Now that we’re back, it’s only right that we predict what this insane rookie class will achieve. Some of the most versatile players of the new generation have arrived and we suggest you buckle up for the ride.

So check out our official Rookies Most Likely To list, which appears in SLAM 252. Get your copy and cover tees here.

Houston, we solved your problem. After averaging 20 points in Summer League, Reed definitely proved he’s got that shooter’s touch. He’s our pick to take home ROTY honors.

Greatness flows through his veins. Since he was young, Bronny’s always had some of the best feets on the court, and nothing changes now.

That massive poster dunk Matas Buzelis had against the Warriors in Summer League was just a preview of what he’ll do to opposing players this season. If anyone’s going to end the 36 year dunk contest win drought for the Bulls, it’ll be this guy. The last winner in Chicago, who we all know, went on to have a pretty good career…

The 7-foot Duke product is underrated and we don’t really know why. When he wakes y’all up and starts balling with the Jazz, we told you so.

The shiftiest rookie in the class will be a walking highlight reel. Scary hours coming soon from the Timberwolves…

There aren’t many players with a smoother shot than Risacher. The number 1 pick will put the League on notice as he and Trae light it up from downtown.

Zach Edey is a walking double-double and he’s our lock to average 10 boards a game. Being one of the tallest players in the league will undoubtedly help.

Jared McCain is a man of many talents. The social media star is always turning heads with the latest trends and he’ll be turning heads on the court this year as well.

Already one of the best dressed players in the League, Cody Williams is always going to put that ish on. Don’t be surprised when you see that same swag on the court…

Arguably the hottest shooter in the class, Reed Sheppard is a certified scoring machine and he’s going to prove that this season.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s Official 2024-25 NBA Rookies Most Likely To List: Rookie Superlatives and MORE appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits by Eli Selva. Photos via Getty Images.

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

Villanova Defeats UNC in the National Championship Game at the Buzzer (2016)

UNC’s Marcus Paige had just hit what would be one of the NCAA’s craziest shots in national championship history to tie the game at 74 a piece with just under 5 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for Paige, that shot is erased from many people’s memory bank because of what transpired shortly after. Coming out of a timeout with the length of the court to go and 4.7 seconds on the clock, Villanova’s Kris Jenkins inbounded the ball to Ryan Arcidiacono. He’d make his way up the court and pitch the ball back to Jenkins who was trailing the play. With 1.2 seconds left, Jenkins walked into an open three-pointer, let off a picture-perfect textbook release and the rest was history. Buzzer beaters are among the most exciting plays in basketball. But a buzzer-beater to win the national championship?! There’s a pretty good chance I’ll never see another walk-off buzzer-beater in the national championship again in my life. For that reason alone, I’ll savor this moment forever.

LeBron James Breaks the NBA’s All-Time Scoring Record (2023)

I’m just old enough to remember watching LeBron James when he was at St. Vincent-St. Mary. It feels like yesterday he was deemed “The Chosen One” as a 17-year-old junior in high school. Love him or hate him, there’s no true basketball lover who doesn’t respect the man. As a Kobe fan, I never rooted for LeBron growing up but I always respected his greatness. Quite frankly, he didn’t leave me with much of a choice. His journey from high school phenom to the Mount Rushmore of basketball has been admirable, to say the least. Watching him shoot one of his patented mid-range fadeaway jumpers to break Kareem’s all-time NBA scoring record is a basketball memory I’ll tell my kids about one day. At the rate he’s going, LeBron looks like he could play another 20 years. My future kids just might get to watch him for themselves.

Stephen Curry Breaks the NBA’s All-Time Three-Point Record (2021)

Every time Stephen Curry makes a three-pointer, he breaks a record. His own record. It’s no secret that Steph is the best shooter to walk this planet. On Dec. 14, 2022, under the bright lights of the world’s most famous arena Madison Square Garden, he stamped what was already a foregone conclusion. As he broke free from the Knicks’ defense, he caught a pass on the right wing from Andrew Wiggins and let it go with no hesitation like he’s done too many times to count over the course of his career. Nothing but net. Watching him lead his underdog Davidson Wildcats on an unprecedented NCAA Tournament run back in 2008 was mesmerizing. Experiencing watching him break the NBA’s all-time three-point record, and counting, is the epitome of what makes Steph the greatest show on earth.

Dawn Staley Becomes the First Black Coach to Win Two Division I Titles (2022)

I’m a fan of so many women’s college basketball programs, but since I was a kid UConn has been my favorite. I never ever root against them. This was the case in 2022 as they faced the South Carolina Gamecocks in the national championship. From the tip-off, South Carolina controlled the game and ended up pulling out a 15-point victory for what’d be Dawn Staley’s second national championship. As much as I would’ve loved to see Paige Bueckers capture a chip, I couldn’t help but be proud of witnessing history with Coach Staley becoming the first Black coach, male or female, to win two Division I titles. She’s known for no-nonsense approach to the game, but it’s evident how much she loves her players. In a sport that’s made up of mostly Black athletes, Black women coaches aren’t represented equitably. Coach Staley takes pride in her Blackness and carries that chip on her shoulder. Being able to watch her handle herself so gracefully on the way to making Black history is one of my favorite hoop memories that I can recall. 

Kobe Bryant Scores 60 in his Farewell Game at Staples Center (2016)

On April 13, 2016, basketball enthusiasts had a tough decision to make. You could either choose to watch the Golden State Warriors strive for their record-breaking 73rd victory or you could tune in to watch Kobe Bryant’s last game ever. As much as I love some Golden State, Kobe’s farewell was the easy choice for me. At this point, Kobe was fighting through a broken down body that he put on the line for two decades on his way to becoming one of the greatest hoopers to ever grace a court. The aura surrounding the game was charged with emotion as Kobe delivered a performance for the ages. He willed his way to 60 points, and most importantly a comeback win over the Jazz. Every basket felt like a poetic punctuation mark to an illustrious career. As the final buzzer sounded, the cheers of the crowd echoed gratitude, respect and a profound farewell to one of the game’s greatest icons. Kobe’s last game was more than a spectacle; it was a symphony of greatness that basketball fans will cherish forever.

Curtis’ Corner

Hoops: College Basketball “Feast Week” is underrated as a series of sporting events. This past week, we’ve seen some great hoop from some of the top teams in the country. Feast Week gives teams a taste of tournament-style play in preparation for March Madness down the road. The Zach Edey-led Purdue Boilermakers won the Maui Invitational for the first time in program history. Could this be the year they win the Big Dance, too?

Rap: Like most rap fans, Scary Hours 3 has been on constant rotation for me. Every track is barred up, and you hatin’ if you say otherwise. “Evil Ways” and “The Shoe Fits” are my go-to’s from the EP. Furthermore, I’m patiently waiting for Cole’s “The Fall Off” and really curious to hear what it will sound like. What are the chances we get it before the year is out?

Everything Black: André 3000’s “New Blue Sun” is beautiful. It’s the perfect background music for any occasion. I love how comfortable André is living in his truth. As much as I’d love one, he doesn’t owe us a hip-hop album. His legacy is set in stone as one of the culture’s greatest artists ever.

As always, here’s the official Hoops, Rap and Everything Black playlist. It’ll be updated weekly with each column. Add the playlist to your library to stay in the know, and be sure to follow SLAM on Spotify.

Photos via Getty Images

The post Hoops, Rap and Everything Black: 5 Moments Every Hoop Fan Should be Thankful to Have Witnessed appeared first on SLAM.

In the days before YouTube and any social media platform you’ve heard of, awareness of the Next Big Thing generally came in stages. The soon-to-be multi-platinum recording artist, the future Hall of Fame athlete and the arena-headlining comedic genius almost never got famous all at once; proximity, and connections, determined who knew about them when. Fame was a gradual thing, and very few people ever had a chance to be in the select group known as “first.”

Where basketball is concerned, this publication has generally been one of the exceptions. Strictly speaking, SLAM has never discovered anyone, but we built our rep in part on introducing the game’s brightest young stars to our readers before almost anyone outside their hometowns—including our national media peers—had heard of them. We built connections across the grassroots scene, we paid attention, and in a magazine created to celebrate today’s superstars, we always found space to tell you about tomorrow’s.

There’s a compelling case to be made for LeBron James as the last true superstar to emerge from that mostly analog era, a time when magazine covers, SportsCenter highlights and at least one semi-authorized biography (more on that in a minute) did the work of building the legend. He was already one of the biggest stories in sports when he stepped onto the NBA draft stage 20 years ago this summer. A lot of that had to do with the three SLAM features, two covers and a year’s worth of Basketball Diary entries he’d already been the subject of.

Shortly before he made his NBA debut that fall, not one but two LeBron biographies hit bookstore shelves. The first of them, by about three weeks, was mine. King James: Believe the Hype exists solely because of SLAM, specifically because of the access that then 16-year-old LeBron and his tightly kept circle granted the mag before what seemed like the entire world descended on Akron to feed on, and into, the aforementioned hype. To the extent that the book holds up, it’s as a snapshot of two surreal years in the basketball life of a guy who was destined to end up on the GOAT shortlist.

Of course, LeBron was neither the first nor the last to carry the Next Big Thing weight in our pages. Founded in 1994 with a distinctly NYC lean, it was only fitting that the first prep star we aligned with was Brooklyn’s own Stephon Marbury, perhaps the last truly iconic New York City-born-and-bred hoop star. The Coney Island point god was the first person to write our Basketball Diary; four years later, when Ray Allen played a high school star based heavily on Starbury in Spike Lee’s He Got Game, his character, Jesus Shuttlesworth, got his own on-screen SLAM cover (see pg. 60 for more on that—Ed.).

The flow of hype-generating, potentially generational talent has never stopped. On LeBron’s heels, and from Marbury’s own neighborhood and bloodline, came Sebastian Telfair, who memorably shared a cover with his friend from Akron and followed him as our Diary keeper. Then came OJ Mayo, a varsity star as a West Virginia eighth grader and thus the most obvious entry into the “who’s the next LeBron?” sweepstakes that nobody needed. Understand, Bassy and OJ were incredible high school players, and maybe under different circumstances would’ve had more substantial NBA careers. As it is, they helped confirm that LeBron—the dude who somehow not only met but surpassed the most ridiculous career expectations ever put on a 16-year-old basketball player—was the exception, not the rule.

In the years since, probably only Zion Williamson and the Ball brothers have come close
to LeBron levels of pre-NBA attention with the buzz created by their hyper-viral high school highlight clips (with LaMelo and Lonzo getting an assist from Pops, of course). The latest to contend for that ultrabright spotlight is Victor Wembanyama, a true unicorn with international appeal and a highlight reel perfectly suited to TikTok and Insta edits. If you’ve been paying attention, you know SLAM was up on these dudes early and often as well.

But as this magazine approaches its 30th birthday (!!!) and the subject of this story wraps up Year 20 in the League, there still hasn’t really been a saga quite like LeBron’s.

Sometime in 2002, when the national attention and increasingly prying coverage of LeBron James became truly disruptive, the administration at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School placed a sign in front of its entrance announcing that media was not allowed on campus. But a year or so earlier, when we pulled up to campus in the spring of 2001, we were greeted with a different sign: “WELCOME SLAM MAGAZINE.”

That first visit was a chance to meet the school’s AD and basketball coaches, LeBron’s teammates and the lanky 16-year-old himself. We hung in the lunchroom, watched an informal after-school practice run, then caught dinner with LeBron and his mom. The result was the first feature-length LeBron James profile to appear outside the 330 area code. In retrospect, it seems crazy that we didn’t put him on the cover, but trust that the mere thought of putting a largely unknown high school sophomore from Ohio’s fifth-largest city on our front page seemed, at the time, infinitely crazier. SLAM in 2001 was first and foremost a newsstand magazine, and only established stars moved newsstand units. (Honestly, our biggest regret might be that one of Atiba Jefferson’s iconic shots from that story didn’t grace the cover).

Still, we were already treating him as something different. He wrote our Basketball Diary in ’01-02, becoming the first non-senior to handle the gig; a year after that initial feature, with a game-changing Sports Illustrated cover and regular SportsCenter highlights under his belt, LeBron (alongside Sebastian Telfair) landed on our cover. A year after that, with his senior year over and his unprecedented high school career behind him, he got his first solo cover. Legendary hip-hop photographer Jonathan Mannion was behind the lens; LeBron wore a Mitchell & Ness Michael Jordan NBA All-Star jersey on his chest, an acknowledgement of the expectations he welcomed, and a custom SLAM headband on his forehead. The latter was his idea, nothing we asked for or expected, a generous nod to the publication that had sought him out and told his story before anyone else.

The book came out a few months later, and much of it expanded on reporting and interviews first published in the magazine. Part of that meant acknowledging the absurdity of dedicating so much ink—a sentiment shared by the many publishers who turned down the book proposal, apparently—to an 18-year-old high schooler. My pitch—that this dude had the potential to be one of the greatest of all time—had less to do with my own scouting prowess (ha) and much more to do with the opinions of people who actually knew. That started with his high school coaches, particularly Keith Dambrot, the once- and future-Division I college coach whose reputation helped bring LeBron and a handful of his AAU teammates to St. V in the first place.

Dambrot had run offseason skills sessions at the local Jewish Community Center attended by Bron and those teammates—aka the Fab Four, which expanded to a Fab Five by the time their high school run was over—so he knew he had a talented class. It didn’t take Dambrot long to realize that in LeBron, he had much more. When we first spoke in the spring of ’01, Dambrot never hesitated in acknowledging the validity of comparisons to the likes of Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. He wasn’t worried about setting up LeBron to fail against unrealistic expectations, because he saw every day how hard his best player worked, his off-the-charts basketball IQ and just how talented he was.

The rest of the world got its chance to see him as his junior and senior seasons played out. There was the legendary 2001 ABCD Camp showing shortly after his first SLAM feature—LeBron, a rising junior, outdueling top-ranked senior-to-be Lenny Cooke in a game that took on outsized significance in the trajectories of both players. Even then, LeBron was being touted (among people who didn’t read this magazine, anyway) as an “unknown” who was “discovered” at the camp. Hardly, but it was another step in the creation of a legend.

Two more steps came in showcase games against national prep power Oak Hill Academy. The first, played in Trenton, NJ, in February 2002, marked the first and only high school meeting between LeBron and Carmelo Anthony. Both players balled out, with Melo leading his stacked Oak Hill squad to the win. A year later in Cleveland, the rematch was televised by ESPN, with Bill Walton and Dick Vitale on the call. With Melo gone to Syracuse, Bron and the Irish rolled to a 20-point win.

Even the games that weren’t on ESPN were events: St. V played a national schedule during LeBron’s senior season, hooping in Philly, Los Angeles and a handful of spots in between. The team’s home games, meanwhile, were moved to the nearby University of Akron to accommodate fan interest, and a local cable company secured a deal to offer them on pay-per-view. The off-court “controversies” that came with such attention—investigations and a suspension for accepting a couple of throwback jerseys from a local store and getting an advance on a Hummer a few months before he was officially worth nine figures—were ridiculous at the time and, particularly in the NIL era, somehow look even dumber now.

And then his amateur days were over, the $90 mil check from Nike preceding the first of his many comma-heavy NBA contracts. My book came out that fall, and another…over two dozen SLAM covers have followed in the two decades since. We didn’t know how all this would turn out, of course, but being first, we could only stick around to see how it ended. Twenty years later, we’re as amazed as anyone that his story isn’t over—that somehow, there is still more to write. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the ’03 NBA Draft and the Arrival of LeBron James 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.

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

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

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

The Lakers will host the Mavericks on Thursday.

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

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

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

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 9, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 23, 2022

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

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

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

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.

Let’s get it!

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

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

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 18, 2022

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

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

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

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

Triple double # 8️⃣1️⃣

40-27-10

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

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

WNBA Won’t Expand in 2024:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2022

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

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

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

Deuce’s dad was dominant on national TV after dropping 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 15-29 shooting, including 5-10 from downtown. Tatum scored 18 points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Brown posted 25 points, 15 boards, five dimes, and three steals on 10-21 shooting and 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

“Games aren’t won or lost in the fourth quarter or overtime,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said per ESPN. “We have to be elite at managing the end of the third, beginning of the fourth quarter. That is where NBA games are won and lost, and we didn’t do a good job managing that part of the game. So we’ll take the positives of how we worked to get back in the game and then managed a run to end it, but we’ll also focus on that stretch.”

44 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 5 3PM

Jayson Tatum was NEXT LEVEL as he battled LeBron and AD in the @celtics OT win! pic.twitter.com/0MchIYGSds

— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2022

The monumental effort that the Double Jay’s had to exert left Tatum to tell Chris Haynes, “Damn, I’m tired,” on national TV during their postgame interview.

Easy to understand on a night when Boston surrounded a 20 point and allowed LA to go on a 45-12 run that led to a 13-point lead in the fourth-quarter. In response, Tatum made the Lakers defense look like it was in quick sand in the final frame, especially when he forced a switch agaisnt Matt Reaves. JT abused the mismatch and scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, but he ended up scoring the game-tying bucket against LeBron James to force overtime.

“To come back after blowing a lead a little bit, it shows the resilience of this team,” Brown told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “We came back, we made some big plays, we didn’t let the wheel go when they came back and stormed back on us, and we made some big plays down the stretch. JT, Smart with a big 3, all of the above. So it just showed what we’re made of.”

And that’s why you never give up. pic.twitter.com/WT5trTuJTa

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 14, 2022

From there, Tatum and Brown combined to score seven of Boston’s 12 overtime points, with Brown knocking down the decisive triple to give Boston a an eight-point lead with 53.1 seconds left in the contest.

“That game just says a lot about our experience and mental toughness,” said Brown, who also had 15 rebounds. “That’s a tough and perfect way to close out our road trip.”

THIS IS WHAT JB DO pic.twitter.com/yTT6JJPCQO

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 14, 2022

Boston (22-7) looks to build a winnings streak when they take on the Orlando Magic (8-20) and LA (11-16) will look get backon track when they play the Denver Nuggets (16-10).

The post Jayson Tatum: ‘Damn I’m Tried’ After 44-Point Outing Against the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

The 38-year-old has recently prioritized the emergence of his son, Kiyan, who has emerged as an elite high school recruiting prospect. Melo was in attendance for his sons game against Sierra Canyon, led by Bronny and Bryce James, the sons of LeBron James, and spoke with ESPN about whether he’ll continue the pursuit of his first championship.

“I want to be. You know, I love the game, but I realize that there are a lot of things not in my control,” Anthony said. “So I just sit back and let it play out and whatever it’s going to be it’s going to be and I accept that, I’m at peace with that. I get to watch my son play, you know, train him, be around him, come to his games, so these are the things for a long time that I’ve never had a chance to do, so now I can be that father and that man that I need to be.”

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A post shared by (@kingjames)

As the third overall pick of the famed 2003 NBA draft, Anthony had a decorated career. As a ten-time All-Star, Melo averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His gifted scoring earned him the ninth spot on the all-time list with 28,289 points. He’s accomplished it all, but adding a title to his coveted legacy is one of the few things he hasn’t won.

“I’m cool man. I would love to play,” Anthony said. “I’m in the gym every single day. When the opportunity presents itself it presents itself, but it’s not something I’m pressing about.”

Team’s around the League may not be in need of a 38-year-old forward, but Anthony is sure he has a lot left in the tank to compete at the highest level. For the moment, the future Hall Of Famer will remain in focus of how his son reaches the professional game.

The post Carmelo Anthony Unsure of His Future in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

When he thinks about who he sought out for advice on how to reach their level of superstardom and legendary status, KD pointed out the game Kobe put him on to as an up-and-coming centerpiece on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Really, just don’t be a crybaby,” Durant said Wednesday, per ESPN. “I was at that age at 23 where I thought the world revolved around me. And I know we’ve talked a lot about Kobe; he was real humble in how he approached the game, how he approached his teammates, just life in general. So I learned just from watching his movements.

“He was an example; he didn’t say much, but he was an example just by how he moved, and I try to emulate; like I said, him and Mike are two dudes I emulate on and off the court what they do, and I know it will make me better.”

The subject and memories of the Black Mamba came up because Hornets head coach Steve Clifford compared th two former Finals MVPs to each other. He specifically called out how the two legendary hoopers are “very similar in terms of the way work,” how they’re “both students of the game,” and he’s noticed that Durant and Bryant are both passionate and “care deeply about the results more than they like individual numbers.”

When Durant heard about Cliffords’ analysis, he was appreciative.

“It’s hard to fill them shoes and be a Kobe Bryant,” Durant said. “But Kob is somebody I’ve been around and still study to this day. And basically, I just try to copy everything he does, same with Michael Jordan. Those two guys just set the tone for everything you want to be as a basketball player. So I just simply try to copy them as much as I can.”

Another Kobe disciple and a close friend and teammate of Durant also notice the similarities. Irving noticed the sacrifices Durant and Bryant made in the pursuit of greatness. Irving also reflected that for Bryant and Durant and players chasing greatness, there are similarities like “the hours that are put in,” as well as “the way that they prepare” and, of course, “how serious they take what they do.”

“And they’re very competitive, Kobe and KD. Obviously, with Kob transitioning in the last few years, he would definitely be giving us some gems to continue on, and you can tell that K got a lot of advice from him and watched him a lot.”

The post Kevin Durant Shares the Advice Kobe Bryant Gave Him appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s get it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He’s Baaaaack:

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

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

Khris made his return to the court tonight.

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

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 3, 2022

Grand Theft Alvarado Makes Pelicans History:

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

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

JOSE’S WORLD

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

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

Ja x Jaden Jersey Swap Moment:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suns coach Monty Williams also shared his thoughts postgame saying;

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

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

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

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

ICYMI:

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

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

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

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 21, 2022

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

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

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

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

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

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

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

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

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

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

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

Anthony Edwards vs Philly last night:

25 points
5 rebounds
5 assists.

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

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

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

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

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 20, 2022

Quote of the Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

The post ICYMI: Here’s What Happened Across the League Over the Weekend appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 10, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Lakers Working to Get Anthony Davis ‘More Touches’ as ‘Featured’ Option appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) November 3, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He may have encountered some bumps in the road fighting multiple injuries, including a broken foot that prevented him from playing at all last year. However, through five games of his comeback season, Williamson has proven that the talent is still there and that he’s going to be one of the best players in the League for years to come.

CJ Zion pic.twitter.com/1pV3p974k4

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 3, 2022

After the Lakers beat the Pelicans 120-117, LeBron James (20 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) was full of praise for Williamson. The former Duke Blue Devil scored a team-high 27 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out seven dimes to his teammates. The four-time MVP believes that Williamson “is on the verge of being great” and that his performance on Tuesday “showed why he’s gonna be who he’s gonna be.”

“Zion is on the verge of being great — he’s going to be great in this League for a long time. Tonight he showed why he’s gonna be who he’s gonna be.”

"Zion is on the verge of being great, and he's going to be great in this league for a long time…"

LeBron James on Zion Williamson after their battle in the Lakers' OT win! pic.twitter.com/jcXEL8AAmB

— NBA (@NBA) November 3, 2022

James said that Williamson is the type of talent the League has “never seen before,” while comparing his physical talent — “his size, his spend, high athleticism” — to NBA legends like Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“He’s in great shape right now — a great talent, someone we’ve never seen,” James said of Williamson, per Sporting News. “We’ve never seen a talent of his size, his speed, high athleticism — just like Giannis. Just like a (Charles) Barkley or Shaq (O’Neal). There’s certain talents in our League that you’ve never seen before.”

Lakers’ LeBron James on Pelicans’ Zion Williamson: “He’s in great shape right now… We’ve never seen a talent of his size, his speed, his athleticism. Just like a Giannis. Just like a Barkley or Shaq. There’s certain talents in our league that you’ve never seen before.” pic.twitter.com/JmQXeCs1VR

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 3, 2022

He also said guarding Williamson and trying to prevent him from going to the rim with his dominant left hand is comparable to saying the same about other tough-to-guard lefties like Manu Ginobli or Lamar Odom.

“It’s so funny when you hear people say, ‘stop him from going left’ … It’s the same thing I heard for so many years with (Manu) Ginobili — Lamar Odom — When you’re great, it doesn’t matter what you do, they’re going to figure out a way.”

Zion pic.twitter.com/ex7KmFc0K4

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 3, 2022

For the season, Williamson is averaging 22.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 50.5 percent shooting from the field while playing 31.2 minutes per contest.

The post LeBron James: Zion Williamson ‘On the Verge of Being Great appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dialed in pic.twitter.com/GaiApLt1C7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2022

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

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

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

Westbrook has started every game he’s played since he was a rookie. Because of that, Westbrook has developed a routine during his decorated 14-year career. Brodie said he wasn’t sure how to warm up and prepare himself pregame after being told that he was coming off the bench against the Kings.

“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight,” said Westbrook per ESPN, who’s started 1,005 out of 1,022 games in his career. “Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose — That’s something I just wasn’t accustomed to.”

On Thursday, Ham pushed back on any narrative suggestion that his decision-making led to Westbrook suffering his leg injury. He told reporters that the Lakers and his staff would “in no way, shape or form put a player — in harm’s way.”

“Let me be clear with this,” Ham said before his team fell to the LA Clippers 103-97 on Thursday night. “The Lakers, myself, my staff, we would in no way, shape, or form put a player or an employee in harm’s way. Physically, mentally, spiritually. We don’t stand for that. We’re not about that. That’s not who we are.”

Ham went on to say that the two had a “brief discussion” about Westbrook’s comments and have “moved on” and that they have a “better understanding now.” As a former player, Ham said he understands “respect” and “routine” are essential to the nine-time All-Star. However, he did acknowledge that he has Lakers-specific goals that he needs Westbrook to meet.

“He’s been around a long time. He’s been a high-level player for a very long time. So, I know what that’s about and how that is,” Ham said. “But on the other hand, you have to be prepared to do whatever your team needs you to do. And that’s called being a professional. So, however, we choose to use him, there has to be a willingness there to sacrifice for your teammates and overall good of the team if that course of action is going to lead to success.”

Westbrook started the Lakers’ 103-97 loss to the Clippers, the seventh straight Hallway Series game they’ve lost. The triple-double king shot 0-11 from the field and 0-16 from distance in 31 minutes of action but found other ways to help the Lakers by contributing two points, three rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Ham reiterated that he had a “good plan in place” for Westbrook’s role moving forward but added that Brodie’s “minutes can go up, minutes can go down” depending on the 2017 MVP’s performance.

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The two LA franchises have experienced a big bro-lil bro since the inception of the two rivals. The Lakers played the big brother role, winning nine titles since the Hallway Series began in 1983-84. However, the little brother Clippers have caught up in the last decade, becoming a perennial playoff contender while the Lakers floundered due to front-office shakiness and numerous coaching changes.

Since the 2013-14 season, the Clippers have dominated the series, 32-7, against their down-the-hall big bro. Beverley went 10-5 against the Lakers during his four-year tenure with the Lakers. When he was asked about what he remembered and cherished the most about the Hallway Series, Beverley said that he cherished “winning most of them.

When asked how those lessons can apply now that he’s a Laker, Beverley noted that the Lakers “have to stick with the gameplan.”

“The key is sticking to your gameplan, whatever that gameplan is,” Beverley said matter of factly. “Being on the other side is definitely gonna be fun tonight, for sure.”

Patrick Beverley reflects on being part of the LA battles with the Clippers: “Winning most of them.” pic.twitter.com/Ck26pgpsuB

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) October 20, 2022

The Hallway Series resumes Thursday when the two Western Conference foes meet at Crypto.com Arena at 10 P.M. PT.

The post Patrick Beverley Reflects on the Hallway Series as a Clipper appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo via Getty Images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 17, 2022

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Dennis Schröder Out 3-4 Weeks After Undergoing Thumb Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There’s a hope that Westbrook can play freer and faster with ball in his hands on second unit — and have to worry less about fitting away from ball around the starting group. It is certainly an idea they’ll continue to discuss with start of regular season next week.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 14, 2022

The Westbrook sixth-man experiment will help Ham see if the former MVP can anchor a bench unit beginning on Friday. According to the Woj, the Lakers hope that moving Westbrook to the bench can help him play freer and faster as the anchor of the second unit.

Westbrook (five points, four assists, three rebounds, and one block) started the Lakers’ preseason game against Minnesota. The 33-year-old point guard was a scapegoat for last season’s 11th-place finish despite averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. The main culprit for the Westbrook slander was the triple-double kings’ inefficient three-point shooting and lack of explosiveness at times.

When the Lakers hired Ham over the summer, the rookie head coach said he believed Westbrook has a “ton left in that tank” and that he has a “wholehearted plan” to get the best out of Westbrook this season. Westbrook’s preseason finale performance will likely help determine Brodie’s role once the regular-season begins.

The Lakers play the Warriors next Tuesday on the season’s opening night.

The post REPORT: Russell Westbrook Set to Come off the Bench Against Kings appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What the 37-year-old was referring to was what he has been foreshadowing since June on an episode of The Shop: James wants to own an NBA team in Sin City. 

Silver has previously touched on the League expanding in the near future.  “At some point, this League invariably will expand, but it’s not at this moment that we are discussing it,” said the commissioner in June. “Las Vegas, where we will be at our Summer League in July, has shown itself to be a great sports market as well.”

Following the game on Wednesday, James declared Vegas as having the best fanbase in the world. 

“It’s the best fanbase in the world,” said the Lakers star. “I would love to bring a team here at some point. That would be amazing.”

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

The post LeBron James ‘Wants the Teams in Vegas’ When the NBA Expands appeared first on SLAM.

On an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Howard admits that he wants to continue playing, but did consider retirement at some point.

“I wanna play, but at the same time there’s no teams that really wanna allow me to play. That’s how I’ve been feeling from the last situation with the Lakers. I felt like I did enough to help them win a championship to really deserve a spot on the team and a chance to start and get big minutes, and it didn’t happen.

So after that I was like, ‘Man, I don’t wanna have to bust my ass for another whole summer, train three-a-days, go on a crazy diet, do all this s–t and then get back to a team and sit on the bench or not get to really help somebody win.’ … And it’s been like, ‘Damn, do I wanna just call it quits and do some other stuff or go back at it and show people I still got it.'”

Howard’s resume speaks for itself, from being an eight-time NBA All-Star to a three-time Defensive Player of the Year throughout his career. However, he has not averaged over 20 minutes a contest since his 2018-19 campaign in Washington, where he appeared in nine games.

After winning a title with the Lakers in 2020 as a backup center, Howard is currently an unsigned, unrestricted free agent. In the twilight of his career, the eight-time All-NBA player is looking for one last, real chance. 

The post Dwight Howard Explains Why He’s Considered Retiring appeared first on SLAM.

Now, nearly 20 years later, one of the greatest the game has ever seen is just as impressed by the future of the game in Wembanyama. While many have used the term “unicorn” to describe versatile and exceptional talents, James suggests Wembanyama is something entirely else.

“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien. I’ve never seen, no one has ever seen, anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor,” James recently said when asked if he was able to Wembanyama play. 

Victor Wembanyama’s team, Metropolitan 92, traveled to play the G-League Ignite in an exhibition game in Las Vegas this week. On Tuesday, Wembanyama dueled it out against another highly-touted prospect, Scoot Henderson and put on an electric performance, dropping 37 points and blocking five shots.

It was Wembanyama’s first game on American soil and, for many, their first time witnessing Wembanyama’s diverse skill set and physical tools. 

“His ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot stepback jumpers out of the post, stepback threes, catch and shoot threes, block shots… He’s for sure a generational talent,” James added. “Hopefully he continues to go on and stay healthy. That’s what is most important for him personally.” 

Wembanyama already has his sights set on putting the world on notice, telling SLAM in his exclusive cover story that he wants to “become the kind of player you have never seen.”

Having already caught the attention of the King, it’s clear that the 7-4 French cheat code is already on his way. 

For James, it was business as usual against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday—he finished with 23 points, three boards and four dimes in 17 minutes of preseason action. After the game, James also took a moment during the presser to appreciate Wembanyama’s joy for the game, and to contrast his experience as a high school phenom with Wembanyama’s growing stardom. 

“You can tell he loves the game,” James said. “He was smiling a lot while playing the game last night. It was the two best players in the draft, they both did their thing. He’s a big time player. And Scoot is a big time player as well.” 

“For me, what I went through… I thank God I didn’t have social media. That’s all I can say. I can’t imagine how it would have been different or what would have transpired with me with social media but I’m happy I didn’t have social media and I’m happy I am from a small town like Akron, Ohio. It kept me in the bunker and it kept me locked in on the task at hand. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen year, eighteen year old kid. It made me lock in.”   

The standout from Le Chesnay, France will soon find himself joining the Association at the 2023 NBA Draft. To learn more about Wembanyama and his journey, get your copy of SLAM 240 here.

The post LeBron James Praises French Standout Victor Wembanyama, Calls Him a ‘Generational Talent’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) September 30, 2022

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

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

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

Photo via Getty Images.

The post LeBron James Plans on Playing in ‘More’ Preseason Games Than He Did Last Year appeared first on SLAM.

That persistence paid off as the third-year big man played well at Summer League, where his tantalizing skillset shined. Wiseman said he felt good after Summer League play and Coach Steve Kerr recently raved about Wiseman gaining a lot of confidence in his knee.

In the Golden State Warrior’s first preseason game in Tokyo, Japan, versus the Washington Wizards, Wiseman sure looked like his old self finishing the game with 20 points on 72.7 percent shooting from the field while grabbing nine rebounds and one block as well.

“This is my first game out of two years,” Wiseman said. “But I just went out there and just played my game. I wasn’t trying to do as much; I wasn’t trying to do something that was outside of my boundaries, just keep the game simple and just be myself out there.”

Wiseman’s preseason debut lasted a little over twenty-three minutes a. The brief stint filled Warriors fans’ minds with optimism as the Dubs look to win back-to-back championships. Given the Golden State Warrior’s strong foundation, a budding young core of talent, and a roster full of elite vets, there talented is no reason why the Warriors should not be top favorites to win it all again this season.

With the 2023 NBA season set to tip off in just a few more days, the Warriors start their long journey to become the back-to-back champs Tuesday, Oct. 18, versus the Los Angles Lakers.

The post James Wiseman: ‘Just Played My Game’ During First Warriors Preseason Game appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dennis Schroder was on a mission in #EuroBasket

22.1 PTS
7.1 AST
2.3 REB
1.1 STL

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

— FIBA (@FIBA) September 19, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To achieve their vision – the Larry O’Brien trophy in Salt Lake – a rebuild was necessary. After moving Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, and Jordan Clarkson remain on Utah’s roster.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz and Lakers are currently in ongoing trade talks for the sharp-shooting Bogdanovic.

“Those conversations continue to evolve, we’ve continued to be in touch with them directly and their representation,” Zanik said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of change this summer, so it’s natural for us to have those conversations.”

The 6’7″ forward averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. In addition to the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks have expressed interest in Bogdanovic. If Bogdanovic is moved to the Lakers, it will be the second trade of the season between LA and Salt Lake. Earlier this summer, Utah gave up Patrick Beverley for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. 

As the Jazz continue to prioritize and acquire young talent, it is no surprise that they have made Bogdanovic and their remaining vets available.

“We wanted to give the organization every opportunity to build the greatest base of flexibility, young players, and assets going forward to make really good decisions so that we could reach the ceiling that we want to get to,” Zanik said.

The new-look Jazz begins their 2022-23 season on Oct. 19 against the Denver Nuggets.

The post REPORT: Lakers and Jazz in Trade Talks to Acquire Bojan Bogdanovic appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Would love that.”

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

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

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

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

Training camp is set to begin on Sept 24.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 6, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 6, 2022

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

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

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

The pivot from being a professional hopper to a college student came after his former teammate, Ray Allen, a fellow avid golfer who Smith called a “great motivational speaker,” inspired Smith to challenge himself to get an education while the two were on a trip in the Dominican Republic.

“I was working like I was literally trying to make the league all over again,” Smith said per Complex. “It was fun as hell. When I got my first A in class, it was like me dunking on somebody or hitting a game-winner.”

Smith’s pivot gained more significance after his oldest daughter told him she was proud of him for going back to school, a moment that made Smith emotional.

The proud moment fulfilled a part of Smith’s purpose in pursuing a college degree. The former Sixth Man of the Year wanted to set an example for his daughters to “know they’re worth” that they can get a higher education no matter where they are in life.

“She looked at me and told me, ‘Daddy, I’m really happy you went back to school,’ I had to get up and walk away,” Smith said. “My oldest has seen it all. She’s seen the good and the bad. She’s been in the thick of it. So when she told me that, it really had me choked up.”

“It was for me but more importantly, what I’ve done was for them to understand you can… For one, you can always get your education no matter how old you are. It was also to understand your self-worth, especially for young Black women in this country.”

As J.R. Smith continues to evolve away from the game where he’s had great moments (two titles, 2013 Sixth Man of the Year) and massive blunders (Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals), Smith can move on knowing that he’s defying what people mischaracterize him as. No matter what anyone may think about the “100 percent fact” that the NBA has moved on from him, Smith has found his purpose.

The post J.R. Smith Talks Infamous Game 1 Moment and Relationship With Ray Allen appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At 37-years-old and entering his 19th NBA season, James doesn’t have much else to accomplish other than the all-time leading scorer and chasing the shadow of Michael Jordan’s six championships. If there is one goal, one pipedream the King wants to reach, it would be playing in the NBA with his oldest, Bronny James.

Bronny is a 17-year-old rising senior at Sierra Canyon High School and is a consensus top 50 high school prospect as he enters his final year of high school play.

WHOA!!!! Just kids from Akron!!!! The Chosen One x The Chosen Sons #JamesGang #TheLegecyContinues Jeffery A. Salter @SInow
https://t.co/m7YE9nHthw pic.twitter.com/ShWIvGWO86

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 30, 2022

Bronny would be next in an emerging line of second-gen hoopers that began with Rick Barry’s three sons, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Domantis Sabonis, as well as the four NBA sons on the Warriors roster in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II.

It remains to be seen if Bronny or his younger brother, Bryce, will have the chops to play in the best pro basketball league in the world. Bronny has gradually become a better player as his HS years have gone by, and he’s garnered scholarship offers from Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC. Bryce recently received an offer from Duquesne University.

“I like to throw things out in the airwaves,” James said per Sports Illustrated. “But I’m not one to [say] what’s going to happen in the next two to three years. I am a visionary, but I’m also a guy that lives in the moment.”

Funny enough, the idea of LeBron and Bronny sharing the court didn’t rise until that fateful day in February when he told The Athletic he’d like to play his last year in the NBA with his oldest son and that “it’s not about the money at that point.” According to LeBron’s wife Savannah, “no, we hadn’t talked about” the subject, while the idea seemed “pretty cool” to their oldest son.

Savannah herself knows that idea is something that is “near and dear” to her superstar husbands heart.

“We don’t even really talk about the future too much. I put it in the air because I like to talk to the basketball gods out there and see if things can come to fruition. I’ve always set out goals in my career, talked to the basketball gods, and they’ve listened to all of them. Hopefully they can listen to this last one, too.” LeBron James said.

With all that being said, the reality of the men in the James Gang playing in the NBA together is a few years away. Bronny isn’t draft-eligible until 2024, and Bryce won’t be of age until 2027. A key detail that the four-time Finals MVP is keenly aware of. Aware enough to coily throw out the possibility of playing until he’s 43, joining Tom Brady as an elite athlete playing at a high level into their 40’s.

“I feel like I could play for quite a while. So it’s all up to my body, but more importantly, my mind. If my mind can stay sharp and fresh and motivated, then the sky’s not even a limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we shall see.” LeBron said.

For now, Bronny and Bryce will have the eyes of millions on them while on the high school scene. From the actual hardwood to social media where videographers and photographers searching for a viral shot or mix will be capturing them from the sideline. It’s a reality that their Hall-of-Fame father dealt with as a high schooler. For better or worse, so will they.

The post LeBron James Open to Playing Until 2027: ‘It’s All Up to My Body, More Importantly, My Mind’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 23, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PhotoLakers’etty Images.

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

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

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

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 17, 2022

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

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Per Charania, the upcoming season will begin on October 18, with the four inter-conference foes facing off against one another. The Celtics and 76ers will kick off the action on TNT, while the Warriors will host the Lakers on the same night they conduct their ring ceremony.

The Warriors and Lakers are facing off for the second year in a row after opening up the season against each other last season. The Warriors won three Out of the four times the Western Conference titans faced off last year. The Sixers and Celtics split their season series. The Heat eliminated the 76ers team finishing the season with an identical 51-31 record. The C’s advanced to the Finals but fell to the Warriors in six games.

The Warriors and Celtics will have their Finals rematch on December 10.

Golden State-Boston NBA Finals rematch dates for the 2022-23 season, per sources:

Dec. 10 in Golden State
Jan. 19 in Boston

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

The Christmas Day matchups will be highlighted by a second-round playoff rematch between the Grizzles and Warriors and a playoff rematch between the Bucks and Celtics. The Grizzlies and Warriors have been jaw-jacking since the Warriors won the Finals, and Draymond Green and Ja Morant made it clear on Twitter that they wanted this matchup on Christmas.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 22-23 season should be fun with the healthy return of stars like Kawhi Leonard, the heightened expectations for the Lakers, and the title defense of the Warriors. Not to mention how the Bucks and Celtics will respond after tough losses in the playoffs.

The post REPORT: Opening Night Schedule for 2022-23 Season Leaked appeared first on SLAM.

The first bit of criticism O’Neal received was from his Hall-of-Famer dad, Shaq, who wasn’t a fan of Shareef leaving college early “at all.” and admitted that although he hadn’t spoken about his plans to play professionally with his dad since they’re both adults Shareef believes “we’ll get through it.”

“He didn’t like that idea at all,” O’Neal said. “It sucks that he didn’t like that idea, but I’m a grown man, I’m 22 years old, I can make my own decisions. It was right in front of my face. I’m not backing up from it. I’m going to go get it if I see it. That’s just how I’m built. I take everything the same way. I took my heart surgery the same way. Being cleared was right in front of me, being healthy was right in front of me, and I went for it. I’m not backing down from nobody. I know he’s an NBA legend; I know he’s my dad, but it was right in front of me; I had to go get it. So, if he likes it or not, it’s not really going to stop me from doing what I want to do.”

Fun Fact: Shaq wanted Shareef to stay in school and not workout with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/sCRbBmXM5u

— The Pettiest Laker Fan (@ThePettiestLA) June 21, 2022

The second bit of tough love O’Neal has had to deal with was from his father’s old teammate, Robert Horry. Big Shot Rob won three rings during his Lakers tenure as one of the most clutch shooters in franchise history. On a recent episode of his podcast, Horry said he wasn’t sure if O’Neal had what it takes to play in the League.

“I don’t know if he has that dog in him to go out there and take what he wants,” Horry said on The Big Shot Rob Podcast.

I know this outta love and no disrespect!!! I got you BIG SHOT but you know who raised me , I don’t quit. Always been taught to go get it and take it . Been heading in the right step …like I said I got you! Youll see https://t.co/QmbciWH46c

— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) August 3, 2022

Shareef O’Neal responded by saying Horry knew “who raised me” and that he was “taught to go get it and take it.” by the self-proclaimed most dominant player of all time. The younger O’Neal finished off his response to Horry by saying telling the seven-time champion, “I got you! You’ll see.”

O’Neal recently signed a deal to play with the G League Ignite, a developmental team that’s been the breeding ground for recent lottery picks like Jalen Green, Jonathon Kuminga, and Dyson Daniels. O’Neal averaged 4.0 points per game while he played for the Lakers’ Summer League team.

The post Shareef O’Neal Responds to Criticism From Robert Horry: ‘You Know Who Raised Me” appeared first on SLAM.

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

Haynes reported that Westbrook has never requested a trade out of Los Angeles. The nine-time All-Star and 2017 League MVP is set to earn $47 million next season before he hits the open market as an unrestricted agent in 2023.

Westbrook has been linked to multiple teams, most notably the Brooklyn Nets, in a possible trade surrounding Kyrie Irving, but The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shot down any substantial traction on an Irving to L.A. deal earlier this month. That news came three days after Haynes reported the Lakers and Nets were “actively engaged” in Westbrook-Irving trade talks at the time.

Newly hired Lakers Coach Darvin Ham, who was hired in early June, spoke with Marc J. Spears of Andscape earlier this month and said he has a “wholehearted plan” on how to use Westbrook next season. He said he thinks Westbrook will “flourish” with the Lakers.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 29.8 percent shooting from three-point range last season. The Lakers will look to bounce back this season after last year saw L.A. end with an underwhelming 33-49 record and fail to make the playoffs.

The post REPORT: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook Held Phone Call to Confirm Commitment to Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

One major factor in helping the Lakers undergo a massive turnaround next season will be what Ham intends to do with Russell Westbrook at point guard. The triple-double king is coming off an up and down season where he absorbed a lot of blame for the Lakers’ regular-season struggles and their tumble down the Western Conference standings.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and a 29.8 percent shooting from three-point range.

Heading into this next season, Ham said he plans to deploy Westbrook as the starting point guard of the Lakers. Ham also told Marc J. Spears of Andscape a little bit about his plans to use Westbrook, remaining mum on specific details but said that criticism of Westrbook and counting him out at 33-years-old would be “premature”.

“Counted out prematurely. Counted out. Prematurely.” Ham said about the disapproval the 2017 MVP received last year. “I’ve had some great interactions with Russ, in person, over dinner, over the phone, over text messages. I love Russell Westbrook, man. Just his mentality, his approach. Just to see him, a guy of that magnitude and everything he’s done in the league to get hated on.”

But being me, I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I’m going to use him. I showed it to him, sat down, brought stuff up for him. I think he’s going to flourish. We ain’t going to try to curtail his energy. We’re just going to diversify it, redirect it.

“I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I’m going to use him. I showed it to him, sat down, brought stuff up for him. I think he’s going to flourish,” new #Lakers coach Darvin Ham on Russell Westbrook. Ham also answers whether Russ will start. https://t.co/51ZOP7UtZ7 #nba

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 7, 2022

Ham also spoke about his thoughts about LeBron James and Anthony Davis, calling James “one of one” and a “rare commodity.” When AD came up, Ham called the 29-year-old forward the “biggest factor” and said he’s looking forward to The Brow “having a huge year this year.”

When it comes to championship expectations for next year, Ham says that he plans on building “winning habits” daily and will be “preaching daily preparation” to the Lakers daily. He also said that he will also be making sure to achieve a balance during the tough days of the regualr season. If they go on a three-game losing streak, Ham will take the team out and them “check out the African American museum” instead of conducting a “kick-ass practice”.

The details of the plans could all sound pretty good to the Lakers roster and their fans. Ham will have a different cache with the Lakers roster as a former player. As a first-time head coach of an older roster headline by James, Davis, and Westbrook, putting the ideas into reality will be a different story.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, Vice president Rob Pelinka, and James will have to put their faith in Ham to be the solution they need to regain relevancy.

The post Darvin Ham on Russell Westbrook’s Role Next Season: ‘I Got a Wholehearted Plan’ appeared first on SLAM.

Charania appeared on the “Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday to discuss NBA news and the Nets’ offseason storylines in light of Kevin Durant’s blockbuster trade request. His report comes three days after Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Lakers and Nets are “actively engaged” in an Irving-Russell Westbrook trade package.

“There’s no traction on any type of a Lakers deal for Kyrie Irving,” Charania said. “There’s nothing new on that, and I’m not quite sure we’re gonna see that take place.”

It seemed as if Irving was committed to the Nets for the 2022-23 season after opting into his one-year player option last week, but the tables turned following Durant’s trade request.

Charania went on to say that Durant’s stance on a trade request has not changed, and there has been “no signal” that Durant will rescind his request. Charania noted, “if anything, that stance is expected to continue throughout this offseason.” 

The NBA insider claimed the Nets are operating as if Durant and Irving will remain with the team next season. The Nets signed T.J. Warren and Edmond Sumner on Tuesday and re-signed Patty Mills and Nic Claxton during Thursday’s first day of free agency.

Brooklyn is “open” to dialogue with other teams but will not trade Durant until the price threshold of “All-Star-type players [and] a boat load of draft picks” is met, according to Charania.

Charania’s statements match the reporting of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who appeared on SportsCenter Sunday to claim no traction between the Nets and Lakers on a deal surrounding Irving.

Wojnarowski insinuated that the Nets might remain patient in the cases of both Irving and Durant with the hope of receiving a better deal. While the Lakers and Nets seem to be on opposite sides, for the time being, a trade centered around Irving is certainly a possibility.

The post REPORT: ‘No Traction’ On Possible Kyrie Irving Lakers Trade appeared first on SLAM.

Westbrook, who has spent the past three years on three different teams, will spend one more season in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Last season the Lakers went through an injury-riddled 33-49 season that was punctuated by a mediocre defense and failure to meet title expectations despite adding future Hall-of-Famers like Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points (his lowest total since 2009-10), 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists on 44.4 percent shooting from the field.

The Lakers didn’t have much wiggle room going into the offseason despite multiple trade rumors coming surrounding the franchise, but continuity and internal growth will benefit the team for next season.

Of course, the Lakers are the oldest team in the NBA at an average 30-years-old. Westbrook will be 34 by the time the season starts and will be playing his 15th in the League. After a rough first year in the City of Angels, he will look to rebound next year.

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

Philadelphia, like any place, is synonymous with things both good and bad. From the cheesesteak and Liberty Bell to the passionate sports fans and tough environment, the “City of Brotherly Love” is home to over five million people, each with a different story to tell.

Nonetheless, as the saying goes, there is no place like home, and for the residents of Nicetown and Hunting Park section, this rings especially true when someone becomes a beacon of hope in your region and places around the world.

Rasheed Wallace was the No. 1 player in the class of ’93 as a center for basketball powerhouse Simon Gratz. His name alone struck fear in the opposition, as he helped lead the Bulldogs to three Philadelphia Public League titles and two National Championships. Decades later, what he accomplished in high school remains close to his heart, and he even has a bulldog tattooed on his left arm.

No matter where the game takes him though, North Philly will continue to be at the forefront as a place that fostered his growth and development. His former high school’s gym was even named Rasheed Wallace Gymnasium, with the court paying homage to his legendary coach Bill Ellerbee.

Now, the City of Philadelphia is continuing to honor his legacy by renaming the intersection of 18th and Hunting Park Avenue as Rasheed Wallace Road, which is located on the same block as his alma mater.

“It’s a special day in Philadelphia,” says Lynard Stewart, who serves as the head coach of the boy’s basketball team at Simon Gratz. Stewart played alongside Wallace back in the day—they were a sophomore when Wallace was a senior. Their squad finished with a perfect 31-0 record that season and won a national championship.

“When I came to Gratz, [Wallace] was the number [one] player in the country and he made me so much better as an athlete, person, how to carry myself. More importantly, how I could achieve within my own life.”

From his former teammates to people around the community, Wallace’s impact is felt all over Philly.

“I think it’s really nice that he has been recognized this way,” says Jazmin Miller, a local resident and business owner. “He has actually made a change to a place that is usually discussed negatively, and this [sign] will stand to inspire everyone, especially the youth.”

The Lakers newest assistant coach has always worked to improve the surroundings and conditions of others, and his philanthropic efforts have serviced communities throughout the country. He gives from his heart, too, so much so that on the day his name was honored as street in the city, he partnered with his family, former high school teammates and coach to facilitate a free youth basketball clinic. The event also provided breakfast for every attendee and their families, along with fresh fruit and apple sauce for the community, which was available directly outside the gym.

“Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of money or material things,” Wallace says. “It’s not about the material stuff, as long as you have your loved one right there…I’m rich.”

“It’s not just for me,” he added. “It’s my name out there, but it’s everybody—that’s how I look at it because I didn’t do it by myself, it takes a village…I didn’t [put] that sign up there by myself, it was Mr. Ellerbee, my mom, couple other people, mentors, it was them.”

Photos courtesy of Nasir Wallace, Anthony Gilbert, AXG.

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Shareef spoke to the media Monday after his pre-draft workout with the Lakers, and the topic of his father came to the forefront.

“I felt like in college; I wasn’t getting enough opportunity. I wasn’t feeling like myself in college,” Shareef said. “I got that invite to the G League Elite camp, and that opened a lot of doors for me. I feel like it really brought me back and kind of showed a little bit (of) what I can do. And once I started getting calls from teams to work out, I was like, ‘Man, this is what I want to do.’ I mean, I’m here; it’s right in front of me, so just go for it. So I continued to work.”

But his father, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft, preferred the 22-year-old to spend another year in college.

“He didn’t like that idea at all,” O’Neal said. “It sucks that he didn’t like that idea, but I’m a grown man, I’m 22 years old, I can make my own decisions. It was right in front of my face. I’m not backing up from it. I’m going to go get it if I see it. That’s just how I’m built. I take everything the same way. I took my heart surgery the same way. Being cleared was right in front of me, being healthy was right in front of me, and I went for it. I’m not backing down from nobody. I know he’s an NBA legend; I know he’s my dad, but it was right in front of me; I had to go get it. So, if he likes it or not, it’s not really going to stop me from doing what I want to do.”

Shaq didn’t graduate from LSU before being drafted to the NBA but eventually returned to LSU to complete his degree. He then received his master’s at the University of Phoenix online and a doctorate at Barry University in Florida.

“He knows I’m working out with teams. But I’m not going to lie; we ain’t talked about this. I’m kind of just going through it. He didn’t do any pre-draft workouts; he just got straight on the [Orlando Magic], so it’s a different grind.

“So, he didn’t want me to do this, and I know he probably doesn’t want me saying this, but sorry. We’re both grown; we’ll get past it.”

The younger O’Neal played 37 collegiate games in one season with UCLA and his father’s father’s alma mater, LSU. He has career averages of 2.6 points and three rebounds per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field. 

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But Draymond Green apparently doesn’t see the 2022 Finals against Boston as fierce as previous challenges, such as defeating LeBron James in the NBA Finals. Green opened about the mental hurdles it takes to defeat James per the Athletic:

“It doesn’t compare to mentally playing against LeBron James, who I think is arguably the smartest guy to ever play this game,” Green said. “Not one of; he is arguably the smartest guy to set foot on a basketball court. To say that it compares to that, it’s disrespectful to LeBron, and it’s a lie to you.”

Green, a three-time champion with the Warriors, had to defeat the four-time Finals MVP in three of his five NBA Finals appearances to secure his rings. Green’s first Finals loss came from the infamous 2016 Finals, where Golden State blew a 3-1 lead, and the second loss came against Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.

The Warriors and the James-led Lakers have also met in the 2021 play-in tournament for the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs. James ultimately led the Lakers to a win after hitting a clutch fadeaway three to secure the Lakers’ date with the Suns in the first-round of the playoffs.

Green did acknowledge that Boston is challenging in their own way, per Yahoo Sports:

“Now, in saying that, they do have a guy over there in Marcus Smart who is extremely smart, who it’s like a chess match going up against him. He is kind of the brain of that team. I think every team you kind of have that guy,” That’s the brain of that team, and they have that in Marcus Smart, a guy who I have a tremendous amount of respect for and his basketball IQ. So it’s a challenge for sure. Ime [Udoka, Celtics coach] is extremely smart. We know his pedigree.”

Green and the Warriors will look to wrap things up in Thursday’s Game Six in Beantown. If Boston wins Game 6, the series will shift to San Francisco for a win-or-go-home Game 7 in Chase Center.

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Among the players present at Ham’s intro to LA as a head coach was Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook struggled more than many expected this season, averaging 18.5 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the field and 29.8 from the 3-point range. Westbrook drew the ire and blame for the Lakers missing the playoffs, and he was even pulled from the Lakers’ closing-time lineup by former coach Frank Vogel. Some fans and media even called for Westbrook to be traded.

When asked about the Brodie, Ham said he expects to see Westbrook on the roster and expects the former MVP to play like the tenacious, high-energy player that he’s been, though he might have to do it more off of the ball.

“Don’t get it messed up. Russell is one of the best players our league has ever seen,” Ham said. “He still has a ton left in that tank. I don’t know why people tend to write him off. I’m going to approach him like every player I’ve ever encountered. We’re going to talk about our running habits with the ball without the ball.

“Again, share the load defensively and offensively. Defensively is where you’re going to see us make our biggest leaps and bounds. We have to commit to the defensive side of the ball, or we don’t have a chance to do anything. The offense won’t even matter if we don’t get stops.”

“Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen. There’s still a ton left in that tank.”

Lakers new Head Coach Darvin Ham on Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/gYCmWMaeZF

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2022

General manager Rob Pelinka endorsed Ham during the press conference, saying how impressed he was with how Ham spoke about “sacrifice” and “toughness.” Ham’s main priority will be to turn their defense around, but as far as the Lakers’ offensive style, Ham said he wanted to use the “four out, one in” alignment that’s helped the Bucks and Hawks thrive under Ham’s former boss, Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer.

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Wallace spent the previous year as an assistant coach under Penny Hardaway at the University of Memphis. Before that, he was the head coach at Charles E. Jordan High School in North Carolina from 2019-21. He also had a stop as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons from 2013-14.

Wallace played 16 seasons in the NBA, where he was a four-time All-Star and a member of the Detroit Pistons championship squad that defeated the Shaq and Kobe Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals.

Hardaway told The Commercial Appeal that he knew Wallace would leave if Ham had gotten a head coaching position in the NBA.

“I think Rasheed might be going to LA with Darvin Ham. That was the deal from the beginning. If Darvin had gotten a job last year, Rasheed had already promised him that he was going to go with him. So, I’m thinking this year, with him getting the Lakers job, [Wallace] might still be going along with that process,” said Hardaway.

Wallace is the first known name to join Ham’s staff in LA. Ham and Wallace were teammates on the 2004 Detroit Pistons championship team.

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3. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Bill Sharman

Record: 69-13

Roster: Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Cleamons, Leroy Ellis,  Keith Erickson, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, Jim McMillian, Pat Riley, Flynn Robinson, John Trapp, Jerry West

It had been an ugly decade for the Lakers, after they left Minneapolis and settled in L.A. From 1949-54, the franchise won five titles. It played for another championship in 1959. But the ‘60s? Six trips to the Finals. Six losses—all to the Celtics. Legendary guard Jerry West was beginning to wonder whether he would ever get to feel like a winner.

The situation was particularly painful in 1969, when L.A. hosted the Celtics in the seventh game of the Finals at the Fabulous Forum. Owner Jack Kent Cooke was so convinced his team would finally win that he had dozens of purple-and-gold balloons trapped behind netting in the arena’s rafters, ready to flutter to the floor when the Lakers clinched the championship. But instead of a celebration, there was another disappointment, as the Boston dynasty came to a close with its 11th crown in 13 seasons.

Things weren’t any better the next season. Los Angeles dropped another deciding game in the Finals, this time to the Knicks, who fed off Willis Reed’s heroics and Clyde Frazier’s excellence. When the Lakers dropped a Western Finals decision to Milwaukee in 1971, it was time for a change. Cooke directed GM Fred Schaus to sign Bill Sharman as coach. Thus began L.A.’s transformation from sad-sack also-ran to NBA champion.

Sharman re-cast the Laker approach, convincing center Wilt Chamberlain to focus more on rebounding and defense and less on scoring. The Lakers had guards Gail Goodrich and West, both of whom scored more than 25 a game, for that. Power forward Happy Hairston hit the boards with a ferocity, and wing man Jim McMillian hit a ton of corner jumpers and got out on the break with a fury. In fact, the whole team ran with abandon. The Lakers averaged 121.0 ppg.

Sharman also instituted the shootaround concept in 1971, primarily to make sure Chamberlain got out of bed early enough in the day so that he was ready to play that night. It worked. Not only did The Dipper play in all 82 games, he helped the Lakers to an NBA-record 69 victories. Included was a 33-game winning streak—the longest in history for any major US sport—during which the Lakers beat their opponents by an average of 16.7 ppg.

L.A. breezed to the Pacific Division title and swept away Chicago in the opening round of the playoffs. Waiting in the Western Finals were the defending champion Bucks, who had won 63 games and boasted the terrific tandem of center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and guard Oscar Robertson. After Milwaukee whipped the Lakers, 93-72, in the first game—in Los Angeles—some doubt crept into the collective Laker psyche.

The Lakers won a wild Game 2, 135-134, to even the series and went on to overcome the Bucks in six. One of their nemeses had been vanquished. Another—New York—was waiting. The Knicks had routed Boston in the Eastern Finals in five games and were hoping to relive their 1970 title success at the expense of L.A. When the Knicks won the first game, in Los Angeles, by 22, many were shocked. The Lakers were motivated.

That would be it for the Knicks’ success. The Lakers evened the series with a triumph in the second game, and Chamberlain had 26 points (on 9-10 shooting) and 20 boards to key a 107-96 victory in the third. The Lakers won the series in five games, capping a tremendous season and bringing vindication to the franchise. Chamberlain was the Finals MVP, and West could finally feel like a winner.

Boy, did it feel good.

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6. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 65-17

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Branch, Frank Brickowski, Michael Cooper, AC Green, Magic Johnson, Wes Matthews, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Mike Smrek, Billy Thompson, Mychal Thompson, James Worthy

One of the greatest teams in Lakers history began and ended the regular season with losses. A truer representation of the Lakers’ dominance came in the stretch of March and April, in which they won 21 of 22, a run that served as a statement of intent for the postseason. These guys were serious.

They were motivated, too. A year earlier, they’d missed the Finals for the first time in five years and watched as Larry Bird and the hated Celtics won their third title of the decade. They’d be in no mood to watch this time.

Magic Johnson was already a three-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP, but unlike his rival Bird, he had yet to win a regular-season MVP. He went out and put up numbers that would make it hard to give it to anyone else: a career-high 23.9 ppg and a League-high 12.2 apg, along with 6.3 rpg and 1.7 spg. Those numbers helped cover for the diminishing production of living legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who, at age 39, still averaged 17.5 ppg.

The rest of the Showtime squad was at or near its prime. James Worthy and Byron Scott were terrors running with Magic on the break, with Worthy averaging 19.4 ppg and Scott adding 17. Second-year forward AC Green was a famously weird stylistic fit on Hollywood’s favorite squad, but his 10.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg spoke to his value in the paint. Vets like Michael Cooper, Mychal Thompson and Kurt Rambis personified the team’s underrated defense and toughness.

After that dominant regular-season—they finished six games ahead of Boston and a full 10 games clear in the West—the Lakers looked basically untouchable through the first three rounds of the playoffs: 3-0 over Denver, 4-1 over Golden State, 4-0 over Seattle. It all set up the seemingly inevitable matchup with the Celtics, who’d needed seven games to get past Milwaukee and Detroit in the East. The Lakers had all the momentum, but they knew better than to take the Celtics lightly.

They did anything but, walloping Boston by a combined 32 points en route to a 2-0 lead before eventually taking a 3-2 lead back to Los Angeles for Game 6. Down 5 at the half, the Lakers blew the roof off the Forum with a 30-12 third quarter and cruised to victory behind a throwback 32-point effort from Kareem. But it was Magic who added another Finals MVP to his first regular-season trophy. In this moment, the League belonged to him.

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8. 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Billy Cunningham

Record: 65-17

Roster: JJ Anderson, Maurice Cheeks, Earl Cureton, Franklin Edwards, Julius Erving, Marc Iavaroni, Clemon Johnson, Reggie Johnson, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Mark McNamara, Clint Richardson, Russ Schoene, Andrew Toney

The season after the Sixers lost the Finals to the Portland Trail Blazers, the team crafted a ticket sales pitch to fans informing them, “We owe you one.” The franchise didn’t pay up the next year. Or the one after that. In fact, the slogan became something of a punchline for the franchise that always had talent but couldn’t convert it to a title.

Philadelphia lost to the Lakers in the ’80 Finals and again in ’82. It seemed impossible that a team with Julius “Dr. J” Erving, one of the most exciting players in basketball history, would never hang a banner.

Then came Moses.

Not long before the start of the ’82-83 season, the Sixers executed a sign-and-trade for Houston center Moses Malone. All of a sudden the team of All-Stars had the final piece. With Malone handling the rough stuff in the middle—and sweating a ton in the process—Erving was free to soar over and around rivals all season. Meanwhile, the dynamic backcourt of point man Maurice Cheeks and clutch sharpshooter Andrew Toney provided ample trouble for opponents from the perimeter. And just when teams thought they had that quartet under some measure of control, Bobby Jones would come crashing through for a fastbreak dunk or to jam home a missed shot.   

The Sixers took command of the Atlantic Division early and cruised past the Celtics. Their 65 wins were the best by far in the NBA, and as Philadelphia headed into the playoffs, Malone uttered the famous quotation, “Fo-fo-fo,” meaning the Sixers would win each of the three playoff series necessary to take the title in four games.

The Moses Doctrine looked pretty good after the first round, which the Sixers won over the Knicks in four. But Milwaukee won a game in the Eastern Finals, and Philadelphia had to settle for the five-game trip to the Finals.

Waiting there—fittingly—were the Lakers, who had many of the same players who had caused the Sixers trouble in previous Finals. However, L.A. would be without rookie James Worthy, who broke his leg late in the regular season. It likely wouldn’t have mattered. The Sixers were committed to rectifying their earlier shortcomings, and they blitzed the Lakers in four games, completing the sweep on the Forum floor where they had watched L.A. celebrate a year before.

When it was all over, the Sixers were able to put out another message: 

Paid in full.

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“I can remember when he was a little boy—this is how obsessed he was,” recalls Brandy Cole, the mother of Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum. “I asked him, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ His first answer in life was, ‘Kobe.’”

Brandy tried to explain to her son: You can’t be Kobe. You can be an NBA player, like Kobe. But you can’t be Kobe.

Jayson refused to accept that. And when mom dared to suggest that he could one day be better than Kobe, her son damn near lost his mind.

“I was like, ‘Can’t nobody be better than Kobe!’” Tatum remembers. “It didn’t even make sense to me.”

Not too long ago, Jayson Tatum hated the Boston Celtics. As a kid growing up in St. Louis, MO—a city without a hometown NBA team—he fell in love with Kobe and the Lakers. That love, dating back to when Jayson was 4 years old, ran deep. It was an obsession.

He retreated to his bedroom and cried when Boston beat L.A. in the 2008 Finals. He was ecstatic when Kobe got his revenge in 2010, winning his fifth and final championship.

“From the beginning, [Kobe] was always my favorite player,” Tatum explains. “I wanted to be just like him. He was my biggest basketball inspiration.”

By the age of 6, Jayson was getting into heated arguments with Brandy about who was better, Kobe or Michael Jordan. She watched MJ and the Bulls rule the League in the ’90s. Jayson’s allegiance, of course, was always to the Mamba.

In every way possible, Jayson tried to emulate his idol. He was shooting turnaround, fadeaway jumpers by third grade. Brandy would peer out the window and see Jayson working on Kobe’s moves in the backyard of their home in University City.

He rocked all the Kobe kicks and apparel he could get his hands on.

“My favorite Kobe shoes were the Kobe 3s,” Tatum says. “I had on the ‘What The’ Kobe 9s in the state championship game my senior year. Played in Kobe ‘Preludes,’ 5s and 6s, when I was on the EYBL circuit.”

“I can remember the first time I found out that Flight Club existed, he was entering his senior year and he wanted these shoes—’What The’ Kobes,” Brandy says. “They were already expensive to me. I looked high and low, and then I found Flight Club. Of course, the only place [that had them]. And I was like, You mean I got to pay more for these? [laughs] But he was like, ‘That’s all I want. It can be my Christmas gift and my birthday gift. That’s all I want.’”

In 2007, Jayson met Kobe for the first time at Quicken Loans Arena, when the Cavaliers hosted the Lakers. He still has the picture they took in the hallway after the game. That same year, he went to All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas with Brandy. They didn’t have tickets to the events but made it to the NBA’s Jam Session—a giant activation geared toward kids. Tatum picked out a red Western Conference All-Star Kobe jacket. Brandy dug it up after Bryant’s passing and surprised Jayson with it.

Tatum’s fandom started as most fandoms do. He gravitated to the exciting showman playing on one of the League’s brightest stages. The Lakers regularly appeared on national TV. Bryant regularly appeared on SportCenter’s Top 10. Once Tatum discovered YouTube, he’d spend hours and hours going through highlights. 

“One of my all-time favorite plays when I was younger was when they threw the full-court pass to him and he did the 180 when he went behind his back,” he says. “That shit was just, like, unbelievable to me when I first saw that.”

As he became older and found his own success in basketball, Jayson began to look up to Kobe for reasons far beyond a lob to Shaq or a poster over Dwight. He kept watching the highlights, only this time, he studied them differently.

“I remember my dad telling me, ‘Don’t just watch his buckets. Watch how hard he works to get open for the ball, his demeanor, how efficient he is with his body movements and his jab steps, his footwork. Don’t just watch the shot go in,’” Tatum says. “I really started to pay attention to the little things.”

“The little things” extended far beyond clips on YouTube. Jayson read stories of Kobe’s work ethic, drive and intensity. He listened to the Mamba speak about it himself—how he put all his eggs in one basket, how he chased his goal of making the NBA relentlessly, how he never had a backup plan. It became Tatum’s own mantra.

“He said the exact same words to me,” Brandy explains. “We would talk about work ethic and all of that. I would say, ‘OK, what’s your Plan B just in case [you don’t make the NBA]?’ He looked at me one day and he was like, ‘That’s the difference between me…’ and he named all these other people. ‘They actually have a fallback plan, a Plan B.’ These were his exact words: ‘Mom, no. It’s this or die.’ And I responded, ‘Um, no. Maybe there’s something else, like coaching.’ I was trying to get him to at least come up with something. There’s a small number of people that actually make the NBA, and as a lawyer, I’m always like, Do your due diligence, make sure you have all your bases covered. But he was emphatic. ‘It’s this or nothing.’”

As early as elementary school, Tatum embraced the Mamba Mentality. He’d tell teachers that his dream was to be an NBA player, and when they encouraged him to choose something more realistic, he remained steadfast.

“I can remember vividly, he was in the fourth grade playing AAU Nationals in New Orleans,” Brandy says. “We would go on trips and there was a rule that you couldn’t swim or couldn’t have fries and ice cream and stuff like that, because you couldn’t swim all day in the sun and then go play and compete. We lost, and a bunch of other kids on the team were like, Yay, now we can go swim. We get back to the hotel and they all can’t wait to get into their swimsuits and go to the pool. I go in our room and Jayson’s sitting on the floor with his back against the wall in tears. You’re not going swimming? He said, ‘No, I don’t understand. We lost. There’s nothing to be happy about.’ He was just so upset. There was always something different about him.”

That continued into high school, when Jayson was up at 5 am every morning and off to the gym before Brandy even got out of bed. He paid attention to the details and never took shortcuts. He mastered Bryant’s jab step by training for an entire week without a basketball, just replicating the motion over and over again. During his four years at Chaminade, head coach Frank Bennett insists he took just two days off—the two days following their state championship victory his senior season.

All of that stemmed from Bryant and a desire to follow in his footsteps. It seemed to come full circle when, amid Boston’s 2018 playoff run, Kobe dedicated a segment of his ESPN show Detail to breaking down Tatum’s game. Then a rookie, Tatum had been helping to lead an injury-riddled Celtics team through the Eastern Conference. After years of analyzing Bryant’s every move, the roles had suddenly reversed. Jayson watched the episode on repeat.

“I started to talk to him during the playoffs. He told me when I get to L.A. to contact him. If I wanted to get in the gym, just let him know,” Tatum says. “And then when we did, I remember I was sweating on the way to the gym. My heart was beating fast. I remember I walked in and I was like, Yo, this shit…Kobe is here and I’m about to…like, it was…”

He struggles to find the words to describe the moment exactly. Here he was, having just turned 20, about to play basketball with his hero.

“I remember I would do a drill and he would show me how to do something or tell me what to do next, and I was just sitting there and in my mind I’m like, Yo, I’m working out with fucking Kobe Bryant.”

“It’s right up there with him getting drafted,” says Brandy, of that first workout between her son and Bryant. “It’s watching your kid’s dreams come true.”

“He’s iconic,” says Jayson. “He accomplished so much. I think it was just the way he went about it. The way he did things and his demeanor. He was different. That’s the best way to put it. He was just different. He was unlike anybody else. He did it his own way. And you could see when he passed away, so many people my age and even older guys in the NBA, they attribute him [with] being the reason they work so hard and started playing basketball.”

The news of Kobe’s death left Tatum heartbroken. He continued to honor his idol on the court, being named to his first All-Star team in late January. The seeds of that accomplishment were planted nearly two decades ago, when a young, awestruck Jayson first saw the Black Mamba dominate. Kobe was the reason he picked up a basketball. Kobe was the one who inspired him to strive for feats like this.

“No matter if it was during the regular season, postseason, All-Star—everything he’s always done, he’s always followed and wanted to emulate Kobe,” Brandy emphasizes. “Whether it was on the court, life accomplishments, USA [Basketball], All-Star.

“I think it’s a little bittersweet [making his first All-Star Game],” she continues. “I’m sure Kobe would’ve been there. I’m sure Jayson probably would’ve gotten a text or a phone call congratulating him. I think he would have been glad to see that Kobe was proud of him. It’s bittersweet, for sure, but I know that he knows Kobe is proud of him and that this is one of many. And if he keeps that Mamba Mentality, he’ll be a perennial All-Star, MVP candidate, all of that.”

That’s Plan A. And for Jayson Tatum, there aren’t any backup plans.

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9. 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 56-26

Roster: Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Greg Foster, Rick Fox, Devean George, Horace Grant, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Tyronn Lue, Mark Madsen, Stanislav Medvedenko, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Penberthy, Isaiah Rider, Brian Shaw

It’s easy to dismiss the ’00-01 Lakers’ 56 wins as “disappointing.” That wasn’t even the NBA’s top win total.

But the true test of this team—and most great outfits—is the postseason. In that regard, there is a different number that matters.

One.

The Lakers lost just one game in the 2001 Playoffs, the Finals opener against Philadelphia. They swept their first three opponents, including San Antonio, which had the NBA’s best record.

This was the middle championship of L.A.’s early 21st century three-peat, and it didn’t come easy, despite the playoff dominance. The Lakers fought injuries, withstood some animosity between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant and had to integrate some new faces (Isaiah Rider, Horace Grant) into a deep rotation that won eight straight to finish the regular season.

Things were not great between the two stars, as the Big Brother-Little Brother dynamic was no longer that palatable to Bryant. Coach Phil Jackson was able to keep things relatively zen, but it was clear that the two weren’t too happy together. That led to some regular-season unease and a final record that doesn’t really represent how good this team was.

Of course, O’Neal was overpowering. Still at the peak of his powers, he averaged 28.7 ppg and 12.7 rpg. He was even better in the Finals, when he won MVP. Not that Bryant was simply riding shotgun or anything. He scored 28.5 ppg, by far his best performance as a professional up to that moment. They may not have been lunch buddies off the court, and they feuded during the season about the breakdown of offensive opportunities, but when the ball was tossed up, they formed an unbeatable tandem.

Perhaps the biggest reason why the team didn’t approach 70 victories was the absence for 62 games of point guard Derek Fisher, who was recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot. Once he returned, the offense was more efficient, and the Lakers played better at the other end, too. Grant was a steady interior force, while Rick Fox provided his usual all-around assistance.

In the playoffs, L.A. swept away Portland, Sacramento and San Antonio, as the team crackled. And though Allen Iverson’s 48 points in the Sixers’ overtime win in Game 1 of the Finals gave Philly some hope, the Lakers crushed that ruthlessly over the next four games to complete the second title in their three-peat. There was more—of everything—to come in 2001-02.

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Here’s our No. 21-11:

21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

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At this point in the list, we’re getting into dynasty territory. Clutch moments and high-pressure situations were the norm for these squads, many of whom won multiple championships over a three to five year period. Different.

From iconic three-peats to historic dubs, here’s our picks for No. 32-22:

32. 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 59-23

Roster: Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dion Glover, Robert Horry, Linton Johnson, Sean Marks, Tony Massenburg, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker, Glenn Robinson, Malik Rose, Beno Udrih, Mike Wilks

The Spurs and Pistons came into the season having split the previous two NBA championships, and both upset higher-seeded opponents (the Suns and Heat, respectively) in the Conference Finals that spring. That set up a title bout that made up for a relative lack of star power with heavyweight intensity and dominant D. Five of seven Finals games ended with the losing team not breaking 80 points. The series ended with Tim Duncan securing his third ring.

31. 1963-64 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 59-21

Roster: John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Clyde Lovellette, Johnny McCarthy, Willie Naulls, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried

Yawn, another title run, but at least Boston got a new Finals opponent to break up the monotony. The San Francisco Warriors tried to play immovable object to the Celtics’ unstoppable force, and in Wilt Chamberlain, the Dubs at least had the firepower. But Boston had the balance, experience and pedigree: John Havlicek and Sam Jones led the offense, and Bill Russell did his usual work, dominating defensively and on the glass to lead Boston to its seventh championship in eight tries.

30. 1969-70 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 60-22

Roster: Dick Barnett, Nate Bowman, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Bill Hosket, Don May, Willis Reed, Mike Riordan, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, John Warren

When a new decade brought an end to the Celtics’ dominance, the Knicks asserted themselves as the class of the League. Behind MVP Willis Reed’s 21.7 ppg and 13.9 rpg and Walt Frazier’s stylish 20.9 points and 8.2 dimes per, New York rolled to the League’s best record and a Finals meeting with the Lakers. What followed was a seven-game classic against West, Wilt and Baylor, best remembered for Reed’s Game 7 effort on a bum leg that inspired his teammates to victory.

29. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Paul Westhead, Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brewer, Michael Cooper, Clay Johnson, Magic Johnson,Eddie Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, Mark Landsberger, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Kevin  McKenna, Norm Nixon, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes

Pat Riley was second choice. When Paul Westhead was fired (at Magic Johnson’s urging) 11 games into the ’81-82 season, Lakers owner Jerry Buss named Jerry West head coach. Only West didn’t want it, so Riley—the former player turned broadcaster turned inexperienced assistant—got the gig. Duly motivated, Magic, Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes led L.A. back to the Finals, where they bounced the Sixers in six. Showtime was in effect, and one of the greatest coaching careers was born.

28. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 58-24

Roster: Kobe Bryant, Joe Crispin, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, Robert Horry, Lindsey Hunter, Mark Madsen, Jelani McCoy, Stanislav Medvedenko, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Penberthy, Mitch Richmond, Brian Shaw, Samaki Walker

The third title of the Shaq-Kobe axis didn’t come easily. That Western Finals series with Sacramento was brutal, and there were those who thought the Lakers shouldn’t have won it. But they did, and then L.A. dusted Jersey in the Finals, behind another overpowering performance from O’Neal. The dynamic duo was again tremendous, while Derek Fisher provided stability at the point, and supporting players like Rick Fox and Robert Horry stepped up when needed.

27. 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, Bruce Bowen, Jackie Butler, Tim Duncan, Francisco Elson, Melvin Ely, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Jacque Vaughn, James White, Eric Williams

These Spurs scored when they needed to, and they moved the ball like no one else. But the real strength of the team was on defense, where San Antonio could stifle rivals, just like it did Cleveland in the Finals sweep. Tim Duncan was a no-frills frontcourt star, with point guard Tony Parker’s creativity and Manu Ginobili’s flair and passion the keys to the team’s success. Role players like Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley helped complete a pure team.

26. 1980-81 Boston Celtics

Coach: Bill Fitch

Record: 62-20

Roster: Tiny Archibald, Larry Bird, ML Carr, Terry Duerod, Eric Fernsten, Chris Ford, Gerald Henderson, Wayne Kreklow, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Rick Robey

After Magic Johnson got his title in 1980, it was Larry Bird’s turn. He and the Celtics waged a year-long battle with the Sixers that culminated with a seven-game Eastern Finals series that featured three big Boston comebacks. Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were interior forces, while Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford and Cedric Maxwell patrolled the perimeter. The Rockets were tough in the Finals, but they weren’t tough enough to stop the Celtics machine.

25. 1989-90 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 59-23

Roster: Mark Aguirre, William Bedford, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Dave Greenwood, Scott Hastings, Gerald Henderson, Vinnie Johnson, Stan Kimbrough, Bill Laimbeer, Ralph Lewis, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Isiah Thomas

The Bad Boys went back-to-back with the same formula that won their first title: ferocious defense, timely offense and a Mean Streets attitude. Isiah Thomas smiled a lot, but he was a killer. Joe Dumars quietly piled up the points. Bill Laimbeer made no friends inside. Dennis Rodman rebounded and defended like a dervish. Mark Aguirre scored in many ways. James Edwards was a force in the post. And nobody wanted to mess with John Salley.

24. 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 65-17

Roster: Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Sun Yue

The first of back-to-back titles was Kobe Bryant’s initial one as undisputed leader of the Lakers and redemption for the Mamba. A year after losing in the Finals to ancestral rival Boston, the Lakers piled up 65 wins—third most in franchise history—with Bryant leading the way but receiving plenty of help from Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum inside. The anticipated Finals matchup with Cleveland and LeBron James didn’t happen, so L.A. whipped Orlando instead.

23. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 66-16

Roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Scot Pollard, James Posey, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine

Depending on how you define it, the Super Team era started in Boston in the summer of ’07, when future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce to give the Celtics their best team in (at least) 20 years. Behind Pierce’s scoring, Allen’s shooting and KG’s two-way play, the Cs posted an NBA-high 66 wins and bounced LeBron and the Cavs en route to the Finals, where they renewed their rivalry with the Lakers. Not long after, they hung banner No. 17.

22. 1992-93 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 57-25

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Ricky Blanton, Bill Cartwright, Joe Courtney, Jo Jo English, Horace Grant, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Rodney McCray, Ed Nealy, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Trent Tucker, Darrell Walker, Corey Williams, Scott Williams

The Lakers and Pistons had taken some of the magic out of title repeats by the time the Bulls
won their second straight, but no team since the Celtics’ ’60s dynasty had won three in a row. The Bulls felt like making history. The formula by now was familiar: Jordan averaged League-
highs in points (32.6) and steals (2.8), Scottie Pippen was a terror at both ends and Chicago made the big plays when it mattered, edging Barkley and the Suns in the Finals to seal the threepeat.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44 and 43-33.

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

43. 1958-59 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 52-20

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

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

42. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 60-22

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

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

41. 2018-19 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 57-25

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

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

40. 1993-94 Houston Rockets

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Record: 58-24

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

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

39. 1983-84 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 62-20

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

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

38. 2011-12 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 46-20

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

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

37. 1972-73 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 57-25

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

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

36. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

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

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

35. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 60-22

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

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

34. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15

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

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

33. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers

Coach: Jack Ramsay

Record: 49-33

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

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

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

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We’re gonna keep it real though: this list was pretty tough to put together. It was mostly guided by the idea that the way to measure the true quality of a team is to think about how much better they were than everyone else they played against. Some decent team in the 2000s would almost definitely destroy an excellent team from the ’70s if we teleported all of the players into the same dimension and let them go at it, but that’s not how this works. This is about dominating your era. Read here for No. 75-66, and 65-55.

Here’s our top 55-44 best teams of all time:

54. 1978-79 Seattle Supersonics

Coach: Lenny Wilkens

Record: 52-30

Roster: Dennis Awtrey, Fred Brown, Lars Hansen, Joe Hassett, Dennis Johnson, John Johnson, Tom LaGarde, Jackie Robinson, Lonnie Shelton, Jack Sikma, Paul Silas, Dick Snyder, Wally Walker, Gus Williams

For the greatest team in franchise history, it was all about balance. Seven players averaged double-figures for Seattle in ’78-79, led by the high-powered young backcourt duo of Gus Williams (19.2 ppg) and Dennis Johnson (15.9 ppg), while second-year big man Jack Sikma held it down in the paint to the tune of 15.6 and 12.4 per game. The Sonics rode that young core to the Finals, where they dropped the series opener in Washington before taking four straight from the Bullets.

53. 1974-75 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Al Attles

Record: 48-34

Roster: Rick Barry, Butch Beard, Steve Bracey, Bill Bridges, Derrek Dickey, Charles Dudley, Charles Johnson, George Johnson, Frank Kendrick, Jeff Mullins, Clifford Ray, Phil Smith, Jamaal Wilkes

Rick Barry led the NBA in free-throw percentage and steals in ’74-75, League-leading numbers
to go along with a casual 30.6 ppg, 6.2 apg and 5.7 rpg. The Dubs were solid, with silky-smooth rookie Jamaal Wilkes averaging 14.2 ppg and a steady backcourt pairing of Butch Beard and Charles Johnson. But it was Barry, a decade into a spectacular career, who carried Golden State to a Finals sweep of the Bullets for the franchise’s first championship since relocating to the Bay.

52. 1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tony Campbell, Michael Cooper, AC Green, Magic Johnson, Jeff Lamp, Wes Matthews, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Mike Smrek, Billy Thompson, Mychal Thompson, Ray Tolbert, Milt Wagner, James Worthy

It had been 19 years since an NBA champion successfully defended its title, so when Pat Riley guaranteed his Lakers would do just that after the ’87 Finals, the pressure was on. If not for Isiah Thomas’ injured ankle, Detroit might have made Riley a liar, but don’t tell a Laker fan that the last title of the Showtime era was a fluke. James Worthy confirmed his Hall of Fame bona fides with a 36-point triple-double in Game 7 to ensure his coach’s guarantee held up.

51. 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks

Coach: Mike Budenholzer

Record: 46-26

Roster: Jaylen Adams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, DJ Augustin, Elijah Bryant, Pat Connaughton, Torrey Craig, Mamadi Diakite, Donte DiVincenzo, Bryn Forbes, Jrue Holiday, Justin Jackson, Rodions Kurucs, Brook Lopez, Sam Merrill, Khris Middleton, Jordan Nwora, Bobby Portis, Jeff Teague, Axel Toupane, PJ Tucker, DJ Wilson

You can focus on the pandemic-shortened schedule, or the placement of Kevin Durant’s toe, but as time passes, what people will remember about the ’20-21 season will mostly come down to one dude: Giannis. A two-time League MVP who still faced skeptics who said he couldn’t produce when it mattered most, Antetokounmpo did just that, first against KD and the Nets (31.9 ppg, 12.9 rpg) in a seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinal thriller, then even more impressively against the Suns (35.2, 13.2) in the Finals.

50. 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 57-25

Roster: Ron Artest, Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton

It was Kobe’s team, but even prime Kobe knew he couldn’t do it alone. In 2010, with a title to defend and a matchup with the hated Celtics in the Finals, the Lakers’ star once again relied on the steadiness of Pau Gasol (18.6 ppg, 11.3 rpg), and got invaluable defense and clutch play from a resurgent Ron Artest. “Kobe passed me the ball!” the man now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest said after hitting a title-sealing three late in Game 7. Every Laker fan shared his joy.

49. 1973-74 Boston Celtics

Coach: Tom Heinsohn

Record: 56-26

Roster: Don Chaney, Dave Cowens, Steve Downing, Hank Finkel, Phil Hankinson, John Havlicek, Steve Kuberski, Don Nelson, Paul Silas, Paul Westphal, Jo Jo White, Art Williams

Russell and Cousy were retired, Red Auerbach was no longer on the bench, and it had been five long years since the Celtics last hung a banner from the Garden rafters. But with John Havlicek (22.6 ppg) still around and young Dave Cowens (19 ppg, 15.7 rpg) already looking like a future Hall of Famer, Boston decided five years was long enough. They needed seven games to take down Kareem, Oscar and the Bucks, but soon enough, Red was lighting that stogie once again.

48. 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks

Coach: Rick Carlisle

Record: 57-25

Roster: Alexis Ajinca, JJ Barea, Rodrigue Beaubois, Corey Brewer, Caron Butler, Brian Cardinal, Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Dominique Jones, Jason Kidd, Ian Mahinmi, Shawn Marion, Steve Novak, Dirk Nowitzki, Sasha Pavlovic, DeShawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic, Jason Terry

There was still a sense that calling Dirk Nowitzki “the greatest European player of all time” was sort of a diss. Nobody doubted his production, but plenty of people questioned whether he could be that dude when it mattered. All questions were answered that June: With help from a veteran supporting cast that included Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler and 37-year-old Jason Kidd, Dirk averaged 26 points and 9.7 rebounds in the Finals to dispatch the Heatles and confirm his spot among the all-time greats.

47. 2005-06 Miami Heat

Coach: Stan Van Gundy, Pat Riley

Record: 52-30

Roster: Derek Anderson, Shandon Anderson, Earl Barron, Michael Doleac, Gerald Fitch, Udonis Haslem, Jason Kapono, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, James Posey, Wayne Simien, Dwyane Wade, Antoine Walker, Matt Walsh, Jason Williams, Dorell Wright

A decade dominated by the Lakers and Spurs didn’t leave much room for Eastern Conference contenders, but in ’06, a Miami team loaded with loose parts and a wild array of past-their-prime big-name vets coalesced around a dynamic third-year guard from Marquette. Sure, Dwyane Wade benefitted from some friendly officiating in a Finals matchup that Dirk and the Mavs are probably still mad about, but mostly, Flash earned what he got in leading the Heat out of a 0-2 Finals hole and on to the title.

46. 2003-04 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Larry Brown

Record: 54-28

Roster: Chucky Atkins, Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell, Hubert Davis, Tremaine Fowlkes, Darvin Ham, Richard Hamilton, Lindsey Hunter, Mike James, Darko Milicic, Mehmet Okur,  Tayshaun Prince, Zeljko Rebraca, Bob Sura, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Corliss Williamson

Larry Brown talked all the time about playing basketball “the right way,” but he had never
won a title until the Pistons hit the League with their stifling defense. Sure, Richard Hamilton was a potent scorer, Chauncey Billups was good all year (especially in the Finals win over the Lakers) and the mid-year arrival of Rasheed Wallace was huge. But the embodiment of Detroit was lunch-pail center Ben Wallace, whose relentless approach keyed a championship.

45. 1998-99 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 37-13

Roster: Antonio Daniels, Tim Duncan, Mario Elie, Sean Elliott, Andrew Gaze, Jaren Jackson, Avery Johnson, Steve Kerr, Jerome Kersey, Gerard King, Will Perdue, David Robinson, Malik Rose, Brandon Williams

It was the post-Bulls era and a lockout-shortened season, but the Spurs were ascendant. Their first championship team featured the Tim Duncan-David Robinson interior axis, one of the few times a twin towers configuration had enjoyed supreme success. Avery Johnson ran the team, Mario Elie hit big shots and locked down opposing high scorers, while Sean Elliott was a do-everything type who fit in perfectly. The Spurs lost just two games the entire postseason.

44. 1994-95 Houston Rockets

Coach: Ruddy Tomjanovich

Record: 47-35

Roster: Tim Breaux, Scott Brooks, Chucky Brown, Adrian Caldwell, Sam Cassell, Pete Chilcutt, Clyde Drexler, Mario Elie, Carl Herrera, Robert Horry, Charles Jones, Vernon Maxwell, Tracy Murray, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kenny Smith, Zan Tabak, Otis Thorpe

If Houston’s ’94 title run was inspired, the ’95 version seemed unlikely to ever happen. The Rockets posted the NBA’s 10th-best record and were pushed to the distance in their first two playoff rounds. But something about matchups with arguably the other two best centers in the League seemed just what Hakeem Olajuwon needed: He Dream-shook and dominated newly crowned MVP David Robinson in the conference finals, then went for 32.8 and 11.5 to sweep young Shaq and the Magic for the title.

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

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

65. 1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 54-28

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

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

64. 1976-77 Philadephia 76ers

Coach: Gene Shue

Record: 50-32

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

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

63. 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 62-20

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

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

62. 2001-02 Sacramento Kings

Coach: Rick Adelman

Record: 61-21

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

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

61. 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics

Coach: George Karl

Record: 64-18

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

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

60. 1956-57 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 44-28

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

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

59. 2017-18 Houston Rockets

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 65-17

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

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

58. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 62-20

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

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

57. 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Frank Vogel

Record: 52-19

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

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

56. 2009-10 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 50-32

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

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

55. 1996-97 Utah Jazz

Coach: Jerry Sloan

Record: 64-18

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

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

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

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

75. 1997-98 Indiana Pacers

Coach: Larry Bird

Record: 58-24

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

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

74. 1994-95 Orlando Magic

Coach: Brian Hill

Record: 57-25

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

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

73. 1986-87 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 59-23

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

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

72. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach: Scott Brooks

Record: 47-19

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

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

71. 1992-93 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Paul Westphal

Record: 62-20

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

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

70. 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

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

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

69. 2018-19 Toronto Raptors

Coach Nick Nurse

Record: 58-24

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

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

68. 1961-62 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 60-20

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

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

67. 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Billy Cunningham

Record: 62-20

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

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

66. 1984-85 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 63-19

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

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

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With that in mind, we decided to show just how meaningful Kobe’s relationship to his footwear really was. These pages cover all of that history, in great detail and with great respect for one of the greatest to ever do it.

SLAM Presents KOBE: The Kicks Issue is out now.

This special issue is also available in an exclusive purple metal edition. Shop now.

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