One solution the Lakers are reportedly looking at is trading for Hornets guard Terry Rozier, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the Lakers’ interest in Rozier “remains high. The Lakers and Hornets reportedly “held discussions about a possible three-of-four team” over the summer, but Rozier’s “availability will be entirely predicted on the franchise’s direction for the future and its play as the season goes on.”

Terry Rozier with 2⃣3⃣ points so far this game. @T_Rozzay3 | @drpepper pic.twitter.com/QbBFfVzze3

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2022

Acquiring Roizer could help the Lakers alleviate their deep shooting woes. The Lousiville product is a career 37.6 percent shooer from beyond the arc, this season he’s hitting triples at a 40 percent rate on 5.5 attempts per game. He’s also averaging 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game on 39.5 percent shooting from the field. Rozier’s tough play had helped Charlotte get off to a 2-1 start.

Scary Terry with the and-one @T_Rozzay3 pic.twitter.com/VdohMvtaY8

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2022

The Hornets are set to play the Knicks (1-1) on Wednesday.

The post REPORT: Lakers Have a ‘High’ Level of Interesting in Acquiring Terry Rozier appeared first on SLAM.

The 21-year-old still found it in him to shoot the two free throws that followed this play after clearly being fouled. Ball would then immediately check out the game and head to the locker room. 

After getting an MRI today on that ankle, the results came in as a Grade 2 ankle sprain per Shams Charania of the Athletic. Ball will miss the start of the regular season as he heals. 

Charlotte Coach Steve Clifford announced Terry Rozier would start at point guard for the team while Ball recovers.

“Terry was the starting point guard on a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s a role he is comfortable with, and if that ends up being the situation, that is how we will do it.”

Clifford also hinted at Dennis Smith Jr. getting more playing time. When the Hornets coach spoke to Ball about rehab, he could see his frustration and disappointment.

“We talked about whatever the plan is; you have to be on the rehab,” Clifford said. “The better you are with it, the quicker you will get back. He was disappointed but very upbeat. It’s just part of the NBA.”

Charlotte will play their season opener on Oct. 18 against the San Antonio Spurs.

The post REPORT: LaMelo Ball Set to Miss Start of the Season Due to Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

The Fayetteville-bred guard returns home after previous stops in Dallas, New York, Detroit, and Portland.

After Smith’s lone season at NC State, he had a brilliant rookie season for the Mavericks, posting averages of 15.2 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game on 39.5 percent shooting from the field. After being traded in his second season for Kristaps Porzingis and dealing with a chorus of injuries, Smith has bounced around the League quite a bit but has found a new home, back home. 

Dennis Smith Jr has averaged 10.7 points per game, 4.2 assists per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for his career. Smith is well known around the basketball world for his nuclear athleticism. His high school mixtapes and hoop stories have achieved near cult status.

He started four of the 37 games he played for the Portland Trailblazers last season, and he joins the Charlotte Hornets backcourt alongside All-Star Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier, James Bouknight, and Cody Martin. 

The post Dennis Smith Jr. Signs One-Year Deal With the Charlotte Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

According to League insider Shams Charania, Ball and Terry Rozier are expected to be out 10 days unless they test negatively for COVID-19 within 24 hours. News on Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels has yet to be released.

UPDATE: @hornets have placed the following players in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocols: LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee and Terry Rozier

— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) December 4, 2021

ESPN League insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team sent players and staff home due to internal concerns of more positive COVID-19 tests coming. In further response to the potential outbreak and to add more emergency depth, the Hornets recalled James Bouknight, Vernon Carey Jr., and Kai Jones from the Greensboro Swarm, their G-League affiliate. 

OFFICIAL: We have recalled James Bouknight, Vernon Carey Jr. and Kai Jones from the @greensboroswarm. #AllFly pic.twitter.com/7nPeLCz41i

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) December 4, 2021

The transactions will help the Hornets have the necessary eight players when they return to the court Sunday against the Hawks. Charlotte also has games this upcoming week against the Philadelphia 76ers (Monday and Wednesday) and the Sacramento Kings (Friday).

The NBA mandates that any player who has a confirmed positive test for COVID-19 must isolate away from his team for at least 10 days. Following that 10-day window, a player must undergo a cardiac screening and reconditioning in order to return to the team and court. A player can also clear protocols by recording two negative tests within 24 hours.

According to ESPN, since the season started, more than 20 players have been placed in the League’s health and safety protocols, including LeBron James. Last season nearly 30 games were postponed, but none were canceled due to COVID-19 reasons. The NBA hasn’t had to postpone a game thus far this season.

The Hornets (13-11) are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.

The post LaMelo Ball Amongst Four Hornets Placed Into Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Still just 27 years old, Rozier is entering his prime and is a piece Charlotte wants to keep around. 

With that in mind, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday that Rozier has agreed to a four-year, $97 million max contract extension with the Hornets. 

After ranking fifth in 3-pointers made in the NBA last season, Rozier has earned a huge payday, making him one of the highest paid guards in the League.

As the Hornets continue to build a solid team in their pursuit of making a splash in the playoffs this upcoming season, they’re also ensuring they keep their core pieces intact long-term. 

The post Hornets Ink Terry Rozier To Four-Year Max Contract Extension appeared first on SLAM.

With a team finally capable of competing, the Knicks are reportedly looking to make a huge splash this offseason.

According to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, the Knicks are looking to acquire a superstar this offseason, and two names that have come up are Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.

Lillard and Beal are both locked into long-term deals with their respective teams, so the Knicks would have to make a trade. Winfield reports that the Knicks are willing to part with second-year forward RJ Barrett to get a potential deal done.

The Knicks are also “monitoring” a trio of young guards in Collin Sexton, Terry Rozier and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, according to Winfield.

Lillard is coming off his fourth first-round playoff exit in five years, and Beal has never progressed past the second round with the Washington Wizards, making them both excellent candidates for potential trades this offseason.

Barrett is coming off a much improves sophomore season that saw him average 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, which could draw the eye of a potential trade partner.

The post Knicks Reportedly Interested in Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal this offseason appeared first on SLAM.

With that in mind, the Knicks’ current roster construction could need fortification if New York wants to make serious noise in the postseason.

Per the New York Post’s Marc Berman, “a source who has been in contact with Knicks brass [says] the franchise still is unsure if the team has a surefire starting point guard.”

That may come as a surprise to some fans given the rising popularity of rookie guard Immanuel Quickley. Be that as it may, New York believes Quickley “could be a sixth-man stud or start as an off-the-ball guard in the right alignment. He’s not viewed as a elite playmaker.”

Enter Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (20.3 point and 4.7 assists per game); Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (20.3 points and 3.2 assits per game); and New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball (14.3 points and 5.2 assists per game).

Each of these playmakers are on the Knicks’ radar as they attempt to upgrade their point guard position.

But, be that as it may, Berman notes that R.J. Barrett’s continued growth could make Oladipo (who they’ve long held interest in) a less attractive of an option. Berman also adds that it may be more likely for New York to complete a trade for Ball during the offseason.

As they Knicks continue to make a playoff push, they have some tough decisions to make sooner rather than later.

Even as good as they’ve been behind All-Star forward Julius Randle, a playmaking guard would take them to the next plateau of playoff contention.

The post Lonzo Ball, Terry Rozier, Victor Oladipo are Among Knicks Potential Trade Targets appeared first on SLAM.

Both teams fought in regulation and overtime, but it was Atlanta that finally pulled away in the second extra period. Trae Young put up 31 points and 16 assists in the Hawks’ win. On the other side, Terry Rozier notched a career high with 40 points.

Bucks 95 (53-12), Nuggets 109 (43-21)

Denver had control of this game from the first quarter on, easily dispatching a Bucks team that was resting several key starters. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 21 points, followed by Paul Millsap’s 20 points. Kyle Korver posted 23 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

Raptors 101 (46-18), Jazz 92 (41-23)

Despite the Jazz’s fourth-quarter comeback, Toronto locked down to secure the road win. The Raptors featured a three-headed scoring attack of Pascal Siakam (27 points), Serge Ibaka (27 points) and Kyle Lowry (21 points). Joe Ingles paced Utah off the bench with 20 points.

The post Post Up: Trae Young’s Double-Double Helps Hawks Outlast Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis dominated the first and third quarters and shot 46.2 percent from three. The Grizzlies would lead by as much as 28 points during the fourth quarter.

Jae Crowder dropped a team-high 27 points with 8 boards, 7 dimes, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Raptors 121 (24-12), Nets 102 (16-18)

Toronto outscored the Nets by 16 points in the fourth behind Kyle Lowry’s inspired late play.

Lowry dropped 26 points with 5 dimes. Fred VanVleet added a game-high 29 points and 11 dimes.

Brooklyn has now lost 5 straight games.

Jazz 109 (23-12), Magic 96 (16-20)

Utah outscored the Magic by 12 points in the fourth quarter en route to their fifth straight win.

Donovan Mitchell dropped a game-high 32 points (14-21 FG) with 6 dimes.

Thunder 121 (20-15), Cavs 106 (10-25)

OKC took the lead late in the first quarter and wouldn’t trail for the rest of the game.

Steven Adams dropped 10 points with 16 boards. Dennis Schroder added a team-high 22 points.

OKC has now won 5 straight games.

Pacers 111 (22-14), Hawks 116 (8-28)

After blowing a 22-point lead in the first half, the Hawks regained the advantage in the fourth quarter to win the game.

After dropping 30 points in the first half, Trae Young finished with a game-high 41 points and 8 dimes.

Celtics 111 (25-8), Bulls 104 (13-23)

The Celtics saw their 16-point lead dwindle all the way to 3 late in the game, but Boston was able to hold on.

Jayson Tatum dropped a team-high 28 points (12-15 FG) with 7 boards and a dagger three.

Nuggets 114 (24-11), Wizards 128 (11-24)

Even without seemingly half of their regular rotation players (including Bradley Beal), the Wizards were able to pull away with the game in the fourth quarter.

Washington got an incredible 92 points from its bench, including a career-high 32 points from Ish Smith.

Pistons 111 (13-23), Warriors 104 (9-28)

Detroit outscored the Warriors by 10 points in the second half en route to the road win.

Andre Drummond dropped 14 points with 18 boards and 3 steals. Derrick Rose added a team-high 22 points.

Spurs 118 (14-20), Bucks 127 (32-5)

After taking the lead mid-way through the second quarter, the Bucks did not trail for the rest of the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high 32 points (7-12 FG) with 8 boards.

Milwaukee has now won 5 straight games.

Hornets 123 (15-23), Mavs 120 (22-13) (OT)

Charlotte battled back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force OT. They would then drop 20 points in the extra period to get a big road win.

Terry Rozier dropped a team-high 29 points with several clutch buckets. Devonte Graham added 27 points with 13 dimes.

Pelicans 117 (12-24), Kings 115 (13-23)

New Orleans dropped 41 points during the fourth quarter to regain the lead and gut out the road win.

Lonzo Ball dropped a team-high 24 points with 10 dimes and 6 boards. JJ Redick added 18 points, including the game-winner.

The post Post Up: Grizzlies Blow Out Clippers Behind Jae Crowder’s Career Night appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier says he is not, in fact, Kemba Walker and has no interest in the inevitable comparisons that will emerge.

The “pissed off” 25-year-old adds that he has “got a lot of heads to turn” in his first season with the Hornets.

Per The Charlotte Observer:

“I’m pissed off about a lot of stuff,” the Charlotte Hornets’ new point guard told the Observer. “I want to prove myself again.”

He will get abundant opportunity to do so. For the first time in his soon-to-be five NBA seasons, Rozier is about to be a full-time starter, replacing the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer, Kemba Walker.

“I’m not Kemba. I’m not coming in here acting like I’m Kemba. I’m Terry,” Rozier said.

“I respect the hell out of Kemba: When I play against him, I’m going to give him my best, and I know I’ll get his best. But Kemba? I don’t want to hear it. Don’t talk to me about Kemba.”

Related Terry Rozier Says He Had No Rift With Kyrie Irving

The post Terry Rozier: ‘Don’t Talk to Me About’ Kemba Walker appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier was a big fan of Irving prior to him being traded to the Celtics, and tried incorporate elements of the All-Star’s game into his own.

The 25-year-old got out from under Kyrie’s shadow by joining the Charlotte Hornets as a free agent this summer.

Per Bleacher Report:

Rozier was playing pickup basketball in Miami a couple of days before the trade along with Celtics teammate Marcus Smart and Irving. “Who knew that Kyrie, two days later, would be on our team?” Rozier said. “It kind of hit me out of nowhere.”

Rozier labeled himself a fan of Irving even before they became teammates. He recommended that a rookie Jaylen Brown enjoy watching Irving play whenever the Celtics played Cleveland.

“I’m going to sit right here and have the best seat in the house, and I’m going to watch him do his thing,” Rozier said. “And I was a fan like that. But, of course, I still wanted the Celtics to win. But that’s just me loving the game. And it was just like, Oh let me see what I could take from his game and see the type of person, see how wired he is.

“A lot of people don’t know how great of a person he is. A lot of people think I hate Kyrie. And a lot of people think that me and Kyrie not cool, but we text, and I text him right before free agency. I sent him the eyes, and he sent the eyes right back, basically like you know what it’s going to be.”

Related Terry Rozier: ‘I Sacrificed the Most Out of Anybody’

The post Terry Rozier Says He Had No Rift With Kyrie Irving appeared first on SLAM.

The signing was backed by owner Michael Jordan with the legend telling general manager Mitch Kupchak to “do what you need to do to get [Rozier] over here” prior to the start of free agency, as the point guard told Abrams.

“I’d be a fool if I was to go anywhere else or turn down that,” Rozier said. “I look at it as just a team, organization believing in me. Knowing that I want to prove myself in this league and giving me that chance is bigger than anything and [their willingness] to pay me a right amount of money, it was just big and the guy that was behind all that was Michael Jordan. It’s still surreal to me.”

The signing had a ripple effect in free agency, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors detailed. The Knicks, fresh off of being turned down by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, saw their backup plan at the point guard slip from their grasps. New York then shifted gears, offering Elfrid Payton a contract with annual values of $8 million.

The Suns shifted their attention to Ricky Rubio, who had been reported as signing with the Pacers. Phoenix was able to land the point guard, which left Indy with a void. They ended up swinging a deal for Malcolm Brogdon and while its possible that Indiana would have liked to pair the two guards in the backcourt, it seems more plausible that the Brogdon sign-and-trade was conjured as a result of missing out on Rubio. Indiana was able to use its remaining cap space on a backcourt partner for Brogdon by signing Jeremy Lamb away from Charlotte.

Critics have called Charlotte’s signing of Rozier an overpay; others say they simply don’t understand the Hornets’ motives. Rozier is embracing the scrutiny.

“I’m going to work hard and be a competitor, and I know a lot of people are going to fall in love with me,” Rozier said. “… I basically just got to make a name for myself again, and that’s fine. That’s how I want it. That’s how it should be.”

Like many free agents, Rozier’s decision caused other dominoes to fall but the point guard is viewing his move to Charlotte as an opportunity to prove he’s the type of player that franchises should start angling for when he hits the free agent market again in the future.

“I work my butt off because that’s all I know,” Rozier said. “I want to break the bank. I want the best deal I can possibly get after this, so it ain’t about the money. I feel it’s always going to be there. I feel like I’m a guy that deserves a lot, and I’m gonna get everything I deserve, but I’ve been in the league for four years and for me to actually get a starting job, I don’t even know what to say. I’m more excited that I can really just show my talent every night. I can show my talent, show what I’m about. To me, that’s what’s going to bring anything I want. Me just having my opportunity to go out there and show the world who Terry Rozier really is.”

The post The Terry Rozier Ripple Effect Of The 2019 Offseason appeared first on SLAM.

The Hornets will also acquire a protected second-round pick in 2020 while Boston acquires a standard second-round pick in 2020.

The C’s will acquire Walker on a four-year, $141 million deal while the Hornets add Rozier on a three-year, $58 million deal.

By swapping players via sign-and-trade, the Celtics were able to retain some flexibility in free agency. The decision also let the Hornets exceed the salary cap to bring Rozier into the mix.

The post Kemba Walker For Terry Rozier Sign-And-Trade Now Official appeared first on SLAM.

Walker, 29, agreed to a four-year, $141 million deal with the Boston Celtics and feels he’s now in a position to compete for NBA titles for the first time.

Kemba steps in for Kyrie Irving, who bounced to Brooklyn, and says he’s ready to “try and fulfill some dreams of mine and compete.”

Per ESPN:

“The hardest part for me is having to leave the city and organization that I’ve been a part of for eight years,” he told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. “The organization that gave me my first opportunity to go from a boy to a man in this league. Charlotte, the place that I love very much. It was a really tough decision. But you know, it was something I had to do in order to try and fulfill some dreams of mine and compete.”

After a season of locker room turmoil often centered around Irving’s discontent, the Celtics crave the stability and leadership that Walker will provide — in addition to being an All-Star talent in the prime of his career.

Walker can plug into a Celtics lineup that includes Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown. Boston can still pursue a center with its $4.8 million exception and build a team that could be competitive in the Eastern Conference.

“When you think of the Celtics, you think of championships,” Walker told Van Pelt. “You think of winning, and that’s what I am about. I’m about competing for championships and winning. That’s something I haven’t been able to do throughout the early years of my career. I haven’t been a consistent winner in this league. I just felt like Boston was the best fit for me to try and accomplish those kind of goals.”

Related If You Don’t Know, Now You Know: Kemba Walker Is a Certified Superstar

The post Kemba Walker: ‘When You Think of the Celtics, You Think of Championships’ appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier’s expected to ink a three-year, $58 million deal which will allow the cash-strapped Hornets to start a solid point guard but without breaking the bank as they would have had to for their incumbent starting point guard Kemba Walker.

Rozier averaged 9.9 points and 2.9 assists per game for the Celtics last year but those numbers jumped anytime he could the opportunity to play starter’s minutes. In 2017-18, when C’s starter Kyrie Irving went down with an injury Rozier flashed his potential as a starter.

The post Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets Agree To Three-Year Deal appeared first on SLAM.

The decision to extend Rozier will have little impact on the team’s pursuit of Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker – a pursuit that seems to be more of a certainty as free agency approaches. The C’s can shed Rozier’s $9.1 million restricted free agency cap hold by withdrawing the qualifying offer.

By extending the qualifying offer, the Celtics install somewhat of an insurance plan in case the Walker deal falls through. In that scenario, Boston would hold first right of refusal as Rozier would be restricted.

Rozier could technically sign the qualifying offer, which would pay him $4.3 million but he stands to earn much more than that on the open market, either restricted or unrestricted.

The post Celtics Extend Qualifying Offer To Terry Rozier appeared first on SLAM.

Wyc Grousbeck, the C’s co-owner and governor, says there was a “gap” between the formidable talent amassed in Beantown and the product on the floor.

The Celtics fell well short of expectations this season—getting the boot in the Eastern Conference semis after just five games—and head into a summer of free agent superstar uncertainty and ongoing role player frustration.

Per The Boston Globe (via 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Felger and Mazz”):

“We’re all annoyed and upset and disappointed,” Grousbeck said. “I feel like there was a mismatch between the talent that we had on paper and the way that it was expressed on the court. The actual and the potential, there was a gap.”

That gap made the 2018-19 season a “tough year for everybody concerned.”

“It was one of the hardest teams to love from my standpoint,” he said.

The Celtics, and their owner, will be busy this summer.

“We’re really just going to go through the roster, the 15 guys, and say who’s here, should we move some of the guys, should we re-sign these people, what are we going to do?” Grousbeck said. “It’s really like a new movie, with a new script, and in some cases a new cast. And hopefully a new ending.”

Related Giannis Antetokounmpo: ‘Against Boston, You Can Go Down 1-0 and Still Be Fine’

The post Celtics Owner: ‘It Was One of the Hardest Teams to Love’ appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier, 25, says he “might have to go” if the Celtics come back next season with the same roster.

Scary Terry admits he struggled to fit in with Kyrie Irving—after putting up 16.5 points, 5.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs last season with the All-Star point guard teammate sidelined by injury—and adds that head coach Brad Stevens had a tough time managing such a talent-laden squad.

Per ESPN:

“No, I might have to go. I might have to go. I put up with a lot this year so I said what I said after this season. I think we all know I’m not trying to step into that again,” he said.

He was asked Tuesday to expand on his comments to Yahoo Sports after the Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks that he “sacrificed the most out of anybody” on the team this season.

“I sacrificed obviously my talent the most,” he said. “I think me being out there and giving my full style of play, how Terry Rozier play. I feel like I couldn’t be that person this year.”

He acknowledged that coach Brad Stevens had a tough job this season with this Celtics squad.

“I feel like along with the coaches treating Gordon [Hayward] and Kyrie, I wouldn’t say different than everybody else, but I just feel like they treated them like they was on that level where there were no adjustments that could be made because they are who they are,” he said. “We never figured it out. We never figured it out after that.”

Related Terry Rozier: ‘I Sacrificed the Most Out of Anybody’

The post Terry Rozier: ‘I Might Have to Go. I Put Up With a Lot This Year’ appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier, 25, considers himself a “top point guard in this league” and saw his role diminish after emerging in last summer’s playoff run.

Marcus Smart pushed back against the suggestion that All-Star PG Kyrie Irving was to blame for the Celtics’ shortcomings.

Per Yahoo Sports:

“Everybody was running around with their heads cut off, like chickens,” backup point guard Terry Rozier III told Yahoo Sports. “Coach was in a tough position, one of the toughest positions, dealing with all these guys with attitudes, all that sh–. Guys that’s All-Stars, guys getting paid a lot of money, guys trying to get paid. It’s tough.”

Rozier said he saw it on the first day of training camp, so many talented players who could make a case for bigger roles.

“I feel like I sacrificed the most, but I’d do it any day for this team,” Rozier told Yahoo Sports. “A lot of things weren’t fair to me, but it’s not about me. That’s why I don’t bitch and complain.”

It’s hard to ignore the self-induced noise when the back of your jersey might as well say “future trade asset” and the front office does very little to quell the speculation.

“I don’t give a f— what nobody say, I sacrificed the most out of anybody. I’m a top point guard in this league. I feel like it’s a fresh start, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone,” said Rozier, a star last postseason in Irving’s absence who’s about to hit restricted free agency in July.

Related Kyrie Irving: ‘For Me, It’s Just Moving on to the Next Thing’

The post Terry Rozier: ‘I Sacrificed the Most Out of Anybody’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kyrie Irving says it has a been a “trying year” in Boston.

Irving points out, for instance, that his younger teammates feel somewhat held back in head coach Brad Stevens‘ system.

The Celtics (37-21) have fallen well short of expectations so far this season.

Per The Boston Globe (via ESPN):

During the NBA All-Star break, Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving openly acknowledged the current season has been “a trying year” for the team.

“We basically have a bunch of young men in our locker room that feel like they’re capable of doing a lot more than they’re doing,” Irving told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.

“That’s OK, but there’s a maturity you have to have, there’s a professionalism you have to really showcase every single day. That’s what the great ones do.”

Irving also recognized that the situation can create tension between him and [Terry] Rozier, who stepped up as starting point guard throughout Boston’s playoff run when Irving was sidelined due to a season-ending knee injury.

“Terry Rozier, he played in the playoffs, he did extremely well,” Irving said. “Coming back, that’s a natural competition that me and him have. It is what it is. No one wants to say it, but I will. It’s part of their growth. When you have winning in mind, then you got to do what it takes, but you got to understand your teammates.”

Related Kyrie Irving on Free Agency: ‘I Don’t Owe Anybody Shit’

The post Kyrie Irving: Celtics Teammates Feel ‘Capable of Doing a Lot More Than They’re Doing’ appeared first on SLAM.

Irving also picked James’ brain about what it takes to lead a young, talented group.

Kyrie said he called LeBron after loss in Orlando to ask about leading group of young guys. "It's good to reach out for help."

— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) January 17, 2019

Kyrie says it’s good to “reach out for help.”

Per the Boston Herald:

“Obviously, this was a big deal for me, because I had to call (James) and tell him,” Irving said after scoring 27 points and dishing out a career-high 18 assists in the Celtics’ 117-108 win against Toronto on Wednesday night at the Garden. “I apologized for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips, and I wanted everything at my threshold. I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be all that, and the responsibility of being the best in the world and leading your team is something that is not meant for many people.

“Bron was one of those guys who came to Cleveland and tried to show us how to win a championship. And it was hard for him, and sometimes getting the most out of the group is not the easiest thing in the world. Like I said, only few are meant for it or chosen for it, and I feel like the best person to call was him because he’s been in this situation. He’s been there with me.”

Irving, as it turns out, is learning how to lead, too.

“I’ve been the young guy, being a 22-year-old kid and I want everything. I want everything right now,” Irving said. “Coming off an All-Star year starting and this heck of a presence coming back, and now I have to adjust my game to this guy. You take it personal, but at the end of the day, he wants what’s best. And he has a legacy he wants to leave, and he has a window he wants to capture. So I think what that brought me back to was like, alright, how do I get the best out of this group to the success they had last year and then helping them realize what it takes to win a championship.

“And I take it on full-force. But it’s also good to reach out for help and really take responsibility for what you’ve done in your career. It takes a real man to go back, call somebody and be like, ‘Hey man, I was young. I made some mistakes, I wasn’t seeing the big picture like you were. I didn’t have the end of the season in mind. I just wanted to get my stats and make All-Star Games,’ which in his career means (very little) at that point. So it was just good. And it gave me a peace of mind to go about what I have to go do. Obviously I’m going to be competing against him the best and everybody else in the league. But it was good.”

Related
‘It Was a Lot for Me to Figure Out’: Kyrie Irving on Playing With LeBron James

The post Kyrie Irving Apologized to LeBron James for His Attitude in Cleveland appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier says the C’s have yet to figure out how to mesh and take advantage of their remarkable depth.

Terry Rozier III to @YahooSportsNBA: "Kyrie said a lot after the last game and it was probably stuff that people didn’t want to hear.” https://t.co/ieUpLOOSDe pic.twitter.com/68G5GB40NP

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) January 15, 2019

Rozier adds that Kyrie Irving, by calling out his younger teammates, revealed uncomfortable truths.

Per Yahoo Sports:

“Kyrie said a lot after the last game and it was probably stuff that people didn’t want to hear,” Terry Rozier III told Yahoo Sports. “But it’s showing.”

Monday was the gift and curse, Irving’s words coming to life. Nonchalant play against a Nets team that played harder and with more conviction led to the lopsided score and chants of “Kyrie’s leaving!” from a confident Barclays Center crowd.

“I don’t think we’ve all been on a team like this,” Rozier told Yahoo. “Young guys who can play, guys who did things in their career, the group that was together last year, then you bring Kyrie and Hayward back, it’s a lot with it.”

When asked if the roster was too talented, Rozier didn’t back down.

“Too talented, yeah. Too talented.”

Related
Kyrie Irving Vows ‘Never to Question’ Celtics Teammates Publicly Again

The post Terry Rozier: Boston Celtics ‘Too Talented’ appeared first on SLAM.

Irving, who called out the team’s young core multiple times this season, admits that frustration with Boston’s struggles has caused him to say things he later regrets (and that don’t exactly play well in the locker room.)

NEW post: Kyrie Irving expands on previous comments that Celtics need more urgency and a better approach by players: "…we’ve all got to be on the same page and have that mindset that a championship or nothing, and that can get the best of me at times."https://t.co/hfJOAhuvHm

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) January 14, 2019

Kyrie adds that the C’s “all got to be on the same page” in order to compete for an NBA title.

Per the Boston Herald:

“Well, you can get the experience through games and being in certain situations and circumstances — people being out, people in, everybody’s healthy, plays run at the end of games, sets that we know that are going to be run against us defensively, offensively just knowing the flow of the game and knowing the opponent,” Irving said. “You know, I watch so much basketball when I leave here. I’m obsessed with it. So the opponents I’m playing against, I have our team film and I have my individual film that I watch, and I’m just studying guys so when I go out in the game it’s not anything that I’m confused on. Like, I’ve been playing it for a while. I feel like I was chosen to play basketball, so when I go home, I literally just obsess over basketball. That’s my job. And when I come in and play, it’s exciting to really get stops on guys and do the little things that matter.

“When you win, you want to taste it again. And I never want to come from a place where I don’t want to sound like or maybe feel like I don’t want to win a championship. Sometimes I may come off and say things — never to question my teammates in public like that ever again — but, you know, I just want to win so bad.”

Irving then poured out a little more.

“Like, I came from a place where I asked for a trade and I come in here and I believe in this organization, and I want these young guys to be successful,” he said. “In order to do that, we’ve all got to be on the same page and have that mindset that a championship or nothing, and that can get the best of me at times.”

Related
Kyrie Irving: ‘The Young Guys Don’t Know What it Takes to Be a Championship Level Team’

The post Kyrie Irving Vows ‘Never to Question’ Celtics Teammates Publicly Again appeared first on SLAM.

After making headlines on Christmas Day with his “Stewie” Nike LeBron 6s, P.J. Tucker was back with another insane flex as he brought out the 2008 Nike Hyperdunk Supreme “Barcelona Ronaldinho.” Allonzo Trier, the current front runner for the NBA rookie sneaker crown, stayed in the holiday spirit as he rocked the Nike Zoom Kobe 8 “Christmas,” which originally released back in 2012.

Lance Stephenson showed South Florida some love as he donned the “Miami Dolphins” Nike Air Max Penny V while Courtney Lee kept the tropical vibes going with “The Academy” Nike PG 2. De’Aaron Fox welcomed the Lakers to town in the Lake Show’s team colored “Court Purple” Nike Kobe 9 Elite while Terry Rozier visited Houston while rocking a new colorway of the Puma Court Clyde Disrupt in a Rockets friendly color of black/red.

Peep the recap below and let us know your opinion on who had the best kicks in the comments.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

The C’s dropped their third in a row Wednesday night, a disheartening 117-109 loss to the visiting New York Knicks, and Smart says the team isn’t playing hard enough.

You're going to need to read what Marcus Smart told the Herald about the state of the Celtics.

Some pointed comments in the wake of 7 losses in the last 10 games: "We’re playing like punks; that’s just what it is."

And more… https://t.co/HTFQu3MjUY

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) November 23, 2018

“There’s always the belief that we can be better,” added Smart.

Per the Boston Herald:

“It’s the same old song,” he said in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone. “You know, it gets annoying. I don’t even know what to say at this point. You’ve already done heard it. I’m tired of talking about it. I don’t know.”

With a .500 record 18 games into the season, Smart was in no mood for any more “it’s still early” talk.

“I am,” he said, “but we’ve got to stop sugarcoating things. That’s the problem. We’ve got to stop sugarcoating it. We’ve just got to call it what it is. We’re playing like punks; that’s just what it is.

“It’s not everybody. You’ve got guys out there that are playing and playing hard. That’s some, but we don’t have all five guys at the same time. So teams are going to continue to whup us.”

According to [head coach Brad] Stevens, the Celtics are not defending properly at the point of attack, and certainly it seems the Celts are trying to stick to a scheme rather than doing the attacking themselves. Smart doesn’t see room for differentiation.

“We’re not playing defense,” he said. “There’s no defense. There’s no defense. There’s no defense. Guys are getting where they want to get, when they want to get it, how they want to get it. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say to that.”

Related
Kyrie Irving: Celtics ‘Have to Get Used’ to Pressure

The post Marcus Smart: Boston Celtics ‘Playing Like Punks’ appeared first on SLAM.

Naturally, reports have begun to bubble up about rival teams circling the Celtics about a possible trade.

Terry Rozier happy where he is, albeit with a few tweaks to his role. https://t.co/j5GKIbtBsW

— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) November 8, 2018

President of basketball of ops Danny Ainge recently said that Rozier has “vented” to him about playing time.

Per the Boston Herald:

“Well, what Danny said makes sense because he knows me,” said Rozier, who shot down the perception that he’s unhappy. “If you don’t know me, then you probably think I’d say something like that. I woke up to the news just like you woke up to the news. I don’t know where it came from, but like I said, I’m happy to be in this position where I’m at, to be playing on a team that’s mentioned to have a chance to be in the championship, so I’m not really worried what’s being said. But Danny knows. And that’s why he said what he said.”

Asked about [The Athletic’s Shams Charania] seven teams report, Rozier smiled and said, “That’s how it should be. There should be more. I’m blessed to be putting on this uniform, representing this organization every day, so I have no complaints. At all.”

Rozier freely admits, though, that his role change — he shined in his starting role throughout the playoffs — has required an adjustment.

“I go from starting in the playoffs to coming off the bench, I’m pretty sure it’s not easy for nobody,” he said. “I’m not complaining, and if you know me, I’ve never been one to complain — I would never go to the media or bring out the unhappy thing, I would never do that. Like I said, people who know me know I wouldn’t do that. I’ve never been a selfish type of person, selfish player. You can tell the way I play I’m all about team, we, everything. Everything will be alright. It’s not as bad as people make it seem.”

Related
Terry Rozier Not Concerned about Return to Bench

The post Terry Rozier ‘Not Complaining’ About Reduced Role in Boston appeared first on SLAM.

Are Scary Terry and the Celtics poised to run the East?

RELATED
Drake Brought Terry Rozier On Stage Last Night in Boston

The post Scary Terry Put in Work During the 2018 Summer ☠️ | SLAM Highlights appeared first on SLAM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BngtN58BCkt/

Night 2 was legendary @Drake #Aubreyandthethreemigostour at @tdgarden with @Migos @T_Rozzay3 of the @celtics and a historic performance with @MeekMill ! Check out more from the show on our Instagram story: hot106prov pic.twitter.com/gLnoE7zPKn

— HOT 106 (@Hot106) September 9, 2018

Drake also brought Meek Mill up to perform, squashing a beef that had been going on for years. It caught the attention of LeBron James, who posted about “brotherhood” on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bngk55DB2Lu/

Hell of a night in Beantown.

The post Drake Brought Terry Rozier On Stage Last Night in Boston appeared first on SLAM.

While at his youth basketball camp on Saturday, Rozier added that all Celtics players—not just him—will have to sacrifice in order to win a Championship. Via ESPN’s Chris Forsberg:

“I’m not worried about [my role]. Kinda control what I can control. We all got one goal and that’s to win. We all get love when we win. That should be everybody’s mindset. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

“If you want to win a Championship, that’s what it’s going to take—sacrifice. […] We’re all going to have one goal and it’s going to lead us to the promised land.”

RELATED:
Terry Rozier Puts on a Show at Dyckman Park

The post Terry Rozier Not Concerned about Return to Bench appeared first on SLAM.

RELATED
John Wall Takes On Terry Rozier in Private NBA Run

The post John Wall vs. Terry Rozier ROUND 2 at Remy Workouts NBA Run 🍿 appeared first on SLAM.

RELATED
John Wall: Wizards Among Eastern Conference Elite

The post John Wall Takes On Terry Rozier in Private NBA Run 👀 appeared first on SLAM.

Meet the first-ever SLAM @LeagueFits All-Drip Teams and Rookie of the Year, a group of 11 players that were built for the Survival of the Fitted.

All-Drip First Team

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Brodie made a career for himself with his fearless attitude on the court, and his attitude in fashion isn’t much different. The League’s most versatile dresser, Russ isn’t afraid to make jaws drop on any given night.

Nick Young, Golden State Warriors 

Swaggy P became Swaggy Champ as he won his first-ever NBA Finals with Golden State, but he kept it straight Hollywood with the fits. In addition to wearing top-shelf names like Saint Laurent, Supreme and Rhude Designs, Swaggy gets bonus points for dropping a new collection of jawnz on his own line, Most Hated Los Angeles.

PJ Tucker, Houston Rockets

PJ Tucker’s career made stops in Israel, Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, Canada and Germany before he became a Houston Rocket. With an international influence playing a role in his drip, the NBA’s undisputed sneaker king joined the upper echelon of all-time fit icons, too.

Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves

Jimmy loves his patterns, and it shows. Never afraid to be bold, Butler was one of the League’s most coordinated dressers during his first year in Minnesota.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron is way cooler than your dad. Year 15 was a legendary one for the King off the court just as much as it was on the hardwood. James mixed things up, rocking streetwear brands like Billionaire Boys Club, top-flight designed suits from Thom Browne (shouts out to the suit shorts) and up-and-coming Scholastics. Dad Drip at its finest.

All-Drip Second Team

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Maison Valentino, Y-3, Raf Simons, Versace, Vetements, etc. The Beard rocked the League’s deepest designer wardrobe as he led the Rockets to a franchise-best 65 wins.

Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers/Cleveland Cavaliers

JC made the jump from Los Angeles to Cleveland at the trade deadline, but the youngin’ brought the West Coast streetwear style with him to the midwest. Already one of the League’s Supreme kings, Clarkson mixed things up with Off-White, Rhude Designs and Gucci.

Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors 

Simple and steezy, Serge Ibaka made Dad Drip cool again in Toronto. Touted by Kyle Lowry as “The Most Stylish Man in the NBA,” Ibaka capped off a career fit year with the Raptors by heading East to stunt out at Paris Fashion Week (just peep the ‘gram).

Terry Rozier, Boston Celtics

The game doesn’t end when the final horn blows for Scary Terry. Rozier had Twitter popping when he wore a Drew Bledsoe jersey after knocking Eric Bledsoe’s Bucks out of the postseason, but the Pats threads weren’t the only notable fit from Rozier, who brought out some of the League’s tuffest Off-White combinations.

Chris Paul, Houston Rockets

Deion Sanders once said that “You look good, you feel good. You feel good, you play good,” and it was the motto CP3 rode all the way to his first-ever Conference Finals. The Point Gawd mixed innovation and bold patterns with old-school staples (shouts out to making the dad cap cool again) in the winningest season of his career.

All-Drip Rookie of the Year

Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers

You would’ve thought Kuz had been Hollywood his whole life. Brining serious game and a booming personality to the Lakers, Kuzma has the wardrobe to match his path to stardom.

—

To keep up with the NBA’s Survival of the Fitted, follow @LeagueFits on Instagram 

The post Introducing the First-Ever LeagueFits All-Drip Teams 💧 appeared first on SLAM.

@gmb_chum12 x Dyckman

A post shared by Corey Porter (@cporter_) on Jun 23, 2018 at 10:01am PDT

(Lance Stephenson also made an appearance.)

The previous night, Scary Terry called up Danny Ainge, and got him to publicly reveal Boston’s pick ahead of the NBA Draft.

Per ESPN:

“I got to draft a point guard,” Ainge joked when Rozier, Boston’s postseason starter while Kyrie Irving was injured, first asked about the team’s selection. Pressed for the actual pick, Ainge answered, “It’s going to be Bob Williams, but we’re looking at all the medical stuff.”

After Thursday’s draft concluded, Ainge admitted he was unaware that Rozier was calling during a live broadcast.

“I was obviously joking with Terry about the guard position. I had no idea I was on live, whatever it was,” Ainge said. “I thought he was FaceTiming me. I had no idea. But, anyway, that is sort of funny. We’re excited about Robert, and we felt like he was the best player available, and we think he’s a great fit for our team.”

The post Terry Rozier Puts on a Show at Dyckman Park appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier argues that his team has more defensive options to throw at the defending champs.

Terry Rozier believes the Celtics would've been a tougher NBA Finals matchup for the Warriors than the Cavs. Here's why:https://t.co/fdkAOXk6kd pic.twitter.com/t0Be6Vqq61

— NESN (@NESN) June 5, 2018

The Cavs survived a seven-game war against Boston, and is down 0-2 to the Dubs.

Per NESN:

Although bias certainly is a factor in this opinion, Terry Rozier explained his reasoning during Tuesday’s edition of “First Take” on ESPN.

“I’m not taking nothing away from the Cavs, but we got a lot of guys that can switch off the ball and stuff like that,” Rozier said.

“Our communication is key for us and that’s something we valued all year. I feel like we’d be a better matchup for them.”

Related
Isaiah Thomas: ‘I’m Like the Cavs. I’m Gonna Get Swept’

The post Terry Rozier: Celtics ‘Better Matchup’ for the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier remains undaunted, and has enough irrational confidence to believe he’ll put LeBron on a poster next season.

Terry Rozier on trying to dunk on LeBron: "Any time you see LeBron and the hoop, your eyes should light up. Next year I'm gonna catch him, get him next year. But he blocked me a lot this year." #Celtics #Cavs

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) May 28, 2018

Fittingly, “wait until next year” is the Boston Celtics’ motto heading into 2018-19.

Per the Boston Globe:

Winning in May and June is not supposed to be easy, and it rarely is, even for legends in the making.

“The pain,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said afterward, “is part of the path.”

The Celtics could have won. They probably should have won. They played poorly on offense and they lost. That’s going to sting until next year is here.

The post Terry Rozier Vows to Dunk on LeBron James Next Season appeared first on SLAM.

At practice on Sunday, Rozier said Boston “needed to get our butts whooped” in order to bring the team back to reality (starting at 2:10):

“We needed to get our butts whooped, come back to reality and take care of business on Monday.” […]

“I feel like we needed this to get us back, to get us ready for Monday.”

RELATED:
Terry Rozier Has Been Balling in a Collection of Fire Kicks

The post Rozier: Celtics ‘Needed To Get Our Butts Whooped’ appeared first on SLAM.

While James struggled on the evening, his PE game continued to be best in the league as he rocked yet another iteration of his Nike LeBron 15 as he wore a black/white model featuring Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan embroidered on the back heel. JR Smith and Jayson Tatum also wore some turning Nikes as both went with “Mamba Mentality” versions of the Nike PG2 and Nike Kyrie 4 respectively.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Playoff Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

Tatum finished with a game-high 25 points, with Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier adding 24 and 17 points respectively.

The Sixers had a chance to pull off a last-second miracle, but threw away the ball on the final possession.

Per the AP:

“That’s a Marcus Smart sequence. That just describes him so well,” guard Jaylen Brown said after Boston beat Philadelphia 114-112 on Wednesday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year. “If it came down to one guy coming up with it, everybody’s got their money on Smart.”

The Celtics will play Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year. Game 1 is Sunday in Boston. It’s the Celtics’ first back-to-back trips to the conference finals since making it five straight times in the original Big Three era from 1984-88.

“When you get here, you’re flattered by the thought of the Boston Celtics,” coach Brad Stevens said. “You realize if you’re going to break records here, you’re going to break bad ones. Because none of the good ones are reachable.”

The post Jayson Tatum Leads Celtics into Eastern Conference Finals appeared first on SLAM.

SCARY TERRY AND JOEL READY TO GIVE #THEMHANDS (via @TheRenderNBA) pic.twitter.com/hZjnARuNAn

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) May 7, 2018

Embiid said their height difference prevented Rozier from connecting.

Joel Embiid: “(Terry Rozier) tried to punch me twice. Too bad he’s so short he couldn’t get to my face.” (via @BenGolliver) pic.twitter.com/ksNwaoFI84

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) May 8, 2018

Philadelphia extended their season with a 103-92 win.

Per Philly.com:

“He kept the ball away from me and tried to punch me twice,” Embiid explained, “but too bad he’s so short that he couldn’t get to my face. I was just trying to get the ball and he was the one who swung.”

Said Rozier: “We were out there having fun and it was part of the basketball game and that is all it is.”

When play resumed, Embiid hit a three-pointer to stretch the run to 11-0 and give the Sixers a five-point lead. It wasn’t a game-clinching shot, but one that Embiid absolutely savored. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

“Those type of plays boost your energy to another level,” he said. “I like games with that type of stuff.”

The post Joel Embiid: Terry Rozier Too Short to Punch Him appeared first on SLAM.

After dropping three straight games to the Celtics, the 76ers needed to make a drastic change to keep their season alive. The change wasn’t what most expected, but Brent Brown’s decision to insert TJ McConnell into the starting lineup proved to be the difference.

McConnell started strong and his play never faltered, finishing the night with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a plus-minus of +18 in 39 minutes. He was also the only 76er to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, shooting 9-f0r-12 from the field.

Although the 76ers and Celtics already have a long-standing rivalry, Terry Rozier and Joel Embiid added a little to spice to things. After getting into a scuffle that resulted in double technicals, Embiid went on to blast Rozier after the game for being too short to connect when throwing #ThemHands.

Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 20 points for the Celtics.

SCARY TERRY AND JOEL READY TO GIVE #THEMHANDS (via @TheRenderNBA) https://t.co/hZjnARuNAn

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 7, 2018

Jayson Tatum got ‘eeeeeeeem (via @celtics) https://t.co/W1OVfnfNFw

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 7, 2018

Joel Embiid: “(Terry Rozier) tried to punch me twice. Too bad he’s so short he couldn’t get to my face.” (via @BenGolliver) pic.twitter.com/ksNwaoFI84

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 8, 2018

Ever since the Toronto Raptors tied up the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals at 2-2, LeBron James and his Cavaliers have been dominant. Monday night was no different as Cleveland cruised to their 10th straight postseason win over Toronto and secured a spot in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

With “The Other Cavaliers” being a hot topic on the Twitter streets before the game, James’ supporting cast stepped up. as J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver hit every one of their 3-point shots in the first half. Kevin Love caught fire in the third, scoring 12 of his 23 points.

The King finished the night with 29 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

It was a rough ending for Toronto’s all-star duo: Kyle Lowry mustered up only five points and DeMar DeRozan was ejected for a flagrant foul on Jordan Clarkson.

Jelly Fam LeBron (via @nbatv) pic.twitter.com/1MMi9zgnra

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 8, 2018

Yep LeBron def has all six infinity stones already (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/rPNhFVasAo

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 8, 2018

The post Post Up: Cavaliers Complete Sweep, Sixers Bounce Back Against Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

The Celtics just keep doing their thing, regardless of who isn’t suited up. Without Jaylen Brown (hamstring) in addition to everyone else that hasn’t appeared in the postseason for Boston, the Celtics held the 76ers at bay for 48 minutes in a win that was never particularly close.

Terry Rozier (29 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) and Jayson Tatum (28 points) couldn’t be stopped at all as they shredded the Philadelphia defense, which didn’t provide much in the way of resistance. Boston shot over 48 percent from the field and hit 17 threes. On the other side, the 76ers’ sharpshooters who were locked in against the Heat struggled mightily from three-point range. Philly shot just 5-of-26 from beyond the arc.

Scary Terry is balling out early! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/Hdmc8IbajP

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) May 1, 2018

The bulk of the 76ers’ scoring came from Joel Embiid (31 points, 13 rebounds) and Ben Simmons (18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists). But, they did commit a combined 10 turnovers, limiting their effectiveness. Robert Covington and Dario Saric couldn’t really get going.

With that said, the best player on the floor for either team might have been Al Horford (26 points on 10-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists). He did it all for Boston and while that might be reflected in Embiid and Simmons’ scoring totals, Horford helped make things a little tougher for them. And, as usual, his offensive floor-spacing was invaluable for the Celtics in terms of opening things up in the paint. The series continues on Thursday night in Boston.

The post Post Up: Undermanned Celtics Set Tone With Rout Of 76ers appeared first on SLAM.

Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier combined to score 62 points. It was Horford early on, Tatum in the third and then Rozier in the fourth as the Cs knocked out the Bucks without Jaylen Brown, who suffered a right hamstring injury in the first half.

Khris Middleton scored 32 points in the loss and Giannis Antetkounmpo provided 23 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists as well.

TERRY (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/WQ5XTBVgFM

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 29, 2018

Warriors 123, Pelicans 101 (Warriors lead series 1-0)

The Warriors pounced in the second quarter, piling on 41 points in those 12 minutes. They never looked back, getting 27 points from Klay Thompson, 26 points from Kevin Durant and 16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists from Draymond Green.

Klay's feetwork in the post. #BarbecueChicken (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/cQ7lJliGdJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 29, 2018

The post Post Up: Terry Rozier, Celtics Dominate Game 7 Against the Bucks appeared first on SLAM.

“Who?” Bledsoe replied, following Tuesday’s 120-106 Game 2 loss to Boston.

“Terry Rozier,” a reporter responded.

“I don’t even know who the f— that is,” Bledsoe said.

(Note to self: don’t call Eric Bledsoe “Drew Bledsoe.”)

Rozier finished with 23 points, eight assists and three rebounds Tuesday night, but refrained from firing back at Bledsoe.

Rozier’s response when I told him about Bledsoe’s comments: “I’m not feeding into that.” https://t.co/Sx8tbeldt5

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) April 18, 2018

Per ESPN:

If Bledsoe really doesn’t know who Rozier is he may want to figure it out going into Game 3 on Friday night in Milwaukee. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rozier is 7-of 12 in this series when guarded by Bledsoe. Bledsoe is 4-of-13 when guarded by Rozier.

“Boston, from the jump, I felt they played harder,” Bucks interim head coach Joe Prunty said. “Again, first-quarter differential, similar to the other night. Seven turnovers to start that quarter which is similar to the other night (eight in Sunday’s Game 1 loss). Loose balls, little things, even on offensive rebounds early in the game as well, the little things were problems and a lot of that added up throughout the entire game. So regroup and we’ll head back home.”

Bledsoe, who was acquired early in the season from the Phoenix Suns, was expected to take some pressure of [Giannis] Antetokounmpo and veteran Khris Middleton offensively. He is now 9-for-25 in the series and has six turnovers.

“We just got to keep fighting, playing as a team.” Bledsoe said. “Khris and Giannis are carrying the load right now. We just got to have players step up.”

The post Eric Bledsoe Says He Doesn’t Know ‘Who the F–k’ Terry Rozier is appeared first on SLAM.

Horford and Brown are the only starters from last year and they’ve been able to quickly gel with a totally overhauled roster. They’ve used their team chemistry to round up wins and because they’ve gotten to know each other so well, we sat down with them for some rapid fire questions about each other. We asked them about who has the worst and best fashion taste, who the team dad is and much more. Peep it above.

The post The Boston Celtics on Team Style, the Funniest Teammate, Kyrie’s Handles, Jaylen’s Dunks and More appeared first on SLAM.

Rozier was out there touching the sky in the black and red Nike Air Zoom Generation. It was LeBron James’ first signature sneaker, originally released back in 2003. But it’s just another sneaker in Rozier’s modest collection.

Well, maybe not so modest.

“Oh, best style?” Rozier repeats with a smile when asked who has the most sauce on the Cs. “Me, for sure. We was talking about that last night. Guys were giving it to me. Young punks like Jayson Tatum probably won’t respect it,” he jokes, with Tatum close by.

Rozier says that he and Kyrie Irving have a mutual respect for each other’s shoe game.

“Me and Kyrie was talking—obviously about shoes—he said he was going to hook me up with a couple pairs of shoes. He probably got me, like, five pairs of shoes. Kyries, Js—he’s got some Nikes with his logo. He just brought ’em to me randomly.”

Rozier’s been flaunting his collection all season long on the court, wearing the AZG, PG1, Kobe AD and even the Air Jordan XVIII, but he throws the assist to his family when it comes to most of his kicks.

“I be quick to give away my shoes,” the 23-year-old says. “I got a lot of people I give away my shoes to, my family members.”

That type of maturity and unselfishness is helping Rozier on the floor this season. He’s bringing a discipline and poise to the hardwood, constantly locking down his opponent and then dropping buckets on ’em, too. And that versatility’s reflected in his sneakers.

“I like different styles,” he says. “Back and forth from designers, Jordans, Air Forces. I switch it up. It’s all the style for me.”

—

The post Terry Rozier Has Been Balling in a Collection of Fire Kicks appeared first on SLAM.

Charlotte dropped 49 points in the first quarter — the most by any team in any quarter this season — and, despite a second half surge from Indiana, was able to hold on behind 72 combined points from Kemba Walker (41 points, 9 assists) and Nicolas Batum (31 points, 9 rebounds).

The Hornets just dropped 49 points in the 1st Q… (via @hornets) pic.twitter.com/YjveFDFjYU

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2018

Neither team had much trouble scoring in this one. Victor Oladipo led the visitors with 35 points on 21 shots while Myles Turner (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Bojan Bogdanovic (18 points) helped with the offensive load. The Hornets hit 15 threes on 33 attempts.

Lakers 102 (20-31), Nets 99 (19-34)

On the night Brook Lopez made his return to Brooklyn to take on the team whose franchise scoring list he leads, the Lakers’ young guns stole the show in a close win. Brandon Ingram (16 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists) nearly posted a triple-double and Julius Randle (19 points, 12 rebounds) dominated the Nets down low. Lopez added 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

(via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/gjqF9htDF6

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2018

Joe Harris missed the game-tying three at the buzzer for Brooklyn, which was led by Spencer Dinwiddie (23 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists) and rookie Jarrett Allen (career-high 20 points). LA won the rebounding battle by a margin of 56-38 and had 18 offensive boards, leading to 10 more field goal attempts.

Celtics 119 (38-15), Hawks 110 (15-37)

Looking for just their fifth road win of the season, the Hawks showed some life early on as they led for much of the first half. Then, the third quarter happened. Atlanta got cold while Boston got hot, and the Celtics outscored the Hawks by 41-20 in the period to take control. Terry Rozier (31 points, 7 rebounds) had another career game in the absence of Kyrie Irving. Jayson Tatum (27 points, 4 steals) played well on both ends of the floor.

The rookie spins baseline for the jam! pic.twitter.com/VkgkR9UoEJ

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 3, 2018

Taurean Prince, the injury replacement for Malcolm Brogdon in the Rising Stars Challenge, dropped 31 points and eight rebounds to pace the Hawks. Dennis Schroder had 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting.

Raptors 130 (35-16), Trail Blazers 105 (29-23)

This one was never in doubt. Toronto led by 19 after a monster first quarter and never looked back. DeMar DeRozan needed just 30 minutes to score his 35 points on a night when the Raptors went 19-for-40 from three-point range. Six Raps scored in double figures. Toronto is now 20-4 at home this season, which is the best home record in the NBA.

30 piece, no sauce… And counting. pic.twitter.com/1mCOhv5O66

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 3, 2018

Damian Lillard (32 points, 10 assists) was the best Blazer all night but — other than Jusuf Nurkic (20 points) and C.J. McCollum (21 points) — he didn’t get much help. Those three accounted for all but 32 of Portland’s total points.

Bucks 92 (28-23), Knicks 90 (23-30)

Despite going just 5-for-25 from beyond the arc, the Knicks held a slim lead down the stretch in Milwaukee before Giannis Antentokounmpo (29 points, 11 rebounds) tied up the game at 90 with two minutes left to play. New York had a pair of great chances to take the lead after that, but Tim Hardaway Jr. missed a pair of free throws and Enes Kanter‘s layup rolled off the rim. That gave Giannis a chance to be the hero, and he took full advantage.

The game-winner in Milwaukee! (via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/qfPqMynyW0

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2018

Kanter was great all game, finishing with 17 points and 18 rebounds. But, Hardaway was 1-for-14 from the field and Kristaps Porzingis (17 points, 7 rebounds) struggled with his outside shot, so points weren’t easy to come by for the Knicks. Jabari Parker scored 12 off the bench for Milwaukee in his season debut following his recovery from an ACL tear that kept him out of the lineup since last February.

76ers 103 (25-24), Heat 97 (29-23)

Even an extended 32-11 fourth quarter run by Miami couldn’t help the Heat overcome a rough first 36 minutes on Friday in Philly. The 76ers used a balanced scoring attack — all five starters had 13+ points — to build a huge lead early in the second half. But, Miami didn’t go away, cutting the Philly lead to just five with under two minutes to play. Back-to-back buckets from Ben Simmons (20 points) and Joel Embiid (17 points, 11 rebounds), though, cut down the comeback attempt.

The perks of being 7-feet tall. pic.twitter.com/rNIDj3qIN1

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2018

Kelly Olynyk scored 19 points as a reserve to lead the Heat, while Bam Adebayo (15 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists) continued to impress. Miami shot under 40 percent from the field and just 65 percent at the free throw line.

Pelicans 114 (28-23), Thunder 100 (30-23)

New Orleans needed to get back on track following consecutive post-Boogie injury losses to the Clippers and Kings, and getting a W against the Thunder in Oklahoma City certainly helps with that. Most of the work was done by Anthony Davis, who posted a casual 43-point, 10-rebound double-double. E’Twaun Moore — a very sleeper Most Improved candidate — was perfect from three-point range en route to scoring 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting.

Highlights from tonight’s win over the Thunder! #DoItBig pic.twitter.com/NoMwKs6VrG

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 3, 2018

Steven Adams (23 points, 12 rebounds) held his own with AD but even he couldn’t stop one of the Association’s most dominant big men. Weak shooting nights from Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Russell Westbrook (who put together a triple-double, but had nine turnovers) contributed to OKC’s inconsistent offense.

Jazz 129 (23-28), Suns 97 (18-35)

Phoenix didn’t exactly put up much resistance against a determined Utah team, led by super-rookie Donovan Mitchell (40 points on 14-of-19 shooting with 7 threes).

Somehow this dude fell to No. 13 (via @utahjazz) pic.twitter.com/87aSk88IHa

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2018

Mitchell is playing like the biggest steal of the entire draft right now and, in all likelihood, is Ben Simmons’ biggest competition for Rookie of the Year. Considering he was traded on draft day to the Jazz from the Nuggets for Trey Lyles, he would be one of the unlikelier ROY winners in recent memory.

Warriors 119 (41-11), Kings 104 (16-35)

After coming back from an early double-digit deficit, the Warriors kept the Kings at bay most of the game but weren’t able to make their big push until midway through the fourth quarter when Sacramento cut the Golden State lead to 89-88. The Warriors rolled off eight straight points to take back control, which is where Kevin Durant (33 points on 17 shots) took over. He scored 10 points in a row — including a pair of threes — to finally bury the Kings.

Kevin doing Kevin things #DubNation pic.twitter.com/FrLYc6ugyn

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 3, 2018

Nick Young (12 points in 16 minutes) made some big threes off the bench. Sacramento had six players score in double figures, led by Zach Randolph (18 points), but let the Warriors shoot 55 percent from the field and were outrebounded by 18. The Kings did force 25 Golden State turnovers, which let this game stay close for as long as it did.

The post Post Up: Youth Movement appeared first on SLAM.

A couple of players had memorable evenings led by C.J. McCollum. He debuted the new Li-Ning Sonic 6 model as he dropped a career-high 50 points in only three quarters of play. Terry Rozier, making his first career start for an injured Kyrie Irving, did so in style as he put up a triple-double in a custom pair of the Nike Kobe A.D. Out in Phoenix, rookie Josh Jackson matched his career-high of 21 points as he wore a new colorway of the Under Armour Heatseeker.

Peep the rest of the Wednesday’s kicks and let us know what you think of Delaney’s chances at the NBA sneaker crown and your thoughts on McCollum’s newest Li-Nings in the comments below.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

CJ McCollum had the greatest first quarter of his life — and of anyone in Trail Blazers history. He scored a franchise-record 28 points in the opening 12 minutes en route to 50 for the game, done essentially in three quarters, on 18-25 shooting. Portland led 43-19 at the end of the quarter in a game that was never close. Zach Lavine had 23 for the Bulls.

Most FG in a quarter in franchise history (11)
Most points in a quarter in franchise history (28)
Look fresh while doing it @CJMcCollum‘s recording-setting first quarter versus Bulls. pic.twitter.com/iwu3E1VCov

— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 1, 2018

Pacers 105 (29-23), Grizzlies 101 (18-32)

Myles Turner hit the go-ahead free throws with 34 seconds left to put the Pacers over the Grizzlies in a thriller. The Pacers followed those free throws with a defensive stand, preventing Memphis from getting a clean look. Bojan Bogdanovic had 21 points to lead seven Pacers players in double figures. Wayne Selden had 24 on 6-10 shooting from three.

pic.twitter.com/MaEBI2Rysr

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 1, 2018

Magic 127 (15-35), Lakers 105 (19-31)

The Magic scored 43 points in the third quarter, making nine threes in the process, to give them their highest-scoring quarter of the season. Evan Fournier hit four of those threes en route to 19 total points. Marreese Speights had 21 to lead the Magic. As for the Lakers, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson each had 20. As a team, L.A. went 4-20 from three.

(via @lakers) pic.twitter.com/71bSwfnL74

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 1, 2018

Hornets 123 (21-29), Hawks 110 (15-36)

Kemba Walker (38 points) set a franchise record with nine made threes, Nicolas Batum (10 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds) had a triple-double, and Dwight Howard (20 points, 12 rebounds) had a statement dunk to help the Hornets over the Hawks. Kemba did his damage on 9-13 shooting from three and the Hornets went 17-32 from distance overall. Kent Bazemore had 25 for the Hawks.

Dwight Howard. This is outrageous. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/I8lqX09LDs

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 1, 2018

Nets 116 (19-33), 76ers 108 (24-24)

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 27 points and Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 12 rebounds to help the Nets snap their four-game losing streak. Joel Embiid had game highs in points (29) and rebounds (16) to lead the Sixers.

BEN! (via @sixers) pic.twitter.com/bTKjvonQl0

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 1, 2018

Cavaliers 91 (30-20), Heat 89 (29-22)

The Cavs barely held on to a win over the Heat in their first game without the injured Kevin Love. With Miami playing from behind in the final minute, Cleveland tightened up defensively, not allowing the Heat to attempt a game-tying shot in their final possession. LeBron James had 24 points and 11 boards, but the Cavs shot just 35 percent for the game and 23 percent from three.

.@CJC9BOSS MODE #AllForOne pic.twitter.com/w5XKAxu3dd

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 1, 2018

Celtics 103 (37-15), Knicks 73 (23-29)

In a game they already had under control, the Celtics held the Knicks to just eight points in the fourth quarter to turn a comfortable win into a laugher. Overall, Boston outscored New York 22-8 in the fourth quarter and 53-38 in the second half. The Knicks’ numbers reflected their struggles. They shot 32 percent for the game and went 3-17 from three. Enes Kanter did his part with 17 points and 17 rebounds, but six Celtics scored in double figures, led by Marcus Morris, who had 20. Terry Rozier (17 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds) also recorded a triple-double in his first career start.

Something in the water in Boston tonight? Sheesh. (via @Celtics) pic.twitter.com/k1xIwQak4W

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 1, 2018

Suns 102 (18-34), Mavericks 88 (16-36)

Josh Jackson scored 21 points and T.J. Warren had 20 to power the Suns over the Mavericks in the NBA’s night cap. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Phoenix, but it came at a cost. Late in the first quarter, Isaiah Canaan took a hard fall and suffered a gruesome leg injury. The team later announced that he has a fractured left ankle. Dennis Smith Jr. had 17 to lead the Mavericks.

EPIC DUNK ALERT! pic.twitter.com/0YIAFrUyoQ

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 1, 2018

The post Post Up: CJ’s World appeared first on SLAM.

Charlotte took care of business against a Knicks team without Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Hornets opened up a 25-point lead in the second quarter and never took their foot off the pedal.

Frank Kaminsky had a game-high 24 points on 10-13 FG.

Celtics 112 (26-7), Pacers 111 (17-14)

Indiana valiantly battled back from a 19-point deficit to take a 5-point lead with 30 seconds remaining.

A Kyrie Irving (30 points) three-pointer cut the lead to 1 with 9 seconds left, and then… Indiana turned the ball over on the final possession.

Terry Rozier picked off a pass by Bojan Bogdanovic and slammed home the game-winning bucket with a second left on the clock.

ROZIER WITH THE STEAL! (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/msfyWOGFqh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2017

Heat 104 (15-15), Hawks 110 (7-23)

After dropping their last four games, Atlanta held on to beat a severely undermanned Heat squad.

Miami was without Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, James Johnson and Justise Winslow, but managed to cut a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to just 1 with a minute remaining.

The Hawks, however, rattled off 8 points in the final 50 seconds and get the win. Kent Bazemore had 16, 7 dimes and 5 steals.

Sixers 115 (14-15), Bulls 117 (9-20)

Since the return of Nikola Mirotic, Chicago has ripped off six straight wins. Coincidence?

Mirotic has been on an offensive tear, averaging 20 points on 65.1 true shooting.

He went for 22 and 13 in 26 minutes off the bench and had no problem dicing up whatever defender Philly threw at him.

Niko put Saric in a blender (via @chicagobulls) pic.twitter.com/YEYWw7FRcx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2017

Jazz 99 (14-17), Rockets 120 (25-4)

Utah had a 5-point lead with 9 minutes left in the game when the Rockets went nuclear.

Houston ripped off 41 points in the quarter to finish the game with a 21-point lead. Their offense is literally that potent.

Clint Capela had 24 points (10-12 FG) and 20 boards as the Rockets won their 14th straight.

Harden got ‘em dancing already (via @HoustonRockets) https://t.co/enrXHrcaAo

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2017

Blazers 107 (16-14), Wolves 108 (18-13)

Portland held a 10-point lead with just over 7 minutes left in the fourth, only to lose it all later in the game.

Jimmy Butler had a game-high 37 points as Minnesota finished their 5-game homestand with a record of 3-2.

Nuggets 94 (16-14), Thunder 95 (15-15)

OKC may not be winning pretty, but they’re winning.

The Thunder had a 15-point lead in the second quarter, but fell down by 10 points in the fourth.

Russell Westbrook, however, wouldn’t be denied. He scored 16 of his game-high 38 points in the final 9:41 to will OKC to victory.

Suns 97 (11-21), Mavs 91 (8-23)

Phoenix outscored the Mavs by 13 points in the fourth quarter to earn their second straight road win.

The Mavs shot just 36.4 percent in a game that could have lottery implications down the line.

Clippers 91 (11-18), Spurs 109 (21-10)

Even with Kawhi Leonard playing just 16 minutes and Tony Parker just 23, San Antonio had no problem beating the Clippers.

The Spurs went on an 18-4 run in the third quarter to essentially put the game out of reach.

The loss was the third straight for the Clippers.

Warriors 116 (24-6), Lakers 114 (10-18) (OT)

While the game itself was overshadowed by Kobe Bryant’s jersey retirement ceremony, the Lakers and Warriors finished the night strong with an OT thriller.

Kevin Durant (36 points) couldn’t find his shot all night until overtime—when he scored 12 of the Warriors’ 14 points.

He hit a game-winning pull-up with 6.4 seconds left to give Golden State their ninth straight W.

KD IS NOT NICE

(via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/zYm8r3LMFB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2017

BONUS: You can watch Kobe’s full jersey(s) enshrinement speech here, but I found this quote the most interesting.

It’s not a new revelation from Kobe, but it was well-delivered and heartfelt—a direct message to his daughters.

Kobe: "Those times when you get up early and you work hard. Those times you stay up late and you work hard. Those times when you don't feel like working. You're too tired. You don't want to push yourself, but you do it anyway… That is actually the dream." #Ko8e24

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2017

The post Post Up: KD Takes Over OT appeared first on SLAM.

In the second quarter of Game 5, Boston’s young guard got out on the break and elevated for a MONSTER slam.

Terry Rozier GOT UP pic.twitter.com/klw8GcqL9r

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2017

Check out how far he took off from. That’s nasty.

Video via NBA Daily.

Related
Terry Rozier Finds Avery Bradley for the Halfcourt Alley-Oop

The post WATCH: Terry Rozier Elevates for Monster Slam appeared first on SLAM.

First he got posterized by Richard Jefferson, and then Jefferson swung back over his head.

https://youtu.be/dqYOlyuDjCg

And just to top things off, Rozier picked up a technical foul for throwing the ball at Jefferson.

The post WATCH: Richard Jefferson Dunks On Terry Rozier appeared first on SLAM.

When the Cs get healthy, and if they continue making plays like this, look out.

The post Terry Rozier Finds Avery Bradley for the Halfcourt Alley-Oop appeared first on SLAM.

adidas Basketball has formally announced the signing of 2015 NBA rookies Kelly Oubre and Terry Rozier today. We’d heard the rumblings about Oubre and even confirmed with him during the Rookie Photo Shoot earlier this summer, but now it’s all official from the three stripes. Oubre and Rozier join Heat rookie Justise Winslow as rookies to officially join adidas. Here’s what the brand had to say in a press release:

adidas today announced partnerships with first round NBA draft picks Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Washington Wizards and Terry Rozier of the Boston Celtics.

 

Oubre Jr. and Rozier join the ranks of an adidas basketball roster highlighted by NBA All-Stars James Harden of the Houston Rockets, John Wall of the Washington Wizards, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers and 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls.

 

The rookies will be featured in a variety of upcoming adidas initiatives and will play a critical role in the development of basketball footwear and apparel.

 

“Kelly and Terry are outstanding athletes with incredible passion for the game and unique style off the court,” said Chris Grancio, adidas global basketball general manager. “We’re moving in a new direction, and adding the best young talent is essential to building a successful future. We’re excited to welcome them both to the adidas Basketball family.”

The post adidas Announces Partnerships With Rookies Kelly Oubre Jr. and Terry Rozier appeared first on SLAM.

When Terry Rozier declared for the NBA Draft last week, most assumed that he would be staying in for good. The Louisville sophomore led the Cardinal to the Elite 8 and solidified his stock in the eyes of the NBA in the process. Still, Rozier had the option to return to school if he desired to do so. He made things official today, signing with Aaron Turner of Verus Management Team, along with teammate Wayne Blackshear.

“I’m excited to sign with Aaron and the Verus team,” Rozier said at a signing dinner at Cleveland’s Red The Steakhouse. “I’m looking forward to showing teams that I am a point guard and improving every day.”

Rozier will join fellow Cleveland product and current Sixers forward JaKarr Sampson with the multi-sport agency. The Youngstown native played his high school ball at Shaker Heights before spending a post-grad year at Hargrave Military Academy. He averaged 17 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game as a sophomore at Louisville and will look to prove to teams that he is ready to make the transition to point guard full-time at the NBA level.

Blackshear had a four-year career at Louisville that was plagued with injuries, yet showed flashes of brilliance. The Chicago product was a McDonald’s All-American in 2011 after a storied career at Morgan Park and for the Mac Irvin Fire on the AAU circuit. He displayed his serious talent late in his senior campaign, culminating with his 28-point outburst against Michigan State in the Elite 8. Now, he’s ready to show NBA executives that is something that he has the potential to do on a consistent basis.

“I’m looking forward to getting an opportunity to show what I can do in front of teams,” a confident Blackshear explained. “I’m going to be putting in work on my ball-handling, creating my own shot, and getting shots up from the NBA three point line.”

The post Louisville’s Terry Rozier Hires Agent, Officially Staying in NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

by Rodger Bohn / @rodgerbohn

The annual showdown between Oak Hill Academy and Hargrave Military not only serves as a battle of two of the nation’s top boarding schools, but also ends much of the debate as to who the top team in Virginia is. Always held on a neutral site, the game moved to Danville after being held in Roanoke for 2011. George Washington high school played host to what was ultimately a sold out crowd of basketball aficionados packed like sardines into the sold out gym to get a glimpse at the best that the state has to offer.

The scrimmage was played in two 20-minute halves, with the clock going back to zero at the end of each. An extra 15-minute session was thrown on at the conclusion in effort to give the reserves a chance to get a little shine.

Oak Hill swept all three sessions, though they were all contested. Oak Hill won the first half 51-42 and the second 45-42, with both sides playing this like it was their biggest game of the year. They completed the sweep by winning the third session with their reserves, where Brandon Jennings’ baby bro (Terrence Phillips) put in work against Hargrave’s second team.

All in all, it was a highly competitive evening of basketball that offered fans a glimpse of nearly a dozen high-major players. Here’s a look at five guys who really caught our eye:

Terry Rozier, 6-2, Point Guard, Hargrave Military Academy, 2013

The best senior that the Class of 2012 had to offer from Ohio was forced to spend an extra year at the prep level to get his grades right, but has taken his game to another level in the process. The Louisville commit showed this against Oak Hill en route to 33 points and put the ball in the bucket in just about every way imaginable. Rozier shot the ball well from deep, finished in traffic when he got to the lane, and threw up a number of creative finishes when he was in between the two. Terry’s point guard skills are still a work in progress, but the Cleveland native was good coming off of high ball screens and showed the sold out crowd why Louisville is so excited to have him next year.

Nate Britt, 6-1, Point Guard, Oak Hill Academy, 2013

A fixture among top-100 rankings since he entered high school, Nate Britt has continually shown improvement in his game and that continued against Hargrave. Though he only finished with 20 points and 4 assists, his impact on the game went far beyond the box score. The ambidextrous playmaker not only finished in the paint with both hands, but made difficult passes for scoring opportunities with both as well. Heading to North Carolina next year, Britt’s poise and ability to play the game at different speeds should help ease his transition to the collegiate level.

Troy Williams, 6-6, Small Forward, Oak Hill Academy, 2013

Tom Crean was in the building to watch Troy Williams, and Williams did not disappoint. Finishing with a stat-stuffing 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, he showed the way his all-around game has evolved over the years. Troy was great in transition (both as a finisher and ball-handler), got off the floor blazingly fast with his second leap, and showed some growth on the defensive end. Williams appears to be down to Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State, Alabama, North Carolina and Georgetown with a decision to come sometime this winter.

Rokas Gustys, 6-8, Power Forward/Center, Oak Hill Academy, 2014

The biggest surprise for us (both literally and figuratively) at the scrimmage was Rokas Gustys. Standing 6 8 and a solid 260 pounds, Gustys was a wall for any Hargrave player who looked to bring the ball in the paint. Not just a sheer enforcer, he showed off a pair of great hands, utilized pump fakes, and finished nearly everything around the cup. It’s still early in the recruitment process for Rokas, but expect him to get mad love as more people begin to see him.

Sindarius Thornwell, 6-5, Shooting Guard, Oak Hill Academy, 2013

Scoring machine Sindarius Thornwell didn’t have it going against Hargrave and only finished with 16 points, but within those 16 showed fans why he was one of the most coveted shooting guards in the country. Thornwell drilled a pair of threes, attacked the rim mercilessly, and used his physicality on both ends of the court. South Carolina has a lot to look forward to in Sindarius, who is their highest ranked recruit in recent memory.

Video courtesy of CityLeagueHoops.

The post Battle of Virginia appeared first on SLAM.