Photo by Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/20/2014
Once again, a NBA team is at the top of ESPN’s annual Ultimate Standings. This time, the defending NBA champion Spurs have taken the top spot from the surprising Grizzlies in last year’s rankings. San Antonio obviously has a shiny new ring and trophy to add to their collection. That certainly helps. But the Spurs also […]
Photo by Danny La-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/19/2014
Stephen Curry lives a charmed life. The guard was little-known when he went to Davidson aside from his famous last name and then caught the world on fire with a pair of NCAA Tournament runs. He quickly became a fan favorite in the league, an All Star, an elite player and, now, a key member […]
Greg Monroe taking the qualifying offer makes him easier to trade for the front-logged Pistons. Photo by Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
One of the summer’s big free agent pieces finally got moved leaving us with just Eric Bledsoe remaining before the offseason can officially close. Greg Monroe signed his qualifying offer last week ending his restricted free agency and taking one of the last big free agent names off the board. Monroe probably thought he would get […]
Jeff Teague is one of the few bright spots for a middling Hawks team. Photo by David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/16/2014
The majority of the NBA is black. Let us get that out in the open. There is no denying it. There is no avoiding it. There is no getting around it. Yet, for much of the NBA’s existence that is exactly what some have tried to do. When you look through NBA history — I […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/15/2014
We hit the doldrums of September. With the FIBA World Cup ending, we will really have nothing to talk about. So, thank you Zach Lowe for ranking the NBA court designs and filling our days with something fun to talk about. Lowe went with the classic Lakers and Celtics courts as the best in the […]
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyNCQEfqRiA [h/t Sandy Dover of Baller Mind Frame]
“[There] ain’t nobody [who] would want to go there. At the end of the day, Atlanta … I think it puts Atlanta back even further now, from that standpoint.
Atlanta is a great city, a great market, great people, great atmosphere. But as far as the comments were made, I think it was uncalled for. From an owner, from a GM, those are not things you play with.
As a player, as an athlete, we’re looking for a job, we’re trying to find a place where we can move our family, we can make our family comfortable, where we can be comfortable in a comfortable environment, but those comments right there, we would never look at. I’m speaking on behalf of all athletes. We would never look at a situation like that, I don’t care what it is.”
–Carmelo Anthony to Tim Bontemps of The New York Post
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0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/14/2014
At one point, DeMarcus Cousins was on the bubble to make the U.S. roster. No one really had any idea what to expect from the U.S. as they made their roster selections, but many believed they would elect to go small. It became clearer though that the U.S. was anticipating that matchup against big and […]
Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
James Harden is not known for his defense. It has become a favorite Internet meme. But . . . So . . . that is not very good defense. Fortunately Team USA is dominating Serbia thanks to Harden’s offense and Kyrie Irving’s incredible performance from beyond the arc. No video yet of Harden flying out […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/511235804773904384
Photo by Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/12/2014
While you were focused on the FIBA World Cup (right?!), the WNBA wrapped up its season with a matchup of two of the great young stars in the league. Unfortunately, Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne was dealing with a back injury and was getting back into shape. And then in Game Two of the series, Brittney […]
Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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It is hard to argue that Adam Silver’s tenure as commissioner of the NBA since February has been anything but flawless. Since taking over for David Stern, Silver has shown a willingness to take on new ideas and approach longtime problems in the NBA with fresh ideas. He has been willing to listen to players […]
Adreian Payne could turn out to be one of the steals of the draft. Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/11/2014
It is a bad news week for the Atlanta Hawks. This will likely not lessen that blow or keep the franchise from succumbing to the turmoil it is currently in. We can find one bright spot though. And we are going to celebrate it as historians of the game. The Philips Arena court is getting […]
Photo by Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 9/10/2014
ESPN released their updated “Future Power Rankings” on Tuesday and, surprisingly, the Spurs have the brightest future in the league. Of course, you say, the Spurs are on top. They are the defending champions and with everyone returning they have a really good chance to win again. I would tell you that you are right. […]
“HE HAS A LITTLE AFRICAN IN HIM”
“These words were recently used to describe me. It would ordinarily make any African parent proud to hear their child recognized for their heritage.
“I’m proud to say I actually have a lot of African in me, not just “a little”. For my entire life, my identity has been a source of pride and strength. Among my family and friends, in my country of South Sudan and across the broader continent of Africa, I can think of no greater privilege than to do what I love for a living while also representing my heritage on the highest stage. Unfortunately, the comment about my heritage was not made with the same respect and appreciation.
“Concerning my free agency, the focus should purely have been on my professionalism and my ability as an athlete. Every person should have the right to be treated with respect and evaluated as an individual, rather than be reduced to a stereotype. I am saddened and disappointed that this way of thinking still exists today. I am even more disturbed that it was shared so freely in a business setting.
“However, there is comfort in knowing that there are people who aren’t comfortable with it and have the courage to speak up. In the same way a generalization should not define a group of people, the attitude of a few should not define a whole organization or league.
Ultimately, I’m thankful to be with an organization that appreciates me for who I am and has gone out of its way to make me feel welcome.”
–Luol Deng
[Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
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