Spencer Dinwiddie continues to be one of the most active NBA players on Twitter. In his own right, he has become a bit of a troll, especially when it comes to his business ventures. For instance, Dinwiddie started and eventually took down a GoFundMe that would have seen fans donating to him in order to crowdfund his upcoming free agency decision. Now, Dinwiddie is reacting to something a lot more pressing, which could ultimately affect where he plays next.
Yesterday, we wrote about the fact that the Brooklyn Nets were thinking about acquiring the likes of Bradley Beal. Of course, Dinwiddie plays for the Nets and would most likely be a part of any deal that could bring Beal into the city. With this in mind, Dinwiddie offered a quick reaction in the form of a gif.
Essentially, Dinwiddie knows the Nets would have to move a lot of pieces for this move to happen and deep down, he knows he would probably be part of that equation. In Kyrie Irving's absence, Dinwiddie has played phenomenally well this season and his value is surely at an all-time high. If you're the Wizards, he is certainly looking like an attractive piece for a rebuild.
It will be fun to see how this all plays out.
Bradley Beal Rumored To Be Nets Target For Big 3 With KD & Kyrie
There is a rumor going around that the Nets might want to go get Bradley Beal.
Bradley Beal may very well be one of the most underrated players in the entire NBA and it mostly has to do with the fact that he plays for the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have been abysmal as of late although Beal has been their one bright spot. He is currently averaging 30.5 points per game and is easily one of the most prolific scorers in the Eastern Conference right now. Of course, the Wizards are keen on keeping him but Beal has been wishy-washy on signing longterm.
According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, there appears to be some heavy interest for Beal, coming from the Brooklyn Nets. Stars like Kyrie Irving have made it clear that the team could use some reinforcements for when he and Kevin Durant finally get to pair up next season. With this in mind, the Nets are rumored to be exploring ways to get Beal on their team, so that they can form a brand new Big 3.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
A team with Beal, Irving, and Durant would certainly become title contenders instantly. These are some of the best offensive players in the league and the Nets would become one of the most formidable backcourts in the Eastern Conference.
Only time will tell whether or not this comes to fruition.
[Via]
John Wall’s Favorite Kobe Bryant Story Includes Gilbert Arenas’ Antics
John Wall recounted the story of when he played against Kobe Bryant for the first time.
John Wall has had a pretty interesting career in the NBA thus far and having said that, it shouldn’t be surprising that he has plenty of stories to tell. Recently, the Washington Wizards star went on the “All The Smoke” podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, where he talked about a plethora of topics, including his eventual return to action.
At one point in the interview, Wall was asked if he had any interesting stories about Kobe Bryant. As Wall described, his favorite Kobe moment was during his rookie season when he played against the Lakers legend for the very first time. Gilbert Arenas was Wall’s teammate at the time and made sure to bring his usual dose of antics.
“My favorite Kobe story was my rookie year,” Wall said. “We were going to play them in L.A. You know how’re like ‘there’s no way I’m about to play the Bean, like there’s no way I’m about to play Kobe.’ And I’ve got Gil on my team and Gil comes out there wearing Dolce and Gabbanas. No shoe strings, straps. Shoes, high-tops. So, I’m gonna play Kobe with a guy like Gil that doesn’t care about nothing.”
Arenas is known for his antics which only helps to enhance Wall’s story. We’re sure it’s a moment he will remember for the rest of his life.
John Wall Has A Stern Warning For The NBA
John Wall has all of the confidence in the world about his return to NBA action.
John Wall was cementing himself as a superstar in the league prior to his Achilles injury that has kept him out of basketball for over a year. In that time, Bradley Beal has emerged as a star for the Washington Wizards but he hasn't been enough to give them a winning record. With this in mind, Wizards fans have been anxiously awaiting Wall's return which will come next season.
Recently, Wall was on the "All The Smoke" podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, where he spoke about wanting to get back onto the court. As he explains, teams have been talking a lot of trash towards the Wizards and he wants to start getting revenge on people. In fact, upon return, he thinks he will be better than he was before.
“I’m gonna be better than what I was before and that’s the scary part...they ain’t even get the best of John Wall yet," Wall said.
Coming back from an Achilles injury is never easy but Wall certainly seems determined to continue playing at a high level. After everything Wizards fans have been through, we can only hope he lives up to the hype he has set out for himself.
Not to mention, with Beal in his current state, him and Wall would be a deadly combo.
Bradley Beal Drug Tested By NBA Following 50-Point Games
Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal receives drug test from the NBA following his back-to-back 50-point performances.
Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal has been a top five scorer throughout the season, but he has really taken his game to another level after being left off the All Star roster. On Sunday, Beal hung 53 points on the Chicago Bulls and he set a new career-high with 55 points the very next night against the Milwaukee Bucks. In doing so, Beal became the first player in Wizards franchise history to record back-to-back 50-point games.
Before he had the chance to go for a third straight 50-point outing on Wednesday night, the 26-year old sharpshooter says he was drug tested by the NBA.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Following Wednesday's 110-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Beal informed reporters of the "random" drug test.
“I guess the league don’t want me to score 50. I had a drug test today.”
Beal finished with a pedestrian 30 points to go along with five assists and five rebounds last night in D.C., as the Nets' box-and-one strategy stunned the two-time All Star, but not enough to secure a road win.
In 50 games this season, Beal is averaging a career-high 30.1 points, 6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He currently ranks second in the league in scoring (tied with Atlanta Hawks sniper Trae Young), trailing only James Harden who is averaging 35.2 per night.
Despite Beal's career year, the Wiz (21-36) are still 4.5 games back of the eighth seed Orlando Magic. Up next is a four-game West coast road trip that kicks off Friday night in Utah.
Drake Trolled By Wizards After Trash Talk Backfires
The Washington Wizards' social team was ready to pounce on Drake after the Bucks secured victory over the Raptors.
Prior to Tuesday night's nationally televised showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors, Drake was spotted talking trash to Robin Lopez with a WWE championship belt slung over his shoulder. As a warning for what the Raptors were about to do to the NBA-leading Bucks, Drizzy could be heard yelling, "This ain't the Wizards, baby!" Unfortunately for Drake, his prediction could not have been more wrong and he was eating his words at the end of the night.
Not only did the Bucks pick up a double-digit victory on the road, the Washington Wizards social media manager also rubbed it by tweeting, "how'd that go for him?" in response to a video of Drizzy's trolling ways.
Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to victory at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday with a 19 & 19 double-double to go along with eights assists and three blocks. Following the 108-97 win, Giannis explained that he was motivated to take control of the game, the team's first matchup in Toronto since losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals last May.
"You always remember the last time you played here, the feelings you had," Antetokounmpo said, per ESPN. "It was definitely on my mind."
As a result of Tuesday's performance, the Bucks improved their NBA-best record to 50-8. Of the six teams to start a season 50-8, five have gone on to win the NBA title, with the lone exception being the 2016 Golden State Warriors who, as we know, blew a 3-1 lead.
Wizards’ Rookie Rui Hachimura Inks Another Big Sponsorship Deal
GOAT reveals details of their partnership with Rui.
Washington Wizards’ rookie Rui Hachimura has landed yet another big time endorsement deal, adding to his partnerships with Jordan Brand, G-Shock and Japanese food brand Nissin. Today, GOAT announced details of their deal with Hachimura, which will see the 22-year old forward repping highly coveted sneakers and gear provided by the platform both on and off the court throughout the season, as well as the lead up to the 2020 Olympics.
“Being a part of the GOAT family is very exciting,” said Rui Hachimura. “I grew up watching basketball and have been a fan of sneakers since I was a kid. GOAT not only gives me access to new releases, but also sneakers from the past – sneakers that I wasn’t able to get as a kid. I’m looking forward to elevating my collection over the next few years to show off my style.”
Via GOAT
The two year partnership underlines the continuation of GOAT’s athlete partnerships, which kicked off in 2018 with Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Kyle Kuzma. As part of the deal, GOAT will work with Jordan Brand to align special sneakers for Rui.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Rui as his passion and talent exemplify greatness on and off the court. This partnership will allow us to further connect with our global community of basketball and sneaker fans,” said Eddy Lu, co-founder and CEO of GOAT Group. “In addition to being one of the most promising rookies, Rui’s influence in Japan and greater Asia Pacific is massive. We look forward to supporting him on a global scale.”
Through his first 28 NBA games, Hachimura is averaging 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per night.
Bradley Beal’s Fiance Trashes NBA Over All-Star Snub: "It’s A Joke"
"The NBA is becoming laughable in my honest opinion."
The NBA's All Star reserves were revealed on Thursday night and as you can tell from the headline, Washington Wizards' shooting guard Bradley Beal didn't make the cut. The two-time All Star was admittedly pissed off after he had been snubbed despite the fact that he's averaging a career-high 28.7 points to go along with 6.4. assists (also a career-high) and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Following Thursday night's victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Beal said he felt disrespected by the coaches, but "was kind of expecting it."
Says Beal ( NBC Sports Washington):
"I'm a little pissed off about it, but I know how I am. I was kind of expecting it, honestly. It’s disrespectful, but the real ones know. I’ll just keep competing. I’m going to try to get my team in the playoffs for sure.”
Beal's fiance, Kamiah Adams, shared her frustrations with the voting process during the Wizards postgame show, "It's politics and it's a joke. The NBA is becoming laughable in my honest opinion."
“It’s a popularity contest. It’s about who has the most followers on Instagram, who has the most likes, and it’s a joke to me because my thing is you can’t name five people that were selected for reserves on either the East or the West who are outplaying Bradley right now,” said Adams.
When asked specifically about Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, who was voted a starter, Adams said, “It’s a joke to me. Not taking away from his game… He’s playing cherry-picking basketball.”
Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein, also vented about the Eastern Conference coaches, saying, “I think they’ve sent a horrible message.”
According to Candace Bucker, Bartelstein added, "There's a reason why the players voted him No. 2. The players and these coaches - if they're being honest, there's nobody in the Eastern Conference, other than Giannis, that they game plan for harder than they game plan for Brad."
Click here to see how #NBATwitter reacted to the list of 2020 All Star reserves.
Bradley Beal Breaks Andre Drummond’s Ankles, Sends Wizards Bench Into A Frenzy
Beal hit 'em with the hucklebuck.
The NBA's annual Martin Luther King Day schedule kicked off this afternoon with a matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, and it didn't take long for Bradley Beal to give us the first highlight of the day. With the shot clock winding down midway through the first quarter, Beal got matched up with Andre Drummond on a switch at the top of the key. What happened next is every big man's nightmare.
Beal delivered a vicious, behind-the-back stepback, that buckled Drummond's knees and ankles while simultaneously sending the Wizards bench into pandemonium. Check out the cross, as well as the reaction from the bench, in the video embedded below.
The Wizards and their fans haven't had much to get excited about this season but Bradley Beal has continued to ball out. In 34 games, the two-time All Star is averaging a career-high 27.2 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists. That said, the Wiz are just 13-28 on the season which puts them among the bottom five in the league.
Beal, 26, recently inked a two-year, $72 million contract extension that will begin with the 2021–22 season and includes a player option for the 2022–23 season.
There are a total of 14 NBA games on the slate today, including a TNT double-header featuring the Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics tipping off at 7:30pm ET, followed by the Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers at 10pm ET.
Bradley Beal Is Reportedly Extremely Upset With The Wizards
The Wizards have been a mess this season.
Ever since John Wall’s injury, the Washington Wizards have been in disarray. The team doesn’t seem to have any real direction as they struggle to string wins together. As of right now, the Wizards are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-27. Bradley Beal has been their best player although he isn’t enough to make this team a contender.
According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Beal is starting to get particularly frustrated with the franchise and has been quite vocal about his thoughts and feelings. Beal was drafted back in 2020 and as Aldridge reports, the team has never seen him this angry before.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
“A source who was also there told me Thursday that Beal was as angry with and emotional about his team as he’s ever been since being drafted by the Wizards in 2012,” Aldridge wrote.
Wall is set to miss the entire 2019-2020 season which means things aren’t going to get any easier for this team. The Eastern Conference has gotten a lot better over the last few years and the Wizards have been victims of this shift. For now, their playoff prospects are quite low and if they don’t get better fast, it remains to be seen how Beal will respond.