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Draymond Green will never be accused of being a player who lacks intensity, which has both benefitted his game and worked against him over the course of his career. On Tuesday (November 15), that same passion took a serious left turn after Green applied a chokehold straight from the mixed martial arts handbook on Rudy Gobert during a scuffle.
The Golden State Warriors hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves for an In-Season Tournament showdown in the Western Conference that got off to a rocky start early. The entire game unfolded into chaos after Warriors star Klay Thompson was tussling with Timberwolves Jaden McDaniels and the two grabbed each other’s jerseys on the way down to the court during a transition play.
The two swung each other around and both teams saw their benches emptied in an attempt to split them apart. Rudy Gobert tried to play a peacemaker role, prompting Draymond Green to leap into action and apply a vicious chokehold and grimacing as he applied pressure to the center’s neck.
From there, it was an all-out melee of bodies on the court with Thompson, McDaniels, and Green all being sent to the locker room. Thompson protested his ejection and Green was later assessed for a flagrant foul 2 for choking Gobert. The NBA saw no fault in Gobert, who was clearly trying to end the scuffle.
This is the 18th ejection for Green over the course of his career, leading all active players in that category. Further, it appears that these ejections happen more often when Stephen Curry isn’t playing. The sharpshooter sat out the game due to knee soreness.
After the game, Gobert called Green’s actions “clown behavior” and noted that the point forward often has trouble staying in games when Curry is out.
Across NBA Twitter, fans are discussing how many games Draymond Green should be suspended for putting the choke on Rudy Gobert. Check out those reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
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Portland Trail Blazers forward Robert Williams III is a gamer on the court and with the sticks off the court. The man known as Time Lord is a certified Call Of Duty fan and in a quick interview with Hip-Hop Wired, he offered plenty of insight into getting adjusted to his new Portland surroundings (he was traded from the Celtics in the summer—a say day for this Celtics fan writer), explained the joy he finds in gaming, and of course what he’s looking forward to in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III.
Robert Williams III says he was initially an NBA 2K player but got into Call Of Duty during his rookie year (he was drafted in 2018, so we’re talking Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 era). After admittedly taking a break for a year, he’s been back in full swing ever since. The franchise aligns with the high-flying forward’s NBA travel grind and keeps him trouble-free.
“It’s a mixture of things,” said Williams about why he plays. “It’s unwinding. A lot of times [instead] of going out and making some bad decisions, Call Of Duty will help you make great decisions. Just being able to communicate with people around the world. Being able to communicate with my fam back home over the game—kind of go through therapy sessions. We may get into a party and not even start the match for 30 minutes, just talking to each other.”
With Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III on the horizon, which lands this Friday (November 10), Williams is looking forward to getting as comfortable with the new title as he is on the court.
“I love it, man,” said Williams of the early taste of the game he was granted. “I feel like Call Of Duty surprises us every time. We ask ourselves what they can do to make it better or we suggest stuff that would make it better and a lot of the times the stuff that people suggest will really make the game terrible. We don’t realize it. I think they did a great job. I’m ready to play the campaign. I want to see what the rest of the game has in store.”
If you think Williams dropped a generic answer, he confirmed that he was legit when detailing his style of gameplay.
“I was the type where when I first started playing [I’d let] my friends go on fighting [and] I was the sniper that sat in the back the whole time. I’m marking people. [But then] I fell in love with SMG’s. I really miss the Cooper Carbine [Ed. Note: from Call Of Duty: Vanguard], I miss those bad,” Williams said.
Williams’ gritty play on the court will surely be missed by Boston Celtics fans. His new home and team of Portland are already treating him well.
“It was just tough getting adjusted to the West Coast time coming from Boston,” Williams shared. “But the city of Portland is amazing, man. People [have] been welcoming me. Been trying to find some good food. The nature is crazy, the trees, the wilderness out there is crazy.”
As a testament to the type of person he is, he’s already eyeing ways to give back to his new city.
“Obviously it’s not a celebratory topic, but I think Portland’s homelessness is probably the worst I’ve ever seen in my life, so I’m trying to figure out the next steps to get involved and try to help with that,” Williams said. In 2022, Portland ranked 25th nationwide in homelessness; per Axios, the homeless rate rose 20 percent in 2023.
Williams, a well-paid pro athlete, displaying such empathy is a testament to the type of teammate he is. This is often glossed over by those covering him in the press.
“I’m a people person,” said Williams when asked what’s the most underrated part of his NBA game. ” Anything I can do to help the team. Anything I can do to help my coaches, any given time on and off the court. This is what I am. I know I look unapproachable, I got neck tattoos and all that man, but I’ma cool person.”
Unfortunately for Blazers fans, Williams will have more time to play Call Of Duty since he recently suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for a least a few months (we conducted this interview a short while ago). But you can guarantee he’ll be back, stronger than ever.
Get well soon, Robert Williams III. We got your six.
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Photo: Getty
As the NBA season embarks on its inaugural In-Season Tournament Friday (Nov. 3), the league tapped two rap cornerstones to form a triumphant anthem: LL Cool J and The Roots combine two of their classic efforts — “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Here I Come,” respectively — to create the official anthem. The video […]
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James Harden brought his high-octane offense to the Philadelphia 76ers but found himself at odds with management entering the new season. After making a trade demand that nearly didn’t happen, sources say that James Harden will now don a Los Angeles Clippers jersey next to some future fellow Hall of Famers.
As reported by ESPN, the 76ers traded away James Harden, the versatile P.J. Tucker, and Serbian player Filip Petrusev. In exchange, the 76ers received Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap, and an additional first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Clippers are handing over a 2027 first-round pick swap to OKC which will allow the team to provide the 76es with a 2026 protected first-round pick. The Clippers also gave a 2024 and 2029 second-round pick to the Clippers as well.
Danny Green, a veteran defensive specialist and three-time NBA champion, was waived by the team to make roster space.
Harden, according to some observers, is on the tail end of his prime despite putting up an impressive 21 points and 10 assists last season along with 6 rebounds and 1 steal. At 34, Harden still has a lot of pop in his game, and alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, the Clippers are suddenly a team that could easily outscore a number of teams in the Western Conference.
Of course, the biggest issue is chemistry and Harden has been accused of being a team killer. However, with Harden returning to his native Los Angeles and getting away from a situation he no longer felt served him in Philadelphia, this could be a strong year.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the segment of the social media network known as NBA Twitter had plenty to say about the James Harden trade. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty
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NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley got straight to the point and asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about the league’s stance on domestic violence.
On Tuesday (Oct. 24), Charles Barkley and the rest of the Inside The NBA crew were holding court before the first game of the season between the visiting Los Angeles Lakers and the recent champions, the Denver Nuggets. They were joined by the league’s commissioner, Adam Silver. After a few questions about other issues impacting the league, Barkley made his last question an impactful one.
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“I got a serious question – they’re telling me to go to commercial, but I don’t care,” Charles Barkley began. “There’s a couple of disturbing incidents of domestic violence in the NBA right now. What are we doing to address that? Because you can’t put your hands on women, man. And we should be at the forefront in sports. … So what are we as a league going to do about that?”
The NBA is currently dealing with two highly prominent cases of players alleged to have committed acts of domestic violence. Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend, Kyrse Gondrezick in New York last month. After pleading not guilty, Porter was traded by the Houston Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who released him. Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets is serving a 10-game suspension after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge in June 2022. Originally given a 30-game suspension by the NBA, 20 games were chopped off as Bridges did not play the entire 2022-2023 season.
Silver responded with a bit of cautious language at first. “Well again, we’re not trying to compete with other leagues when you say “forefront” as I feel that all the other leagues are trying to confront this issue.” He credited the players’ association for their efforts and attention to the issue before continuing with his response to Barkley’s question.
“We put in place a new program for how we deal with, first of all, accusations of domestic violence even before they’re prosecuted,” Silver said. “Part of it goes to training of our players, counseling of our players to make sure they understand during high-stress situations that, obviously, never resort to violence against anyone. So we’re addressing it. We have, you know, state-of-the-art counseling professionals dealing with our players, but of course, if a guy you know does cross the line, the consequences are enormous.”
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United States Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the possibility that the NBA engaged in an intentional effort to tank the Big3 basketball league founded by none other than West Coast Hip Hip icon Ice Cube.
According to TMZ, the inquiry into allegations that the NBA used its power to curb the growth and progress of the much smaller league was actually launched months ago. Basically, the pro league is accused of pressuring sponsors, investors, TV networks, players and even referees from getting involved with Big3, which is basically David to the NBA’s Goliath and was never very likely to produce even remote competition for the multi-billion dollar basketball league.
From TMZ:
Some current players have expressed a desire to play in Cube’s league in the offseason, but we’re told, as the Big3 sees it, the NBA has prevented guys from doing so, putting arbitrary rules in place to stop players from hooping in Ice’s league.
FYI, the NBA and Big3 seasons do not overlap.
Of course, it’s a regular occurrence for NBA players, including some of the biggest stars in the world like LeBron James, to hoop in non-NBA games after the season ends … such as L.A.’s famed Drew League.
Big3 officials, according to sources familiar with the investigation, believe they’ve been unfairly targeted by the NBA.
We’ve also been told NBA owners have been discouraged from investing in the Big3 while simultaneously owning a franchise.
Referees haven’t been immune, either, according to a source … who says they’ve been told they cannot officiate for the Big3, despite some working for other organizations outside of the NBA.
Again, if these allegations are true, it’s a lot of effort to go through for an established league that generates billions in revenue and already has other, much smaller leagues to “compete” with that it hasn’t been accused of trying to kill. Still, sources told TMZ that Cube and his BIG3 co-founder, Jeff Kwatinetz, met with DOJ attorneys earlier this year, and that those lawyers have reached out to NBA officials as part of the investigation, which indicates that the inquiry is being taken pretty seriously.
In response to the allegations, NBA spokesman Mike Bass told TMZ that the “claims are not true,” and that the NBA has actually “been supportive of the Big3 since its inception, but we declined to invest.” Cube appeared to dispute that part on X Tuesday saying, “BIG3 never asked the NBA to invest, we just want them to stop pressuring individuals and corporations not to invest in the BIG3.”
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Just when it seemed like Miles Bridges was repairing his image and ready to make a triumphant return to the NBA, a new arrest warrant has been issued for the embattled Charlotte Horners forward.
According to WSOC-TV, a new arrest warrant was issued for Bridges in relation to his prior domestic violence charges. Though this latest setback for Bridges doesn’t involve him getting physically violent with his baby mother, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office alleges that he violated a protective order against her and will now have to face the consequences for his actions.
WSOC-TV reports:
A criminal summons has also been issued for Bridges, which came out Wednesday. Once again, because it has not been served, it’s not public record, so we have not been able to get a copy of it.
The corresponding police report indicated that the victim’s windshield was smashed in and that her protective order was violated by Bridges’ appearance. The incident happened at her residence.
The victim in question is Bridges’ longtime girlfriend. The pair has several children and is in the middle of a custody battle.
In the past, Bridges’ girlfriend has reportedly defended him and has said that he’s not an abuser.
This is quite the setback for the 25-year-old NBA player who sat out last season due to his legal issues. This latest incident comes month after he signed a new one-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets and vowed to repair his relationship with his teammates and turn over a new leaf. How this will affect his future in the NBA going forward remains to be seen.
When he last played for the Hornets, Bridges averaged career-highs of 20.2 points and seven rebounds. It amounted to a breakout season for the four-year NBA veteran while playing alongside All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball.
Channel 9 has reached out to Bridges’ attorneys and to the Hornets about this story. The Hornets said the team is aware of the reports and it is in the process of gathering more information.
It’ll be a shame if Miles Bridges lets his anger and emotions get the best of him and ruin what could very well be a bright future in the NBA. However, we could never condone domestic violence.
What do y’all think of Miles Bridges latest incident? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Brandon Hunter, a former NBA player who also had a lengthy career overseas, has died. Hunter played collegiately at Ohio University.
Brandon Hunter was born November 24, 1980, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and played high school ball at Withrow High School, where former NBA player and coach Tyrone Hill also played. According to a report from NBC News, Hunter’s passing was announced by his college alma mater this past Tuesday (September 12), and issued a moving statement for the Kermit Blosser Hall of Fame member.
From Ohio University:
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Brandon Hunter,” head men’s basketball coach Jeff Boals said. “Brandon was a phenomenal player at Ohio who went on to have a great pro career. He was up on campus last year, with his son, for his well-deserved induction into the Ohio University Athletics Hall of Fame. Brandon was a great ambassador for Ohio, a great teammate, a great competitor, and a great family man. Brandon had an infectious personality that touched many people along his journey and will be truly missed. We are thinking about and praying for his wife Mary and three children during this time.”
NBC News learned that Hunter collapsed after doing hot yoga at a facility in Orlando, Fla. according to statements from the family.
After playing two seasons in the NBA, Brandon Hunter played for several teams across Europe and Puerto Rico.
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Need an excuse to stock up on even more BTS merch? K-pop group member Suga has just launched “Dynamite” special capsule collection with the NBA that’s not only approved by the singer, but will also show some love for your favorite pro basketball teams.
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Much like most BTS collaborations though, it’s selling out quick with only four things left in stock out of the 36-piece collection. Meaning you don’t want to think twice about whether to snag a hoodie and/or pair of shorts.
The collection officially dropped on Wednesday (Sept. 13) when the NBA announced its release in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“The much awaited #SUGAxNBA capsule collection by @mitchell_ness, designed in collaboration with NBA ambassador SUGA of @bts_twt, is out NOW!” the caption said followed by a video of models showcasing the styles available.
Each piece of apparel was designed by the brand Mitchell & Ness, a company that specializes in officially licensed merchandise for the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and even collegiate teams.
Already saying “I Need U”? Take a look below to shop what’s still in stock.
Mitchell & Ness
M&N x Suga Glitch Hoodie New Jersey Nets
$120
Nets fans can show off this hoodie made from a soft fleece material that’ll help keep you cozy on and off the court. Whether you’re watching from home or walking around the park, the back graphic of the team’s logo will ensure everyone knows what team you’re rooting for.
Mitchell & Ness
M&N x Suga Glitch Shorts New Jersey Nets
$90
Complete the look with a pair of matching Nets shorts or wear them alone. The style comes with the team’s logo on the bottom right corner, Suga’s signature on the left leg and a drawstring waistband to customize them just how you like it.
Mitchell & Ness
M&N x Suga Glitch Hoodie Los Angeles Clippers
$120
Don’t worry Clippers fans, there’s also a sweatshirt for you as well. It comes with the team’s bold logo on the back while the front features the team’s lettering in a smaller font. The warm fleece material will help keep you warm as the temps cool down just in time for basketball season.
M&N x Suga Glitch Shorts Los Angeles Clippers
$90
You can lounge around in the matching Clippers shorts, which feature the special Suga stamp of approval on the left leg while the right leg shows off the team’s logo.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best varsity jackets, men’s sneaker deals and men’s crewnecks and hoodies on sale.
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Kevin Porter Jr., a rising NBA player for the Houston Rockets, was arrested in New York this week for allegedly assaulting a woman who reports say is his girlfriend. The incident occurred in a hotel early Monday morning (September 11) after officials received a 911 call from the location.
As reported by ESPN, Kevin Porter Jr., 23, and the woman 26, were at a New York hotel with sources stating that the victim of the alleged assault is a former WNBA player. According to a police spokesperson, the woman suffered significant to her face and neck.
“Upon arrival officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck.”
Porter’s team also issued a statement saying that they’re looking at the matter internally before taking further action.
“We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.,” the Rockets said via a statement. “We have no further comment at this time.”
The NBA issued a similar statement via Mike Bass which read,”The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”
Porter is facing assault and strangulation charges, both considered felonies in the state of New York.
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