TIG Post

Tag: NBA

  • LeBron James’ son signs multi-million dollar deal with Nike before anticipated jump to NBA

    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.”

    Related stories

    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.”

    Source; Face2faceAfrica

  • Former NBA player Ben Gordon arrested for allegedly hitting 10-year-old son

    Former NBA player Ben Gordon was arrested at LaGuardia airport on Monday for allegedly punching his 10-year-old son in the head, TMZ reports.

    The alleged abuse took place at around 8:45 p.m while Gordon and his son were waiting to board a flight to Chicago. According to law enforcement, Gordon shouldn’t have been with his son in the first place, as the child had an active restraining order against his father during the incident.

    Port Authority police prevented Gordon from boarding the plane and arrested him. The former NBA guard allegedly resisted arrest, with a pair of officers suffering minor injuries. The New York Post notes “charges against him are pending.” Gordon’s son was transported to Long Island Jewish Children’s Hospital for evaluation by his aunt.

    A native of Mount Vernon, New York, Gordon, 39, won the NCAA Championship with UConn in 2004, en route to being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. In his first season in the NBA, Gordon became the first rookie to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award, averaging 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

    The 6-foot-1 shooting guard spent 11 years in the NBA with the Bulls (2004-09), Detroit Pistons (2009-12), Charlotte Bobcats (2012-14), and Orlando Magic (2014-15). Shortly after retiring from the NBA in 2017, Gordon was arrested on robbery and assault charges.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Teen phenom Wembanyama dominates again in second United States showcase

    Victor Wembanyama put on a show for the NBA scouts in attendance for Metropolitans 92’s 112-106 victory against G League Ignite on Thursday.

    Wembanyama, 18, is viewed as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James entered the 2003 draft straight out of high school, standing at seven-foot-four while demonstrating tremendous movement, ball handling and shooting touch.

    After posting 37 points with five blocks while shooting seven-of-11 from three-point range in his United States debut on Tuesday, the future top overall draft pick backed it up with 36 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in his second go.

    The exhibition series was conceived to allow Wembanyama to go head-to-head with fellow top prospect Scoot Henderson, who is signed to the G League. Unfortunately, a knee-on-knee collision between the two headline stars five minutes into the first quarter ended Henderson’s night, although he is expected to make a quick recovery after being diagnosed with a bone bruise.

    Wembanyama will spend this season playing professionally in France’s top league, and his agent confirmed the young phenom has no interest in shutting things down to protect his stock for the draft.

    Source: Livescore

  • Miami Heat guard Herro signs four-year contract extension

    The Miami Heat signed reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro to a four-year contract extension on Sunday.

    The Heat announced the deal, but per club policy terms were not disclosed. According to reports, the contract – which begins with the 2023-24 season – includes $120million in guaranteed money and could be worth as much as $130million with incentives.

    “Tyler is an impact multi-faceted player and we are excited to have him signed for the next five years,” Heat president Pat Riley said.

    “His improvement every year since we drafted him has led to this day. We believe he will continue to get better.”

    Miami selected Herro with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft after he spent one season at the University of Kentucky.

    He averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 2019-20 to earn second-team All-Rookie honours.

    Herro then put up 15.1 points, 5.0 boards and 3.4 assists per game in 2020-21 before having a career year last season.

    Herro averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists en route to being the runaway selection as the league’s top sixth man.

    He received 96 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters after 1162 of his team-leading 1367 points came as a reserve.


    Source: Livescore

  • Auction: NBA legend Michael Jordan’s jersey sells for record breaking $10.1m

    Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls wore the recognizable red and black vest for the first game of the 1998 NBA Finals.

    The iconic jersey that Michael Jordan wore during the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals broke auction records when it sold for a record-breaking $10.1 million (£8.86 million).

    The Chicago Bulls vest was well-known to be worn during the period of time known as “The Last Dance,” when Jordan won his sixth and final NBA championship.

    It has become the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia in history – eclipsing the £7m paid for Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” shirt worn during the 1986 World Cup.

    The red and black jersey, emblazoned with the number 23, is also the most valuable Michael Jordan item ever sold at auction.

    It is also the highest-selling baseball jersey – meaning the former professional basketball ace has broken three new world records without setting foot on the court.

    The Nike mesh vest was listed on New York auctioneer Sotheby’s website as being in “excellent condition, consistent with use”.

    The winning bid was more than double the estimate of $3m (£2.6m) to $5m (£4.4m).

    The jersey was accompanied by a photo matching the certificate of authenticity and a copy of Sports Illustrated published in June 1998, which showcases the jersey on the front cover.

    The Sotheby’s website also shows a previous lot, a pair of Nike Air Jordan 9 “Player Sample” Baseball cleats which fetched more than $44,000 (£38,636) at auction yesterday.

    Jordan pictured during the NBA Finals in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 1997 Pic: AP

    The size 13.5 black and white boots were cut to Jordan’s specifications in 1994, months after he shocked the basketball community by announcing his retirement from the sport after three consecutive NBA Championships on 6 October 1993.

    He threw fans a curve ball after revealing his intention to switch sports, embarking on a brief stint as a professional baseball player.

    But the athlete returned to the NBA and Chicago Bulls in 1995 – just nine days after retiring from baseball.

    In 1999, he bowed out of basketball for a second time, insisting he was “99.9% certain” he would not return.

    But two years later in 2001, Jordan returned to the basketball court again, retiring for the third and final time in 2003.

    Another pair of Nike Air Ship trainers, worn during Jordan’s fifth NBA game on 1 November 1984, sold for almost $1.5m (£1.3m) in October last year.

    Head of Streetwear at Sotheby’s Brahm Wachter, said the sale “solidifies Michael Jordan as the undisputed GOAT, proving his name and incomparable legacy is just as relevant as it was nearly 25 years ago.”

    Jordan, now 59, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2009.

     

  • NBA Star Kyrie Irving donates sneakers to winners of 2019/2020 Sprite Ball Championship

    Basketball star Kyrie Irving has donated pairs of sneakers to the winners of the 2019/2020 edition of the Sprite Ball Championship.

    The NBA star has delivered on a promise he made to organizers of the competition by donating twenty-four pairs of sneakers to the winners of the male and female categories.

    The schools, Mfantsipim and Shama Senior High Schools emerged winners of the finals of the competition which was held in January this year.

    Speaking after taking delivering of the sneakers, Yaw Sakyi Afari, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rite Sports expressed gratitude to Irving for the gesture.

    He noted that the donation will inspire and motivate the young basketball players to achieve greater things.

    “On behalf of my team at Rite Sports, I would like to say thank you to NBA star Kyrie Irving for donating these pairs of sneakers to the winners of the Sprite Ball Championship 2019/2020. Indeed you promised and you have delivered and we believe these sneakers will inspire the young ones to be great like yourself. Thank you and God bless you”, he said.

    The Sprite Ball Championship remains the biggest basketball competition in the country. It has helped discover great basketball talents for the country.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • NBA coaches condemn racism, police brutality

    The coaches of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have spoken out saying: “We cannot treat this as an isolated incident of outrage.”

    In a statement on Monday, the group of head and assistant coaches acknowledged their teams were mostly African-American and said they “see, hear and share their feelings of disgust, frustration, helplessness and anger”.

    “Police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponisation of racism are shameful, inhumane and intolerable.”

    Floyd’s murder was traumatising to the nation, they said, “but the reality is that African Americans are targeted and victimised on a daily basis”.

    The coaches added that they have a responsibility to “speak out for those who don’t have a voice” and use their “power and platform to affect change”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Michael Jordan: NBA legend’s trainers sell for record $560,000

    Basketball legend Michael Jordan’s autographed trainers from 1985 sold for a record $560,000 (£463,000) in an online auction.

    The Nike Air Jordan 1s, worn by Jordan during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, were expected to fetch between $100,00-$150,000 at Sotheby’s.

    The previous record was $437,500 for a pair of Nike’s 1972 Moon Shoes.

    Jordan wore mismatched trainers, with the left a size 13 and the right a size 13.5.

    The Air Jordan 1s were sold by Jordan Geller, who founded the trainer museum Shoezeum in Las Vegas.

    The sale coincided with a Netflix documentary – The Last Dance – with behind-the-scenes footage of the Bulls’ hunt for a sixth NBA title in the 1997-98 season.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Shaquille O’Neal: NBA legend calls for season to be scrapped

    Basketball great Shaquille O’Neal says the NBA should “scrap the season” because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The 2019-20 campaign was halted in March with five regular-season games and two months of play-offs remaining.

    “Everybody go home, get healthy, come back next year,” said four-time NBA champion O’Neal, 48, who now works as a television pundit.

    “To try and come back now and do a rush play-offs as a player? Any team that wins this year, there’s an asterisk.”

    O’Neal added: “What if a team that’s not really in the mix of things all of a sudden wins with a new play-off format? Nobody is going to respect that.

    “So scrap it. Worry about the safety of the fans and the people. Come back next year.”

    With over 80,000 deaths and nearly 1.4m cases, the United States is the country most affected by the coronavirus crisis in the world.

    A ‘bubble’ plan has been suggested by the NBA in which teams gather in a single area – such as the Bahamas, Disney World or Las Vegas.

    Players would be housed in a secure area with testing to check for the virus.

    But National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts says the option feels like “incarceration”.

    O’Neal, who won the NBA title with the LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002 as well as with the Miami Heat in 2006, told USA Today: “I understand how players are feeling. I really do.

    “But any team that gets it done this year, there’s going to be an asterisk on that championship. However long it takes for us to get 100% back to normal, I’m willing to wait.

    “All it takes is one person. After the game, you’ve still got to go home. What if one person gets sick? Then we start from zero again.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • NBA legend Michael Jordan wins long-running China trademark dispute

    China’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of basketball legend Michael Jordan in a long-running trademark dispute, ending an eight-year legal battle with a Chinese sportswear firm that illegally used his name.

    Upholding intellectual property rights is one of the core disputes of the US-China trade war, and a phase one deal signed in January saw Beijing pledge to improve protections of intellectual property.

    The landmark ruling, made late last month, prohibits the Fujian-based Qiaodan Sports from using the Chinese translation of Jordan’s name, Qiao Dan.

    The retired Chicago Bulls player and six-time NBA championship winner has a huge following in China, a country that has legions of avid basketball fans.

    The Supreme Court decision overturns two previous verdicts in favour of the Chinese firm.

    However, it still allows the firm to continue using its logo of a silhouetted basketball player — which has similarities with the “Jumpman” logo used by Nike to promote its “Air Jordan” line of sports shoes.

    However the Supreme Court referred the case over the use of the logo for retrial by the State Intellectual Property Office.

    In 2016, Jordan won the right to his name in Chinese characters, but the Supreme Court upheld the firm’s right to use its trademark “Qiaodan” in Romanised English.

    Qiaodan Sports said in a Weibo statement Tuesday that the ruling “would not impact the normal use of [its] existing trademarks, nor would it affect normal business operations.”

    Founded in 2000, the sportswear franchise operates more than 5,700 stores nationwide.

    It has also applied for nearly 200 similarly named trademarks including different Chinese spellings of “Qiaodan”, “Flying Power” and “Qiaodan King”, according to the verdict.

    In 2017, the sportswear brand New Balance was awarded $1.5 million in copyright damages by a Chinese court over its famous “N” logo, which was illegally copied by a local sports shoe firm.

    The verdict — a rare victory for a Western brand in a Chinese intellectual property infringement case — was announced shortly after US President Donald Trump launched a sweeping investigation into China’s record on intellectual property.

    The UN said this week that China became the world leader in international patent filings last year, unseating the United States which had held the top spot for more than four decades.

    Source: France24