Finals MVP: LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84) of LA Lakers Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11''-G/F-94) of Milwaukee B. Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram (6'9''-SF-97) of N.Orleans P. Sixth Man of the Year: Montrezl Harrell (6'8''-F-94) of LA Clippers Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant (6'3''-G-99) of Memphis G. Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11''-G/F-94) of Milwaukee B. Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year: Jrue Holiday (6'4''-PG-90) of N.Orleans P. Hustle Award: Montrezl Harrell (6'8''-F-94) of LA Clippers Sportsmanship Award: Vince Carter (6'6''-G/F-77) of Atlanta H. Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse of Toronto R.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead L.A. to record-tying 17th NBA championship - Oct 11, 2020
Ninety-three days ago, LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84), Anthony Davis (6'10''-C-93, college: Kentucky) and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers arrived in Orlando for the NBA restart. Twenty-one other teams descended on Disney World, but the Lakers were among the few whose dreams of leaving with a championship were realistic. On Sunday, they realized those dreams in devastating fashion, overwhelming the Miami Heat in a 106-93 victory that was much more of a rout than the final score indicates. The Lakers' performance was downright overwhelming, maybe even a little mean. For three months, the Heat have made defenses dizzy, with an unpredictable and largely unscripted attack. In Game 6, it was Los Angeles' defense that disoriented the opponent. Miami had its worst offensive output of the bubble at the worst possible time, shooting 36.2 percent through three quarters and scoring 98.9 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage-time minutes, according to Cleaning The Glass. James clinched his fourth title with a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds and shooting 13-for-20. He was named the NBA Finals MVP. Davis had 19 points and shot 7-for-17, with 15 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal but his numbers do not come close to capturing the way he stymied and spooked the Heat on the other end. Rajon Rondo (6'1''-PG-86, college: Kentucky) was masterful off the bench (19 points, 8-11 shooting, four assists) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6'5''-G-93, college: Georgia) gave the Lakers a boost offensively (17 points, 6-for-13 shooting). For Miami, Bam Adebayo (6'10''-PF-97, college: Kentucky) had 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, plus five assists, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Jimmy Butler (6'7''-G/F-89, college: Marquette), spectacular for so much of this series, saw increased defensive attention and finished with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 45 minutes. This is Los Angeles' 17th NBA title. It went 16-5 in the playoffs, as it won each of its first three series in five games. Courtesy of: cbssports.com
Kawhi Leonard scores 30, goes 8-for-14 on 3-pointers to win MVP - Feb 17, 2020
The 2020 All-Star Game saw Kawhi Leonard (6'7''-F-91, college: San Diego St.) win the first Kobe Bryant MVP Award and saw both teams honor the late Los Angeles Lakers legend in the most fitting fashion: by playing hard to the last second. Under the new Elam Ending rule instituted this season, with the game ending when one team reached a specific target score, the game ended when Chicago native Anthony Davis (6'10''-C-93, college: Kentucky) sank the second of two free throws to lift Team LeBron to a 157-155 victory over Team Giannis at the United Center. The format change provided all the drama the league could have hoped for, with the final few possessions leaving the crowd hanging on every bounce of the ball and players on both teams playing the untimed fourth quarter full-bore. "It felt like playing in the league in a playoff game," Davis said. "It's a great competition, and it's 24 players who go out and compete at a very high level, and to do it in front of a crowd like this, with a new format that we were a little skeptical of, we didn't know how it was gonna go, but everyone, at the end of the day, they loved it. It brings back the competition, so it was great." After James Harden (6'5''-SG-89, college: ASU) made two free throws to make it 154-152, Pascal Siakam (6'9''-F-94, college: N.Mexico St.) went 1-for-2 from the line to make it 154-153. From there, the two teams -- playing without the benefit of TV timeouts during the fourth quarter -- went back and forth trying to make a basket. Eventually, the score reached 156-155 in favor of Team LeBron, which meant that the next basket for either side would result in a victory. In the fourth quarter, the game took on a thrilling, desperate edge. Both teams were called for multiple offensive fouls and settled for contested, ugly shots that looked as if they were taken with tired minds and legs. Eventually, it ended shortly after a foul when Davis, a 7-footer, posted up 6-foot Kyle Lowry (6'0''-PG-86, college: Villanova) in the post. After Lowry was called for a foul, Davis missed the first free throw while being booed by almost the entire crowd. After he walked away from the line and smiled, he made the second one, spreading his arms wide as his teammates mobbed him after what was an anticlimactic ending to an otherwise thrilling game. That led to split opinions on how the ending played out. "I think we definitely can't end on a free throw," Siakam said. "I mean, we try to do whatever to get the win," Davis said. "They shouldn't have fouled me. Joel Embiid (7'0''-C-94, college: Kansas) was trying to say we shouldn't be able to win [on] a free throw, but hey, that wasn't in the rule book. I'm glad we got the win." NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced during his news conference Saturday night that the All-Star Game's MVP trophy would be permanently named after Bryant, who won the award a record-tying four times during his 20-year career. Leonard, a Southern California native, scored 25 of his 30 points in the first half to win his first All-Star Game MVP award. He went 8-for-14 overall from 3-point range. "It's very special," Leonard said of winning the award named after Bryant. "I had a relationship with him. Words can't explain how happy I am to be able to put that trophy in my room, in my trophy room, and just be able to see Kobe's name on there. "It just means a lot to me. He's a big inspiration in my life. He did a lot for me." The even more fitting tribute to Bryant was the way the game played out, as the NBA's decision to change the format to give each quarter meaning. The untimed fourth quarter, played to a target score, provided all the drama the league and fans could've wanted after years of complaints about the lack of effort or interest in the game. Because of the Elam Ending, after the score was Team Giannis 133, Team LeBron 124 through three quarters, whichever team got to 157 points first -- Team Giannis' score plus 24 to honor Bryant -- would win the game. There were tactical fouls made by both teams. Players clamored for calls to be made. There was hard defense, including Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11''-G/F-94, agency: Octagon Europe) blocking LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84) on a fadeaway jumper and Davis at the rim on a dunk attempt. There was even a charge taken by Lowry on a Leonard drive and a coach's challenge used during the fourth quarter that took two free throws away from Embiid. All of that preceded a frenetic final few possessions that saw both teams scratching and clawing for every opportunity. "At the end, everybody was so ready to win the game," Harden said. "We were coming up with different strategies every time we scored or didn't score. It was pretty cool to actually strategize the possession." In an attempt to revive interest in the game and cause the players to have more at stake, the NBA enacted two significant changes to the All-Star Game. The first was making the score reset to zero after the first, second and third quarters, with the winning team from each quarter earning $100,000 for a local charity selected by the team captains, James and Antetokounmpo. Children involved with both charities were sitting courtside during the game, and before the game, each player was given a letter from a child from his team's respective charity. The second change was the introduction of the Elam Ending, which has become popular over the past few summers thanks to The Basketball Tournament. "This was an idea I brought to Adam," Chris Paul said. "Thankfully, we tried it out, so I was asking the guys how they enjoyed it during the game and at the end of the game. So you all [the media] be sure to ask him." The combination of the rule changes and Bryant's death hung over the festivities and created the expectation that this year would see more effort by players on both sides. As it turned out, those expectations were justified. The teams engaged in a back-and-forth affair that had the crowd invested, with the teams taking turns winning the first two quarters before they tied in the third, carrying the $100,000 prize to the fourth quarter as a result. "I think it was really interesting," Team Giannis coach Nick Nurse said of the format. "It was really fun. Each and every quarter was, from a coaching standpoint, really fun. I thought the quarters got interesting really early in the quarters because the game was moving pretty quick. "With the cumulative score, even though we were down in the first quarter, we thought we had to keep plugging to keep it close so it didn't get too far away. Then, when we were on the other side of it, we said, 'Let's keep increasing our lead,' and get as big of an advantage going into the fourth." The end of the third quarter showed how different the format was -- and how much more intensity it generated. Team LeBron took a 40-39 lead with 22.2 seconds left after a Nikola Jokic (6'10''-C-95, agency: BeoBasket) 3-pointer. Nurse called a timeout to draw up a play, only for Lowry, his point guard with the Toronto Raptors, to throw a bad pass and turn the ball over. Team LeBron then fouled Russell Westbrook (6'3''-PG-88, college: UCLA) to get the ball back, and he made one of two free throws, making the score 41-39. As Team LeBron tried to press, Lowry kicked the ball ahead to Trae Young (6'2''-G-98, college: Oklahoma), who threw up a perfect alley-oop to Rudy Gobert (7'1''-C-92) for a slam to tie the score at 41 with 2.2 seconds left in the third. Vogel then called a timeout to draw up a play, but Westbrook's runner missed, meaning the teams tied. Given Bryant's legendary competitive streak, it came as little surprise that players on both sides went all-out in a game centered on honoring his legacy. "I mean, anything else would be uncivilized," James said. "He's one of the greatest basketball players, one of the most impactful players, and the inspiration that he has, it's showing. "Obviously, we all saw what he was able to do on the floor as a competitor, as a champion, someone who strived for excellence every single day, but we also saw the father he was as well to his beautiful daughters and to his wife. The things that he was doing, winning an Oscar, just doing so many things that was just, that people would aspire to do, and gaining inspiration from him because of his drive. "I think it's been amazing, and I'm happy to be a part of it this weekend. Obviously, me being a Los Angeles Laker myself, it's going to be a part of me for the rest of my life and our franchise and any player to ever wear purple and gold until the end of basketball, which is never. "So it's a beautiful time. It's a beautiful day. And his presence was felt here in Chicago." Courtesy of: espn.com
Long shot Bam Adebayo wins All-Star skills challenge - Feb 16, 2020
Indiana's Domantas Sabonis (6'10''-F/C-96, college: Gonzaga) and Miami's Bam Adebayo (6'10''-PF-97, college: Kentucky) will make their NBA All-Star debuts on Sunday, but on Saturday night, the first-timers didn't disappoint as finalists in the skills challenge. The Eastern Conference big men stole the show in the eight-man contest, with Adebayo ultimately hoisting the trophy -- which he says he'll gift to his mother, Marilyn Blount. "It's because all she's been through and all the struggles she's been through and what the living conditions I had to go through and how she still strived to make me happy and make our house feel like home," Adebayo said. "I can't do nothing but give her that and keep giving her every other accolade I get." Prior to his victory in the skills challenge -- which features an obstacle course that tests shooting, passing and ballhandling -- Adebayo had knocked down only a single 3-pointer this season out of 11 attempts. He sank three 3s on Saturday, however, and didn't hesitate to make the naysayers eat their words. "I just want to say something. I read a tweet that I was last to win in Vegas," said Adebayo, who was +1200 to win at FanDuel Sportsbook. "So whoever bet, I hope you got your money. I hope you go buy yourself a Ruth's Chris, Cheesecake Factory, something in that fashion." Adebayo, 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, became the first Miami Heat skills challenge winner since 2007 champ Dwyane Wade, who was sitting courtside to congratulate him with a hug. Adebayo, 22, said he's trying to "be like him" and "live that legacy" of Wade, but also was honored to represent for the big men in the process. "It just shows where this league is going, and it's scary because when you got guys that are 6-10, classified as centers or power forwards, I don't believe it's any of that anymore," Adebayo said. "I mean, [Kevin Durant] is 7-foot, so KD is a center? Anyways, it just shows how this game has transformed and it gets scary." "It's just showing how the game is changing and how big men and power forwards are basically bringing up the ball, passing the ball," added Sabonis, who is 6-foot-11. "It's more of a point guard position." Chicago native Patrick Beverley (6'1''-PG-88, college: Arkansas) of the LA Clippers, Brooklyn's Spencer Dinwiddie (6'6''-G-93, college: Colorado), Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (6'6''-PG-98, college: Kentucky), Milwaukee's Khris Middleton (6'8''-F-91, college: Texas A&M), Toronto's Pascal Siakam (6'9''-F-94, college: N.Mexico St.), and defending champion Jayson Tatum (6'8''-F-98, college: Duke) of the Boston Celtics were the other participants. Courtesy of: espn.com
Derrick Jones Jr. edges Aaron Gordon in controversial dunk contest - Feb 16, 2020
Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. (6'7''-F-97, college: UNLV) Jr. outlasted Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon (6'9''-PF-95, college: Arizona) in a memorable slam dunk contest on Saturday that required two tiebreaker jams. But the final result was not without controversy, with at least two judges contending afterward that they wanted the second dunk-off to end in a tie and Gordon saying he's done participating in the contest during NBA All-Star Weekend. "We thought it was going to be tied. We were like, 'This is a tie!'" one judge, hip-hop artist Common, told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "But somebody didn't do it right. I don't know who it is." Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker, another judge on the panel, confirmed that they had intended for the second dunk-off to result in a tie. It wasn't clear if Jones and Gordon would have dunked again had it still been tied after Gordon's final attempt. The NBA was not going to permit co-champions, and there would have been a point -- which they were possibly at -- when judges would have had to vote and decide a winner. Jones and Gordon each netted perfect 50s in the final and in the first dunk-off -- setting up for the second tiebreaker. Jones took off from just inside the foul line and threw down a windmill jam with his left hand, drawing a 48 from the panel of five judges. Gordon, after a short discussion with Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal (7'2''-C-72, college: LSU),, brought out 7-foot-5 Boston Celtics rookie Tacko Fall (7'7''-C-95, college: UCF) and took the ball from Fall's hands while jumping over him on the way to a thunderous dunk. The jam was met with gasps from the United Center crowd, but Gordon was awarded only a 47, giving the victory to Jones. Parker and Common each awarded Gordon a 10 for the dunk, with the other three judges -- Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen and Chadwick Boseman -- each giving him a 9. "I really felt it was an even battle, and we, as judges, felt the scores should be even and they should just have a judge-off," Common told Shelburne. "We had the cards. Put your card up for who had the best dunks." Gordon thought his dunk over Fall deserved a higher score than he got. "I did four straight 50s -- five straight 50s," Gordon said. "That's over. It's a wrap. Let's go home. Four 50s in a row in an NBA dunk contest, it's over. But I don't know. Who's running the show?" Gordon, who also lost a memorable dunk contest to Zach LaVine (6'5''-G-95, college: UCLA) in 2016, said he was done with the contest. "It's a wrap, bro," he said. "I feel like I should have two trophies." Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84) agreed. Jones, after the contest, thought the Gordon-Fall dunk wasn't totally smooth, perhaps sealing the deal for him. "He clipped Tacko's head, so they couldn't give him a 50," he said. "I expected them to give him a 48 so we could go again." Courtesy of: espn.com
MVP Miles Bridges leads U.S. over World in Rising Stars Challenge - Feb 15, 2020
Miles Bridges (6'7''-G/F-98, college: Michigan St.) soared like his boss in Chicago. Zion Williamson (6'8''-F-00, college: Duke) delivered his share of punishing dunks, even damaging the rim. It all added up to a high-flying start to the NBA's All-Star Weekend. Bridges scored 20 points and took MVP honors, Eric Paschall (6'8''-F-96, college: Villanova) added 23, and the U.S. beat the World 151-131 in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night. Bridges has been a bright spot for Charlotte in a difficult season. The Hornets are 11th in the Eastern Conference at 18-36. But the second-year pro put on a show in owner Michael Jordan's old home, and was presented the MVP trophy by Hall of Famer and Chicago product Isiah Thomas. "We wanted to come out and play hard in the Rising Stars and show what Charlotte is about -- me, Devonte' [Graham] and PJ [Washington]," Bridges said. "And that's what we did. I didn't have any extra motivation, really, I wouldn't say that. But MJ putting Chicago on the map, it definitely plays a big part, though." The Cleveland Cavaliers' Collin Sexton had 21 points, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young (6'2''-G-98, college: Oklahoma) added 18 and Chicago product Kendrick Nunn (6'3''-G-95, college: Oakland, agency: Pensack Sports) of the Miami Heat chipped in with 16. Williamson scored 14 and had the baskets inside the United Center shaking whether he made or missed. RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks led the World with 27 points, and the Washington Wizards' Brandon Clarke (6'8''-PF-96, college: Gonzaga) scored 22. The annual showcase of the top rookies and second-year players helped tip off the first All-Star Weekend in the Windy City since 1988, when Jordan dazzled the home crowd at the old Chicago Stadium. Back then, "His Airness" edged Dominique Wilkins in a slam dunk contest that arguably remains the standard and scored 40 points to lead the East over the West in the All-Star Game. As for Friday's game, as expected, there were plenty of flashy dunks and not much in the way of defense. Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic (6'7''-G-99) drew a big roar from the crowd when he banked a 3 from half court just before the halftime buzzer to send the World to the locker room with an 81-71 lead. Bridges had the fans cheering late in the third quarter when he flipped the ball off the glass and jammed it during the quarter when the U.S. took control. Courtesy of: espn.com
Watch Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield win the NBA 3-Point Contest on the final shot - Feb 16, 2020
Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (6'4''-G-93, college: Oklahoma) made a late surge to win the NBA 3-Point Contest. Hield nailed a two-point money ball from the corner to finish with 27 points, edging Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker (6'6''-SG-96, college: Kentucky) by one in the final round. Hield is one of the few bright spots for struggling Sacramento, averaging 20.4 points while shooting about 39 percent from 3-point range. Washington's Davis Bertans (6'10''-F-92) opened the second and final round with a 22, before Booker eliminated him. Defending champion Joe Harris (6'6''-G-91, college: Virginia) of the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago's Zach LaVine (6'5''-G-95, college: UCLA) were eliminated after they failed to crack the top three in the first round. Five racks with five balls each were set up around the perimeter - two in the corner, two on the wings and one up top. Four of those racks had four balls worth one point each plus a multi-colored two-point ball. The other had nothing but moneyballs. There were also two green balls worth three points set up six feet behind the 3-point line. Courtesy of: click2houston.com
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LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84) of Los Angeles Lakers
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Luka Doncic (6'7''-G-99) of Dallas Mavericks
Nikola Jokic (6'10''-C-95) of Denver Nuggets
Domantas Sabonis (6'10''-F/C-96) of Indiana Pacers
R.J. Barrett Jr. (6'7''-F-00) of New York Knicks
Nicolo Melli (6'9''-PF-91) of New Orleans Pelicans
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