Bonnies

PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES &ndash; The Philippines&rsquo; San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts will face the KT Suwon Sonicboom and the Macau Blackbears in the 2024-2025 East Asia Super League (EASL) season in the league&rsquo;s Tip-Off event today at the Mall of Asia Arena here.
This is the opening act of the tournament dubbed the Champions League in East Asia, with champion teams from each of the participating countries gunning for the crown of the best team in the region.
With that being said, let&rsquo;s dive into what to expect from the slate of games today.
How will the Beermen and the Bolts adapt to the international style of play?
Over the past few days, San Miguel and Meralco have been in the thick of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) playoffs as both teams are battling hard to get out of the quarterfinals. And now they would have to be up to the challenge of transitioning and adjusting their play when they meet international counterparts from Korea and Macau.
This seems like a tough task ahead for the Beermen and the Bolts as they have been accustomed to playing the Filipino brand of basketball for over a whole season, and the little turnaround time could present some issues along the way.
The Koreans have always been known to be shooters and ball movers, utilizing their speed and team chemistry to damage their opponents. The Black Bears employ a similar playstyle, offering a variety of their shots from three as well as relying on production from their imports.
Nevertheless, San Miguel and Meralco are two of the best teams the Philippines has to offer, so it will be a fun matchup regardless as they showcase their brand of basketball to the visitors.
San Miguel Beermen and KT Suwon Sonicboom: The three-point game
According to stats from EASL, the Beermen and the Sonicboom are both great three-point shooting teams. Throughout the Beermen&rsquo;s 2023-24 PBA Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup run, they hit 10.8 3&rsquo;s per game at a 34% clip. In contrast, KT hit 9.2 3&rsquo;s per game last season in the KBL, scoring 35.2% of their shots from deep.
San Miguel sharpshooter Marcio Lassiter, who became the PBA&rsquo;s all-time 3-point leader with 1,251 career 3-pointers on Sep. 15, will lead the way for the Beermen, while Heo Hoon, who averaged 3.6 threes in the KBL Finals last season, will do the same for Suwon.
This will be a very interesting thing to monitor as the Beermen have had to deal with the newly implemented 4-point line in the ongoing PBA season, and this has led to interesting results. Teams have been playing less zone over in the country&rsquo;s scene so we might see the Sonicboom play some tough 1-on-1 defense throughout the game.
Meralco Bolts and Macau Black Bears: Bounce back or good start?
After a tough EASL season last year, the Bolts aim to improve and increase their wins this EASL season. Meralco has also bowed out of the current PBA playoff season, and now they shift their focus onto their EASL campaign hoping for better results.&nbsp;
On the other hand, the Black Bears come into the 2024-2025 season as an expansion team and are looking to start good and hot. They will make their debut in the East Asian League full of hope and optimism but armed with lofty expectations.
According to EASL&rsquo;s scouting report, the Black Bears are equipped with a fast-paced and free-flowing offense. Macau also runs most of its sets through floor general Damian Chong Qui, who just at 5-foot-9, operates well off of ball screens but can also pop out and hit an open 3. Jenning Leung, a sharp-shooting 6-foot guard out of Canada&rsquo;s McGill University, makes up an elite Black Bears&rsquo; backcourt and together these two are for sure going to give the Bolts a lot of problems.

The Philippines’ San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts will face the KT Suwon Sonicboom and the Macau Black Bears in the EASL.

EASL Tip-Off Preview: San Miguel, Meralco go up against neighboring Korea, Macau

The 2023 NBA Draft could go down as a special class, with talented prospects such as Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins as well as some interesting depth pieces.
But will it ever be considered one of the best draft classes in NBA history? That remains to be seen.
Today, we're going to identify the cr&egrave;me de la cr&egrave;me of NBA draft classes.
The 2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft featured multiple generational talents that would come to define the NBA for the next two decades. Led by LeBron James, this class also included household names such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Not only did this draft have star power, it was also very deep. Twenty-seven players from the 2003 class played at least 10 seasons in the NBA: James, Wade, Anthony, Bosh, Kyle Korver, David West, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Collison, Boris Diaw, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa, James Jones, Chris Kaman, Kirk Hinrich, Dahntay Jones, Steve Blake, Mo Williams, Luke Ridnour, Willie Green, Matt Bonner, Travis Outlaw, Keith Bogans, Darko Milicic, Mickael Pietrus, Sasha Pavlovic, Josh Howard and Luke Walton. This class featured nine All-Stars and plenty of quality role players.
The 1984 NBA Draft
The 1984 NBA Draft stands as a legendary class, and some might argue that it's the greatest draft of all-time. Two of the top three picks &mdash; Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon &mdash; would ultimately etch their names in the annals of basketball history and redefine greatness. In addition to Jordan and Olajuwon, players like Charles Barkley, John Stockton and Alvin Robertson showcased their immense talent as well. This class produced five Hall-of-Famers and seven All-Stars.
The 1996 NBA Draft
The 1996 NBA Draft changed the landscape of the league, heralding the arrival of future Hall-of-Famers and icons. Led by the legendary Kobe Bryant and the enigmatic Allen Iverson, this class boasted an array of talent that reinvigorated the game. This class also featured Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Stephon Marbury, Peja Stojakovic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Walker, Marcus Camby, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Derek Fisher. The 1996 NBA Draft was deep, producing 10 All-Stars and five Hall-of-Famers. Jon Finkel recently revisited this star-studded class in his book "1996," and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-starstudded-1996-nba-draft-kobe-bryant-ray-allen-steve-nash-allen-iverson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ran a terrific excerpt on Basketball News</a>.
The 1985 NBA Draft
The 1985 NBA Draft was certainly special. This class featured 10 All-Stars including Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Joe Dumars, Detlef Schrempf, Xavier McDaniel, Charles Oakley, &nbsp;AC Green, Terry Porter and Michael Adams. The class also featured Arvydas Sabonis, an overseas legend and terrific Portland Trail Blazer. Like the 1996 NBA Draft, this class has the star power and depth to be considered one of the best drafts in NBA history.
The 2009 NBA Draft
While not as immediately illustrious as some of the other classes on this list, the 2009 NBA Draft proved to be a treasure trove of talent. This class exemplified the importance of patience and player development, as Stephen Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague would all go on to become All-Stars. Griffin missed his rookie year with an injury, but dominated as soon as he stepped on an NBA court. Curry battled injuries early in his career, but would become a four-time champion and two-time MVP. Harden went from being an elite sixth man to an MVP once he got the opportunity in Houston. This class also featured Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Patty Mills, Danny Green, Taj Gibson and Patrick Beverley among others.
Which class is the greatest in NBA history? <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tweet us your thoughts</a>!&nbsp;

Basketball News examines the crème de la crème of draft classes throughout NBA history.

Exploring the 5 best draft classes in NBA history

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) &mdash; Texas Tech&rsquo;s defensive identity was on full display against a Louisville team trying to find its way under first-year coach Kenny Payne.
The 21st-ranked Red Raiders held the Cardinals to their lowest point total in 74 years in a 70-38 victory in the Maui Invitational on Tuesday, a result that continued Louisville&rsquo;s worst start to a season since 1940-41.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to dive on the floor, we&rsquo;re going to play hard,&rdquo; Tech freshman Robert Jennings said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to make teams feel uncomfortable. We&rsquo;re going to be the team that people don&rsquo;t want to play.&rdquo;
Louisville had a tough enough time offensively in its 80-54 loss to ninth-ranked Arkansas on Monday. Things got much worse Tuesday. The Cardinals have shot 29% overall and 23% on 3-pointers and committed 40 turnovers in their two games.
&ldquo;The two things I take away from Arkansas and Texas Tech is their defense, their ability to create turnovers,&rdquo; Payne said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about how skilled they are. It&rsquo;s about their will.&rdquo;
Kevin Obanor scored 15 points to lead the Red Raiders (4-1), who bounced back from a 76-65 loss to No. 10 Creighton on Monday with their most dominating defensive performance since holding Incarnate Word to 37 points in 2018.
&ldquo;They imposed their will on us consistently throughout the whole game and we turned the ball over and we shot a bad percentage because of them,&rdquo; Payne said. &ldquo;We have to learn from that and we have to play the similar way as they played.&rdquo;
Louisville (0-5) was held scoreless for more than 10 minutes spanning the halves. The Cardinals missed 13 field goals and two free throws and committed six turnovers during the drought.
When it started, Texas Tech led 20-13. When it ended with Sydney Curry&rsquo;s layup, the Red Raiders were ahead 45-15.
The Cardinals&rsquo; 38 points were their fewest since a 62-34 loss to Xavier on Jan. 7, 1948.
Jaylon Tyson&rsquo;s 3-pointer pushed the Red Raiders&rsquo; lead to double digits during a 17-2 spurt that ended with the Red Raiders ahead 32-13 at half.
The 13 first-half points were the fewest allowed by Texas Tech since Northwestern State scored 10 on Dec. 12, 2018. It was only the second time since the 2009-10 season that Louisville had scored so few points in a first half.
Of the 12 Texas Tech players who suited up, 11 scored, and the Red Raiders shot 43% for the game and made 14 steals.
El Ellis and Jae&rsquo;Lyn Withers each scored seven points for the Cardinals, who were 11 of 49 from the field (27%) and finished with 18 turnovers.
&ldquo;Well, I was on them pretty hard yesterday,&rdquo; Tech coach Mark Adams said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t necessarily like to be that way. But we just got so many new and young players and we got to get them to grow up. Sometimes you have to do that different ways. We&rsquo;ve been more stern with them and talk more about discipline and toughness.
&ldquo;Still have a long ways to go, but it was really satisfying to see these guys at least listen, be coachable, and I think make a step forward.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Texas Tech: Adams, in his second season, has never lost back to back games with the Red Raiders. Tech&rsquo;s trademark defense is in midseason form, having allowed 55 points or less in three of its first four games.
Louisville: The Cardinals&rsquo; worst start in 82 years continues. They started 1940-41 with 11 straight losses.
UP NEXT
Texas Tech plays in the fifth place game Wednesday against the Ohio State-Cincinnati winner.
Louisville plays in the seventh&mdash;place game Wednesday against the Ohio-Cincinnati loser.

The 21st-ranked Red Raiders held the Cardinals to their lowest point total in 74 years in a 70-38 victory.

No. 21 Texas Tech holds Louisville to lowest score since 1948

The WNBA has announced a $75 million capital raise &mdash; the largest-ever for a women&rsquo;s sports property.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/FOS/status/1489219199612424193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Front Office Sports</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The report adds that those who invested will each receive an equity stake in the league, the first time the WNBA has ever done such a raise. The league has seen tremendous growth in recent years. This past year's WNBA Finals averaged 548,000 viewers on television, up 63% from 2020.&nbsp;
Official press release:
NEW YORK &ndash; The WNBA announced today the largest-ever capital raise for a women&rsquo;s sports property, featuring new investors and existing WNBA and NBA owners. &nbsp;This groundbreaking transaction is part of a multi-faceted financial growth strategy designed to generate new revenue through increased investment in priority areas as part of the league&rsquo;s long-term business transformation.
Proceeds from this transaction are expected to be used for brand elevation and marketing; globalization of the WNBA; innovation, digital, and growth of consumer touchpoints; and human capital and operational optimization as part of an overall effort to address some of the league&rsquo;s obstacles to growth and generating new revenue.
&ldquo;We are incredibly fortunate to be able to capitalize on the current momentum around women&rsquo;s sports and are grateful to the investors who have chosen to support the WNBA in an unprecedented way and to our team governors who continue to invest in the players and teams,&rdquo; said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. &nbsp;&ldquo;Our strategy is to deploy this capital to continue to drive the league&rsquo;s brand as a bold, progressive entertainment and media property that embodies diversity, promotes equity, advocates for social justice, and stands for the power of women. &nbsp;Having just completed our historic 25th season, with this access to additional capital, we are setting the WNBA up for a successful future and it represents a sign and signal of the future direction of women&rsquo;s sports as a whole.&rdquo;
As part of its ongoing commitment to empowering women athletes and women&rsquo;s sports, NIKE, Inc., one of the league&rsquo;s current premier partners and inaugural WNBA Changemaker, has made a significant equity investment in the WNBA. &nbsp;Nike&rsquo;s investment further deepens the company&rsquo;s support for women&rsquo;s basketball and enables the WNBA to elevate the marketing and storytelling of WNBA athletes.
&ldquo;Women&rsquo;s sport is one of the best investments, with great potential to impact and grow the next era of basketball,&rdquo; said Sonja Henning, VP, North America League Partnerships, NIKE, Inc. &ldquo;Nike has always been more than a sponsor with the WNBA &ndash; we&rsquo;re a strategic partner. And we&rsquo;re proud to be part of a movement to redefine the future of sport for a new generation &ndash; for WNBA players, fans and girls.&rdquo;
The initial investors are: Micky and Nick Arison, Carnival Corporation and Miami HEAT; Bill Cameron, CEO and President, American Fidelity, Dallas Wings; &nbsp;Swin Cash, WNBA legend and current New Orleans Pelicans Vice-President of Basketball Operations and Team Development; Baron Davis, NBA legend; Michael and Susan Dell, Dell Technologies and minority investors, San Antonio Spurs; Karen Finerman, CEO and Co-Founder, Metropolitan Capital Advisors; Pau Gasol, NBA legend and Member of the IOC Athletes&rsquo; Commission; Ginny Gilder, Seattle Storm; Dee Haslam and Whitney Johnson, Haslam Sports Group, Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew; Linda Henry, Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club; Brad Hilsabeck, former CEO, Grantham, Mayo Van Otterloo &amp; Co. and minority investor, Dallas Wings; Eric Holoman, President and CEO, EquiTrust Life Insurance, Los Angeles Sparks; Mark Walter, CEO, Guggenheim Partners, Los Angeles Sparks; Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President, Emerson Collective; Ted Leonsis, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment, Washington Mystics and Washington Wizards; James and Heather Murren, former Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International; NIKE, Inc; Condoleezza Rice, Stanford University and 66th US Secretary of State; Angela Ruggiero, CEO and Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab; Herb and Steve Simon, Fever Basketball, LLC; and Joe and Clara Tsai, New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets.
&ldquo;Susan and I are excited about the growth opportunity in women&rsquo;s sports and specifically the WNBA,&rdquo; said Michael Dell, CEO, Dell Technologies and minority investor, San Antonio Spurs. &ldquo;We also are proud to support a league that is committed to empowerment, and we look forward to supporting Cathy and all the accomplished and diverse women of the WNBA to make a positive impact in the world.&rdquo;
Both the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors approved the transaction. Allen &amp; Company LLC served as the financial advisor for the transaction.
The 2021 season marked the WNBA&rsquo;s 25th anniversary and featured new partnerships with Google, the latest WNBA Changemaker, as well as Amazon Prime Video, Dick&rsquo;s Sporting Goods and Coinbase. &nbsp;The companies joined a growing lineup of partners led by WNBA Changemakers AT&amp;T, Deloitte and NIKE, Inc. &nbsp;The league also introduced an innovative in-season competition &ndash; the WNBA Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup &ndash; which will continue with the upcoming 2022 season.
About the WNBA
Having concluded its historic 25th season in 2021, the WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women. &nbsp;Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and social responsibility. &nbsp;Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.
In 2020, the WNBA and the Women&rsquo;s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) signed a groundbreaking eight-year CBA that charts a new course for women&rsquo;s basketball &ndash; and women&rsquo;s sports overall &ndash; with a focus on increased player compensation, improvements to the player experience, expanded career development opportunities and resources specifically tailored to the female professional athlete. &nbsp;Key elements of the agreement are supported through the league&rsquo;s new platform, WNBA Changemakers, with AT&amp;T, the WNBA&rsquo;s Marquee Partner and inaugural Changemaker, as well as fellow inaugural Changemakers Deloitte and NIKE, Inc, and the recent addition of Google. During the 2020 season, the WNBA and WNBPA launched the WNBA Justice Movement forming the Social Justice Council with the mission of being a driving force of necessary change and continuing conversations about race and voting rights, among other important societal issues.

The total is the highest ever for a women's sports property.

WNBA announces $75 million capital raise

Becky Hammon is closing in on a landmark deal to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, sources told The Athletic. Hammon's deal will be a record-setting contract for a WNBA head coach, sources said.
Source: <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/las-vegas-aces-closing-in-on-deal-to-hire-spurs-assistant-becky-hammon-as-new-head-coach-sources/7rUCiF7z4AsZ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chantel Jennings and Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;This is a massive addition for the Aces, who will pry Hammon away from the San Antonio Spurs, where she was a longtime assistant under Greg Popovich. The six-time WNBA All-Star has been interviewed multiple times for NBA head coaching gigs. According to the story, current Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer could move into a front office or advisory role.

Hammon has been a longtime assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs.

Las Vegas Aces to hire Becky Hammon as next head coach

Dwyane Wade is a three-time NBA champion, 13-time All-Star and a member of the NBA&rsquo;s 75th Anniversary Team. Among all players throughout league history, he totaled the 35th-most points (23,165), 43rd-most assists (5,701) and 32nd-most steals (1,620).
Wade had a legendary career, and he&rsquo;s a lock to become a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer once he&rsquo;s eligible for induction in 2023. However, his career was nearly over before it even began.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This is a game that I fought very hard to play," Wade told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dwyane-wade-nba-career-marriage-book/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> last week. "My mom went to jail when I was 9. My dad was in and out of jail. Growing up, I did not pass my ACT test to go to college. I had a baby in college. [There were] all these things that will stop you from reaching your goals, and I kept fighting. I kept fighting because it was my dream."
As Wade mentioned, his poor ACT scores nearly kept him from playing at the collegiate level. In his book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Father-First-Became-Bigger-Basketball/dp/006213616X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball</a>," Wade reveals that he dreamed of attending Michigan (since he was a fan of the Fab Five), but the program no longer had interest once officials saw his ACT scores.
"My first set of scores wasn&rsquo;t bad; they were disastrous," Wade <a href="https://archive.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/168533026.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>. "They sucked."
Marquette head coach Tom Crean continued to recruit Wade anyway. In fact, Crean told him that he had a place on the team even if he couldn't qualify academically &mdash; he just wouldn't be able to play in games or travel with the team. Crean was determined to get a commitment from Wade.
"[Crean said], &lsquo;Look, here&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re going to do. You&rsquo;re coming here and we&rsquo;ll stay with everything as planned. The only difference is you won&rsquo;t be able to play in the games or travel. But you&rsquo;ll do everything else. You&rsquo;re on the team,'" Wade <a href="https://archive.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/168533026.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>. "Later I found out that Coach C probably didn&rsquo;t have the right to say that and he had to go back to the school to make sure that he could stand by that. No matter, I was sold all the same."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Wade took the ACT a third time, but his score was even worse. When Wade told Crean his results, they both cried. Shortly after, Wade's girlfriend, Siohvaughn, got pregnant. Some people may have quit basketball and tried to find a different career path, but Wade decided to continue pursuing his dream, and Crean (who had emerged as a &ldquo;father figure&rdquo;) stood by him.
"&lsquo;Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I&rsquo;m here and we&rsquo;ll get through this together,' [Crean told Wade]. Didn&rsquo;t tell me what to do or how to do it. Just that he&rsquo;d be there to go through it with me," Wade <a href="https://archive.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/168533026.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>.
Wade sat out his freshman season because he wasn't academically eligible. After working hard with tutors, he managed to improve his academic standing and become eligible as a sophomore. From there, he became one of the best players in the nation, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 blocks. In 2003, Wade led Marquette to the Final Four for the first time since 1977. Then, he became the No. 5 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
Had Wade not had such a supportive coach who was willing to look past his poor test scores and be patient with him as he sat out a full season, he may not have gotten an opportunity to play college basketball. It&rsquo;s crazy to think that one of the greatest players in NBA history nearly didn&rsquo;t get a chance to continue playing after high school.&nbsp;
Back in 2000, a player in Wade's position didn't have many options. Fortunately, now, there are way more options for talented prospects who are academically ineligible or who just don&rsquo;t want to attend college such as going overseas (like Brandon Jennings and LaMelo Ball), playing for the G League Ignite (like Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga), doing a postgraduate year (like KJ Martin) or taking a year off to train for the NBA&rsquo;s pre-draft process (like Darius Bazley).&nbsp;

Dwyane Wade recalls how his poor ACT scores nearly prevented him from playing college basketball and achieving his NBA dream.

How poor test scores nearly ended Dwyane Wade's career before it began

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks didn't let the celebration of the franchise's first NBA championship in half a century distract them as they opened their title defense.
In his first game since scoring 50 points in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-milwaukee-bucks-phoenix-suns-64e76fe1b9f0851dbcf46ad66d90d6de">title-clinching Game 6 NBA Finals victory</a> over the Phoenix Suns, Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Bucks to a 127-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve watched the NBA for a long time, this is not an easy night for the team that&rsquo;s set to receive their rings and have the banner,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very pleased. We&rsquo;ve been talking about the focus in training camp, the focus in practice. The guys have been good.&rdquo;
Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton each added 20 points to help the Bucks withstand the loss of Jrue Holiday, who sat out the second half with a bruised right heel after scoring 12 points. Budenholzer said MRI results on Holiday were encouraging.
Kevin Durant led the Nets with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Patty Mills scored 21 points and shot 7 of 7 from 3-point range. James Harden added 20 points.
"We weren't very good,&rdquo; Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;If you're not playing at a high level against the champs, you're not going to win.&rdquo;
The Nets were missing star guard Kyrie Irving, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kyrie-irving-covid-vaccine-nets-dcd6d5c6d027934cf763dc167610ce58">who isn&rsquo;t with the team due to his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine.</a>
A New York mandate requires professional athletes on local teams to be vaccinated to practice or play in public venues. Rather than using Irving exclusively in road games, the Nets decided he wouldn&rsquo;t play or practice with them at all until he could be a full participant.
After receiving their rings and raising a banner to celebrate their first NBA championship since 1971, the Bucks defeated the team that nearly eliminated them in the second round of the playoffs.
Milwaukee rallied from a 2-0 deficit and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-7c1e79825d167e686b9c132c0c8634e0"> won Game 7 at Brooklyn in overtime </a> after Durant&rsquo;s foot barely crept across the 3-point arc in the final seconds of regulation, turning a potential series-winning 3-pointer into a game-tying 2-point basket.
The Bucks went on a 21-4 run in the first quarter to extend a 10-8 advantage to 31-12. They got the lead back up to 19 again in the second quarter and were ahead 66-59 at halftime. The lead never dropped below seven the rest of the way.
Milwaukee outrebounded Brooklyn 54-44 and took 21 more shots than the Nets.
&ldquo;We were climbing uphill all game,&rdquo; Durant said.
Milwaukee got 15 points from Jordan Nwora and 10 from Grayson Allen.
FANCY RINGS
<a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1450598672018944012">Milwaukee's championship rings </a> include the messages &ldquo;Fear The Deer&rdquo; and &ldquo;Bucks In 6.&rdquo; The latter slogan has served as a rallying cry among fans ever since former Bucks guard Brandon Jennings used those words while incorrectly predicting the outcome of Milwaukee's 2013 first-round series with the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat.
Jennings and former Bucks guard Michael Redd were both in the crowd.
The rings, designed by Jason of Beverly Hills, have 360 diamonds on the top to represent the Bucks' total wins under current ownership. There are 16 emerald-shape diamonds on each side, symbolizing their 16 playoff wins last season and their 16 division titles in franchise history.
&ldquo;My first thought as soon as it was handed to me is this is the biggest ring I've ever seen in life, and there's a lot of diamonds in it,&rdquo; Nwora said.
Herb Kohl, the 86-year-old former U.S. senator who owned the Bucks from 1985-2014, also got a ring and received a standing ovation when he was announced.

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

TIP-INS
Nets: Mills had a brilliant Brooklyn debut after spending the last 10 seasons in San Antonio, but the Nets didn't get much else from their bench. Brooklyn's other reserves combined for just four points.
Bucks: Milwaukee was missing guard Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) and forwards Bobby Portis (hamstring) and Semi Ojeleye (calf). Budenholzer didn&rsquo;t have an estimate on when any of the three might make their season debut but said that Portis and Ojeleye will play before DiVincenzo, who tore a ligament in his left ankle during last season&rsquo;s playoffs.
UP NEXT
Nets: At Philadelphia on Friday.
Bucks: At Miami on Thursday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks received their championship rings and raised their banner before routing the Nets 127-104 in the opener.

Bucks begin title defense with 127-104 victory over Nets

Not long ago, a ruptured Achilles was considered a death sentence for an NBA player&rsquo;s career. 
There was a long list of players who were never the same following their Achilles injury: Elton Brand, Kobe Bryant, Mehmet Okur, Chauncey Billups, Brandon Jennings, Christian Laettner, Jonas Jerebko, Anderson Varejao and so on.&nbsp;
Dominique Wilkins was the lone example of a player who returned and continued producing at a superstar level (as he averaged 29.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game).
That&rsquo;s why the basketball world was devastated when Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles on basketball&rsquo;s biggest stage during the 2019 NBA Finals. Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and nobody wanted to see his name added to the list above.
Fortunately, Durant hasn&rsquo;t missed a beat since returning from his Achilles injury. Somehow, in his first nine games back, he looks like the exact same player. The 32-year-old is averaging 30.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.9 threes, 1.0 block and .9 steal (while shooting a ridiculous 54.8 percent from the field, 48.3 percent from three and 86.7 percent from the free-throw line).
He's posting career-highs in assists per game, threes per game, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, True Shooting Percentage and assist percentage. His 30.7 points would be the second-highest mark of his career (which says something considering he's a four-time scoring champ). And he&rsquo;s doing this while getting acclimated on the Brooklyn Nets and adjusting to new coaches and teammates.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Just trying to be the best I can each possession and each rep,&rdquo; Durant said recently. &ldquo;I've been always trying to take that approach as a pro, and then you got guys around you who have that same approach and love for the game. It's making me better and hopefully rubbing off on my teammates as well. &rdquo;
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uzCPF3qNNkE" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Many fans take Durant's greatness for granted since he has consistently posted jaw-dropping numbers for over a decade and he makes the game look incredibly easy, but it's important to note that we're witnessing something special right now.
Among all players, Durant currently ranks second in points per game (30.7), third in PER (27.9), fourth in Offensive Box Plus/Minus (6.6), fifth in Box Plus/Minus (7.3), eighth in Offensive Win Shares (1.2), ninth in Net Rating (14.7), ninth in True Shooting Percentage (.675), ninth in Value Over Replacement Player (.7) and 13th in Win Shares (1.6).&nbsp;
If Durant is performing this well out of the gate, how will he look once he shakes off the rust and gets used to his new situation?
&ldquo;He continues to find his rhythm,&rdquo; Nets head coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;He looks great and he&rsquo;s going to continue to feel more and more comfortable.&rdquo;
Nash is confident that Durant can return to his MVP form, but he has repeatedly said that Durant should give himself 15-to-20 games before judging himself and expecting to be back at 100 percent. And after nine games, Nash is revising that timetable a bit,
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a pleasure to coach him; he&rsquo;s so talented and loves the game,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;Part of the process of him coming back to playing is that it&rsquo;s not going to be smooth off the bat. I said early on [that it&rsquo;ll take] 15-to-20 games and I think that&rsquo;s even... maybe I need to be more conservative with that number, just because it&rsquo;s such a lot thrown at him [during] the climb he&rsquo;s had back here.&rdquo;
When Wilkins came back from his ruptured Achilles, he said the first few games were the toughest.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The thing you keep thinking about is, &lsquo;What if I tear this thing again? What if I hear that pop?&rsquo; You think those sort of things, but you must get those things out of your head,&rdquo; Wilkins <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2019/01/17/nba-rumor-warriors-demarcus-cousins-achilles-dominique-wilkins-kobe/">told me in 2019</a>. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t even think about that stuff. The moment I realized I was back to being myself came during our training camp. I hit the ground really hard, and I immediately grabbed my ankle. But I didn&rsquo;t feel any pain. That&rsquo;s when I said, &lsquo;You know what? If this thing is going to pop or tear, it&rsquo;s happening on my terms. I&rsquo;m going all out.&rsquo; I just had to think like that to get that [fear] out of my head.
&ldquo;We played two really great teams in a back-to-back when I first returned (the Knicks and Bulls). I had two great games, which did wonders for my confidence. I knew, at that point, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;m back in rare form.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s when I realized, &lsquo;Only you know how tough you are. Nobody else knows.&rsquo; That confidence and toughness helped me get over my fear of hurting myself again.&rdquo;
Durant&rsquo;s monster numbers have to be good for his confidence, and the fact that he&rsquo;s already playing in back-to-backs suggests that he&rsquo;s pain-free and blocking out that fear of re-injury.&nbsp;
Also, Wilkins told me that he stayed motivated by listening to his doubters.
&ldquo;Well, I looked at all of the criticism,&rdquo; Wilkins <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2019/01/17/nba-rumor-warriors-demarcus-cousins-achilles-dominique-wilkins-kobe/">said</a>. &ldquo;I looked at all of the guys who were saying I wouldn&rsquo;t come back. I looked at all of the guys who were saying that if I did come back, I couldn&rsquo;t be that good because I was already 32 years old. I looked at everyone saying my best days were behind me because, at that time, it was a very difficult injury to come back from. 
"I just used it as fuel to prove everyone wrong. I worked twice-a-day, every day, for nine months. I was working hard. My inspiration came from all of those negative articles that talked about how old I was and how difficult it would be to return. I kept all of those articles and I put them on my bathroom mirror, so that I&rsquo;d have to see them every day. That was my inspiration.&rdquo;
Sound familiar?
As if the Nets weren't already under the microscope, all eyes will be on them going forward now that they&rsquo;ve assembled a Big Three of Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
Brooklyn is now 7-6, which is the fifth-best record in the East. The Nets currently have the NBA&rsquo;s fourth-best offense (scoring 112.9 points per 100 possessions) and 10th-best defense (allowing 106.5 points per 100 possessions), although this team will look very different following the trade for Harden.
The Nets face the Orlando Magic tonight at 6 p.m. ET and while Irving is out, Harden may make his Brooklyn debut.

Kevin Durant is absolutely dominating in his first nine games back since rupturing his Achilles, writes Alex Kennedy.

Don't take Kevin Durant's greatness for granted

R.J. Hampton will never forget the first time he stepped foot on an NBA floor only 13 months ago.
Two games into his professional basketball career with the National Basketball League&rsquo;s New Zealand Breakers, his team made the trip over to the United States in early October for a pair of exhibition matchups -- first against the Memphis Grizzlies, then versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"That was a great experience for me,&rdquo; Hampton told reporters this week. &ldquo;I was very blessed even to be on an NBA court at 18 years old, playing against Ja Morant, playing against Chris Paul. I learned so much from those guys. I took a lot away from those games that now, over 365 days later, I can go back and prove myself."
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_13480063-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
Hampton is one of the more intriguing young prospects in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft. A standout in Dallas as a high schooler, he won two gold medals as a part of USA Basketball -- once in the 2017 FIBA U-16 Americas Championship, and again in the 2018 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup.
In three years at Little Elm High School, Hampton scored 2,854 points. In his final season, he averaged 32 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game. Following a strong showing on the AAU circuit via the 2019 Nike EYBL -- where he scored 28.8 points per contest, second-highest in the league -- the top-five prospect made the decision to reclassify in the 2019 high-school recruiting class. According to the NBA's draft guide, had Hampton returned to high school, he would've been on pace to finish as one of the top-50 high-school scorers of all-time.&nbsp;
However, in lieu of going to college, Hampton elected to go the professional route overseas, similar to what recent NBA players such as Terrance Ferguson, Emmanuel Mudiay and Brandon Jennings did. Luckily for him, his family was overseas with him, so they experienced that together.&nbsp;
Off the floor, Hampton would watch a lot of TV and play video games during his free time. On the floor, he was playing against grown men, including former NBA talent, allowing him to get a taste of the physicality presented at the next level -- something that college prospects have to learn the hard way.
&ldquo;Playing in the NBL, I kinda already went through that learning curve, so I feel confident,&rdquo; Hampton said of the advantage of pro experience. &ldquo;I expect to get on the floor as fast as possible and make an immediate impact in the next coming years. I want to be a guy that is looked upon and one of the players that everybody counts on to get us wins."
Hampton broke out at the very beginning during the NBL Blitz showcase in front of NBA scouts. In his second game with the Breakers, Hampton notched 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, nabbing five rebounds and recording three steals with a pair of assists. It was a glimpse of his true capabilities that we wouldn&rsquo;t really see the rest of the season.
&ldquo;Coming out of high school [as] a top-five player in my class, I feel like I went to a situation where I didn't get to score a lot of points and do the 'oohs and aahs' that some other players got,&rdquo; Hampton said. &ldquo;But I think I learned a lot from my time over there, and I definitely think that's gonna further me immediately in the NBA."
Hampton went on to start 12 games, but his 17-game tenure in New Zealand was cut short last winter. Sidelined by a hip injury that forced him out of action, both parties made a mutual decision to have the highly-touted guard return home to the states in February to prepare for the NBA Draft.
Hampton&rsquo;s been putting in work with his trainer, Tyler Relph, over the last two years in order to ready himself for the next level.
"Going over to New Zealand, I wouldn't say it was the most ideal situation [for R.J.]," Relph told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "For a young kid, he just did a great job dealing with it, and I think it matured him a ton. So I think he's immediately ready mentally for what the NBA brings. He's pretty much just a totally different person."
According to Relph, Hampton gained between 22-25 pounds of muscle since his return from overseas.
"Immediately, your game transforms when you can take contact," Relph said. "Defensively, you can get in front of guys and bump 'em off spots, get through ball screens and stuff like that."
In addition, part of the pre-draft process has been reconnecting with the two people that recruited Hampton when he reclassified -- Penny Hardaway and Mike Miller of the Memphis Tigers. Though he never suited up in the blue-and-gray threads, all three have continued to have a great rapport. Hardaway is in his ear about being a pure point guard and making the right reads, while Miller has assisted him with his jumper -- an aspect of the game that Hampton is heavily focused on.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He changed my base,&rdquo; Hampton said of Miller. &ldquo;A lot of times, I was skinny, down low with my shot; it caused me to be unbalanced, so he gave me a wider base. One thing Mike Miller did, he shot in the NBA Finals with his shoe off. He has tremendous confidence, so being a confident shooter is something we&rsquo;ve worked on for the past six, seven months in different drills.&rdquo;
Relph said the shot adjustments are extremely noticeable.
"That's another thing that people are knocking him [about], and now that's the thing that translates right away to next year," Relph said. "He's changed a lot. Mike did a ton with his base, which looks phenomenal. And then, we just changed where he brings the ball up from, his shooting path, and he's been great. His shot has improved leaps and bounds, and now I would say he's a good shooter that can consistently make NBA threes."
Relph raves over Hampton's ability to leap off any foot at any time. Some guys are one-foot leapers, some guys need two steps, but the 19-year-old can fly in any scenario. Furthermore, Relph said that Hampton's god-given speed will vault him into the top-five fastest players in the NBA right away.
"You have Lamborghinis that can go from 0-to-60 in a split second, then you have cars that take a while to get there -- he's a Lamborghini," Relph said. "His slow-to-quick twitch is second to none.
"I think that he has a chance to be just an elite scorer in the league -- with the combination of his speed, creating separation, getting into his shots. He's got a great feel of when to score; he knows when he has space. He can make any shot, he can make contested shots. His ability to rise in the mid-range is elite."
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/rj_2_lg.png" alt="" width="791" height="AUTO" />
So far, Hampton has worked out for seven teams in person -- the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.&nbsp;
"His confidence right now is just at an all-time high," Relph said. "He's had great workouts for teams. Every team has said how much different he looks and how much better he looks and how much he's improved."
When asked about a potential fit on the Nets, Hampton loved the idea of playing off Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and gaining wisdom from the veteran duo, as well as the blossoming Caris LeVert and new head coach Steve Nash. It definitely helps that he&rsquo;s spoken with Nets GM Sean Marks (who's from New Zealand) over the phone and face-to-face.
Hampton also mentioned that his workout with the Celtics went well, as Danny Ainge, Austin Ainge and Brad Stevens all attended and spoke with the soon-to-be rookie.
When asked what aspects of his game will translate easiest to the NBA, Hampton points out his speed, athleticism and ability to make plays for himself and his teammates. Early on, his biggest challenge may be getting back into a groove because he hasn&rsquo;t played in a game since Jan. 12. As far as his position and role are concerned, his main focus is having the versatility to guard 1-through-3.
"What all rookies are gonna have to work on is speed of the game, the physicality of the NBA and defensive rotations and reads," Relph said. "And then, the grind of an 82-game season... I think people are gonna be surprised at how good he'll be at making other guys better."
It&rsquo;s odd to conduct interviews virtually in comparison to the norm, but Hampton has taken it in stride. He feels great. In fact, Hampton went as far to say that he and LaMelo Ball are the readiest prospects in this 2020 draft class.
During this pre-draft process, Hampton's schedule has been rigorous. He wakes up to run a couple miles every morning, then he'll go lift weights and do some strength training before working out with either Relph or Miller (depending on what city he's in). Relph said his committment has been outstanding.
Hampton understands how unique of a year this is going to be. The draft process is moving quickly. Before he knows it, Nov. 18 will be here. Then, free agency; then, training camp; and then, opening night on Dec. 22.
"I think the biggest thing I expect [is] just to go in there and work every day, go in there and prove myself again, working my ranks up through the NBA. [I want to] have a great team, great system that I can thrive in,&rdquo; Hampton said. &ldquo;I want to be as ready as possible.&rdquo;

R.J. Hampton and his trainer, Tyler Relph, give a behind-the-scenes look at his pre-draft training ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Chad