Basketball fans were bummed out when Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant turned down an invitation to the 2020 Dunk Contest, but the NBA's "Plan B" has us more excited than ever for All Star Saturday night. According to Shams Charania, Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon has agreed to participate in the Dunk Contest, joining Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard and Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr.
Gordon, 24, last competed in the Dunk Contest in 2017, but it's his epic performance from 2016 that has fans eager to see what he pulls out the bag at the United Center on February 15th. The man who defeated him in 2016, Zach LaVine, has already been invited to go for this third Dunk Contest crown, but he has not yet announced whether or not he'll join the field.
LaVine has not competed in the Dunk Contest since 2016, when he narrowly beat out Gordon in an instant classic, double-overtime thriller. Fans had already been calling for the hometown favorite to lace 'em up again on All Star Saturday night, and that's only going to escalate further now that his rival has committed to the show.
Check out some of Gordon's greatest Dunk Contest performances in the video embedded below while we await LaVine's decision.
JR Smith Approves Of Knicks Fans’ Raucous "Sell The Team" Chant
See how Knicks fans reacted to their latest blowout loss.
New York Knicks fans have been calling for team owner James Dolan to sell the team for years, decades even, to no avail. Despite the fact that the Knicks continue to be the laughing stock of the NBA, Dolan hasn't shown the slightest inclination that he intends to sell the team. But that hasn't stopped fans from loudly voicing their displeasure as another season wastes away.
In the closing seconds of Wednesday night's ugly blowout loss, fans who hadn't already exited Madison Square Garden fill the arena with a roaring "SELL THE TEAM" chant. As seen in the instagram screenshot embedded below, former Knick JR Smith was quick to give fans the "thumbs up" for their efforts.
As a result of the 127-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, the Knicks fell to 13-36 on the season which ranks among the bottom three in the NBA. That's good news as far as their chances of landing a Top 4 pick in the 2020 Draft are concerned, but it's just the same old story for the championship-starved fanbase.
Earning one of the top two or three picks in the upcoming draft might temporarily boost the spirits of the Knicks faithful, but as long as Dolan is running the show the circus will go on. And as long as the team continues to get embarrassed at MSG, Dolan can expect to be serenaded with more "SELL THE TEAM" chants.
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Kyrie Irving Opens Up About The Loss Of His Mentor Kobe Bryant
"I'm just gonna continue to carry the torch."
Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving made his return to the court on Wednesday night for the first time since the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, his daughter GiGi, and seven others. It goes without saying that this was an emotional game for Irving, who viewed Bryant as a mentor and someone he could always count on for advice.
Following Wednesday's 125-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Irving broke his silence on Kobe's passing.
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear," Irving said Wednesday, per ESPN.
"I had that mentorship relationship with him, where I was able to ask him almost anything. You know no matter how nervous I was or how fearful I was, he was just easy to approach with those type of questions about what goes on in the day-in and day-out basis of chasing something that's bigger than yourself and when you're trying to leave a legacy or something of a mark on a game."
Irving added, "I'm glad that he's getting his just due in his legacy now more than ever." Check out his full comments about Kobe in the videos embedded below.
Reggie Jackson Has Perfect Reaction Following "Bobby Shmurda" Chants In BK
Jackson busts out the Shmoney Dance in response to "BOBBY SHMURDA" chants.
Has anyone ever seen Reggie Jackson and Bobby Shmurda in the same room? The Detroit Pistons' point guard bears a striking resemblance to the currently incarcerated, Brooklyn-born rapper, and there's no doubt that Jackson is well aware of the comparisons. If he wasn't, he found out on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
During one of Jackson's trips to the free throw line at the end of the first half, a "BOBBY SHMURDA" chant began to reign down from the rafters. Without missing a beat, Jackson responded by hitting the Shmoney Dance in between three throw attempts.
Jackson, who has only appeared in six games due to a lower back injury, led the Pistons with 23 points and five assists off the bench on Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough to lift the Pistons to victory. As a result of the 125-115 loss at Barclays Center, Detroit fell to 17-32 for the season.
As for Jackson's look-a-like, Bobby Shmurda is rumored to be released from prison later this year. In the meantime, Bobby is reportedly gearing up to release a mixtape in the coming weeks. During a recent interview with Ebro, Fivio Foreign revealed, "Bobby, he’s dropping a mixtape from jail. I spoke to Rebel on the phone. He said, two weeks and he got some fire coming out. He’s going crazy.”
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Marcus Morris On Jae Crowder: "He’s Got A Lot Of Female Tendencies"
"He’s soft... It’s just very woman-like.”
The New York Knicks' season hit rock bottom on Wednesday night, as the team suffered another blowout loss at home, this time against the Memphis Grizzlies. That's not a knock against the Grizz, who improved to 24-24 with their 127-106 victory, but what transpired in the final minute of the game as well as afterward, was nothing short of embarrassing.
As seen in the footage embedded above, Knicks point guard Elfrid Payton ripped a page out of the NBA Jam playbook late in the 4th when he shoved Jae Crowder while he was in the air attempting a three-pointer. Several members of the Knicks were pissed at Crowder for breaking one of the "unwritten rules" by jacking up a three with the game well in hand, and rightfully so. It was a bullshit move. But Payton's actions were inexcusable.
After the game, Knicks forward Marcus Morris bashed Crowder for playing with "a lot of female tendencies" and being "very woman-like" while he was answering a question from a female reporter.
“I think dude is just, he plays the game a different way. A lot of female tendencies on the court,” Morris said. “Flopping, throwing his head back the entire game. It’s a man’s game and you just get tired of it at the end of the day.
“When you step back and shoot a 3 and try to rub it in that they’re winning, it’s just unprofessional,” Morris added. “That’s soft. His game is soft. He’s soft. That’s how he carries [himself]. It’s just very woman-like.”
Morris later took to twitter to offer the following apology: "I apologize for using the term “female tendencies” I have the upmost respect for women and everything they mean to us. It was a Heat of the moment response and I never intended for any Women to feel as though in anyway I’m disrespecting them. Again I apologize with my comments."
Crowder, meanwhile, had a good laugh about the way the Knicks conducted themselves at MSG on Wednesday night, tweeting, "THIS IS WHAT 5-17 LOOKS LIKE!!"
Jason Whitlock Called Out For Kobe Bryant Tribute Despite Well-Known Disdain For Him
Twitter was not having it.
Jason Whitlock has been getting ruthlessly dragged on Twitter for speaking positively about Kobe Bryant following his tragic passing, despite having spent so much time speaking ill on Kobe while he was alive. Whitlock and Speak For Yourself co-host Marcellus Wiley were joined by TJ Houshmandzadeh and Jim Jackson on the show on Monday to reflect on Kobe's legacy, and Whitlock had nothing but kind words for the late NBA star.
However, many pointed out Whitlock's hypocrisy due to how openly he expressed his disdain for Kobe before his death.
One occasion in particular that had folks giving Whitlock the side-eye for switching up on his opinion about Kobe once he'd passed was when Whitlock published an open letter to Kobe on ESPN titled "Kobe, keep your mouth shut." In the article, Whitlock used derogatory language to speak not only about Kobe himself, but about his wife, Vanessa, as well.
Kobe fans were not pleased to see someone who wrote such a disrespectful piece about Kobe then try to backtrack as if his vendetta against him never existed.
Whitlock has had some very unpopular takes in the past, such as his claims about Lebron James not dealing with "real racism" and his show portraying Colin Kaepernick as white. His many controversial stances meant that many Twitter users relished in the sight of him get called out on the TL.
Users were even more thrilled that a video of Kobe refusing to answer Whitlock's reach of a question at a conference had resurfaced.
It looks like nobody is taking the bait on this one, instead making sure that the sports journalist knows he's not getting away with his hypocrisy.
Smush Parker Regrets Feud With Kobe Bryant: "I Was Wrong & I’m Sorry"
Reconcile before it’s too late.
A day after it was revealed that four victims in the helicopter crash that took the lives of nine people were identified through fingerprints, the medical examiner’s office has reportedly released a statement sharing that everyone is now accounted for. “Through the use of DNA and fingerprints, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has identified all nine of the victims who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday,” a statement released Wednesday (January 29) read according to Radar Online.
Harry How / Staff / Getty Images
“On Tuesday body examinations were performed on all nine decedents,” they continued. “Their causes of death were certified as blunt trauma. The manner of death was certified as an accident.” Kobe Bryant (41), Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (13), John Altobelli (56), Keri Altobelli (46), Alyssa Altobelli (14), Sarah Chester (45), Payton Chester (13), Christina Mauser (38), and Ara Zobayan (50) all tragically lost their lives in the harrowing crash.
Many of Kobe’s loved ones have come forward to express their deep grief, from his wife Vanessa Bryant who, on Wednesday (January 29), broke her silence about the loss of her husband and daughter, to the basketball stars’ NBA pals who continue to reconcile with his death. TMZ recently spoke with Smush Parker, Kobe’s former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, who regrets the strained relationship they had over the years.
“I was hoping for an opportunity to really sit down or for our paths to cross so we could physically and verbally have a dialogue,” Parker stated. “There was a lot of underhanded shots that were fired from both directions and I just…It’s unfortunate that I’m not gonna be able to get that opportunity now. If I could verbally speak to him, I would verbally apologize to him. Being able to look a man in his eyes and say—take into account his own faults for an issue is the greatest thing a man can do for another man. To look a man in his face and say, you know what, I was wrong and I’m sorry.”
Back in 2009, Smush said in an interview that playing alongside Kobe on the Lakers was an “overrated” experience. Later, Kobe would reportedly say, “Smush Parker was the worst. He shouldn’t have been in the NBA, but we were too cheap to pay for a point guard. We let him walk on.” The verbal jabs left a lasting impact in the division between the former teammates, and it’s something that Smush now wishes he could have reconciled before it was too late.
Smush reminisced on better times with himself and Kobe before sharing that he hopes to attend the funeral where he can pay his respects to the fallen basketball icon. Watch his clip in full below.
NBA’s Knicks & Grizzlies Brawl After Elfrid Payton Hard-Shoves Jae Crowder
Woo, boy.
Emotions were riding high at the Memphis Grizzlies versus New York Knicks game on Wednesday (January 26) evening. The two teams went head-to-head at Madison Square Garden and tensions were thick enough to boil over into an all-out brawl on the court. In the last minute of the game, Grizzlies' Jae Crowder was tucked in the corner for a three, but instead, he received a hard, purposeful shove by Knicks' Elfrid Payton.
Elsa / Staff / Getty Images
Crowder jumped up to defend himself, and before things could become any more physical between the two men, team members and staff jumped off both benches and ran towards the scene. Some were attempting to keep the two men away from each other, but in the scuffle, other fires were being lit between other team members.
The Grizzlies were able to best the Knicks 127 to 106, and it seems that some players took issue with Crowder attempting a three-pointer with such a strong lead and only seconds left in the game. It's not yet clear what disciplinary action will be taken, but it's obvious from the video that Payton was the aggressor.
"WITH ALL DUE RESPECT I ONLY PLAY ONE WAY AND THATS HARD TIL THE BUZZER SOUNDS," Crowder later tweeted to someone. "IM SORRY IF IT DISGUSTS YOU. I KNOW KNICKS ARE YOUR TEAM BUT U SHOULD TELL THEM TO PLAY HARDER AND LESS TALKING.! ??♂️" Check out the fight, along with Marcus Morris calling Crowder "soft" and "unprofessional" below.
NBA Not Interested In Changing Logo To Kobe Bryant: Report
A petition to change the logo in Kobe's likeness has already received over 2M signatures.
In the days following Kobe Bryant's tragic death, more than two million people have signed a petition requesting that the National Basketball Association change it's official logo to feature the Laker legend. Despite the enormous support, the league is reportedly uninterested in making any changes or updates to the current logo.
The NBA has never admitted that their current logo is based on a photo of Jerry West, even though the man who created the logo, Alan Siegel, has confirmed otherwise. With that in mind, the league is against have any individual player being represented as their official logo.
According to Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel,
"The reasons are myriad, mostly legal and financial. West has never tried to cash in on his likeness, and for the past few years even publicly wished the league would change the logo and use someone else."
"Sources familiar with the league’s thinking said there is no interest in having an individual player as its logo because there are so many who have been instrumental in the growth of the game and the NBA. Generic is better."
There are a number of other ways for the NBA to honor Bryant's legacy, including naming the All Star trophy after him or retiring his No. 24. In fact, players around the league have already begun informally retiring Bryant's jersey numbers and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently announced that no Maverick will wear No. 24 ever again.
It remains to be seen how the league will go about honoring the Laker legend but for now, it seems, the logo will remain the same.
David McNew/Getty Images
Vanessa Bryant Shares Heartbreaking Photo Of Kobe & Gianna After Their Deaths
Vanessa Bryant makes her first public move since the death of her husband and daughter.
The city of Los Angeles and the entire world is mourning the loss of a hero, Kobe Bryant, after the 41-year-old tragically died in a horrific helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The basketball legend was on the way to his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, using his helicopter to bypass the busy Los Angeles traffic. Kobe was one of nine people aboard the helicopter who passed away, including his daughter Gianna. As part of the public grieving process, fans have been sending their love and strength to Vanessa Bryant, who has lost both a husband and a daughter. In her first public move since the terrible accident this weekend, Bryant has updated her profile picture on Instagram to a photo of her lost loves, Kobe and Gigi.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
The Bryant family has still not released a statement on the passing of Kobe and Gianna but Vanessa took her first step back into real life, updating her social media profile with a heartbreaking picture of her late daughter and husband. The image shows Kobe, who was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team, hugging Gianna, both with tremendous smiles on their faces.
Among the thousands of tributes pouring in this week, one of the most poignant came from a news reporter who recalled a conversation she had with Kobe about being a father to several girls, to which he noted that he loves being a “Girl Dad.” Bryant was a family man, taking pride in the lives of his girls and always supporting his wife. We would like to send our most sincere condolences to the Bryant family for their losses.
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