Luka Dončić is the master of the most abominable art form in the game of basketball. He worms his way into the mid-range, tricks his defender into jumping into his shot fake, jumps upwards into them, hears the ref’s whistle, hangs in the air and, on the descent, drains the shot for an ‘and-one.’
In 2014, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver advocated for the legalization of sports betting in a New York Times op-ed. His main argument was one similar to one made for cannabis legalization: “Sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.” In that same op-ed, Silver stated, “one of my biggest responsibilities [as commissioner] is to protect the integrity of professional basketball.” It is clear Silver views his role as juggling the ideals of maximum profit and total sporting integrity.
Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama is changing the way I view basketball.
LaVar Ball deserves credit for painstakingly molding his three sons, Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo, into elite basketball players and celebrities from their earliest years. The three brothers became a sensation in 2016 at Chino Hills High School, and now two of them are established NBA players. The middle child is a rapper. But what happens when the manufacturing of children into elite athletes fails?
Who is Kyrie Irving? My intention here is not to absolve Irving of responsibility, but rather to understand what led him towards anti-vaxxing and conspiratorial ideologies, and how he has evolved since then. I would like understand him as a person first, then analyze him specifically as a person desiring influence.
There are certainly times when a sapling tree with great potential is snuffed out by a vast canopy, where bigger trees prohibit growth. In these situations, the sapling can righteously throw up its little branches and blame the forest.
Ben Simmons was one of the most talented basketball players of his generation. He was so talented that he sleepwalked to the first pick in the 2016 NBA draft off raw talent alone. He was so talented that he was an All-NBA Third Team Player in 2020. He was a genuinely elite NBA player.
Last Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets informed their championship coach Mike Malone and general manager Calvin Booth that they were both fired. Let me repeat that again, the Nuggets gutted the two most important decision-makers in their organization — the week before the playoffs. What is going on in Denver?
March Madness asks each and every player: In the most important games you will ever play, who are you? What are you made of when your name and future are on the line? Often, the tournament is an indicator of success at the next level, and the bright lights singularly reveal the deepest psychology of these talented players.
On the eve of the Lakers-Celtics game, I decided to go to TD Garden even though I had no tickets. I wore a yellow Lakers beanie and an army jacket with a private’s patch long since removed. As tip off approached, I decided to interact with some fans outside the arena, as I resisted intrusive thoughts to sneak into the game and watch. I wanted to experience the famed rivalry firsthand through the crowd — to witness the best rivalry in basketball.
