Basketball

Top Ten NBA Players of All Time

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Top Ten NBA Players of All Time

The top ten NBA players of all time is a big debate when it comes to sports. Everybody has their own opinion about who they think is better, but ten players stand out from the rest.

 

  1. Bill Russell

Everyone is familiar with the 11 time NBA champion! He was dominant in every aspect of the game. He averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 assists, and a staggering 22.5 rebounds per game! The best player the NBA has ever seen in his era. The reason he isn’t higher on my list is that his era was not as competitive as it is today. Besides this reason, he is still one of the best players of all time.

 

  1. Magic Johnson

Earvin Johnson Jr. AKA Magic Johnson was a once in a generation talent. His ability to pass, shoot, and be a lockdown defender helped him win 5 rings with the Lakers. His specialty was his ability to pass. He racked up 10,141 assists as well as 17,707 points.

 

  1. Shaquille O’neal

Everyone knows the giant himself, Shaq. He played 19 seasons for 6 different teams! The big man through those 19 seasons averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game! He was also able to grab 4 championships.

 

  1. Tim Duncan

The man who made bank shots popular, with 1,934 made bank shots! He played on the Spurs his whole career from 1997 to 2015. He averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Though his stats aren’t the best he was a huge force in the game. In his long career he was able to earn 5 rings, 2 MVP’s, and 3 finals MVPs. 

 

  1. Kobe Bryant

You’ve been living under a rock if you have never heard of the Black Mamba before. Kobe Bryant was famous for his mentality and his ability to score in every way. He averaged 25.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game. Kobe Bryant has won 5 NBA championships, two-time finals MVP, 18 time all-star, and an MVP. Kobe was a huge inspiration for the upcoming generation of the NBA.

 

  1. Larry Bird

One of the best shooters the NBA has ever seen, Larry Bird was something else. He was able to score in every way. During his 13 season career he averaged 24.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 10 rebounds! Just by the stats alone you can tell he was great. The big bird won 3 MVPs, 3 rings, and 2 NBA finals MVPs! The bird was definitely something else. 

 

  1. Wilt Chamberlain

If we want to talk about stats Wilt’s stats will blow your mind. This man averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists! If you aren’t impressed yet he holds the title for most points in a single game with… 100 POINTS! He also holds the record for most rebounds in a game with an impossible 55 rebounds! During his dominating career he racked up 2 rings, 4 MVPs, and one finals MVP. Wilt was definitely the most dominant player in history, but the reason he is not higher is because his era was not as talented as it is now.

  1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Did you know the NCAA had to ban dunking for 10 years because Kareem was too dominant? This is true, no one could stop Kareem so the only way to stop him was to ban dunking. With his famous skyhook that was unguardable he was able to average 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Kareem was able to hold the scoring record for 38 years with 38,387 points! During his legendary career he was able to have a total of 6 MVPs, 6 time NBA champions, and a 19 time all star. Kareem and his sky hook were legendary.

 

  1. Michael Jordan

The biggest idol for NBA players was always MJ. Everyone wanted to be as great as him. The reason for this could be that he went 6-0 in the finals or that he averaged the most points in NBA history with 30.1. Some more of his accolades include, 6 finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, and a 14 time all star. Every part of his game was perfect, from shooting to defense, MJ was one of the greatest.

 

Honorable Mentions

 Some of the honorable mentions include: Steph Curry, Hakeem Olajawon, Jerry West, Karl Malone, Oscar Robertson, Julius Erving. Though these players were great they didn’t make my list for many reasons. 

  1. LeBron James

The king, the chosen one, The GOAT. LeBron is the best basketball player of all time. Everyone knew he would be great straight out of High School. LeBron has played 20 seasons and counting. Through those 20 seans he has won 4 Championships, 4 MVPs, 4 final MVPs, and a 19 time all star. We can’t forget that he holds the all time scoring record with 38,450 points! The reason that he is the GOAT of basketball is because of how dominant he has been through his whole career. LeBron is truly the GOAT.

 

Top 10 Best Air Jordan Sneaker Colorways

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Top 10 Best Air Jordan Sneaker Colorways

Top 10 Best Air Jordan Sneaker Colorways

Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement Stockx

#10: Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”

These shoes were dropped on MJ’s 55th birthday, staying true to the older versions of themselves. Releasing at $220 USD, these are a must-have for many sneaker fans. The gray and black “cement” accent, as well as having a hint of fire red. They go from anywhere between $400 and $1,200 USD.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 1 “Carmine” Stockx

#9: Air Jordan 1 Retro “Carmine”

They debuted as a Jordan 1 in 2014, releasing for $140 USD. With a clean and simple red, black, white, and baby blue, these sneakers have crazy resale value, going from anywhere from $300 to $5,000 USD, at one point size 8 selling for over $100,00 USD on Stockx.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 4 x Off- White “Sail” Stockx

#8: Air Jordan 4 “Off-White Sail”

The Air Jordan and Nike brands have had a rich history with Virgil Abloh’s Off-White stylings. Off-White may create a schism soon enough, after the tragic passing of Abloh. These shoes retailed for $200 on July 5th, 2020. They go from anywhere between $1,000-10,000 USD.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 1 “Lost & Found” Stockx

#7: Air Jordan 1 “Lost and Found”

Retailing for $180 on November 19th, 2022, these shoes were instantly sold out. These shoes have an interesting concept, being remakes of the original “Chicago’s” from 1985. The idea is that they got lost in the back of the store, and were found nearly 40 years later. They go for $275-450 USD.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 1 low x Travis Scott x Fragment Design Stockx

#6: Air Jordan 1 low x “Travis Scott x Fragment Design”

This particular pair of Air Jordan 1’s were immediately picked up by sneakerheads, at a low price of $150 USD. Influential rap star Travis Scott released yet another shoe with the Jordan brand. They were released on August 13th, and now are being resold from anywhere between $2,000-3,000 USD.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 3 “White Cement Reimagined” Stockx

#5: Air Jordan 3 “White Cement Reimagined”

Going for $210 USD on Nike’s website, these remakes were just recently released on SNKRS. Selling out quickly, these clean-looking shoes are a sure way to improve your sneaker game. They go for around $210-330 USD.

 

 

 

 

Air Jordan 11 “Concord” Stockx

#4: Air Jordan 11 “Concord” 2018

With a really clean look, these shoes dropped for $220 as Jordan’s annual holiday 11 release. A remake of the original Concords made in 1995, they go for around $440-1,500 USD. Still a fan-favorite and an absolute grail, these have Michael Jordan’s #45 -the number he wore after coming back from retirement- on the backtab, and the Jumpman logo on the side.

 

 

 

Before we get to the Top 3, here are some honorable mentions. The shoes are really good but aren’t good enough for the best 10.

 

Air Jordan 1 x Gatorade “Blue Lagoon” Stockx

Air Jordan 1 x Gatorade “Blue Lagoon”

With a plain base of lagoon blue and a striking accent of bright orange, these sneakers dropped for $175 USD but now go for anything between $350 and $800 USD. Gatorade and Jordan made a few other Jordan 1’s but this is the cleanest-looking sneaker from the collaboration.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 1 GS “Infrared 23” Sneaker Bar Detroit

Air Jordan 1 GS “Infrared”

These shoes have a great colorway, returning to the Jordan Infrared 23 colorways. With a bright red and black mismatch, these shoes are only in Kids’ sizes, going for and will be dropping later in 2023 for $95 USD.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 4 x PSG “Bordeaux” Stockx

Air Jordan 4 x Paris Saint-Germain “Bordeaux”

These shoes dropped for $225 USD. on October 10th, 2020, continuing the collaboration between soccer powerhouse PSG and the Jordan brand. They go for between $280-600 USD.

 

 

 

Air Jordan 4 x Eminem x Carhartt “Black Chrome” F&F Stockx

#3: Air Jordan 4 x Eminem x Carhartt “Black Chrome”

These shoes dropped for Friends and Family, with the exception of 10 pairs up for auction on eBay, all proceeds going to the Marshall Mathers Association. They go for around -I know- $90,000 USD.

 

 

 

 

Air Jordan 1 x Off-White “UNC” Stockx

#2: Air Jordan 1 x Off-White “UNC”

A great addition to the Virgil Abloh collection, this timeless colorway retailed for $190 USD. Paying homage to the former college of Michael Jordan, these sneakers were released in 2017 as a collaboration between Virgil Abloh’s Off-White and the Air Jordan 1.

 

 

Air Jordan 4 x Cactus Jack F&F “Purple” Stockx

#1: Air Jordan 4 x Cactus Jack Friends & Family “Purple”

This shoe, just like the one a few prior to it, is an F&F drop. Going for around $40,000 USD, these shoes are another installment in the Cactus Jack x Jordan franchise. One of the most coveted sneakers in history, all sneakerheads drool when they see this shoe.

 

 

Images and Pricing from Stockx, Nike, and Sneaker Bar Detroit.

Who I Think Will Win the NBA MVP

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Who I Think Will Win the NBA MVP

In this article I will not only be covering who I think will win the NBA MVP, but also the Rookie of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the year, Defensive Player of the Year. Although the NBA has already released a few awards, such as the last six awards listed, I will still cover who I think should win.

The NBA has already released the Defensive Player of the Year award, the Clutch Player of the Year award, the Sixth Man of the Year award, the Most Improved Player award, the Rookie of the Year award, and the Coach of the Year award. The winners are as listed above; Jaren Jackson Jr., De’Aaron Fox, Malcolm Brogdon, Lauri Markkanen, Paulo Banchero, and Mike Brown. I won’t cover the Clutch Player of the Year because the statistics were too confusing for me to understand.

 

MVP

  1. Joel Embiid

While NBA.com has Nikola Jokic being the frontrunner for an MVP, I believe that Joel Embiid will take home his first MVP. Joel Embiid is an offensive force. After winning 2 straight NBA scoring titles, and no MVP’s, I believe its his time to take home an MVP. He is currently averaging 33.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.2 apg. Most points per game plus 10.2 rebounds in my opinion is an MVP caliber stat line. NBA.com has him 2nd in the Kia MVP ladder.

2. Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic may become the first player to “three-peat” an MVP award since Larry Bird did so in 1983-86. He may join the 4 player club as an MVP “three-peater”. He is currently averaging 24.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 9.8 apg. He is averaging the most assists by a center this year(3rd in NBA), and the 2nd most rebounds by a center and all players. NBA.com has him as 1st in the Kia MVP ladder.

3. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum co-led the Celtics to a 2nd place spot in the Eastern Conference, only 1 game behind NBA.com’s 3rd place MVP contender, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is averaging 30.1 ppg, 8.8 ppg, 4.6 apg. A near double-double from this year’s All-Star game MVP with a NBA record 55 points. NBA.com has him 4th in the Kia MVP ladder.

4-10

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

5. Donovan Mitchell

6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

7. Domantis Sabonis

8. Luka Doncic

9. Kevin Durant

10. James Harden

The winner of the 2023 MVP award is yet to be announced, but hopefully will some time in May.

 

Rookie of the Year (ROTY)

The Rookie of the Year award has been dominated since day 1 by one person: Paolo Banchero. He was the consensus 1st overall pick. The only player that could’ve stolen it from him was injured rookie Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

1.Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero was the consensus first overall pick of last year’s draft to whoever had it. The Magic were the lucky winners and, of course they picked Banchero. Averaging 20 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, he leads all rookies in scoring. NBA.com has him 1st for ROTY.

2. Bennedict Mathurin

Bennedict popped off in his first few games as the Pacers 6th man. In those first couple of games he averaged 24 ppg. Overall, Mathurin averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg. NBA.com has him 4th for ROTY.

3. Jalen Williams

Jalen Williams was a standout at Santa Clara, and became a prolific scorer for the Thunder in the second half of the year. He averaged 17.24 ppg in the second half of the year. Overall, he averaged 14.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg. NBA.com has him 3rd for ROTY.

4-10

4. Walker Kessler

5. Jaden Ivey

6. Keegan Murray

7. Jabari Smith Jr.

8. Jeremy Sochan

9. Malaki Branham

10. Shaedon Sharpe

The winner of the 2023 ROTY award was Orlando Magic forward Paulo Banchero.

 

MOY

1. Bobby Portis

Bobby Portis is currently second in the 6MOY runnings. He is on the Bucks team that s looking to claim their second title in 3 years. He is averaging 14.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.5 apg.

2. Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon is the 6th man for the Boston Celtics. His team is looking to claim their first title since 2008, and edge out the LA Lakers in the race for the most titles. They are both currently tied at 17 rings. Malcolm is averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 apg.

3. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley is the 6th man for the surprising Knicks team. The Knicks are currently hoping to get past the Cavaliers in the first round, which would be the first time in 10 years they won a round in the playoffs. Quickley is averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg.

The winner of the 2023 6MOY award was Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon.

 

MIP

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai has upped his number from last year(24.5 ppg, 45.3 FG%, 30.0 3pt%, 5.0 rpg, 5.9 apg) to 31.4  ppg, 51.0 FG%, 34.5 3pt%, 4.8 rpg, 5.5 apg. He is also sixth in the MVP runnings. He led the Thunder to a play-in berth, and a 9/10 game win versus the Pelicans with 32 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. This year he was a first time all-star.

2. Lauri Markkanen

Lauri has made a huge improvement from last year. Last season he averaged 14.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg on 44.5 FG% and 35.8 3pt%. This season he is averaging 25.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.9 apg on 49.9 FG% and 39.1 3pt%. He is well deserving of the award he took -although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should’ve won. However, he failed to bring the Jazz to a play-in berth, finishing 12th place in the Western Conference.

3. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson is- in my opinion- one of the most underrated players in the league. Averaging 24.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 6.2 apg on 49.1 FG% and 41.6 3pt% he is a top 20 scorer. He is the bringer of Julius Randle’s comeback(even though he won MIP in 2019-2020). Last year his stats were: 16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.8 apg on 50.2 FG% and 37.3 3pt%.

The winner of the 2023 MIP award was Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen

 

COTY

1. Mike Brown

After winning in a literal landslide, Mike Brown coached the Sacramento Kings to their very first playoff berth since the 2005-2006 season. He had help from the Clutch Player of the Year award winner De’ Aaron Fox, and the rebound title winner Domatas Sabonis.

2. Mark Daigneault

“Coach D” -as many people abbreviate his name- led the OKC Thunder to a play-in berth after a horrible losing season last year. Without the 2nd overall draft pick from 2022, his team was led by 12th overall Jalen Williams and Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander.

3. Joe Mazzulla

He was supposed to be the Celtics assistant coach after Will Hardy moved to the Utah Jazz, but after the Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was fired, he took the reigns of one of the most dominant teams ever.

The winner of the 2023 COTY award was Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown.

 

DPOY

1. Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies PF/C led the Grizzlies to a 2nd seed berth in the 2023 playoffs. He averaged 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. The Grizzlies were the 2nd best rated defensive team during the playoffs. The Grizzlies were the 7th best defensive team during the regular season.

2. Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez was the 3rd star for the Milwaukee bucks this year. He averaged 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. In the playoffs, the Bucks were the 14th best defensive team, but during the season, they were the 5th best team.

3. Evan Mobely

This year for Cleveland he averaged 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers were the best defensive teams with the defensive rating. During the regular season, they were the best team.

The winner of the 2023 DPOY award was Jaren Jackson Jr.

Top 10 NBA teams to win the Title 2023-24

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Top 10 NBA teams to win the Title 2023-24

In the NBA, there are many great teams, and players. But who is the best? Below are my top ten favorite teams to win the NBA in the 2023-24 season. It may be too early to tell, because we’re not even at the All-star break yet, but the Celtics, Thunder, Clippers, and Bucks are my favorites. 

#1 Boston Celtics

Currently 1st in the Eastern Conference, they have  a record of 38-12, which is the best across the NBA. in the off-season, they acquired “unicorn” Kristaps Porzingas, who has been averaging 20 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 apg. Jayson Tatum has been averaging 27 ppg, a step down from last year, 8 rpg, and 5 apg. Jaylen Brown was extended to a 304 million dollar contract during the off-season, where the Celtics also traded reigning 6th Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, and Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart. Jrue Holiday was also acquired during the off-season, making for a great defensive and offensive team. 

#2 OKC Thunder

The Thunder is the 2nd youngest team on average, and they are currently tied 1st in the Western Conference, with a 35-15 record. They have a bright future, so even if they don’t win this year, they are still my favorite for the years to come. Led by All-star guard and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they are in the top 5 of 6 different team stats.  

#3 LA Clippers

After they added James Harden, they have won 30 games and lost 13. They are first in the Power Rankings, but 3rd in the Western Conference. Will an All-star Caliber roster consisting of Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Paul  George, and James Harden be enough to get them to the NBA Finals? Maybe. Will it be enough to win? No. Maybe if this were 5 or 6 years ago when all of these players were in there prime. 

#4 Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are coming off a Finals victory over the Miami Heat. They have a top three player in the league in Nikola Jokic. This team is a solid squad, currently sitting at 4th in the Western Conference, only behind the T-wolves, Thunder and Clippers. Nikola Jokic is the 2nd favorite to win the MVP award, only behind Joel Embiid, who may not even play enough games to qualify for the award.

#5 Minnesota Timberwolves

Currently tied 1st in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves have  a 35-15 record. They are led by the defensive focused, All-star trio of Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, and DPOY Rudy Gobert. They have the second lowest defensive field goal % of all the NBA teams, only behind the Boston Celtics. 

#6 Milwaukee Bucks

They fired their coach, Adrian Griffin despite having a 30-13 record. Since then, they hired Doc Rivers, a coach who won a title with the Celtics in 2008 and have gone 3-4. Led by All-star duo Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are 2nd in the Eastern Conference. 

#7 Philadelphia 76ers

The ‘6ers are currently 5th in the Western Conference with a record of 30-18. Embiid, their star player has only played 34 of those 48 games. But he has been averaging 35 ppg in those 34 games, one of which he dropped 70 against Rookie of the Year favorite Victor Wembamyama. 

#8 Cleveland Cavaliers

Currently 3rd in the Eastern Conference, this team is led by former All-stars Donavon Mitchell and Darius Garland. Jarrett Allen helps get boards and Evan Mobley adds in 16 ppg. This team led by the former Utah Jazz guard is 18-4 in the last 22 games. The team is 31-16 overall.

#9 New York Knicks

4th in the Eastern Conference at 32-18, the Knicks have been having a great year. Led by Jalen Brunson, they are 8th in the Power Rankings. Jalen Brunson has been averaging 27 ppg, and 7 apg, whereas his teammate, Julius Randle, has been averaging 24.0 ppg, 9 rpg, and 5 apg. They went on a nine-game win streak, which ended in Crypto.com arena against the Lakers. 

#10 Phoenix Suns

With great potential comes expectations. The trio of former MVP Kevin Durant, 3 time All-stars Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal have led “The Valley” to 6th in the Western Conference at 29-21. In the off-season, they acquired notable guard Bradley Beal in a three-team trade that sent Chris Paul to the Warriors and Jordan Poole to the Wizards. 

The article may be done, but the question still remains. Who do you think will win the NBA title? Leave your guesses down below. (Records and stats are from 2-7-24)

Sources: NBA, ESPN

Similar articles: My favorites to win the NBA 2022-23, NBA teams with the brightest future 2022-23, NBA players to win awards 2022-23, the best and worst teams in the NBA 2022-23

Why is team chemistry more important than overall talent?

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Why is team chemistry more important than overall talent?

The 2021-2022 Lakers squad has had a very dissapointing start to this season, as of writing this article they are 10-11. What is the reason for their struggle, and has this happened before?

 

There are 2 keys to success in the NBA nowadays. The first one is skill and stardom. Every team should be built around a superstar, a guy you see as the future and leader of the squad. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is that guy. A guy who draws a lot of attention and night in and out consistently puts up very good numbers.

 

The second key is chemistry. All of the talent you may have means nothing if none of it works together. A team like the Phoenix Suns may not have the biggest stars in the league, but they still made it to the NBA Finals last season due to their impressive chemistry. A team that plays better together is better than a team that plays the best by themselves. Kevin Durant once said, “Chemistry is important. If you like your teammates, it’s going to be easier to play with them on the court”.

 

Going into this season, the Lakers were the team to watch. They were expected to match up against the Nets in the NBA Finals for a fantastic matchup. However, the Lakers have been very disappointing thus far. The Lakers are a measly 10-11, and it seems every week they play worse and worse teams and continue to lose. What is the reason for these losses, you may ask?

 

It’s quite noticeable when you watch Lakers games what their issue is: they don’t know how to play as a unit. I don’t even watch basketball, and even I can notice it. There is too much stardom in Los Angeles and not enough chemistry to go around. Guys like Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook all on the same team are not working well. All 4 of those guys are players to build a team around. All of them would be leading scorers on most teams in the league. All of them want the ball, and when one player takes too many shots, the other guys become useless. They need to learn how to distribute all of their talents equally around and use all of their strengths to combine them.

 

Unfortunately, if everyone can’t figure it out, they may end up trading people away. Fill some weaknesses the Lakers have and not have as many stars on the floor at once. This is the unfortunate route they may have to take, but it is very much an option.

 

Now, the Lakers are not the only example of this. In the NBA’s entire history this happens essentially every year. The Nets are last season’s example and have had the same issue this season as well. The Big 3 the Nets traded for and signed, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden have not played well together. All 3 of them shoot the ball too much. However, James and Kevin have started to figure it out, Kyrie has left them behind. Kyrie has not been allowed to play due to his unwillingness to get the COVID-19 Vaccine, and Kevin and James are being good teammates and not being negative towards Irving. Kevin says, “He’s a part of our team”.

 

It begs the question, does chemistry mean more than talent? Yes, teams that have very good chemistry have always done better than extremely talented teams. Take the 2020 Milwaukee Bucks for example. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the biggest name in the Finals for that squad, but other than that, there was not much star power. But, everyone knew their role. Jrue Holiday knew he was not going to be the scoring point guard, and so he focused on his biggest strength, that being his defense. The same is not said for Khris Middleton however, as he was expected to be the best 3 point shooter on that team, and he was. All of these parts came together and formed a championship team. Even their opponents in the Finals had great chemistry and were built similarly to Milwaukee, but the Bucks were bigger and stronger and ended up winning.

 

Time and time again it has been proved that teams with better chemistry will win more games than a team with extraordinary talent. If all the parts come together, they can form a special squad. But, the teams that have the right amount of talent and chemistry, become dynasties and can go down as some of the greatest teams of all time.

 

The Life of John Stockton

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The Life of John Stockton

John Stockton is one of the best basketball players in history. He has the most assists in a season for the NBA. Growing up he was the star of his High school basketball team. He has won many awards in his lifetime. He played in the NBA for many seasons. He also has lots of kids. There are so many cool things about him. Stick around to learn more about John Stockton.

 

Early Life

John Stockton was born March 26, 1962, in Spokane Washington, to his parents Clementine and Jack Stockton. He has 3 siblings Steave, Leane, and Stacy. John’s dad played Basketball and that’s where he learned all his basketball skills from. He loved playing basketball with his dad learning and improving every day. In high school, he went to Gonzaga Preparatory School. John was the star player on his school team scoring about 20.9 points and 7.2 assists a game in his Seiner year of high school. He scored over 1,000 points in high school. 

 

Adult life

For college, John went to Gonzaga University in Washington. He majored in Busines Administration. In college, he became Gonzaga’s all-time leader in steals and assists. John had 3,265 steals and 15,806 Assists in his college career. In the West Coast Athletic Conference, he Had the most points, assists, and steals. He had an average of 57% shooting rank. John graduated in 1984 with a 3.30 GPA. On august 16, 1986 jhon got married to Nada Stepovich. He and his wife had 6 kids together. their names are David, Michael, Laura, Samuel, Lindsay, and Houston. John and his 6 kids still live happily together.

 

Career

John Stockton went to the NBA in 1984. Witch means he was about 22 years old. He was the 16th overall pick in the first round to the Utah jazz. Jhon played Point guard for the Jazz for his 19 seasons. He has the most Assist on the jazz team. His shooting percentage was 51.5%. He had an 83% free-through percentage. Right now John Stockton has the most steals in the NBA. His salary in the NBA was $95 million. He retired from playing professional basketball in 2003. 

 

Awards

John has won many awards throughout his career here are some of them. John won the NBA player of the month in February 1988. In the 1990-1991 season, he had the most assists in a season having 1,164 Assist. In 1993 he won the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award. in 1997, 1995, and 1992 John and his team won NBA All-Defensive Team. Also, in 1992 he won the Olympic gold. In 1995, and 1994 They won the All-NBA Team award. in 1993 he won co-MVP along with his teammate Karl Malone. in 1996 he was named one of the greatest 50 players in NBA history. John Stockton has won so many more awards.

 

Fun facts

John Stockton has many interesting facts about him here are some of them:

  • His nickname is Stock Because he is short.
  • He made the most steals in NBA history.
  • If you want to follow john Stockton here is his Instagram account @johnstockton12.
  • He always wore Nike shoes to his games.
  • He played his whole career with the Jazz.
  • Each year Stockton played with the Jazz they have made it to the playoffs.

John Stockton is an amazing basketball player. He has the most assists in a season for the NBA. He has also, won a lot more awards. Throughout his whole life, he played basketball. While he was growing up he would play with his dad. On the Jazz team, he was one of the best players along with Karel Malone. He is an awesome basketball player but an even better person.

 

NBA Christmas Day Games

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This year’s Christmas day games are going to be good and competitive. They have the Lakers playing the Nets, the two supposed powerhouses that should run through every team like it’s nothing. But both have problems that could be exploited. The Net’s have two ball-dominant star guards. Will they be able to mesh because if they can’t one of them might have to go? But if they do mesh that is three 25 to 30 point scorers about 8 assists each and if the other teams decide that they aren’t going to let the big three of James Harden Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant score the entire rest of the roster is filled with three-point snipers so as long as one two or all three of them are on the floor there will be at least one player wide open and all they have to do is hit a three. Then the Lakers have LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. That is three current All- star’s, two former MVP’s and then they have a very well-rounded bench. But their problem is they have zero shooting. And an explosive guard that is slowly declining and can’t seem to get a jumper past the three-point line Russel Westbrook. Then they have Anthony Davis who just can’t stay healthy enough to play a full season but when he is playing he is a beast. He is a good shooter for a big man, a great finisher, good handles, and a defensive beast. And now finally LeBron James he is thirty-six years old and has a decent jump shot and good court vision he is slowly on the decline defensively. Every year he is losing his explosive first step that said he has a good post-game and is doing everything possible to stay at a halt decline-wise or keep the decline as slow as possible. Last year his age started to show after he had injury after injury. The biggest problem with the Lakers is the age of all of their players. The average age of all of their players except for two of them is 33 or older. The Christmas day game with the Nets and Lakers is one to watch if both of these teams find a way to work to their max potential.

The next game that I am going to talk about is Jazz, Mavericks. Now I think that this game should have been The Clippers vs either one of these two because both the Mavericks and the Jazz have become playoff rivals to the Clippers after the past two years. But I still expect this game to be a game that will be very close. The Mavericks and Jazz have had regular-season showdowns but nothing as big as what both teams have had against the Clippers. I expect the Jazz to win the game by about five points. There are no big concerns with these teams like the Lakers and Nets but if they could get some better players around their young stars that would help the team’s move to the next level. For the big matchup of the game, I expect the high thirties to mid to low forties from Mitchell and I expect somewhere from mid-twenties to low thirties with around ten assists from Luka.

Now we have the Hawks and the Knicks. Last year they both had unexpected playoff berths as two middle seeded teams being the fourth and fifth seed’s. Everyone expected the Knicks to walk away with the series but they did what they do best they choked. Their best player Julies Randle couldn’t make a shot to save his life and they fell apart defensively they were the best defensive team in the league. But that doesn’t mean the Hawks would have lost if they played normally because Trae Young was cooking and he wouldn’t miss if he tried. John Collins was dunking everything inside the Hawks were just on a whole nother level. But I think the Knicks are going to want some revenge after what happened in the playoffs. I think this game is going to be good but most importantly the matchup. I think Trae Young has thirty to forty with some assists and I think that Julies Randle will have mid-twenties to thirty with two blocks a steal and some rebounds. I expect the Hawks to win but it will be a fun game.
Next, we have the Warriors and Suns. This game is going to be insane outside of the fact that they have no existing rivalry outside of Steph and Paul who have been going at each other for years. The Warriors are coming off a season where Steph couldn’t be stopped. He averaged 32 a game THIRTY-TWO. That is insane. He is the oldest player in NBA history to average that he had an entire month where he scored thirty or more that is insane. He didn’t have much help last year and missed the playoffs while Chris Paul went to the finals. I think that Chris Paul and Steph are going to duel. I expect forty to fifty from Curry and a double-double from Chris Paul. But the scoring duel is going to be Curry and Booker. But the Warriors have newly acquired rookie Jonathan Kuminga who is a defensive hound so we will just have to see how fast Kuminga adapts to be the top scorer in the league.

Last but not least we have the Celtics and the Bucks. This game is going to be good. We have last year’s NBA champions in the Milwaukee Buck and we have a team with a first-round exit to the Nets in last year’s playoffs the Celtics. Now, this doesn’t seem interesting but the Celtics had their second-best player Jalen Brown go down right before the playoffs with a torn wrist ligament so even if they managed to beat the Nets without him they wouldn’t have gotten him back for the finals. But last year the Celtics had lots of injuries and a lot of players go down to Covid, but in the middle part of the season when everyone was healthy and on the floor, they were winning games and they were looking like a championship team like the year before but then the injuries and the Covid cases piled upright as the season came to an end. If all of the players can manage to stay healthy on both teams this might be one of the better games and these teams don’t have a lot of weaknesses both teams have good shooters, good finishers, good defenders, good play-makers and most importantly good chemistry both of these teams have been playing together for at least three seasons with minor adjustments to the roster year to year but nothing major. The only problem with these two teams is player health but other than that they’re both really good.

The games that I am most excited for in order are Celtics Bucks if healthy, Jazz Mavericks, Warriors Suns, Hawks Knicks, and Nets Lakers. I think that this year’s Christmas Day games are going to be some of the most competitive in recent years. But that is just my opinion and my opinion is the only one that matters. Just kidding, all opinions matter.

NBA Season Opener Review

Ian Slack Uncategorized , , 0 Comment
NBA Season Opener Review

In this article, I am going to talk about the NBA season openers. I am going to start with the Bucks game because they played first. For the Bucks game, they played the Brooklyn Nets. These two teams are on top of the Eastern Conference. They played an insane playoff series where Kevin Durant’s foot was on the three-point line for the game-winning shot two ties the game and then the Bucks walked awry victorious. Now onto the Milwaukee Buck’s game where they won the game 127 to 104. This was unexpected because the Nets had major roster improvements with Patty Mills and the reason that Kyrie Irving didn’t play in that game is that he refuses to take the covid vaccine so the Nets won’t let him play but I think that is better because he and James Harden need the ball to do their stuff and then Kevin Durant doesn’t get the ball as much as he should. I think that one of the biggest reasons that the Nets lost was because they didn’t get a lot of extra scoring from the bench and James Harden played poorly probably because he doesn’t want to be there anymore. I also think that it is hilarious that they are having the Bucks ring ceremony for winning the NBA championship against the Nets because James Harden and Giannis have a lot of beef and it started with James Harden saying that Giannis had no skill and that he would like to be able to just run and dunk too. But James Harden vowed to win a ring before Giannis and Giannis won so I think it will be hilarious to watch Harden watch Giannis get his ring.

Onto the Warriors game. The Warriors were the best team in the league since 2015 but they declined rapidly due to injury since 2019 but they are looking to take back that crown this year with their original lineup format of good starters and then a bench that can hold its own without the starters. Last season the Warriors barely missed out on the playoffs due to the stupid play in-game. They had a high enough seed that they would have made the playoffs every other year in NBA history but Adam Silver is an idiot and came up with the play in the game. If a team wins more games than the other team then they deserve to play in the playoffs. But in the game about a week ago they beat the Lakers 121 to 114 with Steph Curry playing like trash. He had 21 points on 23% from the field which is terrible for anyone. But the rest of the team picked up some slack and the biggest problem with the Warriors last year was they couldn’t score without Steph but the whole roster has found ways to get open and create their shot without Curry on the floor which is scary because it shows that they can win without him and that they can maintain and create leads without Curry on the floor which was the biggest problem with their game last year. Now that the Warriors have veterans and young talent that carry the Warriors franchise when Steph, Klay, and Draymond Green retire. One of the biggest things that decide if they win the championship is how healthy Klay Thompson is, how well the rookies play, and if their bench can stay consistent. But overall I have high hopes for the Warriors this year and they should be disappointed if they don’t make the western conference finals.

Overall I am excited about this season because there are a lot of teams that got a lot of roster improvement to make the playoffs and go far and then there are teams that were already in the playoffs and made roster improvements to win it all so I am excited to see how the season goes. I also expect Steph to win his third MVP.

The Life of Donovan Mitchell

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The Life of Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell is one of the best Basketball players of all time. He has won many awards in his life. As a rookie, he showed himself off and proved he was the best. Donovan was one of the best rookies of all time. He lived in New York most of his life with his family. He joined the Jazz in 2017 and surprised everyone. Keep reading to find out more about Donovan Mitchell.

Early Life

Donovan Mitchell was born on September 7, 1996, to his parents Donovan and Nicole Michell, and his sister Jordan. He was born in Elmsford New York and lived around that area most of his life. Growing up Donvan played Basketball and baseball. He and his sister were very competitive growing up and played sports together with each other and their friends. Donovan Went to Canterbury elementary school in Milford Connecticut and brewster academy for high school in New Hampshire high school. The family was and still is very important to him. Growing up Donovan was a fan of Lebron James and the New York Knicks

Adult Life

Donovan did many things in his life. In 2015 Donovan went to college, he went to the University of Louisiana, Majoring in Communications. In college he played basketball for 2 years Then in 2017 He was the 13th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He got drafted from the Denver Nuggets to the Utah Jazz. So far Donovan has scored over 2,501 points playing for the Jazz. Mitchell is still playing jazz and will continue to for a while. In 2020 He also started playing for the USA Men’s basketball team and went to the 2020 Olympics. In Tokyo, Mitchell helped his team win gold. This year Donovan is still playing for the Utah Jazz, and everyone is hoping that he will be the best he has ever been.

Career

Donovan Mitchell has been playing for the Jazz since 2017, which is 4 years Making this year 5 years. He is 25 years old and started playing for Utah when he was 20. Donovan plays many positions but his main ones are Point Guard, Shooting Guard, and Guard. Right now Donovan Mitchell’s salary is about $5.196 Million. He also plays for the USA Men’s basketball team. This year at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Mitchell and his team won the gold medal. 

Awards

Donovan has won many awards throughout his career, here are some of them. During his rookie season, Mitchell won Rookie of the month 3 times. Also, as a rookie, Donovan won the dunk contest. In 2018 he won the NBA all-rookie team, The best breakthrough ESPY award, and the NBA player’s voice award for the leader of the year. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Donovan and his team won the gold medal for the USA men’s basketball team. He also was a finalist for the Community Assist award in 2021 because he helps so many people out. He has a record for most threes made by a rookie. 

Fun facts

There are so many fun facts about Donovan Mitchell. Here are some of them. Right now Donovan is 25 years old. His jersey number is 45. He chose this number because Michael Jorden use to have this number and Donovan liked to watch him. Mitchell’s nickname is Spida Because of his long arms and his ability to steal the ball. His dad’s friend gave him the nickname while playing AAU basketball. Donovan’s dad played Minor league baseball back in the ’90s. Donovan wanted to be a Baseball player all growing up. He is 6,1 and weighs 215 pounds. Donovan’s net worth is $20 million. His middle name is Vernell, so his full name is Donovan Vernell Mitchell. He has an average of 24.4 points per game in the playoffs. Mitchell was the 7th jazz player to win Overall rookie of the year. In the future, Donovan wants to be a broadcaster. He wears a size 17 shoe size. Right now Donovan is dating a girl named Deja Lighty. Right now Donovan is 25 years old. Donovan has the highest scoring points for a guard on the jazz team. So far he has made 726 Threes on the jazz team. Growing up Donovan was a fan of Lebron James. He also cheered for the New York Knicks. He has the 4th scoring average on the jazz team. Donovan is known for giving people his shoes after games. A couple of years ago Donovan saw a car crash in front of him on the freeway and pulled over and helped the lady in the crash and told the police what happened. Mitchell is a very nice person; he donates lots of money to different causes. Donovan is an amazing player but an even better person. 

Donovan Mitchell is one of the Nicest players you will ever see. Every year he donates thousands of dollars to charity. Donovan has won many awards and will continue to do so. He has made so many three-pointers in his life. Mitchell is one of the best Basketball players in the NBA and hopes he will continue.

 

A breakdown of the Utah Jazz 2021-2022 schedule

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A breakdown of the Utah Jazz 2021-2022 schedule

This is a breakdown of the Utah Jazz 2021-2022 schedule. This year the Jazz are playing on Christmas Day for the seventh time; they also played these years on Christmas day 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1988, and 1997. This is the first time they have played on Christmas day since 1997.

They play the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 on ESPN. The Utah Jazz are projected to go 60-22. The Jazz are 3rd on power rankings in the west behind the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz also have some long road trips; a six-day trip, as well as a 9-day road trip. The Jazz have 14 nationally streamed games; ESPN 8 times, and TNT 4 times, and one time on ABC.

The Jazz also has 13 back-to-back games. Utah will open up the season on October 20th at the Vivint Arena against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and end the season April 10th against the Portland Trailblazers in Portland.

The toughest stretch of the season is their 9-day road trip they start From January 23 up to February 4th. This is the list of teams the Jazz play in order: the Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Suns (again), the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets, and the Brooklyn Nets.

The Jazz play on new years day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. At 7:00 pm

In Utah. They also play on my birthday December 8th at the Minnesota Timberwolves stadium. On Wednesday at 6:00 pm the Jazz play on Halloween against the defending NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert that would be a good game to watch.

Let’s talk about their players. In the starting lineup, we got PG Mike Conley with his leadership on the court. SG Donovan Mitchell with his shooting defenses dunking he can do everything he averaged 26.4 last season. At SF Bojan when Donovan Mitchell is out he can take over the court when they played the Denver Nuggets on May 7th he dropped 48 points. At PF Royce O’neal he usually guards the best player on the other team like Lebron James. The center Rudy Gobert has 3 Defensive players of the year he is one of the best centers in the NBA he’s got a Defensive Offensive he can dunk cause he is 7’1 his defense he blocks everybody he can kinda shoot the jump shot. But if he could shoot 3s he would be the best center in the NBA. On their bench, there is Jordan Clarkson who won 6 man of the year he dropped 41 off the bench which was a career high. The Jazz also have Joe Ingles, he is their 3 point shooter. They also picked up a few players during the offseason, those being Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, Hassan Whitside, Justin Jam, Udoka Azubike. The Jazz also drafted Jared Butler from Baylor in the first round. Their last bench player Trent Forster is a pretty decent player off the bench. That’s the breakdown of the Utah Jazz schedule and players.

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