Golden State Warriors

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1523643566639108096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA&rsquo;s Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected this week.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1523643566639108096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: It was another massive season for the Nuggets star, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists. He also showed considerable improvement on the devensive end of the court where he averaged 0.9 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.
He also became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season.
Jokic lead the Nuggets to a 48-34 record and the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference without its other two stars in Jamal Murray &ndash; who miseed the entire season &ndash; and Michael Porter, Jr. who only played in nine games.
We'll see how close the voting was later in the week when the NBA makes the official announcement with Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo who were both finalists for the award.
AP Story by Pat Graham:
DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic put up numbers never seen before in NBA history. Not from Wilt. Not from Kareem. Not from &ldquo;Air Jordan.&rdquo; Not from LeBron.
With a historic season, the Denver Nuggets big man earned his second straight Most Valuable Player award, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The NBA was preparing to make the announcement in the coming days, likely this week, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the voting results have not been announced.
ESPN, citing sources, first reported that Jokic would be named MVP again.
The 7-foot center became the first player in league history to eclipse 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season. And that sort of dominance by the player nicknamed &ldquo;Joker&rdquo; helped convince voters that he should be the 13th player of the NBA&rsquo;s exclusive MVP back-to-back club.
The other finalists &mdash; who will finish second and third in some order &mdash; were Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who led the league in scoring average, and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks.
The 27-year-old Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists on a team that was missing two max players in Jamal Murray (ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (back). Required to carry the load night in and out, the big man from Sombor, Serbia, answered the call and guided the Nuggets to a 48-win season. They earned the No. 6 seed in the West before losing in five games to the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just remarkable what he&rsquo;s done,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said of Jokic. &ldquo;I know that I&rsquo;m very biased, I admit it wholeheartedly &mdash; the MVP isn&rsquo;t even a competition. There&rsquo;s other great players, I&rsquo;m not saying they&rsquo;re not great players, but what Nikola Jokic has done this year, with this team, with everything that we&rsquo;ve had to go through, is incredible.&rdquo;
The award is likely the start of a huge offseason for Jokic, who is eligible for a supermax extension that could guarantee him nearly $254 million over five seasons starting with 2023-24. He&rsquo;ll make $32.4 million next season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing more important&rdquo; than keeping Jokic, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly recently said.
Jokic joins rarefied company in winning for a second straight season. The other players to win two in a row include Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James (twice), Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (twice). Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell each won the award in three straight seasons.
Next year, Jokic will have his chance at a threepeat as well.
The award comes as no surprise to his teammates. They had a front-row seat to his performance every night.
Guard Bones Hyland posted on Twitter: &ldquo;Man.. All year I&rsquo;ve been saying it, I just woke up happier then ever like I won the award!! I&rsquo;m so proud of my boy man!! Great Player but a even better Leader &amp; Great Role model! Thanks for showing me the ropes this year Jokey! Congrats Ma Brother.&rdquo;
Former Nuggets coach George Karl posted: &ldquo;Incredible Jokic! He earned it. He was better this year than last and carried his team all season.&rdquo;
Known for his pinpoint passing as much as his soft touch, Jokic finished with a league-leading 19 triple-doubles. The 41st pick of the 2014 draft now has 76 in his career, which trails only Chamberlain (78) among centers.
After being knocked out of the playoffs &mdash; he averaged 31 points, 13.2 rebounds &mdash; Jokic was asked how he might celebrate should he win MVP.
&ldquo;Probably with some music, beer, friends around, family,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Like how you&rsquo;re supposed to do probably.
&ldquo;But if I don&rsquo;t get it, I&rsquo;m not going to die. I&rsquo;m just going to keep playing, keep trying to play the right way like I did my whole life.&rdquo;
There was a time when the Jokic was maligned for his game. More specifically, his defense and not being able to jump. His once-pudgy frame &mdash; Spurs coach Gregg Popovich good-naturedly ribbed him about it &mdash; has more strength to it.
Ever bother him that his game doesn&rsquo;t seem to generate the level of respect as other standout players?
&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t care less, brother,&rdquo; Jokic said.
He sees the court with the clarity of a point guard and has an arsenal of shots that includes smooth baby hooks around the rim and a soft 3-point touch.
Popovich had the apropos answer when asked if it was more important to take away Jokic&rsquo;s shot attempts or passes: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anybody has figured that out,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great one.&rdquo;
Jokic cares immensely about winning &mdash; games, not hardware. He&rsquo;s not one to lobby on his own behalf, just letting his numbers do his talking. Last season when he won, he averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 boards and 8.3 assists. This season, he took his game to another level in making his fourth straight All-Star team.
&ldquo;If that&rsquo;s enough, it&rsquo;s enough,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If not, you cannot control that.&rdquo;
Funny story about his MVP trophy from a season ago: A few weeks ago, he said he wasn&rsquo;t exactly sure where it was as his family moves.
&ldquo;It is here in Denver,&rdquo; Jokic recently cracked.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds, AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton and freelance writer Michael Kelly contributed to this report.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season,

Report: Nuggets' Nikola Jokic wins MVP for second straight year

We made it through the first day of March Madness! Sixteen teams saw their dreams shatter while the other 16 teams advanced to the Round of 32. Let&rsquo;s see who remains&hellip;
UPSET ALERT&nbsp;
East Region: 15-seed Saint Peter&rsquo;s defeats 2-seed Kentucky 85-79 in overtime
Starting with the true bracket buster of day 1, the Saint Peter&rsquo;s Peacocks upset the Kentucky Wildcats. Oscar Tshiebwe gave everything he had (as expected) with a 30-point, 16-rebound performance, but Kentucky&rsquo;s perimeter players (TyTy Washington, Kellen Grady and Sahvir Wheeler) had trouble generating offense. The Peacocks shined behind Daryl Banks III&rsquo;s 27 points and Doug Edert&rsquo;s 20 points off the bench. The game remained tight the whole way through, staying within six points, and the game was tied at the end of regulation. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion pulled away with clutch plays and defensive stops that showed they weren&rsquo;t afraid of the highly decorated program. Saint Peter&rsquo;s will be taking on the 7-seed Murray State on Saturday. (For more on this upset, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/putting-saint-peters-shocker-over-kentucky-in-historical-context" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out Bryan Fonseca's article</a>).
Midwest Region: 12-seed Richmond defeats 5-seed Iowa 67-63
The annual bracket experts are well aware that the 12-5 matchup is always on upset watch, but since Iowa had a strong run for a Big Ten Tournament championship and one of the top NBA Draft prospects in the tournament in Keegan Murray, they felt like the pick here. But Richmond reminded the country that they too won a conference tournament championship last week and the Atlantic 10 knows them very well. Senior guard Jacob Gilyard played all 40 minutes and gave the Spiders 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Junior forward Tyler Burton and senior forward Nathan Cayo added 18 points and 15 points, respectively. Iowa&rsquo;s projected lottery pick Murray finished the game with 21 points and 9 rebounds, but there was a lull in his offense in the second half that could&rsquo;ve been the difference-maker. Richmond will face 4-seed Providence in the second round.
South Region: 11-seed Michigan defeats 6-seed Colorado State 75-63
In a matchup that many thought had upset potential, the Wolverines came away as victors over the Rams after a slow start. Colorado State jumped on Michigan in the first half and led by as many as 15 points, but Michigan proved their Power 5 experience had tested them enough to overcome the deficit. Hunter Dickinson ended as the game&rsquo;s leading scorer with 21 points and added 5 rebounds and 4 blocks. Frankie Collins filled in at point guard for the injured Devante&rsquo; Jones and finished with a respectable 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Michigan finds 3-seed Tennessee waiting for them in the next round.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
West Region: 12-seed New Mexico State defeats 5-seed UConn 70-63
New Mexico State grabbed another win for the 12 seeds today as they knocked out UConn in the first round. This game was owned by Aggie guard Teddy Allen, who was locked in after starting the game 0-for-6 and finished with 37 points. New Mexico State as a team shot nearly 65% from three, which proved to be the difference-maker, with the Huskies only hitting 30% from deep. Allen looks to add another hot performance to his March Madness resum&eacute; on Saturday against Arkansas.
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GAMES OF THE DAY
West Region: 9-seed Memphis defeats 8-seed Boise State 64-53
The Memphis Tigers continued their strong play in the latter portion of the season and finished with a big win against Boise State. Memphis went into halftime with a 19-point lead, but a slow start by the Tigers led to the Broncos clawing themselves back into the game. DeAndre Williams ended the game with 14 points while projected NBA Draft lottery pick Jalen Duren had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. NBA executives and March Madness fans are getting the Duren-Chet Holmgren matchup they&rsquo;ve been clamoring for since Sunday night, as Memphis takes on Gonzaga this weekend. (This game also featured a surprise cameo from Emoni Bates, who finished with just 3 points in three minutes).
East Region: 7-seed Murray State defeats 10-seed San Francisco 92-87 in overtime
If you stayed up to watch one of the nightcap games of day 1, you probably watched Murray State and San Francisco battle it out. This game saw San Francisco guard Jamaree Bouyea score a career-high 36 points including some big shots to extend the game. However, it wasn&rsquo;t enough for the balanced attack of&nbsp; Murray State&rsquo;s KJ Williams, Trae Hannibal, Tevin Brown and Justice Hill with scoring totals of 18, 18, 17, and 15 (with Hannibal&rsquo;s 18 coming from the bench). The Racers' next test comes from the &ldquo;bracket busters&rdquo; themselves, the Saint Peter&rsquo;s Peacocks this weekend.
OTHER FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
Midwest Region
1-seed Kansas defeats 16-seed Texas Southern
4-seed Providence defeats 13-seed South Dakota State 66-57
9-seed Creighton defeats 8-seed San Diego State 72-69
East Region
1-seed Baylor defeats 16-seed Norfolk State 85-49
4-seed UCLA defeats 13-seed Akron 57- 53
South Region
3-seed Tennessee defeats 14-seed Longwood 88-56
West Region
1-seed Gonzaga defeats 16-seed Georgia State 93-72
4-seed Arkansas defeats 13-seed Vermont 75-71
East Region
8-seed North Carolina defeats 9-seed Marquette 95-63
5-seed Saint Mary&rsquo;s defeats 12-seed Indiana 82-53
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Sixteen teams saw their dreams shatter while 16 teams advanced to the Round of 32. Blake Hairston recaps day one of March Madness.

March Madness: Recapping Day 1 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament

It&rsquo;s been a tough season for Syracuse freshman Benny Williams, the 6-foot-8 forward from Prince George&rsquo;s County, Md. &mdash; the same place that produced Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Markelle Fultz, Victor Oladipo and many other NBA standouts.&nbsp;
Williams arrived at Syracuse as a five-star, top-25 prospect. In fact, he's the highest-rated recruit that Syracuse has landed in a long time. Fans couldn&rsquo;t wait to see what a recruit of this caliber would do once he set foot inside the Carrier Dome.&nbsp;
However, this season didn&rsquo;t go as planned.&nbsp;
Williams was relegated to the bench for the majority of the season, seeing inconsistent spot minutes and failing to live up to the expectations set for him. And while the majority of Syracuse fans were up in arms over Williams' lack of playing time, his status didn&rsquo;t change.&nbsp;
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It looked like things could possibly turn around for the freshman after a good showing in a lopsided loss to Duke (when he had 14 points and 6 rebounds on 71.4% shooting from the field). However, these hopes were crushed when it was announced that <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2022/03/benny-williams-will-miss-the-rest-of-the-2021-22-season-with-an-injury-su-announced.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Williams would miss the rest of the season</a> with a lower-body injury.
But what was strange was that he was not on the bench for the final game against Miami nor for the first game of the ACC Tournament against Florida State. This, of course, has led to more chatter and speculation from fans about the possibility of him not returning to Syracuse next season.&nbsp;
Syracuse legend Derrick Coleman was a guest on my podcast "The Rematch," and we discussed Benny Williams, his limited playing time and the likelihood of him returning next season. Below is an excerpt of our conversation.
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Etan Thomas: "Let me ask you a question about the current team. It's been a tough season."
Derrick Coleman: "Cardiac 'Cuse." (Points to his hoodie)&nbsp;
Thomas: "Cardiac 'Cuse! It's been a tough season. And there are a lot of aspects that are troublesome. One of them is: I saw <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-news-losing-kadary-richmond-tragedy-for-syracuse-university-orange-transfer-portal-jim-boeheim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what happened with Kadary [Richmond]</a>. I saw his demeanor. I was watching him on the bench &mdash; watching him sitting there, not playing. Then, watching him when he played, he got in there and he did well, but there was no joy. There was no happiness. You know what I mean? He did what he did, and went back to the bench emotionless. So I knew he was going to leave. That's why I kept saying, 'He's going to leave if we don&rsquo;t play him.' And I see the same thing with Benny Williams. And the thing about it, he&rsquo;s from this area. PG County. I've seen him play. My son knows him and has seen him play for years.
"He is someone who is a special talent. And now it's setup to where it's like, 'I'm going to play you sparingly here, and then take you out, and then tell the media you're not ready.' Or, 'I'm not going to play you for four games, and then put you in for two minutes. After one mistake, I'm going to talk about that mistake publicly, and then tell the media again, 'That's why you're not ready.'' And that's the part that bothers me because I&rsquo;ve seen this script before. Benny&rsquo;s saying all the right things publicly. He's staying after the game, shooting, all that stuff, which is great because somebody's advising him very well, most likely his father."
Coleman: "But that's not getting him into the game. Let me just say this, okay? Benny Williams is a top-30 prospect. Can you name anybody else on our team that's a top-30 prospect?"
Thomas: "No."
Coleman: "Can you name anybody on our team the last two, three years that has been a top-30 prospect?"
Thomas: "Hmmm..."
Coleman: "So how you got a top-30 prospect sitting on the bench when nobody on our team is a top-30 prospect? That's sad. But the thing that I don't like about it [is]: You're playing with kids' lives, their livelihood, and just what you just said, he now has no enthusiasm. No joy. So now you&rsquo;ve sucked the soul out of me so now the game of basketball, something that I love, is not fun anymore."
Thomas: "Right."
Coleman: "So when it's not fun, okay, I got to go somewhere where it's going to be fun for me again. And just like you say, I sit and... Every time Seton Hall plays, I'm watching because I'm rooting for [Kadary]."
Thomas: "He puts on a show too, every single time."
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Coleman: "Because it doesn't make any sense what's going on at our university. And you cannot do that."
Thomas: "Yeah. I agree."
Coleman: "You&rsquo;re taking the life out of a kid, man. He's no longer having any fun, and nothing that he's doing in the game of basketball is fun anymore and it&rsquo;s not supposed to be like that. Basketball is supposed to be fun, man. Like you said, you're not even having fun with your teammates."
Thomas: "Right. There's no joy."
Coleman: "The demeanor is dry. Your smile is dry. You know what I'm saying?"
Thomas: "Yeah, you can tell."
Coleman: "You're not really engaged and then you&rsquo;re constantly looking over your shoulder because any mistake..."
Thomas: "You're coming out."
Coleman: "And you&rsquo;re going crazy about me making a mistake? When I'm coming out of the game, you&rsquo;re yelling and cursing at me. I expect a mistake, Coach. Went from a 2-3 to a 1-3-1, Coach. Where they do that at?"
Thomas: "Right. Where they do that at? "
Coleman: "Yeah. Come on, man. What are we doing?"
Thomas: "And somebody throws me a bad pass and I don't catch it, and it's my fault. And I get snatched out and I get fussed at. And you&rsquo;re yelling and snarling and spitting and carrying on ."
Coleman: "Right."
Thomas: "And it's interesting because I've been on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/syracuse-center-jesse-edwards-answers-critics-with-his-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Free Jesse [Edwards] campaign</a> and rooting for Jesse for some time now. And I saw the same thing happening with him. Me and Roosevelt Bouie, we've been talking to him. He was in the same predicament that Benny is currently in &mdash; not getting to play, you saw the demeanor changing. Put him in for a minute, take him out. Publicly saying, 'He's not ready. He's not this, he&rsquo;s not that.' Now, this year, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/syracuse-center-jesse-edwards-answers-critics-with-his-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesse is ballin'</a>! You know what I mean? It's amazing what you can do with time on the court, being allowed to play through mistakes."
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Coleman: "Thank you."
Thomas: "And then gaining confidence, and then you're able to produce because everybody's like, 'Well, oh, Jesse all of a suddenly learned how to play...' And I&rsquo;m like, 'He could&rsquo;ve done this last year!'"
Coleman: "Exactly. You gotta get a chance to have some type of rhythm out there on the court."
Thomas: "And that's where we, as Syracuse alumni, step in. I was talking to Jesse all the time, lifting his spirits and encouraging him &mdash; the same way that Roosevelt Bouie did with me when I was playing. You didn't go through any of that."
Coleman: (Laughing) "Nah, nah."
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Thomas: "Come on DC, you know you don&rsquo;t know nothing about that. Having the freshman blues where you&rsquo;re sitting there in practice, looking at Coach Boeheim and you&rsquo;re like, 'Let him say one thing to me today and this going to be the day! One thing, and it goin' down today!'" (Laughing) &nbsp;
Coleman: (Laughing) "But what you got to understand with me, man, everybody have a rock on their shoulder. I got a brick."
Thomas: "I got you."
Coleman: "I got a brick on my shoulder. I'm raised by strong women, man. And I tell people that all the time: Man, the strongest person in my life has been my grandmother. Period. So I'm raised not to take no shit. I'm raised to be respectable and to have respect, regardless of what the situation is. You might not like me, don't like what I say or whatever I do, but you know what? You going to respect me. So I'm raised that way. And like I said, I used to go through my pitfalls and have my battles with Coach. But again, confidence, man. I would never let nobody take away my confidence from me."
Thomas: "Who were the older players, the vets, that came back and poured into you, while you was at Syracuse?"
Coleman: "Well, again, it started for me probably being up there, playing in camp. And I used to always play with Leo Rautins and those guys. So they used to always be up there. And then seeing Pearl [Washington], talking to Pearl a lot. Seeing Gene Waldron and Howard [Triche], you know what I mean? So as a freshman, I'm just trying to feel my way through everything. Like Derek Brower... I probably spent more time with Derek Brower [than anyone]... He was my ride, as a freshman, you know what I'm saying? He was my ride everywhere."
Thomas: "He's a character. He's so funny on Facebook."
Coleman: "A character, man! A great dude, but he is a character. But I spent a lot of times with him and Greg Monroe. Hhe actually gave me my nickname, Coast To Coast. Because people were always like, 'Why they call you Coast?' I say, 'Because I would grab the rebound and push it coast to coast. Greg Monroe gave me that nickname.' And it was always great having those guys motivate me just like I&rsquo;m sure it&rsquo;s great for Jesse to have you motivate him.
"But again, man, confidence is everything. And like you said, when I'm looking at Benny... Body language tells us everything. So when I'm sitting there watching the games, like we do, I see it. I see it in the kid&rsquo;s face. The way he looks, his whole body language. He's just like, 'Man, I'm just here.'"
Thomas: "I'm just here so I won&rsquo;t get fined."
Coleman: "Exactly! So I&rsquo;m like what&rsquo;s going on? You know what I'm saying? And again, I don't see nobody better than him or with more upside."
Thomas: "And you better believe there are other programs, especially around the DMV, that would love to have him. I'm sure Maryland is on the horn... If they are smart, they're on the horn talking to his parents like, 'Hey, you&rsquo;re not going to have to go through what you're going through there, over here.' I know it! Any coach should do that right now. So I'm a little bit doubtful [he returns]&hellip; I mean, he&rsquo;s always saying all the right things. The media keeps asking him and putting him on the spot, but what is he supposed to say to the media? I hate it here and I can&rsquo;t wait to get up outta here the first chance I get? But no, I don't have the confidence to say he's going to be back next year."
Coleman: "Me either. But why would he? Why would he come back to go through all of this stuff again that he did as a freshman? What&rsquo;s really gonna change, Coach? How are you gonna convince me that anything will be different?"
Thomas: "It&rsquo;s just unfortunate."
Coleman: "It&rsquo;s very unfortunate, because you&rsquo;re playing with a kid&rsquo;s life and he really has a chance to go to the next level. And now, you have this kid second-guessing himself out there and not even playing like himself anymore."
Thomas: "And like I said, I saw him in high school, the kid can play!"
Coleman: "I saw him too, he can go. Bounce, shoot, drive, defend, I saw him and said, 'Oh, he&rsquo;s gonna be special.' So now, he may be special for another school and that&rsquo;s terrible."
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Etan Thomas speaks with Derrick Coleman about the Syracuse men's basketball team and the future of Benny Williams.

Derrick Coleman isn't confident Benny Williams will be back next year

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Playing minus suspended coach Bruce Pearl, No. 18 Auburn made 16 steals and routed Nebraska 99-68 on Saturday.
Pearl began his two-game suspension imposed by the NCAA on Friday. Auburn was placed on probation for four years for unethical conduct involving former associate head coach Chuck Person. Pearl was penalized for failing to monitor his assistant and adequately promote compliance.
Assistant coach Wes Flanigan served as acting coach.
Center Walker Kessler and guard Zep Jasper each had five steals and Auburn scored 30 points off 20 turnovers. Jabari Smith had 21 points to lead the Tigers (8-1).
Auburn held Nebraska (5-6) without a basket for a stretch of almost seven minutes in the first half. The Tigers took control with a 13-0 run at the start of the Cornhuskers&rsquo; cold-shooting stretch.
Nebraska trailed by 21 points in the first half and again in the second half before cutting the deficit to 55-41 with a 7-0 run.
Auburn put the game away with a 14-0 burst that made it 76-47. The run included three 3-pointers by Wendell Green Jr., who scored 19 points.
Smith, a 6-foot-10 freshman from Fayetteville, Georgia, showed off his versatility by making three 3-pointers while also taking advantage of his height with two second-half jams.&nbsp;
Green had a steal before leading a fast break he capped by throwing the ball off the backboard to set up a crowd-pleasing jam by Smith.
C.J. Wilcher led Nebraska with 17 points. Bryce McGowans had 14.
Auburn led 12-9 before pulling away with a 13-0 run. Jaylin Williams sank a 3-point and added a three-point play during the stretch.
The matchup was the first of four games in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena.
BIG PICTURE
Nebraska: Guards Keon Edwards and Sam Holberg did not travel after being held out of practice with a viral infection. Edwards is a part-time starter. Freshman Wilhelm Breidenbach, hurt his knee in Tuesday&rsquo;s 102-67 loss to Michigan and also did not travel with the team.
Auburn: The Tigers showed impressive offense depth, with ample support for Smith and Green. Devan Cambridge scored 14 points. K.D. Johnson had 12 and Williams added 10.
UP NEXT
Nebraska plays Kansas State on Dec. 19.
Auburn plays North Alabama on Tuesday night.

Playing minus suspended coach Bruce Pearl, No. 18 Auburn made 16 steals and routed Nebraska 99-68 on Saturday.

Minus suspended coach Pearl, No. 18 Auburn routs Nebraska

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/rockets-rookie-jalen-green-is-ready-for-a-more-mature-role/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
The deeper we get into the season, the more we get an idea of who is a legitimate Most Valuable Player candidate. At this point, the usual suspects are populating the various MVP ladders: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić and Paul George. Over the last several seasons, with the exception of PG and omittance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, these names have routinely popped up in the discussion for the league's top honor.
JJ Redick, a sharpshooter-turned-podcaster, has become one of the well-known voices in basketball media in recent years. Redick isn&rsquo;t afraid to throw out a take, but unlike many former players who are hot take-ish, he is more in the &ldquo;common sense&rdquo; camp, and feels like one guy is a no-brainer MVP candidate.
"In the first 14 or 15 games, let&rsquo;s acknowledge that DeMar DeRozan is worthy of a top-five MVP discussion," Redick <a href="https://youtu.be/fe4j2Ir5URY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on The Old Man and The Three podcast</a>.
(Redick also said something similar on ESPN last week.)
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"If you were to have an MVP power rankings as of today, I'd put DeMar DeRozan third after Steph and KD." 👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/jj_redick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jj_redick</a> <a href="https://t.co/r85AAcjh9Y">pic.twitter.com/r85AAcjh9Y</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1460716877043441664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This isn&rsquo;t some hot take from Redick, as more and more analysts have begun to notice that DeRozan should be in the MVP conversation. A lot of it has to do with the Chicago Bulls&rsquo; 12-6 record, which has the team tied for second place in the Eastern Conference.
When the Bulls added DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso to the fold with two All-Stars in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, fans expected an exciting up-and-coming team. So far, so good, but this new collection of talent needs ample time to mesh and develop. As such, the outside expectation for the Bulls was for them to at least make a playoff appearance as a mid-tier squad.
Thus far, the Bulls have exceeded expectations, overpowering bottom-feeder teams like the Detroit Pistons and the New Orleans Pelicans while standing their ground against playoff teams like the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Denver Nuggets. Coming into the season, everyone expected them to do well, but nobody expected them to be this good.
DeRozan himself is aware of the MVP whispers around him. It has become impossible to ignore since this is the first time his name has been included in these talks in quite some time. This hasn&rsquo;t changed his demeanor one bit, though. Like any other competitor playing a team sport, what matters is that the team is doing well. Everything else &mdash; even an MVP trophy &mdash; is nothing but extraneous matters.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to be honest with you, I never once think about [MVP talk]," DeRozan <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2021/11/23/22798849/bulls-demar-derozan-focus-winning-than-mvp-chatter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said via the Chicago Sun-Times</a>. "Winning takes care of everything, and as long as we do what we&rsquo;re supposed to on the court, winning, everything you desire will come with it and you take it as it comes.&rdquo;
It remains to be seen if DeRozan can make the unthinkable happen and etch his name in history. But from the looks of it, DeRozan would rather raise the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy than any other trophy in the world.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

On The Old Man and The Three, JJ Redick vouched for DeMar DeRozan's MVP candidacy with his terrific start to the season.

JJ Redick: DeMar DeRozan is 'worthy of a top-5 MVP discussion'

Through training camp and two weeks into preseason, Ben Simmons was standing firm on his decision to hold out and not report to the Philadelphia 76ers.
His agent, Rich Paul, had communicated that the All-Star point guard would no longer like to play in Philly, wasn't budging on his trade demand and was willing to sit out for as long as it took for that trade to happen&mdash;&nbsp; regardless of fines or wages loss.
(Editor's Note: That changed on Monday morning, when ESPN reported that Paul wanted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rich-paul-sixers-progressing-on-talks-to-bring-ben-simmons-back-to-phi-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to work on a resolution</a> with the 76ers to bring Simmons back to the team.)
Then, out of the blue Monday night, the Sixers got a very unexpected surprise. Simmons <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-arrives-in-philly-takes-covid19-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed up unannounced</a> to the Wells Fargo Center, took a COVID test, and started the process of his return.&nbsp;Prior to this, there had been no communication between Simmons and the organization, or the players, so how they move forward from here remains unclear.
But to delve into this topic deeper, I asked former 76ers Theo Ratliff, George Lynch and Larry Hughes what it would take for this reunion to actually work.&nbsp;
Theo Ratliff&nbsp;
"To be honest, I always thought he was going to be back. I didn&rsquo;t think there was a team that had enough value to be able to make a trade that would equal Ben Simmons. People kept saying that [Sixers president Daryl] Morey was asking for too much, but they know how good he is despite what he showed in the playoffs last season. So I always thought he would be back. Guys get into their feelings a little bit. Sometimes, especially when you are a 'star' or one of the franchise players on a team, you can be a little sensitive, and anyone who has been in the NBA has seen that before. But Joel [Embiid] and Doc [Rivers] <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-deserves-criticism-but-not-to-be-thrown-under-the-bus-by-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not stepping up and giving him that support</a> that they should have known that he needed &mdash; being that they had been around him for so long and should&rsquo;ve known who he was &mdash; that definitely didn&rsquo;t help things at all. Couple that with the fact that nowadays, with the advent of social media and how much coverage there is when something doesn&rsquo;t go right or there is friction or anything, and it&rsquo;s just a completely different basketball world than the one me and you played in.
"But that being said, this could easily be fixed. When you have a Doc Rivers, who is a seasoned veteran coach and Joel Embiid, one of the best players in the league right now... If they can come together and publicly embrace him, what they should&rsquo;ve done after their playoff loss last year, everything should be okay. And they can get right back to being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference like they were last season.&nbsp;
"The real hurdle will be the fans, because Philly does not let up and he has to win the fans over, and that is going to be a very tall task for him. If he thought it took a lot of work for his jump shot, wait until he sees how much work it is going to take to win over Philly fans. Because that city, when you have mishaps or you don&rsquo;t live up to what their expectations are for you, they will give you the blues. Now, they will embrace you if you show them you care, that you are pushing yourself to grow as a player and you are willing to give it your all for the city and the team. You&rsquo;ll win them back [that way]. But you gotta convince them and show them. It&rsquo;s a show-and-prove city. So with that, he definitely has a long road ahead of him, but I feel it can be done."
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George Lynch&nbsp;
"Ben has to ask himself if his skin is thick enough to play in Philly. I am speaking from experience here. When I first got to Philly, they had run three Carolina guys out of town. So knowing the Philly fans like I do, I know that they are incredibly passionate about their team. And if they feel that Ben Simmons isn&rsquo;t giving his all, you will be able to feel the disdain and disgust pouring onto the court from all around the arena. And the microscope is, of course, going to be on him now because of everything that has transpired, so they are going to be looking for any glimpse of anything that will add to what they already feel &mdash; which is that he gave up on the team. And they took that personal. I guarantee they took it personal. Because their passion leads them to feel like he gave up on them personally. So if Ben&rsquo;s skin isn&rsquo;t thick enough to play through that until he has earned back their respect, their trust and their full embrace, then he should go ahead and move on. He is going to have to earn back their love, and prove to them that he is worthy of their love. And if he isn&rsquo;t prepared to go through that process, don&rsquo;t even waste your time and just move on.&nbsp;
"I wouldn&rsquo;t say he has to win over the Philly fans more than he has to win over his teammates, because if I was on his team and he had expressed that he didn&rsquo;t want to be there and held out and all that, it would take a lot of convincing for me to want to go to war with him too.&nbsp;
"I think he needs to start with a public apology to everyone. It&rsquo;s gotta be heartfelt. The fans gotta feel it. And when he gets on the court, he has to play to win. There&rsquo;s gonna be some fans who, when he passes up a shot for an extra pass &mdash; even if that was the play or he wasn&rsquo;t really open at the time &mdash; are going to immediately boo. He just has to be mentally strong to not let them affect him, and that&rsquo;s going to be difficult. But if he is able to push through that period of time and win them over, it may in fact make him a much better player. The Philly fans are some of the greatest fans in the league when you have their support and their appreciation. They&rsquo;ll go to back for you like no other fans in the league. But he&rsquo;s going to have to weather this storm first, and if he&rsquo;s not willing or strong enough to do that, it&rsquo;s not going to work &mdash; period."
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Larry Hughes&nbsp;
"Ben Simmons has a lot of work to do. If they get to the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals, then maybe all will be forgiven, and it&rsquo;s really that deep because the fans really take it personal. And now, they are going to watch him like a hawk. They may be paying more attention to him than the actual game for awhile. His demeanor when he goes to the bench, when he is interacting with Doc or other teammates. His face when he is pulled out of the game or when he&rsquo;s sitting on the bench. They are going to be watching literally everything almost waiting for him to give them a reason not to forgive him. I think the boos will probably come initially. It may not be the entire arena, but it may feel like it&rsquo;s the entire arena because of how passionate the boos are.&nbsp;
"Honestly, I think he&rsquo;s gonna have a tougher time winning over the fans than he is his teammates. Once he gets back in the locker room and talks to everyone, people will understand. Everyone goes through stuff off the court: family, personal, business, etc. And they don&rsquo;t have to necessarily love each other to be able to play together. They just have to be on the same page that everyone wants to win, and you can be able to play with people you don&rsquo;t even really like that much as long as you both want to win.&nbsp;
"Also, they see him every day. So they will get more of an opportunity to see if he&rsquo;s bought in and can actually talk with him one-on-one, at the locker, in the training room, while they&rsquo;re just sitting around, on the plane, on the bus. The fans don&rsquo;t have that level of access, so they have limited opportunities to formulate their opinion of him.&nbsp;
"Now, with the fans, it&rsquo;s just in their DNA, if there is something that they don&rsquo;t like, for them to make sure that it&rsquo;s known. And he&rsquo;s shown a personality that he doesn&rsquo;t really take too well to that interaction, so it&rsquo;s going to be tough. I think his teammates and the organization are going to have to help him reconnect with the fans for sure.&nbsp;
"I think Joel Embiid in particular could help push that process along. I think they need to get together and get on the same page. And then, publicly show the fans that they are in this together and that Joel is on board with Ben Simmons and supports him and wants him as his teammate, and that he is integral to their overall success. But it has to be genuine. It can&rsquo;t look scripted because the fans will see right through that.&nbsp;
'I think sky&rsquo;s the limit for them, but they have a lot of work to do. We saw the success they had last season, and then we saw why they came up short &mdash; the mental collapses, not shooting the ball at times, little comments here and there &mdash; and there can&rsquo;t be a repeat of that same thing, so some things have to change. And that&rsquo;s not all on Ben Simmons. That&rsquo;s on everyone, Doc included, Embiid included, the entire team. So there are a lot of questions still hovering around, and yes, they have a talented team and can put together a lot of wins in the regular season like they did last year. But there is a lot more that is needed in order to be the last team standing."

What it would take for a Simmons-Sixers reunion to work? Etan Thomas asked Theo Ratliff, George Lynch and Larry Hughes.

Former 76ers say Ben Simmons has to win over Philly fans

On July 4, 2021, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/04/sports/basketball/espn-rachel-nichols-maria-taylor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published a story</a> detailing the fallout of a leaked Rachel Nichols&rsquo; video, wherein the host of ESPN&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Jump&rdquo; questioned the merit of her colleague, Maria Taylor.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity &ndash; which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it &ndash; like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else,&rdquo; Nichols said while unknowingly being recorded.
Since the release of the article, ESPN has been hard at work trying to extinguish the fire sparked by Nichols&rsquo; comments.&nbsp;
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Rachel Nichols began today's episode of The Jump with this apology to Maria Taylor and others at ESPN <a href="https://t.co/9cXsDmMMhZ">https://t.co/9cXsDmMMhZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/yQj5j8akMw">pic.twitter.com/yQj5j8akMw</a>
&mdash; Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1412145201888497664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Still, flames sit at every corner of this story. They range from small to large, and they highlight the injustices at ESPN. The New York Times forced ESPN&rsquo;s hand, so now the company is trying to put out this fire as quickly as possible before it reaches the deep pit of grease at the story&rsquo;s core: ESPN&rsquo;s insidious environment of racism and sexism.&nbsp;
Some of these flames include the direct fallout from the tape &mdash; like criticism over the repercussions former ESPN video producer Kayla Johnson faced for sharing the audio with Taylor &mdash; to larger structural grievances with how the media conglomerate uses women.&nbsp; &nbsp; Despite Nichols igniting the match, many have pointed out that she&rsquo;s been burned by ESPN, too. They point to the toxic culture at ESPN, and how animosity between women is fostered at a company that so rarely makes room for more than one.&nbsp;
When women are relegated to hosting and sideline reporting, there are limited opportunities to truly flourish. And when success can no longer be had as a collective and only in spite of one another, toxicity and animosity are cultivated.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s particularly unfortunate that two women in the industry are pitted against each other,&rdquo; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said when asked about the situation.&nbsp;
A toxic environment is still not an excuse for the racist dismissal of Taylor, especially from someone with the history and experience of Nichols.&nbsp;
Nichols is a seasoned journalist of over 26 years, having worked for The Washington Post, CNN, Turner Sports and ESPN covering both basketball and football. Throughout her career, Nichols has stood out by carving her space in media as a much-needed female voice that challenges the misogynistic culture in sports &mdash; from <a href="https://youtu.be/RhM66jfE-WE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confronting NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell</a> following the Ray Rice scandal to <a href="https://youtu.be/67HVtWgDE10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioning the redemption narrative surrounding Derrick Rose</a>&rsquo;s 50-point game two years after a civil trial for rape allegations. (Editor&rsquo;s Note: A federal jury ultimately <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/19/derrick-rose-rape-trial-verdict-consent-nba-jury-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared Rose of all counts</a>.)
Nichols recognizes the value her identity adds to her coverage, giving her a unique perspective in a male-dominated industry. And yet, she somehow fails to recognize Taylor&rsquo;s value in a moment of national racial strife.
Many people have also been harping on Nichols' claim that it was in her contract to host NBA Countdown during the 2020 NBA Finals... But that is entirely beside the point.&nbsp;
For starters, ESPN asked Nichols if she wished to switch to sideline duties &mdash; a request she was allowed to decline. And the controversy is not about a contract dispute. It is not even about whether Nichols felt she deserved the job more than Taylor. It is about her comment at that moment. Had she only made reference to the contents of her contract, there would be no story and no backlash.
There&rsquo;s also the invasion-of-privacy issue that, rightfully, is being discussed as well. Since the recording was captured on Nichols&rsquo; laptop through software she uses to record &ldquo;The Jump,&rdquo; this is another small fire for ESPN to investigate. However, again, this is not at all what the public outcry is about.&nbsp;
While these issues may individually hold merit, they do not serve as a defense, and they have been used to detract from the core issue at hand: Rachel Nichols&rsquo; racist comment.&nbsp;
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At the core, this is a story about a powerful White woman weaponizing her Whiteness to dismiss and demean a Black colleague to another White person who&rsquo;s in a position of power.&nbsp;
The backlash and outcry are so loud because this is a story that Black people are all too familiar with. Nichols&rsquo; comment had no basis in reality, but deep roots in history. It suggests that Black people do not belong, and any advancement is the result of external assistance.&nbsp;
A handout.
Claiming that Taylor was given this opportunity instead of earning it completely dismisses her unique voice and perspective. Nichols&rsquo; compliments of Taylor&rsquo;s skill and talent evaporate the very second Nichols questions Taylor&rsquo;s merit. Her success is no longer credited to her hard work, but to the color of her skin.
The stereotype that Black people get by on handouts is a tale as old as time. This ranges from overt racist sentiments like Ronald Reagan&rsquo;s &ldquo;welfare queen&rdquo; trope to more subtle microaggressions in corporate settings.&nbsp;
Dismissing the accomplishments of Black people is a core tenant of White supremacy. Implicit bias transmitted through microaggressions is the exact strain of White supremacy that Black people fear in their workplaces. It&rsquo;s a pervasive form of racism that is felt immensely, but near impossible to call out.&nbsp;
You feel it through glances and through inner circles you can&rsquo;t penetrate, cementing the belief that you don&rsquo;t belong. You feel it when you look around and rarely see faces that look like yours. You&rsquo;re forced to exist in a space that&rsquo;s unwelcoming to you, wondering whether others question your worthiness.
It&rsquo;s a culture of exclusion, which Nichols is acutely aware of.
&ldquo;Those same people &mdash; who are, like, generally White, conservative, male Trump voters &mdash; is part of the reason I&rsquo;ve had a hard time at ESPN,&rdquo; Nichols said on the same recording.
The leaked audio of two White people dismissing a Black woman&rsquo;s credibility confirmed people&rsquo;s suspicions to be true: that these conversations do happen behind closed doors. It&rsquo;s why so many were hurt and offended.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@mariataylortoks/video/6863473616298855686" data-video-id="6863473616298855686">
<section><a title="@mariataylortoks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mariataylortoks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@mariataylortoks</a>
Hey Black Women ✊🏾🙋🏾&zwj;♀️👋🏾 <a title="blacklivesmatter" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blacklivesmatter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">##blacklivesmatter</a> <a title="fyp" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">##FYP</a>
<a title="♬ original sound - Maria Taylor" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6863473633193380614" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Maria Taylor</a></section>
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It&rsquo;s important to note that Nichols said this to Adam Mendelsohn, an advisor to LeBron James and NBA agent Rich Paul (who founded Klutch Sports Group and represents many stars). These are the inner circles that outsiders feel they cannot penetrate. Questioning Taylor&rsquo;s credibility leaves her on the outside with Mendelsohn and all of his notable clients.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s even more troubling is that Mendelsohn felt safe saying he was &ldquo;exhausted&rdquo; by &nbsp;#MeToo and the Black Lives Matter movement &mdash; sentiments he would likely never share with Black journalists (or his Black clients). This furthers distrust because it illustrates how issues that should be treated as universal are discussed differently by White colleagues depending on the setting. There&rsquo;s the public response and then there&rsquo;s the behind-closed-doors response.
Once we understand what the core issue is, we can examine why Nichols&rsquo; apology fell short.&nbsp;
Her apology addresses a workplace issue at a colleague-to-colleague level rather than a racial issue. Instead of a White woman apologizing to a Black woman for racially insensitive comments, Rachel deflects, explaining that she does not want to be the story.&nbsp;
She did not have to be.
Nichols could have used her learning experience to highlight the pervasiveness of implicit bias and the importance of language.&nbsp;
In quick monologues, Nichols so often educates her audience on a prominent storyline &mdash; from <a href="https://youtu.be/JinS7woEgnA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a> to the <a href="https://youtu.be/YEBN9Oo_b1I" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protests across the United States</a> in the wake of George Floyd&rsquo;s murder.&nbsp;
She is a leader in using her show to highlight the importance of difficult conversations in sports, and why the coverage around basketball cannot solely be about the Xs and Os.
Yet, in a prime opportunity to use her show as she and ESPN often do so well, both failed.&nbsp;
Instead of apologizing for her actions and explaining that she (more than anyone) understands that utilizing diverse identities isn&rsquo;t about meeting quotas, but rather about enriching coverage, Nichols apologized for the way Taylor was made to feel.&nbsp;
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To accompany Nichols' apology, Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson, two Black men, were asked to speak &mdash; despite having nothing to do with the matter.&nbsp;
Perkins spoke to knowing Nichols&rsquo; heart and shared his wonderful experience working alongside her. Jefferson, meanwhile, spoke to his 20-year relationship with Nichols and made mention of difficult conversations being had behind the scenes &mdash; while also adding that Nichols was not excused and that he and Perkins weren&rsquo;t either.&nbsp;
Bringing in these two former NBA champions to discuss race added nothing of value to Nichols&rsquo; apology, and only exposed yet another issue of diversity at the company. Why were two privileged Black men brought in to discuss racism between an established White woman and a younger Black woman? Also, why were these two Black men put in this position and used as pawns? The fact that, after 24 hours, this was the best ESPN could do is baffling.&nbsp;
They haphazardly attempted to douse the flames once and for all, but like water on a grease fire, the blaze was not subdued. Instead, burning oil splattered far and wide, reaching <a href="https://youtu.be/9WVDnygemDg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter Spaces</a>. The next day, ESPN removed Nichols from its 2021 NBA Finals coverage, with Malika Andrews handling the sideline-reporting duties in her place. Apparently, ESPN&rsquo;s power structure only doles out punishments for racist comments once they are made public.
For now, ESPN&lsquo;s solution will be to cover the fires with a cloak &mdash; a temporary answer to a grand problem. The structural damage, however, will remain until it works to rebuild its infrastructure from the ground up. &nbsp;

Imman Adan reacts to Rachel Nichols' comments toward Maria Taylor and the manner in which ESPN fumbled the fallout.

Rachel Nichols-Maria Taylor incident exposes ESPN’s racism, sexism

Matt Babcock concludes his series by detailing the post-2001 years in Milwaukee and his father's role in finding talent deep in drafts.

Growing up a Buck: From Ray Allen to Giannis, my dad remains in Milwaukee

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; The Los Angeles Clippers have been unflappable amid high stakes throughout these playoffs. They recovered from 0-2 deficits against Dallas and Utah to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Down 0-2 to the Phoenix Suns, they've rallied within a victory of tying the series and forcing Game 7. Much of their resilience can be credited to Tyronn Lue, who is an NBA-best 10-2 in elimination games as a coach.
Lue has described being in the playoffs as his &ldquo;happy place&rdquo; and he thrives on the chess match moves required from game to game.
&ldquo;Sometimes it&rsquo;s tough because adjustments mean some guys can&rsquo;t play, some guys play more, and you&rsquo;ve got to be able to accept that," he said. "It means a lot just for those guys to trust me, to understand that whatever I&rsquo;m doing is the best for the team, not for me.&rdquo;
Lue lets his players know ahead of time whether they'll be starting or coming off the bench. He's quick to hit them up with encouragement via texts and phone calls.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s special, just the relationship I have with T,&rdquo; Paul George said, &ldquo;and the relationship T-Lue has with every individual on this team in general. It just says a lot about him.&rdquo;
Lue has kept calm throughout the postseason frenzy.
&ldquo;He always has a chill demeanor,&rdquo; Marcus Morris said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like having one of my better friends as the head coach. That&rsquo;s the best thing about him, he&rsquo;s wide open. He allows you to speak up. That goes a long way with players in this league.&rdquo;
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The Clippers&rsquo; season is on the line again Wednesday night at Staples Center against the Suns, who lead the series 3-2. Phoenix is a 1-point favorite, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>
LA will be without two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who has been out with a right knee sprain. The team also said Tuesday that center Ivica Zubac, who sat out Game 5 because of a MCL sprain in his right knee, is questionable to play.
The Clippers have proved they can win without those two starters, as well as potential starter Serge Ibaka, whose back surgery ended his season. Both of their wins so far have come by 14 points each. Phoenix's wins have been by a combined 11 points.
&ldquo;They are one-possession games where they could have went either way,&rdquo; Morris said.
Last year, the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead to Denver in the conference semifinals, with chemistry cited as the main issue. Doc Rivers got fired and Lue was promoted from the bench to the top spot.
It was Rivers who first encouraged a doubtful Lue to aspire to a head coaching job. Rivers is one of some high-profile mentors Lue has had over the years, including Phil Jackson, Scott Skiles and Stan Van Gundy.
After retiring as a player in 2009 having won two NBA titles with the Lakers, Lue started out assisting Rivers in Boston. Lue spent one season with the Clippers before becoming an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was elevated to head coach after David Blatt's firing and as a rookie, Lue guided LeBron James and the Cavs to the 2016 NBA championship. They reached the Finals again the following two years, losing both times to Golden State. Lue was fired after an 0-6 start to the 2019 season.
Lue honed his ability to tell highly paid superstars what they might not want to hear in Cleveland, giving him practice in dealing with Leonard and George during his first season in charge in LA.
&ldquo;If they are doing too much, I&rsquo;ll let them know,&rdquo; Lue said of his team. &ldquo;But I want guys to feel no pressure, just go out there and play their games. That&rsquo;s what got them to this point. It feels good to hear guys saying positive things (about him), but they are the one with talent that got so far.&rdquo;
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ON THE BRINK
Chris Paul has just about done it all in his 16-year career.
He's an 11-time All-Star, MVP of the All-Star Game, four-time All-NBA first-team selection, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
But his playoff fortunes have been mixed. In 12 postseason appearances, he's made the conference finals twice and lost in the first round six times.
Now he's one game away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time at age 36, but refuses to look ahead.
&ldquo;Not until the job is done," he said. &ldquo;We can talk about all that then, but right now it&rsquo;s just laser focus. Three wins don&rsquo;t win the series.&rdquo;
PAGING AYTON
Deandre Ayton all but disappeared in Game 5, and the Suns will need to get their big man more involved if they want to close out the series in LA.
Ayton had 10 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes, his fewest points since Game 3 of the conference semifinals against Denver. He took just nine shots &mdash; his fewest of the series &mdash; against a smaller Clippers lineup.
&ldquo;Got to do a better job getting it to him," Paul said. "They got like three people sort of boxing him out or trying to hold him down, so we just got to pick our spots better and be more aggressive."
Ayton's two best performances against the Clippers came in Games 1 and 2, when he scored 20 or more points. His &ldquo;Valley Oop" slam with 0.9 seconds left won Game 2.

The Clippers have been extremely resilient, in large part due to head coach Tyronn Lue, who is an NBA-best 10-2 in elimination games.

Clippers' cool-hand Lue is NBA's best in elimination games

NEW YORK&nbsp;&ndash; The NBA G League today announced the field of&nbsp;40 prospects for NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm&reg;&nbsp; who will attend the 2021 NBA G League Elite Camp, which will take place June 19-21 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
The 2021 NBA G League Elite Camp gives players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA and NBA G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives by playing in five-on-five games and participating in strength and agility drills throughout the three-day event.
A select number of players from the NBA G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the 2021 NBA Draft Combine based on their performance.&nbsp; The NBA Draft Combine will be held June 21-27 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Below is a list of attendees for the 2021 NBA G League Elite Camp*.
<table style="width: 95.1767%;" width="510">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 179.362%;" colspan="2" width="510">NBA Draft-Eligible Players (College/Club)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Alston Jr., Derrick (Boise State)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Koprivica, Balsa (Florida State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Aluma, Keve (Virginia Tech)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Lawson, A.J. (South Carolina)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Alvarado, Jose (Georgia Tech)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Liddell, E.J. (Ohio State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Begarin, Juhann (Paris, France)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">McClung, Mac (Texas Tech)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Brown, Chaundee (Michigan)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">McLaughlin, JaQuori (UCSB)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Burns, Jordan (Colgate)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Mitchell, Matt (San Diego State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Carr, Marcus (Minnesota)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Nembhard, RJ (TCU)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Carton, DJ (Marquette)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Omoruyi, Eugene (Oregon)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Cisse, Moussa (Memphis)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Onu, E.J. (Shawnee State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Cockburn, Kofi (Illinois)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Pippen Jr., Scotty (Vanderbilt)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">da Silva, Oscar (Stanford)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Robinson Jr., Orlando (Fresno State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Days, Darius (LSU)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Simms, Aamir (Clemson)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Dickinson, Hunter (Michigan)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Smart, Javonte (LSU)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Garcia, Dawson (Marquette)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Smith, Mike (Michigan)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Garrett, Marcus (Kansas)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Stewart Jr., D.J. (Mississippi State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Guo, Haowen (Shanghai, China)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Teague, MaCio (Baylor)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Huff, Jay (Virginia)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Walker, M.J. (Florida State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Jarreau, DeJon (Houston)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Washington Jr., Duane (Ohio State)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Jones, Carlik (Louisville)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Wiggins, Aaron (Maryland)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 49.971%;" width="240">Jones, DeVante (Coastal Carolina)</td>
<td style="width: 129.391%;" width="270">Wilson, Jalen (Kansas)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBA G League announced the field of 40 prospects for NBA Draft 2021 who will attend the NBA G League Elite Camp, which will take place June 19-21 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

2021 NBA G League Elite Camp announces field of 40 prospects

In an exclusive interview with BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Rematch,&rdquo; former NBA player and current co-host of &ldquo;All The Smoke&rdquo; Stephen Jackson opened up about his relationship with George Floyd and how his murder set him on a path of activism, prompting him to use his voice and platform like never before.
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Jackson spoke candidly about the pain he felt when he learned that his friend had been murdered. This wasn&rsquo;t simply another tragic murder at the hands of the police or another hashtag; this was his friend. This was very personal for him.
He reminisced about his first encounter with Floyd; they looked so similar that they started calling each other &ldquo;Twin.&rdquo; He discussed their friendship as well as the growth he saw in Floyd, who admittingly made his share of mistakes over the years in his quest to provide for his family while living in an impoverished situation with limited opportunities. But, according to Jackson, he had found a new path and was making the necessary changes to improve his life and surroundings. Jackson discussed Floyd&rsquo;s love for his daughter, Gianna, and his commitment to helping others (such as the work he was doing in his church). Jackson painted a much different picture of Floyd than the media initially did after his murder.&nbsp;
He humanized George Floyd.
Just as his friend was turning over a new leaf, his life was snatched away from him by Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, MN. Jackson went into great detail about the tears he shed, the anger he felt and the heartache he shared with the Floyd family. He vowed to be there for Gianna, who recently celebrated her first birthday without her father.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s a transcript of my conversation with Jackson, who detailed the entire process starting from the moment he learned the news that Floyd had passed:&nbsp;
Etan Thomas: &ldquo;Talk to me about what happened when you got the call and found out about George&rsquo;s death. Where were you? Who broke it to you? What was your immediate reaction?&rdquo;
Stephen Jackson: &ldquo;I was right here on the same couch I'm sitting on. It was probably 10:30 in the morning. I'm on the couch, sleeping with my daughter. My daughter's room is upstairs, but she doesn't like to sleep in her room because my room is downstairs. So she sleeps on the couch and watches TV, so she can be close to me. And something made me get up and come get on the couch with her. So I was laying on the couch with her that morning. And me and my girlfriend's mom talk about police brutality and all the nonsense that&rsquo;s done to Black people all the time, and she sends me videos all the time.
&ldquo;So my phone is ringing, vibrating. I look at it and I see the video from her, but I don't even correlate that this is my brother. So I'm not even thinking about George when she sent me the video. I look at it, not even putting two and two together. I'm just like, &lsquo;Oh man, they done killed another brother.&rsquo; As I put the phone down, my phone vibrates again. And I pick up the phone and I look at it and it&rsquo;s a message from my friend, Mike Dean, and it says, &lsquo;You see what they did to your twin in Minnesota?&rsquo;&nbsp;
"I went back to the video from my girlfriend's mother. And I see the video and I look in closely and see that's him on the ground and I lose it, E. I get to throwing stuff. I jumped up and scared my daughter. I'm screaming. I was hurt, bro. I was actually hurt because I saw myself in him and this is somebody who I consider my twin getting murdered by the police for the world to see. I never thought that I would see that with my own eyes -- somebody that I loved, that I consider me. I've never dealt with nothing like that, E. And so to see that, it knocked the wind out of me, honestly. It knocked the wind out of me and I just cried. I couldn&rsquo;t even get myself together for a while.&rdquo;
Thomas: &ldquo;Everybody saw the video and when I watched, I was looking at the evil in him -- in the officer, Derek Chauvin -- as he was kneeling on his neck and putting his hand in his pocket (and they say this was so he could apply even more pressure to his neck). The facial expression that he had, it was just nothing. I looked at it with my kids and I'm breaking down too. We talk about Black Lives Matter and that showed us that, to that officer and all those officers around him, our lives didn't matter at all. You don't even treat an animal like that. I mean, if everybody saw a dog being murdered like that&hellip;&rdquo;
Jackson: &ldquo;They would go crazy.&rdquo;
Thomas: &ldquo;They would go absolutely crazy. And that's the part that was so tough to me. You think that we&rsquo;ve made some kind of progress and then you see something like that, and it just knocks us all the way back. I'm feeling like, &lsquo;Wow, so what do we do now?&rsquo; And you went into work mode after that. That happened, you had your moment of grieving and feeling upset, and then you went into work mode right after that. Talk about that switch; what went into that?&rdquo;
Jackson: &ldquo;You never know what God has for you in your life. I was really upset. In the past, I had been upset that I didn&rsquo;t make All-Star games in my career. [I had been upset] for being judged for the (Malice at the Palace) brawl for having my teammates&rsquo; back and it messed up my career and all of the accolades I should&rsquo;ve gotten. I know I should have been an All-Star at least two or three times. But God works in mysterious ways. What I'm doing now, I want to be known for that. I don't even want to be known for basketball at all. I want to be known for what I'm doing now. Like I said, you never know what God has for you. Me going to Minnesota... I wanted to go down there so they wouldn't demean my brother's name. Like you&rsquo;ve said: the first thing they do when they murder one of us and try to make it look valid, they demean our character.&rdquo;
Thomas: &ldquo;Yeah, that&rsquo;s what they always do. With Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Terence Crutcher, Alton Sterling, Ahmaud Arbery and so on. They literally do it every time.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/jax222_lg.jpg" alt="" width="671" height="AUTO" />
Jackson: &ldquo;Yup, and I wanted to go down there to let the world know who he really was. And nine times out of 10, when this happens, none of these people that get killed by the police have a celebrity to speak up for them. That's one thing that messed up Minnesota and the world: nobody expected Stephen Jackson to be considered George Floyd&rsquo;s twin. And nobody expected Stephen Jackson to put everything he had on the line for him, and fight for justice for him. While I was in Minnesota, not only did they know he had a celebrity speaking up for him, but at the time I spoke up for him, my podcast was one of the bigger podcasts in the world. I was all over ESPN and doing all of these shows. Nobody expected him to have somebody [with that kind of platform] to speak up for him.
&ldquo;When I went down there, seeing how the city of Minnesota got behind me and supported me, [that] let me know that this has been going on for a long time. I walked to the corner [and saw a woman holding a sign that said], &lsquo;His name was Hardel Sherrelle.&rsquo; His mom was standing on the corner, crying and holding signs, trying to get justice for her son just by herself. She didn&rsquo;t have no Stephen Jackson to speak up for her. So we stopped. I had all kinds of cameras following me at the time. I stopped, I put the cameras and the mics in front of her, and she tells her whole story. I ended up being the voice for her [too]. So I inherited being the voice for so many people who have been brutalized by police or by racism and never got justice. And the fact that it was a celebrity basketball player that everybody knew, that a lot of people respected and loved, all 18 countries and 50 states got behind me. And it became one of the biggest protests all at one time ever in the history of protests.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So the fact that that happened, I just dropped on my knees because I never knew God would make my life that important. It's way more important than basketball because I'm changing lives. And it sparked me to want to go to all 50 states and to let people know -- in the areas we come from -- that we care about them, that we hear them, that we have money to give and resources to help you out to try to get to a better life. And it's just God. Like I said, you never know what God has for you. It was meant for me to be in this position. It was meant for me to have a domino effect of helping people after going out there and standing up for my brother and to fight for change, and I would rather be known for what I'm doing now than anything else.&rdquo;
Later in the interview, Jackson lashed out at the media for the way they negatively portrayed his friend. He criticized attorneys like Benjamin Crump, whom he called out by name, because he feels they should fight harder for justice and less for settlements. (Although he did add that he still has respect for Crump and prays for him and hopes that the fight for justice is successful.) He also expressed his frustration with a justice system that doesn&rsquo;t hold police officers accountable for murdering innocent civilians.&nbsp;
Also, Jackson thanked celebrities such as Kyrie Irving (who purchased a house for the Floyd family), Lil Baby (who paid for Gianna's recent birthday party), Barbra Streisand (who bought Disney stocks for the Floyd family) and activist Tamika Mallory (who showed a lot of support).&nbsp;
Jackson praised the people of Minnesota for the tremendous support he received when he went there to protest for his friend. He really felt like the city embraced him and his cause, which he didn&rsquo;t anticipate. He also thanked all of the white allies, in particular, across the country who have aided him and supported him on his quest for justice.&nbsp;
Jackson is a new man. A man who has found his voice after much of the world joined him to protest the murder of George Floyd. In fact, many people were getting involved and protesting police brutality and racism for the first time (including many white people), which was likely due to Jackson&rsquo;s efforts. 
As the country awaits to hear the verdict for Derek Chauvin and the other officers involved, we can only hope and pray that justice will prevail.

Stephen Jackson opens up about his relationship with George Floyd and how his murder prompted him to speak out like never before.

Stephen Jackson on fight for George Floyd: 'It's way more important than basketball'

With the NBA&rsquo;s salary cap remaining at $109 million for the 2020-21 season, a $3-$12-million decrease from pre-COVID-19 projections, it is entirely possible that teams will be forced to look elsewhere when trying to improve their roster.
Travel restrictions limit the NBA&rsquo;s ability to scout overseas, as has been successful in previous years, and the NBA Draft may prove relatively fruitless since teams can't do many in-person workouts with prospects. The safest option for any team that's rebuilding or tweaking their roster would be to look right in their own backyard, adding players directly from the G League.&nbsp;
Created in 2001 under NBA Commissioner David Stern, the goal of the G League (previously known as the D-League or Development League) was to serve as a farm-team system while still remaining competitive. The G League has been successful in recent years, churning out players like Hassan Whiteside, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam (the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2019).&nbsp;
We have a free-agency date. We have a start date. We are finally approaching the finish line, or the starting line, depending on where you&rsquo;re measuring from. We have covered the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/g-league-could-be-answer-nba-salary-cap-decrease-eastern-conference-team-fits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference teams and which G Leaguers could help them</a>; now, without further ado, here is the Western Conference:
Dallas Mavericks (43-32)
Problem: After experiencing injuries to both Kristaps Porzingis and Dwight Powell, it would be beneficial for Dallas to find a versatile forward who can improve their frontcourt depth and play multiple positions.
Solution: Justin Anderson, Long Island Nets
If you stumbled upon this article via my Twitter, then it will come as no surprise to see Justin Anderson on this list. The more surprising thing is that he wasn't selected as the best fit for every single team. Unfortunately, according to the rules that I made up myself, a player can only be suggested for one team. Because we cannot clone Justin Anderson (yet), the best-case scenario for him would be returning to the team that drafted him with the No. 21 pick in 2015.
Anderson is a powerhouse who already knows the Mavs' system and culture. A five-year NBA journeyman, he has proven that he can help in any position, on any team -- G League or NBA. Every teammate he has crossed paths with speaks highly of him, and he could provide some veteran leadership in Dallas.
Denver Nuggets (46-27)
Problem: Paul Millsap is an unrestricted free agent and Denver may not re-sign him. Also, Will Barton is dealing with ongoing knee injuries that could have him sidelined longer than would be ideal, so perhaps adding another forward would be beneficial.
Solution: Ignas Brazdeikis, Westchester Knicks
If Denver continues to build around Murray, as all signs point to them doing, inserting a teammate whom Jamal is familiar with iwould seemingly make a lot of sense. Ignas Brazdeikis, a fellow Canadian, is currently signed to a two-way contract with the New York Knicks. But if the Knicks don't re-sign him, the Nuggets do have the roster room and cap space available to rescue him from the clutches of James Dolan and Co. Like Murray, Brazdeikis is a graduate of Orangeville Prep Academy (Canada&rsquo;s highly-recruited basketball prep school), and as a 6-foot-6 small forward who averaged 20.9 points per game in the G League last year, he could provide a big return on a very small investment.&nbsp;
Golden State Warriors (15-50)
Problem: Recency bias has fans and teams alike forgetting just how great the Golden State Warriors were during their dynasty. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are expected back this season, and if the Warriors are expecting to make another deep playoff run after a hiccup of a 2019-20 season, they will need a center or a small forward. Kevon Looney is great at what he does, but is constantly playing through injuries sustainable? Golden State has three players currently signed to max contracts and though the team has been open about shopping the contract of Andrew Wiggins, there are few teams that seem seriously interested. They don&rsquo;t need another scorer, as they already have two of the best in the NBA, but they need a defender who can screen for Thompson and Curry and hustle back after baskets.&nbsp;
Solution: Donta Hall, Grand Rapids Drive
Donta Hall has all of the accolades that should appeal to Golden State: G League All Defensive Team, G League All Rookie Team, and two-time SEC All-Defensive Team -- and he&rsquo;s only 23 years old. He is aware of his shooting limitations, and instead focuses on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUJkEe5koto&amp;t=62s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interior impact and defensive abilities</a>.&nbsp;
Houston Rockets (44-28)
Problem: Daryl Morey and Mike D&rsquo;Antoni followed their hearts to greener pastures (in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, respectively), Russell Westbrook reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-russell-westbrook-trade-demand-deal-possible-destinations-houston-rockets-los-angeles-clippers-indiana-pacers-dallas-mavericks-charlotte-hornets-out-request" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wants out of Houston</a>, and PJ Tucker is allegedly furious about his contract situation. All signs point to Houston having a problem (that was funny, admit it), but luckily for James Harden, I have a solution!
Solution: Briante Weber, Sioux Falls Skyforce
Like Russell Westbrook, Briante Weber isn&rsquo;t afraid to shoot (from literally anywhere). He&nbsp;was named the Canadian Elite Basketball League&rsquo;s Clutch Player of the Year after his first season. He has the potential to become a key contributor should Houston decide to blow up their roster, and he would be <a href="https://twitter.com/Sir_deuce2/status/1290115168555261953?s=09" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extremely fun to watch</a> in the interim.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_10777009-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
Los Angeles Clippers (49-23)
Problem: The saying &ldquo;don&rsquo;t cut off your nose to spite your face" has never been more relevant than it is when reflecting on the 2019-20 Los Angeles Clippers. They gave away nearly everything, including all future assets, in order to acquire Paul George, forgetting that they also needed a point guard.
Solution: Tyler Ennis, Raptors 905
This makes so much sense that it almost feels like I&rsquo;m doing the front office's job for them. Ennis has six years of professional basketball experience under his belt. Though the Clippers have been rumored to be interested in Russell Westbrook, they don&rsquo;t have the cap space available to take on his contract, and adding another massive personality to the team that is already bursting at the seams with bravado is basically begging for chaos.&nbsp;
Ennis has played with Patrick Beverley, he&rsquo;s played with Lou Williams and he&rsquo;s played with Montrezl Harrell. He led the entire G League in assists last season, and his calm-and-quiet leadership will be a perfect match beside the similar-in-demeanor Kawhi Leonard.&nbsp;Make good choices, Clippers.
Los Angeles Lakers (52-19)
Problem: The Lakers are fresh off of winning the NBA Finals, meaning that a number of their players with options will likely opt out in order to test the free-agent market and secure a long-term contract. Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, for example, have reportedly decided to opt out. They could re-sign their own free agents, but that isn't guaranteed.
Solution: Jordan Bone, Grand Rapids Drive
Jordan Bone is a fun, fast and crafty point guard. You don&rsquo;t really need anyone else when you have both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but he sure is fun to watch. And if the Lakers' bus leaves without Quinn Cook again, at least they'd have Bone to fill in.
Memphis Grizzlies (34-39)
Problem: The Grizzlies need a guard who embodies the Memphis culture and can play alongside Ja Morant while they make another playoff push.
Solution: Milton Doyle, Windy City Bulls
Milton Doyle is a great scorer, but an even better passer. His court vision allows him to pass through double teams, finding teammates in the least obvious of spaces, which is handy for a quick-and-sneaky player like Morant.
Minnesota Timberwolves (19-45)
Problem: The Timberwolves have two players on maximum contracts, and 33-year-old James Johnson will definitely opt-in to his nearly $16 million salary. Minnesota has made some questionable decisions in prior seasons, giving away both Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins to build around Karl-Anthony Towns.
Solution: Kyle Alexander, Sioux Falls Skyforce
If Minnesota plans to build its future around big men, a backup center or power forward would be the best bet. Kyle Alexander, a former Tennessee Volunteer, checks both of those boxes and averaged nearly a double-double in points and rebounds at 24 years of age in the G League.&nbsp;
New Orleans Pelicans (30-42)
Problem: The Pelicans have a new head coach who excels with young players in Stan Van Gundy, and they will need a youthful player that is always ready, calm, cool and collected.
Solution: Justin Reyes, Raptors 905
Reyes, a guard-forward hybrid, did not get a lot of minutes with the Raptors 905 due to being squeezed out of the rotation. But having had the privilege of watching him all season, I can confirm that he is the perfect fit for Van Gundy&rsquo;s Pelicans. His abilities extend to both ends of the floor, and he is a 25-year-old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COHfVgBnBmA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swiss Army knife of fresh talent</a>.
Oklahoma City Thunder (44-28)
Problem: Getting rid of Chris Paul is not the answer, especially for a team that many (myself included) had zero expectations for after massive offseason trades. They have roughly a million future picks and one of the more well-rounded rosters in the league. Their best bet would be to run it back and bring in a backup for Steven Adams, who is somehow still only 27 years old.
Solution: Sir&rsquo;Dominic Pointer, Canton Charge
Though a year older than Adams, Pointer has some of the freshest legs ever witnessed for a 28-year-old forward. He was one of the players named to the G League All-Defensive team, and his four years of overseas experience would be an asset to OKC.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/usatsi_12278640-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
Phoenix Suns (34-39)
Problem: With 12 of their 15 players expected to return, the Phoenix Suns don&rsquo;t have a lot of wiggle room. Their core is established around Devin Booker, although there have been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-offseason-chris-paul-trade-talks-phoenix-suns-oklahoma-city-thunder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent rumors surrounding a trade for Chris Paul</a> in the past week.
Solution: Johnathan Motley, Agua Caliente Clippers
The Suns need a big man who can shoot and isn&rsquo;t afraid to do so. Insert Johnathan Motley, a two-way player for the Los Angeles Clippers (who could be available if the Clippers choose not to re-sign him). Motley excels on both ends of the floor, and his speed is remarkable for someone who's 6-foot-8. He can rebound -- evidenced by his 8 boards per game -- and he averaged 24 points per game too.
Portland Trail Blazers (35-39)
Problem: The Trail Blazers are not the Jail Blazers of yesteryear. Currently, they are entering the season without a power forward, and they need to find one who can coexist in the laid-back-but-still-flashy environment created by CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard.&nbsp;
Solution: Mfiondu Kabengele, Agua Caliente Clippers
With both CJ and Dame scoring primarily from the outside, a heavy paint presence would give them a relative boost on interior scoring and rebounding. As the 2019 ACC Sixth Man of the Year at Florida State, Kabengele was always ready off of the bench, and after being inserted into the starting lineup of the Agua Caliente Clippers, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgyqzrNzck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proved he could succeed as a first option as well</a>.
Sacramento Kings (31-41)
Problem: Russell Westbrook's desire for a trade has dominated the basketball news cycle, but Buddy Hield has been rumored to be disgruntled in Sacramento too. Pile this on top of De&rsquo;Aaron Fox&rsquo;s looming player option, and the Kings may struggle with scoring should both of them exit.&nbsp;
Solution: Jaylen Adams, Wisconsin Herd
Jaylen Adams, in the absence of Fox and Hield, would be able to fill a scoring hole. Fifty-five percent of his 20.9 points per game came via two-pointers, and he shot 40 percent from deep as well. He isn&rsquo;t as fast as De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, but he is still able to get where he needs to be in a flash.&nbsp;
San Antonio Spurs (32-39)
Problem: The Spurs have a fairly balanced roster, but their starters are primarily in their 30s, and after landing in San Antonio as the result of a blind-side trade, DeMar DeRozan probably won&rsquo;t be re-signing with the Spurs once free agency begins.&nbsp;
Solution: B.J. Johnson, Lakeland Magic
WIth the hometown Los Angeles Lakers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-los-angeles-lakers-san-antonio-spurs-trade-rumors-demar-derozan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apparently expressing interest in DeRozan</a>, the potential of losing him increases. Should that be the case, San Antonio will be without a shooting guard and will need someone to take over the mid-range shooting duties. It is entirely likely that the Spurs focus their attention on developing two-way player Keldon Johnson into a DeRozan prototype, restarting the circle of player development.
In a Gregg Popovich world, the Spurs will target a shooter who doesn&rsquo;t attempt many threes, but can still score. B.J. Johnson shot 150 threes with the Lakeland Magic throughout the entire season, which isn&rsquo;t many when you factor in that he played 36 minutes per game. Still, he managed to put up 23 points per game, making him the perfect Popovich player.
Utah Jazz (44-28)&nbsp;
Problem: If the Utah Jazz care at all about team chemistry, then one of either Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell will not be with the team come Dec. 22. Because Mitchell is still on his rookie-scale contract, and Rudy is commanding nearly $26 million per season, it is safe to assume that Mitchell&rsquo;s price tag -- and the fact that he did not cause a league-wide shutdown -- makes him the more enticing of the two.&nbsp;
Solution: Gabe Vincent, Sioux Falls Skyforce
Not only does Vincent average nearly 30 points per game, but at 24 years old, he could benefit from Conley&rsquo;s playmaking while simultaneously soaking up his basketball IQ like a sponge.

Kelsea O'Brien selects a G League player who could help each NBA team in the Western Conference.

Selecting a G Leaguer to help each Western Conference team

Jeff Pearlman is the New York Times best-selling author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081TTYZ6B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty,"</a> which is on sale now.
When the Los Angeles Lakers selected A.C. Green out of Oregon State with the No. 23 pick of the 1985 NBA Draft, he was greeted by new teammates with the cackles and guffaws of men excited to welcome into their midst a real-life, all-American virgin.
Or, put differently, they decided to give him hell.
Within Green&rsquo;s first month with the team, the question, &ldquo;Are you really a virgin?&rdquo; was asked about 500 different times, 500 different ways. One Laker literally took bets on how long it would take for Green&rsquo;s deflowering, and a hat was passed around the bus. Nary an opportunity would pass when a player wouldn&rsquo;t try to temp ol&rsquo; A.C. with a chance to get laid.
It was funny.
It was engaging.
It was also cruel.
Fifteen years later, the Lakers once again used a late first-round pick on a devoutly religious West Coast power forward. This time it was Mark Madsen of Stanford, who came to La-La Land a couple of years removed from a Mormon mission to Spain. He was aw-shucks and golly-gee and ripe for the A.C. Green treatment.
Then, he was greeted by a man who has to be the best superstar teammate in the history of professional sports. 
First, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal escorted the rookie on a spree.
&ldquo;He took me car shopping,&rdquo; Madsen recalled. &ldquo;He literally said to me, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m putting the down payment on whatever car you want.&rsquo; I told him I wouldn&rsquo;t let him, but he negotiated a great deal for me on a Chevy Tahoe.&rdquo; The next stop was clothing shopping at a big-and-tall store in Beverly Hills, where O&rsquo;Neal unloaded $2,500 on jeans and Italian sweaters.
Shaq began sitting next to Madsen on flights. He asked about Mormonism, about missions, about Madsen&rsquo;s goals and dreams and hopes.
Then, he got to work as Madsen&rsquo;s pimp.
His Mormon pimp.
When the Lakers flew from city to city, Shaq made certain to ask most of the flight attendants, &ldquo;Are you Mormon?&rdquo; Once, while walking through the team&rsquo;s offices, Madsen was approached by an employee who was young and single.
&ldquo;The most interesting thing happened last night,&rdquo; she told him. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sitting in a restaurant in Redondo Beach and Shaq was in there asking some of the girls if they were Mormon because if they were, he wanted to set them up with you.&rdquo;
O&rsquo;Neal, according to a former Laker guard named Mike Penberthy, was the equivalent of having &ldquo;a big brother with a huge bank account.&rdquo; When Penberthy arrived for his 2001 Laker debut wearing a suit jacket from Banana Republic, O&rsquo;Neal pulled him aside. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have any suits, do you?&rdquo; he said quietly, so as not to embarrass the rookie.
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Penberthy said.
The following morning, the center from LSU picked up the guard from Master&rsquo;s College and brought him to his personal tailor. He paid for six suits.
&ldquo;When my father died, Shaq offered to pay for the funeral,&rdquo; Penberthy said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s that type of guy.&rdquo;
Indeed.
In the course of his 19-year NBA career, O&rsquo;Neal could be egomaniacal, ornery, moody, cruel. He would do things, on occasion, that caused other players to cringe, shrug and moan. Once, in a fit of agitation, he placed a wad of used toilet paper in someone&rsquo;s shoe. Another time, engaged after a dispute, he dragged Brian Shaw across the locker room floor. Devean George, Laker forward and chronic softie, still likely has some scars from being duct taped naked to a court.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/Shaq2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="AUTO" />
But mostly, he was a man who aspired to be loved and admired, who felt the pain of others&rsquo; unhappiness and wanted to make certain your day was as good as his. When people speak of the famously combative relationship between O&rsquo;Neal and Kobe Bryant, often misunderstood is the root. It wasn&rsquo;t so much that Bryant was arrogant and self-centered. No, it was that he showed no interest in O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s embrace.
Shaq wanted to be Bryant&rsquo;s big brother. Bryant had two sisters, and that was enough. Shaq wanted to be Batman to Bryant&rsquo;s Robin. Bryant didn&rsquo;t care for comic books &mdash; and if anyone was going to be Batman, it was him. As simplistic as it sounds, this bruised O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s feelings. He was sensitive to a fault; oddly passive aggressive and gentle. When, on one occasion, he took many of the Lakers out for a fancy seafood dinner, and Bryant passed, the sting itched. When Bryant later arrived at the restaurant, book tucked beneath arm, and found his own table, it burned. No, it hurt.
Before long, O&rsquo;Neal silently anointed himself the protector of younger players &mdash; a guardian against Bryant&rsquo;s notoriously poor mistreatment of lightly regarded free agents and rookies.
Heading into 2003 training camp, the Lakers signed former Kansas center Eric Chenowith to fight for the job as O&rsquo;Neal&rsquo;s backup. He was a journeyman in the classic sense &mdash; a one-time New York Knicks second-round pick who bounced from team to team. Never sticking.
Not long after inking his contract, Chenowith received an engraved-in-marble invitation, via mail, that read: ERIC CHENOWITH&mdash;SHAQUILLE O&rsquo;NEAL CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO HIS HOME TO WELCOME NEW TEAMMATES. Upon arriving, he was embraced by O&rsquo;Neal, who guided him to the rear of his home and toward a group of Cubans rolling cigars. &ldquo;Bro,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Neal said, &ldquo;Make sure and take some home for a friend.&rdquo;
Chenowith was blown away. A few weeks later, while in camp, Bryant ordered him to fetch an ice cream. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and Chenowith felt inches tall.
Then, a whisper from behind.
&ldquo;Listen,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Neal. &ldquo;Fuck that dude. I&rsquo;ve got your back.&rdquo;
Of course he did.
Order <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081TTYZ6B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty."</a>

Shaquille O'Neal has to be the best superstar teammate in the history of professional sports, writes best-selling author Jeff Pearlman.

'He offered to pay for my dad's funeral': Why Shaq is best star teammate ever

After NBA players decided collectively to use their voices and platforms to take a unified stand against police brutality following the horrific police shooting of Jacob Blake, praise came from across the nation. Politicians, actors, musicians, journalists and many others expressed their support for NBA players and commended them for demanding justice.&nbsp;
ESPN&rsquo;s Stephen A. Smith <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1298731743395147789?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined in on this</a>, saying that he was so proud of the players.&nbsp;
While Smith is praising the players now, let&rsquo;s not forget that just two months ago, he said that Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley &ldquo;sound foolish&rdquo; for even suggesting that players should take a stand against police brutality and refuse to enter the bubble. He went on one of his overdramatic rants and ridiculed them <a href="https://youtu.be/OcNEqq-U0Nk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on First Take</a>, acting as if he was personally offended that they had the audacity to suggest something so &ldquo;utterly ridiculous.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Here were Smith&rsquo;s exact words:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I absolutely do not agree with them. As a matter of fact, I&rsquo;ll go so far as to say that their position has been foolish, as far as I am concerned. I respect the fact &mdash; and I want to make sure that I&rsquo;m clear about this &mdash; I am not talking about if you&rsquo;re not going back to work because of the coronavirus; I totally understand that. If you choose to make that decision for the well-being of yourself and the family members who you are near, then obviously that has a profound impact and I totally respect and understand that. But that&rsquo;s not what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard are talking about. What they are talking about is [not playing] because of the protests&hellip; Well, I'm sorry, if that's a reason not to go to work, black folks wouldn't have been employed for centuries now. That is utterly ridiculous. The fact that racial oppression or racial inequality, brutality on the part of police officers and all of that stuff exists is not an excuse not to show up to work&hellip; 
"If you have the LeBron James&rsquo;, the Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s and others playing their role in bringing attention to these issues, then you hand it off to people that know what to do with that attention and that elevated level of awareness to really provoke the kind of change that we&rsquo;re talking about here. We seem to think that, excuse me, just protesting and raising holy hell is going to get done what we need to get done. That is not the answer, and certainly it&rsquo;s not refusing to show up because of that issue. &hellip;&nbsp; It makes no sense for somebody to sit up there and say, 'Don't show up to work because of that.' No! I totally disagree with Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving and I suspect that I&rsquo;m not alone, that a lot of people agree with what I&rsquo;m saying.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Max Kellerman tried to break it down for Smith, showing him the error of his ways, but he still wouldn&rsquo;t budge. How ironic is it that a white man tried to explain to a Black man the significance of what Irving, Howard and Bradley were trying to do? Kellerman talked about how this was connected to the bigger picture of Black entertainment being used in the history of this country while conditions for Black people were not improved, specifically as it relates to police brutality. He said that he respected their position that they didn&rsquo;t want to be a distraction and take away from the movement gaining momentum across the country after the gruesome murder of George Floyd.&nbsp;
A white man shouldn&rsquo;t have to break that down for Stephen A. Smith. But after Kellerman made his eloquent points, he still didn&rsquo;t get it. Smith immediately pivoted to discussing the money that they were giving up and seemingly missed the entire point. He repeated that what Irving was doing just &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t make sense,&rdquo; despite Kellerman&rsquo;s detailed explanation.&nbsp;
Then, Smith attempted to shift the focus to Irving somehow undermining Chris Paul and LeBron James by forming a separate Players Coalition and not going along with the Players&rsquo; Association vote to start the season. Because Smith disagreed with Irving&rsquo;s position, he attempted to pit him against his NBA brothers.
Then, Smith said (<a href="https://youtu.be/KgQV0khEOnA?t=310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and I quote</a>): &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about making sure you know what you&rsquo;re talking about before you open your mouth.&rdquo;&nbsp;
When you disagree with someone, that is the most insulting response you can give. It&rsquo;s demeaning. Belittling. Rather than acknowledging that they just have a different opinion than you, this suggests that they need to be educated so that they can fully understand how ridiculous their position is. How dismissive and insulting was that?&nbsp;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/SAS1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="AUTO" />
But it wasn&rsquo;t just you.&nbsp;
Charles Barkley is also guilty of publicly ridiculing Irving and Howard for their stance.
&ldquo;I think it would be stupid to not play,&rdquo; Barkley said on <a href="https://twitter.com/getupespn/status/1272558639241445377?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Get Up</a>. &ldquo;LeBron [James] is probably the most famous athlete in the United States. He won&rsquo;t be visible anywhere [if they don&rsquo;t play]. So out of sight, out of mind. Also, these guys have got to realize, this money ain&rsquo;t gonna come back and they&rsquo;re gonna lose billions of dollars that the players can use to go into their own communities and do some great stuff. It&rsquo;s not good on any front. I have no idea what Kyrie and Dwight are talking about, but it&rsquo;ll be a catastrophic mistake not to play.&rdquo;
Many others were completely dismissive of their positions and used specific language to drive home the point that this stance was misguided, ridiculous and absurd. These people didn&rsquo;t say &ldquo;shut up and dribble&rdquo; like Laura Ingraham did to LeBron, but the dismissiveness was similar.
Before the 1968 Olympics, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar elected to not play. When Abdul-Jabbar recently joined me on <a href="https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my show, The Rematch</a>, he specifically explained why he chose to not participate in the Olympics and instead opted to work and save money for school.
"I was going to pursue my goals and I wasn't going to pursue the goals of a country that, at that point, still didn't respect my citizenship," Abdul-Jabbar told me. "I wanted to get my degree and I had a job, so I made the money that I needed to have a comfortable year at school. That was my agenda and that's what I pursued. And I left UCLA with a degree in my pocket."
Would Smith or Barkley have criticized him for that?&nbsp;
John Carlos and Tommie Smith participated in the &lsquo;68 Olympics and made a statement that resonates even today, raising their Black Power fist on the podium after their race. They chose different ways to send a message, and both are equally deserving of respect.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s important to note that past NBA players (who were activist pioneers) utilized boycotting as a way to push the NBA to use its collective power to adopt policy change and recognize the players&rsquo; union, so there is a precedent here.
Prior to the 1964 NBA All-Star Game, players threatened to boycott. This was the first All-Star Game to be televised, so Hall Of Famers such as Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Tommy Heinsohn, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Chet Walker, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain and Lenny Wilkens recognized the leverage that they had.&nbsp;
The players took a vote on whether they would refuse to play if the NBA didn&rsquo;t recognize the players&rsquo; union and implement a pension plan. The vote was reportedly 11-9 in favor of a strike.
&ldquo;Fifteen minutes before tipoff, NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy agreed to the pension demands, and pro sports had its biggest union victory by far,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/1856287-181/1964-stars-threatened-to-boycott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> Robert Rubino of The Press Democrat.
These are the footsteps the players are following in.&nbsp;
The NBA has scheduled a special Board of Governors meeting on Thursday morning, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1298778627669143558?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN&rsquo;s</a> Adrian Wojnarowski.
What if the NBA players - now that they have everyone&rsquo;s attention - demanded that NBA owners like Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan (Bucks), Ted Leonsis (Wizards), Steve Ballmer (Clippers), Jeanie Buss (Lakers) and even James Dolan (Knicks) use their influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they don&rsquo;t adopt tangible police reform and police accountability measures? I bet you would see results immediately. If they can pressure cities to fund the building of new arenas, I&rsquo;m sure they can do this. That would create tangible change through the power of the NBA that Congress hasn&rsquo;t been able to bring about, that no politician has been able to bring about. That would change the entire country.&nbsp;
I respect Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley for what they expressed then, and I respect what the NBA and WNBA players are doing now. And, no, they didn&rsquo;t sound foolish and their idea wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;ridiculous&rdquo; or &ldquo;absurd.&rdquo; No, they weren&rsquo;t looking for a reason not to show up to work like you disrespectfully claimed, and their suggestion definitely wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;stupid&rdquo; (like Charles Barkley said). They simply didn&rsquo;t want to divert attention away from everything that was going on. This is a special movement that&rsquo;s taking place right now. It&rsquo;s an awakening. And they wanted (and want) the focus to remain on that.&nbsp;
With everything going on, basketball was the furthest thing from their minds. LeBron James recently admitted the same thing.
&ldquo;I got half my brain locked on the playoffs, the other half on how I can help Black people,&rdquo; James <a href="https://twitter.com/melissarohlin/status/1298115880610435072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
You can see why Stephen A Smith suddenly praising NBA players for boycotting can be seen as problematic.&nbsp;
He and Barkley (and everyone else who publicly ridiculed them) owe Irving, Howard and Bradley a public apology. Not a personal text or call; be as loud and demonstrative on your national ESPN platform with your apology as you were with your criticism.&nbsp;
And PS: Stephen A. Smith, you also owe Colin Kaepernick an apology for <a href="https://youtu.be/_y7fzEHKI9Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly lambasting him</a> and saying that he wants to be a martyr and doesn&rsquo;t want to play football after the tryout hoax put on by the NFL.

Stephen A. Smith praised NBA players for boycotting games. Now, he owes Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley an apology, writes Etan Thomas.