President Akufo-Addo has appointed Mr. Kwame Dei Asamoah-Okyere as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), based on the recommendations of the NBA’s Governing Board and in consultation with the Public Services Commission.
Mr. Asamoah-Okyere takes over from Mr. Eric Amaning Okoree, the NBA’s first CEO, whose eight-year tenure concluded in March 2024.
Mr. Okoree is praised for laying the groundwork for the NBA’s regulatory framework and advancing biosafety standards in Ghana.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Asamoah-Okyere served for over two decades as the Director of Business Development and International Partnerships at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
His expertise includes good regulatory practices related to food and medical products, strategy development, planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, as well as quality management systems.
At the FDA, he significantly contributed to enhancing operational efficiency and revenue growth, focusing on digital transformation and cultivating key local and international partnerships to strengthen regulatory capacities.
Mr. Asamoah-Okyere has a longstanding affiliation with the NBA, dating back to 2012, when he participated on the Technical Advisory Committee of the National Biosafety Committee, playing a key role in assessing the first five confined field trial applications.
He also served on the inaugural Governing Board of the NBA from 2015 to 2017, helping to define its organizational structure and strategic vision.
In 2015, he led a national consultation with Civil Society Groups and Anti-GMO activists to establish a consensus on the labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms for Food, Feed, and Processing (GMO-FFP), preparing for Ghana’s first GMO event approval. The medical subsequently published guidelines on GMO labeling.
His academic credentials include a Master of Arts in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (2021), a Master’s in Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology from Marche Polytechnic University (2011), a Master of Science in Food Biotechnology (Merit) from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (2008), and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (1st Class) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (2001).
He is also an alumnus of Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon.
As the new CEO, Mr. Asamoah-Okyere is committed to advancing Ghana’s biosafety regulations through a results-oriented strategy, ensuring that the research, development, and application of genetically modified organisms are conducted safely, with robust measures in place to prevent any unintended harm or contamination.
NBA star Kevin Durant has become a minority shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the three-time defending Ligue 1 champions, as announced by the French club on Wednesday.
The recent Olympic gold medalist, who represented Team USA at the 2024 Olympics, invested several million dollars of his own money into the club, according to a source from ESPN.
Durant’s investment was made through Arctos Sports Partners, an American investment fund that acquired a 12.5% stake in PSG in 2023, valuing the club at $4.6 billion (€4.25bn).
His involvement is aimed at enhancing PSG’s brand presence in the U.S., particularly with the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup, both set to take place in America.
The 35-year-old Phoenix Suns player is an avid soccer fan and part owner of MLS team Philadelphia Union.
Durant, who is a close friend of PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi, has visited PSG’s training ground and Parc des Princes stadium multiple times before making his investment.
On August 6, Durant visited Campus PSGto greet players, staff, and head coach Luis Enrique.
A source told ESPN that Durant is genuinely enthusiastic about his involvement with the club and is taking his investment very seriously.
The Atlanta Hawks have made a significant move by selecting teenage French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick in this year’s NBA draft.
This marks the second consecutive year that a French player has topped the draft, following Victor Wembanyama’s selection last year.
While Wembanyama’s pick was widely anticipated, this year’s draft saw fierce competition between Risacher and fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr, who frequently traded places atop mock drafts in recent months.
The 19-year-old Risacher, who stands 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 195 pounds, most recently played for JL Bourg-en-Bresse in the French top flight.
Overwhelmed with emotion, he expressed his excitement to ESPN, saying, “There’s a lot of feelings and emotions right now. I don’t know what to say, I’m so blessed.”
Following Risacher, the Washington Wizards chose 19-year-old center Alexandre Sarr with the second overall pick. Sarr spent the 2023-24 season with the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League.
This selection marks the third instance in NBA draft history where the top two picks had no college experience. Sarr’s brother, Olivier, is a center with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Reflecting on his brother’s influence, Sarr told ESPN, “Everything I’ve learned is through him and he gave me all his knowledge, and to this day it’s really special to have someone like him in my corner.”
The third overall pick went to the Houston Rockets, who selected Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard. UConn’s Stephon Castle was chosen fourth by the San Antonio Spurs.
Ron Holland of G League Ignite rounded out the top five with his selection by the Detroit Pistons. Making it three French players in the top six, Tidjane Salaun, an 18-year-old, was picked by the Charlotte Hornets.
In other notable news, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has expressed his desire to play with or against his son, Bronny James, before retiring.
Bronny, 19, is expected to be selected in the second round. The Lakers picked Dalton Knecht 17th overall, with their next selection scheduled for late in the second round.
This year’s draft has been structured over two days, with the first round taking place at the Barclays Center in New York, while the second round will be held at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios, also in New York.
The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) clarified that it has not approved the cultivation of seeds for 14 genetically modified (GM) products in Ghana.
Instead, the authority stated that it has registered these 14 GM products for importation into the country.
In a statement released by the CEO of the NBA, Eric Amaning Okoree, on April 10, 2024, it was emphasized that any entity seeking to import GM products into Ghana must obtain an import permit from the NBA.
He said the 14 approved GM products are also not for cultivation but “they are for the purposes of food, feed or processing.”
“They have been registered to allow for importation for those purposes by individuals or groups interested in them. Any entity interested will require an import permit from the NBA to be able to import them for use in the country. Therefore, the NBA wishes to state categorically that those events or products have not been imported into the country for food, feed or processing yet,” he explained.
The CEO of the NBA also clarified that the authority follows procedures outlined in the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831), as well as international best practices when evaluating applications related to GM products.
That, he noted, the “Authority therefore wishes to assure Ghanaians of the safety of GM product(s) that have received the NBA’s approval; notably the Bt Cowpea submitted by SARI and the fourteen (14) events submitted by Bayer West-Central Africa S.A and Syngenta South Africa which are intended for food, feed or for processing.”
Mr. Okoree clarified that the 14 approved products, comprising eight maize and six soybean events, are not meant for cultivation.
“They are, rather, grains for direct use as food, feed or for processing as stated above. This approval was granted under Section 13 of the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) and Regulation 15 of the Biosafety (Management of Biotechnology) Regulations, 2019 (LI 2383) following the evaluation of data and information supplied by the applicant and a thorough risk assessment by the NBA Technical Advisory Committee (TAC),” he indicated.
He explained that having received the applications for registration, the Authority evaluated the events in line with available data provided by the applicants in line with the authority’s mandate and regulatory processes.
Mr Okoree expressed the concern that the call to reject any GM seeds that will be supplied is “unfortunate”, adding “The NBA recognises the need for Ghanaians to adapt to the emerging plant breeding technologies in the agricultural space for sustained crop improvement and food security.”
In addition, he said, “We wish to reiterate the fact that the improved yield and sustained food security will rather inure to the benefits of farmers rather than impoverish them as being speculated by a section of the media. Again, there is a robust biosafety system in place to ensure the safety of GMOs officially released in the country.”
Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, has revealed his decision to enter the 2024 draft.
This announcement comes shortly after the 19-year-old experienced a cardiac arrest during practice at the University of Southern California (USC) less than a year ago.
Following surgery to address a congenital heart defect, Bronny made a remarkable recovery and returned to the court, making his college debut for USC in December.
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has openly expressed his aspiration to play alongside his son in a professional basketball setting.
The 39-year-old, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, told ESPN , externalin 2023: “I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny.”
Bronny said on Instagram, external: “I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete.
“I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.
“Thank you to USC for an amazing Freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”
The Detroit Pistons faced a 126-115 defeat against the Brooklyn Nets, marking their 26th consecutive loss in a single NBA season, equaling the record set by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-11 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.
“Losing is awful in this league and we’ve had a lot of it,” said Pistons coach Monty Williams.
“I’m proud of the way that they just keep battling every night.”
He added: “Our guys don’t want to be a part of any kind of losing streak, whatever. But every day they come back with focus and drive and grit trying to win a game.”
The Detroit Pistons narrowed the gap to two points in the third quarter at 77-75 but couldn’t maintain the momentum, eventually losing 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets. Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 29 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, while Jaden Ivey top-scored for the Pistons with 23 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. The Pistons now share the NBA record for the longest single-season losing streak, equaling the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-11 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.
In other games, LeBron James scored 40 points, contributing to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 129-120 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 144-119.
Son of NBA star LeBron James, Bronny James experienced a cardiac arrest while participating in basketball practice at the University of Southern California. He was subsequently hospitalized on Monday, as confirmed by a family spokesperson.
Thankfully, he has now been moved out of the intensive care unit and is reported to be in stable condition, according to the statement.
“Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU,” the statement said.
“We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.
“LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
At the age of 18, Bronny is set to join USC’s basketball team as an incoming freshman, following his graduation from Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles this spring. As a highly-regarded four-star recruit, he showcased his talent and abilities during the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, which featured some of the nation’s top high school basketball players.
LeBron James, left, poses with his son Bronny after Sierra Canyon beat Akron St. Vincent – St. Mary in a high school basketball game on December 14, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio.
He averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals his senior year of high school, and joined a USC team seeking to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive time.
“So damn proud of you kid!” his father wrote on Instagram after Bronny committed to attend USC. “I have no words besides I LOVE YOU!!!”
James, 38, will enter his 21st season in the NBA and his sixth season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP has said one of his final goals is to play in the NBA with his son.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James told the Athletic in 2022. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
Cardiac arrest means that the heart suddenly stops beating. Last year, Damar Hamlin of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of a primetime game and was hospitalized for over a week.
“Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well,” Hamlin wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.”
Stephen Curry has described his relationship with LeBron James as “complex.” The two NBA superstars have been dominant forces in the league for the past decade, collectively winning eight NBA championships.
As the star player for the Golden State Warriors, Curry has been one of the biggest rivals of LeBron James, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Their teams, the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, faced each other in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.
Interestingly, both Curry and James were born in the same hospital in Akron, Ohio, with just under four years separating their births.
They have crossed paths on numerous occasions since then, with James even attending one of Curry’s Sweet Sixteen games during his sophomore year.
Curry even shared that he visited James’ house at one point.
Over the years, Curry has established himself as one of the best players in the world, winning the MVP award twice and setting various records during the 2016 season, leading the Warriors to a remarkable 73-9 season.
Their encounters on the court have undoubtedly contributed to the complexity of their relationship as fierce competitors in the NBA.
Curry and the Warriors beat James and the Cavaliers 3-1 in four NBA Finals. Their rivalry was certainly real during this period
Curry discusses relationship with LeBron
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Curry said their relationship is weird:
“It’s complex,” Curry said. “Becuase you go from playing in the tournament and him coming to watch, to me coming in as a young rookie in the league and him giving me advice on how to get through some of the early struggles that I was gonna go through as a player, to the four Finals appearances in a row, playing against each other, to even last year playing in the playoffs again,” via CBS Sports.
NBA player Dion Waiters has recently revealed his struggle with depression, expressing a strong desire for another opportunity to return to professional basketball.
During an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Dion Waiters, a former NBA champion, candidly discussed the challenging period he faced after his last NBA appearance and how he confronted his personal struggles to emerge with renewed strength. The 31-year-old athlete disclosed that his circumstances had deteriorated to such an extent that he sought the assistance of a therapist to navigate through his difficulties.
“I went through some shit,” Waiters said. “Depression, anxiety, and just not knowing my future. It got serious, bro. I had to get a therapist. It became overwhelming and too much to bear. I now talk to a therapist every Wednesday.”
Waiters also described how his depression affected his daily life. He developed suicidal thoughts but chose not to act on them as he would rather “be miserable” for the rest of his life than leave his children without a father. He was also tired of people always coming to him for something, as he was always the backbone for family and friends.
“I just wasn’t having fun,” he said. “Shit was dark. Some days, I’d sleep in the bed all day. I had nothing to look forward to. I wasn’t working out. It’s a mental battle.”
He continued, “I never understood what depression was until the last few years. I realized I’ve been enduring this pain since I was a kid. My dad even fought depression. He had a bad attitude coming up. He would tell me how he tried to hurt himself, but that was something I couldn’t understand until I saw a therapist. I felt all alone.”
Seeking a therapist was a good idea for Waiters, as he stated he’s now on the right track and focusing on returning to the NBA to finish what he started. According to Waiters, he’s “healthy” and wants an opportunity to “show I’m not who I once was.”
“I still got that love. I still got that itch,” he said about returning to the league. “I know I can still help a team win at the highest level on the court and even in the locker room as a veteran presence. So why not just give it a go and just see what happens? You never know.”
Waiters last stepped on an NBA court in the 2019-2020 season, where he played 10 games, splitting time between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA title with the latter. In his most recent campaign, Waiters was suspended three different times while playing for the Heat.
The first suspension was for the season opener after he complained on social media about his role on the team. The second one happened three weeks later, when he received a 10-game suspension after consuming edibles that caused him to have a panic attack on the team plane.
The last suspension came a month later, when he was suspended for six games after posting a picture celebrating his birthday on a boat after calling in sick. Miami had enough and traded him to Memphis Grizzlies, where he was waived.
LeBron James has announced his decision to continue playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the upcoming NBA season.
The 38-year-old basketball superstar, during the ESPYs, confirmed that he will be entering his 21st NBA season and his sixth season with the Lakers.
His announcement came as he accepted the ESPY award for Best Record-Breaking Performance, acknowledging his achievement of surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list in the previous season.
“I don’t care how many more points I can score or what I can or can’t do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me, can I play without cheating the game? The day I can’t play without giving everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
After the Los Angeles Lakers’ defeat to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals at the end of the previous season, LeBron James expressed uncertainty about his return to the team.
This sentiment differed significantly from his previous statements, in which he expressed a desire to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny, in the NBA.
Despite the initial uncertainty, James, the basketball superstar, has now confirmed his decision to continue playing.
In the 2022-23 season, he delivered another outstanding performance, maintaining an impressive average of 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists across 55 games.
UFC fighter Conor McGregor is facing accusations of sexual assault following an NBA Finals basketball game in Miami earlier this month.
According to a legal letter sent to Mr McGregor and reviewed by BBC News, the alleged assault occurred in a bathroom at Kaseya Center.
In response to the allegations, a lawyer representing Mr McGregor stated, “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.”
The City of Miami Police has confirmed that an investigation has been launched.
UFC released a statement acknowledging the allegations and stated that they are in the process of gathering additional information. The Miami Heat, the host of the NBA Finals game, also stated that they are conducting a thorough investigation.
The woman’s attorney, Ariel Mitchell, stated that her client was attending game four of the NBA Finals on Friday, June 9, prior to the alleged incident.
The legal letter sent to Mr McGregor by Ms Mitchell alleges that the woman was forcibly taken into a men’s bathroom by NBA and Miami Heat security guards before being subjected to a violent sexual assault by Mr McGregor.
The letter claims that although the woman managed to free herself from the bathroom, she left behind her purse, which she later retrieved after pleading with security guards.
The letter further alleges that the security personnel from the league, team, and arena “aided and abetted” Mr McGregor by trapping and isolating her in the bathroom.
During an interview, Ms Mitchell mentioned that she has obtained video footage that partially captures the alleged incident.
A police report relating to the incident was made on Sunday 11 June, the City of Miami Police told BBC News.
“This is an open investigation so no additional information can be released at this time,” a police department spokeswoman said.
Mr McGregor’s appearance at the NBA Finals made headlines after the Irish former champion hit the Miami Heat’s mascot during half-time, in an apparent stunt for a pain relief spray he was promoting.
The person acting as the mascot was taken to a local hospital for treatment after the incident, the Athletic reported.
The 38-year-old last competed with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021/22 season but did not participate in the league this year.
Over the course of his illustrious career, spanning 19 NBA seasons, Anthony attained numerous accolades, including 10 All-Star Game selections and 6 appearances in the All-NBA team.
Making the announcement through a social media video, he also highlighted his achievement as the NBA scoring champion during the 2012/13 season, with an impressive average of 28.7 points per game.
Carmelo Anthony
He retires as the No. 9 scorer in NBA history. He retires with 28,289 points. Anthony also won three gold medals with the USA Basketball team in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
He suited up for the Nuggets (2003-2011), Knicks (2011-2017), Thunder (2017-2018), Rockets (2018-2019), Trail Blazers (2019-2021) and Lakers (2021-2022).
His legacy is solid in the NBA. He was named as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. Nevertheless, he never got to the NBA Finals. He reached the conference finals in 2009 with the Nuggets, but they lost to the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers, per ESPN.
What Anthony said
In his emotional video announcement, Anthony was thankful
“I remember the days when I had nothing. Just a ball on the court and a dream of something more. But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way.
I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthon. But now the time has come for me to say goodbye. To the court where I made my name, to the game that gave me purpose and pride. With this bittersweet goodbye to the NBA,” via the Athletic.
Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by the Nuggets in 2003 and was part of the star-studded class that included LeBron James at No. 1, Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at No. 4, and Dwyane Wade at No. 5.
Anthony and James watch their sons
Sports Brief earlier reported on Anthony and James watching their sons face off in high school.
LeBron’s sons, Bronny and Bryce James, and Carmelo’s son Kiyan Anthony stole the show in an exciting high school basketball game in December 2022.
LeBron James Carmelo Anthony and son
Kiyan Anthony ended with 10 points, but he was slightly overshadowed by the impressive display of Bronny James, who had 12 points.
When his side won another game on the road to grab a commanding 2-0 series lead, the Miami Heat player came up big in the fourth quarter.
As a result of Butler’s altercation with Grant Williams, which made headlines, the Heat were able to defeat the Pacers 111-105.
The confrontation began in the middle of the fourth quarter after Williams sank a three-pointer to give the Celtics a 96-87 lead with 6:37 remaining on the clock. As he was rushing back on defense, he began chirping at Butler, who responded in kind.
He smiled and then hit a shot on Williams, who fouled him. The pair went head to head before getting separated. Both were assessed a technical foul.
From that moment on, the three-time NBA champions went on a 24-9 run which effectively won them the game.
Butler scored nine of his 27 points since his back-and-forth with Williams, per CBS Sports.
Butler reacts to Williams’s confrontation
After the game, the 33-year-old said the spat fueled him.
“Yes, it did,” Butler said. “But that’s just competition at its finest. He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that.
I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more. It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile…I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to,” via ESPN.
“I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”
“I think he said something and I just responded,” Williams said. “I’m a competitor and I’m gonna battle. He got the best of me tonight, and at the end of the day it’s out of respect, because I’m not gonna run away from it.”
Bam Adebayo contributed 22 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists. The Heat bench also stepped up. Caleb Martin was great, notching a playoff career-high with 25 points, while Duncan Robinson added 15 points off the bench.
Mark Jackson was forced to apologize after the NBA revealed he was the only voter who didn’t include Denver Nuggets star, Nikola Jokic in the MVP ballot.
The longtime ESPN analyst found himself in hot water after excluding Jokic from his top five.
He instead chose Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Donovan Mitchell.
Jackson issues apology over MVP
Jackson made an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio a few hours after the votes were unveiled to address the controversy, per Sports Illustrated.
He focused on the word ‘mistake’ as he attempted to do damage control, saying:
“Mistake. One thing I live by, you make a mistake, you own it. I’m not a guy that does it for clicks or to be trending. Absolute mistake made by me. I am thinking, ‘How did I make that mistake?’”
Jackson questioned after Jokic snub
However, the apology didn’t stop fans from blasting Jackson on social media.
The Portuguese superstar’s earning is an impressive $136 million in the past 12 months.
Ronaldo, who left Manchester United in 2022, clinched the top spot in the rankings, beating Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi to the second spot.
Messi made a whopping $130 million in the past year, earning him a place among the top ten highest-paid athletes in the world.
The footballer previously held the title of the world’s highest paid athlete in 2017, but he was later dethroned by Floyd Mayweather and Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo’s comeback to the top of the list is impressive, especially considering the highly competitive nature of football in recent times.
After Messi, it was Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One world champion who took the third spot on the list, earning $100 million in the past 12 months. NBA superstar LeBron James and tennis ace Roger Federer were tied for the fourth spot, earning $90 million each.
Forbes’ rankings are based on both on-field earnings, including salaries, prize money, and bonuses, as well as off-field earnings, including sponsorship deals, appearance fees, and memorabilia and licensing income.
The rankings also consider factors such as taxes and the inflation rate in the athlete’s home country.
PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 19: Leo Messi of Paris Saint-Germain looks on during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Rennes at Parc des Princes on March 19, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images)
Canelo Alvarez beats Gennadiy Golovk in trilogy fight
Cristiano Ronaldois a professional footballer from Portugal who currently plays for Manchester United.
He is considered one of the greatest football players of all time, having won numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including five Ballon d’Or titles.
Ronaldo has played for several major football clubs, including Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
He is known for his incredible speed, skill, and goal-scoring abilities, and has scored over 700 career goals. Ronaldo is also heavily involved in philanthropy, supporting various charities and initiatives to help disadvantaged communities.
Meanwhile there had been recent reports of alleged breakup with his long time girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez with whom he has five children is the stepmother of his first child (Cristiano Junior), raising the child as her own without involvement from the child’s biological mother.
The player went through a hard time during his son’s death, i.e, the male of the twins his wife gave birth to.
He disclosed in an interview with Piers Morgan, that it was a hard time for both himself and his partner, Georgina.
“Piers, it was probably the worst moment that I passed through in my life since my father died,” Ronaldo told Piers Uncensored. “When you have a kid, you expect that everything will be normal and when you have that problem it’s hard.
“As a human being as I am, me and Georgina, we had quite difficult moments, because we don’t understand why it happened to us. It was difficult, to be honest. It was very, very difficult to understand what’s going on in that period of our lives.
“As you know, the football carries on, so fast, so many competitions, the football doesn’t stop. Passing through that moment, was probably the most difficult moment that I’ve had in my life, me and my family, especially Gio, that was tough.”
The WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was unlawfully detained in Russia and later released, is penning a memoir that will be published in the spring of 2019.
“After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home.
Griner stated in a press release issued by Alfred A. Knopf on Tuesday.
After being detained in February 2022 and convicted to nine years in prison on drug-smuggling charges after Russian police discovered cannabis oil in her suitcase, the two-time Olympic gold champion spent over 300 days in their detention.
Griner, who the US State Department deemed wrongfully detained, was released last December in a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner had for years played on a Russian women’s basketball team during the WNBA off-season and was detained in a Moscow airport as she traveled to rejoin the team.
“That day was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share,” she said in the news release.
“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud.”
Her detainment spotlighted the salary caps WNBA players face in the US – which has pushed athletes to go overseas to earn more during their off-seasons.
She will make her return to the WNBA next season after signing a one-year deal in February with the Phoenix Mercury.
The book announcement comes after Russian authorities last month detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who the US State Department deemed wrongfully detained on Monday. Detained American Paul Whelan has also been held in Russian custody since 2018.
“By writing this book, I also hope to raise awareness surrounding other Americans wrongfully detained abroad,” Griner said
For a long time now, the Phoenix Mercury hotshot has faced challenges and issues.
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for the Mercury hotshot.
After overcoming her difficult experience in Russia, Brittney Griner served as an example to many. Over the past year or so, she has experienced a lot of difficulties.
For those who don’t know, she was imprisoned for nine months in a Russian prison after being found guilty of charges that included marijuana possession.
She was eventually freed in December 2022.
Britney Grinner makes first appearance after arrest in Russia
Brittney Griner reveals why is her voice so deep as video goes viral on Twitter
In her most recent book, In “My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Floor,” she recently talked about it.
“In My Skin” a memoir by Britney Griner
Griner receives abuse from NBA fans over her speech
NBA fans have previously attacked Brittney for her voice. “I was shaken af when I heard Brittney Griner’s voice,” a fan tweeted, implying that she wasn’t prepared for her voice to sound a specific way. It appears that she was subjected to the same offensive comments when she was a little child as well.
It was difficult for her to see herself doing anything to indicate that she was any more unique than people already believed, she said in her book. “I was already getting picked on for being odd, for looking like a guy, for having a deep voice,” she wrote.
She is a homosexual woman, and it appears that her schoolmates didn’t share this viewpoint. They verbally attacked Griner, and it has affected her to this day.
What other revelations did she make?
Griner also remembered the incident when she was expelled from the basketball team after getting into a brawl. Her father Raymond Griner also seems to have been worried by the fact that she appeared and behaved differently from the others. She also struggled at school. After all, she didn’t fit in with the other females because she was different.
Brittney Griner and Parents
Brittney has achieved incredible heights in the present, to sum it up. She has overcome her issues and appears to be succeeding in both her personal and professional lives.
Britney as a child with family
She continues to serve as an example for everyone in her vicinity, as was already established.
The Western Conference Semifinals will now feature the Denver Nuggets.
In Game 5 of their best-of-seven series, they overcame an early 15-point deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-109.
With its win on Tuesday, Denver now leads the series 4-1.
Without Nikola Jokic’s genius, it would have been impossible for the Nuggets to win Game 5.
With 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Wolves, he was outstanding in the final game.
It was the Joker’s second triple-double of the series. The Nuggets improved to 29-2 this season, including the playoffs, when the Serbian big man had a triple-double.
Jokic enters history books again
Jokic now has eight career triple-doubles in the playoffs.
Only the great Wilt Chamberlain has more triple-doubles by a center in NBA playoff history than Jokic with nine.
According to ESPN, Jokic is the fifth player in NBA history to record a 25-15-10 stat line in a clinching opportunity.
He joined Oscar Robertson (1963), Chamberlain (1967), James Worthy (1988), and LeBron James (2020) in that exclusive group.
Murray delivers in Game 5
Jokic got some help from his teammate Jamal Murray. He scored 35 points against the Wolves in Game 5.
He has now scored at least 35 points in seven playoff games. Only Jokic has more 35-point games in the playoffs than Murray, with nine.
The stacked 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class was reportedly revealed on Tuesday with Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich making the cut.
Wade, Nowitzki, Gasol and Parker are all first-ballot selections after playing their final seasons in 2018-19, while it was also Popovich’s first time on the ballot after previously declining Hall of Fame consideration in recent years.
Hammon’s elevation was also considered simply a matter of time, with the six-time WNBA All-Star, former long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant and 2022 WNBA championship-winning coach with the Las Vegas Aces having put together a stellar resume since turning pro in 1999.
With Hammon’s ties to the Spurs, it figures to be a special night for San Antonio fans as Parker and Popovich are enshrined, joining fellow linchpins of their dynasty Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili after their inductions in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
Popovich coached the Spurs to all five of their NBA titles – 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 – while Parker contributed to the last four after arriving in 2001 following an impressive youth career in France.
The six-foot-two point guard made six All-Star teams, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team three seasons in a row from 2012-14 as the Spurs battled LeBron James’ Miami Heat in a legendary rivalry.
His number nine jersey was retired by the Spurs, as is Nowitzki’s number 41 jersey with the Dallas Mavericks.
Nowitzki, who for a long period was European basketball’s biggest star, brought the Mavericks their only title in 2011 as he took down the Heat in James’ first season there.
The German was named league MVP in 2007, and went on to make 14 All-Star teams, while earning 12 All-NBA selections, including four on the First Team in the space of five years.
While both Popovich and Nowitzki could headline a Hall of Fame class in any given year, that honour may go to Wade, who was the architect of all three of Miami’s titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Drafted in 2003, Wade ended up carrying the Heat – alongside Shaquille O’Neal – to their first ever championship in only his third season.
It was the beginning of a run that saw him make 14 All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams, and three NBA All-Defensive teams as he rivalled James and Kobe Bryant for the status of best player in the league in 2009 and 2010.
While Wade may have been at his peak in 2009 and 2010, both of those seasons ended with Gasol lifting the title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gasol spent just six-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles, but it is where he will be most fondly remembered after making such a profound impact that he recently had his number 16 jersey retired into the rafters alongside running-mate Bryant.
Adding to his NBA resume was his spectacular international play, where he became the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket play, averaging 20.4 per game in 58 appearances for his country, while also carrying Spain to their first ever FIBA World Cup gold medal in 2006.
USA’s second gentleman, Douglas Emhoff, appears to be having a good time in Ghana as he joined some young female basketball players to take a hobby.
He played basketball with girls from some Ghanaian basketball academies at a basketball clinic held at the Bukom Boxing Arena.
The basketball clinic, the first-ever all-girls’ NBA clinic, forms part of the Jnr. NBA’s project aimed at supporting the development and growth of the sport. But it’s organisation was a joint effort of the NBA and US State Department and coincided by a state visit of the USA’s vice president Kamala Harris, and second gentleman, Emhoff.
An estimated 50+ girls were present at the Jnr. NBA clinic, which had NBA Africa Academy coach, Elri Liebenberg, calling drills for girls aged between 12 and 18.
Emhoff, before taking part in a team-shooting contest (one his side won after being first to make 5 shots within the paint) and trying out some bouncing drills, described the all-girls clinic as an important step.
“I went to LA when I was a teenager, which means I am a huge Lakers fan and this is a special day. It is historic what we are doing today – the first NBA all-girls clinic [and] it’s happening right here in Ghana and you’re all here to be able to participate in it,” Emhoff indicated.
WNBA legend and 2003 champion, Atsou Ndiaye was also present at the clinic and had a session with the girls, before recounting her personal story of how basketball changed her life.
“I wasn’t supposed to play [basketball], I was too masculine, I was supposed to be at home cooking and couldn’t do both [but] I ended up doing both and at the highest level. So I’m grateful to see young ladies like you get into basketball. There are no more excuses,” Ndiaye explained.
Basketball Africa League’s John Manyo-Plange, Frank Traore and NBA Africa’s CEO, Victor Williams, were also at the clinic.
Steve Kerr found it amusing that the Dallas Mavericks were planning a protest after theGolden State Warriors defeated them 127-125.
The owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban, alleged that it was the “worst officiating non-call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA,” but Warriors coach Steve Kerr was sure that nothing was wrong.
Late in the third quarter, the Mavericks called a timeout and claimed the game officials had informed them they had the ball.
With 1:56 remaining in the third, a referee decision caused Warriors centre Kevon Looney to dunk unopposed off a pass from Jordan Poole, bringing the score to 90-87.
The Dallas players were not in position, leading to protests from Cuban and coach Jason Kidd, but the dunk stood.
Kerr teasingly said it was his season’s standout ATO – after timeout.
“Number one, it was my best ATO of the year. It worked brilliantly, just the way we got organised and confused them,” he said.
More seriously, he added: “I had to stop. When I saw them at the other end, I had to stop and think, ‘Isn’t this our basket?’, because I had drawn up a play for an out-of-bounds [play] underneath, a baseline out-of-bounds.
“When they were down at the other end I had to stop and think, ‘Is this right?’.
“I don’t know what happened. You’d have to ask their side. I thought it was pretty clear that it was our ball and that’s why I was drawing up a play out-of-bounds on the baseline.
Looney, who benefitted from the confusion, said: “I didn’t know what was going on. I’m just glad JP passed to me because I needed that to get to my double-double.”
In a clash between two of the seven best records in the NBA, the Boston Celtics produced an impressive 132-109 road blow-out win against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.
It was shaping up as a shoot-out as both teams started red hot from three-point range, but the Kings could not keep up as the Celtics scored at least 30 points in all four quarters.
Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with a game-high 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. His All-Star co-pilot Jaylen Brown chipped in an efficient 27 points (10-of-16 shooting) with five rebounds and four assists.
Kings All-Star Domantas Sabonis put together his 12th triple-double of the season with 16 points (seven-of-12), 13 rebounds and 12 assists, although his six turnovers were costly.
The win improved the Celtics’ record to 50-23, becoming the second team in the league to reach 50 wins this season, while their 24-14 mark on the road is bettered only by the Philadelphia 76ers (22-12).
Sacramento are still sitting pretty at 43-28, holding a five-game buffer in the Western Conference’s third seed.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell threw down arguably his biggest dunk of the season to put an exclamation point on a 115-109 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Mitchell ended up with a game-high 31 points on 10-of-22 shooting, including five-of-nine from three-point range, highlighted by a monstrous fast-break poster jam over Yuta Watanabe as both leapt off two feet and met chest-to-chest.
After missing 10 days due to an eye injury, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen looked right back to his best with 12 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks, with eight of his rebounds coming on the offensive end.
The victory improves Cleveland’s record to 46-28, and while they have been a disappointing 17-20 on the road, they have now won four of their past five away from home.
Top pick Banchero flirts with first triple-double
Orlando Magic top draft pick and overwhelming Rookie of the Year favourite Paolo Banchero nearly posted the first triple-double of his career in a 122-112 home win against the Washington Wizards.
The 20-year-old finished with 18 points (six-of-nine shooting), nine rebounds and eight assists for his second close call of the month. It comes 10 days after he put up 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in an overtime win against the Miami Heat.
Kristaps Porzingis led the Wizards with 30 points (12-of-22 shooting), six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, continuing what has been arguably the best season of his eight-year NBA career.
The Golden State Warriors snapped a run of 11 consecutive road losses by defeating the Houston Rockets 121-108 on Monday.
Entering the game with the third-worst road record in the league (7-29), the Warriors had not won away from home since January 30 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After a back-and-forth first three quarters, the Warriors called on the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, to close the show, igniting a 37-28 final period to pull away.
The duo combined for 21 points in the fourth quarter, and they finished with remarkably similar games.
Curry top scored with 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting, hitting five-of-15 from deep with seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Meanwhile, Thompson posted 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, hitting five-of-13 from deep with seven rebounds, a steal and a block.
With promising young Rockets center Alperen Sengun out, it was an opportunity for first-round rookie Tari Eason to earn his fourth start of the season, and he capitalised with 21 points (nine-of-16), 12 rebounds and four steals. Third overall pick Jabari Smith Jr added 17 points (seven-of-15) and 11 rebounds.
With the win, the Warriors pulled above .500 at 37-36, and combined with the Dallas Mavericks’ 112-108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, they have climbed out of the play-in tournament placings and up into the sixth seed in the West.
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle scored a career-high 57 points as his side went down in a 140-134 shoot-out against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Randle had never previously scored more than 47 in a game, but he shot 19-of-29 from the field, eight-of-14 from three-point range and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line to set a new benchmark.
Unfortunately for him, the Timberwolves also could not miss, shooting 14-of-24 (58.3 per cent) from three-point range as a team, as they were buoyed by an outrageously efficient night from veteran wing Taurean Prince.
Prince shot 12-of-13 from the field and a perfect eight-of-eight from three for 35 points, while veteran point guard Mike Conley ran the show with 24 points (six-of-11) and 11 assists.
The Timberwolves (36-37) sit eighth in the West, just a game behind the Warriors.
Joel Embiid led both teams in scoring and rebounding but crucially fouled out in double-overtime as his Philadelphia 76ers fell 109-105 against the Chicago Bulls.
Embiid, now the favourite to win his first MVP, scored a game-high 37 points (11-of-22 shooting), grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, and blocked a game-high three shots before picking up his sixth foul early in the second extra period.
Zach LaVine top scored for Chicago with 26 points (eight-of-20), seven assists and three steals, while DeMar DeRozan was just as good with 25 points (10-of-22), eight rebounds and three steals.
The win gives the Bulls (34-37) a two-game buffer on the Washington Wizards (32-39) in the race for the East’s final play-in spot.
Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson was relieved to finally snap a streak of 11 consecutive road losses after beating the Houston Rockets 121-108 on Monday.
The Warriors came into the clash against their once-heated rivals with the third-worst away record in the NBA at 7-29, having not won away from Chase Center since January 30.
It was far from smooth sailing against the 18-54 Rockets, as the home side pulled in front late in the third quarter, but the ‘Splash Brothers’ combination of Thompson and Stephen Curry refused to let another one slip.
They combined for 21 points in the final period, and 59 for the game as they each finished with five made three-pointers.
When asked after the win about Golden State’s recent trouble on the road, Thompson said: “I think trouble would be an understatement – it’s been a rollercoaster on the road this year.
“You’ll take any win you can get, especially at this point of the season. We’re fighting for our playoff lives and we responded well after a beatdown in Memphis.”
While the current Rockets team is a far cry from the juggernaut that pushed the Kevin Durant-led Warriors to a seven-game series back in 2018, Thompson said he still uses those memories as motivation when he heads to Houston.
“We didn’t look at their record,” he said. “I actually told myself I was pretending we were playing the 2018 Rockets, where it was a battle every time we used to play those guys,
“They’re still young, they’re talented, and you can’t take anybody lightly. Every win we get is just a huge win, so I think we all understood that going into the game, and although it was close there I think we did a good job in the second half of playing our brand of ball.
“[We need] extreme urgency, we’ve got to take every game so seriously. You always do – 82 games, it’s tough to be great all of them – but nine left, we have to treat these like a playoff buffer, and I know we will.”
Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters he could not even remember their last away victory, and believed his team got away with a mediocre performance.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “I don’t remember the last road game we won – it’s been a while.
“January 30th? Thanks, that doesn’t make me feel any better. But we needed it, obviously.
“I actually felt like we played decently in the first three games of this trip – lost all three, but had our chances in all three. I liked our effort, I liked a lot of our execution.
“Ironically, I thought this was the worst of the four games we’ve played on this trip, but obviously we were playing a different calibre of team.
“The first three we were battling against those teams for the playoffs – Memphis have won of the best records in the league – and Houston have had a rough season.
“We had to come in tonight with a focus that was unfortunately not there – that was the issue with the first half – but eventually we got there.”
The win, combined with the Dallas Mavericks’ loss, meant the Warriors leapfrogged them out of the play-in tournament placings and up into the sixth seed, where they have a half-game buffer on the chasing pack.
Dallas Mavericks’ All-Star Kyrie Irving took the opportunity in his post-game media appearance to share support for recently suspended Memphis Grizzlies franchise player Ja Morant.
The comments came after Monday’s 112-108 road loss in Memphis, where Irving and Morant were seen embracing after the final whistle.
Morant had missed his ninth game in a row following an incident at a Colorado nightclub where he was seen on an Instagram live video flashing a gun to the camera.
An investigation by the NBA found the Grizzlies star guilty of bringing the league into disrepute by “holding a firearm in an intoxicated state”, but there was no evidence the weapon belonged to him, or that he brought it onto the team plane, or any NBA facilities.
He was suspended for eight games and also missed Monday’s contest as he works his way back into game shape.
Irving said he understands what Morant is going and that he feels the public and media have treated Morant unfairly.
“I believe any hardship in life builds character,” Irving told reporters. “When you’re dealing with particular hardships in the public eye, especially with the media being attracted to just keeping up with what we’re doing, or what’s the next kind of grab or story.
“I don’t want to assume anything by every media member, but that’s just the way it seems for me and my perspective, which is there was an overload of judgement on Ja.
“There was an overload of judgement on what I had going on, and there’s usually an overload of judgement from the public court of opinion.”
He went on to discuss the “initial shock” Morant must have faced “dealing with the public opinion and all of the extra hoopla that comes with it”.
“But then there’s a real human being dealing with emotion,” he said. “I care about that aspect. That’s where I’m putting my energy.
“I wished his family well wishes, I wished him well wishes, and I just pray for his peace of mind.
“I was happy to see him out there today, and I just want him to make it through. He has a long career ahead of him. I don’t think anybody should be controlling but him.”
Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks shared that he feels Morant has nothing to prove to the rest of the group when he returns to action, saying “hell no” to the thought of the All-NBA talent coming off the bench as he works his way back.
“He’s proved everything from the jump,” he said. “Love him as a brother. He’s the one who really put this city on the map.
“We were a low-market team, just roaming around the NBA. Now we’re one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. We have a pride in the sense of a chip on our shoulder every single game.
“He doesn’t have to prove anything to us. We have his back and he has our back.”
Irving ended up leaving the arena in a walking boot, which he called “precautionary” to protect his previously injured and now swollen toe after Brooks fell on it in the third quarter.
“I just gotta make it back home to Dallas and start my recovery work and do everything I can to prepare for the next day and a half,” he said. “Take time, rest and exhaust all my options to be ready to play the next game.
“I was really worried about my ankle being sprained, but once we came back here. It wasn’t, it was just a re-aggravation of that same spot on the top of my right foot… It went in a position where I could only re-aggravate my big toe. Again, unfortunate, but just looking forward to the next 48 hours.”
Anthony Davis referred to his own performance as “terrible” and took full responsibility for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Sunday loss to the New York Knicks.
Due to the narrow loss, the Lakers are now 33-35 in the race for a playoff spot in the West, missing the opportunity to get back to.500.
Davis struggled to lead the team without LeBron James, managing just 17 points and 16 rebounds while making just one of five free throw attempts.
In addition to his eight-of-18 field goal shooting, Davis had four assists, two steals, a block, and four rebounds. The power forward claimed that “my play” was to blame for the team’s defeat.
“I played terrible,” Davis told reporters. “Couldn’t find my shot: free throws, layups, everything. The guys did their job. I didn’t do my job.”
Davis had little impact down the stretch with the game up for grabs, shooting one-of-four from the field.
“I just missed a lot of shots,” he said. “I don’t think they did anything special. A lot of times one-on-one, they doubled a couple of times.”
The Lakers’ three-game winning streak may have been halted, but there was some good news with James, who was out of a walking boot and rejoined the team.
The four-time MVP has not played since February 26 and will be re-evaluated next week, potentially offering the Lakers a major boost in their push for the playoffs if they can stay in contention in the meantime.
“It’s also good for him to unplug a little bit,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said about James’ break. “Not be detached necessarily, but just mentally get a little bit of a calming to everything that’s transpired over the year.
“It’s not just about him getting healthy, it’s about him being in a good place mentally and spiritually, so we get the best version of him when he returns.”
Antoine Walker, a former NBA player, discusses how his desire to lead the same lifestyle as then-famous rappers resulted in him declaring bankruptcy, selling the majority of his possessions, and losing the majority of his NBA earnings.
Antoine Walker is one of those athletes who, after making more than $100 million throughout his career, filed for bankruptcy a few years after retiring.
He recently discussed what caused him to become bankrupt while earning crazy sums of money that most people can only imagine in an interview with the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
Antoine Walker shares his story on “I Am Athlete” podcast
According to Walker, he was young, foolish, and heavily impacted by the hip-hop culture and the rappers showcasing their luxurious lifestyles. Walker wanted to be just like them, which eventually led to his financial troubles.
“It’s a cultural thing, and I like to speak for myself. When I came out, Jay-Z, Puffy, all the rappers, what they did is what I wanted to do. You see them with the big jewerly, the chains, nice cars, you see the videos. I am looking at all that and thinking when I get it, I am doing that. When I had a lot of money, I also had a lot of fetishes. I had a car fetish. I would have 8 to 10 cars at one time. I had a watch fetish. When I came out, Jacob the jeweler was the man; everyone shopped with Jacob. I used to get all the new watches. I had 15 to 20 watches at one time, and I couldn’t wear them all,” he said as quoted by Basketball Network.
Jay-Z is a famous rapper married to Beyoncé
Walker desired to have it all and care for his mother and other members of his family. As a result, he built her a home with everything she could ever want for with more than $4 million.
Even though he started out with good intentions, his excessive spending quickly caught up with him. He remembered that the lowest point in his life came when he had to sell the house he had bought for his mother.
“I built my mom a house from the ground up. I spent $4.1 million on that crib, 15.000 square feet with the indoor pool; everything you can ever imagine was in the house. When you go through the bankruptcy, you have a decision to make. At the time, I owned four homes. I asked my mom what she wanted to do, and that was the first time I broke down was when she said let the house go. I couldn’t believe it, and that was the lowest point because that is something you never want to do. You never want to see your mom work again and see your mom go through anything of that nature, so that was probably the lowest point,” he recounted as quoted by Basketball Network.
Antoine Walker in his prime when he played for Celtics
Walker has experienced ups and downs in his life, but he is now back on his feet and employed by FS1 as a basketball analyst.
Even though he no longer possesses the wealth he once did, he appears to be in a good mood and to be enjoying life, which is ultimately what matters the most.
In order to avoid making the same mistakes and to be more wise with their money, he also entreated younger players to learn from their failures.
After undergoing surgery for a fractured right ankle, LaMelo Ball, a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, will miss the remainder of the NBA season.
Ball was hurt during Monday’s 117-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons by the Charlotte Hornets.
During the third quarter, the 21-year-old fell awkwardly while holding the ball.
Ball underwent a successful operation, according to Charlotte, who also said that he will receive more updates on his recovery.
Ball, the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, had 36 games this season with an average of 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.3 steals.
He became the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history when he featured in the 2021–22 season finale.
Ball was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2020-21 season, having averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals.
OFFICIAL: LaMelo Ball has undergone successful surgery to address a fracture in his right ankle.
As the Denver Nuggets defeated the Houston Rockets 133-112 on Tuesday, Nikola Jokic became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 100 career triple-doubles.
His 24th triple-double of the season, the Serbian center ended with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The Nuggets have won each game in which Jokic has recorded a triple-double this season, making it his 15th triple-double in his last 20 games.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said: “We haven’t lost a game in those triple-doubles which speaks to his greatness.”
Jokic joined Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107) and LeBron James (106) in reaching triple figures for triple-doubles in the NBA.
Congrats to Nikola Jokic of the @nuggets for becoming the 6th player in NBA history to reach 100 career triple-doubles! pic.twitter.com/ZVx7B4sOWE
If Jokic, who is 28 years old, continues on the path he has taken in the past two consecutive MVP seasons, he could foreseeably move up that list.
“For him to be mentioned with all these historical accomplishments, reminds you that we are so blessed to have a guy like Nikola,” Malone added.
“I challenge all of us in Denver to never take him for granted. To never take his greatness for granted.”
Malone subtly added that Jokic should win a third straight MVP, while discussing his strengths.
“We all know he’s a two-time MVP, about to be a three-time MVP, you talk about the skill level, the IQ, the rebounding, playmaking, scoring all that but the intangibles are the areas Nikola has grown the most,” Malone said.
On Jokic’s defense, Malone added: “He’s a high IQ player. He has tremendous anticipation and outstanding hand-eye coordination.
“People think if you’re not a great athlete, you can’t be a good defender but I think that’s malarkey. I think Nikola is a living example of a guy who can be an effective defender and not necessarily be an elite athlete.”
The Boston Celtics held on to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 110-107 on Saturday after Jayson Tatum hit a crucial three-pointer and Joel Embiid’s full-court buzzer-beater was called back.
With just two seconds remaining, Marcus Smart’s deft pass to Tatum after Derrick White’s inbound was the game-winning triple.
Embiid attempted a last-ditch long-range shot, which he made, but replays revealed he let go of the ball after the shot had expired, giving the Celtics the victory.
Tatum finished the game with 18 points on 7 of 17 shooting after struggling to shoot the ball well throughout. However, he delivered when it counted. The MVP candidate also contributed six assists and 13 rebounds.
Al Horford turned the game around with four three-pointers in the third quarter as the Celtics rallied from a 15-point deficit to lead at the final change.
Horford finished with 15 points, while Jaylen Brown top scored for Boston with 26 points and three steals.
Embiid had 41 points for the game with 12 rebounds and five assists, while James Harden added 21 points with eight assists.
The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics have won three straight, improving their record to 44-17, while the 76ers, third in the East, are 39-20.
The Memphis Grizzlies blew away the Denver Nuggets 112-94 in a match-up between the Western Conference’s top two as Ja Morant scored 23 points with seven rebounds.
The Grizzlies led by as many as 35 points, opening up a 66-42 half-time lead and keeping the Nuggets to a season-low team score. Denver are 42-19 while Memphis are 36-23.
The Lakers were down 48-21 early in the second quarter before rallying to win 111-108, their third straight victory and biggest comeback since 2002.
trade deadline purchase In the victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, Malik Beasley made his entrance known with a 25-point outburst, and this time, Jarred Vanderbilt proved why he has earned a spot in the Lakers’ starting lineup.
The rangy six-foot-eight defensive menace was everywhere, working as the primary defender on Luka Doncic on his way to 15 points (six-of-eight shooting), 17 rebounds (eight offensive) and four steals in his 27 minutes.
Anthony Davis was the star of the show on the offensive end, scoring a game-high 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting with 15 rebounds and four assists, and the league’s active leader for career blocked shots per game swatted away three Maverick attempts.
LeBron James had an injury scare, and while he is still not out of the woods, he stayed in the game and put up 26 points on 10-of-23 shooting with eight rebounds.
For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shot a combined 18-of-44 (40 per cent) from the field for 47 points, while the other three members of the starting line-up combined for 18 points.
With the win, the Lakers improved their record to 29-32 and now sit just one game out of the Play-In Tournament placings, while they are also just 2.5 games away from the Mavericks in the sixth seed.
The Blazers guard’s 71-point mark was both a franchise and career high, topping his previous record of 61.
Lillard had 41 points with eight triples by half-time, the most points of any player in a half this season. He shot 13-of-22 from beyond the arc for the game, having a perfect 14-of-14 from the line.
After 42 points and 12 three-pointers on Friday’s win, Klay Thompson led the Golden State Warriors to a 109-104 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The future Hall of Fame sharpshooter hit another six threes on his way to a team-high 32 points, shooting 12-of-23 from the field and six-of-14 from deep. Donte DiVincenzo was strong in a supporting role, chipping in 21 points (seven-of-13 shooting), eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.
After shooting a red-hot 43.1 per cent on a gaudy 11.6 three-point attempts per game in the month of January, Thompson has elevated even further this month, getting up 12.1 attempts per game and connecting at 45.9 per cent.
The Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in a thrilling contest that surpassed the NBA record for most points scored by a game.
In the double overtime victory for the Kings, Malik Monk led all scorers with 45 points, while De’Aaron Fox chipped in with 42 points.
Both teams’ point totals set franchise records for themselves in the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons’ 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 marked the highest scoring game in NBA history.
With three minutes and eighteen seconds left, the Clippers led 147-136, but the Kings scored 10 unanswered points to close the gap.
Monk made a three pointer with 2.1 seconds left to level the match at 153 apiece and send it into overtime, with a second extra period needed with the score at 164-164.
Fox gave the Kings a lead they would not lose with 36.5 seconds remaining, while Kawhi Leonard and Nicolas Batum each then missed shots that would have given the Clippers the lead.
Leonard was his side’s highest scorer with 44 points, while Russell Westbrook added 17 points and 14 assists on his debut for the Clippers.
“I thought it was a great game, especially for the fans,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. “A crazy game, a lot of momentum shifts.”
The Milwaukee Bucks won their 13th game in a row with a 128-99 victory against the Miami Heat.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had to go off with a right knee injury towards the end of the first quarter but his side still completed a win in which Jrue Holiday scored 24 points.
“I’m pretty sure that either on a drive or a screen or something like that, that he [Antetokounmpo] knocked knees with somebody and just wasn’t able to return,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.
Klay Thompson starred for the Golden State Warriors as they beat the Houston Rockets116-101.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American basketball player who has been celebrated for his many achievements.
Up until now, he held the all-time scoring record (38,387) in the NBA. After 39 years, he lost the title to LeBron James who keeps making strides in his career.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during his youth
Kareem is no doubt an icon in the basketball world, but what many do not know is his interest in other matters which do not necessarily deal with balls and baskets.
Here are five fun facts about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
1. Kareem studied martial arts from the late Bruce Lee, his mentor and friend, in the 1960s.
2. The septuagenarian featured in Game of Death, which was produced by Raymond Chow R and Bruce Lee in 1978.
Game of Death featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the late Bruce Lee
3. The civil rights and social justice activist co-produced the documentary, “Black Patriots,” that focuses on the black American heroes of the Revolutionary War.
4. Kareem authored several New York Times bestsellers including Giant Steps, Kareem, Black Profiles in Courage, A Season on the Reservation, and Brothers in Arms.
5. He was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Narrator category for his narration in the hour-long “Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution” documentary.
Tatum, a forward for the Boston Celtics, broke Anthony Davis’s previous mark of 52 points, earning him the title of most valuable player (MVP).
After hurting his right little finger, opposition captain LeBron James was forced to sit out the second half.
“It means the world,” Tatum, now a four-time All-Star, said of his record.
“You think of all the legends and great players that have played this game.
“In all honesty, records are made to be broken.” “I’ll hold it as long as I can, but I’m certain somebody will come along in a couple years and try to break it.”
Tatum’s Celtics team-mate Jaylen Brown led Team LeBron with 35 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while James exited on 13 points after hitting his finger against the rim while trying to block a shot.
Los Angeles Lakers star James now shares the All-Star selections record of 19 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but defeat in Salt Lake City on Sunday was his first of six All-Star games as captain.
Winning captain Giannis Antetokounmpo scored the first points of the night with a dunk after 15 seconds before sitting out the rest of the game after spraining his right wrist in the Milwaukee Bucks’ final regular-season game.
With Team Giannis leading 158-141 at the end of the third quarter, a target score for victory of 182 was set, which was 24 points higher than the winning side’s score at that stage, an addition representing Kobe Bryant’s shirt number during much of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
And it was Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers who drained the decisive three-pointer to secure the victory.
Following the tragic earthquakes on February 6, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich announced that he is aiding a school for orphans in Turkey.
Popovich expressed his sympathy and condolences to those impacted by the disaster, which has claimed the lives of over 35,000 people in Turkey and over 5,800 in Syria, in a video shared on Twitter. He declared that he would contribute money to the Darussafaka Schools in Istanbul, which have housed and educated orphans since 1863 and are supported by donations.
“The one thing that I would ask.” If there is anybody capable of helping monetarily, find a way to do that,” the 74-year-old said, adding that he had lived for a year in Diyarbakir and travelled to places like Gaziantep while he was young.
Popovich has been the Spurs’ head coach since 1996 and has won the NBA championship five times: in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. He also coached the US men’s national team to a gold medal at the 2020Tokyo Olympics.
Gregg Popovich has announced his support for Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that recently struck the country.
He has pledged to donate to Darüşşafaka, an institution that has been providing education opportunities to orphaned children for over a century. pic.twitter.com/dyAs3jBhME
Lakers forward LeBron James is now the NBA’s all-time scoring record-holder, after hitting 36 points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LeBron needed only 36 points on the night, after breaking the 38k barrier only 3 weeks prior, and it took him 26 minutes on the night to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was courtside and watching.
“A record which has stood for almost 40 years, and no one thought will be broken, has now been broken. LeBron, you are now the NBA’s all-time scoring leader,” Adam Silver said on the court some five minutes after LeBron toppled 38,378.
With a fadeaway, the 38-year-old reached 38,388 with a fadeaway, after receiving from Russel Westbrook.
Following a crucial last-second refereeing blunder that cost the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics, the NBA referees’ official Twitter account issued an apology for the “gut-wrenching” error.
With less than five seconds left in the game with the score knotted at 105-105, LeBron James attempted to win it for the Lakers when Jayson Tatum whacked him on his shooting arm at the rim.
Before the Celtics won a 125-121 victory in overtime, the four-time MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP would miss with his attempted drive.
“Like everyone else, referees make mistakes. We made one at the end of last night’s game and that is gut-wrenching for us,” the official account wrote.
“This play will weigh heavily and cause sleepless nights as we strive to be the best referees we can be.”
The apology may prove little consolation for James, whose 41 points on Saturday in Boston proved in vain.
Defeat saw the Lakers fall to 23-27, sitting 13th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference ahead of four road games in the coming week.
Los Angeles will look to bounce back at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday without James and Davis after the Lakers confirmed the pair would be absent on the first night of their back-to-back.
When the Memphis Grizzlies visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, they will have a chance to match their longest winning run in team history.
The Grizzlies’ winning streak currently stands at 10, and after Monday’s 30-point drubbing of the Phoenix Suns, they are just one victory away from matching the 11-game streak from the 2014–15 season, which featured Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and was matched last season.
The Grizzlies have been dominant during their last ten games, dominating on both sides of the floor with the highest defensive rating in the NBA (allowing only 106.5 points per 100 possessions) and third-best offensive rating of 119.9 points per 100 possessions.
Meanwhile, the team the Grizzlies overtook to snatch top spot in the defensive rankings was the Cavaliers, who still sit second for the season.
Another key indicator for the true contenders is net rating – which measures how much better a team’s offensive rating is compared to their defense – and both of these sides have excelled through the first half of the season. The Grizzlies sit second overall with a net rating of 5.8, while the Cavaliers are third at 4.7.
Two very similar teams, both the Cavaliers and the Grizzlies utilise two defensive anchors in their starting line-up, leaning away from the more prevalent “small ball” roster constructions seen around the league.
For the Grizzlies, Steven Adams is arguably the strongest rebounder in the league while Jaren Jackson Jr leads the NBA in blocks per game at 3.3. On the Cavaliers’ side, All-Star Jarrett Allen and defensive prodigy Evan Mobley roam the interior.
While these sides are almost identical defensively, the way they attack on offense, particularly through their star players, could decide their fate.
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is, without a doubt, one of the best guards in league history when it comes to finishing at the rim. He is averaging five makes per game within five feet of the basket – the only guard in the league to do so – while converting at a terrific 61 per cent clip.
The problem with that is how well both of these teams protect the basket, as it creates the question of what happens when an unstoppable force – Morant – meets an immovable object – the rim protection of Allen and Mobley.
On the other hand, the combination of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers are far more malleable with the way they create their offense.
Former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly punching and slapping his teenage daughter.
According an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC News, Stoudemire entered his daughter’s room and asked her about “giving attitude” to her grandmother when she allegedly called her name and responded by saying, “What?” His unidentified daughter said she wasn’t giving her attitude, but Stoudemire allegedly interpreted her response as “talking back again,” sparking his alleged violent reaction.
Stoudemire allegedly punched her in the jaw, slapped her across the face, and struck her body.
When police arrived at his Miami condo, they allegedly noticed blood stains on her sweater and pants. The police report claims Stoudemire explained to officers that “she had received a whooping from him for being disrespectful and a liar,” but refused to get into further details.
It appears Alexis, mother of the daughter involved in the incident, called 911 after receiving a picture of her crying as blood was streaming down her face. Alexis allegedly arrived at the condo where she showed the photo to authorities and told them that Stoudemire “told her to come pick up the victim because she was being disrespectful.”
Stoudemire has been charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of domestic violence. He was released from custody after posting a $1,500 bond.
The alleged incident occurred one day after earning a Master of Business Administration at the University of Miami.
Basketball scout Sarah Chan’s career has taken her all over the world, from Sudan to Kenya, Europe and the US – but she’s had to face war, racism and gender-based violence along the way.
“I have been spat in the face for the colour of my skin,” says the former professional basketball player.
“I’ve experienced racism in more ways than I would like.”
Now the first woman to manage African scouting for a team in the NBA – the world’s top professional basketball league – Ms Chan is inspiring a new generation of young people to seek out opportunity in the sport.
“Basketball illuminated my way to where I am today. It is everything,” says Ms Chan, who is featured in the BBC 100 Women list of inspiring and influential women this year.
She and her family lived in Khartoum during the second Sudanese Civil War. There were several attempts to arrest her father and she recalls often being woken in the night by noises outside their house.
Eventually they fled, hoping to find a safer life and better education in Kenya.
“It was the first place that we could actually enjoy the right of playing sports, because in Sudan [playing] sports and seeing a girl or woman in shorts was a taboo,” says Ms Chan.
It was here that her passion for basketball would emerge. She remembers a conversation that led to her and her sister playing the sport for the first time.
“I remember being one of the tallest kids in school in Kenya and our principal approached us and asked if we could play.
“And at the time, honestly, my mind wasn’t there. And so I said, with all respect I didn’t want to join – and because of that, he immediately made sports mandatory.”
Ms Chan – here on the left, with shirt number 33 – discovered her passion for basketball in Kenya
After years of training, she went on to secure a four-year undergraduate basketball scholarship at Union University, in Jackson, Tennessee, in the US. Over a 14-year playing career, she competed professionally in Europe and across Africa.
“Through basketball you touch so many hearts. Basketball changes lives,” she says.
But Ms Chan also encountered racism in the sport – including an incident she says happened when she travelled to Algiers, with her team mates and was spat at on the face by a man.
“Without the foundation of what my family instilled in me, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand all of that,” she says.
“Right before I left home, my dad and my mum said, ‘You’re beautiful just the way you are.’”
When she took her first trip back to South Sudan in 2012, Ms Chan witnessed injustices against women, including early and forced marriages.
“At the age of 18 you’re expected to start looking for a mate,” she says.
Girls are forced to choose whether to stay in school “or to get financial relief from the man that the family might choose for you”, she explains.
“I cried for way too long.
It got to a point where I was done crying and I needed to find out what I could do to contribute towards making some things right.”
Sarah (second from right) attributes her success to a strong support system from her family
And so Ms Chan started the Home At Home/Apediet Foundation, a mentoring charity to combat child marriage and advocate for education and sport.
She remembers a time she was watching a game when a girl came to sit next to her on the bench.
“She wasn’t even a basketball player, she was just a random kid that came to the court and started opening up to me and told me a gut-wrenching story of how she had got raped the night before,” she says.
“And it really took me apart because I have had my own traumatic experiences with rape. And it took a long time to heal.
“In the beginning I was in denial – [I thought] that such trauma and rape didn’t happen to six-foot-two girls. Then anger, then grief, and it makes you feel just worthless and helpless and bitter.”
For her, healing has come from doing “one of the hardest things” and forgiving the perpetrator – and also from her work with the foundation.
“I came from poverty and we figured it out,” she says.
“These kids only need an opportunity because they’re very gifted, smart and able.
“Somebody helped me to start playing sports, and without them doing that, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Despite being a male-dominated sport, Ms Chan thinks that the potential for women’s basketball on the continent is bright.
“Sports is the future of Africa. It’s the weapon of Africa, especially for the girls,” she says.
She takes her mentoring work seriously, she says, “because people saw things in me that I hadn’t already seen”.
Sarah Chan takes mentoring seriously to help girls achieve their dreams
It was through coaching that she landed her role with the Toronto Raptors, after an NBA executive spotted her working at a basketball camp in Kenya.
Now employed by the team, which was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada, it’s Ms Chan’s job to spot emerging talent – both male and female – to support the players’ development and create a pipeline to open up basketball opportunities for them in North America.
She recently travelled to Uganda and Tanzania to pick players for a major tournament in Rwanda next year.
“It’s my hope that ‘ball gets to the point where there’s a WBAL, a Women Basketball African League,” she says.
“That is my dream for these girls, that they’re not limited by culture, they’re not limited by any thinking.
“They’re free and liberated truly in their minds, and can chase their dreams as human beings, not restrained or limited by being this or that gender.”
As a result of Nikeand Kyrie Irving’s split, the Brooklyn Nets player is now a shoe free agency. Shams Charania, an NBA insider, broke the news of the dismissal for the first time on Twitter on Monday.
When reached for comment by Complex on the matter, a Nike spokesperson confirms that “Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete.”
The termination of the deal with the Nets star guard comes after the brand announced last month it would be suspending its partnership with Irving and axing the release of his Kyrie 8 signature shoe after he shared a link to an antisemitic film on Instagram and refused to denounce antisemitic beliefs in the immediate press conferences that followed. Irving was also suspended by the Nets for eight games but has since been reinstated after he apologized for sharing a link to the film on social media.
Irving and Nike’s relationship began to sour last year when he publicly called his unreleased Kyrie Infinity sneaker “trash” in an Instagram comment. Shortly after, it was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne that Nike would not be renewing Irving’s endorsement deal following the 2022–23 season and that the Kyrie 8 would be his last sneaker release with the brand.
Irving first inked an endorsement deal with the Swoosh back in 2011, which has resulted in the release of seven official signature models as well as several takedown sneakers.
A basketball player from Cameroon, Nkwain Kennedy, uses social media to display his skills and demonstrate his desire to compete in the premier National Basketball Association (NBA) tournament.
In videos that he posts to his millionsof followers on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, Kennedy captures his intense training sessions in the humble settings of his village in Bamenda.
The region is gripped by conflict between English-speaking secessionists and the mainly French-speaking government.
But Kennedy appears unperturbed as he practises his drills on clay courts or works out using makeshift weights.
He is hoping to eventually land a chance at the NBA where fellow Cameroonian Joel Embiid plays.
As a vice president of the NBA’s players union, Jaylen Brown isn’t happy with how Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai handled the recent controversy surrounding All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving.
Earlier this month, Kyrie sparked backlash after posting a link on social media for the documentary Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a 2018 film that focuses on antisemitic tropes, including claims that “many famous high-ranking Jews have admitted to worship[ing] Satan or Lucifer.”
Tsai later condemned Irving’s actions, before suspending him for at least five games. The Nets said the point guard will need to meet a “series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct” before he can return to the team.
While speaking with reporters after the Celtics’ win over the Thunder on Monday night, Brown called out Tsia.
“Tsai’s response was alarming to me.” Brown said. “He didn’t say that the organization was working together to get Kyrie back on the floor. He said that Kyrie had more work to do. And as vice president of the players union, it’s part of my job to protect our players legally. And to see Phil Knight first come out and condemn Kyrie, and also see Joe Tsai say he has more work to do, I think it’s time for a larger conversation.”
Brown also said he doesn’t think Kyrie “meant any harm” by posting the link to the antisemitic film.
“Obviously it came off as insensitive to a lot of people,” Brown said. “But Adam Silver came out with a statement saying he doesn’t believe Kyrie Irving is antisemitic. Joe Tsai came out and said in a statement that they don’t believe he is antisemitic. Those were their words. He [Kyrie] already apologized.”
Brown added, “Our society has more work to do, including Joe Tsai. It’s 2022, it takes ten minutes of time to see who these business owners, corporations, etc, who they’re associated with, who they’re doing business with, who they’re affiliated with. I think it’s time for a larger conversation.”
Kevin Durant does not want Jacque Vaughn’s appointment as permanent head coach to be a fleeting “honeymoon stage” for the Brooklyn Nets after winning three of their past four games.
The Nets triumphed 112-85 over the New York Knicks on Wednesday after removing the interim tag from Vaughn’s title, appointing him on a permanent basis.
Brooklyn have a 3-2 record under Vaughn, having started the season 2-5 under Steve Nash, who was fired last week. The Nets have also been playing without the suspended Kyrie Irving for their past four games.
“We don’t want this to be a honeymoon stage for us,” Durant told reporters, after recording a triple-double against the Knicks with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
“We want to continue to keep pushing through, keep finding ways to get better, finding ways to turn those weaknesses to strengths and keep pushing from here.
“We were struggling, we’ve been through a lot. Guys got pride, individual pride, and we just wanted to come out and play better. That’s what we’ve been doing.”
Durant presented Vaughn with the game ball afterwards, amid upbeat scenes from a Nets locker-room which has been through plenty this season.
“I was excited for him,” Durant said. “I know the work that he puts in every day. I know how much he cares about the development of each player, and this team as a whole.
“Look forward to playing for him. All the guys have responded to how he wants us to play, so I’m looking forward to how we progress after this.”
The Nets’ recent change in results has coincided with keeping opposition sides below 100 points in their past four games. The run marks the first time Brooklyn have done that since the 2014-15 season.
“We’ve already taken a big jump last four games, teams under 100 points, which has been great,” Vaughn said. “So definitely concerted effort…. We really came out with the right mindset.”
Durant presented Vaughn with the game ball afterwards, amid upbeat scenes from a Nets locker-room which has been through plenty this season.
“I was excited for him,” Durant said. “I know the work that he puts in every day. I know how much he cares about the development of each player, and this team as a whole.
“Look forward to playing for him. All the guys have responded to how he wants us to play, so I’m looking forward to how we progress after this.”
The Nets’ recent change in results has coincided with keeping opposition sides below 100 points in their past four games. The run marks the first time Brooklyn have done that since the 2014-15 season.
“We’ve already taken a big jump last four games, teams under 100 points, which has been great,” Vaughn said. “So definitely concerted effort…. We really came out with the right mindset.”
Spencer Dinwiddie is calling out veteran NBAreferee Tony Brothers for using vulgar language during the Dallas Mavericks’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
The incident took place in the second quarter, when Dinwiddie approached Brothers to protest a foul call. After hitting the Mavericks point guard with a technical foul, Brothers allegedly referred to Dinwiddie as a “bitch ass motherfucker.”
“I apologize to Tony Brothers for what seemed to keep him irate, which was a clap,” Dinwiddie told reporters after the game. “He thought it was disrespectful… And secondarily I would like to say, not only would I like my money back [from the fine for a technical], but I would like to not be called a “bitch ass motherfucker to my teammates.”
Dinwiddie continued, “Everybody’s a competitor out there. I understand it’s the heat of the moment. I’ve definitely said swear words, but like if I was playing against somebody on the other team and they said that to my teammate, I would be like listen, ‘Hey, I’m right here.’ But because obviously [referees are in] positions of authority and whatnot, you can’t necessarily ask for that address, so I’m just taking my fair stance and saying, ‘Hey, look, if you feel that way, fine by me, just say it to my face, like any other grown man.’ That’s all I want.
“I’m not even mad at the language. Everybody has said things before when they are upset or feeling sensitive or hurt. That’s fine. Just say it to my face,” he added.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Brothers was not made available to the media post-game.
Former NBA player Delonte West has been arrested and booked on multiple charges, TMZ reports.
Police in Fairfax County, Virginia were called to a parking lot at 5:53 PM after witnesses claimed they saw West “trespassing” inside a vehicle.
When authorities tried to intervene, they said West became aggressive as they tried to detain him. After fleeing, West was found and ultimately detained and booked on four criminal charges including vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement, and public intoxication. He was released from custody on October 16.
The news comes as West was reportedly working towards his basketball comeback with Ice Cube’s BIG3 League. TMZ Sports reported in February that the 38-year-old was in training at the Pat The Rock Basketball Academy in Maryland, where a source said he had also “been speaking to the kids at the academy and shelling out advice on hoops.”The former Dallas Mavericks player is no stranger to law enforcement. He had previously been arrested last October after getting into a drunken altercation with Boynton Beach police.
His arrest came shortly after reports emerged he had gotten a job at the Rebound rehabilitation center in Florida, where he had previously been a patient at the behest of the Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
“I can just confirm that I found him and helped him,” Cuban told The Washington Post at the time. “The rest is up to Delonte and his family to tell.”
Unlike the NBA, the NFL is not a league where midseason acquisitions have typically swung the title picture drastically. Very rarely have teams won the Super Bowl due to a blockbuster trade or midseason signing that pushed them over the top, though there have been exceptions.
In 2021, the Los Angeles Rams were that exception, trading for Von Miller and signing Odell Beckham Jr. in November to give them two All-Pro talents that paid dividends in the postseason to deliver them a championship.
Now, in the middle of the 2022 season, it appears Beckham could once again be the piece that tilts the Super Bowl odds in favor of one team, with the veteran wide receiver gearing up to sign with a team in the next couple of weeks, presumably one that is in contention.
If Beckham is healthy and still has juice in the tank, he is still one of the hardest receivers to cover in the NFL, which he proved once joining the Rams after his disastrous stint with the Cleveland Browns.
There will be no shortage of suitors for OBJ’s services, with a handful of contenders lurking as ideal landing spots for his services. Here are six teams that would make sense for the eccentric wide receiver to consider signing with for the home stretch of the season.
NBA referee Tony Brown died on Thursday at the age of 55.
“We are and have been sustained by the consistent outpouring of love and support through this journey in developing strength, acceptance and peace,” Brown’s family said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “We ask that you join us in that spirit as we prepare to celebrate Tony’s life. Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. Your love is immeasurable.”
Brown is survived by his wife Tina Taylor-Brown and their three children, Bailey, Basile, and Baylen.
The AP reports he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April 2021, but managed to return to work for the league’s replay center last season. He entered hospice care in Atlanta days before his passing.
“I haven’t had time to sit around and be like ‘Why me?’ or ‘What am I going to do?’” Brown told the outlet this year. “Me not fighting would have made me feel like I was letting people down. What kind of example was I going to be to my kids if I just laid in this bed and let it overtake me? I had to show my kids that there’s nothing in life that you can’t challenge and overcome if you have a positive mindset.”
When LeBron James got wind of the news, he praised Tony on Twitter, writing, “Great ref but greater dude! Loved when I ran on the court for warmups and he would be on the game that night! Your smile & laugh will be missed tremendously here in our sport!”
Brown’s illustrious career includes officiating more than 1,100 NBA games spanning nearly two decades. He was selected to officiate two NBA All-Star Games, and worked in a 2020 NBA Finals game when the league transitioned to the bubble in Orlando.
“Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
Stephen Curry and his Golden State teammates are ready to defend their NBA title.
The Warriors received their championship rings in a ceremony Tuesday (Oct 18).
Among the players honoured during the evening was Congolese Jonathan Kuminga, who is one of 16 Africans (around 30 when counting binationals) to take part in the prestigious professional basketball league in North America, this year.
During the season opener, the Warriors enjoyed an extra celebration time as they beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 with 33 points scored by shooter Stephen Curry.
In Boston, the Celtics paid tribute to the mythical N6 of the franchise Bill Russell, who died in July.
“Bill Russell was a great man for what and who he stood for”, Jaylen Brown noted.
“During the peak of racial tension in our society, he represented a type of nobility and honour that transcended sports”, the Celtics Guardconcluded.
Against the Sixers of Joel Embiid and James Harden, the defending Eastern Conference champions, started their season on the right foot, thanks to Jaylen Brown/Jayson Tatum duo, each scoring 35 points.
Boston finally won 126-117 against one of its main contenders in the race for the Eastern Conference’s top 4.
The eldest son of NBA star LeBron James has followed in his father’s footsteps and signed a multi-million dollar NIL deal with Nike. Bronny James signed the deal days after he turned 18 years, as his father did 20 years ago, according to BET.
The sportswear giant made the announcement after signing Bronny and four other athletes to their brand. The four other athletes include Caitlin Clark, DJ Wagner, Haley Jones and JuJu Watkins.
“To serve the future of athletes and sport, Nike is teaming up with inspiring young athletes who are leading the way now– both on the court ad in their communities,” Nike said in a statement. “Just as we support them in pursuing their foals, they push us to think even bigger about the change we can create together.”
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The deal now makes him an official member of the family although Bronny is not a stranger to Nike as he has been wearing LeBron’s shoes on the court.
“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family,” Bronny told Complex. “Getting a chance to team up with them and continue my family’s legacy both on the court and in the community is wild—it really means a lot to me.”
The Nike deal is Bronny’s second NIL deal. In February this year, he signed a deal with underwear brand PSD in which he designed his own underwear.
With 6.6 million followers on Instagram, Bronny is said to be earning over $ 5 million from NIL deals and the number is expected to increase with the Nike deal, according to On3 Projects.
Marca reports that Bronny is currently deciding on the college he will play at before heading to the NBA. Sports Illustrated quoted Bronny’s mother as saying he is more likely to play college basketball instead of going directly to the NBA.
“Bronny wants to have a college career,’ Savannah James said in August. “I think it would be really cool for him to start with collegiate basketball, just to start his legacy there.”
Bronny is ranked 34th in the ESPN 100 and 41st in the 2023 class by 247Sports. Meanwhile, the latter reports that Bronny has offers from Ohio State, USC and Memphis.
In an interview with The Athletic in February, LeBron revealed his desire to play his final NBA season with his oldest son.
“My last year will be played with my son,” he said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
