Category: Basketball

NBA legend Bill Russell died Sunday at the age of 88, his family announced. Russell was an 11x NBA champion, 5x league MVP, 2x NCAA champion, and an Olympic gold medalist.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s statement regarding the passing of Bill Russell:

During his appearance on The Old Man and The Three podcast, the newly acquired New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson talks to former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick about how the Dallas Mavericks upset the Phoenix Suns and what Luka Doncic and the Mavs locker room reaction was to upsetting the #1 seed in that way:

This year’s number one draft pick Paolo Banchero participated in a Pro-Am basketball league TheCrawsOver in Seattle. The 19-year-old forward shined in his hometown as he dropped 50 points.

Banchero teamed up with the number two pick Chet Holmgren on the Sonics as they defeated the Ball Is Life, led by Jaden McDaniels’ 52 points.

Nets superstar Kyrie Irving recently made a comment which suggests that the 30-year-old point guard intends to play overseas at the end of his career when he leaves the NBA.

It started with him posting a video of hi highlights with Kobe Bryant praising Kyrie’s game and his skills. That prompted a fan to stay that Irving is ‘gassing himself up’ for the 2022-2023 season.

For his part the former NBA champion responded by tweeting: “I don’t ever have to Gas myself up. I am going on my 12th year in the best league in the world and I am only getting better. When I am 38 years old and have time to reflect on my career truly, I will do so, but until then, I am enjoying every moment.”

“And no I won’t be done playing basketball at 38 years old lol, I’ll be in leagues all over the world playing and teaching the youth all that was taught to me,” Irving added.

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I don’t ever have to Gas myself up. I am going on my 12th year in the best league in the world and I am only getting better. When I am 38 years old and have time to reflect on my career truly, I will do so, but until then, I am enjoying every moment. ♾A11Even

— A11Even (@KyrieIrving) July 30, 2022

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And no I won’t be done playing basketball at 38 years old lol, I’ll be in leagues all over the world playing and teaching the youth all that was taught to me.

— A11Even (@KyrieIrving) July 30, 2022

This past season Irving averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 37.7 minutes per game for Brooklyn.

During his appearance on ESPN’s “The VC Show” with Vince Carter, the Miami Heat star guard Kyle Lowry gave his opinion on his teammate Jimmy Butler’s new hairdo:

“My man, my dawg, my brother,” Lowry says of Butler. “I talked to him on Facetime on Tuesday and I was just like ‘What the f***?! You got dreads?’”

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Before he became a media mogul, Bill Simmons was a Celtics fan. While Simmons was getting super famous, the Celtics weren’t very good. The man overseeing that not-very-goodness was coach Doc Rivers. So Bill’s problems became Doc’s problems, and vice versa.

This is what happens when one of the biggest stars in sports media cares deeply and publicly about a particular team, and the guy running the team isn’t just going to take it all in stride. It got awkward, and it got beefy:

According to CNN, the Biden administration has offered to exchange Viktor Bout, who was the world’s most notorious arms dealer before a U.S. court convicted him in 2011 and sent him to a prison in Illinois, as part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, the U.S. National anthem boycotter Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

During his appearance on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton radio show on Friday, former President Donald Trump gave his thoughts on the matter, saying that Brittney Griner “went in there loaded up with drugs into a hostile territory where they’re very vigilant about drugs. They don’t like drugs. And she got caught.”

“And now we’re supposed to get her out. We’re supposed to get her out for an absolute killer and one of the biggest arms dealers in the world. Killed many Americans. Killed many people,” he continued.

“And he’s gonna get a free card, and we’re gonna get her. She knew you don’t go in there loaded up with drugs, and she admitted it. I assume she admitted it without too much force because it is what it is, and it certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? He’s absolutely one of the worst in the world, and he’s gonna be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs.”

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During an interview with @ClayTravis and @BuckSexton, former President Donald Trump weighed-in on the Brittney Griner situation. His take on sending a Russian arms dealer for her in a prisoner swap?

“Doesn’t seem like a very good trade.” https://t.co/euGjF3gFOQ

— OutKick (@Outkick) July 30, 2022

The Toronto Raptors have waived guard Armoni Brooks. The partial guarantee on his contract was due to go up on Aug. 1. This opens up a spot on their training camp roster, which stands at 18 (19 once Koloko is signed).

Brooks, 24, averaged 6.2 points per game in 41 outings with the Rockets last season, then was waived in February. He signed two 10-day deals with Toronto after that, later signing a two-year deal with the organization.

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The Raptors have waived Armoni Brooks. The partial guarantee on his contract was due to go up on Aug. 1. This opens up a spot on their training camp roster, which stands at 18 (19 once Koloko is signed).

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) July 30, 2022

Following his move to the Knicks, Jalen Brunson has chosen to wear No. 11 for the Knickerbockers this upcoming season.

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

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

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

Sabrina Ionescu joined the WNBA after setting and NCAA record for being the first player (male or female) to register 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists in ther career. Now that she’s in her third season with the Liberty, Ionescu has been able to combine what maker so unique as rebounder and playmaker to become the preeminnent triple-double threat in the WNBA.

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“You can teach (rebounding) technique. You can teach a lot of things about boxing out. But at the end of the day: See ball, get ball, and that’s Sabrina.”@charlottecrrll on how crucial @sabrina_i20‘s rebounding is for @nyliberty and her own success: https://t.co/Hu9MDougLP

— The Athletic WBB (@TheAthleticWBB) July 29, 2022

This season, Ionescu is averaging 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds. and 6.2 assists per game. As of Friday, the Oregon legend leads all guards in rebounding and her 6.2 rebounds per game rank seventh overall in the League. Ionescu has recorded two triple-doubles to this point of the season as well. Ionescu’s AAU and high school coach, Kelly Sopak, said that Ionescu’s abilty to attack the boards came after he played up in age and wouldn’t get the ball unless she did rebound.

Since Ionescu is such a rebounding magnate, she is the only primary ballhandler for a team who ranks in the top 20 for rebounds this season. Ionescu herself said competing with a higher level of hoopers that are more physical has been a “learning experince” but something that she’s going to do to help the Liberty win games.

“First and foremost, she cares,” Sopak told The Athletic. “You can teach (rebounding) technique. You can teach a lot of things about boxing out. But at the end of the day: See ball, get ball, and that’s Sabrina.”

Her nose for the ball has impressed many players around the League including Allie Quigley, who said that Ionescu’s “competitiveness and her fearlessness.” stand out the most about the young guard.

Candace Parker is another guard who has been impressed by Ionescu’s ability to record points, board, and dimes and see’s her versatility as part of the game’s evolutiuon. Ionescu and Parker have recorded two triple-doubles, while Moriah Jefferson and Alyssa Thomas have one each. That’s six out the 11-ever triple-doubles in the history of the WNBA.

“I think it’s the new age of players, but I also think it’s the way the game is played now,” Parker said. She’s tied with Ionescu for most triple-doubles in league history with three total. “It’s more fast-paced now. Now, you’re seeing 90s and 100 scores. They’re setting the record for 3-point shots. So it’s more like made shots. When we were coming to into the league, I don’t know what the average was for points, but I’m sure it was way less than it is now. So you have more shooters, so you’re going to have more assists and your playmaking is better. So I think it’s just a combination of yes, the skill set of the players like Sabrina, but also, I think it’s the skill set of those that are around her that are able to knock down shots.”

The Liberty (10-17) are set to return to action with a Friday night road game against the defending champion Chicago Sky (21-7).