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Boston Celtics avoids sweeps as they defeat Miami Heat 116-99

May 24, 2023

The Boston Celtics lead by Jason Tatum to defeat the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

It was a close game in the first 3qtrs but the Celtics blew the game wide-open in the final quarte to gain a 17 points lead which made sure that they will return to Boston for another chance to extend the series.

Six Boston players have scored in double-digits lead by Tatum scoring 34 points making 4 three-points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists; Brown’s 17-points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and Derrick White with his 16-points, with 3 of 7 from the beyond the three-point line.

As a team the Miami Heat just shot 8 of 32 (25%) from the three-point line and just 18 assists, compare to Celtics’ 28 ast.

Miami’s leading scorer Jimmy Butler said “We’ve got to play like our backs are against the wall. But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we’ve had to do things the hard way.”

The series will now shift back to Boston where the Celtics will have another chance to extend the series.

Denver Nuggets sweeps the LA Lakers to advance to the 2023 NBA Finals

May 23, 2023

The Denver Nuggets will advance to the 2023 NBA Finals as they sweep the Los Angeles Lakers and overcome a 40-pts game by Lebron James.

The Lakers which lead most of the 1st half and lead as much as 15 points before the Denver Nuggest put the clamp down on the Lakers to limit them to only 19 points in the 3rd qtr while scoring 39 points to take over the game.

Lebron James who played all but 4.3 seconds of the game at the end of the first half. James was flirting with a triple-double 21 points in the first quarter, finishing with 40 points, 10 rebs and 9 assists. Lebron James had the change to put the game to OT but was stopped by Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray as he drive to the basket in the closing seconds of the game.

Anthony Davis also sensational with his 21 points, 14 rebs, 1 steal and 3 blocks but did not get any help from the rest of the team aside from the 17 points from Austin Reaves.

Lebron James had nothing but praises to the Nuggets.

“Me and AD were just talking in the locker room (and) we came to the consensus this is one of the best teams, if not the best team, we’ve played together for all four years…Just well-orchestrated, well put together. They have scoring. They have shooting. They have playmaking. They have smarts. They have length. They have depth. And one thing about their team, when you have a guy like Jokic, who as big as he is but also as cerebral as he is, you can’t really make many mistakes versus a guy like that.”

Here is Lebron James full postgame interview.

Nikola Jokic lead the Nuggets with his eighth triple-double of the playoffs; Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, include the 3 blocks and 1 steal he made on the defensive end. Jamal Murray scored 25 points and 5 assists, helping Jokic overcome James’ 31-point first half and a 15-point halftime deficit.

This will be Denver Nuggets’ first trip to the NBA finals and first time sweeping a playoff series. Unless Boston Celtics made a miracolous run to win the next 4 games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Denver will host Miami Heat to open the NBA Finals, starting June 1.

Heat routs Celtics to take 3 – 0 series lead in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals

May 22, 2023

Miami Heat are one win way to return to the NBA Finals. As team, Miami Heat demolished Boston Celtics with a barage of 3-points by making 19 of 35, a whopping 54.3% from beyond the arc, and 56.8% from the field.

The Heat have 6 players scoring in double-digits lead by Gabe Vincent scoring 29 points, on a 6 of 9 from the three-point line. Jimmy Butler, Miami’s best player, just scored 16 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists but had a very big impact in the game. Second leading scorer of the game is Duncan Robinson made 5 of 7 three-points, scoring 22 points. Robinson became the leading 3-pointer of the Heat, with 825 three-pointers made in franchise history.

On the Boston side, the team had one of their worst shooting game with just 11 three-pointers made on 42 attempts and they shot 39.8% from the field. Jason Tatum, their leading scorer, only had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and no other player scored more than 12 points. In the postgame interview, Boston Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla admitted that the loss was on him for his failure to prepare the team for their biggest game of the season.

Mazzulla said “I just didn’t have them ready to play.. I have to get them in a better place to be ready to play, and that’s on me.” You can watch the full video of his postgame interview below;

Just like the Lakers, Celtics are in a similar position, down 0 – 3 and if they want to extend the series, Game 4 in Miami is a must win for them this Tuesday evening.

Denver Nuggets takes 3-0 lead over the LA Lakers in the WCF

May 21, 2023

Denver Nuggets are 1-win away for their first NBA Finals appearance after defeating the LA Laker in the game 3 of the Western Conference finals. This is the first home lost of the Lakers in the post-season. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA playoff history but Lebron James remain optimistic in his postgame interview.

For second straight games, Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 37 points, 7 rebs and 6 assists, followed Nikola Jokic scoring 24 points with 8 assists but was plague by foul trouble in the game. the Nuggets due received a lot of help from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who finished with 17 points, scoring 12 points in the second half, while Michael Porter Jr. chipped-in 14 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high of 6 assists.

Anthony Davis scored 28 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers but was -12 in the plus/minus column, while James made 23 points with 12 assists and Austin Reaves added 23 points and 7 rebounds but they could not counter Nuggets balanced offence in the clutch. Five Nuggets players are in double figures which includes Bruce Brown’s 15 pts with 5 rebounds and 5 assists; Michael Porter Jr. with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

Game 4 will still be in LA which is a must for Lakers so they can extend the series to Game 5.

Denver Nuggets defeats LA Lakers to take 2 – 0 lead in the Western Conference Finals

May 19, 2023

Denver Nuggets just took a 2 – 0 lead over the Lakers after defeating the LA Lakers in game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Nuggets got the win behind Jamal Murray’s explosion by scoring 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter. Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic was not as impactful in game 2 as he is in the opener even though he just registered another triple-double, scoring 23 points with 17 rebounds and dished 12 assists, his 7th triple-double in the post season and 4th straight.

The Lakers are not panicking even though they’re down 0 – 2, and James even said this in his postgame interview – “This is not the NCAA Tournament. It’s the first team to four wins.”

In the game, Lebron James was flirting with triple-double, scoring 22 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds, he was also 0 – 6 from beyond in the three-point line in the game and just 1 – 19 in the fourth quarter this postseason. Collectively, James and Reaves both scored 22 for Los Angeles, while Anthony Davis scored just 18 points after scoring 40 pts in game 1.

Game 3 of the WCF will be this Saturday at the crypto.com Arena, where the Lakers are still undefeated this post season.

Here’s the complete 2023 NBA Draft Results

May 17, 2023

The 2023 NBA Draft just concluded with San Antonio Spurs emerging as the winner to draft Frenchman Victor Wembanyama in the coming 2023 NBA Draft this 22nd of June 2023 in Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.

Below are the results from NBA Draft Lottery 2023;

First Round: Picks 1-30

  1. San Antonio
  2. Charlotte
  3. Portland
  4. Houston
  5. Detroit
  6. Orlando
  7. Indiana
  8. Washington
  9. Utah
  10. Dallas
  11. Orlando (from Chicago)
  12. Oklahoma City
  13. Toronto
  14. New Orleans
  15. Atlanta
  16. Utah (from Minnesota)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. Miami
  19. Golden State
  20. Houston (from LA Clippers)
  21. Brooklyn (from Phoenix)
  22. Brooklyn
  23. Portland (from New York)
  24. Sacramento
  25. Memphis
  26. Indiana (from Cleveland)
  27. Charlotte (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City)
  28. Utah (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn)
  29. Indiana (from Boston)
  30. LA Clippers (from Milwaukee via Houston)

Second Round: Picks 31-58

  1. Detroit
  2. Indiana (from Houston)
  3. San Antonio
  4. Charlotte (from Charlotte via Philadelphia and Atlanta)
  5. Boston (from Portland via Atlanta, LA Clippers, Detroit, and Cleveland)
  6. Orlando
  7. Oklahoma City (from Washington via New Orleans)
  8. Sacramento (from Indiana)
  9. Charlotte (from Utah via New York)
  10. Denver (from Dallas via Oklahoma City)
  11. Charlotte (from Oklahoma City via New York and Boston)
  12. Washington (from Chicago via Los Angeles Lakers and Washington)
  13. Portland (from Atlanta)
  14. San Antonio (from Toronto)
  15. Memphis (from Minnesota)
  16. Atlanta (from New Orleans)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. LA Clippers
  19. Cleveland (from Golden State via Utah and New Orleans)
  20. Oklahoma City (from Miami via Boston, Memphis, and Dallas)
  21. Brooklyn
  22. Phoenix
  23. Minnesota (from New York via Charlotte)
  24. Sacramento
  25. Indiana (from Cleveland via Milwaukee and Detroit)
  26. Memphis

    27. — Chicago (from Denver via Cleveland; forfeited by Chicago)
    — Philadelphia (forfeited)

  27. Washington (from Boston via Charlotte)
  28. Milwaukee

Winning the #1 overall pick doesn’t assure that a franchise will be able to pick the best player in the class but it does help in knowing that a team can pick the player that they want.

Lakers takes series lead 3 – 1, behind 4th Qtr Career Game from Lonnie Walker IV

May 9, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers are in full control of the series putting the Golden State Warriors on the brink of elimination and spoiling Curry’s triple-double, this is his third career in the postseason.

It was a close game even in the closing minutes and despite a monster game from Anthony Davis and Lebron James, the LA Lakers needed a career 4th qtr game from Lonnie Walker IV, who took control of the 4th qtr. The Warriors did not have any answer to Walker’s drives and jumpers, he even made a 3-pts at one point in the 4th. Walker scored all his 15 points in the 4th quarter, he also made grabbed 3 rebs and dished 2 assists.

Anthony Davis contributed scored 23 pts, 15 rebs and 3 steals. Lebron chipped in 27 points, 9 rebs and 6 assists but was -8 in the plus/minus column. James did made 2 crucial free throws that gave the Lakers a 3 point lead with just 1 mins 19 seconds remaining in the game.

On the Golden State side, it was just Curry against the whole Lakers roster, after scoring 31 pts, 10 rebs and 14 assists, and the second leading scorer for the Warriors is Andrew Wiggins who scored 17 points but was limited to just 4 rebs and 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson, the hero of game 2, is also a non-factor in the game and only scored 9 points with 5 rebs even though he played for the 41 minutes.

With this win the Lakers will just need to win 1 game in order to advance to the Conference Finals while the Warriors needs to defeat the Lakers 3 games in a row and the series in game 7.

Game 5 will be this Wednesday night at the Chase Center, San Francisco.

Complete picture of the 2nd Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs

May 1, 2023

Now that the Warriors will advance to the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs we now have a complete pictures of the 2nd Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. A number of games have already been played and here’s a roundup as of this date.

Western Conference

  • Los Angeles Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers dispatched the Grizzlies in 6 games and have been waiting for winner of the the Warriors-Kings series.
  • Denver Nuggets versus the Phoenix Suns. Nuggets already won game 1 in a convincing win against the Suns. It was Jamal Murray who carried the load for the Nuggets scoring 34 pts and 9 assists. MVP candidate Nikola Jovic contributed 24 points, 19 rebs and 5 assists.

    Game 2 will on Monday, at the Ball Arena, in Denver.

Eastern Conference

  • Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers. Game 1 will this Tuesday at the TD Garden. Joel Embiid is doubtful for game 1 against the Celtics 76ers.
  • Miami Heat versus New York Knicks. Miami Heat already took game 1 even though Jimmy Butler is nursing an ankle injury. Jimmy Butler lead the Heat with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

    Game 2 will be this Tuesday, at the Madison Square Garden, New York.

Golden State Warriors wins epic Game 7 against Sacramento Kings (120 – 100)

May 1, 2023

It was a game for the record books, as Golden State Warriors routs the Sacramento Kings in the Game 7 of the 1st round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

It was a close game early in the 3rd quarter until Steph Curry single-handedly carry the Warriors’ offensive load. Curry score a team-high of 50 points on a 52.6% shooting, this is the most scored in a Game 7 in NBA history. Steph is the first player in Warriors history to score 40-plus points in a Game 7. Curry also dished-out 6 assists and 8 rebounds.

Aside from Curry, Kevon Looney continued to be a force on boards as he grabbed a total 21 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end, with his 11 points and 4 assists. Looney’s rebounding helped the Warriors control the pace of the game.

Steph and the Warriors will now face the Lebron and Lakers in the 2nd round, Lakers dispatched the Grizzlies in just 6 games. Game 1 of the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs will this Tuesday at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

Game Highlights

Lakers routs Grizzlies, advances to the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs (125 – 85)

April 30, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers will advance to the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs after dismantling a resilient Memphis Grizzlies. It was a block party for the Lakers with a team total of 15 blocks against Grizzlies’ 2 blocks.

Lakers leading scorer for the game is D’Angelo Russell scored a career playoff-high 31 points with five 3-pts made. LeBron James made 22 points and 6 assists, while Anthony Davis chipped in 16 points, 14 rebs with 5 blocks.

As for the Grizzlies, their top scorer for the game is the seldom used Santi Aldama scoring 16 points with two 3-points made. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane scored a combined 25 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 14 on a 25% shooting.

Lakers will face in the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoff the winner of the Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.


Celtics defeats Hawks moves on to the 2nd Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs

April 28, 2023

The 1st round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs ended with a convincing victory for the Boston Celtics over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6.

The Celtics dominated the 2nd of the game after a close 1st half, leading by as much as 8 points with a little more than 2-mins in the game. The Hawks are lead by Trae Young who had 30 points and 10 assists but missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.

Dejounte Murray returned to the Hawks lineup after receiving a one-game suspension for bumping an official at the end of Atlanta’s Game 4 loss, only scored 14 pts, 11 assists and 7 rebs but was a -13 in the plus/minus column.

The Hawks tried to mount a comeback to force a game 7, but the Celtics were prepared to take on any run by Hawks.

Former-Hawks Horford hit a huge 3-pointer to keep the Atlanta at bay. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum led the Celtics, contributing 32 and 30 points, respectively. Al Horford chipped 10 points, 12 rebounds two steals and three blocks.

The Celtics won 128 – 120 and advanced to the second round, where they will face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers this Monday night at the TD Garden.

Atlanta Hawks upsets Miami Heat to secure East 7th seed

April 12, 2023

The Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks faced off in a thrilling play-in game on Tuesday night, with a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs on the line. The Hawks, led by their new coach Quin Snyder, who took over the team last February, showed their resilience and determination as they defeated the Miami Heat to secure a 116-105 victory.

The Heat, who were the defending conference champions, struggled to contain the Hawks’ dynamic duo of Trae Young and Clint Capela. Young, who averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists per game in the regular season, scored 25 points and dished out 7 assists in the win. Capela, who is top 7 in rebounding with 11.0 per game, dominated the paint with 21 rebounds, two blocks and 4 points.

The Hawks also got contributions from their supporting cast, as Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14 points, John Collins added 10 points and four rebounds, and Dejounte Murray chipped in with 18 points, 6 assists and five rebounds. The Hawks shot 46% from the field and 24.4% from three-point range, while holding the Heat to 42.9% and 32.4%, respectively.

The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler, who had 21 points, four rebounds and 9 assists. Bam Adebayo contributed with 12 points and 9 rebounds, while Tyler Herro scored 26 points and two steals. The Heat were missing Victor Oladipo, who only played for just 9 mins and made just one assist.

The Hawks will now face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, starting on Saturday. The Heat will face the loser between the Toronto and Chicago game this Thursday.

Lakers beats Timberwolves (102 – 108) in OT to take West 7th Seed

April 12, 2023

Lakers survives Timberwolves in a thrilling Play-in tournament that went overtime. The win will give the Lakers the 7th seed in the Western conference. To keep their hopes alive to be the NBA Champions, LA Lakers will face the Memphis Grizzlies, who are the 2nd seed in the West in the 1st round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Min. Timberwolves are without Rudy Gobert who was suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during Minnesota’s regular-season finale against the NO Pelicans, while Jaden McDaniels is out indefinitely with a broken hand after punching a wall during the same gamae against the Pelicans.

On the Lakers win at NBA.Com – LAKERS OUTLAST WOLVES 108-102 IN OT, ADVANCE TO FACE MEMPHIS.

2023 NBA Playoffs and Play-In Schedule

April 11, 2023

Now that all the seeding are complete, we now have a clear view on what the 2023 NBA Playoffs and Play-In will be. Unlike the Eastern Conference, we did not get the final picture of the Western conference until the very last game is done.

Below is the full schedule of this year’s 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament;
Tuesday, April 11

  • Game 1 — Atlanta @ Miami | 7:30 ET (TNT)
  • Game 2 — Minnesota @ LA Lakers | 10 ET (TNT)

Wednesday, April 12

  • Game 3 — Chicago @ Toronto | 7 ET (ESPN)
  • Game 4 — Oklahoma City @ New Orleans | 9:30 ET (ESPN)

Friday, April 14

  • Game 5 — Winner of Game 3 @ Loser of Game 1 (TNT)
  • Game 6 — Winner of Game 4 @ Loser of Game 2 (ESPN)

The winner for Game 1 will be the East 7th Seed and will face Boston Celtics, at the same time, the winner of Game 2 will be West 7th seed and will play against the Memphis Grizzlies. Winner of Game 3 and Game 4 will still need to win against the loser of Game 1 and Game 2, this will decide who will be the 8th seed for East and West, respectively, the East 8th seed will face Milwaukee Bucks, while the West 8th seed with be against the Denver Nuggets.

As for the actual 2023 NBA Playoffs, below is the First Round Schedule for Game 1s

Saturday, April 15

  • Brooklyn @ Philadelphia | 1 ET (ESPN)
  • East #7 @ Boston | 3:30 ET (ESPN)
  • New York @ Cleveland | 6 ET (ESPN)
  • Golden State @ Sacramento | 8:30 (ABC)

Sunday, April 16

  • East #8 @ Milwaukee | TBD
  • West # 8 @ Denver | TBD
  • West #7 @ Memphis | TBD
  • LA Clippers @ Phoenix | TBD

Here are the key dates for the 2023 NBA Playoffs;

  • April 11-14: AT&T Play-In Tournament
  • April 15: NBA playoffs begin
  • May 1-2: NBA Conference Semifinals begin (possible move-up to April 29-30)
  • May 16-17: NBA Conference Finals begin (possible move-up to May 14-15)

2023 NBA Finals

  • June 1: NBA Finals 2023 Game 1
  • June 4: NBA Finals 2023 Game 2
  • June 7: NBA Finals 2023 Game 3
  • June 9: NBA Finals 2023 Game 4
  • June 12: NBA Finals 2023 Game 5 (if necessary)
  • June 15: NBA Finals 2023 Game 6 (if necessary)
  • June 18: NBA Finals 2023 Game 7 (if necessary)

Source: NBA 1, 2

NBA announces the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023

April 3, 2023

NBA just named the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of (HoF) 2023, lead by Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and Spurs head Coach Gregg Popovich.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will have three of the NBA’s all-time international greats; Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, joining them are Dwyane Wade, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich. Also include in the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are; former North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, the 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, former Purdue coach Gene Keady, former Texas A&M women’s coach Gary Blair, longtime coach at Division III Amherst David Hixon, and Gene Bess – who won 1,300 games as a junior college coach at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Most if not all of the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are interconnected together; Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich all worked together for the San Antonio Spurts; Parker as a Player, while Becky Hammon is the assistant coach for Spurs Head coach Gregg Popovich. Under Head Coach Popovich, Tony Parker won four (4) the NBA Championship (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), it was in 2014 when Becky Hammon joined the Spurs as an assistant coach.

Also in 2014, where the Spurs faced and won against Dwyane Wade’ Miami Heat in just 5 games. Dwyane Wade won his first championship while with the Miami Heat against Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, coincidentally Dirk Nowitzki became an NBA champion against Miami Heat’s big three; Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Lebron James in 2011.

Paul Gasol, Spain’s longtime star won all two of his NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers playing alongside Kobe Bryant.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will receive their HoF jackets and rings on Aug. 11 in Uncasville, Connecticut, then the ceremony and their speeches will be on Aug. 12 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Source: NBA

Golden State Warriors defeat Pelicans to avoid play-in tournament (109 – 120)

March 29, 2023

In a Western Conference were every game is important, the Golden State Warrior just got another win to climbed up to the 6th place and out of the play-in tournament. They defeated the New Orleans Pelican (109 – 120) by rallying from 20-down.

It was a close game in the first quarter where both teams are just exchanging baskets, then in the 2nd qtr, the Pelicans were able to build a 20-point lead by the end of the 1st half (63-43). Five Pelican players have 2-digits points led by Brandon Ingram with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, then Trey Murphy III who scored 21 points and CJ McCollum contributed 15 points. The lost snapped NO Pelicans five-game winning streak.

Warriors started their comeback in the 3rd qtr, scoring 29 points and holding the Pelicans to just 26 points. At the start of the 4th qtr, GSW where only down by 4-points (89-85) and the momentum was on their side as they overtake the Pelicans midway through the 4th qtr. At the last 2-min mark of the game, the Warriors was able to built a 12 point lead securing the win. The Golden State comeback was lead by Steph Curry who was flirting with a triple-double; 39 points with eight 3-pointers, 8 rebounds and 8assists, followed by Jordan Poole contributing 21 points, Klay Thompson scored 17, hitting five three-pointers. Draymond Green only scored 8 points but was a big factor in their comeback by dishing 13 assists, 6 reb and 2 steals in 33-minutes.

The win will help Golden State Warrior avoid being in the play-in tournament, which is a very dangerous position to be in.

The New Orleans Pelicans will visit Denver on Thursday night, while the Golden State Warriors will host the Spurs on Friday night, which is one of the remaining home game.

Michael Jordan’s Six NBA Championship Shoes are now on sale at Sotheby’s

March 8, 2023

Michael Jordan’s Six NBA Championship Shoes or popularly known as the “Dynasty Collection” are now on sale by Sotheby’s. The Dynasty Collection is composed of the six individual shoes worn and autographed by Michael Jordan on the night the Chicago Bulls captured each of the franchise’s six championships.

MJ’s six championship shoes consists of an “Infrared” Air Jordan 6 (1991), a “Charcoal” Air Jordan 7 (1992), a “Playoffs” Air Jordan 8 (1993), a “Bred” Air Jordan 11 (1996), a “Playoffs” Air Jordan 12 (1997) and a “Last Shot” Air Jordan 14 (1998). Truly the rarest collection of Air Jordans ever.

According to Mark Salzberg, chairman of the Certified Collectibles Group, the rarest collection of Air Jordans ever and “contemporary Ruby red slippers, only rarer.”

Sotheby’s is offering the Dynasty Collection via private sale and not in an auction, which means anyone could purchase the collection at any time upon the agreement between the seller and buyer. It is projected that figures could reach into the hundreds of millions.

You can read more about the “Dynasty Collection” in an article by Sotheby’s – The Dynasty Collection: The Complete Set of Michael Jordan’s ‘Air Jordan’ Six Championship Sneakers.

Source: Andscape

Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant in hot waters after flashing a gun in one of his IG live

March 5, 2023

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant is in hot waters after flashing a gun on in one of his Instagram Live Video. In an article by ClutchPoints, Morant posted an IG live early Saturday morning, he and his friends appeared to be in a nightclub when he flashed on what appeared to be a gun. The video have been taken down and social media accounts of Ja Morant are now inaccessible to the public.

Morant through his agent Jim Tanner released a statement; “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down,” it read. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”

NBA is also investigating the incident and released the following statement via NBA spokesman Mike Bass.

Morant’s team also released their own statement stating that Morant will miss two games; Sunday against the LA Clippers and/or Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers;

The IG video is just one of the current issue that Ja Morant is facing, including the Washington Post report detailing Morant’s involvement in punching and threatening a teenager. The other incident was a confrontation with a mall security guard in a parking lot, as well as the red laser pointer incident with members of the Pacers last February 5.

Golden State Warriors rally from 23-down to beat the Portland Trail Blazers

March 1, 2023

Golden State Warriors just won on what could be a start of a run by beating the Portland Trail Blazers, after being down by 23 points in the first half. Led by Jordan Poole’s 29 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Klay Thompson’s 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assist and a steal. The Warriors also survived a hot-start by Lillard, contributing 25 points and seven assists, after scoring a franchise record of 71 points in the previous game against the Rockets.

Warriors made their comeback in the 3rd quarter after holding the Blazers to just 17 points in the quarter and at the same time making 39-points. Their 3rd quarter run was energized by Jonathan Kuminga’s high-flying one-handed dunk from the middle lane.

Draymond Green returned from a two-game absence with a bruised right knee, Andrew Wiggins still out due to family issued, while Steph Curry is expected to return this Thursday, against the Clippers after working out with Santa Cruz Warriors in G League.

Six Warriors players scored in the double-digits and the team are 40% from the three-point line. Steve Keer said during the post game press conference “It just feels like we’re coming together. Like there’s some chemistry. Some energy that’s forming,” which is a good sign, since the team have bene struggling the whole season.

Warriors will host the Clippers on Thursday night, while the Blazers will face New Orleans this Wednesday evening to complete their road-home back-to-back.

Jordan Brand announces Jayson Tatum’s First Signature Shoe – the Tatum 1

February 21, 2023

Jordan Brand just announced the first signature shoes of Boston forward Jason Tatum – the Tatum 1. In their official announcement, the Tatum 1 is the lightest performance shoe in Jordan Brand’s performance line this season.

The Tatum 1 is built out of a lightweight, strong TPU frame, the shoe is wrapped by a ground-contact foam that also acts as an integrated traction pattern, with minimal rubber on the toe and ball of the foot for Tatum’s predominantly forefoot game. This detail allowed designers to cut back on the weight of the shoe while also providing tight court feel. A large, uncaged Zoom Air bag in the forefoot helps provide high energy return without sacrificing court feel. The mesh knit upper is strong yet lightweight, while the collar is padded for ankle support.

The Zoo Colorway Zoom Air Sole
The Zoo Colorway TPU frame
The Zoo Colorway Mesh Finish
The Zoo Colorway
The St. Louis Colorway
The Pink Lemonade Colorway
The Barbershop Colorway

The shoe will also include as an apparel collection; hoodies and tees for men, women and kids, inspired by the Zoo and Barbershop colorways of the Tatum 1. The Tatum 1 will be available at Nike.com and at select Jordan retailers for $120, this 7th of April in full family sizing.

Jason Tatum wore the Tatum 1s at the 2023 NBA All Star Games, he was later named the 2023 Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP and scored a new All-Star record 55 points.

Source: Nike

Team Giannis wins the 2023 NBA All Star Game led by Jayson Tatum’s 55 points

February 20, 2023

It looks like Lebron will now be 5-1 in the 2023 NBA All Star when chosen as a team captain, since Team Giannis just handed Lebron his first L, since NBA change the format in 2018. It was not Giannis who led the game but instead it was Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics as he scores All-Star record 55 points and taking home the 2023 Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP trophy. The previous All-Star record was by Anthony Davis after scoring 52 points in 2017.

It was not all Tatum, since teammate Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell contributed as well, contributing 26 points and 40 points respectively. On Team Lebron, Joel Embid, Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown are the biggest contributors. Embid and Irving both scored 32 points, while Brown had 35 points.

Checkout the game highlights of the top scorer of this years 2023 NBA All Star Game;

Jayson Tatum – 55 Points

Damian Lillard – 26 points

Donovan Mitchel – 40 points

Joel Embid – 32 Points

Kyrie Irving – 32 points

Jaylen Brown – 35 Points

Because of injury, team captains of each team have to leave the game early; Lebron James for his right hand contusion and just played for 14 minutes, while Giannis Antetokounmpo injured his sprained right wrist and played for just 20 seconds before leaving the game.

It’s unclear if NBA will still use the “playground style” next year but not knowing who will be in the team sure made the game much more exciting. The 2024 NBA All Star will be in Indianapolis.

Result of the 2023 NBA All Star Draft

February 20, 2023

Literally hours before the 2023 NBA All Star Game, Team Caption Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted their players from the pool of players, first it was for the reserves then the starters.

Giannis Antetokounmpo got the privileges to choose the #1 draft and decided to take Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, then his teammate Jrue Holiday. Lebron on the other hand drafted Anthony Edwards first followed by Jaylen Brown. The player to be drafted was Lauri Markkanen, Jazz and played for Team Giannis.

To provide more drama, NBA decided adopt a playground style for the game and make the NBA All Star Draft just before the actual All Star Game.

Here is the draft result for each team;

TEAM LEBRON

** In order

Reserves

  • Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
  • Jaylen Brown, Celtics
  • Paul George, Clippers
  • Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers
  • Julius Randle, Knicks
  • De’Aaron Fox, Kings
  • Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies

Starters

  • Joel Embiid, 76ers
  • Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
  • Luka Doncic, Mavericks
  • Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

TEAM GIANNIS

** In order

Reserves

  • Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
  • Jrue Holiday, Bucks
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
  • DeMar DeRozan, Bulls
  • Pascal Siakam, Raptors
  • Bam Adebayo, Heat
  • Domantas Sabonis, Kings

Starters

  • Jayson Tatum, Celtics
  • Ja Morant, Grizzlies
  • Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
  • Lauri Markkanen, Jazz

Damian Lillard takes home the 2023 NBA 3-Point Contest

February 19, 2023

In a contest of accuracy and coordination, Portland Superstar Damian Lillard proves why he is considered as one of the dangerous sniper in the league by taking home the 2023 NBA 3-Point Contest. This was his 3rd appearance in the 3-Point Contest but his first time winning it.

Full highlights of the 2023 NBA 3-Point Contest;

It was a close contest in the final round but Lillard made two “Starry” shots, each is worth and each of those baskets gave him three points in the decisive round, which helped him defeat Hield 26-25. Lillard won the game with his final shot from the corner, a two-point money shot.

Lillard is currently 31% at the 3-pt line this season and will also play in the 2023 NBA All Star Game on Sunday.

Mac McClung wins that 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

February 19, 2023

Mac McClung just became the first NBA G-Leaguers to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest, beating out fellow dunkers, Kenyon Martin Jr. of the Houston Rockets, Trey Murphy III from the New Orleans Pelicans and Jericho Sims of the New York Knicks. If not for the 9 points given by Lisa Leslie, he would have scored a perfect 50 on all rounds of the contest.

His final dunk, is a 360-degree plus (above), were he added a few more degrees in his 360 dunk, then after landing giving a “ITS OVER” sign ala Vince Carter. His final dunk earned him a hug from Dominique Wilkins, a two-time dunk contest winner and one of the judges.

Even though McClung only played in 4 NBA games, the Philadelphia 76ers gave him a 2 way contract for the rest of the season.

Here’s the full highlights of Mac MacClung’s NBA Slam Dunk contest;

Embiid, Markkanen and Morant named as All-Star Starters replacements for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game

February 11, 2023

Here are some good news and bad news, well I guess that will depend on the player you’re rooting for. Good news for fans of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, since all three All Star will move-up to be starters replacing injured and starters Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left superior tib/fib sprain), Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (right knee MCL sprain) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (strained right hamstring), which is a bad new for the fans of the said injured players.

At the sametime, 3 new All Star Reserves was named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game namely; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. MT at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

The NBA All-Star Draft will take place hours before the game where Captains for each team will choose from the player pool to complete their team roster. For this year’s All Star Games Lebron James, of the LA Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks are named as the Team Captains.

Below are the complete list of player pool including the Injured/Will Not Play, as well as the replacements;

  • Bam Adebayo (Miami)
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) – Starter and Team Captain
  • Jaylen Brown (Boston)
  • Stephen Curry (Golden State) – Starter, Injured and will not play
  • DeMar DeRozan (Chicago)
  • Luka Dončić (Dallas)
  • Kevin Durant (Phoenix) – Starter, Injured and will not play
  • Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) – Injury Replacement
  • Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) – Starter Replacement
  • De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento) – Injury Replacement
  • Paul George (LA Clippers)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)
  • Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana)
  • Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee)
  • Kyrie Irving (Dallas) – Starter
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis)
  • LeBron James (L.A. Lakers) – Starter and Team Captain
  • Nikola Jokić (Denver) – Starter
  • Damian Lillard (Portland)
  • Lauri Markkanen (Utah) – Starter Replacement
  • Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) – Starter
  • Ja Morant (Memphis) – Starter Replacement
  • Julius Randle (New York)
  • Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento)
  • Pascal Siakam (Toronto) – Injury Replacement
  • Jayson Tatum (Boston) – Starter
  • Zion Williamson (New Orleans) – Starter, Injured and will not play

Source: NBA

Nets to trade Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns

February 9, 2023

In a blockbuster trade, the Brooklyn Nets will ship Superstar Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, this was first reported by ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski. In the trade, Suns will send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round unprotected picks (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and a 2028 pick swap to Brooklyn. The Nets on the otherhand will send Kevin Durant and TJ Warren and the 2028 pick swap to Suns.

New Phoenix Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia pushed to get a deal done on the eve of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Durant, 34, still have three years and $153 million left on his contract, originally requested to be traded last Summer but Nets where unable to find any suitors. Last week, this Allstar teammate Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and a clear sign that Durant will be the next star to leave the Brooklyn franchise.

Source: ESPN

Lebron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as NBA All-Time Scoring Leader

February 8, 2023

Laker’s Lebron James just broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a 14-foot fadeaway jumper late in the third quarter, when James scored his 38,388th career points and breaking Abdul-Jabbar’s record that remained unbroken since April 5, 1984.

James ended the game with 38 points, 7 rebs and 3 steals, and a loss to the 11th seed Oklahoma Thunders.

James’ “NBA All-Time Scoring” record another ammo for his fans in the never-ending GOAT debate.

NBA officially announced the 2023 NBA All-Star Reserves

February 4, 2023

After much anticipation, NBA has officially announce the 2023 NBA All-Star reserves. There will be a total of 14 reserves, who will join the player pool for Team LeBron and Team Giannis.

The 2023 NBA All-Star Reserves is headlined by Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, who can – arguably, be one of the starters.

The 14 reserves were selected by 30 NBA coaches by voting for two guards, three frontcourt players and two players at any position in their respective conferences.

Western Conference

  • Paul George (LA Clippers)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
  • Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
  • Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
  • Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
  • Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)

Eastern Conference

  • Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
  • Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
  • DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls)
  • Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
  • Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
  • Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
  • Julius Randle (New York Knicks)

As reported last month, the NBA All-Star Draft will take place just hours before the actual game. Team Captains, Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, will select from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.

The NBA All-Star Game will happen this 19th Feb. in Salt Lake City, Utah.

These are the 2023 NBA All-Star Starters

January 27, 2023

NBA just announced the 2023 NBA All-Star Starters for the NBA All-Star Game this 19th Feb. in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lebron James, of the LA Lakers and the leading vote-getter, will be one of the team captain and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Eastern Conference voting leader, will be the team captain of the opposing team. This will be Lebron’s 19th All Star appearance and the 7th for Giannis.

Eastern Conference starters

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks/ Captain)
  • Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
  • Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
  • Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
  • Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)

Western Conference starters

  • LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers/ Captain)
  • Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
  • Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
  • Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
  • Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)

Giannis and James will both choose the players for their respective team on the night of the game, a twist that the NBA announced last Wednesday and it is similar on how you play basketball in parks and pickup games.

The Starters — three frontcourt players and two guards from each conference — are chosen based on a combination of three different votes: fan balloting counted for 50%, media balloting was worth 25% and voting by the NBA’s players made up the final 25%.

Source: NBA

Golden State Warriors survives Memphis Grizzlies even after Curry ejection (122 – 120)

January 26, 2023

Golden State Warriors survived the Memphis Grizzlies even after Steph Curry ejection for throwing his mouth piece with 1:14 remaining in the game. Steph appeared to be frustrated after Jordan Poole missing a 30-footer with more than 10 seconds left in the shot clock. Jordan Poole did made it up for making the winning shot with 2.6 seconds left in the game.

It was a thrilling game between the rivals that could potentially meet in the 1st round of the Playoffs. Aside from their starters, Warriors received a lot of help their young guns most notably Jonathan Kuminga who contributed 13-pts, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block.

Warriors next game with be against Toronto Raptors at home, while the Memphis Grizzlies will be on the road against Minnesota Timberwolves.

Source: NBA