nba-basketball

post image

LeBron James Offers Heartfelt Birthday Wish To Son Bryce


LeBron James’ middle child Bryce turned 13 years old today.

LeBron James has matured as a player before our very eyes. When he started out in 2003, he was coming straight out of high school and it remained to be seen if he would live up the high expectations that were thrust upon him. Of course, that’s exactly what he did as he won countless MVPs and even three NBA championships. 

We have also come to know James as a father and today, his middle child Bryce turned 13 years old. In light of this big milestone, James took to Instagram where he wished his son a happy birthday.

Per LeBron:

“Man o man!!!! Happy Bday to my guy guy Bryce Maximus James!!! Thirteen though?!?!?! Where is the time going! You’re one of a kind young man and I’m proud to watch your continue to grow every day and I’m also proud to be your dad!! You make the whole house laugh daily by just simply being YOU!! Always know YOU is good enough and more my son. Enjoy your day as we celebrate it together as what we call the #JamesGang? way!”

Bryce has proven himself to be quite the basketball player in his youth, just like his brother Bronny. Perhaps in the future, we could see the two on the same team. Whether it be in high school, college, or the NBA.

post image

NBA Hits Huge Milestone En-Route To Regular-Season Return

It seems as though the NBA is making huge strides towards a return to action.

If you're an NBA fan, the last three months have been incredibly stressful. The league has yet to return to action although they plan on doing so as of July 30th. While there seem to be some players who are against the return, there are still plenty of stars who want to get back out on the court and compete for a championship. In order to do so, the players will need to be vigorously tested in order to prevent widespread cases of the Coronavirus.

For the last few weeks, teams have been told to hold off on testing but now, it seems like they have been given the green light to test as often as possible. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league has told teams that they can test asymptomatic staff members and players which is huge news since many teams will be traveling to Florida later this month.

While this is a step in the right direction, the league has a completely different fight on their hands now. Many players don't want to return to action amid the protests against racial injustice. If the NBA wants those players to change their minds, they will have to come up with a solution that works for all sides, which is much easier said than done.

Either way, these next few weeks will be crucial for the league and its 30 teams.

post image

Danny Green Offers A Counterpoint To Kyrie Irving


Danny Green thinks players can protest and play at the same time.

Kyrie Irving is sparking a massive debate all across the NBA thanks to his stance on whether or not players should return to the court next month. Irving believes that the social justice movements across the country are too important right now and that it would be better for players to focus their attention on that. He feels as though basketball is too much of a distraction and that it would ultimately divert people away from all of the progress that is being made.

Danny Green of the Los Angeles Lakers seems to disagree with Kyrie. While speaking to Mark Medina of USA Today, Green said that it is possible for players to speak on social issues while also focusing their attention on playing games. Green personally feels as though it would be more powerful if players were to protest while playing as it would make use of the massive platform the NBA creates.

Danny Green Offers A Counterpoint To Kyrie Irving

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

“The biggest thing is to continue to move forward,” Green said. “When we do go to Orlando, the media outlets and playing on that stage if you use it wisely the right way you can push forward and can continue the movement even in a better forum.”

It seems as though the players are divided right now with 60 percent wanting to play and the other 40 percent urging against it. Over the coming weeks, we could see a real rift as the start date of July 30th approaches.

[Via]

post image

Dwight Howard Releases Statement In Support Of Kyrie Irving

Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving are two of the most prominent players who don't want the season to continue.

Kyrie Irving has been the biggest story in the NBA over the past couple of days thanks to his efforts to bring players together in an attempt to stop the NBA from continuing the season. In addition to being against the bubble city idea, Kyrie and his colleagues believe there are much bigger things to worry about right now. With all of the protests going on, Irving would much rather focus on social change and he believes basketball distracts from that.

Last night, Dwight Howard sent a statement to CNN in solidarity with Kyrie. As he explains, he very much supports Irving's position and would rather the league not continue the season. Howard even went so far as to say that unifying his people is much more important than winning a championship. Regardless of your thoughts on this stance, there is no denying that this is an admirable take

Per Howard:

“I agree with Kyrie (Irving). Basketball, or entertainment period, isn’t needed at this moment, and will only be a distraction. Sure it might not distract us the players, but we have resources at hand majority of our community don’t have. And the smallest distraction for them, can start a trickle down effect that may never stop. Especially with the way the climate is now. I would love nothing more than to win my very first NBA Championship. But the unity of My People would be an even bigger Championship, that’s just too beautiful to pass up. What better time than now for us to be focusing on our families?

This is a rare opportunity that, I believe, we as a community should be taking full advantage of. When have we ever had this amount of time to sit and be with our families? This is where our Unity starts. At home! With Family!! European Colonization stripped us of our rich history, and we have yet to sit down and figure us out. The less distractions, the more we can put into action into rediscovering ourselves. Nations come out of families. Black/African American is not a Nation or Nationality. It’s time Our Families became their own Nations. No Basketball till we get things resolved.”

Over the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see how this all progresses. The NBA seems to be keen on continuing the season no matter what although if too many players boycott, a return will be impossible.

post image

Ja Morant Advocates For Dismantling Confederate Statue In Kentucky

Ja Morant is looking to see some social change in the city where he got to play college basketball.

If and when the NBA season comes to a close, Ja Morant will probably end up walking away with rookie of the year honors. He has been phenomenal for the Memphis Grizzlies and his talents have helped turn the Grizzlies into a playoff team. Prior to this season, Morant played college basketball for Murray State which is located in Kentucky. Morant loved his time in Murray, and now, he is trying to create some valuable social change in the area.

Recently, Morant sent a letter to a judge in Kentucky asking for a Confederate statue in downtown Murray to be removed. As Morant notes, the Confederacy was quite racist and while the statue reminds us of history, it's a history that is shrouded in hate, and ultimately, it makes many uncomfortable.

Morant's sentiment is one that has been shared by many throughout the world over the past few weeks. With protests against racial inequality spreading throughout the country, many are debating the validity of Confederate statues and the flag itself. Morant is well-aware of this fight and his voice is certainly one that could get the attention of lawmakers.

It remains to be seen whether or not his request will be taken seriously, although we can't help but comment Morant for his efforts.

post image

Austin Rivers Argues Against Kyrie Irving’s NBA Reboot Boycott

Austin Rivers had a plethora of points refuting Kyrie Irving's hypothesis.

Kyrie Irving has been making headlines over the last couple of days thanks to his NBA boycott efforts. Last night, Irving hosted a Zoom call with over 200 players, calling for many to take a stand against the league. With all of the protests going on right now, Irving doesn't think it is appropriate for players to be heading back to the court. Instead, Irving believes their energy should be on trying to create social change. The Brooklyn Nets star sees the return of basketball as a distraction from what is truly important and is hoping players realize that.

Today, Austin Rivers issued a lengthy argument against what Irving is preaching. As you can see in the tweet below, Rivers believes players can play basketball while advocating for social change at the same time. Rivers also notes that not every player makes as much as Kyrie and that not playing could hurt them financially.

From there, Rivers also explained the ramifications a boycott could have on the CBA. If games aren't played, the league won't make its TV revenues which will ultimately lead to a massive reduction in the salary cap. Knowing Kyrie's history, we would be the first to speak up against a reduction in salaries, so Rivers most certainly makes a great point.

As of right now, there is definitely a divide amongst the players and only time will tell whether or not it works itself out.

post image

LeBron James Reportedly Disagrees With Kyrie Irving’s Efforts

Kyrie Irving is against a return to action but LeBron is very much on a different page.

Kyrie Irving flipped the basketball world on its head yesterday when it was revealed that he was looking to bring a group of players together to oppose the start of the NBA season. Over 200 players took part in Zoom call last night and it seems like many are opposed to going to Orlando. Fans are not taking too kindly to this fact although Irving feels as though this is a necessary step forward. As he said on the call, he feels like something fishy is going on and that there are bigger things to worry about than sports.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, LeBron James is very much against this line of thinking. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar believes he can effect social change while playing and that it would be a much bigger statement if players advocated for reforms on live TV when everyone is watching.

Irving and James are at opposite ends of the spectrum although it's easy to see why. LeBron's Lakers are title contenders while the Brooklyn Nets have no shot at making it past the first round. LeBron has the most to lose here and he would much rather see the league make a comeback.

Regardless, Irving and the 200 players rallying behind him will prove to be a huge hurdle if the NBA wants to make a comeback next month.

post image

Donovan Mitchell Refutes Report That He’s Opposed To NBA Restart

Donovan Mitchell was reportedly among those who opposed the resumption of the NBA season.

Last night, around 200 NBA players got together on a Zoom call to discuss the return of the NBA season. The call was led by Kyrie Irving and it is being reported that he was making arguments as to why the players shouldn't return. In addition to not liking the bubble city plan, Irving says there are more important things than basketball right now and that the players should be focusing on social justice reforms instead.

According to Shams Charania, there were some star players on the call who also voiced similar opinions. Among them were Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and even Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. Following this revelation, Mitchell came out and refuted Charania's reporting, saying "stop it."

Clearly, Mitchell seems offended at the notion that he doesn't want the league to return next month. Of course, the Jazz have quite a bit to lose here as they were in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. They are a team with a lot of dark horse potential and it would behoove them to restart the season and potentially surprise a few people.

At this point, it seems as though there are contradicting reports on how the players really feel. Over the next few weeks, we will get a better sense of whether or not the players are actually on board with returning to action.

post image

Kyrie Irving Says "Something Smells Fishy" About NBA Return

Kyrie Irving hosted a Zoom call with about 200 players last night.

Kyrie Irving made headlines yesterday as it was revealed that he was leading a group of players who are opposed to returning to the NBA next month in Orlando. Last night, Irving held a Zoom call with about 200 players where he reportedly tried to give them a platform to speak up against what the league is doing. In addition to not being happy about the conditions in Orlando, Kyrie is also displeased with the fact that the league is asking players to come back in the midst of protests against racial inequality.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving had a particularly interesting quote in which he said: "I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. Something smells a little fishy."

While Irving's sentiments are certainly shared by some players, it's interesting to note that Irving is currently injured and there is no guarantee that he would even be able to come back and play. This fact has led some fans to think that he is only making these arguments because he knows his Brooklyn Nets have no chance at a title.

At this point, the NBA is going to have a lot of explaining to do if they want to appease their players. Over the coming weeks, this story could develop into something massive and the return of the NBA season now hangs in the balance.

post image

Klay Thompson Shows Off Incredible Gift From Kobe Bryant

Klay Thomspon was reminiscing about a prized possession gifted to him by Kobe Bryant.

Throughout Kobe Bryant's career, he was able to inspire numerous young players, including those who would eventually find themselves in the NBA. One of the league's stars who has always paid homage to Kobe is none other than Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson. Since Kobe's death, Thompson has shared various throwback photos of Kobe and has even shared some personal anecdotes of things Kobe was able to teach him while he was alive.

Today on his Instagram story, Thompson showed off a copy of Kobe's book The Mamba Mentality: How I Play. The book came out back in 2018 and Thompson had his very own personalized copy that came with Bryant's signature. On the inside of the book, the message was simple: "To Klay, Rings Rings Rings Rings." 

Kobe was able to win five championships during his time in the NBA and so far, Klay Thompson has three of his own. Both of these players know what it takes in order to win a championship and it's cool to see Kobe bestow these simple words upon a fellow competitor.

We're sure Thompson cherishes that book with all of his heart considering the events of the last few months. If there is one thing for sure, it's that Kobe is one of the most influential players to step on the court.