If you’re not on the Tajh bandwagon, we suggest you board soon.

The Southern California roots run deep for the 6-9 junior. Not only did his father, Trevor, win an NBA championship with the Lakers, but his mother, Lana, grew up on Nipsey and his impact. Now Tajh is forging his own path, not only with a West Coast staple, but also on the court at Westchester High School (where his dad starred back in the day).

The recently announced collaboration is very intentional. Comprised of graphic heavy tees, the limited edition capsule collection features designs inspired by both Ariza and his Westchester teammates. The color scheme—consisting of red, white and black—pays homage to Westchester’s palette and Tajh’s Japanese roots.

A bulk of the proceeds will go to support the Westchester High School basketball team, a local public school, and their efforts to grow as a program and compete nationally. 

The debut of this highly anticipated Los Angeles alliance takes place tonight during the Westside Tip-Off Classic, where Westchester will be seen rocking the collection on opening night.

The late Nipsey Hussle had a dream of building up his community. While he is no longer physically here with us, his legacy lives on and Tajh’s journey begins while carrying the torch. This newfound union between Ariza and TMC proves that.

To help support the Westchester basketball program, the Tajh Ariza x TMC Collection can be found here. 

The post HS Star Tajh Ariza Teams Up with Nipsey Hussle’s Brand The Marathon Clothing appeared first on SLAM.

A little over 24 hours before being drafted 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, Dalton Knecht was in our office getting up shots on the mini hoop.

While the SEC’s scoring average leader from last season made his way around to the 10 designated shooting spots we’ve laid out across the floor, we realized that the final sticker got swept up in the hustle of the day. So instead, we gave him the option to shoot from anywhere on the floor. He could go back to the faux free-throw line, try another from the couch or hit a simple layup. Instead, with a pure shooter’s mentality, Knecht took several steps back into the hallway, putting at least 25 feet of distance between himself and the hoop that’s bolted to the opposing cement wall and netted the shot.

“I felt that confidence arise from the moment I touched a basketball,” Knecht says. “My parents have always made me super confident, always told me [to] trust your hard work. I always felt like that. So no matter what, when I step on that court, I’m gonna be the most confident player on that court.

Knecht is a gym rat, whether that’s on a regulation-sized hoop or not. He’s drawn to the hardwood and its sights and sounds; the screeching of herringbone traction patterned outsoles, the smell of repolished floors and the sound of the leather ball falling through aged nets. It’s an obsession that he’s fostered meticulously over the past five years while on a journey exclusive to him and him alone. 

“I’d say it’s just kind of like home. When you’re in the gym, playing your own music, whatever you want, and you just go out hooping, either with some friends or just by yourself, you just go there to fall out of reality, just being on your own, flow on your own stuff,” Knecht says.

Hailing from Thornton, CO, the 6-6 23-year-old, in a purely figurative sense, lit the Thompson-Boling Arena ablaze every single night as a fifth-year transfer at Tennessee. From JUCO to the Big Sky to playing under head coach Rick Barnes, Knecht stormed into the SEC with a chip carved into his shoulder this past season, averaging a team-high 21.7 points and 4.9 boards a game while shooting a ridiculous 39.7 percent from deep. He dropped a 40 burger on Kentucky in early March, became the first player in the SEC since Shaquille O’Neal to score back-to-back 35-pieces and took home SEC Player of the Year in unanimous fashion.

Knecht’s story is the annual reminder that there are guys all throughout mid-major programs who belong on the biggest stage in college basketball. All they need is a sliver of opportunity. And Knecht snatched his in an instant.

Without an influx of offers after graduating from Prairie View High School in 2019, Knecht elected to go the junior college route. Surrounded by acres of prairie fields in the high plains of Sterling, CO, he poured his days into the gym. After two seasons and a first-team NJCAA All-American selection to his name, he set his sights on the Power Five conferences. And then the pandemic happened. So he adjusted, transferring from Northeastern Junior College to Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference. 

As a junior, Knecht acclimated himself to DI competition amidst a nagging injury and a stacked roster filled with upperclassmen. Enter his senior year, where his 8.9 points per game from the season prior erupted into 20.2 alongside the Big Sky scoring title, only confirming what he’d believed for years: betting on himself was worth it. So he decided to do it again.

On March 23, 2023, with a year of eligibility remaining, Knecht entered the NCAA transfer portal. Colorado, Oregon, Indiana and Tennessee all came knocking. But there was a glaring difference between the Volunteers and the rest of the pack: head coach Rick Barnes had coached Knecht’s favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant.

Knecht will be the first to admit he’s painstakingly combed through all of KD’s highlights on YouTube. He may not have the same funky warm-up routine as the two-time NBA champ, yet Knecht has drawn an affinity between their games.

“I tried to apply as much as I can to my game, and it kind of just carried on to watching—at Tennessee with Coach Barnes—a lot of Kevin Durant’s highlights, as well as Devin Booker’s,” Knecht says. “So, I just try to take as many players as I can and put it in my game.”

Throughout the year, Barnes and his starting guard sat in the film room and dissected Durant’s highs and lows from his lone season in Austin. They studied his cadence with the rock, his mastery of time and possession and his fluidity in iso scenarios. But mainly, they’d watch Durant’s monumental game against Texas Tech that featured 37 points and 23 rebounds.

It didn’t even take a full game before Knecht started amassing his own mix of highlights that Barnes will surely show to his pupils in the future. “I’d say that dunk was Coach’s favorite memory.”

“That dunk” was actually a full-on poster. With 15 minutes left in the second half of a “friendly” exhibition against Michigan State in late October, Knecht found himself pushing the pace up the backcourt. In a moment’s notice, he turned on the jets, lost his defender with a clean wrap-around the back at the three-point line, took two steps, rose up with the ball cradled in his right arm and threw down a silencing dunk on another Spartan defender. Straight filthy. The epitome of a body.

“The first thought was…I don’t even know. To be honest, I can’t even remember. But I just know before the game, one of my coaches, Rod Clark, he told me to go punch it on somebody if you get the chance. And I had the chance in the first half and I didn’t,” he says. “Then the second time, you kind of saw what happened, and to see my teammates’ reactions, like Josiah [-Jordan James] running up to me, was priceless. It was fun, just putting on a show and showing what I could do to the world.”

The poster heard from East Lansing to the Rocky Top set the standard of what was to come from No. 3 in Knoxville. Knecht has a knack for leading conferences in scoring. Go ask the NJCAA, Big Sky and SEC. Lights out shooting was a constant, curls in the midrange were automatic, putback dunks came and went and dusting defenders at the three-point line while finishing contested lays became routine.

“He also taught me on the offensive side about showing where gaps are and reading my secondary guy, ’cause Coach [Barnes] always told me you can get by your guy at any time, you just gotta worry about the secondary people,” Knecht says.

With around 20 hours between him and his hometown, Knecht scored tons of buckets night after night, helping to lead the Volunteers to the Elite Eight, where they fell to Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers, despite Knecht dominating with 37 points and cashing in 6 threes.

After long years spent honing his craft and waiting for the opportunity to place his bet, Knecht saw decades of self-belief and confidence validated by the highest entity in hoops on June 26, when the Lakers snagged him with the No. 17 pick.

Some say he came out of nowhere last season, but the good people of Thornton, Sterling, Greeley and Knoxville have been tapped in for years. Meanwhile, Rob Pelinka told reporters that new Lakers coach JJ Redick has already started drawing up pindown and ATO actions for his rookie sharpshooter.

“My journey’s not like everybody else’s, and that’s OK,” Knecht told reporters in his first press conference as a Laker. “Just creating my path is something special, and a lot of kids will look up to it. It’s really cool to write my own story.”

Portraits by Eli Selva. Photos via Getty Images.

The post Knecht Four: Lakers Rookie Dalton Knecht Talks About His Rise From Junior College, to Tennessee to the League appeared first on SLAM.

20. Jason Richardson

Don’t let those epic dunk contests—and they were definitely epic—in the early 2000s distract you from the bigger picture: Jason Richardson was an all-around hooper who had an incredibly productive 13-year NBA career. The Michigan native was the fifth overall pick in the 2001 Draft and made an immediate impact for the Warriors, posting 14.4 ppg as a rookie. For the next nine seasons, his scoring average never dipped below 15 and rose as high as 23.2 in 2005-06. Perhaps the most telling stat about J-Rich? Of the 857 games he appeared in, he started 842 of them.

19. Richard Jefferson

Kids, listen up: Before Richard Jefferson was on TV talking about the game, the man could flat out ball. The versatile forward out of Arizona played for eight teams over a 17-year NBA career. He was a key piece of a notable New Jersey Nets squad that reached the Finals twice, falling short to the Lakers in 2002 and the Spurs in 2003. RJ would finally get his ring as a veteran in 2016, coming off the bench for the Cavaliers when they overcame a 3-1 deficit to topple the Warriors.

18. Lamar Odom

A 6-10 point forward from Queens, NY, Lamar Odom’s game was extremely unique and made him extremely difficult to contain. He could handle the ball, initiate fastbreaks and orchestrate the offense. He had outstanding court vision and knew how to make plays for his teammates. As he once told SLAM, “Since New York City basketball is mainly a guard’s game, I learned how to be a guard.” He could control the post, isolate on the wing and work off the ball. That versatile skill set led L.O. to become a 2x NBA Champion and the 2011 Sixth Man of the Year. From 1999-2011, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4 assists. 

17. Rajon Rondo

Shortly after 4x All-Star and 2x Champion Rajon Rondo, who ranks 15^th on the NBA’s all-time assist list, made his retirement official back in April, LeBron James said this about his former teammate: “One of the best players I ever played with. Obviously, his IQ was out of this world. I was very lucky to get to team up with him…’Do always talked about if he ever teamed up with me, he knew we could win a championship. And we did that.” When you earn praise like that from one of the greatest to ever do it, nothing else needs to be said. Rondo returned to camp as a participant in the Top 100 coaching program, paying it forward to the next generation of basketball greats. 

16. Joe Johnson

It didn’t matter what uniform he was wearing or what arena he was hooping in or who was guarding him, you could always count on Iso Joe to take over in crunch time. The man had ice in his veins. During his 18 years in the League, Johnson hit an absurd amount of clutch shots and game-winners. His best years were spent with the Hawks, but the talented guard also got buckets for the Suns and Nets. He scored over 20,000 points for his career, made seven All-Star teams and delivered countless unforgettable moments.

15. LaMarcus Aldridge 

He was one of the top high school prospects in the nation, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year while at Texas, the second overall pick in 2006 and a 7x NBA All-Star. And still, LaMarcus Aldridge’s career tends to be underrated. From 2008-20, the big man averaged 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds. During that stretch, when LMA caught it on the low post, it was game over. He was a maestro in the mid-range, and his touch around the basket was always money. Just ask Trail Blazers’ and Spurs’ fans about Aldridge—they’ll have a lot of fond memories of watching this dude ball.

14. Jermaine O’Neal

A superstar at Eau Claire High School in Columbia, SC, O’Neal jumped straight to the NBA in 1996, drafted with the 17^th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. It would take several years and a trade to the Indiana Pacers for J.O. to unlock his full potential in the League, but when he finally did, the big man was a serious problem. He won the Most Improved Player award in 2001-02 and appeared in six straight All-Star Games from 2002-07. Overall, he spent 18 seasons in the NBA with seven different franchises, but that run with the Pacers was definitely the most memorable. And in a full circle moment, his son, Jermaine O’Neal Jr., is attending this year’s camp. 

13. Trae Young

A lot of crazy crossovers and nutmegs and lobs and deep threes come to mind when you think of Trae Young, and rightfully so. But the image that stands out the most? The Atlanta Hawks guard at Madison Square Garden, holding a finger to his lips after silencing the crowd with a game-winning floater during a first-round playoff matchup against the Knicks in 2021. Shhhh. That moment perfectly captured Young: a fiery, fearless, trash-talking competitor with the ridiculous talent to back it up. There’s a reason they call him Ice Trae.

12. Jaylen Brown

Here’s how Kemba Walker described Jaylen Brown to SLAM back in 2020, when the two were teammates: “He’s a guy who’s worked extremely hard at his game. He can do it all. He can score, he can pass, he can rebound, he can shoot. He’s fearless. He’s a competitor.” Brown was Georgia’s Mr. Basketball in 2015 and played one season at the University of California, Berkeley, before being drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics in 2016. The athletic forward has blossomed into a star for the Cs, helping them contend in the Eastern Conference year after year after year. Since attending Top 100, Brown has stayed involved with the NBPA, becoming one of the youngest players elected to the NBPA Executive Committee in 2019.

11. DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan’s journey has brought him from the West Coast (Compton and Los Angeles) to the North (Toronto) to the South (San Antonio) to the Midwest (Chicago). Along the way, he’s been a McDonald’s All-American, a Pac-10 Tournament MVP, a lottery pick in 2009 and a 6x NBA All-Star. He spent the first nine years of his NBA career in The 6, where he became the Raptors’ all-time leading scorer and reached the playoffs five times. He’s had more standout moments since, including averaging a career-high 27.9 points with the Bulls in 2021-22. Salute to a real one.

Action photo via Getty Images.

The post NBPA Top 100 Camp Top 30 Players: 20-11 appeared first on SLAM.

At this exact moment in time, there are “a million things” running through his head. He can’t really focus, so instead, he dials in on the game ahead. Having just come off an injury that cost him 10 games, he goes out and drops 26 in a 1-point loss. When his on-court obligations are done and he has a moment to himself, he thinks back to what he heard hours prior. He’s an All-Star. 

“I had to kind of take a step back after the game and really breathe and sit in the moment and really appreciate how far I’ve come. [It was] definitely a special moment for me and my family,” he tells SLAM over the phone.

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 4: Tyrese Haliburton is available now!

For an Oshkosh, WI, kid who was a three-star recruit in high school to become an NBA All-Star seems otherworldly. But this is Tyrese Haliburton we’re talking about. His game has always been deemed unconventional. His Midwest charm has him come off as more of a homie than a celebrity—not just to fans, but to the media, too. When you combine exceptional talent with an unmatched work ethic and an ever-present smile, it’s no surprise that good things come his way. Really, really good things, even when, at times, things have seemed out of his control, like the midseason trade that sent him to Indiana in the first place, or even injuries. Today, he’s a walking double-double machine, one of the most fun players to watch in the L and beloved in the Hoosier State and beyond. 

I think the city of Indianapolis has been yearning for a guy that they can relate to and help lead the organization.

– Tyrese Haliburton

For Haliburton, Indiana isn’t just where he plays—it’s home. He’s embracing the city and the people and often takes old teammates or friends who are in town to his go-to spot, Savor, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Carmel. “I think people see me as, like, one of them,” he says. “I think that people can see that I can relate to the way that they grew up and the weather they grew up in and all that stuff. And then I think, like, [people say] ‘Midwest nice’ is a real thing and who I am as a person.”

And just as he’s shown Indy love, the city has shown him love right back. When we talked to Caitlin Cooper, an Indiana native and one of the brightest basketball minds in the game, who also runs a blog called “Basketball, She Wrote,” she admitted that Hoosiers haven’t always been the most excited to cheer on their hometown team…until now. 

“I can only speak to my experience, but basketball means a lot to Indiana,” she told us last summer. “But I wouldn’t say that NBA basketball has always meant a lot to Indiana. When I was growing up—I grew up watching the NBA because that’s what my dad watched—you would always say that’s where the best basketball players in the world play. That’s where I want to learn from. So that’s what we watched. [But] I didn’t know any other Pacer fans. And now I can tell you that you’re starting to sense a shift—I’ve talked to people who would have never talked to me about the Pacers before, and they’re like, I gotta get on the ground floor [of] this. They’re building something special and that Tyrese Haliburton is a really entertaining guy to watch.”

Haliburton feels it, too.

“I think the city of Indianapolis has been yearning for a guy that they can relate to and help lead the organization,” he says. “So I think that’s just been a really natural fit for me, [it’s] why I fit so well.”

Haliburton is playing even better than he was last season; he’s currently averaging 21.8 points and 11.7 assists per game, both career highs. His goal, as he emphasized in the cover story of SLAM 245, has always been to win, especially now. Accolades aside, he’s playing for something bigger than himself: “I think that for me, individually, I’ve accomplished what most people want to in their careers. I’ve gotten a big contract. I’ve been an All Star. I’ve done a lot for myself individually—more than I ever thought was possible. And so, now it’s about team success and wanting to win.”

And yet, the awards keep piling on. At press time, his name is sitting at the top of the All-Star voting returns for guards in the East, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect as Indianapolis hosts the All-Star Game for the first time since 1985. The city is hyped, and so is its franchise star, who will be suiting up in the game yet again.  

“I think you always hear people say, It’s not just basketball in Indiana. Like, it’s really a lifestyle, you know?” Haliburton says. “I think that’s what people are excited about: you see the court in the airport, how cool that is? That’s just a microcosm of how excited the city is. The cool part is that I think people who aren’t from Indy or [have] never been to Indy don’t understand how capable Indiana is of running large events. 

“Indiana has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours. It’s more than capable. So, that’s the exciting part, too. I’m excited to see the city have success and people get out a little bit more in the city than they’re used to.” He also adds: “I’m really excited for the younger generation here, I think that’ll be cool for them to see.” 

When we put Tyrese on the cover of SLAM 245, the cover read “No Ceilings,” and now, looking back, it seems almost like a prophecy. Here he is, a star player reaching new heights yet again, putting on for a city that’s about to host the biggest weekend in basketball. We can only imagine how much he’ll be smiling come All-Star Sunday, when he hears his name called yet again. 

COP YOUR ALL-STAR VOL. 4 COVER TEES

Photos via Getty Images. Portrait by Marcus Stevens.

The post Tyrese Haliburton Reflects on NBA All-Star and What the Game Truly Means to Indy appeared first on SLAM.

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

Forget how Merriam-Webster defines “iconic,” here’s how it should be defined: someone who or something that makes an enormous impact not only through his or her or its presence but also through his or her or its absence. 

“Iverson left.” 

Those were the first two words I remember hearing from Tony Gervino when he called from the NBA’s rookie orientation in Florida where we were shooting what would become the 1996 Draft fold-out cover. This was a huge shoot for us, and now we weren’t gonna have the first overall pick. (This news overshadowed the far funnier story of us having to keep a curious Todd Fuller—11th overall pick, Golden State Warriors—from wandering into the shoot. As an aside to an aside, if we included Golden State’s Draft pick, we probably would have taken out Kobe and wow how things could have been different.) 

“Iverson left.” This wasn’t good.

Over the years, we became incredibly familiar with those words, with that happenstance. Iverson was always there on the court and almost never there for photo shoots. He was 12 hours late for the SLAM 32 “Soul on Ice” shoot, dipped from practice (yes, yes, I know) entirely before we were supposed to shoot him for SLAM 42 the following year. We’d driven from New York to Philly, Clay Patrick McBride had everything set up, done the test shots and for a while we just stood around, hoping beyond hope he’d come back. He didn’t. We finally broke it all down and drove back. Instead, we eventually shot him in a room off to the side at an arena—grabbed him for literally a minute before a game and shot maybe one roll. For the record, every frame was amazing.

But it’s that rookie cover I keep going back to, and how Iverson’s absence ended up defining it better than his presence ever could have. It helped of course that Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen and Steve Nash ended up Hall of Famers (and Stephon Marbury and Jermaine O’Neal should be). In a way, Iverson being on there would have completed it. But in another way, his not being on there makes it cooler. This might just be me after-the-fact rationalizing, but I don’t think so.

Iverson had already had his debut SLAM cover by then, an action shot while he was at Georgetown that Scoop had to convince Dennis would work. He’d get another in short order, “Who’s Afraid of Allen Iverson?” on the June ’97 issue. This was the proto-Iverson, a skinny little dude with one tattoo on his bicep, cornrows, a single long gold chain. This is who the mainstream sports media was railing against? By then he’d been Rookie of the Year, dropped 40-plus in five straight games, dropped Michael Jordan with a quick bap-bap, BAP-BAP crossover (and earned the GOAT’s ire in their previous matchup by proclaiming he didn’t have to respect anybody). Iverson loved Jordan, still does, but on the court? No love there.

Off the court though? I gave Iverson a copy of that “Who’s Afraid of Allen Iverson?” issue—we all used to carry copies of the latest issues to give to players—and in return he gave me a big hug. This was the first time I’d met him. But that’s how Allen Iverson was, and how he is. If he loves you, he shows it. I think of Sosa talking to Tony Montana in Scarface and saying, “There’s no lying in you, Tony.” There’s no lying in Iverson either. The last time I saw him, a couple years ago, he gave me a hug, too. “Who’s Afraid of Allen Iverson?” Someone who never interacted with him, that’s for sure.

The “Soul on Ice” cover, which came nearly two years later (March ’99) happened with the NBA still in the throes of a lockout (note the “84% NBA Free!” in the upper left corner). It—both the cover shoot and the story—were part of a larger Iverson media push, so both the shoot and the interview for it were slotted in right before The Source Sports (The Source’s sports offshoot). We had to hire his hairstylist to both unbraid and re-braid his hair so he wouldn’t go into the Source Sports shoot still sporting a blowout. Of course in those pre-social media days, it was actually possible to keep a secret, so when the cover hit, no one was expecting it (an editor at Sports Illustrated actually asked Tony how we got him to wear a wig).

The interview happened in the morning and was something he wasn’t late for—I rode around NYC in a limo as he went to Modell’s HQ with Reebok (and stopped in the diamond district to get a massive piece of platinum and diamond jewelry repaired) and then out to Teterboro Airport. There, a Source Sports guy would accompany him on the flight and I’d catch a car service back to Manhattan. Now, Iverson is clearly not and never has been a morning guy unless he’s coming at it from the other side and preferably from the Main Line TGI Fridays. But he was still cool and compelling and heartfelt and honest to a fault—asked if he could be any other NBA player, he eschewed his childhood hero MJ (by then retired again) and went with Latrell Sprewell, who had yet to be reinstated by the NBA after choking coach PJ Carlesimo. It’s kind of crazy to think that at the time, he was still just 23 years old and hadn’t even been an All-Star yet. That summer, when KICKS Magazine opened to include all brands (it launched as Nike-only), he was on the cover of that, too.

In 2001, Iverson became a god. There was the All-Star Game in DC in February, where he scored 15 of his 25 points in a furious fourth-quarter comeback from down 21 to win by 1. He was, of course, named MVP. On top of that he dropped 50-plus twice in the regular season and won MVP, dropped 50-plus twice more in a seven-game series against Toronto (and posted a season-high 16 assists in the closeout game), and took the undermanned Sixers to the Finals to face an undefeated Lakers juggernaut that he promptly defeated in Game 1 in Los Angeles with a 48-point masterpiece. To paraphrase then-SportsCenter anchor Dan Patrick, you couldn’t stop Allen Iverson or hope to contain him.

People tried, of course. That magical year in Philly did not lead to sustained postseason success, the clashes with Larry Brown did not cease, the local sports radio call-in types did not become rational. Iverson continued to be judged for what he didn’t do (show up to every practice, shoot at a high percentage) rather than what he did (carry a team on his back every f*cking game). I am half convinced that the analytic nerd obsession with “efficiency” was at least in part embraced because it discredited Iverson, a guy whose misses wouldn’t have even been shots for someone who didn’t have his crossover or first step or long arms or big hands or sheer fearlessness to drive again and again into the teeth of physical defenses.

Here was a guy who stood 6-0 (maybe), weighed 165 pounds (maybe) and led the League in minutes per game seven times! He averaged over 40 minutes a game for his career!

He was as superhuman as could be, but Iverson remained a hero to most for his humanity, in a way that even Jordan never was. Jordan always seemed to be above the fray even when he was in it, unreal even when he was standing right in front of you. The myth became the man. Iverson? He was the people’s champ long before Paul Wall, grindin’ out of VA before The Clipse. If you were a young NBA fan, Iverson was a guy who dressed like you, listened to the same music you did; he faced untold struggles and doubters and still he rose. He was a hip-hop icon who was himself of hip-hop, with the cornrows and the throwbacks and the jewelry and even the (unreleased) album. He did commercials with Jadakiss, pushed a Bentley, kept crazy hours and still dropped 45 whenever he felt like it.

Let’s talk about the throwbacks for a minute. His wearing his own Wilt-era No. 3 Hardwood Classics jersey on the cover of SLAM 32 was instrumental in kicking off the whole craze and making the Mitchell & Ness flagship store in Philly a must-hit spot for everyone (including us). AI even rocked throwbacks on the bench when he was out—I distinctly remember him wearing an Abdul-Jabbar Bucks joint in Milwaukee—but, despite the NBA brand synchronicity, the NBA commissioner didn’t love it. There were rumblings of an NBA dress code long before one was ever implemented. So when we were brainstorming ideas for Iverson on the February ’05 cover, I came up with this: What if we shoot Iverson in a suit? 

The first question was whether he’d be down to do it, which he was. Phew. The second question was, did he even own a suit? The last time he wore one was probably when he got drafted. The answer to that, at least in terms of whether he had one he’d be willing to be shot in, was no. So he had one made. If you look at that cover with its black-and-white Atiba Jefferson photo, you’ll notice the suit is kind of baggy. So is the fedora, somehow. He’s like a hip-hop Humphrey Bogart. I ran into Que Gaskins, Iverson’s long-time Reebok guy, some years later, and he told me that Iverson kept telling the tailor everything had to be bigger, no, bigger than that, so many times that the guy finally just threw up his hands and quit. Well, nearly quit anyway. In October of that year, David Stern finally instituted the long-anticipated NBA dress code and hey, at least Allen Iverson already had a suit.

AI’s career didn’t end the way anyone wanted it to, but it lasted long enough for him to get endless bouquets from the generation that came after his—fitting for someone who never hesitated to pay homage himself, once wearing Dr. J’s No. 6 instead of his own No. 3 in an All-Star Game. Traded to Denver, he teamed with a young Carmelo Anthony, his own 6-7 doppelganger complete with ink and braids and a headband. Their SLAM cover together in March 2008 is a frozen moment of laughter, two guys clearly delighted in each other’s presence. And it wasn’t just Melo; that whole class of 2003 was filled with Iverson fans, from LeBron—forced to cover up his own tattoos in high school—to Dwyane Wade, who wore No. 3 because of him.

Allen Iverson inspired us, too. Here was a guy who, from the very start, was uncompromising in what he believed, in what he did, in what he said. With apologies to the great Kool G Rap, he was the realest. It shone through in everything, from his on-court performances to photo shoots to Reebok commercials. There were layers to go through to get to him of course, but by the time you did get to him, you knew exactly where he stood.

Yeah, he could be exasperating, especially to photographers (and writers) with schedules and families and whatnot, but even they got past it when they realized AI wasn’t being malicious or big-timing them or anything, it’s just who he was. But his presence—or his absence—was always huge. We always did what we had to do to get him, no matter how many times we had to reschedule. After all, we knew what missing him was like, and we didn’t want that to happen again. 

Photo via Getty Images. Portrait by Clay Patrick McBride.

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In Girona, Spain, however, things are getting a little confusing. This delightful medieval city, located an hour north of Barcelona, technically has only one Gasol brother: Marc. But within him are two alter egos: Marc the owner of Bàsquet Girona, and Marc the star player of—yes—Bàsquet Girona. Indeed, the 38-year-old is making history as (probably) the first-ever player-owner in pro hoops. But it’s not easy keeping it all together. Gasol shifts back and forth between the two personas each day, and even during conversation. Marc the owner is an optimistic neophyte; Marc the player is a fiery veteran back in Girona after a 13-year hiatus. 

“They don’t deal well with each other,” Gasol says. The owner’s goal is to expand Bàsquet Girona’s long-term impact beyond hoops. The player? “I’m 38. There is no tomorrow,” he says. “I’m very calm and reflective inside the front office, but on the court it’s the complete opposite. Not allowing one cup to spill into the other is a challenge. But that’s what I chose.”

This experiment began in 2014, when Gasol founded the Bàsquet Girona youth academy. The team came next, in 2017, after its prior iteration had gone belly-up under different ownership. Gasol joined as a player in 2021 following his NBA retirement. Immediately, he played hero, adding two more distinctions to his title: founder-owner-president-player-reigning champ-reigning MVP. (On LinkedIn, he is simply “President, Bàsquet Girona.” Pau is Vice President, a job he serves remotely.)

Why Girona? It’s not Gasol’s hometown (that’s Sant Boi de Llobregat, a province in Barcelona), but it is where his career first blossomed. “The way the city embraced me and helped me become a basketball player was something that impacted me. I wanted more players to feel the warmth and security of a city behind them,” he says.

In turn, Gasol has given Girona all the warmth and security he can muster. The team is on solid footing, the youth academy has grown to 450 boys and girls, and around town Gasol is omnipresent, easily spotted at coffee shops and sustainability council meetings. 

“Everybody in Girona loves Marc,” a local journalist named Nil Solà says. “Here, everything is Marc.” 

This love story began some 17 years ago. Back then, it was simple: Girona gave Gasol a chance to play basketball. He was 21 when then-CB Girona acquired him from Barcelona Bàsquet, where he rarely played. 

Gasol has repaid that favor time and time again. 

In 2007, his NBA stock began to climb, but he declined to travel for pre-draft workouts, content in Girona. “I didn’t care,” he says. He was drafted by the Lakers in the second round and stayed put. A few months later, Barcelona asked for a mulligan on the loan that had sent Gasol to Girona in the first place. Gasol personally called Barcelona’s front office to veto the deal. “I said, I’m staying in Girona.” 

Gasol’s NBA rights were soon traded from Los Angeles to Memphis in the notoriously lopsided deal for Pau, which even Marc calls “a rip-off.” The NBA world was disgusted. Gasol could not have cared less. He remained in Girona and won MVP of Liga ACB, Spain’s top division. But amid the global financial meltdown, CB Girona went into disarray. Finally, Gasol left for the NBA.

In Memphis, he anchored the upstart Grit ’N Grind Grizzlies, countering the League’s chaotic three-point revolution with a polished bruising style. In 2013, he was named Defensive Player of the Year while leading all centers in assists. In 2015, he inked a max extension—five years, $100 million. He used some of the money to finance the Bàsquet Girona youth academy, and founded the men’s team within two years. 

It debuted in Spain’s fourth division in 2017. Gasol kept tabs from Memphis, and then Toronto, where he landed in a mid-season trade that ended with a ring and the Raptors first-ever NBA Championship. By 2021, Bàsquet Girona had clawed its way up the Spanish ranks, reaching second-division LEB Gold. A promotion back to the ACB was just one great season away, but further relegation was also just one awful season away. The team opened at 2-7. Gasol had a choice to make: extend his NBA career, or cut it short to save hoops in Girona.

“I’m a person that looks in the mirror,” he says. During the ’20-21 season, Gasol had been a 36-year-old reserve on the Lakers, donning purple and gold in “awkward” fashion by his own admission. Still, he labored over whether to return to Girona. “We tend to remember only the good things about places,” he says. “Sometimes those memories are better to stay untouched.” 

Gasol is seated along the baseline at Pavelló Girona-Fontajau, home to so many of those memories. It’s a modest stadium—gray, low-slung, about a 25-minute walk from the city’s striking old town. The gym has a YMCA feel, its halls filled with backpack-clad academy kids. As I chat with Gasol, practice begins for Uni Girona CB, a dominant force in Liga Femenina, the ACB’s women’s counterpart. Gasol became a star on this floor, and during his lengthy hiatus hardly anything here changed. Not even the scoreboard hanging above us, he says. Offering no stats nor in-game entertainment, it is practically a symbol of resistance against the NBA’s piped-in, gambling-crazed atmosphere. Gasol’s final NBA game had been at the STAPLES Center, which once threw an unveiling ceremony for its $10 million jumbotron. Well, good for the STAPLES Center. The rest of Gasol’s home games, he decided, should be spent here instead. 

“This is something I always wanted to do before I say goodbye to this sport and to the court, to play here one more time,” Gasol says. 

On December 3, 2021, he returned to this floor after 13 years away. 

At first, Gasol’s intention was merely to play well enough to stabilize his organization. “When you’re not playing well on the court, it creates an insecurity feeling everywhere else,” he says, clearly speaking as Marc the owner. “I didn’t want what happens on the floor to have an impact on everybody’s mood in the office.” 

But Marc the owner doesn’t play basketball, and Marc the player is a competitive freak. If Gasol had looked washed up in Los Angeles, he was an instant force in Girona. He averaged just shy of 15 points, 10 boards and 3 assists in his return season—a near-replica of his MVP campaign 14 years earlier—and was named MVP of LEB Gold. Bàsquet Girona swept through the playoffs (Gasol gutted out a knee injury in the finals because of course he did), earning a promotion back to Liga ACB. 

Glory had been properly restored to the once-defunct franchise. 

The mission was complete. 

Or was it?   

No, no—instead, the heroism of Marc the player kicked Marc the owner into a new competitive gear. Heading into this season, Girona’s first in the ACB since ’08, he strengthened the organization from top to bottom. He expanded the club’s staff to 130. He acquired three new starters, including Kameron Taylor, a 6-6 wing who leads the team in scoring. He hired 76-year-old coach Aíto García Reneses, winner of nine—count ’em—ACB titles and the 2008 Olympic silver medal. And, best of all, he had an ACB rule barring player-presidents overturned. 

Local excitement erupted: season tickets sold out within 24 hours. (The team is nearing self-sustainability—where once Gasol financed the organization entirely out of pocket, he now covers less than 10 percent of costs, including his own minimum contract, and team revenue accounts for the rest.) 

Still, facing ACB competition has been a challenge. A few hours after I sit down with Gasol, Bàsquet Girona struggles against Bàsquet Manresa, a relegation candidate. Gasol receives a raucous ovation during lineup introductions, but on the floor looks his age. He moves slowly and defers often, playing the role of safety valve rather than superstar (or overbearing owner). In fairness, Gasol was a slow-mover and willing teammate in his prime, too. 

“He’s a guy that likes to see others do well,” says Taylor. “You would think at his age, with his years in the NBA, and being the owner of the team, he’d come out here and expect the ball every time. But he’s out here sweating like the rest of us. He’s not the owner when he’s playing basketball.”

Gasol finishes with 13 points as Bàsquet Girona loses. At 8-16, the team is merely three games clear of relegation. They ultimately finished the season 11-23, one skinny game above relegation. Is this struggle a wrench in Gasol’s Hollywood story, or the essence of it? Over a few days in Girona, I come to see it as the latter. 

If Gasol could score at will and assure victory, there would be no need to separate the two Marcs. Winning would unify the big-picture thinker and the urgent competitor within him. It’s the losses that necessitate the divide and underscore the challenge at hand. 

After each loss, Gasol says, “As soon as I take a shower and walk down the hall, I need to change completely,” embodying the patient owner over the frustrated player. Or at least that’s the idea. In reality, no Gasol ever stays boxed out for long.

“I’m trying to change the narrative of, only winning and losing matters,” Marc the owner says, but Marc the player rejects that notion and cuts in. “Obviously, for me, winning means more than anything,” he says. The owner interjects: “But there’s a lot more to it.” And on and on they go. 

Photos via Getty Images and Segi Geronès.

The post Marc Gasol is Entering a New Chapter as Both Player and Owner of Spanish Basketball Club, Bàsquet Girona appeared first on SLAM.

The AEC has built an extensive alumni base of top-tier players, including McDonald’s All-Americans, major D1 college stars, and current NBA and WNBA players.

This year’s AEC game features the following top Boys & Girls from across the country: 

ACES® is a storytelling platform for athletes to authentically share their stories through products, brand collaborations and events. It was founded by former pro hooper turned CEO, Brian Kortovich, who joined the ranks of Kevin Durant and Dr. J, Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond, when he won a scoring title at Rucker Park in the summer of 2012. Since its inception, ACES has always been rooted into the heart of hoops culture, which continues this year as they spotlight some of the nation’s best high school basketball players. 

“ACES was born from the grassroots of basketball, earning its way into hoops cultural relevance by allowing athletes to tell their stories, augment their brands, while bringing local communities together through our annual events, such as the upcoming ACES Elite Classic (AEC), our annual High School All-American Games,” says Founder and CEO Brian Kortovich. AEC consistently attracts the top ranked high school players in the country to New York City and empowers them with a platform to showcase their talents  on a national level, organically share their stories and expand their opportunities. We look forward to building upon that tradition this year.”

Over the past few year’s, the ACES talent showcase has featured standout participants including UConn and SLAM 235 co-cover star Azzi Fudd and NCAA national champions in both Kansas’ Kyle Cuffe Jr and LSU’s Katie Poole. In the past, Jahvon “JQ” Quinerly from Alabama, Minnesota Timberwolves’ center Naz Reid, Orlando Magic’s PG Cole Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Mo Bamba, Pelicans’ PG Jose Alvarado, Warriors’ SF Johnathan Kuminga, Charlotte Hornets’ SG James Bouknight, and the No. 3 pick by the Dallas Wings in this this year’s WNBA Draft, Villanova standout Maddie Siegrist—to name a few. 

The post Nation’s Best to Compete in the ACES Elite Classic in NYC on May 10 appeared first on SLAM.

Now that you have the criteria in your mind, hopefully all 100 of these sneakers make sense to you. 

I stand by this list wholeheartedly. When we made SLAM Presents JORDANS Vol. 6: The Air Jordan XI, we very clearly and very definitively put “The Best Basketball Sneaker of All Time” on that cover. That was my true belief before we made that issue and it remains after making this issue. From that No. 1 spot and onwards, we extensively combed basketball sneaker history. I spent days writing down over 300 different sneakers that could’ve been on here and then we—sneakerheads and basketball nerds on the SLAM staff spanning multiple generations—spent a whole bunch of time arguing with each other to hammer out the list that you’re about to read. 

For all those who think I’m foolish for putting the Air Jordan I in the fourth slot and for all those who recognize I know my stuff by including the Nike Hyperfuse 2011 on this list, I welcome you all. This type of stuff is where it gets fun. So let’s have some fun, SLAM Fam. 

As always, wear your damn kicks. 

Peace,

Max Resetar

Which basketball sneakers made our list? Let the debates begin…

No. 1

Worn by the greatest player ever during the greatest single season ever.

READ HERE

No. 3

These kicks coincided with the debut of Kobe’s Black Mamba alter ego.

READ HERE

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The 6-7 forward was the obvious choice for this month’s “G League Player to Watch”—not just because of his absurd individual production, but because he led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on an impressive run to sneak into the playoffs.

First, a brief history lesson. Rio Grande Valley (RGV) has been the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA’s official minor league, reaching six finals and claiming four championships since 2010. Last season, an RGV squad led by MVP Trevelin Queen cruised to the title, going undefeated in the playoffs. The Vipers also won it all in 2019 with a roster that included Gary Payton II and Isaiah Hartenstein.

This year…it wasn’t looking good. Heading into March—the last month of the regular season—RGV had a 10-12 record. The team had dropped four of its previous five, including an embarrassing 26-point loss to the South Bay Lakers at home. If the Vipers wanted to keep their streak of six straight playoff appearances (excluding the season canceled due to COVID) alive, then they had to turn things around right away.

OK, back to Days. An undrafted rookie out of LSU, he signed a Two-Way contract with the Houston Rockets back in October. The 23-year-old is an extremely versatile forward, capable of filling multiple positions with his size, strength and mobility. He has spent most of this season with the Vipers and proven to be a reliable 3-and-D player. At the beginning of March, he stepped up big time…

27 points, 7 rebounds vs. Oklahoma City

33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs. Birmingham

26 points, 10 rebounds vs. Greensboro

28 points, 11 rebounds vs. Iowa

32 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs. Iowa

22 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals vs. Memphis

The Vipers won all six of those games to climb back into the playoff picture, and after splitting their next four, they locked up the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Days posted 25.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game across that stretch, shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. He barely turned the ball over—just seven times in 10 games—despite averaging 38.6 minutes (the fifth highest mark in the league). Less than 72 hours after the Vipers clinched their playoff spot, he was named G League Player of the Month for March.

The Vipers upset the 2-seed Lakers in the Conference quarterfinals with guard Jalen Lecque sealing the deal with this tough game-winning lay-up. And Days? He delivered, of course: 21 points (on 7/13 shooting), 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. 

You can catch Days and the Vipers in the G League Finals as they face off against the Delaware Blue Coats. Tune in now through April 9 on ESPNU and ESPNews.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Luka Garza, Forward, Iowa Wolves: 30.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, 68 FG%, 46 3P% (4 GP)

Carlik Jones, Guard, Windy City Bulls: 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2.3 steals, 46 FG%, 35 3P%

Jahmi’us Ramsey, Guard, Oklahoma City Blue: 26 points, 4.4 rebounds, 58 FG%, 38 3P%

Lester Quinones, Guard, Santa Cruz Warriors: 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 46 FG%

Jack White, Forward, Grand Rapids Gold: 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 55 FG%, 38 3P%

Trevelin Queen, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants: 23.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 50 FG%

Mfiondu Kabengele, Forward, Maine Celtics: 21.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 61 FG%, 41 3P%

Zavier Simpson, Guard, Lakeland Magic: 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.7 steals, 50 FG%, 43 3P%

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS

Eastern Conference: Long Island Nets (23-9)

Western Conference: Stockton Kings (25-7)

Scoring Champ: Carlik Jones (26.1)

Assists Champ: Jacob Gilyard (9.7)

Rebounds Champ: Jayce Johnson (13.5)

Blocks Champ: Jay Huff (3.1)

Steals Champ: Jaden Springer (2.3)

3PT Champ: Mychal Mulder (129)

MARCH CALL-UPS

Luka Samanic, Forward, Maine Celtics to Utah Jazz

Xavier Sneed, Forward, Greensboro Swarm to Charlotte Hornets

Jay Scrubb, Guard, Lakeland Magic to Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones, Guard, Santa Cruz Warriors to Golden State Warriors (twice this month)

Trevor Keels, Guard, Westchester Knicks to New York Knicks

Lindell Wiggington, Guard, Wisconsin Herd to Milwaukee Bucks

Jamaree Bouyea, Guard, Sioux Falls Skyforce to Washington Wizards

Jared Butler, Guard, Grand Rapids Gold to Oklahoma City Thunder

Sam Merrill, Guard, Cleveland Charge to Cleveland Cavaliers

Jay Huff, Center, South Bay Lakers to Washington Wizards

Xavier Moon, Guard, Ontario Clippers to Los Angeles Clippers

More below:

Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Rio Grande Valley Vipers to Houston Rockets

Kobi Simmons, Guard, Greensboro Swarm to Charlotte Hornets

Gabe York, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants to Indiana Pacers

Skylar Mays, Guard, Mexico City Capitanes to Portland Trail Blazers

Shaquille Harrison, Guard, South Bay Lakers to Portland Trail Blazers

Jeenathan Williams, Guard, Salt Lake City Stars to Portland Trail Blazers

Justin Minaya, Forward, Mexico City Capitanes to Portland Trail Blazers

Photos via Getty Images.

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It was 2019 when Isaiah Mobley said those words to SLAM. He was about to begin his college career at the University of Southern California, while his younger brother Evan—the No. 1 prospect in the class below him—would have one final year at Rancho Christian High School. The nation’s best sibling duo was breaking up, but, as Isaiah hinted, the brothers would be reunited soon.

Evan eventually followed Isaiah’s footsteps to USC, where the two shined side by side for a season. Then Evan was off to the NBA—selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021—while Isaiah chose to remain in L.A. The Mobley brothers were split up again… 

And then they were reunited. Again.

With the 49^th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers took Isaiah. This time, the Mobley reunion has looked a bit different. The brothers haven’t spent much time on the floor together. Instead, Isaiah, who is signed to a two-way contract, has been dominating for the Cleveland Charge—the Cavs’ G League affiliate—this season.

At 6-8, 238 pounds, Isaiah is an athletic and versatile big man, just like Evan. Growing up, the two developed their skill sets in competitive games of one-on-one.

“Evan would always want to play me one-on-one after practice because he would play against his teammates and do really well,” Isaiah said in 2019. “I just remember that I was beating him but would have to try harder because he was getting better. His competitive drive…he would try to play until 100 until he could win. I think that rubbed off on me because when I was younger, I played hard always and played to win, but not as intense as I do now.” 

He later added: “We used to [fight a lot] because [Evan] had temper tantrum problems, but now he got it under control so we don’t have no problems. It was good though—he was a sore loser, which is good. It plays into [who he is] now because he plays hard and he hates to lose. I used to beat him in 90 percent of stuff and he used to hate it. One-on-one, I’d beat him, and he’d try to fight me. But, also, I think that’s why he is so good now.”

Fast forward four years and Evan is helping lead a Cavs squad that sits at fourth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings, while Isaiah is helping lead a Charge squad that sits at first in the G League’s Eastern Conference standings. 

In January, Isaiah averaged 23.6 points (on 52 percent shooting), 9.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per contest. He led the Charge in scoring four times, in rebounding three times (including a 19-board game against Fort Wayne) and in assists three times. His three-point percentage dropped, but for the full year (showcase + regular season), he is knocking down 35 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. Led by Mobley and guard Sharife Cooper, Cleveland has won nine of its last 10 games.

Below are Isaiah’s highlights from a recent victory over the Wisconsin Herd, in which the 23-year-old forward notched 30 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Peep his creativity on offense—Mobley attacks off the bounce, finishes jump hooks in the paint and steps out for threes. (You can see shades of all that in this video of him and Evan playing one-on-one from 2019.)

As of January 27, Mobley ranked seventh in fan votes for the G League’s Next Up Game, a new event to take place at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City. (Our previous two “G League Players to Watch,” Luka Garza and Kenneth Lofton Jr, placed one and two in fans votes, respectively). 

With Isaiah starring for the Charge and Evan doing his thing for the Cavs, Cleveland must be super thankful that the Mobley brothers always find a way back to each other.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (JANUARY STATS)

Sharife Cooper, Guard, Cleveland Charge: 27.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 50 FG%

Mason Jones, Guard, Mexico City Capitanes: 24.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 49 FG%, 40 3P%

Scotty Pippen Jr., Guard, South Bay Lakers: 24.3 points, 8.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 50 FG%, 40 3P%

Charles Bassey, Center, Austin Spurs: 23.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 71 FG%

Lindell Wigginton, Guard, Wisconsin Herd: 24.7 points, 6.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 48 FG%, 46 3P%

Gabe York, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants: 24.0 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 48 FG%, 39 3P%

Zavier Simpson, Guard, Lakeland Magic: 15.9 points, 9.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 57 FG%, 63 3P%

Jay Huff, Center, South Bay Lakers: 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 61 FG%, 44 3P% 

JANUARY CALL-UP TRACKER

Chris Silva, Forward, College Park Skyhawks to Dallas Mavericks

Deonte Burton, Forward, Stockton Kings to Sacramento Kings

Donovan Williams, Forward, Long Island Nets to Atlanta Hawks

Dru Smith, Guard, Sioux Falls Skyforce to Brooklyn Nets

Saben Lee, Guard, Raptors 905 to Phoenix Suns

PJ Dozier, Guard, Iowa Wolves to Sacramento Kings

Joe Wieskamp, Forward, Wisconsin Herd to Toronto Raptors

Sterling Brown, Guard, Raptors 905 to Los Angeles Lakers

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA G League Player to Watch (January Edition): Isaiah Mobley appeared first on SLAM.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly interested in trading for Lowry too. The Timberwolves could move D’Angelo Russell to Miami for Lowry, and the Lakers have reportedly decided to stand pat at the trade deadline.

The Heat are still finding itself at the moment. Miami (23-20) is eighth in the Eastern Conference standings due to a dearth of injuries to key players like Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Victor Oladipo. Lowry is averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Miami trading Lowry could help them create a younger backcourt that could help reverse their fortunes for the season. Making a move with either the Lakers or T-Wolves could help them make a move in the offseason in the draft or the free agent.

Miami will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday afternoon.

The post REPORT: Lakers, Timberwolves Interested in Trading for Kyle Lowry appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mac McClung, a Delaware Blue Coats guard whose sensational dunks have gone viral, has accepted an invitation to compete in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend next month in Salt Lake City, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

McClung joins Shaedon Sharpe and KJ Martin so far in dunk contest, averaging 17.6 points, 4.4 assists, 63.8 percent shooting and 41.7 percent from 3 this season for the 76ers’ G League affiliate. The high-flying guard played in two NBA games for Bulls and Lakers last season. https://t.co/36wLVSRtx5

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 13, 2023

McClung averages 17.6 points and 4.4 assists on 63.8 percent shooting from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc in seven games with the Delaware Blue Coats. McClung has gained a ton of notoriety due to his athletic exploits, going viral as a high school phenom thanks to his electric dunks. His high-profile playstyle helped him play college ball at Georgetown and Texas Tech.

McClung went undrafted during the 2021 NBA Draft and has played two games for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. He won the G League’s Rookie of the Year while playing with the South Bay Lakers and Windy City Bulls. He signed with the Blue Coats after the Golden State Warriors released him in October.

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McClung will compete with Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe and Houston’s KJ Martin.

The post Mac McClung Will be the First G League Player in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest appeared first on SLAM.

The 2019 LF HOF Class featured legends including Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Walt Frazier, Cappie Pondexter and Nick Young, while the 2020 LF HOF Class has the only currently active player in Russell Westbrook, plus two heavy hitters in Dennis Rodman and Magic Johnson.

This year, four new members were added to the LF Hall of Fame—and to say they just showed out in the tunnel would be an understatement. From visionaries to the most stylish of champions, here’s the official LeagueFits Hall of Fame.

LEAGUEFITS HOF CLASS OF 2019

Nick Young might not have been the first basketball player to ever dress up, but he was the first to make “swaggy” his moniker. Young was by far the best-dressed player on the superteam Warriors, a pioneer as an athlete-turned-designer and has remained a stalwart voice in the sports style community since retiring from the NBA.

MORE ON SWAGGY’S UNIQUE STYLE

Allen Iverson is the most important player in the LeagueFits Hall of Fame. His style choices sparked harsh reactions from those who couldn’t understand and even evoked a League-wide rule change. Iverson normalized self-expression for hoopers across the globe, paving the path for the viral looks we see in the tunnels on a daily basis today. 

MORE ON AI’s ICONIC MOMENTS

 As the WNBA’s first style star, Cappie Pondexter was a shoe-in for the first-ever LeagueFits Hall of Fame Class. She paved the way for today’s athletes in what’s arguably become the most stylish sports league on the planet. 

MORE ON CAPPIE’s INFLUENCE

Walt Frazier was the first basketball player to take style seriously, and he did so while being a superstar player in the Mecca. 

MORE ON CLYDE’s TIMELESS DRIP

LEAGUEFITS HOF CLASS OF 2020

Sneaker culture is nearly synonymous with basketball and its style scene. It’s only right that Michael Jordan was a first ballot LeagueFits Hall of Famer (don’t worry, dude could put an outfit together, too).

MORE ON MJ’s GREATEST FITS

Magic Johnson’s game off the court was just as the flashy one he brought to it as the leader of the Showtime Lakers.

MORE ON MAGIC’s STYLE EVOLUTION

You have to be an icon to be inducted into the LeagueFits Hall of Fame while still actively playing. Russell Westbrook created the modern, online, style era not just for basketball, but for sports period. He’s an icon.

MORE ON RUSS’ IMPACT

When it comes to self-expression, nobody has ever been on Rodman’s level and nobody ever will. Between the hair, outfits and attitude, he was uniquely and unapologetically him at all times.

MORE ON RODMAN’s AUTHENTIC STYLE

LEAGUEFITS HOF CLASS OF 2023

You had to know Dwyane Wade’s induction was coming. Wade helped break a barrier as one of the first athletes to attend fashion week and was the subject of two of the League’s first-ever viral style moments.

MORE ON D-WADE’s FLASHY STYLE

Always smooth, always efficient. Sue Bird’s wardrobe had a tendency to mirror her GOAT-level on-court game.

MORE ON SUE’s GOAT FITS

When it comes to courtside looks, nobody in NBA history has ever done it as well as Rat Riley (or even come close, honestly). Making a career in Los Angeles, New York and Miami—winning 5 championships in the process—taught Riley how to dress like a superstar, too. 

MORE ON RILEY’S COURTSIDE LOOKS

The visionaries behind LeagueFits, Ian and Joe, discuss the LF HOF Class of 2023 and their favorite fits from all of them on ‘Survival of the Fitted.’ Check it out below.

Shop our LeagueFits apparel, from Hoodies and Shorts to an exclusive collab with Famous Nobodys and MORE.

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The Pacers are reportedly intent on trading Turner if a new extension can’t be negotiated before the trade deadline comes in February. As of Thursday, Turner is averaging a career-high 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 55.2 percent shooting from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Turner has been involved in numerous trade rumors over the last few seasons, including last season when he was linked to trade rumors linking him to the Clippers and the Lakers. The Clippers could utilize Turner’s two-way dominance, and he would be a welcomed addition to a veteran-laden team.

The Pacers (23-19) are seventh in the Eastern Conference and could undoubtedly use Turner, and signing him to a long-term extension would help them make a run to the playoffs.

The post REPORT: Knicks, Clippers, and Raptors Interested in Acquiring Myles Turner appeared first on SLAM.

While no rumors have come out stating wise, Zach Lowe of ESPN reported that The King plans on completing his career with the Lakers. Lowe said that James’ recent comments calling for the front office to make a roster change should be seen as the four-time champion being transparent about his waning patience with losing as much as the Lakers over the past few seasons.

The Lakers have a strong chance of getting back to .500 as they host their next five games against the Mavericks, 76ers, Kings, and Grizzlies. There’s a reason for hope due to the Lakers’ 10-8 record at home.

If anyone can help lift those Lakers team into the play-in tournament, it’s James. The future Hall-of-Famer is showing no signs of slowing down at 38-years-old, averaging 29.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 51.0 percent shooting from the field. He’s dropped back-to-back 40-point games against the Hawks (47) and Hornets (43).

The Lakers will host the Mavericks on Thursday.

The post REPORT: LeBron James Plans on Finishing Career with the Los Angeles Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

The home win came despite LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker being absent from the lineup. Instead, the Lakers relied on Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant, and Austin Reaves to deliver the four-point win.

Reaves was particularly important for the win after contributing 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists, including a inbounding dime to Westbrook for a clutch and-one layup to give the Lakers a 110-106 lead with 14.2 seconds remaining. Reaves’ dish earned some significant praise from head coach Darvin Ham during postgame interviews.

In fact, the clutch play led Ham to call the second-year guard an “all-time inbounder,” per Michael Corvo of Clutch Points. When Reaves heard what his first-year head coach said, he said “it means a lot for him to have trust in me in that position to make the right play.”

“It’s great, I mean, if we [score] off of that every game it’s a win, so it means a lot for him to have the trust in me to put me in that position to make the right play,” Reaves said per Spectrum SportsNet.

“I [saw] Russ was open, semi-open, so I threw it to him,” Reaves joked about his decision-making process in threading what was essentially the pass that led to the game-winning score.

The Lakers will look to extend their winning streak when they play the Hawks (18-20) on the road.

The post Darvin Ham Calls Austin Reaves An ‘All-Time Inbounder’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Hornets said that “updates on the procedure and his rehabilitation status will be provided when appropriate.” Oubre missed three of Charlotte’s last four games with the injury.

Sources: Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will undergo surgery on a torn ligament in his left hand and miss 4-to-6 weeks. Oubre – averaging a career high 20.2 points – suffered the injury in the first week of the season and has been playing through the pain on his shooting hand.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 3, 2023

The 27-year-old wing is averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Hornets will also miss Gordon Hayward for their upcoming Wednesday night game against Memphis due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The post Kelly Oubre to Undergo Surgery to Repair a Torn Hand Ligament appeared first on SLAM.

And rookie head coach Darvin Ham has indicated that he will continue to lean on the four-time MVP until Davis returns and the Lakers are healthy.

“I just want to ride him,” Ham said, per ESPN. “And he allows you to do that because he takes such great care of himself. So, it’s a great luxury to have.”

While AD has missed the last nine Lakers contests, James has taken over and has averaged 35.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. The King has put up back-to-back 40-point outings in the previous two games and led the Lakers to a 6-5 record over the last 11 games, eight without AD. The future Hall-of-Famer has maintained dominance because of his famously rigid body maintenance.

“At 18 and 20, you’re just doing it off straight-up energy and straight skill,” he said when comparing his younger self to now, per Yahoo Sports. “But at 38, for me, it’s mental. How much rest I can get from day to day, get my optimal sleep, get the right food in me, treat my body right.”

While The King’s dominance has been amazing to watch, Ham has to be careful that he doesn’t rely too heavily on James. The future Hall-of-Famer has more basketball behind him than ahead of him, and he’s dealt with more leg injuries than ever.

The Lakers have a soft schedule between Jan. 3 and Jan. 15, with four of them being played at home. Right now, the Lakers are just four games back of the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and are set to host the Heat and Hawks on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

The post Darvin Ham: ‘it’s a Great Luxury to Have’ LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

“It’s been crazy, but that’s how the game goes,” McClung said in an episode of “The Break,” a series produced by the G League. “If I got to play for all 30 [teams] to make it, I’m going to play for all 30.”

Life on the fringes of the NBA is often a roller coaster. And even for a former high school superstar and social media sensation like McClung, the spotlight doesn’t shine very bright in the G. Nonetheless, the 6-2 guard out of Texas Tech has quietly been making big strides. 

After going undrafted in 2021, McClung eventually landed with the South Bay Lakers, the affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 19.6 points, 5.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals through the first 13 games of the season before being called up by the Chicago Bulls in mid-December. Hundreds of players entered COVID-19 protocols that month, which led to an unprecedented number of opportunities for G Leaguers. McClung signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls and made his NBA debut almost exactly a year ago (2 points in 3 minutes against the Hawks). Chicago gave him a second 10-day, but McClung did not receive any more playing time, and returned to the South Bay Lakers in January. 

First known for his jaw-dropping dunks, the 23-year-old has shown his versatility as a pro. Back with South Bay, he averaged 21.6 points, 7.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, winning the 2021-22 Kia NBA G League Rookie of the Year award (previous winners include Paul Reed, Quinn Cook, Tim Frazier, and Robert Covington). In April, Los Angeles rewarded McClung with a two-way contract and brought him up for the final game of the regular season. He capped a solid performance (and a Lakers victory) that evening with one of those signature jaw-dropping dunks…

Despite a successful, albeit hectic, rookie year, and an impressive showing at the 2022 Summer League, McClung did not make an opening day roster. He turned down million-dollar offers from clubs overseas, instead opting to rejoin the G League and keep chasing his NBA dream. As a member of the Delaware Blue Coats, the affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, McClung has thrived in various roles this season. He dropped a career-high 44 points in November and notched his second career triple-double (21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) shortly after. On some nights, he’s provided a much-needed scoring spark off the bench; on others, he’s been the Blue Coats’ primary playmaker, running the offense and facilitating for his teammates.

SLAM caught up with McClung during the recent G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas. Delaware won both of their games at the annual scouting event, with McClung averaging 12.5 points (on 59 percent shooting), 7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.

SLAM: What was your mindset heading into the Showcase? 

Mac McClung: Just to make the most of whatever my role is for the team. We won, 2-0, that’s always great. Wish we were in the winner’s bracket. But yeah, just make the most of it. Show that I can fit in in any situation.

SLAM: How are you a different player this season compared to last season?

MM: I think I just became better at adapting to situations. I feel like if you’ve seen this year, I’ve played multiple different roles for this team. And I feel like I’ve been a positive influence in each and hopefully people notice that and notice that I can adapt to any situation. 

SLAM: Is there anything specific that you worked on this summer?

MM: Really just film work on patience. When your minutes get cut or something, people often want to force things. I kind of learned to [hold] that back and also just play the game the right way no matter what the situation is, which sounds easy but it’s harder than it sounds.

SLAM: Can you sum up what this past year has been like for you, with all the movement up and down and to different teams/cities? 

MM: It’s been a rollercoaster, if you let it be. That’s one thing I was talking to my parents about. If you let success determine your happiness, it’ll just be a rollercoaster, instead of just buying into each day and the process. That’s one thing I’ve done. And I’m doing what I love every day. Me getting better every single day is my goal—not [moving] up and down [from the NBA]. So when I have that time, hopefully I can capture it. 

SLAM: Any specific moments that encapsulate just how chaotic last season was for you?

MM: If you look at the whole situation, I’ve changed multiple teams. Other teams picked me up. Here, in [Las Vegas] Summer League, I ended up with the Warriors, when I started with the Lakers. It’s just being able to adapt, man. That’s just the League. You’ve got to control what you can. I can’t control what team I’m playing on or if someone wants to give me an opportunity. I just always stay ready.

SLAM: Can you describe your thought process when you were deciding whether to rejoin the G League or sign with a team overseas?

MM: I’ll shout out my best friend, Zac Ervin. I was offered quite a bit of money to go overseas—like, probably I could change my life with that money. I always tell myself I’m going to stick it through until I make it [to the NBA], because I believe in myself. And you get offered that stuff and you’re like, Oh, man. That changes. But my boy Zac was like, “Man, that’s not who you are.” Because we worked out every day from seventh grade to senior year. Every single day. He was like, “Man, you weren’t in the gym for that.” So I’m like, Damn, that’s not who I am. Let me get it while I’m here. 

SLAM: How was your brief experience in the NBA last year beneficial? What did you take away from it?

MM: It’s good just seeing it and learning. I think that’s the biggest thing—experience. When it comes to growing, people talk about, you can work on certain things, but experience is so valuable, man. Being there before is valuable. I got to touch the NBA a little bit and I got those nerves out, those jitters, and I got to see what it’s about. And I’m ready whenever my next opportunity comes. 

SLAM: What can you provide an NBA team right now? 

MM: Multiple things—that’s what I’m trying to show. I’m diverse. If you need me to come and be a point guard off the bench and get others involved, I can do that. If you need me to score, I can score. I’m going to be active—I’m going to be rebounding, diving on the floor, just [providing] energy in any way you want me to.

SLAM: What’s the biggest misconception about your game? 

MM: When I was in college, I wasn’t much of a point guard. But I think if you watch these games, I really get my teammates involved.

SLAM: What’s the biggest misconception about life in the G League?

MM: People just don’t understand how lonely it is, I don’t think. It’s not easy. Andre Ingram told me, “Every five days, something changes.” In the G League, something is changing every five days.

SLAM: What are your overall goals for this season?

MM: Just to keep growing each day, man. I want to play in the NBA. I believe I’m an NBA player. But that will come when I keep working on each day, trying to grow each day. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Mac McClung Talks G League Journey, NBA Experience and More appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakeshow gave up 51 points in the third quarter, the most any team gave up in the NBA this season. L.A. went into the fourth quarter down 19, and Dallas had the flow of the game well within their grasp. The road trip losing streak and progress to making the playoffs have halted after Anthony Davis suffered a foot injury that’ll keep him out for at least another week.

The Lakers are now 13th in the West and looking for answers. Coming into the season with a new head coach in Darvin Ham, the plan was to play through AD more often and Ham decided that utilizing Russell Westbrook off the bench as a sixth man would be the best course of action after a tough first year in the purple-and-gold.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Lakers are reportedly leaning towards standing pat and saving their draft capital for other deals, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Furthermore, Buha reports that the Lakers front office, led by Rob Pelinka, is weary of compounding their “previous mistakes with more win-now moves.”

Reinforcements via trade would obviously help, and the Lakers are still evaluating their options on a dormant trade market. At the same time, it becomes increasingly challenging to justify trading a first-round pick if the group continues to struggle. The front office doesn’t want to compound its previous mistakes with more win-now moves.

With that being said, the Lakers and Pelinka have plenty of time to contemplate the best course of action with the deadline set for Fed. 9. At 13-20, the Lakers are most likely headed towards a fight for the play-in tournament for the second time since LeBron James joined the Lakers during the 2018-2019 season. Since he joined, the Lakers have made the playoffs twice, winning their 19th championship in 2020.

Although James and Davis have played at a high level, the Lakers are still a top-heavy team. Their offense is ranked 20th in the League (111.6 offensive rating) and 20th in defense (113.6 defensive rating). Whatever moves they make must remedy their middling play on both ends. They will likely have to trim around the edges to make that happen; Westbrook, Davis, and James are all owed money that’s hard to move off their books.

The Lakers have a chance to stop the bleeding when they play the Magic on Tuesday.

The post REPORT: Lakers Front Office Weary of Making ‘Mistakes with More Win-Now Moves’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavericks will host the Los Angeles Lakers for a holiday. As the face of the franchise’s cherished history since 1998, Nowitzki will never be forgotten for leading Dallas to an NBA Championship in 2011. The championship victory came in six games against the star-studded Miami Heatles led by LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.

The 2011 Finals MVP was pleased to hear he will be getting a statue built after him on the global holiday.

“That’s going to be there forever,” Nowitzki said per NBA.com. “I think that’s what’s so unbelievable, that this statue will stand there, and my kids will grow up with it. That’s what’s really mindboggling and so amazing about it –  That this piece is for really for eternity and will be there long, long after I’m gone.”

During his time with the Mavericks, Nowitzki solidified himself as an NBA legend and a building bridge between the inspiration the Dream Team created during their Gold Medal campaign in the 1992 Olympics. Nowitzki saw what Team USA did, and his success paved the way for more international players to cross the world and become NBA stars, like former teammate Luka Doncic or Giannis Antetokounmpo.

When talking about his impact on the game in this aspect, the former superstar admitted it is a humbling feeling.

“Along the way, if I inspired somebody to pick up a basketball or if I motivated a guy to work harder or dream of the NBA, of course, that’s humbling to me,” said Nowitzki. “Super humbling. That makes me proud, for sure.”

The post Dallas Mavericks Set to Unveil Dirk Nowitzki Statue on Christmas appeared first on SLAM.

“I would be hugely disappointed if certainly in five years we haven’t seen our first female head coach in the NBA,” Silver told NCAA reporter Bonnie Berstein on a recent podcast.

If there’s anyone that will be the first to accomplish such a feat in this unknown territory, it’s Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon.

Hammon spent eight years as an assistant coach for Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. She is already the first woman to serve as the head coach in an NBA game in 2020, a game where San Antonio took on the Los Angeles Lakers. After getting interviewed by several teams in the League like the Portland Trail Blazers, the 45-year-old did not receive a head coaching position from any of the teams that interviewed her.

Hammon would then fulfill the head coaching duties in Las Vegas, leading them to their first WNBA Championship during her first season as the head coach.

Hammon will likely be a top candidate to become a head coach in the NBA. Same for Theresa Witherspoon and Kara Lawson. Sooner, rather than later, a woman will break down those barriers.

The post Adam Silver Wants a Female Head Coach in the NBA Within ‘the Next Five Years’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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A post shared by Phoenix Suns (@suns)

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

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

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A post shared by Phoenix Suns (@suns)

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

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

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

It was a game that had a little bit of everything. Superstars were making plays, tough buckets were being traded back and forth by both teams, and even overtime. The two teams were on fire down the stretch, but the Boston Celtics clutched up and came away with the W.

After putting up 25 points on 10 for 21 shooting and snatching 15 boards, Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown spoke to the media following the OT thriller;

“You know, I think one of the greatest rivalries in sports is Celtics/Lakers. From the history of the game from the 80’s carrying on till now. So to be able to be live here in 2022 going into 2023, to be able to play to play against the Lakers in a competitive atmosphere, I’m sure from a spectators standpoint, it’s amazing, but to be on the court is even more amazing. Being able to compete and be a part of that, say, legacy, so it’s definitely an honor. I had a lot of fun tonight.”

"One of the greatest rivalries in sports is Celtics – Lakers… It's definitely an honor, I had a lot of fun tonight"

Jaylen Brown on being able to participate in the Celtics – Lakers rivalry after tonight's OT thriller. pic.twitter.com/WtSez6vQmd

— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2022

Brown hit a clutch three that gave the Celtics a 122-114 lead with 53 seconds left to go in the overtime period, and what was eventually that bucket to seal the team’s victory 122-118. Boston improved to 22-7 on the season to remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, while Los Angeles remains in 12th in the West.

Both teams will be interesting to pay attention to as the season approaches the trade deadline on February 9th. We’ll just have to wait and see if either team makes a move.

The post Jaylen Brown Says Competing in the Legendary Celtics-Lakers Rivalry Is An ‘Honor’ appeared first on SLAM.

“Before Reddish’s recent benching in New York, the Knicks originally engaged the Lakers to see if they’d have interest in swapping Evan Fournier for Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn,” according to Scotto. “Beverley and Nunn will both become unrestricted free agents after this season.”

Beverley is having one of his worst seasons, averaging 4.5 points on a dreadful 29.8 percent shooting from the field in 27 minutes per game. As for Nunn, he has not looked like the same player he was playing for the Miami Heat. Both Lakers guards are in the final year of their contracts.

The Frenchmen is having a tough season himself, averaging just 6.9 points in 13 games for the Knicks. It has been a struggle for him to get on the court for New York this year.

The Knicks will be back in action on Wednesday when they take on the Chicago Bulls after their win on Sunday. The Lakers face their next challenge Tuesday night when they welcome the Boston Celtics (21=7), who hold the league’s best record.

The post REPORT: Potential Three-Player Swap Between the Knicks and Lakers Has Stalled appeared first on SLAM.

So what could the answer be for this Lakers squad? Many fingers are surrounding the NBA point to Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Bogdanovic has been a huge part of this young Pistons team, as the eight-year veteran just signed a two-year extension with them. Acquiring Bogdanovic maybe a goal for the Lakers, but that doesn’t mean Detroit is willing to give him up.

According to Shams, the Pistons have “expressed — significant reluctance about moving Bogdanovic” to any of the dozen teams that have inquired about trading for the 33-year-old forward. It is also important to note that Bogdanovic is in the midst of having the best season of his career statistically. He’s averaging career highs in points per game (21.0), field goal percentage at (50.8), and 43.7 percent from 3-point range.

In addition to that, The Lakers were previously connected to potentially acquiring Bogdanovic before the 2022-2023 season started via trade with the Utah Jazz, but nothing went through.

Coming off a 38-point outing in a loss to the Lakers, where he shot 12 of 22 from the field (54.5 percent) and also buried six threes, you could really see why the Lakers have been pursuing him so favorably. However, Detroit does not seem to have any real urgency to move Bogdanovic and has actually expressed this to rival teams.

This will be an exciting development to see what takes place within the coming days as the NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching.

The post REPORT: Lakers Are Keen On Pursuing Bojan Bogdanovic At the Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

There’s not much to be proud of in their 12-14 record, but the superstardom of Bam Adebayo has finally blossomed, and it’s greatly benefited, Jimmy Butler.

His aggressiveness has been on display, especially in the last six games. The Kentucky product has scored 18.3 points per game in the second half, which is second-best among centers behind Los Angeles Laker superstar Anthony Davis.

Bam keeps getting the job done by any means necessary pic.twitter.com/HIbWrG5Kdk

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 9, 2022

After a tight battle last night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Adebayo (31) and Butler (26) combined for 57 points while showing efficient shooting from inside the three-point line. Even with Adebayo’s point total and improvement in the second half, the center wanted Butler to score the team’s last eight clutch points, which he delivered.

“The ball finds the right places,” Adebayo said, according to Sports Illustrated. “Jimmy had the hot hand. He scored our last eight, and that’s what he does. At the end of the game, if he wants to keep doing, I’m fine with that. I have no problem with him shooting step-back, one-footers.”

JB with a game on the line is just different… the Clippers were the latest to find out. #ClutchJimmy

Popular Moment of the Week // @popularbank pic.twitter.com/Zil4anyaCW

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 9, 2022

The number one option is expected to deliver in crunch time, no matter the circumstance. In his return from a nearly two-week absence, Butler knocked down a stunning fadeaway blow a week ago against the Boston Celtics to steal a victory at TD Garden.

Adebayo quietly recorded 28 points in that same outing and collected seven boards, forcing the Celtics to account for two of the Heat’s superstars.

The tear Adebayo is on right now has made Butler’s job easier. With Adebayo drawing much more attention, the closing minutes rely on no. 22 to take on isolation assignments in which he’s so potent. Another Adebayo eruption with a closing call from Butler is in the possibilities Saturday night as the San Antonio Spurs come into town.

The post Bam Adebayo Has ‘No Problem’ with Jimmy Butler Closing Games Out appeared first on SLAM.

The aggressive play of star center Bam Adebayo and the leadership of Kyle Lowry have brought the team to four victories in their last five games, with the most notable one being this past Friday against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

A game that featured the return of Miami superstar Jimmy Butler saw the forward shatter the hearts of the 19-5 Celtics by hitting one clutch shot after another. After the game, he posed high confidence in the Heat and its resiliency in tight situations but most notably made a promise to team President and all-time NBA legend Pat Riley, as he hopes this season shapes up to be Riley’s 10th championship run.

“When you’re talking about the Heat,” Butler said. “Deep run into the playoffs, championship caliber, that’s the second two is about. You put the two together, Pat Riley; we’re getting your 10th championship.”

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Butler came within reach of Riley’s 10th title on two separate occasions, as in the 2020 NBA Finals, the Heat came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers, losing the series 4-2. Last season, the Heat were once again in the Eastern Conference Finals against the rivaled Celtics, and in Game 7, Butler missed a critical go-ahead three-point shot in the final 18 seconds to give Boston the opportunity to ice the game and move on to the championship series against the Golden State Warriors.

Though the Heat hasn’t looked themselves this season, when Butler is on the court, his elite level of play places him in the upper echelon of star players across the League. He’s currently averaging 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals.

The Heat Culture embodies a ‘bounce back’ mentality through their grit and determination on the floor, and Butler has certainly embraced it. However, at 33-years-old, time is certainly closing on him to achieve the dream of winning a championship.

Butler is capable of taking on the challenge on his own, but basketball is a team game, and Heat fans know that if a championship comes to South Beach, it’ll have to be a high-level team effort.

“We’re still going to win the championship, and I don’t care what nobody says,” Butler said on the early struggle of the Heat. “Count us out. We’re going to win the f—— championship. I’m telling you.”

The post Jimmy Butler to Pat Riley: ‘We’re Getting Your 10th Championship’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakers took on the Washington Wizards on the road, and Davis was in his bag as he went off for 55 points on 22-30 shooting from the field (73.3 percent), 17 rebounds, and three blocks. With yesterday’s performance, Davis now joins Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal as the only two Lakers in team history to record 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in back-to-back games.

He’s also the first Laker to score 40 points in back-to-back games since Kobe Bryant did it in 2013. Davis’ season-high effort had the road crowd chanting MVP, and his teammates backed it up with their post-game comments;

“Jayson Tatum is playing his a** off, but when you’re talking about people in the MVP race or category, that probably will change after tonight,” Lakers guard Patrick Beverley told ESPN. “Davis should be up there for sure.”

LeBron James also chimed in with his thoughts on Davis and the MVP race, stating;

“He’s been unbelievable, man, on both sides of the floor, I mean, playing like the MVP of this league. Just straight dominance.”

When Davis was asked if his goals this season included winning his first MVP award, he said his main goal is to win a championship and that “the rest will take care of itself.”

“To win a championship, that’s it. If your mindset is on winning a championship, the rest will take care of itself. That’s always been my thought. I put the team first over any individual awards or accolades that come with it. So if we continue to do what we do and win basketball games, the rest will take care of itself.”

It’s great to see AD showcasing his true potential and talent out there on the court again after battling a series of nagging injuries. Laker nation, hold on to your seats because it looks like the LakeShow is coming back!

The post Anthony Davis Is Focused On Titles: ‘the Rest Will Take Care of Itself’ appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it.

AD Went Off and Dropped a 55-Piece in Washington, DC:

Hear straight from Mr. 55 Points pic.twitter.com/ktoVNdXLO1

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 5, 2022

Anthony Davis dropped a season-high 55 points (31 in the second half) on 22-30 shooting from the field (2-3 from beyond the arc) and grabbed 17 rebounds to help the Lakers drop the Wizards 130-119. Davis is the first Laker to drop back-to-back 40 balls since Kobe Bryant did it in 2013. AD scored 44 against Milwaukee on Friday. He’s averaging 35.3 points per game over his last nine appearances.

“Our team is locked in right now,” Davis said, per ESPN. “Very focused on both sides of the ball. Overall, we’re just trying to make up ground.”

The Lakers (10-12) won their fifth straight road game and are now 8-2 over their last 10 games after starting the season with a 2-10 record.

He’s Baaaaack:

Khris Middleton returned to Milwaukee’s starting lineup on Friday when the Bucks took on the Lakers. The former champion played 27 minutes and posted 17 points on 6-11 shooting (3-4 from the three-point line), two rebounds, and seven assists in a 133-129 loss to Los Angeles.

“It felt really good to be back out there with the guys competing, playing,” Middleton said, per ESPN. “Just a range of emotions. Been through a lot these last couple months — happy, sad, anxious, nervous. To finally get out there and play and get a lot of those nerves past me, it felt pretty good.”

Khris made his return to the court tonight.

17 PTS | 2 REB | 7 AST | 3-4 3PM pic.twitter.com/gMCAWWyNlA

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 3, 2022

Grand Theft Alvarado Makes Pelicans History:

Jose Alvarado dropped a career-high 38 points on 12-19 shooting (8-11 from downtown) to help the Pelicans sail past the Nuggets, 121-106. Alvarado’s 38-point effort was the most a reserve has scored in Pelicans history. It’s also the most scored by an undrafted player in franchise history. Alvarado has also set the season-high mark for a bench player to score.

“It’s amazing,” Alvarado said, per ESPN. “Like, it could never get old. It is my second year, and every time they scream out ‘Jose’ and do the chant or just show me so much love, it keeps giving me goosebumps. And it makes me want to keep playing as hard as I can.”

JOSE’S WORLD

WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT pic.twitter.com/1qddXzB7wB

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 4, 2022

Ja x Jaden Jersey Swap Moment:

Ja Morant and Jaden Ivey, the two most explosive point guards in the League, exchanged jerseys after their latest battle over the weekend. Morant led the Grizzlies past the Pistons, 122-112, after contributing 33 points, 21 in the third quarter, and 10 assists to help Memphis win for the fifth time in their last five games.

Morant was on fire, going 8-10 from the floor and assisting on all three buckets he didn’t score to help Memphis build a 101-83 lead. Ivey (10 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals) has looked at Morant as a big brother since his mom, Notre Dame WBB head coach Niele Ivey was hired as an assistant on Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff during the 2019-2020 season.

Ivey and Morant formed a tight bond while Morant would do his pregame workout, primarily by talking about upcoming games or life. Coach Ivey was also responsible for pregame scouting reports and did skill work with players. That relationship helped Jaden gain the confidence to pick Morant’s brain whenever he was at Memphis games or practices.

The two explosive point guards share a similar electrifying downhill style. Morant’s success as Rookie of the Year and All-Star can be a blueprint for a rookie looking to become a centerpiece of the Pistons’ rebuild toward championship contention.

Draymond Gets Fined, but a Fan is Cool With It All:

On Thursday, Draymond Green was fined $25k for “directing obscene language toward a fan” when the Warriors took on and lost to the Mavericks, 116-113.

The fan involved in the interaction, Alykhan Rehmatullah, defended the four-time champ on Twitter after identifying himself as the fan Green was arguing with. Rehmatullah said he and Green “were just having fun” and offered to “match the $25k to your favorite charity or NBA Cares.” Rehmatullah told ESPN that he “didn’t take offense” and when Green called Rehmatullah’s pledge “a cool gesture” and said, “you don’t see that happen.”

The exchange occurred with 11:20 left on the clock when the teams were lined up for a free throw attempt after Rehmatullah started giving Green a hard time about his sneakers. In Green’s perspective, there was “a lot of name-callings,” which led to Green turning around and telling the fan to “sit down, shut up, and watch the f——ing game.”

The two haven’t spoken to each other, but Green said he was planning to do so while saying that “the money should go somewhere” and that it should specifically “help someone’s kid.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post NBA Weekend Recap: Khris Middleton is Back (and Better) While Anthony Davis Made Lakers History appeared first on SLAM.

The last time Middleton was on the court, he went down with an MCL sprain during the first round of last year’s playoffs versus the Chicago Bulls. Despite still winning the series, the Bucks would later lose in seven games to the Boston Celtics in the semifinals. Milwaukee missed Middleton’s contributions, and it left many wondering what would have happened if he had been out there.

In response, Milwaukee has bounced back well to start the season. The Bucks are second in the East with a 15-5 record, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing out of his mind, averaging a career-high 31.3 points per on 53.3 percent shooting from the field. 

When Middleton is back, this will certainly make Antetokounmpo’s job easier. He will have less of a scoring load to carry for Milwaukee, thanks to his co-star.

Last season, the 31-year-old averaged 20.1 points and 5.4 assists per game. The offense will significantly improve as well because of Middleton’s ability to play off the ball. Expect Milwaukee’s 17th-ranked 111.2 .offensive rating of to shoot up. Having such a middling offense really highlights this team’s top-ranked defense (106.5 defensive rating) for their early success.

If the Bucks can win their Friday matchup with the Lakers, that will make it four consecutive wins for this team.

The post REPORT: Bucks Star Khris Middleton Set to Return on Friday appeared first on SLAM.

A lot of it is wishful thinking and outside perspective, hoping Turner’s deft shooting and interior defense would be a perfect fit for turning the Lakers season around, but mainly, it’s just noise. Noise that Turner isn’t paying attention to anymore. 

“Nothing changes,” Turner told The Athletic after Sunday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. ”Just go out there and focus on getting wins for this team. That’s just where my focus lies. You can’t pay attention to outside noise — doesn’t change anything, bro. All I can do is go out there and play my game.”

The Pacers won a nailbiter against the Lakers on Monday night at the buzzer due to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Andrew Nembhard. It was Indiana’s 12th win of the season; only six teams have more wins than them at this point of the year. 

Turner is having one of the best seasons of his career. He is back at his natural position, a center, after last season’s trade of Domantas Sabonis, and he’s reaping the rewards. Despite Turner publicly stating how he could help a center-needy team like the Clippers on Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast earlier this season, the Pacers are off to a better start than the Clippers and Lakers.

He’s blocking shots, rebounding well, and making shots at a sizzling clip. He’s averaged 2.6 blocks per game, 18.0 points, and 8.5 rebounds, and he’s making 1.5 threes per game. Turner is shooting 54.4 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three, and 82.9 percent from the free throw line.

“Just win games, bro,” Turner said between the loss to the Clippers and the win over the Lakers. “That’s really all I want to hang my hat on, is winning games, being a part of winning games. That’s the most important thing for me right now. Just help this franchise out, so what I can do.”

The Pacers are set to play the Kings on the road Wednesday night.

The post Myles Turner: ‘Nothing Changes’ Despite All the Trade Rumors Around Him appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakeshow struggled on both ends of the floor. They allowed the Pacers to score 32 points in the final frame and scored 22, shooting 8-22 from the field. While Anthony Davis scored 25 points on the night, he was only able to take two shots in the final quarter. Head coach Darvin Ham held himself accountable for the Lakers’ fourth-quarter woes.

“That falls on me,” Ham said per MSN. “That falls on me. I’ll take responsibility for that”.

Davis, who rounded out his 25 points with 13 rebounds and six assists, believed Ham was not the sole bearer of blame. 

“It’s not just on him. It’s on us, too,” Davis said per MSN. “I mean, we got enough years in the League for the guys that were on the floor late game to execute. Obviously, he’s a coach, you take the blame. But it’s on us players to go out there and execute.

“We know what we’re doing. We’re talented enough and smart enough on the floor to win a basketball game like that — So it’s not on him.”

LeBron James recorded 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in his third game back from a groin injury.  He agreed with Davis that there is more to the loss than Ham’s shortcomings.

“Everything has to go wrong in order for you to lose a game like that, and everything went wrong,” he said per ESPN. 

The Lakers look to bounce back during their six-game road trip featuring match-ups against the Bucks, Cavaliers, and 76ers.

The post ‘That Falls On Me’: Darvin Ham Takes Responsibility for Lakers’ Late Game Collapse appeared first on SLAM.

After Lakers guard Austin Reaves tried to lay the ball up strong against Suns star shooting guard Devin Booker, Reaves was met with a block from Booker, and it seemed like a bit of trash talk added to it. As the whistle was blown and the next possession was about to commence, Reaves was just about to roll over and get up off the hardwood when Suns center Deandre Ayton stood over him and seemed to have some words for Reaves as well.

Then like lightning out of a bottle, Patrick Beverley sprinted over to Reaves and shoved Ayton from behind to the ground. That is when everybody on the court comes together; there are more words, some pushing, and shoving, but that’s just basketball. After things calmed down, the refs gave Booker a flagrant 1 foul and ejected Beverley from the game.

The Suns went on to win 115-105; then, in a postgame interview with NBA on TNT, Booker had a message to send to Beverley. Booker was asked what he thought about how everything unfolded during that heated moment in the game,

“It was more than it was supposed to be. Pat need to stop pushing people in the back, man; push ’em in the chest. That’s all I gotta say.”

Patrick Bev also spoke to the media following the game and had a lot to say following his ejection via ESPN.

“Got a person on the ground, two people looking over mean-mugging and puffing their chest out, and referees don’t get into it to kind of separate it, control the game, so I’m going to stand up for my teammate. I’m not going for that s—. Obviously, it’s unfortunate that it happened on national tv, but you know me. Regardless of what’s going on, I’m a big fan of protecting my teammates. I’m a foxhole guy. I put on my jersey, and I commit to the team, I commit to the city, and it’s kind of my motto. I’m a foxhole guy. Very unfortunate situation, though.”

Reaves also commented on the situation postgame, saying that he told Beverly that he appreciated him five times afterward.

“He’s a team player,” said Reaves. “He rocks with who he rocks with. Whoever is on his team, you respect him. You love him. You’re glad he’s on your team. When he’s not, he’s a pest, does all that stuff, all those little things. But I just respect him for who he is and standing up for me.”

Suns coach Monty Williams also shared his thoughts postgame saying;

“It’s just happening too many times. I just think the league needs to look at those kind of plays. They’re just unnecessary. There was obviously some tension, but with us, it’s happening too many times. You know, when you push a guy when he’s not looking like that, that’s not called for. There’s going to be physicality; there’s going to be tension in games; that’s just the nature of basketball.”

The final person to give their take on the situation was Ayton, who simply said;

“He ain’t hurt me, he didn’t take nothing out my pocket, and I ain’t react.”

The post Lakers and Suns Comment on Heated Exchange Between Deandre Ayton and Patrick Beverley appeared first on SLAM.

The team sits at 5-10, struggling to meet the outsized expectations the Lakers typically face. With LeBron James currently sidelined and being evaluated daily with a groin injury, the Lakers desperately need someone to step up. Well, Lakers center Anthony Davis has answered the call.

Davis has been critical in the Laker’s current three-game winning streak. Earlier on in November, it was reported that the team was working on getting Davis more touches and being a more featured option. Now it looks like the coaching staff’s new schemes are really paying off.

In the last three Lakers games, Davis has scored 30 plus points while shooting above 60 percent from the field and ten plus rebounds in each of their wins. Davis went off for 37 points (15-25) and 18 rebounds versus the Brooklyn Nets, 38 points (10-16) and 16 rebounds versus the Detroit Pistons, and then last night had 30 points (12-19) and 18 boards versus the San Antonio Spurs.

Davis’ recent stretch has added him amongst Laker greats Shaquille O’Neal and Elgin Baylor as the only three Lakers in franchise history to record 30+ points and 15+ rebounds in 3+ games.

In a postgame interview with ESPN, Davis spoke on the effect James’ absence has had on his game and that James even told him that he’s “playing like his old self.”

“Obviously, when he’s out, or I’m out,” Davis said. “We take it upon ourselves to kind of, as much as we can, fill that void.”

Lakers coach Darvin Ham even commented on AD’s recent performances saying, “AD is playing out of his mind; he’s in a great rhythm.”

It’s great to see the Laker’s offense finally start to come to life here in these last few games. If Davis and company can keep up their recent stretch of offensive dominance until James returns, the Lakers will, without a doubt, begin to be back on track in a very tightly contested Western Conference.

The post Anthony Davis: ‘Playing Like His Old Self’ During Three-Game Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

The two sides have yet to come up with an agreement, but negotiations may have to pick up soon now that another team has entered the frame. The Lakers’ neighbors, the Los Angeles Clippers, have been rumored to be interested in acquiring Turner as well, according to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.

Clippers big man Moses Brown is the only pure big man after Ivica Zubac on the Clippers’ roster, but head coach Ty Lue has only gone to him for eight games this season. Instead, Marcus Morris has been the go-to backup center for Zubac so far.

With no depth at the center position and not having the services of Kawhi Leonard for most of the early campaign, Los Angeles has still managed to hold on to a record of 8-6, which is good enough for the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The team’s early woes are starting to show that losing Isaiah Hartenstein in the offseason was huge.

Adding Turner to the mix will work wonders for the Clippers. The Pacers’ big man is averaging 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks a game. The move would immediately make this Los Angeles team one of the best defenses in the league when healthy, with Turner playing alongside the likes of Leonard and Paul George. Only time will tell if they are willing to pull the trigger on the pursuit.

Los Angeles will be in action tonight as they take on the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 P.M.

The post REPORT: Clippers Interested in Trading for Myles Turner appeared first on SLAM.

Westbrook had 14 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds off the bench en route to the win. Westbrook’s time on the floor included a timely block in isolation defense on Durant near the end of the first quarter, and he forced a key Durant turnover in the fourth quarter.

KD dropped 31 points, nine boards, and seven dimes in defeat. After the game, Durant praised his former teammate, particularly Brodie’s defensive effort.

“He’s just going to hack me the whole time. He’s been doing that shit since we were 18-19,” Durant said. “But more than anything, to see the role Russ is playing right now, he’s just affecting the game in so many different ways. 12 assists tonight, four turnovers, 14 points. He came in there and put his imprint on the game, so it’s fun playing against him regardless of what setting it is. It’s always been like that between us.” 

Russ and the Slim Reaper spent eight seasons playing together as the building blocks for the OKC Thunder. They were in contention for a championship for much of their stretch together, and in the six seasons since their breakup, they’ve both gone on to have even more success and add to their Hall of Fame careers. 

The Lakers snapped a five game losing skid with their win on Sunday night and moved to 3-10 on the season, the second-worst record in the Western Conference. The Nets were surging entering the game, but they now fall to 6-8 on the season. 

Both teams have a long break this week. The Lakers do not play again until Friday night against the Detroit Pistons. The Nets continue their road trip on Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

The post Kevin Durant Praises Russell Westbrook for Imposing His Will in New Role appeared first on SLAM.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham says LeBron James will be day-to-day with his groin injury. Ham says the MRI showed that James has a strained left adductor. Of note: By virtue of a scheduling quirk, James could take eight days off in this next stretch and only miss two games.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 10, 2022

Per McMenamin, the Lakers’ scheduling will allow James to miss two games over the next eight days. According to Jeff Stoots of InStreetClothes, the average time lost for the groin strain James suffered is typically 3.5 games.

King with the 6-for-6 start to the game pic.twitter.com/YAWvCszwtW

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 10, 2022

James is averaging 24.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 23.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Lakers (2-9) will host the Kings on Friday at 10:30 PM EST.

The post Darvin Ham Says LeBron James Will Be Day to Day With a Groin Injury appeared first on SLAM.

They were again led by great perimeter play, Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points, and Collin Sexton kicked in 22 points from the bench. The Jazz was up by double digits early in the first half, but they blew the lead and had to rally after trailing for much of the third and fourth quarters. 

After a blistering shooting performance on Friday to take down the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz had to reach deeper to gut out last night’s win and complete the Los Angeles sweep. The Jazz turned over the ball a whopping 20 times in their victory, but they outscored the Clippers 26-17 in the fourth quarter. 

“Finding ways to win is fun,” Coach Will Hardy said following the game, per ESPN. “I’m very proud of the team to overcome 20 turnovers.” 

The Jazz is the second seed in the Western Conference despite most of the “experts” projecting them to be a bottom-tier team in the league. The Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell (Cavs) and Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves) this summer and are supposed to be starting their rebuild. The draft assets the Jazz got in return: Lauri Markanen, Sexton, Malik Beasley, Walker Kessler, and Kelly Olynk said not so fast.

“I’m starting to get more comfortable in myself,” Sexton said after the game. “Just staying ready and being present throughout the game.” 

Sexton had the game-sealing dunk when the Jazz was up by 4 with 54 seconds left. Clarkson could be seen cheering from the bench. The Jazz has surpassed all expectations of what was projected to be a down year. Whether or not they can maintain this level of play remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Utah is a lot of f****ing fun. 

The Jazz plays the Lakers on Monday at 10:15 PM EST.    

The post As They Rebuild, the Utah Jazz Are Now 8-3 and A Lot of Fun to Watch appeared first on SLAM.

His energy and enthusiasm for the game seem to be revived, and the Lakers are playing inspired basketball. Lakers Coach Darvin Ham is intent on continuing with this formula for the foreseeable future. 

“Trust me, Russ had a hell of a night, man. In the last three games, he’s been phenomenal,” Ham said following the game. “One of my goals, selfishly, is to get him in the sixth man of the year conversation. And why not start now?”  

Darvin Ham said one of his goals is to get Russell Westbrook in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year

— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) November 3, 2022

In Wednesday’s win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Westbrook had 13 points, nine dimes, and eight boards on 60 percent shooting in only 25 minutes. He led another second-quarter run at the end of the quarter to give the Lakers a cushion heading into the half. He was nearly perfect, aside from his six turnovers. 

Westbrook is the all-time triple-double leader, an NBA MVP, an NBA 75 member, and one of the greatest players of all time. Westbrook putting his ego to the side and prioritizing the name in the front of his jersey rather than the back is indicative of the values Ham looks to instill in his team. 

“You have to know that the team comes first,” Ham said per the Athletic. “It sounds a little old school and cliche, but the name on the front of the jersey has to matter the most. It’s just a long season.” 

Westbrook has been receptive of the realignment and recently told the media that his move to the bench has been “beneficial for everybody.”

“My job is to find ways to continue to make the team better, whatever that is that night. Whether it’s assisting, rebounding, scoring, defending,” Westbrook told Spectrum Sportsnet. “I’m a person that prides myself on doing everything each and every night and I want to be able to have that trickle down effect on the guys that I’m on the floor with.”  

The Lakers have their first winning streak of the season and will get their first chance to continue their winning ways tomorrow against the Utah Jazz. 

The post Darvin Ham Wants to Get Russell Westbrook into ‘the Sixth Man Of The Year Conversation’ appeared first on SLAM.

Over the past couple of seasons, Turner has been linked to multiple trade reports and rumors. However, he has yet actually to be acquired by another team. These trade rumors have happened so often and been so persistent that Turner has become ‘numb‘ to them.

“If I’m the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you’re in. I know what I can provide for a team. My leadership, my shot blocking, my three-point ability, and just my ability to make plays out there on the floor.”

Turner is entering the last year of his contract with the Pacers, and in his time there thus far, he has been a dominant force. Since coming into the League in 2015, Turner has averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game throughout his eight-year career. Turner is also shooting a career 48.8 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers could use a defensive presence like Turner right now, as they rank 26th in overall defensive rankings this season. It is still very early in the season, but the Lakers just secured their first win of the season, bringing their overall record to 1-5.

This could be a win-win move for the Pacers and Lakers if a deal were to be done. There’s still a long season ahead, and if the Lakers do get it turned around, it’s unlikely they’ll give up such high picks. Only time will tell what is to come for both Turner and the Lakers, but it is definitely a situation to keep an eye on.

The post Myles Turner Speaks on What He Could Possibly Bring to Lakers if He’s Traded appeared first on SLAM.

This was his second consecutive game coming off the bench, and he once again looked like himself, with his usual mix of fire, passion, tenacity, and athleticism. Westbrook finished with 18 points, eight boards, and eight assists on 50 percent shooting from the field (and from three) in 32 minutes. He led a seminal 17-point spurt to give the Lakers the lead at the end of the third quarter, and the Lakers never looked back from there. No one was happier for him than Coach Darvin Ham. 

“I’m so happy, man,” Ham said, per The Athletic. “I can’t even imagine what that kid is going through. One of the biggest things about me getting this job was for him to get that respect that he deserved because a lot of what went on last year was not his fault. And everything, all of the blame, was placed on him.”

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Westbrook was serenaded in cheers by the Lakers home crowd on their way to Ham’s first win as head coach. He called for them, and they answered, getting rowdy and raucous; they energized a decisive second-half run on both sides of the ball. The relationship between Lakers fans and Westbrook has been contentious up to this point, but Westbrook hasn’t let it take away his joy. He could be seen smiling, dancing, and celebrating all game long. 

“One thing I never will let happen is people outside of my family, [the] people that support me, take my joy,” Westbrook said via the Los Angeles Times. “Always have fun and embrace this game and embrace the gift I’ve been given to be able to go out and compete. And yes, winning makes you feel better about yourself. But when you’re losing, it’s not as much fun. Tonight was a night where we were able to have a chance.”

Whether or not this move to the bench will be a long-term move for Westbrook continues to be seen, but the first two instances have drawn better results than his earlier performances this season. His All-Star teammates, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, have commended his lack of ego and for his sacrifice. Westbrook is prepared for whatever comes his way. 

“Like I’ve mentioned since Day One, whatever is needed from me to help the team win, that’s what I’ll do,” Westbrook said.

The Lakers are now 1-5 on the season, and they’ll get their first chance to improve on that Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The post Darvin Ham Says He’s ‘Happy’ For Sixth Man Russell Westbrook Coming Off First Win appeared first on SLAM.

AD dropped 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Brodie posted 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in 32 minutes off the bench. LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring with 26 points, six rebounds, and eight assists on 10-22 shooting. The Lakers also knocked down a season-high 13 three-pointers on 43.5 percent shooting from deep.

Davis deserves plenty of credit for guiding the Lakers through a gutsy win. AD is battling through lower back soreness that’s forced him to labor up and down the court. However, the Brow still found a way to gut it out against the back-to-back and reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic (23 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks), a player that could wear you out thanks to his physicality and ability to beat you multiple ways.

“Huge impact, man, the way he fought through that,” Ham said, per The Athletic. “I care about his body. I want him to be the AD that we all know he can be on that championship run. He showed it tonight. His tenaciousness on defense. Timely shot-making. Communicating.”

+2, AD. pic.twitter.com/FCxHmxFVOh

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 31, 2022

The eight-time All-Star also scored eight points in the fourth to help the Lakers fend off a charging Nuggets team looking to mount a comeback. The tough win drew some cheers and applause for Davis, who left everything on the court. Especially after a scary moment where, after AD tapped in a missed shot, he audibly groaned as his back flared up.

When Ham asked Davis if he wanted to come out, Davis said, “no. Hell no. I got you. I’m with you.” Ham remarked how “determined” Davis was “to finish this game.”

“You saw on that putback, it kinda just comes and goes, these little shocks that go,” Davis said. “But at that point, it’s like you’re playing off of adrenaline. So, I know tonight, maybe tomorrow, I’m probably going to feel it more. But it’s all manageable. Just gotta do what I can to make sure I’m on the floor to help the team win.”

Postgame, David admitted he was in a “pretty good amount of pain” but also reiterated that the pain he was feeling was manageable. He also said he dislikes the injury-prone label he’s received over the last two seasons and was candid about the mental toll all the injuries took on him.

Ham said he doesn’t need the two-time block leader to be a “hero.” Davis said he’s “in a great space mentally” and that he’s not letting his injury “stop me” while imploring that he’s “doing everything I can to make sure I can go out there and play, and we’ll deal with the rest when that time comes.”

The Lakers are now 1-5 with clashes against the Pelicans, Jazz, Cavaliers, and Clippers coming up.

The post Anthony Davis On Playing Through ‘Manageable’ Back Injury appeared first on SLAM.

To push the panic button right now is an over-exaggeration. Despite the endless drama centered around its players, Lakers superstar LeBron James believes there have been encouraging signs at one end of the floor that keeps them close games.

“For the first three games, it hasn’t,” James said regarding the team’s shooting, per Lakers Daily. “We still can’t shoot a penny in the ocean, but it hasn’t stopped us from competing and defending. That’s given us a chance in all three games to win.”

Dialed in pic.twitter.com/GaiApLt1C7

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 23, 2022

The Lakers rank at the top of the League in steals averaging 11.3 a game. It’s partly thanks to Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook, who is averaging over two steals a game. However, Anthony Davis’ third-best steals (2.7) and fourth-best blocks (2.3) around the League have given the Lakers a chance at victory in the new year.

James fully supports the defensive play thus far when opponents try to get easy buckets inside. However, the number of fouls given up, especially against the amount they gave up against the Portland Trailblazers, won’t rest easy with the four-time champion.

“I think it’s understanding that no one is on an island by themself,” said James. “When guys penetrate, we try to get multiple bodies in front of bodies, and if the ball is on the ground or it’s loose, we try to get good hands in there — when you’re defending at a high level like we are, we can’t allow teams to get easy buckets by going up there and not facing the defense with free throws.”

Transition Bron lookin' scary pic.twitter.com/VOYJW2NzcK

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 21, 2022

According to James, the frustrating losses have been put in the past, but if the team looks to avoid missed back-to-back playoffs, they must turn defense into offense. Easy buckets off fast-break opportunities could do wonders for the aging group, and it’ll likely lower the habit of shooting 39 three attempts a game.

The Lakers are back in action Wednesday night to face the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center.

The post LeBron James Likes Lakers ‘Competing and Defending’ Amidst 0-3 Start appeared first on SLAM.

The team has relied on Max Strus and Duncan Robinson to handle the load at the power forward slot, but the team looks to be losing hope in their defensive powers as reports suggest the Heat are looking at trade suitors.

“Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson aren’t the only potential moves that the Heat have been linked to recently,” according to Heavy.com’s Thomas Darro. “Link them to PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, as well as finalizing a reunion between Crowder and the Heat. But another has been Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons and Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz.”

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Kuzma of the Washington Wizards is off to a fantastic start to the young season as he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and a staggering shooting at 46.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. His size and length could turn him into a problem under the talented Heat coaching staff, but Heat President Pat Riley always keeps the door open to other options.

Washington is a restricted free agent this upcoming off-season due to the inability to negotiate a contract extension. The Hornets may be focused on providing their star point guard LaMelo Ball an enormous deal for the 2024 season, leaving little cap space to work for Washington.

The Heat wouldn’t mind one-year rentals, especially when there’s a lot of talent that needs to be proven out of the group. The 24-year-old would add the floor spacing, agility, and defensive intangibles that much up well against star rivals like Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton and Demar Derozan.

Finally, the reunion Heat fans would welcome with open arms. Not too long ago, Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder was part of the resilient 2020 Heat squad that, as a 5th seed, went six games against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The chemistry on display, both offensive and defensively, is in no way bound to be lost in just the two seasons apart.

With this possibly being his 10th straight playoff appearance, a reunion with the Heat opens the door to a final run at a championship.

The post REPORT: Heat Linked to Kyle Kuzma, P.J Washington, and Jae Crowder appeared first on SLAM.

Damian Lillard scored 41 points, and Jerami Grant (16 points) put on the finishing touches with a game-clinching layup to help Portland hold off the Lakers, 106-104, on Sunday. The clutch win continues Portland’s (3-0) stay unbeaten while the Lakers are still searching for their first win of the season under Coach Darvin Ham.

Portland was down on its luck 102-85 with 1:56 left to go in the game. The Trail Blazers won after a late 11-2 run over those final 110 seconds. What’s been most impressive is Lillard’s fourth-quarter performance (12 points) over the final 5:06 of the game. Dame Time’s explosive scoring surge led Billups to say that a healthy Lillard has put “the League on notice.”

“Obviously, Dame is back, and he’s pretty much putting the league on notice,” Billups said, per ESPN.

"Damian Lillard has done it again!"

41 from Dame last night in Los Angeles.

(via @trailblazers)pic.twitter.com/UIR209j0pv

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 24, 2022

Dame Time is averaging 28.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent from the three-point line. While the Lakers were unable to get any shotmaking when it mattered the most from LeBron James, Patrick Beverley, and Russell Westbrook, the Trail Blazers triumphed after Lillard hit his sixth triple of the night to give Portland a two-point lead with 7.7 seconds left.

James followed up with a dunk to tie the game up, but Grant finished the game with his game-winning drive to the rim. Portland’s win was solidified after The King missed a 17-footer.

“We all trusted the next guy to do their job,” Lillard said. “We were able to get stops, not turn the ball over and hit our shots.”

GRANT. GAME. WINNER.#RipCity | @JeramiGrant pic.twitter.com/uDqxZgcdwo

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 23, 2022

Portland will finish the back half of their first back-to-back of the season against the Denver Nuggets (2-1) on the road. The Lakers have a break until Wednesday and will play the Nuggets on the road.

The post Chauncey Billups: Damian Lillard ‘Is Back’ and He’s ‘Putting the League On Notice’ appeared first on SLAM.

Since getting drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2017 as the fifth pick, the franchise has not made the playoffs. This year, Fox wants to be at the forefront of getting them there. The Kings reshaped their roster for the second half of last season when they acquired two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday from the Indiana Pacers.

Sacramento traded Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson in return.

On Draymond Green’s podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Fox admitted that the trade shocked him. As the primary point guard for the franchise, the 24-year-old felt that the trade sent an important message to him from the organization.

“For me, it’s like yo, they believe in me,” said Fox. “But two, it’s like motherf*****, we just traded somebody who could be a franchise point guard either here or somewhere else. So, you better get on your s***; you better start winning.“

The King guard is fresh off scoring 33 points in a 108-115 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers and understands that there will be added pressure for him in this campaign.

“Does it add pressure? Yeah, a little bit,” said Fox. But, at the end of the day, I’ve been trying to get us in the playoffs for years, so it’s a little added pressure. It ain’t hurt anybody.”

Fortunately for Sacramento, they acquired Malik Monk after a solid season with the Los Angeles Lakers during the offseason. He averaged a career-high 13.8 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field.

The move reunites Fox and Monk for the first time backcourt pair played together at Kentucky before making it to the NBA. The question is, will these moves by the Kings in the past year pay off and earn them a trip to the playoffs?

Sacramento will suit up on Saturday to play the Los Angeles Clippers in hopes of the team’s first win of the season.

The post De’Aaron Fox on the Kings Trading Tyrese Haliburton: ‘They Believe in Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

“I’m definitely not going to sit here and harp on what we can’t do every single game,” James said, per ESPN, when asked about his team’s shooting struggles. “That’s not a leader. What I know we can do? We can defend our a** off. We did that tonight, which gave us an opportunity to win, and we just couldn’t make it happen. But I’m OK with that.”

This is all kind of ironic because, in this same game, James moved up to No. 10 in the NBA on the all-time made three-pointer list. A huge career accomplishment, no doubt, but even though it is another impressive milestone for James, 20 points on 7-17 shooting from the field in 37 minutes of action was not enough to help secure victory for the Lakers.

“If we’re reliant on [sufficient outside shooting] every single game, then we’re in trouble,” James said. “So I’m not worried about that or thinking about that. It’s how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night. And we got to defend. When we defend, we’re going to give ourselves a good chance to win.”

With just 2 out of 82 games played so far in the 2022-2023 NBA season, Lakers fans should remain optimistic. It is still early on in the season, and every team needs time to gel in the beginning. Team chemistry is something that cannot be built in just one, two, or even ten games. At the end of the day, James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Coach Darvin Ham, and company will figure everything out.

The post LeBron James Won’t ‘Harp On’ What Lakers Can’t Do appeared first on SLAM.

The SLAM 240 cover star opened up about why coming off the bench was the correct choice. In a post-game interview with Ohm Youngmisuk, Leonard said the following;

“You gotta gradually play minutes in order to get the ACL strong,” Leonard said. “Once you start playing 38 minutes first game, it could easily weaken up, but I’m listening to the doctor with that. It’s a long season. We wanna get in the playoffs and want me to play in the playoffs.”

We must also remember that Leonard missed the entirety of last season with an ACL injury, which is no small feat to return from. Returning from an injury like that is not easy, and some players never return the same. Leonard also mentioned that the idea came about from looking at data and running simulations in practice subbing in and out of games.

The NBA season is still young, and if Leonard and the Clippers want to maximize their chances come playoff time, they need their stars healthy.

When asked by another reporter what it was like to come into the game in the middle of the second quarter, Leonard said he didn’t “think 15 minutes would be long” after waiting “82 games last year.”

“I waited 82 games last year, so I didn’t think 15 minutes would be long. This is how I started my career. Act like I was in foul trouble, and once I check in the second quarter, it’s time to play basketball.”

In just 21 minutes off the bench, Leonard played well. The Klaw dropped 14 points and seven rebounds on 6-12 shooting in the Clippers’ 103-97 season-opening win against their hometown rivals.

No timetable was revealed for how long Leonard plans to come off the bench instead of starting. However, we all know the old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and if this is the strategy that guarantees a winning season plus a healthy Leonard come playoff time for the Clippers, plus the fact that it was a decision being considered by both team and player then why be in a rush to change it?

The post Kawhi Leonard Speaks On Decision to Come Off the Bench Versus Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Right off the bat, Coach Steve Kerr has decided to put four-time champions Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on minute restrictions to start the campaign for conditioning. In the team’s season opener versus the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson played only 20 minutes, while Green finished at 25.

Kerr told reporters that the two veterans’ that he thinks their minute restrictions will be lifted slowly to their normal regular season minute level in a “couple of weeks.” 

Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins will be expected to step up during the process. In fact, they did exactly that on Tuesday. Poole dropped 12 points and seven assists in 28 minutes, while Wiggins scored 20 points in 29 minutes.

The Warriors will take on the Nuggets on Friday for their second game of the season. Perhaps Thompson and Green will see a slight increase in their playing time then.

The post Steve Kerr Expects to Lift Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s Minute Restriction Soon appeared first on SLAM.

Los Angeles Clippers have been considering the possibility of bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench to start the season in order to manage his minutes, league sources tell @YahooSports.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 20, 2022

The temporary experiment could start as soon as Thursday when the Clippers start the season against their hallway rival Lakers. Before training camp, Clippers president Lawrence Frank said that the Clippers planned on taking a cautious approach while Leonard returned from a torn ACL he suffered during the 2021 playoffs.

Leonard has gone through a load management program since he suffered a quadriceps injury that robbed him of most of the 2017-2018 season.

Coming to NBA arenas this fall, the return of the League’s most terrifying two-way players.

Kawhi and PG cover SLAM 240. https://t.co/aTFojIRsVL pic.twitter.com/NnTVfLdhve

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 17, 2022

The last time Kawhi Leonard came off the bench, he was 21-years-old playing his second season in the NBA. Leonard was playing his first game after missing nearly a month of action due to quadriceps tendinitis. Leonard completed a rehab assignment with the Austin Toros, San Antonio’s G League affiliate. The two-time DPOY ended up starting the other 57 games he appeared in that season.

The post REPORT: Clippers ‘Considering’ Bringing Kawhi Leonard Off the Bench to Start the Year appeared first on SLAM.

The talent may not be elite on the roster, but that’s what makes Lakers Coach Darvin Ham even more impressed with Brown’s start.

“Mike [Brown] is a great ambassador for the game and a great coach in his own right,” Ham told the Sacramento Bee after the Lakers lost to the Kings to end the preseason. “making sure they’re detail-oriented, making sure they’re consistent. He’s a guy that’s passionate but not emotional — At the end of the day, he’s going to make sure he has all of his resources in order — to reemphasize why they should be doing exactly what he’s asking of them to do.”

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Brown is at the helm of a team in a 16-season playoff drought, the longest of any franchise in the history of the NBA. It may be a mountain to climb in this new tenure, but Brown has been through the highest and the lowest of being an NBA head coach.

Notable moments of Brown’s career were when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals, surrounding the team’s former superstar, LeBron James, with various shooters and stout defenders. Later in his tenure with the Cavs, Brown orchestrated back-to-back 60+ win seasons, earning Coach of the Year honors in 2009.

Although his coaching career took a slight bump with the Cavs and Lakers in the early 2010s, Brown picked his name right back up as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, winning three championships in five years (2017-2022) with the Golden State Warriors.

One of the philosophies Brown has seemed to incorporate into the Kings from the Warriors is the expectation of relentless defense from the young assets. Kings star De’Aaron Fox believes Sacramento has benefitted from Brown’s heavy ‘attention to detail’ defensively. James noticed that playing defense is also a tenet of Brown’s coaching philosophy.

“He’s someone that, if you don’t defend, you won’t get on the floor,” James said. “When he came to Cleveland, we became one of the best defensive teams in the League every single year. That gave us a chance to win every single night. Offensively, some nights we weren’t that good, but we were always in games because we defended.”

IT’S GAME DAY! #RoarWithUs pic.twitter.com/2CsVAhTlTi

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 19, 2022

Sacramento fans could be heavily intrigued by that, considering Fox hasn’t returned to that pesky defender he once was in the 2018-19 season, where he attributed 133 total steals (sixth best). Of course, Brown first wants to see stout defensive teamwork before jumping into individual accolades.

“Although we want everybody to bring it defensively as an individual, it’s not one guy guarding the ball,” said Brown, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s five guys guarding the ball, so we want to see five guys on a string. We want to communicate — Those are some of the things which are staples that we want to see on the defensive side of the ball, but the biggest thing is competing.”

The Kings aren’t expected to become the NBA’s best defensive team or break the 16-year curse of missing the playoffs, but wilder things have happened from first-year coaches, and Brown looks to fill the hearts of the many Sacramento fans that have been desperate for a team built towards long-term success.

The post ‘Detail-Oriented’ Mike Brown Inspiring Confidence in and Out of Sacramento appeared first on SLAM.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for now, here are seven takeaways from last night’s action.

Revenge SZN: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are looking even better

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been a nightmare for teams on both sides of the ball for a few years now. They have three ECF trips under their belt and a recent appearance in the NBA Finals — they’re not supposed to still be getting better. After showing up to opening night rockin’ some pretty eye-catching fits, Brown and Tatum dropped a combined 70 points (dropping 35 points apiece) and solidified the dub over Philly.

Both were attacking from every part of the floor. Having two dynamic players like Brown and Tatum gives the Celtics a good chance to get back to the Finals and maybe even win it this time. 

Ring Night: The Warriors may be poised to make another championship run

On ring night, the Warriors look good. Damn good. Stephen Curry is still just as good as he’s always been, and the Warriors’ weapons all kept them afloat and out of reach. The Dubs had their trademark explosive third quarter, and signature contributions from Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Curry, and Andrew Wiggins on offense guided them to a win. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney anchored a strong defensive performance. Their young core (Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga) came in off the bench and provided valuable minutes. Sheesh, the Warriors are deep. 

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The Beard drops a 30-piece on Opening Night

James Harden has been a picture of perfect health for the majority of his NBA career, but during his tenure with the Nets, and leading into his tenure with the Sixers, Harden was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that sapped away a lot of his explosiveness and his ability to change speeds that made him so difficult to contain during his days in Houston. Houston Harden showed up in Boston last night for Philadelphia.

He finished the game with 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 64.2 percent shooting from the field and 12/12 shooting from the line. Some may say vintage Harden; we say he’s back. 

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LeBron James speaks on Lakers’ Shooting Troubles:

The Los Angeles Lakers Big 3 finished with 77 of 109 points as the remainder of the team struggled to score all game with their limited spacing. Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis also shot a combined 4-16 from three, while the Lakers as a whole shot 10-40. After the game, The King was quick to recognize this deficiency in the Lakers’ offense, citing a lack of “lasers.”

Moving forward, the Lakers need better shooting performances if they do not want to repeat their fate from last season. 

Honoring No. 7: Jaylen Brown Speaks on Bill Russell’s Legacy

The legendary Bill Russell, and 11-time NBA Champion (twice as a head coach of the Celtics), passed away this past summer. The Boston Celtics legend had his No. 6 retired around the League, and every team is wearing a “6” patch on their jersey to honor him. The Celtics took each step, however, intent on honoring their greatest player. Jaylen Brown took a few moments to commemorate Bill Russell before the game, honoring him as a player, a father, a leader, and a man. 

Coaching Debuts of Mazzulla and Ham:

Darvin Ham and Joe Mazzulla both made their head coaching debuts on opening night. Mazzulla won his first game, and Ham lost his. Mazzulla is an interim head coach, for now, following Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension by the Boston Celtics.

Near the end of their contest against the Celtics, Stan Van Gundy joked that Mazzulla now has the best winning percentage in NBA history. This is true and looks to remain true, at least through his next game. Ham, on the other hand, has the tall task of coaching a veteran Lakers team back to promise. There are some positive takeaways to be had from the team’s performance but look for tweaks in the next few games as they look to find their footing. 

FREE BG 

October 18th marked the beginning of the NBA season, but it was also Britney Griner’s 32nd birthday. Stephen Curry took some time to bring awareness to her wrongful incarceration in Russia during his direct address to the fans in attendance as well as the fans watching on TV at home. The fight for Griner’s freedom continues to be a major point of emphasis as the season begins. 

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The post 7 Takeaways From Opening Night appeared first on SLAM.

When the Lakers were set to play their preseason finale, multiple reports said Ham intended to bring Westbrook off the bench against the Sacramento Kings. Westbrook has started every NBA game he has played since his rookie year. 

In what later became a 47-point loss, Brodie only played 5 minutes off the bench. He strained his hamstring early on and never returned. After the Lakers suffered an opening day 123-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors a few days later, Westbrook told reporters that he “absolutely” attributed this injury to his temporary bench role. 

“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose — That’s something I just wasn’t accustomed to,” Westbrook said after their regular season debut 123-109 loss against the Golden State Warriors. 

Westbrook has played in 1,022 career games and has started 1,005 of them. A bench role later this season is not off the table with improved depth at the point guard after the additions of Patrick Beverly, Dennis Schröder, and the return Kendrick Nunn.

However, in last night’s game, Westbrook showed flashes of why the Lakers traded for him in the first place. In 31 minutes, Westbrook had 19 points and 11 rebounds on 58 percent shooting. He kicked in three assists and a steal as well. 

Both his coach and his teammate, Anthony Davis, maintain the game against Sacramento was just an experiment and an exploration of their options. When asked about his decision to start Westbrook on opening night, Ham was complimentary of Russell Westbrook. 

“You want to start the game off the right way in terms of your energy and being in attack mode, and no one better than him,” Ham said, who spoke to reporters before Westbrook did after the game. “I mean, it’s what we have, and we got some key guys hurt. It’s Game 1; give them a chance to go out and compete at the highest level. I thought he was solid. I thought he was solid. A couple possessions I wish I can get back, but overall, I thought he was solid.”

AD stated he didn’t think Westbrook’s realignment to the bench was ever intended to be a real option. Despite the loss, the Lakers Big 3 looked more fluid in their offensive execution, and they thought so too. 

“I think we played well,” Davis said. “We wanted to come out, and everybody be aggressive.”

LeBron James added, “I thought we all just kind of played free. And it resulted in all three of us pretty much being efficient from the floor.”

If the Lakers are to right the ship, Westbrook must be healthy and play well. He’s sending the message that he does that best from the starting five.

The post Russell Westbrook Believes Coming Off the Bench ‘Absolutely’ Caused Hamstring Injury appeared first on SLAM.

As you can see below, based on the average list price on the secondary market, the Golden State Warriors are once again the most expensive team for the 2022-23 season. At $611 the Warriors are the only team with an average list price of over $600 heading into the 2022-23 season. The Los Angeles Lakers ($518) are the only other team with an average price of $500 or more, and rank second on the list. The New York Knicks ($346), Boston Celtics ($303), and Phoenix Suns ($285) round out the top five.

Least Expensive Teams:

On the other side of the spectrum, the Indiana Pacers are this year’s least expensive team with an average list price of $138. Four other teams have average prices under $160; the Oklahoma City Thunder ($148), Detroit Pistons ($153), San Antonio Spurs ($157), and Houston Rockets ($159). Below you can see the rest of the least expensive teams heading into the 2022-23 season. 

Biggest Year Over Year Price Changes:

In terms of teams that have seen the biggest price jump since last season, the Memphis Grizzlies (+111%) top the list. They’re the only team in the NBA whose ticket prices have more than doubled since the start of last season. The Trail Blazers (+56%), Mavericks (+56%), Magic (+55%) and Pistons (+50%) round out the top 5. 

Where and How to Buy 2022-23 NBA Tickets

Primary market NBA tickets are available for most teams via Ticketmaster.  Some teams offer their primary market tickets via other sites like Seatgeek or AXS. Most teams sell out quickly.

On the secondary market, TicketIQ has Fee-Free NBA tickets which also include a Refund Guarantee. Our Refund Guarantee states that if an event is canceled or deemed unfit for fans to attend, TicketIQ will refund ticket buyers in as soon as 15 days. That means that you can buy from TicketIQ worry-free. Customers on TicketIQ save between 15%-25% compared to other secondary market ticketing sites.  

The post 2022-23 NBA Tickets: Warriors and Lakers Remain the Most Expensive appeared first on SLAM.

When it comes to pure skill and dominance, there are only a few names that make the shortlist of the greatest hoopers to lace them up. On that short list would Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James, who all share the ‘killer’ mindset that has broken the hearts of many opposing fanbases and elevated their status to all-time heights.

Antetokounmpo aims to be on that list and may already be there, as he psychologically challenges himself to dominate whatever is in his way of becoming the greatest of all time.

In a group text to his siblings, Antetokoumpo was inspired by a ‘Redeem Team’ movie scene that featured Bryant running through his then Los Angeles Lakers teammate Pau Gasol in an Olympic game. Let’s not forget, it was Bean who once challenged Antetokounmpo to become MVP in 2019. The late great Laker always had confidence in Antetokounmpo, so to see the multi-time All-Star embrace his inner “crazy” would make the Black Mamba happy.

“In order for you to be great, you have to be a little bit crazy.”

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Through whispers in his head telling him he can’t do the impossible, Antetokounmpo responds to that inner monologue by overworking on areas of the game that he’s not elite in. Though that’s what a coach wishes to hear from their star player, Antetokoumpo adds a statement that lets you know he’s operating on a different level.

“I’m working so hard on things that I’m able to do, but I’m not unlocking it,” Antetokunmpo told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “And that’s the next step for me: to unlock things that I’ve worked on this summer and make my game easier.”

Season 10. Let’s gooooooo!! pic.twitter.com/k8W6jZEtPB

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) October 19, 2022

Essentially, the back-to-back MVP has enforced the idea upon himself that no one can guard him effectively. Though it comes off a tad bit disrespectful, who really gets in the way of Antetokounmpo nowadays? The 2021 Finals MVP won his first championship off a ridiculous 50-point game that featured him making 17 made free throws, silencing critics who complained about his accuracy from the line and perceived it to be a weakness of his game.

When you factor in how the 2021 Finals MVP has evolved into an elite physical specimen capable of finesse scoring at times, you understand that the work ethic is there, and it’s resulted in Antetokounmpo becoming the most physically dominant player in the NBA today.

The Greek Freak is entering the early years of his prime as he turns 28-years-old on Dec. 6. Although NBA fans may consider Antetokounmpo the best player in the world, his legacy rides on just how far he’s willing to take the term ‘crazy.’

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Chasing Greatness by Becoming ‘a Little Bit Crazy’ appeared first on SLAM.

Scratching that championship quest was the Golden State Warriors, who came back down 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder. A stunning turn of events in the series led to Durant departing from Oklahoma City, to join that same Dubs squad.

Forming a Big 4 in San Francisco with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Durant dealt with his own criticism when he made the move. Now, KD has shared his thoughts on the negativity surrounding his former teammate for Westbrook’s recent play with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The dialog around our game is just so toxic at this point,” said Durant on the ETCs podcast. “I get criticism [on the court] but it’s starting to turn into something else now.”

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At age 33, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, the third lowest average in his career. While the Lakers’ performance last season wasn’t entirely on Westbrook, critics (and haters on the internet) have placed a lot of the blame on him.

“When you’re playing alongside the biggest figure in L.A in LeBron James everything you do is gonna be magnified,” said Durant. “…If people don’t trust that your team is gonna be good…you have to be on point every time.”

Both Westbrook and Durant, as of now, have remained with their respective team’s of last season, but the expectations they are assumed to bring to the table remain.

Photo via Getty Images.

The post Kevin Durant on Criticism Towards Russell Westbrook: ‘Dialog Around Our Game is Just so Toxic’ appeared first on SLAM.

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. 

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.

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After winning the chip, the veteran forward draped himself in a Mexican flag, proudly honoring his Mexican heritage. 

Toscano-Anderson broke many Warriors fans’ hearts after he decided to sign with the Lakers for the 2022-2023 season.

In five preseason games, he averaged 5.0 points, 3.0 boards, and a whole lot of competitive fire in 18.3 minutes.

“Juan is doing some amazing, competitive basketball-playing,” Lakers Coach Darvin Ham said, per Andscape. “You need those kinds of guys that can get you 50-50 balls, take charges, and put bodies on bodies knowing that they may not be the one who gets the rebound or stat or whatever.”

“They still sacrifice for their teammates. You can’t have enough of those guys in your locker room. And Juan Toscano-Anderson is at the top of the list of everything he does. His attitude, [the] energy [he] brings to work every day. His teammates are very fond of him.”

Not only does JTA’s character shine on the court and in the locker room, but he is trailblazing a path for Mexico and basketball. 

“Things don’t happen overnight,” Toscano-Anderson said. “Basketball is a growing sport in Mexico, there; there’s a lot of financial interest in it — I know there are guys that can do it for me, but it’s a different world now in regard to marketing and advertising. I’m opening doors to bridge the gap between the U.S. and Mexico.”

Toscano-Anderson is the first Laker of Mexican descent. For a city that is 75 percent ethnically Mexican, is populated by over five million Mexicans, and has the largest Hispanic, JTA’s arrival is momentous. While the Lakers have aired Spanish-speaking broadcasts since 1993, the franchise has not had a Spanish-speaking player since Kobe Bryant retired in 2016.

Although he was not Hispanic, Bryant energetically embraced the Mexican community in Los Angeles.

“If there was a guy that understood the love, the passion, the loyalty of the Hispanic community, especially towards the Lakers, it was Kobe.” former Lakers Spanish television announcer Adrian Garcia Marquez said. 

Being the first Spanish-speaking player since Kobe and being half-Mexican, JTA can connect to L.A’s Hispanic and Latino roots.

“There are probably more Mexicans watching the Lakers than any other demographic. That’s very important, not only for myself in the Lakers, but in L.A. for [the] Mexican community, the Latino community,” Toscano-Anderson said. “I don’t want to call myself an ambassador, but somebody who’s representing and who can speak the language. I’m representing full throttle. I can speak the language; I represent my culture, everything.”

Toscano-Anderson is embracing the L.A. community, and the L.A. community is embracing him. Known for murals of Laker greats – Kobe, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and more – the city recently added a Juan Toscano-Anderson mural. On the outside wall of a Mexican bakery, JTA dons a Lakers jersey with a Mexican flag wrapped around his shoulders, and Mexico City’s Tenochtitlán pyramids and downtown L.A. in the background.

“I went to the reveal of the mural. That was really dope,” Toscano-Anderson said. “I’m very appreciative of that. It’s LA, man, City of Champions. That was really cool. I couldn’t believe it, to be honest. I didn’t have anything, nothing like that before. It was more than just the sports thing. It was about that community embracing me there.”

Born to an African American father and a Mexican mother, JTA wants to be a positive role model for both Mexican American and African American kids. 

“It’s been magnified that I’m Mexican, but I also want people to know that I’m just as proud of being Black.”

“I’m Black every day. The way I dress, the way I talk. My sauce. I’m a Black man when I step out on America — Black is beautiful; I’m proud of being Black as well. Being Black makes me who I am.”

For Oakland, Los Angeles, and Mexico, Toscano-Anderson’s impact has not gone unnoticed. The community-oriented forward plays in his first game as a Los Angeles Laker tonight against the Golden State Warriors. The second NBA player of Mexican descent to win a title, Toscano-Anderson will be honored and receive his championship ring.

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

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

Anthony Holt, Slam Goods Apparel Designer

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

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Bucks vs Grizzlies

Deyscha “Sway” Smith, Associate Editor

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

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

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

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

ECF Matchup: Celtics vs Nets

Joshua Tapia, Editorial Intern

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

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

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

Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer

The Sixers are winning the championship.

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

Michael Harris, Editorial Intern

The Lakers will make the Western Conference Finals.

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Heat vs Lakers

Ajayi Browne, Editorial Intern

The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Finals.

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

Theus McBee, Co-Host of No Pump Fakes

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

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

Check out the latest episode of No Pump Fakes below:

Najee AR Fareed, Editorial Intern 

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

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

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

Colby Cusano, Brand Partnerships and Analytics Intern

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

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Mavs vs Celtics

Delon George, Marketing Manager SLAMgoods

The Brooklyn Nets will win the title.  

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

Brooke Brennan, WSLAM Intern

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

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

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

Andrew “Pitt” Pitagorsky, VP of Brand Partnerships

RJ Barrett will win Defensive Player of the Year. 

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

Andres Puerta, Social Media SLAMFTW 

The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

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

Arvind Pitchai, VP of Social Media

Luka Doncic will average a triple double and win MVP. 

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

Marcus Allen, Social Graphic Designer

The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

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

Dave Schnur, President

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

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

Max Resetar, Editor 

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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Dennis Schroder underwent a procedure to repair a ligament in his thumb today, according to Lakers coach Darvin Ham. He is expected to be sidelined 3-4 weeks, per Ham.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 17, 2022

Schröder didn’t travel with the Lakers for their preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings due to the injury. The Lakers were reportedly concerned that the thumb injury could be a long-term issue for Schroder.

Schröder is back in Los Angeles after signing a one-year deal. He left the Lake Show in free agency to sign with the Boston Celtics. Schröder averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.6 rebounds during the 64 games he played between Boston and Houston. He missed the last seven games of the season due to a shoulder injury.

The Lakers open the 2022-23 season against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Photos via Getty Images.

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After back-to-back disappointing seasons since their championship win in the 2020 NBA Bubble, the Lakers aren’t considered title favorites for this upcoming season. Reasons for it include an aging LeBron James, key talents being injury prone, and the distraction around Russell Westbrook and his play.

The list goes on, but Davis believes it comes down to the trust of each individual to perform at a high level.

“We just go out there and play basketball and perform, but it’s also the truth,” said Davis when talking about the criticism towards the team. “I mean, no one has us winning it this year besides us in this organization.”

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Last season, Davis played 40 games averaging 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. His play wasn’t much of a factor, as the Lakers had a 17-23 record with him in the lineup. The numbers may look impressive for Davis, but the durability must be there to win his second championship in three years.

New additions like Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV should improve the offensive and defensive load if either of the Lakers stars goes down. Davis is confident Beverly, Walker IV, and other team members are satisfied with their roles and will do whatever it takes to succeed and help the Lakers make a deep playoff run.

“We feel like we’re the underdogs,” Davis said. “And I think everybody on this team has something to prove. I feel like everyone on this team has a chip on their shoulder and is going to come out ready to play this season.”

The Lake Show starts a new season away from home against the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, a game that could determine how well the team has improved through the off-season.

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Curry, arguably the greatest shooter of all time, has four titles under his name with a Finals MVP to back up his coveted career. The Warriors superstar believes there’s another teammate who was playing for the legacy he has submitted in Golden State.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke, Curry remarks on the legacy of his longtime teammate, Andre Igoudala, who he believes was a significant contributor to the Warriors’ four titles and is a sure shot at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Absolutely, I didn’t know that was much of a debate,” said Curry on Igoudala being labeled a Hall of Famer. “He’s kind of the mature vet that’s still putting up solid numbers but impacting winning at a level that is a difference maker.”

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Igoudala’s four championships with the Warriors may be underestimated by playing with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry through the years. However, his defensive tenacity in the 2015 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off Golden States’ illustrious dynasty.

Igoudala scored 16.3 points, four assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game and won the 2015 Finals MVP. In that series, Curry and Thompson averaged 34.2 percent shooting from their three-point distance, but Igoudala’s heroics kept James shooting at 38.1 percent from the field when guarded by him.

Iggy is now in the later stages of his career. He rejoined the Dubs over the summer and averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during the regular-season. When it came down to the postseason, Coach Steve Kerr trusted the 38-year-old to play during the 2022 Finals. Iggy rewarded that trust by posting seven points and three assists during Game 1 and played spot duty the rest of the Finals as a 3-and-D wing.

“I hope there’s a keen eye part of just watching his career unfold,” said Curry. “Seeing the different iterations of himself that impact winning, that’s what it should be about.”

Igoudala enters his 19th season in the League, more importantly, his last go at defending a championship for the Warriors. The farewell tour starts against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Chase Center.

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Green stayed home for the last week to help cool down and mitigate the wounds caused by his controversial squabble with Poole. Since then, Coach Steve Kerr announced that the Warriors fined Green and decided not to suspend the four-time champion. Kerr put an exclamation point on the incident by calling it “the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had.”

“We had the conversations about what we need to do moving forward, and we’re going to do that,” Green said per ESPN. “We are not going to continue to hold on to the past.”

Swoosh@Oracle || Game Ready pic.twitter.com/wzOQcZBAqu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 13, 2022

Before Green came back, the Dubs had meetings with the front office, coaching staff, and prominent players like Poole, Looney, Stephen Curry, and Andre Iguodala. Once players, specifically Poole, gave the thumbs up, the Warriors decided it was time to bring Green back.

Green is set to play in Golden States’ final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. He will also be available when the Warriors have presented their rings ahead of their opening night contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

GAME DAY pic.twitter.com/Mi74ILE99s

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 14, 2022

Green didn’t tell reporters what he was up to during his self-imposed break from the team, but he did say he was in a better mental state on Thursday than when he left. According to Green, Kerr, and Kevon Looney, Thursday’s practice was business as usual, and there was no on-court awkwardness between anyone.

Despite the public backing from Kerr and his teammates, Green admitted there would be lingering feelings about his quarrel with Poole. Kerr touched on the moment on Wednesday when he said that the Warriors’ “culture had been damaged by the incident. You have to work to repair that.” Kerr added that Green broke the team’s trust but also said that Green deserves the benefit of the doubt due to the relationship they’ve built since 2015.

“It’s about making sure our team camaraderie is right,” Green said. “You can tell when you’re playing against a team, and they have good camaraderie — if not, they can be broken easy — if you have that, you can build through anything. [Our camaraderie doesn’t] get very shaken.”

Although Green acknowledged that he had some work to do when he stepped away from the team, Green seemingly had some contention with the notion that he had to rebuild trust with his teammates. The Warriors have been victorious because of the trust the Warriors’ “foundational six” has built over the last eight seasons. Not to mention their desire to win and knowing what it takes to win.

Green will use that mindset to navigate his relationship with Poole for the foreseeable future.

“Jordan is a professional, and I am a professional. We have a job to do — we’re going to do just that,” Green said. “[As far as a personal relationship], I’m not sure. That’s not up to me, nor do I think there is much relevance. We’re paid to do a job, and we are going to do that job to the best of our abilities.”

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A change in putting Anthony Davis as the primary center for the team may be what is needed. In his three preseason games, Davis has averaged 19.3 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game on 52.6 percent shooting from the field. He spent some of his time in these games playing at the five, although his preferred position is at the four.

On Tuesday, Coach Darvin Ham told the media that he is seriously considering starting Davis at center moving forward after practice. Following Los Angeles’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Lakers big man expressed his thoughts on the idea.

“It is what it is,” said Davis. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to win basketball games, and if that is the best situation for us to win basketball games, then that’s what we’ll look at. Me and coach had a conversation about four or five, a couple conversations doing practices and things like that. I think he’s still trying to figure out the rotations as well, and right now, it looks good when I’m at the five — If I have to play the five, it’s totally fine. I don’t care.” 

Even though the 29-year-old is willing to do what the team needs to win basketball games, he made it known shortly after that the Lakers’ head coach knows what position he prefers to play.

“I’m pretty sure he heard, ‘AD wants to play the four,’ so he knows where I stand.”

The Lakers will conclude their preseason tour on Friday against the Sacramento Kings.

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Kerr made the announcement after the Dubs’ preseason game against the Trail Blazers on Monday. He distinctly called the contentious moment “the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had.” Kerr also said Green would return to the team on Thursday and expects Green to play Golden State’s last preseason game and their opening night contest against the Lakers.

“It’s been an exhaustive process,” Kerr said per Yahoo Sports. “We feel like this is the best way after assessing everything for us to move forward. It’s never easy, no matter what decision you make in a situation like this. It’s not going to be perfect.”

Kerr said that key figures in the organization, including Green, Poole, Stephen Curry, and GM Bob Myers, were involved in the decision-making process leading up to Kerr’s announcement. Kerr added that he trusts Green and that the former Michigan State Spartan has earned the benefit of the doubt following Green’s lapse in judgment.

“I trust him,” Kerr added. “He broke our trust with this incident. But I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he’s earned that. I think our team feels the same way.”

Kerr added Green and Poole had played a role in deciding Green’s punishment and that the two veterans have “had a great discussion” that he believes will help them “move forward” from the incident.

Poole has yet to address what happened, but Kerr said that the franchise would make the former Michigan Wolverine available to reporters soon.

According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the tension between Green and Poole had been simmering since the start of the training camp. Although both players are eligible for contract extensions, Green flat-out denied that the dispute was over money. Green also said that he was “wrong for my actions that took place” last week and that he’s apologized not just to Poole and his teammates but to Poole’s family for “the embarrassment” he caused to the team. He also declared that: “I failed as a leader. I failed as a man.”

“I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday,” Green said. “For that, I have apologized to my team. I have apologized to Jordan.”

The Warriors open their regular season at home on Oct. 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers, where they’ll celebrate their 2022 NBA championship with a ring ceremony.

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“It’d probably be disrespectful to say it,” O’Neal told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “But I would like to go back home. I’ll leave that to the viewers to figure out [what it means]. I would like to go back home.”

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Home can mean many places for O’Neal as he played for six NBA franchises, played college basketball at LSU, and was born in Newark, NJ. O’Neal’s first professional “home” was with the Orlando Magic, where he was selected number one overall in the 1992 NBA Draft. He established himself in just four seasons averaging 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.

O’Neal and his crew brought the Magic to its first NBA Finals appearance in 1995 but couldn’t get it done against Hakeem Olajuwon’s back-to-back Finals-winning Houston Rockets. Nonetheless, the city of Orlando could still have great respect for their best center of all time, and the fans could settle on him taking over the organization.

O’Neal’s next ‘home’ is where many saw him become the legendary figure he is in the history of basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal won multiple championships in Los Angeles with the late-great Kobe Bryant. The pair blossomed into the most dominant duo of their time, and in the 1999-2000 season, O’Neal won his first season MVP award.

The history of the Lakers would undoubtedly be held in good hands with O’Neal at the helm, but that won’t happen any time soon.

A final team to note as one of Shaquille O’Neal’s ownership probabilities is the Phoenix Suns. Though his time in the desert wasn’t the highlight of his career, he still showed what he had in the late stage of his career — making an All-Star appearance in 2009 and averaging 17.8 points as a 37-year-old.

The Suns have been under media scrutiny recently after team owner Robert Sarver was suspended a year after an independent investigation found he helped foster a toxic workplace culture based on racist and misogynistic behavior. Sarver recently revealed he was planning on putting up the Suns and Mercury for sale due to the investigation.

O’Neal has his options, but for now, he can give back to the community and continue investing in the several businesses he owns. No franchise is a long shot for the four-time champion, but an ownership decision may come sooner than expected.

The post Shaquille O’Neal Talks Buying an NBA Team: ‘I Want to Go Back Home’ appeared first on SLAM.

After Friday’s practice, when asked how much he wanted to play in this year’s preseason competition, James replied, “More than I played last year,” per NBA.com. 

The Los Angeles Lakers lost all six of their preseason games last year, while LeBron only played in 3 of them for a combined 73 minutes. A rough start in the preseason gave way to a difficult and injury-riddled 2021-2022 campaign for the Lakers. After only playing in 56 games last season and dealing with nagging injuries throughout, James made some adjustments to his off-season training regimen and his diet—even picking up pickle ball.

“Being Black and understanding how heart rate and blood-pressure things run in my family, living a healthy lifestyle is very important,” James said, per NBA.com. “It’s not only to myself. But it’s about showing that to the kids and people all around. If that can translate to the game, cool. But it’s more about life.”

LeBron James expects to play more preseason games this season than he did last season (2).

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) September 30, 2022

New Lakers head coach Darvin Ham says the team will decide “in the next few days” whether LBJ plays in more than three exhibitions. “We don’t want to go crazy,” Ham said. “But we also want it to be enough where we can establish a rhythm, so he can be in game mode with a good rhythm going into the regular season.” 

It will be important for the new-look Lakers roster to hit the ground running when the season starts and James is hoping to be in his best state to go running with them. “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve played this game. The day you think you can stop learning is the day you start going backwards,” James said. “I’m always trying to figure out ways I can get better and learn from a new coach, new teammates and life in general. Every day is a learning experience for me. I love it.”

The Los Angeles Lakers play the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

Photo via Getty Images.

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With Father Time catching up, no one knows how long the four-time NBA champion can carry the load for the Lakers. In fact, The King made it known not long ago that he is ready to take a backseat.

In 2017, he was ready to “give the keys” to his former teammate Kyrie Irving when they played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. When things didn’t end up working out, James made his way to LA, where you can now see him having that same trust in his current teammate Davis.

AD recently told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that the future Hall of Famer has been “in his ear about taking over the reins of the team.” The 29-year-old is most certainly capable of doing so. It’s all about staying healthy and getting his three-point shot back to its standard form. As a career 30.3 percent shooter from behind the arc, Davis shot the deep ball at 18.6 percent last season.

With these hurdles standing in the way of the former NBA champion, he has accepted the challenge.

“I’m excited for this challenge and what’s ahead,” said Davis. “I think we have a great group of guys to get the job done. It’s now about putting in the work – I went into this summer focusing on strengthening my body. I have to be on the court and at my best to put us in position to be our best. I’m ready to do that.”

The Lakers will open up their season on Oct.18 versus the Golden State Warriors.

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The off-season spelled uncertainty for Westbrook’s future with the team but trade talks stalled. Tensions rose all summer as the friction between championship expectations and the Lakers’ small championship window played out for everyone to see. New coach, new teammates, new system, new season, same Russ. Westbrook is still ready to do what he has always done: his job. 

“I don’t need to,” Westbrook told ESPN about feeling wanted by the Lakers. “I just need to do my job; whether I’m wanted or not doesn’t really matter. I think the most important thing is that I show up for work and I do the job like I’ve always done it: be professional and go out and play my ass off and compete.” 

Westbrook is the all-time triple-double king with 194 triple-doubles. He had 10 last season en route to averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. While this may be a career year for any other player, it was nearly disastrous for Russ and the Lakers as they missed the playoffs. Despite Westbrook playing 78 games, the trio of Westbrook-LeBron-Davis only played 21 total games together. After only 21 games, Westbrook is still optimistic about where they can go as a big 3. 

“There’s so much optimism on how we can be great, how AD, LeBron, myself– can be unstoppable in my opinion,” Russell Westbrook says. 

Russ knows better than anyone that his first season with the Lakers was not what anyone had in mind. It was hardly the dream to be booed by Lakers fans in his hometown arena in front of his friends and family in the crowd. But Westbrooks owns that too.

“I’m going to make mistakes. I’m [occasionally] not going to have good games. There will be times and stretches when I don’t play well. I’ve owned that, and there were times last year I could’ve played better, and I own that part of it. Moving into this year, I feel even more prepared than I was in years past. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most. That right there will get me past any struggles that come my way.”  

Westbrook will have the reinvent himself with a new head coach after former boss Frank Vogel was fired shortly after the season ended, and Darvin Ham was named his successor. Westbrook had a summer full of conversations with Ham about building “connection” and “trust” and finding a way for the former MVP to impact winning on their team. Westbrook is ready for whatever. 

“I’m all-in on whatever it takes for this team to win,” Westbrook says. “I’m prepared for whatever comes my way.” 

After a season that went anything but according to plan, being prepared for whatever is possibly the best thing Russell Westbrook can do.  

The post Russell Westbrook is ‘All-in’ for Second Season with the Los Angeles Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

One of the NBA’s most elite dynasties, the Golden State Warriors, has reached the top of the mountain once more. With the brilliant play of Stephen Curry and company, the franchise has won four championships in a 7-year span. It’s quite remarkable, to say the least, but it all starts with one of the veteran pieces that keep the locker room in check and comes up big on the biggest stage.

The 38 year old Andre Igoudala may not be the pivotal factor to decide a championship series, but there’s something about his presence in the locker room that leads to success. It’s not just with the Warriors too, Igoudala took part in the Miami Heat‘s incredible 5th seeded run to the NBA Finals in the 2020 Bubble. His high IQ on defense was a major contributor to the Heat’s success, but the team ultimately fell to the LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers.

The matchup between him and LeBron James is always considered one of the more unexpected rivalries in League history. However, in 2015 with the Cavaliers up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, Igoudala stepped up to attribute 16.3 points a game with 5.8 rebounds and 4 boards. What carved his name into the Bill Russell Finals MVP award, was his teriffic defense on a LeBron James who’d been dominating all post-season long.

“I’m letting you know now Steph,” said Igoudala. “This the last one.”

Though the Warriors haven’t come to terms with a deal for Igoudala, it seems clear he’s comitted to signing a veternan minimum deal. If so, Igoudala will play his final season, in a quest with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green at their fifth ring.

The post Andre Iguodala Confirms He’ll Return to the Warriors for His 19th Season appeared first on SLAM.

Schroder unceremoniously left the franchise shortly after the season but is returning to Los Angeles because he reportedly feels like there is some unfinished business with the Lakers.

“LeBron [James] said he was glad he got me back,” Schroder said via Basketnews. “It’s unfinished business. That year when I was there, there were no fans. There was Covid; everybody was hurt. This year hopefully, everything stays good, everybody stays healthy, and then we’ll try to go for something.”

Schroder also revealed that he and his team had been negotiating his return to the purple and gold for the last three months.

“I’ve been talking to the Lakers for the last three months. I knew I was going back, but I wanted to take my time,” Schroder explained.

Schroder played with the German national team during the FIBA Eurobasket tournament, where he led Germany to a bronze medal finish, its first EuroBasket medal since 2005.

Dennis Schroder was on a mission in #EuroBasket

22.1 PTS
7.1 AST
2.3 REB
1.1 STL

Germany’s MVP en route to the bronze medal pic.twitter.com/shRbx2g7jJ

— FIBA (@FIBA) September 19, 2022

Schroder will likely come off the bench behind Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverly as a pass-first point guard off the pine.

Last season, Schroder averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 32.8 percent from deep while playing for the Celtics and Rockets.

The post Dennis Schroder ‘Took His Time’ Negotiating Return to the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Though many believe the acquisition of the former MVP has yielded disastrous results, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green thinks it’s just a matter of time until Westbrook returns to form and contributes to an 18th banner.

“Who wouldn’t ask for Russell Westbrook?” Green said, per the Checc’n In Podcast, after being asked whether he believes LeBron James asked for Westbrook to be traded to the Lakers. “You’d be out of your mind not to ask for Russell Westbrook.”

Westbrook, who is due $47 million this season, has been involved in many trade talks just one year after being sent from the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft from the Lakers. The deal hasn’t worked out thus far, but Green believes the reason for that is because of how on-the-ball dominant each of the three superstars is.

“I 100 percent think the fit is terrible,” said Green. “I don’t think you could talk to Russell Westbrook right now, and Russell Westbrook wouldn’t think the fit is terrible — just, because the fit is terrible, don’t mean you don’t go for it. Because guess what, if you go for it and it works, then you got a championship.”

The star power of the Lakers is undoubtedly one of the best in the League, but the Lakers finished 33-49, 11th in the Western Conference. Many Lakers fans worry Westbrook’s turnover issues and inability to hit shots at the rim will hold back the Lakeshow.

Health issues were also a more significant issue last season. James and Davis missed a significant amount of time sitting on the sidelines last season, missing a combined 68 games without one of them appearing on the court.

Meanwhile, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists last season, per ESPN. Coach Darvin Ham has confirmed that he thinks Westbrook “has a ton left in the tank” and that he has a “wholehearted plan” to utilize Westbrook to the best of his abilities. Davis, James, and Westbrook also chopped it over the phone to reconfirm their commitment to each other as well

Green may be a rival, but he certainly notices the potential this squad has. With former MVPs and defensive player of the year caliber players, the Lakers are expected to make a playoff run this upcoming season, but if all fails again this season, the NBA world will likely call for the Lakeshow to move on from Westbrook and trade him elsewhere.

The post Draymond Green Defends Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook: ‘Who Wouldn’t Ask?’ appeared first on SLAM.

“Whatever role they want to give me, I’ll be happy to take,” said Reaves when talking to Shams Charania about his possible personal goals going into the 2022-23 season. ” Try to do that to the best of my ability, but (starting), especially as a Laker with the guys that we have, is cool. At the end of the day, I just want to win and accept whatever role they want me to have.”

With the many injuries the Lakers faced last season, it was up to the then 23-year-old undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to spark productivity off the bench. Reaves did that as he finished last season with a scoring average of 7.3 points a game on 45.9 percent shooting from the field, 83.9 percent from the charity stripe, and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Reaves also added some highlights to his play last season, most notably stunning the Dallas Mavericks by hitting an overtime game-winner. He finished with 15 points that night and went 5-6 from downtown, the last attempt being the winning shot. The Laker faithful had just been promised a talented young asset, and the hype around him was real, but he still had to prove he had what it takes to play at the highest level.

“Playing with him [James] is very easy,” said Reaves. “He puts you in the right spots to be successful, and for the team, he orchestrates the whole game — To share the ball and these moments with him is very special to me.”

Reaves has shown James he’s capable of the spotlight; in the season finale against the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets, he dropped 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. The triple-double mounted another overtime win for the Lakers, and although the game had no implications, it definitely showed what Reaves is capable of.

Reaves enters his second year in the League, and with playoff expectations, as always, around the Los Angeles Lakers, he must prove he has the competitive spirit to perform when it matters most. Growing up a Kobe Bryant fan, Reaves has already been influenced by the challenges in the NBA season, especially when wearing the purple and gold. If he earns a starting spot, Reaves has shown he’s capable of meeting the Lakers’ challenge.

The post Austin Reaves Broke Down His Goals for Next Season and What it’s Like Playing with LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

Anthony, who played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaged 13.3 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the field. The ten-time NBA All-Star has been linked to multiple teams in the past few weeks, like the Brooklyn Nets and the Denver Nuggets. Melo was recently linked to the Boston Celtics after Danilo Gallinari suffered a Torn ACL. 

One of Melo's filthier go-to moves back when he was in Denver SHEESH #STAYME7O pic.twitter.com/PlO0XQldf5

— CTRL the Narrative (@ctrlnarrative) September 12, 2022

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the possibility of the Celtics signing the veteran is gaining “traction.” The Brooklyn Nets have also been a potential suitor. In fact, Kevin Durant has wanted Anthony to be a Net for quite some time now. As hinted by Brian Lewis of the New York Post, “If they (Nets) wanted to appease Durant, they could bring in Carmelo Anthony, a move he’s wanted them to make.”

Howard is another player who has made a name for himself in the NBA that remains a free agent. Howard, similar to Anthony, played for the Lakers last season. He averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on a stellar 61.2 percent shooting from the field. The veteran is still a great addition to have for teams around the association, particularly ones that are looking for a rim protector. 

The former Defensive Player of the Year told Bally Sports’ Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson that he would be interested in joining the Brooklyn Nets, a team in need of more size at the center position.

Dwight Howard’s name has been mentioned in blogs recently as a potential Brooklyn Nets off-season signee.

I asked him if he had any interest in the Nets. His response to @BallySports was: “Yes I am.”

“Would love that.”

Howard’s an NBA Champ & an eight time All-Star. pic.twitter.com/OV0VelA5Nq

— Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 27, 2022

Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star, also finds himself without a team with a new NBA season a month away. The 33-year-old played for the Brooklyn Nets last year and averaged a career-low of 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on 42.5 percent shooting. Griffin also played a career low of 17.1 minutes per game.

The chances of the former Oklahoma Sooner returning to the Nets is unlikely, but being a solid piece off the bench for another squad is something that can be seen in Griffin’s future.

Training camp is set to begin on Sept 24.

The post Carmelo Anthony Amongst Three All-Stars Still On the Free Agent Market appeared first on SLAM.

The Jazz are trading Patrick Beverley to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2022

The trade is expected to be finalized sometime this Thursday morning, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

Patrick Beverley is returning to LA — this time, with LeBron James and the Lakers pic.twitter.com/SHY6XGLIAa

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 25, 2022

Beverley will be playing in LA for the first time since he was a Clipper. Beverley played for the crosstown rival from 2017-2021 and is expected to bring his much-needed defensive presence and bulldog mentality to the Lakers’ locker room. First-year Coach Darvin Ham has made it clear that his main priority other than revitalzing confidence with Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis is to improve the Lakers’ defensive standing.

Acquiring Beverley will do just that. Over the past five seasons, Beverley has held opponents to 41.9 percent shooting as the closest defender, second best among players that have defended 2,000 shots, per ESPN.

Beverley has one year and $13 million remaining on his contract. His expiring deal will give the Lakers significant salary-cap space to build around Davis and James, who will be the only players on the Lakers’ books in 2023-24. The Lakers could have as much as $88 million in salary to pay for the 2023-24 campaign. The projected salary c

With THT off the Lakers’ books next summer, they could have as little as $88.9 million in salary for 2023-24. The projected salary cap is $133 million for 2023-24.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 25, 2022

Beverley was reportedly eager to join the Lakers via trade, per ESPN, and was thrilled to learn of the impending deal. The late summer deal helps Utah inch closer to their rebuild after acquiring Horton-Tucker; the franchise is reportedly expected to remain active on the trade market and will likely still be seeking a trade partner for Donovan Mitchell.

Horton-Tucker averaged 10 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last season. Johnson put up 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.

The post REPORT: Jazz Trades Patrick Beverley to the Lakers to Accelerate Rebuild appeared first on SLAM.

Gasol joins Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem O’NealJabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain as the most noteworthy big men to ever grace a Lakers uniform. The Lakers will honor Gasol when L.A. hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on March 7.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Gasol and the legendary Kobe Bryant played a crucial role in L.A.’s back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. He averaged 18.6 points per game in each of those NBA Finals series and averaged 17.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game on 52.2 percent shooting from the field over 429 games with the Lakers.

Gasol started his NBA career in Memphis but was traded to Los Angeles during the 2008 season, where he instantly made an impact. His career also featured stints in Chicago, San Antonio, and Milwaukee, but none more iconic than his seven seasons in the purple and gold. Gasol also had a prestigious international career with Spain, winning two silver medals and one bronze in three Summer Olympics appearances and a gold medal in the 2006 FIBA World Cup.

After multiple All-Star appearances and two championships over an illustrious career in Los Angeles, No. 16 will forever be honored in the Lakers’ rafters. 

PhotoLakers’etty Images.

The post Lakers to Retire Pau Gasol’s No. 16 Jersey in March appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

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

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

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

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

BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed on a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension – including a player option for the 2024-2025 season, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. James had been entering final year of deal worth $44.5M.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

The deal includes a 15 percent trade kicker, making James the highest-earning player in the history of the NBA. With the signing of the agreement, James will be set to make a grand total of $532 million in guaranteed money.

The two-year, $97.1M extension, which includes a 15 percent trade kicker, makes LeBron James the highest earning player in NBA history with $532M in guaranteed money. He surpasses Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/UUHMspiKZp

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

The deal will keep James in LA while his son, Bronny, completes his high school basketball career at Sierra Canyon High School. James has made it abundantly clear that one of his remaining career goals is to play on an NBA court with his oldest son. James will be 39-years-old by the time Bronny is eligible to enter the NBA Draft if the one-and-done eligibility rules stay as is.

The post REPORT: LeBron James Signs Two-Year Deal That Makes Him Highest Earning Player in NBA History appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

Cambage reportedly made verbal comments about her intentions to leave the Sparks to multiple people within the organization, a source tells @GrlsTlkSportsTV. https://t.co/J9OG2eoEmz

— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) July 26, 2022

Cambage signed with Sparks in February after two seasons with the Sparks. When the four-time All-Star first signed with LA, she told the LA Times that “it was L.A or out for me. There was nowhere else I wanted to be.”

The decision to leave less than one year into her tenure with the Sparks is a shocker after Cambage told the LA Times she wanted to play for the Sparks for 11 years and admired Lakers legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Through 25 games in LA, Cambage averaged 13.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

“It is with support that we share Liz Cambage’s decision to terminate her contract with the organization,” Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman said in a statement. “We want what’s best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably. The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth.”

Los Angeles Sparks announce a “contract divorce” with center Liz Cambage. pic.twitter.com/1olUZRWgTC

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 26, 2022

The Sparks sit at 12-15 entering play Tuesday, tied with the Dallas Wings for the sixth seed in the playoff race. They are 7-8 since Derek Fisher was dismissed as the franchise’s head coach and general manager. The Sparks’ next opponent will be the Phoenix Mercury.

The post Liz Cambage and the Sparks Agree to ‘Contract Divorce’ appeared first on SLAM.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Westbrook reportedly had a phone conversation during the first weekend of the NBA Summer League. During that phone call, the three superstars expressed “their commitment to one another” amid trade rumors and an underwhelming finish last season, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.

Haynes reported that Westbrook has never requested a trade out of Los Angeles. The nine-time All-Star and 2017 League MVP is set to earn $47 million next season before he hits the open market as an unrestricted agent in 2023.

Westbrook has been linked to multiple teams, most notably the Brooklyn Nets, in a possible trade surrounding Kyrie Irving, but The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shot down any substantial traction on an Irving to L.A. deal earlier this month. That news came three days after Haynes reported the Lakers and Nets were “actively engaged” in Westbrook-Irving trade talks at the time.

Newly hired Lakers Coach Darvin Ham, who was hired in early June, spoke with Marc J. Spears of Andscape earlier this month and said he has a “wholehearted plan” on how to use Westbrook next season. He said he thinks Westbrook will “flourish” with the Lakers.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 29.8 percent shooting from three-point range last season. The Lakers will look to bounce back this season after last year saw L.A. end with an underwhelming 33-49 record and fail to make the playoffs.

The post REPORT: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook Held Phone Call to Confirm Commitment to Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd has had a phenomenal career and is one of the WNBA’s bright superstars.

WNBA Champion, Olympic Gold medalist, All-WNBA First Team, WNBA All-Star, College Player of the Year, All-American. Pretty impressive list, right? That’s just a smidgen of everything under her belt.

However, it’s her work away from the court that pulls the strings of her heart.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Loyd built a name for herself as an athlete. From the likes of the city’s greats on the hardwood like Candace Parker, Isiah Thomas, Cappie Pondexter and, of course, Bulls icon Michael Jordan, there’s a rich basketball history in the Windy City.

Jewell learned at an early age that she wanted to be more than just an athlete but also be of value and service to others.

Through Loyd’s partnerships as a professional, there’s a recurring theme and focus of support for the community.

Whether she’s working to revitalize The Warehouse gym back in Illinois, where she spent countless hours developing her skills as a basketball player, or helping to fight hunger, she believes in giving back to those in need—quite fitting for her name, Jewell.

During Women’s History Month, Loyd partnered with Los Angeles Lakers’ assistant coach Phil Handy’s 94 Feet of Game app and DJ Khaled’s We The Best Foundation for the Future of Basketball Is Female campaign. Through the initiative, 1000 scholarships will be provided to female hoopers along with access to essential basketball skills in order to propel the next generation of great athletes to be skilled, crafty and fundamentally sound.

Jewell Loyd pays it forward every chance she gets.

For someone enjoying the prime of her career with so much left in the tank, she finds the time to be of assistance to others in order to help their dreams come true.

We recently caught up with Loyd to learn about the importance of all of her endeavors, the impact she looks to make and why it’s important to her that she gives back and is a positive example to the next generation of athletes.

“I understood that I had a lot of resources from not just my parents but other people that wanted to see me prosper,” she says. “I understand that’s super important and not every kid has that. If I’m able to give that experience or help a kid achieve their goals or dreams and help be exposed to other things that they’re not always exposed to, that’s what I want to do. That’s always been a big thing [for] me and my family—to serve others.”

She further explains how serving others is something the Loyd family takes seriously.

“Something we talk about and is one of our main pillars of my family is to serve,” she says. “I look at all the things I do for the kids and the next generation. I have nieces and nephews and I’ll do the same with them as well. I always try to find ways to give back because I wouldn’t be here without the help that I received.”

Loyd takes the time to acknowledge those who contributed to her various successes. “I want to pay that back to the next generation of kids and athletes,” she adds.

On the court, she’s known as the “Gold Mamba,” a name given by her mentor, Kobe Bryant. Off the court, she’s simply a role model. With everything that Loyd does, there had to have been some sort of early inspiration used as the catalyst on her quest to help. And quite simply, she didn’t have to look very far. There were early examples of dedicating time to others, because it started in the home.

“For starters, for sure my mom—she worked in the Chicago Public Schools,” Loyd says. “It was always a different perspective since I grew up in the suburbs and my mom taught in the city. I would go to her school, and I would see that they wouldn’t have the things like our school district or would go on the same field trips as us.

“I understood that wasn’t fair and didn’t make sense to me. My mom always did a great job of bringing her students to Bulls games or going to the Art Institute. Anything that our district would do, she’d encourage and help her students do as well.”

Another inspiration for Loyd was Pokey Chatman, the then-head coach of her local WNBA team, the Chicago Sky. “Pokey played a huge role,” she says. “I was in the gym with her at a very young age. Seeing how she coached and how she taught while being in a power and leadership role. It was something you didn’t get to see often.”

Chatman served as the General Manager and Head Coach of the Sky until 2016. Loyd would often visit Sky practices in order to further develop her game and had the opportunity to get early insight into what would become her future as a professional.

“Getting to know her from that level and seeing it from a young age, to understand you have a voice and a reason to be here and you have value,” Loyd says, reflecting on Chatman’s teachings. “Between my mom and then Pokey as a coach in something I loved to do every day, it gave me perspective on how to treat others moving forward and how to really just use your voice and platform.”

Representation matters, and that perspective was important.

Now an assistant with the Seattle Storm, Chatman is able to see up close and personal what’s become of that young player who used to sit in on her practices.

“I remembered she was a special player. She knew how to play with and without the ball in her hands, but you could also hear her voice. She kind of reminds me of Seimone [Augustus] in that sense,” Chatman says, referencing the future Hall-of-Famer who played her collegiate career under Chatman at Louisiana State University.

“It’s like they’re doing it from their core and not doing it for the spotlight. If you don’t dig, you won’t know. It’s not anything for show or something that they’ll just dip in and out of just to show that they’re there,” Chatman adds about Loyd’s quiet approach to her community involvement.

There are often times when celebrities and people of status allow their work to be overshadowed by the ubiquitous attention surrounding their fame. That’s not the case here.

“When you get in Jewell’s space, you know she’s regular folk. You feel her spirit. She doesn’t want the attention but she wants to do right by people. It’s centered around her heart and what she wants to do,” Chatman says.

Loyd has all the makings of what many feel could be a perfect career. She knows how to win and has done it consistently. She’ll surely be known for the elite crossovers, the crafty step-back threes, acrobatic finishes around the rim and, of course, the thrilling buzzer-beaters. She’ll also have a lengthy list of championships and individual awards to her name.

However, what will probably stand out the most is the service to people and how she has been able to make a difference in the lives of those who looked up to her. She’s hands-on with the development of the next generation. The game is in good hands with her charitable efforts as she pays, or in her case, passes it forward.

“The basketball gets all the attention, and we [only] get a peek into the person,” Chatman says. “She’s quietly impacted the places that she’s occupied and I think that lives a long time because it touches so many people.”

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos via Getty Images

The post How Jewell Loyd is Giving Back to Chicago and Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Hoopers appeared first on SLAM.

One major factor in helping the Lakers undergo a massive turnaround next season will be what Ham intends to do with Russell Westbrook at point guard. The triple-double king is coming off an up and down season where he absorbed a lot of blame for the Lakers’ regular-season struggles and their tumble down the Western Conference standings.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and a 29.8 percent shooting from three-point range.

Heading into this next season, Ham said he plans to deploy Westbrook as the starting point guard of the Lakers. Ham also told Marc J. Spears of Andscape a little bit about his plans to use Westbrook, remaining mum on specific details but said that criticism of Westrbook and counting him out at 33-years-old would be “premature”.

“Counted out prematurely. Counted out. Prematurely.” Ham said about the disapproval the 2017 MVP received last year. “I’ve had some great interactions with Russ, in person, over dinner, over the phone, over text messages. I love Russell Westbrook, man. Just his mentality, his approach. Just to see him, a guy of that magnitude and everything he’s done in the league to get hated on.”

But being me, I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I’m going to use him. I showed it to him, sat down, brought stuff up for him. I think he’s going to flourish. We ain’t going to try to curtail his energy. We’re just going to diversify it, redirect it.

“I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I’m going to use him. I showed it to him, sat down, brought stuff up for him. I think he’s going to flourish,” new #Lakers coach Darvin Ham on Russell Westbrook. Ham also answers whether Russ will start. https://t.co/51ZOP7UtZ7 #nba

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 7, 2022

Ham also spoke about his thoughts about LeBron James and Anthony Davis, calling James “one of one” and a “rare commodity.” When AD came up, Ham called the 29-year-old forward the “biggest factor” and said he’s looking forward to The Brow “having a huge year this year.”

When it comes to championship expectations for next year, Ham says that he plans on building “winning habits” daily and will be “preaching daily preparation” to the Lakers daily. He also said that he will also be making sure to achieve a balance during the tough days of the regualr season. If they go on a three-game losing streak, Ham will take the team out and them “check out the African American museum” instead of conducting a “kick-ass practice”.

The details of the plans could all sound pretty good to the Lakers roster and their fans. Ham will have a different cache with the Lakers roster as a former player. As a first-time head coach of an older roster headline by James, Davis, and Westbrook, putting the ideas into reality will be a different story.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, Vice president Rob Pelinka, and James will have to put their faith in Ham to be the solution they need to regain relevancy.

The post Darvin Ham on Russell Westbrook’s Role Next Season: ‘I Got a Wholehearted Plan’ appeared first on SLAM.

Charania appeared on the “Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday to discuss NBA news and the Nets’ offseason storylines in light of Kevin Durant’s blockbuster trade request. His report comes three days after Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Lakers and Nets are “actively engaged” in an Irving-Russell Westbrook trade package.

“There’s no traction on any type of a Lakers deal for Kyrie Irving,” Charania said. “There’s nothing new on that, and I’m not quite sure we’re gonna see that take place.”

It seemed as if Irving was committed to the Nets for the 2022-23 season after opting into his one-year player option last week, but the tables turned following Durant’s trade request.

Charania went on to say that Durant’s stance on a trade request has not changed, and there has been “no signal” that Durant will rescind his request. Charania noted, “if anything, that stance is expected to continue throughout this offseason.” 

The NBA insider claimed the Nets are operating as if Durant and Irving will remain with the team next season. The Nets signed T.J. Warren and Edmond Sumner on Tuesday and re-signed Patty Mills and Nic Claxton during Thursday’s first day of free agency.

Brooklyn is “open” to dialogue with other teams but will not trade Durant until the price threshold of “All-Star-type players [and] a boat load of draft picks” is met, according to Charania.

Charania’s statements match the reporting of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who appeared on SportsCenter Sunday to claim no traction between the Nets and Lakers on a deal surrounding Irving.

Wojnarowski insinuated that the Nets might remain patient in the cases of both Irving and Durant with the hope of receiving a better deal. While the Lakers and Nets seem to be on opposite sides, for the time being, a trade centered around Irving is certainly a possibility.

The post REPORT: ‘No Traction’ On Possible Kyrie Irving Lakers Trade appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2022

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2022

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

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 5, 2022

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

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 5, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

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

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 4, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2022

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

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 4, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 1, 2022

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

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

Portis has early bird rights in Milwaukee.

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

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

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 28, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

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Westbrook, who has spent the past three years on three different teams, will spend one more season in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Last season the Lakers went through an injury-riddled 33-49 season that was punctuated by a mediocre defense and failure to meet title expectations despite adding future Hall-of-Famers like Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points (his lowest total since 2009-10), 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists on 44.4 percent shooting from the field.

The Lakers didn’t have much wiggle room going into the offseason despite multiple trade rumors coming surrounding the franchise, but continuity and internal growth will benefit the team for next season.

Of course, the Lakers are the oldest team in the NBA at an average 30-years-old. Westbrook will be 34 by the time the season starts and will be playing his 15th in the League. After a rough first year in the City of Angels, he will look to rebound next year.

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Shareef spoke to the media Monday after his pre-draft workout with the Lakers, and the topic of his father came to the forefront.

“I felt like in college; I wasn’t getting enough opportunity. I wasn’t feeling like myself in college,” Shareef said. “I got that invite to the G League Elite camp, and that opened a lot of doors for me. I feel like it really brought me back and kind of showed a little bit (of) what I can do. And once I started getting calls from teams to work out, I was like, ‘Man, this is what I want to do.’ I mean, I’m here; it’s right in front of me, so just go for it. So I continued to work.”

But his father, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft, preferred the 22-year-old to spend another year in college.

“He didn’t like that idea at all,” O’Neal said. “It sucks that he didn’t like that idea, but I’m a grown man, I’m 22 years old, I can make my own decisions. It was right in front of my face. I’m not backing up from it. I’m going to go get it if I see it. That’s just how I’m built. I take everything the same way. I took my heart surgery the same way. Being cleared was right in front of me, being healthy was right in front of me, and I went for it. I’m not backing down from nobody. I know he’s an NBA legend; I know he’s my dad, but it was right in front of me; I had to go get it. So, if he likes it or not, it’s not really going to stop me from doing what I want to do.”

Shaq didn’t graduate from LSU before being drafted to the NBA but eventually returned to LSU to complete his degree. He then received his master’s at the University of Phoenix online and a doctorate at Barry University in Florida.

“He knows I’m working out with teams. But I’m not going to lie; we ain’t talked about this. I’m kind of just going through it. He didn’t do any pre-draft workouts; he just got straight on the [Orlando Magic], so it’s a different grind.

“So, he didn’t want me to do this, and I know he probably doesn’t want me saying this, but sorry. We’re both grown; we’ll get past it.”

The younger O’Neal played 37 collegiate games in one season with UCLA and his father’s father’s alma mater, LSU. He has career averages of 2.6 points and three rebounds per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field. 

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According to Fischer, the Nets prefer a shorter deal with incentives that include “benchmarks, such as games played.” Irving has indicated he’d like a long-term contract despite missing significant time due to injuries and COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Currently, both sides are open to engaging in contract negotiations regarding Irving’s future in Brooklyn. According to Fischer, Nets officials expect Irving, Kevin Durant, and Ben Simmons to play in Brooklyn next season, an assumption the team has held since falling to Boston in the first round of the playoffs.

While Irving and the Nets are open to negotiations, it seems there is a slight divide between the two sides. Rumblings of Irving being interested in joining the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks have heated up, but there is no tangible assurance to either of those claims. If he were to join the Lakers or Knicks, Irving would have to either decline his $36.5 million extension with Brooklyn and become an unrestricted free agent or opt-in with the Nets and demand a trade.

A seven-time All-Star, Irving has not played more than 54 games in three of the last four seasons. The 30-year-old averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game in 20 regular-season games last year.

In April, he averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in Brooklyn’s first-round playoff defeat against Boston.

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This list is also featured in our special issue, SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time. Shop here.

Check out the full list below to see who our number one is and where your favorite team ranks. We expect that there will be some disgruntled fans out there, but that’s what makes this fun, right?

No. 66-75

Last but certainly not least. From the 1997-98 Pacers who put up a fight against the Chicago Bulls’ “Last Dance” squad to the 2018-19 Raptors that made history in the 6.

READ HERE

No. 65-55

These squads set the foundation for greatness to come. The birth of the Celtics dynasty with Bill Russell to the 2004-2005 Phoenix Suns had the best record in the L.

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No. 54-44

Rewriting history. The 2003-04 Pistons that ended the Lakers’ Finals run to Milwaukee’s first title.

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No. 43-33

Heavyweights turned champions. From the 1983-84 Celtics that brought the ‘chip back to the Bean over LA to the 2011-12 Heat that won LeBron James his first ring.

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No. 32-22

Tight spaces and pressure packed situations formed these teams into dynasties. From the 2001-02 Lakers completing the three-peat, to the Spurs squad that gave Tim Duncan his third ring.

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No. 21-11

These squads made history. The 2015-16 Warriors that won 73 games to the Cavaliers team that upset them in that same Finals.

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No. 10

Back to back. Miami became the first Eastern Conference team to repeat as champions since the “Last Dance” Bulls.

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No. 9

At the height of their dominance in 2000-01, the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers generated one of the best postseason runs ever when they lost just one game in the 2001 playoffs.

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No. 8

Paid in Full. The early 80’s were mostly dominated by the Lakers and Celtics, but the 1982-83 Sixers, led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone, swept LA in the Finals.

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No. 7

The first of six rings for Jordan, this Bulls squad redeemed themselves when they swept the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and then defeated the Lakers in five.

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No. 6

A revenge tour and Magic’s first regular-season MVP, this “Showtime” Lakers team returned to the Finals after missing it the previous season.

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No. 5

A coin flip in ’69 allowed the Bucks to draft Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which brought a championship in his second season as he averaged over 30 points per game and earned MVP honors. Legendary.

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No. 4

Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics were flying high in the mid 80’s. Larry himself won his second Finals MVP trophy in ’86.

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No. 3

The opening act before Showtime. The Lakers capped off a tremendous season and brought vindication to the franchise. Wilt Chamberlain was the Finals MVP, and Jerry West could finally feel like a winner.

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No. 2

One of the most talented teams ever assembled in the L, the Warriors lost only a single game during the 2017 playoffs. Adding Kevin Durant made their 2016-17 squad unstoppable.

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No. 1

Top 2 and they’re not 2. The 1995-96 Bulls weathered a perfect storm; getting Michael Jordan back in full form, adding Dennis Rodman, the Bulls won their fourth title.

READ HERE

Photos via Getty Images.

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The list of assistants includes current Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Celtics assistants Will Hardy & Joe Mazzulla, and in-house candidates Alex Jensen & Lamar Skeeter, who were assistants under Snyder.

Former Portland coach Terry Stotts is expected to be in the mix. Stotts spent time with the Jazz later in the year as a personal guest of Snyder’s, according to ESPN. Stotts spent nine seasons in Portland, where he won 402 games and coached players such as Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Wesley Matthews. He took the Trailblazers to the 2019 Western Conference Finals and made the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons.

Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel is also expected to be in the mix; he spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles and managed a 127-98 overall record with an NBA championship in 2020.

Bryant spent the past two years as an assistant under Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the Knicks and was a six-year assistant with Snyder in Utah before departing for the Knicks. Bryant also has a very close relationship with Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

In a press conference this past Monday, Jazz owner Ryan Smith had said that the list of candidates could expand during their coaching search. CEO of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge echoed this message while also saying there is no urgency to hire a new coach before the draft.

“We’ve got to get this choice right,” said Ainge. “We’ve got big shoes to fill.”

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Among the players present at Ham’s intro to LA as a head coach was Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook struggled more than many expected this season, averaging 18.5 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the field and 29.8 from the 3-point range. Westbrook drew the ire and blame for the Lakers missing the playoffs, and he was even pulled from the Lakers’ closing-time lineup by former coach Frank Vogel. Some fans and media even called for Westbrook to be traded.

When asked about the Brodie, Ham said he expects to see Westbrook on the roster and expects the former MVP to play like the tenacious, high-energy player that he’s been, though he might have to do it more off of the ball.

“Don’t get it messed up. Russell is one of the best players our league has ever seen,” Ham said. “He still has a ton left in that tank. I don’t know why people tend to write him off. I’m going to approach him like every player I’ve ever encountered. We’re going to talk about our running habits with the ball without the ball.

“Again, share the load defensively and offensively. Defensively is where you’re going to see us make our biggest leaps and bounds. We have to commit to the defensive side of the ball, or we don’t have a chance to do anything. The offense won’t even matter if we don’t get stops.”

“Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen. There’s still a ton left in that tank.”

Lakers new Head Coach Darvin Ham on Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/gYCmWMaeZF

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2022

General manager Rob Pelinka endorsed Ham during the press conference, saying how impressed he was with how Ham spoke about “sacrifice” and “toughness.” Ham’s main priority will be to turn their defense around, but as far as the Lakers’ offensive style, Ham said he wanted to use the “four out, one in” alignment that’s helped the Bucks and Hawks thrive under Ham’s former boss, Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer.

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Wallace spent the previous year as an assistant coach under Penny Hardaway at the University of Memphis. Before that, he was the head coach at Charles E. Jordan High School in North Carolina from 2019-21. He also had a stop as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons from 2013-14.

Wallace played 16 seasons in the NBA, where he was a four-time All-Star and a member of the Detroit Pistons championship squad that defeated the Shaq and Kobe Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals.

Hardaway told The Commercial Appeal that he knew Wallace would leave if Ham had gotten a head coaching position in the NBA.

“I think Rasheed might be going to LA with Darvin Ham. That was the deal from the beginning. If Darvin had gotten a job last year, Rasheed had already promised him that he was going to go with him. So, I’m thinking this year, with him getting the Lakers job, [Wallace] might still be going along with that process,” said Hardaway.

Wallace is the first known name to join Ham’s staff in LA. Ham and Wallace were teammates on the 2004 Detroit Pistons championship team.

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To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 72-10

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, Bill Wennington

In February 1996, while the Bulls were warming up for a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles, a man ran out of the stands and onto the court, where Michael Jordan was practicing some free throws. The man threw himself at Jordan’s feet and remained there for several seconds before being removed from the arena by security.

Some people may have been unnerved by the display of homage, however strange it may have been, but it didn’t rattle Jordan. He and the Bulls rolled past the Lakers, 99-84, yet another convincing performance by the greatest team in NBA history.

It’s not like the Bulls hadn’t been great before. They won three titles from 1991-93. But then Jordan decided to play some baseball, and though he returned during the ’94-95 campaign, it was too late to lift Chicago to another championship. All that changed the following season, when Jordan and the Bulls embarked on a remarkable year that transfixed the nation’s sporting public and caused folks like the man in Los Angeles to do crazy things to prove their devotion to the team.

This was the first time Superman, Batman and Rodman were together, and the presence of eccentric forward Dennis Rodman alone was enough to create a frenzy. But putting these three giant basketball performers on the same team was almost too much for the sporting public to process. The Bulls became the nation’s number one sensation. When they showed up in town, fans worked themselves into a froth. Home games at the United Center were more than just celebrations. They were practically coronations. That’s how good the Bulls were and how much people around the NBA expected them to win it all again.

Jordan, of course, reigned. He won the scoring title for the eighth time in his career. He was magnetic and capable of causing sensations before, but this season his impact on society grew even more. He got his own cologne. He announced his new Chicago restaurant, which would open the following fall. And he was part of a traveling circus that rivaled the Beatles’ arrival on American soil. Wherever the Bulls went, they were mobbed by adoring fans.

Scottie Pippen was a big part of the show, too. His scoring numbers were modest—19.4 a game—but whenever rivals paid too much attention to Jordan, Pippen took over. And then there was Rodman, the rebounding, defending dervish with multiple tattoos and hair colors, whose effort could never be questioned. Throw in highly-talented European forward Toni Kukoc, center Luc Longley and productive backcourt guards  Ron Harper and Steve Kerr, and the Bulls were as complete a team as there ever was. It was all held together by Phil Jackson’s steady hand and Tex Winter’s triangle offense, which continued to overwhelm rivals.

On April 16, they dumped the Bucks, 86-80, to win their 70th game, thereby passing the 1971-72 Lakers for the most regular-season victories in NBA history. Chicago had winning streaks of 18 and 13 during the season and finished with 72 triumphs. It was a remarkable performance, one the Bulls matched in the playoffs. They skunked Miami in the first round and needed only five games to dispatch the Knicks in the Eastern Semis. The Bulls trampled Orlando to win the conference championship, setting up a Finals meeting with Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Seattle.

After winning the first three games of the series, Chicago stumbled twice, giving the Sonics some hope. It was hardly warranted. The Bulls won the finale, 87-75, to cap their history-making season. The greatest team ever laid the foundation for a 69-win regular season in ‘96-97 and a hysteria-inducing fandom that surrounded the ’97-98 season.

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3. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Bill Sharman

Record: 69-13

Roster: Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Cleamons, Leroy Ellis,  Keith Erickson, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, Jim McMillian, Pat Riley, Flynn Robinson, John Trapp, Jerry West

It had been an ugly decade for the Lakers, after they left Minneapolis and settled in L.A. From 1949-54, the franchise won five titles. It played for another championship in 1959. But the ‘60s? Six trips to the Finals. Six losses—all to the Celtics. Legendary guard Jerry West was beginning to wonder whether he would ever get to feel like a winner.

The situation was particularly painful in 1969, when L.A. hosted the Celtics in the seventh game of the Finals at the Fabulous Forum. Owner Jack Kent Cooke was so convinced his team would finally win that he had dozens of purple-and-gold balloons trapped behind netting in the arena’s rafters, ready to flutter to the floor when the Lakers clinched the championship. But instead of a celebration, there was another disappointment, as the Boston dynasty came to a close with its 11th crown in 13 seasons.

Things weren’t any better the next season. Los Angeles dropped another deciding game in the Finals, this time to the Knicks, who fed off Willis Reed’s heroics and Clyde Frazier’s excellence. When the Lakers dropped a Western Finals decision to Milwaukee in 1971, it was time for a change. Cooke directed GM Fred Schaus to sign Bill Sharman as coach. Thus began L.A.’s transformation from sad-sack also-ran to NBA champion.

Sharman re-cast the Laker approach, convincing center Wilt Chamberlain to focus more on rebounding and defense and less on scoring. The Lakers had guards Gail Goodrich and West, both of whom scored more than 25 a game, for that. Power forward Happy Hairston hit the boards with a ferocity, and wing man Jim McMillian hit a ton of corner jumpers and got out on the break with a fury. In fact, the whole team ran with abandon. The Lakers averaged 121.0 ppg.

Sharman also instituted the shootaround concept in 1971, primarily to make sure Chamberlain got out of bed early enough in the day so that he was ready to play that night. It worked. Not only did The Dipper play in all 82 games, he helped the Lakers to an NBA-record 69 victories. Included was a 33-game winning streak—the longest in history for any major US sport—during which the Lakers beat their opponents by an average of 16.7 ppg.

L.A. breezed to the Pacific Division title and swept away Chicago in the opening round of the playoffs. Waiting in the Western Finals were the defending champion Bucks, who had won 63 games and boasted the terrific tandem of center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and guard Oscar Robertson. After Milwaukee whipped the Lakers, 93-72, in the first game—in Los Angeles—some doubt crept into the collective Laker psyche.

The Lakers won a wild Game 2, 135-134, to even the series and went on to overcome the Bucks in six. One of their nemeses had been vanquished. Another—New York—was waiting. The Knicks had routed Boston in the Eastern Finals in five games and were hoping to relive their 1970 title success at the expense of L.A. When the Knicks won the first game, in Los Angeles, by 22, many were shocked. The Lakers were motivated.

That would be it for the Knicks’ success. The Lakers evened the series with a triumph in the second game, and Chamberlain had 26 points (on 9-10 shooting) and 20 boards to key a 107-96 victory in the third. The Lakers won the series in five games, capping a tremendous season and bringing vindication to the franchise. Chamberlain was the Finals MVP, and West could finally feel like a winner.

Boy, did it feel good.

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6. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 65-17

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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“I can remember when he was a little boy—this is how obsessed he was,” recalls Brandy Cole, the mother of Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum. “I asked him, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ His first answer in life was, ‘Kobe.’”

Brandy tried to explain to her son: You can’t be Kobe. You can be an NBA player, like Kobe. But you can’t be Kobe.

Jayson refused to accept that. And when mom dared to suggest that he could one day be better than Kobe, her son damn near lost his mind.

“I was like, ‘Can’t nobody be better than Kobe!’” Tatum remembers. “It didn’t even make sense to me.”

Not too long ago, Jayson Tatum hated the Boston Celtics. As a kid growing up in St. Louis, MO—a city without a hometown NBA team—he fell in love with Kobe and the Lakers. That love, dating back to when Jayson was 4 years old, ran deep. It was an obsession.

He retreated to his bedroom and cried when Boston beat L.A. in the 2008 Finals. He was ecstatic when Kobe got his revenge in 2010, winning his fifth and final championship.

“From the beginning, [Kobe] was always my favorite player,” Tatum explains. “I wanted to be just like him. He was my biggest basketball inspiration.”

By the age of 6, Jayson was getting into heated arguments with Brandy about who was better, Kobe or Michael Jordan. She watched MJ and the Bulls rule the League in the ’90s. Jayson’s allegiance, of course, was always to the Mamba.

In every way possible, Jayson tried to emulate his idol. He was shooting turnaround, fadeaway jumpers by third grade. Brandy would peer out the window and see Jayson working on Kobe’s moves in the backyard of their home in University City.

He rocked all the Kobe kicks and apparel he could get his hands on.

“My favorite Kobe shoes were the Kobe 3s,” Tatum says. “I had on the ‘What The’ Kobe 9s in the state championship game my senior year. Played in Kobe ‘Preludes,’ 5s and 6s, when I was on the EYBL circuit.”

“I can remember the first time I found out that Flight Club existed, he was entering his senior year and he wanted these shoes—’What The’ Kobes,” Brandy says. “They were already expensive to me. I looked high and low, and then I found Flight Club. Of course, the only place [that had them]. And I was like, You mean I got to pay more for these? [laughs] But he was like, ‘That’s all I want. It can be my Christmas gift and my birthday gift. That’s all I want.’”

In 2007, Jayson met Kobe for the first time at Quicken Loans Arena, when the Cavaliers hosted the Lakers. He still has the picture they took in the hallway after the game. That same year, he went to All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas with Brandy. They didn’t have tickets to the events but made it to the NBA’s Jam Session—a giant activation geared toward kids. Tatum picked out a red Western Conference All-Star Kobe jacket. Brandy dug it up after Bryant’s passing and surprised Jayson with it.

Tatum’s fandom started as most fandoms do. He gravitated to the exciting showman playing on one of the League’s brightest stages. The Lakers regularly appeared on national TV. Bryant regularly appeared on SportCenter’s Top 10. Once Tatum discovered YouTube, he’d spend hours and hours going through highlights. 

“One of my all-time favorite plays when I was younger was when they threw the full-court pass to him and he did the 180 when he went behind his back,” he says. “That shit was just, like, unbelievable to me when I first saw that.”

As he became older and found his own success in basketball, Jayson began to look up to Kobe for reasons far beyond a lob to Shaq or a poster over Dwight. He kept watching the highlights, only this time, he studied them differently.

“I remember my dad telling me, ‘Don’t just watch his buckets. Watch how hard he works to get open for the ball, his demeanor, how efficient he is with his body movements and his jab steps, his footwork. Don’t just watch the shot go in,’” Tatum says. “I really started to pay attention to the little things.”

“The little things” extended far beyond clips on YouTube. Jayson read stories of Kobe’s work ethic, drive and intensity. He listened to the Mamba speak about it himself—how he put all his eggs in one basket, how he chased his goal of making the NBA relentlessly, how he never had a backup plan. It became Tatum’s own mantra.

“He said the exact same words to me,” Brandy explains. “We would talk about work ethic and all of that. I would say, ‘OK, what’s your Plan B just in case [you don’t make the NBA]?’ He looked at me one day and he was like, ‘That’s the difference between me…’ and he named all these other people. ‘They actually have a fallback plan, a Plan B.’ These were his exact words: ‘Mom, no. It’s this or die.’ And I responded, ‘Um, no. Maybe there’s something else, like coaching.’ I was trying to get him to at least come up with something. There’s a small number of people that actually make the NBA, and as a lawyer, I’m always like, Do your due diligence, make sure you have all your bases covered. But he was emphatic. ‘It’s this or nothing.’”

As early as elementary school, Tatum embraced the Mamba Mentality. He’d tell teachers that his dream was to be an NBA player, and when they encouraged him to choose something more realistic, he remained steadfast.

“I can remember vividly, he was in the fourth grade playing AAU Nationals in New Orleans,” Brandy says. “We would go on trips and there was a rule that you couldn’t swim or couldn’t have fries and ice cream and stuff like that, because you couldn’t swim all day in the sun and then go play and compete. We lost, and a bunch of other kids on the team were like, Yay, now we can go swim. We get back to the hotel and they all can’t wait to get into their swimsuits and go to the pool. I go in our room and Jayson’s sitting on the floor with his back against the wall in tears. You’re not going swimming? He said, ‘No, I don’t understand. We lost. There’s nothing to be happy about.’ He was just so upset. There was always something different about him.”

That continued into high school, when Jayson was up at 5 am every morning and off to the gym before Brandy even got out of bed. He paid attention to the details and never took shortcuts. He mastered Bryant’s jab step by training for an entire week without a basketball, just replicating the motion over and over again. During his four years at Chaminade, head coach Frank Bennett insists he took just two days off—the two days following their state championship victory his senior season.

All of that stemmed from Bryant and a desire to follow in his footsteps. It seemed to come full circle when, amid Boston’s 2018 playoff run, Kobe dedicated a segment of his ESPN show Detail to breaking down Tatum’s game. Then a rookie, Tatum had been helping to lead an injury-riddled Celtics team through the Eastern Conference. After years of analyzing Bryant’s every move, the roles had suddenly reversed. Jayson watched the episode on repeat.

“I started to talk to him during the playoffs. He told me when I get to L.A. to contact him. If I wanted to get in the gym, just let him know,” Tatum says. “And then when we did, I remember I was sweating on the way to the gym. My heart was beating fast. I remember I walked in and I was like, Yo, this shit…Kobe is here and I’m about to…like, it was…”

He struggles to find the words to describe the moment exactly. Here he was, having just turned 20, about to play basketball with his hero.

“I remember I would do a drill and he would show me how to do something or tell me what to do next, and I was just sitting there and in my mind I’m like, Yo, I’m working out with fucking Kobe Bryant.”

“It’s right up there with him getting drafted,” says Brandy, of that first workout between her son and Bryant. “It’s watching your kid’s dreams come true.”

“He’s iconic,” says Jayson. “He accomplished so much. I think it was just the way he went about it. The way he did things and his demeanor. He was different. That’s the best way to put it. He was just different. He was unlike anybody else. He did it his own way. And you could see when he passed away, so many people my age and even older guys in the NBA, they attribute him [with] being the reason they work so hard and started playing basketball.”

The news of Kobe’s death left Tatum heartbroken. He continued to honor his idol on the court, being named to his first All-Star team in late January. The seeds of that accomplishment were planted nearly two decades ago, when a young, awestruck Jayson first saw the Black Mamba dominate. Kobe was the reason he picked up a basketball. Kobe was the one who inspired him to strive for feats like this.

“No matter if it was during the regular season, postseason, All-Star—everything he’s always done, he’s always followed and wanted to emulate Kobe,” Brandy emphasizes. “Whether it was on the court, life accomplishments, USA [Basketball], All-Star.

“I think it’s a little bittersweet [making his first All-Star Game],” she continues. “I’m sure Kobe would’ve been there. I’m sure Jayson probably would’ve gotten a text or a phone call congratulating him. I think he would have been glad to see that Kobe was proud of him. It’s bittersweet, for sure, but I know that he knows Kobe is proud of him and that this is one of many. And if he keeps that Mamba Mentality, he’ll be a perennial All-Star, MVP candidate, all of that.”

That’s Plan A. And for Jayson Tatum, there aren’t any backup plans.

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9. 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 56-26

Roster: Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Greg Foster, Rick Fox, Devean George, Horace Grant, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Tyronn Lue, Mark Madsen, Stanislav Medvedenko, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Penberthy, Isaiah Rider, Brian Shaw

It’s easy to dismiss the ’00-01 Lakers’ 56 wins as “disappointing.” That wasn’t even the NBA’s top win total.

But the true test of this team—and most great outfits—is the postseason. In that regard, there is a different number that matters.

One.

The Lakers lost just one game in the 2001 Playoffs, the Finals opener against Philadelphia. They swept their first three opponents, including San Antonio, which had the NBA’s best record.

This was the middle championship of L.A.’s early 21st century three-peat, and it didn’t come easy, despite the playoff dominance. The Lakers fought injuries, withstood some animosity between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant and had to integrate some new faces (Isaiah Rider, Horace Grant) into a deep rotation that won eight straight to finish the regular season.

Things were not great between the two stars, as the Big Brother-Little Brother dynamic was no longer that palatable to Bryant. Coach Phil Jackson was able to keep things relatively zen, but it was clear that the two weren’t too happy together. That led to some regular-season unease and a final record that doesn’t really represent how good this team was.

Of course, O’Neal was overpowering. Still at the peak of his powers, he averaged 28.7 ppg and 12.7 rpg. He was even better in the Finals, when he won MVP. Not that Bryant was simply riding shotgun or anything. He scored 28.5 ppg, by far his best performance as a professional up to that moment. They may not have been lunch buddies off the court, and they feuded during the season about the breakdown of offensive opportunities, but when the ball was tossed up, they formed an unbeatable tandem.

Perhaps the biggest reason why the team didn’t approach 70 victories was the absence for 62 games of point guard Derek Fisher, who was recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot. Once he returned, the offense was more efficient, and the Lakers played better at the other end, too. Grant was a steady interior force, while Rick Fox provided his usual all-around assistance.

In the playoffs, L.A. swept away Portland, Sacramento and San Antonio, as the team crackled. And though Allen Iverson’s 48 points in the Sixers’ overtime win in Game 1 of the Finals gave Philly some hope, the Lakers crushed that ruthlessly over the next four games to complete the second title in their three-peat. There was more—of everything—to come in 2001-02.

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Here’s our No. 21-11:

21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

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