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Kings

The UConn Huskies made history Monday night by becoming the first team since 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA Men&rsquo;s Basketball championships after defeating Purdue 75-60 at the State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona.
The last team to do the same feat was the Florida Gators, who won back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. They were led by then-head coach Billy Donovan and eventual NBA stars Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer.&nbsp;
UConn capped off one of the most dominant runs ever in college basketball history with the best point differential in a single NCAA tournament all-time with a +140 spread. They beat the previous records set by Kentucky in 1996 (+129), Villanova in 2016 (+124), and Duke in 1999 (+123). This is their sixth championship in program history.
The Huskies were only up 36-30 after a tight first half but then poured it on after the break, showing why they were the defending champions from a year ago.
UConn used every offensive set they ran to perfection and executed their defensive game plan: let Zach Edey score and stay home on shooters. This limited Purdue to only one three-pointer made on just seven attempts overall.
The two-time National Player of the Year feasted with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but the rest of the team only managed to score 23 points. 
"We didn't want to give up 3's," UConn head coach Dan Hurley shared. "We didn't care if Edey took 25, 28 shots to get 35 points. The gameplan was no Smith, no Loyer, no Gillis, no Jones. Keep that collective to under 20 points as a group and they had no chance to win no matter what Edey did."
Tristen Newton, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player after the game, led UConn with 20 points on an efficient 6-of-13 shooting from the field along with 7 assists and 5 rebounds, while projected 2024 NBA draft first-rounders Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan added 15 and 11 points respectively for the Huskies.

UConn finished their dominant tournament run by beating Purdue 75-60, becoming the first back-to-back champ since Florida in 2007.

UConn overpowers Purdue to win back-to-back NCAA Men’s Basketball titles

This article was initially published on BasketballNews on October, 29, 2020.
I take pride in my defense. I&rsquo;ve always enjoyed guarding the best scorer on the other team. I look forward to it. When I&rsquo;m assigned one of those match-ups, I know it&rsquo;s gonna be a fun night.
In my 13 years as an NBA player, I guarded many perennial All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers. I&rsquo;m talking about the best of the best. I tried to contain them and get under their skin. I'd constantly poke my hands in to try to get a pick or at least throw off their rhythm. If I could get scorers to think and worry about my hands, that was a win for me. But for these guys, it was basically impossible. They were always locked in.
What is it like to guard these superstars? In part one, I shared <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-corey-brewer-guarding-stars-lebron-james-giannis-antetokounmpo-james-harden-kevin-durant-stephen-curry-damian-lillard-russell-westbrook-kawhi-leonard-carmelo-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my experiences defending current elite scorers</a>. Today, I&rsquo;ll break down some of the retired legends that I matched up against:
Kobe Bryant
You never forget the first time you played against Kobe Bryant. For me, it was in my rookie year in Minnesota and he dropped 30 on us. When he stepped on the court, just his swag, his whole demeanor, made me feel like, &ldquo;Damn, this is Kobe Bryant!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Kobe was a nightmare to guard. Seriously. He knew what he wanted to do, and I couldn't make him do anything different. It was like the game was a script to him; it was really a Hollywood script, and he was going to put me in his movie. I can&rsquo;t explain it any other way except that I was in Kobe&rsquo;s movie. When I was in the mid-post with him, he knew what he was about to do. It was: &ldquo;I'm gonna fake left and then fade over my right shoulder,&rdquo; or, &ldquo;I'm gonna pump-fake you, make you foul me and get the and-one,&rdquo; or &ldquo;I&rsquo;m gonna pump fake and go dunk on your head.&rdquo; He had a plan and he executed it. He was amazing, man. Unbelievable. Kobe would make so many difficult shots and I&rsquo;d just be amazed.
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He was a no-nonsense killer, and that's why I'm glad I got to play him in the playoffs a couple of times. Just to see him in that environment, playing at that level and being the way he is on the basketball court, that's why everybody respects him so much. He was that good, and he was really a student of the game. That's why he played for 20 years. He worked his tail off, and he was that good for so long because he was such a hard worker in all the nuances and technical aspects of the game. He was everything. He was relentless and steadfast in his plan: from his footwork to his bank shots to getting fouled--everything he did, I knew he had thought about it, worked on it and watched film on it. He loved the game. That's why Kobe Bryant was Kobe Bryant. Rest in Peace.
Dirk Nowitzki
I actually used to get to guard Dirk a lot. Dirk's tough, man -- the one-leggers! He's a "footer" meaning he's at least 7 feet tall, so I'm not gonna block his shot, and I'm not gonna speed him up no matter what. Like Kobe, he had a plan and I just hoped I could try to do something that made him get out of a rhythm. When I guarded Dirk, I just tried to deny him in his favorite spots or front the post. I just tried to be a little 6-9 pest. It felt like the only thing I could do guarding Dirk was be a nuisance because when he got the ball, it was over. He might miss, but he was typically going to get the shots he wanted. If I could just force him to shoot 12 inches away from where he most wanted to go, I did my job.&nbsp;
Dirk is one of the best scorers I've seen in the NBA. Ever. I played with him in 2011, when he had that incredible postseason and got us a Championship ring when we defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. It didn&rsquo;t matter who they put out there, he wasn't going to be stopped during our run to the championship.&nbsp;
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Dirk is for sure the reason we have all these stretch-fours now. The trail three, that was his bread and butter! At the time, bigs used to run back into the paint, but Dirk Nowitzki trailed in, stopped at the three-point line and let it fly -- and it would splash. Dirk was a bad boy, man.&nbsp;
While we all revel in how he shot the ball, it was the tireless work he put into his craft that made him that kind of shooter. He worked on the one-leg jumper so much. It wasn&rsquo;t just some random move he would do sometimes; he worked on it a lot, and that's why he made so many and why it became his go-to. He changed the game and evolved the big man position we all see now.&nbsp;
Dwyane Wade
I hated guarding D-Wade because his pump fake was just unbelievable. He was so athletic. Going to the rim, he&rsquo;d dunk on people. Then he'd go and just stop on a dime, pump fake, then draw a foul. I knew his plan so I'd try not to foul him, but that&rsquo;s when he had me right where he wanted--not as aggressive as I normally am. He was just tough with the way he approached the game, the way he played the game and how good he was at getting to the basket and finishing.&nbsp;
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And, seriously, Dwyane Wade's pump fake has to be up there as one of the greatest ever. I hated that pump fake. My goal there was just to stay down and make him shoot a jump shot over me. I feel like if I did that, I did my job -- which, a lot of times, it still wasn't good enough. But hey, I did my job; I'd rather him pump fake, shoot a jump shot and make it than him pump fake and draw a foul or dunk on me or my teammate -- because his dunks would always get his team and the crowd going. My job wasn't to stop scorers like him, it was to get them to take shots they were less likely to make than they otherwise would if I didn't do my job. Fouling was the worst thing I could do--most scorers shoot free throws well.&nbsp;
Gilbert Arenas
If Gilbert Arenas didn&rsquo;t get hurt, we&rsquo;d be talking about him on a different level. I feel like people don't realize how good he was and how well he played during his prime. When he got that big contract, he deserved it. He just got hurt and had bad luck. That's all you can say. But he was a tough guard with the way he could shoot it.&nbsp;
I wanted him to pass. I would try to send him to my help and get the ball out of his hands because when he had that ball in his hands, he could get going. They didn't call him "Hibachi" for nothing! When he got going, he got going. He heated up fast when his confidence soared.
Gilbert Arenas was actually one of the first dudes to be coming off the pick-and-roll and pull it from deep. He used to pull from deep, and he had the ball on a string; when he went to the basket, that was his thing. Gilbert was tough, and I feel like if he didn't get hurt, we're talking about him in a different sense. But I have to show him love because he was that good.
Tracy McGrady
I caught T-Mac toward the end of his time with the Houston Rockets. T-Mac was tough. I remember the first time I played T-Mac, he'd catch it and he'd jab step. He'd jab me off, and it was a thing of beauty. I&rsquo;d be thinking, &ldquo;What is he gonna do? Is he gonna pull up? Is he gonna try to get by me?&rdquo; His jab step was one of the best ever. I wish I could&rsquo;ve faced off against T-Mac more.
Check out Corey&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-corey-brewer-guarding-stars-lebron-james-giannis-antetokounmpo-james-harden-kevin-durant-stephen-curry-damian-lillard-russell-westbrook-kawhi-leonard-carmelo-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article breaking down what it&rsquo;s like to guard current superstars</a> such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.

Corey Brewer details his experiences defending the legends of the past in the NBA.

Guarding Legends: Corey Brewer on defending Kobe, D-Wade, Dirk, more

Fresh off the 2023 Basketball Africa League Combine and heading toward the NBA Paris Game between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in France, retired 13-year basketball pro Joakim Noah is soaking up every second of the international scene.
With Noah on site for both, Basketball News had the chance to catch up with the longtime Bull and former national-champion Florida Gator to discuss the rise of the BAL, the Paris Game on Thursday, basketball expanding to a global stage and much more.
Being at the BAL Combine and seeing the momentum of the league going into its third season, what's the energy like there?
Joakim Noah: "Well, it's very special to be in Paris. This is a full-circle moment for me personally, and to be able to come to the Combine and to see the energy of the young men trying to get jobs and work in the BAL, I thought it was really special. Obviously, we're building a professional league and it's growing. To build something sustainable... to see the growth from year-to-year is really special, but also to see the energy of the kids who want to be a part of it. Kids who are from all around the world, and everybody, you can feel that the kids are just in really high spirits and want to be a part of it. This is obviously so much bigger than basketball, and everybody who was at the Combine felt that way."
There are many former players who are heavily invested in the BAL, including guys you've played with and against like Grant Hill, Dikembe Mutombo, Ian Mahinmi and Luol Deng to name a few. All of you coming together and contributing to this, how does that feel?
Noah: "I think the contributions of some of the players that were able to invest is great because it also changes our mindset. Because you know, we were raised as competitors and competition can be very divisive, and just to be able to be in a position to be able to grow and unite is special. Not everybody has an opportunity to have that, to be at the table with the big dogs and see how we can grow something from scratch is really special. And now that we have this platform, especially for African players, it's really powerful."
What is the ultimate goal for the league?
Noah: "I think just to have a really powerful league on the continent where African kids don't feel like they have to go anywhere to get paid off of basketball. The game is growing, it's the fastest growing sport in the world and a lot of the talent comes from the motherland. So just to be a part of this and to watch the growth and seeing it at the highest level, but also on a grassroot level, is what it's all about. And now, we're able to have those conversations at a table altogether and look at the big picture and see where the growth needs to happen.
"I mean, Africa's so big, so different culturally. I'm learning a lot, and I feel like not only am I involved in something that I know a little bit about &mdash; because basketball has been my whole life &mdash; but I feel like I found my purpose. And there's a lot to be proud of with that. I didn't grow up on the continent, I wasn't born on the continent, but this is my heritage, and I feel like a lot of people feel that way. I felt that at the Combine (Monday). It's like, people came from all around the world to be a part of this and the energy was that the people who were involved really understand that big picture, and just want to see this game grow. And it's bigger than them just playing and getting a check. A lot of the time with basketball, that's what it becomes, but with this opportunity, I think that people really feel the purpose and I'm proud to be a part of that."
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You kind of mentioned it, but internationally, the game is becoming so popular and has a ton of momentum. Even in the NBA, you're seeing more of that at a rapid pace, as there were 58 European players and nine different players from France on opening night. We know that Victor Wembanyama is at the top of NBA Draft conversations. In general, the way basketball is growing across the world, why do you think it's happened so fast and is this going to continue in that trajectory?
Noah: "You know, I remember being in Paris and going to my first NBA game and seeing Michael Jordan play and the power of his influence all around the world. My father brought me to the game in Bercy. And 25 years later, the Bulls are coming to play in Paris again. The French players have had that kind of access. And now, the future of not just French basketball, but the future of basketball is this kid Wemby, who's an unbelievable talent. He grew up seeing a lot of winning, not just in basketball, but you think of France with winning the World Cup. He was raised and he saw what winning is all about and he knows that it's very possible.
"So when I was coming up, [Tariq] Abdul-Wahad was the only NBA player. And I remember seeing Tony Parker coming up at 15 years old playing at ABCD Camp and seeing the career that he had, that was my inspiration. And now, there's just a whole generation of French players and they're just taking it to the next level. But France is a country that has all the resources to be the best. They have everything. They have the coaching, they have the structures, they have the stadiums. They have everything. So you see the growth, and that's what we're trying to do in Africa. The structures aren't there yet, and we have to build it step-by-step."
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You brought up the Paris game. The Bulls are going to be taking on the Detroit Pistons, and Killian Hayes is a French player who's found his stride this year. How special is it to play in your home country in such an event?
Noah: "Well I can't even imagine how he feels, but it's a beautiful story being able to play in front of your family and friends in your country. Nothing gets better than that. So it's gonna be really special for him. And just understanding that there's gonna be younger kids there watching him, and he's gonna be inspiring as well. So not only is it an unbelievable feeling to play on that court, but understanding every layup, every dunk, every opportunity that he gets on the court is inspiring for the next generation."
Going back to finding your purpose in working with the BAL, but on a broader subject, what has your transition to retirement been like? It sounds like you have a solid feel of what you're trying to accomplish post-career.
Noah: "Oh, a hundred percent. I think that everybody who's in this position, our careers are short. It's crazy to know that I won't be playing basketball anymore. It happens so fast. You have a dream from when you're a kid and not everybody gets to live out their dreams as players, and I was able to do that. I got to do it at the highest level, and I'm really proud of that. Now, I have my family. I just got married this summer, I have my kids. So I'm really happy, trying to find that balance of working and working on my purpose work and raising my family."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Joakim Noah (<a href="https://twitter.com/JoakimNoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoakimNoah</a>) lending a hand to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JrNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JrNBA</a> ‼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAParis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAParis</a> <a href="https://t.co/23ejEVVfqz">pic.twitter.com/23ejEVVfqz</a>
&mdash; NBA Cares (@nbacares) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbacares/status/1615701027122036736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Do you still keep in touch with your college teammates like Al Horford who's still playing and Corey Brewer who's coaching in New Orleans and your old Bulls teammates?
Noah: "Oh of course. These are people that I shared some of the most special times of my life with. I love Corey. We just sat down not long ago. Obviously, I have strong relationships with everybody and was able to do a beautiful trip with Derrick [Rose] to Africa, where he brought the Simeon (Academy) kids to Senegal this summer. These are all trips, these are all moments that I'm really proud of the relationships that I build off the court. And I just want to keep building."
If there are any players in the NBA today that you have your eye on, who would you say stands out?
Noah: "I love Bol Bol. Bol Bol is probably my favorite player to watch right now. I love to see his growth. Obviously, his back story is unbelievable. His father was so much more than just a basketball player. And just to see him become the player that he is and you just see him... you're not used to seeing somebody who's that tall &mdash; 7-foot-2 African guy &mdash; with handles, with that kind of ability. It just shows how much the game has grown. I just love watching him play. He's just a really exciting player. I wish him nothing but the best."
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More infomation regarding the BAL and the NBA Paris Game:
<ul>
<li>The third BAL season will tip off on March 11 and once again feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African cities playing games in Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt; and Kigali, Rwanda over three months in 2023</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<ol>
<li>The 12 club champions will be divided into two conferences.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The Sahara Conference will play a 15-game group phase at the Dakar Arena in Dakar from March 11-21.</li>
<li>The Nile Conference will play a 15-game group phase at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo from April 26 &ndash; May 6.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The top four teams from each conference will advance to an eight-game, single elimination Playoffs and Finals at BK Arena in Kigali from May 21-27.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Each of the 12 BAL teams will have up to 13 players, at least eight of whom will be citizens in their respective team&rsquo;s home country and up to four of whom can be from other countries, with no more than two players per team from outside of Africa.&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li>One roster spot on each team is reserved for an NBA Academy Africa prospect as part of the BAL Elevate program, which will once again provide an opportunity for the next generation of African prospects to participate in a professional league, showcase their talent on a global stage and help their respective teams compete for the 2023 BAL Championship.</li>
</ul>
<li>The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that completed its second season in May 2022.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized in Africa and marks the NBA&rsquo;s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.</li>
<li>On May 28, Tunisia&rsquo;s US Monastir defeated Angola&rsquo;s Petro de Luanda 83-72 to win the 2022 BAL Finals in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at BK Arena.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The 2022 BAL season featured players from 23 countries across Africa, Europe, and the U.S, reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 14 languages - including all 54 African countries - and generated more than 600 million online engagements.</li>
</ul>
NBA Africa
<ul>
<li>With the support of strategic partners, in May the NBA launched NBA Africa as a new, standalone entity that conducts the league&rsquo;s business in Africa, including the BAL.</li>
</ul>
o&nbsp;&nbsp; The investors&rsquo; and strategic partners&rsquo; expertise in a wide range of industries and established relationships with African businesses, governments and NGOs will help accelerate the NBA&rsquo;s growth across the continent.&nbsp;
o&nbsp;&nbsp; The funding will contribute to the growth of the BAL, help expand the NBA&rsquo;s presence in priority African markets and Africa&rsquo;s basketball ecosystem, and deepen the league&rsquo;s engagement with players and fans through initiatives such as the launch of additional NBA Academies and social responsibility initiatives that improve the livelihoods of African youth and families.
<ul>
<li>The strategic investors include a consortium led by Babatunde &ldquo;Tunde&rdquo; Folawiyo, Chairman and CEO of Yinka Folawiyo Group; and Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation (HFP), led by Tope Lawani, Co-CEO of HFP and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners.</li>
</ul>
o&nbsp;&nbsp; NBA Legends Junior Bridgeman, Luol Deng (South Sudan), Grant Hill, Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin), Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon) have also invested in NBA Africa and will use their collective influence to contribute to our growth goals.
<ul>
<li>In July, the NBA announced that former President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner and will help advance the league&rsquo;s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion.</li>
<li>In December, global economist and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Dambisa Moyo and Academy Award-winning actor and social activist Forest Whitaker joined NBA Africa as strategic investors.</li>
</ul>
The NBA Paris Game 2023
<ul>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will feature the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons playing a regular-season game at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league&rsquo;s 12th game in France since 1991.&nbsp; The NBA Paris Game 2020 &ndash; the first regular-season NBA game in Paris &ndash; took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the Bulls&rsquo; third game in Paris, having played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997.
<ul>
<li>The Bulls are among the top three most-popular NBA teams in international merchandise sales (No. 2 in Europe), among the top five most-popular teams on NBA League Pass outside the U.S. (No. 5), and among the top five most-popular NBA teams on social media in terms of following (No. 2 on Facebook, No. 4 on Instagram, No. 4 on Twitter)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019).</li>
</ul>
NBA in France
<ul>
<li>NBA games and programming have aired in France since 1985.</li>
<li>During the 2022-23 NBA season, fan in France can watch the NBA on beIN SPORTS, the NBA&rsquo;s exclusive Broadcast &amp; Digital partner in France, and NBA League Pass. beIN SPORTS airs up to 14 live games per week during the regular season, as well as the Play-In, Playoffs, all Conference Finals, Finals, All-Star Weekend, the Draft and Classic Games.</li>
<li>The 2022-23 regular season features 45 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as part of &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23,&rdquo; marking the 10th consecutive regular season that the league has scheduled weekend games that air in primetime in EMEA.</li>
<li>France ranks fourth among European markets in League Pass subscriptions.</li>
<li>Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 games &ndash; featuring French star and top 2023 NBA Draft prospect Victor Wembanyama &ndash; are available for free on the new NBA App throughout the 2022-23 including the LNB All-Star Game and select LNB Betclic ELITE Playoffs and Finals games.</li>
<li>The NBA&rsquo;s localized social media channels in France (Facebook and Twitter) have more than 1.5M collective followers.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the second regular-season game in France, the 12th NBA game overall in France (dating back to 1991) and the 94th NBA game in Europe (dating back to 1984).</li>
<li>Opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 NBA season featured 58 European players, including nine players from France.
<ul>
<li>France has had more players drafted into the NBA than other country outside North America and has been the most-represented European country in the NBA for each of the last 16 seasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="https://pr.nba.com/nba-fanatics-paris-store-open/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/nba-fanatics-paris-store-open/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1674099893476000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Pk9FJqixBAsT8n3qeg9n7">NBA Paris Store</a> &ndash; the first in France &ndash; opened&nbsp;in July 2022 and has featured player appearances by Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls. Top selling teams Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.</li>
<li>The NBA works with 18 marketing partners in France: adidas, EA, FDJ/ParionsSport, Foot Locker, Hennessy, Hotels.com/Expedia, ISG, Kellogg&rsquo;s, Microsoft, Mitchell &amp; Ness, New Balance, New Era, Nike, Rakuten, SAP, Tissot, Under Armour, Yop, and 2K Sports</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies speaks with Joakim Noah ahead of the 2023 NBA Paris Game about his BAL passion, international hoops and more.

Joakim Noah Q&A: NBA Paris Game, investing in BAL, basketball's growth

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; The Thunder have done it again.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Oklahoma City earned its second straight win over the Clippers, beating Los Angeles 118-110 on Thursday night.
Lu Dort scored 21 points and Aleksej Pokusevski added 15 for the Thunder, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-paul-george-610e743d4d1cffb1c4b7d3de66f33e2c">who beat the Clippers 108-94</a> on Tuesday.
It was a breakout game for Dort, who entered shooting 26% from the field for the season. He made 9 of 15 shots, while being the primary defender on Clippers All-Star Paul George.
&ldquo;For him, it&rsquo;s a good confidence blast,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &ldquo;I knew that would happen eventually. Lu works so hard, and when you work hard and you play as hard as he does, good things happen.&rdquo;
The Thunder shot 49.5% from the field.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to be able to guard point of attack,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re just lining us up one-on-one, and guys are able to get whatever they want.&rdquo;
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed both games against the Thunder while managing his previously injured right knee. George played on Thursday after sitting out on Tuesday with an illness and finished with 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 21 points. Reggie Jackson scored 18 and John Wall added 17 for Los Angeles, which lost its third straight.
The Thunder scored 31 points off 20 Clippers turnovers two days after scoring 23 points off 19 Los Angeles giveaways.
&ldquo;The live turnovers are killing us,&rdquo; Lue said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to just clean that up.&rdquo;
The Thunder led 30-12 in the first quarter, but the Clippers rallied and led 60-53 at halftime behind 12 points each from Wall and Jackson.
&ldquo;You know, that&rsquo;s a really good team," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They&rsquo;re not going to lay down. And I thought we really came out with a sense of purpose and obviously threw the first punch. And it&rsquo;s a good lesson for us that a good team is not just going to accept that.&rdquo;
Gilgeous-Alexander committed his fourth foul with 4.6 seconds left in the second quarter, and he started the second half on the bench. The Thunder rallied without him and took a 71-70 lead before he returned midway through the third quarter. The Thunder led 89-87 heading into the fourth.
Wall's driving dunk at the start of the fourth quarter tied the game at 89, but the Thunder pulled away late. Pokusevski hit a 3-pointer, then less than a minute later, Tre Mann walked into a fast break 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a 116-104 with 2:55 remaining.
Oklahoma City did not attempt a free throw until 10:22 remained in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder went 7 for 8 from the line in the final period.
Daigneault didn't like the free throw situation, but he liked the way the game turned out.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t particularly pleased with that, but we weathered it," he said. "And at the end of the day, it&rsquo;s not easy one way or the other. There&rsquo;s going to be things you have to deal with, things you have to overcome. And I just thought we played right through it tonight. It didn&rsquo;t distract us. And we just &mdash; we kept on it and obviously emerged. It was good.&rdquo;
GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER'S FREEBIES
Gilgeous-Alexander made both of his free throws on Thursday, leaving him one short of the Thunder record for consecutive made free throws to start a season.
The record holder? Not Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant. Not even George, a former Thunder star. It&rsquo;s Danilo Gallinari, who opened with 23 straight to start the 2019-20 season.
Gilgeous-Alexander has already passed the likes of Patrick Patterson (17 during the 2017-18 season) and Kevin Martin (16 during the 2012-2013 season). Corey Brewer made his first 17 after being traded to the Thunder in 2018.
TIP-INS
Clippers: F Marcus Morris sat out his second straight game for personal reasons. ... The Clippers shot 53.7%. ... Los Angeles made just 9 of 28 3-pointers.
Thunder: G Josh Giddey sat out with a sprained right ankle. ... Went 6 for 10 from 3-point range in the first quarter to take a 34-24 lead. They finished 17 for 38 on 3-pointers after going 4 for 30 in Tuesday's game.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
Thunder: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Oklahoma City earned its second straight win over the Clippers.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 24 as Thunder beat Clippers again

When the New Orleans Pelicans swung a deal for CJ McCollum ahead of last February's trade deadline, they acquired a dynamic scorer with a gravitational on-court presence and eight seasons of playoff experience. They also added a rising star in sports media.&nbsp;
McCollum <a href="https://theathletic.com/1806073/2020/05/11/hes-a-really-good-storyteller-the-origins-of-cj-mccollum-journalist-at-lehigh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majored in journalism as a student at Lehigh</a> and has coupled his basketball ascension with a developing on-air platform, most recently joining ESPN as an analyst. He has spearheaded a rush of current and former NBA players taking their voices to the airwaves.
Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III is taking notes.&nbsp;
"We've definitely had a few conversations [about media]," Murphy told Basketball News in a phone interview. "That's what I want to do after I'm done playing basketball, you know, staying close to the game as well as showing my personality. I feel like I have a pretty good personality; I'm able to speak well, speak intelligently and add a little humor to it. So I'll be able to do that and still get a nice little paycheck and stay close to the game."
Murphy has envisioned a career in sports media since he was in high school. Back then, he was a two-star recruit with limited interest from colleges, so there was no guarantee that he'd be able to go pro. However, after excelling at Rice and Virginia, he parlayed that growth all the way to first-round-pick status.
The 22-year-old plans to have a long and successful NBA career, but he's also determined to sharpen his skills behind the microphone along the way.&nbsp;
During the 2022 NBA Draft, Murphy patrolled the red carpet, interviewed some of the incoming rookies and <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA/status/1540448684919459846?s=20&amp;t=Q3VaAsvWayXab90H61pJBQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even cited some inside sources</a> while revealing the Pelicans' plan to select Dyson Daniels.&nbsp;
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Mbappe, NBA rookies, and <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorRooks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaylorRooks</a> choose between Drake, Kendrick, and J. Cole WARNING: If you're a Kendrick fan, this does not go well. 😅 <a href="https://t.co/8zQZkkI8i6">pic.twitter.com/8zQZkkI8i6</a>
&mdash; Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1541248474963902466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
He watches "almost every episode" of J.J. Redick's podcast, "The Old Man and the Three." He also has "The Draymond Green Show," "Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles," "The ETCs with Kevin Durant" and "The Longshot Podcast with Duncan Robinson" in his rotation.&nbsp;
For Murphy, listening to pros discuss the game isn't just about supporting players in the media &mdash; it's also on-demand access to details and insight from athletes who have made a career in the league.
"Watching [Redick's podcast], especially, coming into the league, is almost like free game, and you're just listening to everybody's different perspectives and things that they learned while they were in the league," Murphy said. "So, it makes it a little bit easier for me. It's like I can learn from them, and I don't have to take these lumps that they probably took before they actually learned their lessons."
Of course, Murphy will attest that he took his fair share of lumps as a rookie. The 6-foot-10 forward spent much of last winter on the fringes of the Pelicans' rotation, and it took a mental toll. After one contest against the Miami Heat, a trainer took Murphy aside and told him that he needed to get back to being himself and focus on consistency in his work.
"Those times when I was struggling [and] wasn't playing a lot &mdash; that's when I really learned a lot about myself and just staying the course, because the NBA is so much of a mental aspect and a mental game that you have to worry about," Murphy said. "You could be doing a lot of good stuff physically and on the court, but if your mentals aren't right, there's gonna be a lot of stuff that's happening that won't affect you in a positive way...
"At the end of the day, we're all human. And I'll say, those times at my lows, I definitely chose some negative emotions &mdash; nothing outward enough to hurt the team, but definitely enough to where you can see I wasn't happy. And I feel like if you want to be a great player in this league, you can't just be happy with sitting on the bench, and I wasn't. I felt I could contribute. I felt I could help my team win, and I wasn't able to do that, and, you know, it hurt me a little bit. But they were just saying, 'Just stay the course [and] keep working.'"
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Murphy leaned on the Pelicans' coaching staff, including head coach Willie Green and assistants Corey Brewer, Teresa Weatherspoon and Brandon Demas. He stayed consistent, and when his opportunity came in the spring, Murphy maximized it.
Between March and April, Murphy's playing time nearly doubled from the previous two months. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game after March 9, while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. And this wasn't in the waning months of a losing season &mdash; New Orleans was in the thick of the Play-In-Tournament race. The team went 9-6 from March 9 onward, won both of their Play-In contests, and even pushed the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to six games in the first round of the playoffs.&nbsp;
Those two months gave Murphy a massive confidence boost.
"That was really special," he said. "It made those tough times in the beginning of the season and the middle of the season just so much sweeter."
One reason for the Pelicans' success &mdash; even through a 3-16 start, the loss of Zion Williamson, a midseason blockbuster and the trials of inexperience &mdash; was that they enjoyed each other's company. Murphy says the team struck a balance between serious and fun. When the group wasn't working hard and competing at a high level, they were teasing each other and having a good time together. Murphy credits Brandon Ingram, in particular, for setting the right tone as a leader.&nbsp;
"You could just see [Ingram] cares about a lot of people. He asks us for advice at times, he tells us things that we need to do. He shows caring ways as well by, you know, [giving] gifts or just being there for people. It's appreciated," Murphy said. "...There'd be times when he was coming back [from injuries] and he'd still be a little banged up, a little nicked up. But he's still out there grinding with us and just showing us he's not leaving us out there to dry."
Murphy has a particularly close bond with Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado. They play NBA 2K, Madden and Fortnite together. Murphy (who claims to have a designated meme folder in his photos app) and Larry Nance Jr. helped disseminate "Herb Jones propaganda" via memes, graphics and tweets during the second-round pick's breakout season.&nbsp;
However, Murphy and Jones rarely faced off in practice as rookies. But during their extended workouts in New Orleans this summer, Murphy has marveled at Jones' stellar defense after getting an up-close view.&nbsp;
"This time was the first time I really went against him, and I was like, 'I understand why people don't really be scoring like that on him!' It's tough," Murphy said. "He's strong, athletic, really smart [and] just has great instincts. So, I understand."
Murphy has been bulking up too, and he says he now weighs 215 pounds. Fans who watched his two NBA Summer League contests saw an aggressive forward who was unafraid of contact.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Trey Murphy dropped a 30-piece in the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/treymurphy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@treymurphy</a> 30 PTS (10-18 FGM) | 6 REB <a href="https://t.co/QesZWbUZM0">pic.twitter.com/QesZWbUZM0</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546649262146129922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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"I'm just getting a lot smarter too," Murphy said. "Just knowing what's coming next, so you're able to brace for things; you're able to absorb force as well as distribute force when need be."
As a rookie, Murphy made just eight shots after taking two-or-more dribbles, and he shot just 20.5% on those attempts (per <a href="https://theathletic.com/3418422/2022/07/12/trey-murphy-summer-league-pelicans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William Guillory of The Athletic</a>). He matched those eight makes in two Summer League games. This bucket &mdash; where Murphy crossed over his defender, spun back around and nailed a mid-range floater &mdash; was a thing of beauty:
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Murphy recognizes that his signature offensive role is as a shooter and spacer. He understands the value of knowing one's role in the league &mdash; a lesson that he says hit home specifically after listening to Draymond Green and Glen Davis on a podcast. At the same time, he's been working on tightening his handle this offseason, and he feels more confident that he can attack in an NBA game.
"I mean, I know when to do it [and] when not to do it," Murphy said. "Definitely, I'm gonna be aggressive, because I know that's what this team will need, especially coming from the second unit. And I'll just know when to pick my spots and pick my times to really attack and really go at it."
When Murphy does space the floor though, he thinks there's one player in particular who will help make his life easier: Zion Williamson.
Murphy vividly recalls a pregame film session before facing the Minnesota Timberwolves. While watching tape of the Pelicans' 2020-21 matchups against the Wolves, Murphy was awestruck by Williamson's floor gravity.
"He had the ball at the top of the key, and Minnesota is in a 1-2-2 zone, basically," Murphy explained. "They're all literally boxed in trying to guard him, and I was just like, 'If they have that much help [off of] me, it's gonna be a field day!' It's gonna be crazy because he just draws so much attention. Me being a smart player, I can cut that, I can stay on the three-point line &mdash; I can do a lot of different things."
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Unlike last year, the Pelicans now have serious outside expectations to build on their 2021-22 playoff run. Murphy has his own motivations to assert himself as a core player and contribute to winning. While those pressures can sometimes weigh more on a given day, Murphy wants to keep New Orleans, and basketball, fun.
"At the end of the day, the NBA is stressful," Murphy said. "You're playing against the best players in the world. You have a forum. There's money involved. There's a lot of different things involved, and you just gotta have fun with it.
"Understand [that] you gotta be the kid that was playing in the driveway when you were 5 years old, and still have fun with it. Because if you don't have fun with it, then you're just not gonna enjoy it. It's not gonna be the same for you."

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Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III opens up to Ethan Fuller about his sports-media aspirations, his development as a player and more.

Trey Murphy III ready to make his presence felt in Year 2 with Pelicans

Wednesday was one of the wildest NBA news days in recent memory. The BasketballNews.com staff reacts to every story.

Reacting to a wild NBA news day: Kawhi, CP3, firings, LaMelo

&ldquo;In New Orleans, the players are not vibing with the coach,&rdquo; The Athletic's Sam Amick said on KHTK radio (via <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_f8018c0c-bb0b-11eb-a5ee-e3ae926a7b70.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NOLA.com</a>). &ldquo;There&rsquo;s issues there.&rdquo;
The Pelicans missed out on the playoffs in Stan Van Gundy's first year as head coach. He took over for Alvin Gentry and lead New Orleans to a 31-41 record.
While the team definitely had bright moments -- namely the growth of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball -- the Pelicans struggled on the defensive end for much of the season. They gave up the sixth-most points per game to opponents.
Van Gundy is known for being very demanding as a head coach, which has its pros and cons.&nbsp;
Over the course of his 13 seasons as an NBA head coach, Van Gundy has a 554-425 record (.566) in the regular season. In the playoffs, his teams are 48-43 (.527). The last time one of his teams made the playoffs was 2015-16 with the Detroit Pistons (who were swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers).
Pelicans player development coach Corey Brewer <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reflecting-on-my-first-year-as-a-coach-with-the-new-orleans-pelicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently wrote a piece for BasketballNews.com</a> detailing his work with Zion, Ingram, Lonzo and the rest of the young core (as well as his experience as a first-time NBA coach).

New Orleans missed the playoffs with a 31-41 record this season.

Pelicans reportedly 'not vibing' with coach Stan Van Gundy

After a 13-year NBA career, Corey Brewer made the transition to coaching last offseason when he joined the New Orleans Pelicans as a player development coach. He wrote this article about his first season as an NBA coach and his work with the Pelicans' young core.
I wasn&rsquo;t quite ready for my playing career to be over just yet, but when I was presented with the opportunity to join Stan Van Gundy&rsquo;s staff as a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans last offseason, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I always wanted to become a coach and I never imagined I&rsquo;d get to cut my teeth in New Orleans, but here I am.
After my first season, I&rsquo;ve learned quite a bit. I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to learn from Stan, who&rsquo;s a master of detail. I played 13 years in the league and had some outstanding coaches &mdash; Kevin McHale, George Karl, Rick Adelman and Mike D&rsquo;Antoni, to name a few. I&rsquo;ve learned so much from each of them and have been able to blend their teachings with what I&rsquo;ve learned from Stan. And I can tell you, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to be an effective head coach in this league.
In New Orleans, we have such a talented group of young players, the sky is truly the limit. Even though this is my first season on a coaching staff, I know that 2020-21 was unlike any we&rsquo;ve seen before. As a player, I looked at practice as an opportunity to work with my coaches and learn my teammates&rsquo; tendencies &nbsp;The practice time was definitely limited this season.
Funny thing is, though, I actually played with a few of our players, and since they were my former teammates, I think it gave me an advantage. I played with Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart in Los Angeles and with Steven Adams in Oklahoma City. The trust and familiarity with those guys is already there, so that definitely helped.
Being around Zion Williamson helped, too. It&rsquo;s hard to not be excited when you're&nbsp;around someone like him. You can&rsquo;t truly appreciate him unless you&rsquo;re around him every day. He&rsquo;s just incredible.
As for the rest of the guys, B.I. is a budding All-Star, Lonzo just had his best season and Josh is getting better every single day. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis Jr. and Jaxson Hayes are going to have long, productive futures in this league. With all of these guys, I&rsquo;m so happy to be able to play a small part in their success.
As a player development coach, I&rsquo;ve worked with these players and tried to help them reach their full potential. In all facets of their game, the goal is to go from being &ldquo;okay&rdquo; or &ldquo;good&rdquo; to &ldquo;excellent,&rdquo; and that&rsquo;s true whether you&rsquo;re talking about shooting, passing or ball-handling.
Improvement requires a lot of work during the season as well as in the offseason. So we&rsquo;re just taking it one day at a time and trying to be the best that we can be. We&rsquo;ve made some great progress.
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***
Zion Williamson
Zion truly puts the work in. He&rsquo;s been working on his shot a lot and is so diligent; he really goes hard. He&rsquo;s already so great at attacking the basket and being physical, so the next step for him is to add some midrange and continue to develop his three-point shooting. If he&rsquo;s able to become consistent out there, it&rsquo;ll open up things for him and his teammates. It&rsquo;ll also make him literally unstoppable.
What&rsquo;s incredible about him is the fact that even though he&rsquo;s been getting so much attention for so long, he&rsquo;s so humble. He really wants to be a great player and is really willing to put in the work. If you didn&rsquo;t know him, there&rsquo;s no way you&rsquo;d ever know that he&rsquo;s been a household name for so long.
You can tell that he&rsquo;s not satisfied with where he&rsquo;s been or what he&rsquo;s achieved. He approaches his career as if it&rsquo;s just beginning, and that&rsquo;s so refreshing. His positive attitude along with his unprecedented combination of size and athleticism is scary.
He&rsquo;s one of one. I&rsquo;ve never see anything like him. But the best part is that you know he&rsquo;s not satisfied.
Brandon Ingram
Brandon gets better each game. He&rsquo;s only 23 years old, and his focus for a young player is incredible. Along with Zion, they&rsquo;re going to make New Orleans a force to be reckoned with for years to come. Brandon himself is going to be one of the top players in this league for a long, long time. What&rsquo;s been most reassuring about him is that even though he&rsquo;s been getting individual attention and accolades, his focus is always about what he needs to improve on to make the team better.
At the end of the day, he knows that in order for the team to get to the next level, he needs to continue to improve, and that&rsquo;s his priority. We&rsquo;ve been working with him on making quicker decisions, getting to his spots and learning how to counter the looks that defenses are giving him. He&rsquo;s not a secret anymore; other teams are building defensive gameplans around him and his ability to adjust and learn how to read coverages is really what&rsquo;s going to help him remain productive and help the team compete every night.
He and Zion give us a one-two punch of young All-Stars that a lot of teams don&rsquo;t have. We&rsquo;re grateful for that.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15818028_lg.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="510" />
Lonzo Ball
If there&rsquo;s one thing that everyone has been wanting Lonzo to do, it&rsquo;s shoot more. His shot has come such a long way, and assistant coach Fred Vinson is especially proud since he&rsquo;s been working on it with &lsquo;Zo so much. The improvement has been amazing. Whenever I talk to Lonzo, the main thing I tell him is to be more aggressive and keep opposing defenses honest. He has all the tools to be an effective scorer in the league, but he&rsquo;s such a willing passer that sometimes he comes across as being a little passive.
This past season, he took a major step forward, though, not only with his shot, but also his ability to play at different speeds and see the floor. He&rsquo;s a budding floor general.
At the end of the day, the more aggressive Lonzo is, the more aggressive the team is and that&rsquo;s a net-positive for us. His game fits so perfectly with Zion and B.I. that, with those three, we have a chance to be a really good team. It&rsquo;s exciting!
I had the opportunity to play with Lonzo in Los Angeles and his shot has come such a long way since then. He plays the game at his own pace and doesn&rsquo;t really force anything; it&rsquo;s just a matter of balancing his patience with some aggression, but overall, he has all the qualities of a truly great point guard.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Nickeil is going to be a big-time scoring guard in the league for years to come. He doesn&rsquo;t really get the same kind of attention as some of our other players, but he&rsquo;s gonna get there, trust me. He has a lot of stuff in his game, and even though he&rsquo;s still figuring out his strengths, he&rsquo;s going to be a dangerous, dangerous player.
Earlier this season, he scored 37 points against the Clippers in Los Angeles, so you can see the potential. He&rsquo;s had some other big games, too, so you know his future is bright. Even right now, he has a good midrange game, and once his finishing gets better, he is going to be really tough to stop.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15599948_lg.jpg" alt="" width="725" height="484" />
Josh Hart
I&rsquo;ve watched a lot of film with Josh, and like B.I. and Lonzo, I played with him in L.A.
When you're playing with Brandon and Zion, you&rsquo;ve gotta be able to move off the ball and be a good cutter, because they just attract so much attention. I think that&rsquo;s the main thing that will help him get some easy buckets for us, and that&rsquo;s what most of our film studies have focused on.
Josh is probably the best rebounding guard in the NBA today and his jumpshot is getting better every day. He&rsquo;s been incredibly receptive to the pointers we give him on both ends of the court, and defensively, he can effectively guard 1-4. He&rsquo;s also a good ball-handler and, overall, a very versatile player. He can literally go to any team in the league and be super effective, but I&rsquo;m happy we have him.
Kira Lewis Jr.
Kira is one of the fastest guys I have ever seen. His speed is elite. At this point, he&rsquo;s still trying to learn the game a bit more and learn how to slow down while maintaining his aggression, and it&rsquo;s a process. We know he can get to wherever he wants on the floor, and that&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s going to help him have a productive career in the league, but he has to get better at reading situations.
In terms of his shooting, he&rsquo;s improved quite a bit, and once he puts it all together, he&rsquo;s going to be really tough.
In some ways, he reminds me of young point guards like John Wall and Derrick Rose. When they first came into the league, they would rely on their speed more than anything else, and even though that&rsquo;s a dangerous weapon, you&rsquo;ve gotta have other assets in your game. Kira understands that. I will say that this year has been so tough for rookies because there wasn&rsquo;t much practice time. Learning in games is tough, so I give him a lot of credit for the strides he&rsquo;s made.
Jaxson Hayes
Jaxson is an elite athlete, especially for someone with his size. He&rsquo;s just 20 years old and I think the main thing for him is to get stronger. Steven Adams&rsquo; arrival has taken some of his minutes away, but he has continued to work hard and he has all the tools necessary to be a difference-maker for our team.
***
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One thing I learned very quickly is how hard coaches have to work. It&rsquo;s literally around the clock. In New Orleans, we have individual development plans for each of our players where we give specific things to work on. That obviously requires us to spend a lot of time watching their game film to properly analyze their strengths and weaknesses. We have to know each player's game intimately in order to help them.
It&rsquo;s funny how after 13 years, I became a rookie again. I&rsquo;ve learned firsthand that coaching is no joke, but I&rsquo;m so thankful to be part of an organization that has such a bright future.
One year down, hopefully, many more to go.

NBA veteran Corey Brewer learned quite a bit during his first season as a player development coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Inside the Pelicans' development: Reflecting on my first year as an NBA coach

In my 13 years as an NBA player, I've guarded many perennial All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers. I&rsquo;m talking about the best of the best. I've tried to contain them and tried to get under their skin.
Fans don't realize how good these NBA stars are. The 15th man on an NBA team is a really good basketball player. It's really, really hard to play in the NBA; there are no slouches. If you're a superstar in this league, you&rsquo;re special.
What is it like to guard these superstars? Here&rsquo;s a player-by-player breakdown. Today, we&rsquo;ll focus on the active NBA players I&rsquo;ve matched up against, then I&rsquo;ll look at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-corey-brewer-guarding-legends-kobe-bryant-dwyane-wade-dirk-nowitzki-tracy-mcgrady" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the retired legends I&rsquo;ve guarded in part two</a>: LeBron James Man, LeBron is a difficult guard just because he's so smart. He does everything well. I always&nbsp;wanted him to take jump shots. If LeBron's shooting jumpers on me, I'm actually happy because he's unstoppable -- really unstoppable -- when he drives. He's bailing me out if he's taking the jump shot. It's not that he can't shoot. He can shoot; he's improved his jumper. But I want him shooting the jump shot 100 percent of the time because when he drives to the rim, he's scoring every single time or he's gonna make a play for somebody else because his vision is amazing. If he's getting to the rim, if a guy has to help, he knows what play to make before it even happens. If a big steps up, he throws it to the rim. He's whipping it to the corner, making passes that most people can't make. That's the way I feel when he's out there. When he gets in transition, there's really nothing you can do. You just try to get in his way. Like, really try to get in his way. But half of the time, he's just gonna go through you.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_lebron_1-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" /> LeBron&rsquo;s basketball IQ is why he&rsquo;s so great. Don't get me wrong, he's probably the most athletic guy to ever play the game, but his basketball IQ is incredible. People ask, &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s better: LeBron or Michael Jordan?&rdquo; His basketball IQ is why he&rsquo;s in that GOAT conversation. He's so smart, and it makes him so hard to defend. What can you do? Even when you think you got him to do something else, he has a counter for a counter. He's gonna be like, &ldquo;Oh, he wants me to go there? Well, I'm gonna go here. And I know the corner pass is open because this guy moves here and that guy moves there.&rdquo;&nbsp; Defensively, his basketball IQ helps him get so many steals; he knows what guys wanna do. So, for example, he knows that you want to make a certain pass when you go right, so he's in the right spot to intercept it. And he's calling out every play. He's been in the league so long, he knows the plays from every coach and he knows every guy's tendencies. And that's why he's LeBron James! So, guarding LeBron, all day I&rsquo;m thinking, &ldquo;Please shoot a jump shot!&rdquo; Every time. If I can make him shoot jumpers, I did my job. When he's going to the rim -- when he's making plays for everybody else and getting his teammates involved -- they're gonna win 100 percent of the time. Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis is tough. He&rsquo;s still young and he's getting better, too. Each time you play him, you can see that he's getting better and that he's adding stuff to his game. He's one of those guys where anytime you play him, you're like, &ldquo;Man, this is gonna be a long night...&rdquo; He knows his game. He wants to get to the basket. He knows if he gets in the paint, it's two points. That length, that athleticism and that strength? Good luck slowing him down. Since he&rsquo;s put on the weight and muscle, it made him almost unstoppable when he gets in the paint.&nbsp; Now, he has to get a jump shot. I'm glad he can't shoot because if he was a knockdown shooter, he would be unguardable. Literally unguardable. But he is improving. Even his post game is getting better. When it comes to the Euro steps, athleticism and getting to the rim, that&rsquo;s easy for him. Once he gets a jump shot -- and he's gonna get it because he works his butt off -- we're gonna see his game go to another level.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_giannis_1-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" /> It's really great to see a guy like that reach that level. As a rookie, he was a skinny kid. It was kinda like, &ldquo;Oh, he could be good. Yeah, we'll see... He could be good if he works on his game.&rdquo; Then, all of a sudden, he puts on the weight, he works his butt off and he gets the confidence. Confidence is such an important thing in basketball. When you work your butt off and you're confident, it goes a long way. That&rsquo;s what allowed Giannis to become Giannis. He got stronger, he got better and, most importantly, he got his swag. Once he got his swag, it was clear that we were watching a superstar who was going to get better every year. I do think his game is gonna go to another level. That may seem crazy to say about a two-time MVP, but I mean it.&nbsp; Right now, if I&rsquo;m guarding him, I want to make him shoot jump shots. I'm gonna try to gap him, but you can't gap him too much because then he gets a full head of steam going to the basket. So you just try to get close enough to make him shoot contested jump shots. That's how you guard him now. But Giannis is one of those guys who works really hard, so he&rsquo;s gonna keep improving. In three years, I feel like the scouting report is gonna be completely different. And when he adds a jump shot, it's gonna be crazy.&nbsp; James Harden James Harden is one of the best scorers, if not the best scorer, in the history of the NBA. When I&rsquo;m guarding him, I&rsquo;m trying to make everything tough. I played with him, so I know what spots he likes to get to -- he likes to get to the rim, he's going left, he loves to shoot the stepback going right, he loves to put you asleep with his dribble and go by you. He's just so skilled with the ball. He knows how to take you to the rim and draw those fouls.&nbsp; If I&rsquo;m matched up on James, I'm trying to just switch it up at all times. I'm trying to pressure him. I'm trying to wear him down. But I'm also trying to not let him get to the rim; it's easy to say, but hard to do. So my mindset when I'm guarding James is to make it hard on him, but I also want him to take the tough shots. I kinda want him to shoot the stepback a lot. I know some people say it's his best shot, but I'd rather him shoot the stepback than go to the rim and get an and-one because that's an easier shot, in my mind.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_harden_1-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" /> James is a special player and when you're guarding somebody as good as James is with the ball, you have to take something away. For me, I want to take the rim away and make him shoot those stepbacks. He may beat me on some nights with the stepbacks, but he's gonna beat me every night going to the rim and drawing fouls.
I like to pressure him to wear him down, so I'm gonna pick James up 94 feet and try to bother him all over the court. As soon as the ball is inbounded, I'm picking him up and trying to wear him down because I feel like I can get an advantage by making him work for everything. Hopefully, by the fourth quarter, those stepbacks become a lot tougher than they were in the first quarter. Even if he's making some in the first half, I feel like if I'm playing hard enough and pressing him enough, those shots will be way harder in the fourth quarter and that gives my team a chance to win. Kevin Durant Kevin Durant has no flaws in his game. It's really hard to even say how you guard him because I never guard him the same way; you can't guard him the same way. I just try to throw as many looks at him as I can and hope he's having an off night.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_kd_1-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" /> I'm more focused on trying to get in front of him, trying to keep the ball out of his hands, which is almost impossible because he's so tall and guys are gonna go over the top. But I'm gonna front, I&rsquo;m gonna do anything I can not to let him touch the ball. And if he does touch the ball, I want him to touch the ball way out on the perimeter. After that, you just hope and pray for the shot clock to run down or a situation where I can get a hand up -- anything I can do to defend him.
I'm just trying to do everything in my power to make him see me, just get in his way, challenge him, bump him -- anything to let him know I'm there. When he was younger, it was easier to bump him off his spot and get into his body and handle, but now the game has slowed down so much for him and he&rsquo;s gotten stronger so you can&rsquo;t do it much anymore. His handle has become unbelievably better, so you can't take the ball from him.&nbsp; He&rsquo;s great at making shots when the game is on the line too. He&rsquo;s clutch. He&rsquo;ll do whatever he wants to do, so you just better hope he's missing.&nbsp; Stephen Curry Guarding Steph Curry is a nightmare. When he passes half-court, he can shoot the ball and it's effortless. You have to guard him as soon as he passes half-court, so you have to push up. For me, having some length, I just try to get him to drive to the basket. I want to see Layup Steph Curry rather than Three-Point Steph Curry. If Steph starts knocking down threes, you're gonna lose every time. Not only is he gonna make it most of the time, his threes get the crowd into the game and teams can feed off that. From then on, he can do whatever he wants. Once he&rsquo;s making threes and the crowd is going crazy, we'll try to double-team him. But that&rsquo;s where his passing comes in - that's when he&rsquo;s getting everybody else involved. Like I said, he&rsquo;s a nightmare when he&rsquo;s making threes. He&rsquo;s also one of the best decoys to ever do it because when Steph Curry's on the court, he gives everybody space. When he gets past half-court, again, you have to guard him. Even if he was just standing there at half-court, I'd probably be right there with him - still guarding him - so those other four guys are gonna be playing with a lot of space.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_8575571-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" /> When I&rsquo;m guarding him, it&rsquo;s &ldquo;please go shoot a layup.&rdquo; That gives us a chance to win -- because if Steph is shooting threes and making threes, it&rsquo;s curtains. He changed the game with the way he can shoot the ball. That's why all these guys are shooting off the pick-and-rolls, all these guys are shooting threes now. That makes him great. That's why he's a two-time MVP. That's why when people talk about one of the greatest shooters to ever do it, it's probably Steph. He changed the game, a true revolutionary when it comes to shooting that basketball. It was beyond frustrating when Steph and KD were on the same team. As if that wasn&rsquo;t enough, you&rsquo;d have Klay Thompson on the court too. With all three guys, if they can see the rim, the ball has a chance of going in at a crazy rate. What do you do? You have to basically pick your poison, and you saw what happened. Look at the championships they won. They were almost impossible to guard. They all have high basketball IQs too, which makes it even tougher. They played off each other really well. They were always moving, running and getting each other open. It's great to watch, but it's terrible to play against, terrible to guard. You're switching from one guy who can really shoot to another guy who can really shoot, so what do you do? Man, it's tough. That was one of the toughest matchups ever when those three guys were on the court together, or when you put Steph and KD in a pick-and-roll. Even if you're switching, if you've got a smaller guy on Steph, now KD has an advantage; if a bigger guy is on Steph, now he has an advantage. It's almost impossible to guard.
Even without KD, the Warriors will still be good when they get healthy! Klay got hurt and a lot of things happened this year, but they aren&rsquo;t going anywhere. I'm not gonna say that they had a great run because it's not over yet.&nbsp;
Damian Lillard Dame is a confident killer, man. When he comes off the pick-and-roll, his three-ball off the pick-and-roll is a thing of beauty. He's a scary guard, and he will go to the rim and dunk it. He will dunk all over you. You know it's gonna be a long night when you're playing him. And he's one of those guys where he just keeps getting better and better. Every time I&rsquo;ve played him since he's gotten into the league, he's gotten better. Just the way he's shooting the ball, the way he's expanding his range is making him unbelievable. He's showing you why he's a perennial All-Star. He's so good because of the way he shoots the ball off the pick-and-roll and the way he handles the ball. I just try to make him go to the rim and use my length against him. But he's tough. It's a different mentality. It's honestly more trying to fight off the screen and make him shoot tough twos, but he's so smart, he's gonna be able to get a shot off. That's what makes him so tough -- you really can't make him do what you want him to do. Dame talks too. Not only will Dame dominate, he&rsquo;s gonna let you hear about it. If Dame can see the basket, he might score. He&rsquo;s that good. Russell Westbrook You've got to be on high alert the whole night when you're guarding Russell Westbrook. He's gonna come and keep coming no matter what. He just keeps going and going. It doesn't matter how many shots he misses, he feels like the next one is gonna be in the bottom of the bucket no matter what, and that makes him not only tough, but special. He's really hard to guard, especially when he&rsquo;s driving to the basket. So you want him to shoot jump shots because that's basically him letting you off the hook. I really want him to shoot jump shots, but then again, I don't want him to make one because if he makes one, he may just get hot and go crazy.&nbsp; He's tough; you want him to shoot, but you've gotta guard him tough. I just try to get a hand up and, hopefully, he tries to shoot over me. But man, when he gets it in transition, he&rsquo;s one of the best to ever do it -- and that's why he's been an MVP and why he's still one of the best playing right now. When he's not hurt, he's a special talent. Kawhi Leonard Kawhi might score 40 points and just say, &ldquo;Yeah.&rdquo; With him, you basically just try to speed him up. It's easy to say and hard to do because he does everything at his own speed. He goes where he wants to go, he gets to his spots and I just try to contest everything he shoots. I try to get a hand up, be there and contest because he's gonna get to his spot. But I feel like if I can contest, hopefully he will miss.&nbsp; He's another one of those guys where his mentality is just different from some of these other players -- he just never gets out his zone. He's always just the exact same way. He can make 10 shots in a row or he can miss 10 shots in a row, but he&rsquo;s unaffected. He's gonna keep doing the exact same thing because he knows that's who he is. Carmelo Anthony I hated guarding Melo, man. The game has changed now, but when I first got in the league, Carmelo Anthony was impossible to guard. His footwork was great, but his strength and the way he could score the basketball were unbelievable. He would jab you and make the jump shot. Next time, he might take you down, back you in, throw it off the backboard, catch it and dunk it on you. Then, he might jab you, go by you and still dunk it on you.&nbsp; Melo's a tough guard. He makes scoring the ball look so easy. He would just score it over and over, man. He's one of the ultimate scorers to ever play this game, and he was such a scary guard. He's still scoring the basketball at a high level. But I used to hate guarding Carmelo Anthony for sure; I'm a skinny dude, and he just wanted to punish me. I feel like he would just throw it off the backboard, get the offensive rebound and punish me on purpose. Some of the shots that Carmelo would make were crazy.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-corey-brewer-guarding-legends-kobe-bryant-dwyane-wade-dirk-nowitzki-tracy-mcgrady" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Be sure to check out part two, where Corey breaks down what it was like guarding retired legends such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and more.</a>

Corey Brewer details his experiences defending the best of the best in the NBA and how he'd approach those assignments on the court.

Corey