NBA players aren’t the only ones susceptible to rookie mistakes. NBA writers and editors are, too. I spent nearly 20 years in newsrooms, and every year in late March, we received a staff-wide email warning us of April Fool’s jokes masquerading as news releases. At a later point in my career, I became the one writing these emails, cautioning the staff. Be careful. Don’t assume, no matter how innocuous the release may be. Make a phone call. If something sounds hinky, it
No fooling, there are a dozen NBA games and DraftKings offers four different starting times for daily fantasy fun and profit. The four-game Turbo contests at 8:00 ET are fascinating. [Read more…]
Rajon Rondo is now in his ninth NBA season. He has led the league in steals once and in assists twice. He is second among active players in triple-doubles. He has made the All-Defensive Team twice and the All-Defensive Second Team twice more. He is a four-time All-Star. And he has a championship ring from 2008 with the Boston Celtics. And he still can’t shoot. That’s the biggest gripe with Rondo, other than the fact that he can be more than a
The weekend came, bringing with it the Saturday All-Star festivities, headlined by the Dunk Contest. There was a significant amount of hype for Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Zach LaVine heading into the Sprite All-Star Dunk Contest. Anyone that has seen him play knows that he has freakishly athletic hops. For those who have witnessed his athleticism, it came as no surprise that he would win the contest. [Read more…]
Aside from the expected festivities, the Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest, Skills Challenge, BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge and the All-Star game, the NBA All-Star weekend brings with it ample time to either rest or stay busy with promotional opportunities. While many will be resting for the second half of the season, a number of NBA athletes are choosing the latter, opting to do a number various promotional activities. Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap stopped by the Samsung Soho Studio to meet
When you think of words to describe the New York Knicks’ season, “fun” isn’t among them. If you’re looking for words beginning with the letter F, “frightening” and “failure” come to mind. If you’re looking for three-letter words, “bad” certainly works. As for four-letter words, well, I’m sure Knicks fans have used them all. But fun? Well, that’s how Langston Galloway sees it. “I’m just out there having fun,” the rookie point guard said after Wednesday’s win over Oklahoma City. “Just trying to play
It’s hard to find an NBA player – let alone a rookie – who had a better week than Jusuf Nurkic. Last Saturday, the center from Bosnia and his Denver Nuggets teammates were lying in wait for the Memphis Grizzlies, who were coming off a tougher-than-expected road win over the Los Angeles Lakers the previous night and had to make one of the league’s tougher overnight trips. LA to Denver may not seem like much, but it is a long flight
Whether you are in the schoolyard or the prison yard, the theory remains the same: If you’re the new guy and want to prove your toughness, go pick a fight with the biggest guy in the yard. That’s what Boston Celtics rookie Marcus Smart did in Wednesday’s home win over the Sacramento Kings. In the fourth quarter with the Celtics pulling away, the 6-4, 220-pound Smart ran directly into the chest of the 6-11, 270-pound DeMarcus Cousins, who was trying to set