“ ‘I never would have considered it prior to a month ago, but now things are changing rapidly and dramatically… I’m not saying no, but it’s not something I’m actively pursuing. I’m just keeping the door open… You just don’t know what can happen between now and November.’ ” That’s billionaire Mark Cuban, leaving the […]
Key Words: President Mark Cuban? The billionaire isn’t ruling out entering the 2020 race — VOICE OF THE HWY
Trae Young has showed his shooting prowess during each of his first two NBA seasons. Now, the Atlanta Hawks guard is the favorite to win the league’s H-O-R-S-E Tournament — at least according to 18 different basketball analysts at ESPN. Notably, all 18 voters believe Young will make the finals in the playground-like tournament while…
Here’s Who ESPN Analysts Have As Favorite For NBA H-O-R-S-E Competition — NESN.com
Devin Booker won the NBA 2K20 Players Tournament on Saturday night, sweeping Phoenix Suns teammate Deandre Ayton in the best-of-three final. “I played a lot growing up,” Booker said. “It’s all about timing and eye coordination.” ESPN broadcast the three-day, 16-player Xbox One competition. The last NBA games were played March 11, the day Utah…
Suns’ Devin Booker wins NBA 2K20 Players Tournament, Clippers duo out in semis — Daily News
Potential “immunity certificates” and increased testing nationwide could create a clearer picture of the NBA’s likelihood of finishing this season.
The NBA wants to finish this season. These medical experts know how that can happen —
Russell Westbrook has been one of the best players in the NBA for the last decade. The 2017 MVP has nine All-Star games under his belt and will undoubtedly wind up in the Hall of Fame. That being said, many fans doubted Westbrook when he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Fans and media alike […]
How Russell Westbrook Transformed Into A Superstar — CrownHoops
The Houston Rockets, with James Harden and Chris Paul, were one win away from taking down the Golden State Warriors during their prime, but Chris Paul injured his hamstring in a well-known pivotal Game 6. Following another loss to the unstoppable Warriors in the following season, the Rockets felt as though changes were needed and […]
Chris Paul has quieted his critics with his stellar play and health — The450Times
The Knicks may have new faces in their front office, but the circus has continued to roll on, with the team still trying to sell (…)
Knicks trying to sell that Kevin Durant would’ve signed with them had he not suffered Achilles injury — The Sports Daily
When the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals in 2008, it established that legacies, along with the memories along the way, would never be forgotten. One specifically sticks out to ex-Celtic Kevin Garnett. And Garnett, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame last week, went into detail about what the hours immediately following the title-clinching game…
Kevin Garnett Reveals What 2008 Celtics Did Immediately After Winning NBA Finals — NESN.com
When the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals in 2008, it established that legacies, along with the memories along the way, would never be forgotten. One specifically sticks out to ex-Celtic Kevin Garnett. And Garnett, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame last week, went into detail about what the hours immediately following the title-clinching game were like. “I sat in the shower until like 4 a.m. in the morning and I had my jersey on and the water on and we were all kind of exhausted,” Garnett said on SirusXM NBA Radio. “And we were all just sitting there like P (Paul Pierce), ‘Damn, I can’t believe we won this.’ And I look and he was like, ‘Man, we won this.’ And I looked and Ray was right there, Rondo was right there. We were all kind of looking at each other and was like, ‘Oh, we got to defend this. We gotta.’ And you go right into a mode of thinking about next year … We enjoyed it, but we were thinking about what was coming after this and what we need to do to be able to get back here. It was a special time and you never forget those moments.”
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/04/kevin-garnett-reveals-what-2008-celtics-did-immediately-after-winning-nba-finals/
Gordon Hayward has more than just himself to worry about when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. The Boston Celtics forward and his wife, Robyn, have three young daughters and she’s expecting the couples fourth child — their first boy. Robyn is considered to be high-risk when it comes to COVID-19, and Gordon revealed he…
Celtics’ Gordon Hayward Was ‘A Little Nervous’ About Coronavirus Outbreak — NESN.com
Gordon Hayward has more than just himself to worry about when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. The Boston Celtics forward and his wife, Robyn, have three young daughters and she’s expecting the couple’s fourth child — their first boy. Robyn is considered to be high-risk when it comes to COVID-19, and Gordon revealed he and his wife were a bit nervous once the NBA indefinitely suspended its season due to the virus.
“We were definitely a little nervous about the whole thing,” Gordon said on a conference call, via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “Definitely didn’t want to let her — I mean anybody, but specifically her — get the virus because of the baby and we didn’t know what could exactly happen with that. So we were just very pre-cautious with everything and I didn’t go anywhere or isolate myself or anything besides just being at the house. But I did — our doctor said, ‘Not as many hugs, not as many snuggles,’ until we can figure out if I’m positive or negative. So that’s kind of what we did until we got back the results.”
Marcus Smart was the only member of the C’s to test positive for the virus. He since has recovered. And while this is giving Gordon some extra time with his wife and daughters, we’re sure he, along with the other NBA players, are missing the game they love.
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/04/celtics-gordon-hayward-was-a-little-nervous-about-coronavirus-outbreak/
Duke freshman Vernon Carey Jr. will enter his name in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Duke’s Vernon Carey declares for NBA Draft — Augusta Free Press
One thing hasn’t changed about this not-very-normal new normal: LeBron James setting the tone. Even from home, James’ perspective has been sought regularly by Lakers Coach Frank Vogel and General Manager Rob Pelinka, the latter said. “Everybody knows that LeBron is a pro’s pro,” Pelinka said on a recent Zoom call with reporters. “The way…
LeBron James leading the Lakers even during coronavirus shutdown — Press Telegram
“Everybody knows that LeBron is a pro’s pro,” Pelinka said on a recent Zoom call with reporters. “The way he dedicates himself to his profession is unparalleled and has been in this time. And in terms of what he does on a daily basis … I know he’s been committed to leadership, he’s been committed to continuing to inspire his teammates.
“Anthony Davis has also done that. It’s a special group of guys. They want to stay connected, they want to stay ready. If we’re fortunate enough or blessed enough that the health officials and the league find a way for us to get back to playing basketball, I know from a physical standpoint and a mindset standpoint, those two guys will be as good as any athlete in the world at staying mentally and physically ready.”
And mentally, James expressed a determination to remain upbeat, sounding not like a leader of the Lakers alone, but a leader in a broader sense.
“I think for me, mentally, I’m always pretty optimistic about everything. I feel like there’s always greener on the other side of the fence,” James said on a different Zoom call Wednesday. “I believe that this is a roadblock for all of us, not only as Americans, but for the world. This is a roadblock, it’s a test for all of us. It’s a test of our mental side, our spiritual side, it’s a test for everything.
“We grew so comfortable with how we live our life that it’s now time to take a pause. I’m very optimistic about not only just basketball, but sport. It’s not just about the Lakers, it’s not just about the NBA, but it’s everything.”
That said, James is very much in tune with what’s happening with his team – which was 49-14 and sitting atop the Western Conference standings at the start of this unprecedented pause, brought about by the pandemic that’s killed more than 100,000 people worldwide.
A big hiring by the Chicago Bulls, aimed at starting the process of restoring that franchise to glory, could have reverberations north of the border too. Read More
New Bulls boss could give friend, Raptors assistant Griffin, a long look as coach — Toronto Sun
Ryan Wolstat
A big hiring by the Chicago Bulls, aimed at starting the process of restoring that franchise to glory, could have reverberations north of the border too.
The Bulls have agreed to a deal with Arturas Karnisovas to be the team’s executive vice-president of basketball operations, according to numerous reports. Karnisovas spent seven years with the Denver Nuggets, first as assistant general manager, before being elevated to GM under president Tim Connelly. Karnisovas helped build Denver into a top team in the Western Conference and previously worked for the Houston Rockets and the NBA’s basketball operations department.
The connection to the Raptors comes from his playing days. Karnisovas, a former European Player of the Year, played for Lithuania (winners of bronze medals in both 1992 and 1996, with help from Karnisovas) against the Dream Team in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was a star for Seton Hall, including for two years alongside Nick Nurse’s lead assistant with the Raptors, Adrian Griffin, who replaced Karnisovas as Seton Hall’s top player after he graduated. Both are members of Seton Hall’s hall of fame.
The Raptors denied the Bulls permission to speak with general manager Bobby Webster for the job that eventually went to Karnisovas, but it isn’t expected they would stand in the way of a promotion and homecoming for Griffin, who played for the Bulls and was an assistant coach there from 2010 to 2015. The team, whether it’s Nurse, other coaches, or the front office, has long touted his future as a head coach.
“I mean, he is awesome,” fellow Raptors assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren told a few beat writers in February, ironically before the entire staff went to Chicago, for the NBA all-star weekend.
“He has a great demeanour, he’s going to be a great head coach in the NBA,” Bjorkgren said. “He’s got a nice calming presence about him when he’s showing film to the team when he’s talking to the team. So just his overall feel and approach and knowing how to talk to the players is probably his number one strength.”
more…New Bulls boss could give friend, Raptors assistant Griffin, a long look as coach — Toronto Sun
The view from left field 