We’re commemorating Luka’s unbelievable run to the 2024 NBA Finals with this cover of SLAM 250, which is also available in an exclusive orange and gold metal edition. Tap in.

The post The World is Mine: Luka Doncic Covers SLAM 251 appeared first on SLAM.

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

The process for “discovering” a high school basketball player changed a lot in the social media era.

To set some context: it used to be way different. In the ’80s, ’90s, even early ’00s, you’d read about an up-and-coming player in a newspaper or a magazine, then catch glimpses of them on television if somehow possible (though likely not until they hit the college ranks). You mostly saw very little—a small article here or there with a short text description and a photo; in some extreme examples, some decent footage on a sports highlight television show; and in some super-extreme examples, a magazine cover, the ultimate stamp.

Then came the internet, then Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all that. Pretty soon everyone had a camera in their hands 24/7, which meant that when a high school basketball player did something amazing, it immediately hit the internet, and if it was really amazing, it immediately went viral.

In 2017, Zion Williamson went viral damn near every other day. He was a junior forward out of South Carolina with a combo of flight—he could soar up to eye-level with the rim and just sort of hang out there for a few seconds—and power—he was built like a linebacker and dunked with such ferocity it shook the gym and caused a frenzy amongst the kids in the stands—that made every one of his dunk clips, which flew around social media at light speed, a must-watch.

At the time, the world had started to move with such tempo that on Zion’s game nights, those highlights were viral by the time he woke up the next morning. So where did that put SLAM, a publication with a history of “introducing” players like Zion to the world?

It was a question I thought about a lot at the time. I had become Editor-in-Chief the year before, a role I earned in part because of my ability to help SLAM compete in the hyperspeed media universe. And though the answer would continue to change (and still changes often to this day), at the time it was simple: we’re going to put him on the cover and we’re going to tell his story properly, show people the real Zion. 

SLAM 210 was Zion’s first magazine cover shoot. By the time the cover dropped, everyone knew his name (from Instagram), but this was the first time the audience actually heard from him directly. We had an interview with a “longform” video (like, three minutes) and a slew of beautiful, crispy photographs, which I half-joked at the time were the first look anyone got of Zion’s face outside of blurry camera phone footage.

That content was the result of a day spent with Zion and his family in Spartanburg, SC, where they’re from. There’s a mural in the middle of the city that says “THERE’S ONLY ONE SPARTANBURG,” and Zion’s stepfather bolted a basketball hoop to the middle of the mural for our photos. The images of Zion would become iconic in a different way than, say, a 2001 magazine cover would’ve, but in their own new-age way. Months later, when every college fan base was photoshopping Zion in their favorite team’s jersey, they meme’d our cover photo almost exclusively. Two years later, when Zion was drafted and signed with Jordan Brand, the company bought the rights and used that same photo—funny because of the many adidas logos they had to scrub and replace to make that work. The photo looked great, though, and was still the best visual representation of Z more than two years after the initial shoot.

We continued to cover Zion extensively following that shoot. His season at Duke was a blast, and we shot a great cover with him for SLAM 222—The Future Issue—right before he was drafted in 2019 to the New Orleans Pelicans. He teamed up with SLAM favorite Lonzo Ball, so we shot another cover, a group shot that also included Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday. Fast forward to summer 2020, post-Covid explosion but pre-Bubble, we rented an Airbnb-turned studio, masked up and shot a cool cover with Z to hype up the forthcoming return of the NBA. A few years later, in early 2023, we celebrated the then-surging Pelicans with a Pen & Pixel-style cover featuring Zion, Ingram and CJ McCollum. And then last summer he got another front page, posing on KICKS 26 alongside fellow Jordan Brand endorsees Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic.

As I’m typing this, Zion Williamson is just 23 years old, and though it seems like he’s been around the scene forever, his career is really still in its early chapters. He didn’t rocket to immediate NBA dominance, but some of the chatter about him not performing is just nonsense; he’s a two-time All-Star who’s averaged over 25 points and 6 boards per game while maintaining a 60 percent (!) field goal percentage. It’s already been incredibly impressive, and again—he’s 23! 

There’s an anecdote in my cover story from 2017 that explains what it was like to watch Zion work out in an empty gym, how it felt like each dunk literally shook the room, the sound of the ball smashing through the hoop reverberating off the walls. That intense, seemingly out-of-nowhere, shake-the-room energy—if a sound could be a mission statement, in that moment, Zion produced SLAM’s. Bold, powerful, striking…for us, it was a North Star in the form of a sound wave. We chase that feeling with our content—our covers, our videos, our photos, our stories—every day, and that shoot crystallized it for me. Plus, it helped me figure out what SLAM’s place in the lightning-fast media landscape should be. It looks different than it used to, but we still stand head and shoulders above the competition because of our elite storytelling and the credibility that a SLAM co-sign provides. 

So yeah—we’re Team Zion. Forever. 

Portrait by Zach Wolfe. Photo via Getty Images.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: Zion Williamson 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.

On June 12, 2015, we found ourselves walking the streets of downtown St. Louis with 17-year-old Jayson Tatum. At the time, though he was a five-star recruit who would soon commit to Duke, we were able to freely roam the streets without Jayson being bombarded by fans. Today, we wouldn’t be able to redo that shoot so seamlessly. But that day perfectly encapsulates the long-ranging relationship that SLAM has built with many of today’s NBA superstars.

The shoot was longer than our usual high school shoot: Jayson was about to become our HS Diarist for the following academic year, meaning he’d have his own column in the magazine for the following 12 months, which meant we’d have to capture plenty of images in different outfits so that we’d have enough options for all of the coming issues.

Jayson was accompanied by his entire family that day: his mother Brandy, his father Justin, his grandmother, his high school girlfriend and other relatives. We walked around taking photos in different parts of downtown St. Louis in the beaming summer sun. Although he had a cool, calm and collected demeanor, you could tell he already knew he was a star in the making. Going into the shoot, we asked him to bring whatever streetwear outfits he thought best reflected his personality. He showed up with a custom St. Louis Cardinals jersey that had his name stitched on the back, which he rocked for a photo in front of the iconic Gateway Arch. The second outfit he brought? A full gray suit, with a white dress shirt and a patterned pink/red/orange/white tie. He really meant business from Day 1.  

Through his diary entries in the issues that followed, we got a glimpse of his competitive side. He wrote about looking forward to playing against his dad during the season (Tatum attended Chaminade and his dad was the head coach of their rival school, Christian Brothers), and kept track of their head-to-head record. We also learned the impact that his mother had on his life, and even some of the school projects he enjoyed working on the most, along with any extracurricular activities. 

Toward the end of his senior year, Tatum was part of our annual HS All-American team shoot, where he posed alongside De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Harry Giles III and Josh Jackson in a conference room at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The SLAM All-American uniforms that year were sponsored by Jordan Brand and the shoot itself happened during Jordan Brand Classic week in NYC. Today, Tatum and Jordan have a very fruitful partnership. A full circle journey, indeed.

In the aftermath of his high school days, SLAM and Tatum have continued working together. In 2018, he appeared on his first solo SLAM cover, wearing a band-aid on his face in a nod to fellow St. Louis legend Nelly (the title of his HS feature—the spread where he’s wearing the aforementioned custom Cardinals jersey—was “Ride Wit Me,” a reference to Nelly’s hit single). In late 2022, he posed for his second solo cover. He’s also been a part of a couple of group covers. In 2023, he appeared on his first KICKS cover alongside fellow Jordan Brand athletes Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic. 

Point being, nine years later, Tatum and SLAM continue to collaborate on some top-tier shoots. He has not only played a major role in SLAM’s story and growth over the past decade—he’s also done the same for the game of basketball. Today, he’s one of the NBA’s biggest stars. A lethal scorer with a smooth flow to his game, he’s already been to four Conference Finals and got within two games of winning an NBA title in 2022. Off the court, he’s emerged as one of the most marketable figures in the game—you can always find him on TV, starring in commercials for Subway, Ruffles and Gatorade, among others. And, of course, he has his own signature sneaker with Jordan Brand—another TV spot to add to the list. He’s also become a model figure for fatherhood in the League—Jayson and his son, Deuce, are an elite duo in the hearts of all hoop fans and are frequently spotted together on the court and in the locker room after games. (And, for obvious reasons, we love when Deuce rocks his dad’s SLAM cover tee, which has happened a few times.)

Needless to say, as the headline of his high school story fittingly said, we’ve been riding wit’ JT for almost a decade, and we look forward to seeing all the destinations that lie ahead. 

Portrait by Chris Razoyk. Photo via Getty Images.

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“Like Joël said, I’ve worked on a lot of game shoes,” Lefferts, the embroidery expert, says. 

“Materials have such an emotional impact, especially in Jordan. If you look at the AJXI, patent leather. It also has to feel, like, instinctively like it’s Jordan, which, to me, this did.”

The post The Air Jordan 38 is Woven Through History by Expert Craftsmanship appeared first on SLAM.

Our photographer is snapping away, and Williamson needs to get on the same page as his fellow KICKS cover stars—Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Smiles or straight faces?

On this day in early July, it’s hard not to smile. We’re on a boat in the heart of Paris, docked along the Seine. The Eiffel Tower—about a mile up the river—creates a backdrop so stunning it looks almost fake. After a morning of rain, the clouds have parted and the sun shines down, beaming through the ceiling windows. Biggie’s “Sky’s the Limit”—Zion’s choice—blasts through a speaker. Williamson, Doncic and Tatum are standing on white seamless paper, delicately holding the latest offerings in their signature lines with Jordan Brand—the Zion 3, Luka 2 and Tatum 1—like they’re newborn babies. A large-scale media event has been organized for the afternoon, where the three sneakers will officially be introduced to the world.

So, yeah, there’s a lot to smile about. But the verdict? Straight faces. Mean mugs.

KICKS 26 featuring Zion, JT and Luka is available now. Shop here.

On the surface, Williamson, Doncic and Tatum have a lot in common. They are all young superstars (Tatum is the oldest at 25, Doncic is 24 and Williamson just turned 23 in July)—leaders of the next generation to take over the NBA. They are all versatile, positionless players—embodiments of the direction the game is heading. And, of course, they are all part of Jordan Brand’s exclusive roster of signature athletes.

Yet, it’s the uniqueness of each player that makes the design process both challenging and stimulating for the Jordan team. “It makes it more interesting, to be real,” says David Cin, Jordan Brand Senior Design Director of Performance Footwear. “It’s definitely challenging—you have to study what their needs are.”

The Brand constructs its basketball products based on two core principles: motion and emotion. First, silhouettes are crafted to benefit the motion of players on the floor. Designers study game film (not unlike how coaches do) to discern the precise movements and styles of their athletes. They grab clips and break them down into individual frames, laying out the images on a giant mural board. The question then becomes, How do we build a shoe perfectly tailored to these types of movements? Mechanical engineers work with material experts and other specialists to come up with the right solutions.

Of course, design decisions are also informed by meetings with the athletes themselves. That’s where the emotion component of each pair—which deals more with the narrative that surrounds it—is mostly unpacked. Beyond creating products that enhance performance, the Brand aims to evoke emotion through storytelling. The Zion 3, Luka 2 and Tatum 1 are all reflections of their namesakes’ journeys to this point.

“At the end of the day, it’s about really digging deeper into who our athletes are as people and allowing our consumer to see that other side,” says Kelsey Amy, Jordan Brand Expert Color Designer of Performance Footwear.

“We knew that had to be a part of the equation, too,” adds Cin. “Thinking about, Hey, what’s that feeling you get [from shoes]? How can we tap into that? How can we inspire kids?”

Williamson is seated on the lower deck of the boat, where the multi-hued carpet nearly matches the “Sanctuary” colorway of his Zion 3. We’ve asked the Pelicans star to describe his emotions on this dreamlike afternoon. He takes a deep breath, and that youthful smile returns to his face. “Two words,” he says. “Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus!”

It’s a cliché, but Williamson really looks like a kid on Christmas morning—only he’s seen this present before, many, many times. As he tells KICKS, he’s even more excited about the Zion 3 than he was about the first two releases in his signature line.

“When you look at my signature shoes, each shoe was built to represent what I was doing extremely well during that time,” he explains. “During my first year and a half in the League, I was more of a post player. I could handle [the ball], but I was mostly, like, a stretch 4, so when I would do certain moves, it would be [about] power or my second jump. So my first shoe was designed on that. If you look at my second shoe, I started handling the ball more, so it was about containment of power while still being able to have finesse. The third one, I think—I’m sorry, I know—that the third one represents who I am and what my game is like.”

In an early meeting about the Zion 3 almost two years ago, Williamson opened up to the Jordan team about a piece of his story that had yet to be fully explored through his line. His path to the NBA, Zion explained, is often misconstrued as having been easy, largely due to his athletic gifts and ridiculous highlight tapes.

“He talked about how people think that it’s just been sweet,” says Jarrett Mann, Jordan Brand Global Product Director of Performance Footwear. “They think that he was an overnight sensation—that he basically came on the scene as a 16-year-old YouTube phenom, and it was dunks and blocks and he was the highest sought-after recruit since LeBron [James]. But he talked a lot about coming to that moment.”

It was far from easy, Williamson stressed. 

I’m gonna shock the world. Y’all just gotta wait.

– Zion Williamson tells SLAMKicks

As a kid growing up in Florence, SC—not exactly known as a hotbed for basketball—he had to get it out the mud. “A lot of people where I’m from, when you talk about making it out, it’s not just basketball we’re using,” says Zion. “We’re just trying to make it out in any way.”

By the age of 9, Williamson was waking up at 5 a.m. every day to train with his stepfather (in the South, it’s wise to beat the blistering sun). Coming from a state with so few NBA players, he struggled with self-doubt. “I would always just kind of have in my mind, I’m not gonna make it, I don’t think I’m gonna do it,” he says. “That way, if something went wrong—like I heard in all the stories growing up—then I wouldn’t feel as bad about it. I always had self-doubt, but the older I got and the more I trusted my game and trusted who I was—who I am—the doubt has been erased.”

The Zion 3 was structured to communicate this lesser-told part of Williamson’s past, and the “out the mud” mentality it cultivated in him. Joël Greenspan, Jordan Brand Senior Designer of Performance Footwear, worked with a computational designer to simulate the visual effect of Zion’s foot last launching through mud (they went as far as to study different viscosities and the mud specific to South Carolina). It wasn’t just about creating a color-splatter design on the upper; the Jordan team also sought to make the mud a useful component of the shoe.

“The mud is a metaphor. It’s the hardship, the difficult times that Zion had to go through,” says Greenspan. “It’s therefore the thing that made him strong. We knew immediately that we had this idea of mud to armor. We wanted the mud to be the thing that makes the shoe strong.”

The solution? Haptic ink—a special kind of screen print previously used on Nike’s Metcon silhouettes, which are, according to Expert Material Designer of Performance Footwear Jacqueline Lefferts, “the only shoes where people can climb up a rope without holes being burnt through them.” The haptic ink provides extra reinforcement and containment in stress areas. “I guess the process was really, How do we tell this narrative in a beautiful way but still make it performance enhancing?” Lefferts says. In addition to the ink, the shoe features a Formula 23 drop-in midsole for enhanced court feel and a Zoom Air bag for crash protection. Williamson’s “Zion” logo is displayed prominently on the heel.

Of course, the man behind that logo hopes that his new sneaker gives others the confidence to overcome their own uphill battles—to make it out the mud, just as he did. “No matter where you’re from, no matter what situation you’re in, no matter how bad things are looking, no matter how good things are looking—when you put the [Zion 3] on, you should feel that you can literally do anything,” he says. “Whatever your aspirations are, with the Zion 3 on, you got a chance. That’s what I want people to feel.”

That’s what Williamson will feel when he laces up the Zion 3 this upcoming season. “One of my favorite things [about the shoe]—you can zoom in on that,” he tells us, flipping up the tongue to reveal three words printed on the inside: Shock the World. “I still stand on that. I’m gonna shock the world. Y’all just gotta wait.”

“I would say of our portfolio of athletes, in terms of just chapters of life, [Luka] has the most unique journey to him arriving at where he is,” Amy says.

That journey spans thousands of miles, beginning in the beautiful city of Ljubljana, Slovenia, where Doncic—Jordan Brand’s first European born-and-raised signature athlete—grew up. His father, Sasa, played professional ball for several years, and Luka fell in love with the game right away. “I was basically with basketball my whole life,” he says. “My father was playing and I was always with a ball in my hands, always at his games. So I was just connected to basketball.”

He had a natural feel for the sport and played whenever and wherever he could, flocking to an outdoor court every day after school. By the time he was 8, Doncic was already running with a group of 12- to 14-year-olds. “It all just came naturally,” he says. “I always played with older guys and then I could learn a lot from them.”

At 13, Doncic was offered a five-year contract by Real Madrid. Accepting the deal meant leaving his family and friends behind and moving to a country where he didn’t even speak the native language. “It was tough. At first it was a for sure no,” he admits. “I didn’t want to go.” But Doncic eventually decided to make the leap, determined to continue chasing his NBA dream. He picked up Spanish in just three months and blossomed on the court, earning numerous Liga ACB honors and winning EuroLeague MVP for a championship squad in 2018.

Doncic developed a unique skill set while competing overseas. The court is smaller and there’s no defensive three seconds in the international game, shrinking the space that players have to operate. Doncic had to focus on how to create space, despite not being the most athletic player in the league. The result? A combination of footwork, vision and balance that is one of one—and makes the task of designing his signature line extremely challenging.

“With the Luka franchise in general, we have an athlete who really gives us some very unique problems to solve,” says Chad Troyer, Jordan Brand Global Senior Product Line Manager of Performance Footwear.

Problems like, How do we account for Doncic’s elite step-back? Answer: the IsoPlate, an innovation built exclusively for Luka that wraps up the medial and lateral forefoot and secures the foot when shifting from front to back.

Informed by meetings with the Mavericks training staff and additional insights from Doncic, the Luka 2 combines the IsoPlate and full-length Formula 23 with a new medial Cushlon 3.0 wedge foam to keep Luka’s foot in control and propel him out of his moves, facilitating even more separation between him and his defenders. “It’s always going to be about space creation for Luka,” says Greenspan.

Colorways of the Luka 2 celebrate the many chapters of Doncic’s life. The “Lake Bled” is a nod to the scenic body of water in Luka’s hometown in Slovenia—“I think it’s one of the most beautiful places not only in Slovenia, but in the world,” Doncic says—and the teal-based “Matador” is inspired by his pro career in Madrid.

“Luka has taken the world by storm, with kids all over the globe from every different kind of culture,” Troyer stresses. Those kids, from as far away as Slovenia and Madrid, can look at Doncic’s story as proof that your dreams are never too far-fetched. That it’s possible to make it all the way to the NBA if you chase that ambition just as Doncic did.

“It’s up to us as a Brand to be able to dig deeper on those stories and educate our consumer on who Luka is as a person,” adds Amy, “and how he got from point A to point B.”

Truth is, there was no magic formula—just hard work, a lot of sacrifice and a real passion for the game. “Ljubzen” (“Love” in Slovenian) is printed on the top eyelet of the Luka 2, and the words “NON DESISTAS” and “NON EXIERIS” are featured on the heel of each shoe respectively, which translates from Latin to “Never give up, never surrender.”

“It was tough leaving Slovenia and moving to Madrid when I was 13. But looking back, I think that experience pushed me to where I am today,” Doncic reflected upon the 2’s release. “I hope my journey, from a kid in Slovenia dreaming of playing in the NBA, can inspire people everywhere to go after their dreams and stay true to themselves no matter what.”

It was June 2020, and Jayson Tatum was chatting over Zoom with his team at Jordan. That’s when they suddenly dropped the news on him: the Brand was giving him a signature. And Tatum…barely reacted. He froze—not on Zoom, in real life. He was in complete shock. It wasn’t until the design process kicked off that it really began to sink in. This is actually happening. This is my dream.

During those early brainstorms, Tatum expressed his preference that his signature be lightweight and feel connected to his foot in a way that was second nature. “As a basketball player, you don’t want to think about the shoe when you’re playing,” he explains. “You just want to lace your shoes up and go play the game. That level of comfort and trust in a way from your sneaker allows you to be yourself.”

The eventual product—the Tatum 1—is the lightest sneaker in Jordan Brand’s performance line. “That’s what we tried to target first and foremost,” says Derek Foster, Global Product Line Manager of Performance Footwear. “And then, within that, we were just really trying to nail down some of the attributes that relate to Jayson. We looked at his biomechanics and the way he plays—he’s a very forefoot-dominant athlete.”

Designers were able to remove weight while still maintaining a strong TPU frame that supports Tatum’s side-to-side movements—as does the outsole, which implements a plate technology. An uncaged Zoom Air bag is included in the forefoot, allowing Tatum to play efficiently on his toes just the way he likes.

Aside from the sneaker’s functionality, Tatum emphasized the importance of the Tatum 1 being for kids, not just for him. He prioritized creating a kids-specific design that utilizes an innovative tailgate system for easy entry. His son’s nickname, Deuce, is also featured on the inside of the tongue of three of the first four colorways. “[Deuce] challenges me to be a better person, because I always know that he is watching everything that I do,” Jayson says. “He’s inspired me to be a better man, to be a better role model, to be a better basketball player.”

“What [Tatum] brought to the table, what felt important to him, was to be about the future—to inspire kids,” says Bryant Klug, Jordan Brand Expert Designer of Performance Footwear. “He isn’t treating it like a scrapbook of all his own details—we have some of that stuff on the shoe, but he always talked about it, like, who it was for. And it was always for other people.”

There are two things that I’ve kind of always lived by. [One], you can never dream too big…

Another thing that goes hand in hand with that is, the bigger you dream, the harder you have to work.

– Jayson Tatum

Those details—like the coordinates of St. Louis and the words “I Just Didn’t Quit” (inspired by a Nipsey Hussle quote) on the TPU piece of the outsole, as well as “Living Proof” on the outer part of the rubber—reflect his own journey, for sure, but with the intent of influencing the next Jayson Tatum. They tell the story of a kid from the Midwest—raised in a city that, like Williamson’s hometown, isn’t known for basketball—working tirelessly to reach the NBA. His head coach at Chaminade HS, Frank Bennett, insists Tatum took just two days off during his four years there—the two days following their state championship victory his senior season.

“There are two things that I’ve kind of always lived by,” Tatum says. “[One], you can never dream too big. I grew up in St. Louis. My mom lived check to check—she was 19 when she had me. We’re not supposed to be here. I had dozens of people when I was younger tell me that I should choose a different dream or another profession—you know, something more realistic. But another thing that goes hand in hand with that is, the bigger you dream, the harder you have to work. And I was never going to let anybody outwork me.”

As a young boy, Tatum looked up to Kobe Bryant. He had on “What The” Kobe 9s in the state title game as a senior and rocked the “Prelude” colorways of the Kobe 5 and 6 when he played on the EYBL circuit. He was inspired by the Mamba’s blueprint. Now Tatum is the one setting his own blueprint, and he has a brand-new canvas with which to convey it.

“I know firsthand the influence that you can have on somebody without ever knowing them or meeting them,” Tatum says, reflecting on the impact that Bryant—all the way out in Los Angeles—had on him in St. Louis.

“So I understand the responsibility that I have, with the platform that I have, to inspire the next generation, whether they want to be a basketball player or the best doctor in the world—whatever it is, just to inspire somebody.”

Portraits by Alex Woodhouse.

The post Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum & Zion Williamson All in Paris?! SLAMKICKS Exclusive appeared first on SLAM.

This past June, France’s Victor  Wembanyama, was selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft, a 7-4 unicorn (and recent SLAM cover subject) hailed as a franchise savior in San Antonio. Then in early July, Paris celebrated the 20th anniversary of Quai 54, an international rendezvous of hip-hop and basketball sponsored by Jordan Brand, with guest appearances by Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum. And Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and lead facilitator during the Spurs’ era of dominance, will be the first Frenchman immortalized in the Naismith Hall of Fame by the time you’re reading this.

But the country’s roundball roots run deep. Real deep. Though it’s not a widely known fact, France is the birthplace of European basketball. 

On December 23, 1893, only two years after Dr. James Naismith tacked up a pair of peach baskets at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, MA, Naismith’s former student Melvin Rideout organized the first game outside of the US at 14Trévise, at the YMCA Paris which opened earlier that same year.

For the next century and change, hoops have been a year-round endeavor at 14Trévise, giving it the unique distinction as the “oldest surviving basketball court in the world.”

The gym is a carbon-copy replica of the Springfield Y, complete with an overhead wooden running track, two steel support pillars that run vertically down the middle of the court and iconic oak herringbone parquet floors. 

However, 14Trévise encompasses much more than basketball. A beacon of innovation at the time of its inauguration in 1893, the building brought together sports and intellectual and cultural activities, featuring a student hostel, theater, swimming pool, bowling alley, library and restaurant.

In 1993, for its 100th anniversary, 14Trévise was honored by the French Historical Monuments Administration for its “originality as a social, educational and sports complex,” thereby protecting its status as an original 19th century Y building.

From our perspective, any building with the legacy and lineage of 14Trévise not only deserves recognition, but restoration. And it’s finally happening. 

The Y is currently undergoing a $10 million overhaul to preserve the building’s architectural heritage and integrity while continuing its social mission to use sports and the arts for youth empowerment. 

In order to reopen for next summer’s Paris Games, 14Trévise closed its doors in early 2023 for 18 months of construction. Although the famous court will not host any official competitions, it will be a must-see destination on the Olympic map and all Olympic basketball games will be screened inside the gym for fans.

“Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee, was a supporter of the YMCA Paris from the start, and would be proud to see it renovated for the ’24 Games,” Christelle Bertho, architect and historian of the project, tells SLAM. “However, the gym will not become a museum. It will stay as vibrant as it has been since 1893—a much-used space for social, sports and cultural activities [that] will [also] host many special events.”

Hoopers from all over the world habitually stop in at the YMCA Paris to put up shots and travel back in time. Stephen Curry, Tyler Herro, Rudy Gobert, Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum have all made pilgrimages to 14Trévise and left their marks on the place. And now, you can too, whether you travel to Paris or not. 

Remember those iconic oak herringbone parquet floors we mentioned earlier? Well, starting at €100 (approximately $100), any fan can “adopt” one of 2,024 gym floorboards—via adopteunelame.com—to have their names etched into hoops history and be featured on the donor board upon the Y’s reopening.

“Because there are so many basketball lovers all over the world, it was dear to us to offer an opportunity to get involved in our unique restoration project and share our passion and dedication for saving this historical gym,” Danuta Pieter, philanthropy advisor to YMCA Paris, tells SLAM. “We already have supporters of all ages and from all continents.”

Floorboards aside, all eyes will be on Wemby this season and Paris next summer. And when 14Trévise reopens its doors, France’s influence and imprint on basketball culture will continue to grow.

Word to Dr. Naismith!

Photos via Ludovic Marquier.

The post Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the World’s Oldest Surviving Basketball Court is Being Fully Restored appeared first on SLAM.

The United States will enter the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in August as the second- ranked country in the world.

Yes, the second-ranked country.

For the first time in more than a decade, US men’s basketball slipped to No. 2 in the FIBA world rankings back in November. The top spot currently belongs to Spain, winners of the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket—the championship of Europe for men’s national teams—and the 2019 FIBA World Cup (a tournament in which the Americans finished seventh). The US does not send its A-team to events such as the FIBA AmeriCup, where it came in third last year after being knocked out by Argentina, but the results of those tournaments still impact the rankings. And while the squad put together for the Tokyo Olympics emerged victorious two summers ago, it lost to France during the preliminary round and only won by 5, 87-82, in a rematch in the Final. 

You don’t have to look hard for proof that the game is growing around the world. The three finalists for the 2023 NBA MVP hailed from countries outside the United States—winner Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and runners-up Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)—as well as six of the top eight vote-getters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) finished fifth, followed by Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) in seventh and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) in eighth. This marked the fifth straight season that a foreign-born player was crowned MVP, dating back to Antetokounmpo’s first triumph in 2019.

Most of those stars have confirmed that they intend to play in the upcoming World Cup, which will take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. This year’s event will be the second to feature 32 teams and the first to be hosted by multiple nations. It’s also the gateway to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as seven countries will qualify based on their performances: two from the Americas, two from Europe, one from Africa, one from Asia and one from Oceania.

For the US, the tournament will be far from a cakewalk, regardless of who lands on the team’s final roster. 

“There are quality players around the world—I think we’re starting to see that,” says Carlan Gay, deputy editor at The Sporting News and an announcer for international competitions. “Four of the five that finished at the top of the MVP voting aren’t American born—that just tells you that the world isn’t catching up, it has caught up.” 

“I think that we have this idea that, well, if it’s not American, it’s not as good,” says Jeff Taylor, an international basketball commentator since 1997. “I understood immediately watching the [1997] EuroBasket—watching a game between Poland and Germany—I was struck by how good they were.” 

Taylor has covered most of FIBA’s flagship events since then, observing firsthand how the level of talent has risen in other countries. “It’s grown exponentially,” he tells SLAM. “I think it was already good at the time, but I think there are different factors at work here [that have made it even better].”

For one, an increasing number of Europeans jumped to the NBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The success of guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker helped erase stigmas about foreign players—mainly, that they were too soft and not athletic enough to succeed in the States—and inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

Emerging talents overseas join top professional organizations as teenagers, where they are exposed to elite coaching and stiff competition that accelerates their development. Doncic signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid at the age of 13, and No. 1 NBA draft prospect Victor Wembanyama has been a pro since he was 15. Of course, those high-level prospects also join their respective national team programs early on, which facilitates even more growth.

“There’s more opportunity for development within your national team program [overseas],” says University of Alabama assistant coach Ryan Pannone, who has previously coached in the NBA, G League, China Germany, Slovakia and Israel. “And the pressure those guys are playing under and the pride for their national teams is really high. [For example], Luka was playing within the national team obviously from a very young age in Slovenia, and he was in the academy within Real Madrid in Spain. So he’s getting professional coaching seven days a week from coaches whose full-time jobs are to make sure he develops; and then in the summer, he’s in the national team system of Slovenia, where he’s playing in high-pressure-filled games.”

Basketball journeyman Scotty Hopson, who has played in 10 countries and suited up for the 2018 USA World Cup Qualifying Team, notes that the “athleticism level” has increased among international players. “Whenever I go to these countries and play against other teams and players, I feel like they always have a knowledge of basketball that’s pretty high level,” says Hopson. “And now you add the component that guys are starting to get more athletic, starting to understand how to take care of their bodies, how to train more.”

It’s important to mention that the FIBA game is different—harder, in a lot of ways. Quarters are 10 minutes long as opposed to 12. The court is smaller (91 feet-10 inches by 49 feet-2.5 inches, compared to the NBA’s 94 feet by 50 feet), and the three-point line is about a foot closer. There’s no defensive three seconds, and goaltending rules are modified: players are allowed to swat the ball off the cylinder as soon as it touches the rim.

All of these changes result in a distinct style of play: more strategic and methodical, less spaced. Teams value possessions more because there are fewer of them. On defense, it’s easier to pack the paint and provide help. Closeouts are faster—there’s not as much ground to cover—so coaches emphasize shooting and making quick reads. “The game internationally can be very physical, very tactical. And if you’re going to play it, you have to be very intelligent,” explains Taylor.

“The game in Europe is way harder than the game in the NBA,” Antetokounmpo said last September. “The talent obviously in the NBA is way higher, but the space [is better]—you have a lot of lanes to drive the ball, a lot of lanes to create. Over there it’s more intense.” 

During the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket last summer, Antetokounmpo had to work extremely hard for his points, as opponents clogged the middle and sent double or triple teams his way. “And in the past, this has helped me a lot, like when I came back from [the World Cup] in 2019,” he added. “That was the year we went to the bubble. The first couple of games, I felt like the court was huge.”

“Is it harder? Yes, because I think you really need to have quick thinking,” Jokic said about the international game after EuroBasket. “In the NBA, if you go by the guy, you can see the help is coming. In Europe, help is always there. So you need to think and play ahead.” That challenge helped Jokic evolve into the playmaker that he is today and made transitioning to the NBA much easier. Similarly, Doncic told SLAM in 2022: “I think from [Europe] comes my reading the game, all the passing skills.”

Thus, current and future NBA players can benefit tremendously from participating in FIBA events, especially given the intensity of those environments. Many of those players also assume bigger roles for their national teams, which allows them to showcase other parts of their games. Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, for example, shined as the number one option for Finland at the 2022 EuroBasket, averaging 27.9 points on 54 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent from three.

When he returned to the States for the 2022-23 NBA season, Jazz head coach Will Hardy encouraged Markkanen to play exactly as he had for Finland—confident, assertive, in more of a central role. And Markkanen had the best year of his NBA career, making his first All-Star team and winning the Most Improved Player award.

Says Coach Pannone, who was an assistant for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2022-23, “Obviously, Lauri Markkanen and the way that panned out doesn’t happen for every [NBA] team, but [FIBA events] certainly give you the chance to see one of your players in more of a star role—how they’re used, how they handle it, how successful they are. And you get that opportunity without it costing you games by trying to experiment with that throughout the NBA season.”

Markkanen will be with Finland again this summer for the World Cup. Other international players expected to compete include Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Sabonis, Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert (France), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia), Franz Wagner (Germany), Josh Giddey (Australia), Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), Jordan Clarkson (Philippines) and more. The US will likely enter the tournament as a significant favorite, but the depth of talent this year will once again make the road to the Naismith Trophy very difficult.

“Whether you’re from the United States or not, there’s going to be amazing competition here because the level of basketball in this World Cup, I think, will be unprecedented,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said during an episode of One Sports’ The Game.

Defending champions Spain should have another formidable roster, led by veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, MVP of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and Willy Hernangomez, MVP of the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket. Australia, ranked third, should have Giddey and several other NBA players, including Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green and Jock Landale. The likely presence of Antetokounmpo, Doncic and Jokic ensures that Greece, Slovenia and Serbia will all be tough opponents. Canada could be stacked with household names: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks and more. And then, of course, there’s France, a country that nearly toppled the United States in the Tokyo Olympics and should have a similar squad, plus the 7-4 phenom Wembanyama. 

The list of worthy competitors for the ’23 World Cup title goes on and on—each one composed of prideful players determined to reach the podium for their countries. 

“You can go down the list of guys who really take pride in putting on that [national team] jersey,” says Gay. “I don’t think it’s something that we truly understand in North America—how much passion there is for basketball outside of these borders and how much passion there is for performing on the world stage for your country—because of the NBA factor. I think kids around the world grow up not dreaming to be in the NBA but dreaming to play and win a World Cup and win an Olympic gold medal.”

“Representing your national team, it’s heavy,” said Antetokounmpo in September. “You represent your whole country.”

Asked about facing Antetokounmpo during the 2019 FIBA World Cup, then-United States head coach Gregg Popovich said this of international superstars: “When they play for their countries, we like to say that they become superheroes. They get together and, through their relationships and their views about their game, they just form a team that—they fall in love with each other. They enjoy playing with each other. And that goes across the board for everybody that’s in the tournament. A lot of them have grown up together, a lot of them have spent a lot of time playing together, and you can see that.”

“The biggest advantage I felt like [other countries] had was that those teams play together for years and years and years,” Hopson reiterates. He speaks from experience, having lost to a cohesive and well-coached Argentina squad during qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. “You’re going into a situation where you’re playing against guys who have probably been playing together since they were kids. They have an advantage with that because the chemistry is already built.” 

Combine that chemistry with the rising talent and the hunger of players to win for their countries and the US will certainly have its hands full trying to reclaim the World Cup title and the No. 1 FIBA ranking.

“The gap has closed, but also, the fear factor is gone,” Gay says. “No one’s afraid to play Team USA. In fact, they’re circling that date on the calendar to try to make history.”

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Photos via Getty Images.

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That’s the cocktail of emotions running through Paolo Banchero as he walks back to the locker room after a tough loss in Detroit—one that came down to the wire and was decided in the last couple possessions.

Banchero felt he had it. He was this close to putting the team on his back and leading it to a comeback victory in his NBA debut.

The final possessions went something like this: Down 3 with under 40 seconds to go, Banchero went coast-to-coast after grabbing a defensive rebound and finished with a strong right-handed layup. That cut the deficit to 108-107. After a corner three-pointer from Isaiah Stewart, Banchero responded by crashing the glass, drawing a foul and sinking two clutch free throws to pull the Magic within 2 with five seconds remaining. The sold-out crowd inside Little Caesars Arena was going berserk as the game reached its breaking point.  

But this one would end in heartbreak for the rookie. Despite his valiant effort and heroic baskets down the stretch (he even caught a poster earlier in the quarter when he dunked over Cory Joseph), Bojan Bogdanovic hit two big free throws for the Pistons at the end to seal the game. Pistons 113. Magic 109. 

And, so, that walk back to the locker room really stings. The mix of emotions are kicking in, and they don’t feel great. He’s just too competitive to “We’ll get ’em next time” it right now.

But then he’s greeted with a different type of energy upon reaching the locker room.

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“I remember just being genuinely pretty pissed off that we lost. And I remember getting back to the locker room, and our PR guy, his eyes were, like, lit up and he was hella happy,” Banchero recalls. “He was like, Yo, great job! He asked me if I realized what I even did, and I was like, Man, no—I don’t know. I knew I had a good game, but I wasn’t thinking it’d be this historic thing. I saw my parents after the game, and they were hella happy. I kind of saw the vibe, and it was like, I didn’t want to be happy, but, I mean, it was kind of hard not to [be]. Everyone who came up to me was like, Congrats! And I just was like, Man, we play in two days, let’s go, let’s move on. When you think back to it [now], you realize how big of a moment that really was, being your first NBA game. But not in the moment. I definitely didn’t feel the magnitude of the game or the performance, I just kind of wanted to move on. Especially since we didn’t win.”

The magnitude? Just a few decades- long NBA records being touched. Nothing major at all.   

Banchero’s NBA debut stat line—27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists—made him the first NBA player to post at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his League debut since LeBron James in 2003. Only three other players in the Association’s history ever have: Grant Hill, Willie Anderson and Ron Harper. In the points column, Banchero’s 27 were the most in an NBA debut by a No. 1 pick since Allen Iverson in 1996.

“Honestly, I think I kind of had that feeling during preseason—people always ask me, How did you come out [and] look so comfortable in your first game? For me, I got all the nerves out during preseason,” the Seattle native says. “My first preseason game, I was way more nervous for that than I was for the actual regular season game. Like, once I played those preseason games, I felt like I was already acclimated. So, going into that Detroit game, obviously it’s the first regular season game so everything’s getting turned up, you’re gonna play more minutes or whatnot. And I just remember feeling, like, raw emotions and being excited, but in my head, I just knew I was going to have a good game. I knew I was going to put on a show. Not gonna say I knew I was gonna go for 27 and whatnot, but I just knew I was gonna have a good game and come out strong, because the debut of your rookie year, that’s just a game where you got to be locked in, you got to be focused.”

In the days and weeks that followed, Banchero would continue to place his name in the history books. In his second game, he dropped 20 points and 12 rebounds, and then followed that up with 23 and 5—making him the first teenager ever to score 20+ points in his first three NBA games. In fact, he scored 20+ points in his first six NBA games, joining Grant Hill, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and Elvin Hayes as the only rookies to ever do so. In his 10th game, he dropped 33 points and 16 rebounds, joining LeBron as the only teenagers in NBA history to post 30+ points and 15+ boards in a single outing. Just 48 hours later, he became only the fifth teenager in NBA history to score 30+ points in consecutive games (the others are LeBron, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson). He joined Michael Jordan and Zion as the last three rookies to score 20+ points in 15 of their first 20 games. By the end of the season, he had dropped 20+ points in 40 total games, tying LeBron’s rookie mark. 

Banchero says his Rookie of the Year campaign, one in which he finished averaging 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists, really kicked off in the spring of 2022, when he made a decision that shocked many in the industry. The Duke star chose to bypass having a powerhouse agency rep him and instead decided to go with former NBA wing Mike Miller and his LIFT Sports Management firm, a rookie agency with a small client roster at the time.

“Obviously, [Miller] played with and against Hall of Famers, had a great career himself, so he knows what it looks like—he’s done everything I want to do,” says the 2023 NBA ROY. “He’s had teammates who, you know, went on to be some of the greatest of all time. If anyone knows what it looks like to be one of the best, it’s him. So when he said that and preached the importance of putting basketball first and making sure I’m the best player I can possibly be—putting that at the forefront—it really helped me make the decision.”

In Miller, Banchero felt he had not only found an agent, but a true workout partner, trainer and mentor. In fact, Banchero says that instead of referring to Miller as “Mike,” he calls him “Coach.” The ultimate sign of respect, and reflective of how he views Miller and their relationship. The “Coach” tag also makes sense when you factor in that Banchero first met Miller when the latter was an assistant at Memphis under Penny Hardaway a few years back (Miller spent two years with the Tigers). 

Banchero’s first pre-draft training session with Miller was in Miami, and the current Magic star still remembers everything about those early gym days.

“I still tell him to this day, those first three or four workouts we had in Miami, those are the best ones. Those are the ones I always think about—just how much fun they were, just the intensity that we were working at,” says Banchero. “I think, for me, working with Mike, it just has really been my shot that has been one of the biggest things. Him helping me with my shot. The difference between this time last year and this time right now, between just the way I shoot the ball, is night and day. I gotta give most of the credit to him just for helping me and making it easy…It’s just been smooth sailing. I would say my jumper is where he’s helped me the most. I could ask him about any part of the game, any situation or scenario, and he’ll know about it.”  

As fate would have it, a couple of months later, Banchero would get drafted by the Orlando Magic—the same team that drafted Miller in 2000, and where he also won Rookie of the Year (Banchero, Miller and Shaquille O’Neal are the only ROYs in franchise history).

But despite all the individual accolades and personal records set during his debut NBA season, Banchero has already turned the page to the next chapter. When we shot this cover in early May, as playoff euphoria was at its peak, the 6-10 forward said that being a spectator to the postseason has given him a whole lot of FOMO. Ultimately, he’s aware that, fairly or unfairly, his career will be judged based on how much winning he’s able to bring to his team—a challenge that he doesn’t plan on waiting much longer to start making a dent in.

“Watching the playoffs, it just doesn’t feel right that we’re not on that stage—I’m not on that stage. I just feel like that’s where I need to be. That’s where we need to be. That’s where we all want to be,” says the rising star. “So, obviously, it’s gonna take a whole bunch of work, and we’re gonna have to just be a lot better. But I think this year was a step in the right direction—the vibe we had, how competitive we were all year, the teams we beat, the teams we should have beat, it just left a specific taste in our mouth. And, you know, we gotta try and get it next year. I’m excited. I think we’re all excited.”  

The Magic saw a 12-win improvement from last season—the biggest win increase in the Eastern Conference and the third-most in the NBA behind the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder. After starting the season 5-19, Orlando went 29-29 in its remaining 58 games. During that 29-29 stretch, the team had the League’s sixth-best defensive rating (112.8), according to the Orlando Sentinel. The signs are there. A culture and identity shift are brewing. And if you ask Banchero, it’s given him and his teammates a lot of fuel heading into the offseason.

“I think this is the most motivated I’ve been heading into a summer,” he says. “And I think a lot of guys on the team would say the same. I think we all kind of have that same mentality where next year is the year where we kind of put ourselves in that conversation of being one of the better teams in the East, and then in the League.”

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To witness a real genius these days is to stand out so much from the crowd that platitudes suddenly become relevant again. The only part of the definition that might not apply to the case of Luka Doncic is the “natural” aspect. That implies he didn’t work to be able to play genius-level basketball. 

He did. He worked hard. 

He became a pro at the age of 13. He was required to leave his hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, for Madrid, Spain. There the work commenced, and it continues now, a decade later, on a grand scale, in Dallas, TX. 

He looks like a genius because of the way he plays basketball. He seems to see the unseen. Whether his passes come from predicting or reacting, can’t really be said for certain. And whether or not he feels the usual chest-tightening sensation that clutch end-of-game situations carry with them is something only he can tell the world. But from the outside, we view the spectacle of his game as genius, as prophetic, and as his nickname suggests, magic. 

Of course, these praises could be considered more hollow platitudes. There are plenty of great performances every single night in the NBA. Doncic has separated himself through two factors: youth and consistency. 

Ever since Luka entered the NBA as a 19-year-old, he’s regularly dominated, with career averages of 27/8/8. This year’s 34/9/9 has been accomplished in the Jordan Luka 1. The silhouette challenged the Brand’s designers enough to make the IsoPlate and Formula 23, two new technologies, just for him. 

They respect his genius that much.

Photos via Getty Images.

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But the mind has ways of playing tricks on you. It starts to sense oxygen deprivation, triggering a response to the body’s nervous system. Feelings of fear and anxiety arise. But at that moment, as it started to feel like he was reaching a breaking point, what did the All-Star decide to do?

Brown chooses survival. Hurling the weights out of the pool, he accidentally tosses them in the direction of Hamilton’s wife, Gabby. “Almost drowning will for sure humble you,” Brown tells us while on set for his SLAM cover shoot. “Water is a great equalizer. You could have the most confidence in the world, [but] when you get in that water, it neutralizes [you]. It [doesn’t] care if you’re a billionaire or a normal person, that water treats everybody the same. It’s not forgiving, and if you don’t respect it, or think you’re above it, it’ll show you. You learn that you got to be humble. The humility will show in the water.”

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The idea to do underwater training came to Brown this past summer, when he initially looked to hire a swim coach (at the time, he says, he wasn’t the greatest swimmer). Just a few months after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, Brown shared a video on his Instagram account of one of the 20 sessions he did with Hamilton, doing everything from squat jumps to backflips. He learned how to stay calm and composed, even when his mind was telling him the opposite. 

“When you feel like you’re out of breath, that’s your mind sending alarms to the rest of your body saying you need air, but you probably still got 40-45 seconds left in reality before you actually run out of air,” Brown explains. “It just feels like that. [But] you don’t panic. You got time to set the weights down [and] compose yourself. Just swim back to the top.”

His words are almost prophetic for his own ascension. From averaging just 6.6 points as a rookie, to being on the bench, getting snubbed from the All-Star team last season and falling short in the NBA Finals to averaging the best numbers of his career this season: 26.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, as we went to press. Brown has been playing at a level so undeniably elite that by the time this magazine hits your hands, we expect him to be about to land in Salt Lake City for the All-Star Game. His name has even been mentioned in the MVP conversation (along with his teammate Jayson Tatum, of course). The symbolism is all there. 

And yet, Brown’s thinking goes way beyond just basketball. It’s bigger than that. “Everybody has those moments in life where adversity hits and you think, Why me? Adversity hits and you think, Oh, my life is over. Adversity hits and you think, This is the end. When, in reality, it’s just the beginning.” 

Jaylen Brown’s first introduction to Boston came during the 2016 NBA Draft. As a highly touted and gifted prospect out of the University of California- Berkeley, Brown took a master class in college, choosing not to be represented by an agent. One GM labeled him “too smart,” and the Celtics’ fan base made it clear how they felt about their No. 3 overall pick. 

“They booed me,” Brown recalls. “[Owner] Wyc [Grousbeck] was calling my name and he’s up there saying, Jaylen, he’s gonna be one of the best players the city has ever seen. He’s up there, like, defending the pitch. We’re sticking with it, y’all get over it. This is who we’re going with.” 

Any rookie might have felt some type of way, but Brown knew that there was a higher purpose for why he was selected by the Celtics. 

“Before I got drafted, honestly, I told God to put me where he needed me,” he says. “He chose me to be here, for whatever reason. I remember, distinctly, I didn’t care where I went, you know, I could have played basketball in Alaska. But I told him to put me where I needed to be and he placed me in Boston. So, instantly, I knew that it was bigger than my personal decisions. My personal happiness is about what you can do and how you can affect the community and how you’re going to use your platform. I really feel like that’s the only reason why I got talent. Our creator wanted me to do something with it. Bigger than just what I do on the court.”

There are signs everywhere. Brown, who is into astrology and believes in angel numbers, has a specific connection with the number 7, which symbolizes intuition and inner wisdom. He wears the No. 7 on his jersey and named his foundation 7uice. “Guardian angels showing me the right way to go,” Brown says. 

Now, in his seventh season, in the year 2023 (whose numbers, he points out, add up to seven), Brown has become just as revered for his impact within the Boston community as he has for his dominance on the court. Back in October, he surprised middle schoolers at the Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy in Dorchester with free backpacks. He’s taken the time to get to know the city, too. One of Brown’s favorite restaurants is a Black-owned Caribbean-Asian-Latin fusion spot called ZaZ, located right in Cleary Square in Hyde Park. This summer, amid trade rumors reportedly involving Kevin Durant, Brown pulled up to Harambee Park, also known as Franklin Field, for the Dorchester vs Roxbury basketball game. He even wore a green t-shirt that referenced his now-famous tweet, “The Energy is About to Shift.” 

While the Celtics did manage to completely turn things around last year after being under .500 midway through, Brown was actually referring to himself when he tweeted that on January 31, 2022. 

“A lot of times when I tweet stuff, it’s like I’m talking to myself. Posting, like, reminders for me. Sometimes it’s not for the world, it’s for me,” Brown tells SLAM. “There was a lot going on, and you know at certain times of the year where you feel like things aren’t going in your direction, where it just seems like everything is going wrong. It could be like Murphy’s Law, could be a retrograde, whatever you attribute it to…At that moment, that’s what was going on for me, and it felt like that not only for me, but kind of for our team. I just tweeted [it] out as a reassurance to myself. Like, don’t worry, the energy is about to shift.”

It’s been almost a full year since then, but Brown admits that he’s been tested “on different levels physically, emotionally and mentally” lately, too, but won’t go into too much detail on the latter. 

The Celtics have also been tested, from battling injuries and trade rumors to a very public coaching change this offseason. For Brown, though, it’s about finding balance. “Experience has always been my best teacher,” he says. “At times when you’re feeling yourself get out of balance, just remember that I’ve been here before. I’ve seen this before. I feel like I’ve seen the highest of highs, being able to go to the Finals, but I’ve experienced the lows—losing the Finals, losing games, being on the bench, not playing, being injured…I’ve been trying to remove all self-limiting beliefs.”

After that 33-point blowout loss to the Thunder on January 3, Marcus Smart revealed to the media that it was JB who offered him words of encouragement. He also let Smart know that he was going to shift the energy in the next matchup against Dallas. “[Brown] came out and said, Listen, this is how I want to start. I’m going to pick up Luka [Doncic] early. I’m going to get the energy going, so you can get going.” 

Interim head coach Joe Mazzulla said Brown told him the same thing about guarding Doncic. Despite getting in early foul trouble, Brown showed a level of composure in the 124-95 win against the Mavs, and Doncic was held to his lowest point total since December, and his lowest assist total of the season. The Celtics went on a four-game winning streak soon after, cruising past the Spurs, Bulls and then, on the night after our shoot, the Pelicans. No one could stop Brown or Tatum. The Jays proved that they are the best scoring duo in the League and combined for 72 points. Brown put up a season-high 41 points while JT delivered a smooth 31-piece. 

Brown says he prepares for those big matchups by studying the rhythm of his opponent’s game. “Every player plays with a certain rhythm, a certain cadence, plays at a certain pace. Luka, Steph[en] Curry plays with a certain cadence. Kyrie. When I watch the game and film, I study their rhythm.”

He’s always been into music, too, and at one point made his own beats. When asked about the tempo of his own game, Brown breaks it down: “I can be, like, more uptempo,” he says while snapping his fingers. Snap. Snap. Snap. “I can play like I just got shot out of a cannon. It depends on the matchup, the mood, the energy of the game. I think part of my game is being able to be versatile, where I can slow it all the way down or I can be run and gun, running down in transition. Being versatile is key.” 

Just as Jayson Tatum described him after Game 2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bucks, it’s clear that Brown sets the tone. “I could be smooth jazz, I could be hardcore rap. Gangsta rap at the same time, too,” Brown says. “When that’s coming out, there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

Inside the Celtics practice facility, Jaylen Brown is posing for this cover shoot but dialed in on playing a game of chess entirely with himself. He once called the game “comparable to life,” and it’s easy to see why he’s so into it—chess is all about strategy and requires winning and losing pawns and pieces in the process. Eventually, though, those wins and losses lead to even bigger moments. “Small victories,” Brown says of his goals for himself right now. “It’s a blessing to be considered one of the best in the game right now, [but] I don’t think I’ve reached my peak. I have a lot to still learn, a lot to look forward to in this game.”

The No. 6 patch on his Celtics jersey, in honor of the late Bill Russell, is another reminder of powering through adversity. Spiritually, the number also symbolizes high ideals. “To be able to have this six on [my] jersey means the world to me. At times when I get overwhelmed, where my spirit is just being aggravated, or I just feel weak, I just remind myself that I have one of the greatest examples, Bill Russell, [who was] able to deal with all the controversy that he dealt with when he was here,” he says. He later added, “Today, you would think the way people speak on his name was that he was welcomed and he was accepted during the time that he was standing up for what he believed in. That wasn’t the case. People trying to make it seem like it was, in Boston.

“Nah. Bill Russell, they was trying to run him out of town, terrorizing his family, his house, calling him all types of names, being disrespectful. And worse, right here in the city of Boston. Now he has a statue, and I think it should be twice as tall as what it is now. How things can change—sometimes you’re not always gonna be accepted for what you think or what you believe, but hopefully, if people know the essence of your heart and your intentions, with time it’ll equalize itself out.”

Brown doesn’t hesitate to keep it real about the Boston community. There are issues that still need to be addressed.

“There’s misconceptions in Boston. There’s a lot of Bostonians who have lived there, who are great people, into the community, who devoted their [lives] to some of the issues—incarceration and wealth disparity. Our education system. There’s a lot of families that have been there for a long time in Boston that represent excellence, [but] you wouldn’t hear that, or see that, if it wasn’t for the narrative that there is in Boston. But there’s also a part of Boston where the shoe fits—I’ve seen where, subliminally, there’s a lot of issues that go on in our society that gets covered up…Somebody’s got to say something.” 

Building a brighter future for Boston, and delivering the city its first NBA championship title since ’08, is a lot of weight and responsibility. 

But this is Jaylen Brown we’re talking about. Rather than panic, he’s too busy making moves on his way to the top.  

SLAM 242 is available now in an exclusive Gold Metal Edition and Cover Tee.

Deyscha Smith is the Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter, @deyschasmith

Portraits by Marcus Stevens is a Content Producer at SLAM. Follow him on IG, @Marcus.stv

The post Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown is on a Mission to Fulfill His Higher Purpose appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respect is the ultimate currency. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/kbqHv9Fexu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 13, 2023

The loss came after Luka Doncic (35 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists) knocked down a step-back triple over the 6’2 Dennis Schröder. Luka Legend forced overtime after he inbounded the ball to Spender Dinwiddie, who then handed him the ball while simultaneously setting the screen, forcing the Lakers to switch from Russell Westbrook being Doncic’s primary defender to Schröder defending Doncic.

“We weren’t looking to foul,” Ham explained postgame. “Felt confident in the five guys we had defending, and he did what Luka does, he made a shot. I’m kicking myself in the butt. I needed to coach a little better in that instance; we should have blitzed him — or at least forced him inside the three-point line.”

“You know, it’s those situations [that are] kinda chaotic — bunch of chatter, everything’s going on, you’re trying to figure out matchups. We — read [the Mavericks’ offense], switched anyways. So I’ll take the bullet for that. That’s on me. We have to be better defensively in those moments and force someone else [other than Doncic] to beat us.

2 clutch @luka7doncic stepbacks.
2 powerful @SDinwiddie_25 dunks.
2 big @Chriswood_5 blocks.

2 overtimes… 1 @dallasmavs win! pic.twitter.com/lCHqHodGcf

— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2023

Leaving Schröder on an island was a vastly different strategic decision for a Lakers team blitzing Doncic with double-teams all game. Although Doncic finished the game with a triple-double, forcing the ball out of his hand or making him shoot over a taller lengthier defender would’ve been the preferred result.

The lakers had a chance to win after rallying back from a 19-point regulation deficit, but they couldn’t make enough plays over the extra 10 minutes they played. Dinwiddie delivered the win after scoring twice during Dallas’ decisive 6-0 run, making sure the Mavs won for the second time in five games.

The Lakers will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

The post Darvin Ham Regrets Not Double-Teaming Luka Doncic Before His Clutch Shot appeared first on SLAM.

Quickley had thrived as a starter this season, averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game during his eight starts when he took over R.J. Barrett’s spot in the startling lineup while he recovered from a finger injury.

As a trade target, Quickley could serve as another capable scorer on a playoff contender like the Mavericks, who are looking for another player to help relieve Luka Doncic from all the scoring and playmaking duties he has to deal with. Quickley could be seen as an upgrade over Grayson Allen for the Bucks as a two-way combo guard that can shoot well.

The Wizards could use another guard that can spot start and play as a combo guard next to Bradley Beal on offense.

The Knicks are reportedly seeking first-round draft pick compensation in exchange for Quickley. They’re in the playoff picture with the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, thanks to Quickley’s contributions as a starter and off the bench.

The former SEC player of the year is averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The post REPORT: Bucks, Mavericks, and Wizards Are Interested in Trading for Immanuel Quickley appeared first on SLAM.

Walker averaged 8.0 points and 2.1 assists per game during his nine-game stint with the Mavericks after he signed a veterans minimum to play in Dallas in November.

Sources: Mavs are waiving Kemba Walker, whose salary would have become guaranteed Saturday. Two-way G McKinley Wright IV has earned minutes and Mavs also want to leave path for rookie Jaden Hardy to get playing time. Walker had 32-point game for Mavs and was ultimate pro.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 6, 2023

Cardiac Kemba’s best performance as Mav came after dropping 32 points in a 100-99 loss to Cleveland on Dec. 17 in an effort to carry the load when Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie sat out.

McKinley Wright’s development and increased workload as a defensive-minded guard helped Dallas decide. Dallas is reportedly looking to create more playing time for rookie guard Jaden Hardy who has averaged 28.8 points per game when playing in the G League. Hardy scored 15 points in 15 minutes against the Celtics on Thursday.

Dallas will also consider signing players to 10-day deals before they officially close that open roster spot Walker’s release created.

The post The Dallas Mavericks Have Waived Veteran Guard Kemba Walker appeared first on SLAM.

If the Bulls make Zach LaVine available before the trade deadline, rival NBA executives are keeping an eye on the Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, and Heat as potential suitors.

More on players who can be moved after January 15 with @YossiGozlan on @hoopshype. https://t.co/kN2RBmIy5I

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 5, 2023

Each team has assets, connections, or an ideal player they’d like LaVine to play with if they can acquire him.

The Knicks have endless draft capital they could trade, LaVine is signed with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, and LaVine played college ball at UCLA, so joining the Lakers is a possibility. Dallas can only rely on Luka Doncic so much, and pairing him with another All-Star like LaVine could yield fantastic results. According to Scotto, the Mavs don’t want to trade a first-round pick unless they think they’re trading for a championship-caliber player.

Miami is Miami, and they can include reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner Tyler Herro in any package they offer.

However, this is all contingent on Chicago’s willingness to part ways with LaVine. The Bulls (17-21) are in 10th place and squarely in the fight for a play-in tournament spot.

The post REPORT: Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, and Heat Listed as Potential Zach LaVine Suitors appeared first on SLAM.

Antetokounmpo dropped 30 points on 7-18 shooting from the field, 1-3 from beyond the arc, and he went 15-21 from the free-throw line, 10 assists including the game-winning dime to Grayson Allen (16 points and the game-winning triple from the corner), and a season-high 21 rebounds to secure a 104-101 win over the Toronto Raptors (16-22) on Wednesday.

His second triple-double performance comes off a career-high 55 point performance against Washington the night point. Before that, he posted at least 40/10/5 in each of his past three appearances. The back-to-back MVP being able to summon that kind of outing on the back end of a back-to-back is indicative of his desire to make his dominance “boring.”

“On a back-to-back, he used a lot of energy both last night and tonight,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said per ESPN. “They (Toronto) are very physical. For him to find a way to get us over the top was huge.”

Embrace every moment. pic.twitter.com/LCd9XGGpPV

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) January 5, 2023

Antetokounmpo’s triple-double wasn’t just noteworthy for the fact it made Milwaukee 4-0 on the second game of a back-to-back. It also placed the Greek Freak beside Kareem Abudl-Jabbar for another outstanding accomplishment. This time Antetokounmpo became the first player to drop 200+ points, 80+ rebounds, and 30+ assists over a five-game stretch since the Hall-of-Famer center did it in 1972.

“Obviously your body is tired,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s more mental than physical, just being about to go out there and get the job done on a back-to-back always feels good.”

Giannis’s last 5 games:

30 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST
55 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST
43 PTS, 20 REB, 5 AST
45 PTS, 22 REB, 7 AST
27 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST

He's the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to drop 200+ PTS, 80+ REB, and 30+ AST over a 5-game span. pic.twitter.com/gktMMk1a9Y

— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023

Antetokounmp is averaging 32.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game and has led the Bucks (25-13) to a tie with the Boston Celtics (26-12) for the top record in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks have Wednesday off and then they’ll play the Charlotte Hornets (10-29) on Friday.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Reaches Another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milestone 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.

The three-time All-Star was simply dominant on Tuesday, calmly dropping a franchise-record 60-point triple-double against the New York Knicks. Doncic officially posted 60 points (team record 21-31 shooting), 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, breaking Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki’s (53 points) team record as a Maverick. Luka Legend also set a career-high for points and boards during his epic Tuesday night outing.

Doncic has matched James Harden for the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history, who accomplished the historic feat on Jan. 30, 2018, against the Orlando Magic. NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor are the only other hoopers to grab at least 20 boards while posting a 50-point triple-double.

“I’m tired as hell,” a smiling Doncic said during his postgame TV interview. “I need a recovery beer.”

“I need a recovery beer.”

60 pts, 21 reb, 10 ast tonight. Well earned, Luka. : @Sean_Daniel01 pic.twitter.com/G2HjuLNPMV

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2022

According to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, Luka Legend celebrated his legendary 60-burger with some water, a protein shake, and a beer while watching some NBA TV highlights, and of course, he scrolled through his phone.

“To do something that’s never been done before, that’s hard to do,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said per ESPN. “There’s been some great players before him. Elgin Baylor and Wilt, he was in that class, and then he separated himself and made his own class.”

Happy to hoop. : @Sean_Daniel01 pic.twitter.com/rCHl0qgtyt

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2022

Now for the nitty gritty. Dallas is now the first team in at least two decades to win after trailing by at least nine points in the final 35 seconds. According to ESPN, teams in that situation were 0-13,884 in the last 20 years. The reason behind that feat? Doncic scored 38 points in the second-half and helped Dallas claw back from a 12-point deficit.

Doncic forced overtime after purposefully bricking a free throw, corralling the loose ball, and putting up a double-clutch fade away. From there, Doncic scored Dallas’ only field goal in overtime, but he knocked down five of his six free throw opportunities to help the Mavericks escape with an exhausting win.

“I promise I was trying for sure,” Knicks guard Quentin Grimes said, the primary defender on Doncic. “I mean, I’m trying to get over every pick-and-roll. He’s in almost every action. It was a lot on me trying to get over every pick-and-roll with him. He’s crafty with the ball, without the ball. Have to know where he is at all times on the court. He’s one of the top three players in the league for a reason. I have to tip my hat.”

Another for YOU pic.twitter.com/EWkH4RLsqP

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 28, 2022

Dallas can build on this win when they host the Rockets on Thursday.

The post Luka Doncic is ‘Tired as Hell’ After Historic 60-Point Triple-Double Performance appeared first on SLAM.

Robinson accomplished the extraordinary feat late in the first quarter off his first shot of the game. Robinson played 14 minutes and ended up posting nine points, four rebounds, and a steal in Miami’s 113-110 win over Minnesota.

No. 800 on his 1st attempt in the game. Pure shooter. pic.twitter.com/9s6CVxFkyG

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 27, 2022

Robinson is also the quickest player to hit 200,300,400,500,600 and 700 triples in his career. It took him 263 outings to do, 25 fewer than perennial MVP contender Luka Doncic. The previous fastest four players to hit 800 were Doncic (288 games), Buddy Hield (296), Donovan Mitchell (302), and Stephen Curry (305).

Fastest in NBA history to do it! pic.twitter.com/7XicNkQMwS

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 27, 2022

Robinson has knocked down 802 career threes as of Tuesday and is four away from tying Hall-of-Famer Tim Hardaway for the all-time lead in franchise history.

The post Duncan Robinson: the Fastest to Knock Down 800 Career Three-Pointers appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In fact, he’d spent the four years before his NBA arrival as a teenager playing for Real Madrid against the best competition in Europe. In 2018, fresh off a EuroLeague title and MVP performance, he decided he was ready to make the jump to the best League on the planet. He landed his first SLAM cover with a story that proclaimed him the best international prospect of all time. Four seasons in, it’s hard to argue.

Drafted by Atlanta, he quickly found himself in Dallas thanks to a draft-night trade for his fellow Starting Lineup teammate, Trae Young. Once in Big D, the 19-year-old rookie immediately looked like a seasoned veteran. He was a full-time starter from Day 1 and finished his debut season as Rookie of the Year. Somehow, he’s only gotten better since.

He was nothing less than dazzling in his second season with the Mavs, averaging just shy of 29 points and 9 assists and pulling down better than 9 rebounds a game—all numbers that have gone up in his postseason runs. Now, in his fifth season, he has established himself as an MVP candidate for the foreseeable future. And part of the fun is that he knows it.

Not many guys can get away with laughing like Luka does on the court. When he’s rolling, hitting long threes, getting to the basket, shaking defenders with his handle or bullying them with his size, Luka can’t help but let fans and defenders alike know he’s enjoying himself. When he’s on his game, he looks unstoppable.

Hard as it is to believe now, Luka had his share of skeptics before he landed in the NBA. For some reason, they weren’t sure his game would translate to the States—as if size, shooting, court vision, passing, clutch play and mastery of the pick and roll were somehow only valuable on the other side of the Atlantic. Apparently, those folks hadn’t been watching tape. Or maybe they just didn’t see what should have been obvious.

It’s impossible to miss now. His game continues to draw favorable comparisons to some of the best and most versatile players in NBA history, from Magic Johnson to Jason Kidd to LeBron James. That last one is fitting: Luka has said his favorite player growing up in Slovenia was LeBron. And just last season, LeBron called Luka his favorite player in the League today. They say game recognizes game. In this case, it’s not a stretch to say greatness recognizes greatness. 

The post Starting Lineup’s Luka Doncic NBA Action Figure Showcases the Dominance of the Mavericks Superstar appeared first on SLAM.

The last time these two powerhouse squads went at it, the Bucks defended home court and got the 124-115 win over Dallas. Antetokounmpo had himself a night, scoring 30 points on 11-19 shooting and also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Bucks shooting guard Grayson Allen also had a huge game to help seal the victory. Allen finished the game with 25 points on 8-10 after having a scorching hot first half where he shot 7-7 from the field.

Milwaukee (18-6) comes into Friday’s matchup as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference and looks to put their stamp on this regular-season matchup with another wire-to-wire dub.

On the flip side, we have Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, who are looking to bounce back from the loss they took last time out. Doncic was in his bag in their previous matchup, putting up 27 points on 10-20 shooting to go along with 12 assists.

Doncic and the Mavs have been a tear as of late, winning their last three matchups versus the Knicks, Suns, and Nuggets. Mavericks forwards Tim Hardaway Jr and Dorian Finney-Smith put up big-time offensive outbursts during this stretch of games.

Finney-Smith scored 19 points, shooting 7-13 from the field against the second-place Nuggets. Hardaway Jr also had a great game, dropping 29 points while shooting 7-12 from the field.

With the Western Conference standings so tight, every win matters. The Mavericks picked the right time to get hot, but will it be enough to even the season series tonight? All questions will be answered tonight on ESPN at 10 pm.

The post Preview: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic Lead Bucks and Mavs Into Final Encounter appeared first on SLAM.

The coolest MFer in the NBA scored 28 points on 8-16 from three, reaching 13,000 career points and catapulting himself into the No. 13 spot on the all-time made 3-pointers list. Thompson passed Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki with a total of 1,989 threes. 

“Grew up loving both those guys, especially Dirk because he’s a shooter and JK, just as a baller, Bay legend,” Thompson told reporters per Yahoo. “So yeah, it means a lot to me. I don’t take that for granted. Two of the all-time greats right there, so that means a lot to me.”

After missing consecutive seasons with a torn Achilles and ACL, the Golden State guard has been vocal about how his appreciation of the game has grown. Fellow Splash Bro and all-time made three-pointer king Stephen Curry echoed Thompson and expressed his hope that more people stop to appreciate the milestone.

Rather than taking Thompson’s shooting for granted and calling this moment just “a matter of time,” Curry wants fans to understand that “just being able to play these games after what he’s been through is amazing and something that you shouldn’t just gloss over,” Curry hopes Thompson continues to climb up the list.

“There will be a lot of respect for him as a shooter, him as a clutch guy, to knock it down no matter where he’s at. He set a high standard for what shooting the basketball is in today’s game.”

Let’s enjoy and appreciate Thompson’s milestone with a few clips of shooting beauty:

The post Lucky 13’s: Klay Thompson Climbs Up All-Time Made Three-Pointers List in Warriors Loss appeared first on SLAM.

After the loss, Kerr addressed the media about the NBA’s lack of enforcement on travel calls this year.

“I think only based on consistency,” said Kerr on Thursday via 95.7 The Game’s “Damon and Ratto” when asked if travel calls are currently being enforced in the League. “On tape, all seven of ours were definitely travels. There was one on Dallas that I did not think was a travel — But there were also five or six other plays in the game that were definitely travels, including where Luka (Dončić) carries the ball in the post when he’s backing you down, and he puts his hand all the way underneath the ball. That’s a travel, and you’ve got to enforce it all — especially if you’re going to call the one on Steph (Curry) at the end with the game on the line when it’s a tiny little shuffle.”

By all means, the nine-time champ is not disagreeing with travel calls being called more since players are somehow getting away with them nowadays. He is just saying that these rules have to be called both ways during games, and it has to happen with all the other 29 teams in the NBA. Kerr made sure to reiterate this point too.

“You know me; I’m Mr. Travel. I’m all for enforcing traveling,” Kerr pointed out. “But it just has to be done all the time. And it can’t just be sort of selective.”

These comments on there being more balance with which teams are being called out more for travels trace back to what Kerr touched on earlier in November after a game with the Miami Heat. Warriors guard Jordan Poole had more travel calls called on him than the entire Heat team by the final buzzer. 

“Jordan Poole has been called for, I would guess, seven or eight palming violations over the last month since the League decided to really enforce all that stuff,” Kerr said following the Warriors’ loss to Miami on Nov.1. “And if that’s the case, then we’ve got to call it on everybody – And that’s my only beef, is that these things are happening a lot. We got called for a bunch of them. I have no problem with it. Like I said, a rule’s a rule, but let’s just be consistent. That’s all I ask.”

The Warriors will be back in action on Friday in a showdown with the Chicago Bulls.

The post Steve Kerr Frustrated with NBA’s ‘Selective’ Officiating on Travel Calls appeared first on SLAM.

While Brunson is averaging 21.3 points and 6.5 assists at a career-best rate for NY, the Mavericks have fallen short of expectations in the first quarter of the season. Other than Luka Magic – the Slovenian is averaging 33.6 points (1st in the League), 8.7 assists (4th in the League), and 8.7 rebounds a contest – the Mavs offense has struggled, resulting in an unsettling record under .500.

A Western Conference Finals team last season, Dallas fans and critics alike have searched for critical shortcomings in the team’s current makeup and performance. General manager Nico Harrison spoke with Dallas News and broke down his perspective on the Mavs’ slow start. 

Mav’s shooters aren’t shooting well:

Harrison believes a core component of their losses is their failure to knock down shots. The shooting struggles have led to Dallas dropping games to Detroit (6-18 record), Orlando (5-17), Houston (5-16), and OKC (9-13). They’ve failed to execute on the road; their drive-and-kick offense is struggling to produce. Doncic is the offense’s engine as both the primary drive-and-kicker and scorer, and Harrison wants to see shooters ease Doncic’s workload by doing a better job of finishing plays. 

Although “not resigning Jalen (Brunson) wasn’t [their] choice,” the GM has no regrets:

The front office received heavy criticism for a) not resigning Brunson and b) not pursuing other point guards in free agency after losing Brunson. The Mavs undoubtedly feel his loss. However, Harrison has no regrets. 

“I have faith in the guys that we have here. Again, guys haven’t made shots, but we’ve seen them do it, and I have faith in them. I think if guys make shots just at the rate or slightly below what they normally do, we’re not even having this conversation. I think that erases a lot of the doubt or the feeling that we’re not quite achieving what the expectations would’ve been. The law of averages, they eventually equal out, and guys will make shots.”

Josh Green and Kemba Walker are two bright spots:

In his third season in the League, Josh Green is stepping up as a solid role player for Dallas. VP of Basketball Operations Michael Finley called Green the “MVP of the summer.” Harrison added, “he was in the gym working hard, and you can see. You see the production that he’s had. Not surprised. Happy for him. Happy for us, too, but more for him.”

Additionally, the Mavs signed Kemba Walker earlier this week. Harrison has no expectations for Kemba and simply hopes his body holds up and he brings a veteran presence to the team. The GM called Kemba an “amazing person.”

“I think that’s the point. He’s an amazing person. He’s been through everything in the League. He obviously can handle the ball, and everybody knows he’s an ex-All-Star. I won’t even say ex-All-Star. He’s an All-Star. He’s a scorer. Adding that veteran presence for if and when we need it ready will be helpful.”

The turn-around point is coming:

Harrison urged Dallas fans to be patient and reminded them that last year the Mavs opened the season 9-14 and finished as Western Conference runners-up. A spark can come at any point, and the GM believes “it’s just a matter of us turning the corner, and it’s going to happen sooner than later.”

“I don’t think it’s an external thing. Our team — they’re connected, they’re together. Like, they’re still even though it’s a different team than last year, there’s still a lot of remnants from last year. They’re still very connected.”

The post GM Nico Harrison Hopeful Despite Mavs’ 10-11 Start to Season appeared first on SLAM.

The two-time MVP acknowledges Sengun’s improvement from the low post, which he believes can help spread the ball in different areas of the floor for the Rockets.

“I think he’s very talented. It might sound weird, but I think they should play through him more,” Jokic said per Sports Illustrated. “The man is talented. He can pass the ball, post up, has the touch, and is a good finisher around the rim. You can see different moves when he is playing. “

Lacing up against your idol pic.twitter.com/k6c3exPesX

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 29, 2022

Sengun believes his game shares similarities to that of Jokic, and his play this season back up that talk. The 6’9” center currently averages 15.4 points, nine rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in the 17 games played this season.

Although it’s not the triple-double stats NBA fans are accustomed to seeing from Jokic, Sengun’s teammate Jalen Green believes the Rockets center has all the potential to run the offense to the similar all-around play of what Jokic does in Denver.

“I agree with what he is saying,” Green said on Jokic’s comment on Sengun. “I feel we will get a lot more open three’s running the offense from Alperen. It’s a lot of inside-outside game, and I think it opens up the middle of the floor for him.”

Solid night for Alpi

18PTS 7REB 3AST@CreditKarma | #MoneyMoveoftheGame pic.twitter.com/Bz1eirpeyA

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 29, 2022

The Rockets are building a young talented group filled with athleticism and outside shooting. A player capable of handling all the offensive duties may soon push the squad toward playoff contention, but head coach Stephen Silas has to decide whether he wants Sengun to be that factor.

Considering the development in recent years of international players like Jokic or Luka Doncic, Sengun could potentially be added to the list as one of the most skilled offensive players in the League.

The post Jalen Green Agrees With Nikola Jokic: Rockets ‘Should Play Through’ Alperen Sengun More appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic was in his bag last night, scorching the visiting Golden State Warriors with his hot hand and impressive playmaking abilities. Doncic sealed the 116-113 victory with 41 points shooting 14-27 (51.9 percent) from the field, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Unreal performance from Luka.

41 PTS, 12 REB, 12 AST, 4 STL.

(via @nba) pic.twitter.com/2YBzHUSDVB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 30, 2022

This is Doncic’s third 40+ point triple-double this season, and every other player in the League currently has zero. Performances like what we witnessed last night on national television are why many would agree that Doncic is a front-runner for MVP this year. I mean, with the way he has been playing at such a high level, how could you argue against him right now?

“It’s getting boring,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd jokingly told ESPN postgame. “I mean, let’s see something different. Maybe do it with his left hand. I’m just joking. Look, he’s one of the best in the world, and that’s what he does. Some of us can take him for granted. The man is special.”

Warriors Superstar Stephen Curry also chimed in postgame with some high praise for Doncic as well;

“His size and his ball-handling skills keep you on edge the entire game, that plus him being a three-level scorer, you’ve got to worry about everything,” Curry said. “Then obviously, his court vision is unreal. It’s an offensive package of being a playmaker and scorer, and when he’s knocking down shots like he did tonight, it’s tough. You want to take something away from him, but he can make play after play.”

Tuesday’s game just continues to add to what has been a spectacular season for Doncic, whose performance yesterday also landed him in the history books. Doncic is now the sixth player in NBA history to record five or more 40-point triple-doubles. The five other big names he joins on that list are Oscar Robertson, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James.

In addition to his new piece of NBA history, Doncic made franchise history after tying Dirk Nowitzki’s franchise record for most 40-point games as a Maverick.

There just doesn’t seem to be anything anyone in the League can do to stop Doncic. With the All-Star break quietly approaching, we will just have to wait to see if Doncic and the Mavericks can continue to sustain their current level of play.

The post Jason Kidd On Taking Luka Doncic ‘for Granted’ After His 40-Point Triple-Double appeared first on SLAM.

The last time we caught up with the man behind the 7, the same one who founded the AND1 mixtapes, he was quarantining in Mexico and designing impactful social justice-inspired t-shirts that were worn by players around the NBA from inside the Bubble in Orlando. At the time, The Compound was located in the Bronx, but since its relocation to Kings County, it’s obvious that Set Free’s initial vision for the space has reached a different magnitude. He’s created a space entirely for artistic expression and curation, and nearly every square inch of the studio is, in his own words, a “living, breathing creative gallery,”—once you walk past the KG jersey, there’s even a custom Star Wars-inspired wallpaper of Luke Skywalker that reads, Meanwhile back at The Compound, the battle continues, and with Yoda saying, “Do or Do Not. There is No Try!”

As we walk throughout the studio, and past a room still in construction that Set Free reveals is going to become a recording studio—the space feels like a sneak peek into his mind, passions and interests, from the work of art to the sports memorabilia and vintage antiques. Hanging up on one wall are stunning, black-and-white portraits of the late-DMX and The Lox—Jadakiss has also been featured in a recent episode of DraftKings’ new The Starting Five series, which is filmed live in The Compound. In another corner of the room is a sophisticated-looking lounge area with microphones set up for podcasting, and a set of turntables on top of an antique, wooden chest—a nod to Set Free’s DJing days. Not too far away is an antique barber chair that looks like it’s from the early 1900s, down to the red leather and wood paneling. Wherever you turn, there’s something to marvel at. 

“A lot of art galleries, you can’t touch anything, you don’t feel like you are part of it,” Set Free later says while sitting inside his office. “I wanted The Compound to be this living, wall of art that you can be a part of and it inspires you to create.” 

The Starting Five series is filmed, specifically, in the living room-type area with plush, brown leather couches that are perfect for not only kicking back, but debating the game, music and culture. It’s here where Set Free has powerful conversations about basketball lifestyle with exclusive guests Jadakiss, former NBA star Baron Davis and streetball legend “Skip to My Lou.” In a recent episode where the Yonkers music artist discusses one of his most special albums, you might notice that sitting on a coffee table are an assortment of memorabilia—from magazines (including a copy of the SLAM Presents Warriors special issue) to action figures. 

When we stopped by The Compound in November, it appeared that Set Free had switched it up with works of art one could only imagine to see in person—from Kevin Durant’s KD10 signature kicks, which he wore when he won his first NBA championship in 2017 (a gift to Set Free from KD), to the AND1 mixtapes in their original yellow, blue, brown and fire-engine red cassette boxes. 

It’s one thing, though, to see the mixtapes in person, but it’s another to later hear from Set Free about how he thinks the game has evolved and is moving to its own beat. 

“I just love seeing the game evolve with the new generation of young stars. [With the griddy dance], I don’t think there was ever an NBA player that did a dance [like Ja Morant], [Stephen] Curry with the shimmy with the shoulders. It’s exciting, it’s like seeing two generations of the game being played. On one hand you got Ja Morant, Trae Young, Luka [Doncic], [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown and then you still have [James] Harden, [LeBron] James and Kawhi [Leonard]. Seeing these two worlds is incredible, and then with seeing the worlds you’re also seeing the connection. One of the things I say is, [when we were growing up], everybody in the NBA wore high top sneakers. Now all the guys are wearing these low cuts, and they look incredible. LeBron even took his sons to the Nike meeting to design a sneaker with him. So, you know, you’re seeing a generational culture clash that’s really exciting. I’m seeing Ja dunking over veterans and I’m like, Oh my goodness. But then I’m seeing LeBron dunking on kids, and it’s incredible. So, for me, just to see the older generation and the younger generation, with the music, fashion, with the style of play—it’s been one of the most exciting years I’ve seen in a while.”

When asked to describe the tempo of the game today, in relation to music, Set Free pauses and marvels at the thought. “Wow,” he whispers, later adding: “Creatively, intensely fast. It’s like some of the things I’m seeing, [I think when] Ja Morant went up [for a dunk], caught some contact in the air and changed it to a finger roll. … LeBron is still dunking like he’s in his twenties, Tatum is going crazy, Zion, when he’s playing, it’s very intense, creative and it’s fast.” 

Set Free isn’t just an admirer of how the game is being played, but the culture of the game as a whole. When asked who stands out to him style-wise in the tunnel, he doesn’t hesitate to name LeagueFits MVP Jordan Clarkson. “He’s a star. … He puts it together right. I don’t think it’s about the brands, he wears high end [brands] and pieces nobody knows. You don’t have to go to Paris anymore, just watch the beginning of Sportscenter.”

Other fashionable players around the League that he mentions include Jayson Tatum and James Harden, but when asked what he thinks about players walking the runway at New York and Paris Fashion Week, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Set Free explains: “What happened is, [there] was a transition, though, from players sitting front row in Paris, and shoutouts to Virgil [Abloh], he kind of brought a lot of NBA players to his shows. The NBA players were always the model type—they’re thin, slim, tall, the exact build of a model—so it was just a transition from them sitting in the front row to being on stage now. I always thought it was coming.”

Nearly every answer from Set Free, whether it’s about basketball, fashion, and hip-hop, is woven together through the lens of a passionate admirer of the culture. “For me, music is a beat that always never changes. No matter the artists, it always does something the same way. Basketball is the only thing with a genre of music connected. So, when you say basketball, you say hip-hop. If you say golf, you don’t see music. Tennis, there’s no music [there]. But it’s always been this way [with basketball]. At one point it was Public Enemy that drove that beat and then Nas and Mobb Deep, it’s still this same connection to me from Drake to Rick Ross at one point, Lil Wayne and Cash Money at [another] point. 

“I mean, for me with the AND1 mixtape, it started with Common and Mos Def and Busta Rhymes, but now it’s 2Chainz, Lil Baby, J Cole but it’s still the same feeling now and which I’m happy about. Super happy about all the collaborations, the [DJ Khaled] album, NBA Youngboy, Griselda is one of my favorites. Of course, the legends of the Jadakiss’s and Cam’rons, and all the “babys”—Lil Baby, DaBaby, I’m baby-ied out, in a good way…It’s an exciting time in music [and] I love how the players embrace it. You know, you’ve seen them [wearing] in ear [headphones], over-ears coming through the tunnel, pregame, shootaround. You see them [mentioned] in lyrics, and even with the griddy-thing…I don’t think music is going to leave the NBA, hip-hop is so connected [with it]. At one time it was movie stars like Jack Nicholson, Bill Murray, but now those [courtside] seats are filled by Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.” 

Just as the game is changing, Set Free and The Compound are also constantly evolving, too. As a self-declared “artistic, cluttered minimalist,” Set Free admits that when he first arrived at the space and it was empty, he could look at every blank wall and know exactly how many frames would fit. 

“[When I walked in] and saw it empty, I literally [knew] every block where everything fits. I stood in the middle, and was like, five paintings fit there, three fit there, six on that wall. If you’ve noticed, every space is almost full. I’m going crazy because I’m waiting on tables for that space. For me, it’s just art and math. Like that gray wall, ten frames is going to fit perfectly on that.” 

Like every artist, Set Free is rarely ever satisfied with the way things look in The Compound, and he’s constantly been moving and changing the layout around. But like every visionary, he sees an opportunity to create something new and innovative. That’s the future of The Compound. 

“It’s always evolving. But I think that’s what keeps it fun. Like, usually [with] the last Compound [space No. 1], maybe twice a year, definitely maybe once, I would take all those 10 frames down, put them back in storage and go get new art and put it in that sport to keep [it] refreshing.”

With his blessing, Set Free wraps up the interview by encouraging us to wander freely around the space and take it all in. To get close enough to really see every intricate detail of the art, the jerseys, the mixtapes and the NBA championship kicks. After all, The Compound is meant to capture all of your wildest, most creative curiosities.  

The post Inside the Creative Mind of Set Free Richardson and the 3rd Version of his Famed Creative Space—The Compound appeared first on SLAM.

The Greek Freak won the duel by putting his stamp all over the game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Doncic was left praising the 2021 Finals MVP after the buzzer. 

“It’s hard to go against a guy like that,” Doncic said per CBS Sports. “He’s the best player in the NBA right now. He’s almost impossible to stop. It’s really fun to see him play, but it’s not that fun to go against him — He improves every day. He works really hard, you can see it. He works on everything, he works on his shot, and he’s gotten better at a lot of things. He just gets better every day.”

Antetokounmpo was delighted to hear what Doncic said about him following Milwaukee’s win, and he made sure to let us know what it meant to him coming from one of the game’s best.

“That’s a great compliment, and I appreciate that,” Antetokounmpo said. “When you play against the best players in the League, being able to say something like that feels good. No matter wins or losses, just being respected by your peers, it’s always a good feeling.”

Doncic is putting up insane numbers to kick off the new season. The Mavericks guard is scoring 33.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists on 50.4 percent accuracy from the field. Despite Dallas getting off to a 9-10 record, there should be no reason why Doncic is not in any MVP conversation.

As for the Bucks star, he is putting together quite a campaign of his own. Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 53.4 shooting from the field. His efforts have his team sitting with a 14-5 record, which is good enough for second in the Eastern Conference.

The post Luka Doncic Says Giannis Antetokounmpo is ‘the Best Player in the World’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Bucks started 9-0 out the gate but have gone 5-5 over their last ten contests. On Sunday, the good vibes came out after the Bucks held on for a wire-to-wire victory over the Mavericks, who lost their fourth consecutive contest. Allen finished the game with 25 points on 80 percent shooting. He also had five assists, two steals, and one block. 

“The hoop looked huge,” Allen said per ESPN.

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A post shared by Milwaukee Bucks (@bucks)

Giannis Antetokounmpo had his usual outstanding performance as well. He led all scorers with 30 points on 57.9 percent shooting, 11 rebounds, and four dimes. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was complimentary of how Antetokounmpo and Allen’s games complimented each other last night. 

“He was on fire,” Kidd said. “We gave him a lot of great looks, and he knocked them down. Giannis put pressure on the rim, and we just couldn’t get to their shooters.”

The Milwaukee Bucks shot 17/37 from behind the arc, matching their season-high mark for made three-pointers. Allen’s sizzling shot-making led this in the first half, but Antetokounmpo was ardent about ensuring the other parts of Allen’s game were also acknowledged. 

“He’s not just a good shooter,” Antetokounmpo said. “If you’re sleeping and you’re being lazy, he’s going to drive the ball, drive the close-out and go and dunk it. It just makes him dangerous. As much as they respect the 3, they’ve got to respect the drive also.”

Coming into the game, it was touted as a battle between two MVP candidates, Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic. Despite spectacular performances from both, Allen completely stole the show, which may be enough to get Milwaukee’s season back on track. 

The post Grayson Allen’s Hot Shooting Starts Lifts Milwaukee Over Dallas appeared first on SLAM.

As impressive as his resume may be, fans, as well as Doncic himself, realize the importance of what a championship will do to the Slovenian’s legacy. While he came up short last season when he faced the Golden State Warriors dynasty in the Western Conference Finals, the roster improvement the front office made over the summer has Doncic hopeful of remaining in Big D for a long stretch of his career.

“I don’t think they’re worried about it right now,” Doncic tells WFAA on the state of his contract to Mavs’ fans. “I got what, five years left here, so I don’t think they should be worried about it.”

pic.twitter.com/mCKB00HCTD

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 21, 2022

Doncic recently signed a $207 million contract extension with the Mavs to keep him until 2027. Being a 10-year veteran by that time will undoubtedly put pressure on Dallas in the next five years to place the missing pieces for a title. Though Doncic tells fans not to worry about exiting, a player of his caliber may change his position depending on how the front office builds the team around him.

Similar to LeBron James‘ first exit in Cleveland or Kevin Durant‘s departure from Oklahoma City, the talent centered around the superstar can truly shift his commitment towards the organization’s plan.

He can't be stopped pic.twitter.com/b60Lk1U87x

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 21, 2022

Recent rumors indicate that the Mavericks are looking to make a splash on the trade center, specifically for Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons. The two-way presence of Simmons can help alleviate the pressure off of Doncic and allow him to be hidden on the weakest offensive presence on any given opponent’s lineup.

No one can tell what’s to come, but for a generational player like Doncic, a championship roster has to be built from the mud up to make the talent’s story all the more impressive and, of course, avoid a heartbreaking exit. While Doncic is complaining yet about roster construction, the onus will remain on Dallas’ front office to build a championship-caliber roster around their MVP candidate.

His legacy, and the franchises, will be tied around it.

“Basketball is my peace place,” Doncic said. “I always want to go there. I forget about everything that’s going on off the court.”

The post Luka Doncic On Worries About Him Leaving Dallas: ‘I Got Five Years Left Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Clippers originally listed Leonard as out for the Thursday night game, but his status was upgraded to questionable following their morning shootaround. Team doctors gave Leonard the green light to play for the first time since he first experienced knee stiffness on Oct. 25.

Leonard scored six points (2-8 shooting from the field), brought down five rebounds, and dished four assists in 25 minutes to help the Clippers outlast the Pistons 96-91. The two-time champ was also plus-26 on the floor. Leonard’s double-digit scoring streak ended at 177 straight regular-season games after he scored six points, the third-longest active streak behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic, per ESPN.

The last time the Klaw failed to break 10 points was Dec. 18, 2017, against the Clippers.

KAWHI. pic.twitter.com/5LOHxMNJIo

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 18, 2022

During his postgame remarks with reporters, Leonard didn’t detail the stiffness that kept him out of 12 straight games. However, the Klaw reiterated that his recovery from his torn ACL would be a “two-year process.”

“Like I said before, at the start of the season, it’s going to be a long journey,” Leonard said, per ESPN. “ACL recovery isn’t just one year. Everybody thinks that, but it’s a two-year process, so I know that, and I’m going to keep going and going through the process.”

When teammate Reggie Jackson (23 points, three rebounds, three assists) was asked about Leonard’s return, the veteran point guard said he tries to “remind him that he’s Kawhi Leonard” and that “he’s special. He’s one of the best ever to play his game.” Jackson also said that the Clippers have the “utmost confidence in” Leonard “no matter what the result was.”

Every time pic.twitter.com/Rr55Patmfv

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 18, 2022

Head coach Tyronn Lue said that his decision to start Leonard was due to not liking the process of bringing Leonard off the bench midway through the second quarter like the Clippers did his first two games. That initial game plan was designed to allow Leonard to close games out in the fourth quarter and to ensure he doesn’t sit too long between playing spurts.

“After I played those first two games, it was dead already,” Leonard said of his preference to start or come off the bench. “T-Lue wanted me to start the games and get us going in a flow. So, before I sat out [12 straight games], I knew I was gonna be starting.”

The Clippers will likely cautiously approach Leonard’s future availability after playing his first game in nearly a month. The next time they play will be when they host the Spurs on Saturday.

The post Kawhi Leonard Makes His Well-Awaited Return Against Pistons, Drops Six Points and Four Assists appeared first on SLAM.

From the slow 4-6 record to start the season to their decision to part ways with former coach Steve Nash and now dealing with the suspension/backlash following Kyrie Irving’s controversial social media posting of a film with anti-Semitic messaging, the Nets are in desperate need of some good news right now.

Lucky for Nets fans, they just may have gotten some much-needed sunlight. In a recent report per The New York Post, All-Star guard Ben Simmon’s injury status has been changed from “out” to “available” for tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Simmons said he “feels great” and will play a limited amount of about 20 minutes tonight against Luka Doncic and the Mavs.

Simmons has missed the Nets’ last four games with a sore left knee and did not travel with the team on their recent road games in Charlotte or Washington. Luckily for Simmons and the Nets, it does not seem like the knee was a severe danger. The MRI came back clean and revealed some swelling that Simmons had drained.

With Irving suspended, for the time being, this Dallas game seems like the perfect opportunity for Simmons to maybe take over and play a point-forward role as he did with the Philadelphia 76ers. We all know how special and gifted a player Simmons can be with the ball in his hands, and with Kevin Durant (who has been on an absolute tear as of late) on the wing, the two could make an unstoppable 1-2 combo.

It will be exciting to see how interim coach Jacque Vaughn utilizes Simmons tonight in this matchup. Doncic has been scorching hot in every game he has played this year. Doncic comes into this Nets game averaging 36.0 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists.

It will take a lot to slow this Maverick’s team down; however, the Nets are riding a two-game win streak, so hopefully, we will see some of the recently developed momentum carry over into tonight.

The post Ben Simmons ‘Feels Great’ and Plans to Play Against Dallas After Missing Four Games Due to Knee Soreness appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic’s final stat line for the night was 41 points on 50 percent shooting (14/28) to go along with 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and three steals to help the Dallas Mavericks secure a 129-125 win.

“We’re just trying to do the best we can to make his job a lot easier out there on the floor when he gives the ball up, and the only way you can do that is knock down shots and take them with confidence and make a play,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. postgame, per ESPN.

Mavericks Maxi Kleber also went on to add to what Hardaway said, stating,

“Obviously, Luka is probably the best guy to make tough shots and make shots when they count, but he also knows when to make the right basketball plays,” Kleber said. “And especially when we came into overtime, they were like really aggressive with him, and he made the right play, I don’t know, three or four times in a row. We just got hot and made all those shots.”

Doncic’s 40-point triple-double performance was also one for the history books, as he now becomes the 10th player in NBA History with three or more 40-point triple-doubles.

The list includes many impressive names, such as NBA Legends Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, and The King LeBron James. This recent outing adds to what has been such a stellar start to the 2022-2023 season for Doncic, as he has put up over thirty points in each one of the four Mavericks games so far.

The Mavericks’ record currently sits at 2-2, placing them as the 10th seed in the Western Conference.

Although it is still very early into the new NBA season, we would not put it past Doncic to definitely continue to play at such a high level. Only time will tell if Doncic can sustain this level of play and carry it on to the playoffs later down the road; for now, let’s just appreciate the nightly magic we witness.

The post Luka Doncic Becomes The 10th Player In NBA History With Three or More 40-Point Triple Doubles appeared first on SLAM.

Morant doesn’t remind Durant of any other player.

“He’s a unique player. A lot of athleticism and creativity out there. Body type reminds you of somebody like—well, he’s taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], but a wiry, strong player — but he’s an incredible player, man,” Durant said per Bleacher Report.

The Murray State product lived up to Durant’s pregame praise with 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in a 134-124 Memphis win. Morant, Durant, Desmond Bane, and Kyrie Irving combined to score 150 points on 62 percent shooting from the field.

At just 23-years-old, Morant has the rest of the NBA on watch.

A 2022 All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player, the guard led the Grizzlies to second in the Western Conference last season. Morant has averaged 35.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds this season while leading the Grizzlies to a 3-1 start. Memphis ousted the Nets, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks but fell to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant’s teammate Ben Simmons spoke on 12 before their Monday night match-up. The duel between Simmons and Morant ended late in the fourth quarter after the 2022 All-Star baited Simmons into fouling out as the Grizzlies inbounded the ball.

“He is an incredible athlete — He pushes the pace, gets his team going, shares the ball. He’s relentless at the rim.”

The Morant magic continues Thursday Night versus the Sacramento Kings.

The post Kevin Durant Calls Ja Morant ‘The Face of Our League Going Forward’ appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins’ improvement comes after he joined a Warriors team that allowed him to take a lesser role as a valuable third scorer and premium defender tasked with defending any opponent’s top perimeter threat. It’s the kind of role that’s allowed him to prevent anybody from saying he didn’t live up to his potential as Maple Jordan.

The rapid development caused Coach Steve Kerr to rave about how “confident” he looks this season and how he’s used his role on the ’22 title team to “springboard” into possibly having a better year than he did last year. During the Finals, Wiggs averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while primarily being a thorn in Jayson Tatum’s side. He also played tough defense against Luka Doncic and Ja Morant while being a go-to scorer late in the shot clock.

“I think (Andrew) Wiggins — this is I’ve ever seen Wiggs,” Kerr said. “He’s an All-Star last year; he helped us win a championship. I think he’s used that momentum that he gained a year ago to kinda springboard into this season, and I don’t think he’s ever looked more confident.”

"This is the best I've ever seen Wiggs." pic.twitter.com/XopHFZCytm

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 24, 2022

As of Tuesday, Maple Jordan is averaging 22.3 points, a career-high 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game on 52.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from downtown. It’s a small sample (three games), but it’s the type of production that justifies Golden State’s commitment to its future while prioritizing its veteran championship experience.

“Not only in his own game but with what we’re doing, the way we play. You saw the extra pass last night that he made to (Stephen Curry) for the three. He’s making those simple plays, but then he’s attacking when he needs to attack and playing just really efficient basketball, playing great defense. So a lot of good stuff, but we have to put it together as a team, and that’s gonna take some time.”

Draymond Andrew pic.twitter.com/GDNRYHOHSR

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 24, 2022

The post Steve Kerr Believes ‘This Is the Best I’ve Ever Seen’ Andrew Wiggins Play appeared first on SLAM.

Dallas big man Christian Wood blamed his poor free-throw shooting in the season opener for costing the Mavs the game. He went 3-of-10 from the stripe. However, this didn’t reflect on his shooting efficiency; Wood took 15 shots and only missed six, finishing the night shooting 60 percent from the field.

When addressing his free-throw struggles after the game, the 27-year-old admitted that he just wants to be better and admits that what happened was “inexcusable.”

“It’s just getting the jitters out,” said Wood. “Just attack it. Try to be better next time. You’ve got to take it day by day.”

Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who finished the contest with 35 points and nine rebounds, did not seem concerned about the issue.

“I went through it a lot,” Doncic told Wood. “And probably will go again – hopefully not.”

Cleverly, Doncic knocked on Wood’s head to not jinx himself.

Dallas will play their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday in the home opener. 

The post Luka Doncic Gives Christian Wood Some Advice on Free-Throw Shooting After Suns Loss appeared first on SLAM.

The Sun-Mavs season opener nearly brought up still-fresh and painful memories from Game 7 for Phoenix as they fell behind by 22-points in the first half. However, the Suns fought back in the second half and rallied for a monumental win to start the season on a high note.

“If you get your asses kicked, you want to get your get-back,” Devin Booker told ESPN’s Jorge Sedano while reminiscing about losing his first Game 7. “That’s just life.

“We still have 81 games to go. I said that before the game. It’s a good start. I think it’s a good start to show our team if we’re down early that, we can come back in games.”

2⃣2⃣-PT COMEBACK.

Tonight marked our largest comeback since 2017. pic.twitter.com/2oqt671FK9

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 20, 2022

Phoenix’s ability to rally and win a closeout of a tight game late in the fourth should come as no surprise when you remember why they became the overall last season. The Suns went 33-9 in clutch games, defined by the score being within five points in the final minutes.

The comeback effort can also serve as a rallying point after a dramatic offseason full of front-office chaos due to team owner Robert Sarver’s season-long suspension and decision to put the Suns and Mercury up for sale. Not to mention the tense negotiations and apparent cold feelings Deandre Ayton has towards Coach Monty Williams. The starting lineup also had some turnover after Jae Crowder decided not to play out the final season of his contract while the front office seeks a trade partner.

Powering through. pic.twitter.com/t1C1MPyFO9

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 20, 2022

All the offseason theatrics were a backdrop to the fact that NBA scheduled Phoenix and Dallas for their season-openers after the Mavericks not only embarrassed but ended the Suns’ season with a debilitating Game 7 loss for the ages.

“I think any time you win in the NBA, it’s cool,” Williams said. “But to beat the team that knocked you out, it doesn’t erase that feeling, that hurt, but it does help you grow.”

The Suns’ comeback bid began with Booker (28 points and nine assists) checking back into the game with his team down 15 points. The two-time All-Star scored seven points and handed out six dimes during the fourth quarter. However, the true hero of the game was Damion Lee, who scored 11 of his points in the final frame, including his game-winning fadeaway with 9.7 seconds left in the game.

Damion Lee!!! Tuff shot. pic.twitter.com/tUST6cKmQn

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 20, 2022

Lee, a championship veteran, was a casualty of the Warriors’ decision to invest in their future this summer. He signed a veterans minimum deal during the League’s free agency period and has immediately made an impact as a reserve guard. The 29-year-old guard more than made up for giving up a game-tying and-1 layup to Doncic by hitting his game-winner.

Lee was also given a boost of confidence by Williams during Phoenix’s ensuing timeout.

“Coach just looks at me, and he said: ‘Hey, go make a play. Go make a play,”‘ said Lee, who is now 2-of-9 on tying or go-ahead field goals in the final minute during his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. “That’s what you want — a coach that’s always going to instill that confidence in you, no matter what happens.”

The post Damion Lee’s Game-Winner Gives Phoenix Some ‘Get-Back’ Over Dallas 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.

Every time Doncic fell hard during a game or got bumped, Dorian Finney-Smith had a completely relatable thought process, yelling at Doncic through the tv to “get up” or “get him out of there” during physical moments. The Mavericks coaching staff felt the same way as they watched the 23-year-old MVP candidate play in the international tournament.

”We’re going to start a little light,” Coach Jason Kidd said per the Dallas Morning News. “But as we all know, in this room, Luka loves to play basketball, so he’s ready to go, and he’ll probably tell you that today. But we want just to start slow.

“This is a marathon. He just got done playing [for Slovenia]. But anytime he sees the game plan for practice, and he sees scrimmage, he’s ready to play.”

Doncic first reported to the Slovenian national team in mid-June, two weeks after the Mavericks dropped the Western Conference to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. After he prepared and played in two FIBA World Cup games in early July, he took a month off before playing in the Eurobasket tournament.

Luka Legend averaged 26 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per EuroBasket game — the only player to rank in the top-10 for each category in the tournament — and played 233 of a possible 280 minutes through Slovenia’s outings. Doncic played more minutes per game during Eurobasket (35.6 minutes per game) than when he played with the Mavericks (35.4 minutes per game). International games are 40 minutes long vs. 48 in the NBA.

Between Eurobasket and flying back to Dallas for Media Day and training camp, Doncic had eight full days of rest. When Kidd and Doncic met up at Dallas legend DirNowitzki’s celebrity charity tennis tournament, Kidd told Doncic that he won’t participate fully in training camp, and would take a ramp-up approach as camp took place. This is the plan of action because Dallas doesn’t want to fatigue Doncic too much to start the season.

“Luka’s in a great place,” Kidd said. “You can see his spirit is high. He’s smiling. He feels great. He looks great; he’s ready to play — We ask a lot of him, and we have to — as a staff and teammates — try to find a way to make it easier for him; that’s going to be a great challenge that everyone’s up for.”

Doncic also revealed that his injured wrist had healed as well as the stitches in his head after he got elbowed by a French big man during Slovenia’s game against France. He told reporters with a smile that he’s “good now” and has the same season individual goals as always.

“Always the goal is the same for me, for the team we’re trying to win the championship,” Doncic said. “That’s the only goal we have, and that’s what we’re going to work for.”

The post Mavericks Plan to Start Luka Doncic ‘a Little Light’ to Start the Season appeared first on SLAM.

The guard broke multiple “the youngest ever” records, including becoming the sixth player in NBA history with at least the same total points, assists, and rebounds through the first 64 games of their career as LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Luka Doncic, Oscar Robertson and Alvan Adams. 

Following a historic season, Cunningham looks to continue to build his legacy in Detroit. The 6′ 6″ sophomore added 10-15 pounds of muscle this offseason.

“I didn’t recognize him,” Coach Dwane Casey said per CBS news. “He’s done a really good job with his body.” 

“He looks like a different dude, and that physicality will help him,” Casey added.

Cunningham is committed to winning, and he’s hoping his increased strength will help him decrease his turnovers and maintain a high level of play throughout the season. 

“We have a lot more depth this year,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s realistic to say we’ll have a bunch of locked-in guys that are playing to win. If we do that, the wins will take care of itself.”

The Pistons are seeking redemption this year. Alongside Cunningham, they’ve added Purdue star Jaden Ivey, Memphis center Jalen Duren, and recently acquired sharp-shooter Bojan Bogdanovic. The Pistons open their season on Oct. 19 against the Orlando Magic.

The post Cade Cunningham ‘Looks Like a Different Dude’ After Stellar Rookie Season appeared first on SLAM.

Unfortunately for Doncic, the Slovenian national team was eliminated from Eurobasket by Poland in the quarterfinals. Luka Legend finished the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists against seven turnovers on 33 percent shooting before fouling out with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter. Doncic was coming off three consecutive 30-point games before the loss.

“Today, I played terribly,” Doncic said. “I let my team down. I let the whole country who was supporting us down. And that’s on me. I got to look back at this game and be better.”

Despite his fantastic play throughout group play and in the knockout stages, Doncic has been dealing with injuries throughout the tournament, specifically in his back during the match with Poland. He does not consider that to be a viable excuse, though.

“I don’t know, probably not 100% (health-wise),” Doncic said. “I received [an] injection in the third quarter. I was dealing with a lot of this EuroBasket. But that’s not the reason, you know.” 

Slovenia was down by 21 points by halftime against Poland, but they rallied in the third quarter to cut the deficit to one point before losing 90-87. Doncic fouled out with three minutes remaining in the game, with Slovenia only down four points. Vlatko Cancar of the Denver Nuggets and Bulls guard Goran Dragic each helped Doncic pick up the slack with 21 and 17 points, respectively, but it wasn’t enough to lift Slovenia over Poland. 

Media Day for the Dallas Mavericks is only 11 days away (Sept. 26), and training camp begins the following day. The Mavericks begin the season against the Sun on Oct. 19.

The post Luka Doncic: ‘I Let My Team Down’ After Slovenia Falls Short to Poland in Eurobasket Quarterfinals appeared first on SLAM.

As the starting point guard on Coach Jason Kidds WCF-finalist team, Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds. and 3.7 assists per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. When Brunson and his representatives negotiated his $104 million deal, Kidd said he was happy the Villanova product got the deal.

“The biggest thing is I’m happy he got paid,’’ Kidd said on the “All the Smoke’’ podcast. “He helped us. I know [Mavericks owner Mark] Cuban doesn’t like this, but I love when I can get a player get paid.’’

This last season, Brunson emerged as Dallas’ second-best player behind Luka Doncic, forming a dynamic tandem that will leave Dallas fans asking “what-if?”The memories of Dallas’ first WCF-run since winning the 2011 title will last a lifetime for some fans.

“I tell a player on the first day of camp, ‘Tell me what you want,’ ” Kidd said. “Everyone wants shots. Everyone wants minutes. But that’s not the truth. They want to get paid and want to play.”

“Cool. I can help you do that. The other part of that is I’m going to ask for a couple of things. Trust, communicate and play hard. If you ask Brunson, he will tell you he listened [to me], and good things happened. I just want to put people in position to be successful.’’

With the departure of Brunson to New York, Dallas will look to replace Brunson with Spencer Dinwiddie at the floor general position.

The Knicks are being investigated for allegedly tampering with Brunson before free agency began. The Knicks are reportedly likely to be punished by forfeiting a draft pick. Brunson reportedly had no interest in hearing Dalass’ counteroffer while he was on vacation in Jamaica with his family, fully intent on signing in Dallas.

“There’s 30 companies in the NBA,’’ Kidd said. “We all can’t stay in the same company. For him to go to New York to get paid and an opportunity to run his own team. I’m happy for him.’’

The post Jason Kidd on Jalen Brunson Leaving for New York: ‘I Love When I Can Get a Player Get Paid’ appeared first on SLAM.

While the team was 19-7 when Danny Ainge took over, the Jazz had only won season playoff series over the past five seasons despite occasional regular season dominance. As the season progressed, Ainge realized that the Jazz “didn’t really believe in each other.”

The personal revelation led Ainge to ship off Gobert to Minnesota, Mitchell to Cleveland, O’Neale to Brooklyn, and Ingles to Portland; however, he never played for the Blazers due to a torn ACL.   

“What I saw during the season was a group of players that didn’t really believe in each other. Like the whole group,” Ainge said, per ESPN. “I think they liked each other even more than what was reported, but I’m not sure there was belief.”

Ainge was hoping the team would remedy their issues by the beginning of the postseason, but after a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, despite Luka Doncic missing multiple games, Ainge knew it was time to begin their rebuild. 

“When we got to the playoffs, I thought, well, this team that has had some disappointing playoffs, so I thought maybe they’re just waiting for the playoffs. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it was clear the team didn’t perform well in the playoffs again.”  

“Like I believe every one of these guys went into every game believing they were going to win, don’t get me wrong on that. I’m just saying when adversity hit, the resolve you could see in a team that has a true belief in having each other’s back or one another.”

Utah’s shift to a rebuild was expected after the Jazz dropped another first-round series. Ainge’s ambitious moves to trade Gobert and Mitchell results in Utah receiving a pevy of picks and young players. Utah begins its most challenging season yet against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 19.

The post Danny Ainge: Utah Jazz ‘Didn’t Really Believe in Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

Thought exercise time: Jordan Brand doesn’t exist. Trippy, right? Saturday mornings would be less invigorating and probably way less frustrating. Bank accounts would be fuller. Closet space would be more robust. Outfits would be more wack. Connections with other sneakerheads wouldn’t be as strong. Memories would be unknowingly incomplete. The entire game would be entirely different. 

Appreciation exercise time: Stop for just a moment and commemorate Jordan Brand’s 25th anniversary. 

Flip the calendar back to September 9, 1997, on a 62-degree day in New York City. Michael Jordan held a press conference to unveil Brand Jordan. Yeah, Brand Jordan. Not Jordan Brand. Brand Jordan. 

Flanked by Ahmad Rashad, Vin Baker, Ray Allen, Eddie Jones, Michael Finley and Derek Anderson, MJ wore an oversized beige suit and stood on stage to share with the world that he was embarking on a new adventure. He was leaving the house that Nike built, ready to live on his own with his own gear. 

He was five titles deep at that point, 12 signatures in, with three kicks already retro’d and the Air Jordan XIII unveiled at that very same press conference. His commercials were all hits and he was just a year removed from the acclaim of Space Jam. Nike’s goal for Brand Jordan was just $250 million. With all of that winning he had already done, it was a layup. And a layup it has been. But not a layup on a regulation hoop with a 29.5 inch ball. It’s been a layup on a 4-foot kiddie hoop with a marble as the ball. That’s how successful it’s been.  

Michael Jordan has made over $1 billion from Jordan Brand in the last 25 years. 

Here we go again for emphasis: Michael Jordan has made over $1 billion from Jordan Brand in the last 25 years. 

That’s numeric proof that the adventure has been stupidly fruitful. 

The other proof isn’t as tidily quantifiable. It’s more of a knowing. The Jumpman is every-damn-where. Pole to pole, from Hong Kong to Beaverton, this quarter century has affirmed that Jordan’s sneakers are still the most sought-after, most worn and most popular in all of basketball footwear. 

What started in 1984 with the Air Ship (hop on back to page 9) has evolved into a titan. Michael has become the soul of our soles. His longtime agent David Falk loves to tell the story of how Nike’s goal for the first three years of Jordan’s initial five-year contract was to get up to $3 million in sales. 

The Air Jordan I made $126 million in the first year of that deal. 

The II wasn’t as monetarily successful, but it was still impactful (hop on forward to page 90). The III broke the door off the hinges with striking force. The IV-VIII kept the hits rolling until the XI came through as the ultimate masterpiece. 

Money was always extremely involved with Nike and with Tinker Hatfield. He was articulate, rapidly understanding sneaker technology so he knew what he wanted from the III and beyond. With his fingerprints all over the blueprints, the XIII’s arrival coincided with this quote from Mike Wise’s New York Times profile that released on Brand Jordan’s launch day: 

“It’s a part of me; it’s a part of the creative personality I have,” Jordan said to Wise back in ’97 about his burgeoning sneaker empire. “When I walk away from the game, this is my means of staying in tune with the game. Not coaching, not commentary. Those are things that I chose not to do and I don’t want to do.”

Numero 23 stuck to his words. Now that the Air Jordan 37 has landed (hop on forward to page 70), he hasn’t done any coaching and he rarely appears on TV talking about hoops. But he’s still active with the Brand. He still gets final approval on what the Brand’s designers call the “game shoe.” This colossal turn in the sneaker business has kept his legend alive in the almost 20 years since he last played. The youth know him as the sneaker leviathan just as much as they know him as the GOAT. On the low, it seems like that’s what he wanted, as evidenced by another quote from Wise’s piece in the Times: 

“I got away from the game, I got away from the city a little bit, I got more into things like this,” he said, surveying his own line of sneakers in front of him. “I did a lot of basketball camps this summer, staying in tune with the kids who love the game. I think that’s fun.”

The players who joined him on stage that day became sneaker legends in their own right. Anderson helped to pioneer the Air Jordan XI Low. Finley played in numerous retros that paired perfectly with his Mavericks and Spurs jerseys. Jones and Baker respectively spearheaded the Jumpman Pro Quick and the Jumpman Pro Strong. And Allen…that two-time champion has a tier 0 Jordan sneaker collection. Seen it, can confirm it. 

The Brand continued to link up with exemplary players in the NBA, the WNBA, the MLB and the NFL after that first five. It’s been the best of the best, as well as the best of the coolest, that have rocked the Jumpman. 

The current roster, led by Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum, holds the future of the League in their hands. 

These last 25 years have been characterized by flight. Gravity has been determined to be optional and, ultimately, unnecessary. With just a few steps in his Air Jordans, MJ took off long ago. There’s no return date for this soaring and all we really know about what the future holds for Doncic, Williamson and Tatum is that the Jordan Brand most definitely exists, and that higher and higher is the only way to go. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Looking Back at Jordan Brand’s Monumental Impact on the Game over the Past 25 Years appeared first on SLAM.

Dončić has joined the call for FIBA to modify its group stage schedule from four games in five days due to the increased risk for potential injury. After practice on Monday, Doncic cited that players having less time between games is a risk for the player and would make the clubs players play for unhappy if the players they’ve signed an injury during international play.

“We’re going to play four games in five days,” Doncic said after Slovenia’s practice Monday per Eurohoops. “Yesterday, basically, we had two games in 24 hours. Yes, this should change for everybody. Everybody is doing the same. Everybody has less rest. It’s a problem because of injuries, you know. More injuries can happen. Especially the clubs wouldn’t be very glad.”

Luka Doncic on Eurobasket schedule: Four games in five days? Something that should change https://t.co/wNIbInVWKb

— Sportando (@Sportando) September 6, 2022

Doncic and Evan Fournier have been the most vocal critics of the Eurobasket schedule, with both making a similar request that teams need more time to rest and recover between contests. Fournier said he’s aware that since Eurobasket has less games, the urgency to win is “more important.” However, with the intensity and physicality of the international game, playing games at such a condensed pace creates “a real big challenge” for players.

“It’s the EuroBasket, and we have back-to-backs. Back-to-backs are very hard. And back-to-backs in the NBA and back-to-back in the EuroBasket is two different things,” Fournier told Eurohoops. “There’s less games here, so it’s more intense. When you play at 20:30, you usually sleep around 3:00. It’s a real big challenge. To be fair, it’s the same thing for everyone. It would be great if FIBA changed that to allow us to have more rest in between games.”

The Doncic-led Slovenian national team is 2-1 after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite the upset loss, Slovenia has already advanced from the brutal Group B (Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovenia) play.

“This Group is insane, you know,” Doncic said. “All six teams are very competitive. You could lose to any team. All the games are really great to watch. Great for fans. But it’s a really tough Group because anybody can beat you.”

Slovenia is set to play France on Wednesday.

The post Luka Doncic Speaks Out About Tough Eurobasket 2022 Schedule appeared first on SLAM.

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett is finalizing a four-year rookie extension that could be worth up to $120 million, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + @WME_Sports told ESPN, complicating the franchise’s offseason trade pursuit of Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell. pic.twitter.com/6KkGm4ch8o

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 30, 2022

Barrett is the Knicks’ first draft to agree to a multi-year extension after his rookie deal since Charlie Ward in 1990, ending a remarkable 23-year drought for New York. The agreement also muddies the water of a possible trade to acquire Donovan Mitchell. Barrett’s new deal includes a poison pill provision that would force the Jazz and Knicks to switch up any trade package significantly.

At this point, New York is the primary suitor for Mitchell. Utah is set for a rebuild after moving Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves this summer. The former Duke star’s involvement in trade negotiations was why his extension deal took so long to be discussed.

Knicks president of basketball ops Leon Rose reportedly set a Monday night deadline with Utah to reach a Mitchell-Knicks trade agreement; otherwise, New York would commit to extending Barrett, according to Woj. Woj reported that Jazz-Knicks trade negotiations heated up on deal points that included Barrett in the package tightened over the weekend and into Monday.

However, there was still a divide on a Mitchell trade per Woj. Once the Knicks and Jazz exhausted their options on Monday, Rose and Barret’s agent, Bill Duffy, began to finalize the extension deal that players from the 2019 draft class were eligible to sign.

Barrett averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 34.2 percent from downtown. Barrett is one of only five players to amass 3,000 points, 1,000 boards, and 200 made triples before his 22nd birthday, joining Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James in the exclusive club.

Barrett was the centerpiece of several negotiated trade packages between New York and Utah, but there were hurdles about the amount of unprotected first-round picks that would be included in the deal and whether or not Quentin Grimes would be involved in the agreement. Any deal that didn’t include Barrett would mean New York had to offer more future draft picks to sweeten the deal.

Once the Knicks were adamant about signing Barrett to an extension, reality set in that New York’s front office would have a much more difficult path in acquiring Mitchell. But that doesn’t mean New York and Utah have ruled out restarting negotiations at some point. Talks could begin before the start of training camp per Woj. Of the 179 players to have a poison pill provision in their contract, only one, Devin Harris, was traded.

In the case of a trade, the poison pill is computed with a formula that would put the Knicks’ outgoing salary for a Barrett trade at $10.9 million but require the incoming compensation for a team acquiring him to be $26.2 million. The restriction will be lifted next offseason, July 1. Because of this development, the Jazz and Knicks would need a third team with salary-cap space to redirect Evan Fournier’s $37 million contract.

The post REPORT: RJ Barrett ‘Finalizing’ Rookie Extension appeared first on SLAM.

Here comes a chorus of applause from the crowd at Quai 54 in Paris. These passionate people call France home and they call Slovenia home and they call America home and they call other countries unknown home. They’re loud enough, animated enough and forceful enough for the makeshift court that Jordan Brand has constructed just under the Eiffel Tower to quiver slightly. The collective love echoes high above the red and blue of the 94×50, beyond the Tower and out to the rest of the world, where eager eyes await updates through the internet. The rhythm of clapping and the melody of cheers is for the arrival of Luka Doncic. 

Doncic strolls in, entering stage right, with his very first signature sneaker, the Jordan Luka 1, on his feet. He’s wearing the “Quai 54” colorway while a village of people trail him to center court. He smiles nice and big with the Tower framed in the background. He then pops a pair of shades on, cops a seat and gets ready to watch a squad from his homeland of Slovenia play a 20-minute exhibition against a local French team. 

The midday sun wants attention in the worst way, trying to outshine Doncic. It’s an unrelenting type of scorching with no cloud cover and dry winds. The only silver lining to be found in the weather is that the cerulean canopy is wondrously gorgeous. The Parisian architecture was built with stunning purpose. Very few structures obscure the sky’s grandeur. 

The blistering July sun doesn’t slow down the adoring masses. Some of them have learned about Doncic by watching the Dallas Mavericks. Others learned about him by watching Real Madrid. Some of the very few lucky ones learned about him by seeing him on the streets and at the courts of Ljubljana, Slovenia. We’ve all come to expect that expectations carry no weight with him. He inhabits the unexpected. Two seconds of his reactive decision-making with the ball have started to last much longer than just two seconds. The packs of Luka fans both here in Paris and around the globe have come to hold on to those fleeting moments where magic is proving to be real. Whether the spectators are French, Slovenian, American or from somewhere else, the many perceived differences of their lives are simplified by the connection shared through a language they can all see—brilliance on the basketball court, translated for all the planet by Luka Doncic. 

KICKS 25 featuring Luka Doncic is out now.

All roads have started to lead to Luka these days. More and more of his peers talk about how unstoppable he is. His fan base continues to stretch, both geographically and age-wise. Opposing coaches are losing sleep over him. The NBA résumé is getting bolstered in the same way his EuroLeague accomplishments caught attention from shining sea to shining sea. A particularly important set of eyes started watching him at some point along the way. Michael Jordan noticed the world’s player. He and Jordan Brand scooped Luka up and have set him down the path of being a signature athlete. 

But this tale doesn’t begin in Paris. 

Ljubljana, Slovenia, Luka’s hometown and Slovenia’s capital, is the City of Dragons. Old stories say that the great Greek hero Jason slayed the dragon that lived in the waters of the Ljubljanica River before the city was founded. Time and oral traditions have changed the dragon’s role from monster to hero in Slovenian mythology. The mythic beast was a part of Doncic’s upbringing. Now Ljubljana holds a Dragon Carnival every winter, and there is a dragon on the city’s coat of arms, as well as its flag, its river walls, its manhole covers, and even on the logo of NK Olimpija Ljubljana, the local football team. The city’s Dragon Bridge, home to four copper dragon statues, has become famous across the globe.

“Really nice,” Doncic says about the Dragon Bridge. “And you have restaurants all over the river.”

The bridge lies underneath the grand hill where the city’s ancient castle, which held an exhibition in 2018 called “The Dragon of All Dragons,” was built long ago. Wings and fangs are everywhere throughout the capital. 

The fire that Doncic plays with has been boiling in his veins, passed down from the blaze of the dragons that dot his city. But he’s not all consumed by flames. He can spot the beauty.  

“Just how nice it is,” he says about what would be the biggest surprise for a tourist visiting Ljubljana. “Almost everything is green. I think you guys would be surprised how nice it is. You have mountains, you can go to the sea, you can do anything, and it’s still all green. It’s really nice.”

One of the launch colorways of the 1, the “Natural Habitat,” is dedicated to Ljubljana. 

“This colorway of my home country Slovenia, it represents its colors,” he says. “It means a lot to me because it is my hometown. This is a special shoe. The green with the logo. The insole is green. It represents all the green stuff in Slovenia.”

But this tale doesn’t end in Ljubljana. 

Doncic says that the biggest moment that has propelled him to where he is now—coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, posing for this cover with his signature sneaker, all of the other success he’s already enjoyed—was the decision he made when he was just 13 years old. 

“I think that time I moved from Slovenia to Madrid, it was really tough,” he says. “I left all my friends, my family and school there. I think that moment prepared me for what I am now.”

“Now” is the version of Luka who is a seasoned world traveler who’s capable of speaking four languages (Slovenian, Spanish, English and Serbian). He was bred in environments that grown men can’t handle. He’s played in dozens of championship-level matchups. He had to learn how to care for himself without any family. Then there’s the game. The list of what he racked up between 2015-18 is silly: 

EuroLeague champion in 2018; EuroLeague MVP in 2018; EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2018; Liga ACB MVP in 2018; 3x Liga ACB champion; EuroLeague 2010-20 All-Decade Team. 

Totally dominating Europe’s best competition well before he celebrated his 20th birthday. 

“I think Luka is equal parts a phenomenal basketball—one of the world’s best basketball players—and probably one of the world’s most joyous people,” Craig Williams, President at Jordan Brand, tells KICKS. “He’s a humble, good human being. And it’s nice to see both of those combinations intact. It’s nice to be able to recognize that you can be fearless on the basketball court while at the same time just being a wonderful person, a friend, you know, for us, a partner. It’s just…it’s fabulous seeing both sides of him at the same time, all the time.”

Williams brings up the joy that Doncic displays after he catches a big on a switch in the pick-and-roll. Double between-the-legs, stepback to the left, cash out. Then a huge grin when he backpedals down the court. It happens at least once a game. But there’s no special secret to it, as confirmed by No. 77. 

“I just have fun with the game,” Doncic says. 

The game sure is fun when there’s as much winning as he’s experienced. He played with legendary figures over in Madrid, lofty names like Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez, Andres Nocioni, Felipe Reyes and one of his favorites ever, Sergio Llull. They are all battle-tested vets who hold the secrets to the game in their minds. Together, all of that knowledge and experience equaled up to a whole lot of winning. 

“In Europe, it was different rules, their court is a little smaller, and there is no three-second rule on defense,” Doncic says. “So I think from there comes my reading the game, all the passing skills. It’s a tough league to play in. EuroLeague is super tough to play.”

It was tough, but he made it through the middle and up to the top, learning an entirely new language and culture in between teaching the world who he was and giving a glimpse at who he’d become. His basketball journey had already spread out nearly 2,065.0 kilometers (1,283.1 miles) and he proved himself against grown men when he was still a teenager. 

But this tale doesn’t end in Madrid. 

Luka has been a sneakerhead for a long time. Scroll back through his Instagram page for a trip down memory lane of the early 2010s releases from the Swoosh and the Jumpman. He was a NikeiD fanatic. His oldest shots on Getty Images show him in Jordan XIs, Kobes and KDs. He’s known that footwear is a huge part of hoops since forever. And even though Llull, Vassilis Spanoulis, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant hold a place in his heart, MJ is MJ. Doncic is well aware of the weight that comes with being a Jordan Brand signature sneaker athlete. 

“I wouldn’t say all my life, but everyone in my country was MJ! MJ! It was unbelievable the first time I met him, and I was really nervous,” Doncic remembers. “I didn’t know what to say. His legacy is unbelievable, since I was 1 year old.”

Doncic finally got to meet the GOAT at his second trip to All-Star Weekend. His response to Mike running up at him during this year’s ASW is hilariously endearing. 

“It was amazing,” he says. “I was asking people to give me that video so I could post it. If MJ knows you, like, that’s unbelievable.”

The table was properly set for his first sneaker. He had the enthusiasm and he knew the history. Jordan Brand’s lengthy team of designers, engineers and artists were ready. They crafted the IsoPlate and Formula 23, two new technologies, just for him. 

Chad Troyer, Senior Product Line Manager at Jordan Brand, says that the new tech “acts as a team” to help Luka move and play better. 

“If you think about the way that Luka plays on the court, he’s really focused on creating separation and creating space,” Troyer tells KICKS. “He’s hunting for space. He’s trying to create separation for himself in tight spaces. Obviously, we all know his step-back jumper is his go-to move. When he plants and he goes into his step-back jumper, his foot can slide off the footbed. So we really started there around, like, OK, how can we help him create separation on his step-back jumper? How can we also keep him contained in a low-top? So that brought us to Formula 23, which is a really exciting technology for Jordan Brand. It’s a very soft, responsive foam. Think Nike React for Jordan, essentially. It’s a little softer. It’s also a little bit more sustainable. So we’re really pushing to make Luka’s product as sustainable as possible, and that’s a big focus for us. So basically what Formula 23 does, it gives him a really soft, even ride. It keeps him balanced, it keeps him cushioned and he gets to feel the ground.”

The soft and smooth full-length ride from Formula 23 leads to the IsoPlate in the lateral forefoot section. 

“So the IsoPlate, the way that it’s designed and crafted in the forefoot, it protects him on the lateral side,” Troyer goes on. “So when he’s stepping back, it helps him stay on the footbed. But then as he’s engaging his forefoot, it also helps propel him. It’s a little bit of a Luka-only kind of system that’s almost like an extra weapon under his foot for the way that he plays. The IsoPlate and the Formula 23 is a little system underfoot that really helps players make those moves better.”

Doncic does spend a ton of time on his forefoot. Break down any of his jumpshots for just a minute and that’s an extremely obvious takeaway. Troyer says that he and the team noticed that the way No. 77 plants and pushes off his forefoot is a way for him to find his balance, even when it seems like the defense has him bottled up. (But they never actually have him bottled up, do they?) 

The upper of the 1 is another separate part of the project. There are embroidered Flightwire cables on the lateral side of the upper. 

“That is strategic, to be lightweight, but to be very strong to help him when he plants specifically for his step back,” Troyer says about the upper. “But that embroidery cable system helps keep him, in conjunction with the IsoPlate, it keeps him on the shoe. Secondly, what that does for us, is it’s also very sustainable. It’s a pretty complicated science project to create footwear that hits sustainability scoring.”

Watching over the “science project” was Martin Lotti, Vice President and Chief Design Officer at Jordan Brand. Lotti has worked at both Nike and Jordan for a combined 25 years. He refers to himself and his team members as sponges, tasked with going out and soaking up as much information as possible to find a single droplet that can be distilled into something that makes sense for their work. They found it on the Luka 1. 

“I think maybe it’s an appropriate analogy because we are in Paris,” Lotti says from a conference room in Nike’s Champs-Élysées location. “If you look at the Mona Lisa…if you look at it from a distance, you can see her. But then you get closer and there is the background, and then you get closer and there’s so much dimension within this one painting. That’s the same approach we have with good footwear. If we can then marry not just the visual but then the actual function, that the main icon is actually attached to specifically a new innovation for Luka—the IsoPlate—that’s why it’s amazing working with athletes. We would have never come up with an IsoPlate without Luka and without his push and his new insights and him coming, obviously, with a totally new perspective, coming from this European and/or this global view. He’s the first homegrown European signature athlete in our lineup. Having our first one that comes from Europe is special for us.”

Lotti says that the IsoPlate turned out to be the single droplet that they squeezed. He talks about the wisdom that Doncic has earned through all of his travels that will give them not only a fun mathematical playground to frolic through, but also a rich narrative backdrop to pull from. 

That’s where another member of the “science project” comes in. It’s Kelsey Amy’s job to design promo and player edition colorways that Jordan athletes wear in games. She and her team have to pull stories from everyone and then translate them visually. Her designs have already made waves in the WNBA and the NBA. In fact, she’s so nice with it that she had already known about Ljubljana’s relationship with dragons and she put us on to the famous Postojna Cave back in Slovenia that Luka has visited before. “Yeah, it’s like a little train and it goes around the cave,” Doncic says. “It’s awesome.”

Amy conceived of the Luka 1 colorways as more of a thought-out album than a random playlist. She says we’ll be taken on an already mapped journey of Luka’s life throughout the launch cycle of the 1. 

“I think with every single colorway that we had, there’s a purpose in telling that story of Luka, the basketball player, and then Luka, the person,” Amy tells KICKS. “So, upbringing, roots, what are the things he loves? What are the things he’s inspired by?”

She also looks at her job as an educational platform. Doncic has made it to Dallas, where they don’t praise dragons, but they do praise cowboys. She has a chance to help him explain his background to those people. 

But this tale doesn’t end in Dallas.

The majority of the Luka 1 was designed over Zoom. Doncic didn’t find any similarities in being in front of the computer screen for his signature and being in front of the computer screen for his NikeiD silhouettes. 

“I think it’s very different, because now you are designing your own shoe,” he says. “I had a lot to say about the colorway and how the shoe looks. Jordan gave me an opportunity to be involved. Fifty-fifty, we chose the colors together. It’s a long process. It’s not easy, but for me, it was easy. The guys on the Jordan side, it was more tough on them deciding on the shoe.”

He says that the pressure was alleviated because if he wasn’t feeling a new development, the Brand team moved on from it. They listened to him throughout the whole process, which started all the way back when he was in the bubble during the 2020 playoffs. 

Joël Greenspan, Jordan Sport Footwear Designer and lead designer of the Luka 1, remembers the design process really clicking after a trip to Dallas. 

“While the majority of meetings with Luka happened over Zoom, a true unlock came in November of 2021 when our team was able to visit Dallas and meet with Luka in person,” Greenspan tells KICKS. “This was our first interaction with Luka in person, which was huge for us. It’s one thing to show a bunch of decks over Zoom and get a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, but to be able to show him the shoe in person, get his reaction and see him appreciate how he thought it would fit his style of play is what makes the process so rewarding. We spent the entire day with him, went out to dinner together and learned more about him, which inspired us to finish the shoe with renewed energy looking forward to future iterations. The next night, we were all at the game with his team, and he hit that game-winning three against Boston. That was truly galvanizing. It all felt like Luka Magic to me, and I hope people feel that magic when they lace up this shoe.”

“Not many people can say they have their own shoes, especially with a brand like Jordan,” Luka says. “It’s unbelievable.”

Finally, after working through the design virtually and getting to hold his first pair—but not wear it because it wasn’t in his size in the initial shipment—Doncic laced up the Luka 1 against the Utah Jazz in this past summer’s playoffs. 

“It was an amazing feeling,” he beams. “It was playoffs, an important game, I had just come back from injury. I was so excited to show my shoe. It was unbelievable.”

The roads have finally converged. Dragons have guided him, winning has followed him and magic has swirled around him for so many years that the wizardry might actually, somehow, be real. The way he plays ball, ruthlessly destroying while gleefully smiling, discovering small pockets of previously uncharted excellence, has made the world stop and watch him. No matter what he’s worn, every time he’s laced up, he’s brought with him a promise of the astonishing. On-court miracles don’t feel that far away when he’s playing. His personal map is expansive, and it’s only growing more. That’s why he can’t pick just a single moment that has felt the most cinematic. It’s all been a mythic quest.  

“I would say the whole journey. I was dreaming of just playing in the NBA, and now here with my signature shoe, it’s an unbelievable journey. I could only dream of it as a kid to be like that. It’s unbelievable. I am only 23. It’s a hopefully long journey to go,” Doncic says.

He’s taken the road that no one has traveled. And it’s made all the difference. 

But this tale is just getting started. 

KICKS 25 is also available in this exclusive gold metal edition. Shop now.

Portraits by Alex Woodhouse.

The post Luka Doncic on His First Signature Sneaker, the Jordan Luka 1 appeared first on SLAM.

The tournament will be another chance for the Slovenian countryman to team up and for Dragic to take a backseat to one of the most dominant basketball forces in the world in Luka Legend, who just led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last year. Dragic admitted in a recent interview that he knows Dragic will take up most of the sunlight on the team.

At 36-years-old, Dragic is seemingly okay with that matter after leading Slovenia to the Eurobasket title and winning MVP honors.

“In my opinion, I will play a little less minutes, it will not be at that level,” Dragic told Eurohoops.net. “I don’t know how much I played, 36 minutes per game? Everything will depend on how I feel. The role will definitely be different. I was Batman, but now I’ll be Robin.”

Dragic will be playing for the Bulls next year after playing for the Nets last season. The Dragon has starred as a starter and backup throughout his 17 seasons.

Doncic has emerged as a star since his first day in the League. He averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds. and 8.7 assists per game and led to Mavs to their first conference finals appearance since 2011. Dallas ultimately lost to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in five games.

The post Goran Dragic Calls EuroBasket Teammate Luka Doncic the ‘Batman’ to His ‘Robin’ appeared first on SLAM.

Wiggins has since brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Canada as he hosted youth camps in Vaughan and Mississauga. The 2022 All-Star returning to his hometown allowed him to prove to the kids attending his camp that when you believe in yourself and shut out the outside news, you can reap a lot of awards.

“I feel great,” Wiggins said per the Toronto Star. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people had counted me out, but to be back and … winning a championship? All the sacrifices, all the ups, and downs, all the stuff was worth it. It makes the story that much better.”

HOW'S THE AIR UP THERE WIGGS? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/dR3ehMFnft

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

It was a challenging and humbling lesson Wiggins learned as he went from being a volume scorer in Minnesota known for putting up empty calorie stats on losing teams. When he arrived in Golden State, Wiggins was able to thrive as the third star on a group headlined by Stephen Curry and Klay Thomspon.

Under the watchful eye of GM Bob Myers, Coach Steve Kerr, Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green, Maple Jordan embraced being a two-way wing that could be relied on to get a bucket late in the shot clock while guarding the toughest perimeter threat.

“When I step on the court, I’ve always been confident in what I can do,” he said. “When I was in Minnesota, I put up numbers. But people said, ‘He put up numbers on a bad team.’ So, I go to Golden State, and I’m not scoring as much, but I’m doing a lot at a more efficient rate, so the whole world gets to see.”

Wiggs is so damn smooth.
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/T9unmLqnet

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2022

He played a pivotal role in guarding offensive threats like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Jayson Tatum. He took on each assignment and won more than his fair share of battles, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

“It’s been a different type of summer, but the best summer of my life,” he said. “It’s been amazing coming down here and feeling all this love and positivity. It’s been great. Just being able to bring the trophy back home to where it all started for me —— where all my friends and family are, that helped me get to the place where I’m at now.”

Wiggins hopes to come into the 2022-23 season with a freshly minted extension after carrying a significant two-way load last season. The Warriors will likely have to lean on Wiggins as they implement Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman into the lineup after they let several veterans walk away in free agency.

The post Andrew Wiggins Feeling ‘Great’ During ‘Best Summer’ of His Life 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.

In December 2021, he became just the seventh player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in his first 100 games at age 20 or younger, joining LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Luka Dončić, and Zion Williamson. He’s also the youngest player in NBA history to hit 10 three-pointers in a game and joined James, Dončić, and Blake Griffin as the only active players with at least 2,000 points, 400 rebounds, and 300 assists in their first 100 games.

Whether on the court or starring in the movie Hustle alongside Juancho Hernangomez, Ant-Man has the confidence and ability to do it all. Edwards spoke with Complex to discuss his short-term goals and where he views himself among the NBA’s best, and his confidence is clearly through the roof.

Edwards gave himself a year when asked how much time he’ll need to be considered one of the League’s elite players.

“I need another year,” Edwards said. “After this year, I think I’ll be in the (best player) conversation.”

Edwards also said he expects to take the Timberwolves deep into the playoffs while becoming an All-Star starter with improved averages. He averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 44.1 percent shooting last season. If those numbers all improve, Edwards’ confident prediction for himself could see reality.

The topic of the new “face” of the NBA came up in the conversation, and with stars like LeBron and KD getting older, Edwards feels he can become the League’s future cornerstone.

“Oh yeah, 100 percent. Sure,” Edwards said when asked if he could become the new face of the League. “I mean, it comes with time, and it comes with work and dedication. I feel like I got all three of those things, and I feel like it’s going to take me over the top.”

Edwards didn’t just keep it to basketball, though. It could be bowling, baseball, you name it; he went on to say that “I’m the most confident person in the world. I feel like I’m the best at every sport right now.”

Ant-Man is one of the game’s most exciting players after just two seasons in the League. His performance in the first round of the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies (25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game) only solidified him as one of the NBA’s future stars. His confidence has steered him in the right direction, which makes for an exciting and promising year three in Minnesota.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Anthony Edwards Believes He’ll Be in the ‘Best Player Conversation’ Soon appeared first on SLAM.

Brunson received the “blessing” from his former Dallas teammate, Frank Ntilikina, who spent his first four seasons in the NBA with the Knicks. The two were teammates this past season in Dallas. Brunson signed a four-year deal with the Knicks shortly after free agency began.

Ntilikina and Brunson were teammates this past season in Dallas. Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the field in the playoffs helping Luka Doncic carry the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals.

Ntilikina signed with the Mavs on a two-year deal in September of 2021 and will look to fill out the role following Brunson’s departure.

The post Frank Ntilikina Gave Jalen Brunson ‘His Blessing’ to Take Old Jersey Number appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Jalen Brunson reportedly intends on signing a four-year deal with the Knicks once free agency starts on Thursday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

The Knicks have long been infatuated with bringing Brunson as the lead guard of the franchise. GM Leon Rose made multiple trades to free up $30 million in cap space to sign the Villanova product to a “near-max deal.” Those aspirations are likely to come true after Brunson canceled a meeting with Dallas and reportedly decided to sign with New York. NBA reporter Marc Stein was the first to break that the meeting was canceled.

Brunson averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game during a breakout season that saw Brunson establish himself as the clear-cut No. 2 option behind Luka Doncic. He helped lead the Mavericks to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since their 2011 title run against the Miami Heat. During that run, Brunson averaged 21.6 points per game, exploding for 41 points and 31 points during the first round against the Utah Jazz.

“It’s a great fit [in Dallas], but at the end of the day, my son is no different than the next man,” Rick Brunson told ESPN during that first-round series. “You try to raise them the right way in terms of understanding the game, but everyone wants what Luka has. I don’t care who you are. Everyone wants that feeling of, ‘Hey, I can do this too.’ I don’t always think the grass is greener on the other side, but we’ll sit down this summer and go through all the pros and cons of staying here or going somewhere else.”

Brunson became an unrestricted free agent after declining to sign a four-year extension after the trade deadline. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and GM Nico Harrison were willing to offer Brunson a five-year contract this summer. Brunson informed the Mavs that he was ready to sign an extension in January if they offered but the Mavs decided to hold on to those negotiations instead and offered Brunson the aforemnetion deal at the trade deadline.

The post REPORT: Jalen Brunson Signing Four-Year Deal With Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

After a practice ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Croatia on Thursday, reporters at a media call asked Doncic and Dragic if they were interested in playing together. Doncic and Dragic both declined to go into specific and gave reporters a politically correct answer to avoid a tampering fine.

“I would like to answer that,” Doncic said. “But I think it’s a $100,000 penalty if I did. You should ask the GM about that.”

“We can’t talk about it till July 1.” Dragic followed up.

Luka and Goran were asked about the possibility of them playing together in Dallas next season.

Luka: “I would like to answer that, but I think it’s a 100.000 penalty if I did. You should ask the GM about that.”

Goran: “We can’t talk about it till july 1st.” pic.twitter.com/8phIKfHvsy

— Matej Sportinfo (@MatejSportinfo) June 28, 2022

The last time a Doncic-Dragic union made the rumor mill was the previous offseason. Dragic was heavily tied to the Mavericks last summer before the Raptors bought his contract out following his trade from the Heat. The plan to add Dragic fell through after the Mavs traded for Spencer Dinwiddie shortly before the trade deadline. According to Marc Stein, Dallas is once again expected to make a run at Dragic once free agency begins on Thursday.

As the leaguewide focus rapidly shifts to next week’s draft and the June 30 start of free agency, sources say Dallas — while prioritizing its need for more wing help — does intend to explore the possibility of signing Goran Dragic this summer.

More NBA: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 17, 2022

Free Agency begins on Thursday, and the Mavericks’ front office will have a big decision to make in re-signing Jalen Brunson to an extension. The New York Knicks are hot on their trails for Brunson’s services.

The post Goran Dragic On Teaming Up With Luka Doncic: ‘We Can’t Talk About it Until July 1’ appeared first on SLAM.

Without further ado, here is the running NBA Trade Rumor Thread:

7/25:

Shams Charania from The Athletic reports that the Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Kings, Heat, Hawks and the Knicks have expressed interest in Donovan Mitchell.

Per Charania, the Jazz, Knicks and Paces are also reportedly interested in Russell Westbrook and draft capital from the Lakers.

The Boston Celtics have emerged as a potential suitor for Kevin Durant, reportedly offering up Jaylen Brown as the main piece in the initial trade proposal. However, according to The Athletic, that offer was reportedly rejected. Read more here:

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly offered Collin Sexton a three year contract in the range of $13.3 million per year for three seasons. Sexton is reportedly “dismayed” with the team’s current offer.

Sexton played 11 games this year before tearing his meniscus.

“Utah had asked about a package involving Mitchell Robinson, and at least 3 first-round picks and the Knicks declined to meet that asking price”@IanBegley with the latest on the Donovan Mitchell trade front, including the Jazz asking for Quentin Grimes in a deal pic.twitter.com/4m1x30mgY5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 15, 2022

REPORT: The Jazz-Knicks deal was “close” on Tuesday night, but the Knicks ended up declining.

The Jazz reportedly wanted Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, and 6 1st-round picks.

(via @tjonesonthenba) pic.twitter.com/KxUOdLfsZx

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 15, 2022

The Nets asked the TImberwolves for the farm after asking for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and four draft picks in order to acquire Kevin Durant.

REPORT: The Brooklyn Nets asked the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and 4 draft-picks in exchange for Kevin Durant.

The Timberwolves declined.

(via @chrisbhaynes, @VinceGoodwill) pic.twitter.com/EUdjmDXArD

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 7, 2022

According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, the Warriors are interested in acquiring Kevin Durant. KD won back-to-back titles in three years with the Dubs. Per multiple reports, the Nets have made it clear that their trading partner will have to give up the farm in order to complete the blockbuster trade. Those acquirements consist of an All-Star level player and multiple draft picks.

Marc J. Spears: Warriors ‘have interest’ in trading for Kevin Durant [report]https://t.co/5lar5wEukf pic.twitter.com/bXGN5CDgPk

— KNBR (@KNBR) July 3, 2022

League sources: For now, there are no plans by the Utah Jazz to trade star guard Donovan Mitchell. The Jazz are committed to building around him. The Jazz are not done in trade talks. Expect more activity

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 1, 2022

The Jazz and Timberwolves have reportedly agreed on a trade to flip Gobert for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, and multiple first-round picks, per Woj.

Utah is trading Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly shipped Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless, and a 2024 lottery-protected first-round pick per Adrian Wojnarowski.

Atlanta is trading Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a future first round pick, sources tell EPSN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Atlanta is trading Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a future first round pick, sources tell EPSN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After KD’s blockbuster trade request was reportedly made official, it seems as though Kyrie Irving is most likely headed out of Brooklyn too. Irving is on the last year of his current deal and listed the Lakers, Clippers, Mavs, Knicks, Heat, and 76ers as his preferred trade destinations.

The latest on Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Nets from @wojespn.

Join us now on ESPN2 for our NBA Today Free Agency special as we break it all down. pic.twitter.com/dsRBjecW8S

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 30, 2022

BREAKING: Kevin Durant has reportedly requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets, per his agent Rich Kleiman to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Durant has targeted Phoenix and Miami as his preferred destinations, per Woj.

Durant requested a trade with the team today, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/BkNEHwkrc0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The Jazz are reportedly trading Royce O’Neal to the Nets for a first-rounder .

Utah is trading Royce O’Neale to Brooklyn for a first-round pick, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

The Bulls are reportedly shopping Coby White, per Sam Amico of Hoopshype.

Bulls Remain Active In Trying To Trade Coby White https://t.co/QblzrfaVuW

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

Amico also reports that Julius Randle could be a name to watch on the trade market as the New York Knicks look to make it back to the playoffs next season.

Julius Randle is a name to watch on the trade market, per @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/Zd49mnz72R

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 30, 2022

The Wizards are reportedly exchanging Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith for Will Barton and Monte Morris. Should Smith play one game for Denver, it’ll be the record-setting 13th team he’s played for in his career.

Washington is finalizing a trade to acquire Denver’s Will Barton and Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Knicks are sending Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to the Pistons as well as some draft capital in order to free up $30 million in cap space to acquire Jalen Brunson on Thursday.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks will unload $19M more in salary, clearing the way for cap space to try and sign free agent guard Jalen Brunson.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Houston Rockets have reportedly bought John Wall’s contract as of Monday night. The five-time All-Star and the Clippers are reportedly set to reach an agreement once free agency starts, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

ESPN story with @espn_macmahon on John Wall exiting the Houston Rockets with intentions to sign a free agent deal with the LA Clippers: https://t.co/IuLK7oFwP9

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

After a successful postseason run, a key piece for Miami may not come back. PJ Tucker is rumored to take a better offer from the Philadelphia 76ers.

The possibility of Kyrie Irving departing from the Brooklyn Nets gains more momentum by the day, as he has been given permission to seek a sign and trade.

John Wall hasn’t played an NBA game for the Houston Rockets since April of 2021, he is willing to agree to a buyout if it comes down to it.

The San Antonio Spurs have been receiving calls about all-star point guard DeJounte Murray, teams that are included are the Knicks, Timberwolves, Wizards, and Hawks. Murray publicly reacted to the rumor on Twitter.

The Cleveland Cavaliers sacrifice pick 49 in exchange for Sasha Vezenkov, who has been a euro-league stash after being picked in the 2017 draft.

The Pistons traded away Jerami Grant for a 2025 first round pick that belongs to the Bucks, read more here:

The Hawks are looking to level up for Trae Young byfinding him a better co-star, read more here:

After not being offered an extension, DeAndre Ayton’s future with the Phoenix Suns looks to be in doubt. Read more here:

The Dallas Mavericks are going all in for Luka Doncic’s win now window by trading for Christian Wood, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski.

JaMychal Green was sent from the Nuggets in exchange for the Thunder’s No. 30 pick in this upcoming draft, read more here:

The post The NBA Trade Rumor Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, the Knicks decided to travel down the road and play for the future and traded the 11th overall pick to OKC for three heavily first-round picks and moved Kemba Walker to Detroit via a three-time trade that included the Hornets. The Pistons also received the draft rights to former Memphis big man Jalen Duren.

What the Knicks did tonight:

NYK trades 11th pick to OKC

OKC trades 3 firsts (23 DEN, DET, WASH) to NYK

NYK then trades 23 DEN, 4 seconds to CHA for 13th pick

NYK then trade 13th pick & Kemba Walker to DET for MKE’s 25 first

NYK trades 11, Kemba, 4 2nds & gets 3 future 1sts

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 24, 2022

The Knicks’ draft night moves left their front office with about $16 million in cap space depending on if they move Ryan Arcidiacono and Taj Gibson off their books. The question now becomes, do President Leon Rose and GM Scott Perry have enough to make a run at restricted free agent Brunson.

Brunson is coming off a season where he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game on 37.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He dismantled the Utah Jazz in the playoffs while running mate Luka Doncic was out with a calf injury. He continued to play a pivotal role in the Mavs’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Knicks cannot acquire Brunson this summer, they’re reportedly expected to target Malcolm Brogdon during free agency.

Thursday’s night decision has disappointed many New York fans, most notably their two most high-profile fans in Stephen A Smith and legendary filmmaker Spike Lee.

IT HAPPENED AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/TVqqb6bg8o

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 24, 2022

There was enough fan confusion that Rose felt it was necessary to give a statement and say that the front office remains focused on “strategic and thoughtful” as they attempt to build the Knicks back into a relevant threat for an NBA title.

Knicks President Leon Rose on last night’s draft activity. pic.twitter.com/E2JEIbRzbG

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 24, 2022

Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see what the Knicks do this summer, and moving forward. Knicks fans and the franchise remain in the hunt for their first Finals appearance since 1999 and their first title since 1973.

The post New York Knicks Respond to Draft Decision Backlash appeared first on SLAM.

Boston enters the Finals after beating the Nets, Bucks, and Heat, who each beat the Celtics during the last three postseasons. The Celtics were able to make this run despite a slow start to the season. Boston went .500 over the first 50 games of the season but won after 26 of their last 32 games, finishing the season with the best defensive rating in the League.

The Warriors beat the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Mavericks during their run to the Finals. They finished the regular-season with a 53-29 record, good for third in the West. They’ve had a season of triumph with Stephen Curry breaking the all-time record for made three-pointers and creating the 3k club and the happy return of Klay Thompson following 942 days away from the hardwood.

They also had to deal with injuries to Curry and Green that almost knocked them off the top of the West, but the emergence of Jordan Poole and some timely big games from Thompson helped them stave off any trouble.

The regular-season series between the Warriors and Celtics ended in a 1-1 tie, with both teams winning their home games; Boston won the last matchup 110-88, but the Warriors were missing Andrew Wiggins, and Curry suffered a foot sprain that night that sidelined him until Game 1 of the first-round after colliding with Marcus Smart as the two fought for a loose ball.

Here, we take a look at these two powerhouse squads:

Can Golden State Solve Boston’s Defense?

Boston has the top-ranked defense remaining in the Finals and is designed to stop the chaotic motion offense of the Warriors. The Celtics’ ability to wear teams out physically and their switching makes them the best defense in the League.

On the other side, the Dubs are the top-ranked offense in the playoffs, scoring 116.1 points per game—up to four points from what they scored during the regular season. Will Golden State rely on their typical offensive actions against a defense that’s been excellent at stopping superstar scorers like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Giannis Antetokounmpo? We’ll have to find out and see.

Tatum Exploiting Mismatches

While Boston is equipped with a squad full of bucket-getters, one standout has been Jayson Tatum, who has hunted mismatches against the Warriors—whether it’s shooting over defenders or whipping the ball around so that Boston can attack Golden State when have a 4-on-3 advantage. As JT continues to step up as a playmaker, Boston has continued to thrive.

Coach Steve Kerr’s solution may be to mix different coverages against him, likely doubling, switching, and mixing in some zone looks like the Warriors used against Luka Doncic. Another question is if Derrick White, Smart, and Brown can continue to show out and knock down shots, including the ones Tatum helps create for them.

X-FACTOR

An x-factor for Golden State has been two-way play of Andrew Wiggins. As a member of the Warriors, Wiggins has emerged as an All-Star after thriving as a third option scorer. His shot creation, defensive versatility, and offensive rebound makes him indispensable players. Will Wiggins make the most of his opportunities against a physical defense that thrives at reducing ball movement and forcing some iso play?

Robert Williams is another x-factor for the C’s. The Time Lord’s shot-blocking at the rim and perimeter has been invaluable when he was healthy. On the offensive end, Williams is a primetime lob threat.

The post 2022 NBA Finals Preview appeared first on SLAM.

Wow. The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years after their 120-110 series-clinching win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Warriors!

A look from inside the arena as the @warriors accept the Oscar Robertson Trophy! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/KuOKSHPmUL

— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2022

The win is sweeter when you remember where the Warriors were after their 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors.

A lottery finish in 2020 and a play-in tournament flameout in 2021 wasn’t enough to stop the Warriors’ core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green from dreaming of coming back to the FInals again. The Dubs (53-29) finished the regular-season with the third-seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The 2021-22 campaign was highlighted by Curry becoming the all-time king in long-range shooting and Thompson’s long-awaited return.

To get to this point, the Warriors beat the Nuggets in a gentlemen sweep, outlasted the Grizzlies in six games, and beat the Mavericks in five games.

“This is a blessing,” Curry said. “Obviously, this is a team effort with what Draymond said, for us to be out the mix the last two years. To be where we belong back in the Finals — this is special.”

“Everything about it is special. . We know this isn’t the ultimate goal, but we have to celebrate this cause of all we went through these last three years.”

THEY’RE BACK!!! (via @SportsCenter) pic.twitter.com/2VkJClrPLg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2022

Game 6 Thompson (32 points on eight made threes) made an early appearance to help the Warriors close out the Mavericks on Thursday’s Game. The five-time All-Star scored 19 points on five triples, giving Golden State a 17-point lead on this dagger-three that Thompson celebrated with a Curry-like shimmy.

Klay hitting the shimmy got me LITTTTT (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/KSCf8NuMX0

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2022

In the second-half, Golden State grew their lead to as many as 25 points after Curry (15 points, nine assists) knocked down a floater. Luka Doncic (28 points, nine rebounds, six dimes) then woke up from his sleepy start and scored 15 points in the third frame, helping to engineer a 15-4 run that cut the deficit to eight points powered by back-to-back triples from Luka Magic.

Luka with 15 points in the 3Q pic.twitter.com/NJVAPVSzm3

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 27, 2022

However, that’s as close as Dallas would get. The Warriors scored five straight points to bring the lead back to 15, and the Golden State Big 3 of Curry, Green (17 points, six rebounds, nine assists, including seven in the fourth), and Thompson scored 15 points to close Game 6 out, with Curry and Thompson knocking down consecutive three-pointe to build a 16-point lead with 2:02 left in the game.

“You’re going to make me emotional, man,” Thompson said, smiling from corner to corner. “It’s hard to put in words — I dreamt of this day. There were some dog days, and to be here, I’m so thankful for our squad they started the season so incredibly well, allowed us to finish out strong, and we are four wins away from a championship.”

With the WCF series wrapped up, Curry became the first-ever Magic Johnson Trophy winner. The Warriors await the winner of the Heat-Celtics series, the Celtics lead the series 3-2. Golden State will host Game 1 of the FInals when they begin on June 2.

The post Golden State Advances to Sixth NBA Finals in Eight Years appeared first on SLAM.

Since signing with the Mavs as an undrafted agent in 2016, Finney-Smith has grown to be a strong 3-and-D specialist, with the corner three being his signature shot. The former Florida Gator has former teammate Wesley Matthews to thank for his jumper becoming a lethal strength.

“I was already playing into the corner my rookie year, and once I realized how many corner threes I was going to get, I just worked on it,” Finney-Smith told BasketballNews.com. “Wesley Matthews was a good vet for me. He was always telling me that I needed to get that (corner three) shot down pat if I wanted to be on the court,”

“And I did!”

Finney-Smith’s accuracy as a shooter has gone up every season thanks to his dogged work ethic. As a rookie, he shot 29.3 percent from beyond the arc. Now, Finney-Smith is knocking triples down at a career-high 39.5 percent clip. He’s also hit 46.1 percent of his corner three-pointer attempts, a vast improvement from the 26.3 percent clip he shot as a rookie.

Finney-Smith is smoking the nylon during the Mavs run to the Western Conference Finals, shooting 52.5 percent from the corner.

“I had the confidence that I could shoot. I shot the ball well in college; it just ain’t translated the first couple of years in the NBA,” Finney-Smith said.

He credits his development into a plus shooter to not only Matthews, but teammates like Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, and Luka Doncic, who Finney-Smith says watched him put the work in often enough to trust him when it matters late in the game.

“Repetition builds confidence,” Finney-Smith explained. “Also, I think my teammates seeing how hard I worked, it also built confidence in them. The ones who have been here with me throughout this journey — like Maxi [Kleber], Dwight [Powell], Luka [Doncic] — I think they see the work I put in, and that also gives them confidence to give the ball to me in late-game situations.

“Guys see the work you put in; they can tell if you’ve been in the gym or if you been BSing, and I built confidence with those guys, especially Luka, to pass me the ball in those clutch situations. They have trust in me, even when I miss it.”

Along the way, Finney-Smith earned the trust of the Mavericks front office, who awarded the former undrafted wing with a four-year contract, reportedly with $55 million for all his hard work and being pivotal in numerous regular-season and playoff wins.

During the 2021-22 campaign, Finney-Smith averaged a career-best 11.0 points on 3.2 attempted threes per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 47.1 percent shooting from the field. Finney-Smith joined Kleber and Jason Terry as the only players in Mavs history to make at least eight three-pointers in a game.

The Mavericks’ season is still alive after they blew the Warriors out in Game 4, extending their season for at least one more game while attempting to become the first team in NBA playoff history to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Golden State hosts Thursday’s Game 5 of the WCF series.

Should the Warriors win, Golden State will be making their sixth NBA Finals trip since 2015.

The post Dorian Finney-Smith Speaks on His Journey to Becoming the Mavs’ 3-and-D Specialist appeared first on SLAM.

2021-22 All-NBA teams:

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Nikola Jokic Headlines 2021-2022 All-NBA Teams appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic and the Mavs will get to play at least one more game after beating the Golden State Warriors, 119-109. Doncic finished the elimination game with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. Dorian Finney-Smith followed up with 23 points and six rebounds, Reggie Bullock contributed 18 points, and Jalen Brunson put up 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

“Our defense,” Doncic said when asked what made Game 4 different than the previous three. “I think our defense was amazing today outside of the fourth quarter. That’s how we gotta play; we play good defense; we share the ball; we’re a dangerous team.”

Luka and the Mavs force Game 5.

30 PTS
14 REB
9 AST

(via @NBATV)
pic.twitter.com/F48nOPm0d1

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 25, 2022

Tuesday’s Game 4 ended up being precisely what Dallas needed as it looks to become the first team to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Facing elimination for the third time this postseason, the Mavs put together their most complete performance, hitting 41-82 fields on 30 total assists. Dallas also knocked down 20-43 three-pointers and outrebounded Golden State Warriors 45-42.

The last time Golden State led was after Moses Moody (10 points) scored on a jumper, giving the Warriors a 31-29. The Mavs subsequently took control of Game 4 from there, with a Davis Bertans (five points, five rebounds) three-pointer giving Dallas a lead it wouldn’t surrender.

The Mavs then went on a 25-6 run over a seven-minute span to firmly take control of Game 4. During that game-altering sequence, the Warriors missed nine of their 10 shot attempts and committed two turnovers.

“We weren’t alert tonight defensively,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “We weren’t sharp, and I thought we let them kinda get into a groove. Once a team like that gets into a three-point groove, it’s tough to get them out of it.”

Beautiful basketball.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/q2fjICRE5o

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 25, 2022

By the time halftime rolled along, the Mavs had held a 62-47 lead. The Mavs ultimately held a 29-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Warriors showed that you could never count them out. The Warriors outscored the Mavs 39-20, cutting the Mavs lead to eight of a Jonathon Kuminga three-pointer. However, that was as close as the Warriors would get even with Stephen Curry (20 points, five rebounds, eight assists) back on the floor.

After Coach Jason Kidd called a timeout, he inserted his starters back on the court to close the game out. Doncic responded immediately, throwing down a dunk in the halfcourt, followed by Bullock hitting his sixth three-pointer of the night.

According to Brunson, the Mavs are looking to take the WCF one game at a time; the next time they will adopt that mentality will be for Thursday’s Game 5 at Chase Center.

“The biggest thing that we took from this was we gotta take it one game at a time,” Brunson said. “Think of it like four Game 7s, win or go home. We gotta give our all every game; we were able to do that for the first three quarters and nine minutes.”

The post Luka Doncic Forces Game 5 With 30-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Magic dimes.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/rxAoQ8Uvpg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The mutual respect and trust between Luka Magic and Kidd are just getting started through Year 1 of Kidd’s coaching tenure in Dallas has been fruitful. The Mavs (52-30) finished the regular season with the fourth-best record in the West. Doncic earned his third All-Star nod and is likely headed to another All-NBA selection. , Doncic finished with 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game through 65 appearances this past season.

What helped facilitate the Doncic-Kidd bond was assistant coach Igor Kokoskov. He coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team in 2017 and won a EuroLeague championship together when both were with Real Madrid, capped off by Doncic winning EuroLeague MVP and EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2018.

Kokoskov was added to Kidd’s staff last summer, where he has been tasked with the significant tasks of lead offensive strategist and the go-to confidant for Doncic.

“Jason was one of the best point guards to ever play the game,” Mavericks assistant Igor Kokoskov said per the Dallas Morning News. “Luka respects his career and what he did in this league. A lot of things Jason did 20, 25 years ago, Luka is wanting to achieve right now. He understands that and is very open, willing to listen, willing to get better, willing to be coached.”

Luka pulled out the shimmy after this buzzer beater over Curry .

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/4fSXlnSya9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

According to Kokoskov, Doncic and Kidd “have a great, great relationship” because Kidd has been able to get through to Doncic because Kidd doesn’t fuss and carry on like the coaches who groomed Doncic have been. Instead of shouting and getting in players’ faces, Kidd typically asks Doncic about his preferences and views, discussing basketball in a conversational matte.

Kidd also gives Doncic plenty of rope, and when situations aren’t going well, he will help Doncic make in-game adjustments to help turn things around.

Although Kidd may be a players-coach, he’s not afraid to push Doncic in the right direction. In particular, Kidd has criticized Doncic for his conditioning and Luka Legends’ habit of complaining to refs when calls don’t go his way. Kidd’s comments led to Doncic getting into game shape while Doncic only picked up three technical fouls since March.

“That’s where you, even more, trust him,” Doncic said before joking: “He don’t get mad at me a lot. Maybe he’s got to do that some more.”

Game 4 of the WCF is scheduled for Tuesday, with Dallas looking to extend the series to five games with a win over the Golden State Warriors. No team in League playoff history has come back from a 3-0 series hole.

The post Luka Doncic Embraces Jason Kidd’s ‘Tough Love’ Coaching appeared first on SLAM.

That subsequent offseason featured a roster overhaul after two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn, and Andre Igoudala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal to acquire D’Angelo Russell. The Warriors would also lose Klay Thompson for the first of two-and-a-half seasons after he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

The following two seasons were a far departure from the supernova of greatness NBA fans grew accustomed to for the previous five seasons. The Warriors moved to San Francisco, leaving the fan-favorite Oakland Arena for the posh new Chase Center. What followed the subsequent two regular-season campaigns was a 15-50 COVID-19 shortened season 2019-2020, punctuated by the three-month absence of Stephen Curry due to a broken hand.

“None of these people really removed us from this space,” Green told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk of the team missing the playoffs the previous two seasons. “Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, ‘All right, the Golden State Warriors’ time is up.'”

Draymond: “None of these people really removed us from this space. Toronto beat us, but no one really came and said, 'All right, the Golden State Warriors' time is up.'" https://t.co/gNK8gsRYwV

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 23, 2022

The Warriors didn’t spend that season just losing; at the 2020 trade deadline, the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins, a top-3 protected first-round pick and a second-rounder. Although the Warriors weren’t invited to the Orlando Bubble, the future looked bright.

The Warriors spent the offseason going into the 2020-21 season drafting James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick. However, the Warriors’ wind got knocked out of them when Thompson tore his Achilles during a pickup game, forcing him to miss the entirety of the season.

The Warriors responded to yet another tumultuous season by qualifying for the newly-created Play-In Tournament thanks to Curry’s scoring prowess, winning his second scoring title and leading the Warriors to a 39-33 record. However, the Warriors hit a brick wall after playing so hard to get to the Play-In Tournament, ultimately losing to the Lakers and the Grizzlies for the final two spots in the playoffs.

“We didn’t leave the space because we just got too old to do it,” Green told Youngmisuk. “We didn’t leave the space because all of us went our separate ways. We left the space because Klay Thompson was out, and then he was out again, and Andre [Iguodala] wasn’t here.

“And then Steph Curry was out. We didn’t leave this space because we weren’t capable of being in the space anymore.”

Heading into this last regular-season campaign, many around the NBA believed that the Warriors would once again be title favorites when healthy. Thompson finally had his glorious on-court return, playing for the first time in 941 days in January against the Pacers. But the season was marred by injuries to Draymond Green and Curry. However, the emergence of third-year guard Jordan Poole helped offset those losses.

The Warriors (53-29) finished the regular season with the third-best record in the West. They went on to gentlemen sweep the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets, beat Ja Morant and the upstart Grizzlies in six games, and are on the verge of zooming past another superstar in Luka Doncic and the Mavs in a sweep.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

This run is even more impressive because the Warriors have beaten the young teams and superstars who are supposed to have next as this Warriors core grows older. Even as their Western Conference foes continue to grow, none of them have close to replacing the Warriors at the top of the League they ruled for five straight seasons.

Heading into Tuesday’s Game 4 against the Mavericks, the Warriors will have their first chance to sweep a WCF foe since 2019, when they beat the Trail Blazers to advance to that fateful 2020 NBA Finals loss. The Dubs have won nine straight conference finals games, going back to a Game 7 win against the Rockets in 2018

“For us to get back to this stage and win one playoff series, let alone where we are now, it’s not motivation,” said Curry, who finished Game 3 against Dallas with 31 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. “It’s more of an excitement that we can do it a different way.

“The motivation is that we’re back on this stage with an opportunity to chase the Finals appearance after a two-year hiatus with our core and a new cast of characters.”

The post Draymond Green Speaks On the Warriors’ Two-Year Playoff Hiatus appeared first on SLAM.

Now that they’re staring down a 3-0 series deficit after losing Sunday’s Game 3 to the Warriors, 109-100, Coach Jason Kidd elected to keep the Mavs’ unexpected ascension to the Western Conference Finals in perspective during his postgame presser.

“This is just the beginning of this journey,” Kidd told reporters postgame. “I know you guys have us winning the championship before the season started. And that’s a joke if you didn’t get it. This is a lot bigger than just this one game or this series. This is huge for our franchise because none of you guys had us here.”

Luka pulled out the shimmy after this buzzer beater over Curry .

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/4fSXlnSya9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

He also credited their loss to getting outrebounded and not being able to hit enough of their three-point attempts. For the night, Golden State rebounded Dallas 47-33, with Kevon Looney leading the Warriors with 12 boars, followed by 11 from Andrew Wiggins (27 points). Doncic (40 points) led the Mavericks with 11 rebounds, but no other Maverick corralled more than five boards.

Heading into a do-or-die Game 4, the Mavs will have to kick up their physicality inside in order to win the rebounding battle. They will also need their snipers like  Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber not to go 0-12 from the three-point line. The decision to attack the boards and create second-chance buckets will be pivotal when they’re not hitting shots, and the Mavs will need all the extra possession they can get to extend the series.

“I’ve said we’re going to live and die by the three, but we’re also dying by not getting rebounds,” Kidd said, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.

Luka Magic dimes.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/rxAoQ8Uvpg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

Game 4 of the WCF will be on Tuesday, with the Mavs hoping to avoid the sweep. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit.

The post Jason Kidd On 3-0 Series Deficit: ‘None of You Guys Had Us Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

31 PTS | 5 REB | 11 AST@StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/GBOXfHWNaD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2022

Andrew Wiggins followed Curry up with 27 points and 11 rebounds on 11-20 shooting from the field, including this insane poster dunk on Luka Doncic that gave the Warriors a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Wiggins slam was initially called an offensive foul but was counted as a bucket after Coach Steve Kerr successfully protested otherwise.

“He hasn’t had the opportunity to be on the stage before,” Curry said. “With the confidence that we have as a team and the ability to come out here and prove who he is as a player in games that matter and I always say ‘just find ways to impact winning,’ he’s figured that out.

Wiggins with the poster on Luka .

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/RgHjDk8a61

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The Warriors’ other starters were in rhythm and flowed throughout Game 3. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, Kevon Looney contributed nine points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, and Draymond Green posted 10 points, five rebounds, and five dimes. Not to mention the 10 points and five rebounds effort from Jordan Poole.

The Mavs’ apparent game plan to stretch the floor and match the Warrior’s firepower with a barrage of three-pointers fell flat on its face. Dallas made just 13-45 triples on Sunday, with Luka Magic’s first-quarter buzzer-beating three bringing the Dallas fans to their feet. The Mavericks’ two long-range snipers, Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber, struggled on Sunday, missing all 12 of their combined long-range attempts.

The first half of Sunday’s Game 3 was a roller coaster ride for the WCF foes. The Warriors led by as many as 12 in the first quarter, while the Mavs led by as many as nine. The Warriors took over and sustained that effort over the long haul after ending the half on a 15-5 run.

With a look-away three-pointer, Curry put a bow on the Warriors’ first-half effort. Curry’s bucket irritated Doncic, who promptly exchanged words with Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson. After officials stepped in to claim the situation down, a confused Curry asked Doncic what happened. The two superstars cleared the air, with Green eventually playing peacemaker when the conversation ran its course.

His movement off the ball is god-tier. Curry with the iconic look-away three.

(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/QApyPsgQCJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 23, 2022

The Warriors controlled the tempo and continued to keep Dallas at bay. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, at the 1:15 mark, in fact, that the Mavs made the game close with a Spencer Dinwiddie (26 points) triple to cut the Warriors’ lead to five points. Poole promptly slammed the door shut on any comeback bid with a triple from the left wing to cement the Warriors’ nine-point win.

POOLE PARTY pic.twitter.com/gLIZCIf1tu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2022

The last time the Warriors swept a WCF series was in 2019 against the Portland Trail Blazers. They lost the 2019 NBA Finals to the Raptors in six games. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit.

“When you’re up 2-0, and you come on the road, to stranglehold control of the series, that’s huge. It’s a good feeling to know that we came in and gotta win, and then we can play with house money on Tuesday and try to get a dub,” Curry said.

The post Stephen Curry Scores 31 to Lead Warriors to 109-100 Win and 3-0 Series Over Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic finished the game with 20 points shooting 6-18 from the floor and 3-10 from deep. In the second half, Doncic scored just two points and added six more turnovers to end the game.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Jason Kidd told reporters that Luka Magic will be better in Game Two and that Doncic understands how the Warriors will guard him.

“He’s only 23, and we really don’t talk about his age that much, but he understands what they’re trying to do, and he’ll be better. We believe that in the locker room, and there’s not much to say, we knew what was going to come, and we didn’t make shots. He got in the paint and created some looks for guys who normally make them, and they just didn’t go down this evening.”

The Mavericks shot 36 percent from the floor as a team and 22.9 percent from downtown.

Dallas looks to regroup and tie the series Friday for Game Two of the Western Conference Finals in Chase Center.

The post Jason Kidd On the Mavericks’ Inefficient Game 1 Against Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

The win was partly due to Andrew Wiggins doing a solid job of defending and ultimately slowing Luka Doncic down. Wiggins thrived on guarding Doncic the full 94 feet at times while also using a box-and-one and mixing up zone looks to hold the three-time All-Star to 20 points on 6-18 shooting from the field, including shooting 3-10 from deep. Wiggins also forced Doncic to turn the ball over three times.

Wiggins’ efforts to shadow Doncic all 94 feet up the court did the job of wearing Doncic down and frustrating him.

“It’s a tactic obviously in terms of just making guys work,” Stephen Curry said per ESPN. “It’s just one more thing to think about. I wouldn’t say it bothers you, but something you can’t try to overcome. Wiggs is going to keep doing it, but it’s just one more thing to think about, and that’s good playoff basketball.”

For many players, guarding a superstar like Doncic with max effort would take away from their offensive production. Not Wiggins, who told reporters that the matchup didn’t make him tired after the final buzzer.

“I feel like I’m still young. I don’t really get too tired,” Wiggins said. “I’m locked in. I’m motivated, and when you see it work or I feel like it’s helping us play better, it just motivates me to do it more. I’m not tired or nothing. You know, it’s adrenaline. I just feel good.”

Holding Luka Legend below his average of 31.5 points in the playoffs is a confidence boost for the former No. 1 overall draft pick. Since arriving in Golden State, Maple Jordan had transformed into the two-way monster so many were expecting to see when Minnesota first drafted him, earning his first All-Star nod after averaging 17.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the field.

”I thought Wiggs was fantastic,” Coach Steve Kerr said. ”Doncic is as difficult a cover as there is in this League. — It’s important to make him work. He’s so good. Any great player in the League, you’re trying to limit the damage that they do.”

Wiggins scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and finished Game 1 with five rebounds and three dimes. All five Warriors starters scored in double-digits, including Jordan Poole (19 points) and Otto Porter Jr. (10 points, six rebounds).

The Dubs were able to outscore the Mavs, 58-42, in the second half. For the game, the Warriors held the Mavericks to 36.0 percent shooting from the field, 22.9 from distance. Golden State also scored 18 points off of 13 turnovers.

With Friday’s Game 2 looming, expect Dallas to make the necessary adjustments to tie the WCF at 1-1. Stealing home-court advantage as the series shifts to Dallas will be pivotal for a Mavericks team essentially playing with house money this deep into the playoffs.

The post Andrew Wiggins Thrives in Game 1 Matchup Against Luka Doncic appeared first on SLAM.

In the first half, the Splash Bros couldn’t throw a penny in the ocean, combining to hit 1-9 three-pointers in the first half. Klay Thompson himself didn’t score until early in the second half. Only Curry could get something going, scoring 10 points in the first, including the Splash Bro’s one made triple through the first 24 minutes of Game 1.

“A little ugly in the first quarter, but our defense, our focus, our multiple efforts made it tough on them. We got momentum, and our offense clicked. We got a lot of separation, so we did what we’re supposed to do.” Curry said during his on-tv interview after the final buzzer.

A whole mood: (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/5EE7VqXZDb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 19, 2022

From there, Curry and Thompson turned in vintage performances during the second half. After Luka Doncic (20 points, seven rebounds, four assists) hit back-to-back triples late in the first half to cut Golden State’s lead to 54-45 at the break, Curry then responded, sparking a 10-2 run with two quick three-pointers to begin the third quarter while Thompson scored all 15 of his points in the second half.

Five of the Warriors scored in double digits on the more glamorous side, including Jordan Poole (19 points) and Otto Porter Jr. (10 points, six rebounds).

The Warriors will look to get a 2-0 lead in the WCF when they face Dallas on Thursday in San Francisco.

The post Steph Curry on Taking Game 1 of the WCF: ‘We Did What We Were Supposed to Do’ appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Magic had led the Mavs to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2011, when Dallas won their first NBA title. Following their first conference finals practice on Tuesday, Doncic and the Mavs have loved life and enjoyed getting to work the greatest job in the world, playing basketball. When Dallas faces off against the Golden State Warriors, they’ll be playing with house money and less pressure than the Dubs.

“I’m living my best life – a dream,” Doncic said. “Before Game 7, I said this might be my last game of the NBA season, but I was ready. I wanted to play basketball.

“Tomorrow is another basketball game that I’ll enjoy. I get to play at least four (more games). You never know, so I’m just happy to be playing basketball. It’s incredible.”

Doncic has been deep in his bag through the Mavericks playoff run, as un-guardable as he’s ever been. Honestly, Doncic getting a bucket is as inevitable as Thanos is. In their seven-game series win against Phoenix Suns, Luka Legend averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game, scoring 30+ three times, starting the series off with some fireworks after dropping 45 points in 44 minutes.

When the Mavs take on the Dubs, Doncic will have to figure out to solve a defense headlined by Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. The Mavs will surely attempt to force a Doncic-Stephen Curry matchup off a switch to counteract those potentially tough matchups. When the Mavs and Warriors played on March 3, Doncic finished the 122-113 win with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and nine dimes.

Will double-teams work in slowing down Doncic? Luka Magic won’t tell.

“Then, everybody would play that defense,” he said. “For me, I’ll probably see a couple more double team this series, and that’s fine. We faced double teams the whole season. I think we play the best when they double team – four-on-three basketball in the NBA. We have a lot of great players.”

When Doncic finally faces the playoff defense of the Warriors, Coach Jason Kidd is confident the three-time All-Star will find a way to figure out the different looks Coach Steve Kerr will throw at Doncic to slow down the superstar point guard. Because Doncic has faced so many different coverages since playing in Europe and the NBA, he’s not worried about what Luka Legend will do because “The bigger it gets, the better he plays. So hopefully, that’s what happens for us.”

Doncic is most looking forward to being defended by Green, who has a DPOY in his name and has embraced the challenge of slowing down superstars like Doncic throughout this career. It will be interesting to see how Green, Thompson, and Wiggins counteract Luka Legends’ isolation prowess, Doncic being great at playing at his own speed, and his ability to throw passes out of the post to his snipers around the perimeter.

“I have so much respect for Draymond,” Doncic said. “Obviously, Klay and Steph are incredible, but I think the key to the Warriors’ team is Draymond.

“He’s just unbelievable, and I really respect him. He impacts the game in every other category.”

Game 1 of the WCF between the Mavs and Warriors will undoubtedly be primetime viewing on Tuesday night. Especially with Dallas being able to lose and freely fresh off their Game 7 blowout over the Suns. All the pressure will be on the Warriors, who are likely the favorite to win the series and advance to their fifth NBA Finals since 2015.

The post Luka Doncic Thinks Draymond Green is the ‘Key’ to the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

In the first two series of the playoffs, Wiggins has averaged 14.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game on 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. Wiggins posted 17.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular-season on 39.3 percent shooting from deep.

When asked about the task of guarding Luka Doncic in the Western Conference Finals, Wiggins admitted the three-time All-Star would be a handful. Doncic had carried the Mavericks to their first conference finals since 2011, when they won their first NBA title. To this point, Luka Legend has averaged 31.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game over 10 games.

“It’s gonna be a tough matchup, for sure,” Wiggins said about guarding Doncic. “You’ve seen what he’s been doing these whole playoffs. It’s gonna be a team effort. All of us, the whole team, will have to do it collectively.

Dallas beat Golden State in three out of its four games during the regular-season. During those four matchups, Doncic averaged 31.5 points, 9.0 boards, and 5.5 dimes per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 38.2 percent on three-pointers.

Game 1 of the WCF between the Warriors and Mavericks begins on Wednesday.

The post Andrew Wiggins On ‘Tough Matchup’ Coming Against Luka Doncic appeared first on SLAM.

Mavericks came out to freaking play tonight to advance to the WCF.

Luka: 35 PTS 10 RBS 4 AST
Spencer Dinwiddie: 30 PTS
Jalen Brunson: 24 PTS

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 16, 2022

Luka Legend hit his first three shots, including two three-pointers, to give the Mavericks an early lead they would never surrender. Over the next two hours, the Mavericks blitzed the Suns, leading by as many as 46 before the final buzzer sounded.

Doncic (35 points and 10 rebounds) and Spencer Dinwiddie (30 points and three rebounds) became the first teammates to at least score 20 points in a half in a Game 7 setting since Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston did it for the Knicks in 1997 according to ESPN Stats and Info.

“I don’t know what to say,” Doncic said. “But this was amazing to win. Everybody was locked in to win. Everybody played as hard as they can, no rest; we didn’t take one play off. So this is an incredible feeling.”

Mavericks came out to freaking play tonight to advance to the WCF.

Luka: 35 PTS 10 RBS 4 AST
Spencer Dinwiddie: 30 PTS
Jalen Brunson: 24 PTS

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 16, 2022

Up to this point, the host team won the first six games of the series, but the Mavs dominated in Phoenix from start to finish, ending the season for a Suns team that won a franchise-record 64 games, looking like a serious contender to make back-to-back NBA Finals appearances throughout the regular-season.

Any drama fans were expecting was quickly erased by the Mavs, who built a 27-17 cushion in the first quarter. That Dallas lead eventually turned into a 57-27 Suns deficit at halftime. Doncic and Dinwiddie outscored the Suns by themselves, combining to score 48 points. Luka Legend himself matched the Suns’ team total after scoring 27 points by himself. Doncic shot 12-19 from the field, including 6-11 from distance.

The Dallas-Golden State Western Conference Finals series will begin on Wednesday, with Game 1 taking place in San Francisco.

“They’re a championship team. It’s going to be really tough again. I’m going to enjoy this win tonight, and then tomorrow we’re going to think about Golden State.”

The post Luka Doncic On Advancing to the Western Conference Finals: ‘Everybody Was Locked In’ appeared first on SLAM.

The blowout win was Luka Legends’ first career elimination game win in three tries, the first two chances coming in losses to the Clippers the last two seasons. The Mavericks have now answered a loss of at least 20 points with a victory of their own 10 straight times this year, 13 if you count last season, including a playoff win against the Clippers.

“I don’t know if he was playing as if he was trying to do something different,” Kidd said per ESPN. “I think he enjoys the moment. You guys have seen a little bit longer than I have up close. He’s not afraid of the stage. I think you guys call it the first time winning an elimination game. He’ll be in this situation a long, long time.”

Luka talking trash gets me hyped (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/99gqXehkpu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 13, 2022

The Mavs’ blowout win can be attributed to their stifling defense. Dallas held Phoenix to a season-low in scoring, regular or postseason, for the second time in the Western Conference semifinal series. The Suns were also held to a playoff low 39.7 percent shooting from the field and turned the ball over a season-high 22 times.

Luka hyped up the crowd and had words for Devin Booker after this offensive foul. pic.twitter.com/9IDmWJeXd8

— ESPN (@espn) May 13, 2022

Dallas was also aided by the contributions of Reggie Bullock (19 points), Jalen Brunson (18 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (15 points on 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc).

“I think we won this game on the defensive end,” Doncic said. “We’ve got another game. That’s fun. It’s playoffs, and we’re going to give our energy.”

The Mavericks blew the gates open with a 19-6 run to finish the first half, turning a two-point lead into a 60-45 lead going into halftime. The Suns attempted to make some second-half pushes, but the Mavs were clicked on all cylinders and grew their lead to as many as 27 points, ensuring long before the final whistle that there would be a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday.

The post Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic’s Playoff Heroics: ‘I Think He Enjoys the Moment’ appeared first on SLAM.

Through 21 career playoff games,  Dončić has scored 32.5 points per game and is second only to Michael Jordan. The men tasked with guarding Dončić are Bridges, Chris Paul, Jae Crowder, and Deandre Ayton, who have combined to take a 3-2 series lead while being slightly effective in slowing down Dončić. Bridges have guarded Luka Legend for 20 gametime minutes longer than any other Maverick this series.

“To play against unbelievable talent, it challenges me personally,” Bridges said after Game 1, per Sports Illustrated. “It makes me better as a player. I embrace the challenge for sure.”

In a perfect Phoenix defensive possession, Bridges would fight through a screen-and-roll, catch up with Dončić before he gets deep in the paint, giving Ayton, JaVale McGee, or Bismack Biyombo enough time to recover to whoever sets a screen to free Dončić up to score. However, Dončić is an elite scorer for a reason. Dončić is proven to be adept at scoring in the midrange and is capable of hitting stepback triples.

The preferred Phoenix has for their Dončić coverage has had to be changed from drop coverage to Phoenix deciding to switch because Dončić is so lethal with the ball in his hands. Not only is Dončić scoring at will, but Dallas has been able to space the court due to Luka Legend being able to help Dallas average 11.5 corner three-pointers per game, up from 10.1 during the regular-season.

Dallas has shot nearly 41 triples a game through four games, including 44 in their Game 4 win. This is primarily due to Dončić exploiting Phoenix’s defense to open up Dallas’ shooters around the perimeter.

“I think you put all those things into one,” Crowder said about trying to stop Dončić and his sharp-shooting teammates. “Once you get in the game, you gotta read and react. You have to truly know the rotations; you have to know what your teammates are doing. Obviously, knowing your opponent is probably the No. 1 thing, and knowing what the Mavericks are trying to do on the offensive end.

“Dončić does a great job of reading the game and knowing where all his teammates are on the court. We’re playing chess right now.”

The Phoenix-Dallas series shifts back to Dallas for Thursday’s Game 6, with Phoenix looking to close the series out. The Sun’s best chance in doing so might be to allow Dončić to play one-one while blanketing the Mavericks’ shooters and phasing their other scorers out to test Dončić’s stamina.

The post Mikal Bridges on Guarding Luka Dončić’: ‘I Embrace the Challenge For Sure’ appeared first on SLAM.

Booker scored 28 points and secured seven rebounds, including 12 points in the third quarter, and Ayton added 20 and nine rebounds for the Suns. Booker has now scored 840 points in 30 career playoff games. The three-time All-Star is one of 18 players in NBA history with at least 800 points in his first 30 playoff games. Booker joins LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Donovan Mitchell among active players to accomplish the feat.

In his Book bag tonight.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/Pl0XXw4r8B

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 11, 2022

The Suns Game 5 victory was powered by a solid third-quarter performance, outscoring the Mavs, 33-14. Phoenix opened up the second half with an 11-4, punctuated by a pair of Booker three-pointers to help the Suns take a 61-50 lead. A Dallas timeout did little to stop the bleeding, with the Suns rolling to an 82-60 lead going into the final quarter.

On the other side, the Mavericks were unable to do much well after turning the ball over in the third quarter. When they cough the ball up, the Dallas offense regressed to a heliocentric offense revolved around Luka Doncic working his magic. But Luka Legend couldn’t do much to save the Mava despite finishing Game 5 with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The Mavs overall shot just 38 percent from the field. Jalen Brunson posted 21 points and seven boards.

Cooking up early

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4pYb88tqMm

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 11, 2022

“I think we relaxed. That wasn’t us.” Doncic said about the Mavs’ dismal third-quarter performance. “That wasn’t ourselves. We’ve got to be way better than that.”

Luka Doncic on the Mavs' 3rd quarter spiral: "I think we relaxed. That wasn't us. That wasn’t ourselves. We’ve got to be way better than that.”

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) May 11, 2022

Phoenix will look to close out their second series with Dallas on Thursday.

The post Luka Doncic on the Mavericks’ Third Quarter Meltdown: ‘That Wasn’t Us’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

6-3 AND BELOW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-4 TO 6-8 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-9 AND UP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subscribe to the official podcast of the basketball bible, SLAM’s “No Pump Fakes.”

Follow host Theus McBee on Instagram @theuselijah and Ahmad Smith, @akisnba.

The post SLAM’s Official Top 75 Greatest 1-on-1 NBA Players of All Time List appeared first on SLAM.

Well, it seems as though this Mavs team took those challenges to heart, beating the Suns 103-94, holding Phoenix to their worse offensive efficiency of the playoffs, notably making sure that the targeting roles were reversed after forcing Chris Paul into 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on seven turnovers. Phoenix coughed the ball up 17 times overall on Friday.

As far as Kidds challenge for someone other than Doncic to score the ball, five players scored in double-figures in response to Kidd’s gauntlet, led by Jalen Brunson. The two-time NCAA champion finished Game 3 with a game-high 28 points, four rebounds, and five dimes on 47.6 (10-21) percent shooting from the field. Luka Legend posted 26 points, 13 rebounds, and nine dimes.

”I found a way to bounce back tonight,” Brunson said per NBA.com. ”I just can’t be satisfied with this. Sunday’s going to be another brutal game. I have to bring the same energy, the same intensity, the same everything.”

“It was a great team win. JB, Spencer, Maxi, Doe, Reggie, everybody joined the party,” Kidd added per YahooSports.

Game 4 of the Suns-Mavericks series will resume on Sunday afternoon.

The post Jalen Brunson Gets His ‘Bounce Back’ in Game 3 Win: ‘I Just Can’t Be Satisfied With This’ appeared first on SLAM.

However, it’s not Luka Legends’ record-breaking sixth 40-point game at 23-years-old that’s receiving attention at the moment. Instead, the Suns and Chris Paul are relentlessly hunting for a CP3-Dončić matchup out of the pick-and-roll, creating an offensive attack that’s overshadowing the offensive exploits of Dončić.

During Game 2 of the Suns-Mavs series, Paul ran Dončić through 19 ball screens in the second half, scoring 1.81 points per chance on those possessions, per ESPN and Second Spectrum. The back-and-forth between the two All-Stars all but erased the 35-point effort Dončić put up in the Mavs’ 129-109 loss as CP3 torched the suns to the tune of 28 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

“It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll,” Kidd said about the Suns seeking out Luka Doncic, “[Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself.”

Jason Kidd on the Suns’ hunting Luka Doncic: “It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll. [Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 6, 2022

Heading into Game 3 down 2-0, Kidd and Doncic will have to find a way to get vital scorers like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie going and a way to get stops when it matters the most so that Dončić can bring them home during crunch time.

Some of that may depend on Kidd developing a game plan that will lessen the load Dončić carries; as of Game 2, he holds a League-high 38.8 percent usage rate in the playoffs. It was 45 percent in the first half of Game 2.

Defensively, the Mavs could look to do the same to CP3, effectively wearing him as the game goes on so that he loses some offensive potency late in the fourth quarter. Another solution would be to pre-switch, allowing a teammate to switch with Dončić’s matchup before a pick-and-roll action can be run.

Time is of the essence for Dallas to reclaim some momentum as the Suns-Mavs series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Friday.

The post Jason Kidd on the Suns Seeking Luka Doncic Matchup: ‘They’re Going to Put Him in Every Pick-and-Roll’ appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic now has the most 40-point playoff games by a player 23 or younger after dropping his 6th postseason 40-piece tonight.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) May 3, 2022

Doncic has eclipsed Larry Bird, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Tracy McGrady, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker for most 40-point games in just 17 career playoff games. Luka Magic is tied with Stephen Curry and George Gervin. To top off this accomplishment, Doncic’s playoff career average of 33.5 points per game matches that of the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan.

The only thing that Doncic and the Mavs could’ve asked for was a win to go along with his primetime performance. Phoenix went into Game 1 of their second-round series with Dallas focused on preventing the Mavs’ other playmakers from getting into a rhythm. The rest of Dallas’ starters combined for just 39 points; the second time in Doncic’s playoff career, he scored more points than his teammates in the starting lineup.

“He got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange, and then also I thought he got his teammates some great looks that we normally had made,” Coach Jason Kidd said per ESPN. “I thought he played great.

“We’ve just got to get someone to join the party.”

The Suns also made to sure blanket Dwight Powell during pick-and-roll situations and prioritized switching on screens set by Maxi Kleber, who scored 19 points on 6-9 shooting. The breakout star of the first round, Jalen Brunson, had a tough night shooting, scoring 16 points on 6-16 shooting, and Spencer Dinwiddie finished with eight points on 3-8 shooting.

Game 2 of the Phoenix-Dallas series will take place on Wednesday.

The post Luka Doncic Posts Sixth 40 Point Game; Most Ever By a 23-Year-Old appeared first on SLAM.

The moment seemed to hang in the air, but Bogey’s shot was short, Donovan Mitchell nearly fell to his knees in disbelief as Luka Doncic, and the Mavs celebrated getting to round two.

“Oh, man, I thought, ‘He don’t miss a lot of those,'” Doncic said, per ESPN. “My heart stopped.”

For the first time since 2011, the Mavericks have won a playoff series. The 98-96 closeout win also represented Doncic’s first playoff series win and will be the first time he’s moved past the first round in his bright career.

All love.

Great series, @utahjazz. pic.twitter.com/k3iwgdWhO3

— x – Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 29, 2022

Doncic finished Game 6 with 24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in 42 minutes, playing the entire second half as the Mavs rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit. The triumphant comeback came after the Mavs torched Utah’s defense with 14 second-half triples, the most in one half in Dallas playoff history.

“Happiness, man,” Doncic said. “I think we worked really hard to get here. I think we deserve to get past the first round. Everybody fought their ass off today. We didn’t play good today, but everybody was staying together. Keeping everybody together was the key to win this game.”

MAGIC pic.twitter.com/w2eU4CA4sl

— x – Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 29, 2022

The third quarter proved vital as the Mavs outscored the Jazz 36-19 and knocked down 8-12 three-pointers. Ten out of the Mavs’ 13 bucks were assisted, primarily thanks to the decisive decision-making of Doncic out of traps and double-teams. Doncic had one dime but scored 10 points, including two step-back threes in the monumental third frame.

“I like sharing the ball,” Doncic said. “If they’re going to [double-team], somebody is going to be open. We’ve been playing against blitzes or hits the whole season, and I think we did great. Then it’s just basketball, four-on-three.”

Game 1 of the Suns-Mavs second-round series will start on Monday.

The post Luka Doncic On Winning His First Playoff Series: ‘I Think We Deserve to Get Past the First Round’ appeared first on SLAM.

During the 2021-22 regular season, Mitchell finished top 10 in scoring with 25.9 points per game. He shot 35.5 percent from deep in 9.8 attempts per contest. With 20.5 field goal attempts per game, he shot 44.8 percent from the floor overall. 

In the playoffs, he’s been an even more elite scorer. Mitchell has the third-most total points of any player in the playoffs—he’s produced 121 points through four games, good for 30.3 per game. 

Interestingly, he’s only shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from distance, meaning there’s still room for improvement. He’s been great in this opening series against the Dallas Mavericks, and while he’s ultimately scored 30 or more points in three out of four games thus far, it’s taken him a bit to get going. Mitchell has gotten off to a slow start in most of the matchups in this opening series, and he’s averaging 11.0 points in the first half (21st in NBA) and 19.3 points in the second half (first in NBA).

With that in mind, he’s been outstanding coming out of the half, averaging 10.8 points in the third quarter, which is tied for the second-most in the League this postseason. If Mitchell can start producing in both halves, he’ll be on a whole new level. 

After the Game 3 win, Mitchell spoke about how he can be better and the support and trust he has from everyone around him. 

“My teammates and my coaches trust me. The ball’s going to be in my hands, and I’ve got to make the right play.”

Putting up points in the playoffs isn’t new for Mitchell. He always hits a new level when the postseason comes around. Over the past three seasons, he’s been one of the League’s most prolific scorers in the postseason. 

• 2020: 36.3 PPG
• 2021: 32.3 PPG
• 2022: 30.3 PPG

The series is tied at 2-2, but one team will take the lead on Monday night. In December, the SLAM 235 cover star spoke about the Jazz’s playoff pursuits and how they need to “perform” when it counts.

“We’re a pretty good team, [but] we’ve got to perform when it’s time,” Mitchell told SLAM. “That’s no secret; that’s the biggest thing. We’re a good regular season team, and we’ve had success in the playoffs, but we haven’t had the ultimate success.”

Game 5 is set to take place in Dallas and will be just the second game of the series in which Luka Doncic suits up. At the rate Mitchell is going, the battle between him and Doncic will be spectacular the rest of the way. 

The post Built For The Postseason: Donovan Mitchell Continues Elevate in the Postseason appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavs pulled out to an early lead, but the Jazz chipped away in the third quarter. However, the Dallas defense showed out in the fourth quarter to secure the 126-118 victory. 

“We made timely shots and we made timely stops,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd following the win.

In the absence of Doncic, Jalen Brunson continued to play like a star. After his 31-point performance in Game 3, he’s now averaging 32.0 points per contest in the series. 

Utah is in a tough situation after losing its first matchup of the series at home. Even without Doncic taking the floor yet again, the Mavericks have taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead. 

The Mavs were once again on fire from beyond the arc on Thursday night, converting on 18 of their 42 triples as a team. This was again sparked by forward Maxi Kleber, who is now 12-16 through his past two games. 

“When you’re a hot player, you’re a hot player,” said Kleber following Game 3. 

For the Jazz, the offense still hasn’t clicked in this series. The slump towards the end of the regular season has continued into the postseason to this point. While they scored 118 points tonight, it wasn’t enough as the scoring was stagnant in the first and fourth quarter. 

Overall, Utah looked solid offensively shooting 56.5% from the floor. It just wasn’t consistent enough to get the job done. 

After scoring zero points in Game 3, Mike Conley produced 21 points on 14 shots Thursday night. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points while Donovan Mitchell produced 32 of his own. 

With that in mind, Mitchell still believes everything starts with defense for this Jazz team. 

“It starts defensively, and everything else falls into place,” he said postgame. 

For the first time this series, the rebounding battle was balanced. Both teams pulled down 32 boards on the night.  

This series is far from over, even if Doncic does return at some point. The Jazz have the talent to make things interesting down the stretch, and the Mavericks know that. 

“I’m proud of this team,” Brunson said postgame. “I’m proud of the fight that we have. They’re a team that’s not going to quit. They’re a good team.”

Game 4 will take place on Saturday in Utah. 

The post Mavericks Continue To Roll, Sealing Game 3 Road Victory Against Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is out for Game 3 vs. Utah tonight, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/PhQ3KWWHPj

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 21, 2022

The Dallas faithful might have something to look forward to watching Thursday, and it’s not just Game 3 against the Utah Jazz. Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd said star Luka Dončić might be a game time decision, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there’s ‘pessimism’ surrounding the possibility that Dončić ends up playing tonight. He was officially listed as ‘Questionable’ on the offical injury report after the Mavs said he was ‘Doubtful’ for the first two games due to a left calf strain. Dončić sustained this left calf strain against the San Antonio Spurs in the season finale.

Dallas will be playing in Vivint Arena in Utah for the first time in this series, an arena they went winless in the regular season, going 0-2. The Mavericks will hope that Luka will be able to suit up to try and win their first game in Vivint Arena this season, putting them up 2-1 on the Jazz. Tip-off is set for 9 PM EST.

The post REPORT: Luka Doncic Ruled OUT For Game 3 Against Utah appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for the first time this series. He was listed as doubtful when he sat out the first two games. https://t.co/SGqEtMItxZ

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 20, 2022

Dončić missed the first two games of the series due to a calf injury he suffered during the Mavericks’ regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs. Although the Mavericks lost Game 1, 99-93, Jalen Brunson exploded for a career-high 41 points, and the Mavs knocked down a franchise-record 22 triples to take Game 2, 130-120, and in the process tied the series up 1-1.

With the series shifting to Utah for the next two games, the series’ momentum will go to whoever takes home-court advantage during Game 3. The news of Dončić possibly playing Game 3 on Wednesday bodes well for the Mavericks.

Dončić averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game this season. Dončić finished his last playoff run putting up 35.7 points, 7.9 boards, and 10.3 dimes.

The post Mavericks List Luka Dončić As Questionable Ahead of Game 3 Against Utah appeared first on SLAM.

The differentiator in Game 2 was on the perimeter. Dallas was hot from beyond the arc all night, finishing 22-of-47 (46.8%) from that distance. Those 22 made 3-pointers set a new franchise-best for the postseason.

This was fueled by Maxi Kleber, who knocked down eight of his 11 attempts from deep. This was one make away from tying Jason Terry for the all-time postseason record for triples made in a game. 

Dallas made 17 uncontested 3-pointers in this contest, which is the most by any team in last ten postseasons. However, that’s not something the Mavericks are going to depend upon moving forward in this series. 

“It’s not live or die by the three. We’re not Golden State,” Spencer Dinwiddie said postgame. 

Furthermore, Jalen Brunson continued to shine in the absence of Doncic, finishing the night with a career-high 41 points. He also posted eight rebounds and five assists. From the moment the game tipped off, Brunson was in control of the offense. He became became the fifth member in the history of the Mavericks to score at least 40 points in a playoff game.

“He’s gonna make a lot of money,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd of Brunson who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. “I don’t know if he needs an agent. It’s not just what he did tonight. He’s shown he deserves to be paid.”

What was perhaps most impressive about Brunson’s night was that he kept the offense in rhythm, which helped Dallas take care of the ball. Brunson became the first player in Mavericks history with 40 points and zero turnovers in a playoff game. 

As a team, Dallas committed just three turnovers, which is a franchise record since that statistic began being tracked in 1982. 

Again, it took a historic night for the Mavs to pull off the much needed win. Now, they’ll head to Utah for the next two games of the series. Although the Jazz would have preferred to win both games without Doncic in the lineup this far, they’re still confident moving forward. 

“Two wins is great, but one win is good. We have to make adjustments,” said Rudy Gobert postgame. “It’s a marathon.” 

Jazz coach Quin Snyder has a similar mindset entering Game 3, realizing there’s still a ton of basketball left to be played. 

“This is the playoffs,” said Snyder after the loss. “It’s 1-1, we’re going back home. It’s a seven-game series.”

Utah struggled to defend the perimeter, which ultimately led to Dallas getting whatever it wanted offensively all over the court. 

“This is something we can fix,” said Donovan Mitchell postgame. 

A true x-factor in this series, veteran Mike Conley was held to zero points in Game 2, missing all seven of his shot attempts. Especially if Doncic comes back into the fold later in the series, Conley will need to contribute more offensively.  

Nonetheless, it’s a tied series with the Jazz hosting the next two games. Regardless of the personnel they’re up against, it’s a clean slate with five games remaining. 

“We are not going to overreact,” said Mitchell after Game 2. “We just have to go home and try and take care of business. They are going to try and get a split like we got a split here.”

Utah continues to dominate the boards with its size, but that proved to not be enough with the Dallas bigs knocking down triples at a high rate in Game 2. 

Moving forward, the status of Doncic will be a huge swing in how this series ends.  

The post Mavericks Ride Historic Night To Game 2 Victory Over Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

As Doncic continues to work towards a return, he’s now spent the last two days doing light workouts in Dallas. On Sunday afternoon, he appeared to look better but was still nowhere near full strength.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd after practice on Sunday. Kidd wouldn’t commit to whether or not Doncic would suit up in tomorrow’s game.

Shortly after practice on Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Doncic is “unlikely” to play in Game 2 on Monday barring a dramatic improvement leading up to the contest.

This would be a huge blow for the Mavericks, who need Doncic to get anywhere close to their ceiling as a team. One of the best players in the entire NBA, his health will dictate the success of Dallas in the postseason. The Mavericks have also listed Doncic as doubtful to play in Game 2.

If the Mavs aren’t able to pull off a win on Monday, they’ll head to Utah for Game 3 and Game 4 on the road in an 0-2 hole. Even if Doncic were able to return at that point, it would be an uphill battle to win the series.

The post REPORT: Mavericks Star Luka Doncic ‘Unlikely’ To Play In Game 2 Against Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Entering the game, the Mavs knew they’d be without their best player in Luka Doncic. However, even without their star they nearly beat the Jazz. 

 “Hopefully he gets healthy,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “You always want a great player to get the opportunity to play, whether he’s on your team or the other.”

Utah ultimately won Game 1 by a final score of 99-93. It was a contest in which scoring wasn’t plentiful, but also didn’t lack excitement. In a game of runs, it truly came down to the final minutes to determine a winner. 

When it came down to it, the size difference between the two rosters was the primary factor. The Mavericks lack a dominant 7-footer, as Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber (both 6-foot-10) filled out the center rotation on Saturday afternoon. 

That’s simply not enough size to match up against the Utah centers in Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside, who are both 7-foot-1. Additionally they’re both traditional bigs that are great on the glass. This proved to be a key differentiator, as Dallas was outrebounded 53 to 34. 

“We’ve just gotta rebound the ball, especially playing small. It’s just something we’ve gotta get better at,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd postgame. 

Regardless of when Doncic comes back, the battle on the boards is going to continue to be important. This series could ultimately come down to the style of play. If the Jazz continue to outmatch the Mavs with their size, they’ll have a huge advantage. On the flip side, if Dallas can have success with its small ball lineups and play Gobert and Whiteside off the floor, things could swing in the favor of the Mavericks. 

Both teams failed to score 100 points in Game 1, so every bucket really mattered throughout the contest. It was a tale of two halves for the Jazz, as Bojan Bogdanovic carried the offense in the first half while Donovan Mitchell shouldered the load in the second. 

Of the 45 points Utah scored in the first half, Bogdanovic account for nearly half with 20. In the second half, Mitchell produced 30 of his 32 points on the afternoon. 

While the Jazz didn’t have a consistent primary scorer across the entire game, they got the points they needed in bunches from two of their best offensive players. Gobert finished with just five points on one field goal attempt, but made his impact on the glass and on defense. 

“We had a chance, held them under 100 points. That was tough,” said Spencer Dinwiddie after the loss. 

Although Utah came out on top in Game 1, Dallas should feel extremely optimistic. Without their best player, the Mavericks legitimately had a shot to win. You could argue that when Doncic comes back, the Mavs should be favorites the rest of the way.  

The guard duo of Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson combined for 46 points, but will need to be more efficient moving forward. Those two took a total of 39 shots to produce those points. 

The Mavs started hot from beyond the arc, but cooled off as the game went on. They finished 9-of-32 (28.1%) from deep on the afternoon. If just a couple more of those shots would have gone down, the outcome of this game could have easily been different. 

The Jazz got the win, but it wasn’t necessarily convincing against a shorthanded Mavericks team. This series could still go either way. 

“We’ve got to do a better job of making the easy shots,” said Brunson looking ahead to the next matchup. “We missed a lot of easy shots. Gotta follow our game plan and stick together.”

Game 2 will take place in Dallas once again on Monday evening. 

The post Jazz Win Game 1 With Size, Mavericks Feel Optimistic Moving Forward appeared first on SLAM.

In the Western Conference, one of the most anticipated matchups is between the Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) and Utah Jazz (No. 5) which is a series that will begin on Saturday night. The Mavericks finished the regular season with a record of 52-30, which gave them the slight edge on the Jazz (49-33) for home court advantage. As such, Dallas will host the first two games of the series and also Game 7 if it’s needed. This could become a huge advantage to get the series off on the right foot and potentially close it out at home.

Any advantage will be key for the Mavs, as their superstar in Luka Doncic is expected to miss Game 1 and potentially Game 2 with a calf strain.

The Mavericks had a fairly slow start to the season, but ultimately got better as it went on. Gradual growth and improvement is a good sign for Dallas, as the team could be peaking at the right time. Early in the season, Jalen Brunson began to emerge as a legitimate piece of the roster. He’ll be a primary scorer for the Mavs during the postseason. Alongside him in the backcourt will be Spencer Dinwiddie, who was the cornerstone piece of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Washington Wizards at the deadline.

While defense was something that’s held the Mavericks back during the past few seasons, it’s been a strength in the 2021-22 campaign. They finished the regular season as the seventh-best team on that end of the floor with a defensive rating of 101.9. Additionally, Dallas was well-disciplined and took great care of the ball. The Mavs’ 1025 turnovers on the season were the third-fewest of any team.

Lacking a dominant center could detrimental for the Mavs in this series, as they’ll go up against a a deep frontcourt team. Utah was a top-three rebounding team this season, while the Mavericks finished 24th in the league. On the flip side, if Dallas is able to have success using their unique floor-spacing bigs and small ball lineups, Utah could have to play out of character to match up.

Dallas hasn’t won a playoff series since its championship run back in 2011. As such, the Mavs are on one of the longest active droughts in the NBA when it comes to winning a postseason series. Could this be the first time in over a decade that they advance past the first round?

If the Mavericks are going to have success without Doncic, it will likely come down to Dinwiddie and Brunson. Both have been extremely effective this season whether their superstar teammate is on the floor or not. If they struggle while Doncic is out, the Jazz could jump out to an early series lead before heading back to Utah.

Utah had a strong start to the season, but has really struggled of late. In fact, the Jazz went just 7-8 over their final 15 games of the season. While Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have been great once again, the production from the role players around them has been fairly inconsistent. There’s no question Utah has the pieces to make a championship push, but will they all come together and play at the top of their games when it matters most? Scoring shouldn’t be a problem, as Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley are able to score 20 points each on any given night.

During the regular season, the Jazz took second-most shots from deep (40.3 per game) and knocked down 36.0% of them. They also did a great job at getting to the rim and drawing fouls, finishing fourth in the league in free throw attempts this season with 23.4 per game. These are just some of the things that led Utah to the top offensive rating (11.2) in the NBA this season. What’s most interesting about the Jazz offense is that it’s heavily in isolation, as they were bottom five in both assists per game and assist percentage.

However, the playoffs are all about superstars and who can get a bucket when it’s needed, so perhaps that style of play will work in Utah’s favor. The Jazz also don’t take a ton of shots, playing with a slower pace and attempting the sixth-fewest shots in the league this season. This isn’t dissimilar from the Mavericks, who were in the bottom five in terms of field goal attempts in the regular season.

One of the best defenders in the entire NBA, Gobert will be a major factor on that end of the floor against the Mavs. Since the All-Star break, he’s limited opponents to 39.1% when he’s the closest defender.

The duo of Mitchell and Gobert has certainly had its flaws in the past. If the Jazz aren’t able to get out of the first round this season, could it be time for a major roster shakeup? It seems this series could directly impact what the Utah roster looks like moving forward.

In four games during the 2021-22 campaign, the Jazz and Mavericks have split the regular season series. Utah won the first two matchups of the season, while Dallas won the two more recently. That’s indicative of the seasons these two teams have had, as the Jazz looked better to start but the Mavs have been better down the stretch.

Outside of the primary stars in this series, there are several players for both teams that could really impact the outcomes. For Utah, Conley and Rudy Gay are veterans that have the experience to shine in the big moments. However, if they struggle the Jazz could have a rough series. For Dallas, Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock will be important offensively, as they have the firepower to fill it up from beyond the arc. If they aren’t converting from deep and producing points, the Mavericks’ offense could stall.

The post NBA Playoff Preview: Dallas Mavericks Take On Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t think about [how] I’m averaging career-highs. I know people always say it, like, How’s it feel? I’m just trying to be me, I’m not trying to blow anything out of proportion. Obviously, what I’m doing is good stuff, but the best thing about it is I know I could be doing better. That’s the part that keeps me hungry.” 

What exactly does better look like for the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer?

“I’ll know when I get there,” he says confidently. 

Until then, it’s all about staying prepared. There’s nothing flashy about the grind, nor is there about Jalen. At his SLAM photo shoot, he prefers to keep it simple and rock a few Nike sweatsuits. In between takes, he chops it up about how he’s a big movie guy and dishes a few takes on The Batman and Euphoria. When another question comes up about where his confidence comes from, there’s no ego or anything extra to his answer. “My work ethic,” he says. Simple as that.

His father Rick pushed and demanded it out of him. Jalen watched his father constantly work during his own 12-year long pro career, night in and night out. He trained relentlessly, too—in the summer, Jalen says Rick would run in the blazing heat wearing a sweat jacket, and at 7 years old, he’d be there, riding his bike alongside him. “I didn’t really understand it, I thought it was just what he did,” he says. “Seeing what people do now in their free time, versus what my dad did, I’m like, Damn. He did all that and he was in the League for nine years, overseas, CBA and never had a guaranteed contract.” 

“I’m fortunate to be guaranteed four years, and I’m like, Wow. If I could work half as hard…I have to do something to get better, every day.” 

He’s become methodical and committed to his routine, which has pretty much stayed the same over the years, whether he’s starting every game or playing less minutes: shooting the night before games, getting in his conditioning, eating at certain times of the day, taking a nap (if time permits) and entirely dialing in on the task ahead. 

Brunson has always been that way, routine-oriented. He grew up watching how Rick would get ready for games, and at 2 years old, would mimic what he saw. According to his mother Sandra there’d be a “full-court” set up in his grandparent’s kitchen and living room with New York Knicks stickers taped onto their hardwood floors [Rick played for the Knicks for a couple of years at that time—Ed.]. A young Jalen would pack all his gear—sneakers, shorts and a jersey—into a duffel bag, put on a blazer or vest and say, Mom, I’m going to my game. 

He would then walk through the house, put on his sneakers and do exactly what he does now as a four-year guard in the League—go to work with the ball in his hands. He’d copy the moves he saw the players around him do, including Rick’s then-New York Knicks teammate Allen Houston. 

“I just like knowing what I’m getting myself into. I’m one of those guys that if you find a good restaurant, I could eat at that restaurant every time we go out,” Brunson says of being routine-oriented. “I think that gets your mind right. Once you’re in that zone of doing what you got to do to be ready for the game, it kind of takes the thought process out of worrying about other things. I don’t run any errands on game day. Sometimes I’ll stop and get a tea on the way to games, but I’m not trying to do anything to make me not think about being ready for the game. If I’m in that routine, I’m not thinking about anything. My mind is just, like, free.” 

It was Sandra who taught him the art of goal-setting. While Rick was working in Charlotte as an assistant coach with the Bobcats, the rest of the family lived in Illinois. Sandra wanted Jalen and his sister to have a way to focus on themselves and their own goals, rather than on why their father wasn’t there or how long he’d be gone. It all started organically—school would begin in August, and Sandra would ask, What are your goals this year? What do you want to do? Jalen started getting creative with it, and would draft them up on the computer and hang them around his room. “I told him, It’s great to have goals and dreams but let’s stick with realistic goals. What are the things you can really achieve, right now? Let’s not think about down the road, like, Oh, I want to be in the NBA. That’s great. But let’s think about 10th grade. What do you want to do?” 

That year, Brunson led Stevenson HS to a state championship against Simeon Career Academy, who was stacked with standouts like Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn. By his junior year, the five-star recruit was averaging 26.1 points and was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. When Villanova head coach Jay Wright came over for a home visit, Sandra recalls him noticing the pieces of paper taped onto the walls in his bedroom. 

Fast forward to Brunson’s junior year at Villanova, when he wrote down all of his academic and athletic goals and typed them up on the computer. He added on-court images of himself in the backdrop and then placed his goals as overlay text in an all-caps, bold white font. He hung the two pieces of paper on his dorm room’s white wall—on the left side were his academic goals, from graduating in the summer of 2018 to making the All-American, Big East and Big Five Academic teams, and on the right were his athletic goals. Those were very specific and performance-based: 2018 First-Team All American, All-Big East, All-Big Five. There were also some team-oriented ones—conference regular season and tournament champions, and winning an NCAA National Championship.

He’d then send Sandra the picture of those goals hanging on the wall to prove to her that he actually did them. Sandra still has the picture on her phone, which she shared with SLAM via text mid-interview. 

“It was a thing, and it stuck,” she says of the goal setting. “I don’t really put too much pressure on him now. I still say, What are your goals? And I’ll text him, [but] I don’t see [them written down] in his apartment. Maybe it’s in his locker, or maybe it’s more internal.”

“That’s how I measure myself. I see these goals, and [how] I’m going to get there,” Brunson explains. “They’re mostly short term, for that year, I have long term goals of course, but that’s how I measure myself.” 

Preparedness, consistency and staying true to himself and the work have become the foundational fabrics to his approach. It’s how he solidified himself as one of the best guards ever to suit up for the Wildcats, but even then, Brunson wanted more. “I was a version of myself, I guess I technically didn’t know I had. I always knew I was good, playing the post, but we really used it as a weapon,” he says in retrospect. “I would say that where I was then was a perfect place, because I knew that I had accomplished a lot, I did a lot [and] was successful, but I knew I had so much more room to grow.”

When he came into the L as a rookie, Brunson found himself having to work his way up. He  averaged just 9.3 points in 21.8 minutes of action. “That’s something that I’ve done at every stage in my career, high school, college and the pros. I have no problem with it, and honestly it makes me better. It makes me hungry, not really complacent. I’m always trying to find ways to improve myself. I just knew that whenever I got my opportunity, I was gonna make the most of it.”

Now in his fourth year, Brunson’s pursuit of consistency put him in a prominent spot in the team’s starting lineup, having started in 61 regular season games, averaging 16.3 points. When the team has needed him the most, Brunson has more than delivered. During a 10-game stretch in December, when many of his teammates, including Luka Doncic, were out due to injuries and COVID protocols, he steadily put up double-digit figures and averaged 21 points while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. 

“That’s when it really clicked. I had some good games in the beginning of the year, but I think that stretch kind of solidified how people view me a little bit. My coaches know, my teammates know, and that’s all I really care about, [but] I guess people started to see and take notice. Thank you for noticing, but I’m doing this for myself, my team.” 

His words echo yet another lesson instilled in him by his parents. It was Rick who suggested to Sandra one day that she print out what people were saying, or inspirational quotes, onto sticky notes. Sandra placed them all around the house—in the bathroom, on the fridge, the television and mirrors. Seeing is believing, and when every corner in your place has a note reminding you of who you are, eventually, it becomes ingrained.

Rather than ride the wave of a good game, or in his case, the best season of his career so far, Brunson says that for him, it’s the standard. “Sometimes after games, yeah, I’ll watch [them] over and stuff like that, but [the feeling] is short term because I feel the same way when I don’t play well. I can’t be riding a hot streak of playing well, [or] when a bad day comes, I gotta switch it up. Whether it’s good or bad, gotta move forward. 

“Just staying consistent with work, and obviously a little more opportunity helps, [but] I think being able to have [Jason] Kidd as a coach has really helped me understand things that I thought I already knew. Hearing it from someone else definitely could help me. He’s pushed me, he expects the best out of me every time. I do appreciate that, because it just doesn’t keep me satisfied. That’s how my dad was, just always wanting more, more, more.”

When Brunson dished a pass to Dorian Finney-Smith in the corner for the game-winning shot against the Kings in March, it was Kidd who came in with the constructive criticism while everyone else praised him. “He was like, ‘Oh, you should have went a little later. We wanted the last, last shot. Great pass though. Everyone else was like, Oh, he kind of just stole your show, and in my mind I’m like, Yeah, but like, when I think about it, that’s what I want. I want them to be coached like that. If people see me being coached like that, that gains a lot of respect from my teammates. I’m all about what the team needs, I’m all about respect. I’ll do anything to earn that respect.” 

As the Mavericks get ready to face the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs, Brunson isn’t forgetting what happened last year. The loss still sits with him. “I haven’t moved past it. I still think about it, in a good way. I’ve always done well with a little bit of adversity.” 

But he’s focusing on what he can control. His family’s saying, The magic is in the work, often runs through his head, and he even wears it on two bracelets.

“You’ve got to be consistent with what you’re putting out there on the court, but most importantly, keep your routine, keep having the same mentality [and] doing the things that you do that have gotten you here. Don’t just say, I’m here, now I can take a chill pill. Like, no. Keep pushing yourself. That’s how I want to continue.”  

Portraits by Jonathan Lewis. Follow him on Instagram, @johnnyysilk.

The post The Pursuit of Consistency: How Jalen Brunson Has Emerged into a Prominent Force for the Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic (calf strain) will be out for Game 1 vs. Utah on Saturday, per @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/khsbHSRcbV

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 15, 2022

Luka Dončić will miss at least Game 1 against the Jazz due to a strained calf, according to Shams Charania.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic is expected to miss Game 1 vs. Jazz on Saturday night due to strained calf, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

The latest regarding Doncic: https://t.co/bEFYKs2gmk

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 14, 2022

Dončić suffered the injury last Sunday in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ season finale against the Spurs. Dončić playing at all in the third frame came with some derision, although the Mavs had an incentive to play their starters. Had the Mavs won, and the Warriors lost against the Pelicans, Dallas would’ve entered the playoffs as the third seed. However, that scenario didn’t play out because the Warriors blew the Pelicans out 128-107.

Coach Jason Kidd said seeding didn’t affect his decision to play Dončić and his starters. Kidd also said he intended to always play his starters through the third due to a long layoff between their last regular-season game and playoffs starting.

Dončić averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.5 percent shooting three-point territory.

The post REPORT: Luka Dončić Will Miss Game 1 Against Utah Due to Calf Injury appeared first on SLAM.

In the 127-121 victory against the San Antonio Spurs, the second-year star went 16-18 from the field and 6 of 14 from 3-point range. At 20-years-old, Edwards now has five 40-point games surpassing Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant, who both have four 40-point games before the age of 21. LeBron James is the only player above Edwards with eight.

With the Timberwolves on the brink of postseason action, Edwards feels excited about his team heading into the playoffs.

“I feel like we’re gonna make a real good run in the playoffs, and they need to be ready for us.” Edwards said per ESPN.

The Timberwolves will close out the regular season by hosting the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Next Tuesday, the Timberwolves and Clippers will match-up in the Play-In tournament, with the winner facing off against the two-seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoff.

The post Anthony Edwards On Clinching Play-In Spot: ‘I Feel Like We’re Gonna Make A Real Good Run’ appeared first on SLAM.

Over the past week or so, playoff positioning has gotten even tighter as the Mavericks fluctuate between the third and fourth seed in the Western Conference. Entering the most important part of the regular season, Dallas star Luka Doncic has been playing at a whole new level. 

In a huge win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, he produced 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds. Against the best teams in the league, Doncic always shines. 

It was his fifth-straight game with at least 30 points. Although he doesn’t have a true co-star on this roster, Doncic has the talent to single-handedly win regular season games for Dallas. 

The young superstar is quietly playing as well as anyone in the entire NBA of late. 

The post Luka Doncic Continues To Carry Mavericks Up Standings appeared first on SLAM.

But on this night, many die-hard hoops fans are glued to their television screens and phones while the NBA celebrates the culmination of the 2018-19 season. The third annual NBA Awards, live from the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles and airing on TNT, will reveal the winners of some of the League’s most prestigious accolades. Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to earn his first of back-to-back MVPs. Luka Doncic is picking up his ROY hardware. Superstar hoopers aside, though, the night also features celebrity presenters. Samuel L. Jackson. Tiffany Haddish. Issa Rae. Shaquille O’Neal. And then there is actor and comedian Hasan Minhaj, who takes the stage to let off a few jokes. One joke in particular is about to become a trending topic on Twitter. 

“In the past two months, AD got traded, Zion went first and LaMelo Ball got shipped to boarding school in Australia. I can say that joke—neither of us will ever make the NBA,” says Minhaj, as some laughs break through the crowd.

Comedians crack jokes. That’s the point. But whether Minhaj actually believed what he said, only he knows. 

The irony of it all (aside from the fact that Melo went on to become the third overall pick in the draft the following year and won ROY a few months later) is that here was a 17-year-old kid who had become such a staple of hoops culture that he was the subject of a joke on a night meant to celebrate the game’s current greatest.  

About 50 miles east from where the awards were taking place, it didn’t take long before LaMelo, at home in Chino Hills, reacted online. He posted a comment, which was later deleted, that essentially questioned if Minhaj would say that to his face. Normal teenager reaction. All harmless. 

Almost three years later, LaMelo is now sitting on a table in a Charlotte hotel conference room on a late February afternoon. He’s wearing a custom 1-of-1 LaFrancé-branded basketball uniform (his personal lifestyle brand, named as a nod to his middle name) while rocking a No. 1 jersey, which he says he expects to be his new number starting next season. And then there’s the humongous iced out double chain around his neck with a 3D UFO spaceship. Casual. 

We just wrapped up his cover shoot and he is comfortably lounging as he reminisces on his journey so far.

SLAM 237 featuring LaMelo Ball is available now!

He’s no longer that bubble gum teenager who many predicted was all internet hype and would eventually fade into obscurity. To be fair to Minhaj, he was probably just repeating what he had heard others say—some who even consider themselves basketball experts repeated those same sentiments back then, too. On the night of the 2019 awards ceremony, ESPN had Melo projected as a second rounder in the draft. The 32nd pick, to be exact. 

As Melo is reminded of the days when many doubted him, and specifically the night of the awards, he begins cheesing hard. It’s the smile of someone who knows he’s had the last laugh. He always knew he would. And he enjoys every bit of it these days. But as I remind him of his deleted comment from that night, he can no longer control his laughter.    

“Oh, I said that?! That was probably me on some young shit. I’ll smack that n—a, for real!” he says before breaking out into more laughs. 

“Nah, I don’t really give a fuck when people said stuff like that. It’s all jokes to me, for real. When you say something, I’m gonna say something back. You mean it? Eh, I don’t mean it. Could mean it. Probably don’t. Probably do. It’s whatever.” 

Melo ain’t really sweating it. He never has. His nonchalant demeanor has lowkey played a big role in getting him here. If anything, it’s probably what kept him sane when his notoriety was exploding in high school, and yet media outlets and online trolls alike refused to acknowledge him as a legitimate high-level NBA prospect. Talent is obviously needed to get here. But ask all of the cautionary tales and highly touted high school players who never panned out about their voyage, and the importance of mental strength will be a common theme. Goes without saying that being under a microscope and the type of spotlight that Melo grew up in is not for the faint of heart. 

Melo, though, shrugs and scoffs at the thought (technically, the question) that there was ever even the smallest of chances that all that noise was ever hard on him. That lowlight mixtape that accumulated millions of views online when he was only 15 years old? He’s practically offended at the thought that he would ever be offended by it. 

“I ain’t gonna lie, everything was just normal to me. I give a lot of credit to my pops, just the way he had us. Pretty much saying, If they not talking about y’all and they not hating on you, you’re pretty much not doing nothing. You feel me? If they not hating on you, you obviously not doing something. If they talking about you good, if they talking about you bad, they’re still talking about you,” says Melo. “I never really looked at it like, Oh, why are they talking about me like that? If you not really in my household, I don’t really care what you got to say. No disrespect, but it’s like that.” 

Continuing to look back on his father’s words: “He said, Y’all destined for the League, type-shit. Made us really believe it. I came out the womb believing it. When you got that factor and really believe it, that’s really it. All you could do is make it, for real. That’s what our mindset was…I felt like I could play in the League when I was 14, 15. I probably couldn’t have, but that’s just how I thought. I was like, It’s just basketball. He could shoot, I could shoot. He dribbles, I dribble. From the beginning, I thought I was always—no one could really f**k with me. I just always had that attitude.”  

In late 2017, when Melo left Chino Hills High School at the beginning of his junior year and turned pro in Lithuania, he says that’s when he received his big affirmation—or rather, revelation—that there was nothing that could stop him. At the time, people criticized the move, saying it would hinder his growth and development, and ultimately obliterate any probabilities of him making the NBA.     

“Honestly, after Lithuania, I didn’t give a fuck where I got drafted to. The beds? You roll off to the left, you fall off. You roll off to the right, you fall off. Motherfucking calves hanging off the bed—not feet, calves hanging off the bed! It was bad, bro. Once you get through that, it was like, I don’t care where y’all put me in. As long as I’m in the States and I got water, I’m good,” Melo says confidently. “That whole shit, bruh—it felt like one big ass night! That shit was crazy. Food was hard to eat out there. Hella cold. Nobody around. That’s pretty much when I just locked in. I’m like, Yeah, I don’t really need too much. Just get it done and grind. That right there was big, I feel like. Sacrifice—you feel me? That’s what I looked at it as.  

“The mental shit goes back to Lithuania. Ever since all that, I aint gon’ lie, my mental has been straight. It ain’t nothing you can do. I even sat the bench there. I literally did everything out there.” 

LaVar still remembers Melo getting in trouble in preschool as if it was yesterday. One day, the teacher had asked the class what their favorite song was. Every kid took turns as the teacher went around the room. When it was finally Melo’s turn to speak, he excitedly shared with the class his favorite lyrics. 

“This dude starts reciting a DMX song with all the cuss words in it! His teachers said, Hold up, wait a minute! He had never been [in a situation] where someone would say, Hey, don’t say those cuss words! ’Cause I let him listen to rap when getting ready for the games. So he was always listening to DMX and what his older brothers were listening to,” recalls LaVar. In 2016, Zo did say that his five favorite rappers of all time were Lil Wayne, Future, DMX, 50 Cent and Tupac, so it’s easy to see where that came from.   

LaVar shares the childhood story to get to a bigger point. Being the youngest, Melo would always hang around his older brothers. Wherever Zo and Gelo went, Melo was there. That included the basketball court. Melo felt he could hang with them on the court, but then also invited himself to hang off the court, too. It got to the point where Melo was practically hanging with Zo’s and Gelo’s friends more than kids in his own grade. It was really just an extension of what was happening on the hardwood. LaVar had his boys playing up in age in AAU. Do some Googles and you’ll find videos of an 11-year-old Melo playing against high school kids next to his brothers at AAU events. Not just playing against high school kids at 11, giving them buckets.    

“We used to have movie night every weekend. I used to say, Each of you guys invite a couple of your friends. And Melo never invited his. He always invited Lonzo’s and Gelo’s. The older guys. Melo never wanted to hang out with no little guys,” LaVar says. “By the time we were playing in the high school leagues, and the boys were super young, I always had a couple of guys on the team that were 17 to balance that stuff out—needed some big boys to rebound. These dudes had tattoos and goatees and my dudes were barely in elementary. But they looked at [Melo, Gelo and Zo] as little brothers and protected them. [Melo] always talked crazy. He talked like them. You’d hear a little kid’s voice talking, and then you hear him talking about stuff that grown folks talking about. He was always like that.”  

But on-court development was only part of the plan. There was a whole other social aspect to it. LaVar decided to raise the family in the relatively affluent Chino Hills enclave, far away from the South Central L.A. streets he grew up in. He and his wife Tina would end up taking the boys back to W. Slauson and S. Van Ness all the time, though. After all, their grandparents still lived in the neighborhood. And aside from visiting family, he also wanted the boys to build up that same inner-city grit and toughness he had mastered. He wanted the boys to appreciate the unique situation they were in back in Chino Hills, and to also be cognizant and understanding of the different social conditions others less fortunate were born into. The routine trips to South Central ultimately became a major part of the boys’ development. 

Still, part of that preparation was also about making sure that Melo and his brothers wouldn’t get caught up in the glitz and glamour when they finally made it to the League. That the transition would be as seamless as possible because their lifestyle would be no different when that day came. Growing up around gated communities in Chino Hills was one thing. But Zo pulling up to high school in a new white BMW 7 Series and Gelo pulling up in a separate one—yes, to the same school parking lot—was just as much about preparing for the League as any drill was. When Melo finally turned 16, he famously got a Lamborghini gifted to him. Not many outside of the family understood the purpose of it all at the time. 

“If I wanted my sons to live the NBA lifestyle, you can’t dangle no fucking shoe in front of them, like you can do with the other superstars. You offered them some shoes, they were gonna be like, What am I supposed to do with these shoes when I got a BMW outside? You get to the League and now you can finally buy that BMW or Escalade you always wanted. [Melo, Gelo, and Zo] already had that in high school,” says LaVar. “Just like with Melo, when the media asked him if he was happy to have his own signature shoe [with Puma], he told them he’s had that since he was 16. He’s not gonna feel any different if we made sure that he felt those experiences at 16. Guys are out there breaking their neck trying to get a signature shoe. He’s been through all of that. You can’t re-do it. You can only have that feeling one time.” 

Adds Melo: “Right when I hit that age, everything started making sense. I had been through everything. Even with the whole playing on teams—I really started to see what my pops was doing. Even when we were younger, we always used to play on our own team under him, with just local kids. We wouldn’t go find the best teams. Then you look back at it and it’s like, Damn, that’s ’cause he wanted me to pass, shoot, rebound, steal. Damn near do everything. So, when you do get on those types of teams and you got that [NBA] talent around you [now], it’s way easier.”

So here we are today. Melo is now the face of an NBA franchise at only 20 years old. A franchise and a city that didn’t have much to cheer about prior to his arrival in 2020. The impact is evident in the significant increase of new season ticket holders that the team has reported since he touched down in the Queen City. In the fact that they’ve been in contention for a playoff spot the last two seasons after finishing almost 20 games under .500 right before he got to town. 

Some of his early accolades make his trajectory scary—in the best way. He’s already joined some elite company in his short time in the League. Fourth-youngest ever to be an NBA All-Star, behind only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson. He finished with 18 points off the bench that night. There was a period earlier this season when he was the team’s leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game (Mason Plumlee has since taken over the rebounds category). The only other player in the League who was leading his team across all four categories at the same time this season was reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Melo became the second youngest player in NBA history to reach 700 career assists in February, behind only LeBron. There’s a bunch of other similar milestones, where his name sits next to some of the best.

But it hasn’t all been peaches and cream. As we headed to press, the team had dropped 13 of its last 17 games. The Hornets are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to one of the last remaining play-in game spots. And while Melo is focused on securing a postseason opportunity, he’s also aware that it’s all just a process. Just like his road to the NBA. From Lithuania to LaVar’s JBA world tour (which took him across Europe) to Australia, he’s become confident in knowing that not much in his life has been a matter of if, only when.    

“When they really put them keys in my hand, I feel like it’s gonna be a whole new situation. But until then, I’m gonna keep doing what I need to do, just try to get these wins,” says Melo. “I ain’t gonna lie, every game I feel like I can do more than what I’m doing. It’s just [about] reading the whole game and reading the whole situation. And everybody being on the same page. The consistency part. Once all that clears, I feel like we’ll be straight. 

“The season isn’t successful until you win a championship. But it’s [also] pretty much always about being better than the last year. So, last year we were in the play-in. This year hopefully we get in the playoffs, win a first round, something like that. Just keep going up from there. I just feel we’re like a big away. One that can clog up the whole paint, rebound. Put that bitch in my hands [and] let me rock! That’s how I be feeling. And then we’re gonna be straight.”

SLAM 237 is available now in these gold and black metal editions, plus an exclusive SLAM 237 Cover Tee.

Portraits Diwang Valdez.

The post The King of Queen City: LaMelo Ball’s Ascension to the Top is Only a Matter of Time appeared first on SLAM.

With the win, Minnesota is now tied in the win column, with the Denver Nuggets moving just a half-game out of the sixth spot to avoid the play-in tournament. The Timberwolves play the Nuggets next week in a game with significant playoff implications.

With the loss, the Mavericks missed a chance to pass the Utah Jazz for the fourth seed after the Jazz lost to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Dallas and Utah have a showdown on Sunday for potential home-court advantage in the first round.

“You’ve got to be able to respond to adversity quick,” Karl-Anthony Towns said via ESPN about the importance of staying the course especially through Minnesota’s two-game losing streak, “Especially if we’re going to be in the playoffs and we’re talking about winning a championship.”

KAT posted 20 points nine rebounds on the night, leading a balanced offensive effort that featured seven Wolves players that scored in double figures.

full squad effort.

KAT – 20 pts. / 9 reb. / 1 ast. / 1 stl.
JMac – 16 pts. / 5 reb. / 3 ast.
DLo – 15 pts. / 5 reb. / 8 ast.
TP – 14 pts. / 5 reb.
Ant – 12 pts. / 6 reb. / 4 ast. / 1 stl.
Vando – 12 pts. / 6 reb. / 1 stl.
PatBev – 10 pts. / 1 reb. / 2 ast. / 1 stl. / 1 blk. pic.twitter.com/rZnvU67TAT

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 26, 2022

Despite Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic almost collecting another triple-double after finishing the night with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, and the highlight of the night after nutmegging a defender with a dime to Maxi Kleber for a dunk.

Luka sneaks in a bounce pass!

Watch Now on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/PrL4MmbWJc

— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2022

Minnesota made him work for everything he got, loading up defenders such as Patrick Beverley, Anthony Edwards, and Taurean Prince.

The Timberwolves start a critical four-game road trip Sunday in Boston.

The post Minnesota Timberwolves Get Closer to Playoff Position With Win Over Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

Since that deal was made, Dallas has gone 9-2 and looks as good as it has all season. 

A huge part of the Mavericks’ recent success has been Dinwiddie, who’s playing the best basketball of his 2021-22 season. Since coming to Dallas, he’s averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 assists per contest while shooting 44.2% from deep. 

Splitting time between the bench and as a starter, Dinwiddie has proven to be effective in any role. Whether it’s playing alongside Luka Doncic or facilitating with the second unit, he’s been stellar. 

In fact, on Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics, he hit a game-winning triple. 

It’s still unclear whether the Mavs will have the star power to make a splash in the playoffs, but they’ve been solid over the past couple of weeks with their new-look roster. If Dinwiddie can continue playing at this level, Dallas will only continue winning games and climb the Western Conference standings.

The post Mavericks Guard Spencer Dinwiddie Continues to Thrive in Dallas appeared first on SLAM.

Superstar Ja Morant tweeted that a few weeks ago. “ZW8” refers to rookie Ziaire Williams, who wears No. 8 for the Grizzlies. The tweet alludes to the fact that Williams was not selected to participate in the Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland—a clear snub, in Morant’s opinion. ZW8 has been a starter for Memphis—one of the best teams in the League at 43-21—since the beginning of January. 

As part of the three-team trade involving Steven Adams, the Grizzlies also acquired the rights to the No. 10 pick in the 2021 Draft, where they landed Williams. The 20-year-old didn’t have an exceptional freshman year at Stanford, but with his size (6-9) and athleticism, it was easy to see his potential. He developed a reputation as a solid shooter in high school, when he was a teammate of Bronny James at Sierra Canyon and the No. 8 overall prospect in his class (the highest-ranked recruit ever to commit to Stanford). That didn’t carry over to college—Williams shot just 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from three for the Cardinals. Still, he displayed an impressive ability to score at all three levels. And he occasionally did stuff like this:  

ICYMI, check out the flight of @StanfordMBB‘s Ziaire Williams on this throwdown dunk, the Play of the Week! #Pac12Hoops | @PacPremierBank pic.twitter.com/33wiQVMszB

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) January 13, 2021

Williams was in the Grizzlies’ rotation from day one. His shooting has been erratic, as it was at Stanford, but it’s clear that the rookie is getting more and more comfortable with the flow of the NBA. His confidence is rising. He is finding rhythms. He is figuring out how to impact winning.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins likes Ziaire’s versatility on both ends. Offensively, he spreads the floor for Morant and runs with him in transition (the two have quickly built strong chemistry). Defensively, he can guard multiple positions, using his 6-10 wingspan to be disruptive (he has already matched up with Stephen Curry, Khris Middleton, Brandon Ingram, Luka Doncic and more elite scorers). Coaches and teammates have praised his work ethic and willingness to learn.

The result? Williams has steadily improved and his role has steadily increased. He has been in the starting lineup for 23 games, 16 of which the Grizzlies have won. In the month of February, he averaged 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, shooting 58 percent from the field and 46 percent from three. He put up a career-high 21 points (on 9/11 shooting), 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a 120-108 victory over the Knicks on Feb. 2.   

“He just has continued to work, continued to believe in himself, started playing with confidence,” Morant said about Williams. “He knows the work he puts in. He knows the shots he can make. He knows what he’s capable of. And now everybody’s getting to see it and I’m proud of it. I’m a proud big brother!”

Three weeks later, on the road against Minnesota, Williams went off for 21 points again (on 7/11 shooting)—this time in a 119-114 loss. 

“I think the number one thing is we want him to play to his strengths,” Jenkins told reporters afterwards. “The way he can run the floor, he’s got a great connection with the guards, especially Ja—all those transition lobs and easy looks in transition. He started off shooting it well [from the] corner. Not so great from the wings. So we told him, just keep putting in the work, man. Keep putting in the work. He’s getting a lot more comfortable with the NBA line all around. Then his ability to shoot off the bounce is at a really high level—we knew that coming out of college. Getting in there, midrange pull-ups, but then getting to the free throw line, knocking down big free throws on small volume, but those are big shots for him. So he’s expanding his game, not just being a guy who just stands in the corner. I’ll also say defensively expanding his game. Tonight’s a great learning lesson where he can be better, we can be better. But he always responds and brings a better effort the next time.” 

Jenkins opted to go with John Konchar over Williams in the fourth quarter of that game for defensive purposes. Williams had, according to his coach, just made “too many mistakes” in coverages.

The rook understood. He likes to be coached that way—to be held accountable, so that he can continue to grow.

“I’ll never forget my first press conference with the Grizzlies, I promised [Jenkins] that I was going to give him everything that I had, and I told him that I want him to coach me as hard as possible,” Williams said. “Constructive criticism—that’s the only way I can get better, that’s the only way the team can get better.

“I definitely [welcome it] from all of the coaches, not even just Coach Taylor,” he added, “to push me to my limits and beyond.”

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Ziaire Williams appeared first on SLAM.

Recording his third outing scoring 40+ in the past four games, Luka Dončić is leading the new-look Dallas Mavericks into an era without Kristaps Porziņģis. Dončić now has 30 double-doubles, trailing Chris Paul by only one game for the most double-doubles by a guard this season. The Mavericks are 21-9 in such games. How does he do it? He says a good ol’ cup of Joe.

After shipping off Porziņģis to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline, the Mavericks have gone 2-0 with the newly acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns. While their performances aren’t eye-popping, it’s their play styles that are making a difference.

Dinwiddie gives Dallas an added ball-handler with a proven ability to score, though his efficiency is down this season. Bertāns provides the Mavericks with a volume catch-and-shoot big that could go back to his old self with his new team, potentially thanks to Doncic.

This performance by Doncic ties him with Mark Aguirre for the most 45+ points game in Mavericks history with four. He’s also the fourth player in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy) with multiple 45 points, 15 rebounds, five-assist games in a calendar month, with Wilt Chamberlain in January 1966 being the last to do it.

The Dallas Mavericks head into the All-Star break with a 35-24 record with the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

The post Luka Dončić Leads New Look Mavericks Past Pelicans With Near 50 Point Triple-Double appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, LeBron James and Kevin Durant – the two captains for the All-Star game – selected their teams for the All-Star Game taking place in just under two weeks.

Each captain had to select their starting lineups first and then select their reserves. Because Durant is injured and will not be playing in the game, nine players were available to be drafted instead of eight, with Jayson Tatum replacing Durant as a starter.

James opened the draft up by selecting Giannis Antetokounmpo first overall, with Durant using his first pick to draft Joel Embiid.

James rounded off his starting lineup by selecting Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic. Durant’s starting lineup will consist of Embiid, Tatum, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, and Trae Young. Wiggins and Young were the final two starters selected in the draft.

Between the two, Durant has the least experienced starting lineup with Wiggins and Morant, both first-time All-Stars and Young just in his second All-Star Game.

Durant got the first pick to open up the reserves section of the draft and used the pick to select Devin Booker, and James used his first pick to draft Luka Doncic.

Durant filled out his reserves by selecting Karl Anthony-Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball, and Rudy Gobert.

James reserves will be Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and James Harden.

Harden was the last pick of the All-Star Draft, with Durant creating a funny moment where he opted against drafting his former teammate, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, to take Gobert instead.

The All-Star Game is scheduled to occur in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA All-Star Teams Set, Giannis Antetokounmpo Selected First Overall appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, during a broadcast on TNT, the NBA announced the reserves for the upcoming 2022 All-Star game, a week after the starters had been announced.

In the West, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz had two players named: Chris Paul and Devin Booker for the Suns and Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell for the Jazz. The roster comprises Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

The West will have to add one additional player before the All-Star game, as Green won’t be active for the festivities. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will name Green’s replacement before the All-Star Game draft.

The remaining West All-Stars are made up by the five starters, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Ja Morant.

In the East, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, Darius Garland, James Harden, Fred VanVleet, Jayson Tatum, and Khris Middleton all got the nod, representing different teams from each other. They’ll be joining the East’s five starters of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, and Trae Young.

While there is a boatload of talent in this year’s All-Star game, some names that arguably deserved consideration were left off. Dejounte Murray and Deandre Ayton are putting together excellent seasons in the West but were not named to the All-Star team. Paul George was having another All-Star-caliber season but hasn’t played in over a month due to an elbow injury.

In the East, Jarrett Allen, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown have seasons potentially worthy of the All-Star distinction.

All-Star captains James and Durant will draft their teams live on TNT on Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The NBA All-Star Game is on Sunday, Feb. 20.

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