NBA basketball
Washington Wizards Make Bold Statement With New Team Photo
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Patrick Smith / Getty Since the rise of movements like Black Lives Matter and the various protests that are connected, many players in the NBA have made a stand in support of the outcry and demands for justice. The Washington Wizards, already established in this regard, hammered home their viewpoint by way of a striking team photo that made a significant statement. The 2020-21 Washington Wizards squad is actually one of the hottest teams in the NBA after the first portion of the truncated season left the team saddled with injuries and the adjustment of trading away former star guard John Wall for Russell Westbrook. A few shrewd moves since the blockbuster trade are finally beginning to gel and the team is in the hunt for the playoffs by way of a new play-...
James Harden Allegedly Still Wants Out Of Houston Despite John Wall Acquisition
Source: Tim Warner / Getty The Houston Rockets and new head coach Stephen Silas have yet to work with the full new-look team since the trade of Russell Westbrook. With “The Brodie” now a member of the Washington Wizards and John Wall now in Texas, it’s being reported that team star James Harden still wants to be traded, allegedly. ESPN is reporting that sources are saying that Harden, 31, doesn’t seem all that impressed with sticking around despite the addition of Wall, who has been out of the game for the past two seasons. Wall, who spent his entire career with Washington until this point, seemingly looks prepared to work with his backcourt mate. “I think me and James can be a heck of a combination,” Wall said to the media throng after his squad lost to the Chicago Bulls 104-91 last night...
Professional Ball Juggler Tristan Thompson Becomes U.S. Citizen
Source: Diamond Images / Getty Professional ball juggler, excuse us, basketball player, Tristan Thompson is now officially an American. The Jamaican-Canadian big man recently signed a deal with the Boston Celtics after spending the rest of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a tweet shared by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Western Region Twitter account, Thompson is seen wearing a mask and declaring his naturalization while raising his hand in the shadow of an American flag. “I came to the US on a student visa and have always had big dreams. I’m now truly living the American dream,” began the caption with the account adding, “Congrats on reaching your goals @RealTristan13! Best of luck with the @NBA #Celtics as a #NewUSCitizen!” Now, Thompson can sling wood...
Back So Soon?: NBA May Return As Soon As Dec. 22, Sources Say
Source: Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty The shortened NBA season just concluded in October and there has been some speculation that next season would resume near the end of 2020. Now, it appears more rumblings are coming about as sources say the season could begin on Dec. 22. ESPN reports that the NBA and its board of governors, along with the National Basketball Players Association will meet separately today (Nov. 5) in order to definitely agree on a start for the 2020-21 season while knocking games down to 72 for the regular season according to sources that handed this information to the network. Those same sources say that the NBPA will hold a formal vote featuring team player representatives later day and the prevailing thought is that the league and the association are agreeing to the afo...
Future NBA Lottery Pick LaMelo Ball Joins PUMA Hoops
Source: PUMA / PUMA LaMelo Ball is rolling with Puma. Today (October 14), the athletic brand announced had entered into a partnership withthe future NBA Draft lottery pick. “I am really excited to be joining the PUMA family,” said LaMelo Ball via a press statement. “I believe the brand is the perfect partner for me because PUMA will allow me to just be myself. I want to be 100-percent authentic whether that’s playing basketball or showing off my personal style and that’s what I want to do with Puma.” Melo will serve as a brand ambassador for Puma and will eventually helm his own signature products. According to Puma, Melo aims to incorporate the brand’s “culture first approach” which hopes to be an amalgamation of sports, fashion, culture and music. At just 19 years old, LaMelo Ball is a s...
LA Clippers Coach Doc Rivers Powerfully Addresses Racial Injustice In America
Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty In a perfect world, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers and his players should only be focused on their goal of bringing a championship home as they battle in the playoffs. Instead, Rivers, like many Black Americans, has to battle the ugliness of racial injustice despite all his achievements on and off the court and addressed the matter in a powerful postgame moment. After the Clippers blew out the Dallas Mavericks 154-111, the postgame conference with Rivers answering questions about the recent shooting in Kenosha, Wisc. that reportedly left Jacob Blake paralyzed from the waist down. With raw emotion, Rivers blasted President Donald Trump and speakers at the Republican National Convention for sowing seeds of fear. “It’s amazing to me why we keep loving this ...
Breaking The Bubble: NBA To Allow Guests At Orlando Compound: Report
Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Joe Budden famously called the NBA‘s Adam Silver the best commissioner in sports on his podcast, and that statement rings true considering the league’s reboot success thus far. Now, it’s been reported that visitation rules to the Orlando bubble will be relaxed. ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski was given access to a league-wide memo detailing the new rules inside the Florida compound. NBA officials and the National Basketball Players Association worked out an agreement that non-family members who wish to visit the bubble should already have “longstanding relationships” with the players and staff members. The league has been very specific in stating that players cannot host guests inside the compound if the relationship or connection ...
Ja Rule Is Peeved At ESPN For Joking About Botched Halftime Show
Source: Mindy Small / Getty Ja Rule has had enough of being the public’s punching bag and the veteran rapper is pushing back. After ESPN made a tweet joke at Ja’s expense, the Queens star went on a Twitter rant asking for the firing of the sports network’s social media manager. ESPN’s Twitter account posted a video of a 2019 halftime performance from Ja Rule that didn’t go exactly as he hoped after his microphone apparently went out. While asking the crowd if they were ready, it appeared the audio issues inside the building prevented the even exchange of energy. Taking to Twitter to fire back, Ja Rule blasted ESPN, calling the jab unprofessional. “Be more professional @espn and tell your little social team to have some RESPECT we speaking on an ICONN… #ICONN,” Ja tweeted. He added, “So let...
NBA Partnering With Microsoft To Bring Fans Into The Bubble Virtually
Source: Miami Herald / Getty The NBA is set to officially restart it on Thursday (Jul.30), and if you have been watching the tune-up games, it’s a bit weird without fans. The league is looking to tackle that issue by partnering with Microsoft. Let’s face it, while we are happy to have sports back, it’s just not the same without fans in the arenas and stadiums cheering on their favorite teams due to COVID-19. The NBA is looking to somewhat remedy that situation by teaming up with Microsoft and using the tech company’s Microsoft Teams to project more than 300 fans into the National Basketball Association’s bubble arena. The invited fans will appear on 17-foot video screens and will be able to interact with each other during the games. The goal is to give them the feeling of sitting next to e...
NBA May Allow Players To Place Political Statements On Jerseys
Source: Sacramento Bee / Getty As the NBA season marks its return for next month, the instances of racial injustice still loom heavy in the hearts and minds of the players. The league is considering a move to allow players to make political statements in support of social justice matters on the back of their jerseys for the rebooted season. ESPN reports that National Basketball Players Association president and Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul tells The Undefeated that talks to allow players to place statements such as “I Can’t Breathe” and similar messaging on the back of their jerseys have been underway. “We’re just trying to continue to shed light on the different social justice issues that guys around our league continue to talk about day in and day out,” Paul said. “People are sa...
Vinsanity: Vince Carter To Hang Up The Kicks After 22 NBA Seasons
Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty For over two decades, Vince Carter has been a reliable fixture in the NBA, but that tenure is coming to an end. Carter is hanging up the kicks after 22 seasons despite still being able to get to the rim over the age of 40. As seen on NBA.com, Carter made the announcement somewhat casually in the midst of conversation during his Winging It With Vince podcast. “I’m officially finished playing basketball,” Carter said. “I’m officially done playing basketball professionally.” It was widely known and stated by Carter than the former University of North Carolina star was walking away from the game on a professional level at the conclusion of the current season. With the NBA season upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and the league restarting, Carter seems content to con...
New Audio Reveals Michael Jordan Was In Fact The Reason Isiah Thomas Was Left Off The Dream Team
Source: Focus On Sport / Getty ESPN’s hit docu-series about Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls, The Last Dance, led to many interesting revelations during its 10-episode run and poured cold water on decades-long rumors. One of those rumors that seemed to be put to bed was the infamous hearsay that Michael Jordan was the main reason that NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas was left off the legendary Dream Team roster of the 1992 Summer Olympics. While he denied he played a role in the decision in the documentary, new audio has emerged suggesting the G.O.A.T was butting heads with the powers that be over the addition of the greatest point guard in Detroit Pistons history. TMZ is reporting that unheard audio from 1992 has leaked which features Michael Jordan letting Olympics selection committee member...
