Twelve circular neon orange portals appear out of thin air. The citrus hues fly off the spheres’ edges in sparkling fashion, rotating in a clockwise direction as the views of various cities from across the U.S. grow wider and wider. Bellowing horns in the background build to a crescendo. You’ve probably seen this scene before, in a movie theater in 2019. Except this isn’t a movie: These are the greatest hoopers in the United States of America.

While USA Basketball representatives flew around the country presenting each player on the 2024 Men’s National Team with their USA threads in April, users on X flooded the timeline with the only comparison that made any conceivable sense: a 20-second clip from Avengers: Endgame.

In the film’s climax, the full totality of the Avengers team appears, journeying across the universe to join Captain America for one final showdown against Thanos. One by one, the greatest heroes in the galaxy stand shoulder to shoulder. It’s the perfect parallel for this year’s squad: one last ride with the best basketball powers ever assembled.

The USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team has descended on Paris with the sheer force of the Infinity Gauntlet. When the official roster was announced in mid-April, the basketball community erupted in excitement, and rightfully so. We couldn’t stop talking about it either. This amount of talent, all on one team, makes them the modern day Avengers: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Derrick White, Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum.

On paper, the roster is stacked. For the first time in USA Basketball history, the Men’s National Team will feature four former NBA MVPs: Durant, James, Embiid and Curry. Then there are the team’s 11 combined Olympic appearances, 10 total Gold medals, three FIBA World Cup titles, seven returning Olympians and a combined 84 NBA All-Star selections…yeah, the U.S. ain’t playing fair.

When USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team Managing Director Grant Hill set out to achieve a seemingly simple yet complicated task—construct the best basketball team in the world—what he put together was a 12-man roster, which will be led by head coach Steve Kerr, that can hold their own against one of the toughest Olympic fields in recent memory.

The path to glory and the highest view from atop the podium won’t be easy. It never is. But then again *checks roster* we haven’t seen anything like this before.

It’s been 12 years since we last saw LeBron James bounding down the court with the letters “USA” stamped across his chest. Olympic memories of tomahawk dunks, out-of-nowhere alley-oops and utter dominance from baseline to baseline haven’t been a reality for more than a decade.

James elected to rest his body and opt out of the 2016 and 2020 Games. Now, at 39 years old and with a catalog of accolades longer than Santa Claus’ wish list, he’s back. And 2024 is a different story; it’s his one last shot at Gold.

This isn’t the same LeBron who tore through London while debuting the legendary Nike LeBron X all those years ago, but don’t get it twisted. The explosiveness is still there, the low-post game is omnipresent, the court vision is still staggering and anyone can get clamped at any time. Coming off his 21st season—where he shot a career-high 41 percent from three—LeBron’s refined touch and years’ worth of wisdom will be the soul of the pack. And right next to him will be Kevin Durant, netting jumper after jumper.

The Olympics are KD’s playground. Every four years, the best scorer on the planet toys with defenders and lights nets on fire with a FIBA-certified ball. Durant boasts the most experience of this team with three Gold medals on his résumé, a journey which first started when he was the team’s go-to bucket-getter after stamping his arrival in 2012 at the London Games. He’s got the USA Basketball record books on lock: all-time leader in points (453), scoring average (19.8 ppg), we could go on and on. If this summer goes as planned, Durant will walk away as the most decorated player in USA Basketball men’s history with a record four Olympic Golds.

Stephen Curry, however, is shooting for his first. “We obviously want to go get the Gold, and for this being my first experience, I’m super excited,” Curry told Inside the NBA in mid-April. “I’m 36 now and I don’t know if I’ll have another one, so this is definitely the year.”

After back-to-back Finals runs in ’15 and ’16 and the continuation of the Covid pandemic well into 2021, Curry, much like James, has sat out the past two Olympics to rest and heal some nagging injuries. In the meantime, the country has patiently waited to see him reign down threes against the world’s best.

It may be his debut, but Curry has been instrumental in the team’s success on the international stage, winning Gold at the FIBA World Cup in 2010 and 2014. Now, the future Hall of Famer will get to check “Olympics” off his bucket list.

Anthony Davis was just 19 when he was selected to the 2012 USA Men’s National Team. After taking home the Gold, the five-time All-Defensive Team honoree is now responsible for manning the paint for the U.S. alongside his first-time Olympic teammate, Joel Embiid.

Embiid could have played for France—where he has citizenship—or Cameroon, his native country, but instead, the 2023-24 NBA MVP chose to play for the USA.

“After talking to my family, I knew it had to be [USA Basketball]. I want to play with my brothers in the League. I want to play for my fans because they’ve been incredible since the day I came here,” Embiid posted to X in October of 2023. “But most of all, I want to honor my son who was born in the U.S. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him.”

This year’s team has a bunch of returning members from the USA Basketball’s last Gold medal squad, including one of the most underrated players in the game: Bam Adebayo. A point guard in the open floor, a small forward in the mid-range, a center on the block—the 2020 Olympian is a cheat code in international competition. While Bam, AD and Embiid preside down low, Jrue Holiday, another returning member of the team, lurks on the perimeter.

Holiday will pick your pocket, sneak into the passing lane and sit with the best of them. For years, the two-time NBA All-Star has been the glue for championship-winning and contending teams. He plays to win, and he leads by action. He’s tasked with much of the same in tandem with defensive stalwart Derrick White, who joins Embiid and Curry as the third first-timer on the Olympic team. The NBA is filled with a plethora of scorers, but the selection of various tacticians assembled for the U.S. Men’s National Team is what takes this roster from Gold to Certified Platinum.

“This guy next to me will be the next one,” Kevin Durant told The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy after becoming USA Basketball’s all-time leader in points in July 2021. The “guy” he was pointing to was Jayson Tatum.

Tatum vividly remembers the 2020 team’s first scrimmage against the USA Select Team in Las Vegas. Someone kicked him the ball on the wing and, instead of getting his, the 23-year-old deferred to Durant who was to his right.

“I remember he got mad at me,” Tatum told Draymond Green on “The Draymond Green Show” in April 2022. “He was like, Yo, don’t look to me. Be yourself. I need you to kill. And I was like damn…he needs me to do me on this team.” So that’s what he did.

After dropping their first contest of the 2020 Tokyo Games to France, the U.S. won its second game in a 54-point blowout against Iran, and then in the third, Tatum led the U.S. squad with a team-high 27 points on 10-16 shooting from the field in a win against the Czech Republic. Point taken. The next talisman had emerged.

And so have Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Tyrese Haliburton. With Durant, LeBron and Curry gearing up for one last ride this summer, USA Basketball is looking toward the future of the country’s success on the world stage. It starts with building the next generation of flag bearers.

This past NBA season served as Ant-Man’s official inauguration as the League’s next superstar. When the offense falls flat and energy begins to dissipate, Edwards will smirk as he plans his next jaw-dropping display of athleticism that will ignite a 20-0 run. Haliburton’s arrival extends the country’s long line of offensive orchestrators and visionary passers in transition while Booker’s devotion to the mid-range and mastery of the iso routinely makes for instant offense in the most unlikely scenarios. The next generation of USA Basketball players is a not-so-subtle reminder of why this squad is so damn exciting. Everyone can make their claim for playing time. This isn’t just a 12-man roster, it’s a 12-man deep rotation.

The schedule will be grueling, but the experience will be unforgettable. Memories will be made, legacies enshrined and the next chapter of USA Basketball will be written. Meanwhile, Durant wants to see complete dominance.

“I want to really make a statement on how dominant our players are,” Durant said in his Boardroom cover story in February. “Like 40, 50-point wins. I want to do that.”

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Gold Rush: Previewing the 2024 USA Men’s National Team Ahead of the Paris Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Check out the top 30-21 players here and 20-11 here.

10. Klay Thompson

“Buckets and Chill.” The cover line from SLAM 215—featured below an iconic photo of Klay Thompson rocking sunglasses and lounging in a beach chair—pretty much sums it up. Laid-back off the court, Thompson has always been an assassin on it. He’s won four championships, made five All-Star teams and scored over 15,500 points with the Golden State Warriors. When Klay (also known as “Game 6 Klay”) had the hot hand, it was a wrap for whoever was on the other side. In 2015, he set the NBA record for points in a quarter with 37.

9. Devin Booker

If we’re talking pure bucket-getters, Devin Booker’s name has to be mentioned. The dynamic guard from Grand Rapids, MI, has developed a complete offensive game. He can attack the basket and finish around the rim; his mid-range arsenal is elite; and he’s a serious threat from behind the arc. Just go watch the highlights from his 70-point masterpiece in 2017 or his 59-point gem in 2019 or his 62-point outburst this past season. At 27 years old, Book is a 4x All-Star with even more room to improve. Rest assured, there are a lot more buckets to come.

8. Derrick Rose

D-Rose graced the cover of SLAM while he was a freshman at Memphis in 2007-08. The cover line read: “Fresh to Death. Derrick Rose is the NBA’s next big star.” Truthfully, that prediction could have been made even earlier, when the explosive guard was lighting up the court at Simeon Career Academy (IL) and made his appearance at the Top 100 Camp. In 2011, at the age of 22, Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history. His career has been filled with adversity due to numerous injuries, but the 3x All-Star has persevered through it all to leave a major imprint on the game. 

7. Anthony Davis

From Perspectives Charter (IL) to the University of Kentucky to the NBA, Anthony Davis has more than lived up to the hype. It all started when the kid from Chicago hit a major growth spurt in high school, maintaining his guard skills while adjusting to a new big-man frame. Davis went on to win the Naismith Award, Wooden Award and an NCAA championship in his sole season at Kentucky before getting drafted with the first overall pick by New Orleans. He’s been hampered by injuries throughout his 12 years in the League, but Davis has still accomplished basically everything there is to accomplish at the highest level, including getting a ring in 2020. 

6. Kyrie Irving

The man with arguably the greatest handles of all time attended the Top 100 Camp back when he was a high school sensation in New Jersey. Irving spent one year at Duke before entering the 2011 NBA Draft, where he was picked first by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s been an All-Star eight times and sunk one of the biggest shots in NBA history in 2016, helping the Cavs complete their epic 3-1 comeback to win the title. With that shot and countless ankle breakers, mind-boggling layups and cold-blooded game-winners, Irving’s highlight reel is a must-watch. Really, it’s the work of a basketball genius.

5. Dwight Howard

Not too long ago, when the role of center was viewed very differently, Dwight Howard was perhaps the most powerful and unstoppable force in basketball. A young superstar at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA), Howard won Gatorade National Player of the Year and then was selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He bounced around quite a bit after leaving Orlando in 2012, which led many to forget what he did during those early years in the League, including making five consecutive All-NBA First Team appearances and winning three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. Consider this your reminder.

4. James Harden

From Artesia High School in Lakewood, CA, where he won two state championships and was a McDonald’s All-American in 2007, to now, James Harden has carved out an incredible career that frequently gets overlooked. This is a guy who averaged 31.7 points, 8.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds (!) over a five-season span from 2015-20—a stretch that included an MVP award in 2018. He was named to the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team in 2021, and deservedly so. 

3. Kevin Durant

Coming out of the DMV, Kevin Durant was one of the most hyped prospects in the nation. And since then, well, he hasn’t disappointed one bit. The future Hall of Famer has said that he probably would have gone straight to the NBA from high school if the one-and-done rule didn’t exist. Instead, he starred at Texas for one season and then got scooped with the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007. Durant is undoubtedly one of the greatest offensive talents in NBA history, winning the League’s scoring title four times. When he has it going—which, over the past 17 years, has been a very common occurrence—there’s literally nothing anyone can do to stop him.

2. Stephen Curry

A slept-on prospect from Charlotte Christian School named Stephen Curry attended the Top 100 Camp before going to Davidson, where he became a 2x consensus All-American and led the Wildcats to the 2008 Elite Eight. The skinny kid with a baby face from North Carolina was still somewhat slept on, falling to seventh in the 2009 NBA Draft. But even those who foresaw greatness in Curry could not have predicted this: 10x All-Star and All-NBA, 2x MVP, 4x Champion and the all-time leader in three-pointers made. Oh yeah, and he completely changed the way the game is played.

1. Kobe Bryant

It was clear when he was dominating at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania that Kobe Bean Bryant was special. He was one of the first future stars to attend the Top 100 Camp, jumping straight to the NBA in 1996. It wasn’t long before he was dominating at that level, too. The résumé is undeniable—18x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 12x All-Defense, 5x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 MVP, the list goes on—but Bryant was most defined by his relentless work ethic, remarkable determination and absurd competitiveness. The Mamba Mentality, as his approach to the game and other endeavors came to be called, continues to inspire people everywhere.

The post NBPA Top 100 Camp Top 30 Players: 10-1 appeared first on SLAM.

Campers receive mentorship from current and former NBA players and follow an advanced training regimen designed to prepare them for the next level. In addition, every camper participates in group discussions and classes centering on topics such as stress management, recruiting pressures and more. 

Since ’94, hundreds of NBA players have come through the Top 100 Camp. This year’s event is set to take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, FL, from June 8-13.

But first, to celebrate 30 incredible years, we’re looking back at the top 30 NBPA members who have hit the court at the Top 100 Camp.

30. Zach LaVine 

Of all the high-flyers on this list, Zach LaVine might have the craziest hops. At 6-5, 200 pounds, he somehow makes zipping past defenders, soaring through the air and punching a nasty jam over a seven-footer look effortless. His jaw-dropping highlights and incredible performances in dunk contests—like his legendary duel with Aaron Gordon in 2016—alone make him a suitable candidate for this list, but LaVine is also a two-time All-Star and an elite all-around scorer who has averaged over 20 points per game for his career. 

29. Zion Williamson 

It’s rare for a high school player to land on the cover of SLAM. But then again, it’s rare for a high school player to be like Zion Williamson was in 2017. The kid from Spartanburg, SC, demanded our attention, regularly going viral on social media for his unfathomable dunks and blocks. The eventual cover line: “He’s 16. He’s 6-7. He’s explosive like Russ. He dunks like LeBron. Are you ready for Zion Williamson?” No lies told. In fact, at the Top 100 Camp in 2016, he was named MVP. Unfortunately, the Zion experience has been limited in the NBA due to injuries, but when the New Orleans Pelicans star has been healthy, he’s been an unstoppable force who still lights up social media.

28. Bam Adebayo

In an interview with SLAM in 2019, Jimmy Butler described his teammate Bam Adebayo—now a 3x All-Star—perfectly: “He works super hard and he’s everywhere on the floor. You need him to pass it, he can pass it. He rebounds, he handles the ball, he sets great screens. You can’t take him off the floor. He’s a key part to what we want to do and what we will continue to do. [Head coach Erik Spoelstra] knows—in order to win, you gotta have Bam out there on the floor.” That all still applies today.

27. De’Aaron Fox

Don’t blink—you might miss De’Aaron Fox do something spectacular. The lightning quick guard was a McDonald’s All-American in high school, ranked as one of the top recruits in the nation. He went to the University of Kentucky for one year, starring alongside Bam Adebayo and Malik Monk, before entering the 2017 NBA Draft, where he was picked fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings. Slowly but surely, Fox has developed into an All-Star and made the Kings exciting and relevant for the first time in a long time. 

26. Karl-Anthony Towns

We have seen very few big men in the history of the NBA with the versatility and skill set of Karl-Anthony Towns. That’s to say: We have seen very few big men in the history of the NBA who are just as comfortable behind the arc and in the mid-range as they are in the paint. KAT, now 28, stands seven feet tall, has averaged 10.8 rebounds per game over his nine seasons in the League and is a career 40 percent three-point shooter. And he just helped lead the best Timberwolves team in two decades all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

25. DeAndre Jordan

During those peak Lob City years, DeAndre Jordan owned the paint for the Los Angeles Clippers. He controlled the glass, averaging 13.1 rebounds per game from 2013-18. He protected the rim, averaging 1.8 blocks over that same span. And occasionally, he threw down a dunk so vicious, so powerful, so unbelievable, that teammates and fans were left wondering what the hell just happened (please go rewatch his poster on Brandon Knight). Jordan now brings veteran leadership to the Denver Nuggets, where he helped the franchise capture its first championship in 2023.

24. Donovan Mitchell

Twelve teams passed on Spida in the 2017 NBA Draft. Twelve. Mitchell, who hails from Elmsford, NY, and went to college at Louisville, made most of those teams regret that decision almost immediately. He averaged 20.5 points as a rookie and was an All-Star by his third season. He’s now made five straight All-Star Games, including in 2023 when he was named a starter. Very few players in the League possess Mitchell’s combination of athleticism and skill. To put it plainly: the explosive guard—currently on the NBPA Executive Committee—is impossible to stop. And at 27 years old, he’s just entering his prime.

23. Al Horford

For the past 16 years, Big Al has been a big presence in the NBA. The reliable center is still playing a pivotal role for a historically good Boston Celtics team that just tore its way through the Eastern Conference. Horford was a star at Grand Ledge High School in Michigan, won back-to-back national championships at the University of Florida (2006, 2007) and has been named an All-Star five times during his lengthy NBA career (four times with the Hawks, once with the Cs). And he ain’t done yet. 

22. Kyle Lowry

When he entered the League in 2006, Kyle Lowry didn’t take off right away. In fact, it wasn’t until his fifth season in the NBA that the 6-0 point guard, who had been traded by the Grizzlies to the Rockets in ’09, became a permanent starter. Lowry hasn’t looked back since, guiding teams in Houston, Toronto, Miami and Philly with his hard-nosed, aggressive, energetic style of play—a style that has made him a fan favorite and earned him six All-Star selections. In the North, where he won a championship in 2019, Lowry will always be known as Mr. Raptor.

21. Baron Davis 

Baron Davis was an artist with the basketball. Ridiculous dribble packages, flashy assists, monster posters—the 1997 Gatorade National Player of the Year and two-time NBA All-Star always put on a show. After starring at UCLA, Davis was the third overall pick in the 1999 Draft and helped lead a formidable Hornets team for the first stretch of his pro career. He later joined the iconic “We Believe” Warriors squad that advanced to the second round of the 2007 playoffs as a No. 8 seed. Injuries robbed us of more years watching him play, no question, but when the electrifying guard was at his best, that was some of the most entertaining ball to watch.

The post NBPA Top 100 Camp Top 30 Players: 30-21 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.

This was early 2002, a cold winter day in snow-covered Trenton, NJ, in an arena then named for a bank and since renamed for an insurance company, as these things are. Among the more than 8,000 people packed into the building were hundreds of media members; among them was a now-famous NBA reporter, best known for his hashtag social media bombs, then working as a columnist at a midsized newspaper where, a few years earlier, we (briefly) had been colleagues. Like the rest of the media pack, we were there to watch a high school basketball game, but really, we were there to watch one particular high school basketball player.

Chatting pregame near our baseline seats, two or three rows back from the court, he said something about that player that at the time I disagreed with, and that I’ve also never forgotten: “This kid’s like the perfect SLAM magazine guy.”

I disagreed because, well, we already had a few perfect guys. We had Michael Jordan, not far away from his final retirement but still the foundation without which this magazine could not exist. We had Kobe Bryant, a soon-to-be three-time defending NBA champion and Jordan’s polarizing heir apparent. And we had Allen Iverson, the purest representation of an ongoing cultural moment that this magazine has documented like no one else. But…this kid? Generationally special, no doubt. It just seemed a bit early to think of him on quite that level.

Six months later, around the time we gave LeBron James his third full-length feature—not including the year of high school diaries he’d penned for us—and his second cover, all (still) before he’d stepped onto an NBA court, I no longer disagreed.

We did not, for the record, see all this coming. Not all of it, anyway. Not the 21 seasons and 21 All-Star nods, not the four championships and four MVPs, sure as hell not the all-time NBA scoring record. But we were very confident he’d be very good, which is why we gave him feature-length coverage before pretty much anyone outside his hometown had heard of him. And the 27 covers and two special issues in the two decades since would seem to confirm that yes, LeBron James—a fixture in these pages for 23 of our 30 years of existence—is probably the single most iconic player of the SLAM era.

He’ll always be remembered most for his NBA superlatives, the unprecedented statistical output and, of course, those rings. That’s the lead on his Wikipedia page and the inscription on his Hall of Fame plaque. But the story—his story, and the nexus of his story with ours—is so much more than that. LeBron’s story was a movie (not to mention a couple of books) before he ever got to Draft night. That’s the story we told before anyone else, the one that left us uniquely suited to tell the rest. Maybe the only thing more incredible than how it started is that somehow, it still shows no signs of coming to an end.

We’ve told this one before, but for the sake of setting the scene, it bears repeating. Spring 2001, near the end of his sophomore year, we took a flight from New York City to Akron, OH, to spend a day with LeBron James. When we arrived at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, there was a small sign out front bearing the words “WELCOME SLAM MAGAZINE.” Within a year or so, it would be replaced with a sign on the door announcing that media were barred from campus.

But that was later. Back in ’01, the folks at St. V were excited that someone from a national magazine was coming to their tiny high school to write a story about one of their own. They knew LeBron was good, of course—by that point he was a two-time state champ and pretty clearly the best player in Ohio. But SLAM showing up was different. This meant LeBron wasn’t just good. He was about to be famous, too.

LeBron made his mag debut with that feature-length profile that summer, followed immediately by a year-long run as our Basketball Diary writer—the first non-senior to hold that spot. (They might not put that on the HOF plaque, but for both of us, it was history of a sort.) From the beginning, LeBron was telling his story in our pages.

It took a while, but eventually the rest of our sports media peers started catching up. The Sports Illustrated cover came late in his junior year, back when SI was elite and its cover choices could drive the narrative. Steady coverage on SportsCenter, then the place to catch the most important sports news and highlights, followed soon after. By the end of his junior year, Bron’s story was national.

By the middle of his senior year, when St. V was playing a national schedule and LeBron’s highlights were going pre-Twitter viral, it was an unprecedented circus. Ohio’s high school governing body didn’t know how to handle it, investigating the 18-year-old senior—who would be worth more than $100 million by his next birthday—for driving a Hummer gifted to him by his mother, then suspending him for taking a couple of throwback jerseys from a local shop. His first game back from that suspension—initially meant to cost him the remainder of his senior year before a legal challenge shortened it to two games—came on that cold night in Trenton. He scored 52 in a rout, capping the silliest week of the most ridiculous season in his legendary high school career with the loudest possible statement.

Months later—fresh off a second SLAM cover, on which he rocked our logo on a headband (his idea, we didn’t ask)—he was Nike’s $90 million man and the No. 1 pick in the 2003 Draft. Like we said, it was a movie before he ever set foot in the League, an action-packed drama in which the leading man over-came humble beginnings, surmounted every obstacle, and won in the end. And somehow, it was only the start.

It’s gotten difficult at this point to talk about LeBron’s NBA career without focusing on the numbers. The various totals and career averages are almost overwhelming. We’re talking about a dude who put up nearly identical averages—around 30 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per—at age 37 as he did at 23. We’re talking about a dude who set the all-time NBA scoring record last year, and who’s on pace to blow by 40K by season’s end. He’s 39 now, and even as he’s shown some signs of time finally catching up, he’s still putting up 25, 7 and 7 a night—numbers just shy of the average output for his entire career.

But if you’ve been there as long as we have, the numbers, staggering as they are, remain secondary to the story. He put together arguably the greatest—and undeniably the most high-profile—high school career of all time. He came into the League with unequaled hype, and based on his individual play, lived up to it almost immediately. Championships proved more elusive in the NBA than they had in high school (where he won three), and the fact that he couldn’t carry otherwise mediocre rosters to a title during his first seven seasons in Cleveland led to a narrative that LeBron lacked a killer instinct. It was here that he paled when compared to Mike and Kobe, until he kicked off the Super Team era; with Dwyane Wade as his runningmate and a supporting cast more in line with the groups Mike and Kobe ran with, he finally copped his first two rings.

Eventually he came home(ish) to Cleveland, and with Kyrie and Kev took out the 73-win Dubs for ring number three. Then, perhaps inevitably, it was on to L.A., a more logical home base for both his growing media and business empire and his growing family. This time, Anthony Davis played the elite sidekick as LeBron claimed a fourth chip.

But again, the story—the how of everything he’s done, even more than the what—is what compels us. How he reinvented the idea of player empowerment, determining the steps in his career path in a way no star ever had. How he built on the Jordan and Shaq endorsement model to become not just the face of but a stakeholder in businesses ranging from European soccer to fashion to Hollywood, where he’s a powerhouse behind the scenes and a half-decent actor on them.

And most importantly: how this son of a single mother, a kid who never knew his dad, has embraced his role of husband and father, actively supporting his own family in a way that balances their public life with an entirely authentic devotion.

So here is LeBron, pushing 40, the game’s elder statesman, an icon across sports and culture, an actual self-made billionaire, a man whose influence on the game—both on and off the court—might not be fully measured for years to come. He may or may not be your GOAT, but that hardly matters. He’s never been perfect, but he’s been the perfect guy for this magazine and everything we love about the game. 

Photo via Getty Images. Portrait by Atiba Jefferson.

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

The closest public court to Maluach was a 45-minute walk away and shared by multiple areas. “It was always packed,” he says. “If you had to go work on your skill set or work by yourself, you had to come maybe at 2:00 pm, when nobody’s there because it’s hot.” 

Such limited access led Maluach to pursue other hobbies as a kid—primarily soccer. “The lack of facilities is the main thing,” he tells SLAM. It wasn’t until the end of 2019 when Maluach, then 13 years old, was persuaded to attend a basketball camp organized by former NBA All-Star Luol Deng, who also hails from South Sudan. Merely a spectator that day, Maluach was encouraged to see people his height (6-8) thriving on the floor. Basketball seemed like a game that he, too, could dominate. He had always been taller than his peers, eventually sprouting to a towering 7-2.

Not long after, a chance encounter in Kawempe launched Maluach’s own basketball journey. He was walking home one afternoon when Akech Wuoi Garang, a local high school coach at Bethel Covenant College, spotted him. Mesmerized by Maluach’s stature, Akech slammed the brakes on his bike and immediately went into recruiting mode. It mattered little that this rail-thin teenager had basically no basketball experience—Akech urged him to come play at Bethel Covenant, where his tuition would be taken care of. 

“I trusted Akech because he was a South Sudanese coach,” Maluach explains. “He gave me a scholarship to go study at school. By then, school tuition was hard, so I took the scholarship and it motivated me. That’s how I got into the game.”

Maluach arrived at Bethel Covenant in January 2020, determined to make the most out of the opportunity. “As soon as I knew I could get a scholarship to a high school in Uganda, I knew that basketball could change my life,” he says. But a few months later, COVID-19 shut down life in the country, disrupting Maluach’s training. Stuck at home, he found creative ways to keep working. A big tire served as his hoop. He dribbled the ball Akech gave him everywhere. He watched clips of the NBA, studying stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. By the time he returned to school, Maluach was a completely different player.

The NBA Academy program, a year-round basketball development initiative, provides top high school prospects from outside the U.S. with elite coaching. Through a vast network of scouts and relationships with federations around the world, the academy is able to identify promising young athletes, all of whom receive full scholarships and become full-time students. NBA Academy Africa was founded in 2017 in Saly, Senegal, at the same time that academies opened in India and Australia. Since then, it has uncovered emerging talents like Thierry Darlan and Babacar Sané, both of whom play for G League Ignite, and Portland Trail Blazers center Ibou Badji. 

“All over the world there’s so much talent,” says Chris Ebersole, head of international basketball development at the NBA. Other prominent NBA Academy graduates include Josh Giddey (Australia), Dyson Daniels (Australia), Bennedict Mathurin (Latin America) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Latin America). Ebersole continues: “If we can be proactive in making sure that that talent has the resources, the coaching, the infrastructure, and the competition, that helps make sure that there’s not a gap for people to slip through, which is a real thing in a lot of places around the world. For us to have a small part in trying to do that and build a pipeline—build a pathway—so that no matter where you’re born you have a shot, it’s really meaningful for us.”

On Wednesday, April 16, 2021, NBA Academy Africa offered Maluach a scholarship. For the next three nights, as he prepared for his trip to Senegal (and his first-ever plane ride), Maluach barely slept, overwhelmed with excitement. When he arrived, the jovial and driven South Sudanese kid—who’s always wearing a smile—made an immediate impression. 

“He’s one of the most impressive young people you’ll ever meet,” Ebersole says. “It’s amazing how he carries himself with humility, with respect. That’s the thing that we love the most about him.”

Adds Franck Traore, head of basketball operations for NBA Africa: “Khaman is one of the most genuine and wonderful kids that we’ve ever seen. We’ve never had any single issue or complaint from a coach—from anyone—since he joined the academy. Always trying to do the right thing, always on time, always wants to do extra, have to kick him out of the gym.”

Days at the academy are long and busy—six hours of school plus four hours of training—but Maluach doesn’t mind the work. He has embraced a holistic approach to his development, which includes an emphasis on nutrition as well as strength and conditioning. “I never spend a day without working on my skill set,” Maluach says, “so that I can catch up with the guys who started way before me.”

Alfred Aboya, head coach of NBA Academy Africa, was born and raised in Cameroon and played at UCLA (2005-09) before a six-year professional career that included stints in France, Japan, Venezuela, Turkey, and the G League. Aboya knows firsthand the obstacles African players face without the support of the academy. 

“I think the Achilles heel of African basketball has always been infrastructure,” he says. “We don’t have a lot of it. With NBA Academy being in Africa and having a gym open 24/7, you can go there and work and work. I think hard work works. If you’re in the gym all the time working on your craft, it will just be a matter of time until you start flourishing.”

For Maluach, improvement came at an unbelievably fast pace. He has developed a skill set that’s unique for seven-footers, especially those who just picked up the sport in 2020. On defense, he protects the rim with his 7-6 wingspan and has the versatility to switch onto smaller guards. He runs the floor exceptionally well, finishing fastbreaks with thunderous dunks. According to Traore, player development at the academy has started to focus increasingly on shooting. The evidence is clear with Maluach, who displays a smooth stroke and launches three-pointers without hesitation.

Those around the academy have been struck by how easily Maluach seems to pick up new skills. To call him “a sponge,” Traore says, undersells it. What Maluach has is “a gift,” an extremely rare ability to see something, replicate it and excel at it very quickly. “You take this kid and you put him next to Embiid—just put him there for a week. Every single thing that Embiid is doing, he will perfect it in a shorter period of time,” says Traore. “He watches and he listens to the coaches. Very smart kid.”

I never spend a day without working on my skill set.

— Khaman Maluach

Ulrich Chomche, a 6-11 forward from Cameroon also considered an NBA prospect, was at the academy before Maluach. The two have grown close since Maluach’s arrival. “He came when he was a baby; now he looks like a man,” Chomche says. “He has improved a lot. Before, when he just got to the academy, he was a mismatch for me. But now… he’s not anymore [laughs].”

The experience Maluach has received over the past few years is remarkable. He has traveled far and wide with the academy, competing against top talent from around the globe, and played a handful of games in the newly established Basketball Africa League (BAL). He was named MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp in early August. Later that month, he joined the South Sudan senior national team and became the third-youngest player in FIBA World Cup history. During BAL qualifiers in November, he averaged 21 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks, shooting 40 percent from behind the arc. 

Maluach’s height alone made him an intriguing prospect, but his budding talent has turned him into a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“In Africa, we have a lot of seven-footers. Being a seven-footer is not special—definitely when you go to South Sudan,” says Traore, a former center himself who was born in Koudougou, Burkina-Faso, Africa, and went on to play at Manhattan College. “I was in South Sudan three weeks ago, where the security guard who is telling you don’t go this way is like 7-0; where the police officer who stamped my passport is 6-8. It’s incredible. When you [look] left and right, it’s like, What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be rebounding somewhere [laughs]. It’s the craziest thing. But [Maluach], he has that—obviously genetically—but he has other stuff. In South Sudan, being tall is not enough. What he has is the character piece and the work ethic piece and the talent. I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of tall guys that are not talented. He is that and he’s willing to really harness that [ability] and continue to work.”

Adds Ebersole: “There’s definitely high-end talent that’s come through the [NBA Academy] program but he’s right up there with any of them when you talk about Ben Mathurin, Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey and O-Max. He’s in the mix with all those guys.”

Fans are not allowed at the annual G League Winter Showcase, so the event is always oddly quiet. Scouts, coaches, executives, and reporters seated at small tables around the court can hear all the action. On this Thursday morning at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, no voice stands out more than that of Khaman Maluach. NBA Academy Africa is playing an exhibition game against NBA Academy Latin America. Two days ago, on this same floor, Maluach had 22 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks—including four dunks and three three-pointers—against NBA Global Academy. The scouts are back to watch the blossoming big man, and he is once again making his presence known. His size is striking, yes, but also his energy and communication. 

“He’s our leader on the team,” Chomche tells SLAM. “He’s the one who teaches me how to talk on the court. The day before, I was very quiet when I was playing defense. He told me, ‘You know if you start talking more on defense, you will impact more on the defensive side.’”

Maluach hit three more threes and held down the paint in a win over Latin America, leaving little doubt that he’ll be ready to make the leap to the NBA in 2025 (previously slated to graduate high school that year, Maluach reclassified just prior to the Showcase, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony). Until then, he could stay with the academy and become the first player drafted directly from Africa, commit to one of the many blue bloods recruiting him (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Baylor), or turn pro (both the G League Ignite and NBL Next Stars program have expressed interest, according to Givony).

“I think it’s the right decision because why not now?” Maluach says of his choice to reclassify. “That’s what I was asking myself. Why not now? I feel like it’s the right decision and I feel like it’s God’s plan.”

Alex Squadron is a writer from New York. His byline has appeared in SLAM, the New York Post, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, Defector and SB Nation. His first book, Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the NBA, was released in October 2023. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Incredible Rise of NBA Academy Africa Star and Top Prospect Khaman Maluach appeared first on SLAM.

Beginning the game with 38,352 points on the list—needing only 36 more points to make history in yet another category—James broke a record that not many thought would be broken. It’s another major accomplishment to add to his resume: Rookie of the Year, four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, four regular-season MVPs, 19 All-Star selections, three All-Star MVPS, 18 All-NBA selections, six-time All-Defense, fourth in all-time assists and now the all-time scoring leader.

At 38, James has continued to consistently play at a high level and his longevity is nothing short of amazing. What’s even more noteworthy is the impact he’s had on, and off the court, as both a leader, cultural icon, entrepreneur and father.

SLAM has captured the King’s career over the years, from the time he was in high school to the superstar he is today. You can read every feature and cover story we’ve ever written about LeBron James in the SLAM Digital Archive. Subscribe here.

Here’s a look back at a few of his most iconic SLAM covers and moments.

SLAM 54: OHIO PLAYER

Okay, technically this wasn’t a SLAM cover, but as legendary photographer Atiba Jefferson recently wrote, you never know who you are shooting. Back in ’01, LeBron James was just 16 years old when he was featured in SLAM 54, and as Ryan Jones highlighted, he was already being compared to the greats and used to signing autographs. His potential was all there.

Who would’ve thought that he’d go on to become the all-time great he is today? Well, it’s safe to say that at that point, everyone knew something was special about the kid from Akron.

You can read the entire feature by subscribing to the SLAM Digital Archive.

SLAM 62: The Takeover

After much thought, there’s no getting around this, so I’ll just say it: LeBron James may be the best high school baller ever. 

It didn’t take long for LeBron James to get his first SLAM cover. When he and Sebastian Telfair appeared on the cover of SLAM 62, Bron had already been deemed the Chosen One, and as former SLAM Editor-in-Chief Russ Bengtson wrote, had solidified himself as the best high school player ever.

SLAM 71: KING JAMES

When Russ wrote that “we’ll see how ready he really is” by the time LeBron James’ rookie season started, it seemed almost like a prophecy. He was more than ready and way, way more than the hype.

Even back then, a rookie LeBron James was truly ready to rule.

SLAM 93: HERE COMES THE REIGN

Remember this kid? It’s not like you’ve had a chance to forget.

In December 2005, James appeared on a unique SLAM 93 cover that truly captured his greatness. That year, he was selected as an All-Star, won MVP and made the All-NBA First Team.

SLAM 106: BRON IS THE ONE

The SLAM 106 coverline says it all. Bron was always the one, and at 22-years old, he led the Cavaliers on their first-ever NBA Finals run.

SLAM 171: NO DOUBT IT’S BRON’S WORLD

Just a few years after The Decision, SLAM 171 captured NBA Champion LeBron James on the cover. For all the naysayers and haters, the sentiment still stands: it’s Bron’s world.

SLAM 192: CHARGED UP

In November of 2015, LeBron James was back in Cleveland would go on to lead the franchise to greatness, winning a championship in 2016.

SLAM 220: A LOVE SUPREME

The legendary Scoop Jackson wrote a masterpiece on LeBron James’ impact, connection to the game, and his new chapter on the Lakers. Read it here.

SLAM 229: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

In December 2020, SLAM 229 featured the champs, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James and Davis won a championship with the Lakers in the NBA bubble, defeating the Miami Heat in the Finals.

SLAM 233: ‘BOUT THAT TIME

A cultural icon. SLAM 233 was a different type of cover for LBJ, who graced it alongside Bugs Bunny. The moment captured Bron’s impact as a media mogul and entrepreneur when he appeared in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Go behind the scenes on the making of the film in the cover story. Read here.

The post Recognize Greatness: Here’s a Look Back at LeBron James’ Iconic SLAM Covers Over the Years appeared first on SLAM.

AD has missed 12 straight games as of Saturday due to a bone spur fractured off the navicular bone in his right foot and a stress fracture. The Lakers are on a season-best five-game winning streak, improving to 7-5 without Davis in the lineup.

New story: Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will begin the ramp-up process this week to work towards a return, league sources told ESPN. There’s optimism he could be back in the lineup within a couple of weeks https://t.co/8GOqqIttzy

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 9, 2023

Davis suffered his foot injury on Dec. 16 when they last played the Denver Nuggets. Since then, the Brow has been limited to spot shooting this far while rehabilitating his foot, per McMenamin.

AD’s ramp-up process will include aquatic pool workouts and running on an altered-gravity treadmill to keep Davis’ total weight off his foot while it continues to heal, according to McMenamin. The Lakers are reportedly optimistic Davis could take only a couple of weeks before he can be penciled in for a potential return to game action.

Davis was averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game on 59.4 percent shooting from the field.

The post REPORT: Anthony Davis to Begin Ramp-Up Process in Preparation of Return 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.

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.

Here’s what happened across the L over the weekend. Let’s get it.

Darvin Ham Announces the Pain in Anthony Davis’ Foot ‘Has Just About Dissipated’:

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters that Anthony Davis’ foot has improved to the point that “his pain has just about dissipated” since he first suffered the injury two weeks ago against the Nuggets.

Darvin Ham, two weeks after Anthony Davis suffered the stress injury in his right foot, says “the biggest thing is, his pain has just about dissipated” and says Davis is trending in the right direction when it comes to approaching a ramp up to return to the court.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 30, 2022

LeBron James Drops 47-10-9 on his Birthday to Deliver a Lakers Win:

LeBron James showed us once again that age ain’t nothing but a number on his birthday. The four-time MVP turned 38 on Friday and celebrated this lap around the sun by dropping 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“At 18 years old, I knew how to play the game,” James said, per ESPN. “I knew I belonged in the NBA, but I didn’t know what I could become at 18. But I knew if I continued to put in the work and I continued to reach into the game, then I could be one of the greatest players to ever play this game.”

47 PTS
10 REB
9 AST@Lakers W@KingJames showed out on his 38th birthday!pic.twitter.com/33lO5BnVpo

— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022

CJ McCollum Knocks Down A Pelicans Record 11 Three-Pointers:

CJ McCollum was unstoppable Saturday night as he scored 42 points, four rebounds, five assists on a franchise record, and a career-high 11 made three-pointers against the 76ers.

“You don’t just fall into these types of nights,” McCollum said, per The Athletic. “It comes with preparation. It comes with a lot of different sacrifices you make in your household and things like that. Some nights I go to the gym. Some nights I’m getting treatment. Some nights I’m lifting. It’s time away from home. But I joke with my wife all the time and say, ‘I could be gone a lot and suck at basketball. Luckily, I’m gone a lot, and I don’t suck.’”

42 PTS
4 REB
5 AST
11 3PM (franchise-record, career-high)@CJMcCollum went OFF in the @PelicansNBA win. pic.twitter.com/s09E7DdoQr

— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022

Tyler Herro Brings in the New Year With a Buzzer-Beater:

Tyler Herro put an exclamation point on Miami’s strong offensive showing with a game-winning buzzer-beater to beat the Utah Jazz on New Year’s Eve, 126-123. Herro posted 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, followed by Bam Adebayo’s game-high 32 points and eight rebounds, and Victor Oladipo rounded out the final win in 2022 with 23 points off the bench.

Miami outscored Utah 54-32 in the win and shot 51 percent from the field. As a team, the Heat dished 32 assists on 45 buckets.

“The ball was flying around,” Herro said, per ESPN. “We were making plays for each other, getting stops defensively, and turning it into easy buckets on the other end.”

TYLER HERRO WINS IT FOR THE HEAT #TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/MqLHRlsVXL

— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2023

Luka Doncic Makes More History After Dropping 50+ For the Third Time in 5 Games:

Luka Doncic has been on a historic tear while helping Dallas win six straight games after Doncic dropped 51 points, six boards, nine dimes, four steals, and six made triples to beat San Antonio 126-125. Luka Legend has dropped three 50+ points in his last five outings, put up the most 40+ point games in Mavs history, and became the first player ever to post 225+ points and 50+ rebounds, and 50+ assists over a five-game span.

The three-time All-Star is also the eighth player in NBA history to contribute three or more 50-point outings in a season before he turned 25-years-old. He joins James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Nate Archibald, and Wilt Chamberlain in the exclusive Hall-of-Fame club.

51 PTS
6 REB
9 AST
4 STL
6 3PM
W

Luka has dropped 50+ in 3 of his last 5 games. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/AFYYqmWaUb

— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2023

The post NBA Weekend Recap: LeBron James Drops Buckets on His Birthday, and Luka Doncic Makes More History appeared first on SLAM.

After the Lakers’ 112-98 loss to his former team, the Miami Heat, the four-time MVP was asked to share how much longer he thinks he will play in the NBA. James led the Lakers in points (27), rebounds (nine), and assists (six) against the team that he played his best basketball for. The Lakeshow is reeling after making so much ground to get back to being a play-in tournament team.

“I don’t have a number,” James said, per ESPN. “I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute. Now, that’s up to my mind. My body is going to be OK because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of, and I’ll continue to put in the work.”

The absence of Anthony Davis (out for 7-10 days due to a foot injury) has contributed to the Lakers losing for the ninth time in their last 13 games. James and the Lakers (14-21) are in 13th place in the Western Conference, and it’s already been reported that the Lakers’ front office will likely stay put at the trade deadline due to concerns that making “win-now moves” could compound their past mistakes.

The Lakers’ fortunes will ultimately decide how much longer he stays in the purple-and-gold. He has two years and $97 million left on his current contract. Not to mention that he has a player option for that final year. The one thing that can alleviate Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss’ concerns that the King will leave them high and dry is getting back to playing winning basketball.

After all, winning is the true fountain of youth, and James ultimately identifies with the sentiment.

“I’m a winner, and I want to win,” James said. “And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That has always been my passion. That has always been my goal since I entered the League as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio.

“And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA. It’s not in my DNA anymore. So we’ll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple years.”

James’ Lakers tenure has been highlighted by winning his fourth title in 2020 and becoming the first player in League history to win a Finals MVP with three teams. However, as a member of the purple-and-gold, the Lakers have also missed the playoff twice and lost in the first-round of the playoffs for the first time in 2021 after dragging the Lakers into the play-in tournament.

They’ve also been criticized for trading away the farm to acquire Davis and not trading Russell Westbrook last summer.

Front office exec Rob Pelinka declared at Laker’s media day that it would be his duty to field a competitive team around James. The four-time champ has been able to beat Father Time while averaging 27.8 points per game, good for ninth in the League. While his longevity and commitment to keeping his body at peak fitness are legendary, it’s only a matter of time before James’ game starts to decline.

So the matter of building a team that can defend and shoot the ball competently is of the utmost importance. The other vital step in keeping James will be convincing Lakers leadership that it’s better to build a championship culture, and team will create better results instead of trying to buy one and selling the farm for All-Star talent.

“Let me be abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game, and he committed to us on a long-term contract, a three-year contract. So, of course, we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals to give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end,” Pelinka said. “He committed to our organization. That’s got to be a bilateral commitment, and it’s there.”

The Lakers can get back on track with a road win against the Atlanta Hawks (17-18) on Friday.

The post LeBron James on His Mental Approach Going Into His 38th Birthday 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.

ESPN Sources: The pain has subsided in past several days in Anthony Davis’ foot and he’s expected to rest it for another 7-to-10 days and have it re-evaluated and see if he can return to play. For now, there’s hope that a procedure can be avoided. https://t.co/4B2RXiAZTV

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 23, 2022

The Lakers initially announced that he could be out indefinitely with a stress injury in his foot, but Woj’s report suggests otherwise. At the time of his injury, AD was putting the Lakers on himself and playing like a man possessed after posting

The Brow was averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game on 59.3 percent shooting from the field when he went down with the foot injury he suffered at the beginning of the month.

The post REPORT: Anthony Davis Set to Undergo Reevaluation in 10 Days appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it!

Anthony Davis (right foot) is Out At Least One Month After Suffering A Foot Injury On Friday:

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, Antony Davis will reportedly miss at least one month after suffering an undisclosed right foot injury.

AD has been dominant this season while helping the Lakers surge to a 6-4 stretch over their last 10 contests. The Brow is averaging 27.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 59.3 percent shooting from the field and has dropped 19 30+ games with one 44-point game against the Bucks and a dominant 55-point effort against the Wizards.

Before he got hurt, AD had a three-game streak of scoring at least 30 points that were broken when he suffered his foot injury against the Nuggets.

Lakers are bracing for an indefinite absence for the Lakers star, sources say, after he sustained the right foot injury in Friday’s win over Denver. Davis has played arguably the most dominant ball of his career this season. https://t.co/WCTr2y7eNp

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2022

Devin Booker Puts Up a Historic 58-Point Effort to Beat New Orleans:

Devin Booker lifted the Suns over the Pelicans 118-114 after dropping a season-best 58 points. It was the second time this season that Book scored 50 points after he posted 51 against Chicago on Nov. 30.

He’s now the sixth-youngest player to score 12k points in his career, trailing only LeBron, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Tracy McGrady.

“Once I get it going a little bit, shooting over a hand is the right play,” Booker said per ESPN.

.@DevinBook‘s second 50-point game of the season. pic.twitter.com/CMwBniJ5Mv

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 18, 2022

Nikola Jokic Posts His 81st Career Triple-Double After Dropping 40-27-10 Against the Hornets:

Nikola Jokic (40 points, 27 rebounds, and 10 dimes) f***ed around and got his fifth triple-double of the season to lead Denver to a 119-115 win over Charlotte on Sunday night.

The two-time MVP sealed the W with two game-winning free throws with 13 seconds left on the clock. Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said he didn’t know Jokic was putting up massive numbers but knew that Jokic was having “another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,” and praised Jokic for his “ability to make every one of his teammates better,” and called Joker a “generational talent.”

“To be honest, I think it’s because of our defense, and I was just in the right spot to rebound the ball,” Jokic said per ESPN. “It’s not that I was grabbing for them or whatever, chasing for them. It just happened, you know? I wish it could be every night, to be honest.”

Triple double # 8️⃣1️⃣

40-27-10

m.v.p pic.twitter.com/ljQpTIVCHl

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2022

Jordan Poole has a Career-High Night For the Ages:

Jordan Poole hung a career-high 43 points on 14-23 shooting from the field and 5-11 from beyond the arc. He also handed out six assists and scored career-best 25 points in the first half to lead the Warriors past the Raptors. The 126-110 win was the Dubs’ first win in five attempts without Stephen Curry in the lineup. ˝Golden State also snapped their three-game losing streak and are now 3-14 on the road.

“He was incredible on both sides of the ball,” Draymond Green (17 points and nine rebounds) said per Yahoo Sports. “And when you connect the game like that, things will go your way. We all know what a special talent he is. He’s been going through some growing pains. To see him come out tonight and have the game that he had – especially with Steph being down and us needing to get a win – was really huge.

“His effort on the defensive end carried over to the offensive end.”

What a night for 3️⃣.@googlecloud || Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/lKxkgmnlJz

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 19, 2022

WNBA Won’t Expand in 2024:

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Athletic that the League’s plan for franchise expansion will be delayed until at least 2025. The commission is in touch with 10 investor groups discussing potential arenas, practice facilities, season ticket markets, and potential corporate partners.

Engelbert said that a new team would need around 18-24 months to hire coaches and executives and bring on players through an expansion draft, among the many preparations it takes to build a professional basketball franchise. Although expansion is delayed, Englerbet said it’s still a part of the W’s long-term plans and reiterated that the WNBA is on a growth trajectory.

Toronto, Nashville, and the Bay Area (Oakland and San Francisco) are on the short list of expansion cities.

“I’m a big, big believer in: let’s transform the economics, and then we’ll expand, not expand and then hope that economics transform,” she said per Front Office Sports. “We want to bring new owners in that are going to be successful in standing up a franchise that can compete for a championship.”

The post NBA Weekend Recap: AD is Out, Devin Booker and Jordan Poole Put Up Season and Career Best Performances appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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.

ICYMI:

Stephen Curry dropped an impressive 33 points and a season-high 15 assists (one shy of his career-high) on 11-12 shooting from the field, 7-14 from long distance. Curry hit the below triple to give the Warriors an insurmountable nine-point lead and gave the Toyota Center his signature GTS celebration.

“I surprised myself with that shot,” Curry said, per ESPN. “Me and Draymond put our hands above our heads like we really won something, kind of making fun of ourselves for our slow start.”

Lol Stephen really different. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/hFcJv1N1F1

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 21, 2022

Anthony Davis became the Laker in franchise history to record 30+ points and 15+ rebounds in three consecutive games, joining Elgin Baylor (17 streaks) and Shaquille O’Neale (two streaks). The Lakers also secured their fifth win of the season after dispatching the Spurs 123-92.

“AD, he has to be the focal point,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, per ESPN. “He has to spearhead the charge. That’s the way we’re built. He’s embraced it. When Bron gets back, if AD can sustain that level, we’re going to be as good as our preparation makes us.”

@AntDavis23 put up another MONSTER double-double in the @Lakers win!

30 PTS | 18 REB | 3 STL pic.twitter.com/0seK32EUc2

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

Trae Young (33 points and 12 assists) and AJ Griffin (17 points and five board) executed one of the more creative game-winning buckets in recent memory with this ally-oop game-winner to beat the Toronto Raptors on Sunday 124-122.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Griffin said, per ESPN. “I had a feeling they were going to pressure up. I saw it and broke early. I said, ‘I’ll just sneak up behind them.’ That’s exactly what happened.”

This is one of the best ran plays to win the game I’ve seen in a minute. (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/af4bUCchaL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Anthony Edwards dropped a stunning 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a 112-109 win over the 76ers. The three-point win is Minnesota’s third consecutive.

“We took a lot of bad shots, I definitely did, but we got the win, though,” Edwards said of a 7-of-21 effort.

Anthony Edwards vs Philly last night:

25 points
5 rebounds
5 assists.

Too good. (via @Timberwolves) pic.twitter.com/oHZAJE44Bn

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Bol Bol posted 22 points, 11 boards, and two blocks during Orlando’s 114-113 loss to the Pacers on Saturday. During the second quarter, Bol went into his bag tricks to score a tough layup over Pacers defensive anchor Myles Turner.

How do you even stop this? (via @OrlandoMagic) pic.twitter.com/EXIdRfJfAH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Quote of the Weekend

Klay Thompson pulled up to Houston with some bad intentions after dropping a season-high 41 points on 10 triples to help Golden State secure their first road game of the season. The Warriors lost eight road games in a row heading into Sunday’s contest, a first during the most successful era in franchise history.

Thompson exorcised some demons hanging around during a slow start to the season that has led to many around the League saying Thompson’s best days are behind him. On Sunday, he proved that wrong and let it be known that “it’s only up from here.”

“It feels amazing. I’m hard on myself, so I’ve been wanting one of these. And to get one and kind of open the floodgates, it’s only up from here. I promise you,” Thompson said in his postgame interview. “I finally feel like myself. My legs feel great. I’m cutting to the rim, taking great shots, and I’m just excited for what’s to come. Man, I’m not gonna lie, guys, that felt amazing. Wow. I don’t care if it’s a mid-November game. That felt great.

@KlayThompson WENT WILD in the @warriors win! He went off for 20 PTS in Q1 on his way to a season-high 41 PTS and 10 triples! #DubNation

41 PTS
10 3PM (10-13) pic.twitter.com/qHWVlFTE9d

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

The post ICYMI: Here’s What Happened Across the League Over the Weekend 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 Lakers’ meeting was an open forum with multiple voices involving figures like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Anthony Davis on the players’ side, then Darvin Ham, Phil Handy, and Chris Jent from the coach’s side. Davis said the meeting was full of “conversations that was 2-10 should have.” He highlighted that the meeting was about what everybody can do to get “better collectively.”

“Everybody chimes in,” Ham said, per ESPN. “No idea is a bad idea. The only bad idea is not having an idea. We all pour in together. No one is taking personal shots or talking about attacking people’s character — it’s just attacking what we can do better. We attack the mistakes. How can we be better, how can we be a better basketball group.”

The meeting led to Davis scoring a season-high 37 points and 18 rebounds (10 offensive) while the team shot 40.7 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Lakers held the Nets to 45 percent shooting from the field and 25.9 percent from long distance and held the Nets to score 103 points, tied as the season-low points the Lakers have allowed.

“Lot of emotions,” Davis said when asked to describe the meeting. “Guys voicing their opinions. Some back and forth. But it was all for the nature of trying to get better. So even though it might be a back-and-forth, it was, ‘OK, I hear what you’re saying, you hear what I’m saying. So now, what’s the solution?’ Instead of just constantly butting heads. So it was some good dialogue.”

Ham said that there’s a balance that has to be struck when emotions come into play. He specifically said, “you have to be careful because passion can slip into being emotional.” Furthermore, Ham reiterated he wants the Lakers “to be passionate,” but he doesn’t want the Lakers “to be emotional.”

Westbrook believes the Lakers “are moving in the right direction” after the meeting. Davis brought up Westbrook’s decision-making in the Lakers’ loss to the Kings during their team meeting. Beverley said credit should go to James and his leadership because he “started to get on guys in the right way and guys in the locker room responded.”

Davis stated that the Lakers are still adjusting to Beverley’s leadership style but let it be known that the team has to listen because it’s about the contents of the advice, not where it comes from.

“You got to listen; you can’t hear what they’re saying; you got to listen to what they’re saying,” Davis said. “You can’t [think], ‘Oh, he’s yelling, so now I’m going to get closed off.’ — When someone’s trying to help you, we know we’re all in it for one goal, and that’s to win. So you got to take the message and not the tone of the person’s voice.

“The main guy who a lot of us had to get used to for that was Pat. But he gives good messages. And he said this thing one time, he was like, ‘If I yell I LOVE YOU, you’re not going to get mad, you know what I’m saying?’ So, listen to the message and not the tone.”

The Lakers still sit second-to-last in the Western Conference but have an opportunity to climb out of their hole when they play the Pistons (3-12) and then a date with the Spurs (6-9) five days later, who they play on Nov. 20, and back-to-back on the Nov. 25 and 26. Davis later said that the Lakers’ “spirits are high” and want to “put a string of wins together.”

The post READ: Details Behind the Lakers Team-Wide Meeting appeared first on SLAM.

Wearing his favorite player’s number during his days playing for the Mid Queens Fresh Meadows league, the Queens native grew up in the easternmost borough religiously watching every Knicks game with his father while the walls of his room lay rife with posters of Doc Rivers, Derek Harper, Hubert Davis and Greg Anthony, his “OG heroes.” Whether it was the ’94 Finals run or Larry Johnson’s legendary 4-point play against the Pacers with time expiring, “These moments were bigger than basketball to me,” Fieg says. “They defined my youth.”

As the founder and owner of the lifestyle brand Kith, Fieg and his ever-extensive collection of collaborative installments continues to be informed by the brands that formalized his adolescence—such as the company’s Coca-Cola branded apparel pieces and its redesigned BMW vehicles. But just one has been able to include both New York City and its hometown Knicks, making Fieg’s newest position as the organization’s Creative Director that much more sacred.

Yes, you read that right. The man who brought you the past two years of sleek City Edition uniforms while continuing to cohabitate with the biggest sports and fashion brands on the globe—The Swoosh, Versace, Bergdorf Goodman and Asics, just to name a few—is now leading the creative direction of the New York Knicks.

At age 7, Fieg’s father gifted him a Knicks t-shirt that he quickly became obsessed with. He recalled exactly how upset he was when his arms and torso grew out of its youth size. Still, he didn’t want to give it up. There was too much history, too much nostalgia stitched into its seams. “That’s the same feeling I want to give people today when I design Knicks product,” he says.

Fieg says the landmark opportunity came by way of his work on the team’s City Edition uniforms and subsequent Kith collections from the past two seasons. The brand’s special projects and marketing efforts in collaboration with the organization led to Fieg and the Knicks’ relationship growing to the point of this next step making sense for both parties.

“I think they saw the passion I have for the team, and they wanted to take what we were doing together to the next level,” Fieg says. “We shared long conversations about what the Knicks not only mean to the League, but to the world. Through these conversations, as well as the Kith partnership, they understood my vision and we began to shape this opportunity to do some very special things.”

In Fieg’s eyes, New York remains the most aspirational city on Earth, with both he and his brand’s roots tied to its nostalgic ’90s aesthetic. When asked about his favorite elements of the Knicks jersey during his childhood, he notes that the specific jersey—with its vibrant orange and blue accents and piping—didn’t change between 1983 and 1997, so that’s the one he goes back to as the OG.

During Fieg’s high school years, the team’s jersey—with a thick jet black stripe down the top and bottom—was worn from 1998 to 2012, so you can expect that period to heavily influence his coming work as well.

“Whatever you love during that era is what you’ll love for the rest of your life,” Fieg adds. “So many incredible memories were made with those jerseys that make their design coveted forever.”

The immediate work, however, doesn’t call for an immediate jersey overhaul or redesign of the hallowed MSG hardwood. Rather, he’s opting for building out the consistency of the way the general public views the Knicks’ brand. “It’s going to be my responsibility that they also love the brand the same way I do,” he says.

The franchise is equally excited to have Ronnie on board.

“When Ronnie created his first Knicks City Edition uniform during the 2020-21 season, the organization knew we had something special, and each year’s design has been more innovative than the last. We are honored to have him join the Knicks as Creative Director,” says David Hopkinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of MSG Sports. “Ronnie’s position will help provide a distinctive look and feel across marketing, content and merchandise initiatives. Given Ronnie’s life-long Knicks fandom, creative vision and New York City roots, we are extremely excited for our continued and expanded collaboration.”

The 2022 Kith for Knicks collection is “a combination of products that really speak to the best of what Kith has to offer as a brand,” Fieg says. “The first two collections were in collaboration with Nike, and that called for a more athletic approach. This time around I wanted to go super luxury with the product and feature the team in ways we’ve never seen before. Knits, Manteco Wool jackets, leather varsities, new sweatshirt bodies, etc.”

The collection includes a collared varsity jacket in royal blue and a beige leather version that Fieg describes as his “favorite piece yet.”

What can fans of both Kith and the Knicks look forward to?

“Expect there to be tender loving care applied,” Fieg says. “I’m a tough critic of my work, so New York and I have that in common. I hope I can make fans proud of what they speak on and wear to represent the team and brand.”

The post EXCLUSIVE: Ronnie Fieg on Being Named the First-Ever Creative Director of the New York Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

AD attempted two shots during the Lakers’ 114-110 home loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday. The 2011 national champion finished the game with 19 points and 12 rebounds on 7-12 shooting from the field. Davis went 4-5 from the field during the first quarter as the Lakers outscored an opponent (36-30) for the first time this season. Davis then went 1-2 in the second, while the Lakers scored just 36 combined points during the second-half.

AD is averaging 22.5 points and 11.1 rebounds on 52.9 percent shooting from the field. The Lakers, especially LeBron James, have repeatedly mentioned wanting to run the offense through The Brow.

“Obviously, it starts with AD and getting him more touches,” LeBron James said via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Our focal point is and always should be to make sure he touches the ball throughout the course of possessions, quarters, halves.”

When asked about getting Davis more involved, Coach Darvin Ham said that the Lakers have a playbook that features “a bunch of sets where AD can be featured.” Russell Westbrook said he would “leave it up to the coaches to figure out the best for them to utilize him.” Westbrook also admitted that he’s going to “do the best job” he can to make reads that will “make the game easier for him” while they’re on the court together.

Ham explained that veterans on the team, including Davis, have the ability to course-correct as they see fit.

“We have a playbook. We have a menu and a bunch of sets where AD can be featured,” Ham said. “You have to just be organized.”

Ham continued to touch on that point by saying Davis has his “blessing” to “scream out, call his own number” when he believes he has an ideal matchup. Ham also highlighted that the Lakers “tried to get” AD “going” and that their struggles in getting Davis going in the second-half aren’t from a lack of trying.

“And sometimes the game dictates things to go in another way. They go on a run, and then we’re trying to play faster to try to possibly score more. So it’s a lot of different variables that go into that. It’s not like, ‘OK, you’re just not calling plays for AD.’ That’s not the case.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

“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.

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.

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.

The post Juan Toscano-Anderson On the Love He’s Received From L.A.’s Latino Community appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

Anthony Holt, Slam Goods Apparel Designer

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

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Bucks vs Grizzlies

Deyscha “Sway” Smith, Associate Editor

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

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

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

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

ECF Matchup: Celtics vs Nets

Joshua Tapia, Editorial Intern

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

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

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

Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer

The Sixers are winning the championship.

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

Michael Harris, Editorial Intern

The Lakers will make the Western Conference Finals.

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Heat vs Lakers

Ajayi Browne, Editorial Intern

The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Finals.

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

Theus McBee, Co-Host of No Pump Fakes

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

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

Check out the latest episode of No Pump Fakes below:

Najee AR Fareed, Editorial Intern 

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

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

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

Colby Cusano, Brand Partnerships and Analytics Intern

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

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Mavs vs Celtics

Delon George, Marketing Manager SLAMgoods

The Brooklyn Nets will win the title.  

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

Brooke Brennan, WSLAM Intern

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

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

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

Andrew “Pitt” Pitagorsky, VP of Brand Partnerships

RJ Barrett will win Defensive Player of the Year. 

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

Andres Puerta, Social Media SLAMFTW 

The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

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

Arvind Pitchai, VP of Social Media

Luka Doncic will average a triple double and win MVP. 

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

Marcus Allen, Social Graphic Designer

The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

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

Dave Schnur, President

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

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

Max Resetar, Editor 

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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

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.

The post Anthony Davis Confident in ‘Underdog’ Lakers Heading into New Season appeared first on SLAM.

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.

The post Anthony Davis on Starting At Center: ‘if I Have to Play the Five, it’s Totally Fine’ appeared first on SLAM.

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.

The post Anthony Davis: LeBron James Has Been ‘in His Ear About Taking Over the Reins’ of 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.

According to Windhorst, the Lakers have had several talks on possible three-way deals, just not with Utah or New York.

“From what I am told, while it would make sense for the Knicks to have done a three-way deal with the Jazz and Lakers, I am told that that was never part of the talks,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective Podcast. “There were three-team constructions between the Jazz and Knicks for Donovan Mitchell where players would go to a third team. They obviously didn’t do a deal, but the Lakers were never directly involved with that.”

The Lakers instead have reportedly been involved in negotiations with the Pacers, Spurs, and a few other unnamed teams that are reportedly interested in acquiring the all-time triple-double king. The Lakers are reportedly persistent in not attaching their next two trade-eligible first-round picks, from the 2027 and 2029 NBA Draft, in a Westbrook deal.

At this point, it’s more likely that the Lakers will keep Westbrook and his expiring $47.1 million contract this season and explore their options once the trade deadline approaches in February.

“I just don’t think the Lakers believe right now there’s a Westbrook trade that they have, even with their picks, that elevates them,” Windhorst said. “The feel around the league is right now, and that can change in a week; the feel around the league from executives I talk to right now is that they’re going to try to make the best of what they have and hope for situations to change in their favor.”

The Lakers missed the playoffs r after finishing the injury-riddled 2021-22 season at 33-49. During the offseason, the Lakers relieved Frank Vogel of head coaching duties and hired Darvin Ham.

The Lakers hope that Ham can help the team improve defensively, build the offense around Anthony Davis, and find a way to help Westbrook thrive after he averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field. Ham has told reporters that he believes Westbrook has a “ton left in the tank” and has a “wholehearted plan” to utilize Westbrook to his full potential.

Ham also believes that recently acquired Patrick Beverley and Westbrook can start games together if they both play defense. Beverley believes he can mesh “perfectly” next to Westbrook when the 2017 MVP plays out of the post and in transition.

The Lakers open the season against Golden State on the same night the Warriors will receive their 2022 NBA championship rings.

The post REPORT: Lakers Haven’t Found Russell Westbrook Trade That ‘Elevates’ Team appeared first on SLAM.

Pat Beverley and Russell Westbrook greeting each other after Pat’s press conference pic.twitter.com/p02AC9O1kh

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 6, 2022

Although Beverley and Westbrook have a sordid past as opposing forces, Beverley noted that “he’s super excited” to play with a hyper-competitive guard like the king of the triple-double. The former Arkansas Razorback told reporters how he thought he could mesh “perfectly” with Westbrook as a shooter, particularly as a right corner shooter when the 2017 MVP is playing out of ATO’s, post plays, or in transition.

“I think I was asked this question two or three years ago about someone I always wanted to play with and (Westbrook) was the first name,” Beverley said. “Obviously I been knowing Bron since I was a rookie in this League so obviously I wanted to play with him but just a player with that competitive spirt, that fire, that will, that dog, that nastiness, that grit, to have a running mate like that, I’ve never had that so I’m super excited to see where it goes.”

“Obviously like any relationship or any marriage, we’re gonna have tough conversations, that’s what comes with winning but I’m excited about this conversations, I’m excited about the practices. I’m just excited to compete with someone like that.

.@patbev21 said he was "super excited" to play with @russwest44 and thinks they will be a "perfect" fit.

Watch the full presser: https://t.co/uRHkfFa5Mz pic.twitter.com/7BP9WnNSQ9

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 6, 2022

Beverley also joked around that because he made the playoffs with the Timberwolves that LeBron James and Anthony Davis were playing with him. Coach Darvin Ham was also generous with his praise and expectations of a Westbrook-Beverley backcourt, saying that if the two play defense there’s “definitely” a possibility that the two guards could start games together.

The Lakers hope that with their new additions at head coach and with younger more athletic role players surrounding Westbrook, James, and AD, the Lakers can have a resurgent season and make a playoff run.

The post Patrick Beverley ‘Super Excited’ About Playing With Russell Westbrook appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, Mike Scotto of Hoopshype reported that Indiana was prepared to offer Myles Turner and Buddy Hield for Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, and two first-round picks. The Pacers were also willing to take on Daniel Theis’ contract. Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johson were traded to the Utah Jazz last week for Patrick Beverley, who addresses the defensive and long-range shooting concerns many had about the Lakers.

However, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Utah seems to be a “more likely” landing spot for Westbrook. During a recent podcast appearance, Buha reported that Indiana is offering up Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

“As far as Westbrook’s trade market, I’ve heard Indiana and Utah are the two most likely destinations,” Buha said. “I think Utah is, from what I’ve been told, more likely than Indiana. There are several permutations there with Indiana where it could be Myles Turner and Buddy Hield together or one of the two.”

Although acquiring Hield and Turner would further alleviate the Lakers’ immediate need for shooting and versatile defenders, trade negotiations were reportedly described as “dead” earlier this summer, per Bob Kravitz. With training camp coming up, LA and Indiana could re-engage in trade talks. Hield averaged 15.6 points per game on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc.

His ability to stretch the court and Turner’s shooting capabilities (33.3 percent shooting) could help Westbrook regain his efficiency at the rim and make his job easier as he surveys the hardwood for dunkers or shooters. Last season, Westbrook was the scapegoat for the Lakers’ failure to make the playoffs after averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field 29.8 from long-distance.

That said, Utah is headed for a rebuild after trading Rudy Gobert and making it clear that they are willing to part ways with All-Star guard Donovan Mithell this off-season. If Mitchell is traded, Utah will likely have draft capital and players that could be used to sweeten up the pot in a three-team deal packaged around Westbrook and Mitchell.

The Lakers are reportedly keen on helping to resurrect Westbrook’s career despite the swirling trade rumors. Newly hired Coach Darvin Ham told reporters he has a “wholehearted plan” to bring the best out of Brodie, while Westbrook reportedly had a phone call with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to smooth over their commitment to playing with each other on the Lakers.

The Lakers hope the hiring of Ham and the signing of younger, more athletic talent will help them return to the playoffs after a disastrous 2021-22 campaign full of injuries and drama surrounding their Big 3.

The post REPORT: Utah and Indiana Emerge as Trade Partners for Russell Westbrook appeared first on SLAM.

Patrick McCaw and Norris Cole hope that leading Team USA to their eighth gold medal at the AmeriCup tournament will help them return to the NBA. The two veterans have a combined five championships and plenty of wisdom and championship experience to pass down to any team looking to make that leap.

“I think it’s more about representing the USA for me right now,” McCaw said. “I want to make it back to the NBA. I know that’s a process. And I know one day, whenever, next week, next month, next year, when it’s supposed to happen, it’ll happen. But right now, I’m just focusing on this USA, wearing these three letters, giving my all to this team, and representing the United States of America.

For @pg30_Cole and Patrick McCaw, the priority for the next two weeks is getting @usabasketball an AmeriCup title.

After that, they hope the NBA gives them a call.

The AP story on two champions who believe they have a lot more to offer:https://t.co/7eME1z7jgB

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) August 31, 2022

McCaw last played four games for the Toronto Raptors during the 2020-21 season. The UNLV products career has primarily slowed down due to a slew of injuries he says are no longer concerns. Cole last played for the OKC Thunder in April 2017. Since then, he’s spent the last five seasons playing in Israel, China, Montenegro, Italy, France, and Puerto Rico.

“I still have the ability,” Cole said. “God has still blessed me with the ability. I still have the fire, the hunger, and I still feel like I have something to prove, things that I would like to accomplish as a player. That feeling of winning a championship, the mission, the goal, the work to try to get to that point again, that’s what drives me as a competitor. And I want that feeling again.”

McCaw is 27-years-old, while Cole will be 34 by the time the season starts. Although they are at different points in their professional basketball careers, they both have the tangible of being around winning that makes any veteran attractive to a front office looking to surround their young players with vets that can help push them and a franchise to the next level.

McCaw is a threepeat champion, winning back-to-back titles with Golden State and his most recent championship in 2019 with the Raptors. Cole was a part of the legendary Miami Heatles teams led by LeBron James. Cole was a speedy three-and-D threat who won back-to-back rings with the Heat against the Thunder and Spurs.

“We’ve been around winning,” Cole said. “Patrick has that working for him. He knows what winning looks like, and anytime you’re around winning, it rubs off on you. He has that, he has a fun personality, and I think he definitely deserves another shot. I definitely believe that he deserves to be on an NBA roster.”

Three NBA champs headline Team USA in Cole, McCaw, and Jodie Meeks. They are joined by Zylan Cheatham, Gary Clark Jr., Will Davis II, Anthony Lamb, Frank Mason III, Jeremy Pargo, Elijah Pemberton, Craig Sword, and Stephen Zimmerman.

In training camp, Cole reportedly won every sprint he was in and established himself as the point guard of Team USA. McCaw’s talent shined through amongst a group of highly skilled players who played in the NBA or the G League. The most important thing for McCaw is that his confidence is coming back after battling knee and spine issues that left him off an NBA roster last season.

“I’ve been off the radar,” McCaw said. “I think this is a huge step because people are going to be able to watch these games and see where I’m at now. That’ll help, for sure. It was injuries that set me back. It wasn’t anything else in the way, or life, or me changing the type of person I am. It was injuries. And it was tough dealing with them. But this trip to Brazil, I definitely think it’ll open up some doors again.”

When it’s all said and done, Coel and McCaw will be focused on gold, but they have a glimmer in their eye that the tournament will be the ideal springboard to getting back to the NBA.

The post Patrick McCaw and Norris Cole Hope to Parlay FIBA Play into NBA Return 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.

That news came just a day before the Nets announced that Kevin Durant had decided to rescind his trade request and that he and the franchise “have agreed to move forward with our partnership.” The Nets are likely confident KD and Kai, combined with the healthy returns of Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, the free agent acquisitions of Royce O’Neal and T.J. Warren, and re-signing Patty Mills and Nic Claxton, will help the team make a return to title contention.

However, there is one team that lost out on some superstar talent after Brooklyn decided to keep Irving on the roster, the Lakers. The Lakers were reportedly keen on acquiring Irving through trade this offseason and set up negotiations with third teams like the Pacers and Spurs to make it happen. Trade talks never materialized, though, and now the purple-and-gold will have to search the market a little longer to find more talent.

“We told you a month ago it was not gonna happen,” Charania said about an Irving-Lakers trade during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “As of right now, the Lakers are open to anything that will make their team better. So if there’s a deal out there and they can go get multiple different players, that makes the team better.

"We told you a month ago that Kyrie to the Lakers wasn't gonna happen.. the Lakers are open to anything that will make their team better" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Swjio4siWD

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 23, 2022

Charania added that the Lakers would be looking to add rotation players that they can plug into their lineup. The insider believes players like Patrick Beverly and Bojan Bogdanovic will be targeted in trades during the season.

“Those are the type of moves you’re gonna see the Lakers try to make. I don’t think that they’re done necessarily. I think they’re still gonna try to get this team better. Yes, Kyrie Irving to the Lakers, for now, is not a thing.”

The Lakers will look to improve after adding rookie head coach Darvin Ham, who they hope can turn around Russell Westbrook’s Lakers tenure and help Anthony Davis get back to his top-five player status after a rash of injuries doomed his season and the Lakers’ title hopes over the last two seasons.

The post REPORT: Lakers Will Stay On the Market After Kyrie Irving Trade Talks Stalled 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.

The teams competing in the showcase include: 

1.     K-Low Elite (Kyle Lowry)

2.     Team Curry (Steph Curry)

3.     Team Durant (Kevin Durant)

4.     Team Melo (Carmelo Anthony)

5.     Team Takeover (Victor Oladipo)

6.     Team Trae Young (Trae Young)

7.     Team Trezz (Montrezl Harrell)

8.     Team Truth (Quinn Cook)

Games will begin on Friday, August 12 and run through Sunday, August 14. See here for the full schedule of games.

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“We are thrilled to host this first-of-its-kind showcase featuring some of the outstanding travel teams of several of our members,” said Tamika Tremaglio, NBPA Executive Director. “Our players are so passionate about teaching the game to the next generation, and this showcase is about supporting their work in that space. By creating this platform with our players, we are building a unique experience for their teams to compete against one another while also providing critical educational resources — all in one of the best basketball cities in the country and my hometown, Washington D.C.!”

“This showcase is a great opportunity for these young players to prove themselves against other top talent from around the country and learn more about important topics off the court,” said Trae Young, NBPA member whose team will compete in the inaugural showcase. “To have all the teams competing affiliated with different players around the league is really special and I know I can speak for all of us when I say we will be closely following to see whose team really is the best.”

“We know it is highly critical to educate these young athletes now so that they can make informed financial decisions throughout their careers,” said Mark Jerome, Managing Partner, the Athletic Development Group (ADG). “We created and designed ADG MONEYBALL with that in mind, bringing in former players and experts to speak about financial literacy and NIL to set them up with the tools to succeed down the road.”

ADG MONEYBALL is presented in partnership with Chase and with the generous support of Events DC. Additional partners include ShowBall, BodyArmor, SLAM, Legends, and BallerTV.

“We are so excited to continue our partnership with the NBPA and provide important financial literacy content to these incredible student-athletes,” said Frank Nakano, Managing Director of Sports & Entertainment Marketing at JPMorgan Chase. “Understanding the significance that financial health plays in long-term well-being, we hope our educational sessions are able to help these athletes further develop their off-the-court confidence, especially in the arena of financial literacy”

“Events DC is honored to host and support the inaugural ADG MONEYBALL event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,” said Ralph Morton, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Sports & Entertainment Division at Events DC. “Bringing together the nation’s top student-athletes in partnership with the NBPA and ADG combined with dynamic educational workshops is an exciting opportunity to create a valuable and enduring experience in the District. We are looking forward to presenting this elite amateur basketball tournament to the fans and our greater community from the heart of downtown Washington, DC.”

ADG MONEYBALL is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at www.adgmoneyball.com. For media interested in covering the event, please email communications@nbpa.com with your request.

The post NBPA and ADG Present the Inaugural ADG MONEYBALL appeared first on SLAM.

Per CBS Sports, When it comes to who’s currently the best player in the world, the Greek Freak believes it’s LeBron James’ job to lose. The 37-year-old future Hall-of-Famer is still doing incredible things after 19 seasons and 51,899 minutes of action. Last season, James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game on 52.4 percent shooting from the field.

“It’s interesting to me how LeBron is still [in] one of the best shapes [of] his life and being the best player in the world and still being in year 18,” Giannis told Marca Basket. “Like, that’s really interesting. I want to know how he does that. He’s been consistent for 18 years. He’s always there. He’s always showing up. That’s unbelievable.

“He obviously gets credit, but I think we’ve got to give him more credit. Doing it for 18 years guys, that’s hard. And hopefully, hopefully I can be there. Hopefully, I can do this for 18 years, 20 years. That’s the goal.”

James is on an uphill battle to add a fifth title to his legendary resume at this point in his career. The Lakers are going into the 2021-22 season with a new head coach in Darvin Ham but plenty of questions surrounding the viability of keeping Russell Westbrook on the team.

The Lakers added some youth and athleticism to their lineup, but questions also linger about their long-range shooting capabilities. Add in James fighting off Father Time, Anthony Davis’ durability, and the rise of Western Conference rivals like the Nuggets and the Grizzlies, and the resurgence of veteran units like the Warriors and Clippers, and the Lakers’ climb to playoff contention and becoming a championship contender will be an exciting storyline next season.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Calls LeBron James ‘the Best Player in the World’ 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.

The Lakers’ side of things is where they would be willing to take on Randle if they cannot move Westbrook for Kyrie Irving. Randle would be a player the Lakers would value as a complementary piece next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Randle’s salary for 2022-23 is set to be $23.76 million, $23.3 million less than what Westbrook will make this upcoming year.

Randle is two years removed from his lone year as an All-Star, All-NBA Second Team selection, and a Most Improved Player of the Year award.

The Lakers have been linked to Irving in recent weeks and may need the help of other teams to move Westbrook to take on Irving. Irving has also been involved in trade rumors following Kevin Durant’s trade request away from the Brooklyn Nets.

This hinders the development of the Knicks and Jazz’s talks to scoop Mitchell. The Lakers have also been searching for a third team if they were to deal away Westbrook. San Antonio was rumored to be the third team at one point, and now the Knicks have been identified as the other potential third suitor.

The post REPORT: Knicks to Explore Trading Julius Randle if They Land Donovan Mitchell 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.

Since the turn of 2010s, future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James was able to leverage his status as the best player in the NBA and the threat of him leaving to make sure the Cavs and Lakers front office did all they could to build a title threat around him. From there, superstars like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Anthony Davis were able to negotiate trades or sign with other teams so they could win a ring or be in a better position to do so from behind the scenes.

Well into the 2020s, Durant has used his status as another surefire HOFer to demand a trade out of Brooklyn just three seasons after first signing with the team in 2019.

The reasoning behind the trade demand comes after the Nets have failed to win a title with a core of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Harden himself demanded a trade out of Brooklyn due to the uncertainty around Irving’s vaccination status and wanting to reunite with 76ers president Daryl Morey. Irving’s complex extension negotiations also played a part in Durant wanting out of playing with the Nets.

Durant reportedly wanted to play with the Suns or Heat, two teams with title aspirations that have fostered great team cultures within their locker room. Irving’s preferred destinations were the Clippers, Lakers, Heat, and Dallas, amongst others.

The concerns about the rise of trade demand may be overstated, but it’s nothing new for the most prominent names. Even guys who played for one franchise their whole career (i.e., Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan) threatened to leave via free agency or trade. Guys like Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal could be the next iteration of one-team players.

For the middle class of players like Draymond Green, he applauded players for treating themselves like “businesses” during a recent episode of his podcast. His voice has been joined by Alex Caruso, who is happy to see that “players are finally treating this like the teams and organizations have for so many years.”

“(The players) finally are realizing the business side of this,” Caruso said. “Like, ‘oh okay, I have leverage, I am an asset; let me make this work to the best of my ability because if the organization or the team has a chance to upgrade, they’re going to upgrade.'”

On tomorrow's episode of the show, @jj_redick and @ACFresh21 discuss the recent trends of trade requests by big time players like Kevin Durant with several years left on his contract with the Nets.

Watch the full conversation: https://t.co/Xd3GSeqJrM pic.twitter.com/ydZYxDXJIn

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 15, 2022

Caruso saying that probably stems from the fact that fans expect players to be loyal to teams but not necessarily the other way around. Think of the recent example of what happened between the Celtics and Isiah Thomas after IT4 suffered a career-altering hip surgery on top of losing his sister to a car accident while leading the C’s to a conference finals appearance.

Or the divorce between DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors. On the other end, though, teams have made sure to do what’s best for players after a long tenure with their first teams. Think Kevin Garnett to the Celtics, or what happened just a few weeks ago when the Spurs traded All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Hawks so that he could play on a playoff team instead of wilt away on the lottery-bound Spurs.

Like I said earlier, ‘you’re a victim of circumstance.'” Caruso added. “If you’re in the League and you have this type of wealth and income, it’s a different type of thing than if you’re sitting at home reading about this guy tryna get from $40 mil to $50 mil.

“I understand that that’s a real thing, but you have to sit back and look at it and just think, there’s so many years, you’ve heard horror stories of guys finding out on Twitter or finding out on TV that they got traded. I think it’s finally just to the point where players are just like, ‘well alright, well I’m gonna do the same thing.'”

The tensions between who has power between players and team owners will always be present. When you go through a decade of unprecedented growth that coincides with player empowerment, the players union and its constituents will be less likely to wanna give that up.

The CBA between the owners and players can be negotiated as soon as December. Negotiations will likely get contentious as players and team owners will battle about the player empowerment era, particularly around the issue of players demanding trades with multiple years left on their contract, skipping games, and a plethora of other labor issues.

The post Alex Caruso Speaks on Prominent Players Requesting Trade Despite Big Contracts appeared first on SLAM.

Last season, the Lakers (33-49) finished 11th in the Western Conference. The Lakers roster was, on average, 30.0 years old, the oldest in the League, and was led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Davis and James missed pockets of times with various injuries, particularly Davis, who came under fire for his relative lack of availability throughout this season and his entire Lakers tenure.

The first move the Lakers made this offseason was to fire former coach Frank Vogel and then hire longtime assistant coach Darvin Ham. Ham will be tasked with flipping the Lakers around into a defensive juggernaut and helping Westbrook turn his Lakers career around after the 2017 MVP failed to live up to Lakers standards last year. Ham, in particular, has publicly stated he believes Westbrook “has a ton left in the tank” and that he has a plan on how to get the best out of Westbrook.

“Absolutely,” Buss said when asked if she liked the Lakers’ move to hire in Ham. “I’m a big believer in Darvin Ham. When you’re at the Board of Governors meetings and governors say to you, ‘We interviewed your guy; you got a great coach.’ Or, ‘He worked for us; you got a great guy.’ His reputation around the League brings me a lot of pride to hear other people say how much they admire him. We got a really good coach.”

Buss also talked about the Lakers’ offseason execution, missing Kobe Bryant, and her relationships with Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson in her Q&A with NBA.com.

The post Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss Speaks on Hiring Darvin Ham: ‘I’m a Big Believer in Ham’ 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.

It’s that effort, beyond just scoring, that Hood is trying to emphasize to his own players as a coach at this year’s NBPA Top 100 Camp. “Everybody can’t score 30 points every single game, you know, it’s just not like that,” Hood explains over the phone. “So you have to find little ways to get noticed in camps like this. And I related to them. And then, you know, you see them go out on the court and they’re trying, these kids are hungry. They want to get better.”

The 2022 NBPA Top 100 Camp features some of the best high school players in the country, with standouts including Vyctorius Miller, Kwame Evans and LeBron James Jr. This exclusive, invite-only event is focused entirely on player development, rather than self-promotion or self-branding, and for Hood, he noticed his players getting better throughout the week.

“A lot of guys on the team are really excelling and everybody’s playing well right now. We’re gonna keep going and they’re going to keep impressing,” Hood says. 

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After his standout performance at the NBPA Top 100 Camp back in the day, Hood went on to attend Mississippi State. He then made his name at Duke, where he earned All-ACC honors and averaged 16.1 points before embarking on a career in the NBA. 

SLAM recently caught up with Hood, who was still coaching at the camp when we spoke with him on the phone, to learn more about his experience there, what he was trying to teach this year’s group, and what he’s learning about himself when it comes to a potential future career in coaching.

SLAM: What’s been the best part about returning to the NBPA Top 100 Camp this year?

RH: The biggest thing is just being around the kids. They’re just hungry for information, they want to know how to get to the NBA level and what to expect. And teach what I know, it’s just about paying it back [and] trying to be somewhat of a mentor to them for this week. And that’s the best part about it. I think the challenge with the camp is just trying to get guys who are so talented to play together. My group has been special to coach, they’re a lot of fun. Hopefully one of these days I get a chance to play against them one day.

SLAM: You mentioned getting them to play a certain way. As a first-time coach at this level, what were you emphasizing to your group?

RH: Just for them to play hard. I mean, at all levels, regardless of how good you want to be, whether it’s college or NBA, you gotta play hard. The best players in the world play hard, and then just play together. Everybody is from where they at, they get all the shots and they’re the best player. But when you’re playing with better players, which they will, in college and in the NBA, you have to learn how to play without the ball and just make the right play. They’re getting better as the game goes along. So that’s all you can ask for.

SLAM: What was your favorite moment from the Top 100 Camp when you played?

RH: I can’t remember any funny moments ’cause I’m kind of old, but I just remember the camaraderie, guys that I see in the NBA [now] that I played with, whether it was Anthony Davis being there, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Bradley Beal—all those guys was in the same class. And we talked about it. When we see each other every now and then, we talk about Top 100 Camp [or] when we played AAU ball. It’s the best time. They’ll remember this for long years to come.

SLAM: You played at Duke and you improved quite a bit when you transferred from Mississippi State to play for Coach K. As a coach, what have you learned from this experience so far and have you talked to any other coaches for advice?

RH: I’ve reached out to a few coaches; Quin Snyder, Johnnie Bryant—those guys really helped me out throughout my career. I told them ‘thank you’ because I didn’t know how much they put up with as coaches. It’s been fun, though, you know, just learning. It’s a great learning experience for me, seeing if I’m a coach in the future. I think I’ve learned a lot from this camp.

SLAM: You’ve mentioned doing the little things, like taking charges and diving for loose balls. What have you been working on with your group and what have they excelled at?

RH: All of it. I think we grew, especially on the rebounding end. Everybody would leak out to get buckets, which I understand, but, just them helping people, when your teammate falls, help them up. Get back on defense, talk on defense, run the court. Somebody gives you a good pass, tell them ‘good pass.’ Those things go a long way. College looks for that. So they’ll just continue to get better at that. It’s been good.

SLAM: Being a good teammate sometimes gets overlooked by a lot of young players at the high school level. How have you tried to show them this week that it’s just as important as their skill set?

RH: It’s very important, that’s what winning teams do. On every level, when you come out of high school, college, and definitely in the pros, the teams are the most together. They help each other up. They make the right pass and encourage each other. Those are the teams that have the most success, those are the things that you have to do. These are not things that you do [only] when you want to. You have to do these things in order to be successful as a team and as a player. I think they’re getting the hang of it. It’s new to them [and] how young they are, just because of their talent, but they’re picking up on it.

The post Rodney Hood on Coaching the Next Generation of Elite Hoopers at the NBPA Top 100 Camp appeared first on SLAM.

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.

The post REPORT: Russell Westbrook to Stay in Los Angeles appeared first on SLAM.

Hip-hop references have permeated the pages of SLAM since our premier issue hit newsstands back in ’94, from cover lines, spine lines and story titles to Drake being the first rapper on the cover (SLAM 198). But Issue 214 was something different.

Back when old guys like me used to go to physical stores to buy music, album covers meant everything. We would flip through CD racks and search for the joints that weren’t just what the billboard charts told us were hot. Where the opportunity to listen before you buy was often scarce, a project would be judged by its artwork instead of its content. Records that consistently stood out more than the rest were usually the work of Shawn Brauch, founder and head designer of Pen & Pixel. His distinctive style characterized the style of hip-hop coming out of the south. The designs were bold and flamboyant and captured the themes being communicated through the music, namely: women, cars and bling.

When DeMarcus Cousins joined Anthony Davis in New Orleans in early 2018, something of that southern exuberance felt like it was being recaptured. The South had something to say and pulling Pen & Pixel out of retirement was the perfect way to express it. The cover of SLAM 214 stood out on newsstands (like they usually do!) in the same way Cash Money and No Limit Records did in the year 2000. It was the perfect way to celebrate this collaboration of premier big men.

As fate would have it, Cousins tore his Achilles the day after this cover came out and the duo never quite brought what the city was hoping for. Even so, this remains one of our most iconic covers. Kevin Durant even crowned it his favorite in a recent interview.

The Boogie and AD link-up may not have created historic basketball memories on the court, but it did produce what is arguably one of our greatest covers of all time. I’m still waiting on the mixtape…

The post The SLAM Archives: SLAM 214 Featuring Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins From March of 2018 appeared first on SLAM.

From dominant big threes and electrifying duos to all-around greatness, here’s our top 43-33:

43. 1958-59 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 52-20

Roster: Gene Conley, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Bennie Swain, Lou Tsioropoulos

The greatest rivalry in NBA history began, for all practical purposes, in the spring of ’59, and it foreshadowed the decade to come. Led by veteran guard Bill Sharman’s 20.4 ppg, five Celtics averaged better than 15 ppg en route to the League’s best record. They needed seven games to dispatch Syracuse in the conference finals, setting up a first-ever Finals meeting with the Minneapolis Lakers. Three Cs averaged 20-plus, Bill Russell pulled down 22.1 boards per and Boston swept their way to the title.

42. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 60-22

Roster: Mengke Bateer, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Speedy Claxton, Tim Duncan, Danny Ferry, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Goldwire, Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Tony Parker, David Robinson, Malik Rose, Steve Smith, Kevin Willis

The Kings, Mavs, Spurs and Timberwolves all finished ahead of the three-time-defending-champion Lakers in ’02-03, but one of them would still have to beat L.A. when it mattered. Led by Tim Duncan, fresh off a second straight League MVP award, and second-year point guard Tony Parker, San Antonio got its chance in the second round and dispatched Shaq and Kobe in six games. They handled Dallas and New Jersey in similarly businesslike fashion en route to the chip.

41. 2018-19 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jordan Bell, Andrew Bogut, Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Marcus Derrickson, Kevin Durant, Jacob Evans, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Jonas Jerebko, Damian Jones, Damion Lee, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Alfonzo McKinnie, Klay Thompson

The three-peat was never a given, but it was right there, within reach. As injury-impacted NBA championships go, this one is right up there. With Steph, KD and Klay, the Dubs were the scariest offensive team in the League; but a mix of minor and major injuries to the Splash Bros, Durant and much of the supporting cast in May and June were too much for the Dubs to overcome. Toronto got them in six games in the Finals. You just know they’d love a do-over.

40. 1993-94 Houston Rockets

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Scott Brooks, Matt Bullard, Sam Cassell, Earl Cureton, Mario Elie, Carl Herrera, Robert Horry, Chris Jent, Vernon Maxwell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Richard Petruska, Eric Riley, Larry Robinson, Kenny Smith, Otis Thorpe

Go ahead and attribute Houston’s first title to Michael Jordan’s baseball flirtation. Others have done it, and it’s just wrong. The Rockets excelled at both ends of the court, had all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon and his Dream Shake in the middle and boasted a versatile lineup of fierce gamers like guards Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell and rugged Otis Thorpe. Houston outlasted the Knicks in a classic Finals series and deserves a title with no asterisk.

39. 1983-84 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 62-20

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

After two years of watching hated rivals Philadelphia and the Lakers hoist the trophy, Boston reclaimed its rightful spot atop the NBA. Or at least that’s how Celtics fans figured it. Call the roll: Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale were up front. Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell and Gerald Henderson handled the backcourt. The Celtics had way more regular-season victories than anyone else and won a thrilling seven-gamer over L.A. to take the title.

38. 2011-12 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 46-20

Roster: Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Eddy Curry, Mickell Gladness, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Ronny Turiaf, Dwyane Wade

Although LeBron James had taken his talents to Miami a year earlier, the Heat hadn’t won a title. In the lockout-shortened ’11-12 campaign, James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh & Co. changed that. The Big Three were a force all season, and a strong supporting cast helped fuel a focused postseason run. The seven-game Eastern Finals series with Boston was a grind, but the Heat dominated OKC in the Finals to take the title.

37. 1972-73 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 57-25

Roster: Dick Barnett, Henry Bibby, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, John Gianelli, Phil Jackson, Jerry Lucas, Dean Meminger, Earl Monroe, Luther Rackley, Willis Reed, Tom Riker, Harthorne Wingo

If it’s possible, the Knicks five-game wipeout of L.A. in the Finals was actually an anticlimax after their thrilling Eastern Finals upset of the Celtics. The Knicks were the consummate collection of team players. Backcourt men Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe were practically unguardable. Dave DeBusschere was a force inside, while Bill Bradley patrolled the wings. Jerry Lucas was the League’s best passing big man, and Willis Reed could still hang with the best centers around.

36. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: Kobe Bryant, John Celestand, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, AC Green, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Sam Jacobson, Travis Knight, Tyronn Lue, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice,
John Salley, Brian Shaw

This was the first of three straight for the Big Brother-Little Brother Lakers. Shaq and Kobe were together for three seasons before ’99-00, and although their relationship wasn’t always the warmest, their talent was overwhelming. There was just no stopping the Diesel. O’Neal overpowered defenders and swept the boards clean, while Bryant provided offense from all over. Glen Rice was a potent outside weapon, and a cast of veteran winners completed the Laker machine.

35. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 60-22

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ron Boone, Marty Byrnes, Kenny Carr, Jim Chones, Michael Cooper, Don Ford, Spencer Haywood, Brad Holland, Magic Johnson, Mark Landsberger, Butch Lee, Ollie Mack, Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes

Showtime made its NBA debut in Magic Johnson’s rookie season, when the 6-9 point guard brought fun back to the Lakers and kick-started perhaps the League’s most entertaining decade. Johnson revitalized center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and served as the trigger for a raucous L.A. attack that was bolstered by Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes and Jim Chones. The Lakers ruled the West and finished off Philadelphia in six, with Johnson scoring 42 in the Finals-clinching victory.

34. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Justin Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Ognjen Kuzmic, David Lee, Shaun Livingston, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Klay Thompson

The Warriors’ first title in 40 years—and the first of three in four seasons—was accomplished primarily by the never-ending shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, whose solution to tough defenses was simply to move back another step or two. Draymond Green handled the tough work and never backed down from a soul, while Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights did what was necessary. The Warriors dumped the Cavs in six to take the crown.

33. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers

Coach: Jack Ramsay

Record: 49-33

Roster: Corky Calhoun, Johnny Davis, Herm Gilliam, Bob Gross, Lionel Hollins, Robin Jones, Maurice Lucas, Clyde Mayes, Lloyd Neal, Larry Steele, Dave Twardzik, Wally Walker, Bill Walton

The Blazers weren’t overpowering during the regular season, but by the playoffs, they had become the perfect team, working as a highly efficient unit under coach Jack Ramsay. It all started with Bill Walton, a pivot savant who could pass, score and rebound. Maurice Lucas provided the muscle, with Lionel Hollins, Dave Twardzik, Bob Gross and Larry Steele willingly playing supporting roles. Portland overcame Julius Erving’s high-flying Sixers in the Finals with textbook unselfish basketball.

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

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

Photos via Getty Images

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 43-33 appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

65. 1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 54-28

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

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

64. 1976-77 Philadephia 76ers

Coach: Gene Shue

Record: 50-32

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

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

63. 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 62-20

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

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

62. 2001-02 Sacramento Kings

Coach: Rick Adelman

Record: 61-21

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

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

61. 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics

Coach: George Karl

Record: 64-18

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

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

60. 1956-57 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 44-28

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

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

59. 2017-18 Houston Rockets

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 65-17

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

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

58. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 62-20

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

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

57. 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Frank Vogel

Record: 52-19

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

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

56. 2009-10 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 50-32

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

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

55. 1996-97 Utah Jazz

Coach: Jerry Sloan

Record: 64-18

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

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

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

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

75. 1997-98 Indiana Pacers

Coach: Larry Bird

Record: 58-24

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

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

74. 1994-95 Orlando Magic

Coach: Brian Hill

Record: 57-25

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

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

73. 1986-87 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 59-23

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

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

72. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach: Scott Brooks

Record: 47-19

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

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

71. 1992-93 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Paul Westphal

Record: 62-20

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

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

70. 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

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

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

69. 2018-19 Toronto Raptors

Coach Nick Nurse

Record: 58-24

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

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

68. 1961-62 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 60-20

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

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

67. 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Billy Cunningham

Record: 62-20

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

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

66. 1984-85 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 63-19

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

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

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As the League celebrates it’s 75th anniversary, there’s quite a few Top 75 lists out there already. In fact, we’ve got quite a few of our own, from SLAM’s Top 75 Players of All Time Special Issue to most recently our Top 75 NBA Teams of All Time (shop here). We could’ve easily left it at that, but after checking out Tracy McGrady’s new Ones Basketball 1-on-1 League, we started thinking about the best 1-on-1 NBA players of all time.

So, we decided to have some fun with it and put together a bold list, categorized based on height, of all of the names that should be included in that conversation.

6-3 AND BELOW

1. Allen Iverson
A one-man revolution where the cross was just the beginning. He’s the master mixer on
our list for a reason.

2. Kyrie Irving
Hang it in the Louvre. KAI’s game is entirely its own art form.

3. Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all time needs just a sliver of space to make you pay, all while
staring down the crowd as the ball drops through the net. Uncanny.

4. Derrick Rose
Athleticism that was unparalleled and the nonexistence of fear had D. Rose bullying the
League as the youngest MVP ever.

5. Chris Paul
A mid range savant. A floor general. A Point God.

6. Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero was lethal, tactical and surgical in leaving defenders guessing what portion
of the bag was about to be unleashed.

7. Damian Lillard
You can pick him up, but what comes next is entirely on you.

8. Russell Westbrook
Shot out of a cannon, if No. 0 is barrelling down the court, you best clear the runway.

9. Isiah Thomas
Lower to the ground just meant more ways to attack as the handle powered the
creativity that No. 11 enacted on his way to snagging two.

10. Jerry West
The Logo was constantly carving up defenses to drop buckets and dimes left and right.

11. Ja Morant
The ascension has been recognized. Call 12, and he’s always gonna answer.

12.Baron Davis
A blend of everything. Baron gave birth to the uber athletic displays of guard play that
we’ve become enthralled with over the years.

13. Trae Young
There’s a new villain in town and he’ll take your heart and your team’s straight to the
offseason.

14. Tiny Archibald
Ain’t nothing tiny about this man’s game. Nothing.

15. Stephon Marbury
The inspiration behind one of the greatest hoops flicks of all time attacked the game entirely on his own terms.

16. Tim Hardaway Sr
Having a killer crossover named after you is a mic drop moment.

17. CJ McCollum
The slipperiest shooting guard in the L. Shaking and baking is his M.O

18. Deron Williams
D Will mastered his own pace to the game. Separation was key and once he created it, you might as well just head back down for O.

19. Donovan Mitchell
Picking up this man is like taking a trip throughout the Spida-Verse, sprawling, spinning and overstimulated with flashes of colorful creativity and blinding moves.

20. Jrue Holiday
Always reliable, always locked in, always ready to pull it in your eye. Second-guessing is the greatest compliment a hooper can recognize and Jrue sees it often.

21. Steve Francis
Constantly sending defenders stumbling, Steve Francis doesn’t often get his due as one of the shiftiest guards to ever step on the hardwood.

22. Tony Parker
Some speed is built, some is gifted. TP’s froze defenders in a picture frame as he weaved around the paint for dimes and buckets.

23. Kemba Walker
We know y’all remember THE step back. Nuff said.

24. Chauncey Billups
Decidedly different. Big guard, big body, big buckets.

25. John Wall
Revolutionary athleticism instilled John Wall as the next box-office point guard. Go do your Google searches and watch his mixtapes to see what we’re seeing.

26. Lou Williams
Lou Williams is too smooth with it: a certified bucket, 3x NBA Sixth Man Player of the Year and a derserver of the utmost respect. 

27. Monta Ellis
Those 360 layups were just a regular thing for Monta Ellis. That’s what type of time he was on. 

28. Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel was waaaaaay too quick with it, from the crossovers to the high-flying drives to the lane to those insane dishes and dimes.

29. Jamal Murray
We’ve already told you this before: there’s music in Jamal Murray’s game. Try not to get lost in the melody, though, because he will drop 50 on you. Again and again.

30. Brandon Jennings
Dropping 55 points as a rookie is quite the statement, but then again, Brandon Jennings was never one to shy away from any moment. His game was too electric.

6-4 TO 6-8 

1. Michael Jordan
   The greatest. Put MJ in any situation, matchup or moment and you already know the outcome. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. Kobe Bryant
   He was constantly ascending past the depths of what competing truly meant. He knew your next move before you’d even had a chance to formulate the thought.

3. Tracy McGrady
   Scoring 13 points in 33 seconds is wild, but that’s just what T-Mac was about. One of the most complete scorers in the history of the Association.

4. Carmelo Anthony
   The fadeaway. The jab step. The spot-up jump shot, and his signature “washing machine” spin move. Carmelo Anthony remains one of the game’s most unstoppable scorers of all time. 

5. Kawhi Leonard
   Best believe, any matchup against the Klaw will result in him getting the last laugh. Trying to defend him in a 1v1? Now that’s pure comedy. 

6. Dwyane Wade
   The nickname was fitting: the Flash was one of most elite and efficient shooting guards who attacked the basket with an explosiveness that couldn’t possibly be contained. 

7. James Harden
   Equipped with a signature-move so iconic, a few names on this list have tried it out, the Beard is truly lethal with the rock in his hands.

8. Julius Erving
   A wizard who truly transcended the game. Every move was a symphony of basketball played at its finest. 

9. Charles Barkley
   A relentlessly physical rebounder with an attitude to match, Sir Charles was a force to be reckoned with.

10. Devin Booker
    With the words “Be Legendary” tattooed on his forearm, D-Book has continued to transcend his game towards just that no matter if he’s pullin’ up from midrange or hitting clutch shots from deep. 

11. Scottie Pippen
    One of the game’s greats could really do it all, from dishing out dimes and orchestrating an offense to snagging boards and holding it down on the defensive end. Versatility at it’s finest.  

12. Paul George
    PG’s all-around game is just one of the many things that define his greatness. His explosiveness and ability to create his own shot is another.

13. Paul Pierce
    The Truth can be hard for many to accept, but his dominance was nothing but pure facts. Shaquille O’Neal had a thing for nicknames, and when Paul Pierce dropped 42 on the Lakers in ’01, Shaq went over to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett and told him to write this down: “My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth. Quote me on that and don’t take nothing out.” Enough said.

14. DeMar DeRozan
    The King of the Fourth is a true revolutionary when it comes to the art of the midrange.

15. Jimmy Butler
    They call him Jimmy Buckets for a reason. That’s exactly what you’re gonna get.

16. Jayson Tatum
    JT moves different out there on the parquet floor, from the lethal step back and sidestep threes to the sheer dominance every time the rock touches his hands. That’s what happens when you’re mentored by none other than the Mamba.

17. Vince Carter
    Once Vince Carter got within eyesight of that line, it was over before it had even begun.

18. Zion Williamson
    You can’t be contained when the limits never existed. The same goes in the paint, or anywhere on the floor, when it comes to Zion Williamson. 

19. Penny Hardaway
    One of the greatest guards ever. That spin fake into a stepback, move? Pure magic.

20. Luka Doncic
    Luka plays at his own pace while completely dominating in the process. Different.

21. Dominique Wilkins
    With legs like propellers and arms that could absorb contact, Nique had underrated shot-making ability that went along with his otherworldly athleticism. 

22. Grant Hill 
    Versatility in a human being. Grant Hill was a threat to score from all three levels.

23. Elgin Baylor
    Surrender the skies to Elgin Baylor. Aerially gifted with merciless finishes at the rim.

24. George Gervin
    Smooth, refined, patient, disciplined and measured. Ice’s game was where fundamental met flash.

25. Alex English
    Nobody scored more points in the 1980s than Alex English. Nobody.

26. Joe Johnson
    His nickname is Iso Joe. Nothing more needs to be said.

27. Bradley Beal
    Bradley Beal technically has a perfect jumpshot. Pair that exquisite form with his handles and the result is a scoring machine.

28. Klay Thompson
    One of the best shooters ever is also a big body that precisely clamps players of all heights and weights.

29. Gary Payton
    Possibly the best perimeter defender to ever play, Gary Payton could also get to the tin whenever he wanted.

30. Jamal Crawford
    Jamal Crawford is creativity unleashed through instinct and intellect.

6-9 AND UP

1. Shaquille O’Neal
   The most physically dominant player ever. Realistically, there’s nobody stopping the Diesel.

2. Kevin Durant
   Size, skills, smarts. There have been very few other players that are more offensively complete than Kevin Durant.

3. LeBron James
   The case can be made that LeBron James is the best player ever. Full stop.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
   Try guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo without any help defense. Get the picture?

5. Kevin Garnett
   The only part of Kevin Garnett’s game that outshined his skills on both sides of the ball was his competitiveness, a trait that’s gone nearly unmatched throughout history.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon
   Possibly the best two-way center ever, who dominated with equal doses of agility and nimbleness, power and force.

7. David Robinson
   Dunks and jumpers with the left, blocks and steals with both of his hands and a compressed trampoline in his right leg, David Robinson’s basketball IQ was just as ridiculous as his athletic capabilities.

8. Karl Malone
   Brute strength. Left side of the post to the right side of the hoop every single time. Never could be stopped.

9. Wilt Chamberlain
   Scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 points for a season and if blocks and steals were tallied when he played, Wilt Chamberlain’s mythic status would be even greater than it already is.

10. Joel Embiid
    Joel Embiid is a guard stuck inside a 7-2, 280-pound body.

11. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    The author of the game’s most unstoppable shot, its leading scorer and a shot-blocking terror.

12. Larry Bird
    Larry Bird was so good at scoring that he would tell bigger, stronger and more athletic defenders exactly what he planned to do with the ball and they still couldn’t contain him.

13. Anthony Davis
    Middies, catch-and-shoot threes, barrels to the rim, pick-and-roll ball containment, weakside shot-blocking and passing lane invader properly describes Anthony Davis.  

14. Moses Malone
    Quite possibly the most underrated great in NBA history, Moses Malone was unstoppable from the block and even if he did miss, he’d consume offensive rebounds with such ferocity that the ensuing putbacks would be uncontested.

15. Dirk Nowitzki
    It’s real when a singular shot is credited to a player. Basketball now has the one-legged fadeaway thanks to Dirk Nowitzki.

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According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, although it’s not known if Jackson is actually on the list of coaching candidates that the Lakers will be looking to hire, it does speak well of Jackson’s reputation and acumen that The King has, at least according to reports, given his vote of support for the hiring of the former Warriors coach.

The last time Jackson was on the sideline, guiding the Dubs to a 51-31 record in the 2013-2014 season before they lost in the first round to the Clippers. Over his three seasons as Golden State’s head coach, Jackson led the Warriors to a 121-109 regular-season record and a 9-10 record in the postseason in their two playoff appearances with him at the helm.

Jackson was subsequently let go after their short run in the playoffs and replaced by Steve Kerr, who led the Warriors to three titles. Kerr has given Jackson credit for building that team into what it is on the defensive end.

Despite a Big 3 of James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and other future Hall of Famers like Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, the Lakers mustered a 33-49 record. They missed the playoffs for the second time in four years during James’ LA tenure. The reason is bad defense, lack of continuity and health, and bad roster fit overall.

James’ 30.3 points per game were the only bright spot, which helped move him to second place in the all-time scoring list, right behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

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“I think it’s unfortunate, to be honest because I’ve never had an issue with any of my coaches before,” Westbrook said on Monday per ESPN. “I’m not sure what his issue was with me, or I’m not sure why, but I can’t really give you an answer to why we really never connected.”

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists on the season and struggled with his efficiency, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 29.8 percent on 3.4 3-point attempts a game. The Lakers (33-49) finished 11th in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs for the second time in the last four seasons despite a loaded roster led by Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

Do the Lakers owe Russell Westbrook an apology? pic.twitter.com/VoZFOprZ0Q

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 5, 2022

This disconnect between Vogel and Westbrook came to the forefront as Vogel was reportedly permitted to bench Westbrook in the fourth quarter of close games. The news came as the fourth-year coach of the Lakers was facing increased scrutiny and questions of job security as the Lakers dealt with piling injuries and a turnstile defense.

“When I first got here, the ability to be able to do what I’m able to do for a team and an organization wasn’t given a fair chance,” Westbrook said about his role.

Westbrook is eligible to sign a $47 million player option over the offseason. Although his intentions to resign aren’t clear, he admitted that his production didn’t meet his standards after averaging a triple-double in his lone season with the Washington Wizards. The main thing that will lead him to resign is how the Lakers will fill the void at head coach and figure out the play style that the new coach will implement.

RUSS SAID WE AIN’T DONE YET. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/kOjVasfaDA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 19, 2022

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The Lakers will reportedly relieve Frank Vogel of his head coaching duties on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Frank Vogel has coached his final game for the Lakers, a decision that’s expected to be shared with him as soon as Monday, sources tell ESPN. Lakers’ search expected to be lengthy and expansive with no clear initial frontrunner.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 11, 2022

The happy feelings Vogel and the Lakers brought to LA after winning a championship in 2020 were quickly gone after the Lakers concluded a disappointing 33-49 season on Sunday with a 146-141 overtime win against the Nuggets. The Lakers were eliminated from the play-in tournament by the Suns last week,

According to Woj, the Lakers’ final decision is expected to be shared with Vogel as soon as Monday. During his postgame presser on Sunday, Vogel said he wasn’t told about his future with the Lakers.

“I haven’t been told s—, and I’m going to enjoy tonight’s game, celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W, and we’ll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow,” Vogel said, per ESPN.

Most of the Lakers’ struggles can be attributed to porous defense, injuries, and the lack of continuity that comes with all the Lakers’ injuries throughout the season. Because of that lack of continuity, the Lakeshow finished the season in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Their Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook only played 21 games together, going 11-10 in those games.

Thank you, Coach. pic.twitter.com/8eb4Ia9ZqI

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 11, 2022

Additionally, the Lakers were the only team not to have a single five-person lineup play 100 minutes together, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Vogel built the Lakers into a defensive juggernaut through his first two seasons in LA, guiding the team to the best and third-best defensive rating in the 2020-2021 and 2019-2020 seasons, respectively.

Los Angeles lost 18 of 24 games following the All-Star break, worse than only the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Indiana Pacers.

The post Lakers Announce Dismissal of Frank Vogel as Coach appeared first on SLAM.

Since the so-called superteam era began with the 2003-2004 Lakers, the Celtic Big 3, and the LeBron James-led Heatles, the best players in the NBA joining forces to increase their odds of winning an NBA championship has become normalized.

After the Lakers’ Big 3 experiment with James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook failed to garner a championship and playoff berth, James will presumably be on the hunt for another superstar to join forces with. If the Lakers front office can’t provide a championship-level squad, maybe James will leave the 17-time NBA champion via free agency or trade and change his circumstances. The future is unclear for the Washed King.

On a recent episode of The Shop, James reiterated his priority of playing in the League with his oldest son, Bronny James. The latter is at least two years away from being draft-eligible as he completes his junior year of high school. When the four-time MVP was asked who he’d like to team up with short-term, LBJ’s turned some heads around with who he said he’d like to play with.

“In today’s game, sh– there’s some m—–f—— in today’s game, but Steph Curry,” James said. “Steph Curry’s the one that I wanna play with for sure, in today’s game. … I love everything about that guy. Lethal. When he get out his car, you better guard him right from the moment he pulls up to the arena. … You might wanna guard him when he get out of the bed. Swear to god. He’s serious.”

James and Curry have played together in the last two All-Star games after James drafted him to his team. The two League legends have a long history together, facing off four consecutive times in the NBA Finals, with Curry winning three times while Bron won in 2016 after coming back from a 3-1 deficit.

Curry quickly swept the idea aside during a sports radio appearance when the greatest shooter ever was asked about teaming up with James.

“Well, he got his wish. He was the captain, and he’s picked me for the last two All-Star Games. So I don’t know if that suffices, but I’m good right now,” Curry said on 95.7 The Game. “Whenever you get the interest or curiosity of what it would be like to play with arguably the MVP kinda caliber dude like he is, one of the greatest of all-time, cool. That’s amazing. We all can live in that fantasy world.”

The post LeBron James on Teaming Up With Stephen Curry: ‘ I Love Everything About That Guy’ appeared first on SLAM.

Charlotte has been increasingly mentioned by league insiders as a team to watch on the Russell Westbrook trade front, per @TheSteinLine

(Via https://t.co/VLnvss1q1X) pic.twitter.com/NwN6opDBiq

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 7, 2022

The former League MVP will receive more than $47 million for the 2022-23 season if he decides to pick up his player option with the Lakers. After the Lakers’ 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Westbrook expressed his interest in returning to the squad for the 22-23 season.

Westbrook’s insertion alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t pan out as most expected, with the Lakers failing to advance to the postseason. The all-time triple-doubles leader averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 boards, and 7.1 dimes on 44.4 percent shooting from the field.

The post REPORT: Charlotte Hornets Team to Watch in Potential Russell Westbrook Trade appeared first on SLAM.

The 121-110 loss was the Lakers’ seventh straight, with four of the last five coming without injured LeBron James on the court while he recovers from an ankle injury. James will miss the playoffs for the fourth time in his career, missing the postseason in 2004, 2005, and 2019.

The 2021-2022 campaign has been a debacle, from various injuries to key pieces like James or Anthony Davis, the front office adding Russell Westbrook over DeMar DeRozan or Buddy Hield, allowing key pieces to leave or not working the trade deadline, to the scrutinization of Frank Vogel’s job security. The season just plain hasn’t gone the way the Lakers and their fans thought it would, with many expecting the Lakers to contend for their 18th title.

“Extremely disappointed,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said per The Athletic. “Disappointed for our fan base. Disappointed for the Buss family, who gave us all this opportunity, and we want to play our part in bringing success to Laker basketball, and we fell short. We were eliminated tonight, and I can say it’s not been due to a lack of effort. We have all put in the work. Our guys stayed fighting right until the end.

“In terms of being eliminated, we brought integrity to the process. We just fell short through a disjointed season. So, we’re all disappointed.”

The trio of James, David, and Westbrook only played 21 games together this year, and the Lakers went 11-10 with their Big 3 playing together. Westbrook has been the most available out of the three, playing 78 games and averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field.

This season the criticism has been higher than ever for Mr. Triple-Double. He’s been benched during the closing minutes of close games, criticized for his poor shooting and defense, and has felt concerned for the physical well-being of his loved ones after fans harassed his family. Westbrook has a $47 million player option that he can sign this summer, and he’s been publicly optimistic about running it back with Bron and AD.

“Yeah,” Westbrook said. “I mean, that’s the plan. But nothing is promised. You kinda gotta take one day at a time, each day. And like I’ve said all season long, you gotta play the cards you’re dealt. Yes, we want to be able to see what that looks like, what that entails over the course of an 82-game season. But we’re not sure if that’s guaranteed, neither. So I just hope that we have a chance to be able to do something.”

The Lakers have three games remaining on their schedule, ending the regular season against the Nuggets.

The post Russell Westbrook On Returning to the Lakers: ‘That’s the Plan. But Nothing is Promised’ appeared first on SLAM.

Davis has played 39 games this season, missing more than a month of playing time due to a knee injury he suffered against the Timberwolves. He returned for 10 games before injuring his foot and missing another month and a half after injuring his foot against the Jazz.

The Kentucky product played 36 games during the 2020-2021 season after a short offseason following the Lakers’ 2020 title in the Orlando Bubble. AD reinjured his knee during the first round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.

“This is what I’ve learned about injuries: Last year, when I wasn’t playing, people were saying ‘AD’s giving up on his team. It’s the playoffs. AD has to play. He’s got to play.’ And when I went out there to play, got hurt again, they said, ‘Who was his trainer? Who let him play?’ Davis said per the LA Times.

“So, what the [expletive] do you want me to do? When I play, it’s a problem. It’s a problem when I don’t play. At the end of the day, I’ve got to do what’s best for me and how my body feels. And we go from there. I’m not worried about who’s saying what or who thinks this about me because none of them have stepped on the floor and played. And the ones that did play, they should understand.

“These aren’t little ticky-tack injuries.”

The Brow has gotten the injury-prone label placed on him before arriving in LA. The past two seasons have added more proof to the viewpoint. However, the injuries were possibly more freak accidents. He stepped on the foot of Rudy Gobert while LeBron James accidentally knocked Jaden McDaniel into Davis’ leg.

With just four games left in the regular season, the Lakers (31-47) are two games behind the Spurs for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Davis has averaged 23.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game when he’s been healthy.

The post Anthony Davis on Injury Criticism: ‘These Aren’t Little Ticky-Tack Injuries’ appeared first on SLAM.

As Anthony Davis — out since Feb. 16 with a foot sprain — progresses toward a game-time decision vs. New Orleans on Friday, LeBron James is hopeful to test out his ankle sprain and try to make a return to the lineup too, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 31, 2022

The same news goes for LeBron James, who Woj says is hopeful he can test where his ankle is and make his return on Friday too. Neither AD nor Bron will play when the Lakers face the Jazz on Thursday. The return of their All-Star duo couldn’t come at a better time with the Lakeshow looking to move up in the play-in tournament. They are currently a half-game behind the Spurs and 1.5 games behind the Pelicans for the ninth seed.

The Lakers (31-44) are 10th in the Western Conference as of Thursday and have the third-toughest remaining schedule over their final seven games. Their upcoming opponents combine for a .563 winning percentage.

The post REPORT: Anthony Davis Close to Becoming a Game-Time Decision appeared first on SLAM.

Bron has a left ankle sprain that he sustained Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, while Davis has been out since suffering a right mid-foot sprain on February 16 against the Utah Jazz. However, things seem to be trending upwards for the former Kentucky Wildcat, as he participated in his first full live practice since the Jazz game.

“We’re at a point now where it’s really about how he responds to that and the level of soreness he has coming out of his first live work,” Coach Frank Vogel said, elaborating on Davis’ condition to ESPN.

This year, the Lakers have struggled when their superstar duo isn’t on the court. They hold an 0-3 record when both don’t suit up and have below .500 records when one of the two isn’t playing: 6-13 without James and 14-23 without Davis.

“It’s been that type of year,” Vogel said. “It’s one of those things that’s out of our control. It’s unfortunate. But we have to lock in, and again like we’ve done all season, we have to shift our identity on the floor with regards to who’s in and who’s out.”

The Lakers will play in Dallas on Tuesday at 7:30 PM EST.

The post LeBron James and Anthony Davis Listed as Doubtful For Tonight’s Game appeared first on SLAM.

“It’s been challenging for us this year defensively… we’ve had a lot of breakdowns, we’ve lost a lot of games because our defense has broken down, but it’s also been our offense at times.”

The Lakers rank 26th in points allowed per game (112.7), 27th in points allowed in the paint per game (50.3), and 27th in points allowed off turnovers (17.0).

A lot of that has to do with the absence of Anthony Davis, who’s out for a month due to a mid-foot sprain.

A clear picture is painted using FiveThirtyEight’s defensive Raptor metric that tightly measures player ratings. Of players who’ve played 505 or more minutes thus far (equal to at least eight minutes per game), Davis is one of only two players on the Lakers roster who has a score above a +1.0 defensive rating: +2.4. Austin Reaves (+2.1) is the other, while James is the only other player in the positive, at +0.4.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel remains adamant that his team will continue to try and fight through the struggles.

“No stone unturned in terms of trying to find solutions to get this right,” Vogel said per ESPN. “But it hasn’t taken shape. There’s no quit in us. We will continue to persist. We’re trying to adjust and shift and find ways to win with Anthony out. We haven’t found that yet. But it’s not something that we can’t do. We just haven’t found it yet.”

Saturday night, the Lakers (27-35) host the struggling Golden State Warriors (43-20).

The post LeBron James on the Lakers’ Defensive Woes: ‘It’s Been Challenging’ appeared first on SLAM.

“At first, he didn’t even want to play sports,” his mother, Kathy Drysdale, says. A 1,000-point scorer in her college days at Penn State who briefly played professionally in Europe, Drysdale was coaching AAU ball in the Philadelphia area when Dereck was young. When she moved back to Central Pennsylvania when he was 7, Drysdale told her son she wanted him to be more active. “I’m like, Why don’t you go play basketball with your friends? He said, I don’t want to play basketball, Mom. That’s your sport.”

But Drysdale kept nudging, and eventually, Lively figured it out. “He was like, Oh, OK, I’m taller than everybody,” she says. “He was having fun.”

Now 17 and, at 7-2, still taller than just about everybody, Lively seems to be having a blast. Balancing hard work with a growing skill set and love for the game, he’s developed into many scouts’ pick for the No. 1 player in the 2022 class. He solidified his position atop the senior class rankings last summer when he had a chance to show off all the work he’d put in over the previous year. “I really tried to embrace the challenge of getting better during the pandemic—developing my range, being more versatile in my post moves, being able to guard anybody 1 through 5,” he says. “I’m really focused on making sure my game is as well-rounded as it can be.”

Even as the game has evolved in recent years to favor big men who can play anywhere on the floor, there still aren’t a lot of 7-2 dudes with the athleticism and skill set to do it at an elite level. Lively already looks like one of the exceptions, displaying an ever-expanding game at both ends for his Westtown (PA) School and Team Final AAU squads. Mom remains an inspiration and guiding force. “He still asks me to this day, I need to go into the gym and shoot, Mom, will you look at my shot?” she says. Lively can look to recent Westtown alums like Mo Bamba and Cam Reddish who have blazed the trail from the small eastern PA prep school to the NBA.

He’ll have even more examples to follow in the fall when he suits up at Duke, where he’s the gem of what looks like the best recruiting class in the country. “It was really about building relationships and seeing what was the best fit, and definitely part of the thought process was schools that can prep players for the NBA,” Lively says. “Watching Jayson Tatum, Brandon Ingram, Zion [Williamson], RJ Barrett, Cam, all their games developed further when they were at Duke. It seems like when you’re around the best players, you’re going to end up being the best player you can be.”

Beyond those Blue Devils, Lively cites NBA standouts like Anthony Davis and DeAndre Ayton as the sort of versatile bigs whose games he admires and borrows from. The next challenge is joining them. Even as he focuses on closing his high school career with championships and McDonald’s and Jordan game invites, he can’t help but imagine his own professional future. His mom, who spent more than a decade working for the Philadelphia 76ers, references a well-known slogan to describe how the family is keeping its priorities in order.

“He has trusted the process the whole time, and it’s brought him a lot of success,” Drysdale says. “You have to continue to develop and work. He has to finish his senior year, then he’s got his year at Duke, and then we’ll see what happens after that. He’s pretty level-headed and pretty humble, and one of the big things he understands is, don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself, continue to trust the process, and things will continue to fall into place.” 

Portraits by Jonathan Lewis

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Joel Embiid, one of the primary benefactors of the trade for the 2018 MVP, has called the fit between the two “unstoppable” after Embiid posted 37 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in a 125-109 victory over the Knicks. Harden dropped his first triple-double as a 76er with 29 points, 10 rebounds, 16 assists.

James Harden's second game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers:

29 PTS
16 ASTS
10 REBS
5 STLS

(via @sixers)pic.twitter.com/Lu4PuQRxzD

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 28, 2022

“What are you really going to do?” Embiid said per ESPN. “He’s a great passer, and obviously, I’ve got someone [next to me] that attracts a lot of attention to him, so you’ve got to make a decision. Do you stay on me, or do you stay on him? And if you want to guard both of us with the other guys, now you’ve got Matisse [Thybulle] diving to the rim or wide-open shooters that have got one job to do, and that’s make shots. That’s all we got to keep doing.

“Like I was saying in the locker room, I’m happy I don’t have to post up every single possession, so it’s great.”

So far, Embiid and Harden have combined for 59 free throws against the Timberwolves and the Knicks. Harden went 10/10, while Embiid went 23/27 from the line. Embiid’s 27 freebies are the most a player has taken since Anthony Davis shot 27 himself in an October 2019 game against the Grizzlies.

Although Embiid hasn’t traditionally been a pick-and-roll threat, preferring to dominate out of the low-post and facing up. Playing with Harden has made Troel Embiid make sure he’s made a concerted effort to mix up rolling to the rim and popping to the three-point line since they started playing together.

Harden-Embiid pick and roll is too deadly… Best duo in the league??

(va @nba) pic.twitter.com/zMNyqgPsmI

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 27, 2022

“I thought I mixed it up pretty well the last two games. Tonight I obviously didn’t make any shots from the outside like I usually do,” said Embiid, who went 0-for-4 from behind the arc. “Against Minnesota, I had a couple rolls, half rolls and pops where I made shots, so it’s all about really figuring out by the feel, and tonight I felt like their bigs, they were either too high or too aggressive, so it gave me a free lane to attack the basket, which caused them to foul a lot.

“But it’s all about mixing. Sometimes it depends on how they’re guarding, sometimes I’m gonna pop, sometimes I’m gonna roll, but like I said, he attracts so much attention, so you can’t go wrong with both choices. If that night I’m making a lot of outside shots, I’m probably going to pop a lot, and then tonight I just saw I could get to the free-throw line really whenever I wanted. That’s why I was so aggressive.”

37 PTS | 9 REB | 4 BLK@JoelEmbiid had some fun out there today.

presented by @PALottery pic.twitter.com/wgaSD5R6Ku

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 27, 2022

The 76ers (37-23) play the Knicks (25-36) again on Wednesday at the Well Fargo Arena.

The post Joel Embiid on Partnership With James Harden: ‘Unstoppable’ appeared first on SLAM.

He’s only 11 years old, but Lil Noah James already has more Mitchell & Ness jerseys than most of us have probably ever owned. The young hip-hop artist, originally from Bridgeport, CT, and currently residing in Atlanta, has a really impressive collection. When we hopped on a Zoom call in December, he confidently said that he’s owned over 500 in total, many of which he’s since grown out of. As of our call, he says he’s got about 150 that he keeps inside his closet and stored in bins. 

“I started collecting jerseys around the age of 5. My favorite Mitchell & Ness jerseys are the Kobe Bryant [number] 8, I don’t even have that. The Lakers purple and gold one, I like. The black and red MJ one, that’s another one I don’t have. I like the green Kevin Garnett, I have that one. T-Wolves KG, Miami Heat Shaq. A lot of them. LeBron when he played in Cleveland his first year. I like the Scottie Pippen ones.”

Just from listening to Lil Noah, it’s clear that he’s already so passionate about the game—from basketball to his music career. Even though he’s only in elementary school, he can hold his own in an interview—and on a track. He’s already dropped a handful of singles, including  “2K21 (Mamba Time),” a tribute to the late Lakers legend that has garnered over 73,261 streams on Spotify. In the music video, which has 13,000 views on his YouTube channel, James, who idolizes Bryant, rocks a purple Lakers Hardwood Classics satin raglan full-snap jacket while he’s rapping in the booth about Bryant’s dominance. 

“I have a lot of Nike jerseys, but I really like rocking the old ones,” he says. “I look up to my idols like Kobe, LeBron and Jordan, and other people…I like baggy jerseys, so that’s what Mitchell & Ness really brings for me.” 

James wears a jersey pretty much every day and says it’s become a part of everyday life. He’s rocked a few of them at NBA games and events, too, including 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he appeared on an NBA TV broadcast wearing a purple and gold Mitchell & Ness Magic Johnson Lakers jersey. He also wore a black Mitchell & Ness Lakers jacket in the many selfies he took with stars, including LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Ben Simmons, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jayson Tatum and Diana Taurasi. 

James, who mostly listens to Lil Bow Wow, Drake, Lil Baby, Fetty Wap and Soulja Boy, started rapping when he was around 7 or 8 years old. While he often references basketball, he says he also wants to tell his own story through music. “I just write my raps off of how I’m feeling. I only write about my life, I don’t write about stuff that I haven’t done or am going to do. I just write about what’s in the present and about me.” 

On songs like “Thank You,” James opens up about being born prematurely at 25 weeks and 1.5 pounds, as well as about the loss of his twin sister, Nalah Jade. He gives her a shoutout on “Sometimes,” featuring Omar Wilson—“Rest in peace Nalah Jade, I’m always praying for sis”—and keeps it real about having to balance all the traveling he does with school and chores. 

James says that he’s been “working on stuff in the studio” and has about three or four songs that haven’t been released yet. All that hard work is starting to pay off, too, and a few people at his school, New Manchester Elementary, have even started coming up to him to compliment his music. “I was actually shocked that they knew who I was. Two people in school came up to me and asked for an autograph.” 

As he continues to build out his career, we bet Lil Noah James will continue building out his Mitchell & Ness collection. The question isn’t will he rock a throwback in a future video, but which one? 

Get your own Mitchell & Ness Youth NBA Jerseys here.

Portrait via Jamesy Codrington / Maziv Photography

The post Meet Lil Noah James: The 11-Year Old Hip-Hop Artist with the Craziest Mitchell & Ness Jersey Collection appeared first on SLAM.

There’s no myth or magic to Evan Mobley’s game. He does what he does. After sweeping nearly every postseason conference award during his lone-season at USC, including Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft says he came into the League with the goal of finding his rhythm and making an immediate impact. “I just wanted to come in and get acclimated as quick as possible,” he says over Zoom. “I feel like I’ve been getting better and better every game and feel like I still have a little bit to go. But I feel like it’s been good so far.”

A few games into the regular season, Mobley soon realized that he could hold his own in the Association, playing against the very same stars he watched growing up. “You start seeing that they’re players just like you, and you don’t have to look at them as anything more than [what] you are because you’re in the same position,” Mobley says. “I try to go out there and trust in what I’ve been doing my whole life.”

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 2: The Land is available now!

Now, those same players around the League have started taking notice of Mobley, including the King himself. “He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this League,” LeBron James said back in October after the Cavs played the Lakers. Mobley finished with 23 points that night. 

Added Anthony Davis: “His game is going to progress. He’s going to keep getting better and better. You see the potential to be a three-level scorer, watching film on him a little before the game.”

Against the Wizards, Mobley dropped 21 points and impressed Kyle Kuzma so much with his up-and-under finish at the rim that Kuz dapped him up right after the play. “You damn right I’m going to dap him up. I just saw the closest thing to George Gervin in the flesh!!!” Kuzma tweeted.

So yeah, Mobley really is that guy. And the Cleveland Cavaliers really are that team again—by the time we went to press, they’re sitting at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. They’re young, hungry, and equipped with a standout rookie who can hold it down on both ends of the floor—from finishing at the rim like a guard to snagging his own offensive rebounds to dishing out some assists, and against the Bulls, a notching a career-high 5 blocks, which was a first for any rookie this season and the first time a Cavaliers rookie has had 5 blocks since LeBron James in ’04. 

“I felt like coming in, my defense was going to be a strong attribute that I have just because of my length and agility. That’s what I normally just rely on, and depending on who I’m guarding, I’ve just tried to play him differently—if it’s, like, a guard, [I] give him a little bit more space, so I can react in time. And then if it’s a big, press up a little bit more [and] just use my length at the end of the shot and contest all shots. And if not contest, block it. Coming in, that was what my mindset was: to have a strong defensive presence.”

As of this writing, Mobley is ranked No. 6 in the League in blocks and No. 27 in defensive rebounds. He’s also leading all rookies in rebounds (8.1) and blocks (1.7) per game and sitting at No. 3 in field goal percentage (50.5). 

“It’s great, but I feel like I’m not satisfied,” he says when asked what it’s like to see his name at the top of the statistical leaderboards. “I still feel like I need to get better in certain areas, so I’m gonna still keep working, get better at those things and hopefully keep making a big impact on my team and keep winning.”

When asked to elaborate on what he wants to work on, he says: “[Be] a little bit more attack-minded offensively, and then defensively, just maintaining what I’ve been doing and gradually getting better throughout the years and learning new things, because, I mean, you can always get better at something.”

He credits his teammates for helping with his transition from college to the NBA, specifically vets like Kevin Love, as well as the young core guys like Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland—both of whom were also on the same Zoom call when we caught up with Mobley back in early December. 

When asked what advice they’ve given their new rook, Garland and Allen both harped on the fact that it’s a long, 82-game season. “Keep working,” Allen says. “This is a long season, there’s gonna be ups and downs. But, [when] Evan came in, he blew away all of our expectations. Like, man, does he really need our advice? You know, he’s already coming out here and killing it.”

“I was the same way, just telling him that it was going to be a long season and just enjoy it,” Garland adds. “I mean, it really goes by fast. I only have three years in it, but [they] went by super quick. Just enjoy the process and have fun with it.”

With his name among the top candidates in the Rookie of the Year conversation and with a pivotal starting role on the team, Mobley says he doesn’t feel any added pressure this season. He’s just out there hoopin’ with his teammates and posterizing his opponents along the way. 

“I just go out there, have fun with my guys and play the game. I feel like they’ve helped me not feel pressure because they believe in me. Same with the coaching staff, they all believe in me and put trust in me to do the right things. And they believe that I’m a good player. So there’s no pressure when I go out there. I just go out there and play.” 

Portrait by Jimmy Longo/Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Rookie Sensation Evan Mobley is Putting His Own Stamp on the Association appeared first on SLAM.

Anthony Davis has a mid-foot sprain and will be evaluated again in four weeks, team says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 18, 2022

This latest injury for the Brow continues a trend of leg injuries that’s started to plague him since last year. After leading the Lakers to a championship in 2020, Davis has played just 73 games out of a possible 130 due to various injuries. AD has averaged 24.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 blocks, playing 35.1 minutes per game since joining the Lakers.

The saving grace for the Lakers is that Davis will be missing at least one week while everyone is resting during the All-Star break. From there, the Lakers will be missing Davis for 11 of their next 24 games. There’s still hope around the franchise that having a healthy team will help turn the franchise around, and they’ll play to the championship standard they set in the preseason.

For now, the Lakeshow will look to LeBron James to keep them afloat while Davis recovers. The Washed King scored 33 points, eight boards, six dimes, and two steals in 40 minutes in a 106-101 dub over the Jazz, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter after Davis went down.

When the Lakers return from the break, they will play the Clippers.

The post Anthony Davis Out For A Month With Foot Sprain appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN, the Lakers are facing an uneasy admission that’s building up around the locker room: “The roster is not working, and something must be done to get the team back on course.”

The whooping the Lakers took only proved the mounting suspicion the Lakers realize maybe the truth. Milwaukee built a lead as large as 30 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a dominant 44 point, 14 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks night. Even four-time MVP LeBron James had to admit there’s a massive gap between the Lakers and the Bucks.

“It tells me we ain’t on their level,” LeBron James said. “I mean, I could have told you that before the game.”

“Obviously, you always kind of use games to see where you are at that moment, but we know where we are at this moment: sitting at a couple, few games under .500,” he said. “Haven’t played the basketball that we’d like to play.”

When the Lakers did wake up and start playing up to their championship standard, it came in the fourth quarter with James and Anthony Davis leading the way after Coach Frank Vogel sitting former MVP Russell Westbrook on the bench for the third time this season. During that stint, LA outscored Milwaukee, 37-28, cutting the lead to 10 after Malik Monk threw down a dunk midway through the final frame.

The Lakers comeback bid ultimately fell short, however, falling to the Bucks 131-116. In the closing seconds, Westbrook could be seen trying to brighten up the mood of his superstar teammates with pats on the head and shoulders of James and Davis.

“Listen, I want to help AD, I want to help Russ. AD wants to help me, help Russ, and Russ wants to help us,” James said about the exchange. “Obviously, lately, Russ hasn’t felt like he had an opportunity, or with the opportunities, he’s been given, he hasn’t helped us as much as he would like. We haven’t done a great job of helping him.”

Following the game, Westbrook, who accepted his previous benching, did not take too kindly to not being on the floor as the Lakers attempted to close in on upsetting the Bucks on Tuesday. When asked what he has to do for Vogel to play him late in the fourth quarter, Westbrook had this to say:

“I shouldn’t have to hit any benchmark, to be honest,” Westbrook said. “I’ve put a lot of work, and I’ve got a lot of respect in this game. I don’t got to hit a benchmark, or I shouldn’t have to. I’ve earned a right to be in closing lineups.”

According to Westbrook, some of the Lakers’ woes could be solved by “creating some consistency within our team, which we don’t have at the moment.” That remark might ring true once you realize Vogel put out a 27th different starting lineup in their 55th game of the season and that Westbrook, James, and Davis have all played together a grand total of 18 times this season.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Lakers have only made Talen Horton-Tucker available to trade. They also decided they didn’t want to move Westbrook or make a midseason coaching change. It remains unclear if the Lakers have any assets that opposing franchises would like to acquire after trading away so much of their youth through the years.

The Lakers will look to get back into the winning column on Wednesday against the Trail Blazers (21-34).

The post Lakers Left Searching For Answers After Loss to the Bucks appeared first on SLAM.

Westbrook struggled throughout the game, only scoring five points on 1-for-10 shooting with six assists and four turnovers in 29 minutes. Westbrook’s fourth quarter production of zero points, missing his only field goal attempt and going 0-for-2 from the free-throw line. He spent the first six minutes and 30 seconds of the final quarter and all of overtime on the bench.

The Brodie seemingly took the benching in stride, stating the win was more important.

Russell Westbrook spoke after being benched in OT vs. the Knicks: pic.twitter.com/W0bb9zi9MR

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 6, 2022

“That [fourth quarter] stretch was part of it,” Vogel said to explain his decision-making via ESPN. “I think obviously Russ was having a tough night on both sides of the ball, and Bron was really going. So I knew the ball was going to be in Bron’s hands, and I felt like we were going to get more from a defensive perspective and off-ball action with Talen, so–you just make tough decisions in the spirit of whatever the team needs to win a game.”

When the Lakers lost to the Pacers, the mood around the Lakers was more mellow, so much so that Westbrook had to appear on Wojnarowski’s podcast to clear the air before LA played the Magic.

On his fourth-quarter benching, Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook tells ESPN: “Surprised, yes. I was disappointed I didn’t go back in, but I’m more disappointed that we lost the damn game.” Story: https://t.co/KFD0RSu00G

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 21, 2022

The game against New York was just the 17th game Westbrook has played with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup this season. The Lakers are 10-7 in those games.

The post Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook Speaks Out On Overtime Benching appeared first on SLAM.

The injuries started with Kendrick Nunn being held out with a knee bruise the entire season thus far. LeBron James has two stints of missing multiple games with abdominal and knee injuries, while Anthony Davis missed 17 games with a knee injury.

In Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers lost Carmelo Anthony to a hamstring strain.

Carmelo Anthony (right hamstring strain) is out for the remainder of tonight’s game pic.twitter.com/Pw8fzP82X1

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2022

Following a 24-point performance in a Lakers win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Melo was still locked in with seven quick points in 11 minutes. However, he came up limping in the second quarter, leaving immediately for the locker room and did not return.

According to ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the injury is not as severe as feared, and he is listed day-to-day to get back in action.

There’s optimism that Carmelo Anthony’s right hamstring strain isn’t serious and he’s expected to be day-to-day on a return to the Lakers lineup, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022

Carmelo Anthony has appeared in 50 of the Lakers’ 53 games this season, leaving Russell Westbrook as the only player that has not missed a game this season.

Anthony is averaging 13.4 points and 4.2 rebounds this season.

The post REPORT: Carmelo Anthony Listed Day to Day After Hamstring Strain appeared first on SLAM.

Welcome to the life of a ballplayer from Montreal. Or at least, the old life of a baller from Montreal. When Anthony was en route to winning a ring 10 years ago, there were just a handful of players from the entire country of Canada in the League, and they were basically a novelty. And French-speaking Canadians from Quebec’s largest city? With all due respect to Bill Wennington, they were a pure anomaly. Today, the country that sends the most players to the NBA other than America is Canada—a story you’ve probably read before—with more and more coming out of Montreal, which is a story you probably didn’t even realize was happening.

“There was no dream of making the NBA when I was younger,” recalls the 39-year-old Anthony, who eventually played college ball in Montreal (Dawson College), JUCO in Florida (Pensacola JC) and DI in Nevada (UNLV) before making the L as an undrafted free agent in 2007. “I  loved it, I watched it, had favorite players like Jordan and the Bulls, and Shaq as a big I looked up to, but I never saw myself as having an opportunity to play in the NBA. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”

As Anthony took baby steps to the NBA, he would encounter various forms of incredulity from his teammates. In college, “It was, They have basketball players in Canada? What? They didn’t even know there were Black people in Montreal,” Anthony remembers. When he got to the NBA, “There weren’t a lot of Canadians. Just Steve [Nash], Jamaal [Magloire] and Sam [Dalembert, a rare Montrealer]. When people found out I was from there, they were surprised. I realized what a big deal it was when there were a lot of articles and people talking about it back home, like, People like us don’t make it to this level!”

While Anthony grinded his way through a 10-year NBA career, Toronto-area players like Anthony Bennett, Andrew Wiggins and Jamal Murray made Canadians a regular presence in the Draft lottery and the L at large. Hoops slowly took hold in Montreal and its broader province of Quebec as well, with first- and second-generation immigrants from French-speaking nations across Africa and the Caribbean helping to hasten the region’s interest in sports beyond Canada’s national sport of hockey.

As The Globe and Mail pointed out in an article last May, the presence of Montreal products Khem Birch, Chris Boucher, Luguentz Dort and Karim Mané in the NBA “reflects the sport’s rapid growth in Quebec, where soccer and basketball have begun to chip away at hockey’s supremacy. The week of May 10 was a symbolic watershed: That Monday, for the first time in team history, the Montreal Canadiens had no Quebec players in their lineup. The following night, the Toronto Raptors had two.”

According to a 2019 article in the Quebec newspaper le Soleil that cites data provided by Basketball Québec, from 2013-2019, the number of people participating in the sport within the province jumped from about 38,000 to about 52,000.

Boucher’s manager, Ibrahim Appiah, grew up in Montreal and made the jump to DI High Point University in North Carolina in 2007. Since completing his playing career, he’s become a coach and advisor to players throughout Quebec. Appiah was part of a group that discovered Boucher, a completely unheralded kid who had moved to Montreal from St. Lucia and was as raw as he was athletic. 

“Around here, it’s almost taboo to say you think someone could make it to the pros,” says Appiah. “But I thought Chris could. And really, if anyone could, it would be him. We saw what he could do and kept comparing him to Anthony Davis.”

Boucher has not reached AD status but now, in his fifth NBA season, the 28-year-old is a legit rotation player, coming off a season in which he averaged 24 minutes, 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game for the Raps. Dort, meanwhile, is in his third season in the NBA and is now a full-on starter for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the only team he’s played with.

After their youth careers in Montreal both Boucher and Dort did brief stints at Pac-12 schools (Oregon and Arizona State, respectively) before reaching the L as undrafted free agents. Their Instagram feeds overflow with love for their home city and shoutouts to the various camps and youth programs they both support in Canada.

Alex Victor, another big influence on the Montreal hoops scene (please see the story on his Institut de Sport Dynastie), loves what he’s seeing from Montrealers in the L right now, and is even more excited for a prospect who’s right around the corner. “Check out Ben [Bennedict] Mathurin,” Victor says of the 6-6 wing who’s about to kick off a super sophomore season at the University of Arizona. “He is projected to be the first player from Montreal to be a lottery pick.”

Such an achievement will represent a logical step in this evolution, Anthony says. “Montreal has always had ballplayers, even if we didn’t get the recognition we deserve. The type of players who have made it have been underdogs, guys who came in and had to really work and grind their way through. But now they’re developing on offense…and people are taking notice.” 

Ben Osborne is a former SLAM Ed. and is now Head of Content for Just Women’s Sports.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Montreal Has Emerged as a Major Hub For NBA Talent Out of Canada appeared first on SLAM.

The primetime matchup was Anthony Davis’ second game back after sitting out for over a month due to an MCL sprain. The last time James played was in a 106-96 win over Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, finishing with 33 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to go along with three steals and two blocks.

This season, the Chosen One has played a heavy workload, averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 boards, and 6.3 dimes on 52.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent shooting from downtown. Thus far, James has played 36.6 minutes per game on a 30.6 usage rate. On top of that, James has suffered multiple injuries during his Lakers tenure, most notably a groin injury that cost him 17 consecutive games and the Lakers a spot in the 2019 playoffs.

As of publication, the Lakers haven’t announced whether or not James will play against the Hornets on Friday. The last time the Lakers forward missed a game was November 30 against the Sacramento Kings. He has missed 13 games this season.

The post Lakers Announce LeBron James Is Day-to-Day With A Sore Left Knee appeared first on SLAM.

After it was announced that Davis wouldn’t have a concrete minutes restriction, he ended up playing 25 minutes, finishing with 8 points, two rebounds, two assists, and four blocks.

After the game, AD shared how he felt on the floor after missing over a month (spanning 17 games) with his injured left knee via ESPN.

“For the most part, I felt fine, felt great out there, and the first couple minutes the adrenaline took, and after that, the wind caught up to me,” Davis said. “When I caught my second wind, I was fine for the rest of the game.”

“I don’t know about the whole minute restriction thing; I think for me that might come off,” Davis said. “Might tell coach Vogel I don’t need that, but we’ll see.”

First play of the game. Great to have you back, @AntDavis23 pic.twitter.com/dljoittWhw

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 26, 2022

Davis’ superstar teammate LeBron James discussed the importance of his return as a boost for an underachieving team sitting seventh in the Western Conference at 24-24.

“He just makes our team so much more complete, our length defensively, our ability to really get up in people’s faces because we know we got him at the rim, or our ability to switch a lot of things because he can literally guard 1-through-5,” James said. “Offensively, it just attracts another set of eyes off of myself, off of Russell Westbrook, off of Carmelo Anthony, off of Malik Monk. Off everybody, because he’s such a dynamic player.”

The Los Angeles Lakers are 7-10 without The Brow. They face the Philadelphia 76ers (28-10) Thursday night.

The post Anthony Davis, Lakers On His Return Against the Nets appeared first on SLAM.

However, it seems as though the Lakers have changed their tune on moving Westbrook. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers are not looking to trade Westbrook and are now focusing on winning with him on the roster.

“It’s not like [Westbrook’s] a tradable player where if it’s not working out, you just move on; everybody in the NBA knows that,” one team source said. “So it’s got to work. This is the only option. There is no Plan B for this season.”

The Lakers, and Westbrook, are not having the season they would have liked coming into the year.

Westbrook averages 18.6 points – the lowest mark of his career since his second season – and 7.7 assists per game while shooting a pedestrian 43.8 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three. Westbrook’s poor play even resulted in him being benched by Frank Vogel for the final minutes of the Lakers 111-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers are currently on the fringes of a playoff spot, sitting eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 24-24, and while Westbrook’s play has left something to be desired, Los Angeles is dealing with several issues that have resulted in the suboptimal record.

Star forward Anthony Davis has missed nearly half the season for the Lakers recovering from a knee injury, but he returned to action for the first time in over a month on Tuesday night in a 106-96 win against the Brooklyn nets.

LeBron James has also missed a noticeable portion of the season due to both health and safety protocols and a brief injury stint.

Vogel, like Westbrook, has also come under scrutiny this season for the Lakers’ performance, and like Westbrook, Shelburne reports that Vogel will remain with the team for the rest of the season. Shelburne reports that the decision is due to a lack of confidence that changing coaches would lead to a “dramatically different result.”

The post REPORT: Lakers No Longer Looking to Trade Russell Westbrook appeared first on SLAM.

Storylines started appearing from his leaving the arena and not making himself available to the media to the Lakers front office, giving Frank Vogel the green light to bench him.

The Lakers point guard sat down in Orlando with League insider Adrian Wojnarowski for an interview, stating that even though he was disappointed with being benched Wednesday, he remains focused on doing what’s best for the team to win.

Westbrook tells ESPN: “I have accepted everything that has been asked of me and tried to do it to the best of my ability.”

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 21, 2022

Westbrook also wanted to provide insight into the rumors that he left the locker room without meeting with reporters when both Westbrook and team officials requested that he skip the interview session. He also asked Lakers Nation for patience and a chance to show what he and the Los Angeles Lakers can do when Anthony Davis returns from his MCL injury in his left knee.

Russ made it directly clear to ESPN that he is still committed to the process of doing whatever the Lakers need to do to be successful this season.

“We obviously haven’t been fully healthy, but I’m committed to making this thing work. The communication is there with everybody in the organization to make this thing work, to make this team we all want it to be in the future.”

“Everybody is trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. I try to put my head down and do the best that I can do for our team, and whatever is asked of me, I try to do it to the best of my ability. That’s all I’ve been trying to do since I got here.”

Lakers Coach Frank Vogel has backed Westbrook throughout this period and said as much via NBA.com.

“I feel good about what we’re doing with our team and don’t feel good always about the results,” Vogel said Wednesday. “But I believe in what we can do this year, and so (I’m) steadfastly remaining focused on the task at hand.”

Russell Westbrook and the Lakers (22-23) are on the road to take on the Orlando Magic (8-38) Friday night.

The post Russell Westbrook On Benching: ‘Whatever Is Asked of Me I Try to Do It to the Best of My Ability’ appeared first on SLAM.

“According to people with knowledge of the situation, the team is shopping 21-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker in trade discussions. Rival general managers believe the Lakers value Horton-Tucker, but they lack the mid-range contracts needed to put together a deal to upgrade their roster and understand no significant trade is getting made without him.”

Horton-Tucker just inked a three-year deal worth $30 million, making him the fourth highest-paid player behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers have struggled with cap flexibility for the last few seasons in their attempt to acquire stars. The draft-day deal to land Westbrook and his $40 million contract makes Horton-Tucker expendable because of limited options.

THT is currently in his third season with the team, but a thumb injury that required surgery and an extended stint in the NBA Health and Safety protocols has slowed his progress.

This rumor comes on the heels of a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stating the Lakers will not make any moves of consequence.

“Listen, the Lakers tried,” Wojnarowski said. “They tried to get involved with [former Atlanta Hawks wing Cam Reddish], you know the Knicks had a better asset for them. I think the Lakers are in a tough spot to do anything other than just kind of move the furniture around.

“… I think, for the most part, the Lakers’ improvement is going to have to come from within. They just don’t have tradeable assets, especially with so few sellers in the market. There are going to be other teams who can offer those select few sellers better offers than the Lakers will be able to.”

At this point, time will tell how coveted Talen Horton-Tucker is on the trade market and if the Lakers can put together a package that a team would be interested in.

The post REPORT: Los Angeles Lakers Place Talen Horton-Tucker On Trading Block appeared first on SLAM.

At 22-22, the Lakers haven’t met the championship standards that were set after acquring a fleet of future Hall-of-Famers in Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Rajon Rondo. The Lakers haven’t been more than three games above .500 at any point during this season, and after starting 2022 on a high-note with a four-game win streak, have lost three of it’s last found contests. Including a 37-point blowout loss to the Nuggets over the weekend.

Going into their game against the Jazz on Monday, Bill Oram and Sam Amick reported that Vogel was “coaching for his job after he narrowly avoided being fired in the wake of the blowout loss in Denver 48 hours earlier.” If the Lakers lost in similar fashion to the Jazz, Oram and Amick wrote it would’ve been his last game. However, the Lakers outlasted the Jazz for a 101-95 win on Monday.

OH MY GOODNESS, RUSS. (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/xKs5dp0pla

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 18, 2022

Vogel’s job is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and is at risk of being fired if the Lakers don’t improve after Monday. Injuries have been the main culprit behind the Lakers struggles and inability to build any chemistry or continuity in their rotation, offense, or defense. Building an offense around Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis has proven to be difficult with injuries and COVID-19 protocols robbing the trio of time together on the court.

Walk 'em down Bron. (via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/ZsLaCadFsb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 18, 2022

The Lakers’ defense, a hallmark of Vogel’s first two seasons, has become less and less prioritized while the Lakers decided to sign older veterans over younger more athletic players that can play on both sides of the ball. As of Monday, the Lakers rank 18th in defensive efficiency, and 24th on offense with a 23rd ranked net rating. Before outlasting the Jazz, the Lakers had struggled mightily to beat the better teams in the league.

The writing has seemingly been on the wall since Vogel and the Lakers agreed to a one-year extension over the summer. The deal keeps him around until the 2022-2023 season and was seen as an reward for leading the Lakers to a 59-29 record and title in 2020 but left the door open for a potential dismissal if the Lakers failed to meet expectations. Since then, Los Angeles is 64-52 in the regular season and is coming off a first-round playoff exit.

The Lakers host the Pacers on Wednesday before embarking on a six-game road trip. Los Angeles is just 7-11 on the road this season.

The post REPORT: Frank Vogel’s Job in Jeopardy appeared first on SLAM.

That stretch is the reason why James believes that the Lakers can still finish strong to win the NBA championship in a similar fashion to what Tom Brady did with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a mediocre start, the team put it all together late in the season and went on a playoff run that ended in Brady winning a seventh overall Super Bowl.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Anthony, and other Laker teammates seem to have related to the comparison to the seven-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the greatest football player of all time.

“It’s a great comparison, What better team and what better situation to compare it to than what the Bucs did last year?”

“Just from the standpoint of starting off slow and having new guys on the team. New system. Guys trying to figure it out, guys trying to figure out how to play with LeBron and (Anthony Davis) and now incorporating Russ and just now everybody figuring out what their role is,” Anthony said. “And what made it beautiful for the Bucs is that once it came together, it came together and you saw what happened with that.”

The King used the comparisons to prepare his team for the possible growing pains of figuring out roles long-term and team chemistry during the offseason. Anthony stated that James’ foreshadowing has kept the team on an even keel at the halfway point this season.

“It was just kind of preparing ourselves for whatever happens, whatever comes along,” Anthony said. “I think we were, I don’t want to say prepared for those (difficult) moments and those times mentally and emotionally, but yeah, those were conversations that were happening.”

The Los Angeles Lakers start the second half of the season against the Sacramento Kings (16-27).

The post Carmelo Anthony Agrees With LeBron James’ Comparisons To Super Bowl Champs appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on NBA Today that the Lakers could be aiming to move players to free up space on the roster ahead of the trade deadline. Windhorst mentions that DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore could be the ones packing their backs soon.

“With LeBron [James] starting at center and eventually getting Anthony Davis back, they [Lakers] are looking to move DeAndre Jordan. Not necessarily for another player, but to move him so they can open up a roster spot. Kent Bazemore is another player that they’ve been willing to talk about, in talking with some other teams,” Windhorst said. “Their goal is: open up a roster spot.”

Windhorst notes that the Lakers had already made moves this season when they traded Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week for the draft rights to Frenchman Louis Labeyrie. The latter plays for Valencia Basket of the Liga ACB, the top basketball league in Spain. He was taken in the 57th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft but is unlikely to ever play in the NBA.

It’s not difficult to see why the Lakers are exploring the possibility of moving Bazemore and Jordan, as the duo has struggled to see the floor so far this season.

This year, Jordan has played in 27 games with 18 starts but has averaged a career-low 13.2 minutes per game. In the limited minutes he’s getting, Jordan contributes 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Bazemore has seen slightly less action than Jordan this year, playing in 22 games while averaging 18.1 minutes per game, and is only putting up 4.3 points per game on below-average shooting numbers of 33.7 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range.

The Lakers desperately need additional help, as the season so far has not gone the way they would have liked. Los Angeles is currently sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 20-19, 10.5 games back of the first-place Phoenix Suns (30-8).

The NBA trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10.

The post REPORT: Lakers Looking to Trade DeAndre Jordan to Free Roster Space appeared first on SLAM.

To top it all off, James did it on his first career start at center, logging 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists on 11-19 shooting from the field (3-5 from deep) in 39 minutes of action. He started at the five because Anthony Davis is out with a knee sprain. It was James’ 102nd career triple-double. According to ESPN Stats and Info, James is the youngest to reach every round number milestone in points.

LeBron James reached 36K points on Tuesday. He’s the youngest to reach every round number milestone in points: 1K, 2K, 3K, 4K, 5K, 6K, 7K, 8K, 9K, 10K, 11K, 12K, 13K, 14K, 15K, 16K, 17K, 18K, 19K, 20K, 21K, 22K, 23K, 24K, 25K, 26K, 27K, 28K, 29K, 30K, 31K, 32K, 33K, 34K, 35K, 36K pic.twitter.com/ZIVZZcjGXZ

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 29, 2021

The monumental effort from Russell Westbrook (24 points, 12 boards, 10 dimes) and James helped the Lakers snap their five-game skid. Lakers assistant coach David Fizdale had nothing but good things to say about the King, who has been a model of consistency since entering the League in 2003.

“I don’t think you guys realize what this guy just did,” Fizdale said per Spectrum Sports. “He just played the five for four quarters and dominated at the position. … This guy is unbelievable. I can’t help it, man. We’re very lucky as basketball people to get to watch what we’re watching right now out of this man, and it’s just beautiful.” 

The Lakers return to action on Wednesday with the hopes of starting a win streak on the road against the Grizzlies.

The post LeBron James Becomes Third Ever Player to Score 36k Career Points appeared first on SLAM.

Despite Los Angeles having two stars to Brooklyn’s one, the Lakers ended up losing 122-115, adding to their five-game losing streak to fall to the 8th seed in the Western Conference. One of the main storylines was the performance of the future Hall of Famer, Westbrook. While the other stars had monster games, he had a nightmarish game shooting only 4-20 from the field, which included a missed dunk late in the game.

James defended Brodie by pointing out the positives he brought to the Lakers’ near comeback via ESPN. 

“He gave us extra possessions, he gave us a lot of looks around the basket, which I know that he can’t stand [failing to convert] as well,” James said. “But as far as the effort piece, if a guy plays hard, if a guy leaves it all out on the floor, I got no problem with that. It’s a make-or-miss league.”

Despite LeBron’s observations, Westbrook’s misses are at historic proportions. According to ESPN Stats & Info, his misses shots near the rim show he has two of the worst performances in the last decade.

Russell Westbrook shot 4-15 in the restricted area last night. His 11 misses are tied for the most in a game by a guard in the last 10 seasons.

He tied… himself. Westbrook missed 11 shots in the restricted area against the Nuggets on January 22, 2020. pic.twitter.com/zsEB2ZXDJo

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 26, 2021

Lakers interim coach David Fizdale explained why he thought Westbrook has struggled at times shooting the ball at times this season via ESPN.

“A big part of it is he just wants it so bad,” Fizdale said. “I mean, you can just see it in him; everybody does. He wants it so bad. And I know that’s just hard for him when it doesn’t work out. And I know he cares like crazy.

“I just want him to take a lot of that pressure off himself, keep attacking, keep playing the way we know he can.”

Russ has his next chance to bounce back Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets.

The post Lakers Defend Russell Westbrook Following Christmas Day Shooting Struggles appeared first on SLAM.

An MRI revealed a MCL sprain for Anthony Davis, the Lakers announced. He will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, the team says.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 18, 2021

AD tried to leave the court under his power to get back to the Lakers locker room but was seen falling to the ground on his way through the tunnel before getting there.

Anthony Davis struggled to get to the locker room after an apparent knee injury in the third quarter. pic.twitter.com/MOBSzzrYYJ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 18, 2021

Until this point, Davis had played in 27 of the Lakers’ first 30 games, becoming one of the team’s more durable players. He only played in 36 games last season due to injury after playing 62 games in the championship season with the Lakers.

Davis has averaged 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game this season.

This injury is just one of the many injury and illness issues this season for the Lakers. Numerous Lakers players are currently in the league’s health and safety protocols.

The Los Angeles Lakers currently have a record of 16-14 going into their matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Before the game, Davis spoke to reporters about how he was feeling after the diagnosis.

Anthony Davis, speaking to reporters for the first time since his knee injury in MIN: “I mean, mentally, I’m fine. I’m in good spirits, just being around the team. Obviously avoided a major injury, which has kind of got my spirits back up because I just didn’t know.”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 20, 2021

The Lakers play against the Phoenix Suns at home on Tuesday.

The post Lakers’ Anthony Davis Out Four Weeks With MCL Sprain In His Left Knee appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Los Angeles Lakers have had internal discussions about trading Westbrook before the trade deadline.

“The trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook simply hasn’t blended as well as Lakers figures hoped, and Los Angeles has held internal discussions on trade scenarios for Russell Westbrook, league sources told B/R. But moving Westbrook and the two years, $91 million remaining on his contract does seem unlikely,” Fischer wrote.

Fischer notes that the problem the Lakers would encounter if they’re serious about trading Westbrook is that few players across the league can both match his salary of more than $41 million per year and be available to be traded.

Fischer mentions Kevin Love and John Wall as high-salary options, but tabs both as unlikely. The disgruntled Ben Simmons was also named as a possibility, but Fischer reports that Westbrook is not on the Philadelphia 76ers list of players they’d be willing to trade for Simmons.

The Lakers have had a disappointing start to their season, currently sixth-best in the Western Conference with a record of 15-13.

The post REPORT: Russell Westbrook Trade ‘Discussed Internally’ By Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Anthony Davis said after the game that the Los Angeles Lakers need to play like they’re the “underdogs.”

“These guys already feel like they’re the underdogs when they’re coming in, especially when they’re without their star players,” Davis said via ESPN. “And we got to play like we’re the underdogs. Which, now, at this point of the season, the way we’re playing, a lot of games, we probably are.”

The narrative surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers for much of the season is problems with injuries hurting the consistency of the lineup. However, Davis goes on to point out that with teams currently missing their “star players,” the Lakers have to step it up.

The team lost to a Los Angeles Clippers team without Kawhi Leonard, a Sacramento Kings team without two starters and have blown two leads against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I think when their star players are out, we have to lock in even more because these guys have no conscience,” Davis continued. “They want to come in and beat the Lakers, beat LeBron, beat A.D., beat whoever, beat Melo. Like, they want to say, ‘I gave the Lakers 30, 25, whatever.'”

The Lakers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

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James has undergone eight tests, all of which came back negative after testing positive before the Lakers 117-92 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. James’ teammate, Anthony Davis, said James was asymptomatic and “feeling fine” postgame, according to YahooSports.

James missed Thursday’s practice and was required by health and safety protocols to remain isolated from the team until he returned two negative tests within 24-hours.

The NBA released a statement Thursday regarding James’ clearance from health and safety protocols that will enable him to enter the Lakers lineup for Friday’s game:

The League said in their statement that James was originally placed in the health and safety protocols after a series of tests delivered conflicting results, including an initial positive test that was collected on Monday. According to the League, the sample that produced the initial positive was re-run twice and returned one negative and one positive result on two different PCR instruments.

As a result, James underwent additional testing on Wednesday, with one test returning a negative result and a second test resulting in a “clinically inconclusive result.”

“Additional testing confirmed that he is not a positive case,” the NBA said.

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Davis told reporters, including Kurt Helin from NBC Sports, that he wouldn’t be stopping any time soon despite a sluggish start to the year shooting the ball from deep.

“I’m going to continue to shoot the ball from 3, whether it goes in or not,” Davis said. “I think that opens up the floor for my teammates — LeBron [James], Russ [Westbrook], Talo [Talen Horton-Tucker] — to get downhill. And it opens it up for me to get to the paint when guys run out and are closing out to the three.”

Davis’ shooting numbers are admittedly a brutal sight. Through 21 games, Davis is shooting a woeful 19.6 percent from three on 2.1 attempts per game this season.

The Brows’ shooting struggles are a continuation of a slightly concerning trend for Davis. For the past three consecutive seasons, not including the current season, Davis has finished the year with a worse three-point percentage than he did the year before. In the 2017-18 season, Davis finished shooting 34.0 percent from distance; he lowered that number every season since before dropping to 26 percent by the end of last season.

If he finishes the current season below 20 percent from beyond the arc, it’ll be the fourth season in a row he ends with a lower mark than the year prior.

Despite a poor season from the three-point line, Davis is still putting up All-Star level scoring numbers averaging 24.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game on 51.8 percent shooting from the field this year.

The Lakers have not had the hot start they would have wanted either, currently sitting eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 12-11.

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His 13 points, 12 boards and 10 dimes cemented himself as the youngest player in Detroit Pistons’ history to record a triple-double at 20 years and 57 days old and the 8th-youngest player in the League’s history to do so. Cunningham also joined some elite Detroit company, becoming one of three Pistons rookies to record a triple-double according to StatMuse, alongside Dave DeBusschere and Grant Hill.

Cade Cunningham got loose in the first half vs. the Lakers pic.twitter.com/QNt3dc1Fai

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 22, 2021

With that, Cunningham is in a league of his own as he’s the only Detroit rookie to record a triple-double in the first 11 games of his career, as well as the 13th player to do so in NBA history.

Cunningham had seven assists in the first half, during which the Pistons scored a season-high 68 points.

“I think we made some progress. Now we know we’ve got to close out fourth quarters. I’m happy to see I was able to accomplish [a triple-double]—that’s big-time. But winning the game is even greater than that. I’m still going to go home kind of sour we lost,” Cunningham said postgame.

Using ALL of his seven-foot wingspan against Anthony Davis.@CadeCunningham_ | @DetroitPistons pic.twitter.com/4sV2p7Pwre

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) November 21, 2021

Cunningham and the 4-12 Pistons’ next matchup will be against the Miami Heat at home on Tuesday.

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The incident happened at the 9:18 mark in the third quarter.

James and Stewart did not make any comments about the incident after the game, but Lakers power forward Anthony Davis shared his feelings on the incident and how his team came together to support James.

“Everyone in the league knows LeBron’s not a dirty guy,” Davis said via ESPN. “In fact, when he knew he hit him, as soon as he did it, he looked back at him like, ‘Oh, my bad. I didn’t try to do it.'”

“I don’t know what he was trying to do,” he said of Stewart. “But I know nobody on our team, 1 through 15, was having it. We’re going to protect our brother. I’ve never, in 10 years, seen a player try to do that as long as I’ve been playing. … It’s uncalled for. You got a cut above your eye, accidental-like, it wasn’t on purpose. And we weren’t going to allow him to keep charging our brother like that. I don’t know what he was trying to do, but we wasn’t going to allow that.”

AD on the LeBron/Stewart incident: “I don’t know what he was trying to do but I know nobody on our team, 1-15, was having it. We going to protect our brother.” pic.twitter.com/1Edc8XImPe

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 22, 2021

This is the second ejection of James’ 19-year career with the other one happening on Nov. 28, 2017 when the Cavaliers took on the Miami Heat. If he is suspended, he could miss the team’s only scheduled matchup at Madison Square Garden this season.

LeBron James had 10 points in 21 minutes before his ejection.

The post ‘We’re Going to Protect Our Brother’: Anthony Davis on LeBron James-Isaiah Stewart Incident appeared first on SLAM.

With that good news comes “growing optimism” that the four-time MVP could make his return to the court soon, with Friday’s matchup against the Celtics seen as the target date for James to rejoin the Lakers (8-7).

Head coach Frank Vogel said Sunday that James has been back on the court and resumed individual workouts in recent days. The Lakers’ timing could not be better as they begin a five-game road trip that kicks off against the Bucks (6-8). The Lakers are coming off a 121-103 loss to the Bulls, Monday, where Anthony Davis got ejected in the third quarter in the midst of him putting his shoe back on and arguing with referees.

The Lakers’ up-and-down play so far this season is well documented, and Davis has been frank about the franchise’s championship hopes after a recent 107-83 loss to the Timberwolves.

“We suck,” Davis said per Lakers Daily. “No defense, can’t score. That’s not this third quarter. Every third quarter that we’ve played this season, we come out slow, lackadaisical offensively, and defensively. We got to get it together. Why? I can’t tell you. But we have to do a better job. We scored 12 points in the third quarter. They scored 40. That’s the game right there. We got to do a better job coming out in the third. Championship team? That’s not us right now. We’re not winning a championship the way we’re playing. We got to be better, and we got to care more for our wins at home, wins in general. That was embarrassing.”

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What’s been most worrisome is the fact that the Lakers have lost quite a few games to teams that are near the bottom of the NBA standings.

Following a recent loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Lakers big Anthony Davis spoke to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other reporters about their early season struggles.

“We got to decide who we want to be. A championship team? That’s not us right now,” Davis said. “We’re not winning a championship the way we’re playing. We got to be better, and we got to care more for our wins at home. Wins in general. That was embarrassing.”

While there is still plenty of time to turn things around this season, Davis says the Lakers aren’t playing like a championship team. 

In their defense, they’ve been without key players in several games, including LeBron James who has only played in six games this season.

Don’t be surprised if the Lakers end up near the top of the standings at the end of the regular season. They’ve got the talent to be great, but haven’t fully meshed this season.

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However, a slow start to the season has brought questions about fit and inconsistencies in Westbrook’s play.

Westbrook hit a low point following 105-90 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers over the weekend. Without LeBron James in the lineup because of injury and a limited Anthony Davis due to a stomach illness, Russ could only manage eight points on 1-13 shooting with six turnovers.

After the game, he declared that his style of play “doesn’t work for our team.” then talked about his need to “play harder.” via the Los Angeles Times:

“Do a better job of being me consistently and not confining my game or how I play because it just doesn’t work for our team and it doesn’t work just in general, just doesn’t put me in the position or a pace I need to play at to be able to better my teammates,” Westbrook said.

For his entire 14-year career, Westbrook has built his repuation on his harrd-nosed attacking style, but now that he’s playing for his fourth team in four years spanning stops from Oklahoma City to Houston and Washington, he claimed he would figure it out.

Something that Carmelo Anthony, who played with Westbrook on the Thunder team a few years back, agrees with:

“He’s always figured out how to adapt, how to make adjustments, what he has to do personally, physically, mentally to lead,” Anthony said via Yahoo Sports. “We can’t control that. That’s something that he controls, and only he knows what he has to do. We got to be there just to support him, and that’s what we will do.”

The Los Angeles Lakers play the Charlotte Hornets (5-6) on Monday. For the season, Westbrook is averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebunds, and 7.9 assists on 41.8 percent shooting from the field.

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There’s a new type of highlight starting to regularly circulate on social media. It’s Evan Mobley, rookie center for the Cleveland Cavaliers, contesting and altering shots. 

I know—sounds boring. The clips got lost on my Twitter timeline (which is really just an endless stream of basketball highlights) at first. But they just kept popping up. And the captions just kept getting more and more audacious. Words and phrases like “a force,” “incredibly dominant,” “generational,” and “all-defense” became increasingly harder to ignore. I clicked play on the video you see below and… wow. 

Of course, that montage includes more than just contests—monster blocks, deflections, steals and a Collin Sexton poster snuck in there. But I was also thoroughly entertained by the segments that showed Mobley, a true seven-footer, shuffling his feet to stay in front of a guard up top and then extending his never-ending arm to simply create a bad shot attempt. At one point, he is matched up against the uber-confident Reggie Jackson, who naturally tries to shake him with a couple fancy crossovers. Jackson appears to gain some separation—just a sliver of a cushion to get his shot off—but Mobley uses his 7-4 wingspan and absurd athleticism to immediately close the gap. Even for Jackson, the degree of difficulty on the eventual jumper is extremely high. I mean, how do you even see the rim when Mobley leaps like that? (Please post more clips like this.)

Cleveland took Mobley with the third overall pick back in July largely because of his potential on defense. He averaged 2.9 blocks per game and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in his sole season at USC. His versatility on that end—being able to switch onto perimeter players seamlessly and protect the rim like a traditional big—is reminiscent of all-defensive guys like Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo. Here’s another clip from the Twitterverse, of Mobley containing the shifty Trae Young: 

For all the hype surrounding Mobley heading into the draft, he has exceeded expectations so far this season. He is doing “dominant,” “generational” things on defense—leading the entire NBA in contested shots per game (15.1) and averaging 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals. Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been exploring different ways to take advantage of Mobley’s gifts, employing him at the top of a 3-2 zone that proved very effective in a 101-95 win over the Hawks, who shot just 32% in the second half. 

“Seeing Evan’s ability to move through that made me think of when [Kevin Garnett] was playing at the top of that zone [in Minnesota],” Bickerstaff said afterwards, via the Akron Beacon Journal. “So over the summer we went and studied it a bunch and put it in, and tonight it was really good for us.

“That position [Mobley] plays in that zone is not an easy position,” he added. “You’ve got to quarterback it from the front and also see and be aware of what’s behind you.”

Teammate Kevin Love also praised Mobley’s performance in the zone. “He’s got a huge future in front of him,” Love said. “It doesn’t surprise me that he’s able to do that. In my mind, he’s going to make a number of all-defensive teams in his career. So he’s just getting started. Once he really goes through the league a couple of times, like any rookie, once he figures it out, realizes how good he is, you’re going to see him make those teams.” 

Mobley has been a real factor on the other end, too. He scores within the flow of the offense—constantly moving, crashing the offensive glass for vicious putbacks (see below), setting screens and rolling to the rim for easy lobs. He’s already averaging 13.3 points (on 49% shooting from the field), and that number should only increase as he gets more comfortable and confident in his jumpshot. 

In the NBA’s annual GM survey, released at the beginning of October, not a single person predicted Mobley to win Rookie of the Year. He did, however, receive the most votes (33%) in response to the question: “Which rookie will be the best player in five years?” So GMs expected big things—just not right away. But Mobley is already contributing significantly, helping Cleveland get off to a 5-4 start and sending Twitter into a frenzy on a nightly basis. 

LeBron James probably summed it up best after his Lakers played the Cavaliers last Friday, and Mobley finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals: “He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this League.” The King has spoken.

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