Category: Basketball

In this VladTV clip, Iman Shumpert spoke about being part of the historic comeback from being down 3-1 in the 2016 NBA Finals. Vlad told Iman that his Cavs cost him to lose a $1,000 bet as a result of the comeback.

Dancing with the Stars winner recalled being down in the series and the Cleveland Cavaliers being inspired to overcome the deficit.

To hear more, including Shumpert’s thoughts on Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors the following season and the psyche of players who make it to the pros, check out the clip:

Atlanta Dream guard and former undrafted player turned All-Star Game MVP Erica Wheeler recently joined the Get With It podcast to discuss her journey thus far in the W.

Wheeler and WSLAM’s Camille Buxeda and Jianni Smith covered many topics, but one reoccurring theme that kept popping up is the importance of Wheeler’s mother and the effect she had on her life.

“When I go at anything like this interview, when I’m on a court, when I’m doing anything that I can impact I always just try to do it to the best of my ability because let the world know that someone who struggled most of her life raised a great daughter.”

The impact Wheeler’s mother had on her is put to heart in a new adidas PE that’s being released in honor of her. On the latest episode of WSLAM’s pod, Wheeler gave an exclusive sneak peek at the design of the shoe.

“It has ribbons under the sole and in the ribbon it says ‘For Mom’ …. it cuffs my feet and my feet don’t slide. And it also give me that boost feeling because it’s soft,” Wheeler said of the shoe. “My mom passed away from cervical cancer. The ribbon of cervical cancer is teal, so the shoe’s all teal. And I think the dope part about it is the bottom of the shoe. It’s clear, and it has ribbons all over them.”

Along with talking about the new adidas PE, Wheeler and the Get With It crew covered quite a few topics spanning the whole length of Wheeler’s career. Wheeler decided to attend Rutgers University over UConn, LSU, South Carolina, and others. She says it all started with a visit from head coach C. Vivian Stringer.

“The conversation was super family-orientated because we just started talking about food, it wasn’t even about basketball,” Wheeler told WSLAM. “I think the one thing that stuck out to my mom is was I never let home, so she felt more comfortable with me going to Rutgers because how Vivian approached our family.”

According to Wheeler, Stringer let her know that she’d be able to graduate in four years and ‘know how to talk, how to represent herself, and etiquette.’ As the first to graduate from college in her family, Wheeler also saw the school’s etiquette classes as something she could ‘bring home’ to teach them.

After 77 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years with Stringer at Rutgers, Wheeler reflected on something Stringer taught her that still sticks with her to this day. “Honestly, just being relentless. Like, she never gave us nothing. She didn’t care how good you were; I was the number one player leaving out of Florida when she recruited me, and she didn’t care. Like I don’t care how good you are, you’re going to work for everything.”

This relentless attitude enabled Wheeler to fight through being undrafted in the WNBA Draft, and ultimately taking a chance on herself in Puerto Rico after getting a call from a friend to play for a club team.

“I was working at True Religion and a drug abuse facility,” Wheeler says. “So for me, I’m like, Okay do I walk away from almost 3,000 to make only 1,000? But this is not my calling, like this is just work. Basketball is my calling. So I’m just like, ‘Man me walking away from this is basically betting on myself.’ So I just decided, I’m like, Alright. I ended up quitting both jobs.”

After winning a championship down in Puerto Rico with the team, Wheeler was able to showcase her talent briefly overseas and land a tryout with the Atlanta Dream. There, she put on a ‘I’m bout to bust they ass and get this spot’ attitude to eventually be selected for the one open roster spot after competing against three other players.

While Wheeler only played 17 games in Atlanta, it was a jumping point for the rest of her career. A mere four years later, she became the first undrafted player in history to be named All-Star Game MVP, representing the Indiana Fever. However, Wheeler admits that she didn’t even see the All-Star nod coming at all.

“When I got that, I thought it was a prank honestly,” Wheeler says. “I’m thinking my best friend or my brother told a girl to call me to prank call me. Because if you ask Bethany, I’m like ‘man stop playing get off my damn phone’ like cursed at the lady and everything.”

Wheeler was instrumental in Team A’ja Wilson’s 129-126 victory, recording a game-high 25 points and seven assists in 19 minutes of run to secure the victory for her team.

It all eventually came full circle for Wheeler, who made her way back to Atlanta this season. She’s currently averaging 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the 4-1 Dream. Wheeler has a strong message for the rest of the W and anyone who is sleepin’ on ATL.

“Just keep sleeping on Atlanta if you want to. I think we woke some people up that first game though,” Wheeler says. “When we lose we gon’ lose together, when we win we gon’ win together, and we never separate… y’all gon see.”

Subscribe to WSLAM’s new podcast, Get With It, here.

Canada, this issue is yours!

Canadian basketball legends of the past, present and future grace the cover the first-ever edition of SLAM Canada: Steve Nash, Kia Nurse and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Featuring augmented reality-enabled covers, SLAM Canada 1 has stories on Drake, Natalie Achonwa, Super Fan, Vince Carter and more. The inaugural edition is penned by a diverse roster of journalists who reflect the strength and passion of Canada’s basketball community.

SLAM Canada Issue 1 featuring Kia Nurse is OUT NOW!

Steve Nash is one of the cover stars of SLAM Canada 1. Shop now.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is next up. Get your copy of SLAM Canada 1.

Retired NBA player-turned-TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal curled his former on-court rival and current colleague Reggie Miller:

Despite 29 points and six rebounds from Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat lost to the Boston Celtics, 127-102, losing home-court advantage as the series shifts to Boston tied up at 1-1.

Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo scored 14 each, and Tyler Herro followed up with 11 points of his own. The loss drops Miami to 7-1 at FTX Arena during the 2022 playoffs.

“This only counts as one,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what the experienced players in the locker room and staff understand. We don’t like it. They played extremely well. You have two really good teams, and we just have to figure some things out.”

The Miami Heat will have to have a short memory before Game 3 after this blowout loss. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did after Miami raced out to a 10-point in the opening minutes of the first quarter. That was about the only bright spot of the night before Boston went on a 17-0 fueled by five made triples in six possessions. The superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to score 51 points, including 33 in the first half.

Boston eventually outscored Miami by 39 points in the next 18 minutes and headed into the locker room with a 70-45 lead at halftime. After the break, Butler did everything he could to bring Miami back into the game, cutting the lead to 17 after scoring 16 points in the third quarter.

However, Boston responded with a 12-2 run to shut the door on any comeback bid, restoring a 27-deficit while heading into the final frame with a 96-71 lead that was never threatened. Had Miami not gone on a late run, Game 2 of the 2022 Miami-Boston ECF series would’ve set a Miami record for the biggest loss in their franchise history. Miami avoided that historic achievement, but Boston broke their franchise record for the biggest road playoff game lead at halftime (25).

“It has to hurt,” Butler said. “They tried to embarrass us. They did embarrass us. — Overall, we just have to be better.”

The next time Miami and Boston meet will be Saturday’s Game 3 in TD Garden. Whoever wins Game 3 will leave with a 2-1 series and home-court advantage.

The Boston Celtics started Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in a 10-point hole. The lackluster effort in the opening minutes demanded that Coach Ime Udoka respond and send a simple message to the No. 2 seed Celtics.

“Wake up,” Udoka told his team.

And boy, did they wake up. The Celtics tied the series up at 1-1 with a 127-102 win in FTX Arena, stealing home-court advantage as the series shifts to Boston for Games 3 and 4. Jayson Tatum (27 points, five rebounds, and five assists) and Jaylen Brown (24 points and eight rebounds,)rebounded from their disastrous Game 1 performances and combined to score 51 points.

The return of Marcus Smart (24 points, nine rebounds, 14 dimes) and Al Horford (10 points, three rebounds, three assists) also helped Boston roll past Miami on Thursday. Boston knocked down 20 three-pointers also, with Smart hitting 5-12 and Tatum and Brown combining to hit eight triples.

“I got to get my rest, got to get my health back, got to watch and see some things and come out and execute in this game,” Smart said.

See more

MARCUS SMART DROPPED EM! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4rChRnG6mL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 20, 2022

The Celtics used a 17-0 run late in the first quarter, fueled by five triples in six possessions, to take control of Game 2. The momentum-shifting run helped Boston outscore Miami 60-21 over the next 18 minutes, which turned into a 70-45 halftime lead. Brown led the surge with 11 points in the opening frame, Boston shot 9-11 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, and Tatum added fuel to the fire by scoring 17 points in the second quarter.

See more

20+ in the 1st half. Tatum came out HOT! (via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/FRkgqt5Giy

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 20, 2022

The 25-point halftime lead was the largest lead the Celtics have had in a road playoff game, topping the previous record of 22 against the Chicago Bulls in 2009. Miami cut the deficit to 17 off Jimmy Butler’s 16 points in the third quarter, but Boston went on a 12-2 run to close the door on any comeback bid. By the time the final frame began, Boston was 96-71.

“Guys have pride and looked at a golden opportunity that we kind of lost (in Game 1) and thought we could do much better,” Udoka said. “And we did that tonight.”

The Celtics are 4-0 following a loss this postseason. The ECF shifts to Boston on Saturday with both Eastern Conference foes looking to leave Game 3 with a 2-1 lead.

The much anticipated 2021-22 All-LeagueFits Teams awards are finally here. Throughout the NBA season, players have rocked everything from bold and bright fits to layered ensembles and oversized pieces that made waves across the internet (you know the meme). The heat hasn’t stopped during the postseason either—from Tyler Herro and Jayson Tatum‘s bold co-ord sets to Grant Williams and Frank Ntilikina‘s polo poppin’ casual looks and white tees.

With countless tunnel fits to choose from, the All-LeagueFits Teams were carefully selected by a voting system that include one-third of fan votes, one-third of votes from LF’s Survival of the Fitted Podcast, and the remaining votes from an exclusive panel that includes designer Mamadou, former WNBA star Ty Young, fashion publicist John Guidry, NBA champ Axel Toupane, NFL star and designer Rodney McLeod, designer Caroline Bentley Noble, Los Angeles Sparks’ star Liz Cambage, fashion Tik Tok influencer Ayeeron, former NBA standout and designer/ ‘Bucks in 6’ legend Brandon Jennings, Richard aka @thehapablonde and stylist Devon Byrd.

Here are the official results of the First, Second and Third Teams, as well as the All-Rookie and Honorable Mentions. Stay tuned for the individual award selections.

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Jordan Clarkson is truly in a class of his own. this is his third consecutive first team selection, and he was one of only two unanimous picks between the panel, fans and pod. Kelly Oubre Jr. was the first-ever LeagueFits MVP, and he makes an epic return to the first team after showing out in a major way with charlotte this past season.

As for SGA, no debates to be had this time around. He showed off his versatility this season and rightfully secured his spot on the top team. Then there’s Devin Booker, who has the most defined aesthetic in basketball. he was one of two players to be unanimously voted to the first team.

Meanwhile, D-Lo elevated his looks to another level this season, and he did it in the classiest way possible.

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These five did it their way and one time for some of the tunnel’s tuffest. Russ came back to Hollywood this year, and he owned the tunnel at STAPLES for the full 82, while CP3 has yet to miss out on the LeagueFits teams since we started doing this in 2018. Jerry Lorenzo’s favorite hooper, Frank Jackson is making his return to the LF teams, and so is Kuz, who was the first-ever LF Rookie of the Year and has turned up the heat more and more. He’s never afraid to push the boundaries of self-expression and is a permanent LF mainstay.

While these awards are based on the regular season, we’ll admit that JT is the last guy we want to see on the court, or in the tunnel, during this postseason.

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Jalen Green claims his spot on the third team after a heavy dosage of love from the fan vote and bringing in some unique looks his rookie season. Caris LeVert is maybe the most underrated tunnel star in the League. No more sleeping on Levert, he’s like that on the court and in the closet.

One time for Myles Turner, who’s gotta be the tallest dude to ever make a LeagueFits team standing at 6’11. We’re also not going to let y’all snub Jared Vanderbilt this year because he deserves this one, and Pj Tucker is gonna have a permanent spot on the LeagueFits teams as long as he plays in this League. True legend and true drip OG.

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Nobody in the freshman class went harder post All-Star Game than Scottie Barnes. He’s surely cemented as a future LeagueFits and NBA star. Jonathan Kuminga’s been doing it his own way his entire life. No surprises he’s the same way in the tunnel.

Josh Christopher was the first (and we think the only) high school player to ever be posted on LeagueFits. This has been in the works for years. And, if you watched even five seconds of the 2021 NBA draft, you knew Jalen Green was going to be a superstar.

David Duke Jr held nothing back with his bold play on the court and in the tunnel his rookie campaign. The undrafted rook surpassed every expectation that was set, and it’s just the beginning.

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Consistency matters in a season that’s 82-plus games long and Nickeil Alexander-Walker routinely delivered. Then we’ve got the LF fan favorite, Tyler Herro, who burst onto the scene as our rookie of the year a few years back and has kept the bar high since.

Jordan Poole might be from the midwest, but he embraced the laid-back California style to the fullest this year, while Thanasis Antetokounmpo used the Milwaukee winters as the perfect reason to consistently layer up, earning his first-ever LeagueFits award.

James Harden might be an OG in the tunnel, but he’s been dressing since before LF was even an idea. Tristan Thompson played in a few cities this year, and he dressed up in all of them. He earns LeagueFits awards honors for the second straight season.

And last but definitely not least, we confirmed on the Survival of the Fitted Pod that Gary Trent Jr. had the fit of the year. It’s only right he gets an LF awards nod.

Max Strus has the perfect chance to prove that the Boston Celtics were wrong for cutting him just before the 2019-2020 regular-season campaign began.

Strus came out of DePaul in 2019 and thrived with Boston through the Summer League, even making it past the final preseason cut before former coach-now team president Brad Stevens cut him in favor of Javonte Green another undrafted prospect per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“I think they went with the more defensive-minded player,” Strus said, per Windeman. “But they said it was a tough decision for them to make. And everything happens for a reason.”

Now facing the team he took a cup of coffee with three years ago, Strus has a chance to make sure Stevens and the Celtics know how wrong they were in cutting him. When you peel back the curtain just a bit more, Strus sees one organization, Boston, giving up on him before his NBA career could start.

While the other, Miami, saw his potential and decided to take a gamble on Strus despite the former DePaul Blue Demon coming off a severe knee injury. The perspective allows Strus to seemingly play in the Eastern Conference Finals without much hate for Boston in his heart.

“No,” Strus said. “This isn’t about me. This is bigger than me. It’s the Eastern Conference finals. There’s no personal vendettas here. We’re just trying to win a series.”

However, Strus revealed that he had a Plan B after being cut by Boston. His hometown Bulls signed him to a two-way contract. Strus played two games with the Bulls before his rookie season ended after he suffered a bruised bone and torn ACL in his left knee while playing with Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. Strus averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 13 G League games.

Strus signed a training camp deal the following offseason, performing well enough to earn another a two-way contract. Strus scored 6.1 points per game in 39 appearances, dropping 21 points against the Rockets on 5-8 shooting from three-point range. Strus then proved that he was worth more after playing well with the Heats summer league team in 2021, and the Heat rewarded that performance by signing him to a two-year deal worth $3.5 million to stay in Miami.

Since then, Strus has averaged 10.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 41.0 percent from distance. The 26-year-old shooting guard has shined in the playoffs, hitting three triples in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to help Miami gain a 1-0 lead.

Technically, Strus didn’t play for Boston, but the memory of being cut by Boston wasn’t something he could control. The politics of the 2019 Celtics training camp led to him being kept off the Celtics roster. The front office decided to keep Tacko Fall, leaving Stevens and then-GM Danny Ainge to choose to keep either Strus or Green. A decision that Strus was told was difficult during that fateful meeting with Boston’s brain trust.

“Danny said it was a hard decision to make,” Strus said. “And I met with Brad, too, and he said the same thing. So it happens. It’s part of the business.”

While his teammates like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro had no recollection of Strus playing in the legendary green Boston jerseys, he is seemingly in a better place, playing for an organization that, from the outside looking in, appreciates him.

Strus says he won’t play with any lingering bad feelings against Boston or his former, but he doe shave a chip on his shoulder from that fateful day. In hindsight, the move worked out. Coach Erik Spoelstra caught wind of Strus after assistant GM Adam Simon put him on. Spoelstra reportedly watched the film and was impressed enough to want to sign Strus, and a week later, they brought Strus to South Beach. The rest is history.

“Of course, always,” Strus said. “I have multiple chips on my shoulder, not just that. I have a lot of things that I could fall back on for motivation and to provide energy for me, so it’s not just that.”

Strus may have been willing to bleed green, but for now, he’s soaking in the radiant Miami sunshine, up 1-0 on the Celtics in the ECF. Game 2 will be on Thursday in FTX Arena, and it’ll be another chance to write another page about his time in Boston and a chance to gloss over his time in Beantown.

The Golden State Warriors took a 1-0 series lead against the Dallas Mavericks after a 112-87 blowout in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic finished the game with 20 points shooting 6-18 from the floor and 3-10 from deep. In the second half, Doncic scored just two points and added six more turnovers to end the game.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Jason Kidd told reporters that Luka Magic will be better in Game Two and that Doncic understands how the Warriors will guard him.

“He’s only 23, and we really don’t talk about his age that much, but he understands what they’re trying to do, and he’ll be better. We believe that in the locker room, and there’s not much to say, we knew what was going to come, and we didn’t make shots. He got in the paint and created some looks for guys who normally make them, and they just didn’t go down this evening.”

The Mavericks shot 36 percent from the floor as a team and 22.9 percent from downtown.

Dallas looks to regroup and tie the series Friday for Game Two of the Western Conference Finals in Chase Center.

The Miami Heat are up 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics after a 118-107 game one victory in South beach. Boston was without the Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart and Al Horford, which led to an eruption by Heat star Jimmy Butler finishing the game with 41 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Boston led by 13 points going into halftime; however, a 22-2 run sparked a comeback for Miami, led by 27 second-half points from Butler. He finished the game 17-18 from the free-throw line, the second-most by a player against the Celtics this playoff behind Kevin Durant.

Jaylen Brown told ESPN that Butler was too comfortable in game one and that they would have to play him better the rest of the series.

“He’s very comfortable right now, and we’ve got to do a better job of breaking that rhythm that he’s in. That’s it. We’ve got to take the challenge.”

The Duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 53 points, but their dismal second-half effort hurt the guys in green badly as they finished the game with 16 total turnovers. Tatum only scored eight points in the second half.

Celtics Coach Ime Udoka told reporters that the Heat didn’t do anything different to throw them off the slow second half was a huge momentum shifter in the game.

“It wasn’t anything different that they did. They just came out and imposed their will,” Udoka said. “We semi-bounced back in the fourth and started to play well again and match their physicality, but 39-14 on 2-for-15 is tough to overcome.”

The Celtics look to even the series tonight for Game 2 and head back to the TD Garden with a 1-1 tie.