Category: Basketball

COVID-19 pandemic halts Taipans’ free agency

Brandon King

From nbl.com.au : Cairns coach Mike Kelly has revealed the COVID-19 situation has numerous Taipans locked down across the world, as the club’s free agency and offseason plans come to an unexpected halt. With a majority of Cairns’ playing group already settled in different cities globally to begin their winter programs, the COVID-19 lockdown has thrown a spanner in the works and forced the Taipans to adjust their methods. After a stunning NBL20 campaign, where Cairns fell one win shy of qualifying for the Grand Final, Kelly wants his side…

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NBL releases second statement regarding Illawarra Hawks’ ownership situation

Brandon King

The NBL has released a follow-up statement to the seemingly developing situation surrounding the ownership of the Illawarra Hawks. An initial statement released by the league somewhat downplayed the initial reports of LaMelo Ball and his manager buying the club, it was quite easy to decipher the tea leaves and grasp that something may be afoot Below is the latest from the league: The NBL has taken back the licence for the Illawarra Hawks after the club was placed into voluntary administration. Hungry Jack’s NBL Owner and Executive Chairman Larry…

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Illawarra Hawks release statement regarding ownership

Brandon King

Thursday it was reported by ESPN and multiple outlets, including this one, that the youngest of the Ball brothers, LaMelo, along with his manager Jermaine Jackson, had purchased the Illawarra Hawks, the NBL Melo played for this past season. However in the words of the great Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend”, as this statement released by the Hawks , while not refuting those initial reports, it ,at the very least ,indicates there is something happening with Illawarra’s ownership status: The NBL would like to clarify the current situation…

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LaMelo Ball and manager purchase NBL team

Brandon King

LaMelo Ball is not yet in the NBA, but that hasn’t stopped him from making moves or planning for his life post-playing career. The youngest and most talented of the Ball brothers and projected top-3 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft( whenever that will be) along with his manager, Jermaine Jackson ( no, not that Jermaine Jackson) purchased the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League. Ball played for the Hawks this past season. Before his season was cut short due to a foot injury, Ball averaged 17.0 points, 7.5…

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Statement from NBL owner Larry Kestelman and commissioner Jeremy Loeliger

Brandon King

From nbl.com.au: A message from NBL Owner and Executive Chairman Larry Kestelman and NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger: These are unprecedented and challenging times and, like all of you, our simple wish is that we all get through it as safely and quickly as possible. Sport is an important part of people’s lives, but at this critical time, we are very aware of putting things in perspective and that the health and safety of each and every one of our families, friends and the wider community should be everybody’s number one…

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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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Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter to declare for WNBA draft

Brandon King

From ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel : Texas A&M junior guard Chennedy Carter announced Sunday that she is declaring for next month’s WNBA draft. Carter was long considered a strong candidate for the 2020 draft, for which she is eligible because she turns 22 this calendar year. She’s projected to go No. 4 overall to the Atlanta Dream in the latest ESPN mock draft. The 5-foot-7 Carter, from Mansfield, Texas, was a dynamic scorer for the Aggies, averaging 21.3 points per game this season despite missing seven games due to an ankle…

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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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