In case you didn’t notice, the transition into a new era for the San Antonio Spurs hit a milestone of sorts this past weekend. For the first time in 1,360 career games, Tim Duncan did not score. Coming off a three-game absence – one for rest and two due to knee soreness – the no-brainer Hall of Famer played just 13 minutes Saturday, missing all three of his shots and failing to get to the line. And it was no coincidence that in
LAS VEGAS — When the Golden State Warriors won the 2015 NBA title, it became official — the slow it down and throw the ball inside style of play is a thing of the past, and pushing the ball and spacing the floor is the way of the future. Here in the NBA’s de facto summer capital, Mike D’Antoni, Ettore Messina and Bob Donewald shared some of their secrets on how their international experience has helped them positively influence the NBA game. With
All the San Antonio Spurs could talk about last season was avenging their 2013 NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat, especially the heartbreaking loss in Game 6. The Spurs made sure it didn’t get to a Game 6 in 2014 as they dominated the Heat in five games to win their fifth championship. Tim Duncan, who many assumed would retire after his fifth title, now enters the 2014-15 season looking for a ring for his other hand now. The Spurs brought
The San Antonio Spurs continue to be pioneers the modern NBA. This afternoon, a day after the San Antonio Stars announced the impending retirement ceremony for WNBA veteran Becky Hammon upon completing her 16th season, the five-time NBA champion Spurs trumped that news with something more historic and nearly unprecedented. They hired Hammon as their newest assistant coach, joining European legend Ettore Messina who was hired earlier this offseason. [Read more…]
After a fantastic season of Euroleague basketball, one weekend of mayhem in Milano will decide the champion. While the seven-game series format leading up to the Final Four has proven undeniably exciting (and profitable), there is a special charm to the Euroleague’s one-and-done Final Four format that gives off a very comparative feeling to the NCAA Final Four. For the first time since 2006, neither of the Greek powerhouses – Olympiacos and Panathinaikos – will be represented in the Final Four. Instead,
Of the 13 NBA head coaching vacancies this summer, twelve were filled by July 3rd. Having a head coach is important to the development of young players—as they need to acclimate themselves to the coach’s system and prove they deserve to make the regular season roster. So, it only makes sense that teams would want to have the position filled before beginning the talent evaluation process that is the NBA’s summer league. A week after the summer league’s conclusion and the Philadelphia
With Bo McCalebb underperforming in Turkey, I’m ready to admit it: CSKA Moscow’s Sonny Weems is the best American player in Europe right now. [Read more…]
The man only had one lockout-shortened season on the Lakers bench and we’re merely five games into 2012-13, so why is everyone freaking out? Not only did he install a new offense during camp; he had to do it with an offseason’s worth of fresh bodies. So after a loss in their fifth game, a single question divided most of the Basketball God Fearing world: should CSKA Moscow fire Ettore Messina? Not the former Laker coach you were expecting? I’m sure this