Category: NBA Basketball

Draymond Green says Warriors would have bested Raptors with healthy KD

Brandon King

In an appearance on the All the Smoke show with former NBAers Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said that had Kevin Durant been healthy, the Toronto Raptors “wouldn’t have stood a chance” in the NBA Finals. He said the first quarter of Game 5 of the Finals, the only one that Durant played in before snapping his Achilles’ tendon, confirmed this to him. “Once we got Kevin, we were f–king unstoppable. Even losing last year, Kevin don’t get hurt—you seen the game he came…

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Bulls and Arturas Karnisovas finalizing deal for executive spot

Brandon King

The 1990’s were a long time ago but outside of the pre-injury Derrick Rose days, there hasn’t been much for Chicago Bulls fans to hang their collective hats on. The seventeen years that the John Paxson and Gar Forman braintrust has run the Bulls has been one wrought with frustration for this once proud fan base. Clamors for change in the Chicago front office became as loud as a train horn over the course of this season. The greatest hits of the “GarPax” leadership over the past few years include…

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Kevin Durant, other Nets players COVID-19 symptom-free

Brandon King

There is more potentially positive news on the NBA’s coronavirus front. On a Wednesday conference call, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks announced that the four Nets players, that included Kevin Durant, that tested positive for the coronavirus are symptom-free, according to The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer. News of Durant and the other three players testing positive was announced March 17.

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Lakers say all players corona symptom-free

Brandon King

According to USA Today’s Mark Medina, the Los Angeles Lakers announces all their players are symptom-free following their 14-day home quarantine. Two Laker players tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the NBA suspended the season. Anthony Davis ,who tested negative for the infection, had this to say, per Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times: “It’s kind of tricky because some guys, you feel fine and you could have it, asymptomatic. And some guys you have all the symptoms. I felt fine and I felt great. I still do. [At…

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Marcus Smart cleared of COVID-19

Brandon King

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been given a clean bill of health. Smart revealed the diagnosis in a tweet on Sunday. Back on March 19, Smart revealed that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. This bit of good news comes on the heels of the Utah Jazz announcing Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and personnel were coronavirus-free.

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Bobby Portis and Julius Randle partner up with Hello Fresh to assist City Harvest feed the multitudes effected by COVID-19

Brandon King

From the Knicks team news: NEW YORK, NY (March 27, 2020) – New York Knicks teammates Julius Randle and Bobby Portis have joined forces with HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal-kit company, to donate $180,000 worth of meals to City Harvest, New York City’s private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization, to help feed New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables amid the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, Randle and Portis are each contributing $50,000 to support City Harvest’s operations, which will altogether help feed more than 370,000 New Yorkers in…

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Jazz’s Gobert, Mitchell, others health cleared

Brandon King

Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell along with the rest of Utah Jazz players and personnel have been given a clean bill of health by the state’s Health Department, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 and ridiculously and wrongly draw the ire of players, fans and even some media ( because apparently he purposely contracted the virus as part of some insidious plan to end the NBA season). This is good news and we hope this is a precursor for more healthy…

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NBA Executives to take 20% pay reduction

Brandon King

From ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski: In the midst of a shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is reducing base salaries by 20% for about 100 of the league office’s top-earning executives around the world, sources tell ESPN. Many of the executives and officials who are impacted work in the league’s New York headquarters, including commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, sources said. These reductions will be implemented immediately and are expected to continue through the course of the coronavirus crisis, sources said. NBA spokesman Mike Bass wouldn’t confirm…

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Leon Rose reportedly “impressed” with interim Mike Miller

Brandon King

From Bleacher Report: New York Knicks president Leon Rose has reportedly had a “positive feeling” about interim head coach Mike Miller since taking over the front office in early March. Ian Begley of SNY reported Thursday that Rose was “impressed” with Miller’s work and “respected the job” he’s done since replacing David Fizdale, who was fired in December. Rose is going to lead the coaching search in the offseason, and NBA executives view former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolveshead coach Tom Thibodeau as a “strong favorite,” per Begley. Even if Thibodeau or another high-profile coach is hired to take…

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