Looking back on things, Michael Jordan should have been the first pick in the 1984 NBA Entry Draft. Of course, the Houston Rockets who picked number one were able to get Hakeem Olajuwon so you can't really complain. However, the Portland Trail Blazers picked second in the draft and took Sam Bowie because they needed a large center. This allowed the Chicago Bulls to take Michael Jordan at third and the rest was history.
This piece of basketball tri is front and center in ESPN's new 10-part docuseries, "The Last Dance." In the early parts of the documentary, we get to see Jordan's early days at the University of North Carolina and how he eventually found himself on the almighty Bulls. Of course, Bowie wasn't exactly a superstar for the Blazers which led to a lot of 20/2- hindsight on the Twitter timeline. In fact, Blazers fans started to pour their hearts out on social media as they lamented about what could have been.
There were plenty of people trying to make sense of the Blazers' draft pick while other incessantly made fun of them. Meanwhile, the fans were in a state of depression as they realized they wasted so many years in the 80s. Not to mention the fact that the Bulls beat the Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals.
Either way, here is what some people had to say.
NFL Announces Unprecedented Draft Format
The NFL is going with a draft format that has simply never been seen before.
We are living in unprecedented times which means we must make do with our current situation. In order to get through it, many of us are spending time indoors where we are quarantined as a means to avoid the virus. Numerous sports leagues have been completely shut down as a result of the Coronavirus, including the NBA and NHL. Now, the NFL is finding themselves affected by the pandemic as their draft is set to go down between April 23rd and 25th.
In an unprecedented move, commissioner Roger Goodell has informed all of the teams that the draft will go down virtually. Yes, that's right, NFL general managers and front offices must draft players from their homes. What makes this even weirder, is the fact that team personnel can't convene at one home. They must all be in separate places.
This is a far cry from what the draft was supposed to look like. It was originally going to go down in Las Vegas on the water in front of one of the hotels. Now, the players won't even get to experience going up on stage and donning their new jerseys for the first time.
Regardless, we are living in desperate times that call for desperate measures. It won't be like this forever and for now, we just have to make do with the situation.
LaMelo Ball’s Barber Goes Full Hazmat Suit During Recent Haircut
LaMelo Ball’s barber is giving new meaning to “desperate times call for desperate measures.”
LaMelo Ball is one of the most exciting young draft prospects in basketball right now and is projected to be a top-three pick in the NBA entry draft. While it remains to be seen what team he will be playing for next year, there is no denying that he is a talent with tremendous upside. Ball has a high profile which means he needs to look the part. One of the ways he does that is by staying fresh and getting his hair cut every so often.
Due to the Coronavirus, innocuous tasks like getting a fresh cut can be tedious and sometimes, impossible. Simply put, people don’t want to be around each other. Well, LaMelo’s barber was able to find a way as he recently gave Melo his cut, with a full hazmat suit on.
Philly Barber, the man behind the suit, spoke to TMZ about the ordeal and explained that he was simply trying to be as safe as possible, considering the circumstances at hand.
“He kept approaching me and I was like, ‘Look, man, there’s a lot going on right now,'” Philly said. “‘We gotta practice being safe, dude.'”
Needless to say, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and do what you have to in order to survive. In the end, Melo got his cut and his barber felt safe. That’s really all that matters.
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LaMelo Ball Could Be A Part Of Knicks’ Draft Priorities: Report
The Knicks could use all the help they can get.
This season hasn’t been kind to the New York Knicks although I could write that pretty well any given year and it would still ring true. Regardless, the Knicks are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference and have one of the worst records in the entire league. As we approach the end of the season, it’s clear that the Knicks will most likely be a lottery pick. If this is the case, they will have an opportunity to get a top 5 pick who could change the fortunes of the franchise.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are currently looking to prioritize what kind of player they want. For now, a scoring point guard is on the top of their list. If you’ve been following NCAA and NBL basketball this year, you would know that LaMelo Ball fits that description almost to the T.
Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
Ball averaged 17 points per game with the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL. He was also able to average 7.5 assists and 7 rebounds. At times, Ball came through with impressive triple-doubles and was a fan favorite in the league. While Ball isn’t mentioned by name, he is one of the top scoring point guards out there which means it would behoove the Knicks to make a serious play for him.
With this in mind, who do you think the Knicks should draft?
"The Alchemist" Author, Paulo Coelho, Scraps Draft Of Book Co-Written By Kobe Bryant
Coelho thinks it doesn’t make sense to continue the project without Kobe.
While Kobe Bryant had already given so much to the world, with his untimely passing comes the imagining of all that still lay ahead for him. After retiring from his legendary NBA career, Bryant dove into the world of children’s literature. He conceptualized stories for authors to bring to life on the page: Legacy and the Queen (Annie Matthew), Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof (Ivy Claire), The Wizenard Series: Training Camp (Wesley King).
Another author that Bryant had a children’s book in the works with was Paulo Coelho, who is well-known for his novel, The Alchemist. Coelho revealed in an Instagram post that, in the wake of Bryant passing in a helicopter crash on Sunday, he will be scrapping the draft of the book they were co-writing. He posted a screenshot of Bryant messaging him to collaborate in August of 2019. “Let’s [write] that book together,” Kobe pitched. To which Coelho replied, “Anytime.”
“You were more than a great player, dear Kobe Bryant,” Coelho wrote in the caption of his post. “I learned a lot by interacting with you. Will delete the draft right now, this book has lost its reason.”
Coelho explained his decision to not move forward with the project to The Associated Press: “I deleted the draft because it didn’t make any sense to publish without him. It wouldn’t add anything relevant to him or his family. That doesn’t stop me from writing someday about things I learned from Kobe and how much of a larger-than-life person he was. But the children’s book did not make sense anymore.”
Coelho also spoke on what he learned about Bryant’s character from their interactions: “I saw him enough times to assure he had much more than sports on his mind, it wasn’t all about competition. His tragic death has shown already how he was important to the world, not only to the United States. We will discuss his legacy for many years, much beyond sport.”
Report: Despite Rumors, Bengals Have No Plans To Trade 1st Overall Pick
Is Joe Burrow a lock for Cincinnati?
The Cincinnati Bengals will not be trading their 1st overall draft pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
While former LSU assistant Joe Brady will be taking over the offensive coordinator job for Carolina Panthers, Joe Burrow is still seemingly a lock for the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow is routinely rated as the top prospect entering the draft and just won the College Football Playoff National Championship with LSU.
Burrow threw for a record 60 touchdowns this season with only 6 interceptions for 5,671 yards. He also boasted a 76.3% completion rate.
Despite being an obvious trade target for Carolina, Schefter says that sources close to the situation expect the Bengals to hold onto their pick.
"He definitely checks off a lot of boxes early on in the evaluation process," Bengals' quarterbacks' coach said on the teams' in-house website. "He's definitely an intriguing guy.
Burrow's father recently said that his son is, "excited to even be in that conversation." and that "if the Bengals do draft him, he's going to be happy."
"He'll look at it as a challenge," he continued. "But he'll be confident that eventually, they can win a lot of games there in Cincinnati."
Prior to transferring to LSU, Burrow spent three seasons at Ohio State and even went to high school outside of Cinncinati.
The NFL Draft will take place in April.
LaMelo Ball Ends His NBL Season To Focus On The NBA Draft
LaMelo is projected to be a top pick.
LaMelo Ball has been one of the most entertaining young prospects in basketball and some scouts are placing a ton of expectations on the young player. He is being projected to be a top-five pick in the 2020 NBA Draft with some pundits believing he could actually go number one. It remains to be seen whether or not teams will want to draft Ball so early, especially when you consider how active his father is in the careers of his children.
Ball has been playing quite well in the NBL this season although he recently missed 12 games because of a nagging foot injury. Ball has reportedly been out for six weeks which means he would need six weeks of rehab. The season will be over by then so Melo has opted to shut down his season and focus on the draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Based on Givony’s report, it appears as though LaMelo has fully recovered from his foot injury and will be ready to go by the start of the NBA season. This is great news for NBA teams who might be thinking about drafting the young phenom. This draft class will certainly have quite a few great players and we’re interested to see where they will all land.
Be sure to stay tuned for updates on Ball’s situation.
Jets Laughed Off Idea Of Drafting Lamar Jackson, Says Larry David
The Jets made a huge mistake.
Lamar Jackson is being heavily considered as the undisputed MVP of the NFL this season. At every turn, Jackson has blessed us with some incredible football and continues to showcase both his running and passing ability. When Jackson was first drafted back in 2018, there were some concerns as to whether or not he could be a successful quarterback. Jackson was passed up by numerous teams and was eventually drafted 32nd overall by the New England Patriots.
Famous Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator, Larry David, is a huge New York sports fan and as he explained on "The Michael Kay Show," he urged the Jets to draft Jackson. As David explains, he had former GM David Maccagnan's number and called him up to tell him to take Jackson. David's request was met with a scoff.
"I did call Mike Maccagnan before the 2018 draft and I recommended that he draft Lamar Jackson. I have a witness," David said. "He kinda gave me the most condescending ... he laughed at me. But, who can blame him?"
Not only is David a great comedic mind but he seems to have a penchant for spotting great talent as well. If the Jets had listened to him, perhaps their season would have ended differently.