In the summer of 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers made two moves that forever altered the organization. In one offseason, L.A. acquired shooting guard Kobe Bryant on draft night and signed Shaquile O’Neal via free agency. In the years since, the Lakers have won five NBA championships. That includes a three-peat with the combination of Bryant and O’Neal intact, and another two with the former leading a new set of stars. For all of their differences, one thing can be said unequivocally: both
If you remember watching Drazen Petrovic play the game of basketball, consider yourself lucky. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have those memories. A native of Croatia, Petrovic played college ball at the University of Zagreb in Yugoslavia. He was drafted in the third round of the 1986 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers. Petro, as he was called my most, became a fan-favorite wherever he played. For the Blazers, and later in New Jersey when he was traded to the
Should we really be surprised that the league’s most interesting general manager chose to take the path of higher risk, higher reward? That’s where the Houston Rockets, led by daring and analytically driven GM Daryl Morey, enter the 2014-15 season. When we last saw them, contention didn’t feel far away. In the first year of the Dwight Howard-James Harden foundation, the Rockets went 54-28 in a loaded West and secured home court advantage in the first round. That was in line with preseason
NBA teams and players like to get involved with their fans and communities, whether it be signing autographs or giving away game-worn items, or even in the highly publicized NBA Cares programs. It’s great to see players and organizations make an effort to truly make a difference in peoples’ lives. On Tuesday, the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade made a long-time fan’s dreams come true. She goes by Grandma Nelly. This is not just any ordinary fan. When I say
Kevin Durant rolled in on a scooter and spoke with Oklahoma City media on Tuesday for the first time since his surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, reiterating that he wouldn’t rush his return to the court. [Read more…]
Things did not start out particularly well for young Jabari Parker. Just 2:49 into the first quarter on Monday night, the 19-year-old Milwaukee Bucks rookie and second overall draft pick was called for a questionable charge on new Knicks point guard Jose Calderon. It was his second personal foul of the game and would normally earn a player a quick trip to the bench. But on this night, a preseason battle meant for learning experiences and deciding teams’ final roster slots, new
About an hour after I had rolled into the Audi Garage next to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and about four hours after I left San Antonio, where I had watched the Mavericks lose Game 7 of the first round of the 2014 playoffs to the eventual NBA champion Spurs, members of the Mavs spoke to the media. On the floor of their practice court, Dirk Nowitzki spoke about the disappointment of that game after taking the Spurs to the
Since the day he took over for David Stern as NBA commissioner, Adam Silver has promised change. He’s acted swiftly and abruptly in some cases, and slowly and methodically in others. On Wednesday, October 22, Silver’s attempted reformation of the Draft Lottery will be voted upon by the NBA’s Board of Governors. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, two teams are expected to vote no: the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers. Lottery reform vote at NBA Board of Governors Wednesday. 23 of