Look, it’s one week of official games in the bubble and things are getting a tiny bit slow. It doesn’t mean things aren’t going to pick back up again, but so far guys have cooled it on going down waterslides at 3 p.m. because they are probably practicing instead. It’s one of the pitfalls of […]
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The race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference continues and, with a handful of teams jockeying for position, every game matters for those in pursuit of a playoff berth. With that in mind, the Portland Trail Blazers needed a win against the current 3-seeded Denver Nuggets on Thursday evening, and Terry Stotts’ […]
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Though neither side was at full strength due to the absences of Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley and Seth Curry, Thursday’s matchup between the L.A. Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks likely qualified as a playoff preview. After all, the Clippers and Mavericks are widely projected to occupy the No. 2 and No. 7 spots in the […]
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Without Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic both out, the Miami Heat were seen as significant underdogs to topple the Milwaukee Bucks in Orlando on Thursday afternoon. The Heat put together quite a fight, however, and Erik Spoelstra’s team led for the majority of the contest. In the end, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and the Bucks […]
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Photo: Kevin C. Cox (Getty Images) In a recent interview with The Root, ESPN analyst Jay Williams noted that while increased awareness around social justice issues is important, he’s far more concerned with the NBA’s interest in subsequent action. Advertisement “If my family was safe and I have the biggest platform in the world to […]
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Players, coaches and staff kneel during the national anthem before the game between the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.Photo: Kevin C. Cox (Getty Images) Trump doesn’t watch the NBA. In fact, when asked what […]
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Screenshot: @NBAonTNT The best thing about the NBA restart is that outside of the Washington Wizards—and whatever towering pile of chimpanzee shit that the Brooklyn Nets trot out—every team is legit. So every single game has the very real potential to keep us on the edge of our seats and become headline news. Advertisement That’s […]
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Eight NBA teams don’t have all that much to do right now. While 22 squads are posted up in Orlando for the league’s Disney bubble, the remaining eight franchises are sitting at home, with players working out at facilities but otherwise sitting and waiting for things to ramp up ahead of the 2020-21 season. A […]
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Photo: Ashley Landis (Getty Images) Since the NBA’s bubble began, I’ve struggled to comprehend the New Orleans Pelican’s rationale. Yes, Zion Williamson is their pride and joy, but if you’re trying to make the playoffs—the Pelicans are currently 11th place in the West—the Duke product has to be on the floor. Advertisement Instead, the Pelicans […]
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As the NBA restarted its season in Orlando one of the major on-court questions was: What would the actual basketball look like after four months off? No one knew exactly what the rust levels would be on either end, and on top of that, there wasn’t really an understanding of how quickly teams would get […]
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Photo: Ethan Miller (Getty Images) To the relief of sports heads everywhere, the NBA is officially back in business. However, it looks very different than the sport we’ve all known and loved throughout the course of our lives. Advertisement Players, coaches and referees are kneeling during the national anthem, “Black Lives Matter” is printed on […]
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The NBA, to this point, has been able to successfully get its bubble season started and get consecutive weeks without any positive tests in Orlando. However, they know there is a long way to go and they must continue being diligent to ensure the safety of players, staff, hotel and arena staff, and the season. […]
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Amid the social unrest and pandemic, several athletes have opted out of competing in an effort to work towards spreading awareness about systemic injustice or due to the coronavirus. According to ESPN, NBA star Kyrie Irving wants to ensure that WNBA players who have made the decision to sit out are financially supported and has […]
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The Miami Heat beat the Denver Nuggets, 125-105, in the bubble on Saturday, but the biggest news item of the session in Orlando happened before the game. Heat star Jimmy Butler attempted to wear a jersey without a name on the back, and the officials in charge of the game didn’t allow the contest to […]
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For this group of players, economic material concerns and social justice weren’t separate agendas or at odds with each other. Rather, they were inextricably bound together. In the words of one Black player, who spoke anonymously to Yahoo Sports: “We’re out here marching and protesting, and yet we all leave our families in these scary […]
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Screenshot: Twitter So the NBA bubble thing is weird. And the social justice messaging on the jerseys is dumb. So dumb. SO DUMB. But I am also weird and dumb, and I am fascinated by the uncanny valley of the NBA’s reboot. The crowds are computer-generated avatars! Some people in the gyms are wearing masks […]
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A general view of the Oakland Athletics playing against the Los Angeles Angels in an empty stadium at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on July 25, 2020 in Oakland, California.Photo: Ezra Shaw (Getty Images) Say what you want about the NBA bubble, commissioner Adam Silver—and Disney exec Rosalyn Durant—has not only sidestepped a global pandemic, but has delivered […]
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Some more basketball is back! Yes, I know, this is the official NBA Bubble Watch column but, if you have not been watching the WNBA in its triumphant return, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s so good! Fast, relentless, competitive, the skill and the moves are frankly unmatched. And just so cool? But […]
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Photo: Mike Ehrmann (Getty Images) It’s back! No, seriously. It’s here. It’s finally here. One hundred forty-one days after the NBA shut down due to the coronavirus, the only thing on planet Earth that’s better than crab legs or cracked pepper made its triumphant return. Here are some takeaways from re-opening night. Advertisement Social Justice […]
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Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty The re-start of the 2019-2020 NBA season got off to a highly competitive start Thursday night with two games that went down to the wire and ended in spectacular fashion. But while some pro basketball fans took to social media to express their happiness with the NBA’s return from a […]
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After weeks and months of anticipation, the NBA season resumed on Thursday evening with a battle between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans in Orlando. Prior to tip-off, the players, coaches and referees involved in the game took a knee during the national anthem and, with plenty of excitement about basketball, it was […]
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Thursday night’s NBA opener between the Jazz and Pelicans began with both teams lining up on the sideline by the benches and taking a knee during the national anthem above the Black Lives Matter lettering on the NBA’s restart court. This was part of a planned demonstration of protest by the players, coaches, and referees, […]
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Photo: Harry How (Getty Images) You still upset about the headline? You can bitch and moan all you want, but your team still ain’t winning shit. So once you’re done with your temper tantrum, I’ll happily explain why. Advertisement You done? Cool. Let’s go. Boston Celtics When last they left us: 43-21, 3rd seed in […]
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Photo: Streeter Lecka (Getty Images) OK, so maybe you weren’t good enough to ever make it to the league, but hoop heads know that there’s still plenty of action to be had at their local basketball court. And while pick up games are comprised of the usual cast of characters—the athletic freaks who never pass […]
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The NBA’s relationship with China has come under fire in the past year, beginning with the Chinese response to Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters, which began a discussion of the ethical concerns regarding the league’s partnership with China. The issues go well beyond Hong Kong’s protests, where citizens call […]
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As the NBA gets set to begin their restarted season, the league announced Wednesday that it had a second straight week without any positive COVID-19 tests in the Disney bubble. While that’s a great step towards the league successfully starting and, hopefully, completing a three-month long restarted season and playoffs, the United States is still […]
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The NBA’s restart in Orlando will begin Thursday night with a pair of games on TNT, as the Utah Jazz take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the early game (6:30 p.m. ET) and the Lakers and Clippers have a showdown in the 9 p.m. nightcap. From there, all 22 teams in the bubble will […]
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Photo: David Sherman (Getty Images) In the NBA, secrets don’t exist. The streets talk. So despite the best efforts of players for the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz to keep things quiet, the word on the street is that the two teams will join forces to peacefully protest during the national anthem when the […]
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The NBA is about to restart its 2019-20 season in the most unique way imaginable, with 22 teams preparing to play for a championship in front of fanless arenas at Disney World. It’s the league’s attempt at making the best of a really bad situation, but while this is going on, a question looms: What […]
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A general view of Guaranteed Rate Field where the Chicago White Sox were scheduled to open the season tomorrow against the Kansas City Royals on March 25, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois.Photo: Jonathan Daniel (Getty Images) Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but America has a bit of a coronavirus problem. And if you thought […]
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A general view of Guaranteed Rate Field where the Chicago White Sox were scheduled to open the season tomorrow against the Kansas City Royals on March 25, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois.Photo: Jonathan Daniel (Getty Images) Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but America has a bit of a coronavirus problem. And if you thought […]
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