When the San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals, it was considered a championship coronation for long-time Spurs center David Robinson. With plenty of help from second-year power forward Tim Duncan, that title validated Robinson’s career. But more importantly, it spawned a run of sustained success that is incredibly unique in the NBA, especially for a small-market franchise like the Spurs. [Read more…]
With defensive tenacity and a punishing, menacing front line, the Indiana Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference finals. But if vanquishing the New York Knicks in six games seemed like a tall task, their path to the NBA Finals seems preposterously gargantuan in comparison. To defeat LeBron James in his prime and the Miami Heat in a best-of-seven series is akin to defeating a Michael Jordan-led Bulls team in his prime. James is the best player in the world. He has several
Click banner to learn more about our SuperChat on Draft Night With the NBA combine and draft lottery officially wrapped up, we can now update our Mock Draft to officially represent the 2013 NBA draft. Cleveland won the lottery for the second time in three years and is primed to expedite its rebuilding effort with the first, 19th, 30th, and 33rd picks in the draft to go with tons of cap space and plenty of assets to pull
There once was a time when Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant wanted to separate himself from his “nice guy” image. Nike rolled out a marketing campaign just for the occasion, touting a slogan that stated, “KD is not nice.” Au contraire, mon frère, Durant is still (perhaps) the nicest guy in the midwest—if not the entire league. In lieu of the tragedy that has hit residents in Moore, Oklahoma, Durant has pledged to help ease the pain [as reported by Royce Young of DailyThunder.com]. [blackbirdpie
Woo-hoo! Draft lottery day has arrived, and there will be a whole new level of hope for some playoff outlier by the time the second half of the Spurs-Grizzlies game begins. Do we know who is going to go No. 1? No we don’t. As mentioned here, Orlando and New Orleans are likely to trade the No. 1 pick if they win. But the way the ping-pong balls fly will change the landscape across the NBA, and could lead to a significant amount
While Sunday played host to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in the NBA, the world of music was treated to hilarity. Sunday night at the Billboard Music Awards—which netted their highest ratings in 12 years—R&B singer Miguel attempted to platform jump over a group of fans during a performance. Needless to say, his jump did not end well. Additionally, hip hop fans were given behind-the-scenes pictures of Drake on the set of a forthcoming music video for his song,
This summer, when your favorite team’s owner or GM tells you a certain player is financially out of reach, here’s how you know he is lying. His lips are moving. NBA business is booming, folks. And not just for the so-called big markets. Take a quick look at the conference finals, which feature four teams from middle to small markets collecting millions for every home playoff game. Take a look at the Sacramento Kings, who were just sold for a record $525 million
After falling 106-99 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semis to the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks season has officially ended. Considering the lofty expectations, it couldn’t have been in more disappointing fashion. Of course, J.R. Smith, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and First Team All-Twitter, took to the internet to make sure everyone knew where he stood on the season that was: [Read more…]