the-nba Page 22 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
The lazy man’s guide to Victor Wembanyama slander
If I have to hear one more TV, personality, or Twitter bird squawking about the NBA’s top draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, missing a couple of perfunctory jumpers between photo shoots, I am going to throw myself in front of Shaq next time he barrels toward Inside the NBA’s video board....
Something had to give with the Hawks’ expensive roster, and it was John Collins
The Atlanta Hawks finally decided that the talent of John Collins wasn’t financially worth his on-court production. After six seasons with the Hawks, he was traded largely as a salary dump. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, they sent him to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gay, who is on an expiring contract, an...
The Reggie Evans Bad Basketball Basketball Hall of Fame 2023 inductees
Studies have shown that negative news garners more of the public’s attention than positive news, so with that knowledge, I propose an alternative to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Basketball Hall of Fame has the prestige, but it doesn’t generate as much conversation as Twitter ramblings f...
Changing of the guard (at center): The Oscar Tshiebwes & Drew Timmes of the world are undraftable
Evolve, or die. College basketball big men, beware....
Kevin Durant jumps in Twitter Space about himself and sons the participants
In 2023, there is nothing unusual about staying inside on a Friday night. Outside are gouged prices for steaks and cocktails, while inside provides unimpeded toilet access and a personal wifi connection. Spending the night in a Twitter Space arguing about whether or not Kevin Durant is currently a t...
Are no-trade clauses still needed in the NBA?
It’s like the holy grail of professional sports contracts. The elusive no-trade clause. This stipulation is preserved for a select few, but they almost seem pointless in the NBA. Last week Bradley Beal waived the no-trade clause in his deal with the Washington Wizards to clear a path to Phoenix. He ...
There’s less shame in porn than on the set of <i>First Take</i>
The easiest way to get clicks for the past week or so hasn’t been Victor Wembanyama content, or Damian Lillard trade destinations. No, if you really wanted to gin up page views and subscribers, put Zion Williamson and Moriah Mills in a headline. It’s the reason why Stephen A. Smith has repeatedly go...
College basketball is still the best route to the NBA, but maybe not for the stars
Of the 58 players selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, 46 went the traditional route: They played collegiately. NBA teams have drafted a handful of players outside of that pathway for years, especially in the second round. Nearly 80 percent of players selected coming through the college ranks might appea...
Qatari ownership has come to sports on this continent, and is it just the beginning?
We’d wondered when Middle Eastern regimes would come for U.S. sports. They’ve got their mitts all over soccer now, warping how that sport works in Europe. They’ve completely altered golf. Boxing too. And yet it seemed that North America was the last frontier. ...
Chris Paul brings stability to the Warriors' dreadful reserves
Title-chasing leads to strange bedfellows. Steph Curry has now been tasked with accomplishing what Kevin Durant failed — dragging Chris Paul’s withering body to an NBA title. He’s no longer an All-Star caliber player, but there’s still something left. Now, the future Hall of Famer will be imported i...
Scoot Henderson went third, but is still the second-best player in this NBA draft class
Scoot Henderson is not the ideal 2023 NBA basketball player. That archetype is a 6-foot-7 or taller shooter with good defensive instincts. Henderson is 6-foot-2 and his jump shot is still a work in progress. With the profile of a franchise point guard prospect from 2002, Henderson is considered the ...
Dame Lillard and Portland are dancing around an uncomfortable truth
Every amateur couples therapist I’ve ever encountered on the web or on Twitter threads talks about passive-aggressiveness as a relationship killer. This offseason, the Portland Blazers, and Damian Lillard seem to have conflicting goals. The Miami Heat’s interest persists, but Portland has reportedly...
NBA contenders might have to start holding onto those first- and second-round picks
The Golden State Warriors have been the model franchise for how to keep a core group together. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were able to stay united for a decade for a few different reasons — salary cap increase, luck, well-timed contracts — but No. 1 on that list is they spent mon...
Acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis is great, but Boston still has a point guard problem
After a disappointing postseason in Boston, the Celtics have completed one of the biggest trades of the 2023 offseason by acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis. All the Celtics had to do was ship out Marcus Smart to get it done. But bringing in Porziņģis doesn’t necessarily address Boston’s real issue over t...
Ice Cube is angry about how the Big 3 is covered despite never making it easy to cover
Ice Cube — founder of the 3-on-3 pro basketball league, The Big 3 — appeared on Dan Le Batard’s show earlier this week to get some things off his chest. Much of his irritation stemmed from how his league is covered by the sports media world. What Ice Cube didn’t realize is that “the media” are the o...
Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s job is to keep aging Golden State Warriors at a championship level
Monday was the introductory press conference for Mike Dunleavy Jr., the new general manager of the Golden State Warriors. Three days later he gets the privilege of hitting the ground running with the Warriors holding the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft....
You’ll never guess who Brandon Miller proclaims as the 'GOAT'
For anyone who struggles to come to grips with getting older, this won’t help ease that anxiety. Brandon Miller, a projected top 3 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, dropped what might be a shocking revelation to some. During a pre-draft presser on Wednesday, Miller was asked everyone’s favorite basketba...
The Kawhi-PG era could soon come to an end in LA, and still no banners
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Apparently, that also applies to things that were so-so at times and, overall, a disappointing display of futility. That might be a bit harsh, but that’s how some would describe the four-year experiment of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Los ...
Michael Jordan was the only Black majority owner in the NBA, NFL, or MLB — now he’s gone
Michael Jordan is making a good business decision by selling his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for approximately $3 billion — especially since he bought the team for $275 million in 2010. But, despite how bad the franchise has been during his tenure, it’s a melancholy moment given that the...
The Charlotte Hornets are where the 2023 NBA Draft begins
Many of the franchise-altering garden of forking path moments in NBA history began with contentious debates over the No.1 pick. In the rare situation where a phenom takes the reins, the second pick becomes the 2023 NBA Draft’s initial pivot point. A month ago, the Charlotte Hornets were left crestfa...