BROOKLYN – You know the MVP race is something special when the player leading the NBA in PER (31.4), blocks per game (2.8) and field goals made per game (9.5) isn’t running away with the award. In fact, Anthony Davis is in a five-man cluster on the MVP leaderboard along with – in no particular order – Stephen Curry, LeBron James, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. But when most people are forced to pick one and only one name, you rarely hear
Kevin Durant will see his first game action since injuring his foot over a month ago. The reigning league MVP is back! At least, he will be. Word broke Tuesday afternoon that the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward Kevin Durant would be making his debut against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing the first 17 games of the season with a Jones Stress Fracture in his right foot. The team broke the news on Twitter, sharing an interview with
Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has never met his new head head coach, but Lionel Hollins already has the respect and attention of both players and management. “We have a very strong experienced coach,” Prokhorov told reporters before Monday night’s home opener against Oklahoma City, a game in which the Nets would win by 31. In speaking with various Nets players and a coaching peer, it’s apparent that Hollins’ demanding, honest, no-nonsense style sits well with the players and is a nice
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
Wednesday night saw the Houston Rockets go into Oklahoma City as underdogs against the Thunder and walk away with their second straight win and a lion’s share of the series’ momentum. Given the way in which the game played out, the prevailing observation—by many accounts—was that OKC seemed to have thrown in the towel in the waning minutes of the game when they opted to utilize the “Hack-an-Asik” defensive strategy with hopes of getting back into the game. The strategy backfired. Houston
MIAMI – Perhaps the main reason you think Oklahoma City superstar forward Kevin Durant deserves the MVP this season instead of Miami superstar forward LeBron James is because you think it’s “his time.” That’s OK. It happens every now and then in the NBA. In years when the MVP race is closely contested, the award goes to our favorite player, or the player we feel is most deserving, or the guy you’d hate to see end his career without an MVP. “LeBron
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward Kevin Durant has come a long way with his backpack strapped to his shoulders. He has been sporting a backpack since grade school. From his hometown in Washington D.C. to Austin, Texas, then on to Seattle, Washington and now Oklahoma City. It is not without meaning. [Read more…]
By Chris Bernucca This NBA lockout is a 12-inch stupid sandwich. The owners have been stupid in believing they could get back in one negotiation everything they have given away over the last 12 years. The players have been stupid in underestimating the backlash from a fickle fan base hit hard by a nationwide economic malaise. And both sides have been extremely stupid in coming close enough to shake hands, then refusing to with the childish insistence of “You first!” It is another in