Thanks to "The Last Dance," Michael Jordan's rivalry with Isiah Thomas has been well-documented. Thomas played for the Bad Boy Pistons who always seemed to get in Jordan's way whenever he went for a championship. Thomas was able to win two titles before Jordan went on his infamous first three-peat although to this day, there still seems to be quite a bit of tension between the two.

During an appearance on FS1's Speak For Yourself, Thomas spoke about his rivalries and made the bizarre claim that he never felt like MJ was his real competition. As he explains, he was more concerned about the Celtics and Lakers than he ever was about the Bulls.

Mike Tyson has been making quite a few headlines over the last little while thanks to his desire to make a comeback in the boxing world. Fans are very excited about this prospect and they feel as though if anybody can make it work, it would have to be Iron Mike. Having said that, Tyson was shifting his focus to something completely different yesterday, as he got to be a part of AEW's TNT Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Lance Archer.

Tyson's role was to hand out the belt but he went above and beyond that. After Archer was flung from the ring, Tyson got involved and took his shirt off. He flexed for the cameras and as Archer tried to get back in the ring, Tyson kept him at bay and taunted him while saying "Fuck You."

LeBron James is easily one of the most recognizable faces in the entire sports world which makes him the perfect voice to star in a big advertisement for a company like Nike. As of right now, we are going through a very dark time in human history. The Coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage its way around the world and there is no telling where this could all go next. It feels like time is at a standstill and every day, people are feeling more and more pressure.

LeBron and Nike are looking to ease this pressure with a brand new campaign called “Never Too Far Down.” The video contains narration by James which is placed over clips of famous athletes like Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tiger Woods. The message is simple: no matter how bad things get, we can always overcome and succeed. 

The campaign drives this message home with sports as the metaphor and it makes for some powerful imagery. During this time, we have seen numerous commercials that try to ease people’s nerves and this is by far one of the best we have seen.

Hopefully, some of you are feeling more inspired now and possess the motivation to go out and do that thing you’ve been meaning to accomplish.

Basketball fans were captivated over the last five weeks due to the ESPN documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls called “The Last Dance.” Throughout the documentary, it became very clear that Jordan wanted to prop himself up while making some of his high-profile teammates look week. The likes of Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen caught quite a bit of flack from MJ and were the undisputed losers of the entire series.

During a recent episode of The Jump, Kendrick Perkins went off on Michael Jordan, saying that the Bulls legend broke numerous player codes throughout the documentary. He also said that it was unnecessary for Jordan to slander his teammates so hard because everyone is already aware of how good MJ is.

“Michael Jordan broke every player code imaginable… Some of the things he was saying with Scott Burrell, saying that he was in the club every night. Talking about what Horace Grant said about guys doing drugs, everyone except for him (Jordan). And then, ‘The Last Dance’ hurt Scottie Pippen. People today are looking at Scottie Pippen like a selfish individual,” Perkins said. “At the end of the day, ‘The Last Dance’ was to praise Mike — which it should have been — but you didn’t have to tear down other people to praise your greatness, because your greatness alone speaks volumes for itself.”

Perkins has had some pretty hot takes during his days as an analyst although this is one that we can probably all agree on. Jordan is a legend but “The Last Dance” was a puff piece that only served to make him look better.

[Via]

If you know anything about the Ball family, you know just how much attention they get just by breathing. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the family’s patriarch, LaVar, is always in the news talking about how great his kids are and how they will be taking over the NBA. Lonzo has had a topsy turvy career thus far meanwhile LiAngelo just signed a contract in the G-League. As for LaMelo, 2020 is his draft year and the consensus is that he is going to be a top 5 pick.

LaVar has been noting just how much he wants his son to play for the New York Knicks and now, that looks like a real option. According to the New York Post, the Knicks have placed LaMelo at the top of their draft board when it comes to point guards. They are a team that needs to improve at every position although having a 6’7″ PG on your team like LaMelo could make a huge difference especially when paired with RJ Barrett.

Whether or not LaMelo gets to play for the Knicks depends on where they end up in the draft order and if another team takes LaMelo first. However, just like in Lonzo’s case, with teams knowing LaVar and LaMelo’s intentions, it’s a safe bet that LaMelo could wind up in the Big Apple.

[Via]

Kobe Bryant was a man of many talents and up until his death, he was working on a multitude of different projects that fans were very excited about. Of course, Bryant was able to win himself an Oscar and was also helping to write children’s books that contextualized sports in a way that everyone could understand.

Recently, Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram where she previewed Kobe’s first posthumous book which will be called “Geese Are Never Swans.” The story is about a swimmer and will talk about themes such as perseverance and tenacity. As you can see in the post below, Vanessa is very excited for this one to come out.

“Introducing Geese Are Never Swans, one of my favorite novels created by my husband @kobebryant,” Vanessa wrote. “Readers will meet his newest character Gus Bennett, an aspiring Olympic swimmer facing tough issues that he must overcome in order to win in the pool. This story perfectly highlights the healing nature that lies within sports.”

If you’re interested in buying the book, it will be available as of July 21st and will certainly be a story that helps those who need an extra push to accomplish their goals. 

It’s clear that Kobe’s legacy extends well beyond the basketball court.

NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, says the league is expecting the season to start with full attendance at stadiums.

Naomi Baker / Getty Images

Vincent spoke about the upcoming season on The Team 980’s The Brian Mitchell Show. “We are planning to have full stadiums until the medical community tells us otherwise,” he said. “Now, remember when we’re talking—we’re talking about September, August, September. So there’s a lot that can happen here. So we’re planning for full stadiums.”

He goes on to say that the NFL is planning for all scenarios, just in case. “We also know that we have to plan for half stadiums. Three-quarters. So we’re planning for all of these different scenarios. But first and foremost, we’re making every effort, working with the medical community, if we can have those stadiums with all people until they tell us otherwise when that time comes, that’s our plan. That’s our plan of action.”

While the country is beginning to reopen in many states, experts suggest that the fall and winter months may see a rise in COVID-19 cases, which would coincide with the NFL season. 

The NBA, which has had its season delayed from the pandemic, is in talks to resume play in July.

[Via]

Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed students at Texas Tech during the school's virtual commencement ceremony, Saturday. 

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

"I know this isn't the graduation ceremony that you and your families had envisioned, but that doesn't change the outcome or all the hard work, long hours and sacrifices that you made to achieve this milestone,'' Mahomes said.

The Superbowl MVP spoke for a total of two minutes.

"But the world is in a different place today than it was just a few weeks ago," he continued. "And as Red Raiders, we're built to persevere in difficult times. We've all had to take a moment and learn to adjust to these new challenges. And when the odds are stacked against us, we make a play -- and I can tell you this is going to make us all more competitive and hungrier than ever.

"Remember, this is a day to celebrate, to look back on the friends you made, the professors who have changed your life, and the memories that you will cherish forever. Whatever plans lie in front of you, I have no doubt you will go out there and show the world what it means to come from Lubbock, Texas. Go out and win your Super Bowl. Congrats, Class of 2020. I can't wait to see what you do next."

Mahomes played quarterback for Texas Tech from 2014 through 2016.

Michael Jordan‘s exploits in the NBA were on full display during all 10 episodes of “The Last Dance.” Of course, Jordan was one of those players who stopped at nothing when it came to wanting to be great and he always knew how to motivate the people around him to make them better, even if his methods were downright cruel.

One of the biggest narratives from the documentary was how he decided to retire in 1998. In the doc, Jordan claims that had Jerry Krause kept the team together, he would have come back for one more year. According to Sam Smith who wrote the book “Jordan Rules,” this is complete BS, as he noted in a radio interview.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

“That was a complete and blatant lie by Michael,” Smith said. “There were several things in the documentary that I saw, I would know, that he made up or he lied about. They weren’t major things, but it was like when a TV movie comes on and they say, ‘this is based on a true story.’ That’s what that was. It was based on a true story.”

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the “Jordan Rules” book and Jordan wasn’t a fan of his teammates “snitching” on him. Regardless, Smith is a reputable journalist so his comments seem to be a direct counter to what Jordan is saying in the documentary.

Perhaps we will never know the whole truth.

[Via]

Cleveland Cavaliers Power Forward Kevin Love spoke with ESPN, this week, regarding the importance of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patrick Smith / Getty Images

“Listen, I don’t have all the answers — and likely never will,” Love said. “But speaking from experience, I can tell you there are resources out there that can help you. It’s really scary what’s going on in the world right now. But you don’t have to suffer through it alone. Take it from someone who did that for far too long.”

Love runs the Kevin Love Fund, an organization that seeks to spread mental health awareness. 

Love suffers from mental health issues, himself. In 2018, he spoke with ESPN about his panic attacks, saying there were moments in games where he would lose his breath and his heart would race. 

Since then, he says his mental health has greatly improved.

“My life is dramatically different,” Love told ESPN. “I have a lot more clarity about where I’m headed, and where we’re headed as a society in terms of removing the stigma from mental health issues. We still treat mental illness so differently from a physical illness. If you had a heart condition, you’d see a doctor and you’d take the necessary steps to fix the problem. Why should it be any different with mental health?”

The NBA is currently in talks with Walt Disney to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando in July.

[Via]