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bball4u-blog1 · 6 years ago

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“KD Ruined the NBA”

This happens to be an incredibly popular statement that I have seen being used across social media. Many fans label Kevin Durant as a “coward” or a “snake” and claim that he ruined the landscape of the NBA. Throughout this article I am going to be talking about my thoughts on two differing perspectives: Kevin Durant couldn’t win so he left to win a guaranteed championship, and this is exactly the same type of rivalry we have seen throughout the history of the NBA. At the end, I will reveal my true personal opinion on the subject and my current thoughts about the Warriors and this series going forward.

The Snake

Here is a fact. In 2016, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were up 3-1 in a series against the 73-win Warriors and unanimous MVP and ended up not being able to close it out. This happens to VERY few teams and will always be something that haunts the Thunder organization and Durant’s track record. After coming back down from 3-1 against the Thunder, the Warriors thought they were destined for a second straight title. However, they ran into Uncle Drew and King James and eventually found themselves losing an incredibly close series. Afterwards, Draymond Green called Kevin Durant on his cell phone about the possibility of joining them in Golden State. What eventually followed, was one of the most shocking free agency summers in NBA history that would completely reshape the entire Western Conference. Kevin Durant decided not to resign with the Thunder, but instead took his talents to the West Coast. The Warriors already appeared impossible to beat, breaking the all-time NBA win record that season before. However, with adding another superstar like Kevin Durant, this team appeared destined for prolonged greatness. The Warriors were even able to maintain a deep bench that has helped them deep in the playoffs these past two years. The first year they acquired Durant, he was able to win his first championship and his first Finals MVP. Here they are again a whole year later. Still with four all-stars, still with a deep bench, and still staring across at LeBron James, the only thing that stands between them and back-to-back titles.

Now, we all know the Warriors are an incredibly great team, but they also were a great team before Durant. Many people even make the comparison of what LeBron James did to what Durant also did. However, I believe these are two entirely different situations. LeBron took a team with no other all-star level talent to the NBA Finals, but eventually realized that he was not going to be able to win it all with such little level of talent. He single-handedly put the Cavaliers franchise on the map. He then used his friendships in the NBA to establish a “super team” in Miami, who only had one superstar at the time. I do not even know if you can truly consider this team a “super team.” Chris Bosh was hardly putting out all-star numbers, and Dwayne Wade has also been very injury prone throughout his career. If it hadn’t been for their depth and LeBron’s greatness, I do not believe that team would have ended up winning a title.

Now, let’s look at what Kevin Durant did. He left a team that already had one other superstar, because they were up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals and blew it. Did he leave and assemble a new “super team” with Chris Paul, James Harden, Paul George, etc.? No. He went to a team that already had three different all-stars, a two-time MVP, and a who held the NBA record for most wins a season. He went to the team that he blew a 3-1 lead to! He is on a short list of superstar players that have had that same experience. Also, let me know when you ever find LeBron James in a Celtics jersey during his career. I understand that Durant was upset with Westbrook and the coaching staff, but where is the pride and commitment? Rather than come back and work harder the next season on developing the great team you already had (they had 55 wins that season and were one game away from winning the Western Conference), you take the easy way out and join the team that has already guaranteed a Finals appearance for many years to come. Also, I do not believe that Durant would have left had the Warriors won the Finals that year. Even he should be able to see how much of a cowardly move that would appear to be…or would he?

We’ve Seen This Before

Throughout the history of the NBA we have seen teams continue to add tremendous talent whenever it is possible. After this current season, we could possibly see LeBron James going to the Philadelphia 76ers. Would this not be considered a “super team?” They would have three all-stars (Embiid, Simmons, and James) and would easily be making the Eastern Conference Finals. Or, let’s look at this years Celtics. If they were able to stay healthy, we saw just alone what the bench was able to produce in this year’s playoffs. Imagine if their two best players were playing alongside the rest of the team. The former Los Angeles Clippers, with Paul, Jordan, and Griffin. The former Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. The Boston Celtics with Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo. The Spurs throughout the years, with multiple NBA champions and all-stars on the roster. The former Oklahoma City Thunder team. There have been dozens of teams that should be considered “super teams” and just all-time great teams in general. No one should be bashing Durant for finding a team where his talent would fit well, but also somewhere that has an incredible record of winning. The Warriors were able to organically grow Curry, Thompson, and Green, so why not actually try to sign a big name via free agency.

The Warriors have completely changed the game of basketball. We have seen the Houston Rockets switch to shooting loads of threes to try and keep up. We’ve seen the Cavaliers set the record for most threes in a playoff game, and then the Warriors immediately broke it. This year, another team most likely broke it again. This is just a new fantastic era of basketball that features incredible ball movement, creating a lot more open opportunities at the three-point line. We also see teams at the 1 through 5 being able to take threes and space the floor. This has created new defensive schemes, new driving opportunities for phenomenal dunks, and just a great platform for some of the greatest athletes in the world to just go out and be creative with their game. I do not think that Kevin Durant ruined the NBA. I believe that he made other General Managers around the league find the need to go out and acquire massive amounts of talent. We now have the Warriors, Rockets, Timberwolves, Spurs, Cavaliers, 76ers, Raptors, and Celtics with incredible amounts of talent across their roster. I am so excited to see what happens this summer with free agency and the continued evolution of the game!

Where Do We Go from Here?

We now have another Finals matchup featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. This has blossomed into a great rivalry and one that both organizations should be proud of. I am favoring the Warriors currently in this matchup. Last year, they just simply had too much firepower for the Cavaliers, even with Kyrie Irving. However, I’ve learned to NEVER count LeBron James out of the equation. If the Cavaliers happen to lose this year, I do not believe we will see James returning next season in a Cleveland jersey. If he ends up going to the 76ers, I am incredibly interested in how they are going to make that work. Maybe James will work more on his spot-up shooting? They have two ball dominant forwards who are not spectacular shooters. Simmons would most likely play point guard, but still lacks the necessary jumper to be able to space the floor. For the most part, Embiid also needs the ball in his hands quite often to be efficient. It would also be interesting to see the long-term effects this may have on their talent off the bench. They may give up some playing time, but they would also have the mentorship of one of the greatest players of all-time on their team.

I also believe it is a possibility LeBron will take his talents to Los Angeles. Although I feel this is less likely (LeBron has a long rivalry with Boston and the East is generally considered the easier route to the Finals), it would still be incredibly interesting to see what other free agents they could bring on board. I urge my readers to try and keep updated with the trade rumors and free agency signings that will be going on around the league. This will be an exciting summer for the NBA!

#mkt400uwl

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nbatrades · 11 years ago

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Milwaukee Bucks Acquire Nate Wolters In 2013 Draft

On June 27th, 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks traded the draft rights of Ricky Ledo and a 2014 second round draft pick (Nemanja Dangubic) to the Philadelphia 76ers for the draft rights of Nate Wolters.

Nate Wolters had a whirlwind of a 2013 NBA Draft. From South Dakota State, Wolters was initially selected 38th in the second round of the draft by the Washington Wizards. Soon after, he was packaged with the 54th pick in the draft (Arsalan Kazemi) in a trade for the draft rights of the 35th pick in the draft, Glen Rice, Jr.

That would not be Wolters’ final stop on the draft night trade caravan. Wolters’ final stop would be Milwaukee where he was dealt to the Bucks for the draft rights of the 43rd pick in Ricky Ledo and a second round draft pick in the next year.

A four-year player at South Dakota State, Wolters departed the Jackrabbits basketball program with school records in scoring (2,353 points), assists (663) and free throws made (644). He once scored 53 points in a game during his senior year and finished up as a third-team All-American.

After the draft, Wolters joined the Bucks for NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he put up 9.4 PPG on 40.9% from the field, 3.2 RPG and 2.8 APG in five games. Wolters later signed with the Bucks on a three-year, $2.3 million deal with the final year non-guaranteed. In his rookie season, Wolters was not expected to play heavy minutes, but injuries to point guards Luke Ridnour and Brandon Knight early in the season gave him an opportunity to start a handful of games.

Wolters showed some impressive skills early on. He had slick handles that allowed him to penetrate into the paint for drives. He was also a good decision maker, finishing fifth in assist to turnover ratio (3.28). Wolters had some clear weaknesses. His outside shot was lacking (29% from three).

Wolters ended up contributing 7.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.2 APG and 0.6 SPG in 58 appearances (31 starts) and 22.6 MPG. His season was cut short after he fractured his left hand in March.

Milwaukee dealt with numerous injuries throughout the 2013-14 season and though they had hopes for playoff contention, a 2-13 start doomed their season. Milwaukee ended up with the worst record in the NBA at 15-67.

In the offseason, the Bucks drafted Duke forward Jabari Parker with the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The team also fired head coach Larry Drew, replacing him with Jason Kidd. Wolters went to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League for the second time with Milwaukee. He appeared in five contests and managed 8.4 PPG on 45% from the field, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.0 SPG in 22.5 MPG.

After the hiring of Kidd and the addition of point guards Jerryd Bayless and Kendall Marshall, Wolters found himself on the outside of Kidd’s backcourt rotations looking in. He appeared in just 11 of the team’s first 37 games, averaging 2.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.9 APG and 0.5 SPG in 12.9 MPG. At that point, the Bucks waived Wolters to make room for free agent signee Kenyon Martin. He later signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Wolters ended his time in Milwaukee with a stat line of 6.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.6 SPG in 69 career games. He shot 43% from the field, 27% from three and 64% from the free-throw line.

On the same night, Philadelphia rerouted Ledo to the Dallas Mavericks, trading the wing for a 2014 second round pick. The 2014 second rounder that Milwaukee sent to Philadelphia ended up 54th in the 2014 draft. The Sixers selected 6′8″ Serbian guard Nemanja Dangubic and traded his draft rights to the San Antonio Spurs for the draft rights to guard Jordan McRae.

Nate Wolters on his draft situation (via Bucks.com):

“It was a pretty wide-open draft, especially in my range. I didn’t really know what to expect. Those were a crazy couple of minutes. I didn’t know where I was going. But I’m sure glad it was the Milwaukee Bucks.”

On joining the Bucks:

“Being drafted to play in the NBA is a dream that I’ve worked my entire life to achieve. Milwaukee is a great organization and I am very appreciative for this opportunity. I can’t wait to start my career as a Buck.”

John Hammond on acquiring Wolters (via Bucks.com):

“To get Nate in the second round, pardon me for saying it because we always say it, but I’m going to say it again: We had him on the board as a first-round pick. There were other teams, probably, saying the same things about their second-round picks, but we’re really excited to have Nate.

“To have a big guard – he’s a 6′4″ point guard – he scored at South Dakota State because his team needed him to do that. But has a great feel for the game and a great knowledge of how to play the game.”

On drafting both Giannis Antetokounmpo (taken in first round) and Wolters (via Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel):

“It’s a pretty simple description, the guys who can pass and catch. You can't do one well without the other. If you’re a good passer, you usually have good hands and you can catch the ball. I think we added two guys who know how to play and have a great feel for the game. And one with Nate, we think is a player who can get on the floor and play for us immediately. And I don’t want to say that Giannis cannot do that. Who knows?”

Image via Getty Images/David Liam Kyle

#Nate Wolters #Ricky Ledo #Nemanja Dangubic #2013 #2013*14 Season #2013 NBA Draft

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rickhorrow · 8 years ago

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15 to watch 52217

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, and crossover sponsors are revving their engines in Indianapolis. According to the Indianapolis Star, Pacers guard Jeff Teague is sponsoring driver Buddy Lazier's entry in the 101st Indianapolis 500, which will see Lazier's Chevrolet "sport number 44, a Team Teague sticker and the Factory at D1 Sports decal." D1 is the name of the 33,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art gym Teague is "opening in Indianapolis." Teague's business manager, Jamel Barnes, said "Not many athletes, let alone a hometown kid playing for the hometown team have their own logos and decals on an Indy 500 car." But Teague isn’t the only crossover athlete fronting an IndyCar decal this weekend – Zach Veach will drive the No. 40 Chevrolet IndyCar for AJ Foyt Racing, representing the inaugural LPGA Indy Women in Tech Presented by Guggenheim tournament taking place at the Brickyard Crossing course in September. While estimates vary wildly for what it costs to sponsor a car at the Indianapolis 500, the last study commissioned by Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2000 pegged the Indy 500 economic impact at $336 million. Just call it Motorsports Econ 101 at 230 mph.

As the French Open begins play at Paris’ Roland Garros this week, two things have dropped significantly since 2016: the number of household name players contending on the red clay, and the euro-dollar exchange rate. The currency drop left the French trailing other grand slams by a wide margin in terms of prize money, so French Open authorities announced another 14% hike in the total prize money pool to remain on par with the other grand slams. This year’s 14% increase sees the French right up there with Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, offering a total prize pool of $39.2 million, $2.29 million apiece to the respective men’s and women’s singles champion, and a respectable $39,145 to first round losers. The tournament, however, will be without marquee players Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, and Serena Williams, meaning American ratings will likely decline as well. Grand Slam tennis is big business on both sides of the pond, and while the French is the smallest of the bigs, its impact, rich tradition, and place on the annual tennis calendar remains significant, regardless of on-court star power or exchange rate.

Head racquets owner and CEO Johan Eliasch believes that the French Tennis Federation "made the right call" not to hand Maria Sharapova a French Open wild card spot after she finished her doping-related suspension. But Eliasch, according to the London Times, "laid the blame for one of his most prominent clients missing the second grand-slam event of the year at the door" of WADA. Eliasch said, "This issue with Maria and the French Open, that is a consequence of Wada breaching their own rules for a delinquent way of operating." A WADA spokesperson said that the organization had "followed all the required procedures" before including meldonium -- which Sharapova tested positive for -- on their "list of banned substances." WTA CEO Steve Simon told the New York Times he "did not plan on pushing for re-examination of the wild-card rule, but would be open to it." Simon "maintains that the federation went too far." While WADA has no financial stake in a Sharapova-less French Open, the WTA certainly does – especially in a year when fan favorite Serena Williams is on maternity leave. No surprise that Simon is questioning the “letter of the law.”

Kids, apparently, still like the long ball. According to a just-released Sports & Fitness Industry Association report, baseball and softball "combined to rank as the most participated team sport" in 2016. The report said that casual participation showed an average annual growth of 6.5% over five years, 10.7% over three years, and 18.1% from 2015 to 2016. SFIA President & CEO Tom Cove said that the sport "showed growth in both casual and core participation over one-, three- and five-year periods at a time when the trends in other team sports are less encouraging." MLB Senior VP/Youth Programs Tony Reagins said, "To see the numbers where they are, it’s really exciting…We’re going to keep pushing and try to get more kids playing." The participation increase, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, "almost certainly stems from MLB’s 'Play Ball' initiative," which launched in June, 2015 in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, USA Baseball, and USA Softball. From finding funding to build fields to helping grow sports participation, the U.S. Conference of Mayors actively partners with communities nationwide to ensure our kids are healthy and engaged. I am proud to work with the Mayors Professional Sports Alliance to help see these important goals come to fruition.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Goodyear have announced a jersey patch partnership beginning next season. The agreement, according to SportsBusiness Journal, will also involve Turner Sports, which the Cavs hired to help “amplify the deal nationally.” Turner’s in-house agency Ignite Sports will create custom Goodyear-branded content to appear on TNT NBA coverage and provide media services for the Cavs. It is the first such deal for Ignite, which is angling to align itself with other NBA jersey patch deals. Sources have noted that the deal makes good sense because Goodyear is headquartered in nearby Akron, hometown of regional favorite son LeBron James. The deal is reportedly worth upwards of $10 million a year, making it the most lucrative of the six jersey patch deals signed to date. Goodyear’s other sports sponsorships include Ohio’s Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and the College Football Playoff. While the Goodyear deal is reportedly eight figures, none of the jersey patch deals would have been made without the foresight of the 76ers and jersey patch partner StubHub, who pioneered the innovative revenue opportunity for the NBA.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan claims he "wants to keep the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore and is willing to talk about investing state money to do so." According to the Baltimore Sun, the governor's office issued a statement after Stronach Group, the owner of Pimlico Race Course, said that the 147-year-old track likely "would have to be rebuilt" at a cost of $300-$500 million to "keep the race there” rather than move it to newer Laurel Park. State House Speaker Michael Busch also "signaled he's open to a state role." Regardless of the top leaders' "willingness to consider a state investment, lawmakers warned that it would be difficult to win General Assembly approval of a sizable investment in a track that survives on the strength of one big day each year." State Senator Edward Kasemeyer "isn't ruling out what he calls a 'three-way partnership' of the state, the city and the company to rebuild Pimlico." Few sports are as tradition-steeped as horse racing, so expect Maryland lawmakers to pull out all the stops to keep the race at Pimlico – especially when this year’s Preakness drew record attendance and race card handle for the third straight year.

The race between Los Angeles and Paris is heating up as both cities are vying to “wow” IOC members before a final decision is made. According to Reuters, LA 2024 “threw down the gauntlet” to its rival Paris with IOC members visiting planned venues and sites. IOC Evaluation Commission Chair Patrick Baumann said that the bid has “no major risks and venues that he described as 'mind-blowing.'" The plan is for sustainability and cost-consciousness to be a center point of the bid, using existing facilities across L.A. and building as few permanent structures as possible. While most cities “shunned the Olympics as too expensive,” L.A. jumped at the opportunity to host the Games again, especially after experiencing a positive economic upswing these past few years. As it wrapped up the Los Angeles tour, the USOC revealed a $78.5 million surplus on $336 million in revenue during the 2016 Rio Games year, including $173 million in broadcast rights fees, benefitting from Games-time boosts in TV and sponsorship revenue, according to its annual IRS filing. The site visits are over, and now Los Angeles and Paris must wait out the IOC’s ultimate decision on who gets the 2024 Games, and likely, who gets the 2028 event. My thinking: look for Paris to prevail in 2024, and L.A. to renegotiate for 2028.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has been rumored to potentially run for office sometime in the near future, leaving uncertainty how much longer he will “keep his grip on the company.” According to the Wall Street Journal, the 66-year-old Iger “simply doesn’t want to retire yet, despite stating repeatedly that he intents to.” Iger has lead Disney for the past 12 years with "such hands-on attention that he and Disney now seem inseparable to many employees and outside partners." Iger's "ever-extending leadership might be just what Disney needs to keep thriving where it is strong and solve problems looming on the horizon, such as declines in viewership at ESPN and the company’s other television networks." Iger has discussed the possibility of serving in a Democratic presidential administration somewhere down the line or even potentially spending time off on his sailboat. Don’t expect Iger to sail away into the sunset until ESPN’s decline is checked – whether that means installing new top management, an Iger-adjusted business model, or both.

The fate of two potential future MLS teams will not be decided until December. According to the Sacramento Business Journal, an announcement of two expansion teams was expected by midyear, but MLS officials “indicated an announcement of which cities are chosen” will not come until the end of the year. The Sac Soccer group in Sacramento is confident it will be one of the two cities selected in seven months, especially after purchasing Sacramento Republic FC, “making the USL club part of a bid for inclusion in MLS.” On paper, Sacramento has "checked all three boxes" with an "ownership team, established soccer market and a build-ready stadium plan." The ownership group behind the bid for Northern California is strong, with San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York and HP Enterprise President & CEO Meg Whitman part of the core. Meanwhile, the David Beckham-Oak View Group- led Miami Beckham United franchise continues to search for a stadium site in Miami, a task that’s proved more difficult than originally anticipated. With a slew of boldface names backing each MLS franchise, it’s only a matter of time before we’ll see MLS matches played in shiny new stadiums in both Sacramento and Miami. Star power usually gets things done.

Vodafone has pulled out of a naming rights deal that would have put its name on London Stadium for the next six years. According to the London Times, the deal was set to be worth $26 million over six years. Sources close to the company note that Vodafone pulled out after reporting an annual loss of $6.7 billion worldwide, “with profits down 31% in the United Kingdom, a downturn blamed largely on the weakness of sterling” amidst Brexit. EPL club West Ham United just finished out its first season at the former Olympic stadium, which was downsized after the 2012 Games. The club is desperate to land a naming rights deal for its home stadium to help cover the costs of annual rent totaling $3.2 million per year. Vodafone has been "noticeably absent" from sports marketing after it ended its seven-year title sponsorship of McLaren’s Formula 1 team in 2013. Even with a solid transition plan, the long term fate of Olympic facilities is never 100% certain because most cities fail to properly estimate ongoing maintenance and other costs. Look for the IOC to reference London Stadium as it chooses between Los Angeles and Paris.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are waiting to receive official confirmation that they will host the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. According to Yahoo Sports, if the game is awarded to Tampa Bay, it would mark the first time it would be hosted by the Lightning since 1999. Owner Jeff Vinik has invested heavily in renovating Amalie Arena instead of building a new facility. Downtown Tampa Bay has also grown considerably, making it a more attractive destination for a mega event. There has been "speculation that the lack of an NHL All-Star Game host announcement meant the NHL was hedging on its vow not to send players" to the 2018 PyeongChang Games. However, holding the All-Star Game was "always part of the contingency plan in case a deal with the IOC couldn’t be struck." As determined as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the league’s owners have been to keep their players away from the Olympics, a winter’s trip to Tampa Bay is looking all the more likely.

Derek Jeter may be retired, but that has not stopped fans from buying his memorabilia. According to SportsBusiness Journal, Topps Now is selling a set of special Jeter baseball cards commemorating the short stop’s retirement ceremony at Yankee Stadium. The cards have become “the top-selling regular-season cards in history of the Topps Now daily on-demand card service.” The company said it sold more than “13,500 cards relating to the Jeter ceremony between two base cards and a limited number of autographed cards and relic cards containing pieces of a base used in the game” on ceremony day. That marker tops the 11,550 cards sold last year for a card commemorating Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki gaining his 3,000th hit. The Jeter set generated more than $150,000 in revenue for Topps since its release. Trading card sales have declined as interest in baseball has waned among younger generations, and Topps and its peers welcome any opportunity to boost revenues tied to MLB special events like the Jeter ceremony.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati could have an unexpected challenger next year in his quest to remain in his role. According to the Washington Post, Boston attorney Steven Gans has begun exploring the option of running for the top spot in U.S. domestic soccer, but has not officially decided on doing so yet. "It’s amazing to me that such a big position, no one has ever run against Sunil,” said Gans. “There needs to be a challenger. He hasn’t demonstrated such a great track record. I don’t think the direction at the pro and youth level is so great. There are a lot of disenchanted people out there.” Gulati is officially allowed to run for one more term under current USSF guidelines; he has not confirmed his intent on running for the spot again, though many close to the organization expect him to run again. Gans has openly critiqued moves by Gulati that has demonstrated “poor judgment and leadership.” With corruption-driven leadership shifts at the FIFA level, it’s only natural that the heads of national federations would receive additional scrutiny. Gulati has had a lock on U.S. Soccer for many years, and as in most organizations, an infusion of new blood is usually a positive thing.

United Airlines is buying the naming rights to L.A. Memorial Coliseum for more than $70 million over 15 years, making it the richest naming-rights deal among college football stadiums. At $4.7 million per year, according to sources, United’s deal will surpass the 10-year, $41 million deal Alaska Airlines signed with the University of Washington for Husky Stadium rights in 2015. The naming-rights revenue is expected to help offset costs of a $270 million Coliseum renovation, slated to be completed in time for the 2019 USC football season. It is thought that “Memorial Coliseum” will be retained in the name. United’s CEO, Oscar Munoz, is a USC grad, and nearby LAX is one of United’s biggest U.S. hubs. Down the road, the Rams' and Chargers' $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood "will be delayed almost a year" from its originally planned opening in 2019 and is "now scheduled to be ready" for the 2020 NFL season, due to record rainfall during critical construction phases this past winter. The Rams will remain at the Coliseum for 2019, while the Chargers will play at StubHub Center. While the rain was a pain, the delay is definitely a silver lining for naming rights holders United and StubHub, which will both benefit from the additional exposure.

Jordan Spieth is the latest athlete to be featured on the Wheaties box. Spieth told media at the AT&T Byron Nelson that he will be on "about four million Wheaties boxes nationwide." Fittingly, Wheaties was "Byron Nelson’s first endorsement." Other golfers who have "had their own limited-edition boxes" include Ben Hogan, Babe Zaharias, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. Wheaties joins a Spieth endorsement portfolio that already includes "deals with AT&T, Coca-Cola, Titleist, and Under Armour. CNBC estimated the Wheaties deal could increase Spieth's brand value by upwards of $3.1 million, while Under Armour, whose logo appears on the shirt Spieth wears on the cereal box, could garner $171,000 worth of brand exposure. Too bad Spieth started the first weekend of his new deal by skipping breakfast – after a quad bogie on Friday, he failed to make the cut.

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junker-town · 7 years ago

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Terry Rozier wearing a Drew Bledsoe jersey is as amazing as it is petty

Rozier hit the nail on two heads with his outfit choice.

Terry Rozier arrived to Game 1 of the Celtics’ second-round playoff matchup against the 76ers on Monday rocking a Drew Bledsoe jersey. His outfit may have been a not-so subtle jab at a player he helped eliminate from the playoffs in the first round, or it could have been a salute to a new high-profile fan he helped convert last week.

Terry Rozier really showed up in a Bledsoe jersey... pic.twitter.com/0XHnp65w7A

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 30, 2018

Rozier had some beef in the first round

The Celtics guard earned the starting role after Kyrie Irving’s season ended early with a knee injury and subsequent minor surgery. In Boston’s first-round playoff matchup, they were tasked with facing the Milwaukee Bucks, whose starting point guard is Eric Bledsoe.

Things are starting to come together now, huh?

Rozier was asked a question about Milwaukee’s up-tempo pace, and when referencing the Bucks’ two lead playmakers, Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo, he accidentally said Drew Bledsoe — the former quarterback for the New England Patriots.

That moment lent itself to Eric Bledsoe saying he didn’t even know who Terry Rozier was, with some stronger language added for emphasis.

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The Drew Bledsoe reference got so hot that the actual, real-life, ex-Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe showed support with a message midway through the fourth quarter that was shown on the jumbotron:

The OG, @DrewBledsoe #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/d8hbpY8jVj

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 29, 2018

Rozier’s reaction?

“Man, that was special,” he said, via The Boston Globe. “That was dope. I don’t know who thought of that, but that was nice. For real. I liked that.”

Rozier eventually got the best of Bledsoe in the entire series. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game, including a 26-point, nine-assist closeout Game 7. Bledsoe finished with 23 points in the Bucks’ elimination game, but it was clear Rozier won the battle of the point guards in this round.

The two guards eventually squashed their beef after Game 7 with hugs and smiles after the final buzzer.

Bledsoe and Rozier with the respect following Game 7 pic.twitter.com/cZ8wjcrCfm

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2018

And Bledsoe offered the following explanation for their short-lived rivalry:

“It’s the playoffs,” Bledsoe said, via Matt Valezquez of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “What’d you expect, us to be out there shaking hands, giving out hugs the whole time? S--- ain’t gonna happen. He had a hell of a series. Got to take my hat off to him.”

Terry Rozier clearly knows Bledsoe’s full name, and if Eric Bledsoe didn’t know who Terry Rozier was before this series, he does now.

And after rocking that Drew Bledsoe jersey, Rozier now has a new friend:

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“That’s my guy,” he said before Game 1 against the 76ers. “Never had a conversation with him, but that’s my guy.”

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sports2021 · 3 years ago

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NBA playoffs 2021 Matchups, schedules and news for every firstround series The 2021 NBA playoffs are

https://tea.instructure.com/eportfolios/187925/Home/1080P_ZHChineseThe 2021 NBA playoffs are here, and the Milwaukee Bucks have already become the first team to advance to the second round, eliminating the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in four games. Who will join Milwaukee in the conference semifinals?

Keep it here for all the matchups, schedules, news and analysis from Round 1 all the way through the crowning of an NBA champion.

MORE: What to know for the playoffs | Full schedule | Experts' picks

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● The ugliness of NBA fans attacking players

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● How the floater became the NBA's 2-pointer of the future

● The Lakers and Clippers are moving in opposite directions

● The good, bad and ugly from eight Game 1s

US Monastir joins Zamalek in first-ever BAL final A week after beating Patriots BBC, the hosts of the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL), in the group stages, US Monastir defeated the Rwandan champions 87-46 on Saturday to join Zamalek in the BAL Final.

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https://tea.instructure.com/eportfolios/187929/Home/Brave_Gunjyo_Senki_Full_MovieIt was the Tunisians' second-largest winning margin of the BAL season, their largest coming in a 113-66 win over Madagascar GNBC.

The Patriots stepped on the court ready to upset the No. 1 seeded team. The lead changed hands four times, with US Monastir ahead 16-14 after the opening quarter.

Prince Ibeh drew two early fouls in the first half, forcing Patriots head coach Alan Major to remove him to protect him from an early exclusion from the game. The Tunisians took advantage of Ibeh's absence, adjusted offensively and they went on to open a 37-22 halftime lead, thanks to a 17-0 run in the second quarter.

US Monastir never looked back after opening up the early lead, forcing the Patriots to turn the ball over 26 times.

Dieudonne Ndizeye, the only Patriots BBC player to score in double digits, had 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-6 from long range; Kenneth Gasana and Ibeh finished with eight points apiece.

Meanwhile, Tunisia international player Omar Abada was on fire, tallying game highs with 18 points and five assists. Four other US Monastir players, including Marcus Crawford, Wael Arakji, Majok James and Firas Lahyani scored in double digits combining 46 points.

"After the first quarter we regrouped and decided that it was time to stop them from making those crazy shots. We played more aggressively, and that's how we won the game," said US Monastir power forward Makrem Ben Romdhane.

US Monastir assistant coach Safouen Ferjani recalled that his team is in Kigali "to win the BAL title."

During a post-game presser, Major said that "it was a bad day for a good team."

In the other semifinal, Zamalek beat Petro Atletico 89-71 to advance to the final.

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid cruises to playoff career-high 36 points in rout of Washington Wizards Getting little resistance and feeling confident in deploying his full array of offensive skills, Joel Embiid unleashed a crushing performance Saturday night, as he posted a playoff career-high 36 points in just 28 minutes to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 132-103 victory at the Washington Wizards.

He made 14 of 18 shots, with a stream of power moves, fadeaway jumpers and 3-pointers, as the 76ers took their first 3-0 lead in a postseason series since 1985.

The Wizards, who have matchup issues all across the floor against the bigger and deeper 76ers, didn't double-team Embiid as aggressively as they did in Games 1 and 2 while looking to deploy attention elsewhere. Embiid crushed the strategy, piling up 25 points in the first half.

He is averaging 30.6 points on a relentless 67% shooting, including 55% on 3-pointers after making 3-of-4 in Game 3.

"It was one-on-one, and I wanted to take advantage of it. I guess that's on them to make that choice," Embiid said. "It's hard to stop me if you send a double-team or not."

His dominance and confidence against the Wizards' attempts to deal with him were illustrated over two possessions late in the second quarter.

In open space at the 3-point line, Embiid pump-faked and easily got past Daniel Gafford, his defender on the play. When Embiid got into the lane, the back-line defender, Rui Hachimura, bailed and got out of the way. Embiid rose up for a power dunk but missed, maybe surprised it came so easy.

Two possessions later, seeing no reason not to, he tried the exact move again. Gafford was lost on an Embiid pump fake. Hachimura bailed when Embiid came rolling down the lane, and this time the MVP finalist got the timing right, polishing off a highlight jam before cupping his ear toward the opposing crowd.

"I missed the dunk, and [the fans] let me hear about it," Embiid said. "I had another opportunity, and I wanted to hear more boos. It gets me going; I like it. I just love playing on the road."

It wasn't just Gafford and Hachimura; Embiid overpowered about half the Wizards' roster on the night.

Washington came in ranked 13th in defense among the playoff teams and didn't show much vigor, allowing the 76ers to get a stream of clean 3-pointers in transition and half-court sets.

Ben Simmons, who had 14 points and nine assists, repeatedly set up teammates for 3-pointers, namely Embiid and Danny Green, who made five of them. The 76ers made 17 of 33 3-pointers and shot 59% overall.

Wizards guard Russell Westbrook, playing through a sprained right ankle, had his best offensive game of the series with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, as he tied Jason Kidd for third all time in playoff triple-doubles with his 11th. Bradley Beal tallied 25 points but made just 1 of 8 3-pointers.

"Joel was special, special tonight," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. "We had one of those nights where everything fell for us."

Mike Conley leads Utah Jazz to victory in 'surreal' return to Memphis Mike Conley still can't quite believe the way the basketball stars have aligned.

After spending 12 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, the veteran Utah Jazz guard is still adjusting to the fact that his new team is facing his old team in an emotional first-round playoff series. But after scoring 27 points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing six rebounds in Utah's 121-111 Game 3 road win over the Grizzlies on Saturday night, Conley had to crack a small smile while describing what it's like playing against his old team and the new face of his former organization, Ja Morant.

"It's amazing to be playing against a guy like Ja, first off," Conley said, after helping the Jazz secure a 2-1 series lead. "Just seeing a guy that's so talented, he's a young superstar in the league, wearing the jersey that I'm so used to wearing. Getting the cheers from the crowd that I'm so used to hearing. It's surreal. It's like full circle. You never thought that it would be this way. I never did, at least.

"It's like sometimes you live long enough to become the villain, and I've become that for the Memphis Grizzlies now. Just got to take that in stride, continue to do what I do and have fun with that, have fun with the game."

After becoming the face of the Grizzlies organization over the last decade alongside former Memphis big man Marc Gasol, Conley shined in the first playoff game against his old team in his 14-year career -- hitting big shots and playing the type of solid defense that helped the Jazz close the game on 14-2 run in the final 4:15 of regulation.

Morant finished with 28 points and seven assists.

"Mike was terrific, man," Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said. "On both ends of the floor. He was Mike Conley. And he always has been for us all year, and he's taken it to an even nother level. And I feel like when you have a guy like that who can handle the ball, who can control the game, as well, it makes my life and my job easier.

"So when I get certain shots, it's because he sees things, he's communicating that with me or he's putting me in positions to go ahead and score and make plays too. A lot of that too is Mike Conley being here. He's big time."

After struggling to find a consistent rhythm throughout much of his first season in Utah, Conley appears to have found the groove in his second campaign that helped make the Jazz the No. 1 team in the Western Conference all season. He went 7-of-10 from the 3-point line on Saturday, tying his career high for 3-pointers in a game.

"I think the biggest thing is he's just locked in," Mitchell said. "He just has a different look. And that's one of the things that I saw from him in the bubble, and I've seen it at an even higher level now. He understands it. He loves -- he played for Memphis, what, 13 years. At the end of the day, there's still love. You can see it. And there's also love in competing against them. And I think it is impressive, because it's easy to be distracted ...

"I remember his first game back here: Mentally he was all over the place. And rightfully so. It's an emotional moment for him. But to be back here competing against Ja, who's like -- you got the OG and then you got the young guy. I think that's pretty dope. It's a dope story, but for him, he's competing. He's doing his thing on both ends of the floor. And both of these guys are taking the challenge head-on. That's why I love Mike; that's why we love Mike."

Jazz coach Quin Snyder echoed the chorus of plaudits for Conley by noting that not only did his team start rebounding better in the final minutes, it rode the wave that Conley helped set in slowing down Morant.

"One of the things we've talked about is trying to get better defensively as the game goes on," Snyder said. "Obviously, Ja is such a terrific player. I thought really as much as anything, Mike Conley, he was unbelievable. Just his quickness, his presence on the ball."

As strange as it remains for Conley to go against some of his former teammates, the 33-year-old guard is trying to enjoy the experience of playing against the new face of the team he led for so long.

"When we started to compete, all that stuff kind of goes out the window," Conley said. "I thought I'd be more wrapped up in it; at the same time, I was just out there having fun and competing. Got into the flow of the ga me early, saw a couple shots go in, really found a good rhythm ... it's a great environment to play in, still one of my favorite places to play, so it was fun to be a part of it."

Denver Nuggets' Michael Malone calls out starting unit after blowout loss to Portland Trail Blazers It's not unusual for Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone to tell it like it is, and he put it quite bluntly after Saturday's 115-95 loss in Game 4 at the Portland Trail Blazers.

"Our starters were awful," he said. "I thought we had some guys that were tentative, that looked a little scared, who played soft ... we're going to have to be a lot better going home."

The Nuggets fell behind early in Game 4, a developing trend in the series that the

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alfredohaylee-blog · 4 years ago

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tophatal · 5 years ago

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The Life You Lead and The Road Less Traveled ….

With the NFL Postseason having come to an and with it being a glorious celebration with the Kansas City Chiefs wining Superbowl LIV . Patrick Mahomes joined a select group of players to have won the Superbowl MVP and League MVP , though not in the same season within a three-year span of having entered the league. Mahomes excelled during the regular season with his play and he truly stepped up to the plate during the postseason .

Patrick Mahomes and his teammates were truly invigorating in their defeat of the San Francisco 49ers . For Chiefs’ Head Coach Andy Reid , this was a tremendous achievement , after his years of trying to reach the pinnacle of the NFL. Reid has now taken two teams to the Superbowl , won two conference titles and multiple division titles with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. From my own perspective , Reid can now take this Chiefs’ franchise to even greater heights than any of his predecessors including the venerable Hank Stram .

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During this off-season , it will be interesting to see how the Kansas City Chiefs’ front office will deal with the free agents on the roster as well as positioning themselves with regard to the upcoming NFL Draft as well as their positioning with the salary cap . Leigh Steinberg , agent for Patrick Mahomes knows that he can negotiate a revamped deal for his budding NFL superstar , with the chance that Mahomes could very well become among the highest paid players in the league.

There were several teams who failed miserably over the course of the NFL season , with perhaps none more so than the Cincinnati Bengals . Though some might say the Cleveland Browns were equally abysmal with Baker Mayfield proving how over-hyped the quarterback has been , albeit that he could share the same ignominy of Jamies Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with his erratic play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . One thing that is clear , several franchises will be in need of a quarterback for the upcoming season and the likelihood with several veteran free agents on the market , notably Tom Brady , Drew Brees and Philip Rivers , there could be some major changes on the way. Joe Burrow appears to be overall consensus number one overall pick in this upcoming Draft and I seriously doubt that the Bengals’ front office will pass on a player of his caliber , given his play on the national championship winning team of LSU (Tigers) .

In the aftermath of the fallout from the Houston Astros and their spectacular fall from grace , it has to be said that the MLB hierarchy’s handling of the situation was swift and exact . Furthermore , team owner Jim Crane immediately fired manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow . Crane has moved ahead with the hiring of Dusty Baker to succeed Hinch and the hire of James Click , a former front office executive with the Tampa Bay Rays to succeed Jeff Luhnow . It would appear that the Astros are now in a position to embark on a new chapter within the franchise’s history .

The world of baseball is still in shock , with some of the game’s most prominent players not said to be completely satisfied with the punishment meted out to the Houston Astros’ organization. From my own perspective , I feel that the steps taken by MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred , were more than justified and it sets an example for the rest of the teams within the league as to the dangers of cheating .

If you’ve provided a great deal of success for a team that you have played for ever since your very first game for the franchise , then you would expect to be compensated accordingly. That doesn’t appear to be the case for Mookie Betts , an All Star player for the Boston Red Sox and the ball-club’s most recent recipient of an ALMVP Award . Betts and the Red Sox front office seem to be miles apart in the renegotiation his existing contract which has a year to run and with the player due $27 million for the upcoming 2020 MLB season .

There are said to be at least two interested parties wishing to acquire Mookie Betts , with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres said to be those two leading ball-clubs vying for his services. The Dodgers for their part can offer up several players, while committing themselves to adding Betts’ final year to their already burgeoning payroll and likelihood of committing themselves of being penalized by way of the luxury tax threshold of $200 million if necessary. . It will be interested to see what the Dodgers can achieve with Mookie Betts and David Price , with the news now emanating that the Red Sox have relented and sent these two players westwards to Los Angeles . The Dodgers with these two acquisitions would have to be considered for the NLCS in 2020. with the depth of their roster overall .

With the Opening Day for the MLB season beginning on 26th March , 2020 and it will be interesting to see how the teams will fare through the first month of the season . The Los Angeles Dodgers’ regular season opener will see the team face the San Francisco Giants , their NL West divisional rivals .

It will be hard to suggest which team in the AL can be seen as a viable favorite for the ALCS in 2020. The New York Yankees , Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins were the only three teams to have notched over 100 wins this past season . All three were divisional champions and it will be interesting to see if either can repeat that feat , given the changes made to the respective rosters and payrolls . For the Yankees , their continued to pursuit of a twenty-eighth World Series’ title remains ever present in the minds of their fans as well as the Steinbrenner family as the owners of baseball’s most revered franchise . New York’s last victory in the World Series came by way of the managerial talents of Joe Girardi , as he led them to victory over the Philadelphia Phillies . New York’s manager Aaron Boone and this largely talented team will be looking to guide the franchise to another postseason berth with another title in mind. Their season will begin with a game the Baltimore Orioles , in a contest being played on the road against their AL East divisional rivals.

Aaron Boone will undoubtedly be tested over the course of the season , with the continued impatience among the fans of the New York Yankees. With the team having several All Stars on the roster , these players will have to play to the best of their abilities over the course of this season . The likes of Giancarlo Stanton , among the highest paid player on the team alongside Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge will be looking to have a great season in 2020. Gerrit Cole , the starting pitcher acquired during this off-season will debut for the Yankees , likely leading their starting roster of pitchers. . If Cole is the Opening Day Starter against the Orioles , it will be interesting to see how the player fares against Baltimore .

Is there any chance that Derek Jeter as the newest New York Yankees ‘ Hall of Fame inductee will be able to see the Miami Marlins actually compete this season within the NL East ? It has been several years since the ball-club last played in the postseason and several years since the finished either as a runner-up or division winner within the division.

The Miami Marlins have gone from being franchise with a great farm system to an after-thought and laughing stock around the game of baseball. Not even under the managerial acumen of Don Mattingly and his staff , has the ball-club to achieve anything of note. Suffice to say another sub-par year now awaits the Marlins after their 57-105 record of last season . . This season if nothing else , Jeter and team managing partner , Bruce Sherman will be expecting a great deal out of this team heading into the season. . On assessing the team’s roster and the fact the payroll is among the lowest in the league , something of a trait the ball-club has followed for a number of years . This continues to be the mantra that they’ve followed for several years heading into 2020 . The Marlins’ regular season opener will see the team face the Philadelphia Phillies at home .

We’re heading into the NBA All Star Game which takes place this upcoming week and with the teams having not fared too well at this juncture in the lead-up to this big mid-season event. The Milwaukee Bucks have the best record in the league , and the team is the only franchise to have hit the forty victory mark . Current League MVP and captain of the World Stars , when they face the domestic NBA Stars of the league as Giannis Antetokoumnpou will lead that roster of World Stars . Antetokounmpou once again leads the Brewers in offense and has been the focal point of a franchise once again looking to meet expectations . Milwaukee has a mere handful games before the All Star Break , with their next game being against the Philadelphia 76ers , a team which is clearly over-matched in this contest to my mind with their players being nowhere as talented as the Bucks.

With the aftermath and the death of Kobe Bryant , there has been a giant shadow cast over the NBA and specifically the Los Angeles Lakers’ franchise , with the organization as well as the fans players alike in a complete state of shock. For Lakers’ premiere players LeBron James and Anthony Davis , it has been a devastating for both All Stars. While I believe that the franchise can overcome this tragedy , it remains to be seen how the players will acquit themselves in the coming months . They are clearly the best team within the Western Conference by a wide margin , but the regular season being what it is . It’s a playoff run which really determines great champions and the players themselves . LeBron James knows this to be true given his playoff record in the NBA. Over their next ten games , it will be interesting to see how the Lakers will fare in those upcoming contests . Their upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors on the 8th February .

If the Los Angeles Lakers are said to be having problems, then one equate the continued problems of the New York Knicks as one of their very own making over the past ten years at least. . The fact that the franchise’s last appearance in the NBA Playoffs took place during the 2012-13 season should tell you all you need to know about the Knicks and their continued dire straits . The team’s roster as it now stands isn’t overly impressive and when compared to the other franchises in the conference and league overall , there’s the feeling that the front office under GM Scott Perry , team owner James L Dolan and the coaching staff of Mike Miller have completely lost their way . Up next for the New York Knicks will be a game against the Detroit Pistons on the road against an Eastern Conference rival . The New York Knicks remains the most valuable franchise in the NBA and among its most profitable , purely based from the fact they’re in the nation’s largest ad-market . Beyond that, there’s nothing remotely significant about the organization and its current destination at this juncture.

What if anything, would you like to see happen in the coming weeks within the world of sports and which recent stories have held your attention the most ?

Tophatal 02/07/2020………….

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MLB schedule 26th March Opening Day …

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Byron Scott, the now fired former coach of the Hornets. GM , Jeff Bower who has now assumeed the position of head coach on an interim basis. And assistant coach , Tim Floyd. It’s safe to assume that the reins may well be handed over to Floyd at some time in the future given the fact Bower has no experience as a coach of any kind with regard to the NBA . picture apears courtesy of nbae/ getty images / Richard Tyson …………..

Rays’ third baseman , Evan Longoria at the plate for team. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Vic Hallam

Carl Crawford’s three-run home run in the sixth inning highlighted Tampa Bay’s three-game sweep of the Angels. The Rays are five games over .500 for the first time in team history. photo appears courtesy of the Associated Press/ Mike Carlson ………….

Gatots’ player Tim Tebow (15) and his coach Urban Meyer discuss their options during a game. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Chris Dickson ……………….

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s steroids proposal, made to the union last month, calls for a 50-game ban for first offenders, a 100-game penalty for second offenders and a lifetime ban for a third positive test. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Adam Roundtree …….

Carolina Panthers’ Julius Peppers saluting fans as he walks off the field after the Panthers’ 23-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers have decided the price is too steep to keep their all-time sacks leader. It means five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers is about to become one of the top prizes in free agency. Agent Carl Carey says the Panthers have told him they won’t place the restrictive franchise tag on Peppers for a second consecutive year at a cost of more than $20 million. The move Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, comes two days before the tag deadline. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Rick Havner ……

Mike Dunleavy (#17) of the Indiana Pacers goes up for the lay up against Brendan Haywood (#33) of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on February 22, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Glenn James ……………….

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, left, and head football coach Rich Rodriguez, right, are shown at a news conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The NCAA has found that Michigan’s storied football program was out of compliance with practice time rules under coach Rodriguez. Incoming athletic director David Brandon disclosed the finding Tuesday. He says there were no surprises in the NCAA findings. He also says Rodriguez remains the coach. Michigan has 90 days to respond and will appear at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Paul Sancya ……

Los Angeles -January 13th 2010. New head coach of the USC Trojans Lane Kiffin shakes a hand as he makes his way to his press conference at Heritage Hall in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Harry How ……………..

Duke’s Jon Scheyer collides with Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, left, during the first half. Scheyer scored 25 points and collected 10 rebounds in the win. The Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech (Hokies) 67-55 in the game . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Sara Davis ……………..

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaks to the media Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 at the Chicago Cubs spring training facility in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears Assoc. Press/ Matt York ….

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, right, along with coaches Matt Sinatro, middle, and Lester Strode watch pitchers warm up during spring training baseball camp practice Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears courtesy of Assoc. Press/ Ross D. Franklin ………..

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mauer swings in the batting cage at baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Nati Harnik …….

Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, left, watches batting practice with Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez during spring training baseball Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, in Jupiter, Fla. With the smallest payroll in the majors last year, the Marlins won 87 games and finished six games behind eventual league champion Philadelphia in the NL East. Visiting spring training to watch the first full-squad workout, Loria said the 2009 Marlins underachieved. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/Jeff Roberson ……..

Israeli model Bar Refaeli seen here doing a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition phot-shoot.

Ray Allen (#20) of the Boston Celtics looks for a play against LeBron James (#23) of the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 25, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Brian Babbineau …..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight super champion Shane Mosley exchange words during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The press conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Seth Wenig ……..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight world champion Shane Mosley pose for a picture during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The news conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press /Seth Wenig

Scott Boras, chided for bonus demands for amateur clients, says the Major League Baseball draft needs restructuring. “In this system, everybody thinks this is about money. No, this is about saving money. It allows for less mistakes,” he says. photo appears courtesy of USA Today Jason M. Millstein ………………..

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig and actress Sarah-Jessica Parker take part in an on field presentation during the 79th MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on July 15, 2008 in the Bronx borough of New York City. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images North America / Jim McIsaac ……………

Stacey Dash , actress , designer and entrepreneur .

Jennifer Aniston shows us that she’s more than willing to be your ‘friend’ ?

Model & Playboby playmate Naureen Zaim . Who wouldn’t mind teaching her a lesson or two on human anatomy ?

Cuban American actress & model Natalie Martinez

Martinez again looking good as only she possibly can !

Oh mon ami ! she possibly can ! Je t’aime !</strong

Who wouldn’t want to play with Natalie Martinez ?

Well hello there !

Model & actress Natalie Martinez ……….

Actress & model Natalie Martinez …….. Who wouldn’t want to get ahold of her rims ? I know I would !

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his fly-out in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, March 26, 2010, in Tampa, Fla. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press / Mike Carlson ….

Sarasoata , Fl ,. Infielder Adrian Beltre (29) of the Boston Red Sox throws over to first for an out against the Baltimore Orioles during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 27, 2010 in Sarasota, Florida. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ J Meric ……….

St. Louis , Bobby Maze (3) of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to shoot the ball against Mike Kebler (20) and Draymond Green (23) both of the Michigan State Spartans during the midwest regional final of the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Edward Jones Dome on March 28, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. Michigan State beat Tennessee 70-69. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Dilip Vishwanat …

The Duke Blue Devils hold up the trophy after a 78-71 win over the Baylor Bears in the south regional final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Ronald Martinez …

Butler’s Nick Rodgers hold up the West Regional trophy as the team returned home to Indianapolis amid a throng of fans after earning a spot in the Final Four with a victory over Kansas State Saturday. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ A J Mast ………..

West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla hug after the game. Butler scored 18 points and Mazulla pitched in a career-high 17 to help West Virginia hold off the Wildcats. The Mountaineers would defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 73-66 to make their way the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Jim McIsaac ……….

Russian actress & model Anya Monzikova . Who wouldn’t want some of Monzikova alongside some fresh Beluga caviar ?

2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. The player is widely expected to be taken number one overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. The team with the first pick are the NFC’s St Louis Rams . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Chris Rogers ………..

Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. The player is said to want to remain with the Eagles but it’s becoming clear that he will be traded sooner rather than later. Eagles’ coach Andy Reid and team President Joe Banner are willing to listen to offers for the Pro Bowler. photo appears courtesy of US Presswire/ Jody Gomez ………….

Tebow (15) left is seen here alongside his former college coach Urban Meyer. The two proved to be very sucessfule as a team combining to win two national titles in four years. photo appears courtesy of boston.com/ articles …………

DeMaurice Smith Executive Director of the NFLPA. Smith who assumed the position after the death of his predecessor Gene Upshaw. He was elected to the position by the board members of the Players’ Association. Smith was a corporate litigation attorney for the DC law firm Patton Boggs. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Phillip Mitchell

Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz has his shot challenged by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers would go on to defeat the Jazz 102-96 in the game . photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Andrew D Bernstein ………..

Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles. The player was traded to the Washington Redskins a divisional rival in the NFC East. It adds to the flavor this upcoming season when the player meets his ‘former team’ . photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Hugh Malcolm ………………..

Baylor’s Brittney Griner and U Conn’s Maya Moore are seen here during the women’s Final Four game between the two teams. Geno Auriemma’s Huskies would go on to defeat the Baylor Lady Bears 70-50 in the game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas , Sunday April 4th 2010. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Alicia Mack ………..

Cleveland Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers and his lawyer Patrick D’Angelo, center, talk to reporters after leaving Cleveland Police Headquarters where Rogers was charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon on Friday, April 2, 2010, in Cleveland, Ohio. Rogers was arrested at Cleveland Hopkins International airport on Thursday after he tried to take a loaded handgun through airport security. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Jason Miller …..

Butler head coach Brad Stevens , left to right, Gordon Hayward and Ronald Nored smile during an interview session for the men’s NCAA Final Four college basketball championship Sunday, April 4, 2010, in Indianapolis. The Butler Bulldogs will face Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils in the championship game Monday night to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium , Indianapolis, Indiana. This in many ways will be very much a “home game” for the small and in-obtrusive college team from Indiana. The furor over over their improbable journey has resonated within the state and across the nation. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Mark J Terrill ……………

Los Angeles, April 4th 2010. Manu Ginobil (20) of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Luke Walton (4) of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday. The San Antonio Spurs would go on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-81 in a game played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Noah Grahame …………….

Tiki Barber and his wife Gina Cha. Barber’s wife is six months pregnant with twins and is now in the midst of separating from the former NFL star. photo appears courtesy of Wire Image/ Duffie Marie Arnoult ………….

23 year old Traci Lynn Johnson an intern with NBC Universal and who works alongside Tiki Barber on the NBC morning show “The Today Show” . Barber and Johnson are romantically involved and the former NFL star has now separated from his wife of 11 years , Gina Cha. The couple have two children with twin now on the way in terms of Cha’s pregnancy. photo appears courtesy of Social Media SEO ……….

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2010/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round/dt-by-round-input:1

Playboy Playmate Kayle Collins …………August 2008. Is there a need to proceed further concerning Kayle’s attributes ?

Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic goes for the layup in the Eastern Conference semi-final game played against the Atlanta Hawks. NBAE/ Getty Images/ Fernando Medina ………

Head Coach Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz fields questions from the media following his team’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images _ Andrew D Bernstein

Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against Deron Williams (8 )of the Utah Jazz in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images/ Noah D Bernstein

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 24: (L-R) Robert Vittek, Martin Skrtel and Radoslav Zabavnik of Slovakia celebrate victory after knocking Italy out of the competition during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images ……

Johannesburg , South Africa – June 24 th 2010. Kamil Kopunek of Slovakia celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images ……

Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy, leaves the field dejected after being knocked out of the competition by Slovakia during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images ………

In this Sept. 18, 2010, photo, Florida Marlins’ Dan Uggla bats in a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Miami. Uggla has been traded from the Marlins to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-hander Mike Dunn. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

This is a 2008 file photo of Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins baseball team. Uggla and the Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary agreement on a $62 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011 on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not yet final. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16), of Taiwan, comes into the dugout following the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

ST. PETERSBURG – AUGUST 04: Designated hitter Jeff Keppinger #7 of the Tampa Bay Rays fouls off a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the game at Tropicana Field on August 4, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

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Brady

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Picture gallery alongside narrative.

The Life You Lead and the Road Less Traveled The Life You Lead and The Road Less Traveled .... With the NFL Postseason having come to an and with it being a glorious celebration with the…

#Football #NFL #Sports Category #Uncategorised

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laresearchette · 2 years ago

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Thursday, November 17, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: GANGS OF LONDON (AMC +) A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS (Crave TV) FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE (Disney + Star) 23rd ANNUAL LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS (TLN) 8:00pm PICKLED (Global) 9:00pm THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS (Crave) 9:00pm/9:30pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT DRAGONS: THE NINE REALMS (TBD - YTV)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CRAVE TV A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS (Season 2, Episode 1-2)

DISNEY + STAR FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE

NETFLIX CANADA 1899 BANTÚ MAMA CHRISTMAS WITH YOU DEAD TO ME (Season 3) I AM VANESSA GUILLEN PEPSI, WHERE'S MY JET?

NHL HOCKEY (SNWest) 7:00pm: Flames vs. Lightning (SN1/SNEast/SNPacific) 7:00pm: Flyers vs. Bruins (SNOntario) 7:00pm: Devils vs. Leafs (TSN2) 7:00pm: Habs vs. Blue Jackets (TSN3) 8:00pm: Ducks vs. Jets (SN360) 10:00pm: Coyotes vs. Knights

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4) 7:30pm: 76ers vs. Hawks (SN1) 10:30pm: Pistons vs. Clippers

DRAGONS' DEN (CBC) 8:00pm (SEASON FINALE): In the season finale, a mother-daughter team plow their way into the Den; a married couple makes a splash and looks to clean up; and a designer hopes her custom demonstration will sew up a Dragon deal. Plus, a decorated entrepreneur hopes her journey to success lights a fire under the Dragons.

AMERICAN REALITY TV AWARDS (Out TV) 8:00pm

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 8:15pm: Titans vs. Packers

VEGHEADZ (CTV Life) 8:30pm: Chef Pino Di Cerbo creates a vegetable-filled holiday feast.

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm: The Fifth Estate investigates the murky world of human smuggling after a family of four from India, including a toddler, froze to death in January trying to cross from Manitoba into Minnesota. Host: Steven D'Souza

NATIONS AT WAR (APTN) 9:00pm: By the 1800s, the Ojibwe were scarred by years of disease and bitter wars against European and Indigenous rivals. For over a century, they faced an impossible choice as turmoil threatened to destroy their nations: land or peace?

THE LAZARUS PROJECT (Showcase) 9:00pm: As George tries desperately to cover his tracks, his actions force Archie to question her faith in the Lazarus Project.

BIG TIMBER (History Canada) 9:00pm (SEASON FINALE): Tempers flare as Kevin and his team finalize building the Pipe Dream and finally get the boat out on the water; with the snow finally gone, the crew heads back up the mountain to yard wood; Kevin has a special surprise for Jack and Rachel's wedding.

MAKEOVER BY MONDAY (Magnolia Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Jenni Yolo remodels her friends' bedroom into an oasis that will provide a nice escape for the parents of four children. Jenni uses DIY-friendly techniques to transform the space including a custom wallpaper and a faux-denza. In Episode Two, Jenni Yolo sets out to transform her younger sister's dark, duplex kitchen into a design masterpiece in only three days. Stepping outside her comfort zone in some areas, Jenni makes some bold design choices in hopes her sister will be blown away.

GOING NATIVE (APTN) 9:30pm: Drew steps into the Badlands to visit the Hoodoos formations in Alberta. Later, he travels to Thunder Bay to meet a sleeping giant. Lastly, Drew heads to Lake Huron and the Manitou Islands to uncover incredible Indigenous legends.

RIVALRY SERIES (TSN5) 10:00pm: USA vs. Canada

PAMELA'S GARDEN OF EDEN (HGTV Canada) 10:00pm: Pamela's takes matters into her own hands when she worries her team isn't putting enough of a modern, sexy spin on the old roadhouse front room; things come to a head when the designs for the boathouse are far off from her grand vision.

CANADIAN REFLECTIONS (CBC) 11:30pm: Tibbits Hill/Clothing

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #canadian tv listings #dragons' den #vegheadz #the fifth estate #nations at war #the lazarus project #big timber #going native #pamela's garden of eden #canadian reflections #nhl hockey #nba basketball #nfl football

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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Kobe Bryant and a Daughter Dead in Helicopter Crash: Live Updates

Here’s what we know so far about the crash.

The retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif.

Bryant was among the passengers traveling onboard the helicopter on Sunday. Five people were confirmed deceased, with no survivors, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said on Twitter. An investigation is ongoing

and the National Transportation Safety Board said it sent a team to California on Sunday evening.

The N.B.A. sent a confirmation of Bryant’s and Gianna’s deaths to all teams and league employees Sunday afternoon, according to two people familiar with the document.

Bryant was considered one of the best players in N.B.A. history.

Drafted to the N.B.A. directly out of high school in 1996, Bryant was named an All-Star in 18 of his 20 seasons for the Lakers and helped lead the team to five championships. His hypercompetitive nature led to occasional public disagreements with coaches and other players, but his commitment to winning was never questioned.

The winner of the N.B.A.’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2007-8, and the Finals M.V.P. in both 2009 and 2010, Bryant showed a rare commitment to success on both ends of the court, with a resume that included two scoring titles — and an 81-point game in 2006 that is the second-highest single-game total in N.B.A. history — along with 12 appearances on the league’s All-Defense team. He also thrived on the international stage, where he won gold medals for U.S.A. Basketball in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

In 2016, after various injuries had taken their toll on the longtime superstar, he proved to have one more highlight in him, scoring 60 points in his final game while leading the last-place Lakers to a surprising win over the Utah Jazz.

Off the court, Bryant’s legacy was far more complicated. He was arrested in 2003 after a sexual assault complaint was filed against him in Colorado. A 19-year-old hotel employee claimed that Bryant, who was working to rehabilitate his knee following surgery, had raped her. The legal case against Bryant was eventually dropped, and a civil suit was settled privately out of court, but Bryant publicly apologized for the incident.

“Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,” he said in his statement. “After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”

In retirement, Bryant became something of a champion for women’s sports and expanded his purview, winning an Academy Award in 2018 for his animated short film “Dear Basketball” while also creating the web series “Detail” for ESPN in which he analyzed current players. He was scheduled to headline the 2020 N.B.A. Hall of Fame nominees.

Players at the N.F.L.’s Pro Bowl reacted and fans chanted “Ko-be.”

News of Kobe Bryant’s death reached the N.F.L.’s Pro Bowl game in Orlando, Fla., where public address announcers asked the crowd at Camping World Stadium to observe a moment of silence to commemorate the Lakers star, which the crowd interrupted with chants of “Ko-be, Ko-be.”

In an ESPN interview, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees spoke about Bryant during the second quarter of the game.

“I had so much respect for him as a competitor. I know he inspired so many people in so many different ways,” Brees said. “I mean, one of the great competitors of any generation, not just with sports, but I think just the way he approached a lot of things and what he was doing now after basketball. So I pray for him, I pray for his family. I know we don’t know all the details yet but it’s a tragic loss.”

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, also interviewed by ESPN, said that Bryant sent him a signed jersey when he was drafted. “That meant a lot,” Jackson said. “That’s one of the GOATs. Him, M.J. and LeBron, them the top three.”

The governor of California says Bryant “made history.”

California’s governor said the state was mourning “the tragic and untimely death of a California icon and basketball legend.”

“In his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, he made history with raw talent and unparalleled dedication that raised the bar and paved the way for a newer generation of players,” Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, said in a statement that also cited Bryant’s charity work.

“He was taken too soon and he will be missed,” they said.

Fans reacted swiftly to the news.

Some 200 people had huddled together in the foggy Calabasas at the foot of the hill closest to the crash. Several people were wearing Kobe gear and had basketballs.

Paolo Santos, 27, had looked forward to catching a glimpse of his childhood idol at the Lakers game on Tuesday. “I’ve been watching him since I was a kid,” Mr. Santos said. “My stomach just hurts.”

“He’s a figure. He’s a legend. He brought L.A. back. He’s an L.A. icon,” he said. “He was a competitor. His drive, shooting in the gym at 4 in the morning. He’s what everyone wants to be.”

Philip Gordon, 45 of Winnetka, who was wearing a Kobe bathrobe over a Kobe jersey, Kobe shoes and socks, said he was watching the NFL Pro Bowl when he heard the news. “It’s so surreal,” he said.

“For 20 years I looked up to him. I became a fan of his as a person. It’s a huge loss for the city. He’s an icon beyond any Laker. We love Magic, we love Kareem, but Kobe transcends generations.”

Over in Echo Park Lake, joggers ran past residents of the cluster of tents on the lake’s northwest corner who were gathering around a table of donated food.

One man joined them and asked if the others had heard the news about Kobe Bryant. Immediately, expressions of disbelief rang out.

“No way!” someone said, punctuated with an expletive.

The man insisted it was true.

But slowly the reality set in.

Davon Brown, 29, wearing Lakers purple warm-up pants and a matching knitted beanie, said he moved to Southern California from New York years ago to play basketball. He saw Mr. Bryant as an example both on the court and off.

“He was way beyond” Michael Jordan, he said. “He was more omnipresent.” His game, Mr. Brown said, was more like dance.

Basketball, Mr. Brown said, has been a lifesaving force for him. And Mr. Bryant represented a powerful ethos.

“He had a killer instinct,” he said. “That self-love, that confidence transmutes into play.”

Bryant had been a subject of the conversation among N.B.A. fans this weekend.

On Saturday, the current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James surpassed Bryant on the league’s all-time scoring list in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bryant congratulated James in a tweet, with a hashtag, #33644, referring to the number of points James had scored to surpass Bryant’s career total of 33,643 points. Before Saturday, Bryant had stood second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone on the list of career points scored.

After the game, James, who joined the Lakers in 2018, spoke at length about what Bryant meant to him, to the team and to the league.

“He had zero flaws offensively,” James said.

James described his long history with Bryant — how he had admired Bryant’s ability to go from high school to the N.B.A., how the two had met in Philadelphia where Bryant had insisted upon the value of hard work. Later, Bryant gave a high-school age James a pair of his signature shoes, which James wore in a game even though they were the wrong size.

“I’m happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bean Bryant, one of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play,” James said. “One of the all time greatest Lakers. The man has two jerseys hanging up in Staples Center. It’s just crazy.”

Marc Stein, Louis Keene and Jill Cowan contributed reporting.

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flauntpage · 5 years ago

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Don’t Fall For the Markelle Fultz Mirage

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Markelle Fultz is working on his jump shot this offseason and it is wet.

WATCH OUT NBA; this kid finally gets it and he’s ready to fulfill the potential that launched him to the top of the draft boards in 2017.

In several (now deleted) videos foisted upon social media yesterday, Fultz is shown effortlessly launching a gorgeous three point shot, several jump shots, and displaying the ball handling abilities that made scouts drool while watching him at Washington.

Did the 76ers make a huge mistake in trading him last season? Is this franchise so cursed that the talented-but-fragile shooting guard with mincemeat for a brain and shredded crab meat for a shoulder is actually poised to not only get back on the court, but actually stay on it and make a positive impact?

Listen to me Philadelphia and listen to me good. It’s all a mirage. You have nothing to worry about.

How many times are we going to fall for this? I found myself watching the videos yesterday as a rising pang of anxiety crept up my spine and sourly lodged itself into the base of my brain. He looked competent, he looked good, and his shot actually looked, well, better than ever.

Until I remembered I did the exact same thing in the last offseason when he was under the tutelage of famed shooting coach Drew Hanlen, except back then the anxiety and dread I felt this morning was replaced with joy and jubilation. That certainly didn’t last.

It’s a mirage, Philadelphia. It’s not real. Last year as a fan base we were dying of thirst, wandering through the Sahara Desert in tattered clothing, and the carefully edited and produced videos of Fultz sinking shot after shot was our saving oasis. As we scrambled to our salvation and the cool water was just inches from our grasp, it all disappeared and we were left with nothing but swollen tongues, parched lips, and this:

Markelle Fultz gonna need a restraining order on Jimmy Butler once he sees his free throw routine pic.twitter.com/HBmByvCKHe

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) November 13, 2018

New season, new hype video, and the same results by November.

If you didn’t see the videos released yesterday morning (and mysteriously scrubbed from social media by noon), his shooting stroke is basically the same as it was during the early portion of last season. Here it is:

Now compare it to an early preseason game from last October:

Fultz tiene un buen tiro ahora 😲😲😲

Markelle Fultz, primer pick 2017, y quien solo jugó 14 partidos la pasada temporada, hoy luce excelente con una nueva mecánica en su tiro. (Trabajó en la temporada muerta con el joven gurú del entrenamiento Drew Hanlen) pic.twitter.com/pHEuuO8Qkb

— 24 Segundos™ 🏀 (@24SegundosRD) October 2, 2018

Yeah, looks similar to me. And recall, dear reader, that the start of 2018 was by far the highlight of Fultz’s career with the 76ers when we trumpeted every 10 point effort on 30% shooting as the second coming of Kobe Bryant. We were so desperate to prove he was worth the high pick, everything the 76ers gave up for him, that we ignored the obviously still wonky and odd looking jump shot.

The best analogy I can give for his jump shot is how you feel watching a movie where an actor is digitally inserted after their death or is digitally altered to look younger or older. Think of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” where actor Peter Cushing’s character Governor Tarkin was digitally inserted into the movie 26 years after his death and a young Princess Leia made a cameo in the conclusion.

Both CGI characters look great at first, a true feat of technology, but the more you looked at them on screen, the more you really watched them on the big screen in front of you, the more OFF and WEIRD they seemed. Their imperfections and lifelessness were suddenly all you could notice. The closer you looked, the more abnormal the creations seemed. Suddenly you weren’t too thrilled to be seeing them at all.

It’s the same as Fultz’s “new and improved” jump shot. It looks better than it did in 2017, it looks smoother, but the more you look at it the more you notice that it just looks OFF. It’s wonky. You try to convince yourself that it’s a lifelike copy of a good jump shot, but the more you see it the more you know it’s not. It’s abnormal and a poor imitation of an effortless shot.

It still looks like it could all come tumbling down at any moment.

The greatest value Fultz will have given the 76ers was his merciful trade off the team last year. We don’t have to be distracted by these videos, Brett Brown doesn’t have to field question after question on his progress, and his teammates don’t have to spout canned platitudes about his work effort and how good of a fit he is on the court when anyone with two eyes can see he isn’t.

He’s Orlando’s problem now. Let them have the mirage.

The post Don’t Fall For the Markelle Fultz Mirage appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Don’t Fall For the Markelle Fultz Mirage published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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viraljournalist · 6 years ago

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'A hell of a shot:' Inside Kawhi Leonard's historic game-winner

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/a-hell-of-a-shot-inside-kawhi-leonards-historic-game-winner/

'A hell of a shot:' Inside Kawhi Leonard's historic game-winner

The last time the Toronto Raptors played a Game 7, it was a 27-point blowout over the Miami Heat in 2016 that sent the Raptors to its first conference finals berth in franchise history.

After a disheartening loss in Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, the two teams engaged in a see-saw battle that saw 10 lead changes and six ties leading up to the final seconds of the series.

To recount the biggest shot in the second round of the 2019 playoffs — and Toronto Raptors history — we turn to those present for the occasion:

play

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With 10 seconds left, Kawhi Leonard misses a free throw, which leads to Jimmy Butler racing up the court for the game-tying layup.

Kawhi Leonard missed the second of two free throws with 10.8 seconds remaining. The Raptors led 90-88.

Leonard: I was disappointed missing that free throw. I was very mad.

Tobias Harris collected the rebound and pushed the ball to Jimmy Butler, who streaked up the court and got a fast-break layup to fall with 4.2 seconds remaining over the stretched out arm of Serge Ibaka.

Leonard: I tried to race down and get the rebound. Probably should have sprinted back to give some help on that layup that Jimmy made. But after that, I was just like, whatever play he drew up, ‘I’m gonna have to get to my spot and shoot it with confidence.’

Then, Raptor’s head coach Nick Nurse called a timeout and a final play was drawn up.

Find everything you need to know about the playoffs here.

• Schedules, matchups and more • Experts’ picks for second round | Forecast • Can the Sixers win big with Ben Simmons? • Warriors wanted this moment in Houston • What’s next for eliminated teams?&nbsp

Nurse: We run Kyle off there first as the first option. Then, Kawhi loops under there and gets it at the top and it’s his call from there what to do. We’ve seen that one a few times this year.

Leonard: We ran a similar play during the Magic series and I ended up just catch and shooting the ball. It was probably about three seconds so, I just remembered that moment, knowing I had time at least to pump fake and take a dribble.

So, he drew up that play again tonight and there was four seconds left and, remembering that moment, I knew I had some time to get some space rather than just catch and shoot the ball.

Leonard took the inbounds pass from Marc Gasol near the top of the key. Ben Simmons pushed him out near halfcourt and Leonard started a drive toward the right corner. Joel Embiid left Pascal Siakam and picks up Leonard across the hash mark.

Leonard took one more dribble toward the baseline and rose for a 21-footer over Embiid in the corner.

Kawhi Leonard’s game-winning shot was the first Game 7 buzzer-beater. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Raptors GM Bobby Webster: I always walk down to the first row so I know I can get out before. I’m standing next to Nick’s wife, and [Kawhi] is coming towards us. You’re worried about — is he going to get the shot off in time? He comes deeper, deeper, deeper. Embiid’s on him. Then he’s just got to get it up high enough to get over Embiid.

Leonard: I ended up catching it and just trying to get to a space so I could get the shot off. Embiid was guarding me. But he’s taller and longer than me, so I ended up finding a spot that I like … that I work on. I knew I had to shoot it high. A couple of possessions before that I had the same kind of shot from 3 and it ended up coming short. I had to put it up even higher than that.

Scotiabank Arena security guard Bader Beituni: I was standing with one of my friends here and I called it. I told him, ‘Kawhi’s gonna take this. It’s gonna be a game-winner right here.’

Leonard: I just went into my shot, and just shot it as high as I could and I got some loft on it. It felt great.

Four bounces.

Webster: Front of the rim — I will say when it hit front of the rim I said, ‘Ah, it looks a little different than normal.’ You know? It looked a little different than normal, right?

Butler: He hit a tough one. You tip your hat to that. He’s an incredible player. We know it. Y’all know it. And there’s not much more you can say about that.

76ers head coach Brett Brown: I really felt when it hit the rim that it was going to end up going in. It didn’t surprise me that it went in. When it hits at that angle and it goes kinda straight up, you feel like there is a chance that it is actually going to go in. Not to pretend like you can forecast anything, it didn’t surprise me that it ended up falling in.

It did seem like it was up there for a while, but with the way he missed and the bounce on the ball and the fact that it did go straight up and not go to the right or the left. It’s a tough way to lose. That’s a hell of a shot and what a tremendous series.

Simmons: Jo obviously got out there and was able to put a hand up, but he’s a great player who made a great shot.

Scotiabank Arena security guard Nicholas Prasad: I saw the ball hit the basket, hit the rim the first time. The first thing I thought about was, ‘We’re going to overtime’. Second time it hit the rim, I thought we had a chance. And the third time it went in. And I’m like, damn, with this referee system they’re definitely going to review it.

And when that ball went in I ran up three stairs — I almost tripped twice — and all I saw was Masai [Ujiri] crying. I saw everybody in the stands crying. We were just in shock. But it was like a really good shock. And that was just joy.

Kawhi Leonard’s game-winner had an apex of 18.2 feet and bounced four times before finally going in. John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Nurse: Looks like it’s going in. Looks like it’s going in to me. I thought it was obviously a nice lucky bounce, right? I thought we were very unlucky for a lot of that game so it came back to us a little it.

I think he missed a couple of those along the way this season…that exact same play…similar shot. So, it’s good the balancing scales were there tonight.

Embiid: Game 7 … losing the game that way. Last shot. After a hard fought game. I feel like we had a chance. A lot of things go through your mind. It sucks. I can’t explain it. It just sucks.

Lowry: Superstar. In 2001 it didn’t fall for Vince. In 2019 it fell for Kawhi.

ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz contributed to this story.

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junker-town · 7 years ago

Text

Did LeBron just pull off the greatest feat of his NBA career?

It just might be.

LeBron James caught the ball and darted up the court as a one-man fast break, just as he’s done so many times over his NBA career. But this time, all the marbles were on the line. It was a trip to the NBA Finals for the eighth season in a row, and James wasn’t about to let the Celtics get in the way.

So he whipped right around Marcus Morris, and when Morris grabbed him on both shoulders, James muscled through the contact, converted the layup and got the foul. Then he pounded his chest and let out a deep, furious battle cry. That was the moment this one was over.

pic.twitter.com/9773Oymyvf

— NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2018

The Cavaliers may not win another NBA championship year. They’ll have a whole new animal in the winner of the Rockets vs. Warriors Western Conference Finals to deal with first. But defeating the Celtics, 87-79, in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals is an accomplishment of itself.

Was it the greatest accomplishment of James’ career? That’s up for debate.

ESPN’s Doris Burke asked James that very question just a few moments after he’d spent all 48 minutes on the floor willing his team to a victory. As exhausted as James was, he tried to give a complete answer:

“A lot is going through my mind right now, Doris. We’ve been counted out from a long time this season. Right around the trade deadline, no matter if we made a trade or not, I kind of just switched my mindset on saying let’s get the most out of this season I can, and I’m determined to get the most I’m trying to squeeze this orange until it’s no more juice left. This is heck of an accomplishment for our ball club, without our all-star power forward as well for basically two games. This team was undefeated in the postseason at home, and for us to do this and for me to be able to lead these guys, it’s a treat.”

What all did LeBron have to deal with?

The Kyrie Irving trade: This season started off on the wrong foot. Irving reportedly suggested he didn’t want to play with LeBron anymore, forcing the Cavaliers to trade him for the best possible return. We thought Cleveland did well with that trade last summer to Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn pick and a 2020 second-round pick. Now, only the draft picks remain with the team.

The Derrick Rose saga: The Cavs signed Rose to a one-year deal in the offseason, and he was supposed to be a solid backup for Thomas. But Rose got hurt, was forced into a walking boot, then reportedly questioned his basketball future. Without Thomas and Rose, Jose Calderon saw minutes at starting point guard for an extended period of time.

Oh boy, Isaiah Thomas: Thomas wasn’t healthy to start the season, and the Cavs knew this. He had a hip injury that he opted to rehab without surgery, and it kept him out until Jan. 2. But even in his return, he was shooting his way into game shape. And his occasional offensive bursts weren’t nearly enough to compensate for his stature, weakness on defense, and public criticism Tyronn Lue’s coaching adjustments. Cleveland went 7-8 in games Thomas played in, including several blowout defeats. That all led itself to...

The roster blow-up: Yup, the Cavaliers blew everything up midseason. They traded Thomas and Channing Frye to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Cleveland sent Crowder and Rose to the Jazz for Rodney Hood, then traded Iman Shumpert to Sacramento for George Hill. Finally, the Cavs sent Dwyane Wade back to Miami for a second-round pick they probably won’t ever get.

Kevin Love’s injury: Oh, did you forget? Love broke his left hand in a Jan. 30 matchup against the Pistons and missed a total of 21 games. Somehow, the Cavs went 11-10 without their All-Star forward. He also missed Games 6 and 7 of the East Finals with a concussion.

Tyronn Lue’s health: Lue said chest pain had bothered him for over a year, but it wasn’t until a March 17 game in Chicago that he realized it was time to make his health the priority. Lue missed 10 games, returning to the sidelines on April 6 with two more games until the playoffs began. Assistant coach Larry Drew was the coach in the interim. The Cavs still went 9-2 without Lue.

The fourth seed: Not the first. Not the second. Nope, not even the third. The Cavaliers finished with just the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, behind the Raptors, Celtics and 76ers. His team hadn’t finished fourth in the East since the 2007-08 season.

All that, and he still got his team with a majority of fresh, new faces into the playoffs. They withstood a resilient Indiana Pacers team in seven games in the first round, swept the top-seeded Toronto Raptors in the second, and defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Is this the most impressive accomplishment in his career?

Well, he didn’t win a championship, and bringing another NBA Finals trophy to the city of Cleveland, given everything he’s gone through, would likely sit at the top of James’s accomplishment checklist.

But win or lose in the Finals, this has been one incredible season for The King’s reign.

The only other accomplishment that comes remotely close to what LeBron has done with this Cavs roster is coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the 73-9 Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals. That was an incredible feat that delivered the city of Cleveland its lone NBA championship. That ring has to mean more to James than either of the two he won in Miami.

But with the roster turnover, the health issues left and right, the intra-squad controversy, and the playoff adversity, LeBron James has come out victorious in the Eastern Conference once again. It might not result in an NBA championship, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an accomplishment worth celebrating.

It actually just might be his best yet.

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