NBA writers have been speaking with anonymous scouts as of late, and you have to wonder if some of those scouts are paying as much attention as they really should, based on some of their questionable analysis. For example, saying you don’t like the Golden State Warriors’ chances in the playoffs because they’re not good enough defensively simply makes no sense, given that they are the third best defensive team in the league – the very best if you only count
Hoop dreams come in all shapes and sizes. And halfway around the world, some dreams are just beginning — the dream of making it back to the NBA. This weekend, the Chinese Basketball Association concludes its regular season as teams gear up for the playoffs. For many Americans playing in China, the dream is humble yet significant – to compete for an NBA roster spot. No matter how you look at it, getting back to the NBA is always a long shot.
“Ma-bu-li! Ma-bu-li! Ma-bu-li!” The chants fill the Chinese basketball stadium. It’s sweet music to the ears of the Beijing Ducks fans, many of whom are wearing Stephon Marbury’s No. 3 replica jersey. It’s March 30, 2012, and Marbury and the Ducks have just defeated the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the deciding game of the Chinese Basketball Association Finals. The stadium erupts in celebration, and a healthy dose of disbelief. For a few minutes, Marbury is overcome with emotion, unable to speak as
Mitch Kupchak I have already made my thoughts known on the Luog Deng-Andrew Bynum trade in a column, the gist of whih is that the big loser in this deal was the Lakers. Go ahead and click through and give it a read as you listen to this audio from the NBA’s Sirius-XM radio channel, in which I go into further detail about why Mitch Kupchak blew a golden opportunity to set the Lakers up for having
Have you ever wondered what became of Delonte West? How about Randolph Morris? Hamed Haddadi? Marcus Williams? They are all part of the growing contingent of former NBA players in the Chinese Basketball Association. The CBA is definitely a league of its own and well worth following for its American star power. Defense is not a priority in the CBA, an offensive-minded league which emphasizes transition and the 3-pointer. It is a great place for undersized guards, tweener forwards and big men not
The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is an amazing league for North American fans to follow. It features old-school, up-tempo basketball with a lot of American players. You’ll undoubtedly see some familiar faces and more than a few career revivals. The CBA is well run and very fan friendly. This is as good a time as any to start following the CBA – teams are just over the midway mark of the regular season, with the 2014 All-Star Weekend coming this month.
Some claim that it’s a rivalry. Others say it’s simply too soon for that. Whatever you want to call it, the dislike between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers is officially real. The two teams have been building some unfriendly history since last season, and it carried over into this season when they refused to share a chapel service – a customary tradition around the NBA – before their first game against each other back in October. Things really
In his stated effort to upstage Knicks owner James Dolan, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has become him. Like Dolan, Prokhorov desperately wants an NBA championship. Like Dolan, he has pursued that desperation with financial abandon, giving his GM an open checkbook. Like Dolan, he has overspent on overvalued big names. Like Dolan, he has mortgaged his team’s future by giving away multiple draft picks. And like Dolan, he appears headed down the abyss. In two months, the Nets have gone from contenders with