#nuggets 1994 draft

[vintagehoops]

Iverson Action Shots

Born to a 15-year-old mother in Hampton, VA, Allen Ezail Iverson played 2 incredible seasons for Georgetown University from 1994-1996, leading his school to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in 1994-95, and the Eight Elite round in the 1995-96 season. Iverson would then leave college and declare for the '96 NBA draft. In his time at Georgetown, he averaged 22.9 ppg, was named an first team All-American, won Big East Rookie of the Year, was named to the All Rookie Tournament First Team and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year both seasons.

He was selected 1st overall by the Philly Sixers, and made his debut with a record 30 points and 6 assists in a loosing game against the Milwaukee Bucks. From 1996 to 2006, Iverson played brilliantly for the 76ers, tying with Willie Anderson for third highest rookie guard scores, breaking the Chamberlain record of 3 consecutive 40 point games by doing it 5 times, and was named rookie of the year, averaging 23.5 ppg, 7.9 apg, 2.1 spg. Iverson would then go on to win NBA MVP in the 2000-01 season. He departed in 2006 with the highest scoring average ever in the team's history (28.1), and ranks #2 all-time in points at a whooping 19,583!!

He would then play for the Nuggets, Pistons, and later return to the 76ers.

[savoir-entreprendre]

Joel Hans Embiid, né le 16 mars 1994 à Yaoundé au Cameroun, est un joueur camerounais de basket-ball évoluant au poste de pivot. Depuis 2022, il détient également les nationalités française et américaine. Embiid est né à Yaoundé, au Cameroun. Son père, Thomas Embiid, est handballeur et colonel de l'armée camerounaise. Sa mère, Christine, est femme au foyer. Joel n'avait jamais envisagé une carrière dans le basket-ball professionnel, encore moins aux États-Unis. Son destin semblait plutôt prédestiné à une carrière de joueur de volley-ball. En effet, son père, qui souhaitait voir son fils progresser dans le volley-ball professionnel en Europe, estimait que le basket-ball était un sport dangereux, et que ça pourrait le blesser et impacter une potentielle future carrière de volleyeur. À l'âge de 15 ans, Joel Embiid découvre le basket-ball. Ayant été pris de passion après avoir visionné des DVD de matchs de joueurs tels que Hakeem Olajuwon, Joel décide de se mettre à la pratique. Bien que son père ait initialement refusé, il finit par donner son autorisation après avoir été convaincu par l'un de ses oncles. Joel est repéré pour la première fois lors d'un camp de basket-ball organisé par le joueur camerounais de NBA, Luc Mbah a Moute. C'est aussi la première fois qu'il dispute un vrai match. Rapidement détecté par son compatriote, Joel Embiid déménage aux États-Unis à l'âge de 16 ans afin de se consacrer entièrement à sa carrière. Classé sixième meilleur joueur de la promotion 2013, Joel Embiid est formé à Gainesville en Floride et tournait à 13 points, 10 rebonds et 2 contres de moyenne en 2012-2013. En janvier 2014, il est prédit comme futur numéro un de la draft 2014 de la NBA mais envisage de rester en NCAA encore une ou plusieurs saisons pour progresser Lors de la saison 2021-2022, il termine pour la première fois de sa carrière meilleur marqueur de la ligue avec (30,6) points de moyenne. Il devient ainsi le premier joueur non-américain à gagner cette distinction et le premier pivot depuis Shaquille O'Neal en 1999-2000. Embiid termine deuxième au titre de MVP, derrière Nikola Jokić des Nuggets de Denver. À la fin de la saison 2021-2022, Embiid termine deuxième au titre de MVP, remporté de nouveau par Nikola Jokić. Les Sixers se qualifient pour les playoffs 2022 mais Embiid se déchire un ligament du pouce droit au premier tour face aux Raptors de Toronto (victoire 4-2 dans la série). Embiid continue à jouer et doit se faire opérer une fois la saison terminée. Lors de la même série, Embiid souffre d'une commotion cérébrale et d'une fracture de l'os frontal au niveau de l'orbite droite[38]. Les Sixers sont éliminés au tour suivant (4-2) par le Heat de Miami. Embiid se fait opérer du pouce droit en mai. Le 13 novembre 2022, dans une victoire face au Jazz de l'Utah, il inscrit 59 points, prend 11 rebonds, réalise 8 passes décisives et 7 contres pour devenir le premier joueur de l'histoire à compiler plus de 50 points, 10 rebonds, 5 passes et 5 contres sur un match. À la fin de la saison 2022-2023, il termine meilleur marqueur de la saison régulière avec 33,1 points de moyenne par match. Il mène son équipe vers un balayage de la première ronde contre les Nets de Brooklyn. Les 76ers de Philadelphie affronteront les Celtics de Boston lors du deuxième tour. La série commencera le 1er mai 2023. Le 3 mai 2023, il est élu MVP de la saison régulière, devançant notamment le double MVP en titre le Serbe Nikola JokićJoel Embiid https://savoirentreprendre.net/?p=4063&feed_id=7090

[diarioelpepazo]

Sufren su segunda derrota esta temporada por 60 puntos. Los Heat ganan por 142-82 en la victoria más amplia de su historia NACHO DUQUE La temporada de los Blazers ya está en la historia negra de la NBA. Después de ser vapuleados por los Heat por 142-82, son el único equipo que en un mismo curso han perdido dos encuentros por al menos 60 puntos. El primero fue el 11 de enero, cuando cayeron por 62 ante los Thunder (139-77). "Obviamente fue un partido muy duro para nosotros. Fue desafortunado porque pensé que los primeros cuatro o cinco minutos jugamos bien. No duró mucho. Sucedió bastante rápido. Su defensa se puso física y no pudimos llegar a la pintura", dijo el entrenador Chauncey Billups, que podría utilizar como atenuante las bajas por lesión de Jerami Grant y Anfernee Simmons y que Deandre Ayton regresaba tras superar una tendinitis en el codo izquierdo. LAPRESSE El caso es que en menos de tres meses, los Blazers han sufrido dos de las nueve mayores palizas en la historia de la competición. Aquella en Oklahoma fue la quinta y la más reciente ante los Heat se coloca en novena posición. Pero también tienen la tercera, ante los Pacers: -65 tras un 124-59 en febrero de 1998. La diferencia más abultada en un encuentro de la NBA se estableció el 2 de diciembre de 2021 cuando los Grizzlies aplastaron a los Thunder por 152-79, 73 puntos de margen. Es la séptima vez esta temporada que se registra una diferencia de al menos 50 puntos, algo nunca visto en la historia de la NBA. Los Celtics han conseguido tres de esas palizas tras pasar por encima de los Warriors (52), los Pacers (51) y los Nets (50). Adebayo lidera la paliza Para los Heat fue el triunfo más amplio de su historia, superando por mucho los 43 puntos por los que ganó a los Clippers el 29 de diciembre de 1994. Los de Miami también establecieron su récord de asistencias en un partido al repartir 41. Bam Adebayo dio nueve y se quedó a una del triple-doble, pues anotó 21 puntos y atrapó 11 rebotes. Por los humillados Blazers, el mejor fue Scoot Henderson, número tres del draft, que anotó 20 puntos. Sin embargo, su partido quedará como aquel en el que fijó el peor +/- de siempre. Con él en pista, su equipo perdió por 58. Ya en la paliza de este año ante los Thunder tuvo un -56 OTROS RESULTADOS viernes 29 marzo NBA Pacers - Lakers Estado:Finalizado Pacers 109 Lakers 90 Magic - Clippers Estado:Finalizado Magic 97 Clippers 100 Hornets - Warriors Estado:Finalizado Hornets 97 Warriors 115 Wizards - Pistons Estado:Finalizado Wizards 87 Pistons 96 Cavaliers - 76ers Estado:Finalizado Cavaliers 117 76ers 114 Nets - Bulls Estado:Finalizado Nets 125 Bulls 108 Heat - Blazers Estado:Finalizado Heat 142 Blazers 82 Thunder - Suns Estado:Finalizado Thunder 128 Suns 103 Spurs - Knicks Estado:Finalizado Spurs 130 Knicks 126 Nuggets - Timberwolves Estado:Finalizado Nuggets 98 Timberwolves 111 Jazz - Rockets Estado:Finalizado Jazz 100 Rockets 101 Kings - Mavericks Estado:Finalizado Kings 103 Mavericks 107 Para recibir en tu celular esta y otras informaciones, únete a nuestras redes sociales, síguenos en Instagram, Twitter y Facebook como @DiarioElPepazo El Pepazo/Marca

[dailyvideovault]

New video posted on: https://dailyvideovault.com/jalen-rose-talks-bittersweet-1994-nba-draft-experience-jalen-jacoby/

Jalen Rose talks bittersweet 1994 NBA draft experience | Jalen & Jacoby

[milehighdad]

Washington Wizards Coaching Staff. Wes Unseld Jr. Head Coach. Pat Delany (AC). Hornets(2014-18),Magic(2018-21). Joseph Blair(AC 2021- Wizards)). 1996 Draft No. 35. Harlem Globetrotters. 76ers(AC),Timberwolces(AC). beard. Ryan Richman(AC). Capital city Go-Go(HC 2019-2021). w/kuzma. James Posey(NBA 1999-2011). Cavs(AC 2014-19).  ジェームス・ポージー。

Washington Wizards-Denver Nuggets.  Ball Arena. Colorado. ワシントン・ウィザーズ対デンバー・ナゲッツ。ボールアリーナ。コロラド。 ウェス・アンセルド・ジュニア(2021-)。 デンバー・ナゲッツ(AC 2015-2021)。 ウィザーズ(2005-11)、ウォリアーズ(2011-12)、マジック(AC 2012-15)。 父親はNBA殿堂入りしているウェス・アンセルド。「NBAの偉大な50選手」、「NBAの偉大な75選手」に選ばれている。 ブレッツ（1968-1981)。 新人王(1969)、シーズンMVP（1969）、ファイナルMVP(1978)。永久欠番(#41)。 ワシントン・ブレッツ・ヘッドコーチ（1987-1994)。

[rpmtrish]

Why Tom Hammonds Couldn’t Shake The Drag Racing Bug

It's common to see retired athletes say they miss the competition and adrenaline rush of professional sports after they call time on their careers. Some, like New England Patriot Richard Seymour and NBA star Paul Pierce hit the poker tables and compete in tourneys like the World Series of Poker. Yet more take to the golf course – Jerry Rice played the Nationwide Tour post-football while Tony Romo has attempted (unsuccessfully) to qualify for the US Open. We know about athletes who have played in multiple sports, like Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson. In basketball Nate Robinson originally went to college on a football scholarship before switching game, potentially an odd choice at 5'9, but ten years in the NBA shows he made the right decision. Legendary Boston Celtic Danny Ainge spent three years as a Toronto Blue Jay before declaring for the 1981 NBA draft. What's less well known – certainly outside of the racing world that RPM Mag covers – is two NBA stars have made their name in dragsters. Since retiring, you can catch former Cleveland Cavalier Larry Nance around IHRA meets. After calling time on hooping in 1994, he won his first race in 1996 in a Chevy Monte Carlo. While he doesn't drive anymore, his team still race the 67 Camaro dragster he's been the proud owner of for over two decades. Tom Hammonds started racing while he was still playing. In 1996, midway through a 13 year NBA career, Hammonds was racing in the NHRA Pro Stock category. This wasn't a new thing to the then Denver Nugget, as Hammonds explains “After racing in middle school, high school, and college with no money to do anything and scraping things together, I was thankful to have my Georgia Tech education paid for, but I had to put racing on hold until I had the money to do so.” His NBA salary allowed him to hit the NMCA track in the early 90s in a 69 Camaro and work his way up to Pro Stock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DJnrRNxrCc A western Florida native, Hammonds played professionally for the Washington Bullets, Charlotte Hornets and Denver Nuggets before finishing his career with a four year stint at the Minnesota Timberwolves. In all four of his seasons there, while he helped them to four successive playoffs, the T-Wolves couldn't find that extra gear, and were eliminated in the first round each time. Their current roster could perhaps use his high-octane attitude, with Jimmy Butler notoriously calling them out as 'soft'. Their chances of making the playoffs for the second year in a row have received a boost with the signing of Rudy Gobert, however the odds at Coral rank them middle of the pack in a crowded Western Conference field. Having taken up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2012, Hammonds has gone on to take gold in the ultra-heavyweight category in the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Even Jimmy Butler might baulk at calling him out. Hammonds is still racing. He cuts an odd figure at 6'9 and odder still in a full steel 1969 Camaro, a unique machine in 2022's NMCA world. Now 55 and still carrying the drag bug hard, he admits, ""I can't get away. It's just like The Godfather; they keep pulling me back." He likens racing to being on an NBA roster, explaining "Just the whole racing community, when you're involved in it like we are for so many years, you can pick up the phone and call and talk to each other. And that's what makes a big deal for me. That's something I missed. I mean, that's the camaraderie that I missed, that I missed when I played basketball, that I do get when I drag race." Hammonds has swapped his hoops from metal to rubber, but his dreams are as big as ever. This article may not represent the views or opinions of RPM Magazine, its staff or Management. Read the full article

[suejbueche]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[bernadettedmoreno]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[laylavonrueden]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[dalerwalker2]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[mrfogmaxpro]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[rosepmarkert]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[debbiebfansler]

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who Antetokounmpo ?

NBA roundup The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee Bucks win a thrilling extra game Curry scores 40 points for the third time this season, leading the Warriors past the Bulls; Harden leads the Nets to victory against the Pelicans; Doncic and Jokic both get triple-doubles in wins for the Mavericks and Nuggets, respectively; the Lakers lose again at home to Minnesota without LeBron James. In an entertaining Friday night of NBA action, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller, and a number of players in the MVP debate turned in performances that backed up their claims. The Boston Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night, with Dennis Schröder scoring a season-high 38 points, including eight in overtime, as they took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence. more from here : Milwaukee greenbacks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo set for imaging Boston has won four of its last five games after starting the season 2-5. Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was forced to sit out with a right ankle injury approximately 90 minutes before the game. For the defending NBA champion Bucks, Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, while Bobby Portis scored 22 points. Grayson Allen scored 21 points in regulation, including a pair of 3-pointers in the last 73 seconds to send the game to overtime. Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics transformed a four-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds. However, Boston still needed overtime to win, and the team is now 6-6 on the season, while the reigning champs are now 6-7. who is Giannis Antetokounmpo ? Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo now plays for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). Antetokounmpo was dubbed the "Greek Freak" because of his size, speed, and ability to handle the ball. Filathlitikos' youth teams in Athens were where Antetokounmpo began his basketball career. The Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after he made his NBA debut in 2011 with the club's senior squad. This season, he was the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with at least 20 points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the top 20 in each of the five main statistical categories. He was voted Most Improved Player in 2017. After leading the Eastern Conference in votes in each of the last five All-Star games, Antetokounmpo was elected All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020. For the first time in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in both 2019 and 2020, becoming only the third player to do so before reaching the age of 26. Only Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon have won both the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in the same season as he did in 2020, when he was named both (1994). In 2021, Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. In the same year, he was inducted into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. more from new 24 hour Hawks vs. Greenbacks score, takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo Let Sandro Mamukelashvili to play as himself in today’s NBA games 2K22. WILL MILWAUKEE’S success give SMALLER MARKETS A SHOT AT large-name loose marketers? Predicting where the eleven great NBA free sellers will register 2021 the 11 best NBA free agency will sign in 2021 source : skysports.com#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

[homensbrancosnaosabemblogar]

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo. Com quatro prêmios de defensor do ano e sete nomes, o congolês de 2m18 ficou conhecido pelos seus tocos seguidos de sua emblemática balançadinha de dedo. Há, porém, muito mais para se saber sobre ele, tanto dentro, quanto fora das quadras.

1) Diferentemente da maioria dos atletas estrangeiros que vão para o universitário norte-americano, Dikembe saiu do Congo para ir aos Estados Unidos estudar. Ele não tinha uma bolsa de atleta e sim uma bolsa de estudos. Sua vontade era se tornar médico, mas o técnico de Georgetown rapidamente o avistou e o convenceu a treinar pelos Hoyas. Mutombo saiu da Universidade como um dos melhores atletas a ter passado por lá e também com duas graduações, em linguística e em diplomacia.

2) Quarto no draft de 1991, teve médias de 16pts, 12reb e 3 tocos no ano de calouro jogando pelo Nuggets. Entre 1991 e 2002, sempre com média de duplo-duplo e uma alta quantidade de tocos, jogou por três times: Nuggets, Hawks e 76ers. Foi eleito All-Star e Defensor do Ano jogando por todos eles.

3) Em 1994, fazia parte do time do Denver que se tornou o primeiro oitavo colocado a eliminar o primeiro colocado dos playoffs. A cena de Mutombo deitado no chão agarrando a bola enquanto comemora é memorável.

4) Nascido na capital do Congo, Kinshasa, lar para 15 milhões de pessoas e uma das maiores cidades da África, Mutombo criou sua fundação quando estava indo pra sua sexta temporada. Ele tinha acabado de garantir um bom contrato com o Hawks e criou a primeira missão da sua fundação: "Construir o primeiro hospital do Congo em mais de quarenta anos." O hospital começou a ser construído em 1997 e ficou pronto em 2006. Tem 300 leitos e custou 30 milhões de dólares, dos quais vinte milhões foram bancados por Mutombo.

Caso queira continuar lendo, escrevo mais cinco fatos interessantes sobre o Mutombo nos comentários!

5) Integrante da Unicef, embaixador global do basquete, premiado pela escola de medicina de Harvard e doutor honorário em três Universidades diferentes, incluindo Georgetown, Mutombo terminou sua carreira na liga batendo recordes de longevidade. Em 2007, aos 40 anos, tornou-se o jogador mais velho a pegar mais de 20 rebotes num jogo, com 22. Quando se aposentou, em 2009, era o atleta mais velho da NBA.

6) Segundo atleta com mais tocos na história, o pivô teve sua camisa 55 aposentada tanto pelo Hawks, quanto pelo Nuggets.

7) As benfeitorias de Mutombo vão desde investimentos em infraestrutura, passando por campanhas de conscientização e aulas de música para crianças, até chegar no custeio de uniformes de seleções de outros países para que possam participar de competições.

8) Questionado por que ele faz tantas coisas, ele diz: "Eu cresci num país pobre, numa família pobre que não tinha nada. Eu amava qualquer um que chegasse na minha vida e me ajudasse a ter condições de ser bem-sucedido."

9) E sim, se você está se perguntando se algum dia Mutombo já errou, ele já errou, sim. Duas vezes: na primeira, ele disse que Michael Jordan nunca havia conseguido enterrar contra ele (Michael o posterizou pouco tempo depois). E, na segunda, ele desafiou Jordan a chutar um lance-livre de olho fechado (Jordan chutou e acertou).

Fora isso, um homem sem falhas. Esse é Dikembe Mutombo (+5 nomes). Um dos caras mais completos a já terem passado pela liga, pois sabe jogar o bom jogo também fora das quadras.

Obrigado a você que doou 55 reais e 55 centavos! Imaginei que você seja fã do Mutombo.

--

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[philiprolz]

CHOOSE YOUR FRANCHISE By Philip Rolz  Nov 7, 2017 

I was lucky enough to go to a couple of Orlando Magic games back in the 90′s and 2000′s and fell in love. But living almost 2,000 miles away from the nearest NBA city made it hard for me to really root for a team, a city, a franchise. But like a drunken, low self esteem college girl with daddy issues I gave myself to the first one that wooed me... a Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway led expansion team in Florida. I’ve stuck with them ever since. 

But it got me thinking, how do you choose a team? Are some teams more likely to be a fan favorite than others? What’s their fan-ability? Before I make my case I gotta tell you what I took into consideration making this list: how cool or uncool the city is, how good-looking their uniforms are, GM decisions over the years, iconic players, fan base, the culture of the organization, overall success or lack there of, team history. OK, here’s my list:

Atlanta Hawks

You can’t NOT love a place people refer to as “The dirty south”, I mean it sounds fun and rappers made it cool to root for Atlanta based teams (specially the Hawks and Falcons).

Dominique Wilkins and Spud Webb were the first real iconic players that put the Hawks on the map with their amazing athletic abilities. The rivalry with Jordan and the Bulls was real (both in real games and in dunk contests at All-Star Weekends) and people noticed them. They were fun to watch. 

Ever since the “Dominique era” the franchise has been kind of a letdown though. Always underachieving and kinda disappearing in the clutch. 2014-2015 was a clear example of a roster that made a lot of noise but crapped their pants when it got real in the playoffs.  

Currently they’re probably one on the top teams looking to tank this season to get a franchise defining rookie in this apparent “loaded” draft, so the Hawks aren’t really a team you root for this year but they have been fun to watch largely in part of high flying young players like John Collins and Taurean Prince.

Fan-ability: B-

  Boston Celtics

The Celtics are one of the most successful franchises in sports. Their fan base is extremely loyal, somewhat violent and friggin’ loud. They might be responsible for starting the whole “superteams” trend some seem to hate, but when it comes down to it, it’s just good management and recruiting. Then there’s the legendary Celtic players from oldies Bill Russell and Larry Bird to not so oldies Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. These guys are deified by the hardcore Boston fans and man have they come through with epic playoff performances and hard nosed triumphs.  Nowadays they seem to expect a LOT from the young roster GM Danny Ainge put together majestically and guess what? They are they fun to watch. Kyrie Irving has the most insane handles in the league and I haven’t seen a small guard finish as efficiently in the paint since Tony Parker’s best days. The Celtics are also very similar to the Spurs when it comes to drafting well which is a big thing for fans looking for franchises to root for when there’s youth and potential. Will Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown be the NBA’s next studs? Will Markelle Fultz be a complete bust? (therefore making the Celtics even smarter)  The Celtics are NBA Elite and that makes them either really loved or really hated.  Fan-ability: B+

Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn, New York. Home of everything cool in the world, right? Wrong! The Brooklyn Nets seem to be a forced fed team (notice the cheesy SI cover above) completely divorced with the whole swagger of this New York borough. Nobody wants to be associated with failure, and the Nets have been failures in so many ways during the last years it’s embarrassing. They basically gave away all their draft picks, they over-hyped a Deron Williams that was arguably one of the biggest free agent busts of all time. Their iconic players? Dr J? Jason Kidd? Kerry Kittles (just kidding)? Kinda feels weird picking guys who did play for the Nets, just not the Brooklyn Nets. I feel bad for them though, playing in one of the biggest markets in the country and not being known for enticing big name free agents, not even with Jay-Z helping them out for a little while. I’m pretty certain HOVA wanted out before the stink rubbed off on him.  They haven’t drafted well, they’re not fun to watch, they’ve become synonymous with losing. The only good thing they have going for them is the fact that Brooklyn is a tourist destination and there’s a chance some tourist will buy a Nets ticket before a Knicks ticket.

Fan-ability: D+

Charlotte Hornets

Remember those big flashy Starter Jackets with the Charlotte Hornets logo plastered all over them? Those were the days! The Hornets used to be good and/or fun. An Alonzo Mourning team alongside Larry “Grandmama” Johnson, Muggsy Bogues and Steph Curry’s dad (who apparently could shoot very well, too) was a fun thing to watch.

Several years later it all went straight to hell with the Bobcats. Let’s face it, when you think of the Bobcats you think of a bunch of scrubs and Adam Morrison. Good God!

Now they’re back to being the Hornets, although, they’re still not that fun. They don’t have Zo they have Dwight Howard, one of the least likeable players out there. They don’t have LJ, they have Frank Kaminsky (crickets chirping). They don’t have Muggsy they have Kemba Walker... ok that’s better. And instead of Dell Curry they have a rookie who I’m really rooting for: Malik Monk.

They’re ok. They’re not super exciting but they have some star power. Hopefully this year the young guards can do some damage down the stretch and maybe be a sneaky team in the playoffs.

Fan-ability: B+

Chicago Bulls

You think Bulls, you think MJ, his Airness, the G.O.A.T.

For younger fans you think D.Rose being drafted by his hometown team and making them a force to be reckoned with in the East and dethroning the King with a 2010-2011 MVP award.

But it’s 2017 now. The face of the franchise is a blonde kid from Finland named Lauri Markkanen and the face of Nikola Mirotic was obliterated by fellow teammate Bobby Portis. Well maybe not obliterated, but I hear it was a heck of a knockout.

It really doesn’t matter how bad GM Gar Foreman and owner Jerry Reinsdorf have been, because what Michael Jordan did for the NBA he did for this NBA franchise as well. Fans crave for the second coming of Michael and until that day comes (I’m pretty sure it’ll never happen) the first thing you’ll think of when you see a red Bulls jersey is #23.

Fan-ability: A-

Cleveland Cavaliers

I’ve never been to Cleveland. I don’t think I’ll ever go there. Not really a bucket list destination.  But I have to admit, LeBron James made Cleveland relevant since the day he was drafted by his hometown team. He was the chosen one entering the league and did not disappoint. He carried a really weak team to an NBA Finals versus a really strong San Antonio Spurs team (and lost). Took his talents to South Beach making everybody in the league feel sorry for the Cavs. As soon as he ditched Miami to go back to “The Land” they were legit once more. LBJ is no MJ however. Some people seem to dislike his demeanor, question his clutch gene and doubt his leadership. He is a little whiny sometimes. Yet no one has denied that LeBron is still the best player on the planet and has been for the better part of his career. I mean it feel like its been 30 straight NBA Finals for him.  He’s great. He made Cleveland great. Even if he leaves this upcoming season, Cleveland should be forever grateful for everything King James has done. And because people enjoy experiencing greatness the Cavaliers are a fan favorite. (Me personally, not really a fan) Fan-ability: A

Dallas Mavericks

A lanky slow-ish blonde forward from Würzburg, Germany made the Dallas Mavericks NBA champions against, non other than, the chosen one (or as Skip Bayless likes to call him “the frozen one”). But aside from being lany, kinda slow and uh... blonde, Dirk Nowitzki is one of the top 20 greatest players of all time, one of my personal favorite players and proud owner of one of the sweetest fade away jumpers ever. 2010-2011 was the Mavericks championship season and man was it a well constructed team that no matter if you love or hate outspoken owner Mark Cuban, you gotta hand it to him. Combining veteran leaders like Jason Kidd and Jason Terry with defensive anchor Tyson Chandler and freaks of nature like Shawn Marion was the recipe for success under the brilliant mind of one of the most underrated coaches, Rick Carlisle. You felt glad they were champions. It wasn’t a “super team” but it was really really good and they were underdogs against a Miami team that promised not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, etc. championships. After the ‘chip they remained relevant until maybe last season. Dirk is rapidly aging and this really seems like it’s gonna be his last season. To be honest I’ve stopped watching Mavericks games because this is not the Dirk I want to remember. I do watch a lot of highlights though, mostly because of rookie Dennis Smith, Jr. Holy cow! That kid looks like he was made with the same stuff Russell Westbrook was made from. DSJr is another rookie I’m really rooting for, specially because he’s in great hands with old man Dirk to guide him and Rick Carlisle to coach him and get the best out of him. It’s a winning franchise in a hip warm weather city, with a wild celebrity owner, an iconic international player and champion, with a lot of young talent. Nuff said. Fan-ability: A-

Denver Nuggets

I think the Nuggets’ greatest moment in franchise history was the improbable win against the #1 seeded Sonics in 1994. Big whoop. There were other highlights in franchise history like drafing Melo (who later demanded a trade outta there). They did have Allen Iverson on their team, but then they traded him to Detroit because he wasn’t the 76ers Allen Iverson of old.    And this is the part where I want to talk about Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. He was a muslim player (duh!) and was unbelievably good. But he was a muslim. Many compare his game to Steph Curry’s. But he was a muslim. He had crazy handles, the highest basketball IQ and one sweet jumpshot. But he was a muslim, and he started the whole Colin Kaepernick thing where he protested during anthems. Oh boy. Can you imagine a guy named Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf protesting in front of thousands of proud americans back in the 90′s? Yeah, that was the end of that. It’s really sad to wonder how good he would’ve been. At least Ice Cube gave him a shot in the BIG3. Anyway, back to the Denver Nuggets franchise comprised of young exciting talent but not a clear cut superstar. Nikola Jokic is really entertaining but is enough to make the Nuggets relevant? Millsap just joined them, but let’s face it he’s a really good boring player. Garry Harris was supposed to have a breakout year and it’s still early but he’s been a little too quiet for my taste. Jamal Murray, Emmanuel Mudiay seem a long way from being relevant and Kenneth Faried hasn’t been traded after 1,864,227 times it’s been rumored. The biggest indicator the Nuggets are in trouble is the fact that their own fans don’t show up as they finished last in attendance last season. Yikes! Fan-ability: F

Detroit Pistons

Personally I can’t really talk about the Bad Boy Pistons from the 80′s because I didn’t really get into the NBA until a little later. But from what I’ve heard and read, I really dig it. An uber-defensive team that wasn’t scared of anything or anyone. Hard nosed defenders, clutch shooting, trash talking and an iconic coach kinda sound like... hey! The 2004 champion Pistons! The comparison just goes to show that a culture within a franchise can go a long way.  The 2004 Pistons were tough, smart and had the winning mentality that I’m sure legendary coach Larry Brown implemented in the locker room. Big Ben was scary big even though he wasn’t as tall as your traditional center. ‘Sheed was a bad man with a sick jumper and a f*ck you attitude. Rip and Chauncey were the smart and offensively skilled guard combo. Okur, Tayshaun and McDyess played their roles just right. To this day I can’t believe they beat Kobe, Shaq and another “superteam”.  The Pistons of 2017 however lack some of that old school attitude. It’s well coached (shout out to Stan Van G) but no very well managed (sorry Stan Van G). Drummond is a huge piece of human who can block shots, dunk over anyone and has kind of improved the free throw issues of the past. Reggie Jackson seems to be a conflictive dude lacking the leadership of a Chauncey Billups. Tobias Harris who’s good but would’ve been better in a different era. Today’s NBA doesn’t really work for a guy like him. It’s not a roster you can nip and tuck and turn into a legitimate force in the NBA, to me it feels like it’s either this group of guys to maybe get past the first round of the playoffs or blow it all up and tank away to get younger and better. Can we send Avery Bradley to the Celtics, please?  Overall, it’s a city with a lot of heart and a franchise with a lot of history but right now who knows what they are? Fan-ability: B-

Golden State Warriors

My first memory of the Golden State Warriors is Chris Mullin’s hair and short shorts. Tim Hardaway’s crossovers. Latrell Sprewell’s angry two handed dunks (also angry head coach chokings) and an underachieving Chris Webber. But that’s all in the past. Even the good stuff like the Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson Warriors that made a lot of noise in the 2006 playoffs. That’s all irrelevant now because things changed in the bay area. Mark Jackson started coaching a young group of really promising guys and started a style of play that later Steve Kerr, who replaced him as head coach, perfected and made history. I don’t need to talk about how good Steph Curry is and how he revolutionized the game or how good of a shooter/defender/heat check guy Klay is. Or how Draymond is the new villain and best defender in the NBA or how Durant made this team virtually invincible... because everybody knows it. The only thing that worried me was if I would ever get bored of this team; short answer: NO. Again, people like greatness and the bar set by these basketball juggernauts is so high it’s become ridiculous. People call them “bandwagon fans” but it’s really just a matter of wanting to feel part of something as special as this group of future hall of famers... that and they’re totally bandwagon fans. Bandwagon fan-bility: A+

Houston Rockets

Probably not gonna be on the same page as a lot of people here but I’ve always found Rockets players kind of douchey. Maybe not the championship Rockets Olajuwon, Drexler, Horry or Cassell. More like Steve Francis, the worst version of Dwight Howard, and now James Harden AND Chris Paul. Yes, I said it. James Harden is a douchebag. He gets a lot of points, has become an elite point guard but his game isn’t really that exciting... and he’s a whiny flopper. 

They have a lot of history and a bunch of iconic players but ever since the championship years in the mid 90′s we haven’t gotten a dominant conference shifting team. Today’s roster is a poor man’s Golden State Warriors and they’ll eventually find out (the hard way) that in a 7 game series you won’t outshoot or outscore the Dubs. OK, I’ve really bashed the Rockets here, but don’t get me wrong I have to give credit where credit is due: James Harden is an MVP caliber player and Chris Paul is the point God but nobody likes ‘em. Fan-ability: C

Indiana Pacers

Back in the day the Pacers of Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Derrick McKey and Antonio & Dale Davis were for real. They had shooting, rebounding, star power, coaching ...they had it all! It’s a shame that Michael Jordan and the Kobe/Shaq combo never let Reggie and the Pacers win a championship. A decade later the Pacers found themselves with a very strong group of talented players that made LeBron and the Heatles a little nervous. Paul George the emerging superstar along Lance Stephenson, Roy Hibbert and company were battling LeBron down to the last second but eventually falling short. Paul George broke his leg got better and basically told everyone in Indiana to go screw themselves because he would leave them for his hometown Lakers. Now he’s in OKC as a rental and Indiana has highly motivated Victor Oladipo (fan favorite in Indiana) Arvydas Sabonis’ son and what’s left of Lance Stephenson. They should be tanking this year but they’re not in large part because of phenom Myles Turner and a rejuvenated Thad Young. So, what are they? Good? Mediocre? Bad? At this point, we don’t really know.  It’s a small market team with no real superstar anymore and a lot of young talent that could either shine or implode. Fan-ability: D

L.A. Clippers

CP3 leaving means the Clippers are now terrible, right? Nope. Point Blake is for real, DeAndre looks like he’s having fun again and all the role players seem engaged. Oh! And this guy with the scruffy beard is their 30 year old rookie point guard who’s soooo fun to watch. What about the history of the franchise? Well, it’s no pretty. The Clippers were synonymous with failure for a long time. They were terrible at attracting free agents, terrible at drafting (i.e. Michael Olowakandi) until they put together what would become Lob City. It was fun but not very successful.  Los Angeles is sexy and cool but you don’t really think Clippers, you think Lakers, even when the Clippers have clearly been the better basketball team for the last 3 or 4 years now. With the Lakers making a comeback it’s becoming more obvious that the the Clippers should just move north and become the beloved Seattle Sonics.  Fan-ability: C+

L.A. Lakers

Showtime is back in L.A.! Not particularly because of their style of play but because of all the buzz the young players have caused and the circus surrounding Lonzo Ball, who in his first month playing in the NBA looks... different from what Lavar promised. It’s okay, nobody really expected Lonzo to be better than LeBron, Steph and God in his first games. The bottom line is Lonzo not bad and could become really good! Ingram is looking pretty good (just needs an extra 50 lbs) and I’m predicting he could become a Greek Freak type of superstar. But enough about the Baby Lakers, who we know are gonna be alright eventually, let’s talk about the incredibly successful franchise throughout the years. Ugh! Can’t believe I just said something nice about the Lakers. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and of course Kobe Bryant are one of the biggest names in the history of the league and they’re all Lakers (shout out to Nick Van Exel, one of my favorite players ever). I was blessed to witness the early 2000′s reign of Shaq and Kobe (even though I kept thinking what would’ve happened if Shaq stayed in Orlando) and their epic battles with the Spurs.  Let’s face it, the Lakers are the Yankees of basketball. People love the city of Los Angeles and they root for what the Lakers were and what they could eventually become once again. Fan-ability: A+

Memphis Grizzlies

They’ve come a long way from those Vancouver days when their best player was Bryant “Big Country” Reeves. They established a culture of hard work reminiscent of the city they play for. They created “Grit and Grind” and should be very proud of it. The history of the franchise is a little iffy since they were really bad for a really long time (normal for an expansion team in small markets).  Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Tony Allen and Z-Bo put the league on notice and transformed a joke of a franchise to a legitimate contender. The roster has been almost completely revamped but Gasol and Conley are keeping the “Grit and Grind” very much alive. For how long? Only time will tell (hopefully as long as possible). Fan-ability: C+

Miami Heat

Fun fact: Did you know the Miami Heat won a championship without LeBron James? Yup!  Here’s another one for you: Did you know the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks hated each other and had a bunch of epic playoff battles back in the 90′s and early 2000′s? Hell yeah! My point is Miami has had a lot history before the LeBron and Heatles “superteam” nonsense. Pat Riley is largely responsible for all of it. And this post LeBron phase hasn’t been as terrible as you’d expect because this well oiled machine of a franchise keeps drafting, signing and getting all the right pieces to be contenders in a very weak Eastern Conference. They’re still a couple of moves away from being the top dogs so don’t be surprised if they make some moves during this season or once the season is over. The city of Miami is fun and sexy and so are the Heat fans. As long as Pat Riley is there they’re gonna be relevant and in the conversation. Fan-ability: B+

New Orleans Pelicans

As Tony Montana famously once said: “Manny, look at the pelican fly. Come on, pelican!” refering to some flamingos he was watching on TV. I kind of feel that way when I’m watching these guys play... I think I’m watching two of the best big men in the game along with some decent role players but I’m really just watching a franchise with no idea of what they’ll do when they inevitably lose both their big men (AD & Boogie) and return to being bad (worse). My second thing about this franchise: how are we supposed to root for a team called the Pelicans?! Wait... their arena is called the “Smoothie King Center”? OK, I’m done.

Weird to not root for a team that has 2 of the top 15 players in the league. Fan-ability: F 

New York Knicks

New York IS basketball. When you walk around this magnificent city you breathe basketball. Some of the best street ballers are New Yorkers. Yet, the Knicks haven’t been as great as Knicks fan expect them to be (not in the last 3 or 4 seasons anyway). Owner James Dolan is not exactly a fan favorite, Phil Jackson left without accomplishing what he was hired to accomplish, Charles Oakley has been banned from MSG (yes, the former Knicks legend) and the Melo-drama of last year(s) was quite frankly very annoying. So yeah, it’s been pretty brutal. It’s seems like a very long time because their last championship was in 1973 but there have been some really interesting, talented and semi-successful Knicks teams since Bernard King’s epic finals performance. One of the most sought after rookies landed in MSG and had a really good career (Patrick Ewing) and the aforementioned Charles Oakley along with John Starks, Anthony Mason and Doug Christie among others were talented, feisty, tough and relentless enough to reach the finals against a really loaded Rockets team. Then there’s Van Gundy’s squad with Ewing, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson and Marcus Camby who played the role of the underdog from day 1 until they reached the finals which they once again lost, this time against a dynastic Spurs. As of today the Knicks, minus Carmelo Anthony, have been quite surprising and own of the most precious assets in basketball: a unicorn. Kristaps Porzingis has won the heart of every single Knicks fan because of the dog in him, something very important to a city that values hard work. His stellar numbers and the potential of becoming a very unique type of player (hence the nickname “unicorn”) might be that x-factor that brings the championship back to the mecca. All they have to do is be patient, avoid the drama (hard to do with the New York media) and draft well... let’s hope Frankie Smokes is the perfect compliment to KP’s amazing talent. Oh, and please pray to the basketball gods... no injuries, please! Fan-ability: A-

Oklahoma City Thunder

You know what helps building a fan base when your not the coolest city in the world? Superstars! Oklahoma City has had some of the biggest names in the NBA play for them: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. More unbelievable? They played together! Just goes to show what a great GM (Sam Presti) and great scouts will do to a franchise. Even with all these amazing atheletes on their team they really never got to win it all. KD and Russ were an unbelievable duo but many wondered if they didn’t really compliment eachother... maybe KD needed more of a playmaker, maybe Russ needed more of a role player and shine on his own. Well KD left to join the ridiculously talented Dubs (and won the title) and Russ won the MVP averaging a triple double.  Now they have even more star power adding hoodie Melo and Paul George to the mix and hoping this trio will knock down the reign of the all mighty Warriors (highly unlikely).  Superstars aside, OKC really has had an uphill battle developing a fan base in such a small market and have done so beautifully.  Fan-ability: B+

Orlando Magic

Whoa! This is hard for me. I’m probably gonna bash the franchise I first loved (and still do for some strange reason). My best memories as a kid are in Orlando when me and my whole family went to Disney World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, so I’m a little bias. Imagine a kid from Guatemala city going to a basketball game in a jam packed arena where Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway put on a show. Done deal! I’m a Magic fan for life.  Orlando somehow managed to lose Shaq by lowballing him in an almost  offensive way comparing him to other players in the league and criticizing his rebounding and defense in an attempt to “negotiate” a deal that wouldn’t mean breaking the bank for Shaq. But guess what? For Shaq, you DO break the bank and by not doing so they broke the heart of every Orlando Magic fan. So Shaq left and it took a long time to recover. 13 years later Dwight Howard somehow managed to go to an NBA Finals with a very weird and well coached Magic team that seemed content to just get there, and let’s face it, didn’t really have a shot against the Lakers.  Then, Rob Hennigan happened. Bad draft picks, horrible free agent signings and head scratching trades were the norm under this guy. Even though he’s still no longer with the team the stench of his horrible decisions still linger over the very bizarre roster today’s Magic have assembled. Granted the beginning of this season has been a very pleasant surprise many people feel it’s just a phase in which a lot of “bad teams” started hot and will eventually fall back down to earth. I’m just trying to believe they might snatch the East’s 8th spot and finally be back in the playoff picture, but... why? Shouldn’t they just tank and hope to get ANOTHER draft pick? Who knows? All I know is Aaron Gordon is finally playing some decent basketball and I have really high expectations from rookie Jonathan Isaac and might eventually become a steal in the draft.  Fan-ability: D

Philadelphia 76ers

Oh God! The Process. The day they win a championship I’ll tolerate the Process. I feel awful for the Philly fans that had to endure such a long run of shameless, utter failure while being the laughing stock of the whole league. Having the commissioner actually getting involved in the team’s plan to continue sucking has got to be embarrassing. But 76ers fans have shown they always trusted the process and are now celebrating as if Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are the next best thing since sliced bread, but I have to remind every Sixer fan once in a while that they drafted Michael Carter-Williams and traded him for nothing, Nerlens Noel and traded him for nothing and Jahlil Okafor, who’ll be traded for nothing... so let’s not get too excited just yet. We still have to find out what Markelle Fultz becomes. The level of incompetence they endured for so long actually made us all root for them making them the most lovable underdog in history and thus captivating a new fan base of people rooting for the eternal losers to finally get a break. They used to be good though. Real good. Mostly because they had Allen Iverson, the best pound for pound player ever. Those A.I. teams were surrounded by a bunch of scrubs, role players and stiffs that watched “The Answer” in awe as he dismantled every opponent they faced. The team had a superstar and a lot of heart that would eventually take the finals against another almost invincible Lakers team, that for a second, crapped their pants when Allen Iverson tore them apart in Game 1. Eventually L.A. won 4 straight and the series was over. Philadelphia was praised for valiantly battling a star studded team with a minuscule scorer along with a bunch of unknowns (so yeah, they’ve always been the lovable underdogs). In a very “Rocky” way, Philadelphia always seems to be forced against the ropes and fighting back the best way they can.  Fan-ability: B

Phoenix Suns

It’s hard to imagine a time where the Phoenix Suns were a great Western Conference team. They were. My first memories of good Suns teams was the Barkley, KJ and Majerle led team. Then there’s the Nash-Stoudemire era where the battles against their Western Conference nemesis were pretty epic. It’s seems like its been forever since the glory days for the Suns. They had a nice little run not long ago with a trio of guards that are really good (Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas) but seemed like they handled it very poorly only ending the very brief run with some questionable GM decisions. Overall the Suns are franchise that hasn’t really clicked and found a clear path to becoming a fun team to watch. The Suns are very young and do have a great-to-be shooting guard in Devin Booker, but they’re probably 4 years from being competitive again and some young players like Bender, Marquese Chriss and Josh Jackson have to prove their worth in the next upcoming seasons. Trading Bledsoe seems like it could be a fresh start and open up some very important playing time for the younger talent. So brace yourselves, it’s not gonna be pretty. Fan-ability: C-

Portland Trailblazers

Hispters rejoice! There’s no doubt that rooting for the Blazers is the cool thing to do since nobody really trusts their backcourt defense, bench or bother to give Dame Dolla (a.k.a. Damien Lillard) an All-Star nod.  CJ McCollum and Damien Lillard think they’re the best backcourt in the NBA and it’s a legitimate claim since they score at will against any and every defender. When it comes to clutch shooting... you know it’s Dame Time! I personally find the Blazers a really fun team to watch and when you think about it, it’s been the case for a very long time. Awesome Blazer players throughout the years: Clifford Robinson (headband included), Jerome Kersey, Rod Strickland, Arvydas Sabonis, Rasheed Wallace, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge are just some of the names that made this cool-ass city much much cooler. They’ve been relevant but haven’t really won a championship but at least they’ve been to one. Even if they’ve lost more than they’ve won they are definitly a cool team. Fan-ability: B+

Sacramento Kings

Before owner Vivek Ranadivé thought Nik Stauskas was the next best thing, before they drafted every single big while having arguably the best center in the league in Boogie Cousins and confusing everybody with every single poor decision the Kings were exciting.

Can it be argued that Jason “White Chocolate” Williams was the most entertaining point guard of the last 25 years? I certainly think so. He put the Kings on the map along with a very productive Chris Webber, the shooter extraordinaire of Peja Stojakovic and a bunch of really good role players. They kind of underachieved but looking back on that team, they might have been a little too young and flashy. The only time they made the NBA Finals was unfortunately in the movie “How to lose a guy in 10 days”. They lost those fake finals to the Knicks, how about that?

They might be making a comeback, though. The fun team they used to be could once again excite us basketball fans with rookie phenom De'Aaron Fox, second year shooting guard Buddy Hield, big man Willy Cauley-Stein and the rest of the young core. After all the DeMarcus Cousins drama they dealt with I sincerely hope they find their way with this young squad and make the Kings games a must watch. Fan-ability: C

San Antonio Spurs

You know how some organizations are so good they become kind of annoying and after a while they stop being annoying again because you’re in awe of how well they do everything? That’s the San Antonio Spurs.

Only the Spurs can reach the playoffs a record setting 20 consecutive years (also the longest active playoff streak in any major North American sports league as of 2017) and keep drafting really good under the radar rookies, who eventually turn out to be really good. You can’t talk about the Spurs without talking about Tim Duncan or Gregg Popovich, and even though there have been a lot of other amazing Spurs players (David Robinson, Manu, Tony Parker, Sean Elliott, now Kawhi, etc.) it’s Pop and Timmy’s dynasty. And is it just me or was Gregg Popovich really unlikable back when we didn’t really know him? He seemed like a real a**hole but now people want him to be the next President.

They are an iconic dynasty that will be a trademark of greatness for years and years to come. Watching Timmy retire was hard, I can’t imagine what’ll be like when Pop calls it quits.

Fan-ability: A+

Toronto Raptors

All Star Weekends aren’t really important. I was always a fan of these long, flashy, ceremonious events, but not really. It’s like it’s supposed to happen and it’s kinda like the mid-season awards in a way but it’s definitely not a big deal. In the year 2000 (shout out to Conan) though, it mattered, mainly because of the Canada’s basketball ambassador unbelievable display of amazingness and athletic dunk display that became, and still is, the single best dunk contest in the history basketball. Vince Carter was “Air Canada” but eventually it became a messy divorce with the franchise and once again became a sub par team. Nowadays they a decent top 3 team in the Leastern Conference, but I don’t expect them to go further than the second round of the playoffs, even though Masai Ujiri managed to assemble a nice roster that inlcudes the Big Medium 3 of: Lowry, DeRozan and Ibaka. The Raptors have always been ok and cool to root for (they are the only non U.S. team in the league, and that might be a plus) and the list of iconic players is actually pretty decent: Vince, T-Mac, Damon “Mighty Mouse” Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston). The most notable Raptors fan nowadays is Toronto’s rapper Drake (see also: Nav Bhatia) which really boosts popularity for the franchise, even when we know LeBron will have his way with the Raps come playoff time. Fan-ability: B+

Utah Jazz

Ok, first things first... let me just say that the biggest oxymoron is this franchise’s name. Has there ever been actual jazz played in the Mormon state? (shout out to Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the hilarious “Book of Mormon” musical) Now that I got that out of the way, let’s go ahead and analyze the franchise. They’ve been a really well coached team for the most part (Jerry Sloan and now Quin Snyder) and even when they’re lacking star power they seem to be that team you don’t want to face. They’re really good at drafting and developing young talent and that translates into really feisty hard working potential all-stars... that eventually leave via free agency, probably because Utah isn’t the sexiest place in the world. Deron Williams was on his way of becoming the best point guard in the league and almost overnight became an expendable bench player. Gordon Hayward was the big white hope but opted to join forces with his former Butler head coach in Boston and got injured 5 minutes into his Celtic debut... wait is this a “Leave Utah curse” theory? Nah. Hayward will be alright... I hope. The 90′s and 2000′s were different though, Utah was a star studded franchise always representing the west come playoff time mainly because of the one the best duos of all time: Karl Malone and John Stockton. Although they never got to win the championship they’ll always be remembered as a legit force in the league. As for now, let’s just hope Rudy Gobert keeps developing into the best dang Center in the league... he certainly has the potential. Rodney Hood (awesome name by the way) needs to become an offensive force and most importantly be consistent. Dante Exum sadly, hasn’t really lived up to the hype and I believe has reached his ceiling. They are what all Jazz teams are, gritty and tough. Fan-ability: C+

Washington Wizards

DC’s team is and has always been a conundrum. Wizards teams have been pretty good on paper but none of them, including a Michael Jordan led team, could really make them relevant (granted MJ was getting pretty old and wasn’t in the best shape). It seems the current team is the best the franchise has had in a long time, yet they’re not close to being a Conference favorite. Do the Wizards have big names? Yup, John Wall is in the prime of a stellar career. Bradley Beal has proven he can stay healthy and stay productive. Otto Porter got paid All-Star money and should become one for this team to really go further. Are they well coached? Debatable, but I believe Scott Brooks is a huge improvement over several of the last coaches in Washington. Now the big question is can they actually dethrone Cleveland? The other big question is whether this roster is built for the future like Boston is. Sadly, my answer for both these questions is no. They had their share of bad draft picks (Kwame Brown most notably), players gone bad (Gilbert Arenas, Juwan Howard) iconic players that never really transcended or carried the franchise (MJ, Chris Webber), but the bottom line is they’re a cool franchise to root for (used to be cooler when they were the “Bullets”) in a cool city. Hopefully one day they’ll become a legitimate championship contending team. Maybe if they figure out how to get Boogie Cousins that’ll happend sooner rather than later. Fan-ability: B-

[nbatrades]

Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Draft Rights of Zeljko Rebraca

On June 29th, 1994, the Seattle SuperSonics traded the draft rights of Zeljko Rebraca to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 1996 second round draft pick (Joseph Blair).

The 1994 NBA Draft was the center of superstar trade drama. The Seattle Supersonics and Chicago Bulls flirted with the possibility of altering their DNA by swapping Shawn Kemp and Scottie Pippen. Though the deal never came to fruition, Seattle wasn’t done dealing.

Owning the last pick in the draft, Seattle decided to deal the pick for future compensation. The Minnesota Timberwolves had explored acquiring a late second round pick to take the drafting rights of Zeljko Rebraca. From Serbia, Rebraca had established himself as a young and athletic prospect playing overseas for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.

Minnesota reached out to several teams about acquiring a pick to take Rebraca, and the Sonics were the one team that accepted the deal. Seattle selected Rebraca for Minnesota, dealt his rights to the Timberwolves and acquired a 1996 second round pick from Minnesota in the deal. Rebraca had multiple years on his contract with Partizan Belgrade which meant he was a draft and stash player.

Rebraca never played for the Wolves. His draft rights were dealt to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal with the Denver Nuggets in 1999. Rebraca’s rights were dealt once again in 2001 to the Detroit Pistons where he ended up making his NBA debut.

The draft pick that Seattle acquired from the Timberwolves became the 35th pick of the 1996 NBA Draft. Seattle used the pick on forward Joseph Blair from the University of Arizona. Blair didn’t play much for the Sonics in Summer League and after Seattle committed to center Jim McIlvaine, Blair decided to play overseas.

Blair went on to sign with Pau-Orthez of the French League. Though he never played an official NBA game — Blair had a brief stint in 2007 training camp with the Chicago Bulls — Blair’s professional basketball career spanned 13 years, playing overseas in Russia and Greece. He even had two stints with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Jack McCloskey on Zeljko Rebraca (via Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“He's one of the brighter prospects in Europe. He's an extremely quick leaper. He's explosive and that really opens your eyes.”

George Karl’s sarcastic response after he was asked if he notified owner Barry Ackerley of trading Rebraca’s draft rights (via LA Times):

“I don’t think I called him on it. We’re very powerful on second-round picks.”

Image via kurir.rs