NEW YORK — It is 1:28 PM on Wednesday afternoon and a throng of reporters are gathered around an empty table. A purple microphone sits at the head of the table, awaiting the arrival of a 6-11 rebounding and shot-blocking machine that simply doesn’t come around very often. The NBA draft will take place later today in Newark, NJ. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of really good players who will likely help downtrodden franchises on their way back
If there is one thing athletes and celebrities can learn from the mistake Amare Stoudemire made over the past weekend, it’s to utilize the “block” button when encountering an unpleasant “fan” on twitter. In today’s news, you’ll find out just how much Stoudemire had to pay for his short-sighted decision, the Rockets grand plan and their subsequent trade with the Timberwolves, changes in the Pacers front office and much more. Stoudemire was fined for the derogatory direct message he sent to a
The soon-to-be No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis had a little fun last night, joining “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” to discuss his excitement of being drafted on Thursday (6/28/12) and how his patented eyebrow has a life of its own in the form of twitter and facebook. He also plays a game of “free throw” contest with Fallon, throwing strange objects and food at the basket (is that fun?). Along the way, we learn of Davis’ superstition of
In the NBA draft, teams often default to selecting the “best player available.” They do that assuming the player will develop as projected and become an asset that allows for flexibility. However, sometimes those “best players” end up languishing behind an established veteran and never live up to expectations. It comes down to a simple truism: Players who land in the right situations often have the best chance to succeed. For example, the New York Knicks needed an explosive athlete who could defend
Through his very last timeout huddle with his team, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks said all the right things. “We’re gonna treat them like they’re the champions,” Brooks instructed his club. “After this game, we’re gonna walk and shake their hands and acknowledge all of them. They beat us fair and square. However hard that hurts, they beat us fair and square. Give them credit.” Yes, Brooks said all the right things. It would have been nice if he had done all
Our latest mock draft has some movement at the top. Not at the very top, where Anthony Davis is entrenched and will be going to the New Orleans Hornets. But right below him there has been some serious shuffling. Every player in slots 2 through 7 has changed positions. Some, like North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, have skyrocketed through good workouts and interviews. Others, like Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, have plummeted through medical red flags. And there was a trade this week between the
Game 4 of the NBA Finals is just a couple of hours away, and the main story heading into the game seems to be centered around what Serge Ibaka said about LeBron James and how he responded. Find out what has been said below and see if you agree with James’ reaction to it all. Also, be sure to check out the latest on Phil Jackson’s state of mind. The story of the day is Serge Ibaka’s lame attempt at discrediting
The countdown to the NBA draft is now inside of two weeks. Workouts are taking place at gyms all around the NBA. Promises are being made, trades are being discussed. Some players are seeing their stock rise, others are falling. This going to be a very deep draft, especially at the big man positions, which is quite a contrast to last year when it was more or less a point guard-dominated draft. So as we count down the days until June 28