#top 20 nba players

[boosqoowoo]

BEENZINO - NOWITZKI (ENGLISH LYRICS TRANSLATION)

The second studio album by rapper Beenzino and his comeback after 6 years, NOWITZKI is named after the legendary German NBA player, Dirk Nowitzki. The album’s cover art, however, features Beenzino’s German-origin wife and muse, Stefanie Michova, who he got married to in August 2022. Beenzino mentioned that the album was originally meant to be named 'Stefanie' after his muse, but was afraid that if people didn't like the album, they would say "Ah, Stefanie wasn't that good (of an album)' so he decided to put the burden on Nowitzki instead (LOL). But, to him, the album is titled Stefanie, since she "took up so much of my headspace".

Beenzino mentioned that his album is like a journal of the past 6 years, with each entry being a journal entry of different times in his life. For example, Track 12 Camp is an entry about his life in the military, and Track 11 Crime about meeting his wife for the first time.

Tracklist

Stinky Kiss (intro)

Monet

In Bed/Makgulli

Travel Again (ft. Cautious Clay)

Dope As (Interlude)

Coca Cola Red (ft. oygli)

990 (ft. Kim Ximye)

Lemon

Like a Fool (ft. Y2K92)

Trippy (ft. Lance Skiiwalker)

Crime (ft. Bek Hyunjin, 250)

Camp

Sanso (Interlude)

Change

Just One Day

Sandman

Radio

Gym

Hidden Tracks (only available on physical CDs... and youtube)

19. Morning Page 20. Train (ft. CJamm)

Common themes in the album

1. Menu

- In Bed/Makgulli

comparing myself to the person on the menu

people’s gazes are on my menu

my menu physical complex is hot

- Travel Again

there’s no lies on my menu

2. Food Brands

- Travel Again

while they sell Pizza Etang here

- Camp

for me, Krispy Kreme donut

for me, McDonald cheeseburger

- Gym

Shin and Jin and Ansungtangmyun that’s my top 3

- Morning Page

honestly, i would have been satisfied with just licking Yoplait

- Monet

suffocating in WOORAHMAN

3. Stefanie Michova (too many to name, but the specifics are)

- In Bed/Makgulli

there’s a mark from your belly button piercing on your waist, just like a memory foam

- Coca-cola Red

Stefanie asks 'what you filming for?' (filming for)

- Trippy

mom's spaghetti, Steffi's kimchi stew

- Morning Page

i have 100 friends, but even Steffi is less jealous than you

4. God

- Sandman

God gave me another chance

- 990

that’s your God, I’m Namu Amitabha

- Lemon

i'm a lemon in God's hands

- Camp

God who is turning on the fader

5. Fashion/clothes

- Stinky Kiss

kick push, pull the white Stussy shirt up

- Travel Again

stretch out your legs in your Kapital pants

- Trippy

it's always there like Samsadoo in that convenience store refrigerator

- Radio

lean on your babe's vintage Levi's

- Morning page

sometimes i search for my gore-tex

homies, rip your first Amiri fit

6. Cars

- Morning page

roll down the windows of the BMW i4 G

- Change

it's definitely Santamo, that's my Mom's car for sure

- Like a fool

it turned out to be a figure, my R8

i am a BMW ambassador, whoa

24:26 ALBUM TRANSLATION HERE

#beenzino #nowitzki #khh #english trans #eng trans #english lyrics #eng lyrics #stefanie michova

[ballplayersxo]

the downfall of devin booker in the court of public opinion need to be studied

i don't think i've seen an athelete go from being mvp candidate , next kobe , media darling to not even considered as a top 20 by most nba fans or players in 2 years

all this without even a major scandal or ANYTHING that bad it's truly facinating

his attitude on the court probably pisses people off. i think he does a lot of talking without backing it up kinda thing. plus he went after the great white hope and we all know how that goes

#devin booker

[revengemode]

23 yo, top 20 player in the NBA, willing to risk it all to portray the image of a gangsta. I fucking hate to see it.

Especially when we know who the real street babies are and they’ve been nothing but class acts since they entered the league.

#Entourage full of yes men smh #Ja Morant

[reasoningdaily]

It’s easy to forget that people of African descent come from a rich legacy of community and wealth-building as the first kings and queens on the planet. In a world that stifles Black progress and seeks to recreate a Eurocentric world-view of history, the brilliance of Black business owners shines through like a diamond in the rough.

As communities of the African diaspora, from Historic Greenwood District to Cape Town, South Africa, seek to build generational wealth after decades and centuries of pillaging and persecution, a few exceptional entrepreneurs stand out. The 10 wealthiest people of African descent prove the potential that’s often locked away inside Black people everywhere.

Using data from Forbes, which tracks the net worth of the wealthiest human beings in the world, The Black Wall Street Times compiled a list of the top 10 wealthiest Black people. Out of the 10, four are American, and three are Nigerian. Additionally, two are women, and eight are men.

What lessons can we learn from their success? Let’s meet them.

10. Folorunsho Alakija — Nigerian businesswoman and philanthropist.

Alakija has an estimated net worth of $1 billion as of 2020. Alakija is the founder and executive vice chairman of Famfa Oil, one of Nigeria’s largest oil exploration companies. Entering the business world with a fashion label, Alakija rose to financial prestige by cultivating high-profile clients, including the wife of former Nigerian president Ibrahim Babangida. At 72 years old, Forbes ranks her as the 20th wealthiest person in Africa and the wealthiest woman on the continent.

I have faced many hurdles in my own life, but I have learned that with the right mindset, every challenge is a chance to create bigger and better opportunities. pic.twitter.com/KJDholX9tx— Folorunso Alakija (@alakijaofficial) March 20, 2023

9. Mohammed Ibrahim — British-Sudanese businessman and philanthropist.

Ibrahim has an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion as of 2023. Born in Sudan, he’s the founder and chairman of Celtel International, one of Africa’s largest mobile phone companies. He also established the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to support good governance in Africa. He sold Celtel International to Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company for a whopping $3.4 billion in 2005, pocketing $1.4 billion in the process.

— startupAFRICA (@startupafrimag) April 28, 2019

8. Michael Jordan — Former NBA player and American businessman.

The six-time NBA champion has stayed busy in his retirement years. He’s now a successful businessman with an estimated net worth of $2 billion as of 2023. Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets franchise and has several other investments in business ventures across the world.

7. Strive Masiyiwa — Zimbabwean businessman and philanthropist.

Masiyiwa has an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion as of 2023. In 1998, he overcame government opposition to launch the mobile phone network Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He also owns stakes in fiber optic and fintech companies in several African countries. Together with his wife Tsitsi, he found HigherLife Foundation. The organization supports orphaned and low-income children in  Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi and Lesotho.

I met Strive Masiyiwa’s Higher Life Foundation & Celebration Ministries International fact finding team that will help Joyce Banda Foundation International provide immediate & long term help to cyclone Freddy victims. Our people need urgent help. Looking forward to their support. pic.twitter.com/SvRuG7CSB0— H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda (@DrJoyceBanda) March 20, 2023

6. Oprah Winfrey — American media mogul and philanthropist.

Arguably one of the most famous Black American women, Winfrey has a net worth of $2.5 billion as of 2023. She is the founder and chairwoman of Harpo Productions, which produces television shows, films, and digital media for a variety of platforms. Beginning her career as a TV journalist, Winfrey transitioned her hit talk show into a media empire with the OWN network, reinvesting profits from movies into more ventures.

Top five

5. Patrice Motsepe — South African businessman.

In 2008, Motsepe became the first Black African billionaire and has an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion as of 2023. Motsepe is the chairman and founder of African Rainbow Minerals, a South African-based mining company. In 1997, he flippled low-producing mining shafts into a profitable enterprise. He is the owner of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club and was elected president of the Confederation of African Football in 2021.

This is Patrice Motsepe. He bought an unknown South African club to frustrate Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs. All the cups prize money is shared among the players. Today Mamelodi Sundows is the best football club in Africa pic.twitter.com/k2vhDRXtBo— Tolo (@021Nongwadla) March 28, 2023

4. David Steward — American businessman and philanthropist.

Steward has a net worth of $6 billion as of 2023, making him the fourth wealthiest Black person in the world. Steward is the founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc., a privately held technology solutions provider. A man who once watched his car get repossessed has progressed past poverty to become owner of a company that boasts high-profile clients, such as: Citi, Verizon and the U.S. government. In 2018, Steward donated $1.3 million to the University of Missouri-St. Louis to establish the David and Thelma Steward Institute for Jazz Studies.

David Steward battled with obstacles like poverty and racism. David didn’t enjoy the best resources from his parents. However, he learnt lessons from his parents that gave him significant wealth. One such is “treating people right.”https://t.co/b1ntWaFeEX— Business Elites Africa (@ElitesAfrica) March 27, 2023

3. Mike Adenuga — Nigerian businessman and billionaire.

Adenuga has an estimated net worth of $6.1 billion as of 2023. He’s the founder and chairman of Globacom, one of Nigeria’s largest mobile phone networks. It’s the third largest operator in Nigeria, with 55 million subscribers. Adenuga also runs a profitable oil exploration company in the Niger delta. He supported himself as a college student earning an MBA in New York by moonlighting as a taxi driver. At age 26, he earned his first million dollars selling lace and soft drinks.

Mike Adenuga worked as a taxi driver to help fund his university education. A student in New York, USA, he drove a taxi to pay for his studies, even though his parents belonged to the upper middle class in Nigeria. He was born and raised in Ibadan, Oyo. pic.twitter.com/qs7CCk0CVh— Yorùbáness (@Yorubaness) March 17, 2023

2. Robert F. Smith — American businessman.

Smith a net worth of $8 billion as of 2023, making him the second wealthiest Black person in the world. He is the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in software, data, and technology companies. Vista is one of the most successful private equity firms, with $96 billion in assets. The persistent self-starter earned an internship at Bell Labs during college after calling the company every week for five months. As an engineer, he worked at Goodyear Tire and Kraft Foods before earning an MBA from Columbia University. In 2019, he vowed to pay the student debt for the entire graduating class of Morehouse College.

1. Aliko Dangote — Nigerian businessman.

Topping the list of the wealthiest Black person in the world with an estimated net worth of $13.7 billion as of 2023, is none other than Nigeria’s own Aliko Dangote. He’s founder and chairman of Dangote Cement, one of Africa’s leading cement producers and he’s Africa’s richest man. The company has operations in 10 countries across the Motherland, and he also boasts a newly created fertilizer company as of 2022. Once completed, Dangote Oil Refinery is expected to be one of the world’s largest, even as climate change continues to disrupt the planet.

Today we celebrate a polio-free Africa, the result of decades of vaccination, hard work, collaboration. Tomorrow we get back to work, to ensure wild polio does not come back. Together, we all can #EndPolio globally.— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) August 25, 2020

While Nigeria boasts the third and first richest Black people in the world, the list reflects a diverse array of personalities, backgrounds, and ingenuity across the African diaspora.

#Meet the Top 10 wealthiest Black people in the world in 2023 #Black Entrepreneurs #Black Business #Black Money Makers #Black Economy

[hardtchill]

I think people also need to learn that the game will always evolve and grow when top talent comes in. For example, you look at the nba and how the gameplay has changed over the years. Just listen to how they compare and make arguments about how the newer generation is better. From Larry bird, Jordan, Kobe, lebron, curry, and now the newer or hotter players like jokic or Edwards. There are different eras for a reason and that doesn’t mean we should shit on the older eras. When you do that, you’re eliminating everything they did for the game and greatness they brought and this is exactly what newer fans are doing with Clark.

Saying that Clark is the goat and she’s going to be this that and the third is really a big fuck you to the older players. Nobody is denying that she’s good, but the newer fans really piped her up and when that happened, it was a slap in the face to the people past and present in the league

EXACTLY

And the thing is that especially in women's sports there is a massive (and i truly mean massive) disparity in available resources between someone who was in college in the late 90s/early 20's and someone who was/is in college now. Just think of all the things the greats had to figure out on their own, nutrition, rest, injury prevention, sponsorships, off season training etc.

Sue and Diana always said that they were the first generation who knew in college that they could go on and play pro because a league was formed. Caitlin was born long after the league started, there was never a doubt that a life as a pro basketball player was an option. Growing up knowing that the goal of becoming a professional athlete is possible creates a mindset that players like Lisa, Sheryl, Rebecca and even Sue and Diana never had the privilege to have. They never knew as kids that this future was possible, Caitlin did.

There is a reason why we say players are role models and why it's so great that little girls get to watch the WNBA these days. None of the greats truly had female role models in sport when they grew up, they became the role models for players like Caitlin. Without them Caitlin would 100% not be as good as she is.

#ask #wnba #caitlin clark

[ahundredtimesover]

mimi di ko alam if nasagot mo na ‘to pero sino sinu-support mo na team sa basketball (if meron man) HAHAHAJSJJSKSJS both sa pba + uaap 🥹 this question just came to my mind kasi i’m rewatching the uaap match between admu and upd (yung clutch moment ni jd) and it gives me goosebumps every time

also, i just wanna say na i’m sooo happy to come across your fics and blog and felt so proud nung nalaman ko na filipino ka rin like shet pls (insert that filipino pride meme) THAT’S MY KABABAYAN WITH HER AMAZING STORIES 👏 i’m just generally glad to come across poc writers cos it makes the whole reader-insert stories feel inclusive as opposed to when (whether intentionally or unintentionally) the “reader” is 90% of the time white/white passing (like when the author describes skin and most of the time in smut scenes reader’s pussy is pink).

i got way off track from my original intention of asking you about basketball i’m so sorry 🥹

— coj 🩵

Hiii omg I love this question haha. 😂 I actually don't watch PBA anymore. Probably 20 years ago lol and I cheered for San Miguel, as in Siegle-Ildefonso-Racela era. For UAAP naman, syempre ADMU 🦅 bc school pride keme haha. But I was such a huge blue eagles fan, as in I watched live games after school, had photos with the players, was part of the 1.0 second Doug Kramer shot vs. UST crowd! College basketball is truly insane and I miss the feeling! But I stopped being updated post-COVID.

I'm a huge NBA fan though. Phoenix Suns is my top bc of Steve Nash and idk, I just always feel it's his team even it isn't haha and I can't let it go. But I'm a Boston Celtics and GS Warriors fan as well. And I perpetually root for the teams I grew up cheering for like Kings, Mavs, and Jazz. Ikaw, what are your teams??

And thank you! I also get happy when I come across Filipino and other POC writers. Like, yes it's more of an OC story but it's still a reader-insert and how they are envisioned is important, so coming from a non-majority background and presenting characters in a certain (not white/white-passing) way has been great for me. I know I can still do better though, and so I appreciate this! I'm just glad I'm able to share my work and also say that yes I'm Filipino, hi! 😊😊

But yes, no worries. Thank you for dropping by! 🫶🏼

#mimianswers #mimi things

[kicksaddictny]

Elite Athletes from Overtime Elite Partner with adidas Basketball as NIL Ambassadors

adidas Basketball is excited to announce the addition of four exceptional athletes from Overtime Elite (OTE) as NIL brand ambassadors: Ian Jackson, Karter Knox, Mikel Brown Jr., and Adam Oumiddoch. This quartet of signings represents a significant milestone in adidas' ongoing commitment to the sport's evolution and investment in the future of basketball.

This collaboration is a strategic extension of the multi-year partnership established in October 2023, where adidas was named the exclusive apparel and footwear sponsor of OTE. Both organizations share a unified vision centered around an athlete-first approach, ensuring the well-being and development of OTE players remain pivotal to their collaborative efforts.

“The partnership with Overtime Elite and the integration of these talented young hoopers into the adidas family empowers us to champion the future leaders of basketball and reaffirms our pledge to the sport's advancement," said Eric Wise, adidas General Manager of Global Basketball. "We are immensely proud to foster a collaborative environment that not only equips athletes with performance-driven adidas products but propels them to success beyond the court.”

This alliance offers OTE athletes an unprecedented platform to build relationships within adidas, and the brand in turn secures early exposure to next-generation stars. The newly minted NIL ambassadors will not only embody the spirit of adidas Basketball but will also have access to educational opportunities ranging from product testing to visiting adidas headquarters to mentorship opportunities and NIL preparedness. Highlighting the ambassadors:

Ian Jackson (Class of 2024) - A 2024 McDonald’s All-American and two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, now committed to the University of North Carolina. Karter Knox (Class of 2024) - Also a 2024 McDonald’s All-American, celebrated as Florida's top player and the 3A Florida Player of the Year in his junior year, with a gold medal from the 2022 USA Basketball U17 National Team. Mikel Brown Jr. (Class of 2025) - A promising floor general who’s currently shooting 39% from three and exploring dozens of scholarship offers from high major Division 1 colleges. Adam Oumiddoch (Class of 2026) - One of the Top 20 players in his class, a sophomore who is the only underclassmen at OTE averaging double figures in scoring.

“adidas is focused on the next generation athlete, and their commitment to providing OTE players with opportunities to expand their own brands aligns perfectly with how we look to empower our players,” said Jack Jenkins, VP, Brand Partnerships at Overtime.

The two brands have kicked off their partnership in a big way, amassing millions of views, with shared content creation across league games and visits from current adidas athletes including Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young.

As an exciting extension to the partnership, OTE and adidas will spotlight top high school talents, including three NIL ambassadors, in four league games across two days in Indianapolis, coinciding with NBA All Star Weekend festivities. These games promise to be a showcase of elite young talent and will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and all league social channels.

February 15th, 2024 7 PM ET - City Reapers vs YNG Dreamerz 9 PM ET - Cold Hearts vs RWE

February 16th, 2024 2 PM ET - City Reapers vs Cold Hearts 4 PM ET - RWE vs YNG Dreamerz

#adidas #kicksaddict #NIL

[dan6085]

Top 20 greatest shot blockers of all time in NBA history, ranked by total blocks and including their career average blocks per game:

1. Hakeem Olajuwon - Total blocks: 3,830, Average per game: 2.6

2. Dikembe Mutombo - Total blocks: 3,289, Average per game: 2.8

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Total blocks: 3,189, Average per game: 2.6

4. Mark Eaton - Total blocks: 3,064, Average per game: 3.5

5. Tim Duncan - Total blocks: 3,020, Average per game: 2.2

6. Shaquille O'Neal - Total blocks: 2,732, Average per game: 2.3

7. David Robinson - Total blocks: 2,954, Average per game: 2.5

8. Patrick Ewing - Total blocks: 2,894, Average per game: 2.4

9. Tree Rollins - Total blocks: 2,542, Average per game: 2.2

10. Ben Wallace - Total blocks: 2,137, Average per game: 2.0

11. Marcus Camby - Total blocks: 2,331, Average per game: 2.0

12. Theo Ratliff - Total blocks: 1,968, Average per game: 2.4

13. Elvin Hayes - Total blocks: 1,771, Average per game: 1.7

14. Shawn Bradley - Total blocks: 2,119, Average per game: 2.5

15. Alonzo Mourning - Total blocks: 2,356, Average per game: 2.8

16. Artis Gilmore - Total blocks: 2,469, Average per game: 1.9

17. George Johnson - Total blocks: 2,082, Average per game: 2.1

18. Manute Bol - Total blocks: 2,086, Average per game: 3.3

19. Andrei Kirilenko - Total blocks: 2,253, Average per game: 2.0

20. Bill Russell - Total blocks: N/A, Average per game: N/A (blocks were not officially recorded during his career)

It's worth noting that these rankings are based on blocks per game average, but some players may have played fewer games and seasons than others, so their total block numbers may be lower.

[lebron-12]

 Denver Nuggets will look to regain home-court advantage when they battle the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals on Wednesday. After opening the series with an 11-point win, the Nuggets fell 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday. The Heat (44-38), who are 13-7 this postseason, have been red hot at home, going 7-2 there this postseason. The Nuggets (53-29), the No. 1 seed in the West for the first time in franchise history, are 13-4 in the playoffs, but just 4-3 on the road.

Tipoff from Kaseya Center in Miami is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. Denver leads the all-time series 39-35, and has won 10 of the past 12 matchups. Denver is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Heat vs. Nuggets odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 214.5. Before making any Nuggets vs. Heat picks

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach. He excels in the NBA, especially when picking Denver Nuggets games. Over the past 99 Denver matchups, he is 58-38-3 against the spread, returning $1,625 for $100 players. 

Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Heat vs. Nuggets and just locked in his picks and 2023 NBA Finals predictions. 

Despite the Game 2 loss, Denver center Nikola Jokic remains on a historical playoff run. On Sunday, Jokic scored 41 points on 16 of 28 shooting from the floor, and grabbed a series-high 11 rebounds and four assists for his 47th career playoff double-double and 14th of this postseason. He now has four career playoff games with 40 or more points, tying Alex English for second all-time in Denver's history, only trailing Jamal Murray, who has five. In 17 playoff games this year, he is averaging 30.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 1.1 steals. He is averaging a triple-double and has nine this postseason, including six in the last eight games.

Murray is also helping to carry the Nuggets' offense. He is also coming off a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists to go along with four rebounds. In the Game 1 win over the Heat, he registered a double-double with 26 points and 10 assists with six rebounds and one steal. It was his sixth consecutive game of scoring 25 or more points. In 17 postseason games, he is averaging 27 points, seven more than his season average. He is also averaging 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

Small forward Jimmy Butler reached 20 or more points for the third time in four games in the Game 2 win. He scored 21 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed four rebounds. In 19 postseason games, Butler has been a difference-maker. He is averaging 27.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals. His playoff-high was 56 points in a Game 4 first-round win over top-seeded Milwaukee on April 24. He also scored 42 in the decisive Game 5 overtime win over the Bucks on April 26 in Milwaukee.

Center Bam Adebayo is averaging 23.5 points in the series, and is coming off a 21-point and nine-rebound performance in Game 2. He also dished out four assists and blocked two shots. He was one rebound shy of recording his fourth consecutive double-double. In the Game 1 loss to Denver, he poured in 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with five assists. In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Boston, he had 12 points and 10 rebounds. In 20 postseason games, he is averaging 17.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. 

#basketball #sports

[news4usonline]

Lakers take Game 3 from the start

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) - The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3 of their playoff series Saturday night, coming away with a 111-101 win. The Lakers now lead the series 2-1. Crypto.com Arena was roaring as the Lakers fought hard for the first round playoff win at home. The Lakers got off to an aggressive start in the first quarter creating, jumping out to a 20-point lead early in the first quarter. The game was essentially over then. Fourth quarter starts now pic.twitter.com/GDAjOg3AnD— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 23, 2023 The Grizzlies didn’t know what hit them as they were only able to generate nine points in the first period. Yes, nine. When the quarter ended, the Lakers had already built up a 35-9 advantage. By jumping on the Grizzlies the way that they did, the Lakers posted the largest lead after the first quarter in NBA postseason history. The Lakers slammed the Grizzlies into the ground during the beginning of the game, running circles around the Western Conference’s No. 2-seeded team and making them look inexperienced and helpless. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham talked about team’s great defensive play in the first quarter during a postgame press conference. “That was something we touched yesterday in practice,” Ham said. “ Just establishing a defensive minded physical tone and just dig in and multiple efforts, activity, being ready, transition defense is key...and then trying to finish a possession with a rebound.” For the Lakers, Anthony Davis re-introduced himself to the Grizzlies with a huge effort. Davis showed up and showed out, clocking in with a team-high 31 points. He was dominant on the boards as well, picking up 17 rebounds. LeBron James contributed 25 points and collected 9 rebounds to aid the big game that Davis had. Not too bad of an outing for an “old” man. “It’s important for us to play well,” James said after the game. “We want to play better than we did in game two, but I think we did that. But we still have room for improvement going into game four and we know they’re going to be better as well.” With Davis and James having solid all-around games, the Lakers’ top players got some help. D’Angelo Russell clocked in with 17 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Rui Hachimura chipped in 16 points for the purple and gold. In the start of the second quarter, Hachimura had more points (10) than Memphis had on the scoreboard. The Lakers were on fire. High energy and great defense keyed the Lakers getting out fast. The Lakers maintained their large lead when halftime rolled around, going into intermission with a 53-37 lead. Memphis seemed to be overwhelmed by the Lakers’ fast start, putting a dent in the Grizzlies’ Alpha attitude they came out of the gate with. Combined their terrible first quarter along the super loud atmosphere in Crypto, it was clear that it was going to be a long night for Ja Morant and his teammates. The Lakers and their fans got a slight scare when James went down in the beginning of the second half after Memphis guard/forward Dillon Brooks hit the Lakers superstar in the groin. That play was called as a flagrant foul (2) against Brooks, who wound up getting tossed out of the game for the low blow. The drama filled game continued with more aggression and altercations. Hachimura later got into a skirmish with Memphis players David Roddy and John Konchar. Konchar pushed Hachimura as he was running down the court for a play. At the end of the game, Davis addressed the bad blood that appears to spill over from both teams. “We just want to take care of the home floor,” Davis said. “You know, we’re not getting into the back and forth, we let our game speak for ourselves...the trash talk is going to be there with the guys that they have. It’s playoff basketball, we wouldn’t expect anything less from them.” Read the full article

#AnthonyDavis #Lakers #MemphisGrizzlies

[signalwatch]

Women's World Cup 2023 Starts

Sport is funny.  If you are paying attention to a sport, it can appear everywhere.  But the minute you tune out, it's just a thing that exists that occasionally enters your line of sight.  

I don't watch NFL or NBA anymore.  NBA made itself too hard to watch via their TV strategy, and if I'm going to spend one day a weekend watching football, it's going to be college ball. But y'all know I also spend a ridiculous amount of time watching the Cubs and now Austin FC.  

Way back in '99, I somehow got wrapped up in watching Women's World Cup.  And, honestly, it's hard to top the excitement of that WWC win.  But I don't really even remember how I tuned in, I just remember being very onboard watching the team playing a sport I fundamentally didn't understand except for "ball goes in net gets you points".  

It's not that I didn't play soccer as a kid.  We all did.  But the rules for kids were different, and I played defense, so the "strategy", such as it was, was to stop whomever was driving the goal from doing so.  It wasn't brain surgery.  But once you start watching soccer a lot, you realize how *hard* this game is, how much strategy is in play as an absolute constant.   But I also know and understand how to folks watching, it can just look like 20-odd people in matching shirts running around a field of grass.     

Anyway, I've watched some or part of the Women's World Cup since 1999 every four years.  I've tried to watch the National Women's Soccer League with minimal success inbetween, mostly because coverage was spotty, and we had no local team for me to follow.  But...  then I got Paramount+ recently to watch my crew on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and found out NWSL is on Paramount.  Horrible timing for 2023, as I was only going to gear up for the World Cup, but now I know!  Also, I need to pick a team, I guess, til Austin gets one.

ALSO:  Austin's Q2 stadium is only occupied every other week, and is a great stadium, and, I'm just saying...  we could use a team.  

Because, honestly, having a team to care about changes everything.  I knew nothing about MLS four years ago, soccer culture, etc...  and now it does take up a part of my life that the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Packers, Cowboys and other teams and sports once occupied.  I can't dedicate the time to it of the serious or hardcore fans, but I am following the team, fan groups and whatnot, and watch most matches either live or as soon as I get home.

And, I have been tracking what news I could cobble together on the USWMNT, pretty much following the end of the last World Cup, through the (wildly misogynistic) pay discrepancy lawsuits, team selection and watched some matches this year - you'll note how many movies I've been watching has dropped a *lot* as sport fills in the spots.

Anyway - the World Cup has started, and I've been watching matches.  They're showing on Fox Sports in English, and the coverage is honestly really good.  If you can tolerate Alexei Lalas.  Which I cannot.  But I persevere. 

The US looked pretty good in their first match versus a Vietnam that looked insane out there, and I think nerves got in the way of better play.  We have 14 players who were not on the last squad.  But we do have some key veterans (Crystal Dunn, Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle, Julie Ertz, Alex Morgan etc...) and I expect we'll settle in next match.  

This is the push for a third World Cup title for the US, and it's easy to say "well, US programs for young women are way ahead of the rest of the world, of course we'll do well" but NO.  I mean, yes, it's true.  But it's also true everyone else is catching up.  China has been good for years, Japan won a while back.  And I'd argue England looks like a problem for our team.  

The competition should be tough, and from what I'm seeing, the play is really good.  

Anyway - I don't know if I can get folks to watch something they otherwise wouldn't - but the next match is Wednesday the 26th against the Netherlands.  It should be well worth your time.  And keep in mind, soccer matches are about 2 hours all told, so you won't lose your full evening.

https://ift.tt/nEJILw4

from The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/uGF9DQO

#world cup #futbol #women's soccer #soccer

[never-was-has-been]

This is an excerpt from chapter 11 (pages 263-292 in the pdf) of the book. The Global Industrial Complex -systems of domination ~~ Best-Kahn-Nocella-McLaren. My reason for posting this is that it's part of the discussion that I think needs to take place, in regard to Dumar Hamiln's heart failure on the football field because the impact to his chest of a tackle by a Bengals player nearly killed him. Yes, there have been deaths on a playing field in a few sports besides football, but that is not my point or the question at hand. We've already seen that players are groomed and indoctrinated at a very young age to "believe" that if they work hard and study hard, they too could become a player in a National sports team. Little League right up to the MLB, NBA, NHL and the NFL (to name only 4). What's next? Buy some "breast plates" for all the players? Maybe in 10 years the players will all look like a bunch of RoboCops on the playing field... We might as well just build robots for all sports...FFS! This whole book, The Global Industrial Complex, reviews the absolute bottom line policy in every "complex" chapter. This chapter eleven, is known as the Athletic Industrial Complex (AIC). It’s All about the Money! Download the full book is here The Global Industrial Complex Chapter Eleven College Sports It’s All about the Money! ~Earl Smith and Angela Hattery~ Spending on sports at the average school in the NCAA’s top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision went from a little more than $31 million in 2004 to $42.2 million in 2007, the most recent year covered in the report. 1 INTRODUCTION The contemporary institution of intercollegiate sport is all about money. Money has become central to the administration and sustainability of inter-collegiate athletics. Athletic directors make salaries on par with university presidents (or higher) and coaches in the high profile sports of football and men’s basketball make 5, 10, and even 20 times more than the average college professor on the same campus. College and university athletic budgets are exorbitant and stretch into all aspects of sport, but especially coaching salaries, stadiums, and recruiting. We refer to this as the Athletic Industrial Complex (AIC). THE ATHLETIC INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX "We use the term Athletic Industrial Complex (AIC) in the same manner that sociologist C. Wright Mills and former President Dwight Eisenhower used the term “Military Industrial Complex.” The term AIC refers to the fact that intercollegiate athletics is now firmly embedded into other economic institutions, from the hotel and entertainment industry to construction to clothing and transportation." Download the full book is here

#The Global Industrial Complex

[mjordan-nba-nhl]

TOP 20 NBA PLAYERS WITH THE MOST POINTS PER GAME IN PLAYOFFS HISTORY

Michael Jordan - 63 points (April 20, 1986)

Elgin Baylor - 61 points ( April 14, 1962)

Donovan Mitchell - 57 points (August 17, 2020)

Wilt Chamberlain - 56 points (March 22, 1962)

Michael Jordan - 56 points (April 29, 1992)

Charles Barkley - 56 points (May 4, 1994)

Rick Barry - 55 points (April 18, 1967)

Michael Jordan - 55 points (May 1, 1988)

Michael Jordan - 55 points (June 16, 1993)

Michael Jordan - 55 points (April 27, 1997)

Allen Iverson - 55 points (April 20, 2003)

Damian Lillard - 55 points (June 1, 2021)

John Havlicek - 54 points (April 1, 1973)

Michael Jordan - 54 points (May 31, 1993)

Allen Iverson - 54 points (May 9, 2001)

Wilt Chamberlain - 53 points (March 14, 1960)

Jerry West - 53 points (April 23, 1969)

Isaiah Thomas - 53 points (May 2, 2017)

Jerry West - 52 points (April 5, 1965)

Allen Iverson - 52 points (May 16, 2001)

#michael jordan #elgin baylor #donovan mitchell #wilt chamberlain #charles barkley #rick barry #usa #nba #basketball #usa basketball #nba basketball #nba history #basketball history #nba players #basketball players #nba legends #basketball legends #legends #champions #shooting guard #small forward #center #power forward #60s 70s 80s 90s #90s 00s 10s 20s #national basketball association #top 20 nba players with the most points per game in playoffs history #top 20 nba players

[turboturkey]

“Fake Wannabe All-Star” Proves Doubters Wrong

Tyrese Haliburton is a name that most sports fans should be ready to learn about. Born on the special leap year day of February 29, 2000; the 6′5 point guard from Wisconsin was born with something special about him. Haliburton was drafted out of Iowa State with the 12th pick of the 2020 draft class to the Sacramento Kings. Most basketball fans remember this class through the likes of All-Star Lamelo Ball and 1st overall pick Anthony Edwards. While they may share the spotlight, Haliburton’s rise as steadily been a focus of some select fans. Although he made the All-Rookie 1st Team back in 2021, the Kings seemingly did not think much of his potential because just a couple months later they would trade Haliburton to Indiana. While Sacramento management felt accomplished in aquiring All-Star Domantas Sabonis, many Kings fans were furious at the organization for letting go of a talented young prospect. At this time, Haliburton was averaging 14 ppg (points per game) with about 7 apg (assists per game). With numbers like these, it was uncertain whether he would flourish into a Star, or remain as an essential role player. 

After the trade, Haliburton revealed that he cried uncontrollably. At 21 years of age, he had been dealt the harsh reality of life in the NBA. His love for the city or organization had been crushed with a business deal. Although shocked by the news, he manage to tweet out to his fans, “Sacramento, I love y’all! Can’t put all my feelings into words yet, but know I’m forever grateful and appreciative of each and every one of you.”

Now with the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese took a major step into stardom as he no longer had to share the point guard position alongside Kings’ De’Aaron Fox. With the point guard position all to himself, Haliburton exploded this season with his numbers jumping from 15 ppg to 20 ppg this season. His playmaking has also vastly improved as he now leads the entire NBA in assists per game averaging 10 and a half. Haliburton’s defense has also improved as many around the league have claimed. His 1.7 steals per game is in the top 10 of players in that category. 

Unfortunately, greatness comes with a price. Hate! No matter how great a player is, or how great of a storyline, there will be haters out there. In Haliburton’s case, we look at former NBA All-Star Wally Szczerbiak. Wally played for multiple teams, however he is best remembered for playing alongside MVP Kevin Garnett on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former player now turned Basketball Analyst had this to say about Haliburton when he missed a crucial shot in a narrow loss to the New York Knicks. “Mister supposed wannabe fake All-Star with a big miss. He’s a very good player, he’s not going to make the All-Star team. Guys like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson will make it over Tyrese Haliburton, and tonight we saw why.”

The comments seemed to come from a place of hate and not at all a critique of his play. Some would suggest that Wally should have more empathy given that his only All-Star appearance came down to the wire on whether or not he would make the team. While an arguement can be made about which player deserves to make it, the comments were confusing to Haliburton as he had never mentioned or petitioned to make the All-Star game. He responded saying, ““I know the name Wally Szczerbiak. I couldn’t tell you where he played. Couldn’t tell you what he did as a basketball player. I don’t know. He had a lot to say about me. I was really questioning, first, who is this? And why is he talking about me like this? I think he was just excited about a Knicks win. He’s just doing whatever he can to get attention. That’s just the media these days.”

After a large backlash from the NBA fan base and former NBA player/media member Matt Barnes, Wally Szczerbiak retracted his comments by saying, “I want to apologize personally to Tyrese Haliburton. He’s a wonderful young player and is definitely in the All-Star conversation, along with guys like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. It’s going to be interesting to see who makes it. All those three players are wonderful players.”

Although the apology was made, the comments cannot be wiped away from existence. Some fans will choose to use the words “Fake” and “Wannabe” to demean Haliburton’s game. However, Haliburton did not get distracted from this incident. His focus was on playing the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics on the road. With some excellent shooting and determination, Haliburton proved that he wasn’t some wannabe All-Star has he led his team to a victory against the team with the best record in the NBA. In that game, he put up 33 points and 8 assists while also knocking down 6 triples. 

In their next game, the Pacers would face the Miami Heat on the road. This was another tough matchup as the two teams sit at 8th and 9th in the Eastern Conference Standings. Given that the Miami Heat won the Eastern Conference back in 2020 and were in the Conference Finals last season, many believed Miami would win this game. Haliburton had other ideas as he notched a career high 43 points with 10 triples made! To wrap up a spectacular performance, he hit an extraordinary 3 pointer from the edge of the Miami Heat logo in the middle of the court to win the game! 

While doubters can continue to criticize or even hate on Haliburton’s game, there is no question that he likes to prove his doubters wrong. With 2 spectacular performances against the last 2 Conference Champions, there is no question that Tyrese Haliburton deserves a spot in the All-Star Game. If you agree with that statement, don’t forget to vote for Tyrese Haliburton for the All-Star Game on the NBA app.

#tyrese #tyrese haliburton #haliburton #indiana #indiana pacers #miami heat #boston celtics #sports #basketball #trade #wally #szczerbiak #all stars #fake #wannabe #jalen brunson #julius randle #most improved player #points #doubters #knicks #pacers fans

[hardtchill]

Dude the anon who said that christen fans were being dramatic has a point. Tbh i really think she deserves a call up but (in a not political reason) i still see reasons why she wasnt called up. Im a winger, and i love christen so i do watch her and all other winger/forwards i like from the pl, ucl, wsl, uwcl. Christen has a really good attacking mentality but her football in general is just eh. She would lose the ball too much, her decisions werent really the best, her off the ball movements to create space for herself and her teammates werent the best either, some of her passes  (especially most pass backs to the defender when shes under pressure) are hospital passes. AND idk why her fans are not  frustrated  at her about this but she caused her own injury by dribbling inside the penalty box while defending. If any other top forwards in the world did that they wouldve been crossed out of the list for ballon dor no matter how good their season goes THATS HOW BAD THAT MOVE IS. Anyway  I still think she can make a come back and make the 2023 roster, also i even think vlatko already told her she wouldnt be in camp. You can also learn more about football by watching games outside the nwsl, if you dont like the european fans because of how they support their teams instead of individual players like nwsl (which is how NBA fans are tooo? Lol) you can watch the mexican league or the japan league, fans arent as passionate there but its fun too :))

Please just fucking stop already....

No one was saying Christen deserves a player of the year award, people are calling bullshit on the players who are on the roster supposedly out performing her. It's not dramatic to point out that it's very suspicious for her to be left off after she called out her federation for burying the abuse she and her teammates suffered. It also isn't dramatic to point out that Vlatko's comment about her not being on the roster before her injury was problematic af.

I have been watching football for 20 years now and i currently follow and watch 3 different woso leagues intensively + watching multiple as a casual viewer. I know how football works and it's very clear that you don't.

#ask #christen press #uswnt #seriously #one action in one game would disqualify you from the ballon d'or? How long have you been watching football? 3 months?

[travel9090]

Baby-faced Assassin Isiah Thomas

Baby-faced Assassin Isiah Thomas

a former NBA basketball player During his career, he was a famous point guard with nicknames such as Zeke and Baby-faced Assassin, a former coach and one of the 50 great basketball players selected by GM. NBA, and the leader of the Detroit Bad Boys, who dominated the late 1980s. However, apart from his performance as a player, he was not very successful as an administrator or manager after retirement.

The team was the Pistons when he was a bad boy, and he dominated the team like the mafia boss, so his basketball style is easily misunderstood as a tough and messy type, but player Thomas is a very standard and colorful basketball player. Even Michael Jordan, who hates him, considers him the best PG player after Magic Johnson.

While talking about Thomas unexpectedly neglected his athletic ability, Izea was a player who had a tremendous athletic ability. Despite Jordan's defense, who was his opponent during the Bad Boys days, he was fast and agile enough to do his best, and Jordan, who was able to block even a short guard, could not completely beat Thomas at speed. Because Thomas was that fast. His jumping ability was amazing, but he once won a jump ball after beating his opponent's 7-foot center in a jump ball situation. If you look at the video below, you can see that there is an angle, but even though it is a jump in place, the head has risen to near the rim with its height.

In addition, he is a player who is very faithful to the basic skills of point guard in offense. Point guard creates a chance with dribbling, but in order to secure the next tactic to save the team member at any time during dribbling, the ball can be dribbled low and the team member's position can be seen with his head raised, and the next play should always be prepared. Thomas led the Pistons' Offence, which had many rather rugged types of players with excellent dribbling and skills as a player with perfect basic posture of point guard.

Thomas is the ace of the Pistons, who won the NBA twice, although he may not have consistently scored 20 points in the first round of stats, as he had excellent goal determination and ace quality as a point guard. The pull-up jumper or finish shown at the end of the persistent dribble shown in the highlight is his exclusive patent.

If I have to find a weakness, as a point guard 1 option, the ability to shoot long-distance shots such as 3-point shots and catch-and-shoots, which are the virtues of today, is not strong, so I was a little weak to dig under the net and make decisions, and my ability to take over itself was a little better than average. In particular, secondary stats such as TS are weaker than name values due to the absence of long-range shots. The field goal itself is not low at 45.2% in total, but the three-point shot was 29.0% and the free throw was also not good at 75.4%. In addition, he was a player with a lot of turnovers with an average of 3.8 turnovers.

If you compare Thomas to a modern player, you can say that there is a common denominator with Chris Paul. The basic skills and passing skills as a point guard are similar in that they are good at assembling a perfect and standard game, and if necessary, they can solve the game with their own scores. Of course, durability is far superior to that of Paul, who has many residual injuries. But it's not a secret that Paul is going longer than Thomas.Of course, winning…In addition, there is a Top 10 All-Star Game Assist video on NBA's official YouTube channel, four of which are the assists of Isea Thomas. Thomas' passing skills were also at the top of the list because he was covered by Magic's spectacular pass.