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Basketball fans may have scoffed at the NBA In-Season Tournament initially but ended up being treated to some of the best games so far early in the season. The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers locked horns for the inaugural tournament final with the Lake Show taking the whole thing on the back of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The NBA In-Season Tournament had its share of critics who didn’t quite understand the necessity or purpose of it unless, of course, their teams were in contention. Early favorites like the Boston Celtics were bounced by the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton, who is now becoming one of the league’s brightest stars.
The Lakers and Pacers may not have been the marquee matchup some fans wanted but it was a pure clinic put on by AD and King James, who seized the moment with the help of great play from fellow starters D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince. Austin Reaves also provided a big lift off the bench with 28 points, leading the entire second unit.
The Pacers gave it their all with Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, who came off the bench, both scoring 20 points. The Pacers also saw significant contributions from Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith.
The Lakers rode the wave of Davis, who led all scorers with 41 points, hauling in 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. James added 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, eventually winning the MVP trophy for the tournament. While Davis did show out for the final game, James has been consistently dominant even at age 38 and displayed an uncanny level of strength, speed, and basketball IQ.
It may not be the top trophy of the league but the NBA In-Season Tournament proved that fans don’t have to wait until May to see amazing professional basketball. Commissioner Adam Silver can go back to the lab with his team and figure out how to improve the tournament and said that he’s open to suggestions.
On X, formerly Twitter, NBA fans are discussing the game and much more. Check out the reactions below.
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The man behind a lot of LeBron James’ success is under fire. His business manager Maverick Carter has admitted to illegally betting on NBA games.
The Washington Post is exclusively reporting that the American businessman would regularly gamble money on National Basketball Games via an illegal bookie Wayne Nix. Back in 2021 Nix was investigated by a federal task force for running a very profitable offshore bookmaking business. According to federal law enforcement records reviewed by The Washington Post Maverick Carter admitted to making bets with Nix’s company. The paperwork shows that he laid money down 20 times on both football and basketball games; with bets starting at $5,000.00 upwards to $10,000.00.
A spokesperson for both Carter and LeBron James confirmed that federal agents did interview Maverick about the investigation into Wayne Nix. “In 2021 and before 38 states and the District of Columbia legalized sports betting, Maverick Carter was interviewed a single time by federal law enforcement regarding their investigation into Wayne Nix,” Adam Mendelsohn said in a statement. “Mr. Carter was not the target of the investigation, cooperated, was never charged, and never contacted again on the matter.”
NBA policy forbids players, coaches and league staff to gamble on games but does not enforce this rule on business managers or sports agents. Others noted figures who reportedly place bets with Wayne Nix include Scottie Pippen. The six time champion shared that he considered Nix a “good friend” and played golf with him on several occasions. According to Sports Illustrated Wayne Nix is a former minor league baseball pitcher. He has pled guilty one count of conspiracy and one count of falsifying a tax return and is awaiting sentencing.
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The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings locked horns for a thrilling NBA In-Season Tournament contest that appeared to be all but handled by the visiting Bay Area squad. However, the Kings took care of business on their home court and won the game while eliminating the Warriors from tournament play and advancing.
The first half of the contest on Tuesday (November 28) saw the Warriors, led by Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson’s scoring, go up big on the Kings and looked to be cruising to an easy win and advancing to the knockout round of the tournament. However, the second half saw an offensive explosion from Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, who the Warriors couldn’t seem to stop.
There were also a number of careless turnovers due to errant passing by the Warriors. that led to fast-break opportunities for the Kings. The game was also the return of Draymond Green after a five-game suspension for slapping a rear-naked choke onto Rudy Gobert during an on-court altercation.
De’Aaron Fox led all Kings scorers with 29 and was equally unstoppable down the stretch. Fox and Huerter’s burst in the second half was timely as Kings big man Domantas Sabonis only contributed 9 points.
The story of the game and the topic of discussion online was the play of Stephen Curry, who also scored 29 points but made just 4 of 12 three-point attempts, including some way outside the arc while heavily guarded. This has led to some calling the Warriors’ loss a choke job online. We’ve got some of those reactions to the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings game below.
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Rashad McCants, a former first-round NBA draft selection, is now enjoying a second career as a broadcaster who talks basketball and other matters. A clip of McCants is now going wide after the North Carolina native said that he believes Kevin Durant will go down as a better basketball player than LeBron James when it’s all said and done.
The statement in question came courtesy of the No Chill with Gilbert Arenas podcast with Rashad McCants comparing the career tracks of Kevin Durant, who turned 35 this past September, and LeBron James, who will be 39 this December.
In McCants’ view, “real hooper” to use his words would place KD over King James when it comes down to it. Both are definitely world-class basketball players with James having a championship advantage with four rings compared to Durant’s two rings. James is also the leading scorer of all-time in the NBA and showing no signs of slowing down as he leads the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant, currently playing for the Phoenix Suns, is still an explosive player capable of taking games as anyone else in the league.
Arenas didn’t push back heavily on McCants’ statement but did say something interesting about the NBA and the whispers some observers have shared that the league promotes different teams based on their market. Arenas said that the NBA thrives and makes more money when the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers are powerhouses.
There has to be more to this conversation as the clip never offers any manner of closure or following thoughts from Rashad McCants but on X, formerly known as Twitter, the segment of users known as NBA Twitter has plenty to say.
Also, to all the accounts trying to go viral off the clip, why not give those views to Arenas so he can keep feasting? That’s nasty work. We’ve added the clip of Arenas’ account below to help.
Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
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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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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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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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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.”