HoopsHype: Atlanta Hawks

Kwame Brown: “No, I’m not an MJ fan. Listen, I got no reason to be an MJ fan. That motherf****r slapped me in the back of my head one day. But I’m just, I got no reason to do — no reason at all. I’m just, I just saw the work and the dedication. This old Negro was getting up at 39 years old. He never cheated the game, whether he went out, whatever he did. The Breakfast Club was real. I’m like, I joined the Breakfast Club because I couldn’t believe it. I’m like, ain’t no way this old, after being up standing there all night gambling... Читать дальше...

Kwame Brown on Bronny James:”But I see a guy who’s athletic that needs to learn how to cut and slash more until he gets more comfortable with shooting. If he doesn’t learn how to play the point guard, I don’t think he’s as strong as David Wesley. At his size — 6’1, 6’2 — he’s the only guy that I’ve seen who could play that spot at the two. If he doesn’t learn how to bring the ball up, he’s going to be a poor man’s Juan Dixon. I think he’ll bounce around. His daddy has enough power with Klutch Sports to keep him in the league... Читать дальше...

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, who was speaking on a recent episode of “The TK Show” podcast, Golden State still holds an interest in Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the only chance the franchise has of bringing the star forward to the Bay Area is if he directly requests a trade, which would require things going drastically wrong with the Bucks. “One that I think is just always gonna be monitored around the NBA is if the wheels fall off the Bucks,” Amick said. Читать дальше...

Shaquille O’Neal: “When you talk about great players, I had the opportunity to play with Bron, too. I was so amazed at his leadership and how he played. When I was with him, I wasn’t the Shaq, but I was a good role player. We were first in our conference, played Boston, Big Baby broke my hand, I had to leave for six weeks. I tried to come back, but I wasn’t there, and we lost to Boston. These are things I think about when it comes to rings. I should have eight rings, and I’m not talking about free throws. Читать дальше...

Is Nikola Jokic already the best European basketball player of all time? VLADE DIVAC: The numbers say so. The results confirm it. And the essence of sports is results. Based on that, I think there’s no room for doubt.
Source: Index

It’s well-known that as the GM of Sacramento, you passed on Doncic in the draft. Looking back after six years, can you explain what the reasoning was for not choosing him? VLADE DIVAC: At that position, I already had De’Aaron Fox, whom I had drafted a year earlier. At the time, I believed Fox was a player who could become a franchise star in the coming years. Time will tell if I was wrong. As things stand now, it seems I was, but I still have faith in Fox having a great career.
Source: Index

There are many things we like about Basketball Reference, but one of our favorites is the work they put into compiling nicknames (some popular, some very obscure) for NBA players throughout history.

Sandro Mamukelashvili: “When Pop called me his favorite player towards the end of last season, deep down in my heart, I was like, ‘I hope this means I will come back.’ But you know it’s business. So much goes on. You have to learn that as soon as you come into the league. People might love you for who you are, but something might change in their view, or something might not go the way they want, so they shift and go in a different direction.”
Source: YouTube

LeBron James: “You know, it’s definitely different in the sense of, you know, just mentioning with Bronny being a part of the team now. I mean, I’m looking at you two guys right now. I think it’s one of the greatest things in the world to be able to work with your kid, you know. So, this week we got back into the gym, and it was really the first time that me and Bronny were on the floor as professionals training, going against each other, preparing for the season. And there were a couple moments where I kind of just lost focus... Читать дальше...

So what happens if there’s no deal by the Oct. 31 deadline, and he’s set to hit restricted free agency next summer? “I haven’t really got into it that much,” Kuminga said. “I don’t want to step my foot off track. I’m focusing on how can I be great? How can I help something? The better you play, the more you do things, everything’s going to open up itself. So I’m not worried about things like that because I know who I am, I know myself. At the end of the day, it’s just having an opportunity, a chance to go out there and prove. Читать дальше...