Jeremy Lin – SLAM

‘38 at the Garden’ Tells the Powerful Story of Jeremy Lin and How He Not Only Transcended the Game, but Inspired the World

Najee AR Fareed — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 19:53:53 +0000

It’s February 10, 2012, and filmmaker Frank Chi is leaving Washington, DC on a train headed to Madison Square Garden in hopes of scoring tickets to a Friday night New York Knicks game against the Los Angeles Lakers. But this wasn’t just any game. After standout performances against the Nets, Wizards, and Jazz, Linsanity was coming to a head and the late-Kobe Bryant was coming to the Mecca.

Everyone knew it was a big game, even the scalpers. The cheapest tickets available were going for $700. Chi decided he’d watch the game at a karaoke bar instead in the neighboring Koreatown, surrounded by people who looked just like him. And together, they all witnessed one of their own, Jeremy Lin, an undrafted Asian American point guard that went from Harvard to the NBA, drop 38 points on the Lakers in an electric 92-85 victory.

“Looking back at that experience, I don’t think I would have traded it for actually being at the Garden, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Chi says over the phone. “I [was] surrounded by people who look like me, maybe a little older. Jeremy played out of his mind the whole game so we had two hours of people just losing it. People are crying, they’re running around, they’re screaming. It’s unbelievable.I’m doing all of these things too, but I’m like what is this? Is this a cathartic reaction to seeing [someone] break the stereotypes we all deal with?”

A decade later, things have now come full circle for Chi, who is the director of 38 At The Garden that captures Lin’s incredible run in 2012 while playing on the Knicks. The film is a Mr. Fahrenheit and GTG Entertainment production and was spearheaded by GTG Entertainment Group’s founder Samir Hernandez, who produced the documentary alongside Academy-Award winner Travon Free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSU2j8FJi_M

38 At The Garden, which premiered on HBO this October, was inspired by that night Chi spent watching Lin take over at the Garden, but the idea for the film didn’t come into fruition until eight years later after a conversation he had with Free in late 2020.

“We were talking about impossible moments. An impossible moment is when society at large assigns to a group of people that you can’t do something and someone just comes out of nowhere and just shatters that to pieces. We were talking about that in the context of Obama,” Chi tells SLAM. “That is the biggest impossible moment any of us have lived through. Travon is a producer. And a director. We were just talking about stories. And I was like, the only other moment that has felt like Obama to me, and I’m Asian, was Linsanity. This is why the movie was called 38 At The Garden. The two most magical nights of my life: the first was the night Barack Obama was elected president. The second was the night Jeremy Lin dropped 38 at the Garden.”

Chi admits that he dealt with his own doubts about the film. He was initially unsure if this was a story that anyone cared to hear during a time when there was so much anti-Asian hate and violence going on around the country, and the world.

“The first thing I did was doubt it,” Chi says. “I was like, ‘That was eight years ago. Nobody cares what Asian people think in this country. We’re invisible.’ So I thought about it for a couple weeks. I hate that that was my first reaction but that’s my trained instinct in me as an Asian person. This was 2020 and anti-Asian violence was starting to creep up.”

“We spent a little time going back and forth about whether it was possible or what that looked like,” Free adds. “[Chi] sat with it for a little while and then he came back to me like, ‘Okay, I made a deck.’ That’s when I knew he couldn’t let it go. I’m glad he didn’t. It ended up being such a fun movie to make. But also just an important movie to make.”

While the movie does spotlight the personal triumph of Jeremy Lin’s transcendent basketball journey, and features interviews from Lin himself, as well as former teammates, journalists and comedians, the movie is about much more than just basketball.

“There’s a way to explain this film without any basketball whatsoever. It’s this: part 1 is about stereotypes. Part 2 is about what happens when someone shatters those stereotypes on the world stage. And part 3 is about today, what happens when those stereotypes have been weaponized,” Chi says. “And when they’re weaponized, they turn into anti-Asian violence. That’s a very easy film to understand once you say it out loud. Once we got to that conversation, a lot of things clicked.”

“Being able to have this POV and take this from then to now, it’s the perfect moment to tell this story and this zeitgeist as opposed to leaning into more divisiveness, we are able to bring people together,” Hernandez says.

It was important to Chi, Free, and Hernandez to spotlight Lin’s experience as an Asian American to further explain the significant impact his story has had on so many people around the world.

“People don’t realize that sports and politics have always been married in this country. Sports and politics have always been married in the world. It’s hard to separate the idea that the political nature of our lives stops outside the gate of the stadium when so much of who we are is what makes great athlete stories important,” Free explains.

With so many emotional layers jam-packed into the film, fans of the game can expect so much more than a highlight reel of Lin’s time on the Knicks. It’s a story meant to inspire, and resonate with everyone, especially those who have had to battle against stereotypes and doubt.

“It’s bigger than a basketball movie and ultimately, it’s not really about basketball. And that’s kinda where we left it,” says Free.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post ‘38 at the Garden’ Tells the Powerful Story of Jeremy Lin and How He Not Only Transcended the Game, but Inspired the World appeared first on SLAM.

The Warriors are Breaking Into the Film and Music Industry Through their Golden State Entertainment Company

Drew Ruiz — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 19:31:03 +0000

Back in April, the Warriors announced the launch of Golden State Entertainment, a subsidiary company focused on creating original content at the intersection of sports and entertainment. GSE will produce everything, from documentaries to collaborating with artists on releases, as well as marketing and partnership opportunities. The company is also looking to host local and global events.

“Audiences demand compelling content that speaks to them on a visceral level,” David Kelly, GSE’s Chief Business Officer, said in a statement. “With the launch of Golden State Entertainment, we are excited to create content that celebrates the nuances of our experiences as athletes, artists, and members of diverse communities in ways that not only entertain, but hopefully create opportunities for learning and deep engagement.”

Kelly’s career is rooted in the music industry. Known as Capital D, he was a member of hip-hop duo All Natural, which was an integral part of Chicago’s music scene in the ’90s.

Recently, GSE helped facilitate the production of 38 At The Garden, the Jeremy Lin doc highlighting his ascent from two-star recruit to global star during the 2012 NBA season. On the music front, GSE signed Oakland’s own Mayzin as its first lead artist and added Georgia Muldrow, Rhymefest and J.U.I.C.E to the roster. The brand also partnered with K-Pop star BamBam to release the artist’s single “Wheels Up,” which he performed during halftime at Chase Center this past season.

“Music has such a rich history in the Bay Area,” says Mayzin. “Being the lead artist for Golden State Entertainment provides an opportunity to be a voice that reflects and is understood by the community.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Golden State Entertainment (@goldenstateent)

The post The Warriors are Breaking Into the Film and Music Industry Through their Golden State Entertainment Company appeared first on SLAM.

Ex-Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni Says He Didn’t See Jeremy Lin and ‘Linsanity’ Coming

Brooks Warren — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:40:44 +0000

Former Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni told J.J. Redick that he didn’t see Jeremy Lin and the “Linsanity” phenomenon happening on the Old Man and the Three podcast.

D’Antoni, Lin’s coach in 2012 during his ascendant streak, gave the initial comment based on the Harvard product’s previous play when he said he didn’t think Lin didn’t play very well during garbage time of a Knicks game against the Golden State Warriors.

“I definitely didn’t. I wish I could say, ‘Oh yeah,’” D’Antoni told Redick and co-host Tommy Alter when asked if he could see what Lin would become. “Matter of fact, Jeremy came up to me on Thursday.”

“He walks up to me. He goes, ‘Hey, coach. I have my car on the West Coast. Should I bring it to the East Coast?’” D’Antoni recalled, laughing. “I said, ‘Oh, I don’t know, Jeremy. I don’t think so; let me get back to you on that one.’”

D’Antoni decided to give Lin a shot after his coaching staff, particularly Kenny Atkinson and his brother, Dan D’Antoni, encouraged Mike to give Lin a shot. When the coaching veteran did so, Lin became the first Taiwanese American to come off the bench and score 25 points and dish seven assists in a Feb. 2012 game against the Nets.

Lin scored 130 points in his first five career starts and made a disappointing 2011-2012 campaign more bearable before the eventual-champion Heat dispatched the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. With the encouragement of his assistant coaches, Kenny Atkinson and Dan D’Antoni, his brother, Mike D’Antoni, decided to give Lin a shot.

“He came in, and we opened things up, and that was it. I mean, it exploded. He was unbelievable,” D’Antoni said. “We went on to win like eight in a row, and he made a couple of game-winning shots. The camaraderie, the chemistry of the team, was off the charts. And it was fun. It was a great ride.”

During an appearance on The Ringer podcast, Lin credited D’Antoni for the significant role he played in “why I played so well.” during his historic streak of play.

“I had this coach that was empowering me, constantly in my ear telling me ‘Go, go, go. Trust your instincts,’” Lin said on the podcast. “A big part of Linsanity was just being in that environment, being in a pick-and-roll system that suited my style, and having coaches around just being like, ‘Look, we trust you, we know that you’re going to make the right play more times than you won’t. Let it fly.’”

The 33-year-old is now playing for the CBA’s Beijing Ducks.

The post Ex-Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni Says He Didn’t See Jeremy Lin and ‘Linsanity’ Coming appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Shares Thoughts on the Future of His Basketball Career

Ronald Agers — Thu, 20 May 2021 14:30:00 +0000

Jeremy Lin has continued to not only be a pioneer not only for social change but an inspiration to many. However, after turning down more lucrative offers in China to make a run in the G-League while playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors last season, Lin shared his thoughts over his future standing in the pros.

pic.twitter.com/7socHMLMkH
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) May 18, 2021

“For months, I saw others get contracts, chances, opportunities. I told myself I just need ONE ten-day contract, one chance to get back on the floor and I would blow it out the water,” Lin wrote alongside a photo that showed him dressed in his Santa Cruz Warriors G-League uniform.
“After all that’s how my entire career started – off one chance to prove myself. For reasons I’ll never fully know, that chance never materialized. But I proved I’m better than ever and an NBA player. And like I’ve said before…dream big dreams, risk big heartache.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremy Lin and Anthony Yu Discuss Being Asian American in the Basketball World

SLAM Staff — Wed, 19 May 2021 21:46:22 +0000

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This year, it’s happening as anti-Asian hate crimes rise at an alarming rate. In response, the #StopAsianHate campaign has generated nationwide support,
with NBA veteran Jeremy Lin as a leading voice.

For SLAM, Lin sat down with Anthony Yu, an incoming sophomore point guard at Loyola Marymount University, to talk about what it’s like as an Asian American college basketball player today, dealing with anti-Asian racism, being an ally for the Black Lives Matter movement, and how the culture of basketball brings people from all walks of life together.

JEREMY LIN: OK, so if we walk in the gym right now and I give you 100 spot shots, from your favorite spot on the court, three pointers, how many you making?

ANTHONY YU: You know, I say a cool 70. What about you?

JEREMY: Me? If you’re asking me if I walk into the gym, 100. Will I make 100, who knows? But if you’re asking me how many I’m going to make, I’m saying 100.

That’s just something we’re working on for me. I mean, a big part of what I’ve been working on is my mindset and things like that. When I was in college, when I was your age, I would’ve been cool with 60, 65 maybe.

So year one for you [at Loyola Marymount University], what was that like?

ANTHONY: It was a big learning experience, playing with all these great players here at LMU, you know, I was able to learn a lot. Yeah, we had a pretty good year, we made it to the second round of the WCC conference tournament.

JEREMY: What’s goal 1, 2 and 3 for this offseason in terms of, Man, I need to take that jump if I want to crack the rotation, if I want to be a great collegiate player…what does that look like for you?

ANTHONY: For me, I wasn’t blessed with really elite height or athleticism, so to improve my athleticism so I could run with those guys out there is a big part of my game and just getting bigger and stronger. You know, being Asian, people automatically first look at you like, you’re going to be perceived as weak, so just kind of trying to break into what’s called the eye test.

JEREMY: Do you feel like you get everyone’s best shot, or do you feel like people don’t even take you seriously, or is it a combination of both?

ANTHONY: That’s a great question. In the beginning, I feel like they don’t take me seriously, but then once I start getting buckets, they’re like, Alright, hold up, let me lock in and really go at this guy. Because no one wants to be embarrassed by Asian kids, you know?

JEREMY: I hear you on that. I want to hear your specific hoop dreams, because that’s something you’ve talked about, and one thing that I love about the process and journey is that there is always this theme of—especially as an Asian kid or an underdog—that you have to believe it and see it happen before it actually happens.

ANTHONY: You know, my hoop dream ever since I was a kid, I always watched the NBA, so if I’m fortunate enough one day to be blessed to make it to that level, I’d be really appreciative of that. That’s a top goal for me. I don’t want to look that much into the future because I kind of want to live in the present, but my goal is to aim for the top, and if I make it, I feel like I’ll be able to inspire a lot of other people, just like yourself.

JEREMY: One thing I appreciate is how you shared how I’ve been able to inspire you. Thinking back on the night I had a chance to play against the Lakers and scored 38 points when I was with the Knicks, where were you?

ANTHONY: On that night, I was in fourth grade. I was watching the game with my family and Jeremy, the impact you were able to have—my parents never watched an NBA game before. And having my parents want to watch you is a very big deal. And yeah, I was just watching the game as a fourth-grader, getting hyped every time you scored. I was playing basketball at the time, too, so I felt like if you could do it, then I could. Because often in American media, Asians don’t get enough representation, so seeing someone just like myself do it, it gave me the confidence that I could do it. And my mom told me all the time, If Jeremy Lin can make it then you can, too. She used to always tell me that when I was down. So yeah, that game had a really big impact.

JEREMY: I appreciate that, and I am rooting for you. I know you had a cool mixtape you uploaded onto YouTube that got hundreds of thousands of views. Can you talk about that and the reaction to what happened?

ANTHONY: It was my eighth grade summer going into my freshman year. We played the Oakland Soldiers, and at the time, they had the No. 1 player in the nation and we lost, but I scored 40 on them. And my dad uploaded the video on YouTube and then another media company posted it and got over 150,000 views. As a 14-year-old, I wanted to read the comments to see what people were saying. One that really stuck out with me was some guy who said, In 10 years nobody will know who Anthony is and Asians are not genetically gifted enough to play basketball. They are too skinny and fragile. And it just made me question, like, why are people writing off a 14-year-old just because of race?

JEREMY: How did you cope with it? I’m glad I can ask you this question because my whole life, everyone’s been asking me how did I handle that.

ANTHONY: As a 14-year-old, I don’t think I dealt with it really well. It kind of made my attitude want to prove him wrong. I thought that attitude kind of wasn’t healthy for me. Just with things going on at the time, just reading all this stuff. It makes you just so angry, you know? I feel like I didn’t deal with it the best way I could. And when I played basketball, I would play for other people and worry about how other people viewed me.

JEREMY: That’s amazing to hear. I mean, I didn’t learn that lesson as young as you did. I love hearing that, and that’s a perfect segue for us to talk about this political climate with a pandemic and everything. What are your thoughts on the violence we’ve seen? It seems to me as Asian Americans, we’re disrespected but on full display, and it’s getting even worse at times. People think it’s OK to attack all Asians, even younger ages and older Asians. It just seems like a wild time. What are your thoughts on it, especially as an Asian American basketball player?

ANTHONY: I feel like Asian hate is socially accepted in this country. It has been normalized and socially accepted without a doubt. I feel like our elders are the ones who are most vulnerable because many of them have been voiceless in America for a while now. But with this younger generation and with the help of people like you, it gives us confidence to speak out and use our voices because no one else will.

JEREMY: Give me a little more on the perspective you have, because when I came in, my parents couldn’t speak English perfectly. So they lived that immigrant life, and I didn’t actually understand a lot of issues, even when I went through Linsanity. I didn’t understand all the issues. Like, there’s direct racism, and there’s so much more to it, and there’s so much complexity and so many microaggressions and stuff like that. Basketball culture and even the NBA has really progressed. Especially with social justice, there’s this unique voice that basketball culture can tie into the social justice issue that we’re seeing.
Can you talk a little bit about basketball culture and why you think basketball culture has been so influential in the social justice movement?

ANTHONY: Basketball really brings a lot of people together in this world, you know? No matter what color your skin is, if you can ball, you can have that mutual relationship with other peers. And the whole culture of playing basketball, traveling the world and traveling America, being around a certain group of people over a long period of time brings people together.

JEREMY: I mean, it’s the same for me. Like I’ve always said, basketball and sports in general is unified. And there’s things that unify people. It can be sports, basketball, music, food, the dinner table. These are all things that unite and bring people together. The best thing I love about basketball is that it’s a team sport, and it’s all about the team. Especially now, because we’ve seen the NBA become outspoken. When you originally watched the NBA vs now and even in the last 15 years, how global the game has become. So many European players, African players, Asian players…it’s become a melting pot. And that is a microcosm of what we want the world to look like.

And like you said, when you step on the court, it doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are. It’s you can hoop or you can’t. Or you won or you lost. I feel like there’s this even playing ground when the game begins, nothing else matters. And that’s what we are shooting for in life. We don’t let people on the court based off what they look like. Everyone has an equal shot. And that’s what I think justice is. And basketball culture is very much in that conversation.

ANTHONY: I feel like we can just learn so much from different cultures. Especially with the Black Lives Matter movement and events like [the passing of] George Floyd and all the rally movements. It really educated me on the severity of the discrimination against the African-American community. And I was able to see so many people from my age and people that don’t have big platforms coming together. It showed me the power a regular person can have. And I feel like today, you don’t even need to be a celebrity for your voice to matter. You don’t need a big following to speak up and voice your opinion.

JEREMY: When the police brutality was at its peak, I was with the Brooklyn Nets and—again, because of basketball, we’ve had different exposure—I was able to see my teammates, who are African-American, how much of a toll it was taking on them. These are guys who will be in an arena with people cheering for them, but if they go down the street, they can be pulled over and they don’t know what’s gonna happen. They don’t know if they’re gonna live and they fear for their lives. And that gave me a much deeper appreciation for my African-American teammates. As well as a conviction and a challenge to myself on who I want to be as a person. I can’t just turn a blind eye or only care about Asian issues. A lot of this was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and what they were going through. And that’s what drives me today, to be more educated and a better ally. And that’s why we talk a lot about allyship.

With #StopAsianHate and all the people that are watching, what can people do and what would you suggest?

ANTHONY: I feel like people can just spread the message and talk to your peers of different cultures. Really learn about what their lives are like and bring it into your own perspective. Just relate it to yourself and educate yourself.

JEREMY: You went and educated yourself, had conversations with your teammates to learn about them and different things. You went to learn about Black Lives Matter. You went and had conversations with different people.

I think the hard part is, people feel like they have to know everything to do something. Sometimes doing something is just learning a little, and I’ve always said it starts with dialogue. And that’s what I like about basketball…basketball starts that dialogue.

No excuse, we can all start there.

—

Photo credit via Getty Images and LMU Athletics.

The post Jeremy Lin and Anthony Yu Discuss Being Asian American in the Basketball World appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors to Sign Jeremy Lin to Exhibit 10 Deal

Austin Kent — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 17:47:31 +0000

The Golden State Warriors are hoping to finalize a deal with free agent guard Jeremy Lin, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. First Lin will need to get clearance to do so from the Chinese Basketball Association.

Lin has been out of the NBA since winning a ring with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 but his intent to return has always been clear. He played in China for the interrupted 2019-20 campaign.

Lin’s new deal will come in the form of an Exhibit 10 pact, Anthony Slater of The Athletic adds. That means the Warriors may not necessarily keep him on their roster after training camp but they’ll retain his G League rights in the event that they waive him.

Lin, 32, began his career with the Warriors but it wasn’t until he left the team to join the New York Knicks that he became an international sensation.

Lin played sparingly for the Raptors and Atlanta Hawks in 2018-19 but isn’t far removed from a significant role on the Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 assists per game for them in 2016-17.

The post Warriors to Sign Jeremy Lin to Exhibit 10 Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin: ‘I Will Be Waiting For Free Agency and Preparing Myself For the NBA’

Nick Crain — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 13:54:15 +0000

Jeremy Lin is prepping himself to make an NBA comeback. Now 32 years old, Lin spent the past season playing for the Beijing Ducks in China. He averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists and ultimately earned All-Star and CBA Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Prior to the season in China, Lin spent the 2018-19 NBA season with both the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. In somewhat limited action, appearing in 74 games, he produced 9.6 points on 7.3 shot attempts per game.

Lin made the announcement on Instagram earlier this week, giving his emotional thoughts on the decision to attempt making a comeback.

This isn’t about chasing the shadow of Linsanity. Or proving anyone right or wrong. Or about money, fame, reputation or power. It’s about God’s glory and kingdom. It’s about goin right at all my past traumas and fears, instead of being forever crippled by them…I couldn’t sleep right for 3 weeks with this decision weighing over me. I was brought to tears trying to verbalize the struggle to my family.

Lin mentions this isn’t about trying to replicate what he did with the New York Knicks in a time we called ‘Linsanity’, which was the peak of his NBA career. He says this is much deeper than this and is about getting past his fears.

.@JLin7 isn't giving up on his NBA dreams quite yet

The veteran guard announced his intentions to make it back to the league next season. pic.twitter.com/mWg0APpubT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 15, 2020

Despite being beyond grateful with sooo much that the CBA, China, and all my Asia fans gave me this past season, today I decided to not return to the Beijing Ducks next season. Instead I will be waiting for free agency and preparing myself for the NBA — and continuing my greatest dream. And maybe the result is a footnote, and this decision today was the true test.

After being one of the best players in China last season, Lin will look to close that chapter of his career. While it will be difficult at his age to make a comeback, Jeremy Lin seems confident that he can put in the work to impress a team enough to sign him to a contract in the upcoming free agency period.

The post Jeremy Lin: ‘I Will Be Waiting For Free Agency and Preparing Myself For the NBA’ appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin: Kobe Came To Lakers Practice To Say Goodbye To ‘Bums’ 👋🏿

Ryne Nelson — Fri, 15 May 2020 16:49:02 +0000

During the 2014-15 season, the Lakers had a 13-40 record with the trade deadline just a day away. Kobe Bryant, who had been away from the team to rehab a torn rotator cuff, unexpectedly showed up to Lakers practice.

While guesting on a recent episode of “Inside The Green Room,” Jeremy Lin recalls how a straight-faced Kobe told his teammates, “I just came by to say bye to some of you bums who are going to get traded tomorrow.”

Ironically, the Lakers didn’t make any trades before the deadline. (Starting at 19:42):

“He walks in, and everyone’s like, Ohhh. Carlos Boozer’s like, ‘Kobe, good to see you bro. We haven’t seen you in a bit. How come you came today?’
“He was just stone-faced. He was like, ‘I just came by to say bye to some of you bums who are going to get traded tomorrow.'” […]
“I remember one of my teammates was just like, ‘I lost all motivation to practice.’ It was funny because we couldn’t tell if he was serious. We couldn’t tell if he was joking.
“If I were to guess, he was probably more on the end of serious. But I don’t think he was all the way serious either because after that, people that talked to him caught up with him. So it wasn’t like hostile. But it was so him.”

The post Jeremy Lin: Kobe Came To Lakers Practice To Say Goodbye To ‘Bums’ 👋🏿 appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin To Sign With Beijing Ducks

Austin Kent — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 11:41:59 +0000

Free agent guard Jeremy Lin has decided to signed a contract with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. Lin, spent the 2018-19 campaign split between the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.

Lin’s decision to sign in China has been in the works for several weeks this offseason and with few NBA suitors he’s signed on with the same CBA squad that Stephon Marbury join back in 2011.

Lin, who became the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, didn’t have much of a role on the champion Raptors last season but the 31-year-old showed that he’s still capable of producing at a high level.

He averaged 9.6 points and 3.1 assists per game in just shy of 20 minutes per contests on the year, the majority of that action coming as the backup to Hawks rookie Trae Young early in the season.

The post Jeremy Lin To Sign With Beijing Ducks appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin On Beijing Rumors: Nothing Is Official Until I Say Something

Chris Crouse — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 01:51:26 +0000

Nine-year NBA veteran Jeremy Lin remains interested in playing basketball, though the reports of him joining the Chinese Basketball Association may be a little premature.

“Nothing is official until I say something,” Lin said during an event in Beijing, as writer Jia Lei relays on Twitter. Lin is reportedly being offered over $3 million to play for the Beijing Ducks, according to Song Xiang of the Beijing Youth Daily (h/t Jonathan White of the South China Morning Post).

The point guard won an NBA championship with the Raptors this past season. He made it through several waves of free agency without a deal and the point guard recently discussed how not getting an NBA deal has weighed on him.

“Free agency has been tough cause I feel like in some ways the NBA’s kind of given up on me,” Lin said late last month.

Lin started last season with the Hawks, backing up Trae Young and helping the No. 5 overall pick develop as a player. He’s played for eight NBA teams since making his NBA debut in 2010.

The post Jeremy Lin On Beijing Rumors: Nothing Is Official Until I Say Something appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Continues To Search For Next Opportunity

Chris Crouse — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 21:03:45 +0000

Jeremy Lin is among the players without a deal in free agency and the 30-year-old point guard admits that remaining without a team is something that weighs on him.

“Free agency has been tough cause I feel like in some ways the NBA’s kind of given up on me,” said to the media in Taiwan (h/t Chicco Nacion of The Score).

Lin started last season with the Hawks, backing up Trae Young and helping the No. 5 overall pick develop as a player. Lin agreed to a buyout with Atlanta during the campaign and signed on with the Raptors where he won a championship but didn’t have a consistent role.

Lin has had several stops since coming into the NBA, proving over and over again that he belongs in the league. However, he’s never reached the kind of success he had in New York. Linsanity was a product of preparation and the right opportunity, an event that had to be witnessed in real-time to fully understand the phenomenon.

Lin made his debut back in 2010 with the Warriors. During the 2011 offseason, Golden State let him go, as they were pursuing DeAndre Jordan among other free agents. The Rockets picked Lin up but waived him in order to ink Samuel Dalembert.

Heading into the 2011-12 campaign, the Knicks’ point guard situation was troubled with Baron Davis injured and an older Mike Bibby left as the only healthy point guard on the roster (Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas proved to better suited for other positions). The franchise decided to give Lin a shot over pursuing other veteran options.

It wasn’t until February of 2012 that the Linsanity era began with the Taiwanese-American point guard producing 25 points off the bench against the Nets. Injuries forced Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire to hit the sideline and Lin was given the reigns of the offense over the next few weeks. He impressed, hitting game-winning shots and going toe-to-toe with stars like Kobe Bryant and John Wall.

The run came in the midst of a lockout-shortened season and it gave hope to fans of the franchise that had been longing for a point guard of the future. Linsanity was unexpected but revered; the movement was euphoric but quickly dissembled, as coach Mike D’Antoni stepped down roughly a month after the era began and New York’s new system no longer highlighted to Lin’s strengths.

It has been seven years since the point guard lit up Madison Square Garden. It has been nine since the Harvard Graduate made a name for himself during Summer League play.

“I’ve given more of myself to God every single year and every year it gets harder,” Lin told the media in Taiwan. “And in English, there’s a saying and it says, ‘once you’ve hit rock bottom, the only way is up.’ But rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me.”

Lin’s career includes stops in Houston, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Brooklyn and Atlanta in addition to the New York. The 6’3″ guard is simply a man looking for his next opportunity; a nine-year NBA veteran looking to make it to his tenth season.

The post Jeremy Lin Continues To Search For Next Opportunity appeared first on SLAM.

Previewing The Toronto Raptors’ Potential Free Agents

Austin Kent — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 18:53:31 +0000

We’re very much in the thick of a fascinating NBA Finals matchup but all good things come to an end and it won’t be long before these two teams face some serious questions in the upcoming offseason.

Here’s a quick rundown of which notable Raptors players could potentially be free agents when the calendar flips to July in a few weeks and what that might entail for the team and the players.

Marc Gasol, C
Gasol has a player option worth $25 million for the 2019-20 season. While it’s certainly within his right to turn down that option and test the open market, it’s hard to imagine that the 34-year-old would hand over that much in guaranteed money at this stage in his career, doubly so considering that he’s a valued piece of a championship contender.

Danny Green, SG
Green is in the final year of a four-year, $40 million deal he signed with the Spurs back in 2016. Given that the 31-year-old spent the 2018-19 campaign further establishing himself as a deadly perimeter threat (he shot .455 from beyond the arc this year), it stands to reason that the Raptors would welcome him back.

That said, the Raps do project to have a sizable tax bill, especially if they manage to convince that other former Spur to stay, so the decision won’t be a walk in the park for Masai Ujiri.

Although Green may not get the years that he did back in 2016, he’s a safe bet to earn a comparable salary as a lengthy veteran three-point shooter with an abundance of winning experience. He’s also the type of asset other contenders may look to poach with a high-value, short-term offer.

Kawhi Leonard, SF
In case you hadn’t heard, Leonard could pursue free agency this summer. There’s been no shortage of speculation about if he’ll stay or go, or where he’ll go, so we won’t pile on here but one thing worth consideration is what he’ll be eligible to sign for come July.

Since Leonard was traded more recently than his first four years in the league, he won’t be eligible to sign a designated veteran contract with the Raptors. Had he not been dealt, of course, the All-NBA mainstay would have been eligible to sign one (or more likely, a designated veteran extension last summer).

What does that mean? It means that Leonard will only be able to sign in the max contract slot for a player with seven-to-nine years of service time and therefore will only be eligible to earn 30% of the cap in the first year of that contract. Had he maintained the designated veteran distinction (or been a 10-year veteran) he would have been eligible to earn 35%.

Despite that, there is incentive for Leonard to return to the Raptors. Since the Raps are Leonard’s incumbent team they’ll be able to offer an additional year and bigger raises between seasons. Toronto could therefore give Leonard a 30% max deal, for five seasons, with 8% increases each year. That’s a total deal worth just shy of $190 million based on a $109 million salary cap projection (thank Hoops Rumors’ Luke Adams for the math).

If Leonard signs elsewhere, he’ll only be eligible to sign for four years, with 5% raises between each season. That would add up to a grand total of $140 million.

The significance of that difference varies depending on who you ask but it’s something for fans of all teams to keep in mind as they envision scenarios in which their franchise benefits from Leonard’s legendary postseason heroics in 2020 and beyond.

Jeremy Lin, PG
Lin’s $14 million 2018-19 deal was bought out by the Hawks in February. The 30-year-old had seen a reduced role in his half season with the Hawks and hasn’t been a factor for Toronto since. With a year of good health under his belt, Lin may look to provide backcourt depth for a team with cap space. He could also be a candidate to sign a cheap one-year deal just to prove that he can still contribute.

Patrick McCaw, SG
The Raptors signed McCaw to a one-year minimum deal after the 23-year-old was waived by the Cavaliers in January. While their priority will be on their higher profile wing free agents, the team hasn’t been afraid to use McCaw on the rare occasion throughout the postseason.

The post Previewing The Toronto Raptors’ Potential Free Agents appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin To Sign with Raptors after Hawks Buyout

Ryne Nelson — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:28:51 +0000

Jeremy Lin is expected to sign with the Raptors after he finalizes a buyout with the Hawks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lin could sign with the Raptors as soon as mid-week.

The 30-year-old is averaging 10.7 points on a career-best 59.4 percent true shooting this season.

Jeremy Lin is finalizing a buyout with Atlanta, clearing the way for him to sign with Toronto, agents Jim Tanner and Roger Montgomery tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 11, 2019

The post Jeremy Lin To Sign with Raptors after Hawks Buyout appeared first on SLAM.

Trae Young on Jeremy Lin: ‘He’s Going to Be a Great Mentor for Me’

Alex Squadron — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 15:12:19 +0000

The Atlanta Hawks have added two new points guards this summer: rookie Trae Young and veteran Jeremy Lin.

And, according to Young, the pair should mesh well, via Michael Scotto of The Athletic:

“From what I’ve heard, he’s going to be a great mentor for me. We’ve been talking. He’s a good dude. He’s been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He’s seen it all, so I’m looking forward to picking his brain.

“I think we’ll work really well together. This is a rebuilding team, and we’re going to try some things. Some are going to work, some aren’t, so we’re just going to work together and do whatever we can to turn this franchise around.”

Atlanta got Lin, 29, in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets in mid-July and acquired Trae (along with a future first-rounder) by sending the draft rights to European star Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks.

Young was a star in his sole season at Oklahoma, averaging 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. Lin missed the entire 2017-18 season after rupturing his patella tendon on opening night.

The post Trae Young on Jeremy Lin: ‘He’s Going to Be a Great Mentor for Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

Report: Nets Trade Jeremy Lin to the Hawks

Alex Squadron — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 13:58:31 +0000

The Brooklyn Nets have traded Jeremy Lin to the Atlanta Hawks, reports ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski:

Nets and Hawks will also exchange future second-round picks in the deal, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/n5qooxLmQJ

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 13, 2018

In the Jeremy Lin deal, Atlanta sends the Nets the rights to 2016 second-round pick Isaia Cordinier (you’ll probably never see him). Atlanta gets a 2025 second-round pick and the right to swap picks with Nets in 2023.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 13, 2018

According to Wojnarowski, Atlanta is also sending Brooklyn a 2020 second-round pick via Portland.

Lin, 29, was sidelined for the entire 2017-18 season after rupturing his patellar tendon on opening night. In 2016-17, he averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 assists per game.

RELATED
2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker

The post Report: Nets Trade Jeremy Lin to the Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Talks Knee Rehab and Young Nets Core

Leo Sepkowitz — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 19:07:50 +0000

On opening night back in October, Jeremy Lin ruptured his right patella tendon, ending his season before it even started. While the injury knocked out Lin, it has opened the door for young players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert to get minutes and prove their worth to both the organization and the rest of the League. Lin has stayed around the team, often seen on the bench at games giving guys like Dinwiddie, LeVert and D’Angelo Russell—along with rooks like big man Jarrett Allen—pointers during the long season.

Despite the devastating injury that will sideline him until next season, he’s staying busy this year, most recently at the National Basketball Players Association HQ. Lin was there to host a one-day, all-inclusive camp alongside PGC Basketball. When he finished working with dozens of high school kids, he sat down with SLAM to talk about the camp, his own foundation, and what’s to come in Brooklyn.

***

SLAM: How’s your rehab coming along? I don’t see a knee brace there.

Jeremy Lin: No knee brace, no issues. I’m moving really well, so everything’s going according to plan. I’ve been completely mobile for months now.

SLAM: The Nets have been entertaining and competitive this season. A lot of young talent has shined through. For those who don’t know about Brooklyn, I want scouting reports on some of your young teammates. Let’s start with Caris LeVert.

JL: Caris is definitely a playmaker. He can affect the game in a variety of ways. He’s an extremely mobile and disruptive defender, gets in a lot of passing lanes. He was probably our best player during the summer in pickup, and he’s going to be really good—he’s going to grow and he’s super hungry. I think he can play pick and roll, off the ball, he can really do a lot. That’s my guy. I think he’s going to be big time for the franchise.

SLAM: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

JL: He’s unorthodox, but he’s worked really hard at his game, spent a lot of time shooting, and he just, to me, finds a way. He just finds a way to put the ball in the hoop. It can be weird scoop shots or one-legged fades, but he has a great understanding of his game and I think he’s really good at just breaking down the defense. A lot of one-on-one coverages are mismatches for him.

SLAM: D’Angelo Russell.

JL: He’s so good, so skilled and talented. I think it’s been difficult with the [knee] injury, coming back, minutes restrictions. But spending training camp with him, he can really do it all. He’s just a tremendous point guard. Passing, shooting, breaking down a defense, reading a situation—he’s really good. He’ll be huge for us.

SLAM: Jarrett Allen.

JL: I’m so excited about him, man. He’s grown a lot and has great footwork, great touch, lefty, righty, can shoot the free throw. He’s just really scratching the surface, so young and raw, but you see glimpses where you’re like, Man, who knows.

SLAM: Spencer Dinwiddie.

JL: Just huge steps from him going forward. Just playing much more confident and I’m super proud of him because he’s such a good guy. I think he’s just been like a glue guy, but he’s also more than that. He’s been our primary playmaker. He’s just figuring out what he can do and getting more and more confident.

SLAM: What about yourself? Are you happy with how things have gone in Brooklyn?

JL: Definitely. I just need to get healthy. Everything else looks great on paper.

SLAM: How did your foundation partner up with PGC? What’s the focus of today’s camp?

JL: We like to find organizations that do really good work and support them. The thing I love about PGC is they teach kids to think the game. It’s not all skills-oriented. They spent first hour-and-a-half in the classroom learning about leadership, how to communicate, how to stretch yourself, take on risk—just life lessons. It’s a different level of understanding of the game, and then they took that into a session on the court, they do film, and things like that.

SLAM: What’s the Jeremy Lin Foundation all about?

JL: We work with underprivileged children in a lot of different areas, and we try to find issues that are swept under the rug, and organizations that are “underdogs.” When I was in Houston, we worked with PAIR, which was about immigrant and refugees, which isn’t really talked about as much in Houston. In California, East Palo Alto (where Lin is from), it’s right next to Palo Alto, which is known to be a tech capital and the headquarters of Google and Facebook and so on, but across the highway is a rough area—so spending a lot of time trying to invest in that community. When we go to Taiwan, we work with native Taiwanese people—the equivalent of Native Americans in the United States—and in China we worked with migrant children. So it’s issues that aren’t talked about as much as we wish they were, and organizations that are doing a great job and maybe need a push of exposure or resources and that’s where we try to fill the void.

—

Leo Sepkowitz is a Senior Writer at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @LeoSepkowitz.

Photo via Getty Images

The post Jeremy Lin Talks Knee Rehab and Young Nets Core appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Out For 2017-18 Season With Patellar Tendon Tear

Ryne Nelson — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 14:59:24 +0000

Nets guard Jeremy Lin will miss the rest of the 2017-18 season after rupturing his right patellar tendon in Brooklyn’s opening-night loss to the Pacers.

Lin came down awkwardly on his knee during the fourth quarter on Wednesday.

https://youtu.be/VjR_tG3SuX8

Brooklyn announced Lin’s season-ending injury on Thursday morning. Per team press release:

Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin has been diagnosed with a ruptured patella tendon of the right knee. […]

Lin is expected to miss the entire 2017-18 season. Further updates will be made available at a later time.

The post Jeremy Lin Out For 2017-18 Season With Patellar Tendon Tear appeared first on SLAM.

Report: ‘Tremendous Concern’ Over Jeremy Lin Knee Injury

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 12:55:23 +0000

Jeremy Lin went down with a non-contact right knee injury Wednesday late in the Nets’ 140-131 season-opening loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Jeremy Lin was assisted to the locker room after this play. pic.twitter.com/WrdI5jnQNE

— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) October 19, 2017

Lin will have his knee evaluated today, and there reportedly is “tremendous concern” in Brooklyn over the point guard’s health.

Brooklyn's Jeremy Lin will undergo evaluation of right knee in New York Thursday, league source tells ESPN. Tremendous concern on injury.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 19, 2017

Multiple hamstring injuries limited the 29-year-old to just 36 games last season.

Per the NY Post:

“He’s getting examined. We’ll know more [Thursday],” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said of Lin, who traveled back to New York with the team.

“Definitely tough,” power forward Trevor Booker said. “He battled through injuries last year. To see him go down the first game, it has to be tough for him. So you can only feel for him.”

Lin drove aggressively and attacked the basket with the Nets trailing 126-116 with 4:53 to play, going up for a layup in traffic against two defenders. He eluded them, elevated for the shot and drew a goaltending call on Indiana big man Myles Turner. But Lin also landed awkwardly, suffering the injury.

After a momentary hesitation, seemingly in shock, he turned and called to the Nets bench in clear pain. He yelled out “I’m done!” then grimaced and burst into tears.

The post Report: ‘Tremendous Concern’ Over Jeremy Lin Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Says That Kenyon Martin ‘Was Extremely Apologetic’ for Dreadlock Comments

SLAM Staff — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 15:18:02 +0000

Kenyon Martin caused a stir last week when he spoke out against Jeremy Lin’s new dreadlocks. In a now-deleted Instagram video, he said:

“Do I need to remind this damn boy that his last name is Lin. Like, come on man. Let’s stop this man, with these people,” Martin said in an Instagram video. “Like, there’s no way possible he would’ve made it on one of our teams with that bulls–t going on on his head.

“Come on, man. Somebody really need to tell him, like, ‘Alright bro, we get it. You want to be black.’ Like, we get it. But the last name is Lin, alright?”

Lin commented on the video, calling for unity among minorities and also saying that he respected Martin’s opinion. He even thanked him for his contributions to the Nets organization. Lin has since tried to defuse the incident but his fans have made racist comments to Martin and his son, a junior that currently plays for Chaminade High School in Los Angeles.

After last night’s game against the Knicks, Lin spoke with reporters and said that he and Martin had “a great conversation.” Here’s his full quote:

“He reached out and he was extremely apologetic. It was a great conversation. I think things were blown out of proportion, taken a little out of context as well. But me and him had a discussion where he was extremely courteous.

“Like, I’m actually impressed with how he handled everything. I’m thankful for the conversation we had and I’m also sorry for some of the things he and his son kind of had to deal with in the aftermath.”

“I’m just processing everything that’s happening and kind of felt he was dehumanized to some degree. I wish it didn’t happen like that, but we’re beyond that and hopefully I don’t have to speak about this incident or my hair anymore.”

h/t NetsDaily

The post Jeremy Lin Says That Kenyon Martin ‘Was Extremely Apologetic’ for Dreadlock Comments appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Responds to Kenyon Martin Dissing His Hair

Marcel Mutoni — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 13:25:25 +0000

Jeremy Lin knew that his new dreads would ruffle a few feathers, and the hair did indeed draw Kenyon Martin‘s ire.

The former Nets big man accused Lin of wanting to be black.

“Do I need to remind this damn boy that his last name is Lin. Like, come on man. Let’s stop this man, with these people,” Martin said in an Instagram video. “Like, there’s no way possible he would’ve made it on one of our teams with that bulls–t going on on his head.

“Come on, man. Somebody really need to tell him, like, ‘Alright bro, we get it. You want to be black.’ Like, we get it. But the last name is Lin, alright?”

Lin clapped back with a painfully-polite and thoughtful written response.

Yesterday @JLin7 wrote a deeply introspective column on cultural appropriation. Today he was forced to remind Kenyon Martin about Kenyon Martin’s tattoos pic.twitter.com/S4vS4agSsw

— Pablo S. Torre (@PabloTorre) October 5, 2017

Lin doesn’t want people attacking Martin, who responded to the furor by saying that he was merely joking.

Per the NY Post:

“I’d say first I hope that a lot of Asian fans don’t go on his page and say racist things to him,” Lin said. “That’s not the right way to go about it. In a lot of ways to pit us against each other — I won versus Kenyon Martin winning — I don’t think that’s the right way to go about it. It’s not really about winning or losing. The whole point is we’re trying to be unified.

“So I feel like even when some people come at me like ‘Man, you embarrassed him.’ It’s like dude, that’s not what it’s about. That’s not the whole point of this discussion is to pit us into two sides and see who wins. The whole point is we all have to get on the same page. We need to have people stop going on his page saying racist things to him, too. That’s not OK.”

The post Jeremy Lin Responds to Kenyon Martin Dissing His Hair appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Thinks The Nets Will Make the Playoffs in 2018

Ryne Nelson — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 17:23:48 +0000

Although the Nets finished dead last in the NBA last season, Jeremy Lin thinks Brooklyn can make the playoffs in 2017-18.

While answering questions on Instagram live in Taiwan, Lin said, “We’re making the playoffs. I don’t care what anybody else tells me.” (via @linfinity88)

Q: How well do you think the Nets will do next season?@JLin7: "We are making the playoff. I don't care what anybody else tells me." pic.twitter.com/9MxougrEuS

— infinity88 (@linfinity88) July 16, 2017

While the additions of D’Angelo Russell and DeMarre Carroll should help the Nets become more competitive, making the playoffs—even in a weak Eastern Conference—would seem farfetched.

Let us know in the comments: Does Brooklyn have a chance to make the postseason?

The post Jeremy Lin Thinks The Nets Will Make the Playoffs in 2018 appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin: 5 Ex-Teammates Asked About Joining Brooklyn Nets

Ryne Nelson — Thu, 18 May 2017 17:11:58 +0000

The Brooklyn Nets might have had the worst record in the NBA last season, but Jeremy Lin says the team’s culture and style of play have attracted interest from players around the League.

In a recent interview with Chinese website JD.com, Lin noted that five former (unnamed) teammates texted him during the past season with hopes of joining the Nets.

Roughly translated by reddit user u/C_L_I_C_K:

“I’ll be recruiting. There are already a lot of friends, past teammates of mine, asking if they could join us.

“Last year… I have about 5 of my past teammates already texted me, asking if I could recommend them (to Nets GM Sean Marks) so that they could be traded and play with us.

“I feel like for players, the most important thing is for us to be happy inside. If you enjoy your teammates, your coaches, your environment… I know a lot of players on different teams, they could be winning games, but they’re really unhappy.

“Last year, we didn’t win a lot of games, but our team was really close, coaches treated us really well. Our playing style, we kept passing the ball well, we played for each other. I feel like other players saw this. We were really happy for each other. When my teammates scored, I’d be happy for them.

“Not every NBA team is like this. If you’re playing on a selfish team, I feel it’s really not fun to play with them. So I think other players saw this and hopefully they’ll want to join us.

Lin has played for six different teams over his seven-year pro career, so his list of ex-teammates is expansive to say the least.

Any guesses who reached out to Lin? Let us know in the comments.

The post Jeremy Lin: 5 Ex-Teammates Asked About Joining Brooklyn Nets appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Says He Heard More Racial Slurs In College Than The NBA

Ryne Nelson — Thu, 11 May 2017 15:39:13 +0000

Jeremy Lin has dealt with racist remarks in the NBA, but he said nothing compares to what he repeatedly experienced while playing in college.

But Lin, while on Randy Foye’s podcast this week, told some harrowing stories from his career at Harvard. Via ESPN:

“I was at Georgetown and there was one dude courtside and he kept looking at me the whole game, saying ‘chicken fried rice’ and ‘beef lo-mein’ and ‘beef and broccoli’ the whole game.

“Then we went to Yale and they were like ‘Hey, can you even see the scoreboard with those eyes?’

“In Vermont — I remember, because I had my hands up while the Vermont player was shooting free throws — their coach was like, ‘Hey ref! You can’t let that Oriental do that!’

I was like, What is going on here? I have been called a c—k by players in front of the refs; the refs heard it, because they were yelling it, [like,] ‘Yeah, get that out, c—k!’

“And the ref heard it, looked at both of us and didn’t do anything.”

In late March, Lin spoke about Asian-American stereotypes, specifically, male Asian-American stereotypes in a group Q+A session.

The Nets PG recalled a time before the 2010 NBA Draft when he was considered “deceptively athletic” and other prospects were just considered “athletic.”

The post Jeremy Lin Says He Heard More Racial Slurs In College Than The NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin on Asian-American Stereotyping: ‘John Wall Was ‘Athletic’ And I Was ‘Deceptively Athletic”

Ryne Nelson — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 16:53:19 +0000

Jeremy Lin spoke about Asian-American stereotypes, specifically, male Asian-American stereotypes in a group Q+A session in late March.

Lin says he was considered “deceptively athletic” before the 2010 NBA Draft, despite having tested with the fastest metrics, along with John Wall.

“Me and John Wall were the fastest people in the draft, but he was ‘athletic’ and I was ‘deceptively athletic.’

“I’ve been deceptively ‘whatever’ my whole life. That’s definitely an issue and we can just keep playing basketball.

“Hopefully we’ll just keep being good and breaking the stereotypes.”

Lin went on to say he believes that society will eventually change its views.

“I think we just need to keep being ourselves and the world will eventually come around and appreciate us Asians,” Lin said.

The post Jeremy Lin on Asian-American Stereotyping: ‘John Wall Was ‘Athletic’ And I Was ‘Deceptively Athletic” appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Visited NBA Store in NYC to Celebrate Chinese New Year

SLAM Staff — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 18:34:26 +0000

The Year of the Rooster begins on Saturday, January 28. To help celebrate, Jeremy Lin dropped by the NBA Store in the heart of New York City yesterday evening. He chopped it up with fans, signed some autographs, took some pictures and watched Chinese Lion Dancers do their thing in the middle of the store.

Lin’s parents are from Taiwan, but he’s always repping for all of our brothers and sisters to the East. He appeared in the NBA’s latest Chinese New Year commercial, alongside Stephen Curry.

S/o to this fan with the awesome braids and all the other fans who started waiting since 10am in the rain!! You guys are seriously the best! pic.twitter.com/7ptj2OAWuc

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) January 25, 2017

Photos courtesy of NBA

The post Jeremy Lin Visited NBA Store in NYC to Celebrate Chinese New Year appeared first on SLAM.

WATCH: Stephen Curry and Jeremy Lin Celebrate Chinese New Year

Ryne Nelson — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:43:05 +0000

Here’s a first look at the NBA’s new Chinese New Year spot entitled “Secret Envelope,” featuring Stephen Curry, James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Anthony Davis.

An elder gives a customary red envelope to his grandson, who opens it and discovers miniature versions of the NBA stars hooping across the coffee table.

The NBA will be celebrating the Year of the Rooster from January 26 to February 11, during which a record 60 NBA games will be broadcast in China.

The Warriors, Rockets, Raptors and Wizards will wear special Chinese New Year uniforms as well.

The post WATCH: Stephen Curry and Jeremy Lin Celebrate Chinese New Year appeared first on SLAM.

Vaguely Literary: Jeremy Lin x A Canticle for Leibowitz

Sam Rubenstein — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 22:03:56 +0000

Jeremy Lin, we know you’re a Harvard man, so one would believe that you have read your share of classic literature. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr is the right book for you at this time. It’s the story of survivors in America putting the country back together, hundreds of years after nuclear devastation. Science and knowledge are abandoned with the rise of the simpletons just like how the Brooklyn Nets were once a team guided by All-Stars and hype, but now stay rebuilding.

Into this void comes Jeremy Lin, an intelligent man. When you unleashed Linsanity on an unsuspecting world, you realized a dream, setting the NBA on fire. Of course there were powers that tried to crush you, making a martyr out of your time as the star of the league, because that dream couldn’t be allowed to flourish. This is where Leibowitz and his future disciples find themselves. The world, in your case, the Brooklyn Nets, needs to be revived. As the heart of the rebuilding in Brooklyn, this is your task. The novel takes place over centuries, while the human race keeps making the same mistakes time and time again, like NBA GMs. Can you be the savior your world needs? The Nets are Jeremy Lin: a long shot, a moment in time of greatness, some good moments, but still looking for a home. You’re a busy man these days, but Canticle is essential reading to understand your unique place in the universe.

—

Sam Rubenstein is a SLAM contributing writer and a high school English teacher in Brooklyn. Follow him on Twitter @SamRubenstein.

Previously:
LeBron James x Beowulf
Jimmy Butler x The Hobbit
DeAndre Jordan x Animal Farm

The post Vaguely Literary: Jeremy Lin x A Canticle for Leibowitz appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Players React With Shock, Fear On Election Night

SLAM Staff — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 18:25:14 +0000

The 2016 presidential election took a surprising turn last night when Donald Trump ended up earning enough Electoral votes to be named the 45th President of the United States. NBA players, some of whom were playing in games while the votes were being tallied, reacted, like many of us, on social media. Projecting a sense of disbelief, shock and fear, players shared feelings similar to those of a large population of the country.

Check out what Jabari Parker, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Joel Embiid, Jeremy Lin and more had to say about the 2016 Election above.

The post NBA Players React With Shock, Fear On Election Night appeared first on SLAM.

Report: Jeremy Lin Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Injury

SLAM Staff — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 21:14:31 +0000

Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin left last night’s game against the Pistons with an injury and will now miss up to two weeks with a strained hamstring:

Jeremy Lin Medical Update: pic.twitter.com/dG4G6CDjcm

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 3, 2016

Lin joins Nets guards Greivis Vasquez and Randy Foye on the injured list. Lin’s absence opens the door for Sean Kilpatrick, who had 24 and 10 last night, and rookie Isaiah Whitehead.

The post Report: Jeremy Lin Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Moment of Clarity

Abe Schwadron — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 15:12:17 +0000

Jeremy Lin is standing on the corner of Kent and West Streets in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, waiting for his longtime friend and trainer Josh Fan to arrive. The two were supposed to roll together, he explains, but plans changed once the Nets kept Lin and his teammates for a mandatory orthotic insole fitting after this morning’s workout. It’s a drizzly Monday afternoon in September, and Lin is wearing adidas sweats from head to toe, with a matching snapback that’s keeping his man bun, or braids, or whatever’s under there hidden from view.

In a few minutes, we’ll descend into a dimly lit, dungeon-esque basement to do one of those trendy new “escape the room” adventure games. You know, where you have an hour to collect clues and solve riddles as a team in order to, well, escape the room. (In our case, pulling off a Mission Impossible-themed bank robbery before the fictional cops catch us committing the heist.) While we wait, we bullshit about the Nets’ fancy new practice facility in Sunset Park, about how Lin scored his new apartment near the Barclays Center after refreshing Zillow for days on end, and about the upgrades he still needs to make to the shiny black-on-black Maserati he pulled up in, including tinting the windows and replacing the rims. As a jackhammer pounds away at a construction site across the street, Fan finally appears, panting. Turns out, he took an Uber to Kent Avenue, not Kent Street, and had to run the last three-quarters of a mile here, which draws a laugh from Lin.

The last time he played professional basketball for a team in New York, Lin was crashing on his brother’s couch in a cramped Lower East Side apartment. He was, before what ultimately became one of the most memorable individual stretches of basketball in the history of the NBA, another anonymous New Yorker. The night before his “Linsanity” phenomenon began, Lin famously slept on Knicks teammate Landry Fields’ sofa. What unfolded thereafter, for the last two months of the 2011-12 season, established him not only as a full-time pro, but as one of the most popular basketball players on the planet.

“I’m definitely glad to be back,” says the 28-year-old, who after stops with the Rockets, Lakers and Hornets from 2012 to 2016, signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Nets this summer. “I obviously have a special connection with New York fans because of everything we’ve been through, so to be back here playing in front of them again is…to me, I wish it happened earlier.”

During our faux bank heist in Brooklyn, Lin immediately takes charge. He’s responsible for solving most of the puzzles to unlock each new clue and he instinctively directs everyone else to pick up items we’ll need along the way. It’s corny as hell to say, but he really is point guard-ing the shit out of this. When we emerge victorious with 26 minutes to spare, Lin admits that he’s done this before. In fact, it’s his eighth or ninth time “escaping the room,” and he shrugs once we get back outside to daylight—this wasn’t as challenging as the versions he played in Charlotte and Los Angeles. Then again, dude went to Harvard.

J-Lin’s “regular guy” vibe is disarming, and yet there are brief moments when his status as an international superstar smack you dead in the face. As we casually talk hoops on the walk back to his (ridiculously nice) car after wrapping the interview portion of our shoot, for example, Lin points out that it’s kinda hard for big men to look cool in highlights, because nine times out of 10, Stephen Curry breaking a defender’s ankles and raining a three is more entertaining to watch than LeBron James muscling in 2 points in the post. It’s not an earth-shattering observation for a person to make until you consider the two players being compared are among just a small handful whose global following eclipses that of the person who made it.

But this story isn’t about Linsanity. Because that story’s already been written many times over. And, if you’re reading this, you already know what happened. The night it all started with Lin, then a little-known Knick, dropping 25 on Deron Williams and the Nets at MSG. The 38 and 7 he put up against Kobe and the Lakers less than a week later. The game-winning three on Valentine’s Day in Toronto.

The memories won’t soon fade. Walk the streets of New York City and you’ll still occasionally see his No. 17 Knicks jersey every so often. But the next chapter for Jeremy Lin will play out across town, where Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson is handing him the keys. (Lin says Atkinson, who mentored him as a Knicks assistant during the Linsanity season, is “the only reason why I really considered the Nets in the first place.”) This year, on this team, Lin comes in as the starting point guard, not just some flash in the pan. With all due respect to former All-Star center Brook Lopez—whom Lin first met a decade ago on a serendipitous midnight visit to an IHOP during a high school tournament in California—it’s Lin who will be looked at as the face of the franchise, from the inside and out. And he’s definitely ready for the challenge.

“To have this role, I’m so excited I can’t even really explain just how happy I am,” says Lin. “There’s days where after we work out or play pickup or whatever, I’m just like, Man, it feels natural. I’m a leader. I’m a starting point guard. I run the show—and that’s something I’ve done my whole life on the court. So the last few years playing in a backup position, to me, that’s not who I was created to be as a player, that’s not natural. I feel like I wanna be the guy in the front. I wanna be the guy leading the charge, and I feel that here.

“Walking around Brooklyn, the vibe that I get is that they haven’t had a product that the people have been proud of,” he continues, noting the team’s 21-61 record last season. “I can tell there’s that disappointment from the past. No disrespect or no offense to anybody else who was here before, but that’s just the vibe that I get. So for me it’s just another challenge: How can we turn this thing around?”

Perhaps due to all the same lazy stereotypes that have followed Lin at every other stop throughout his career, it’s still hard for some to picture him in the role of the veteran leader. Time to get over it. The reality is, almost all of his new Nets teammates really do look up to him, and almost all for different reasons.

Like 21-year-old Nets rookie Isaiah Whitehead, who remembers watching every game of Linsanity as a sophomore at Lincoln HS in Brooklyn: “I was right in front of my TV watching every one.” Or Sean Kilpatrick, another New York-bred guard, who looks at Lin as a model of D-League-to-NBA-starter success. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” Kilpatrick says. “He’s always talking to me about staying hungry.”

Even Greivis Vasquez, who will be pushing Lin for that starting PG spot every day in practice, respects Lin for being “a fighter” who fears nothing on the court. “We want him to lead,” says GV, “and we want to win games with him.”

Meanwhile, Lopez is…actually, Lopez is just envious that Lin is being featured in a special edition of Marvel’s Totally Awesome Hulk comic book. “I was so jealous when I saw that,” Lopez laments. “He didn’t even tell me about it. Apparently it’s no big deal to him. I had to read about it on my comic book sites.”

Despite never having been an All-Star, Lin can sell comic books as a superhero thanks to his universal appeal. A week after our photo shoot in Brooklyn, at Nets Media Day, Lin is predictably swarmed by reporters despite playing on a team that beyond his presence is of lukewarm (at best) interest to the rest of the world. And, not unlike his teammates, Lin says his fans are as diverse as they are loyal.

“My story is so unique, and so there are people that always support different parts of my story. It might be that I’m Asian, or it might be that I went to Harvard, or it might be that I grew up in an immigrant family or the underdog story or the Ivy League,” he says. “For me it’s just something I want to be grateful for every day. I used to take my fans more for granted, and now I’m really thankful for them and I think I do a better job of showing that.”

On the court, Lin insists he’s shored up a lot of the parts of his game that were suspect during his first go-round under the bright lights of New York, including his jumper, his ability to go left and his defense. Last season in Charlotte he averaged 11.7 points, 3 assists and a career-high 3.2 rebounds per game in a Sixth Man role for a Hornets team that won 48 games and made the postseason. With increased minutes, expect to see his numbers jump across the board—a lot.

Friday night, Lin flirted with a triple-double as he led the Nets to their first win of the season in the team’s home opener, finishing with 21 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds. Through the first three games of the 2016-17 season, he’s averaging 17 points, 7.3 assists and 5 rebounds per game.

Lin, though, says he’s matured as a person as much as he has as a player.

“Probably spiritually and mentally more than anything. I think when everything first happened I was a little scared and jaded, just because a lot of friendships and relationships and the way things worked out, I felt like maybe people betrayed me. I felt that sense of like, I don’t know if I can trust people,” Lin says. “Having gone through the last four years, I’m really in a different place. I’m not so concerned with what everyone else has to say about me anymore, whether it’s reporters or opponents or anybody, really.”

The Nets surely don’t have championship expectations in 2016-17. Competing for a playoff spot in a suddenly crowded Eastern Conference is probably a stretch, too. But Jeremy Lin is at long last comfortably stable, both in spirit and in his situation.

“I have a lot more fun through each day,” he says. “I smile a lot more.”

—

Abe Schwadron is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @abe_squad.

Photos: Tom Medvedich | Special thanks to Komnata Quest

The post Moment of Clarity appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Dimes Brook Lopez for Reverse Dunk

SLAM Staff — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 00:55:58 +0000

There won’t be a lot of winning this season in Brooklyn, but at the very least Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez have already started to develop some chemistry.

“Brook-Lin” hooked up to run a nice pick-and-roll against the Pacers tonight. Check out the video to see Lin hit Lopez with a no-look pass that leads to a big dunk.

Brook REVERSE @YESNetwork https://t.co/lslaFOFjFN

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 29, 2016

The post Jeremy Lin Dimes Brook Lopez for Reverse Dunk appeared first on SLAM.

Carmelo Anthony: Jeremy Lin is Face of the Nets ‘Believe it or Not’

Marcel Mutoni — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 12:25:11 +0000

The Brooklyn Nets made Jeremy Lin “one of the franchise players” this summer, something that seemed to take Carmelo Anthony by surprise.

Melo says that Lin must now prove the Nets right.

Carmelo Anthony can't "believe" #Nets made Jeremy Lin their primary star #Knicks https://t.co/FncLKTgljb

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) October 7, 2016

Lin and his former Knicks teammate squared off in a preseason tilt this past weekend.

Per the NY Post:

“He is the face of their franchise – believe it or not,” Anthony said after Friday’s practice. “He came up, they paid him. Now the ball is in his hands. Now he’s one of the franchise players over there. I don’t know what you want me to say about that. I’m happy for him, excited for him to see how it’s going to turn out over there.”

It’s no secret the chemistry between Anthony and Lin during “Linsanity” in 2012 left a lot to be desired, and the dynamic came up again last month when former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said on a Vertical podcast Anthony didn’t “adapt” well to Lin’s rise.

“That was five, six years ago, bro,” Anthony said. “I forgot about that.”

The post Carmelo Anthony: Jeremy Lin is Face of the Nets ‘Believe it or Not’ appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin to Appear in Marvel’s ‘Totally Awesome Hulk’ Series

SLAM Staff — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 14:23:22 +0000

Linsanity produced more than big contracts with the Rockets and Nets. It produced more than a deal with adidas. It made Jeremy Lin cool enough to appear in a Hulk comic book.

Yeah, Lin is really about to appear in the “Totally Awesome Hulk” series. Marvel comic book writer Greg Pak was inspired by Lin’s unlikely superstar run back in 2012 so much that he had to have him in a comic.

Here’s a quote from Pak about why he’s messing with J. Lin so heavy, courtesy of AM New York:

“I was here in New York when Linsanity happened and it never stopped for me,” said Pak, who will be writing the issue with interior art by Luke Ross and a cover by Bernard Chang. “I followed him everywhere. I just love the guy. And at a certain point, I just found myself thinking, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if the biggest Asian-American superhero met the biggest Asian-American sports star?’ ”

In this new series, the Hulk isn’t balanced out by Bruce Banner. Instead, a Korean-American named Amadeus Cho. The new Hulk will have a lot of lessons to learn, and one of them will be taught by the new Nets point guard.

Stay tuned for official word on release date of the comics and whether or not we’ll see more of Lin in the Marvel Universe moving forward.

h/t AM New York

The post Jeremy Lin to Appear in Marvel’s ‘Totally Awesome Hulk’ Series appeared first on SLAM.

WATCH: Jeremy Lin Appears In Taiwanese Pop Music Video

SLAM Staff — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 21:09:10 +0000

Jeremy Lin made his music video debut in Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou’s new video for a song called “Turkish Ice Cream”.

The Brooklyn Nets point guard rolls up next to Chou in a convertible, and all matter of hilarity ensues.

There’s pop-a-shot, plenty of ice cream, and Lin doing the “Running Man” dance. Just go ahead and watch it.

The post WATCH: Jeremy Lin Appears In Taiwanese Pop Music Video appeared first on SLAM.

WATCH: Jeremy Lin Stars in ‘Space Jam 3: Anime Edition’

Marcel Mutoni — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 14:55:25 +0000

Until LeBron James and Warner Bros. get their act together, Jeremy Lin is here to fill the “Space Jam” void in all of our lives.

The Brooklyn Nets point guard created and starred in an anime version of the cult classic.

Peep the bloopers and behind-the-scenes action:

The post WATCH: Jeremy Lin Stars in ‘Space Jam 3: Anime Edition’ appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Photos of the Week

SLAM Staff — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:05:37 +0000

A compilation of the best images from the past seven days. In this edition of NBA photos, relive the Las Vegas Summer League Championship, see inside Team USA’s practice and check Jeremy Lin’s new ‘do.

Photos via Getty Images

Previously:
Week of June 18 – June 24
Week of June 11 – June 17

The post NBA Photos of the Week appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Found Someone in Brooklyn to Braid His Hair

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 13:00:09 +0000

The Brooklyn Nets introduced their crop of free agent acquisitions Wednesday, and Jeremy Lin’s new hairstyle stole the show.

Lin explained that, at long last, he was able to find a proper hair-braider in his return to Gotham.

We got the details on @JLin7's #brooklynbraided hair inspiration today. #Nets pic.twitter.com/9FVYGbgrjm

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 20, 2016

The Nets are counting heavily on their new starting point guard to make a splash on and off the court.

Per the AP:

“The way I was looking at free agency is kind of when you invest in a start up company,” Lin said. “You don’t necessarily look at the product right then and there at that moment. That is a big part of it, but you’re kind of betting on the founder a lot of times. You’re betting on what that person is capable of doing because sometimes as you go through the process the final product is going to change a lot and that’s very common in start ups. I feel like that’s kind of like how I saw this. I’m betting on certain people. I’m betting on Kenny (Atkinson). I’m betting on Sean (Marks). I’m betting on myself. I’m betting on Brook Lopez.”

Lin wants to prove he can be a full-time starting point guard as he was during Linsanity. […] “That’s a huge thing for me because in free agency I kind of said I want to see how great I can become,” Lin said. “I’ve played a lot of different roles, I’ve sacrificed for a lot of teams I’ve been on in the past. I’ve taken smaller roles to try to help the team succeed. Now I have that chance to take a much bigger role and be a much bigger part.”

Lin is joined by fellow free agent addition, Anthony Bennett. The former 2013 No. 1 overall pick is joining his fourth team in four seasons.

The post Jeremy Lin Found Someone in Brooklyn to Braid His Hair appeared first on SLAM.

Brooklyn Looking Forward to Business Opportunities Jeremy Lin Provides

Marcel Mutoni — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 19:55:40 +0000

The Brooklyn Nets recently committed $36 million over three seasons to free agent guard Jeremy Lin, and the team’s marketing folks are licking their chops.

Lin started just 13 games last season in Charlotte and averaged 11.7 points a night, but his Hornets jersey was one of the most popular among NBA fans worldwide.

The Nets are hoping he can re-create some Linsanity in BK.

Per the NY Post:

“The benefit of that basketball decision is there are some business opportunities,” Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CEO Brett Yormark said. “Those business opportunities are hopefully an expanded fan base in Brooklyn and beyond, and a driver of merchandise sales. That’s certain. He was a top-20 seller last year in jersey sales, and given the interest Jeremy generates in China and that part of the world, our games will be televised there.

“To the extent I can take advantage of him, I will. … We didn’t have a top-20 seller last year, so given the appetite of the fans, it affects ticket sales, merchandise sales and sponsors. To the extent we can be smart about growing our different business, we need to take advantage of it, and we will.”

MSG — which owns the Knicks — raised ticket prices by 27 percent and saw its stock vault 7 percent from $29.77 to $31.87 in just 10 days after Lin entered the lineup and sparked Linsanity, according to TIME Business. That added about $170 million to the company’s market cap, according to Forbes. […] That isn’t likely to happen again. But with Lin being the first American of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA, and 200,000 of the city’s 570,000 Chinese residing in Brooklyn, Yormark sees the vast potential. And the Nets are thinking globally, with expectations of having more games aired in China and financial experts saying that Yormark is sure to cash in on a potential gold mine.

The post Brooklyn Looking Forward to Business Opportunities Jeremy Lin Provides appeared first on SLAM.

Nets Sign Jeremy Lin To 3-Year, $36 Million Deal

SLAM Staff — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:48:49 +0000

Yes, Linsanity is returning to New York…only this time in a new borough.

Jeremy Lin and the Brooklyn Nets agreed to a three-year deal on Friday worth $36 million. The deal, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, has a player option on the third year.

Sources: Lin's three-year, $36M deal with Nets includes a player option on third year, trade kicker and bonuses.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2016

The 27-year-old Lin will reunite with Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was a Knicks assistant when “Linsanity” happened in 2011-12.

After getting the largest payday of his career, Lin tweeted out a photo of himself in a Nets jersey with the caption: “The journey continues…thankful for the next chapter!! #Godisgood”

The journey continues…thankful for the next chapter!! #Godisgood pic.twitter.com/1PLutlFbyO

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 1, 2016

Keep up with the latest signings during the July free-agency period by following our 2016 NBA Free Agent Tracker.

The post Nets Sign Jeremy Lin To 3-Year, $36 Million Deal appeared first on SLAM.

WATCH: Kemba Walker Lights Up Miami With 34 Points in Game 4

Marcel Mutoni — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 13:20:29 +0000

Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin combined for 55 points Monday night, and helped the Charlotte Hornets even up their first round Playoff series with the Miami Heat at two games apiece.

Walker scored 11 of his Playoff career-high 34 points during a fourth quarter run, and Lin provided 21 off the bench in Charlotte’s 89-85 victory.

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night in South Beach.

Per the AP:

The smallest player on the floor at 6-foot-1, Walker finished 13 of 28 from the field. […] “Throughout my career I have made big plays — that is what I’m known for,” Walker said. “Tonight was a good example of it.”

Jeremy Lin finished with 21 points and Courtney Lee sank two free throws with 4.6 seconds left to seal the win after being fouled on an offensive rebound.

Lin, who kept Charlotte in the game in the first half, said it was fun just watching Walker from the corner — and taking a breather — down the stretch. […] “I told Kemba to take us home,” Lin said. “It’s on you.”

The post WATCH: Kemba Walker Lights Up Miami With 34 Points in Game 4 appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Bounce Back

SLAM Staff — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 05:28:41 +0000

Raptors 83, Pacers 100 (Series tied 2-2)

The Pacers played their best all-around game of the series. George Hill and Ian Mahinmi with 22 points each. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan continued to play in a playoff malaise, combining for just 20 points on 8-27 shooting.

https://vine.co/v/iUOzVbYiUOZ

Heat 80, Hornets 96 (Miami leads 2-1)

Charlotte rode a 18-0 run in the third quarter to their first post-season win in 14 years. Jeremy Lin scored a team-high 18 points off the bench.

MJ, quite obviously, was very happy during this one.

https://vine.co/v/iUerWnOzW3Y

Thunder 119, Mavs 108 (OKC leads 3-1)

Russell Westbrook put up yet another 25 points and 15 assists in yet another another testy game. Enes Kanter had his second straight playoff career high with 28 points on 12-13 shooting.

https://vine.co/v/iUiwEaej02P

Kevin Durant scored 19 points, breaking his 67-game streak of scoring at least 20 points, and was ejected for swinging a forearm at Justin Anderson’s head.

https://vine.co/v/iUijbh1jxLL

Clippers 88, Blazers 96 (L.A. leads 2-1)

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 59 points as Portland took care of a must-win game. Mason Plumlee was awesome with 6 points, 21 rebounds and 9 assists, plus this casual reverse putback dunk.

https://vine.co/v/iU5MLYEg9Tn

The post Post Up: Bounce Back appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Leads Hornets to First Playoff Win Since 2002 (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 01:55:41 +0000

Jeremy Lin scored a team-high 18 points for the Hornets as they trounced the Heat, 96-80, in Game 3. It was Charlotte’s first post-season win since Baron Davis led the team in 2002.

It’s a new era in Buzz City, indeed!

The post Jeremy Lin Leads Hornets to First Playoff Win Since 2002 (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Playoff-Bound Mavs

SLAM Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 05:16:26 +0000

Hawks 94 (48-33), Cavs 109 (57-24)

Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak to secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference behind Kyrie Irving’s 35 points and LeBron James’ 34 points (13-16 shooting).

Bucks 98 (33-48), Magic 107 (35-46)

Starting for an injured Victor Oladipo, rookie Mario Hezonja recorded 19 points, 7 assists and 5 steals to help Orlando finish the season 5-1 at home.

Hornets 114 (47-34), Celtics 100 (47-34)

Jeremy Lin led Charlotte on a 31-3 run over the final eight minutes of the second quarter and finished with a game-high 25 points.

Wizards 120 (40-41), Nets 111 (21-60)

Washington rolled without John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wizards rookie Kelly Oubre had a nice moment to end the first half with this three-ball:

https://vine.co/v/iTj9Oj51TOP

Rockets 129 (40-41), T-Wolves 116 (28-53)

The Rockets rolled past the Wolves to keep their playoff hopes alive. James Harden finished with 34 points and was able to sit the entire fourth quarter. The Rockets now control their playoff chances in their final game of the regular season on Wednesday vs Sacramento.

Bulls 121 (41-40), Pelicans 116 (30-51)

Jimmy Butler scored 12 of his 23 points in the last six minutes to help Chicago pull off the win. Tim Frazier led the Pels with 20 points and 11 assists.

Lakers 79 (16-65), Thunder 112 (55-26)

OKC trounced the Lakers in final road game of Kobe’s career. Kevin Durant scored 34 points in 27 minutes and Russell Westbrook is the first player to get a triple-double in the first half since 1997. Kobe Bryant scored all 13 of his points in the first quarter.

Respect. pic.twitter.com/PwgQhu8M8P

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 12, 2016

Mavs 101 (42-39), Jazz 92 (40-41)

Dirk Nowitzki recorded a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Dallas’ 101-92 win over Utah to clinch a playoff spot. Rudy Gobert left the game in the second quarter with a right ankle injury.

Kings 105 (33-48), Suns 101 (22-59)

It was the Seth Curry show as he led the Kings with 20 points, 15 assists and some silky smooth plays.

https://vine.co/v/iTTu3r7raPr

https://vine.co/v/iTTbMLYwmwM

The post Post Up: Playoff-Bound Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Draws Foul, Lands Circus Shot (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 00:55:57 +0000

https://vine.co/v/ijnerHaZwT0

After seemingly receiving contact from both Robert Covington and Elton Brand, Jeremy Lin somehow got this circus shot to stick. Not bad for a guy who’s playing through a sore back.

The post Jeremy Lin Draws Foul, Lands Circus Shot (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Still Gets Stopped By Security at NBA Arenas ‘All the Time’

SLAM Staff — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 19:49:08 +0000

Back in September, when Jeremy Lin had just joined the Hornets, he famously got stopped by arena security when trying to enter Charlotte’s home court at Time Warner Cable Arena. He had to convince them he was actually a player on the team. These days, the security guards in Charlotte know who he is. But at opposing arenas, he says he still gets stopped “all the time” and asked for his ID. “It’s just part of being Asian in the NBA,” he says.

From Michael Wallace of ESPN.com:

It happens so frequently now that Jeremy Lin doesn’t even bother wasting the energy to get annoyed by it too much these days.

Still, as the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, there are some arenas in which Lin might be better off simply leaving on his game-worn, official No. 7 Charlotte Hornets jersey at all times — from the moment he gets off the team bus until he returns to it after games.

Otherwise, he’s likely to get stopped and carded by some security official.

“It’s one of those things where it literally happens everywhere,” Lin told ESPN.com after Thursday’s practice in Detroit, where the Hornets will play the Pistons on Friday. “At opposing arenas, it happens all the time. Just the other night in Brooklyn, I was trying to leave [Barclays Center] and one of the ladies was like, ‘Hey, I need your credentials for you to pass.’ And then someone else was like, ‘Oh, he’s a player. He’s good.’ I’m used to it by now. It’s just part of being Asian in the NBA.”

The post Jeremy Lin Still Gets Stopped By Security at NBA Arenas ‘All the Time’ appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Photos of the Week

SLAM Staff — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 16:10:23 +0000

A compilation of the best images from the past seven days. In this week’s NBA photos, see LeBron James’ reverse hammer dunk, Emmanuel Mudiay’s game-winning jumper and more.

Photos via Getty Images

Previously:
Week of March 12 – March 18
Week of March 5 – March 11

The post NBA Photos of the Week appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Torches the Spurs for 29 Points (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:55:48 +0000

Coming off the high of beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs crapped the bed Monday night, as they blew a commanding lead and fell to Jeremy Lin and the Charlotte Hornets 91-88.

Lin scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter as he led Charlotte’s furious rally.

The Spurs came into the matchup riding a six-game winning streak.

Per the AP:

While perhaps not quite “Linsanity II,” the 23-point lead was the largest surrendered by the Spurs in the Tim Duncan era, which began in 1997, according to information provided to the Hornets by Elias.

Lin was 11 of 18 from the field and hit all four 3-point attempts, including three in the fourth quarter, and provided the go-ahead jumper with 48 seconds left. […] “He was spectacular,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “We couldn’t stop him all night. He had a great night. He was wonderful.”

Charlotte became the first team to score seven points or fewer in the opening quarter and come back to win since the Utah Jazz against the New Jersey Nets on Dec. 12, 2008. […] “We just turned it up,” Lin said. “We just played hard. I’m so thankful to God because I’ve been struggling so much. We lost one the other night we felt like we shouldn’t have lost. So to come out here and get this win is a huge boost for us.”

The post Jeremy Lin Torches the Spurs for 29 Points (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Clutch City

SLAM Staff — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 04:33:26 +0000

Hornets 91 (40-30), Spurs 88 (59-11)

Twenty-three points down against the San Antonio Spurs—the team that just beat the League’s best Golden State Warriors over the weekend? Yeah, good luck, Hornets.

Lo and behold, Charlotte rallied back behind Jeremy Lin’s 29 points to steal the win away from the Spurs. Fifteen of Linsanity’s points came in the fourth quarter alone as the home team took care of business.

Cavaliers 124 (50-20), Nuggets 91 (29-42)

Jusuf Nurkic mighta had his moment with this block on LeBron James, but the Cavs most certainly had the last laugh, as they beat the visiting Denver Nuggets by 33 points on Monday night at the Q. LeBron finished with a triple-double of 33 points, 11 boards and 11 assists in Cleveland’s 50th win of the season.

Pacers 91 (37-33), Sixers 75 (9-62)

Paul George led Indy with 15 points to get the win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. With the win, the Pacers sit in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of the Bulls. Monta Ellis added 13 in the win, and Ian Mahinmi finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Celtics 107 (41-30), Magic 96 (29-41)

Isaiah Thomas tallied 28 points and 7 assists as the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic on Monday. Avery Bradley added in his own 22 to get Boston back-to-back wins and hand the Magic their fourth straight loss.

Pistons 92 (37-34), Bucks 91 (30-41)

The Detroit Pistons overcame a 17-point deficit to win against the Milwaukee Bucks in Motor City. The game came down to the wire, and it was Andre Drummond’s tip that ended up being a game-winner for Detroit.

Wizards 117 (35-35), Hawks 102 (41-30)

The win over the Hawks on Monday night was the Wizards’ fifth straight. John Wall scored 27 points and dished out 14 assists, while Bradley Beal added 25 to lead the Wiz to victory to keep them in the Eastern Conference’s Playoffs picture.

Bulls 109 (36-33), Kings 102 (27-43)

In his return after missing four games, Pau Gasol put up a solid double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Eighteen points apiece came from Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson as the Bulls took care of the Kings.

Warriors 109 (63-7), Timberwolves 104 (22-48)

After losing to the Spurs over the weekend, the Golden State Warriors bounced back with a win in Minnesota against the Timberwolves. Draymond Green had the pretty stat line of 24 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals in the victory. Both Ricky Rubio (20 points, 11 assists) and Karl-Anthony Towns (24 points, 11 rebounds) finished with double-doubles on the night.

Grizzlies 103 (41-30), Suns 97 (19-51)

The Grizzlies overcame a 13-point deficit against the Suns on Monday night, led by Lance Stephenson’s 16 points off the bench to earn back-to-back wins after having lost four straight. Devin Booker led the Suns with 18 points in the loss.

The post Post Up: Clutch City appeared first on SLAM.

WATCH: LeBron James Moves Past Kevin Garnett on All-Time Scoring List

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 18:35:03 +0000

Move over, Kevin Garnett: LeBron James now holds the 16th spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Passing KG. #NBAHistory #StriveForGreatness pic.twitter.com/zrlHgHLkAk

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 4, 2016

LBJ, however, lost to a Michael Jordan-owned team for the first time in his career Wednesday night—snapping a 21-game winning streak against MJ—as the Charlotte Hornets held off the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 106-97.

Jeremy Lin led the Hornets with 24 points and eight assists; Kyrie Irving countered with 26 points.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

The Cavs were outscored 63-32 during the third quarters on this brief two-game trip. They allowed opponents to shoot 53 percent and they were outrebounded 27-15. Given all of that, it’s mildly surprising they escaped with even one victory. […] “We’re s— in the third quarter right now,” James said. “We need to figure it out. I don’t know what it is.”

James has lamented the Cavs’ poor third quarters all season, although statistically they’re about as good/bad as second quarters. Until lately. This week, particularly. The Cavs exit the locker room after halftime in body only. There certainly hasn’t been any spirit. […] “We’ve got to do something to adjust that situation,” coach Tyronn Lue said without offering any suggestions.

James said early last season with their ferocious rebounders such as Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao, the Cavs should never get outrebounded. They certainly have been outrebounded plenty of times the last 1 1/2 seasons, but rarely like this. Lue even inserted the little-used Varejao in the second half to try and create a spark. He didn’t grab any rebounds, either, in seven minutes. […] “Some of it was ball watching, some of it was bad bounces. We have to do a better job of putting bodies on guys,” James said, citing his own problems against Kidd-Gilchrist. “That’s unacceptable. It’s a rarity for us to get outrebounded like we did. Just gotta do a better job.”

The post WATCH: LeBron James Moves Past Kevin Garnett on All-Time Scoring List appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Capitol Curry

SLAM Staff — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 07:10:46 +0000

Cavs 97 (35-13), Hornets 106 (24-25)

Filling in for the injured Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lin had 24 points as Charlotte rallied in the second half. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was all over the court and gave the Hornets a versatility that they’ve sorely missed.

Hawks 124 (29-22), 76ers 86 (7-42)

Talk about parody. Atlanta scored 124 points with no player dropping more than 13 points.

Pistons 95 (26-24), Celtics 102 (29-22)

KCP left the game with a groin injury. His streak of 208 consecutive games—the second-longest active streak in the NBA—will almost certainly come to an end.

Pacers 114 (26-23), Nets 100 (12-38)

CJ Miles led all scorers with 27 points, and helped Indiana’s bench outscore Brooklyn’s by 42.

Warriors 134 (45-4), Wizards 121 (21-26)

Stephen Curry scored 51 points, including 11 three-pointers, in another truly masterful performance. He shot lights out, especially in the first half, where he missed just one attempt and provided multiple jaw-dropping highlights:

https://vine.co/v/iJXIuvLOgm1

Steph was so en fuego that he need to be cooled off a bit afterward:

https://vine.co/v/iJHIT9OMlVu

Magic 114 (21-27), Thunder 117 (38-13)

Russell Westbrook recorded another triple-double in just 22 minutes, but it was Kevin Durant’s game-winning three with half a second left that gave OKC the win.

https://vine.co/v/iJHgqH7t2Xi

Heat 93 (28-22), Mavs 90 (28-24)

Hassan Whiteside returned from a six-game absence to score 10 points with 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in just 17 minutes. Of course, Whiteside protected the paint, but he also showed off some post moves:

https://vine.co/v/iJH7pXnt52H

Pelicans 97 (18-30), Spurs 110 (41-8)

LaMarcus Aldridge has been a beast since he deleted his social media accounts. LMA scored a season-high 36 points and held Anthony Davis to just 3 points in the fourth quarter.

Nuggets 81 (19-31), Jazz 85 (23-25)

After struggling to find his shot all game long, Derrick Favors made a crucial 11-footer with 1:28 to play and then grabbed a big offensive rebound to lead Utah to their fourth-straight win.

Trevor Booker boomed a pair of tomahawk jams in the first half as well:

https://vine.co/v/iJHqzvdFAW6

https://vine.co/v/iJHbIaKmP0X

Bulls 107 (27-21), Kings 102 (21-28)

Derrick Rose and E’Twaun Moore (filling in for an injured Jimmy Butler) combined for 45 points as Chicago overcame DeMarcus Cousins’ typical dominance.

T-Wolves 108 (15-36), Clippers 102 (32-17)

Chris Paul pick up a late, controversial technical foul as Minnesota ended a 14-game losing streak to the Clippers. Andrew Wiggins led the Wolves with 31 points.

The post Post Up: Capitol Curry appeared first on SLAM.

WATCH: NBA Broadcasters Talk About Jeremy Lin’s Hair

SLAM Staff — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 21:21:31 +0000

Jeremy Lin is making some interesting choices with his hair this season, and NBA commentators have a whole lot to say about it.

Check out the video above, a compilation of soundbites by commentators around the League throwing in their two cents about Lin’s ever-evolving ‘do.

The post WATCH: NBA Broadcasters Talk About Jeremy Lin’s Hair appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry, James Harden, Jeremy Lin Help the NBA Celebrate Chinese New Year (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 21:44:36 +0000

With the Chinese New Year (February 8) right around the corner, the NBA is set to launch their two-and-a-half week celebration. Check out the video above to see Stephen Curry and James Harden in the Warriors’ and Rockets’ Chinese New Year uniforms. Jeremy Lin also makes an appearance in the spot.

In addition to the uniforms and commercial, the League has big plans to help mainland China get involved in the NBA season. Here’s more from the NBA:

To celebrate the launch of the Chinese New Year, NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion traveled to Chengdu today to help spread the joy of the holiday by hosting a basketball clinic and distributing gifts to underprivileged students at the NBA Hope School.

“We are grateful to our Chinese fans for welcoming all 30 NBA teams into their homes as they celebrate the Chinese New Year with family and loved ones,” said NBA China CEO David Shoemaker. “This holiday is about joyful family reunions, and we are thankful that our teams and players are part of the excitement and festivities.”

For the first time, the celebration will showcase the games of all 30 NBA teams. Fans in mainland China will also be treated to a record-breaking number of nationally broadcast games as China Central Television (CCTV) will air 18 games and Tencent will stream 31 games during the campaign. In addition to CCTV and Tencent, fans will also be able to tune in to Guangdong TV, Beijing TV, BesTV, Videoland, Fox Sports, Elta, Taiwan Mobile, and NowTV to enjoy the games.

In the opener of a five-game showcase, LeBron James and the reigning Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers will visit Lin and the Hornets on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. ET on Tencent.

Other highly anticipated matchups throughout the campaign period include:

• Curry and the defending champion Warriors facing Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CCTV and Tencent.

• In a rematch of the 2015 Western Conference Finals, Harden and the Rockets will square off against the Warriors on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 10:30 p.m. ET on CCTV and Tencent.

• Kobe Bryant takes on James in Cleveland for the final time when the Los Angeles Lakers play the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on CCTV and Tencent.

• The San Antonio Spurs visit the Clippers for the first time since last season’s exciting seven-game playoff series on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tencent.

And for the first time in NBA history, two opposing teams will wear Chinese character jerseys when the Wizards host the Warriors on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. ET and when the Warriors host the Rockets on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Stay ready for more information about in-arena celebrations and special gear from the NBA.

The post Stephen Curry, James Harden, Jeremy Lin Help the NBA Celebrate Chinese New Year (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Drops Cole Aldrich With Quick Crossover (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 19:30:34 +0000

The Clippers beat the Hornets, 97-83 on Saturday night. But Jeremy Lin scored a game-high 26 points and provided the nastiest highlight of the night, crossing over Cole Aldrich so bad he hit the deck. Check out the crossover in the video above.

The post Jeremy Lin Drops Cole Aldrich With Quick Crossover (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Drops 35 Points on the Raptors (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:00:57 +0000

Making just his second start of the year Thursday night, Jeremy Lin went off for a season-high 35 points in the Charlotte Hornets’ 109-99 overtime win against the visiting Toronto Raptors.

The game went into the extra session after a timeout was called just before DeMar DeRozan’s miraculous buzzer-beater.

Kyle Lowry called timeout just before DeMar DeRozan hit a 40-foot would-be game-winner against the Hornets. It's heading to OT in Charlotte.

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) December 18, 2015

Kemba Walker chipped in with 27 points in the W.

Per the AP:

“That’s what I wanted to do for a long time,” said Lin, who got the start when Nicholas Batum couldn’t play because of an illness that took him out in the second half Wednesday night in a loss at Orlando. […] “I saw how much (being the playmaker) took out of Al (Jefferson) and Kemba. But I couldn’t have done it without (Walker) and he couldn’t have done it without me. He helps me out just as much as I hope I can help him.”

It took both Lin — who had 18 first-half points as Charlotte took a 56-44 halftime lead — and Walker to take down the Raptors, who rallied from a 16-point deficit late in the third quarter. […] Lin gave Charlotte a 72-56 lead on a layup with 4:14 left in the third quarter. But behind Kyle Lowry, who scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, the Raptors fought back and tied it at 90 on DeMar DeRozan’s jumper with 26 seconds remaining.

Toronto had a chance to win it in regulation, forcing a turnover that DeRozan turned into a jumper — only to have the points overturned because of a timeout called right after the steal was made. […] “I was proud of the team and the way we competed late,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “But we didn’t compete early enough. It’s almost like we have to get hit in the teeth before we compete. I do give our guys credit — they could have quit but they didn’t; they fought, and put themselves in a position to win.”

The post Jeremy Lin Drops 35 Points on the Raptors (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: King Of The East

SLAM Staff — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 06:28:55 +0000

Raptors 99 (16-11), Hornets 109 (15-10) (OT)

No matter what, questions will arise about whether a poorly timed timeout by Kyle Lowry cost Toronto the game. DeMar DeRozan hit a 40-foot, would-be game-winner that was voided at the end regulation because of Lowry’s timeout, and the Hornets pulled away in overtime. Jeremy Lin led Charlotte with a season-high 35 points.

https://vine.co/v/im0TATWPVb7

Thunder 100 (17-9), Cavs 104 (17-7)

The Cavs snapped OKC’s six-game winning streak behind a near triple-double from LeBron James. The fourth quarter ended on an ominous note, as pro golfer Jason Day’s wife had to be stretchered off after LeBron barreled into her while chasing a loose ball.

Ellie Day I hope you're doing okay! My apologies! Hope u guys come back to another game soon. Love LJ!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 18, 2015

Rockets 107 (13-14), Lakers 87 (4-22)

Kobe Bryant was magnificent in the third quarter, and scored 22 points in the game. It wasn’t enough, as the Lakers gave up 23 offensive rebounds and 12 three-pointers. Mamba had his share of highlights, though, including a vintage dunk on Clint Capela.

The post Post Up: King Of The East appeared first on SLAM.

Kristaps Porzingis: ‘I’m Ready to Play Right Now’

Marcel Mutoni — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 14:45:38 +0000

On Draft Night, understandably-cynical New York Knicks fans lustily booed the selection of a then-unknown Kristaps Porzingis.

Barclays reacts to the Knicks selecting Kristaps Porzingis. pic.twitter.com/Lu2s6tH2cZ

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) June 26, 2015

Just a few short months later, the big fella has MSG eating out of the palm of his hand—Porzingis scored a career-high 29 points Tuesday night, leading the Knicks to a 102-94 win against the visiting Charlotte Hornets and former Garden darling Jeremy Lin.

Kristaps says he never bought into the notion that he would take years to develop into an effective NBA player.

Per the NY Daily News:

The pre-draft projections looked off by a few years, even if Porzingis never doubted he was NBA-ready. […] “Yes I was. Everyone said I was a project, a few years,” Porzingis said. “I will get better in a few years, but I’m ready to play right now.”

He certainly showed it in a performance that was much more than the putback dunks and flashy plays that, up until Tuesday, had highlighted his NBA career. Porzingis, 20, hit 10 of his 17 shots with 11 rebounds, ending the game at the free throw line with a final round of adulation from the fans. […] “M-V-P,” they shouted.

“Sooner or later (I thought they’d be chanting my name),” said Porzingis, who also nailed both his 3-point attempts. “I wasn’t expecting it to be right now.” […] “It is still a learning process for him but it was a big game,” Carmelo Anthony said. “I am sure it is going to be the first of many.”

The post Kristaps Porzingis: ‘I’m Ready to Play Right Now’ appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Makes a Cameo in ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 15:45:40 +0000

Actor Jeremy Lin, who moonlights as a basketball player (or is it the other way around?), appeared in Tuesday night’s episode of the hit ABC comedy “Fresh Off the Boat”.

West Coast, get ready for some John Hughes inspired Linsanity! @JLin7 #FreshOffTheBoat pic.twitter.com/8XXDNmcexu

— Fresh off the Boat (@FreshOffABC) October 14, 2015

Chau's description of "Pretty in Pink." @JLin7 pic.twitter.com/h6V8KnlWFy

— Fresh off the Boat (@FreshOffABC) October 14, 2015

The Charlotte Hornets guard plays a factory worker in the bit.

Per Entertainment Weekly (via FTW):

Last week on Fresh Off The Boat, (Shaquille O’Neal) popped up to sell some cars. This week, another NBA player will try to steal some laughs. Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin, aka Linsanity, plays a factory worker who toiled with Louis (Randall Park) making the plastic thingees that sit on the center of pizza to keep the lid off the cheese. Watch the video to see a scene from “The Fall Ball,” which involves Eddie’s (Hudson Yang) first dance and an important discussion about Pretty in Pink.

The post Jeremy Lin Makes a Cameo in ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Michael Jordan Calls Jeremy Lin Charlotte’s ‘Biggest Acquisition’

SLAM Staff — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 20:19:19 +0000

The Charlotte Hornets made several key acquisitions this offseason, including trading for Nic Batum and drafting Frank Kaminsky. But if you ask Michael Jordan, the team’s principal owner, the biggest move they made this offseason was… Jeremy Lin. From the Xinhua News Agency, quoting MJ during his time in China for the NBA Global Games 2015 recently:

Jordan made specific mention of Jeremy Lin, who joined in the Hornets from the LA Lakers this summer. Jordan saw it a successful deal, “We just got Jeremy Lin, who I think is going to be our biggest acquisition. His penetration, his shooting capability, his point guard savvy, he can really pass the basketball, his energy about the game of basketball something,” Jordan said.

Lin put up 11.2 points and 4.6 assists last season with the LA Lakers, and looked good against the Clippers in preseason (see below), but it’s unclear exactly what his role will be with the Hornets yet, given that Kemba Walker was the team’s starting PG in 2014-15.

H/T: The Score

The post Michael Jordan Calls Jeremy Lin Charlotte’s ‘Biggest Acquisition’ appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Presents ‘How To Fit In The NBA’ (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:17:24 +0000

Jeremy Lin is not just a pro basketball player (note to Hornets security: he is a pro basketball player). That’s right, the 6-3 point guard has gradually become a YouTube sensation.

Check out his latest video, starring a number of players from across the L (Stephen Curry, DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, to name a few), on how to fit in the NBA. The clip highlights the “importance” of fashion, music, dancing, and more in the life of a professional baller. At the end of the day, all Lin desires is acceptance from his new Charlotte teammates.

And if that summary isn’t incentive enough, a special someone makes a guest appearance at the end of the video. Hint: she’s less than four years old.

The post Jeremy Lin Presents ‘How To Fit In The NBA’ (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Had to Convince Arena Security That He’s a Hornets Player

SLAM Staff — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 19:37:51 +0000

Jeremy Lin signed a two-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets this summer. But he says he went to Time Warner Cable Arena to try to get some work in, and arena security didn’t believe he was actually on the team.

Went to the Hornets arena for 1st time and tried convincing security im a player. She said, "what team?!?" lollll #everywhereigo #literally

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) September 12, 2015

At least Lin has a sense of humor about it, right?

The post Jeremy Lin Had to Convince Arena Security That He’s a Hornets Player appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Goes Undercover as Strange Fitness Trainer (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:08:57 +0000

New Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin is a prankster. Last year, he spooked guests at Madame Tussauds San Francisco by pretending to be a wax figure of himself. This time around, he’s undercover as a fat, bearded fitness trainer named “Wayne.” Alongside Taiwanese pop icon Vanness Wu, Lin messes with people at a gym in Taiwan. Check it out above.

The post Jeremy Lin Goes Undercover as Strange Fitness Trainer (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Signs Two-Year Deal With the Charlotte Hornets

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 14:45:09 +0000

Free agent guard Jeremy Lin is moving on from Hollywood and joining the Charlotte Hornets.

Lin broke the news himself on various social media platforms late Wednesday night, reportedly coming to terms on a two-year, $4 million deal.

#BuzzCity

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 9, 2015

Jeremy Lin's deal with the Charlotte Hornets will be two-years, $4M-plus, league source tells Yahoo Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 9, 2015

Coming off a frustrating, at times surreal season with the Lakers, Lin is clearly pumped for a fresh start in Charlotte.

The 26-year-old posted averages of 11.2 points and 4.6 assists in 74 games for an abominable (21-61) Laker squad.

Per the LA Daily News:

Despite showing relative improvement throughout the 2014-15 season, Lin often expressed feeling uncomfortable with both a fluctuating starting and bench role as well as Byron Scott’s Princeton-based offense. Lin often lamented how the system put less emphasis on pick-and-rolls, and that how the team ran it hurt its floor spacing. It did not help that Lin lost his starting job after 19 games in favor of Ronnie Price. Lin then start another starting role in late January in favor of rookie Jordan Clarkson.

Lin also attracted interest from Dallas, Memphis, Indiana, Chicago, San Antonio and the Clippers. Although the Lakers also contacted Lin after the free agency period began on July 1, both sides appeared skeptical about extending their reunion.

Lin often spoke in glowing terms about Kobe Bryant’s basketball expertise and willingness to mentor. But Lin admitted struggling with sharing ball-handling duties and adjusting to his high volume shooting. Although the Lakers’ star initially praised Lin’s hunger and potential, Bryant eventually became frustrated with Lin’s inconsistency that he believed stemmed from passivity and overthinking. The likelihood of the Lakers retaining Lin seemed more slim after selecting Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell with the No. 2 pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.

The post Jeremy Lin Signs Two-Year Deal With the Charlotte Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

New York Knicks Have Reportedly Reached Out to Jeremy Lin

SLAM Staff — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 22:06:40 +0000

Could #Linsanity be back in New York? According to one report, it’s a possibility. The Knicks have apparently reached out to free agent Jeremy Lin, which presents an intriguing chance at a return to the place where he set the League on fire for a memorable stint at MSG. Lin spent last season with the Lakers, after two seasons with the Rockets. He averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 assists per game in 2014-15.

From Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders:

Sources say that the New York Knicks have reached out to Jeremy Lin. This lines up with my report from Sunday. https://t.co/NUszSKwxOJ

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 1, 2015

Thoughts on a possible J-Lin return to NYC?

The post New York Knicks Have Reportedly Reached Out to Jeremy Lin appeared first on SLAM.

Byron Scott Calls the Lakers’ Postgame Celebration Unprofessional

Marcel Mutoni — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 18:35:34 +0000

Kobe Bryant seethed in silent rage when watching his teammates celebrate a meaningless victory against the Boston Celtics last Sunday, and Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott ripped them for their antics.

Scott said it was unprofessional of a (14-41) squad to act in such a way.

According to Scott, he was made aware of the silly celebration — led by Nick Young, Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer — only once Kobe’s interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” went viral Monday.

Per the OC Register:

Coach Byron Scott did, though, calling the celebration “very disappointing” and that Bryant’s reaction mirrored his own. […] “I was shaking my head because I couldn’t believe it,” Scott said Tuesday.

“That’s not us as Lakers. That’s not how we act,” said Scott, who played 11 seasons for the Lakers. “I thought it showed a lack of professionalism. This organization has always been professional in what we do. We’re very proud of that Lakers emblem on our shirt and that purple and gold that we wear.”

Scott said he told the team the same thing before Tuesday’s practice and the players agreed that it was “distasteful.” […] “It was very important to address the team about it and get that issue solved,” said Scott, adding that there wouldn’t be any disciplinary action taken. “I think just the fact that everyone is making a real big deal out of it (is enough),” he said.

The post Byron Scott Calls the Lakers’ Postgame Celebration Unprofessional appeared first on SLAM.

James Harden and Jeremy Lin Star in Chinese New Year Ad (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:40:47 +0000

The NBA is celebrating the Chinese New Year this week, and debuted a commercial featuring James Harden and Jeremy Lin.

Benny the Bull, Stephen Curry and Dwyane Wade also make appearances in the spot.

Per the Houston Chronicle:

Thursday marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. Accordingly, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors will be mixing up their attire to pay homage to one of the NBA’s most loyal fan bases. The Rockets will wear the special jerseys for the first time Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. The jerseys will also be worn on Feb. 23 against Minnesota and Feb. 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Meanwhile, the entire league is active in the Chinese New Year campaign, with the Rockets’ James Harden and former Rocket Jeremy Lin appearing in this commercial that will debut Friday during ESPN’s Spurs/Warriors broadcast.

The post James Harden and Jeremy Lin Star in Chinese New Year Ad (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Nick Young: Jeremy Lin Should Have Passed More This Season

Marcel Mutoni — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:10:58 +0000

Pot, meet kettle.

Nick Young feels bad for Lakers teammate Jeremy Lin and the struggles he’s endured during his first season in Los Angeles.

Young thinks the point guard could have made his life a lot easier by passing instead of taking so many shots; Lin (who’s put up 10.2 points on 42.6 percent shooting, 4.6 assists and 2.7 turnovers in 25.5 minutes per game) attributes his ongoing nightmare to over-thinking on the court.

Per the LA Daily News:

“It’s tough. He’s expected to live up to ‘Linsanity,’” Lakers forward Nick Young said. “It’s a lot of pressure. But he can’t let everything get to him. Everything he does, he’s singled out more than anybody.” […] “I know it’s his contract year, but he could’ve focused on passing a little bit more,” Young said of Lin. “Especially when Kobe (Bryant) was out there, [Jeremy] needed to drop dimes.”

Yet, Lin does not seem comfortable wearing purple and gold, offering a neutral perspective on how he hopes the trade deadline unfolds. […] “I want to be able to have fun and play wherever I am,” Lin said. “I can’t control what they do. If I’m here, I’ll definitely give it my all. If they trade me, I’ll definitely give it my all wherever I am.”

“There are times I will think too much and I lose a little bit of the aggressiveness. But I don’t think it’s a consistent thing,” Lin said. “This is a new system and the least amount of space I’ve played with on the floor. So I’m trying to adjust.” […] Nearly four months have passed with minimal progress. But Lin called it “too early” to analyze his pending free agency. Instead, Lin held out hope his circumstances will feature a happy ending.

The post Nick Young: Jeremy Lin Should Have Passed More This Season appeared first on SLAM.

Kyrie Irving Wrecks Jeremy Lin With a Pair of Crossovers (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:00:53 +0000

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving saw a back-pedalling Jeremy Lin in front of him Sunday afternoon, and he knew it was time to eat.

Uncle Drew hit Lin with two nasty crossovers, threw in a spin move, and found a rolling Timofey Mozgov for an open dunk.

The post Kyrie Irving Wrecks Jeremy Lin With a Pair of Crossovers (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Nick Young Wants Teammates to Talk Trash Back at Kobe Bryant

Marcel Mutoni — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 16:15:20 +0000

An enraged Kobe Bryant hilariously went off on his teammates Thursday during practice, and his rant was caught on film for all the world to see.

Only Nick Young appeared to have the guts to talk back at his superstar teammate, and he wants Jeremy Lin and others to stop being so damn afraid of Kobe.

Nick Young pulled Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson to the side after practice and told them to stand up for themselves after Kobe got on them.

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) December 11, 2014

Bryant doesn’t practice often due to the wear and tear on his 36-year old body, but he sure does raise the intensity-level when he laces up his Nikes.

Per the OC Register:

“You can’t back down from a challenge,” Young said. “Me and Kobe are always going to talk trash and get into it. When he talks to everybody else, some people tend to shy away and I was telling them you have to have some (guts) in this league.

“It doesn’t matter who it is. Play your game. Don’t get any less confident out there. Talk trash right back to him.”

“I’ve always enjoyed practices more than the games,” Bryant said. “I don’t know if it (him participating) helps them but it obviously raises the intensity level. It was a tough practice for them,” he added. […] “Hopefully the guys can carry the energy of this practice a little bit. As often as I can get out there and do what I did today, I’m all for it. I had so much fun being out there, just the level of excitement of being able to play and compete in practice.”

The post Nick Young Wants Teammates to Talk Trash Back at Kobe Bryant appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin on the Lakers: ‘I Think This Team Can Make the Playoffs’

Marcel Mutoni — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 18:50:47 +0000

The Los Angeles Lakers are 5-16 and have lost three in a row. Pretty grim reality, right?

Not according to backup guard Jeremy Lin.

Lin, who wasn’t thrilled with his demotion to the bench, claims that he believes the Lakers can miraculously qualify for the postseason in the brutal Western Conference.

Per the LA Daily News:

“People probably think I’m crazy, but I don’t really care. I think this team can make the playoffs,” Lin said. “I believe in that and I know other guys believe in that as well. It’s very early. People will laugh. That’s fine. But I’ve always been a big dreamer and believe in miracles. I feel like God has performed miracles in my life.”

Lin has played with volume scorers, such as New York’s Carmelo Anthony and Houston’s James Harden. But that experience has not fully translated into Lin adapting to (Kobe) Bryant. […] “I’ll go out there and leave it on the floor, everything, and compete and be relentless and not be fearful of criticism or fearful of not playing well or missing shots,” Bryant said. “That’s the same way I want the guys I’m playing with to be, Jeremy in particular. He’s a really good player.”

Lin revealed “it’s no secret” he does not feel comfortable in Scott’s Princeton-based offense. That system entails Lin and Bryant splitting ball-handling duties as well as isolation sets for Bryant. Instead, Lin has reported feeling most comfortable with free-flowing systems in Houston and New York that put a premium on ball movement and outside shooting. […] “That’s not what we have here, but that’s OK. I feel like I’m further in my progress as a player where I can be effective in different ways,” said Lin, who is in his fifth NBA season. “It’s just a matter of seeing what your team has and what is your personnel. A spread run-and-gun, open floor pick-and-roll system might not be what’s best for us given our personnel. It’s just learning to play and be effective within whatever system Coach puts me in.”

The post Jeremy Lin on the Lakers: ‘I Think This Team Can Make the Playoffs’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakers Are Benching Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer

SLAM Staff — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 21:53:40 +0000

When the Lakers host the Pelicans tonight in Los Angeles, their starting lineup will look a little different. After losing 113-96 to the Celtics on Friday night, Lakers head coach Byron Scott hinted that there might be changes to the starting lineup. Today, he explained them: Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer are headed to the bench, Ronnie Price and Ed Davis are being inserted as starters. From Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell, via Twitter:

The starting line up changes Byron Scott said would come after the game in Boston will be Price and Davis for Lin and Boozer.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 7, 2014

The post The Lakers Are Benching Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Left Speechless By How Awful the Lakers Are (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 18:45:46 +0000

Kobe Bryant’s heroics weren’t nearly enough, as Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors pounded the Los Angeles Lakers 136-115 Sunday night.

Jeremy Lin, who went scoreless and recorded a single assist in 22 minutes of action, was simply speechless at one amusing point in his postgame chat with reporters.

Lakers head coach Byron Scott threatened to bench lazy defenders, while Carlos Boozer added that the team needs better offensive balance.

Per the LA Times:

Lakers Coach Byron Scott wasn’t happy from the first Warriors basket — a fastbreak alley-oop dunk from Stephen Curry to Andrew Bogut — to their final one. He yelled at his team at halftime and threatened to reduce unspecified players’ minutes if the hustle didn’t improve. […] “Our guys were jogging,” he said. “I wasn’t very happy about it. We can’t win that way. Period. … Patience is running thin and it has nothing to do with execution.”

There were more signs of a heavily unbalanced offense, the other four starters combining for 35 shots, one fewer than Bryant. […] “It’s tough, man,” said Carlos Boozer, who had six points. “We’ve got to find a balance between the two. It can’t be lopsided. We’ve got to find a balance for us to be successful.”

Bryant then wrapped up the Lakers’ season in a nutshell, talking about his high degree of responsibility. […] “It’s on me. Things go good, it’s us. Things go bad, it’s me,” he said. “That’s the responsibility of being in this seat.”

The post Jeremy Lin Left Speechless By How Awful the Lakers Are (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Leads the Lakers to Their First Win (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 14:40:33 +0000

It took six tries, but the Los Angeles Lakers finally registered their first victory of the season Sunday night against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.

Jeremy Lin and Kobe Bryant paced the Lakers with 21 points each in the 107-92 win.

Even http://t.co/l5gTeNUsyn can't believe they won pic.twitter.com/WWpOY1gLOH

— The Great Mambino (@TheGreatMambino) November 10, 2014

Charles your fat a$$ can eat now

— Ed Davis (@eddavis32) November 10, 2014

The post Jeremy Lin Leads the Lakers to Their First Win (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Store ‘Mannequin Prank’ Commercial (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:46:49 +0000

On the set of a new commercial, NBA players Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin, Mike Conley, Andrew Wiggins and Damian Lillard were in for a little surprise. Watch the video above to see what happened when a kid decided to pull the “Mannequin Prank” on his favorite stars.

The post NBA Store ‘Mannequin Prank’ Commercial (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Steve Nash Hurt His Back Carrying Bags

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 13:40:06 +0000

You know you’re getting old when …

Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash aggravated his back Wednesday while carrying some luggage around, and was forced to miss a third consecutive practice.

The 40-year-old’s health concerns are making head coach Byron Scott’s job tougher.

Per the OC Register:

The injury will almost certainly keep Nash out of the lineup for Thursday’s preseason game in Anaheim against the Utah Jazz, and raises serious concern about his durability for a 19th NBA season.

“It’s a concern,” Coach Byron Scott said. “From my standpoint, I’ve got to be able to figure out if he’s going to be able to play every game or not. Or if he’s going to be able to play every other game, or which games can he play?”

Scott said he is not yet at the point where he is preparing for life without Nash, but will be if things don’t improve. “In a couple of weeks if the situation is the same,” Scott said, “that’s probably the way I have to go.”

The post Steve Nash Hurt His Back Carrying Bags appeared first on SLAM.

Steve Nash May Be Benched in Favor of Jeremy Lin

Marcel Mutoni — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 15:40:40 +0000

It appears that the optimism regarding 40-year old Steve Nash’s health may have been quite premature.

Nash missed his second consecutive practice Tuesday due to lower back pain, this after asking out in the first quarter of a preseason loss Sunday to the Golden State Warriors .

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott might have no choice but to remove Nash — who only suited up for 15 games last season — from the starting lineup.

Per the LA Daily News:

“I don’t know. That is something I’m definitely thinking about it,” Scott said on Tuesday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo. “Is it in our best interest to start Jeremy [Lin] or Ronnie [Price] or do we wait day by day, game by game? We’ll play these last five preseason games out. We’ll figure it out from there.”

“Whatever position he calls me to, I’ll do my best. It doesn’t change that much to me,” Lin said. “No question I want to be a starter. But it’s one of those things that game by game it changes so much.”

“He’s one of the best point guards ever to play the game,” Scott said of Nash, who won two NBA MVP awards and ranks third on the league’s all-time assists list. “His experience and knowledge of the game and the way he makes everybody out there better. Obviously if he’s out there and healthy, he makes us a better basketball team.”

The post Steve Nash May Be Benched in Favor of Jeremy Lin appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Questions Nick Young’s ‘Swaggy P’ Nickname (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 18:07:28 +0000

Nick Young is Swaggy P. It’s as undisputed as water being wet. Lakers guard Jeremy Lin, however, remains skeptical of his teammate’s “Swaggy P” nickname. From the L.A. Times:

Nick Young’s nickname of “Swaggy P” has seemingly universal appeal, but new teammate Jeremy Lin isn’t sold yet.

“I call him Nick Young,” said Lin after practice on Friday. “He’s super cool, but I just find it ridiculous that everyone comes in here and just calls him Swaggy.

“You’ve got to earn it or something. And maybe he has, but I just got here. Maybe I’ll adopt it eventually.”

General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Byron Scott have both used the Swaggy moniker in recent press conference.

“I guess there just has to be something that I see — that when I look at him he just glows with ‘swaggyness.’ I’m not there yet,” said Lin.

“No one calls me ‘Linsanity.’ No one calls [Kobe Bryant] the ‘Black Mamba,'” he continued. That’s why I think it’s ridiculous that people call him Swaggy P.”

Lin was clear that he no holds ill will toward his teammate. He said he would become a Swaggy P convert if it was important to Young.

“He’s hilarious. He’s really cool,” said Lin. “Just out of respect for him, eight years in, if he wants me to call him Swaggy P, I guess I will.”

The post Jeremy Lin Questions Nick Young’s ‘Swaggy P’ Nickname (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Scares People By Pretending to Be a Wax Figure (VIDEO)

Marcel Mutoni — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:10:56 +0000

Before even suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers, Jeremy Lin is already very much a Hollywood fixture.

Lin attended the unveiling of his wax figure at Madame Tussauds San Francisco last month, and scared the hell out of some unsuspecting fans, friends and family members.

The post Jeremy Lin Scares People By Pretending to Be a Wax Figure (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Photos Of The Week

SLAM Staff — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 17:28:25 +0000

A compilation of the NBA’s best images from the past seven days. The offseason continues as more summer league action, old faces on new teams, and a presidential handshake highlight this week’s gallery of NBA photos.

Photos via Getty and USA Today

Previously:
Week of July 11 – July 17
Week of July 4 – July 10

The post NBA Photos Of The Week appeared first on SLAM.

James Harden: Rockets Will Be Fine Without Chandler Parsons

Marcel Mutoni — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:10:07 +0000

Much like his teammate Dwight Howard, James Harden says the losses of Chandler Parsons (and to a lesser extent, Jeremy Lin) won’t be a huge problem for the Houston Rockets. While on a promotional tour in the Philippines, the All-Star guard believes his team won’t skip a beat next season. Per The Philippine Star:

Harden said he’s looking forward to playing for the US at the World Cup. Training camp begins Monday. As for the Rockets’ future, Harden said he’s not worried that Jeremy Lin has left for the Los Angeles Lakers and Chandler Parsons for the Dallas Mavericks.

“Dwight (Howard) and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets,” said Harden. “The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team. We’ve lost some pieces and added some pieces. I think we’ll be fine next season.”

The post James Harden: Rockets Will Be Fine Without Chandler Parsons appeared first on SLAM.

Houston Rockets Trading Jeremy Lin to the Los Angeles Lakers

Marcel Mutoni — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 19:00:59 +0000

With LeBron James back in Cleveland, Chris Bosh appears to be headed to Houston. (Poor Dwyane Wade.) As expected, the Rockets are making room for Bosh’s massive salary by shipping out Jeremy Lin:

The Rockets finalizing Jeremy Lin, a future first-round pick and other draft considerations to the Lakers, league source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 11, 2014

The Lakers will send cash and rights to overseas player to the Rockets, but no salary back, league source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 11, 2014

The post Houston Rockets Trading Jeremy Lin to the Los Angeles Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Houston Rockets Are ‘Moving Quickly’ To Trade Jeremy Lin

SLAM Staff — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:25:37 +0000

Now that the domino has fallen, the Houston Rockets are expected to offer Chris Bosh a four-year, $96 million max contract. But first they have to clear enough cap space by trading point guard Jeremy Lin. According to Yahoo, Houston is “moving quickly” to trade Lin, who will make $15 million this season.

The dominos will start to fall now. Houston is moving quickly to complete a deal for Jeremy Lin, clear space and try to sign Chris Bosh.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 11, 2014

Houston and Chris Bosh moving quickly on securing deal, and with Bosh, Rockets will match Chandler Parsons offer sheet, source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 11, 2014

The post Houston Rockets Are ‘Moving Quickly’ To Trade Jeremy Lin appeared first on SLAM.

76ers Reportedly Want Draft Picks Included in Jeremy Lin Trade

SLAM Staff — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 18:29:20 +0000

The 76ers have expressed interest in trading for Rockets PG Jeremy Lin, according to ESPN, but reportedly want at least one future first-round pick to sweeten the deal. Houston is believed to be shopping Lin’s back-loaded contract in order to clear cap space for a max free agent:

The Philadelphia 76ers have expressed a willingness to trade for Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin depending on what sort of assets Houston is willing to attach to the deal, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Sixers, who have ample room on their payroll to absorb Lin’s contract, have emerged as a leading contender to take on Lin in a trade that sends no salary back to the Rockets, which would enable the Rockets to extend a rich offer in free agency to either Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh. […]

It’s believed that the Rockets would have to send Philadelphia at least one future first-round pick to convince the Sixers to go through with the deal, given that Lin is owed $15 million next season despite the fact that his contract will only count for $8.4 million for salary cap purposes.

The post 76ers Reportedly Want Draft Picks Included in Jeremy Lin Trade appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Feels Disrespected Over Rockets Using His Jersey Number To Court Carmelo Anthony

SLAM Staff — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:59:41 +0000

By now you know about this photoshopped image of Carmelo Anthony wearing a Rockets jersey, which Houston flashed during its free agency pitch to Melo. The problem with that jersey is that Houston already has a No. 7: Jeremy Lin. Trade rumors have been swirling around Lin lately, and he’s not happy about the whole situation.

Luke 6:29 – If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 2, 2014

@EmodMarco im entitled to standup for myself/say i felt disrespected as i did thru tweet but point is love unconditionally/as jesus loved me

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 2, 2014

The post Jeremy Lin Feels Disrespected Over Rockets Using His Jersey Number To Court Carmelo Anthony appeared first on SLAM.

Rockets Reportedly Have Potential Jeremy Lin Trade Lined Up Already

SLAM Staff — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 19:31:22 +0000

The Rockets needed to take a few steps in order to clear the cap room to sign a max free agent this summer. Wednesday’s Omer Asik deal took care of Part I. Part II may not be far behind.

Rival exec tells me Rockets already have a Jeremy Lin deal lined up and ready to execute if they need the cap room to sign Melo or LBJ.

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 26, 2014

The post Rockets Reportedly Have Potential Jeremy Lin Trade Lined Up Already appeared first on SLAM.

Houston Rockets Avoid Elimination in Game 5 vs the Blazers (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Thu, 01 May 2014 13:20:47 +0000

It wasn’t exactly “easy”, but the Houston Rockets took Game 5 with a 108-98 win, forcing a Game 6 back in Portland against the Blazers. Dwight Howard (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Jeremy Lin (21 points off the bench) led the way for H-Town.

The post Houston Rockets Avoid Elimination in Game 5 vs the Blazers (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Secondary Market Houston Rockets Tickets Have risen 49% Since 2011-12

SLAM Staff — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 15:00:30 +0000

Over the past few seasons, the Houston Rockets have laid out a blueprint for how to transform from rebuilding to legitimate championship contender in a very short period of time. General manager Daryl Morey deserves a lot credit, signing Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik as restricted free agents, while trading for James Harden, drafting Chandler Parsons and signing Dwight Howard. The results don’t just show up in the win column, they also show in demand for tickets on the secondary market. Since the 2011-12 season to now, the average price for Houston Rockets tickets at the Toyota Center have risen 49 percent.

In the 2011-12 season, the Rockets finished with a 34-32 season during the lockout-shortened season. In that 66-game season, the team had no standout star with Kevin Martin leading the team in points and Kyle Lowry tops in PER. The average price for a home ticket on the secondary market was just $76.15.

The following offseason Morey got to work, signing Lin and Asik and trading for Harden from Oklahoma City. When the trade was made, Harden wasn’t the star he is today. That’s happened in part because the Rockets set up a system in which Harden could thrive, which is exactly what he’s done. Morey and head coach Rick Adelman built a system that stressed efficient shots and three pointers. The new system made the Rockets first in the League in pace, possessions per 48 minutes and scoring. Despite all that progress, they lost in the first round of the Playoffs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but getting to the Playoffs, even as an 8-seed, was a step in the right direction. Amidst that success, the average ticket price jumped to $87.04, up 14 percent over the previous season.

This past offseason, the Rockets filled the superstar void and signed Dwight Howard as a free agent. The prospect of joining Howard with Harden on top of the previous season’s playoff appearance shot the average price of Rockets tickets up to $113.41, a 39 percent increase from 2012-13 and up 49 percent from 2011-12. Based on the increase in prices on the secondary market, and Toyota’s center’s capacity of 18,000+, Howard has generated over $20 million in secondary market value. Coincidentally, that number is right in line with the annual value of his contract, at $22 million.

With the boom in average price on the secondary market, primary market Rockets tickets have become a good deal when the games aren’t sold out. In particular, the primary market for the March 4 game against the Heat offers a better deal in the lower corner sections 124 and 111 at $160 per ticket. On March 7, Upper Sideline tickets can be had for just $60 against the Indiana Pacers. Two days later, the get-in price against the Portland Trail Blazers is below the secondary market at just $20 for upper level tickets. The Rockets also have two big games in April against the Thunder on the 4th, featuring lower corner tickets below secondary prices at $275, and against the San Antonio Spurs on the 14th with upper sideline tickets available for just $79.

The post Secondary Market Houston Rockets Tickets Have risen 49% Since 2011-12 appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Wiz Cool Off OKC

SLAM Staff — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 14:00:46 +0000

by Jay Wallis | @JayWallis11

Pacers 97 (36-10), Nets 96 (20-25)

The Pacers swept the season series from the Nets, with this one being the closest of the four games. David West (17 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) scored 7 of the Pacers’ final 8 points as both teams relied heavily on their starting lineups. Even though Indiana had a season-high 24 turnovers, they completely controlled the boards, outrebounding Brooklyn 46-27. The Nets now have 44 rebounds in their past two games. Paul George (20 points, 8 rebounds) and Roy Hibbert (20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks) both had solid games while Shaun Livingston (season-high 24 points) played very well throughout the night. The Nets hung around for the majority of this game but Paul Pierce (15 points, 6 steals) and Joe Johnson (16 points) couldn’t make shots down the stretch. The Nets have cooled off since starting 2014 so hot, now losing three in a row. The Pacers have only lost back-to-back games one time this season. (Also—could there have been a more Scola way for Scola to seal this game?)

Wizards 96 (23-23), Thunder 81 (38-11)

The Wizards led by four at halftime, and it looked like the Thunder could be well on their way to winning an eleventh straight game with a quick run. Then John Wall (17 points, 15 assists, 6 steals) took over, scoring 15 of his 17 points in these final 24 minutes. Wall and the Wizards exploded in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Thunder 36-26 and swinging the momentum. Washington got some help from Kevin Durant (26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 8-21 from the field, 0-6 on 3-pointers), who actually had an off-night. Yes, that is a real thing. Furthermore, other than Serge Ibaka (14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks), Durant didn’t get much help from his teammates. Marcin Gortat (14 points, 14 rebounds) had a solid double-double while Trevor Ariza (18 points, 6 rebounds) helped the Wizards spread the floor. After Ariza hit a 3-pointer with just under a minute left in the 3rd quarter, Washington took its first double-digit lead of the game and led by double-digits the rest of the way. If the Wizards can find a way to take down Portland on Monday, they will be above .500 for the first time since October 2009.

Hawks 120 (25-21), Timberwolves 113 (23-24)

Poor Kevin Love (43 points, 19 rebounds) must be the best player in the NBA at having dominating performances in losing causes. He scored 21 points in the 4th quarter, including the final 9 points for the Wolves. However, the Hawks just had more scoring options than the Wolves, as Kyle Korver (24 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) broke out in the 3rd quarter and scored 12 of his 24 points. Korver has now made at least one 3-pointer in an NBA-record 115 straight games. It was also during this quarter that Atlanta took control of the game, outscoring Minnesota 38-21. Paul Millsap (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals) had an energy-driven performance even though he fouled out in the 4th quarter. This first-time All-Star has been a battler his entire career, continuing to improve year after year. Jeff Teague (19 points, 8 assists, 3 steals) might be considered one of the top snubs to not make most people’s All-Star snub list. J.J. Barea (12 points, 4 assists) was ejected in the 4th quarter for arguing with an official. Hawks swingmen DeMarre Carroll (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals) and Mike Scott (14 points, 6 rebounds, 21 minutes) continued to be workhorses for a scrappy Atlanta team. Carroll is averaging 15.7 points over the last seven games while Scott is averaging 13.7 points over the last 12 games.

Pistons 113 (19-27), 76ers 96 (15-33)

Without Michael Carter-Williams (shoulder), the Sixers didn’t have a chance in this game—even though it was the Pistons. After James Anderson (12 points, 6 rebounds) made a layup with 7:57 left in the 1st quarter, Philadelphia led 11-10. This would be the team’s last lead for the rest of the game. Led by Andre Drummond (22 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Greg Monroe (21 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks), Motor City would close out the quarter on a 22-11 run and never look back. These two Pistons combined to shoot 18-21 for the game. Detroit won the next two quarters 61-48, allowing garbage time to take place in the final 12 minutes. The Pistons have done few things consistently well all year; however, scoring in the paint and rebounding are the exceptions. Saturday night, they outrebounded the Sixers 58-44. Tony Wroten (18 points) led the Sixers in scoring. Brandon Jennings (20 points, 4 assists) and Kyle Singler (20 points, 10 rebounds) both played well against a Sixers backcourt that lacked any sort of defensive presence without Carter-Williams.

Rockets 106 (32-17), Cavaliers 92 (16-31)

Jeremy Lin (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) claimed his first career triple-double Saturday night. He might not be making the kind of national noise that he was making while in New York, but the 6-3 point guard has settled into a fantastic role in Houston. Whether he is subbing in for Patrick Beverley (0 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals) or playing next to him, Lin changes the pace of the game when he comes in off the bench. And he looks comfortable with this role. Lin got plenty of help from Dwight Howard (26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks), James Harden (28 points, 4 assists) and Terrence Jones (17 points, 7 rebounds), one of the biggest surprises this season. After falling behind by double-digits in the 2nd quarter, it seemed as if the Cavs were down and out already. However, behind 7 quick points from Luol Deng (24 points, 4 rebounds) in the first three minutes of the 3rd quarter, Cleveland actually took the lead, 63-61. However, Houston would respond by going on an 11-0 run and hold onto the lead the rest of the way. The Rockets pushed the ball well, outscoring the Cavs 29-10 in fast break points. They also outscored Cleveland in the paint 62-32. The Cavaliers should be proud to have Kyrie Irving (21 points, 7 assists, 6 turnovers) in the starting lineup for the East All-Stars, but this team is quietly becoming one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

Grizzlies 99 (26-20), Bucks 90 (8-39)

Nick Calathes (career-high 22 points, 4-5 on 3-pointers) had a breakout performance in his first career start for the Grizzlies with Mike Conley (ankle) out at least a week. Even though the consistent play from Zach Randolph (23 points, 10 rebounds) and the resurgence of Marc Gasol (19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks) are two major reasons this team is right back in the playoff hunt, the contributions from the Grizzlies’ young core have been a major factor towards their success. One of these players, James Johnson (14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 22 minutes), continued to be a spark plug off the bench. (On a side note, can Tayshaun Prince (0 points, 3 rebounds, 0-5 from the field) be any more washed up than he is right now?) For the Bucks, Brandon Knight (23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) had a solid game while Larry Sanders (10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) was finally tolerable. The Grizzles actually trailed by 13 points in the 1st half before realizing who they were playing and taking their own double-digit lead in the 2nd half. As seems to be the case every year, the Grizzlies are once again looking like the team no one wants to face in the 1st round of the playoffs. They currently have a League-best six-game winning streak and have won 11 of their last 12 games. Look out, Western Conference.

Pelicans 88 (20-26), Bulls 79 (23-23)

As tank-less as these Bulls can look at times, they can also look offensively deficient. The Bulls only managed 36 points in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, which is when this game got out of hand. It even looks much closer than it actually was, as the Pelicans held a 16-point lead with three minutes left after an Anthony Davis (24 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals) jump shot. The Pelicans big man has single-handedly won a handful of games for New Orleans this year. The Bulls would make a quick push in the final minutes but only get as close as the final score shows. It sounds weird to say this…but D.J. Augustin (23 points, 7 assists) needs some help. Joakim Noah (14 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists) and Taj Gibson (17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) played their part but the rest of the team seemed unable to put the ball in the basket. Davis didn’t get a lot of help from any one player but had enough small contributions from all his teammates that stepped onto the floor. The Pelicans had eight players with at least 6 points.

Spurs 95 (34-13), Kings 93 (15-32)

They might hold the worst record in the West and be on a League-worst seven-game losing streak, but the Kings don’t seem to go down without a fight. This current losing streak has a lot to do with the absence of DeMarcus Cousins (ankle). The Spurs, on the other hand, have now broken a season-worst three-game losing streak behind strong play from their leaders Tim Duncan (23 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) and Tony Parker (18 points, 10 assists). This was Duncan’s 50th career game with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Isaiah Thomas (26 points, 5 assists) and Rudy Gay (23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals) continued their strong play Saturday against San Antonio; these two are both having great seasons despite their team’s current record. Quincy Acy (2 points, 10 rebounds) had his second 10-rebound game since joining the Kings. Sacramento looked good for the majority of this game but simply couldn’t finish strong. Over the final 11 minutes, the Kings shot 3-15 from the field. During this stretch, Matt Bonner (7 points, 4 rebounds, 17 minutes) exploded and scored all of his points in just under three minutes. Gay and Derrick Williams (14 points) each had a chance to send this game into overtime in the closing seconds but couldn’t convert. Tim Duncan was then able to let out a big sigh of relief since he missed two free throws with 12 seconds left.

Heat 106 (33-13), Knicks 91 (19-28)

Even when a fair amount of the nation pictured LeBron James (30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals) as a choke, he usually brought his top game to Madison Square Garden. Saturday night was the same story as he reminded the nation who is the reigning MVP. And his sidekick, Dwyane Wade (22 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 10-15 from the field), looked the healthiest he’s been since returning from his injury. James and Wade combined to score 15 of the Heat’s 29 points in the 4th quarter. Shane Battier (16 points, 4-7 on 3-pointers) had one of his sporadic outbursts at just the right time with Chris Bosh (4 points, 10 rebounds, 2-11 from the field) having an uncharacteristic off-night. Carmelo Anthony (26 points, 8 rebounds, 7 turnovers) did everything he could offensively, but just didn’t have the support he needed to compete at a high level. You can blame Melo or the situations he’s been in while with Denver and New York, but the superstar seems so far away from reaching the level of success LeBron has achieved and will most likely continue to achieve. J.R. Smith (20 points, 4-7 on 3-pointers) reached 20 points for just the fourth time this season. At this point in the season last year, Smith had already reached that mark 14 times. Rookie Tim Hardaway (17 points, 3-7 on 3-pointers) is currently in the midst of his best stretch of basketball, averaging 18 points in the last five games. The Heat used a quick 15-7 run in the 2nd quarter to grab a double-digit lead. Even though New York would cut the deficit to single-digits over the course of the 2nd half, Miami never seemed to lose their composure or control of the game. New York only managed 14 assists to go along with 17 turnovers. The Knicks have looked good of late, but they still look like a team that won’t be able to even compete with the Heat and Pacers once the playoffs arrive…if they are still playing at that time.

Suns 105 (29-18), Bobcats 95 (21-28)

Even though these two teams are in completely different places record-wise, they both are surprisingly right in the thick of their conference’s respective playoff race. But the Suns were clearly the better team on the night, building a 90-63 lead by the end of the 3rd quarter. Anthony Tolliver (14 points) and Jannero Pargo (12 points, 6 assists) would then combine to score 21 points in the 4th quarter and make this game seem more respectable. However, before these garbage minutes, Goran Dragic (25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 27 minutes) had himself another All-Star-esque performance. The Morris twins provided the necessary energy off the bench, combining to score 28 points and grab 12 rebounds. For as blistering hot as he’s been of late, Al Jefferson (10 points, 6 rebounds, 4-15 from the field) finally came back down to earth. Big Al had reached at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in his previous three games. The Bledsoe-less Suns have now won five straight games and could be on pace to reach 50 wins by season’s end.

Blazers 106 (34-13), Raptors 103 (25-22)

The Blazers got back to their winning ways behind big performances from their two All-Stars—LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points, 15 rebounds) and Damian Lillard (21 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 0 turnovers). Lillard hit a go-ahead free throw with 11.8 seconds to go before the Raptors turned the ball over. Wesley Matthews (21 points, 5-7 on 3-pointers) and Nicolas Batum (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) also helped give Portland just enough to overcome All-Star DeMar DeRozan’s (36 points, 12 assists) stellar night. Kyle Lowry (23 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds) provided fans with a fun point guard matchup. (I mean, really? Joe Johnson over this guy?) Jonas Valanciunas (18 points) has scored in double-digits in six of his last seven games. The Blazers barely escaped losing their third straight and escaped losing a game in embarrassing fashion. After C.J. McCollum (4 points) made two free throws midway through the 3rd quarter, the Blazers held a 69-50 lead. Then after Matthews hit a 3-pointer midway through the 4th quarter, the Blazers led 98-82. But Toronto just wouldn’t go away, going on a 19-4 run in under five minutes to make this a one-point game. However, the Blazers locked down defensively and made their free throws to hold off the resurgent Raptors.

Clippers 102 (34-16), Jazz 87 (16-31)

Jamal Crawford (27 points, 5 assists) and Blake Griffin (25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) are doing something special in Los Angeles right now. If you think back to what this team was before Chris Paul turned them into Lob City, they were not a competitive basketball team whatsoever. But Crawford and Griffin have taken their games to another level in his absence, allowing the Clippers to not lose a step in the competitive Western Conference. Since losing CP3, Los Angeles has gone 11-4 and remained in the top four of the conference. The Clippers simply took care of business Saturday night, letting Enes Kanter (23 points, 14 rebounds) get his and not worrying about much else from Utah’s players. Richard Jefferson (19 points, 4-6 on 3-pointers) continued to look somewhat decent, which has oddly been the case for certain stretches this season. After Trey Burke (6 points, 5 assists) knocked down a 3-pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter, the Jazz held their largest lead of the game, 19-12. They would then fight during the 2nd quarter, trading the lead for almost the full 12 minutes. The 3rd quarter was a different story, though, as Matt Barnes (9 points, 4 rebounds) and Darren Collison (11 points, 6 assists, 2 steals) gave the Clippers a boost coming right out of the locker room. The Clippers didn’t give up the lead the rest of the way. DeAndre Jordan (10 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks) had his 10th game of the season with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.

The post Post Up: Wiz Cool Off OKC appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: No Harden, No Problem

SLAM Staff — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:19:31 +0000

by Alex Shultz / @AlexShultz

Houston Rockets 97 (30-17), San Antonio Spurs 90 (33-12)

In a battle of Western Conference contenders lacking some serious firepower, the Rockets were able to pick up a much-needed home victory. Houston was without James Harden, who sat out with a bruised thumb, while San Antonio played sans Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tiago Splitter.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well—the Rockets won the game but finished at 44 percent overall and just 5-18 from beyond the arc. The Spurs were even worse, shooting 42 percent overall and a putrid 6-23 from three-point range.

San Antonio got 22 points and 11 rebounds from big man Boris Diaw, but he was the only bright spot in an otherwise uncharacteristically poor shooting night. Houston head coach Kevin McHale didn’t hesitate to give point guard Jeremy Lin a bigger role in Harden’s absence, as Lin put up 18 points and 8 assists in 44 minutes of action. Houston center Dwight Howard had 23 points and 16 rebounds but did most of his damage at the free throw line, going 16-25 from the charity stripe.

The Rockets came back from a 46-39 halftime deficit to outscore their opponents 33-18 in the third quarter, which proved to be the difference in the game.

New York Knicks 114 (18-27), Boston Celtics 88 (15-32)

Since the start of 2014, the Knicks are on a hot-and-cold streak unrivaled by any other squad in the League. They won six of their first seven contests, then lost five in a row, and now have won three straight. This time they did it in blowout fashion, speeding off to a 31-15 first quarter advantage. In fact, New York led for all 48 minutes, and did so thanks to an unusually strong performance from its bench. Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 24 points in 28 minutes, but was aided by J.R. Smith (17 points), Jeremy Tyler (a career-high 17 points) and Tim Hardaway (16 points).

Boston guard Rajon Rondo is still struggling in his return to action, scoring 7 points on 3-13 shooting. The Celtics shot under 40 percent as a team, and their leading scorer, Jeff Green, had just 14.

Detroit Pistons 103 (18-27), Orlando Magic 87 (12-34)

The Pistons landed a home game against the Magic at just the right time, ending a four-game losing streak with a decisive win. Brandon Jennings put together the type of performance Detroit GM Joe Dumars probably envisioned when he signed the former Milwaukee Buck to a three-year, 24 million dollar contract, as Jennings put up 20 points and 8 assists. Andre Drummond (13 points, 17 rebounds) was too much for a helpless group of Orlando defenders who are still without center Nikola Vucevic (out due to a concussion).

Rookie guard Victor Oladipo did what he could off the bench with 19 points, but Orlando’s starters combined for just 49. The Magic are 2-14 in their last 16 games, with their only two wins coming at home against the Celtics and Lakers.

New Orleans Pelicans 100 (19-25), Cleveland Cavaliers 89 (16-29)

If you had Anthony Davis on your fantasy team, chances are you were fairly satisfied with his performance on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old power forward had 30 points, 7 rebounds and 8 blocks in 39 minutes, pacing the Pelicans to an easy win. Eric Gordon also had a nice game in Jrue Holiday’s absence with 20 points and a season-high 9 assists.

Davis’s monster statline might’ve been overshadowed by the play of Cleveland’s Anthony Bennett, who eclipsed 10 points for the first time in his career. The first overall pick in the 2013 draft had 15 points and 8 rebounds in what has otherwise been a disastrous rookie season. His backcourt mates, Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, pitched in with 44 points combined, but Luol Deng and Tristan Thompson flatlined with five total buckets.

Memphis Grizzlies 98 (23-20), Portland Trail Blazers 81 (33-13)

Don’t look now, but the Grizzlies are arguably the hottest team in the NBA and slowly creeping back into playoff contention in the Western Conference. They went into Portland (now 18-5 at home) and held the Trail Blazers to their lowest scoring output of the season. Memphis is now 8-1 in its last nine games, in no small part thanks to the return of Marc Gasol, who had 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Frontcourt mate Zach Randolph was equally as effective with 23 points and 10 boards.

Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge was as good as ever even in defeat, scoring 27 points to go with his 16 rebounds. The rest of Portland’s starters, however, were uncharacteristically off, and the bench combined for a measly 6 points.

Washington Wizards 88 (22-22), Golden State Warriors 85 (27-19)

The Warriors have knocked down plenty of game-tying and game-winning shots this season, but Steph Curry couldn’t get the job done on Tuesday as a last second heave at the buzzer was off the mark.

Since Jan. 15, the Wizards have defeated the Heat, 76ers, Suns and Warriors but lost to the Celtics, Pistons and Jazz. Despite a 22-22 record, that’s not exactly the type of consistency a team would look for against some of the League’s bottom feeders.

Still, Washington clamped down on defense in a surprisingly ugly game against one of the most entertaining offenses in the League. Bradley Beal poured in 18 of his 20 points in the second half and got some help from Nene (16 points, 7 rebounds) and John Wall (15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals).

Steph Curry had a game-high 23 points, but it came on 8-23 shooting, including 2-7 from three-point range. Both teams shot under 40 percent for the game.

Indiana Pacers 104 (35-9), Los Angeles Lakers 92 (16-30)

For one half, the Lakers looked like they could keep up with the NBA’s toughest defense. The score was tied at 49 apiece heading into the third quarter, but the Pacers adjusted accordingly en route to a double-digit road win.

All five Indiana starters scored in double-figures, led by David West’s 19 points and 8 rebounds. Paul George was just 4-21 from the floor, but Lance Stephenson picked up the slack with a complete statline—15 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists.

Kendall Marshall continues dishing dimes, going for 11 points and 13 assists, but the rest of his Laker counterparts other than Pau Gasol (21 points and 13 rebounds) failed to show up. Los Angeles was just 2-5 on its annual Grammy roadtrip and was certainly hoping to get off to a fresh start back at the Staples Center. The Lakers will have a chance to get back on track against the Bobcats on Friday.

The post Post Up: No Harden, No Problem appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Kicks Of The Night

SLAM Staff — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 16:46:36 +0000

[sg-gallery]

Last night, DeMar DeRozan dropped a career-high in the Kobe 8 “Pit Viper”; Thaddeus Young rocked camo Air Penny Vs; and Gerald Green led the Suns in the Reebok Question “Ghost of Christmas”. We collected photos of that heat and more in our gallery of the best sneakers from around the League. Which player’s shoe game did you like the most from last night?

Images via Getty

The post NBA Kicks Of The Night appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Kicks Of The Night

SLAM Staff — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:59:18 +0000

A photo recap of the best sneakers from around the NBA.

The post NBA Kicks Of The Night appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Reportedly Leaving Nike for adidas

SLAM Staff — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 15:30:08 +0000

Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin is moving on from the Swoosh to the Three Stripes, according to CSNNW:

The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to adidas having yet to have made an official announcement on the agreement. According to the source, the announcement will come on Friday.

The signing of Lin only increases adidas’ global brand.

Lin, 25, is averaging 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 24 appearances this season.

The post Jeremy Lin Reportedly Leaving Nike for adidas appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Out 2 Weeks With Sprained Knee

SLAM Staff — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 18:15:57 +0000

The Houston Rockets announced today that point guard Jeremy Lin will be sidelined for the next two weeks due to a sprained right knee:

Guard Jeremy Lin will miss 2 weeks with a right knee sprain suffered Wednesday. Will be re-evaluated then.

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 29, 2013

The post Jeremy Lin Out 2 Weeks With Sprained Knee appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Hot Hands

SLAM Staff — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:00:24 +0000

by Brett Weisband | @weisband

Rockets (6-4) 109, Knicks (3-5) 106

The Rockets got the weirdest win of the season in Madison Square Garden, eking this one out over the Knicks. Houston did everything they could to give this away late, coughing the ball up twice on shot clock violations, but managed to hold on. They withstood Carmelo Anthony (45 points, 17-30 shooting, 10 rebounds) flipping the switch into NBA Jam mode.

The Knicks came thisclose to tying it up in the waning seconds. After getting burned by not fouling when up 3 twice already this season, Houston elected to give a foul right after the ball was inbounded to Melo. Anthony, knowing the foul was coming, flipped it up toward the rim from deep, only to have the foul called as on the floor as the ball ripped through the net.

Dwight Howard (7 points, 1-5 shooting, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 5 turnovers) was largely ineffective, shut down by some tough defense from Andrea Bargnani (not a sentence you’ll read often). But just about everyone else was hitting for the Rockets.

Bargs, on top of helping bottle up Howard, had yet another strong game for the Knicks, netting 24 points on 9-12 shooting (3-3 from three). James Harden nearly matched Melo’s output, with 36 points, although most of his damage came at the line. Jeremy Lin dropped 21 in the arena where he burst onto the scene, while Chandler Parsons had 22 for Houston.

Both teams looked very much like they’d played road games the night before – which, of course, they had – as things got off to a choppy start. The first quarter was marked by fouls and missed shotsleast. Anthony was one of the few Knicks to come out ready to play, going 5-7 in the first quarter.

The Rockets got rolling in the second quarter, getting into the paint with ease and either scoring at the rim or kicking out to open shooters. At one point, Chandler Parsons had 11 straight points for the Rockets, including a nasty stuff on…no one, because the Knicks don’t have anyone to guard the rim (despite Bargnani’s impression of a post defender).

Meanwhile, the Knicks outside of Melo were barely factors in the first half. Anthony, though, was going nuts, enough to keep the Knicks in it until they went on a 13-2 run to end the half down 53-52. Melo had 26 points on 11-15 shooting, while the rest of the New York roster was 9-27 for their other 26.

Anthony cooled off significantly in the third quarter, scoring just 4 points as Houston reestablished their lead. That was okay, though, as Bargnani and JR Smith (15 points, 4-16 shooting) hit some jumpers to keep Houston from pulling away. In the fourth, Lin helped pushed the Rockets’ lead as high as 8 points before Carmelo went back to abusing Houston’s defense. Dude was so hot that he couldn’t even miss a free throw intentionally to try to extend the game, letting the Rockets escape victorious.

Warriors (6-3) 116, Thunder (5-3) 115

I take back what I said yesterday: Warriors-Thunder is the Playoff series we all deserve to see. The Dubs pulled out a buzzer-beating victory over Oklahoma City, thanks to Andre Iguodala’s heroics. With the clock running down, Dre (14 points on 5-6 shooting, 9 assists) calmly drilled a baseline turnaround to give Golden State the win, sending fans at the Roaracle home euphoric.

These two Western Conference contenders went back and forth at each other all night, totally immune to the cold streaks that plague normal basketball teams. The game was close pretty much throughout, with the lead changing hands 16 times, including twice in the final seconds. The Thunder, led by Reggie Jackson’s aggression in the fourth, shot their way back into it after going down by as many as 12 early the in quarter. Jackson (12 points) scored 8 of the Thunder’s first 12 points of the fourth, and a couple of timely threes by Kevin Durant (20 points on just 13 shots, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) and Thabo Sefolosha got OKC within striking distance. With the clock running down under 5 seconds, the Thunder gave the ball to Russell Westbrook (31 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), and he delivered what appeared to be a back-breaking three pointer from way behind the arc, putting OKC up one. The 2.3 seconds left on the clock were just enough for the Warriors, who inbounded the ball to Iguodala for his clutch jumper.

The first half was just as fun as you could have hoped for, with both teams unable to miss. The two teams combined to hit their first 8 three-pointers, and the pace barely slowed from there. First half three-point shooting? 15-22! That’s from the NBA three-point line, by the way. Both teams were over 50 percent from the field, and went into half with the score tied 62-62. Russ and KD combined for 29 first half points, while Klay Thompson had 14 and Steph Curry had 12 and 6 assists. There were all sorts of beautiful offensive moves, but KD going Dirk 2.0 had to be the nicest.

Golden State looked to be pulling away after halftime. Thompson (27 points, 10-15 shooting and 6-9 from three) drained two quick threes, followed by Curry (9 points in the third, 22 on 4-8 from three and 9 assists for the game) making magic for himself and his teammates. When the Thunder drew within two, it was Iguodala and Harrison Barnes (16 points) who responded. Those two combined to close the third quarter on an 11-4 run for Golden State.

The final box score shows some gaudy numbers. OKC assisted on just under 50 percent of their made field goals, while that number was nearly 58 percent for Golden State. The Warriors also shot a ridiculous 14-23 (60.9 percent) from deep. The Thunder weren’t too bad themselves, knocking down over 40 percent of their triples. Serge Ibaka, a night after getting tossed from the Clippers game, bounced back strong, going for 27 points, 13 boards and 3 blocks.

The post Post Up: Hot Hands appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin Hits a Record 9 Threes in Philadelphia (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 14:00:27 +0000

The Sixers overcame a red-hot Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets for a thrilling 123-117 victory. Lin bombed in a career-best (and Wells Fargo Center record) 9 three-pointers.

The post Jeremy Lin Hits a Record 9 Threes in Philadelphia (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Post Up: Wild Ones

SLAM Staff — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 14:00:25 +0000

by Brett Weisband | @weisband

Magic (4-5) 94, Bucks (2-5) 91

Milwaukee got out to a hot start, posting 36 in the first quarter on 58 percent shooting. They came back to earth in the second quarter as the Magic closed the gap to 9 points by halftime. Orlando got balanced scoring from their three young core players – Arron Afflalo, Nik Vucevic and Moe Harkless – in the first half. For Milwaukee, it doesn’t matter what anyone else did early because Giannis Antetokounmpo did THIS:

Those arms. Good lord.

Things tightened up even more in the third, as the Magic drew within two behind a ridiculous shooting display from Afflalo, who drained all 5 of his triples in the quarter. Afflalo kept pouring it on in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 more points and hitting two more threes on his way to 36 points. OJ Mayo (25 points) and Khris Middleton (19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) did what they could to keep the Bucks within striking distance, but in the end they didn’t have enough to overcome Afflalo’s explosion. Vucevic had yet another double-double with 17 and 10.

76ers (5-4) 123, Rockets (5-4) 117

The Sixers just keep on defying expectations. In a game missing both teams’ lead guard – Michael Carter-Williams for the 76ers, James Harden for the Rockets – there were still plenty of fireworks, especially early, as they went to halftime with the Sixers leading 60-57. Both squads were led by former castoffs in the first half, with James Anderson, cut by the Rockets after last season, going for 15 points on perfect 6-6 shooting in the first half, and Jeremy Lin bombing in 4-6 threes for 16 points before halftime. The Sixers, sadly, started intentionally fouling Dwight Howard (23 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocks) early, going to the tactic at the end of the first half.

Things opened up for Houston in the third, as the bromantic duo of Lin (34 points, season-high 12 assists and 9 threes) and Chandler Parsons (22 points) combined for 20 points in the quarter as Houston built a 10-point lead. The Sixers closed to within a point with under two minutes to go, thanks to some excellent one-on-one defense and timely shooting by Spencer Hawes (18 points, 3-5 threes). Anderson also kept up his hot shooting in the fourth on his way to a new career high of 36, and Tony Wroten, who joined him with a career high and also had a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) with a layup to tie it up late. The Rockets took the lead from the line and were poised to take the W. Anderson had something to say about that, draining his sixth trey of the game off a wild pass from Wroten to send it to OT.

In the extra periods, the teams went back and forth, with the Sixers taking a lead on a Hawes putback dunk on Dwight’s head with under a minute on the clock. Philly went on to seal the game at the line.

Bobcats (4-4) 89, Celtics (4-5) 83

The Bobcats pulled their record back to .500 with a road win up in Boston. Al Jefferson took it to his first team early, putting up 12 points and 6 rebounds in the first half. The Celtics’ offense was just as bad as it’s been all season, as they shot just 36 percent in the first two quarters.

This game was among the least exciting you’ll see in the league all year. Neither team turned the ball over an exceptional amount – 15 for Boston, 11 for Charlotte – so fast break chances were limited. These teams just missed a ton of shots. Neither shot better than 38 percent in this low-scoring affair. Jefferson finished with a 22-11 double-double, adding in 2 blocks and even picking up 3 assists. Jeff Green kept up his run of solid play with 19 points on 7-13 shooting, but was cold from downtown (1-5 from three). Starting PG Jordan Crawford put up 16 points and 6 assists for Boston.

Raptors (4-5) 103, Grizzlies (3-5) 87

The Grizzlies early-season troubles continued, dropping yet another home game against a seemingly inferior team. A game after one of the worst shooting performances in history, Rudy Gay was a bit more efficient for the Raps. After missing 26 shots in Monday’s loss, Rudy dropped that number to 10 as he scored 23 points for Toronto. The Raptors were fairly efficient on the whole, shooting 46 percent and knocking down 8-15 threes, including 4-6 by Gay and Kyle Lowry going 3-5 from deep, against the once-vaunted Grizzlies defense.

For Memphis – what is going on? They were down 11 at halftime, and despite outscoring Toronto in the third never really made this game close. The Raptors were up by as many as 18 as they pulled away down the stretch. Mike Conley had 29 points for the Grizz, and Marc Gasol got 18 (shooting under 50 percent to get there), but Memphis got next to nothing from the rest of their roster.

Timberwolves (6-3) 124, Cavaliers (3-6) 95

Ouch, Cleveland. The Timberwolves ran away and hid from Cleveland without Kevin Martin in the lineup, notching a massive blowout win. Minnesota, a top-10 team in points per possession, kept up a trend of hot starts. They topped 30 points in the first quarter for the fifth time already this season. Things didn’t slow down at all for the Wolves in the second quarter. At halftime, they were shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 6-10 from three and had 70 points. Seven-zero. Ricky Rubio already had a double-double at half, Kevin Love had 19 points and Corey Brewer had 17. It was like the Cavs weren’t even on the court for stretches, as the Wolves had several mini-runs to keep widening the gap. Things did not any better for the Cavs as the game worse on, as they trailed by 34 and had given up 108 points through three quarters, and had fewer field goals than Minny had assists.

Love finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the Wolves, while Rubio had 16 points, 16 assists and 6 boards, both in three quarters of work. Brewer finished with 27. For the Cavaliers…woof. The horrible offensive start continued, as they shot just 41 percent. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points, but did it on just 8-17 shooting, and also had just 2 assists.

Knicks (3-4) 95, Hawks (4-4) 91

The Knicks made good on James Dolan’s guarantee, getting an important road win agains the Hawks. New York finally got their shooting untracked, hitting 12 threes on the night, after being among the worst teams in the league from deep to start the season (just 32.4 percent coming into the game, 22nd in the league). On the other side, the Hawks missed their first 9 three-point tries before finally hitting one with about three minutes to go in the first half. The Knicks’ defensive deficiencies were still evident, as they allowed Atlanta to score relentlessly in the paint, with Andrea Bargnani logging most of the minutes at center. Carmelo Anthony (25 points) put up 15 early, while JR Smith, in the starting lineup for the first time in over a year, went off for 3 triples in the first half.

In the third, the Hawks took the lead on the strength of Jeff Teague and Al Horford, and they held a lead halfway through the fourth. The Knicks took off on a quick 11-0 run to retake the lead. New York’s hot shooting kept up in the fourth, where they knocked down 4 more threes. Bargs had his best game in blue and orange, notching a 22 point, 11 rebound double-double. Teague paced Atlanta with 24 points and 8 assists, while Horford put up 23 points on 11-14 shooting, taking advantage of having Bargnani on him.

Spurs (8-1) 92, Wizards (2-6) 79

San Antonio’s starters got to rest early as they pulled away from the Wizards and coasted to a win. Six Spurs scored in double figures, with no one playing more than Tim Duncan’s 26 minutes. They were led by Tony Parker’s 16 points, and all but one player that saw action for the Spurs got into the scoring column.

The Wiz trailed by double digits for almost the entire game, but pulled it as close as 60-57 late in the third thanks to hot shooting from Bradley Beal (19 points, 9-19 shooting) and Martell Webster (21 points, 10 rebounds, 3-6 from three). San Antonio came right back with a 10-0 run to end the quarter, though, and that was it for this one.

Nuggets (3-4) 111, Lakers (4-6) 99

Denver got rolling at home as the Lakers’ up-and-down season continued. Timofey Mozgov, also known as the man baptized by Blake Griffin once upon a time, put up a career-high 23 for the Nugs as they pulled their home record up to .500. Wilson Chandler made his season debut for the Nuggets, and stroked a couple of threes to close the Lakers out in the fourth quarter.

Pau Gasol had his best overall game of a very uneven season, scoring 25 points and pulling in 12 rebounds. The Nuggets got out to a 60-54 halftime lead, and held the Lakers at bay for the entire second half, never relinquishing the lead. Kenneth Faried, reportedly being mentioned in trade talks, put up a nice line for Denver with 21 points and 13 rebounds. For the Lakers, Jordan Hill (18 points, 15 rebounds) and Steve Blake (15 points, 11 assists) both recorded double-doubles for LA.

Jazz (1-8) 111, Pelicans (3-6) 105

We can all breathe a sigh of relief: every team in the league now has one in the win column, as the Jazz finally got on the board after a furious comeback victory over the Pelicans. Anthony Davis kept up his path of destruction, going for 29 points and 15 rebounds in the loss, but New Orleans fell apart down the stretch.

The Jazz were down 8 with 9:30 to go in the game, and slowly started clawing back in it. Richard Jefferson (22 points, 7-11 shooting) and Marvin Williams (12 points, 9 rebounds), two totally forgotten players, combined for 16 points from that point, helping the Jazz complete the comeback. Gordon Hayward (10 assists for the game) was big in the fourth as well, netting 11 of his 27 points in the quarter. Down 104-100, Eric Gordon splashed a three for the ‘Cans to cut it to a single point, but the Pellies conceded a foul on the next trip, Williams blocked a Jrue Holiday layup attempt, and Derrick Favors (12 points, 12 rebounds) put it out of reach with a rolling layup. Enes Kanter, Favors’ front court partner, was huge for Utah with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Trail Blazers (5-2) 90, Suns (5-2) 89

The Suns were involved in another down-to-the-wire game, this time coming out on the wrong end of things. This game was on the seesaw for most of the fourth quarter, with 8 lead changes in the last 7 minutes. With 11 seconds on the clock, Damian Lillard took an inbounds pass and rolled to the hoop unimpeded as Portland took a 90-89 lead. The good thing about forgetting to play defense is that Phoenix got a chance to win it with 6.5 seconds on the clock. Eric Bledsoe took it hard to the hole, but the ball caught rim coming off the backboard and multiple tip attempts wouldn’t fall as time ran out.

Despite the late miss, Bledsoe kept up his star play for the Suns with 23 points and 6 assists. Gerald Green came off the bench for Phoenix to drop 17. Portland got a balanced scoring effort, with 6 players going for double figures. They were led by Thomas Robinson, the often-traded second-year player, who had 15 points (6-9 shooting) and 8 boards in just 17 minutes off the bench. LaMarcus Aldridge and Lillard both went through tough shooting nights, combining to go 9-32.

Kings (2-5) 107, Nets (2-5) 86

Think Mikhail Prokhorov is having second thoughts about his decision to hire someone with no experience to coach a brand new roster? The Nets woes don’t fall all on Jason Kidd, but the results have not been good from the start as the Nets struggle for any kind of continuity. They got blown out by the Kings at Sleep Train Arena, being held to 37.8 percent shooting by the worst defensive team in the league. Marcus Thornton, playing the role of sixth man for the Kings, finally looked comfortable scoring the ball after beign a starter all season, hitting for a season-high 24 points.

This one was never particularly close; the Kings took the lead for good toward the end of the first quarter. They grew it to 12 by half and as high as 23 in the second half. The Nets let it get away when they went 2-12 in the first 6 minutes of the third quarter. If there was a bright spot for Brooklyn, it was Brook Lopez, who scored 16 points (6-12 shooting) and pulled in a season-high 9 rebounds (yes, he’s 7 feet tall). Greivis Vasquez had 17 points and 12 assists for Sacto, while Isaiah Thomas gave them even more scoring punch off the bench with 19 point and 6 assists in 26 minutes.

Clippers (6-3) 111, Thunder (5-2) 103

NBA gods: Please let us get this series in the Playoffs. These two contenders played a wild one that was fun from the start. Both sides were whipping the ball around, good and bad, in the first half. They combined for 36 first half assists, but also had 17 turnovers. We also got what qualifies as an NBA fight as time ran down in the second quarter after Serge Ibaka and Blake Griffin (22 points, 12 rebounds) got tangled up. Matt Barnes (surprise, surprise!) escalated things by shoving Ibaka, and both he and Serge got tossed.

The Clips came out of the locker room strong after halftime, erasing OKC’s 9-point halftime lead and building their own 7-point advantage by the time the quarter ended. Chris Paul (14 points, 16 assists), as always, was at the steering wheel as the Clippers surged ahead, picking up 6 points, 4 assists, and setting teammates up as they got to the line in the third. Jamal Crawford helped seal the win in the fourth as Russell Westbrook (19 points, 10 assists) and Kevin Durant (33 points, 10 assists) did everything they could to pull the Thunder back into it.

The post Post Up: Wild Ones appeared first on SLAM.

Rudy Gay’s Three Forces Double Overtime in Houston (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:50:22 +0000

This was one of Rudy Gay’s 37 shot attempts (!) last night. The Toronto Raptors forward forced double OT, but the Houston Rockets eventually prevailed 110-104 (Jeremy Lin led the way with 31 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.)

The post Rudy Gay’s Three Forces Double Overtime in Houston (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Chris Paul Dominates Jeremy Lin and the Rockets (VIDEO)

SLAM Staff — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:30:08 +0000

Here is a two-minute highlight package of Chris Paul making Jeremy Lin look terrible on the basketball court. CP3 finished with 23 points and 17 assists last night, as the Clippers routed Houston 137-118.

The post Chris Paul Dominates Jeremy Lin and the Rockets (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Patrick Beverley Out 10-14 Days With Torn Muscle in Midsection

SLAM Staff — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 19:10:18 +0000

Patrick Beverley out for 10-14 days. Partial tear of muscle in midsection.

— Jason Friedman (@JasonCFriedman) November 1, 2013

Welcome back to the starting lineup, Jeremy Lin. The Houston Rockets announced that guard Patrick Beverley will miss the next 10-14 days with a partially torn muscle in his midscetion.

The post Patrick Beverley Out 10-14 Days With Torn Muscle in Midsection appeared first on SLAM.

Patrick Beverley to Start Over Jeremy Lin

SLAM Staff — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:20:42 +0000

The point guard battle in Houston has been won by Patrick Beverley, sending Jeremy Lin to the bench. Rockets head coach Kevin McHale wouldn’t tell the media who would start tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats, but Chandler Parsons spilled the beans. Per CSN Houston: “I don’t know why it’s a big surprise,’ Parsons said. ‘It’s the same as how the preseason ended.’ That means Patrick Beverley will not only make his first opening night roster, he’ll be making his first opening night start. ‘I haven’t had the fortune to play in the NBA on opening night,’ Beverley said. ‘It’s going to be my first. I’m definitely excited.’ It also means the twin towers experiment of Omer Asik and Dwight Howard will be used to tipoff the season. This year’s starting five: Beverley, James Harden, Parsons, Howard and Asik. The experience level of their starting lineup will be drastically different from a year ago. The starting five last year was Asik, Marcus Morris, Parsons, Harden and Jeremy Lin.”

The post Patrick Beverley to Start Over Jeremy Lin appeared first on SLAM.

Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley Competing to Start for the Rockets

SLAM Staff — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 15:30:47 +0000

There’s no clear indication regarding who will be the starting point guard in Houston this season — for the time being, Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley are working to convince head coach Kevin McHale that they deserve the job. Per the Houston Chronicle: “I have two starting point guards,’ McHale said. That answer does not seem to satisfy the masses, however. Online message boards and social media continue to fill up with comments from fans who want to know which player will be dubbed the starter. ‘As a player, I always found it irrelevant,’ McHale said. ‘I came off the bench in a lot of games. What is the big difference in playing 271/2 minutes off the bench and playing 26 minutes as a starter? I guess it is a big deal to some people.’ It doesn’t seem to be for the players in the starting point guard battle. Lin and Beverley have the same goals this season, and neither mentions the starting job when discussing those goals. Both talk about playing for wins and eventually championships. Lin said that because the Rockets boast two strong point guards, it makes them a tougher challenge. ‘We have different strengths,’ Lin said. ‘(Beverley) is such a good defender and shooter. I am better with the ball in my hands, attacking. I think that makes us tough to scout, and it gives us the opportunity to give a lot of different looks.’ […] As questions continue to swirl about who the Rockets’ starting point guard is this season, Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley played several minutes together Monday night. Lin started at point guard and played 33 minutes. Beverley came off the bench and played 26. ‘I thought (Lin) did a lot of nice things,’ coach Kevin McHale said. ‘He broke people down; he had eight assists. Between he and (Beverley), they had 13 assists and four turnovers. I liked when they were both in the game.’ Lin finished with six points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals. Beverley had 10 points, five assists and two rebounds. McHale praised both for their defense. ‘I thought they were both really solid,’ he said. ‘Any mistakes that they do make are mistakes because they’re trying really hard and getting after it. They stay in place. They use their hands. They’re both diligent guys.'”

The post Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley Competing to Start for the Rockets appeared first on SLAM.