Rudy Gobert's positive Coronavirus test set the NBA in a frenzy. The same night he was diagnosed with the virus, the NBA decided to shut down all operations. In fact, every single sports league in North America was forced to shut down as well. Gobert's teammate Donovan Mitchell was also diagnosed with the virus, just a day after the former defensive player of the year. In the days leading up to their positive test results, Gobert was reckless and didn't take the virus seriously. With this in mind, it was quickly reported that Mitchell was angry with Gobert and that their relationship couldn't be fixed.
Now, veteran Jazz point guard Mike Conley is speaking out about the rumored feud between Gobert and Mitchell. As he says, it doesn't seem like they are on bad terms but even if they were, they would be able to handle it and overcome it like men.
“Between Donovan and Rudy, if they feel a certain way about each other, which I honestly don’t think that’s the case at all, they’re grown men and they handle it,” Conley said. “They go out there, compete and try to win. You’d never notice on our end.”
Gobert recently told Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report that he is on good terms with Mitchell and that there is nothing to worry about. Only time will tell whether or not this is the case. Perhaps their chemistry on the court will tell us all we need to know.
NBA H-O-R-S-E Competition Comes To A Close, Winner Revealed
The NBA H-O-R-S-E competition was an interesting experiment that ended with a fun finale.
Due to the Coronavirus, all sports have been put on hold until further notice. This is particularly troubling when you consider just how important sports are to millions of fans throughout the world. In North America, sports fans have been going through some serious withdrawals and they are desperate for some content. To appease this demand, the NBA and ESPN teamed up for a H-O-R-S-E competition between current and former NBA and WNBA players.
The first round went down over the weekend and the production value left a lot to be desired. On Thursday night, the competition upped its game and provided fans with a semi-final and finals round. First off, Mike Conley was able to defeat Chancey Billups while Zach Lavine beat Allie Quigley. From there, Conley and Lavine faced off in the Finals, with Conley taking the game easily.
While the competition didn’t feature the biggest names, it was still a nice diversion from everything going on in the world right now. Considering the event is fairly easy to set up, perhaps we can see another competition with different names, in the not so distant future.
Let us know in the comments below what you thought of the initiative and whether or not you enjoyed it.
NBA & ESPN Reveal H-O-R-S-E Competition Participants
NBA and ESPN have announced its first-ever H-O-R-S-E competition and there are going to be some amazing players involved.
Sports fans have been deprived of content throughout this quarantine period and sports leagues around the world are well-aware of that. The NBA is taking matters into their own hands and are coming through with a competition that will certainly get fans excited. We reported over the weekend that the NBA would have a H-O-R-S-E competition with some of the NBA’s best players. This is a classic game amongst basketball players and now, the NBA will be turning it into a primetime event.
The eight participants have been revealed and it is surely going to be a lot of fun. The players are split into two groups, with the winner of each group advancing to the finals. In group 1, we have Chauncey Billups, Tamika Catchings, Mike Conley Jr, and Trae Young. Meanwhile, group 2 features the likes of Allie Quigley, Paul Pierce, Chris Paul, and Zach Lavine.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
On Sunday, April 12th at 7PM EST, the quarterfinal matchups will take place. The players will be in their respective homes where they all have nets set up. The four semi-finalists will play on Thursday, April 16th at 9 PM EST. That same night, the winner of the entire tournament will be crowned.
Let us know in the comments below who you think is going to come away with the win.
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Jazz’s Mike Conley Reacts To His Shocking Demotion
Mike Conley was supposed to be a huge addition to the Utah Jazz but his tenure has been a roller coaster ride of inconsistency.
Mike Conley was considered to be one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA, just a short time ago. While playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Conley helped lead the team to a Western Conference Finals and produced one of the most exciting eras in franchise history. Over the summer, Conley was traded to the Utah Jazz where he was expected to make a huge impact and get them over the hump. For many, the Jazz were supposed to be a dark horse team that could even fight for a championship.
While the Jazz have looked great at times, they have also been a beacon of inconsistency. They are on a three-game losing streak and are falling back in the Western Conference standings. As of right now, they sit in fifth place with a record of 36-21. When it comes to Conley, he has been a huge factor in terms of their inconsistent play and today, he was demoted. Instead of starting, Conley will come off the bench tonight against the Boston Celtics. In the clip below, Conley reacted to his demotion and the Jazz's play.
Conley says he's not entirely sure why the Jazz keep losing although he thinks the team needs to stop dwelling on past losses and just keep marching forward. It may seem like a cliché but it's pretty solid advice for a team that has been struggling to maintain consistency.
Luckily for the Jazz, they still have 25 games left to figure things out before the postseason.
