Knights

The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their dominant start to the 2024-25 NBA season with a commanding 136-117 victory over the Golden State Warriors Friday night at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.&nbsp;
Cleveland took control early, capitalizing on a 20-5 run in the first quarter. The Warriors struggled to keep pace with the high-energy Cavs, who showcased their depth and unselfish ball movement throughout the game.&nbsp;
The Cavaliers&rsquo; defense was a key factor in the victory. The Cavaliers held the Warriors to just 22 points in the first quarter and stifled Golden State&rsquo;s offensive flow for much of the game. They also did a great job limiting turnovers, giving the Warriors little chance to capitalize on fast breaks or second-chance opportunities. As the game wore on, the Cavaliers&rsquo; depth, energy, and size wore down the Warriors, who had no answer for Cleveland&rsquo;s balanced attack.
Darius Garland, one of Cleveland's standout performers, finished with 27 points and six assists, hitting six of his eleven 3-point attempts. His shooting helped stretch the Warriors' defense and created opportunities for his teammates. Evan Mobley also had a strong performance with 23 points, four rebounds, and excellent free-throw shooting (9-10), anchoring the defense and contributing in key moments.
While Golden State showed resilience with a strong second-half push, they were ultimately unable to recover from the large early deficit. Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while Brandin Podziemski added 14 points along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. However, the lack of scoring support from superstar Stephen Curry, who was blitzed all game long to score just 12, hurt their chances to keep the game close.
With the win, the Cavaliers are sending a clear message to the rest of the league&mdash;they are serious contenders in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland leads the league with the best record to remain perfect and the only undefeated team left. They have shown their ability to dominate both offensively and defensively. Their strong team play, led by Garland, Mobley, and star Donovan Mitchell, make them a formidable force in the East moving forward.
The Warriors, on the other hand, had their five-game win streak snapped and will need to regroup quickly going into their next game vs the West-leading Thunder. Despite their veteran leadership, they were no match for Cleveland&rsquo;s all-around performance.
The win extended the Cavs' undefeated streak to 10-0, <a href="https://x.com/basketbllnews/status/1855126069193683320">as they became the first team in NBA history to start a season with 10 straight wins and scoring at least 110 points in every game.</a>
Next up:
Cleveland - Saturday vs Brooklyn
Golden State - Monday at Oklahoma City

The Cavaliers extend their undefeated start to 10-0 with a dominant 136-117 win over the Warriors, showcasing their depth and defense.

Cavaliers drub Warriors to remain perfect at 10-0

Kevin Durant joined an exclusive list of NBA legends on Saturday night as he became one of 8 players to score 29,000 total career points or more, in the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; 114-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Suns&rsquo; superstar reached the mark in the 4th quarter of the game off a pass from Tyus Jones for a pull-up transition three.
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Kevin Durant surpasses 29,000 career points with this 3, becoming just the 8th player in NBA history to reach the mark! 👏 <a href="https://t.co/e6qT9O0Wo2">pic.twitter.com/e6qT9O0Wo2</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1850391347099783662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Durant, in turn, is now in elite company together with LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Durant, a 14-time NBA All-Star, now has a total of 29,010 points after tallying 31 markers against the Mavericks. He has a career scoring average of 27.3 points per game in 1,064 games played over his 17-year NBA career.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to give credit to the people who have helped me since I was a kid,&rdquo; Durant said post-game about the accomplishment. &ldquo;Teammates who passed me the ball, set screens for me, coaches who drew up plays for me. I&rsquo;m glad to be able to do this in front of these guys and this crowd, but I have more to do.&rdquo;
Durant is now 10th on the all-time NBA scoring list, and with the way he&rsquo;s still scoring the ball, he will likely climb up more ladders in the scoring history list for the remainder of his career.
Other than Durant, LeBron James continued racking up NBA history by having his 8th triple-double after being 35 years or older when racked up 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Lakers&rsquo; 131-127 win over the Kings.
LeBron at one time had 14 straight for the Lakers in the 4th quarter, and scored 16 overall as he led LA&rsquo;s comeback from down 10 late in the 3rd quarter.&nbsp;
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A vintage LeBron game in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lakers</a> 3rd straight win: 👑 32 PTS (16 in 4th) 👑 14 REB 👑 10 AST 👑 4 3PM 👑 12-22 FGM <a href="https://t.co/kDAuPZ274b">pic.twitter.com/kDAuPZ274b</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1850409431126716669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Even at their age, KD and LeBron are at the peak of their games with each and every stellar outing they produce night after night.

Kevin Durant joined an exclusive list of NBA legends on Saturday night as he became one of 8 players to score 29,000 points.

Kevin Durant becomes 8th player in NBA history to score 29,000 points or more

Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards has reached an exclusive list even the greatest shooter of all time Stephen Curry was not able to do early in his career.
On Saturday night, Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to hit 800 three-pointers in their career. At just 23-years-old, Edwards' game has evolved from the time he was drafted in 2020 with his high-flying antics and rim-soaring dunks. Now in his 5th NBA season, Edwards has become a respectable shooter, and a hotshot at that as he gains more reps into his shot.
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youngest player in <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> history to make 800 threes. that's our <a href="https://twitter.com/theantedwards_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theantedwards_</a>. 🐜🐜🐜 <a href="https://t.co/3mAzbLaGLh">pic.twitter.com/3mAzbLaGLh</a>
&mdash; Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1850634826090524699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Edwards has made it a point to shoot more threes this season. Over the Wolves&rsquo; first three games, Edwards has been 21-45 from three, shooting at a 39% clip.
Edwards has been making his threes in a variety of ways. There have been times he hits threes on the move, off the dribble, stepbacks and on some catch and shoot opportunities. This has highlighted his shotmaking and has been a main source of Minnesota&rsquo;s offense to start the year.
According to Wolves&rsquo; media Dane Moore, Edwards has more than 50% of his shots from three, something that he&rsquo;s increased this year. Last season, only 30% of his shots were from three, this year it&rsquo;s up to 58% to start the season.
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Through 2.5 games, Anthony Edwards has taken 60 shots, and 35 of them have been 3s. That's 58% of his shots. Last season 30% of his shots were 3s. <a href="https://t.co/FyEgJZMs8A">pic.twitter.com/FyEgJZMs8A</a>
&mdash; Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaneMooreNBA/status/1850347919251042524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Moreover, Edwards joined Curry and Kemba Walker as the only players in NBA history to hit 5+ 3PT in three straight games to start a season, <a href="https://x.com/StatMamba/status/1850366050308690045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1850366050308690045%7Ctwgr%5E78ba9d628247b21d3ac56c3d1dadad80a8e28fd1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2Fwarriors%2Fnews%2Fanthony-edwards-makes-nba-history-joins-steph-curry-on-exclusive-list-01jb5y1c17pc">per Stat Mamba on X</a>. The 6-foot-4 guard scored his 7,000th point in their game against the Toronto Raptors.
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7,000 career points and counting. 🐜 <a href="https://t.co/Wb8oWY23Y4">pic.twitter.com/Wb8oWY23Y4</a>
&mdash; Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1850362817079062547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Edwards has had a good start to his NBA career, and he&rsquo;s one of the young players being groomed as one of the next faces of the league.

On Saturday night, Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to hit 800 three-pointers in their career.

Anthony Edwards makes NBA history as youngest player to hit 800 three-pointers

The Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets played two games in the Middle East for the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024 and here are some key observations from both teams after their first two preseason games.
Celtics vs Nuggets: Battle of the Champs
In a matchup between the past two NBA champions, the Celtics (2024 winners) prevailed twice over the Nuggets (2023 winners). The first one was a thriller, 107-103, while the second one was a blowout, 130-104.
Despite it still being the preseason, the Celtics showed their ability to win in both kinds of games, whether it was close or blowout. They proved their caliber against a fellow NBA champion that was hypothetically a matchup to watch out for, especially with the two teams being from different conferences.
The Celtics are really, really good &ndash; they did not miss a beat&nbsp;
The Celtics are back and are looking more dangerous than ever &ndash; at least from what they&rsquo;ve shown in these two games. They are really, really good and they mean business this year. This seems impossible after coming off a championship, but the Celtics appear to be hungrier for a chip than they&rsquo;ve ever been and they&rsquo;re looking to prove everyone wrong after a somewhat question-mark season last year, with all the injuries their opponents have endured. The Celtics ought to prove that the championship win was not a fluke, and this starts in the preseason by showing their usual dominant selves.&nbsp;
No championship hangover for these Celtics
The Celtics mean business, and when I say business, that&rsquo;s Jaylen Brown gesturing a too-small sign on Jamal Murray after scoring a tough bucket inside over him.
Jaylen Brown is back better than ever, and after that intense underwater basketball workouts and at just 28 years old, the Finals MVP is firmly in his prime and should play his best basketball ahead of him.
Jayson Tatum comes in with an edge after the Olympics run where he did not play twice, and gunning for the Finals MVP he did not win.
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are Boston&rsquo;s ever-reliable do-it-all guys and they&rsquo;re gonna do everything that&rsquo;s asked of them.
The whole Boston core, with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, along with crucial bench pieces Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, just appear to be ready for this title defense.
Mazzulla ball is in full effect &ndash; even if it&rsquo;s just the preseason
The Celtics under Joe Mazzulla make it to a point to shoot as many open threes as they could, and in Game 1 vs the Nuggets, they shot a whopping 61 attempts, making 20 of them; and in Game 2, shot 47 attempts with 18 makes &ndash; a respectable 38 percent clip.
This style of play has brought them a championship and should be rightfully used as such until teams find a way to counter Boston&rsquo;s offense. This is the kind of game that Mazzulla wants to play for the Celtics and they have the roster and the men to do it &ndash; a loaded roster of shooters and floor spacers.
The Celtics still have room for improvement &ndash; and that&rsquo;s scary
&ldquo;Defensively, just got to be a little more tighter on that end,&rdquo; Derrick White said post-game. &ldquo;With some of our communication and the things that we&rsquo;re doing, and I think that comes with time. Offensively, just continue to make the right read and make the right play.&rdquo;
This should be bad news for the rest of the NBA as the defending champions themselves feel they still have something to fix and improve as the season goes on &ndash; a never-ending learning and lessons that can only be taught through game experiences.
Nikola Jokic is still really good
This should be another MVP type of season is on the horizon for the 3-time MVP as he has shown no signs of slowing down and is getting even better and smarter with each game that he plays.
In two games vs Boston, the Joker averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds in just a little over 18 minutes of playing time. The Celtics haven&rsquo;t found a solution against Jokic inside and that resonates with the entire NBA as well.&nbsp;
Jokic&rsquo;s MVP campaign this season could come from him having to carry this roster more with some key departures from the team. He will have more responsibility on the offensive end and Jokic should just be dominant and assert himself to lead Denver to the upper echelon of the West.&nbsp;
Life after Bruce Brown and KCP for Denver
The Nuggets have now lost two key figures in their championship run in back-to-back offseasons, and if this is any indication, the past champs that lost their key role players struggled in the seasons to come. Brown and KCP&rsquo;s skillset should be replaceable but their chemistry with the team especially with MVP Jokic has been vital and Denver could take a step back on that end without those two.
Following their departures, the Nuggets have yet to replace them and will rely on young Christian Braun to replicate their success, or from a veteran like Vlatko Cancar who just recently returned from injury.
Denver&rsquo;s bench is suspect
Denver has no one off the bench who is legitimately an offensive threat or someone who can create his shot, so Michael Malone should probably stagger Jokic and Murray&rsquo;s minutes more, and lean on Michael Porter Jr for more offensive creation. This was exposed against the Celtics as the Nuggets struggled to have some offensive flow within their second units. Westbrook looked to be the answer for that problem but with his age he could not be tasked alone anymore to carry the offensive load for the bench.
Unless Denver makes a big FA signing or a splash before the trade deadline, expect their bench to struggle at times and they could be relying on their starters more often than not to supply all the scoring.
Westbrook&rsquo;s role
Newcomer Russell Westbrook has looked good at times for Denver in these two games. He was pushing the pace, driving and drawing the defense, and kicking it out to shooters which was a good sign for Denver as he figured out to be their backup point guard behind Jamal Murray, or even play alongside him at times to slot Murray at the 2. Westbrook at this point of his career does not need to do much on the offensive end, especially with an all-timer like Jokic in his prime. He could just provide energy off the bench for quality minutes and should be a big piece in Denver&rsquo;s rotation.
Jamal Murray&rsquo;s health
Perhaps the biggest factor out of them all, Jamal Murray&rsquo;s health is the biggest concern for Denver and should be their main priority heading into the season. Murray did not look right in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Canada&rsquo;s Olympic run, and he was not able to find his groove yet in two games vs Boston.
With teams scheming against Jokic every single night, Murray has to come in and set the tone for the Nuggets as their primary secondary option and draw the defense away from the MVP.

Here are some key observations from both the Celtics and the Nuggets after their first two preseason games.

NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024: 10 key observations from Nuggets-Celtics back-to-back games

PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES &ndash; One of the best things a basketball player can achieve is being able to play for the national team. Whether in the Olympics, FIBA World Cup, or even international club tournaments, the pride of representing one&rsquo;s country is a feeling that not everyone can be a part of.&nbsp;
To be able to don a country&rsquo;s colors with an entire nation behind you is only reserved for the best. Meralco Bolts&rsquo; head coach relishes that exact opportunity as his Meralco Bolts journey through in the East Asia Super League.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We carry the flag [Philippines] when we&rsquo;re competing here [EASL], and for that, we want to focus and give it our all,&rdquo; Trillo said.
The Philippines-based team just recently bowed out of the Philippine Basketball Association playoffs. They will now turn their heads to the international regional league and do their best to go deep. &ldquo;We really feel that we can win, with all the players that we have right now in AD (Allen Durham), DJ (Kennedy), and Ange (Kouame),&rdquo; Trillo added.
Meralco was in the EASL last year but only finished with a 1-4 record, but Trillo feels that setback last year is something they can capitalize on this year.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Our advantage is we were in this [EASL] tournament last year, so now we have a feel on how teams play. It&rsquo;s up to us how we should execute and I feel confident with this year&rsquo;s team.&rdquo;
The Bolts are in here to win it &ndash; that&rsquo;s the main goal according to Trillo &ndash; but initially, they want to secure first the semifinal spot and then go from there.
&ldquo;We want to get one in our next two games, or at least one of those,&rdquo; Trillo mentioned in reference to the Bolts&rsquo; next two games. They will play against the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa, Japan then back home against the Busan KCC Egis of Korea.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re aiming to have at least 4 wins in our group to be in the top 2 and make the semifinals, then we&rsquo;ll see what goes from there. Anything can happen in a Final Four scenario and we definitely want to be in there.&rdquo;

To be able to don a country’s colors with an entire nation behind you is something only reserved for the best.

EASL: Meralco Bolts coach Luigi Trillo relishes the opportunity to represent the country

PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES &ndash; PH team Meralco Bolts blew out the visiting Macau Black Bears, 97-85, in the second game of the East Asia Super League&rsquo;s (EASL) tip-off event at the Mall of Asia Arena here on Wednesday night.
The San Miguel Beermen lost earlier in the day to Suwon KT Sonicboom, 87-81.
The home squad relied on a balanced attack that saw 4 players score double digits, led by main man Chris Newsome&rsquo;s 18 points as they took the win and defended their home turf.
American imports David Kennedy and Allen Durham both posted 17 points with the latter grabbing 11 rebounds while the former had an all-around game with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Chris Banchero scored 14 points as the Bolts&rsquo; third import Ange Kouame contributed a solid 9-point, 9-rebound game.
William Artino and Jeantal Cylla paced the Black Bears with 23 points each but Macau was dominated on the boards by Meralco, 52-39. Cylla shot just 5 of 22 for the entire game in an abysmal shooting from the field.&nbsp;
Bolts coach Luigi Trillo lauded his players for their efforts but insisted there&rsquo;s much work to be done.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We definitely think that we can win this thing. But starting off, we have to at least win 4 games in our group and secure that top 2 spot, and then we can go from there,&rdquo; Trillo said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re taking it one game at a time and we&rsquo;re definitely aiming for that [Final Four spot], so we&rsquo;ll see how it goes,&rdquo; Newsome added.
With the win, Meralco has equaled their win total from the last EASL season and now they&rsquo;re looking forward to eclipse that when they clash with Japan&rsquo;s Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa next week, October 16.
As for Macau, a newly-added team this season as part of EASL&rsquo;s expansion, they will try to grab their first win as a member of the league when they face the Ryukyu Golden Kings on October 30 on their home floor.

PH team Meralco Bolts blew out the visiting Macau Black Bears, 97-85, in the second game of the East Asia Super League Tip-Off event.

EASL: Home team Meralco Bolts stun visiting Macau Black Bears

The NBA is back.&nbsp;
With the league&rsquo;s annual &lsquo;Day&rsquo; 1 getting underway, all 30 teams have resumed their daily basketball activities. Starting from the Media Day to each of their training camps, players are slowly ramping up as they work to get back in game shape.
For some of these familiar faces, however, a new season awaits them as they&rsquo;re looking for a fresh start in new environments and places. Let&rsquo;s take a look at these players and their potential fits next to their new teams and teammates.&nbsp;
Russell Westbrook rocks new threads with Denver&nbsp;
Russell Westbrook starts a new season with the 2023 champions after his stint with the Clippers. Westbrook aims to bring the energy to a Nuggets squad losing another championship piece in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He slots in immediately as Denver&rsquo;s backup PG with the loss of Reggie Jackson, and the team could also use him to play with the starters and let Jamal Murray slide into the 2 spot. Westbrook will also be teaming up with fellow triple-double savant Nikola Jokic and it will be interesting to see two high-IQ players together on the court.
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New beginnings for <a href="https://twitter.com/russwest44?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@russwest44</a> 😈<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wew6JRNNXm">pic.twitter.com/Wew6JRNNXm</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1839352986826387752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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PG13 creates a big three with Embiid and Maxey
Perhaps the biggest signing in the offseason, George immediately slides in with the Sixers to form a big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. At 34 years old, PG probably has a good 3 years left in his prime, but he could be in a perfect situation with Embiid and Maxey at their absolute peaks. George is in a position where he&rsquo;s not asked to shoulder much of the offensive load like he did most of the time in his career, and he can play to his strengths &mdash; a two-play wing player with some playmaking chops and be a secondary creator and scorer to Maxey and Embiid. George is also a very good three-point shooter on spot-up and catch-and-shoot attempts and should bode well for both Sixers superstars by spacing the floor for them. Overall an A+ signing by Sixers GM Daryl Morey, and now it all hinges on health as Philly tries to pull it up all together to finally make a Conference Finals in the Embiid era.
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PG in Philly! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/jmSInGKf5L">pic.twitter.com/jmSInGKf5L</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840916610644582775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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A new Philadelphia trio... 🔥 Maxey. Embiid. George.<a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/wjlclZdnhx">pic.twitter.com/wjlclZdnhx</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840803293473230955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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CP3 in San Antonio as Wemby&rsquo;s PG; Harrison Barnes being a veteran piece in a young Spurs team
Victor Wembanyama finally gets his premier PG in Chris Paul. After playing most of last year not having a legitimate table setter, Wemby, and the Spurs add one of the greatest to ever do it at the position. Even approaching 40 years old, Paul should have a lot left in his tank to try and develop as much as possible the young yet hungry Spurs. On the other hand, Barnes adds another veteran piece as San Antonio looks to improve and at least make the play-in this season.
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WEMBY x CP3 🔥 BIG smiles in San Antonio at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> 😇 <a href="https://t.co/PbV71PCH0c">pic.twitter.com/PbV71PCH0c</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840815076485259469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Wemby &amp; CP3 enjoying <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/rSdwmMIx1m">pic.twitter.com/rSdwmMIx1m</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840801831577895224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Caruso, Hartenstein add more defensive toughness to an already elite OKC squad
Imagine having to add two role players that star in their role to a team that just finished atop the conference a season ago, all without losing someone significant from that core. That&rsquo;s exactly what the Oklahoma City Thunder did by adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein into their fold. The move stamped their status even further atop the West with rising stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren getting better over the year and still having MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just starting his prime. Caruso adds yet another defensive bull on the perimeter that already features fellow All-Defensive player Lu Dort, while Hartenstein brings versatility in the frontcourt to possibly play together with Holmgren. The Thunder are poised yet again to make a deep playoff run and it all starts with their offseason acquisitions and their fit into the team.&nbsp;
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Alex Caruso very complimentary of his new backcourt mate, SGA! 🤞<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rdxt7r5dQu">pic.twitter.com/Rdxt7r5dQu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840867849797022103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Klay splashing and spacing the floor for Luka, Mavs
The other Splash brother brings his act to Dallas after spending his first 13 years with the franchise. Thompson immediately fills a need in Dallas to help space the floor and be a decoy for Luka Doncic as he makes plays on the court. At his age, Thompson won&rsquo;t be asked too much like he did in Golden State and this could be a rejuvenation for his career as he finds a new environment with the Mavericks.&nbsp;
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No. 31 from the Dallas Mavericks... Klay Thompson 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/e4M8lNtvQL">pic.twitter.com/e4M8lNtvQL</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840858008794120481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Klay Thompson... NEW BEGINNINGS 🫵<a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/YX9CX1preR">pic.twitter.com/YX9CX1preR</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840806814956265762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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DeMar DeRozan as the final piece to Sacramento&rsquo;s playoff success
DeRozan comes into the Kings&rsquo; lair as one of the most clutch players in the league, and he will play alongside a player of the same caliber in DeAaron Fox. It will be interesting to see how DeRozan&rsquo;s playstyle fits into the Kings&rsquo; offense with their motion offense built on three-point shooting with Domantas Sabonis as the hub, and it will be a good problem how coach Mike Brown integrates him to play a certain kind of way. The Kings are one of the up-and-coming teams in the West and adding a player like DeRozan gives them a different dimension to their offense.&nbsp;
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DeMar DeRozan looking good in his new threads 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/uPYTeKvUBE">pic.twitter.com/uPYTeKvUBE</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1841107569399480506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New trio in Sacramento 👑<a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SacramentoKings</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/HfnZMmz317">pic.twitter.com/HfnZMmz317</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1841108008769630523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Dejounte Murray, Tyus Jones to solve PG issues in NOLA, PHX
Two teams that have had PG issues last season have finally addressed it by signing two of the quality PGs in the league today: Murray to the Pelicans and Jones to the Suns. Murray slots in as the Pelicans&rsquo; main shot creator, playmaker, and closer. This has been a significant hole for the Pelicans last season, especially in the playoffs when no one other than CJ McCollum (who&rsquo;s getting old) and Brandon Ingram create shots and make plays. Murray immediately comes in and fills this gap and with a returning Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are coming into the season very optimistic about their playoff chances.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fresh start heading into Year 8 🤲<a href="https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DejounteMurray</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/j3W5D0GFoM">pic.twitter.com/j3W5D0GFoM</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840852492168675766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New threads for <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> new PG 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DejounteMurray</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/kgIxpGqxkG">pic.twitter.com/kgIxpGqxkG</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840807569150837091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Jones on the other hand also fills the immediate need of a PG, someone who can make plays for others without turning the ball over. Jones has been one of the best if not the best assist-to-turnover ratio guys in the league, and with how Phoenix&rsquo;s roster is constructed, this allows their super scoring big three Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant to do their thing and focus on what they do best. Jones comes in to settle these guys down and put them in the best positions to succeed.&nbsp;
Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson bring veteran savvy and immediate positional needs to Golden State
Some key veteran additions to the Warriors are Hield and Anderson as they continue to beef up their roster around superstar Stephen Curry. Hield will try to replace the production of Klay Thompson after his departure with his deadeye shooting and spacing the floor for Curry. Hield has also been a good off-ball mover and that should bode well for Golden State&rsquo;s offense. Anderson meanwhile, brings his big forward, almost a center playing style to the Warriors and should fit instantly like a Draymond Green clone. Anderson has the playmaking chops and the basketball IQ to seamlessly play in Kerr&rsquo;s system and is a player who seems to understand how to play with and off of the skillset of a player like Curry.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Welcome to The Bay, Buddy! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/ruEDkg7ayU">pic.twitter.com/ruEDkg7ayU</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840924339090100682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Prince-Trent-Wright trio come to Milwaukee to win
Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Delon Wright have all signed up for a little under than what they were supposed to make and signed with the Bucks for a chance to contribute to a championship contender. All three are exactly what the Bucks need in their scheme of things as they&rsquo;re expected to bring shooting, spacing, and tough perimeter defenders. It&rsquo;s expected that Milwaukee&rsquo;s offense will revolve around superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard so there will be little expectations on these guys to do more and they can just focus on what they do best as role players in the league.

A new season awaits familiar faces in new places. Let’s take a look at them and their potential fits next to their new teams and teammates.

Familiar faces in new places: NBA players’ new home to start the season

Just over a month ago, Team USA claimed its fifth straight Olympic gold medal after beating hosts France at the Paris 2024 Olympics.&nbsp;
The team was led by brilliant and ageless superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who teamed up for the first time in Team USA after countless battles in the NBA.
It was LeBron&rsquo;s 4th medal in the Olympics, having won bronze in Athens 2004 and gold twice in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and yet just added another piece to his already GOAT-esque list of accolades as he approaches his 40-year-old season (22nd season) in the NBA. It was perhaps even sweeter for Steph, as the gold medal completed his own trophy cabinet after having achieved everything in the NBA.
What does this gold medal mean for both James and Curry at this point in their careers? Former Golden State Warrior and Los Angeles Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson believes it has cemented their place as one of the best, if not the best players ever to do it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think it further concretes their legacy. Obviously, they&rsquo;ve already done what they&rsquo;ve done and they&rsquo;ve been in conversations for the best player ever/ top five/ best point guard ever. I think as they continue to add accolades to their shelves, it continues to concrete the idea of them being in the GOAT status,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson said in a one-on-one interview with BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I personally think LeBron is, you know, if not the best player to ever play one of the best players; and I think Steph is the best point guard to ever play.&rdquo;
Toscano-Anderson had the rare chance of being teammates with both superstars following his stints with both the Warriors and the Lakers, and he detailed how James and Curry are different and similar in their ways of leading their squads.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re very similar in a lot of ways,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson mentioned. &ldquo;Greatness doesn&rsquo;t happen by accident, I mean they lead by example. They [LeBron and Steph] spend all day at the facility taking care of their bodies and working on their game. Just the way they approach being a professional is very relative and similar.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Obviously they&rsquo;re different &ndash; they have different personalities, different guys,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson added. &ldquo;LeBron is probably a little more like goofy and funny, and Steph is very likable and friendly as well. But I think LeBron is more kid-like &ndash; he has that side of him that a lot of people don&rsquo;t see because they only see him in the limelight from a professional standpoint where he has to carry himself in a certain way. So, they&rsquo;re both very great guys. I really enjoyed playing with both of them, and I will consider both of them friends and I still have a relationship with them both.&rdquo;
Although not with an NBA team as of the moment, Toscano-Anderson is still around the NBA circuit as he&rsquo;s about to play for the NBA&rsquo;s G League United team which will be competing this weekend at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore. The 6&rsquo;7 forward has been a part of this newly formed team to go up against the champions of each continent and he has been enjoying the experience thus far.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot of fun,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson said. &ldquo;We got a lot of talent &ndash; different dynamic for me as I&rsquo;m the oldest on the team (it&rsquo;s my first time being the oldest on the team). A lot of fun to see the young talent and play with some guys that I&rsquo;ve never had the opportunity to play with. Then playing with a guy that I&rsquo;ve known since college (Deonte Burton), he was my roommate in college and this has brought us again &ndash; so just a good overall experience.&rdquo;
When asked about his future basketball plans, Toscano-Anderson is hopeful to play in the NBA again.
&ldquo;If somebody offers me, playing in the NBA is always my first preference. But obviously, that&rsquo;s not completely up to me so I&rsquo;ll revisit that after the tournament.&rdquo;
Check out the full interview here:
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We caught up with former Warrior and Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson (<a href="https://twitter.com/juanonjuan10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@juanonjuan10</a>) as his <a href="https://twitter.com/nbagleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbagleague</a> United team is set to compete at the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBAIC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIBAIC</a> in Singapore this week ✊🏽 On playing with the NBA G League United ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/Ng4KinU216">pic.twitter.com/Ng4KinU216</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1834105826287779919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2024</a>
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Former Golden State Warrior and Los Angeles Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson shares his view on LeBron and Steph as all-time greats. it has cemented their place as one of the best, if not the best players ever to do it.

Former Warrior and Laker says LeBron ‘the best ever’; Steph ‘the best PG ever’

The champions of each continent are set to compete for a global basketball title when the annual FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024 commences in Singapore on September 12-15.
A historic FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2024 enshrinement ceremony will also take place in the same island country with several basketball legends from different countries honored for their national team contributions and basketball performances.
Representing the USA is NBA G-League United, a team comprised of select G-League prospects &amp; stars who will represent the G in domestic and international competitions. The roster is yet to be revealed in the coming days as the competition draws near.&nbsp;
The FIBA Intercontinental Cup will be played at the Singapore Sports Hub in Singapore and will feature clubs from all five FIBA regions for the first ever time.
This would be the tournament&rsquo;s 34th edition and will comprise 6 teams including Unicaja (Spain, Europe); Petro de Luanda (Angola, Africa); and Al Riyadi (Lebanon, Asia) in Group A while United (USA, North America); Quimsa (Argentina, South America); and Tasmania Jackjumpers (Australia, Oceania) make up Group B.
The three teams in each group will play in a round-robin format with the champions facing off in the Final on September 15, while the runners-up for each group battle for third place.
The FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2024 enshrinement ceremony will take place on the eve of the Final, on September 14 with USA's Reggie Miller and Serbia's Predrag Stojakovic headlining the 2024 inductees. The list also includes fellow former players Miao Lijie of China, Danira Nakic-Bilic of Croatia, Kirk Samuel Penney of New Zealand, Romain Sato of Central African Republic, Skaidrite Smildzina-Budovska of Latvia, and Italian-American coach Dan Peterson.
In a press release by FIBA, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis expressed his delight in the historic event. &ldquo;The FIBA Intercontinental Cup is a unique global experience in club basketball, but the 34th edition will set a remarkable milestone in basketball history,&rdquo; Zagklis said.
&ldquo;It's only fitting that Singapore, which ushered in the new era of the competition last year, will also provide the stage for its expansion to Oceania and for the FIBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony,&rdquo; Mr. Zagklis added.

The champions of each continent are set to compete for a global basketball title in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024.

NBA G-League United set to compete in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024

LeBron James capped an impressive run to the Men&rsquo;s Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 title by taking home the Most Valuable Player award after leading the USA to their fifth straight gold medal.
James collected 14 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals in USA's 98-87 win over hosts France in the Gold Medal Game. The veteran averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game in winning his third gold medal.
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⭐️ THE MVP OF <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> ⭐️ LeBron James, United States of America 🇺🇸 👑 <a href="https://t.co/7S6UWxvNPq">pic.twitter.com/7S6UWxvNPq</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822391504691675210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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The 39-year-old James was captivating the whole tournament. Perhaps his biggest highlight was registering his second triple-double in his Olympics career - and just the fourth of all-time - with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in USA's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Serbia in the Semi-Finals.
James was joined on the All-Star Five by USA teammate Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama of France, Nikola Jokic of Serbia, and Germany's Dennis Schroder.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ALL-STAR FIVE of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> 🔸Dennis Schroder, Germany 🇩🇪 🔸Stephen Curry, USA 🇺🇸 🔸LeBron James, USA 🇺🇸 🔸Victor Wembanyama, France 🇫🇷 🔸Nikola Jokic, Serbia 🇷🇸 <a href="https://t.co/4cxZwzISTF">pic.twitter.com/4cxZwzISTF</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822392716518646077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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Curry came to life in the Semi-Finals with 9 three-pointers for 36 points and followed that with 8 three-pointers and 24 points in the Gold Medal Game. Playing in his first Olympics, Curry finished with 14.8 points on 47.8 percent three-point shooting, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Despite playing in his first Olympics at just 20 years old, Wembanyama led the French team in scoring with 15.8 points, rebounds at 9.7, assists at 3.3, steals with 2.0, and blocks with 1.7 per game. However, his 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in the Gold Medal Game were not enough to beat USA.
Jokic highlighted his amazing run in France with a triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists with 0 turnovers in Serbia's <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=d70acb2736&amp;e=2fb0566584">93-83</a> win over Germany in the Bronze Medal Game. For the tournament, the three-time NBA MVP averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in helping Serbia take home their second Olympic medal.
Schroder averaged 17.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for the world champions Germany, who lost to Serbia in the Bronze Medal Game to finish fourth in their first appearance in the Semi-Finals.
The All-Second Team is comprised of some big names as well.
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All-Second Team of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> 🔸 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada 🇨🇦 🔸 Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia 🇷🇸 🔸 Franz Wagner, Germany 🇩🇪 🔸 Guerschon Yabusele, France 🇫🇷 🔸 Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece 🇬🇷 <a href="https://t.co/rMjOY1uonS">pic.twitter.com/rMjOY1uonS</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822404235272540221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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Shai Gilgeous Alexander helped Canada to a perfect 3-0 record in the Group Stage, but could not save the team against France in the Quarter-Finals. He averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was the true captain Serbia needed to finish the tournament on the podium. Through six games, he had 18.3 points, and made 46.2 percent of his three-pointers, with 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists each night.
Franz Wagner represents Germany in the Second Team, being their top scorer with 18.5 points per game. He also had 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals at this event, proving he's already a game-changer, despite being just 22 years old.
The top scorer of the Olympics was Giannis Antetokounmpo. Greece's talisman leader got 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, bringing the nation all the way from the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to the Quarter-Finals in Paris.
The home crowd favorite made his way into the team, too. Guerschon Yabusele played an unforgettable elimination phase, getting 22 points against Canada in the Quarter-Finals, 17 against Germany in the Semis, and 20 against the USA in the Final.

LeBron James capped an impressive run to the Men’s Olympic Basketball title by taking home the MVP award.

Team USA’s LeBron James named FIBA Olympic MVP

USA defeated Italy <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=6d669a5050&amp;e=2fb0566584">129-88</a> to win the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 championship and complete their mission for a seventh consecutive title.
The USA did not waste any time taking over the game at the Sinan Erdem Dome with a 21-2 first-quarter run to go ahead by 18 points and it was clear sailing the rest of the way.
Koa Peat scored 26 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists and Cameron Boozer collected 24 points and 13 rebounds. The USA spent the entire tournament breaking records and they snapped their mark for most points scored in a Final, besting their 111-80 win over Poland in 2010.
USA has won all seven editions of the biennial championship, adding the trophy to the ones in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022. The 2024 team shattered several records throughout the tournament, including the most points in a single game, most assists, and most steals, and finished the tournament with an average winning margin of 64.3 points - another U17 World Cup record.
Cameron Boozer will take home another piece of hardware as he was named TISSOT Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 after guiding the United States to the championship.
Boozer collected 24 points and 13 rebounds in USA's<a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-u17-basketball-world-cup-2024/games/122643-ITA-USA"> 129-88</a> victory over Italy in the Final. For the tournament, Boozer averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds 2.0 assists, and 2.7 steals.
Joining Boozer on the All-Star 5 were his USA teammate AJ Dybantsa, Maikcol Perez of Italy, Kaan Onat from T&uuml;rkiye, and New Zealand's Oscar Goodman.
Dybantsa tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists against Italy and averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in the title run. Perez had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the Final and picked up 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

USA defeated Italy 129-88 to win the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 championship to win their seventh consecutive title.

Team USA captures FIBA U17 World Cup title

After five grueling days of intense, do-or-die games, four teams have emerged as winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and booked a trip to the Olympics.&nbsp;
Among the teams making their way to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games are Brazil, Greece, Puerto Rico, and Spain after winning their respective tournaments in 4 various locations around the world. Brazil won in Riga, Latvia while Greece, Puerto Rico, and Spain each defended their home courts in Piraeus, San Juan, and Valencia respectively.&nbsp;
<a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=89fd1b8297&amp;e=2fb0566584">Brazil is celebrating being crowned winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Latvia</a> and securing a coveted place in Paris 2024. They will line up at the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament for the 16th time after they spoiled the party in Riga for the home fans. A stunning opening quarter, which included 8 of 8 from downtown and a half-court buzzer beater, gave Brazil a commanding 34-11 advantage over Latvia, and they never looked back.
Sailing to a memorable 94-69 success, they were powered by forward Leo Meindl with a near double-double of 21 points and 9 rebounds. His teammate Bruno Caboclo also impressed with 21 points, which sealed the deal for him to be deservedly <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=6024459c3d&amp;e=2fb0566584">crowned the TISSOT MVP of the competition</a>. When Brazil line up at Paris 2024, they will do so in Group B, where they will face host nation France, reigning FIBA Basketball World Cup champions Germany, and Japan.
Greece will compete in the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2008, after their victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Greece. <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=6f9cccd2c1&amp;e=2fb0566584">They clinched their fourth win, 80-69 over Croatia</a>, on Sunday in front of 11,810 fans at home in the final of the event.
Greece jumped into the lead soon after the start and led for most of the encounter, although they were only able to truly shake off the resilient Croatia late in the final frame, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nick Calathes, and Giorgos Papagiannis.
<a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=8d44cbbee0&amp;e=2fb0566584">Antetokounmpo, the Greek superstar of the Milwaukee Bucks, was named TISSOT MVP</a> of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Greece. He led the way for his team in the final with 23 points and 8 rebounds, while averaging 22.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the tournament. Greece will be placed in Group A and will face Australia, Canada, and Spain.
<a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=8f7204be13&amp;e=2fb0566584">Puerto Rico triumphed at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 at home</a> in San Juan to clinch a spot in the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2004.&nbsp;
Nelson Colon's men were helped by 13,504 passionate supporters who showed up in numbers to will the home side to a 79-68 victory against Lithuania in Sunday's Final. The one-two punch of Jose Alvarado and Tremont Waters proved unstoppable for the Europeans, as Alvarado led the way with a game-high 23 points and Waters chipped in with 18.
<a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=fe2ec4cb22&amp;e=2fb0566584">Alvarado was named the TISSOT MVP</a> of the tournament after averaging 16.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals, as the hosts went a perfect four-of-four in San Juan.
In the Olympics, Puerto Rico will slot into Group C alongside defending Olympic champions USA, Nikola Jokic-led Serbia, and South Sudan, who will be making their first-ever appearance at the Games.
Spain ensured they were victorious in front of their home crowd to celebrate booking their spot at another Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament. Spain, who were Olympic medalists in 1984, 2008, 2012, and 2016, <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=fb071af6ca&amp;e=2fb0566584">defeated the Bahamas 86-78</a> in Sunday's final in Valencia in front of over 7,000 supporters.
Lorenzo Brown played an important role in the victory with 18 points, including four three-pointers, helping to spark a pivotal run late in the first half. Deandre Ayton posted 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Buddy Hield contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds to lead the Bahamas. However, their efforts were not enough to overcome Spain's experience in such elimination games.
<a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=e6ad446b5f&amp;e=2fb0566584">Santi Aldama collected TISSOT MVP honors</a> with 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Spain as the hosts won all four games for a perfect week. Rudy Fernandez, 39, is set to become the first male basketball player to compete in six Olympic basketball tournaments.
Spain's return to another Olympics sees them land in Group A alongside Australia, Canada, and Greece.
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The Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament will commence on July 27 in Lille, concluding with the Final and Third-Place Game at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 10.

After five grueling days of do-or-die games, four teams have won the FIBA OQT and booked a trip to the Olympics.

2024 FIBA OQT: Brazil, Greece, Puerto Rico, Spain book a ticket to Paris

For the first time since awards have been handed out to NBA players, all-rookie, all-defensive, and all-NBA teams are now positionless, paving the way for the best five players to make up a team regardless of position.
And for the league&rsquo;s All-Defensive teams list for this year, 4 bigs have been dominant throughout the regular season and have made the all-defensive first team &ndash; making up 4 of the 5 spots &ndash; an unprecedented turn of events in the NBA&rsquo;s awarding space.
Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, his runner-up and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Defensive Player of the Year finalist Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis have been named to the NBA&rsquo;s All-Defensive First Team, the league announced Tuesday night.&nbsp;
All four, who play the center position, have been the most dominant defensive players during the regular season and have rightfully deserved a spot in the team. The 5th and only player that was not a big man was forward Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Gobert got all 99 1st place votes, Wembanyama had 86 1st place and 12 2nd place votes, Adebayo had 73 and 22, Davis had 60 and 31, and Jones had 66 and 27.&nbsp; Wembanyama became the first rookie in NBA history to make the first team, as several other rookies made the second team.
Making up the All-Defensive Second team were four guards Boston Celtics&rsquo; Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Jalen Suggs, Chicago Bulls&rsquo; Alex Caruso, and a forward in Minnesota Timberwolves&rsquo; Jaden McDaniels.
Among the noticeable snubs from the 10-man rookie list that could have been awarded were the Portland Trailblazers&rsquo; Scoot Henderson (3rd overall), Detroit Pistons&rsquo; Ausar Thompson (5th overall pick), and Golden State Warriors&rsquo; Trayce Jackson-Davis (57th overall pick).
Check out the full results here:
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The 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive First Team: ▪️ Bam Adebayo ▪️ Anthony Davis ▪️ Rudy Gobert ▪️ Herb Jones ▪️ Victor Wembanyama The 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive Second Team: ▪️ Alex Caruso ▪️ Jrue Holiday ▪️ Jaden McDaniels ▪️ Jalen Suggs of ▪️ Derrick White Who got snubbed? <a href="https://t.co/Uft0NYQS0F">pic.twitter.com/Uft0NYQS0F</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1793049284755030413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2024</a></blockquote>

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For the first time ever, winners of all-rookie, all-defensive, and all-NBA teams are now positionless: first-team all-defense has 4 bigs.

2024 NBA All-Defensive Teams: Bigs dominate the field

Team USA players came inside the Kerry Sports basketball facility one by one, each sporting their preferred and comfortable gear from the blazing heat of the Philippine weather they were not so accustomed to. They were about to hold their first practices in Manila for the FIBA World Cup 2023, the sport&rsquo;s world championship meet.
Anthony Edwards was one of the last ones to enter the gym along with fellow NBA no.1 overall pick Paolo Banchero. He had his Adidas Adilette comfort slides put on with black Team USA jogger pants and an Adidas triple-colored hoodie. Edwards was fixated on his phone, walking past whispering reporters onto the team&rsquo;s huddle at center court, clearly being the center of attraction for the young Team USA squad.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s who they call the Ant-Man.&rdquo;
Once upon a time, Edwards&rsquo; name was held in a much lower regard. The 22-year-old is considered to be one of the best and brightest young players in the league but has yet to establish himself as one of the staples and premier superstars with an iconic and deep playoff performance that cements him in that tier.
Until these playoffs.
Edwards has separated himself from the pack of young superstars leading their teams and entered the upper echelon of basketball royalty in the NBA. With the league anticipating the &lsquo;changing of the guard&rsquo; as current faces LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant eventually diminish their shining glories as the league&rsquo;s best of the best, Edwards comes in as one of the hopefuls to take the mantle when that inevitable day comes.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been saying that he (Edwards) is the face of the league but he hates it when I say it &ndash; but it&rsquo;s true. The future&rsquo;s so bright you gotta put the sunglasses on when you&rsquo;re walking around him,&rdquo; Karl-Anthony Towns said, in their post-game interview after their first-round series with the&nbsp;Phoenix Suns.
Edwards glanced briefly at Towns, who was beside him at the podium. He had that little smile on his face while bowing down his head as his teammate praised him in front of the listening reporters. He looked at Towns again, this time shaking his head in disbelief, but it had the element of confidence. There was obviously a focus on what Towns was talking about but with Edwards&rsquo; elite level-headedness through it all.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re a young superstar in the league and you have to face it,&rdquo; the statement emphasized on Edwards as he&rsquo;s trying to soak it all in.
Ever since Edwards has been adamant about not calling himself anything until he wins in the playoffs. Now that his Wolves beat the Suns to win the franchise&rsquo;s first playoff series since 2004, Edwards certainly has all the right in the world to give himself even the tiniest bit of praise.
He thought for a good three seconds, glancing at the reporter and the horizon for a moment. He was just asked if he was now able to give himself some grace in that regard when people call him that &lsquo;young superstar&rsquo; label. A small grin emerged onto his face, clearly oozing with confidence albeit a controlled one. He looked back with that smile on his face while nodding, he said:
&ldquo;Nah, not yet a man. Not yet.&rdquo;
Behind this usual brash, confident, and charismatic Edwards is a hungry side that never gets contented and satisfied until he achieves his ultimate goal: winning a championship. Maybe he&rsquo;ll have the guts to call himself one when they reach the Finals and end up going all the way. But that remains to be seen.
He&rsquo;s got the swagger, the personality, and the charisma to be marketable by the league. Edwards mentioned wanting to go kill everybody that&rsquo;s in front of him, and boy, he did.&nbsp;
Edwards swept the Suns featuring his childhood idol and favorite player of all time Kevin Durant, who he has been jawing back and forth at several times in the series. This was him going at his childhood hero, taking on the challenge and never backing down. However, the play of the series happened in Game 4 when Minnesota was trying to put the nail in the coffin for Phoenix.&nbsp;
With 2:18 left on the clock in the 4th quarter, Edwards blew by Beal and rose through the air as high as he could. Durant made the right business decision by not going up together with a rampaging bull as he should For a brief moment, he looked like the second coming of a certain Michael Jordan &ndash; yet again &ndash; after he&rsquo;s been labeled as such throughout the course of the season after each jaw-dropping spectacular play. Edwards threw down a ferocious poster slam dunk that might have literally blown the roof over the Footprint Center as the play signaled the beginning of the end for the Suns.
Durant and Edwards will play together in Team USA in August for the Paris Olympics, and these two for sure would go head to head making their practice sessions much more interesting. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely a good feeling because he&rsquo;s my favorite player of all time, and I can tell him that I was the one who sent him home. It&rsquo;s gonna be a fun summer for sure,&rdquo; Edwards said.
First game of the Western Conference Finals and up against the Nuggets, Edwards scored a playoff career-high 43 points. He dissected their entire defense, scoring in all types of ways imaginable for a superstar. Edwards hit threes, blown by some of the toughest defenders in the NBA Aaron Gordon, and hit fadeaway mid-range jumpers reminiscent of Jordan. More importantly, Edwards displayed the level of maturity a superstar has to make in the playoffs &ndash; playing off of your teammates and playmaking for the entire team. He has done it so far with relative ease and that&rsquo;s why the Timberwolves have found their early success in this postseason.
He&rsquo;s doing it against supposedly their biggest challenge &ndash; the defending champions &ndash; who sent them home a year ago. &ldquo;Last year we didn&rsquo;t have Jaden (McDaniels) and Naz (Reid) against them so it was quite frustrating. Now that we have both I think we can definitely do better,&rdquo; Edwards said about their biggest thing in this rematch series vs Denver is being healthy.
Before the season started, Edwards was this up-and-coming 22-year-old star leading his nation at the World Championships for a chance at glory. Although the Americans ended up not medalling after losing to eventual world champions Germany in the semifinals and to neighboring Canada in the third-place game, Edwards was clearly the best player on the team filled with young American talent. He led Team USA in scoring, and at 22 years old, this was only the start of a big year ahead.
Edwards then was the clear-cut best player for the third-best team in the West, with Minnesota having a 56-26 record. Those 56 wins were the most since 2004 when they had 58 and went to the Western Conference Finals. They were led back then by legend Kevin Garnett but that was also their last time seeing the playoffs.&nbsp;
20 years later, Edwards is now shouldering all the burden by taking this Wolves team back to relevance, basking in all the glory he&rsquo;s worked so hard to attain. He&rsquo;s one of the bonafide young rising superstars in the league, and he intends to take them all the way.
Edwards&rsquo; huge season and ascension to superstardom could be attributed back to something you see coming even from a mile away. And it all started in that summer lengthy yet productive summer in 2023.
While most players use their summers to recuperate, have a vacation somewhere, and spend time with families and loved ones, Edwards took a privileged yet opportunistic route: play with the National Team at the FIBA World Cup. Usually, NBA superstars all express their willingness to play with the National Team at the Olympics. For no definite reason, somehow the FIBA World Cup does not seem appealing to play for the older/senior superstar guys, so it&rsquo;s usually the juniors/young guys who represent Team USA. Anthony Edwards took up that challenge and became the best player for the team and in turn, he&rsquo;s reaping the benefits of it in the playoffs.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve put in work this summer. Big shoutout to the USA team, man. They got me ready for the season.&rdquo;
That killer mentality that Edwards has is something that&rsquo;s never seen often and has been with only a select few in the history of the game, particularly Jordan and Lakers great Kobe Bryant. Behind all that bold and tough personality, however, is a side of himself that genuinely enjoys playing with his teammates.
When asked about the prospect of having his Wolves&rsquo; teammates, the first thing out of his mouth was how he was excited to meet them while playing for their respective countries (Rudy Gobert for France, Karl-Anthony Towns for Dominican Republic, Kyle Anderson for China, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker for Canada). He looked forward to playing against them, citing how much fun he would have once it happened.
Despite his clear burgeoning superstardom, however,&nbsp; Edwards still deflected every credit thrown towards him. When asked what he feels as one of the guys being billed as one of the next faces of the league, Edwards dismissed the idea faster than a Math teacher dispersing students after giving out a tough assignment due &ndash;&nbsp; immediately answering without hesitation that he does not make anything of it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just gonna keep working, man. I make nothing of it, yeah. I just hope that I keep getting better.&rdquo;
It was clear all along among all the people in the gym that fateful day: Edwards had the most aura out of them all. It was just oozing, something you can feel when you&rsquo;re around certain people. It&rsquo;s kind of intimidating, but only to a certain extent. You can just feel the energy brewing and that certain look when you come across one of the ones. The underlying factor before the season was Minnesota only having five national TV games all season long. With most of their games out of the eyes of the majority, Edwards assured one thing going into the season sternly and convincingly.
&ldquo;We just gonna try to keep playing, man. We&rsquo;re not really worried about the national TV games. As long as we win, we&rsquo;ll be on TV when we make it into the playoffs. The world will know about us.&rdquo;
As their playoff mantra suggests, the Timberwolves have been waiting for this moment since 2004. From the annals of the great Kevin Garnett&rsquo;s era to ushering this new one paved by superstar-in-the-making, young Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves have arrived.

The underlying factor before the season was Minnesota only having five national TV games all season despite having Anthony Edwards.

‘WOLVES BACK’: Anthony Edwards introduces the Timberwolves back to the world

Eastern Conference teams Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks extended their season to at least one more game after winning respectively on Tuesday night on Day 11 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Sixers won vs the Knicks in a thriller while the Bucks blew out the Pacers at home. The Cleveland Cavaliers get a decisive win in Game 5 on their home floor and have a chance to close their series out vs the Orlando Magic on the road in Game 6.
Check out the recap here:
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FINAL SCORE THREAD 🧵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 5 🏀 PHI 112 - 106 NYK | Knicks lead series 3-2 Tyrese Maxey 📊 46 PTS (17 in Q4) | 17-30 FG | 9 AST | 5 REB Joel Embiid 📊 19 PTS | 16 REB | 10 AST | 5 BLK Maxey did it all <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheLoveOfPhilly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForTheLoveOfPhilly</a> 💪🏾 <a href="https://t.co/G614dgQYVp">pic.twitter.com/G614dgQYVp</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1785495166415208706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 5 🏀 ORL 103 - 104 CLE | Cavaliers lead series 3-2 Evan Mobley 📊 14 PTS | 7-11 FG | 13 REB | 4 AST | 2 BLK | 2 STL Donovan Mitchell 📊 28 PTS | 6 REB | 2 STL Darius Garland 📊 23 PTS | 7-16 FG | 3-6 3P | 5 AST | 5 REB<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/rU1XrkOOni">pic.twitter.com/rU1XrkOOni</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1785532729226113108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2024</a>
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East teams 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks extended their season after winning on Tuesday night on Day 11 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

2024 NBA Playoffs Day 11 Recap: Eastern Conference teams extend respective series

Today, Rolling Loud &amp; The Crew League, announce&nbsp;the premiere of The &ldquo;We Got Next&rdquo; - 3 Point Contest. &nbsp;The Crew League&nbsp;&amp; Rolling Loud partner to present is a first-of-its-kind, unscripted basketball 3 point competition series held backstage on the grounds at&nbsp;Hollywood Park&nbsp;for Rolling Loud California 2024.
Kicking off on Monday, May 6th, the &ldquo;We Got Next&rdquo; 3 pt contest&nbsp;will feature artists from Rolling Loud California&rsquo;s lineup such as, Luh Tyler, Veeze, NLE Choppa, 310babii, 2Rare, Kaliii, That Mexican OT, Jeleel!, Rob49&nbsp;and so many more,&nbsp;along with surprise special guests like AdamW, Jabari Banks, Quincy, Adam22 and so many more, as they compete for bragging rights, a $50,000 cash prize, a custom diamond bracelet designed by Eric the Jeweler &amp; a custom one of one jacket by Jeff Hamilton. &nbsp;
In typical TCL fashion, humor will be at the center of the show. With more than fifty (50+) digestible episodes in the series hosted by comedy star, Ben Da Donnn, &nbsp;music superstar SuperDuperKyle, &amp; Treasure Wilson aka Stat Baby, this competition is sure to entertain all. &nbsp;
Talent List:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/tcl-3pt_690w.png" alt="" />
Quotes:
&ldquo;We are excited to partner with Rolling Loud on such a disruptive concept! &nbsp;Most rappers think they can outshoot everyone from the 3pt line&hellip; &nbsp;Now we have a place for them to prove it&hellip; &nbsp;Excited for what's to come from our partnership&rdquo; &nbsp;- Elie Maroun (Commissioner &amp; Co-Founder of The Crew League)
<a href="https://next.frame.io/share/7842e3d2-68b6-4026-8006-6a605bceaa95/view/cc63fa52-0c07-4519-967b-58f435e66252">Check out the video here.</a>
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About Rolling Loud:
Founded by 7-time Billboard Hip-Hop Power Players Matt Zingler &amp; Tariq Cherif as a one-day Miami show, Rolling Loud has grown into a global festival phenomenon, putting on shows on both coasts and in multiple countries across four continents. Rolling Loud is the premier festival brand in hip-hop, known for its expert curation of wide-ranging lineups that reflect the state of the genre. In 2023, Rolling Loud expanded its empire even further, hosting a series of star-studded festivals in all corners of the globe, including debuts in Thailand and Germany, plus its flagship affair, Rolling Loud Miami, which offered its most diverse and wide-ranging lineup to date.
Throughout 2024, Rolling Loud commemorates "10 Years Of Rolling Loud," celebrating the festival's rise from humble origins to world dominance. Since the first Miami festival, Rolling Loud has evolved into a major force in hip-hop, providing a massive stage for rap's biggest names, giving early exposure to future superstars, including Travis Scott, Juice WRLD, and Ice Spice, and inspiring some of the most memorable moments in the genre's recent history. Now, Rolling Loud is hip-hop&rsquo;s biggest stage, with star-studded festivals on four continents and more milestones to come.
Stay tuned for announcements about Rolling&nbsp;Loud's 2024&nbsp;World Tour, including upcoming festivals in Los Angeles, Europe, and more.

The Crew League & Rolling Loud partner to present is a first-of-its-kind, unscripted basketball 3 point competition series held backstage on the grounds at Hollywood Park for Rolling Loud California 2024.

The Crew League 3PT Contest

The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat renew their playoff rivalry when they meet yet again in the playoffs. The two teams have faced each other three times (2020, 2022, 2023) over the past four postseason actions, with Miami having the advantage overall (2-1).
This year, the Celtics come in as the no.1 overall seed in the East while the Heat match them up as the no.8 seed. However, coming into these playoffs, there will be no expectations for Miami after learning their superstar Jimmy Butler would be out for at least several weeks following his knee injury in their play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
They will be up against a dominant Celtics team that finished the regular season with a 64-18 record and the third-highest net rating of all time at 11.8, just behind the legendary Chicago Bulls teams led by the one and only Michael Jordan.
The Heat have faced the Celtics multiple times over the years and they now probably know some ways to effectively stop them, having schemes to try and limit their offensive executions as well as throwing some counters on offense to have their defense off-balanced.
Without Butler, this would be an uphill climb for Miami after what has been a roller coaster season for them and now facing their rivals who have become overwhelming favorites in this series.
However, there might be some things the Heat could do to make the dominant Celtics bleed a little for them to win some games (or even eventually win the series). Here&rsquo;s a look at those moves:
Duncan Robinson should play more
Along with Butler, Miami is coming into the series also without guards Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson due to their respective injuries. Without those three, the Heat&rsquo;s guard rotation has taken a significant hit with Tyler Herro, Delon Wright, and even forward Caleb Martin having to take a much bigger load offensively.
Enter Duncan Robinson.
Despite his usual suspect defense that has him riding the bench in the playoffs, coach Erik Spoelstra and the Heat could use his gravity as a shooter against the Celtics. Robinson has also steadily improved his playmaking this season, averaging a career-best 2.8 assists for the year. A better effort defensively has also made him a passable team defender, and he can hold his own against some players.
Gone are the days when the only option for Robinson was dribble handoffs for his threes as he has now shown the ability to attack off the catch and even developed the ability to make plays out of those dribble handoffs. Robinson is not the same player that he was before, expanding his game from being just more than a shooter to now being a secondary or third playmaker.
To further hide his defensive deficiencies and lessen the possible mishaps when he&rsquo;s on the floor, Robinson can be set up to match some of the Celtics&rsquo; easiest covers like Sam Hauser for both of their minutes. Robinson could come in at the same time as Hauser to match him up shot for shot, match his production from the three-point line, and try to see it from there.
The Heat should matchup-hunt and punish the Celtics&rsquo; average at-best defenders&nbsp;
Another thing that the Heat could do to tarnish the Celtics&rsquo; seemingly impenetrable team is to target their average-at-best defenders Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet. The Heat should hunt for Pritchard and Hauser on switches when they&rsquo;re on the floor and make them near to unplayable. They should also ask for switches on the high pick and roll with Kornet to leave him on an island at the top of the key. If they do this, the Heat could create two on-the-ball advantages that would be very useful in getting other guys open.
Miami has lineups that can exploit these players. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., a prolific post-up player, could hunt Pritchard for post-ups, and then the Heat could surround him with shooters and short-roll decision-makers. If Boston sends two to the ball to help, it is an easy kick out to the open man and now the Heat have a chance to hit their wide-open looks.
If these players do end up getting played off the floor, the Celtics&rsquo; rotation will shrink and their top six guys will have to work as much as they can, exerting more effort than they should and usually do, and then maybe they&rsquo;ll tire out &ndash; which could be largely beneficial for the Heat in the long run. This is when the Heat&rsquo;s depth could come in handy &ndash; when Boston would need to rely only on their top six guys to win games.
Jaime Jaquez would need to be big
Despite being a rookie, Jaquez is about to shoulder a bigger load than he should be, and even with the daunting expectations, he should &ndash; or at least he needs to &ndash; match them.&nbsp;
Will he be able to exceed expectations and perform what&rsquo;s expected of him? That remains to be seen. But if there&rsquo;s any indication from this season with the way he played and carried himself throughout the year, this rookie would step up to the plate.&nbsp;
In the final play in vs Chicago, Jaquez had 21 points on 6 rebounds and 6 assists, leading the Heat to the 8th seed. He scored in a variety of ways, including threes, hard drives to the rim, post-ups, and fadeaway jumpers &ndash; reminiscent of Butler&rsquo;s game.
However, without Butler, Jaquez would have to carry a much bigger load as he will be asked to be one of the main threats. Last year Butler&rsquo;s masterclass saved them vs the much-favored Bucks and Celtics, but now that they don&rsquo;t have him, the Heat would need production from everyone in this series with little to no room for errors or any mental mistakes.&nbsp;
It might be too much to ask for a rookie to handle these kinds of situations, but Jaquez should be equipped and ready for the challenge as Miami enters this series vs Boston.

There will be no expectations for Miami after learning Jimmy Butler would be out for at least several weeks following his knee injury.

2024 NBA Playoffs: How the Heat could make the Celtics bleed

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

Let the world be warned: &lsquo;The Avengers&rsquo; are coming.
USA Basketball has officially unveiled its roster featuring several NBA superstars and this generation&rsquo;s best basketball players in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 12 players to be part of the exclusive list include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">LeBron James</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stephen Curry</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kevin Durant</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kawhi Leonard</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Joel Embiid</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jayson Tatum</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Devin Booker</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jrue Holiday</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Anthony Davis</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bam Adebayo</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Anthony Edwards&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tyrese Haliburton</li>
</ul>
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The Stars Align in the City of Light. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USABMNT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USABMNT</a> <a href="https://t.co/RV1tIGoxXa">pic.twitter.com/RV1tIGoxXa</a>
&mdash; USA Basketball (@usabasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball/status/1780604665505149074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2024</a>
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</blockquote>
Barring any unforeseen circumstances or injuries, these 12 men will be flying to Paris in July. Team USA officials headed by managing director Grant Hill have reportedly notified those players who have been selected (and those who have not) from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/usa-basketball-announces-player-pool-for-team-usas-2024-mens-national-team">original 41-man pool</a> revealed earlier this year. Those selected have been visited by USAB officials to be presented with &lsquo;special Team USA Olympic jerseys.&rsquo;
Team USA is set to defend again its Olympic gold medal in men&rsquo;s basketball after winning it for the past 4 iterations of the quadrennial event.&nbsp;
Leading the team are James, Curry, and Durant, who are arguably the game&rsquo;s biggest stars over the past decade or so.
James will play in his 4th Olympics after winning bronze in Athens 2004 and gold in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Curry, a winner of two FIBA World Cup medals in the past, will be playing in his 1st Olympics. Durant, the Americans&rsquo; all-time leading scorer, is looking for his 4th Olympic gold medal (won in 2012, 2016, and 2020) to break a tie with Carmelo Anthony (won in 2008, 2012, and 2016) for the most ever.
Supplementing its three-headed monster are Tatum, Booker, and Holiday &ndash; members of the gold medal-winning squad in Tokyo 2021. Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid and two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who have never played in any international competition in their careers, will each be making their debuts in Paris.
Previous Olympic gold medal winners Davis and Adebayo add additional size to the roster while Edwards and Haliburton, who emerged as USA&rsquo;s best players in the World Cup last year, round out the team.
Coaching this vaunted USA roster is Curry&rsquo;s NBA coach Steve Kerr, who also coached Team USA in the World Cup.&nbsp;

USA Basketball announces its official roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics featuring the best the NBA has to offer.

‘Here come the Avengers’: USA Basketball announces roster for 2024 Paris Olympics

On Friday night in Cleveland, Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated Paige Bueckers 71-69 to advance to the national title game against undefeated South Carolina &ndash; but not without some late-game drama.
With Iowa just leading by one 70-69 with 9 seconds left, UConn had possession for the final shot in the game. Out of the timeout, the Huskies tried to run a split action for Bueckers with Aaliyah Edwards screening and Nika Muhl passing the ball. As the screen was set with Bueckers veering back towards Muhl to receive the pass and get ready to shoot, Hawkeyes guard Gabbie Marshall fought over the screen by Edwards which ended up with the play getting called for an offensive foul for setting an illegal screen with just around 3 seconds left in the game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
OFFENSIVE FOUL OR NOT? 🤔<a href="https://t.co/rxB7d3Lydk">pic.twitter.com/rxB7d3Lydk</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1776457695568216295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
It was a questionable foul call, to say the least &ndash; sparking a debate each with contrasting sides to tell.
It set the internet ablaze and everyone was talking about it. Notable NBA and WNBA stars each chimed in on X with their thoughts on the questionable call, citing how the players should decide the outcome of the game with their plays whether it be good or bad rather than laying it up for the referees to decide.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I ain&rsquo;t rolling with that call.
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1776451983047856248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
To call that on a game deciding play is so wrong WOW
&mdash; Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kelseyplum10/status/1776452745492414682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>

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SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt and ESPN Women&rsquo;s Basketball analyst Andraya Carter didn&rsquo;t agree with the call either.
&ldquo;I hated the call. You&rsquo;ve got to give Gabbie Marshall credit for trying to fight over the screen. That&rsquo;s what drew the refs&rsquo; attention in,&rdquo; Carter said on SportsCenter after the game. &ldquo;But to me, now that final play it&rsquo;s not about Iowa&rsquo;s defense. It&rsquo;s about the call the referee made. There was a slight lean, maybe Aaliyah Edwards&rsquo; elbow was slightly out. But to be honest the calls were even for both sides. There were missed calls for Iowa. There were missed contacts for UConn. To make that call at the very end of the game &ndash; to me, it took away the opportunity for players to make plays. &hellip; To be honest, that call sucked.&rdquo;
WNBA legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who had their ESPN segment &lsquo;The Bird and Taurasi Show&rsquo; grace the Final Four, also shared their thoughts in real-time with UConn legend Breanna Stewart while commentating and watching the game live.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
3 uconn huskies react to the 'offensive foul' <a href="https://t.co/wFWCbVYTMG">pic.twitter.com/wFWCbVYTMG</a>
&mdash; jaiden (@steph_turkey) <a href="https://twitter.com/steph_turkey/status/1776454140962697606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;Oh my god,&rdquo; expressed a visibly disappointed Taurasi. &ldquo;Wow, what an unfortunate time to call an offensive foul. Just know how to ruin the game &ndash; oh my god that&rsquo;s terrible. It didn&rsquo;t even get her open &ndash; that&rsquo;s a tough play. We always talk about letting the players decide the game, especially in a benign call like that. It&rsquo;s just tough to end the game like that.&rdquo;
Legendary coach Geno Auriemma could not hide his disappointment as well in the post-game conference, saying UConn maybe should just get better at not setting illegal screens. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s probably an illegal screen call you could make on every single possession, and I just know there were three or four called on us &ndash; and I don&rsquo;t think any were called on them.&rdquo;
Clark and Final Four hero Hannah Stuelke &ndash; who played perhaps the best game of her life by scoring 23 points &ndash; thought their teammate Marshall did a good job of fighting over the screen, praising how she has been one of the nation&rsquo;s best defenders.
&ldquo;Gabbie is great in those situations. She always comes up with big plays, a block, or whatever,&rdquo; Stuelke said. &ldquo;You always see it time and time again, [Marshall] does not get enough credit for what she does,&rdquo; Clark added. &ldquo;She guards one of the best players in the country and it challenges her quite a bit. Paige had a great game but I thought Gabbie just played great defense on her. Even when Paige made some tough baskets, Gabbie just responded and kept going up there and guarded her.&rdquo;
Despite the tough loss, Bueckers took the high road and remained a positive attitude after what transpired late in the game.
"Players play and players decide the game. Everybody can make a big deal out of one single play but one single play doesn&rsquo;t win or lose a basketball game," Bueckers admitted. "... You can look at one play and say oh that killed us or that hurt us. We should have done a better job, I should have done a better job making sure didn&rsquo;t leave the game up to that."

Iowa defeated UConn 71-69 to advance to the national title game against undefeated South Carolina, but not without late-game drama.