Former NBA star Dwight Howard denied sexually assaulting a man and forcing him into a threesome, according to reports. Howard asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit against him as the alleged activity engaged in was consensual.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline, the NBA legend admitted that he met his accuser Stephen Harper on social media in May 2021.
Harper said he approached Howard with a DM on Instagram, and sent his cellphone number, and Howard sent a text message after receiving it.
In his lawsuit, Harper said the three-time DPOY mentioned to him that he liked “weird” sexual things and that he asked Harper to send him explicit photos.
In his response, Howard said he exchanged text messages with Harper between May 2021 and July 2021, “several of which included sexually explicit content, such as photographs and videos”.
Howard also admits that Harper came to his home on July 19, 2021. Howard admitted that they went to his room, took off their clothes and “kissed consensually”.
But this is where the stories diverge.
In his lawsuit, Harper alleged Howard surprised him by introducing him to a man dressed as a woman. Harper said the man called himself “Kitty” and that Howard wanted to engage in a threesome, but Harper resisted.
Harper said Kitty began performing oral sex on Howard, and that Howard tried to touch his thigh and stoked his “penis through his underwear”.
In the lawsuit Harper said he asked Howard to stop, but the ex-NBA star told him he was “going to do whatever” and that he was “going to like it”.
“Defendant stood up (towering over Mr. Harper), grabbed Mr. Harper by the thighs, forcibly removed Mr. Harper’s underwear, restrained him and performed non-consensual oral sex on him,” the lawsuit said. “Mr. Harper feared imminent bodily harm when he was restrained and forced to remain in place while the defendant continued to sexually assault him.”
In his response to the lawsuit, Howard denied that Kitty surprised Harper. He said that “the plaintiff knew he would also arrive at the house before he arrived at the defendant’s house.”
Howard also denies assaulting or forcing Harper to do anything, saying that all three men agreed to consensual activity and asked the court to throw out the lawsuit.
“What was a private consensual encounter was made public for profit and Mr. Howard looks forward to bringing the truth to light in a court of law,” said Howard’s attorney Justin Bailey.
“The allegations against Mr. Howard are contested. Mr. Howard intends to present the truth. The truth is Mr. Howard blocked Mr. Harper on social media and then was confronted with two options – pay to protect his reputation or have a fabricated story made public.
“Despite being an easy target due to the subject matter and his status as a celebrity, Mr. Howard chose to trust in the justice system and will rely on all future court filings to speak for themselves.”
This is an ongoing story that due to its salacious nature; it will reverberate throughout the world of sports and entertainment.
Howard spent last season playing with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League in Taiwan. He was named an All-Star and was MVP of the All-Star game.
He last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Howard has talked about wanting to play in the league again. This latest story will likely make him radioactive, as teams will say he will be a “distraction.”
The NBA season got underway on Tuesday night as the Denver Nuggets raised their first championship banner and then went out and beat the Los Angeles Lakers. While those two teams are heavy on the veterans, here are some of the top rookies to take the hardwood to begin the season.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman, who’s considered a generational talent, looked lost at times in NBA Summer League, which was to be expected.
He was much better in the preseason, showing his unique skill set that makes him arguably the most intriguing NBA prospect ever. As he learns the nuances of the NBA game with legendary coach Gregg Popovich at the helm, and the likes of Spurs legends Tim Duncan and David Robinson as mentors, it’s hard to imagine Wemby not being a star.
In his Monday presser, Pop said Wemby is ready.
“Victor has been through this. There has been a lot of hype around him for a long time, and he doesn’t let it affect him. He is very mature. He is very emotionally strong. His priorities are in order. He is very professional already, so he’ll just come and play.”
The 2022 No. 2 overall pick, who missed all of last season with a lisfranc foot injury, is ready to prove he was worthy of the second overall pick. Much like Wemby, Holmgren is considered a unicorn, a seven-footer possessing a futuristic, unique skill set.
Holmgren, who was considered an elite shot-blocker during his one year at Gonzaga, also shot 40 percent from three during his lone season in Spokane.
This preseason Holmgren showcased a lot of those skills, and now he is set for his first season forming a young core led by All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and others.
The Damian Lillard era came to an end recently with the perennial All-Star being dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks. The team drafted Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick with the belief he’d be their future lead guard.
The time is now.
While Scoot doesn’t possess the offensive arsenal of a Dame Lillard, he has some serious skills. In fact, Blazers assistant Scott Brooks, who coached Russell Westbrook, likens the dynamic Scoot to RW3.
In an interview with Andscape Brooks said:
“Westbrook 2.0. A lot of similarities. They’re both extremely smart, tough, competitive and determined. Their will to prepare is just as great as their will to win.”
The former Alabama standout was dynamite in his one college season.
The 6-foot-9 wing has drawn comparisons to his favorite player, Paul George. In Charlotte he’ll be asked to provide wing scoring and defense alongside star guard and 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Bell and sharpshooter Terry Rozier. Having longtime veterans like George and Gordon Hayward as mentors should also help in Miller’s development.
The Rockets have a new coach in Ime Udoka, and they signed veteran and former NBA champion Fred Vanvleet to lead their backcourt.
So where does Thompson fit in?
One thing about Udoka is he wants length and size on the floor for defensive purposes, so Thompson, who’s eventually supposed to assume the point guard mantle, will have his chance to make an impact in various ways, and likely in some three-guard lineups with Vanvleet and star Jalen Green. You can’t teach Thompson’s size — 6 feet 7 — and instincts, and that should net him some serious opportunities in H-Town.
The Michigan Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in college football after making the College Football Playoff the last two seasons.
Many believe this Wolverines team has the program’s best chance at winning its first national championship since 1997. Led by head coach Jim Harbaugh, the “Maize and Blue” embody physical play and discipline, with a plethora of talent as well.
Late last week a report was released that the program allegedly has been stealing the signs of other Big Ten opponents.
While Harbaugh and his staff vehemently deny any wrongdoing, videos of what is being alleged show otherwise.
With a program assistant going to games at other Big Ten stadiums and reportedly using his cellphone to record things to give the Wolverines a competitive advantage, it suggests that there may be some thievery going on.
One person who knows about sign stealing is Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. The legendary defensive back also played Major League Baseball, so he knows all about sign stealing. During his Tuesday presser, Sanders, when asked for his thoughts on the scandal, was pretty straightforward in his response.
Sanders Doesn’t Believe It Helped The Wolverines Much On The Field
“Everyone’s trying to get an edge,” Sanders said. “You can have someone’s whole game plan. They can mail it to you, you’ve still got to stop it. … In football, it’s not as pronounced as baseball. If I know a curveball is coming, I’ve got you.
“With football, I don’t give a dern if you know a sweep is coming, you’ve got to stop it, physically,” he explained. “It’s a physical game, so that’s tough. I don’t buy into a lot of that stuff. … You’ve still got to play the game.”
True words spoken by Coach Prime, who’s never been afraid to give his opinion or provide a take.
Was Colorado On The Receiving End Of Something Like This?
Earlier this season, as an undefeated Colorado Buffaloes team under Coach Prime prepared to face the Oregon Ducks, FS1 analyst and former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson says he heard other teams consulted with the Ducks to help game plan for the Buffs.
When Johnson made the proclamation, it sounded a little far-fetched, for many reasons, but mainly because the Ducks are much better than Colorado, so why would they need to do that. Their 42-6 win further proved that what Johnson was spewing might’ve been more clickbait than actual truth.
NBA star Tristan Thompson is a famous father of four, and in the case of one of his children he is being accused of not paying his child support. The current Cleveland Cavaliers player has a 6-year-old son named Prince with his ex-Jordan Briani Craig, and she is claiming that he owes her $224,000 in back child support.
Craig is the mother of his first child. The 32-year-old was reportedly paying $40,000 a month to Craig since April 2019 after reaching a child support settlement that year. According to The Daily Mail, Craig reportedly filed a declaration in Los Angeles court last month stating that since November 2022, Thompson had made “either partial payments or missing child support payments altogether.”
In 2016, Thompson welcomed Prince Oliver into the world with Craig. After the couple broke up, he had another child named True with Khloe Kardashian in 2018. Then, in December 2021, Thompson and fitness model Maralee Nichols welcomed their son Theo, and after requesting a paternity test, which turned out positive, he claimed the child the following month. Thompson reportedly pays $10,000 a month in child support to Nichols.
Lastly, in July 2022, Thompson and Kardashian welcomed their second child, son Tatum, which made four children for Thompson. During that time, Thompson has been on six teams for usually no more than one season: Boston Celtics, the Sacramento Kings, the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers, and back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where his career started in 2011.
His child support expenses have risen exponentially as he reportedly pays $10,000 monthly in additional child support to Nichols.
In her filing, Craig included a list of payments that Thompson made over ten months, showing that he allegedly has a pattern of sporadic payments. Per her declaration, Thompson allegedly sent her $20,000 in November, paid $40,000 in December, but then sent no payment in January. Then, from February to July, Thompson allegedly made six payments of $14,500; in August, he sent her $29,000.
“It is my belief that Tristan signed a ‘veteran’s minimum’ contract with the Cavaliers that pays him $2.7 million per year,” Craig reported in the filing about Thompson’s contract with the Cavs.
Craig asks the court to withhold $80,000 of Thompson’s monthly income with the Cavaliers, with the payments “to stay in effect until the arrears are satisfied.”
Fatherhood is lovely, and Tristan Thompson is experiencing all the wonderment he can handle.
Carmelo Anthony is one of the greatest scorers in basketball history and has an extremely decorated career with a list of accolades, ranging from winning a scoring title to Olympic gold medals.
It’s only a matter of time before Melo gets the call to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but for now, Melo will be inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2024 class.
This Hall of Fame voting committee is a revamped group that has gone under some changes after its original founders had all passed away. This caused a hiatus for the NYC Hall of Fame, which stopped functioning prior to the pandemic and was eventually brought back six years later.
NYC Hall of Fame Returns With Elite Class
Inducting one of the greatest hoopers from New York to pick up a basketball is the perfect way to reintroduce the NYC Hall of Fame.
Melo was born in Brooklyn, but moved to Baltimore when he was eight years old and spent most of his formative years developing his hoop culture in that area.
As a pro, Carmelo spent seven seasons donning the famous orange and blue when he played with the New York Knicks. Melo had plenty of memorable moments and brought the Knicks back to relevance in the NBA, turning them into perennial playoff contenders.
Overall, Anthony played 19 seasons for six teams. He averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 1,260 regular-season games.
The 10-time NBA All-Star also was named to the 75th Anniversary team, thanks in part to a storied career between the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, where he was in the Top 10 in scoring in nine of 10 seasons.
But before he was great in the NBA, Melo was a campus hero at Syracuse University, leading the Orange to a national championship in his lone year in 2003. So even though Melo couldn’t bring a title to New York as a Knick, he was able to bring one to one of New York’s legendary basketball colleges.
The revamped NYC Basketball Hall of Fame is headed by former basketball legend Nate “Tiny” Archibald and CEO Michael Cohen.
They moved the Hall of Fame records online to hoopshallny.org and are looking for a physical location for the reintroduction as well as the 2024 induction ceremony.
Who Else Is Being Inducted Into NYC Basketball Hall of Fame?
Melo isn’t the only one being inducted into this Hall of Fame class. Other New York notables who are a part of this induction are streetball legend Joe Hammond, former New York Liberty Star, 2010 WNBA Rookie Of The Year and Queens hoops legend Tina Charles and NYC coaching legend Ron Naclerio, the PSAL’s all-time winning hoops coach with 911 career wins and counting.
Related: Cardozo Hoops Coach Ron Naclerio Wins 800th Game (theshadowleague.com)
When you think of New York City hoops in the past 50 years, Naclerio’s fingerprints are all over the culture and its finest players. He’s been the head coach at Cardozo for 43 years, and before that historic run as the top dog, Naclerio served six seasons as an assistant.
“To be in the NYC Hall of Fame is mind boggling,” Naclerio told The Shadow League. “The greatness of who is in there and to be put up there with them is stuff you only dream about.
“You never think it becomes reality. When I think of the honor I shake. Can this all be real? I recall all the aspirations I had that never materialized, so doubt certainly creeps in.”
Now there’s no doubt anymore as far as where Naclerio stands in the pantheon of culturally impactful coaches.
The New York City Basketball Hall of Fame celebrates over 120 years of basketball in New York by recognizing and honoring the best basketball players, coaches, referees, promoters and contributors in the history of New York hoops.
Between 1990 and 2017 this Hall of Fame inducted a total of 28 classes and expanded its reach to induct non-basketball players into their ranks, such as ESPN Analyst Stephen A Smith, along with actor Denzel Washington, and director Spike Lee — seemingly the biggest Knicks fan.
While Melo is no longer playing in the NBA, this is only the beginning of the ceremonies and awards he will be receiving for what he’s done during his illustrious basketball career.
The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame will be knocking shortly, and there’s no doubt that Melo is a first-ballot inductee, but for now he’s likely fine with the recognition for what he’s done for his home.
All of these deserved inductees have made tremendous contributions to the game and helped shape basketball culture in some significant way.
The Denver Nuggets begin defense of the franchise’s first NBA championship this past June. In winning the Mile High City’s first Larry O’Brien Trophy in its 44-year NBA existence, the Nuggets used a complete team approach that includes all-world center Nikola Jokic, and “Robin” to his “Batman,” star point guard Jamal Murray, who returned from a devastating ACL injury.
A huge part of the Nuggets’ success last season was the play of their role players, mainly do-it-all wing Bruce Brown, who played a everything from point guard to power forward in head coach Michael Malone’s attack.
Following the title win, Brown, like many key role players of championship teams, became a valued commodity by other teams. During free agency the Indiana Pacers offered Brown a deal he couldn’t refuse at two years, $45M.
Brown’s new deal will pay him 240 percent more than he raked in last year with the Nuggets. But where does this leave Denver with his departure?
Browns Role Was Vital, Even Opposing Players Know It
Brown’s play over the years has earned him the respect of opposing players around the league. During an appearance on “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone,” Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, who was a part of the Nuggets’ four-game sweep of them in the Western Conference finals, talked about Brown and his impact.
“Losing Bruce Brown hurt them, losing Bruce Brown hurt them though.”
“Bruce Brown is, like, unpredictable, bro. He could go 3 of 5 from the 3, play point guard, get you in the bonus, shoot 10-12 free throws. He’s just a problem, I think. I think any team that wants and appreciates him, he’s only going to get better. Respect.”
Russell’s assessment of Brown’s impact on the Nuggets is nothing but the truth. He saw it firsthand, and because of that he also believes his loss will hurt the Nuggets, although they remain the favorite in the West.
Who Needs To Step Up And Fill Brown’s Void
When you have a player like Jokic, it covers up a lot offensively for any team, but it’s the defensive end and other things where Brown also made his mark. With Brown out of the picture, you can expect the aforementioned Malone to lean more on sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr., who played much better on that end of the floor in the playoffs.
Also, second-year wing Christian Braun showed some real promise as a rookie last season and gained the trust of his coaches and teammates. He’ll be asked to raise his game another level this season.
Then there’s two-way wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who’s always ready to whatever the team needs from him, scoring, defense, toughness and just all-out grit.
No matter what, the Nuggets have enough to overcome the loss of Brown, but they definitely would’ve much rather been able to keep him.
The NBA season tips off tonight and Bradley Beal is listed as questionable for opening night as the Phoenix Suns are in San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors. The NBA has made a big deal about players missing games, that new participation rules were enacted for this season. The NBA says data no longer supports resting players, or load management.
“Before, it was a given conclusion that the data showed that you had to rest players a certain amount, and that justified them sitting out,” said Joe Dumars, the executive vice president of basketball operations for the NBA. “We’ve gotten more data, and it just doesn’t show that resting, sitting guys out correlates with lack of injuries, or fatigue, or anything like that. What it does show is maybe guys aren’t as efficient on the second night of a back-to-back.”
Sorry, Joe. We don’t believe you. You need more people.
So let’s get this straight. At one point scientific data supported player rest and now all of a sudden it doesn’t? Is that how science works?
Who compiled and studies this data? Where is this data? Has it been published in a peer-reviewed journal?
Do the 30 teams and their performance and sports science personnel agree?
There are lots of questions about Dumars’ comments.
Dr. Michael Joyner, a world-renowned expert in human performance and physiology, leads a Mayo Clinic lab that studies “how humans respond to various forms of physical and mental stress during activities such as exercise.” He has worked with all sorts of elite athletes, Navy SEALs and other elite special forces.
According to Joyner, there are five factors of fatigue: travel/sleep/recovery, minor injuries, season duration, number of hard efforts (games) in a two-week window, and mental grind.
“A good rule of thumb is five really hard efforts in two weeks,” Joyner said in a 2016 interview with ESPN. “Make me NBA czar and I would shoot for no more than five games in a two-week period with no back-to-backs. That makes the regular season about 33 weeks.”
An actual world renowned physiologist who has been published countless times in the best peer-reviewed journals in the world.
The White House went to Joyner for how to manage and solve the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dumars and the NBA just want us to accept their word and “data”?
No credible medical professional, sports scientist, etc. would say that rest does not correlate with injury frequency. No intelligent lay person would say it either. It’s laughable.
The Federal Aviation Administration has mandatory sleep rules for pilots. A minimum of 10 hours of rest is required between shifts. The pilot must have 8 hours of sleep during this period. Pilots must also have 30 consecutive hours of rest each week.
Why do you suppose that is?
I don’t know about you. But I don’t want to be on a plane captained by a pilot who hasn’t had his mandatory rest.
The truth is the NBA is in the middle of negotiating its next broadcast rights deal and it wants its star players playing as much as possible to boost ratings, so they can secure a desired $50 billion to $75 billion deal.
“We don’t need our TV partners to tell us that when teams sit players and when players don’t try at an All-Star game that makes for worse competition. It’s incredibly obvious to us, and ultimately we’re trying to serve fans” said Evan Wasch NBA executive VP of basketball strategy and analytics. “Yes, it’s the case that because we’re negotiating TV deals in the next year or two here, it takes on even greater importance because we’re in the middle of those conversations. But we can self identify that these were issues that needed addressing independent of any outside (influence).”
Sure thing, Evan.
The NBA better hope its insistence on participation, as if players don’t do everything possible to play, doesn’t cause a serious injury to one of the league’s marquee players or two. Then they’ll really have problems on their hands.
Denver Broncos’ safety Kareem Jackson has been suspended by the NFL for four games for repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules. He was ejected from last Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers for his sideline hit on Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in the fourth quarter. Following the game Jackson showed racist DM’s he received from fans on social media following the game.
The DM was sent to Jackson’s Instagram account just after he was booted from the game. The message, apparently sent from a man named Philipp, read, “Stop behaving like a f***ing n** 🤡”
Jackson reposted the message on his Instagram story with a message.
“I wanna make sure you get the attention you’re looking for,” Jackson wrote. “I want your friends and family to know what type of racist person you really are over a game. I’ll repost all this week so it doesn’t go unnoticed. Don’t worry, IG tough guy.”
Jackson received another message from someone named Daniel Bohn that read “Go suck some d*** you sick f***” and he posted it again on his IG story with a message.
“Another IG tough guy,” Jackson wrote. “This what we deal wit because we are athletes on a regular. Disgruntled fans that hide behind social media knowing it wouldn’t end well in person. Enjoy this fame Daniel.”
Athletes repeatedly deal with this type of behavior from fans before, during, and after games. It often comes via social media or at the game itself.
Jackson is correct when he says fans hide behind social media knowing it wouldn’t end well in real life. So many fans are quick to talk tough at a game, knowing a player won’t do anything on the field or court, or on social media where the attacker can remain anonymous or hide. It’s rare that a fan walks up to an athlete in public and talks the way they do in those other two spaces.
In fact most fans who talk tough wind up asking for autographs, avoiding the athlete, or recoiling sheepishly when they encounter a pro athlete.
All of it is clown behavior.
As for Jackson’s suspension. This is the second time he’s been ejected for an illegal hit, though he plans to appeal his suspension. If it holds he stands to lose $558,889 in salary.
“On the play in question, you delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of a defenseless receiver, when you had the time and space to avoid such contact,” vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote in a letter to Jackson. “You could have made contact with your opponent within the rules, yet you chose not to.”
Football is a dangerous and violent game. The league has done what it can to try and legislate the illegal hits out of the game, but when you’re moving at full speed and in the heat of competition it is difficult to stop momentum and pull-up.
If the suspension stands after the appeal, Jackson will miss miss the Broncos’ matchups against Kansas City, Buffalo, Minnesota and Cleveland.
The BIG3 has been keeping the game alive for veteran basketball players for six seasons, and while they are trying to expand to grow the brand, they claim the NBA has been stifling their ability. Now TMZ is reporting — citing unnamed sources — that the Department of Justice is taking the claims seriously and investigating the NBA for potential antitrust violations against the BIG3.
Among the allegations is that the NBA silently pressures sponsors and potential partners from doing business with the BIG3 organization.
O’Shea Jackson, aka Ice Cube, and business partner Jeff Kwatinetz founded the 3-on-3 league in 2017, and it is composed mainly of veteran or retired NBA players who still want to ball.
“It’s really about not hurting us behind the scenes with sponsors and networks,” Ice Cube said to CBS in August. “Calling us ‘competition’ in their bylaws is not right, and we want that not to say competition. It’s funny because they’re just kind of holding the BIG3 to this standard.
“They’re not doing it to [The Basketball Tournament], or SlamBall, or any of the other stuff that’s come up. They’re just doing it to the BIG3. So it’s just a little unfair. At a certain point, it’s really like if they don’t want to work with us I understand that, but doing some of the things they’re doing to hurt us is not cool.”
Ice Cube let his frustration show back in June in a social media video where he exposed what he felt were the “gatekeepers” holding back BIG3’s growth.
“Some of you may not have realized that I’m not part of the club, and a lot of you listening to me right here, right now, you’re not part of the club either,” Cube said. “And what I realized with the club is what makes them so mad is when you don’t want to be a part of their f*****g club. It pisses them off. What club am I talking about? I’m talking about the club of gatekeepers that we all got to deal with. You know who they are, and they definitely know who they are.
“Ever since I put out the Contract with Black America, you know they been f—ing with me. Here and there, this and that. But it’s cool, you know, I expect that. You know I’ve been working on the Big3 for a long time. You know how they’ve been f*****g with me. I’ve made it plain, simple and clear what they’ve been doing. The NBA’s been f*****g with us.”
With plans to sell teams established in certain cities and have owners, BIG3 wants a chance to thrive. Ice Cube doesn’t necessarily want the NBA’s support. Still, it wants them to refrain from moving against them with the corporate entities and potential partners that would further solidify the concept’s rise in American sports.
Tragic news in the world of college athletics. Tasha Butts, the women’s basketball coach at Georgetown University, died on Monday, Oct. 23, after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 41.
“I am heartbroken for Tasha’s family, friends, players, teammates and colleagues,” Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed said. “When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court, and an incredible person whose drive, passion and determination was second to none. She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory.”
Butts played her college ball at the University of Tennessee for the late Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt. She left Tennessee ranked fourth all-time in games played (141), won four SEC regular-season titles, and helped the Lady Vols get to two national title games.
The Minnesota Lynx selected Butts with the 20th-overall selection in the 2004 WNBA draft. Butts played for the Lynx in the 2004 WNBA season. She also played for Charlotte and Houston, and played overseas before going into coaching.
She returned to Tennessee as a graduate assistant in 2005. Her career as a coach took her to Duquesne University; the University of California, Los Angeles; Louisiana State University; and Georgia Tech. At Georgia Tech, she served as an associate head coach the last two years before being named head coach at Georgetown in April.
“The news of Tasha’s passing is incredibly sad,” Georgia Tech coach Nell Fortner said in a release. “Tasha was so instrumental to the success of this program. What she did as a member of this coaching staff cannot be undervalued. She was tough — tough on her kids, tough in her expectations, but yet she was soft underneath when players needed her to be there for them, and she was always there for them. We are incredibly sad this day has come. She battled from the day of her diagnosis. We are proud of her fight to the end. We will forever love Tasha. She will forever be missed.”
Butts was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer in 2021. She stepped away from Georgetown in September. Her diagnosis inspired the Tasha Tough campaign, which has brought awareness and raised money to bring quality care to women who can’t afford it through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
“Tasha’s passing is a devastating loss. She was extraordinary,” Georgetown president John J. DeGioia said. “Tasha was a person of character, determination, vision, and kindness. She will be deeply missed by our community and by so many people around the country who have been inspired by her life.”
Georgetown announced that Butts is survived by her parents Spencer and Evelyn Butts, her brother Spencer Jr., and her nephew Marquis.
When someone mentions the sport of professional basketball, everyone might have a different team or player that initially comes to mind.
But when discussing the most iconic franchises in NBA history, only a handful of teams will come to mind. The most common teams are the LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and most recently the Golden State Warriors.
But if you ask Dallas Maverick’s guard Tim Hardaway Jr., only one team will trump the rest.
Hardaway Jr. declares the Boston Celtics are the most iconic basketball team in America (and probably the world). He even went as far as to call them “America’s Team” of basketball.
The Celtics and Lakers both have 17 NBA titles, which are the most in NBA history. The Lakers had by far the most shots at a championship with 32 Finals appearances. The Celtics rank second with 22 Finals appearances.
Together, the Lakers and Celtics have combined to win 34 of the NBA’s 76 championships.
The Celtics won the majority of their championships in the Bill Russell era during the 1960s. The Lakers’ championships have been more sporadic, winning their most recent title in the NBA bubble in 2020.
More recently, the Golden State Warriors have won four titles during the Steph Curry Era.
Hardaway Jr. made his claim on the while appearing on Theo Pinson’s “Run Your Race” podcast recently, where he said, [America’s basketball team] is definitely not the Warriors. … I think it’s [the Celtics]. …They’ve been winning since the start of this sh*t. It’s either [Lakers] or Boston for me, but I’d say Boston.”
The Warriors not only just recently began enjoying a string of success, they also didn’t make it on many fan’s “America’s Team” lists before signing Kevin Durant and winning two championships with him.
The Bulls had MJ, Scottie, and Rodman, and they won plenty of championships and had two three-peats as well. They also never lost in the Finals, going 6-0 in the Jordan Era.
But the reason why Hardaway Jr. doesn’t consider them to be in consideration could be attributed to their lack of influence on pop culture during their run in the 90s.
The Bulls won a lot of games because they had arguably the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan, but outside of winning championships and instilling fear in every team they played, the Bulls, says Hardaway Jr., didn’t have much impact on the basketball culture, outside of MJ, of course.
It’s hard to separate the most influential and culturally impactful player of the last 50 years from his team, but Hardaway attempts to do so.
The Lakers and Celtics have crossed almost every box off to be named the nation’s iconic team. In addition to the championships, they both have numerous iconic players and legends to boast about and, to be fair, both have made a huge impact on basketball culture.
Whether it was the electrifying Hollywood nightlife that surrounded the Lakers, or the tough, gritty, brash style and attitude of the Boston Celtics led by “The Great White Hope” Larry Bird, who only enhanced the NBA’s popularity with its white audience as the complexion of the league darkened each season.
The Cowboys are known as “America’s Team” in football mainly due to the success of their Tom Landry-led teams in the ’70s and ’80s and then Jimmy Johnson’s early dynasty in the ’90s. On top of their historic success, they boast so many iconic players and coaches and the most renowned owner in all of sports right now in Jerry Jones.
The Lakers also had iconic ownership in with Jerry Buss, so they aren’t lacking any qualifications as a candidate for NBA’s most iconic franchise.
Tim Hardaway Jr. isn’t wrong in choosing the Celtics as the most iconic franchise, but the Lakers are definitely their top contenders, and if you took a poll in 2023, the Celtics might not even be in the top two.
Week 7 in the NFL had its share of moments on both sides of the football. But as far as defense goes, the Ravens and Eagles were the most impressive units of the weekend.
Baltimore Ravens
In the league’s Sunday early slate marquee matchup of the day the Ravens absolutely smothered the previously 5-1 Detroit Lions in a 38-6 victory.
Equally as impressive was how all the analysts chose the Lions to win the matchup.
Boy, were they wrong, as the Ravens bullied them from the opening kickoff. It was so bad in Baltimore that they led 28-0 at halftime. The Lions did end the day with 337 total yards, but the bulk of that came in garbage time.
It was an absolute clinic by the Ravens defense with five sacks, while holding the Lions to 5-16 on third downs and a paltry 4.7 yards per play with QB Jared Goff attempting 53 passes.
Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith had this to say about his unit in the aftermath of their performance.
“From top to bottom, D-line, linebackers, secondary, I don’t really see any weaknesses,” Smith said. “If we’re all on our game, it’s really hard to move the ball on us.”
Philadelphia Eagles
In what was built up as the Jalen Hurts versus Tua Tagovailoa matchup, turned into an Eagles defense pretty much overwhelming a not-so-physical Miami Dolphins offense. The Fins offense came into Sunday’s battle averaging a league-leading 37.2 points per game and 498 yards per game before being held to 10 points on offense and 244 total yards.
Miami only mustered 12 first downs in the entire game and saw its vaunted rushing attack limited to 45 yards.
Kansas City Chiefs
For years it’s been all about the Chiefs offense, and with good reason when you have Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
But the defense under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been getting better every week, and since Week 2 they’re allowing just 14 points per game including Sunday’s 31-17 win over AFC West division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The defense harassed Chargers QB Justin Herbert just about all day, forcing him into a 17-for-30 and two-interception day.
As the offense continues to find itself, the defense is making strides weekly and quickly becoming one of the better units in the league.
Minnesota Vikings
Crazy to see the Vikes here, but after beating the previously 5-1 San Francisco 49ers on “MNF,” giving them their second consecutive loss since (Weeks 6 and 7), you gotta give them some love. Minnesota held dynamic do-it-all back Christian McCaffrey to 45 yards rushing, and the Niners to 17 points and 325 total yards in an upset win.
They also intercepted Niners QB Brock Purdy twice, with both stalling scoring drives on their final two drives.
Atlanta Falcons
One week after giving up just 193 total yards in a loss to the Washington Commanders, the Falcons gave up 329 yards in a win at the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But they also tallied three big sacks and two forced turnovers. Where the Falcons defense really excelled was with their run defense, which held the Buccaneers to 73 yards rushing.
Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is making a name for himself, and if he keeps this up he’ll be a hot head coach candidate in 2024.
For the second time in three weeks the Washington Commanders lost to a team that on paper they should’ve beaten. Three weeks ago, it was a listless performance against the struggling Chicago Bears that led to a 40-20 home loss.
On Sunday, it was an ugly 14-7 loss to the New York Giants, who were without starting quarterback Daniel Jones, were operating with a makeshift offensive line, came in with one win, and hadn’t scored an offensive touchdown in three full games.
All of the Giants’ struggles seemed to get rectified in Sunday’s win, and that didn’t sit well with Commanders Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jonathan Allen.
The aforementioned Allen has witnessed a ton of losing in his seven seasons in Washington, and following Sunday’s loss he let it be known that he was not happy about it. In an epic rant, Allen was heavy on the expletives, and that seemed to catch the eye of ESPN’s Ryan Clark, who had a little fun at the Commanders captain’s expense on Monday morning.
When asked in his postgame interview to identify the root of Sunday’s loss, Allen attributed it not playing with a sense of urgency from the opening kickoff.
“I think it’s just a lack of focus on our part,” Allen said. “A lack of attention to detail. Not starting fast, and creating holes that are too big for us to overcome in the second half.”
It was the Commanders‘ seventh loss in ten meetings with their longtime division rival. When asked if it’s frustrating, an irritated Allen expressed that it was with a resounding course of expletives.
“F — yes, it does,” Allen responded. “I’m f— tired of this s—. I’m f— tired of this b—. It’s been seven f— of the same s—. I’m tired of this s—.”
New minority team owner Magic Johnson, who was vocal following the team’s loss to the Bears, called the team unprepared and unfocused, tweeted this in wake of Sunday’s loss.
“Disappointing 14-7 loss for my Commanders to the NY Giants. It’s hard to win in the NFL when you only score 7 points.”
ESPN’s Ryan Clark Made A Joke In Light Of Allen’s Rant
During Monday’s episode of “Get Up,” when asked about Allen’s rant, Clark had a little fun with it.
“When you walk up to the dude in the locker room, and he got a durag, sunglasses and a chain on with an open chest? You fittin to get some bleeps. You walked into expletives. … This man chose violence,” Clark said. “The sheer audacity of the outfit says, I don’t give no F’s, zero of ’em, and you want to run this on regular syndicated network TV? You can’t! Look at my clothes, sir. Do I look like a man that is concerned with rules? … The Washington Commanders made this man lose all his professionalism.”
Clark’s breakdown of Allen’s rant had the entire ESPN set in hysterics, but he’s right. The Commanders have come up so short in the last 7-10 years that one of their most professional players is willing to take the fine and whatever else comes with it just to publicly voice his frustration.
Lamar Jackson knows that many people still need to be believers in the Baltimore Ravens or him in the gunslinger position. The world knows he is a high-caliber talent, but does he deserve all the accolades that come his way without a Super Bowl ring yet to claim? His performance over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Oct. 22 should have proved convincing enough.
As one of the most anticipated matchups over the weekend, the Ravens dismantled the Lions quickly and easily, dominating one of the NFC’s lightning-hot squads.
By halftime, the Ravens led 28-0, tallying 503 total yards on only 55 offensive plays. That’s an average gain of 9.1. Jackson stretched plays in the pocket for 10 or more seconds, despite the tough-as-nails Detroit defense bearing down on him.
Jackson turned in 21 completions on 27 pass attempts for 357 yards and three touchdowns for an almost flawless passer rating of 155.3. He also shattered his previous single-game high this season by more than 100 passing yards and averaged four yards per carry with a rushing touchdown.
Still, Lamar was stoic, which is even scarier.
“I believe, when you’re playing regular-season games, you should be okay,” Jackson said with no expression at the post-game presser. “We’re winning. I’m all right with winning, but still, it’s [the] regular season. We made strides for improvement last week [in a 24-16 win over the Titans] and earlier in the season. I believe we did, but it’s just one regular-season game.”
Remember his 2019 MVP season? That year, he only came close to the 357-yard passing yards he turned in during Week 1 in 2019 against Miami.
Under Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jackson’s improvements as a passer are evident, with an increased efficiency rate mixed with his innate skill set as a mobile quarterback.
“Today was lights out – just by Lamar, Coach ‘Monk’ – from the top down on the offensive side of the ball,” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who scored two touchdowns. “Those two guys were elite.”
On the Ravens’ first drive of the game, they faced a fourth-and-1 from the 7-yard line, and instead of settling for another field goal, Jackson walked right into the end zone unscathed from a play call by Monken.
“It was wall to wall from the beginning to the end,” Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said at the press conference.
For a game that saw former Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs enter the Ring of Honor in front of Baltimore legends like Ray Lewis and more, Lamar Jackson showed up ready to claim his slot at the top of MVP contention.
American women’s basketball player Mikayla Cowling, who plays for the Polish women’s club VBW Arka Gdynia, was attacked at a club in Gdansk, a city in northern Poland, last Wednesday. According to reports, Cowling has a fractured eye socket as a result of the attack.
“I am outraged that such a shameful situation has occurred. Violence and aggression are unacceptable and must be opposed,” Gdynia Mayor Wojciech Szczurek said Sunday on X. “Fortunately, the police quickly caught the attacker. We wish the player good health!”
The attack happened after a EuroCup women’s match in which Gdynia defeated Swiss rival BCF Elfic Fribourg 77-47.
Cowling was hit multiple times according to reports, late last Wednesday night, Oct. 18. Multiple strikes landed on her head, and when she fell, she was also kicked several times.
The assailant is a 48-year-old man who was arrested last Friday, Oct. 20.
Cowling is now at home under observation and will have additional tests next week.
She played collegiately at California, Berkeley from 2014-18 before being selected with the 33rd pick of the 2018 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. Cowling never played for the Sun and has spent her professional career overseas.
Many American-born women’s hoopers play overseas, not just famous ones in the WNBA. The EuroLeague is considered the most talented and competitive international league.
The annual event is hosted by FIBA and features 16 of Europe’s top teams, with a regular-season group stage and an eight-team playoff culminating in a neutral-site championship.
Cowling was in a EuroCup game. That is the second-level basketball competition with teams from associate members of FIBA Europe and it follows a similar format to EuroLeague.
For many American players playing overseas is a chance to supplement the income they make in the U.S. But for a player like Cowling, who isn’t in the WNBA, this is how she makes all of her income.
The salaries overseas are not as high as you might think. The superstars make $500K or more but that’s only a handful of players. Many survive on as little as $3K per month.
As the Colorado Buffaloes returned to the practice field on Sunday, they’re still salty about the shocking 46-43 double overtime loss to the Stanford Cardinal in a game they led 29-0 at halftime.
The team is prepping for their road game at UCLA for the Bruins homecoming, and just focusing on finishing games. Following that loss to the Cardinal, first-year head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders questioned whether some of his players actually love the game of football.
In his postgame speech, Sanders implored his guys to want it as much as he does, and to not just like the game but love it. Buffaloes star QB Shedeur Sanders is taking it on the chin, and using the loss as a teaching and growing moment.
Sanders Has Moved On, Ready For UCLA
In talking with reporters late last week, an upbeat Shedeur told them the entire team can and will grow from that defeat.
“We got to accept this one first,” the junior quarterback said. “It’s just a different level of, I would say, focus. Different level attitude, different level of just seriousness, because the little things — even like when we scored touchdowns, we still busted routes. We just can’t afford to do that, because it’s gonna catch up when it catches up.”
“I understand when guys are busting routes and when I’m not making the right read, getting the ball out of my hand, doing the right thing, then there’s got to be some punishment for it,” he added. “We got to be able to grow from it and not keep making the same mistakes.”
In that game Sanders put up some great numbers, going 33 of 47 for 400 yards and five touchdowns, but it was his interception in overtime that killed any chance for the Buffs to somehow still win the game.
No Finger Pointing For Sanders
Sanders’ admission of using the loss as a way to grow shows that he knows he needs to be better himself.
“I mean, I’m not going to point fingers. That’s not what I’m here for. I let the coaches — that’s what they’re here for. They’re here to guide us. So I can’t really say that and throw no teammate under the bus, because that’s not the type of player I am,” Sanders said. “The guys know that know. And that’s it. But I’ll never put a teammate down and say he’s not fully in if he probably is.”
Not playing the blame game, and accepting responsibility for his own shortcomings within the team’s failures is a sure way to earn and kept the respect of those teammates.
As for his dad, Coach Prime, he sent out a stern warning to his team about their return to practice.
“We’ll practice Sunday. So, they’ll have to be back Saturday night,” Sanders said via Reach The People media. “They know if they’re a minute late their locker will be cleaned.”
Rapper Blueface is no stranger to controversy, but his latest stunt might be over the top. The Southern California-based rap artist had a private suite on the field at the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Los Angeles Rams game at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California. He gave the crowd an NSFW showcase when he had a group of scantily clad women begin twerking while Blueface tossed money on them in the open close to the field.
To top the spectacle off, the rapper, whose real name is Johnathan Jamall Porter, proposed to his on-again, off-again girlfriend and the mother to two of his children, Jaidyn Alexis, at the game. In the viral videos of the engagement, Jaidyn seemed to be in complete shock and cried as he put the ring on, which the rapper claims is a 30-carat diamond ring on her finger.
Club NFL
Ironically, Blueface has had a very public relationship with Chrisean Rock, who now has a child. Videos of the two have shown their tumultuous time together, including multiple street fights and intervention moments. Even though he just had a child with Rock, named Chrisean Jr., he has decided to marry Jaidyn.
Blueface recently admitted to “The Jason Lee Show” that there was a time when Jaidyn walked in on him and Chrisean Rock having sex, which resulted in a fight.
Blueface and Jaidyn were high school sweethearts and, since 2020, have also been in an on-again, off-again relationship before he blew up per Distractify. They have two children together: son Javaughn and daughter Journey Portner and are reportedly business partners with their new record label MILF Music.
Jaidyn is reportedly the label’s flagship artist, and earlier this month she dropped her latest single, “Barbie.”
Back in September 2023, Blueface defended Jaidyn from trolls who found a video of her working a regular job at a restaurant, reportedly after breaking up with the artist. He quickly jumped online to defend her.
“9-5? Bih, that’s my family restaurant,” Blueface posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, underneath the video of Jaidyn. “She was d**near running that bih. I can’t believe y’all hate Jaidyn this bad y’all gotta go post videos from 2021 to paint a false narrative.”
What better ways to say “I love you” then internet defenses, a twerk show at an NFL game, and a whole proposal?
The NBA season tips off this Tuesday, Oct. 24. There’s a lot of talk about the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns being top contenders.
But none of those teams have won four of the last nine NBA Finals. That would be the Golden State Warriors, led by superstar Stephen Curry.
Curry is still playing elite basketball, is the world’s best shooter, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Last week in a preseason game against the Kings, he scored 30 points in 31 minutes on 10-for-18 shooting, including 8-12 from three.
He scored 16 in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner. It was a meaningless preseason game, but it showed The Chef was already in midseason form.
If Curry can lead the Warriors to another title, their fifth in 10 seasons, he will join a very exclusive club.
The list of players with five titles, two MVPs, and two Finals MVPs in NBA history is very short.
Perhaps you’ve heard of these men; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Tim Duncan.
These are the best of the best. All four are top 10 all-time players, three of the four are top 5 and two can make the case for GOAT.
If Curry joins that club this season, is he top-5 all-time?
The Warriors have a starting five that is more than capable of winning a championship, as they’ve done it before. Last season the starting lineup of Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney was No. 1 in the NBA in net rating.
That means of all starting units, they were the best. They were +21.9. An astounding number.
In order to win the title this season they will need good injury luck. The core of their starting five (Curry, Thompson, and Green) are 33 years old and older and have missed time over the past three seasons due to injury.
They will most likely begin the season without Green as he deals with an ankle sprain. It won’t keep him out too long, but it bears watching.
Wiggins will need to take a step up. Being an overqualified third star has suited him well with the Warriors. But if he can elevate to a perennial All-Star caliber player, watch out.
The team’s starters are good, but what about their depth? They dealt Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, and while it’s easy to make fun of Poole for getting knocked out by Green last season and being a turnstile defensively, the young man can shoot and is an excellent offensive player. He was instrumental in helping the team win a title in 2022.
Last regular season Poole played a team-high 2,459 minutes. He was the only Warrior to play more than 60 percent of the team’s minutes. They have to replace that somewhere.
Yes, the Warriors got the “Point God” Chris Paul in the trade for Poole. But playing Paul 2,459 regular season minutes is not a recipe for postseason success. His body is wearing down, and at 38 and barely 6 feet that’s a bad combination. No longer elite, he’s still good and best saved for the playoffs.
That means third-year pro Jonathan Kuminga must step up and be a plus player on both ends of the floor. At 21 years old, 6 feet 7 with ridiculous athleticism, he provides something the Warriors are in short supply of. Uber athletic wings. Imagine a scenario where Wiggins and Kuminga are playing lockdown defense on the league’s apex predator wing scorers?
But it all starts with Curry. He only played in 56 regular season games last year, but he was All-NBA second team. He’ll need 65 if he wants to make a 10th All-NBA selection.
It’s safe to assume he will play at the same level and if he does and all the other things go right, he will win his fifth title and help Paul win his first. Cementing an already impressive legacy.
Week 7 of the NFL season brought us a couple of virtuoso performances by two of the game’s best signal-callers.
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
The reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP was up to his old tricks on Sunday as he led K.C. to its sixth consecutive win. In beating the Los Angeles Chargers for the eighth time in ten starts, Mahomes went 32-for-42 for 424 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
The dynamic dual threat also rushed for 29 yards on four attempts, which included three huge first downs to keep drives going. The win made Mahomes 29-3 versus the AFC West.
179 of those yards went to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce who had 12 receptions. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke about his dynamic duo in his postgame presser:
“I think both Kelce and Pat, when they’re on the same page, that’s a challenge for any defense. I know they work on it. This isn’t, like, a secret. It’s quite a tribute for those two executing the way they do.”
Lamar Jackson, Ravens
The one thing Jackson had to improve on this season was his passing from the pocket, and thus far this season he’s shown marked improvement. But after Sunday’s 21-for-27 for 357 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions performance in a 38-6 blowout of the steadily rising Detroit Lions, Jackson might have really taken another step in his development. Jackson, who’s still a massive threat with his legs, also rushed for 36 yards on nine attempts with a score.
If he’s gonna play this way from the pocket, the Ravens offense goes to another level.
“We did what we’re supposed to do,” Jackson told reporters in his postgame interview.
Tyrod Taylor, Giants
Filling in for the injured Daniel Jones, Taylor led the G-Men to their second win of the season with a 279-yard and two-touchdown performance versus the Commanders. The former Virginia Tech Hokies product also rushed for 25 yards, including two huge first downs. For Taylor it was his second consecutive strong outing, but this time his efforts led to a win.
Comments by head coach Brian Daboll also make you wonder is there a QB controversy brewing in New York.
“Tyrod had a good game,” Daboll said. “Played well, took care of the ball, made good decisions, threw the ball where it was supposed to be thrown.”
Geno Smith, Seahawks
Smith continued his solid season with a very efficient game, going 18 of 24 for 219 yards and two touchdowns as the Hawks moved to 4-2 with a home win over the Arizona Cardinals. One week after struggling in a road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Smith led his team to a much-needed victory. With the defensive-minded Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens up the next two weeks, it was vital to secure this win.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles
Hurts and playing well have become synonymous. The former Alabama and Oklahoma standout just gets the job done. Each week he does whatever it takes to lead the Eagles to victory, and Sunday night versus the Dolphins was no different as he went 21 of 29 passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles are now 6-1, which is tied for the best mark in the league with the Chiefs.
Hurts outplayed Tua Tagovailoa, his college teammate at Alabama, exacting a little revenge for losing his job to him at Alabama after the 2017 season.
Basketball Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are caught up in “Wembymania.” The two former teammates talked about the San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama on a recent episode of “KG Certified,” and they are sold. Pierce believes he’s already among the top five players in the league based on skill, and Garnett thinks he’ll be so good the Spurs will make the playoffs. Are they going too far?
“Right now today, Wemby is one of the top five skilled players in the NBA,” said Pierce. “He can do what KD does. He can do what Anthony Davis can do. In this small sample, he’s shown me the handle. He’s shown me the stepback. He’s shown me the lob, the pick and roll threat. The pick and roll and the pick and pop threat. He has shown me he can get the ball in traffic and dunk on everybody.”
Wembanyama is the best prospect to come into the league since LeBron James. But understand what that means.
It means in terms of tools, skill set and ability he has a lot for a 19 year old. Does it mean that he’ll become LeBron or any of the other all-time greats? Maybe. It takes more than skill to do that.
Wembanyama impressed in summer league and he’s impressed in the preseason. At 7 feet 4 with his skill set, he’s nothing the NBA has ever seen. He can shoot from deep, put it on the floor and attack the rim, he can spot up, and run off screens and pin downs. With his height he’ll get easy put-backs at the rim. He’ll also get to the line a ton.
On defense, he will block a ton of shots. Not just at the rim, but he can block three-pointers as well. Even when he’s seemingly out of position or “too far” away from the ball his 8’0″ wingspan means he can close space like nobody else.
He has all the markings of an all-time great. But that takes time and some luck along the way.
If Wembanyama stays healthy there is no doubt he will become an all-time great. The skill set, work ethic, and willingness to be coached suggest that. But he’s not there yet. Nobody is an all-timer on day one. Not even the all-time greats.
Kevin Durant is as complete and skilled a player as there is. Wemby is not that yet. And Anthony Davis, when healthy, is an elite two-way wrecking force. Again, that’s not Wemby yet.
He has shown flashes of those two players in his game. But to be either one of them, but especially KD, you need consistent excellence. That’s what makes all-time greats. Elite play year after year.
Video and breakdown of Wemby’s strengths and weaknesses are already in every team’s scouting packet. Once the league gets a feel for his size and the better teams and defenders take away what he does well, he’ll need to develop counters and learn to adjust. Every great player has gone through it. It won’t be any different for him.
The Spurs are going to bring him along slowly and play him at power forward a lot. He’s not ready to be a full-time center yet. He will win rookie of the year, be first team All-Rookie and probably an All-Star in year one.
As for the team making the playoffs? It’s rare for a rookie to lead a team to the playoffs. The Spurs have some good young players, but nobody in their projected starting five or in their 12 man rotation was a net positive in EPM last year. That’s a long road to climb. They’ll be better than last season’s 22-60 record, but no playoffs in a competitive Western Conference.
The sky is the limit for Wembanyama, and assuming good injury luck and continued development he will be one of the best to ever do it.
