Category: Basketball

Lakers superstar LeBron James, who is a minority owner of an English football powerhouse Liverpool, attended UEFA Champions League Final in Paris between his team and Real Madrid. He was joined by a group of friends, including fellow NBA star Kevin Love.

Unfortunately for the four-time NBA champions, it was Los Blancos that celebrated the win (1-0) and their 14th European crown thanks to a goal by Vinicius Junior.

James posted photos on Instagram of him and his friends in attendance of the game. “Used to rock a throwback, ballin’ on the corner/Now I rock a tailored suit, lookin’ like a owner. 🤷🏾‍♂️👑. Just words of factual life events!” LeBron wrote on his IG post.

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Love also shared a photo of the whole group at Stade de France:

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Kyle Lowry played a major role in the Heat’s Game 6 win over the Celtics that pushed the Eastern Conference Finals to seven games.

The 36-year-old point guard scored 18 points and dished out 10 assists in 37 minutes of play. Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra praised the former NBA championship for his leadership.

“I can’t say enough about Kyle and his veteran leadership and poise,” he said. “It means so much to us and you can’t put an analytic to it what it means to your team of the feeling of calm and confidence that he can give everybody.

“And that’s orchestrating our offense, it’s just those timely moments during key times of the game where the ball needs to go here it needs to go. And then sometimes he’ll just make a big-time play at the end of the clock. Something that he’s never maybe practiced or attempted before.

“He just has a flare for the moment. He’s one of the all-time clutch players in this league. He just knows how to manage a game. You’re playing in an environment like this [Boston] with the stakes it’s great to just have a Hall of Fame quarter back that just kind of keeps everybody calm.”

During this year’s playoffs Lowry is averaging 7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 28.4 minutes over 9 games so far.

The 21-year old point guard Tyrese Maxey is becoming one of the most talented players of the Philadelphia 76ers. His awesome skills can’t be unnoticed and his contribution to numerous victories of the team is vivid.

He elevated his numbers from his rookie year last season – from 8 points in 15.3 minutes per game to 17.5 points in 35.3 minutes per game. The sophomore stepped up even more during the playoffs as he averaged 20.8 points in 40.4 minutes per game.

His teammate Georges Niang thinks that Maxey is a perennial All-Star in the making. “He’s just a joy to be around,” he said about the point guard on SiriusXM Radio. “Not only is he a tremendous player, but he’s an even better person. His energy is contagious. We joke about around the facility we have if Tyrese has ever had a bad day because his hair is always flopping around, smiling, laughing, yelling.

“His development this year is something I’ve never seen in all my years of basketball. It’s not like I’ve been in the NBA a long time, but the fact that he came in and playing spot minutes the year before and then gets thrown into the fire tell you, like, the only name that I heard for the first three months of the season was Doc [Rivers] screaming ‘Tyrese! Tyrese!’ just completely hammering him.”

Niang remembered that Maxey dealt well with the pressure he received from his head coach and managed to excel on the court while many others would have crumbled.

“I think we found a perennial All-Star. The kid is so talented: he has blazing speed, he shows it on both ends of the floor. He can shoot the ball at an elite level, and off the dribble, and he continues to work as if he’s walk on out of big-time college.

“He just works and I think this is going to be another huge summer for him and I can’t wait to see where it takes us because with the ball in Tyrese Maxey’s hands we can get a lot of stuff done..”

The NBA is handing a $25,000 fine against the Miami Heat due to its bench decorum violations on their Game 6 match against the Boston Celtics last Friday. 

Per the league’s statement: “On multiple occasions, several players stood for an extended period in Miami’s team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on, encroaching upon or entering the playing court during live game action in the Heat’s 111-103 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 27 at TD Garden.”

Video clips have surfaced in social media which show some Heat players crossing out of their bench. One scenario shows Kyle Lowry disrupting Al Horford in a three-point attempt during the game’s dying minutes. 

This punishment serves as the fourth one that the Heat have received in this 2022 playoffs. 

Both the Celtics and the Heat are now ramping up for their do-or-die Game 7 showdown this Sunday back in South Beach. The winner will represent the East to face the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 

NBA Big Board’s Rafael Barlowe says one anonymous front office executive told him he has some concerns about Chet Holmgren at the next level if the former Gonzaga star plays the center position.

(Via Rafael Barlowe- NBA Big Board):

“He said he felt Chet’s greatest attribute on defense, outside of his shot blocking, is his ability to move his feet and switch out on the perimeter and defend guards. But he said that means if you want him to be your primary pick & roll defender, you have to play him at the 5. But he also said, if you play him at the 5, he’s gonna get buried. And not necessarily by your Jokic’s, by your Embiid’s. It’s guys like Jonas Valanciunas. It’s guys like, even Rudy Gobert, on a duck-in. Is he strong enough to handle that? So he said, yes, he does bring value as a weak side shot blocker, but you can kind of scheme him out of the play if you have him at the 4.”

This is where things start to get realer than real. This week, SLAM is unveiling our TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time list that ran in our special issue, SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time. It wasn’t an easy list to make, but one thing’s for sure about all of these teams: they dominated in their own way.

Here’s our No. 21-11:

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21. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr (Luke Walton, Interim Head Coach)

Record: 73-9

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Jason Thompson, Klay Thompson, Anderson Varejao

Never before in NBA history had a team finished the regular season with a single digit in the loss column. When these Dubs did it, fresh off the first of what seemed sure to be three or five or 10 titles with the Curry-Thompson-Green core, a championship seemed like almost a formality—and even more so when they took a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Finals. Only then it was Cleveland’s turn to make history.

20. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 57-25

Roster: Jared Cunningham, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, Joe Harris, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Dahntay Jones, James Jones, Sasha Kaun, Kevin Love, Jordan McRae, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams

There would be no shame in a second straight Finals loss to the mighty Warriors—no shame for LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin in falling short against the historically elite Dubs. There would be disappointment, sure, that the title LeBron came back to Cleveland to win, as part of arguably the most talented team in Cavs history, simply wasn’t meant to be. But this was Cleveland. They were used to disappointment. They weren’t used to making history. Until they did.

19. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 67-15

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams

One title, against an aging Lakers team, did not make a dynasty, and so the Bulls came into the ’91-92 season motivated for more. Those 67 regular-season wins were a statement, as was another MVP award for Michael Jordan (30.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.1 apg). But as ever, the playoffs were where it mattered, and Chicago needed to survive a seven-game series with the Knicks en route to the Finals. Once there, a hungry and talented Portland team promised to make the Bulls earn it. And so they did.

18. 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 62-20

Roster: Jeff Ayres, Aron Baynes, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Shannon Brown, Austin Daye, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Damion James, Othyus Jeffers, Cory Joseph, Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills, Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter, Malcolm Thomas

The whole thing with the Spurs’ post-millennial dominance was that it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and then whatever spare parts Coach Pop managed to perfectly align around them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this: A 22-year-old, third-year forward who averaged 12.8 ppg in the regular season emerging as the most impactful player in the entire postseason, including a Finals MVP performance in a five-game humbling of the Heat. This Kawhi Leonard guy might be pretty good.

17. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 62-20

Roster: Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Scott Burrell, Jason Caffey, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Joe Kleine, Toni Kukoc, Rusty LaRue, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, David Vaughn, Bill Wennington

The Bulls kept the gang together for the “Last Dance,” and the result was a sixth title in eight years. There was plenty of tension and pressure. As usual, Michael Jordan was a hard-driving, big-scoring winner, while Scottie Pippen rode shotgun. Toni Kukoc did a bit of everything, and Dennis Rodman pounded the boards. Chicago survived a seven-game thriller with Indiana to reach the Finals, then dispatched Utah in six to end it all in style.

16. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 68-13

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss

After years of dominating the scorebook but not the winner’s circle, Wilt Chamberlain finally won a title. He did it by playing great defense, grabbing nearly every rebound and, amazingly, passing. He had plenty of targets. Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali Jones were dangerous scorers, and few were tougher inside than Luke Jackson.
The Sixers whipped the Celtics in five to reach the Finals and then stopped the Warriors to give The Big Dipper a championship.

15. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 62-20

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Earl Jones, Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Chuck Nevitt, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers had lost in two straight Finals but ’84-85 would be different. L.A. trampled all Western Conference competition and was led again by maestro Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a force in the paint, while James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were a formidable supporting cast. After L.A. lost by 34 in the Finals opener, Abdul-Jabbar took over and was MVP of the Lakers’ first-ever championship win over Boston.

14. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 63-19

Roster: Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams

The Pistons won a title with a team as tough as their town. The Bad Boys were physical, to be sure, but they had plenty of talent. Isiah Thomas teamed with Joe Dumars in a lethal backcourt, with Vinnie Johnson providing heat off the bench. Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer handled the rough stuff, and the mid-season trade for Mark Aguirre brought it all together. Detroit ended the Showtime era by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

13. 2017-18 Golden State Warriors

Coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 58-24

Roster: Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Omri Casspi, Quinn Cook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damian Jones, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson, David West, Nick Young

For the Dubs, regular-season records had long since been rendered meaningless. This was about trophies, and the last of Golden State’s trio of titles ended up being its most conclusive. KD and Steph both missed chunks of the season but still functioned as the League’s most reliable cheat code when it mattered, and after a seven-game scare from Houston in the West Finals, the Warriors swept a depleted Cavs squad for the championship.

12. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 69-13

Roster: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, Bison Dele, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Matt Steigenga, Bill Wennington

By now, it was only a question of how long they could keep it going. A year after that 72-win campaign, the Bulls started the ’96-97 season with 12 straight victories and had five winning streaks of seven games or more. The machine just kept humming right up until the Finals, and then, there was a moment in Game 6 when it looked like the Jazz might force a Game 7. But they didn’t, because against these Bulls, nobody ever did.

11. 1964-65 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 62-18

Roster: Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward

The best team of Boston’s ’60s dynasty? It’s at least in the conversation. Six Celtics averaged double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 25.9 ppg. It was the last of Bill Russell’s five MVP seasons, and the last of Tommy Heinsohn’s Hall of Fame career. The defining moment, thanks to a legendary call by Johnny Most, came against Philly in Game 7 of the East Finals: “Havlicek stole the ball!” A 4-1 dispatching of the Lakers in the Finals was almost anticlimactic.

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Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44, 43-33 and 32-22.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images

Two of the most unknown names in this year’s NBA Draft are Overtime Elite’s Dom Barlow & the Adelaide 36ers’ Kai Sotto. Here’s a few quick notes on the youngsters.

• Dom Barlow is a 6-9, 221 pound forward with a 7-3 wingspan. He definitely has an NBA body, but what’s even more impressive is his ability to handle & shoot the ball at his size. Barlow also moves great off the ball and defends with a purpose. The just turned 19-year-old is mocked as the #30 pick in NBA Draft Room’s most recent mock draft.
• Filipino big man Kai Sotto has quite the potential as well, standing at 7-3 and weighing 232 pounds. He also has a 7-5 wingspan and played in the one of the world’s best leagues, the NBL in Australia. Sotto’s top skills include shot blocking, rebounding, and strength in the post. According to the 20-year-old’s agent, one NBA team has already committed to drafting him next month.
• The buzz is certainly there at the moment, but two concerns I see in both prospects right now are lack of competition for Barlow and fouling issues for Sotto. Barlow played against high school and post grad students while Sotto averaged 2.7 fouls per game in just 15.3 MPG.

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Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, to put it mildly, did not favor the appointment of Doc Rivers as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Recently he revealed that he told the Sixers general manager Elton Brand not to hire Rivers who led the Celtics to a championship in 2008.

Arenas pointed to the fact that the Boston team was loaded with stars which made it easier to win a title. Agent Zero also noted that Rivers had no achievements prior to and after winning a championship.

Via Angelo Guinhawa of ClutchPoints:

“It’s those gimme championships that solidify some of these coaches. I’m like ‘wait hold on, he was a losing coach before you gave him rockstars’ and then he won a championship, now his legacy is built on a championship. Y’all value championship. After he won a championship, what did he do after that? Nothing. What has he done since then? Nothing.”

Arenas also told Brand that Rivers would ruin the team and he would not know how to coach Ben Simmons which would result in him leaving the team.

Jalen Brunson made a leap this season, becoming one of the top players for the Mavericks behind Luka Doncic. The 25-year-old point guard averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 31.9 minutes per game – an increase in all categories compared to the year before.

He stepped up even during during 18 playoff games this year. Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 34.9 minutes per game.

This summer he will become an unrestricted free agent and will be able to test the market. Doncic thinks that Brunson is going to deserve the money that he will be offered.

“All the conversation around him, he stayed focused. He wanted to win. The step — the huge leap — he took this year was unbelievable, and he’s going to deserve all the money he gets,” the Slovenian superstar said, per Callie Caplan.

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Luka Doncic on Jalen Brunson’s upcoming free agency: “All the conversation around him, he stayed focused. He wanted to win. The step — the huge leap — he took this year was unbelievable, and he’s going to deserve all the money he gets.”

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) May 27, 2022