When Deron Williams left Utah he and Jerry Sloan were on bad terms. Eventually, they reconciled. It spared Williams the guilt he would have felt if Sloan had passed and they never healed their relationship.
David Stern revolutionized the game by allowing high school players to bypass college and enter the NBA Draft. Kevin Garnett was the beautiful. Kobe Bryant was the bold. Kwame Brown was the ugly
The last loose thread of the Miami Heat dynasty, short lived as it was, has been stitched into the end of things quilt. First up. Ray Allen and the Hall of Fame. Allen will be remembered as a member of the Heat team, an iconic collection of talent that triggered fanaticism, hate, love, exceptionalism and…
After his first game against the greatest point guard of his generation, back in 2012, Damian Lillard said of Chris Paul, “I see the world in his eyes.” For the uninitiated, Lillard was referring to the beauty and excellence of a point guard’s sight and how Paul viewed the action on the floor and how…
Even as it was a shout out to the past to see Dwyane Wade have a throwback 2013 game in Philly, it was also everything we know. Wade dribble, change directions, floater. Wade drive to the rim. Wade turnaround jumper. (That wasn’t fair to hurt Robert Covington, T.J. McConnell, Ben Simmons like that). Wade dribbling…
The predictable became the reality when the Knicks gave their Jeff Hornacek experiment the heave-ho and ushered him out the door for (perhaps) another offensive minded, defensively challenged, ex-player coach. The firing of Hornacek made perfect sense when you consider how the NBA functions these days. If you are going to be bad- the Knicks…
The Western Conference has dominated the NBA for the last two decades. Of the past 21 NBA champions, 13 have come from the West (Spurs, ’99; Lakers, ’00-’02; Spurs, ’03,’05, 07, Lakers’09-’10; Mavericks, ’11; Spurs, ’14; Warriors ’15, ’17). Part of the reason Western teams have dominated is because of generational talent replacing generational talent.…
We have entered that part of the NBA season where losing teams are willing to sell off bad contracts for draft picks and good teams are looking for help to cement their playoff run. The Cavs want rim help. The Heat want a star. The Thunder want a bench. The Cavs want anyone who can…
In the summer of 2016, Derrick Rose left his hometown of Chicago and went to the Knicks in a trade that sent Robin Lopez to the Bulls. It was (on paper) supposed to do two things at the same time. It was supposed to upgrade the Knicks point guard position from aging Jose Calderon and…
Three years ago, Kawhi Leonard beat out Draymond Green to win Defensive Player of the Year. But Draymond Green won the NBA championship. In 2015-16, Kawhi Leonard won Defensive Player of the Year again. But history didn’t repeat itself. Draymond Green lost the NBA championship. Last June, Dray pulled off the doube-double: a title and…