going to build for future years.”

The Donda Doves will be the first to admit that it took a minute for them to learn to play together—most of them were the best players at their previous schools—and in the beginning, a few players told us they were too focused on being ballhandlers and scorers. 

There were some healthy arguments, too, and as a result, the coaches had them in the gym one night, running and working out. 

“Ever since, our bond and chemistry has been like this,” Howard says, crossing two of his fingers. 

“That’s how you build bonds with people, especially when you got elite athletes around and a lot of alphas,” Bailey adds. “Everybody is going to go at each other.”

Having lived through all the noise surrounding the start of their season, and with tons of eyes on each game, the Donda Academy Doves are learning what it’s like to live and play in a special kind of spotlight, all while making history along the way. And each of them is ready for the challenge.

Robert Dillingham had already made a name for himself in North Carolina long before he came to Donda Academy. As one of the top point guards in the Class of 2023, he averaged 21.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game last season at Combine Academy. Still, he felt like he needed a change.

“I really just wanted to get out of North Carolina. It was just, like, a lot of stuff going on with my parents, my dad and my coaches from the school for transferring out here. To keep myself sane, I just blocked all of them out and kept playing basketball. I wasn’t really listening to it. It didn’t really matter to me.” 

Instead, he says he’s been learning from his new teammates and adding a thing or two to his already well-equipped bag. 

“JJ [Taylor] teaches me how to get to the rim and not stop…Jahki [Howard], he just dunks on people, so I guess he’s teaching me how to dunk a little bit. Zion Cruz, he’s teaching me the aspects of dribbling, going faster, slow, changing different speeds.”

It was Rob Dillingham, the self-proclaimed “GM” of the team, who originally texted Zion Cruz about Donda Academy. “He broke everything down,” Cruz says. “It was a no-brainer for me.”

At the Patrick School, Cruz averaged 16.7 points and 2.1 assists. Still, he felt like making the move thousands of miles away from his hometown of Jersey City would allow him to completely dial in on his game. 

“In Jersey, I feel like you see a lot of people outside every day, but here you don’t see a lot of people,” he says. “[There’s] not too much distraction. I don’t got a lot of [other] friends around.” 

At Donda Academy, the No. 2-ranked shooting guard in the country, according to 247 Sports, found the kind of environment he was looking for. “I just wanted to be in the gym 24/7 and I knew I could do that here,” he says. “Anytime I want to get in the gym, I can get in.” 

But he’s also been learning to navigate the mental side of the game, especially now that he’s playing with other high level players. Cruz admits he’s been working on not being in his head so much. “When you go to college, you’re playing with a lot of good players, so it’s good to know that I can do it on any level.”

Cruz recently announced the colleges he’s deciding among: Memphis, Western Kentucky, Xavier, Georgia and DePaul.

JJ Taylor says he never thought he’d leave his hometown of Chicago. The five-star guard was doing his thing at Kenwood Academy and had solidified himself as one of the best small forwards in his class. Ranked No. 5 in the country by ESPN and 247Sports, he’s the first player from Illinois to be ranked in the top 10 since the class of 2014’s Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

And yet, Taylor felt like the chance to play for Donda could give him something new. “A lot of stuff here, they don’t have in Chicago. The training is different. This is all basketball, basketball, basketball, basketball. I’m just falling in love with it.” 

Taylor says he’s had to adjust real quick: “I was pretty much the last one. I had to almost fit in, get adjusted faster, and learn everything faster than everybody else.”

Equipped with an all-around game and absurd athleticism, he’s already starting to see the move pay off. “For me, I like getting other players involved because we all can score. That’s my whole thing, playing unselfish,” he says. “I feel like I’m even [getting] better at making others better.”

Five-star shooting forward Jahki Howard kept it real when explaining why he chose to transfer from Norcross High School. “To be honest, I really just came out here to get better. I’m already a top-five player in my class, [so] for me, I wanted to come out here and get better at my level.” 

Still, he admits that when he first came out to the school, he wasn’t too sure what everyone would be like. “I’m really anti-social with people [and] I think I thought a lot of us would be the same way,” he says. “But no, [everyone] is chill.”

He’s become especially close with Bailey and Hooks, whom he calls his twin, and during their SLAM interview, the three of them excitedly talk about seeing the new Spider-Man movie together. With so many eyeballs on the team, Howard knows that a little hate is what comes with playing at this level.

“If I go to college or the NBA, it’s going to come with it,” he says. “I like it. It’s gotten to the point where it’s entertaining. It motivates me to just do better.”

Jalen Hooks, who averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season at Crispus Attucks, might have had the wildest initial visit to Donda Academy. 

Hooks’ first time in Cali went a little something like this: he hopped on a 6 am flight, saw the Hollywood sign, and went out to eat right after he landed. Next thing he knew, Ben Simmons was walking right up to him and sat at his table. “He was like, What’s good, Hooks?” 

Then Hooks hopped on the phone with Kevin Durant. “He was like, What’s up, killah? Just keep working,” he recalls. “I met KD and Ben Simmons in my first 10 minutes.” 

And while he and Dillingham were working out at another of DSTRKT’s gyms nearby, Hooks says he met Ye. “He was like, Thank you for trusting the process, and then he started praying with us.” 

So, yeah, between the training sessions and the meet and greets, Hooks’ visit out west was a movie. He was sold. “I was just like, if I can get this every day for the next two years, that’d be nice.”

After fracturing his nose and injuring his ankle last April, Hooks says the main priority since he’s arrived in Simi Valley has been getting healthy. “I’m still a four-star. I’m [looking] to get back to where I was.”

Brandon White, or B-White as some of his teammates call him, is already regarded as one of the best shot blockers in his class, but at 6-10, the big man from North Carolina says he came out to Donda Academy with one mission in mind.

“I want to do everything, play every position,” the four-star center says. “Dribbling, shooting, just doing stuff that I’ve never done before.” 

White’s versatile game has already caught the attention of a handful of DI schools across the country: Wichita State, Illinois, Purdue and LSU. As he continues to build out his game, he’s sure to be a scary sight at the next level.

Chuck Bailey says that when he first heard about Donda Academy, he didn’t fully believe it.

“My dad told me. I thought he was joking at first when he was like, There’s a school called Donda. They want you to [go] there,” he says. “Then I saw it on the news with Rob [Dillingham] and I’m like, Oh, shoot. It’s a real school.”

While he says he wasn’t a huge fan of all the cameras and media attention at first, he knows that this is what comes with it, and it’ll be there at the next level, too. Whether it’s supplying the room with energy during his SLAM shoot or holding his own against his teammates in practice, it’s clear that Bailey is ready for the bright lights.

“The thing that surprised me is how good I fit in and play at this level, [though] I knew I could. I’m really seeing it every day in practice. I actually see I can play at this level, and I can play really well.”

And, after spending the entire summer and the start of the season dealing with an injury, the 6-3 guard is back and looking to evolve his game even further. “I really just came here to balance out my game [and] learn how to be a true point guard, because that’s what I’m gonna be in college.”

Omarion Bodrick is another player from down south who decided to link up with his former Combine Academy teammates and shock the world by heading to Donda. From the looks of it, it seems like the senior forward has been finding his rhythm out in Cali. 

The day after his SLAM shoot, Bodrick’s athleticism was on full display at the team’s homecoming game against Veritas. During the third quarter, he had the entire standing-room only crowd at Whittier College, including King Combs and OT Genasis, on their feet when he caught a transition pass from JJ Taylor and levitated to the rim for a two-handed dunk. That wasn’t all he did; throughout the game, O was everywhere on the floor, diving for loose balls and dishing out dimes to Taylor on the wing for three-pointers. 

Bodrick will take his talents to Youngstown State University next year.

Braeden Moore was one of the last players to join the team. A standout at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville and a TSSAA Mr. Basketball finalist, he’d always joked that he plays better on the West Coast—he was born in California and has relatives there, including his grandparents, who live only 20-30 minutes away from Donda Academy’s gym. Since he’s arrived at Donda, Moore’s impressed his new teammates from the get-go.

“He’s cold. I didn’t even know he was that good,” Chuck Bailey admits.

After decommitting from Rutgers, a decision he felt he’d “rushed into,” Moore says he’s looking for a program that will not only use his height and sharpshooting talent to “the fullest ability,” but will also offer him an all-around experience. He’s interested in business and entrepreneurship, and now that he’s at Donda, he’s already put himself in a position to be one step ahead. 

“I know how important education is and I have goals that surpass basketball,” Moore says. “That’s another reason [why] I came here, like with Justin [Laboy] and Ye, creating these relationships not only sets me up for success in basketball, it sets me up for life.”

We already knew Seven Bahati was on his own wave when he pulled up to his SLAM interview rocking a pair of all-black square-rimmed shades—and kept them on the entire time. “I was already making a name for myself, so I was just going to stay in my situation,” Bahati admits when asked how he ended up at Donda. “But my parents saw a great opportunity.” 

Although the California native didn’t have to travel very far, now that he’s here, he’s already started to evolve his all-around game. The 6-5 guard has DI offers from programs like UC Santa Barbara and Loyola Marymount. 

“I’m more of an efficient scorer, so I shoot and then I’ll drive,” he says. “I don’t really use shifts or anything like that. I just get to my spots and elevate. But being here with Rob and Z, and seeing how they dribble, it’s more like putting it on [top of] my skills and getting to my bag.”

This isn’t Bryce Baker’s first time playing on a highly competitive squad—he suited up alongside Dillingham and Bodrick at Combine Academy before coming to Donda Academy.  And yet he says this is definitely a first for someone that’s from where he’s from. “I come 
from a small town in North Carolina,” he says. “Really, nobody has done nothing like this.” 

Baker gives a major shoutout to his mom for letting him take advantage of the opportunity, knowing that he’d have to move across the country. “She trusted me and my judgement. And I felt like this was the best path for me to take to get myself to a different level.”

Now that he’s out in Cali, the 6-4 guard who can effortlessly knock down jumpers from behind the arc and block shots on the other end of the floor, says he wants to “grow himself as a person,” on and off the court—especially as he gets ready to head to Old Dominion next year.

“I’m about to go to college, so I feel like this is the necessary step for me to take. Having my friends here and making new friends, this is basically my family now.”

Creative Directed by Ye; Cover and Portrait of Shayla Scott: ONDA; Solo Portraits: KAITO.

The post Decidedly Different: Ye and Donda Academy Cover SLAM 236 appeared first on SLAM.

When the Los Angeles Clippers initially announced the injury, the team hoped resting George for three to four weeks would help the 31-year-old guard recover.

“While the team’s initial announcement on Christmas Day stated George would be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks, the Clippers are operating under the possibility that George may not return this season, sources told B/R.”

With the possibility that both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard may not return this season, the Clippers are shaping into a surprising seller at the NBA’s trade deadline. More at @BR_NBA: https://t.co/IGZhFoYSA7

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) January 12, 2022

In 26 games this season, PG-13 was playing at a level that had some believing that he was in the MVP conversation averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He had thrived as the Clippers’ number one option while Kawhi Leonard continued his rehab on his surgically repaired knee.

The Clippers had high hopes to start the season during their seven-game winning streak that had them at the top spot early in the Western Conference playoff picture. Since George’s injury, the Clippers have fallen into the play-in tournament section of the standings at 21-21 behind the Los Angeles Lakers. 

With the Clippers without their best two-way player, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and Terrence Mann will be counted on for the team to stay relevant in the Western Conference playoff race. The Clippers’ future plans depend on how well things go. If Los Angeles can move up in the standings, they can entertain options of bringing back Leonard and George in time for the postseason.

However, if the struggles continue, both stars could be shelved in plans for next season. The Clippers have Tuesday off before playing the Pelicans (15-26) on the road.

The post REPORT: Paul George May Miss the Rest Of the Season With Elbow Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: My @NBAonTNT report on Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard now ahead of schedule in rehab from a torn ACL with a strong possibility of a return this season. pic.twitter.com/geyUX5Rgkv

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 7, 2022

The news couldn’t come at a better time for Los Angeles, who is already missing Paul George for a few weeks with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his shooting elbow diagnosed in December. The Clippers are currently the eighth seed in the Westen Conference with a 19-20 record.

Leonard injured his ACL during the Western Conference semifinals series against the Utah Jazz. The Clippers called the injury a knee sprain during the team’s final eight playoff games before announcing the injury was more severe than initially thought and needed surgery. 

Clippers executive Jerry West was on the TK Podcast with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, beaming about the two-time Finals MVP.

“I have to say, I’ve never seen a harder working person in my life. If you look at him now, he looks great. Doing things that I didn’t expect he could do. But I’m not a doctor, and certainly don’t know what the ongoing problems for not being in tip-top shape, ready to play a much quicker and agile game are, but just watching him, my goodness, if you watch him walk around, you would never know that he had that operation.”

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals last season.

The post REPORT: Kawhi Leonard is Ahead of Schedule With Rehab on Knee appeared first on SLAM.

The League requires that teams have at least eight available players in order to play. The franchise has 11 players currently in health and safety protocols, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas, and David Duke Jr. entered protocols on Thursday. Nash says he does not expect any players to clear protocols by Saturday. The staggering number of players resulted in three Nets games being postponed.

According to Nash, the Nets players in protocols have been “largely asymptomatic,” per CBS Sports’ James Herbert, and the players with symptoms have mostly had “very mild” cases. 

It forced the postponement of three games, including their Thursday game against the Portland Trail Blazers, since the Nets did not have enough players to travel and play.

The Nets (21-9) and Lakers (16-16) are the prime-time Christmas matchup on Saturday. Any delay to that game, if needed, could be made as late as Christmas Eve. 

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The post Nets Clear for Christmas Day Game Travel appeared first on SLAM.

Update: On Tuesday, League commissioner Adam Silver announced in an interview with Malika Andrews that the NBA would not be pausing the season for the second season since the 2019-2020 season. Silver also said that the Omricon is ‘beyond dominate’ while constituting 90 percent of positive tests.

REPORT: Per League insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA, and the players union have reached an agreement to lessen the quarantine period for COVID-positive players. Players that tested positive for COVID-19 can clear protocols after five days if their “CT values” are above 30.

If a team has three positive results, two replacement signings are required. For four or more positive tests, three replacement players will be required. Two-way players will reportedly also have no limit to the number of games they can appear in as well. If a team has 13 players available for a game they do not have to sign any players to a hardship exemption.

A game will only be postponed if a team doesn’t have at least eight players available to play. A tactic the NBA frequently utilized last year when officials postponed 31 games. The League has decided to postpone nine games in total.

Below is the list of players and coaches currently in the League’s health and safety protocols.

Atlanta Hawks (three players, head coach)

• Chris Clemons
• Gorgui Dieng
• Cameron Oliver
• Nate McMillan

Boston Celtics (one player) 

• Payton Pritchard

Charlotte Hornets (one player)

• Vernon Carey Jr.

Chicago Bulls (one player)

• Alex Caruso

Dallas Mavericks (two players, head coach)

• Jason Kidd
• Boban Marjanovic
• Kristaps Porzingis

Denver Nuggets (one player)

• Petr Cornelie

Detroit Pistons (one player)

• Frank Jackson

Houston Rockets (one players)

• Usman Garuba

Indiana Pacers (six players)

• Justin Anderson
• Goga Bitadze
• Torrey Craig
• Isaiah Jackson
• Caris LeVert
• TJ Warren

LA Clippers (three players)

• Luke Kennard
• Xavier Moon
• Ivica Zubac

Memphis Grizzlies (three players, head coach)

• Taylor Jenkins
• John Konchar
• De’Anthony Melton
• Xavier Tillman

Miami Heat (three players)

• Marcus Garrett
• Udonis Haslem
• Gabe Vincent

Milwaukee Bucks (four players, head coach)

• Grayson Allen
• Mike Budenholzer
• Pat Connaughton
• George Hill
• Jrue Holiday

New Orleans Pelicans (one player)

• Tomas Satorasnky

Oklahoma City Thunder (one player, head coach)

• Isaiah Roby
• Mark Daigneault

Orlando Magic (one player)

• Robin Lopez

Philadelphia 76ers (three players)

• Tyrese Maxey
• Paul Reed
• Jaden Springer

Phoenix Suns (two players)

• Abdel Nader
• Landry Shamet

Portland Trail Blazers

• Norman Powell

Sacramento Kings (one player)

• Richaun Holmes
• Chimezie Metu

San Antonio Spurs (five players)

• Keldon Johnson
• Doug McDermott
• Devin Vassell
• Derrick White
• Thaddeus Young

Toronto Raptors (one player)

• Yuta Watanabe

Utah Jazz (two players)

• Rudy Gobert
• Joe Ingless

Washington Wizards (four players)

• Anthony Gill
• Tremont Waters
• Brad Wanamaker

The post NBA Health and Safety Protocol Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

“Who was I to say that?” Young ponders today. “I should’ve gone down there, done my job and gotten better. But life is about moving on. I’m here now. I learn from my mistakes and try to be better for it.”

“Here,” of course, is the G League. More specifically, it is a gym at Birmingham Southern College, a Division III school where the Birmingham Squadron—a newly established G League franchise affiliated with the Pelicans—practice. So Joe Young is in the exact place that he did not want to be six years ago. Only now, he is thrilled to be there. 

He is highly engaged every day at practice, ensuring the focus level remains high, and giving fiery speeches when it doesn’t. He frequently speaks up in film sessions and tries to mentor the younger players. He has organized and paid for multiple team dinners, including one at Ruth’s Chris at the onset of training camp, and another at Benihana on a road trip to Frisco, TX. 

Young vows that he is a new person, with a new perspective and a completely new approach to his career. And he is embracing this latest stop on his journey—one he is confident leads back to where it all began, six years ago. 

The Indiana Pacers selected Young, a sharpshooting guard and the son of former NBA player Michael Young, with the 43rd pick in the 2015 Draft. As a senior at Oregon, he had been named Pac-12 Player of the Year and led his team to a 26-10 record. His scoring ability was undeniable—after transferring from Houston, Young had registered the highest point total over two seasons (1,388) in Oregon history. He immediately signed a multi-year deal with Indiana—three years guaranteed, including a team option on a fourth.

He played sparingly in his rookie season. That’s when the Pacers first sent him down to the G League, and Young requested never to go back. Over the ensuing two years, his role would stay relatively the same. He provided the occasional spark off the bench, but never really got enough consistent minutes to assert himself. Still, he was surprised when the team declined his fourth year option. Summer League rosters were already set by the time he found out. NBA opportunities were limited. Young looked around and saw nowhere to go—nowhere in America, anyway; so he hopped on a plane bound for the other side of the world.

When he arrived in Nanjing—the capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province—in 2018, Young did not intend to stay long. This was never a part of the plan, of course; it would merely be a minor detour. But life gradually became comfortable. Young adjusted to the culture. He developed a routine. He earned a good salary. And with ample playing time (over 41 minutes per game) and the ultimate green light, he absolutely dominated on the court. Young averaged 36.1 points, 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds in his debut season for the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings; and after no NBA deal presented itself, he re-signed with the organization for the 2019-20 campaign.

Year two brought more of the same. Young continued to torch defenses on a nightly basis. He dropped 74 points in one game—the third highest scoring output in Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) history—and averaged 56.8 points over a stretch of five. He was named an All-Star and eventually won the scoring title. Yet, once the season ended, the ongoing pandemic made an NBA comeback even more difficult. Ultimately, he decided that the best move was to stay in the CBA and accept a lucrative offer from the Beijing Royal Fighters (one-year, $3.1 million), where he would be coached by basketball legend Stephon Marbury. 

Throughout his time in China, Young did a lot of reflecting. The distance and separation allowed him to analyze things through a more honest lens. He would just sit and contemplate what he should have done differently, often jotting notes down on a piece of paper. For all the work he put in during his three years with the Pacers (like famously sleeping on the floor of the practice facility), I could have gone harder, he thought. But mainly, in his eyes, it was the “little things” that needed to be fixed, like his attitude toward the G League and his disposition on the bench after being subbed out of games.

“It was my maturity,” he tells SLAM. “I knew that I was good enough to play on the court, but did I have the mindset and the mentality to cheer my teammates on, like they would do for me if I was out there? I didn’t have it. I would be over there mad. Like, what am I mad for? I was young. If I could get that back, I would change the narrative to how I act now. I would just act like how I am [as] a father to my kids. I gotta be a father. I can’t be childish. I gotta make sure I show them how to live life, how to respect life, how to respect yourself, and how to become successful at a high level.”

Young’s sole year with the Royal Fighters provided further validation that the NBA was well within reach. Coach Marbury challenged him to do whatever it took to get back, stressing—in many emotional, tear-filled conversations—that Young belonged there—not here. The message was received clearly. Following the season, Young pledged to pursue all the necessary steps, no matter the circumstances, to realize his NBA dream again.

Thus, at the age of 29, he left another three-million-dollar contract on the table and entered the G League draft instead. “If you know you belong somewhere, and you know what it takes to get there, you gotta do the things that you don’t want to do to get there,” Young says. “I knew that I would have to take a big pay cut. I felt like, no biggie. I can sacrifice that to get to where I want.”

Birmingham was ecstatic to see him still available deep into the first round. Given his track record, Young had been at the very, very top of their draft board. The front office was able to negotiate a last-second trade, moving up to the 21st pick to select him. Since then, it has been a non-stop whirlwind of training camp, practice, 5:45 am workouts (“The Breakfast Club,” as Young calls it), road trips and games. He has put up solid numbers (15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals); but he also understands that it is those “little things,” the things he sometimes neglected before, that will land him back on an NBA roster: being a good teammate, leading on and off the court, maintaining a positive attitude and rigorous work ethic.

“I would say that Joe Young’s engagement, humbleness and excitedness to be here has been amazing,” Squadron head coach Ryan Pannone says. “Obviously, he’s got the most NBA experience on our team, but he’s been a great leader for us with that experience because, [like] a lot of players, there are some things he can look back on in his career—and I think all of us can look back on our career—and say, I wish I would have done this differently at 22, 23 years old. And he’s been imparting that knowledge on our players, and that’s been huge for us.”

“He’s been real important [for me and our team],” says 23-year-old guard John Petty Jr. “He looks at me like I’m his rookie. He said it’s like Paul George [was for him] when he came in the League—he was Paul George’s rookie [in Indiana]. It’s just good being around him, just seeing stuff like, every morning, he gets up at 5:45 to get a workout in. Seeing that type of stuff makes you want to do it.”

Young is trying hard to set an example—never mind that it’s in the G League, in a small, dimly lit gym at Birmingham Southern College. 

“Let’s get better! Let’s get better!” he hollers between drills. “Dial in! Dial in!” Being in that gym might feel like a long way from his days as a Pacer, but Young is right there, right on the doorstep of where he wants to be—where he knows he should be.

“We will get back,” Young tells me, flashing a big smile. “We’re going to be back in the NBA.”

Photo credit Birmingham Squadron.

The post Joe Young is on a Mission to Get Back in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

“It felt special playing on the same court as he’s played,” said Bronny postgame. “I’m getting a lot of confidence from that, and it was a really special game for me. Afterwards, he just said he liked everything I was doing, with my poise and my pace for the game.”

Sierra Canyon won by a final score of 71-53, as Bronny led his team to a huge win over LeBron’s alma mater in  St. Vincent-St. Mary’s. 

This is the second time in Bronny’s high school career that he’s had the opportunity to face off against his father’s alma mater. The first took place in Ohio two years ago, when James was a freshman and had a game-winning steal and score to solidify a victory. 

Saturday’s game took place in front of many current and former NBA stars, as Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Zach Randolph and Metta World Peace among others were in attendance. Additionally, other celebrities like Floyd Mayweather and Jamie Foxx stopped by for the exciting game. 

James’ 19 points came on an efficient 7-for-11 from the field as he showed off unlimited range. His 3-point shooting was extremely impressive in the big win. 

The post Bronny James Puts on Show at Staples Center appeared first on SLAM.

Though a recent report has claimed the Sixers has a list of 30 players that will satisfy them in a trade, Sam Amick from the Athletic. One of those players’ names has recently been released. 

Liberty Ballers is reporting that a source close to the 76ers indicates that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is one of the players on the list. There have been internal discussions in acquiring the third-year guard out of Kentucky.

Have heard that the #Sixers recently held internal talks about acquiring Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a potential Ben Simmons swap. OKC is also a key team to watch as a facilitator in a potential multiteam deal.
Nothing likely, just something to watch.

— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) December 3, 2021

Though there isn’t any report that the Thunder (6-16) are ready to move off Gilgeous-Alexander, the Sixers could also be apprehensive about pulling off a trade that wouldn’t increase their championship odds.

The Thunder seems like an ideal trade partner as the franchise is loaded with draft picks and young players.

You can also consider the history between Sam Presti and Daryl Morey, team, presidents of the Thunder, and Sixers. The Thunder traded James Harden to the Rockets back in 2012. They also facilitated a Russell Westbrook–Chris Paul trade to reunite Harden and Westbrook.

The Thunder are currently navigating year two of their rebuild, and the Sixers are looking to regroup Friday against the Hawks.

The post The Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers Emerge As Trade Partners appeared first on SLAM.

Last night the two best teams in the League faced off, with the Suns outlasting the Warriors 104-96, tying the Suns’ franchise record of 17 consecutive wins. According to StatMuse, the Suns are 12-1 against opponents with a record of .500 and above, the best in the League.

After beginning the year off to a disappointing 1-3 start, the Suns went on a streak of sheer dominance, winning every single game in November.

Despite Devin Booker exiting the game in the first half with a hamstring injury, the Suns held on down the stretch thanks to Chris Paul’s ability to control the game’s pace during crunch time.

CHRIS PAUL TOO SMOOTH WITH IT. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/tyKnakb1Yc

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 1, 2021

Paul finished with 15 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds on 7-13 shooting from the field and notching a team-high five steals. Deandre Ayton dominated the paint with a double-double, registering 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds on the night.

Someone order a scoop? (via @Suns) pic.twitter.com/mPeHB00cyG

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 1, 2021

The Warriors and Suns are set for their rematch on Friday. If the Suns take the second game, they’ll become the sixth team in League history to go undefeated for an entire calendar month. The last team to accomplish the same feat was their opponent, the Golden State Warriors, who went a perfect 24-0 over November during the 2015-16 season.

No loss November

— Book (@DevinBook) December 1, 2021

The post Phoenix Suns Tie Franchise Record For Most Consecutive Wins at 17 appeared first on SLAM.

That was just the beginning: over the next ten years, and with Wade’s trust, Metelus has captured and filmed him nearly everywhere he went: from working out with LeBron James during the lockout to going to Fashion Week. 

Over a decade’s worth of footage turned into Wade’s documentary, WADE: LIFE UNEXPECTED, which Bob directed. All the while, they’d also amassed hundreds of photographs over the years, many of which have now been included in Wade’s new photography memoir, Dwyane, which visually chronicles his life, his career both on and off-court, as well as special moments with his family and friends. 

“We just connected right away,” Wade says of Metelus over the phone. “And, like I said, once you connect with someone, once you have some trust in them in your private moments, they’re able to capture all kinds of things, you know, they’re able to capture moments of crying, moments of sadness, they’re able to capture it all and it’s real. I’m super thankful for, one, for when he came around, he had a camera on him. And then he took a photo, and that photo led to [where] we are today: we put out a documentary, and now we’re releasing a book. Big up to Bob for just continuing to create and giving me a platform, and I’m just taking it and putting it together.”

Wade also worked on the book with writer Justin Tinsley, and his narratives give detailed accounts of his memories and moments throughout his life. We won’t reveal too much, but just know that there’s some major gems in the book about him playing against the late-Kobe Bryant, working out with LeBron James the night before the 2013 NBA Finals against the Spurs, the Heatles era and even a breakdown of Wade’s approach to his game.

There’s also special moments and photos of Wade with his family, as well as a chapter titled titled “Postgame,” where the legend talks about his legacy and playing with, and against, players around the L: from James to Donovan Mitchell.

We recently caught up with Wade to talk about his memoir, the writing process and the special moments that are featured in the book.

SLAM: We know that Bob directed your documentary and has been photographing your life for a while now. Where did the idea for ‘Dwyane’ come about? 

WADE: Building a relationship with someone who gets the chance to get the personal moments, whether it’s videos or photos, that means you get a lot. And so Bob has been with me for the last 10-11 years. And he’s got a lot. And so we just went through the millions of photos we have and we picked a little more than 200 to kind of give my supporters and my friends and family and everybody who has supported me throughout this process a kind of visual memoir, not just give them the words. I want them to be able to see photos, to see private moments, I want them to kind of get into my psyche a little bit. You know, to see the moment when I’m a little nervous, or anxious. All these things.

SLAM: What was the writing process like for you? 

WADE: The writing process was hard. First, it was hard to pick between millions of photos that we had to try to narrow it down to go [in] a book. And then from there, after we get through that, now, you got to go through every photo and let it speak to you. So my writer, Justin Tinsley, we sat down over a period of time and just went through photos, and we went through the format and how we wanted this book to feel and sound…We really put a lot of thought into it. It wasn’t easy, but it was definitely, you know, worthwhile.

SLAM: Is there a photo or memory from the book that stands out the most to you? 

WADE: It’s hard to pick one photo because I went through and picked 200. But, as a I say, every time I do look at the book, I find a different photo. And it speaks to me, right? So whatever photo [it] is, like yesterday, the first day that I was doing media, I kept turning to the page of the photo of [59th Street and Prairie Ave], the apartment complex I lived in. And just thinking about that little Dwyane and being in that house at the age of eight, nine years old and here we go, 30 years later. Look how my life has changed and developed. Certain moments just take you back to that moment. 

SLAM: What is it like for you, as a father, to look back at these photos of your children and watch them take on new heights, specifically with Zaire playing in the G League?

WADE: [Zaire] has been on this journey with me the entire time since I entered the NBA. He’s in every moment. His evolution and growth is what I’m excited about more [than] anything that I have done or anything I am doing. You know, it’s his time [and] we’re trying to, as a family, continue to prop [him] up, to give him opportunities [and] to continue to allow [him] to understand his abilities, and his power and all the things that he has. So, I’m a proud father. Zaire is also one of my best friends, so we talk all day [and] every time I do something he’s always like, ‘That’s another thing you did, you get further and further away from me, I’m trying to catch up. You keep adding stuff and making it harder and harder.’

SLAM: Zaire has been doing things in a different way than probably most people expected him to—not playing in college, going to the G League out of high school. What has it been like for you to see him follow his own path?

WADE: Yeah, that’s how it should be. People before you set a blueprint… The blueprint is basketball, he loves it. And so, the blueprint is business, he loves it. There’s blueprints out here: his father has one, his uncle LeBron, his uncle Carmelo, Chris Paul, all these guys have a blueprint. And so it’s up to him to look at the different blueprints and see which one fits him and make sure that he adds and brings his own style and flavor and vibe to what he’s trying to accomplish. And I’m all here for it. I’m here to support him. I’m here to give them all the answers. I’m here to tell him, ‘Hey, Z. Don’t go left right here, go right.’ I’m here to move buildings and stuff out his way so he can see his opportunities clearer, because I didn’t have that. I’m just super excited for my son for these next few years of his life, these are gonna be some of the best years of his life. And he’s doing it. Right now, he’s in the G League and every day, he’s waking up and he’s doing the work.

SLAM: There’s also a photo of Donovan Mitchell in the book. Can you talk about your relationship with him?

WADE: We’ve had, since he came into the NBA, a pretty good relationship. He was one of those young guys who reached out and wanted more knowledge…We have similar attributes in our game, so we just kind of connected from there. I’ve always been an open book, not only to Donovan but to any player in the NBA. I love being a mentor and now, not only am I a mentor and a big brother, I’m part of the ownership group in Utah now, so our relationship now has went to a level that, it doesn’t happen often. Like, this is a one-of-one kind of relationship that Donovan and I have…We both reach out and ask each other questions about things. I’m trying to learn Utah, the ownership and how to handle things better, and what better person to be able to communicate with than Donovan. 

SLAM: Do you remember the first time you two met?

WADE: The first time I met him [was] probably when we played against them. I think I was in Cleveland at the time, and he was guarding me and I got a chance to size him up and I was like, ‘He’s little.’ [laughs] I knew right away, just the way that he competed, the way he played the game, I saw, this kid has an opportunity to be good. Like I said, he was the one that was like, ‘Yo, let me get your number. Can I reach out to you? Could I call you?’ Stuff like that. It was a great first meeting.I’m 6-4 and I was like, ‘Let me see how big this kid is.’ And I was like, ‘Oh he’s little.’ You just size each other up—he was guarding me and I was like, ‘Yo, how tall is this dude?’ But he was so explosive. You would see highlights of it but you didn’t play against him, so you didn’t know…He went hard at me, man. I was a little older and he went hard at me. I love that about him.

SLAM: What have been some of the lessons, or advice that’d you give him about ascending his game and reaching the levels that you’ve accomplished? 

WADE: There’s different things that you have to reach: you have to reach an individual level of greatness that is different than most of the NBA…Donovan, over the course of time, he’s just been figuring it out. Figuring out how to be a leader, especially when you have the ball in your hand, you’re the one taking the shots. You gotta be a leader. And he’s learning all these things, all these things will help him. Losing, it hurts but it helps at the same time. He’s been knocked out of the playoffs, he’s had injuries. He has things to get that chip on his shoulder, he has experience. And so now, you know, some of it too is [it’s] gotta be the right matchups, be the right time, it’s a lot of things.

But, make sure that your effort every day is championship quality efforts. Make sure you carry yourself as a champion so that when you become one, when you get that opportunity, it’s not foreign to you. You know how to act, you know how to do it, you know how to respond to it. I’m excited that I get that front row seat courtside to watch him try to accomplish something that not many great basketball players have been able to accomplish.

Photo credit Bob Metelus.

The post Dwyane Wade On His New Memoir, Zaire Wade and Being a Mentor to Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

It’s mid-morning on the West Coast, where Kevin Garnett lives now, and the sun is shining through the window behind him, gleaming off his Larry O’Brien trophy (“Just always know when you see me, you see her, and when you see her, you see me”) as well as his luxuriously moisturized bald dome (“It’s all coconut oil and sunshine, it ain’t built for everybody, you know what I’m sayin’?”). KG is 44 now, five years removed from his last NBA game, but he still looks like he could get out there right now and give somebody buckets.

This is not going to happen, of course. KG spent his 20-plus-year NBA career squeezing it all out down to the pulp, retired—if I can mix metaphors here—with the tank on E. But that intensity, that drive, that demon that drove him, that didn’t just go away. The fire still burns. So what’s supposed to be a half-hour Zoom call goes on for an hour, then an hour and a half, despite the fact that he’s got a whole gang of other interviews to get to. KG might be retired from the NBA, but he sure ain’t retired-retired.

Back in his playing days, Garnett was always the last to speak after games. He’d get his half-hour or so of treatment in the back, then get dressed, and only then—when everything was perfect—would he come out and answer questions. The entire media contingent was always still out there waiting, because we all knew he always had something to say. 

That, at least, hasn’t changed.

SLAM: I want to start going back to—I think this was the very first time I ever met you—and it would have been the Wheelchair Classic at Madison Square Garden.

KG: Wheelchair Classic, Wheelchair Cla—oh wow. Wow, wow, wow. That’s a throwback.

SLAM: Do you remember what it was like getting out on the court with those guys?

KG: Anytime when I was in high school I stepped on the court with any pro player, I was always in awe, I was always in awe of the difference and I always wanted to see the difference in what makes this mug a motherfuckin’ pro. And then when you play, you actually saw, you actually experienced a pro. You saw the difference in the style of play, the style of pace, the patience. And that’s what separates, to me, the professional from just a regular basketball player. You learn how to attack, you learn how to defend on all genres, on all categories—fast, big, strong, long, lean, you learn how to guard it all. So whenever I would step on a court, I would always be in awe of pros just because of that reason. But man, the Wheelchair Classic, you took me back. That’s deep.

SLAM: With young guys coming up back then, it flowed the other way, too, because you guys were so different from people who were already in the NBA. There was definitely a shift coming.

KG: Mm-hmm, definitely an energy coming, definitely a different—I think after you saw UNLV start making their run, you start seeing, like, the Fab Five come into it, the energy started to change a little bit, at least for me. Growing up during the crack era, kids getting killed for they shoes was, like, a new thing. Remember the first time you heard a kid got killed in Chicago for a pair of Jordans? That changed everything for me, man. Like, kids at school and all of us growing up and the way we competed. MJ made it cool to dress up and be professional, and then it’s like, Onyx came out and it was like “Duh duh duh, duh, duh, duh. Let the boys be boys!” It was a different energy vs the Anita Baker and the Luther Vandross. Our generation was coming off a bunch of, like, Yo, my dad ain’t in here, we single mom kids, we coming up like this. You learn to slap box, you learnin’ the street. It was just all of it, all of it at the same time, kind of rush the door and hit it all at once. And it was crazy that SLAM was, like, the birth of all of that, was at the same time.

SLAM: Did you feel that extra weight on you coming into the League? From that?

KG: Not weight, but I felt like I was representing. When I came out, no bullshit, this is a true story, I actually thought Felipe Lopez had the tools and the confidence and the skills to actually do what I did. When I actually sat back and thought about why more people didn’t actually take this route, it was really because of the education. I don’t think too many kids, any city kids, country kids, kids from the suburbs, didn’t matter. Overseas. All that. I didn’t think people was educated enough on the possibilities and the options of actually going from high school to the pros. And with that, I felt like I was representing Steph [Marbury]. I felt like I was representing AI [Allen Iverson], Shareef [Abdur-Rahim], Big [Robert] Traylor, Paul—Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, because I had played with all these guys. And I felt like I was representing that. I was representing the next wave of players that wanted to come in and make their mark and be impactful in the League.

SLAM: Your first game you were 4-4, you were pretty comfortable right from the start. Was there a moment when you thought, Wait a minute, I belong with all these guys.

KG: Comfortable, but I went through a couple preseason games against Big Dog [Glenn Robinson], which was like a grand opening for the League. He was the first superstar I played that didn’t take it easy. Big Dog was talking shit, it was bucket for bucket, and it grew a fire in me. And you know, the first couple games I was—I won’t say gullible, but I knew all these guys and I looked up to ’em, even Joe Smith and Rasheed [Wallace] and Stack [Jerry Stackhouse] and all those guys, even though we was all in the same [draft] class. I was a true fan. I was a kid who had posters on his wall. So Webb [Chris Webber] was my favorite player. And when I played Webb, he shot a jump hook on me, and I was looking so googly-eyed, and Sam Mitchell—to his credit—slapped the shit out of me like, Look, hey, you can’t come out here and appreciate these guys like this. I know you got these guys on your wall, fuck all that, we out here now. And it wasn’t until then, I can honestly say that moment there for me, was actually like, OK, OK, you can appreciate these guys and respect them, but not out here.

SLAM: Do you think about how coming out straight from Farragut shaped you? How maybe you would have been different had you gone to college? I know you were talking about Michigan, Carolina… 

KG: If I’m being honest, I’m glad I came out of high school, man. I see how college muzzles these kids and how these kids don’t really have a voice, how they get told and controlled so much. You know my biggest thing coming out of high school was [deep breath] just the control of me, man. I felt like so many times, you didn’t really get to make a decision, someone was making the decision for you. You know part of what took me so long in picking a school was me actually liking it vs a crew of people around me or people that want the best for me telling me. I wasn’t feeling that. I was like, Look, when I make a decision, I’ll make a decision. When I got to Chicago, I was a lot more mature than I was in South Carolina. I grew up a lot faster and the city helped me deal with a lot of intangibles and little things that kids really go through. I ain’t had no Mom and Pop to bounce things off of, I had to grit and grind and make decisions on my own, and those decisions, I had to stand on ’em. And they had to be decisions that carried a workload, and I was committed. I was committed to basketball day one, and I wasn’t gonna let anything stop me. And although I did have some, you know, bumps in the road, I kept it moving and I kept it going.

SLAM: Was there an exact moment when you’re like, OK, NBA, we’re doing this?

KG: I played Scottie Pippen in the summer one time. And we got to, like, a little shit, like, a little, I don’t even know. A little pushing match? Elbow? Some shit, I don’t know what Scottie was doing. But you know, he’s Scottie Pippen, and he’s a beast. Super GOAT. And I just stood my ground. But it wasn’t until then that I had confidence in myself and my skills, that the stuff that I was having confidence in was working, which built my confidence even more after playing him. 

Then I sat and I had a conversation, probably like a three-, four-hour conversation with Isiah Thomas about the West Side of Chicago and 16th Street and what I have to deal with every day, and he knew all of it. And the ABCs that goes with Chicago. Again, I’m gonna use the word “intangibles,” that come along with Chicago and going to school and playing in the Red West [Conference]. Like, he understood all that. We got to talk about street shit and just everyday stuff, right? Soon as I talked to Isiah Thomas, I knew it. I was committed. I came in, I knocked on Wolf’s [William “Wolf” Nelson, Farragut’s coach—Ed.] door. I was like, Yo, sit down, I need to tell you something. He thought something was wrong, he thought I got a girl pregnant or some shit, he was looking at me like, What? I was like, I’m going to the League. I need you to write this down. Tomorrow I need you to look up these agents…and da, da, da. He was looking at me and laughed. He’s like, What? He saw my face. And he saw how I was looking. And he saw how I looked at him. And I wasn’t smiling. I was deadass and I was looking at him like, I ain’t fuckin’ around, after you get through laughin’ I need you to get a piece of paper and write this down. This is what I need you to do. And I was talking to him with so much conviction that it wasn’t no laughing in the room. It felt like a Sunday but it was really a Saturday, and Monday got here and it started. And I can honestly say that that moment, after speaking to Isiah, and feelin’ that synergy, feeling like, I’m about to do something that everybody else ain’t did, I ain’t going to junior college, I’m not going to college. I’m about to bet on myself. I’m one of the hardest-working people I know. Don’t nobody work harder than me. Don’t nobody want this more than me. I’m fittin’ to go all in with this, and I jumped out and I jumped right in the rabbit hole. I didn’t care what it was. And in my mind, it couldn’tve been no harder than getting up, surviving every day in Chicago from the time I walked out of my house to the time I walked back in it. I looked at the League like it couldn’t have been harder than the West Side. I was like, No, it can’t be harder than this shit.

SLAM: I feel like from the moment you stepped on the floor, first game, your rookie year, you were influencing people, people who maybe never thought you could make the jump from high school to the pros. But you stepping on that floor made that real. Were you aware of that from the get-go?

KG: I wasn’t aware of it, but you know, you know how something is there, like a consistency of something being there? I felt that. And then people who know me, know I have, like, a little presence about myself. As a rookie, I would talk, but then I was listening so much and I was trying to soak up so much. And again, you’re trying to prove yourself so much that you find yourself just in this state of just always, always soaking up something, always gravitating toward something. Always. I don’t care what it is, it was always a learning moment for me. So I felt like I didn’t have the privilege of going to school like these other guys. I didn’t have the privilege of coming in here learning and all this other stuff. But Kevin McHale put me in a position that I can learn under him. And he put me in position to where I can be transparent with him and all the older guys that were there. And then I had a great group of older guys. Sam Mitchell was probably the best fit for me, very aggressive guy, from the South, he’s from Georgia. So he kind of understood, but he understood my motor, too, and that I wanted things. And then you know, when we got on the same page as far as where we come from and start peeling back layers about who we are, that’s when our relationship grew. And he knew I was a competitor, and I wasn’t backing down from nobody. And he loved that. I was a fucking pit bull. And I didn’t care about who—after that Webber incident, I didn’t care about any of that shit no more. I took more of a West Side kind of Chicago attitude with some South Carolina skill and discipline. And I worked my ass off. 

SLAM: When were you able to take the time to start looking back? Was it after you retired?

KG: I still haven’t looked back on shit. Fans send me videos or stuff all the time—fans make fan pages, tag you in shit, fans make YouTube joints and all this, and I like to thank all the fans, too, because half the shit that I’ve done I forgot about. You don’t really think about how much time you’ve actually put into this until you look up and your kid is 12 or 13. The only reason I think I actually look back at it now is because my kids actually want to converse and talk about it, and then I get younger fans coming up to me and their friends. That’s the only time I really talk about it. I don’t really like going back in time, unless I’m talking to [young players], I used to train some of these young guys, so giving them examples of things that I’ve been through and stuff I recall. But I never wanted to be the guy to be like, Hey, man, when I played…

SLAM: It’s funny to me that people talk about you acting in Uncut Gems, but my introduction to Kevin Garnett the actor was the Fun Police commercial with Cherokee Parks—you, Cherokee and Tom Gugliotta.

KG: The Fun Police was fun. I remember Cherokee and Googs being in it. I remember my best friend Bug being in it with me. Fun Police was fun—Trump was in one of my Fun Police joints, too. You remember that? Fun Police was probably one of my favorite commercials that I’ve ever done. And Uncut Gems was just a gem within itself, if I’m being 100. It fell in my lap. Adam [Sandler] was unbelievable. I got to see the true essence of his greatness. Julia Fox was great, she was unbelievable in this. The Safdie brothers was…they was just so easy to work with. They was so simple, so down to earth, so encouraging. I was like, You motherfuckers should be some goddamn coaches the way y’all do this shit.

SLAM: Do you want to do more acting? 

KG: I have a production company called Content Cartel, and we are co-producing my documentary along with Blowback Productions. Shout out to Marc Levin. Shout out to SHOWTIME. Got a bunch of projects coming up. This is my second calling. I love storytelling. Believe it or not, I have a ton of stories that I don’t tell on purpose. Production is something that I think I get, and it’s a lot of stories that need to be told. 

SLAM: What about from an NBA perspective? I don’t want to bring up sore subjects, but I know the Timberwolves thing didn’t necessarily go the way you wanted it to go. Is there still interest in being involved at an ownership level? 

KG: I noticed that in this boys club of owners, you have to play the game and know the game. And, you know, I think at this point, I’m considered a worker from that standpoint, I don’t think that the [owners] overall see the value in players coming back in ownership, which is sad, because, you know, Michael Jordan was once a player. Needless to say, I felt like the new wave of things to be done is coming. And this old wave is on its way out. So I’m just gonna wait for this old way to just kind of die out and new ways of business start to take over. And I think that’s the way that kind of fits me and suits me. If not, if I’m not able to be in an ownership group, then it’s all good. But it’s not gonna stop my greatness and other things that I want to accomplish. 

I love Minneapolis dearly. I do have an opinion on the reactivation or at least the reoccurrence of the city in which I think some real development in capital dollars in education, police reform—like all that needs to be addressed. We need education, we need our communities to feel like they’re safe. Real shit. And I think Minneapolis has a bunch of underlying issues that need to be addressed. And I think the ownership can play a huge part in not just educating, but bringing two parts together and bringing people together. Sports, believe it or not, and, you know, you can agree or disagree, but I think that sports brings the world together like music, you know? And my only real take in all of this was to be able to bring the city back together for what I know the city to be. 

And that was my real influence with trying to go in so hard and trying to make this work. But you know, in all things, if you’re gonna dance, if you’re gonna dance with somebody or if you’re going to partner with somebody, it’s got to be a two-way street. And it’s got to be something that both of you see the vision of, and I just, I think that in this situation, the vision wasn’t valued, nor looked at, and I think that it was ignored. I’m looking forward to being part of a different group, if it’s in Minnesota with the Timberwolves, cool. It doesn’t look like that. But if anything else comes up, I know Vegas is on the rise for getting a franchise soon. I know Seattle has roots, so we’ll see, I’m not going anywhere. And that situation too, it helped me and it educated me. So, you know, the second time that I come, I think I’m gonna come a whole ’nother way than I actually went this first time. But it was a great education for myself, all parties involved. I appreciate the experience. But yeah, I’ma fall back, I’ma regroup and then I’m gonna come back at this again. So you ain’t seen the last of me. So we’ll see. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

SLAM: You’re sounding like somebody who could be governor of Minnesota instead of just the owner of the Timberwolves.

KG: [Laughs] Hell no, hell no. There’s too much responsibility, man. I’ve been really, you know, chill, playing the shadows, I’m watching everything. I’m paying attention. I’m staying in tune. I’m staying in tune with the street. I’m listening to the community, I’m listening to all the kids that’s going through it. A lot of those kids that’s going through it and are really standing on the front line in Minneapolis are kids that I actually know, been through programs that I actually set through with the city. 

I went back to see the George Floyd memorial and the monument and just walk through there to get like a real feel for myself and, you know, get down on ground zero and feel the people, man, and it was one of the better things I did because I haven’t done it in a long time. I haven’t been back to Minneapolis in a minute. I still have a home there, I still have family there, still live there. Yeah, so things like that are just in my heart to do, but you know, I’m not a politician, I’m more the people’s champ. I fuck with the people. I don’t want to get mixed up with lobbyists and a bunch of other shit that I don’t really truly understand at the end of day. Nor will I give something to be something, you know. I stand on my square, you know what I’m saying, I’m five all day. And people know that. That means more to me than anything. But if the governor wants to reach out to me and help to bring some type of reform or some type of balance back to the city, I’m all ears, but it’s gonna be something of my own imagination and vision that I would like to see for the city and my people.

SLAM: I know the actual ceremony got pushed back because of COVID, but have you thought a lot about getting into the Hall of Fame and what that milestone means?

KG: When it first happened, I was all gassed. It’s just, it’s hard to actually feel good about the Hall of Fame with so much real-life issues and stuff that’s going on. I’m super gassed. And I’m just overwhelmed with the concept of being one of the best ever to do this. It hasn’t really settled in for me. COVID got everything effed up, you know what I’m saying? COVID got everything kind of, you know, sideways. But yeah, it wasn’t expected, to be honest. I got so much other shit going on in my life that I forgot about the Hall of Fame, if I’m being honest.

SLAM: It hurts with Kobe not being there for it.

KG: Yes, Kob’ fucks with me to this day, man. I still haven’t gotten over that. I feel some type of way when I look up and they just got him on TV every day. Like still here and…yeah. For all of us who had a relationship with Kob’, that’s gotta be hard. Because we’re all trying to get past it, we’re all trying to move on. And his energy and his legacy is still here. Somebody was asking me something the other day and before you answer you got to always take a breath, you know what I’m saying? Shout to Kob’, rest in peace to Mamba, man. Always. Till we meet again.

SLAM: What would it be like if you had a chance to do it all over? What would it be like if 19-year-old Kevin Garnett was joining the NBA in 2021?

KG: If I was joining the League in 2021? Well, my energy and my vision to be the best wouldn’t change, none of that. None of the intangibles would change for me. You gotta know, I competed differently, I competed angrily, I competed very aggressively. But that was the time. That’s not really the energy now, the energy now is more skilled, it’s more—it’s probably more skilled than ever. Like, do you see some of the shots that these kids are making? Jayson Tatum, every time I watch him, every shot that he takes looks difficult. He’ll shoot a turnaround going over his right shoulder, and I’ll be like, man, you really—for anybody who knows that move, you really got to get your right leg around and square up and—I’m just amazed at the skill level, man. 

If I was playing today, I definitely would have a three ball. I probably would have displayed a lot more one-on-one. I was really an unselfish player to a fault and my mentality was more of, If I can get everybody else involved and they get going, then I can have chances to take advantage of one-on-one opportunities because of double teams. I had a lot more one-on-one game than I actually displayed in the League, because during the time that I played, you had to, it was more systematic, it was more plays being called, you didn’t really break the play. You know, I actually like to blame Kob’ and T-Mac for that shit, they broke more plays than anything, you know what I’m sayin’? And the Mamba Mentality wasn’t always accepted either. 

I saw Joker [Nikola Jokic] do a step back off the so-called wrong foot and it was so unorthodox, but I had to sit back and as a student of the game I said, Hmm, there goes the Dirk part of his influence in our League and what Dirk brought to our League with that whole one-legged fadeaway off the glass with the 6-11, 7-foot guy shooting threes, being mobile. You know, as I go through and I watch the League and what we’ve actually given the League, I started looking at it like, Wow, I see Dirk’s influence, I see Timmy’s influence, I see Rondo’s influence, I see P’s [Pierce’s] influence, I see LeBron’s—I started to see my own influence. And then where they’ve taken our influence and doing one-legged step backs off the glass and facing up one dribble? The moves, man, the moves. The skills! Like, I heard Shaq say this, and just shout out to Shaq, man, and I love you Big Fella, but I don’t know if everybody from the older generation could have played in this generation. Just because it’s a faster pace, no one’s been at that Golden State pace as a League when you scorin’ 136-133. 

SLAM: Did you ever think 25 years ago that you would be in this position? Did you think your career would last as long as it did? That you would reach the heights that you did?

KG: I want you to go and ask Kevin McHale a lot of the stuff you been asking me, and I’ll tell you, he’ll tell you, Day one, he wanted to be the best player in the League, he wanted to outlive everybody in the draft, he wanted to outplay everybody, he wanted to be the best hands-down in the All-Star Game, he wanted Olympics, all that. I wanted to cross everything off the list that you got to actually cross to be a master. You know? And I went in there like that, and more importantly, I worked my ass off. Part of why I definitely can’t run as fast or I can’t run after my kids is because I did go so hard, but there’s no regrets. And you asked me earlier what I would change, and I wouldn’t change anything. Maybe some tweaks here and there but nah, nah, working with Kevin McHale was a gift. I could never thank him more. Or, I couldn’t thank him enough for the knowledge in the stuff that I was able to get, I couldn’t have gotten that anywhere else but him. I’m very fortunate. I took that and I ran with it, and I grew it, and I put my own little vision on it. And it was only right to give it back and be able to give it to players so they can use it. Anything that you go into as a young kid, you hope that you come out on the other end as someone that is accomplished. I felt like I reached a lot of those things.

SLAM: Does that intensity go away? If you stepped out on a court right now and somebody rolled a ball out—

KG: I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. No, I wouldn’t. The demon never goes away. And if you do put the demon up, it’s banging on the door at times to come out so I have to be under control. I do a bunch of yoga, I do a bunch of meditating, manifesting, just to keep things at bay. But yeah, I’m pretty sure that if we started racing and I got to losing, or anything competitive and I start losing, then you start to hear the banging at the door, Uh oh, the demon’s trying to come out. So these days I keep shit real chill and calm. I haven’t played ball in a very long time, believe it or not. But I’m shooting stuff in the basket, I have a little son so we mess around and stuff. Basketball is something that I put in the closet for a reason. Whenever I have a long day or I’m having difficulty or something, I take a ball and I’ll just go dribble at the beach or just kinda get lost in it. That’s kinda always been my therapy. It probably always will be. 

KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible is a feature-length chronicle of Kevin Garnett’s remarkable career and the pivotal moments that defined it. Stream the documentary on SHOWTIME. 

Photos courtesy of KEVIN GARNETT: Anything is Possible and via Getty Images.

The post Kevin Garnett Opens Up About the Early Years and How He’d Have a ‘Three Ball’ If He Was Playing Today appeared first on SLAM.

Kaminsky has stepped up and produced in the last three games in the absence of the Sun’s center, Deandre Ayton, who was ruled out until further notice with a right leg contusion.

As Kaminsky heated up against Portland, fans were in full support chanting what sounded like “let’s go tank” or “let’s go frank”.

While coming off the bench and filling in admirably for the injured Ayton, it looks like Kaminsky has no problem understanding the assignment :

“I want to be who I think I am,” Kaminsky says in a postgame interview following the dub according to Yahoo! Sports.

All five starters reached double figures with Chris Paul being the second-leading scorer in last night’s contest dropping 21 points, seven dimes, and four boards.

The Suns look to extend their win-streak against the Memphis Grizzles (6-5) Thursday

The post Frank Kaminsky Posts Career-High 31 Points In Suns Win appeared first on SLAM.

“It means a lot, man. I’m grateful and I thank god for this opportunity,” Paul said per the Arizona Republic.

“I say it all the time, not only to be on the team and still be in the league but to be playing. You know you don’t take that for granted. … But to be third, man, and still be playing, I’m grateful for it and still have a ways to go.”

Going into the matchup against the Pelicans, Paul was fifth all-time on the list, just six dimes behind Jackson and seven behind Nash. Paul pushed past Jackson at the end of the first quarter, giving a pass to Devin Booker, who then hit a 27-foot three-pointer.

Paul propelled past Nash with 1:34 left in the second from a dish to Jae Crowder, who scored a three-pointer from the right-wing. At 36-years-old and playing in his 16th season in the League, Paul has more time behind him than ahead. However, he has ways to go before catching up to Jason Kidd (12,091) and John Stockton (15,806) on the all-time assists list.

“When I first came into the League and I seen that John Stockton, I was like, ‘I’m gonna get it.’ That shipped sailed. That shipped sailed a while ago when I started missing all them games,” Paul told the Arizona Republic.

Still, this is just the latest milestone that CP3 has achieved so far this season. Just last month, he became the first player in NBA history to record 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in a win against the Lakers.

The Suns are now 3-3 and will play the Rockets on Thursday.

The post Chris Paul Passes Mark Jackson and Steve Nash For No.3 All-Time in Assists appeared first on SLAM.

The NBA lockout was in full effect and there was no end in sight. Inside the legendary Palestra, players were gathering for the love of the game in front of their adoring fans. The players included a two-time NBA MVP, two top-10 all-time leading NBA scorers, 
one top-five all-time NBA assists leader, one NBA Rookie of the Year, three NBA and NCAA champions and four Olympic Gold medalists. The Nike mantra of “Basketball Never Stops” was alive and on full display. 

The summer/fall of 2011 was like getting multiple releases on the Snkrs app for a basketball fan—a remarkable, rare occurrence. While the owners and players union were debating over finances, the stars of the League made sure they filled their fans’ thirst for affordable, high-level action across the country in DC, L.A., Baltimore, Oklahoma, New York and Philadelphia.

“That is what made the lockout games so great,” says Jamar Smiley, Director of Player Relations for BDA Sports Management. “The everyday fan was able to see [the stars] play without sacrificing a day’s pay.” 

The idea for the game in West Philadelphia started with some territorial trash talk between Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick about which city, Baltimore or Philly, had better players. The two were teammates on Syracuse in 2003, when the program won a national championship. 

The vision started to become a reality on the night of Saturday, August 20, on the drive home from watching The Capital Punishment game in DC, where the Goodman League, led by Kevin Durant and John Wall, faced off against the Drew League, featuring James Harden and DeMar DeRozan. 

I contacted Skinny [Hakim Warrick] via Facebook messenger, who then put me in touch with Smiley. Smiley and I spoke, and roles began to be defined. I would handle the logistics of the game, Skinny and Melo would be team captains and oversee coordination with the players, and Smiley would be my day-to-day contact.

Once the team captains committed and the $25,000 contribution to their designated charities was confirmed, it was time to get to work. We had to secure the venue and an insurance policy, get product for the players and advertise for the game.

The first task was locking down the historical Palestra arena, which sits on the Ivy League campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The Palestra is considered the Cathedral of College Basketball, and legendary players such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have all stepped foot on its court.

“From our first conversation, the game had to be at The Palestra; there was no second option,” Warrick says. “Plus, it is right around the corner from where I grew up in the Bottom West Philly.”

I called Philadelphia basketball icon, two-time Ivy League Player of the Year and UPenn head coach Jerome Allen, who has known Skinny and I since we were both young.

Allen arranged for a series of meetings between the Palestra’s facility director, UPenn’s athletic director and myself. Penn administration met the idea of the game with skepticism, due to the uncertainty of when the lockout would end. I assured them the game would happen because there was no end in sight for the lockout. I was confident, since I had daily communication with Smiley, who worked for one of the most prominent NBA agents in Bill Duffy, who represented numerous NBA stars including Steve Nash and Yao Ming.

Other parts were moving outside of the UPenn meetings. Nike had confirmed that they would be the official product sponsor for the game, outfitting all the players. Urban retail store DTLR Sneaker Villa would pay for all the radio advertisements, along with acquiring the insurance policy. Ten days after the initial meeting with Penn’s administrators, a deal was put in place for the Palestra to host the game.

Once these parts were solidified, the announcement to the public was made, and interest for the game exceeded all of our expectations.

Streaming is a standard tool of viewership nowadays, but back in 2011, it was something new. The Basketball Channel, a new company, approached me about the idea of streaming the event via the internet using their partnership with Sports Illustrated. The event was now going global.

“The game became bigger than what we expected,” says Warrick, a 13-year NBA vet and the Team Philly captain. “This was before the explosion of social media. Between the venue and streaming, this wasn’t no pickup game at the rec.”

The date and time were picked based on the fact that the hometown Philadelphia Eagles were playing their NFC East rival New York Giants that afternoon at 1 pm. Our game was scheduled to start at 6. I knew this would be a dream sports day for Philly fans. The Eagles versus the Giants at 1. The lockout game at 6 at the Palestra. It doesn’t get any better.

It was a warm, fall day, with temperatures in the 60s, but inside, the Palestra was humid and hot like a summer barbeque in the middle of the afternoon. “You had a three-piece suit on,” Smiley says, laughing, remembering the day. “I don’t know how you did it; I had to take my rugby shirt off.”

Members of the Philly team started to arrive around 4:30. As Hakim Warrick, Lou Williams, Kyle Lowry, Flip Murray, Wayne Ellington, Tyreke Evans, Jason Thompson, Mark Tyndale, Mardy Collins, Dionte Christmas and Aaron Owens began to take the court to warm up, a buzz started growing. Only three members of Team Melo were on the court: Donte Greene, Josh Selby and Gary Forbes.

The remaining players were still nowhere to be seen or found as it approached 30 minutes before tip-off. Fans were beginning to worry if the game was even going to happen.

I wasn’t worried at all. I was in contact with Worldwide Wes [William Wesley, current Executive Vice President for the New York Knicks] the entire time. Melo, Bron and CP3 were at the Eagles-Giants game, and Wes had arranged for them to have a police escort to the arena.

At 5:45 pm, my BlackBerry rang. It was Worldwide Wes asking, “Where do we pull up at?” I instructed them to go through the back entrance. A fleet of black SUVs pulled up. First Chris Paul jumped out, then Carmelo, then LeBron. All three of them entered the Palestra and walked under the stands to the locker room. When the fans caught a glimpse of the trio, the arena erupted.

Finally, as the clock hit 6:15, legendary Philadelphia referee Keith “Showtime” Saunders tossed the ball up for the opening tip. Players on both teams competed as if it were Game 7 of the NBA Finals, with Team Philly winning, 131-122. But to basketball fans, there were no losers.

For those lucky few who got inside the hallowed halls of the Palestra, watching all of those future Hall of Famers—watching history—it was a once in a lifetime event. 

Rahim Thompson is the founder of The Chosen League, the Philadelphia-based high school summer basketball league whose alumni include Kyle Lowry, Gerald Henderson and Kyle Kuzma. His book, Choose Wisely, is available at nomattertheodds.com.

Photos courtesy of Michelle Hunter/The Chosen League.

The post How LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul Linked Up to Play in the Legendary Battle of I-95 Game appeared first on SLAM.

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

SLAM took one issue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He had the two components in the wrong order.

Another lightbulb moment hit.

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

It would look like Vibe.

It would read like The Source.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A name for the magazine.

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

Crossover.

Dribble.

Jam.

None of them felt right.

They finally landed on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

The first issue was finally ready for the newsstand. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

But they needed to find their voice first. 

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

The post The Story of How SLAM Was Founded, as Told By Those Who Were There appeared first on SLAM.

Chris Paul knocks down the free throw to reach 20,000 career points!

He becomes the only player in @NBAHistory with 20,000 points and 10,000 assists. pic.twitter.com/E2ryTafiz9

— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2021

Before CP3 accomplished the milestone, the only other players that had a chance to pass the 20,000 point, 10, assist plateau was Oscar Robertson, who finished with 9,887 assists, and John Stockton, who finished just short with 19,711 points.

Paul had 10,285 assists heading into the game and was 49 assists assists behind Mark Jackson for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time list.

The only player ever with 20,000 points and 10,000 assists…what a career it’s been thus far for NBA 75th Anniversary Team member, @CP3! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/FFRgI5clfo

— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2021

Paul, who also made the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team, had reflected on that accomplishment before making history.

“It means a lot,” Paul said on Friday. “I got a chance to go home yesterday with my family, my parents, my brother. Everybody sort of surprised me with, like, a Zoom toast with a lot of people who meant a lot [to me]. Especially to have my dad sitting right next to me meant a lot because my dad is the one who the ball in my hands, and I appreciate him for it.

“I’m just glad and grateful to be a part of it.”

Paul has career averages of 18.3 points, 9.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in 1,091 games.

The post Chris Paul Makes NBA History By Becoming First Player With 20,000 Points, 10,000 Assists appeared first on SLAM.

The NBA has been an avid supporter when it comes to celebrating and offering opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to be seen and represented positively. The NBA’s plan to promote these institutions will continue on to All-Star weekend and in the foreseeable future.

All-Star weekend will be held in Cleveland, Ohio and will feature a highly anticipated, televised matchup between Howard University and Morgan State’s men’s basketball teams. The NBA HBCU Classic will be held on Feb. 19 at the Wolstein Center, according to The Undefeated.

If you recall, former NBPA President Chris Paul was a leading voice in pushing for inclusivity among HBCUs, leading to $3 million being raised for these institutions during All-Star weekend earlier this year. Next year, the NBA’s goal is to donate at least $1 million for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund.

In addition to the exciting All-Star news, the NBA and WNBA, according to Forbes, will offer a new paid fellowship program next year. This program will offer hands-on professional, business experience with the League

“We have a long history of the values of our sport, being diversity, equity, and inclusion,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum says, per The Undefeated. “This is part of our DNA. We think there is so much opportunity here for Black youth. We want to help accelerate those opportunities for Black youth and graduates of HBCUs to get them access to and exposure into the sports industry. The business side of it. The operations side of it.”

The post The NBA Continues to Expand Relationship with HBCUs appeared first on SLAM.

He knows he has to take it to another level this spring and summer in order to avoid falling through the cracks. Even if that means thinking outside the box and making drastic changes and bold sacrifices. And, so, he does. 

Chandler ultimately chooses to leave his local AAU program and instead joins Mokan Elite, one of the top programs in the prestigious Nike EYBL circuit. The move requires him to hop on a flight every Friday so that he can practice with the team 450 miles away in Kansas City, MO, throughout the weekend, and then hop on a flight right back home every Sunday to return to school. The move would automatically place Chandler on the grand stage. All he had to do was perform, and the weekly travel sacrifices would pay off. 

“It was tiring. I had to do schoolwork when I was in Kansas City,” Chandler recalls of his Mokan days. “I missed school every Friday. I was like, Am I even going to pass? Because I was missing school [sometimes]—either I was going to school and checking out early or I flew Friday night. So it was a tough decision for me to make.

“My name was nowhere freshman year. I tell people I had doubted myself freshman year. Was this even for me? Because I was getting no looks. My name wasn’t out there. I was just a freshman point guard playing at a Christian high school in Memphis, TN. After I played for [Mokan Elite], my first game with Mokan, I picked up four offers in one day and that’s when I knew—like, Yeah, it’s coming. It’s starting. Four offers in one day, that’s more than the [total] offers I had before. I only had three offers before entering that first game in Atlanta for the first EYBL session.”  

He hasn’t looked back since. The offers began to pile up by the dozens. From Duke and Kentucky to North Carolina and Kansas, he soon became one of the most sought-after recruits in the Class of 2021. 

Mokan went on to win the EYBL title that summer—the program’s second title after winning it all with Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr a few years back—by defeating a Jalen Green-led Team WhyNot in the championship, capping off in grand style a summer for the ages for Chandler.

But going to Kansas City wasn’t the only sacrifice Chandler found himself making. A year later, the 6-1 guard boarded a flight again, this time to Wichita, Kansas; and it wasn’t a round-trip. Looking to take it up a notch once again, and willing to make the necessary moves in order to do so, the point guard left Briarcrest Christian after nine years—yes, he had been attending the same school since second grade—and enrolled in a school almost 600 miles away for his senior year. At Sunrise Christian Academy, Chandler had left behind family and longtime friends in order to join a program that competed in a challenging national schedule. He was simply looking to test himself as he prepared to make the jump to the collegiate level. 

And just like he did when he changed AAU teams, Chandler found a way to lead his newest squad to another championship game, this time taking Sunrise to the GEICO Nationals title game. They would fall short to Montverde Academy but nonetheless Chandler had left an even bigger impression on scouting services—he walked away from high school as the unanimous top rated point guard in the country on ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports. 

“I never expected to leave all my friends and family not being able to see me because of the pandemic. This was the second hardest choice I ever made. Me going to a school 12 hours away from home. My family had to watch my games online,” says Chandler. “I loved the school, Coach [Luke] Barnwell, the team, the coaches, the players. I’m glad I made that move [last] year…I never been that far away from home. For Kansas City, I was just flying out of town every weekend, but this was like college. Waking up on my own, getting ready for college. Sunrise got me ready for it.” 

Next up is the University of Tennessee—a place that already felt right to him before he even got a scholarship offer or went on an official visit. Chandler tells the story of when he visited campus as a high school freshman for the first time. There was a football game against Alabama. “They got killed,” he says of Tennessee before he burst out laughing. But the unofficial visit made a lasting impression on him regardless.  

“When you go to a college, you want to see that it feels like home,” he adds. “And Tennessee felt like home on an unofficial visit. I had not [even] taken an official visit and I [already] felt comfortable with the coaches, compared to the other coaches I had visited.” 

He isn’t shying away from stating exactly what he’s chasing after this upcoming season. Chandler has a list he’s hoping to check off one by one beginning this fall and going straight through the winter and next spring. 

“At Tennessee, I want to come in and show them why I was the number one point guard in the nation—who’s coming into their program and why he should be here,” says Chandler. “I want to win a national championship at Tennessee. I set goals, and my goal is I want to make them come true, and my [ultimate] goal is to go to the NBA.”

He continues listing more: “SEC Player of the Year. Win the SEC Tournament. We got a really good chance, we got a lot of good players coming back and good players that’s coming in. And making it to the Final Four and winning the national championship. Those are my goals for next year.”  

Along the way he’s developed a tight-knit friendship with current Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. He says that after Ja got drafted by Memphis in the summer of 2019, the future Rookie of the Year reached out to him asking where he could get some good runs in around town. Chandler pointed him in the right direction. The two remained friends ever since. When Chandler announced his college decision date, Morant quote tweeted “my brother” with a heart emoji in support. Trae Young also quote tweeted Chandler after he announced his decision, showing love and telling him to “go crazy.”

Just like Morant and Young, Chandler is a small PG by NBA standards. He’s studied how they’ve been able to succeed at the highest level of basketball, in hopes of one day replicating them. Another small guard he admires is Chris Paul. When Chandler was invited to the CP3 Elite Guard Camp, he took advantage of the opportunity and asked the NBA superstar how he’s been able to hold his own so well in the Association despite the size disadvantage. CP3’s response had a lasting effect on him. 

“He was like, You just gotta play physical. You have to play like a dog,” recalls Chandler. “And ever since then—he had shown us clips of him when he was in the NBA—I had learned from that and I’ve watched the clips all the time ever since.”

Chandler’s confidence is limitless despite his size. He’s seen how his meteoric rise over the past two years has been the result of betting on himself and sticking with his gut when it comes to decisions that require sacrificing much more than your average high school prospect. He’s aware of how far his confidence has brought him, and it’ll continue to be the driving force behind his success at Tennessee and beyond.     

“I’m a true PG and anybody would love playing with me. I get everybody involved. The game just comes to me,” says Chandler. “I can get around the rim, finish around the rim any time. People used to go under screens because I wouldn’t shoot the ball, but now you really can’t do that, so it’s hard to defend me.” 

FOLLOW @SLAMUNIVERSITY ON INSTAGRAM FOR ALL THINGS COLLEGE HOOPS!

Portraits by Christian Quezada.

The post Kennedy Chandler is Ready Make His Mark at Tennessee appeared first on SLAM.

Morant recently told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto that he is a top-five point guard in the NBA today. He put himself on that list alongside Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.

“The point guard position is so loaded. Some guys have to get left out,” said Morant.

The former rookie of the year averaged 19.1 points and 7.4 assists per game last season. While he does need to improve on his 3-point shooting, he certainly is on his way to becoming one of the top point guards in the NBA.

As Morant enters his third NBA season, he has extremely high expectations for himself.

The post Ja Morant Says He Is A Top-Five Point Guard in NBA appeared first on SLAM.

On Saturday night, former NBA forward-center Chris Bosh received the recognition they truly deserved by finally getting inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame.

The former fourth overall pick from the famed 2003 NBA Draft class reached the pinnacle of success in the NBA, winning two championships during the Miami Heat’s Big 3 Era with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Individually, Bosh holds 11-time All-Star appearances and has gotten his jersey retired by Miami, having led the team after James’ departure in the same way he led the Toronto Raptors prior to joining the Heat.

The highlight of the iconic event—in which former NBA stars Paul Pierce, Chris Webber and Ben Wallace amongst others were also inducted—came from no other than Heat president Pat Riley.

In 2010, Riley gave Bosh one of his championship rings, telling Bosh to “return it once we win one together,” igniting a fire in the Dallas native that eventually lead him to his first ever NBA Championship.

Last night, Bosh had the opportunity to finally return the Godfather’s ring on stage, living up to the promise once made 11 years ago. Bosh went on to recall iconic moments experienced in Miami, bringing up the 2011 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and winning two consecutive championships, and the Heat’s historic 27-game winning streak.

He went on to finish his speech with a very powerful message about setbacks and never giving up because of them.

One of the most skilled big men to ever step on the court, Bosh averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game over the course of his 13-year career but ultimately retired in 2019 due to ongoing health issues.

The post 2-Time NBA Champion Chris Bosh Inducted into Basketball Hall Of Fame appeared first on SLAM.

Instead, he chose to re-sign with the Suns on a four-year deal worth up to $120 million. 

Paul recently spoke to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY, saying the decision to stay in Phoenix was an easy one. 

“It was an easy decision. Not only did I love the basketball aspect, but I’m also close to family (in LA) and Phoenix is a family, too. I’m excited to be back there.” 

At age 36 last season, Paul was an NBA All-Star, averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s still one of the best point guards in the entire NBA and will look to take the Suns deep into the playoffs once again this season. 

The post Chris Paul Says Decision To Stay In Phoenix Was Easy appeared first on SLAM.

The future Hall of Famer is fresh of off an appearance in the NBA Finals where a team that he led fell to two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, and he’s still widely regarded one of the best players in the game even at a ripe age of 36.

However, before his time with the Phoenix Suns, Paul had a legitimate chance to reach the Finals for the first time in his career prior to 2021. Having been traded to the Houston Rockets in 2017, Paul became teammates with another future Hall of Famer in superstar guard James Harden. Nonetheless, despite the two-headed monster the two appeared to be on paper and could be between the lines of the basketball court, the Rockets were unable to capitalize on the potential of the duo.

Paul, who appeared on the No Chill Podcast with Gilbert Arenas, opened up about his time with the Rockets and the reasons why he felt they weren’t ale to achieve penultimate success:

“And the thing that frustrated me the most was that first year, I wasn’t healthy. It’s crazy. Them years in Houston are kind of a blur, to a certain extent, because there was so much going on at the time. But dang, we was good. We was real good.”

Paul also spoke up about playing alongside Harden:

“And James, I still say it, can’t nobody score the ball as he can. It’s crazy, man…I wouldn’t trade any experience or whatnot, but I wish we would’ve had some of those conversations. But most of all, I wish I would’ve been able to stay healthy.”

Paul has battled with injuries throughout most of his storied 16-year career. That being said, during his time in Houston, he was plagued by injuries; he would sustain an injury in both of the Rockets’ playoff runs that he was a part of.

This includes a Western Conference Finals series against the Golden State Warriors in 2018; one that the Rockets led 3-2 at one point.

He went on to miss the final two games due to a nagging hamstring injury, which many fans believed cost Paul and the Rockets a trip to the NBA Finals, as Houston fell in both contests.

Paul would eventually be traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 offseason, as his strained relationship with Harden fell under the microscope.

The post Chris Paul Opens Up About Brief Tenure with Houston Rockets appeared first on SLAM.

A new hypothetical has hit the horizon as former Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce reveals that he was nearly traded to the the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

In an article in Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Pierce discusses the events leading to the near-trade, one that would have allowed him to team up with All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd.

“I’m in my Prime and I’m watching all these other guys in the playoffs,” Pierce told Mannix. “It was depressing I thought was out of there. I thought it was over.”

Pierce goes on to recount meeting Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in Las Vegas and telling the gregarious billionaire, “I’m your missing piece.”

Chiming in on Twitter, Cuban recalls that there was indeed a three-team trade orchestrated to bring Pierce to Dallas but that the deal fell through because one of the team’s was unwilling to send a first-round draft pick to the Celtics.

It gets better. We had a deal done. We had a 3 way trade done. All teams agreed to their part of the deal. When we get on the trade call, the 3rd team killed the deal because they didnt know that a first was going to the Celtics. They chose not to do the deal at all.

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) September 7, 2021

In the 2006-07 season, Boston went 24-58, the second-worst record in the NBA prior to Pierce’s trade request.

However, the Celtics would go on to acquire star guard Ray Allen in the 2007 offseason in a draft day trade involving Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West before trading for former Minnesota Timberwolves cornerstone Kevin Garnett a month later.

While Boston would go on to win the 2008 NBA Championship after defeating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most memorable NBA Finals matchups of all-time, the Mavericks would take down the newly-formed Miami Heat “Big Three” in 2011, in what was another unforgettable moment in hardwood history.

All’s well that ends well, as they say.

The post Paul Pierce, Mark Cuban Recount Near Blockbuster Trade Between Celtics and Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Perfect morning in Los Angeles. A calm and balanced sun-soaked Tuesday. Traffic is actually skipping along nicely. Smiles blanket faces that pass by. Conversations run their course without any rush. “Voice of the Heroes” blasts out of a car window on Cahuenga Boulevard. Clearly all is right. 

Right? Wrong. 

Let’s have some thunderous notes surge in the blue sky. 

There’s a problem. 

What is it?

The absolutely insanely rare “Kentucky” Air Jordan 1s from 1985 that Devin Booker is supposed to bless us with aren’t in L.A. 

OK, that’s fine. Let’s adjust. We can let some time go by. It’s a nice enough day in CA. 

Jump to Phoenix. The kicks got sent to the desert from Tokyo, Japan. The sneakers, a physical time machine that lead with footprints to the moments well before SLAM was around or Booker was born or the public’s general love for footwear, are getting on a plane. Their journey is a mirror to Booker’s. 

Get your copy of KICKS 24 featuring Devin Booker NOW!

Book was in Tokyo for the 2020 (’21?) Olympics. He and the squad captured the Gold medal after a two-week odyssey filled with highs and lows. The lows included a panic that struck American fans and media following a first game loss to France. But the men wearing the red, white and blue were never worried. Gold was always theirs. The highs obviously include the numero uno world ranking. But that still leaves room for the details. It still leaves room for Book strapping up on defense, sliding his feet, laced in his blue and red Kobe 5 PEs, on-ball and in his weakside rotation requirements. It leaves room for the snapping ball movement that he would sometimes get to cap off or sometimes get to contribute to. Those were the highs that not many will clock; basketball being played correctly at a supreme level on a global stage.  

Just as rare as the ’85 “Kentuckys” is the man who will be wearing them when they get off the plane at Hollywood Burbank Airport. He’s one of the few who appreciates good hoops like that, one of the even fewer who yearns for real and true competition, in all of its pain, ugliness and ultimate glory. He’s been co-signed by the best. LeBron James and Kevin Durant, two HoFers, have long been saying how nice he is. He’s been recognized by the realest. Jrue Holiday and Draymond Green, two basketball geniuses, have praised him. And then there’s Chris Paul, one of the best point guards and basketball historians the game has ever known. 

“Devin Booker had everything to do with why I came to Phoenix,” Paul told ESPN months before the Suns made the ’21 Finals. 

CP knew that Book is Book. He’s a blend of the years gone by, even the years that he wasn’t alive to see. He’s not a Kobe clone, but rather a disciple of Kobe and his footwork, of Rip Hamilton and his midrange shot, of Michael Jordan and his drive, of his father Melvin and his refusal to take it easy, and of countless others who have made the 24-year-old an unparalleled player and person. 

Middie’s auto, a product of fluttering feet out of the triple threat that instantly create space to get clean looks. Then off the bounce, with the rock in his right hand, he can fade to his strong-side shoulder and easily command a shot that sweetly scrapes the sky. Teammates have noted how much time he’s spent in the weight room adding muscle to get more power on his head-down drives to the rim. But that’s just a new layer of a skill he’s always had. (Please type “Devin Booker and Kyle Wiltjer” into YouTube. Thank you. And you’re welcome.) With deadeye three-point accuracy and the capability to run pick and roll as the ballhandler or the screener, it’s just refinement for Book now. Just more work. 

Just more moments of him jumping out of his vintage cars, trading out his Jordans and his Chuck Taylors for his Kobes, and dominating the NBA with a style that’s closer to Alex English and Mark Aguirre than to the kids coming up today. He’s a modern throwback, a young man who respects the past and lets it inform his own future. That’s why the best players in the League mess with him so heavy. They know an all-time great when they see one. 

But we’re still not seeing 1s. So when Book peacefully rolls up to the studio with his dog Haven, he parks it on a couch, digs in to some lunch and starts talking about the 1s he wanted as a kid at Moss Point HS in Moss Point, MS.

“I always wanted a ‘Banned’ 1,” he says. That would’ve been around the time he was playing in some Huarache 2K4s, flying under the national radar. Haven, a 150-pound Cane Corso, is hilariously running around the studio with the kind of joy only a very good boy can bring.

“I have ‘Banned’ 1s currently, after I made it to the League,” Book continues. “I think it might’ve been Draymond the first time I’d seen him, we just had a conversation about it over the Olympics. I knew the story behind the ‘Banned’ 1s and from then I had to get them right when I got to the League.”

That’s the big thing with Book. He studies. Hoops, kicks, cars, clothing, art, dogs. He wants to learn. He wants the pieces that laid the foundation. 

“I chased another 1,” he says. “I was just trying to build my 1 collection. The ‘Royals,’ I had to chase the ‘Royals’ down for a minute. I could find a lot of things in a [size] 13, but it was always hard for me to get the 14. I was just trying to get the OG 1s for the most part.”

OG 1s are one thing. His now-booming collection of classic whips has proven to be his next chase. 

“I’m out there on the black market, man,” he jokes with Haven now chilling by his side. “Just finding them, man. Especially the vehicles, you’re all over the place. We’re out in Pittsburgh, just trying to find the right ones. My ’71 Impala, I’m going and looking for a Donk. So that’s South Florida, that’s Miami, that’s how they’re riding over there. With my ’59 Impala, I have it sitting west coast with the 20 inch Dayton’s on ’em. You gotta find somebody from Cali to do that.

“I’m doing my research,” he goes on. “It runs in my family. My grandpa’s a collector, he has a couple. My dad has a couple classics. It’s kind of like a conversation starter between us, even me learning more. Something’s going to go wrong, you’re going to learn something new about a car that day. And I missed all that. I was always traveling at AAU events, so I was never in the garage as much as I was in the gym. That’s the beauty of it, the process of learning more every day. But all my cars, I know every story on them.”

And speaking of stories, Book shares a real good one.

“I have a ’96 Impala,” he begins. “It’s the same car my uncle was driving before he got locked up. He got locked up, he tried to sell it to my dad and I didn’t even know this. And then I get a ’96. My dad was like, You know that’s the same car your uncle tried to give to me when he went to jail? I knew I should have bought it then, I knew it,” he laughs. “Same color, black cherry, everything.”

“It was really my closest cousin (who was like an uncle to him) that had the same ’96 Impala,” Melvin says. “When he got locked up he was trying to sell everything. I told Dev he had that exact car. Me and my pops always said we should have bought it from him. He sold it to one of his friends and I think they trashed the car.”

It all matters to Book. Every story, every color, every detail. All those yesterdays are his tomorrows. For as much of a throwback as he is, he’s also the present and the future. The two words that everyone associates with him don’t represent the past. “Be Legendary” is something to live up to. 

KICKS 24 featuring Devin Booker is available NOW!

It was Bean that wrote those words on a pair of Kobe 11s that he then gifted to Booker. That tale is mythical now. Just as KD and Bron pinpointed Book’s potential, it was crystal clear for No. 24, too. In the moments after a game in his last season, Bryant took about 15 minutes to chop it up with Booker, who was in his rookie campaign and had led the Suns to a win over the Lakers with 28 points and 7 assists. Besides the everlasting “Be Legendary” written out on the 11s, more guidance was shared. It doesn’t matter what exactly the Hall of Famer told young Book in that locker room meetup. It’s evident in his play. The Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers and Bucks got to see that advice come to life just a few months ago. “Suns in four” is a lifestyle because of Book. The midrange game is safe because of Book. The Kobe 4, 5 and 6 got to return to the NBA’s brightest lights because of Book. 

The purple stardust 4s, with the ultra buttery leather, got to shine the brightest. He wore them throughout the Finals. 

“I always said the Kobe 6 was my favorite to play in until this year,” Book begins. “I fell in love with the Kobe 4 again. I fell in love with it. Like high school, I always said if I could build a shoe or model the shoe after any comfort-wise, it’d be the Kobe 6. I don’t know why I kind of went away from that this year. I think my Kobe 4, especially the one I was wearing during the playoffs, the purple one, like, it was made out of the right material.”

He’s written “Be Legendary” on his sneakers for a minute now. An active reminder.  

“You have to live up unto it,” he says about the pair of words. “Breaking a fresh pair every time, that’s the first thing I remember when I’m going to it. I’m often reminded of it, not looking at my tattoo. Writing it out re-puts me in that moment, re-puts me in that story every time. It’s definitely the greatest motivation that I can get. It’s a constant reminder of the pursuit of everything.”

Save for early in his career, like when he scored 70 in the Nike Hyperdunk Low X, Book has been Team Bean thoroughly. His sneakers and his thinking are Kobe-influenced. He says that every fable about No. 8 is all facts, that everything we think might be fiction about No. 24 is actually accurate. Bryant’s career has served as a how-to manual for Booker and the conversations that he was able to share with the legend have left such a deep impact that there are brief moments where he talks about him in the present tense. 

He says that Kobe would just list things out that he wanted to accomplish. Then he would go do them. 

No fear. 

Book brings up going from the Finals to the Olympics as his own version of that mindset. Nobody would have predicted that but Book made it happen. 

There’s more on his list. An NBA championship is at the top. A signature sneaker isn’t far behind. He’s got a reserve of Kobe PEs that doesn’t seem to end, an Air Force 1 created for him and a Bean 1 colorway done up in Suns colors. 

“I’ve only been in Kobes,” he says. “Even Nike wanted to push me into a different model. I stick with what I know. I wish I could be more hands on and tell stories through it, that comes with a signature and my own type of stories. And it started, it was me, [Isaiah Thomas] and DeMar [DeRozan]. To be one of the first ones that got the protro or the 1s, it’s cool to be loyal to the Kobe brand.”

Even still, the taste he got with his AF1 colorway has left him wanting more. 

“I think that kind of opened my mind to, like, anything signature, honestly, and even just the short conversation of making those shoes came alive,” Book says. “Like, obviously I wasn’t hands-on as much as I wanted to be. But I’m glad I at least got to get the story across and represent my high school and be able to tell a story. A lot of people don’t understand with the ‘yes, sir, no, ma’am.’ Doing stuff in the future, I’d like to tell those stories more from myself. Yeah, but I think it’s sick to be able to do that through footwear and even just people that don’t know me telling them what it means when I give them the shoes…you know the conversation.” 

See, Book stays in his imagination. When he and his pops work out, he does the same “three…two…one!” scenarios that kids all around the country do. He carries notebooks to jot down his ideas. His mind trails from signature kicks to impactful real life changes that he now has the power to make. There’s three generations of Bookers who have played ball at Moss Point. In a joint effort with Mr. Cartoon, Devin will refurbish two courts, in honor of his father, his grandfather and his city’s youth who will follow in his footsteps. He’s got stories to tell and he hopes that one day, 35 years from now, someone will be talking about his kicks in the same way he’s talking about the “Kentucky” 1s. 

They’ve finally arrived. 

No more thunderous notes surging in the blue sky. Just shine. 

Lunch is about to be over. Haven’s about to roam again. Book’s about to lace up a priceless work of art. 

“Wearing the ’85 Jordans, like, I wasn’t born in 1985,” Book says. “But I know there’s history behind it. And I know the meaning behind it, and how meaningful it was in that moment.”

They’re still meaningful in this moment, on this perfectly calm and sun-soaked Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles. 

Closing. 

KICKS 24 featuring Devin Booker is available now in gold and black metal editions, as well as these exclusive Cover Tees. Shop here.