https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/nop.png

Pelicans

SINGAPORE INDOOR STADIUM, SINGAPORE &ndash; The NBA G League United squeaked past the Tasmania JackJumpers, earning a tight 76-74 win to advance to the title game of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024 Saturday afternoon here.
The Americans overcame the tough challenge from the Australians who were playing back-to-back following their win vs Lebanese side Al Riyadi yesterday.
The G League Squad led by nine at the half, 44-35, as they shot 45 percent from the field.
However, Tasmania had a furious second-half run behind American imports Milton Doyle and Jordon Crawford. The 5&rsquo;6 guard hit a big three with under two minutes left to give the JackJumpers a 72-68 lead.
GLU&rsquo;s Brodric Thomas answered with a three to tie the game at 72-all, but Crawford once again showed up for Tasmania by scoring another clutch bucket in isolation with under a minute left &ndash; a running hook shot in the middle to give his team the lead, 74-72.
In the end, Thomas was the hero for United. First, he got fouled on a three and made 2 of 3 FTs to tie the game at 74-74. In the next possession, Doyle turned the ball over gave GLU back the ball, and then he got fouled on a drive again. Thomas made two more clutch free throws for United&rsquo;s two-point advantage.
United broke the JackJumpers&rsquo; play supposed to be set on the post for center Will Magnay for the final tally.&nbsp;
Former NBA player Charlie Brown Jr. put up 23 points on 6/11 shooting to spearhead GLU&rsquo;s attack while Thomas and Deonte Burton added 12 and 11 markers respectively.
&ldquo;We got a little shaky sometimes but that&rsquo;s what great teams do &ndash; they win games,&rdquo; Juan Toscano-Anderson, who scored just 7 points but was instrumental on defense, said post-game. &ldquo;We figured out a way to win, ugly win or pretty win: still a win.&rdquo;
NBA G League United will now face Spanish side Unicaja for tomorrow&rsquo;s title game. Unicaja have also booked their place in the Finals after securing their second win yesterday.
The Tasmania JackJumpers will face Al Riyadi in the third-place match after the latter&rsquo;s win in the second game vs Angola&rsquo;s Petro de Luanda, 80-75.

The NBA G League United squeaked past the Tasmania JackJumpers, 76-74, to win and advance to the FIBA ICC title game.

FIBA ICC 2024 Day 3: NBA G League United escapes Tasmania to secure title game slot

SINGAPORE INDOOR STADIUM, SINGAPORE &ndash; No Jack McVeigh, no problem for Tasmania JackJumpers.&nbsp;
Australia&rsquo;s champions did not skip a beat despite not having the 2024 NBL Finals MVP on their roster to put out Argentina&rsquo;s champions Quimsa, 81-59, at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup Day 2 game day here.
McVeigh recently signed a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets to try his luck out in the NBA.&nbsp;
American imports Jordon Crawford and Milton Doyle led the charge for the JackJumpers in McVeigh&rsquo;s absence with 15 and 12 points while Australia Boomers national player Will Magnay added 12 points himself.&nbsp;
The win allowed Tasmania to face the NBA G League United tomorrow for a slot in the title game on Sunday. Quimsa is now relegated to the 5th-6th place game with their second loss of the tournament, after also bowing out against the United yesterday.
Spanish side Unicaja has also booked their place in the Finals after beating Lebanon&rsquo;s Al Riyadi, 96-59, for their second win.
Tyler Kalinoski was efficient yet again with 13 points on 5/10 shooting as Unicaja shot more than 50 percent from the field, while Kendrick Perry led the team overall in scoring with 17 points.
Unicaja now awaits the winner of the NBA G League United - Tasmania JackJumpers game for their title game opponent.
Al Riyadi will have a shot to play for the 3rd place match when they face Petro de Luanda tomorrow.

Australia's Tasmania JackJumpers and Spain's Unicaja took care of their respective opponents on Day 2 of the FIBA ICC 2024.

FIBA ICC Day 2: Tasmania secures first win; Unicaja moves on to title game

Since Halloween is just two-and-a-half weeks away, BasketballNews compiled a list of the best costumes worn by NBA players.

Which NBA players have rocked the best Halloween costumes?

On Saturday, the Enemies and Triplets will battle for the BIG3 championship at The O2 Arena in London.
The Enemies feature Nick Young (the team's captain), Isaiah Austin (co-captain), Elijah Stewart (co-captain), Quincy Miller and Jordan Crawford, with Gilbert Arenas serving as the team's coach.
The Triplets have many familar faces, including Joe Johnson (the team's captain), Jeremy Pargo (co-captain), Larry Sanders, Jamario Moon, Damien Wilkins and Mo Charlo, with Lisa Leslie as their coach.
The Enemies earned a spot in the championship game by defeating three-time champions Trilogy, 50-37. All-Star standout Jordan Crawford led the way with 27 points. This is the Enemies' first-ever championship appearance.
The Triplets won the BIG3 championship back in 2019 and hope to earn their second title this weekend. They advanced to the title game after beating the Ghost Ballers, 50-45. The driving force behind their deep postseason run is back-to-back MVP Joe Johnson (who has a shot at winning a third-straight MVP award).
Prior to the championship matchup, the BIG3 All-Star game will also take place this weekend at The O2 Arena. The game will feature the following All-Stars: Michael Beasley, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Crawford, Mike Taylor, Donte Green, Glen Rice, Earl Clark, Ryan Carter, Joe Johnson, Jeremy Pargo, Leandro Barbosa, Gerald Green, Elijah Stewart, Royce White, Frank Nitty and Jason Richardson.
Both the All-Star game and championship game will be broadcast live on CBS. The All-Star game tips off at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the championship game at 2 p.m. ET.&nbsp;
This is the sixth season of Ice Cube's three-on-three league, and the BIG3 has experienced significant growth in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/big3-basketball-viewership-keeps-growing-as-sixth-season-continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viewership</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/big3-sees-surge-in-tv-ratings-attendance-to-start-sixth-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attendance</a> numbers this year.

On Saturday at The O2 Arena in London, the Enemies will battle the Triplets for the BIG3 title.

Enemies to face Triplets in BIG3 championship at London's O2 Arena

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, Paul George had 24 and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame Stephen Curry&rsquo;s 50-point night to beat the Golden State Warriors 134-126 on Wednesday night.
The Clippers have won four straight to move into fifth place in the Western Conference.
The defending NBA champion Warriors are a game back as the teams split the four-game season series.
Leonard was 10-of-19 from the field for his fourth 30-point effort in the last eight games. He also had eight rebounds and five assists.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Only 6 players in NBA history have recorded a 50+ point game at age 35 or older. LeBron James (twice) Jamal Crawford Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan Alex English Stephen Curry <a href="https://t.co/joDTrAwTOy">pic.twitter.com/joDTrAwTOy</a>
&mdash; NBA History (@NBAHistory) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAHistory/status/1636229680436051970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Curry tied a season high in points with the 12th 50-point game of his career. He was 20-of-28 from the field and had eight 3-pointers. The Warriors have lost nine straight road games.

Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, and the Clippers overcame Stephen Curry’s 50-point night to beat the Warriors 134-126.

Clippers overcome Curry's 50-point night to beat Warriors 134-126

Longtime pro Jordan Crawford opens up to Spencer Davies about his unpleasant NBA experience, his Detroit connection and more.

Ex-NBA pro Jordan Crawford has a story to tell — and a whole lot more

A list of 12 of the top talents in modern NBA history to have never appeared in an All-Star Game.

The 12 best modern-history players to never make an NBA All-Star team

The NBA Sixth Man of the Year award recognizes the importance of a key player who contributes like a starter despite coming off the bench. Over the last decade, with only one exception (Lou Williams in 2018), nine of the 10 award-winners were a part of a playoff team.
It's fair to say that the Sixth Man of the Year must contribute to a high level of winning.
There is another commonality between the winners of the award over the last 10 seasons: All but one of them have been high-volume guards &mdash; Tyler Herro, Jordan Clarkson, Williams (3x), Jamal Crawford (2x), Eric Gordon and JR Smith (with the one anamoly being Montrezl Harrell.)
Zooming out more, over the last 20 seasons, 17 of the winners were listed as a "shooting guard." Harrell, Lamar Odom and Antawn Jamison were the other three award-winners in that span.
Each of these guards had one job when they came into the game: Get buckets. Every award-winner averaged at least 14 points per game on 40% from the field or better, and 70% of the winners scored more than 18 points per contest. This is often good enough for a top-three scoring season on an individual's team, thus highlighting the important impact they have off the bench.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
But what is the Sixth Man of the Year award really&nbsp;about? Is it about a player's total impact off the bench? Is it the contribution to winning? Or is it merely the ability to score a lot of points while not being in the starting lineup?
The only legitimate qualification for the award is playing with the second unit more than being in the actual starting five. In 2016-17, while Gordon only started 15 games, he was third on the team in minutes played. Herro was also third in minutes for the Miami Heat this past season.&nbsp;
Volume. Volume. Volume.
However, the Sixth Man of the Year award should look beyond the volume scorers by default and focus on those bench players who have a high-level impact on winning teams.
Take, for instance, Tyus Jones. The Memphis Grizzlies finished with the second-best record in the NBA last season (56-26). Yes, Memphis has a budding superstar in Ja Morant, but the Grizzlies are not where they are today without Jones.
Jones led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (7.04) by almost 2 assists over the next closest player &mdash; his brother, San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (5.07). Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has been able to entrust his offense to Tyus with the second unit to the point where Memphis finished with the second-highest scoring average in the NBA last season at 115.6 points per game.&nbsp;
Last season's Sixth Man award-winner was Herro, who had a net rating of plus-5.3. While net rating is more of a team stat, it does indicate that his team was better by more than 5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor. In comparison, the Grizzlies were 7.6 points per 100 possessions better than their opponent when Jones was on the floor.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Taylor Jenkins on how Tyus Jones&rsquo; aggression and confidence scoring the ball enhances the team&rsquo;s offense &mdash; his playmaking, his teammates, productivity <a href="https://t.co/CdGw6gXWRe">pic.twitter.com/CdGw6gXWRe</a>
&mdash; Grizzly Bear Blues (@sbnGrizzlies) <a href="https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies/status/1456033306257002504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just a great connector out there. I love the spirit [and] leadership he plays with, the way he moves the ball,&rdquo; Jenkins said after the playoff-opening loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. &ldquo;Obviously when he&rsquo;s played a bigger role, he&rsquo;s filled those shoes brilliantly. He plays so well, plays great team basketball.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies were also 17-6 in the games in which Jones had to step in, replacing an All-NBA player in Morant due to injury. Herro only started 10 games in Miami last season, and the Heat were 5-5 in those contests. Further, Herro was playing a less crucial position than Jones and replacing a less depended-upon player.
In those 23 contests in which Jones started, he averaged 12.7 points and 6.6 assists per game. Memphis had an improved Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating compared to his time off the bench, good for plus-14.1 per 100 possessions with Tyus starting. In Herro's 10 starts, his scoring average decreased slightly. (His assists did bump to 4.4 helpers a night, though.)
However, in essence, when Jones was called upon to start, he elevated his play with his increased minutes. Herro's starts were essentially on par with his production off the bench, and Miami saw a significant decrease in both ORTG and DRTG with him as a starter; now, this is partly due to who may have been absent from the lineup. Nonetheless, Herro's impact fell well short of Jones when you look beyond pure scoring.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
A prime example of the "impact winning" argument comes from the Utah Jazz in 2020-21, in which both Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles were up for Sixth Man of the Year. (One of them clearly had to be the seventh man, right?)
Clarkson was top-three in just two categories for the Jazz, points per game and steals per game; meanwhile, Ingles was top-three in assists, Offensive Rating, three-point percentage, Offensive Plus-Minus and Win Shares. So while Clarkson outscored Ingles by an average of 6 points per game, it certainly seems that Ingles had a bigger impact on winning each game.&nbsp;
The NBA is full of nuance. The MVP has always been a nuanced conversation, where statistics and impact beyond basic scoring are weighed and valued. The MVP off the bench should also be deeper than just being a "bucket-getter."
Guys like Joe Ingles in 2020 and Tyus Jones over the last couple of years are an example of some of the most important players off the bench in the entire Association, and it could lead the latter to some golden hardware this season.

Justin Lewis analyzes how Tyus Jones' importance to the Grizzlies' success could lead to him winning the Sixth Man award.

Why Tyus Jones has a case for 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man award with Grizzlies

You are now invited into the NBA rabbit hole you didn&rsquo;t know you needed.
Do you remember Deron Williams before he boxed Frank Gore? The Deron Williams before toiling away with his hometown Dallas Mavericks and ring-chasing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The one before the New Jersey Nets moved to Brooklyn. The one that got you banned on forums because of how vociferously you may have argued that he was better or worse than Chris Paul.
Ten years ago today, on March 4, that dude dropped a franchise-record 57 points. Yeah, you&rsquo;re getting old too, son. (That's still a Nets record, by the way.)
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QtcSThEhAPw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
That game itself, otherwise, wasn&rsquo;t all that memorable. The Nets had about one month left as representatives of New Jersey before relocating to Brooklyn later that year. They, at 12-26, won 104-101 against a Charlotte Bobcats (!) team that dropped to 4-31 on the lockout-shortened season.
Starters in the game included other glorious names like Kris Humphries, who was second on the Nets with 11 points (and 13 rebounds) and played 40 minutes. DeShawn Stevenson finished with an 0-2-1-0-0 line and had one shot attempt in 29 minutes of play. Eduardo N&aacute;jera, DeSagana Diop (who started for Charlotte!) and Shelden Williams got some run, and Tyrus Thomas played about seven minutes.
Kemba Walker was still coming off the bench for D.J. Augustin. Corey Maggette was the game&rsquo;s second-highest scorer, finishing with 24 points on just 4-of-12 shooting, but converted 15-of-16 free-throw attempts.
Current Charlotte (Hornets) star LaMelo Ball was 10 years old.
But it was also one of Williams&rsquo; last awesome NBA moments while still in his prime, a career cut short due to... well, it depends on who you ask, and/or what you believe. It&rsquo;s either related to injuries, which we began seeing take a toll on Williams after the Nets moved to Brooklyn. Or other stuff, like constant clashes with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett during that infamous 2013-14 season together.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/onYXHocSBhw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Say what you want about Stephen A. Smith &mdash; and this was before he essentially became the face of ESPN &mdash; but I vividly recall him here in New York saying things like, &ldquo;Deron Williams has the easiest job a franchise player could ever hope to have!&rdquo; And, &ldquo;All he has to do is ball,&rdquo; as Williams, frankly, didn&rsquo;t.
There was also the story that Pierce once mocked Williams, saying, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2015/7/11/8932649/farewell-to-all-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What&rsquo;s the matter now, Deron? Your ____ hurt</a>?&rdquo; (If I&rsquo;m blanking it and not even giving you a letter, just know it was raw.)
The Nets had Williams &mdash; generally hated by their fans to this day &mdash; Pierce, Garnett, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez as a championship-level starting-five (in theory) entering the 2013-14 season. And the head coach was a first-timer in Jason Kidd, who played an integral part on the underappreciated 54-win New York Knicks the season before as a player.
<a href="https://sicovers.com/featured/brooklyns-new-look-nets-who-wants-a-piece-of-them-2013-14-october-28-2013-sports-illustrated-cover.html">Remember that Sports Illustrated cover</a>? Ohhhhhh maaaaaaan.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
You may also recall the famous Jackie MacMullan <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile on Pierce</a> when he was a Washington Wizard in the early John Wall and Bradley Beal days. As far as we know, this was before Wall and Marcin Gortat <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2018/02/07/marcin-gortat-responds-to-john-walls-comments-whos-attacking-who/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted to box each other&rsquo;s heads off</a>.
&ldquo;Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate,&rdquo; Pierce <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said to MacMullan</a>. &ldquo;But I felt once we got there, that's not what he wanted to be. He just didn't want that.
&ldquo;I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.&rdquo;
After noting that Johnson is quiet and doesn&rsquo;t want much attention, Pierce continued.
&ldquo;There's a lot of secondary guys on that team. KG and I went there looking at them as the main guys who would push us, because we were advancing in years. But we ended up doing all the pushing,&rdquo; he said.
(Given what we&rsquo;ve learned, it&rsquo;s mildly surprising that Williams didn&rsquo;t <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1472409021189857287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just fight him</a> after seeing this, but anyway.)
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cVcakHo9HA0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Williams remains one of the grand "what ifs" of this century. And let&rsquo;s be responsible &mdash; injuries are one of the driving reasons for his sudden downswing from stardom to shell over a... hmm... two-year span? But we do what-ifs with guys who battled injuries all the time: Penny Hardaway, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Grant Hill and Derrick Rose, to name a few.
With Williams, just visualize, given how the game was going &mdash; and where he had been trending at one point &mdash; where he would&rsquo;ve evolved to if the talent, health, discipline and mentality all added up. And it doesn&rsquo;t always come together, which is why it&rsquo;s not responsible to purely say &ldquo;talent wins&rdquo; if the implication that talent alone is enough for substantial success.
And he clearly worked hard.
Williams averaged 19.5 points and 10.2 assists from 2007 to 2012 on .460/.346/.827 shooting splits. He attempted four threes a game at a respectable level and nearly six free throws per contest during that span. He consistently was among the league leaders in assists, while simultaneously profiling as one of the NBA&rsquo;s best scoring point guards. His True Shooting percentage was at 56.8% during those five years, hitting 60% in '07-08 and never dropping below 56.6% until the Nets&rsquo; last year in New Jersey. (Understandable when Humphries is your second-best player for most of the season.)
We weren&rsquo;t letting &lsquo;em fly from three the way we are now, and Williams was, like most others, streaky &mdash; but you had to guard him out there. The 35% perimeter clip in his peak reflected the near 36% for his career. The assists came with some high turnover numbers &mdash; Williams averaged 3.5 turnovers per game in those five seasons &mdash; but that still gave him a near 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f2gTTxTJjDk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Williams wasn&rsquo;t a usage monster either &mdash; his rating was never higher than 25.8% until a 30.1% usage in 2011-12, but, again, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/2012.html">look at the roster</a>. Even so, he was eighth in the league in usage; otherwise, he never cracked the league&rsquo;s top-20. You know who did during that span? And on multiple occasions? Corey Maggette, Michael Beasley, Stephen Jackson, his then-teammate Brook Lopez and his former teammate Carlos Boozer. (Rashad McCants, Andrea Bargnani, Charlie Villanueva, Josh Smith, Rodney Stuckey and Jordan Crawford were in the top-20 as well during those days.)
Until the trade from Utah to New Jersey, Williams would be in the top-20 in VORP consistently too. Most hadn&rsquo;t yet cared about some of those metrics though.
And his strength was a big part of his game. Williams was built like Eric Gordon, had powerful crossovers like Baron Davis, a passing fluidity that neared Steve Nash, and an offensive creativity that rivaled CP3&rsquo;s &mdash; which is how all those damn fights started.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Williams, in a lot of ways, was perfect for where the league was going. Surprisingly, he only made three All-Star teams, which were consecutive from 2010 to 2012; though, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2009/2/12/20301620/all-star-snubs-continue-for-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had snub arguments in 2008 and 2009</a>, and <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/01/26/nets-wont-stir-pot-about-all-star-snub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again in 2013</a>.
It never came together, and everyone missed out because of it. Imagine if his prime stretched into a couple of those Brooklyn seasons... but don&rsquo;t imagine too hard because logistically, it would be a pain in the ass to lay out. But if he did ball out the way people on microphones, in forums and in his own locker room called for? Man.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bw8c5SmcvJo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Williams would've been toe-to-toe in the mid-2010s against then-prime-entering stars such as James Harden, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. In his own conference, we might&rsquo;ve seen him in the playoffs go crossover-for-crossover with Kyrie Irving, or bump-for-bump with Kyle Lowry, or tough-finish-for-tough-finish with Wall. All of that while still mirroring a stat line of roughly 20 points and 10 assists per game on efficient shooting, further increasing his three-point and free-throw volume in the process.
That said, he did give us multiple All-NBA seasons and, again, a whole-ass fight with Gore. He says he&rsquo;s one-and-done, but that might be because none of you have offered him the Pierce one yet. And as silly as that sounds, you know you&rsquo;d watch.
But seriously, peak Williams was epic. If he continued along the path he had been, we don&rsquo;t know if it would&rsquo;ve brought the Nets a title &mdash; but they would&rsquo;ve been damn close.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

On the March 4 anniversary of Deron Williams' 57-point game, Bryan Fonseca looks back on his career and wonders: "What if?"

Deron Williams dropped 57 a decade ago... what could've been?

The&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/jamal-crawfords-welcome-to-the-nba-moment/" 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>:
For a lot of players, getting used to the off-court realities of NBA life is as challenging as figuring out the game itself. As much as they remember the first time someone schooled them on the court, players also remember the first time they realized there are no feelings and loyalty in the business of the NBA. Jamal Crawford learned that lesson early on in his career.
&ldquo;This is a business&rdquo;
With the No. 8 pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Jamal Crawford, but rerouted him to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Chris Mihm and cash. A rebuilding team that was trying to find its way after Michael Jordan left Chicago for good, the Bulls were turning to young prospects. That gave Crawford the confidence that they would have patience with young players who show potential.
Then, a &ldquo;welcome to the NBA&rdquo; moment sobered Crawford up.
"The first one I can remember, like &lsquo;Whoa, this is a business' was Khalid El-Amin," Crawford <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/tr/podcast/jamal-crawford/id1443174829?i=1000536338009&amp;l=tr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on The Habershow</a>. "He was playing well &mdash; he was a second-round pick &mdash; and I&rsquo;m pulling in to the facility, and he&rsquo;s leaving the facility. I&rsquo;m like &lsquo;Where you going? We got practice.' And he was like, &lsquo;They just let me go.&lsquo; I was playing behind him, here I am a lottery pick! He had a better rookie season, flat out."
El-Amin was a member of the 1999 Huskies team that won the NCAA championship. He was the 34th pick in the same draft as Crawford, playing ahead of him, getting real NBA minutes and performing; yet, it wasn&rsquo;t enough. The craziest part is that El-Amin was selected to play in the Rookie-Sophomore game that season. That means he was considered to be one of the 12 best rookies in the NBA. A month later, he was let go by the Bulls.
Crawford couldn&rsquo;t believe it.
&ldquo;That was my first 'welcome to the NBA' moment where I was like, &lsquo;What to hell, this makes zero sense?!&rsquo; I forgot about that part, he made the Rookie-Sophomore game. He was balling! I&rsquo;ve never told that story, that&rsquo;s crazy," Crawford <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/tr/podcast/jamal-crawford/id1443174829?i=1000536338009&amp;l=tr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Jamal had to wrap his head around the fact that even if you&rsquo;re playing great, sometimes that&rsquo;s just not enough.
Potential is everything
El-Amin played for the Dakota Wizards in the D-League (now G League) the next year, but those minutes with the Bulls were his last in the NBA. After that, it&rsquo;s a list of teams overseas for an impressive international career. But why do you draft a guy only to cut him so quickly, particularly after he&rsquo;s outplayed his draft position?
There&rsquo;s nothing general managers love more than to draft well in the second round; that boosts their credibility and literally buys a few years of job security. But given the fact no other team signed El-Amin after the Bulls let him go, there was an obvious consensus he&rsquo;s not good enough for the Association.
Teams are always thinking two moves ahead, and at 5-foot-10, a player&rsquo;s potential in the NBA is limited. You literally have to be the best scorer in the fourth quarter in NBA history (Isaiah Thomas, for those who don&rsquo;t know enough about the King in the Fourth) to offset your defensive limitations. And the moment IT stopped dropping 30, he was out of the league before we knew it. But Kudos to Thomas for making it back this season on a pair of 10-days.
But Crawford learned quickly as a rookie about the harsh side of the league.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Jamal Crawford recalls the time he found out firsthand the harsh realities of the NBA.

Jamal Crawford relays when he found out the NBA was a business

With his exciting style of play and big personality, it&rsquo;s only a matter of time until Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland becomes a fan favorite. He has already started winning over Denver&rsquo;s fan base and soon, the 21-year-old will likely have fans across the country.
Hyland, the No. 26 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, looks like a potential steal for the Nuggets based on the flashes he has shown so far this season.
On Friday, Hyland dropped a career-high 24 points in 26 minutes (shooting 8-11 from the field and 4-5 from three), while also chipping in 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the Nuggets' win over the Atlanta Hawks. Last week, Hyland had 16 points, 4 threes, 3 assists and 1 steal (while shooting 50.0% from the field and 44.4% from three) in 23 minutes, helping the Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs. In a win over the Miami Heat, he contributed 19 points and 5 threes (on 66.7% shooting from the field and 62.5% from three) in just 21 minutes. He's also had an 18-point, 3-assist, 3-rebound, 2-steal performance and a 15-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist outing &ndash; both of which came in wins.
With that said, you need to watch him play to fully appreciate the Bones Hyland experience. He pulls up from deep, crosses over opponents, dazzles in transition and hits stepback jumpers &ndash; all while talking trash, flexing at the crowd and pumping up everyone in the arena. And once he starts hitting shots and drawing defenders&rsquo; attention, he creates open shots for his teammates.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ccx6TZrO3l8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s honestly what I do,&rdquo; Hyland said when asked about winning over the fans in Denver. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting more and more comfortable being out there and, as you can see, I&rsquo;m showing a lot more. But that&rsquo;s what I do: I get the crowd involved. I&rsquo;m a fan favorite, I can already tell that. That&rsquo;s been me for my whole life! It&rsquo;s just going to keep happening as the season goes along.&rdquo;
Hyland doesn&rsquo;t lack confidence &ndash; on or off the court. For example, he started some of his meetings at the NBA Draft Combine by rapping for the decision-makers in attendance.
&ldquo;I rapped for some of the teams; I have some songs that I&rsquo;ve made and I did a little snippet of those for them, and they loved it!&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;Just right off the bat, from the rip, I was rapping. I ain&rsquo;t shy. They just loved me, honestly.&rdquo;
One of those teams was the Nuggets. Hyland said that he instantly felt a special connection with Denver&rsquo;s coaches. Of all his Combine interviews, he said his meeting with the Nuggets went the best.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I just want the world to know: I&rsquo;m that guy who&rsquo;s got the best personality,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;No matter what, I can light up a room. I can light up a locker room. I just want the world to know that&hellip; [People] love me! (laughs) Just my confidence, my personality... I&rsquo;m just so outgoing, and when I step into a room, it&rsquo;s like I&rsquo;ve known them for so long. It&rsquo;s like we knew each other already. That&rsquo;s the level of confidence that I have and that&rsquo;s the personality that I have. I can light up a room in seconds&hellip; I&rsquo;m a kid that you&rsquo;re gonna fall in love with.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Hyland believes his ability to win people over and light up a room also makes him a great locker-room presence and leader.
&ldquo;You know how on some teams, they&rsquo;re with each other a little bit, but you can tell that there&rsquo;s a little bit of animosity within them? I feel as though I can come in and be that middle man and make everyone get on the same page and get everyone to respect me,&rdquo; Hyland said before the 2021 NBA Draft. &ldquo;Even though I&rsquo;m young, I&rsquo;m wise beyond my years. They will listen to me and hear where I&rsquo;m coming from, and I can help solve their problems... I&rsquo;m big on building relationships.&rdquo;
Where does Hyland&rsquo;s unlimited confidence come from?
&ldquo;Honestly, that confidence really came from, first of all, the man above &ndash; God gave it to me. But also it came from me trusting in my work,&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always lived by, 'Nobody works harder than me.' So, it came from that as well. I&rsquo;m always ready for the moment. I&rsquo;m never a step or two behind, I&rsquo;m always three steps forward.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Look at the moxie on this dude, Bones Hyland, a delightful player <a href="https://t.co/o579vulvgj">pic.twitter.com/o579vulvgj</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1459371193291575299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

As if Hyland wasn&rsquo;t likeable enough, he also has one of the coolest names of any player in the league. While his first name is actually Nah&rsquo;Shon, he&rsquo;s been going by Bones since he was a kid.
&ldquo;[I got the nickname] when I was younger. Her name is Chicken; she&rsquo;s a female, she was my best friend, and she gave me that name,&rdquo; Hyland explained. &ldquo;It was probably when we were, like, 10. It just stuck with me. Ever since then, I was like, &lsquo;Man, that&rsquo;s a nice name, I&rsquo;m gonna run with that!&rsquo; And ever since then, it&rsquo;s just been legendary. Everyone would always say both names because we would always be with each other. So, it was like, &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; and then it just went from there.&rdquo;
In college, Hyland proved that he could create his own shot from just about anywhere &ndash; pulling up from well behind the three-point line, scoring at the rim despite being undersized and everything in between. And like Hyland said, he&rsquo;s always been a fan favorite, and his two years at VCU were no exception. With his highlight plays and swagger, he was beloved.
During pre-draft workouts, he continued to display his ability to create instant offense, showing signs that he might eventually be the NBA&rsquo;s next great sixth man if given the right opportunity. Hyland says he watches a lot of Jamal Crawford, Trae Young, Ja Morant and streetball legend Hot Sauce. At one point prior to the draft, he described himself as a better Jordan Clarkson.
&ldquo;My game translates to the next level &ndash; more than a lot of these players in this draft class, honestly,&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m the type of kid who has the kind of scoring ability that a lot of teams need. I&rsquo;m that spark. You see guys like J.C. (Jordan Clarkson) of the Jazz and a lot of guys like that; I have that kind of scoring ability, but I can score in many more ways and I can do many more things than just the things that he does.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Hyland&rsquo;s transition to the NBA has been pretty smooth, aside from a few rough outings where he struggled to knock down shots (which is to be expected for a rookie). As he continues to play more, he&rsquo;s getting comfortable and developing chemistry with his teammates.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really honestly slowing down for me. I&rsquo;m starting to get the reads more and just getting more comfortable out there,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really slowing down for me. [Once it slows down more], that&rsquo;s when it&rsquo;s gonna get scary&hellip; 
"I&rsquo;m just continuing to learn everything and learn my teammates more out there on the floor. I&rsquo;m starting to get more comfortable calling the plays, telling guys [things] and bringing them to the huddle. I&rsquo;m getting more comfortable just being out there and understanding my teammates and what spots they like, and that allows me to get more comfortable [too].&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hyland has impressed his teammates and coaches with his strong play and work ethic. After practices, he&rsquo;s made a habit of sticking around and studying film with the assistant coaches. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has praised Hyland during several postgame press conferences.
&ldquo;My man Bones! &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s get Bizzy Bones!&rsquo;&rdquo; Malone exclaimed earlier this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s hitting big shots, talking to the crowd, getting the place going crazy&hellip; You can't measure a young man just by his physical stature. Bones has a really big heart, and I think that's why the fans have come to fall in love with him so early: He plays with a flash, but he also plays his heart out&hellip;
&ldquo;Bones has extreme confidence, he shoots into a big basket and he&rsquo;s not afraid, and I think that&rsquo;s what the veteran players love about him. He&rsquo;s talented, he&rsquo;s young and he&rsquo;s still a work in progress, but he competes, he&rsquo;s not afraid and he&rsquo;s got big balls. He&rsquo;s gonna make big shots. How can you not, as a veteran, love a guy like that?!
&ldquo;What I love about Bones is when he gets into the paint and gets around the basket, he is not forcing tough shots. He is finding guys. He is playing with poise beyond his years&hellip; The best thing about Bones is that the guy is so young and he&rsquo;s only gonna get better. By game 82, he&rsquo;ll be a different player than he is right now and that&rsquo;s what really excites me.&rdquo;
It certainly seems like the Nuggets found a diamond in the rough with the No. 26 pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. And Hyland has a message for the teams that passed on him.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re gonna regret it in the next few years,&rdquo; Hyland said, &ldquo;because I&rsquo;m that golden child, I&rsquo;m that gem.&rdquo;

With his exciting style of play and big personality, it’s only a matter of time until Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland becomes a fan favorite.

Nuggets' Bones Hyland winning over fans: 'You're gonna fall in love!' 

Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland can light up a room with ease.&nbsp;
The 20-year-old is confident that he has the best personality of any player in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he has tried to display this during the pre-draft process. When he interviewed with teams at the NBA Combine, he kicked off some of his meetings with a rap performance. Hyland is extremely personable, treating complete strangers like close friends that he&rsquo;s known for years.
On the court, he has drawn comparisons to Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson, among others. As a sophomore at VCU, Hyland averaged 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 threes, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals on 53.9/37.1/86.2 shooting splits. BasketballNews.com recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/behind-the-scenes-with-2021-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-vcu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent time in the gym with Hyland to get a behind-the-scenes look</a> at his pre-draft training.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TI9RJ_vvIGY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
In <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>, our Matt Babcock has Hyland going No. 27 overall to the Brooklyn Nets. Babcock&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scouting profile of Hyland</a> reads: 
&ldquo;Nah'shon &lsquo;Bones&rsquo; Hyland is a skilled guard who easily has legitimate NBA range as a three-point shooter. In two seasons at VCU, he hit 39.9% of his 331 three-point attempts. He broke out as a sophomore, averaging 19.5 points per game. He lacks the ability to play as a true point guard, but he's a good playmaker who can create looks for both himself and others. If he cleans up his shot selection and defensive discipline, he projects nicely at the next level.&rdquo;
Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Hyland, and he opened up about his game, why he feels he&rsquo;s the top point guard in this draft, his outgoing personality, how he can help an NBA team, his off-court interests, how a childhood tragedy changed his life and much more.
I love your confidence. Early on in this process, you talked about how you were going to shine at the Combine and dominate workouts, and then you did exactly that. Have you always been like that? And where does that confidence come from?
Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, honestly, that confidence really came from, first of all, the man above &ndash; God gave it to me &ndash; but also it came from me trusting in my work. I&rsquo;ve always lived by: 'Nobody works harder than me.' So, it came from that as well. I&rsquo;m always ready for the moment. I&rsquo;m never a step or two behind, I&rsquo;m always three steps forward.&rdquo;
After the Combine, there was a lot of buzz about your performance. What did it mean to you to make the most of that opportunity and shine on that stage?
Hyland: &ldquo;It just shows them how much I&rsquo;ve been working and how much I&rsquo;ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. March Madness was taken away from me, so I came into that Combine like, &lsquo;This is my March Madness; this is my coming-out party. I&rsquo;m about to show the world that I&rsquo;m the top point guard in this draft class.&rsquo; I wanted to show them that, and I feel as though I displayed a lot of my talents. I definitely put them on notice, and I turned a lot of heads toward me, for sure.&rdquo;
Over the years, I&rsquo;ve seen a number of scorers who really helped their stock during the pre-draft process because they were able to get hot and dominate their workouts. I feel like this process is perfect for someone with your skill set. Would you agree with that?
Hyland: &ldquo;Exactly. Yeah! (laughs) -- It almost feels like all of these teams are playing catch-up with me, honestly. I say that because I feel as though they was [high] on a lot of other players and now they&rsquo;re [high] on me, and it feels great. I really showed these teams that I could&rsquo;ve helped them during this playoff run, or that I can help them go from a losing team to a winning team with my attributes. I feel as though I put them on notice, in a lot of ways.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Another thing I like about you is that you really seem to love the game. I&rsquo;ve heard that a lot of today&rsquo;s younger players don&rsquo;t really play pick-up or 21 or anything &ndash; they just do their drills and then only play the games on their team&rsquo;s schedule.&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Yup! Exactly.&rdquo;
But with you, I&rsquo;ve seen videos of you playing streetball and pick-up. I feel like you&rsquo;d be playing basketball every day even if you weren&rsquo;t trying to make it to the NBA. Is that rare nowadays? And if so, why do you think that is?
Hyland: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very rare. It just shows you that the love of the game has gone away from a lot of players, honestly. They just want to work out and they don&rsquo;t want to play as much. They don&rsquo;t want to get no bump in; they just want to work out and then leave the gym. And, man, I get mad. I get frustrated because I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;What are you coming to the gym for if you only want to work out? You aren&rsquo;t gonna play?! You don&rsquo;t want to get better by playing?&rsquo; I&rsquo;m the type of kid where I want to play basketball! Basketball is so fun! First, I want to dominate everybody in the gym, but I want to have fun in the gym as well. It don&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 -- I can play [a] mad [amount of] games in one day and then have a game the next day and still kill, because that&rsquo;s just the type of player that I am.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I just have a different love of the game. You can speak to anyone about that, and they&rsquo;ll tell you the same thing: I get mad at people who don&rsquo;t like to play basketball. Even in college, when a lot of the players just wanted to sit out and nobody wanted to come have runs in the gym at night or during the day, I was like, &lsquo;What are we here for?! You all just want to sit in your rooms?&rsquo; It made me frustrated, but I can only control what I can control. Whether we had the runs or not, I still got my work in. And I&rsquo;d always try to get at least a little bump in here and there.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve talked to some older players about that and they were confused by it. I remember Jamal Crawford was confused by it, like, &ldquo;Playing pick-up is the fun part! What do you mean you don&rsquo;t want to play?!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Exactly! (laughs) Like, I look forward to that type of stuff! I&rsquo;m gon&rsquo; go at them guys! It&rsquo;s sort of like why I should be that No. 1 guy, for sure. [I] just have them vibes on the court, you know? For a lot of people, the love of the game went away.&rdquo;
Speaking of which, when did you first fall in love with basketball?
Hyland: &ldquo;When I was about 2 years old, honestly. My brother installed basketball into my life. We went to the park and he just gave me a basketball, and I just fell in love with how the ball bounces, how it sounds, how the ball goes into the net&hellip; And ever since then, I just ran with it and it&rsquo;s been my passion.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gmKdpkQoK9M" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who are some players that you&rsquo;ve modeled your game after or studied?
Hyland: &ldquo;None, honestly. I do like to watch players like Jamal Crawford. I like to watch Ja [Morant]. I like to watch Trae [Young]. But nah, I don&rsquo;t try to model my game after anybody. I feel I have a very unique game. But I definitely like those players, though.&rdquo;
You love to get out in transition and pull up for deep threes and things like that. Do you think your game is a perfect fit for today&rsquo;s NBA?
Hyland: &ldquo;Most definitely. Like I said, a lot of teams are starting to inch toward me because they&rsquo;ve seen how much my game translates to the next level &ndash; more than a lot of these players in this draft class, honestly. I&rsquo;m the type of kid who has the kind of scoring ability that a lot of teams need. I&rsquo;m that spark. You see guys like J.C. (Jordan Clarkson) of the Jazz and a lot of guys like that; I have that kind of scoring ability, but I can score in many more ways and I can do many more things than just the things that he does. I feel as though I&rsquo;m that guy that teams should invest in, for sure.&rdquo;
What are some aspects of your game that you&rsquo;re focused on improving?
Hyland: &ldquo;All areas. I feel as though I&rsquo;m a very solid defender, but I&rsquo;m working on my defense. I want to just keep improving on everything, honestly.&rdquo;
You got the nickname &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; because you were so skinny. When did that nickname first come about and who gave it to you?
Hyland: &ldquo;When I was younger. Her name is Chicken. She&rsquo;s a female, and she was my best friend. She gave me that name and it was probably when we were, like, 10. It just stuck with me. Ever since then, I was like, &lsquo;Man, that&rsquo;s a nice name, I&rsquo;m gonna run with that!&rsquo; And ever since then, it&rsquo;s just been legendary.&rdquo;&nbsp;
So since you were best friends, you two were &ldquo;Chicken Bones&rdquo; then?
Hyland: &ldquo;Yes! (laughs) And everyone would always say both names because we would always be with each other. So, it was like, &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; and then it just went from there. (laughs) That just shows those names are legendary, for sure. Like, those are some nice names!&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Are there any misconceptions about you or your game that you&rsquo;re trying to disprove throughout this process?&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Uh, no, not at all. I&rsquo;m the same man, and I don&rsquo;t want to change nothing about me. I don&rsquo;t have no regrets. I just want the world to know: I&rsquo;m that guy who got the best personality. No matter what, I can light up a room. I can light up a locker room. I just want the world to know that.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;re very personable and easy to talk to, which I&rsquo;m sure helps you when you&rsquo;re interviewing with teams.
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, they love me. Every single one! In every interview, they love me. (laughs) Just my confidence, my personality... I rap for some of the teams. I&rsquo;m just so outgoing, and when I step into a room, it [feels] like I&rsquo;ve known them for so long. It&rsquo;s like we knew each other already. That&rsquo;s the level of confidence that I have and that&rsquo;s also the personality that I have. I can light up a room in seconds.&rdquo;
You rapped when you interviewed with some teams? That&rsquo;s incredible!
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, I have some songs that I&rsquo;ve made and I did a little snippet of those for them, and they loved it! Just right off the bat, from the rip, I was rapping. I ain&rsquo;t shy, I ain&rsquo;t nothing. They just loved me, honestly.&rdquo;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZiEyV5MKpVo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
I found some of your tracks on YouTube. When did you start rapping?
Hyland: &ldquo;Back in 2018, I started rapping because I faced the house tragedy. I just found a different passion and love, and it was rapping &ndash; releasing my thoughts through the mic, and it would help me. It was very therapeutic for me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
[Editor&rsquo;s Note: In 2018, when Hyland was 17, his house caught on fire, killing his grandmother, Fay, and his 11-month-old brother, Maurice. He escaped through a second-story window, tearing his patella when he landed on the ground.]
I <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/06/nba-draft-bones-hyland-nahshon-vcu-top-prospects-sleepers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read about the tragedy</a>, and I&rsquo;m so sorry you had to go through that. I didn&rsquo;t realize that you turned to rap as a way to cope with that.
Hyland: &ldquo;It was more so, like... I couldn&rsquo;t hoop, so I had to find something else or I was gonna go crazy.&rdquo;
I&rsquo;m glad you found music. How did that life-changing tragedy change you?&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;It shaped me into a wise young man, honestly. I just showed a lot of people how tough I really am. And no matter how much adversity is coming my way, I won&rsquo;t ever give up. God kept his palm on me, and I&rsquo;m just blessed to be here. I wake up with a smile every day. That changed my life forever.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s a great way of looking at it. You mentioned having the best personality. Do you try to be that glue guy in the locker room who is friendly with everyone? And do you think your personality allows you to make an impact off the court as well?&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah. You know how on some teams, they&rsquo;re with each other a little bit, but you can tell that there&rsquo;s a little bit of animosity within them? I feel as though I can come in and be that middle man and make everyone get on the same page and get everyone to respect me. Even if I&rsquo;m young, I&rsquo;m wise beyond my years. They will listen to me and hear where I&rsquo;m coming from, and I can help solve their problems. Honestly, that&rsquo;s why I think I can help a losing team become a winning team. I&rsquo;m big on building relationships.&rdquo;
You mentioned being the best point guard in this class. What are some of your long-term goals for your NBA career?
Hyland: &ldquo;Just being the best person that I can be, controlling what I can control day-in and day-out. I don&rsquo;t ever like to look too far ahead; I like to stay in the moment, honestly. But whoever misses out on me, they&rsquo;re gonna regret it in the next few years &ndash; because I&rsquo;m that golden child, I&rsquo;m that gem that you need, honestly.&rdquo;&nbsp;
What will it mean to you to hear your name called on draft night? Has it sunk in yet?
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, I like to dream about that a lot and look forward to that a lot. That&rsquo;s the only thing I look ahead to. (laughs) It&rsquo;s going to be a dream come true. It&rsquo;s going to be like, &lsquo;Wow, I really did it. I really overcame so much and accomplished my goal.&rsquo; I can show the kids back home that no matter how much adversity you face, you can do it as well.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Keep God first, keep your faith, keep working and keep your love for the game. Never let nobody steer you wrong. Stay on your path and just show everyone that you can do it. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m doing. That&rsquo;s what I feel I&rsquo;m on this earth for: to display my story and showcase my talents to the world.&rdquo;
Let&rsquo;s say you run into an NBA executive and they ask you, &ldquo;Why should I draft you? Why should I want you on my roster?&rdquo; What would you tell them?
Hyland: &ldquo;I have the best personality. I&rsquo;m a kid that you&rsquo;re gonna fall in love with. I&rsquo;m a kid that&rsquo;s going to change your program around, or I&rsquo;m a kid that can keep your program at a high level. I can help in many ways, with my scoring abilities, my shooting abilities, my playmaking abilities and also on the defensive end. I&rsquo;m a great kid to invest in. I&rsquo;m a kid who has his head on straight. On and off the court, I&rsquo;m a great kid and I&rsquo;m definitely the best investment that you&rsquo;ll make.&rdquo;
What&rsquo;s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Hyland: &ldquo;Never give up. From my mom. No matter how tough life gets, never give up.&rdquo;

In this Q&A, Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland opens up about his game, his personality, how he can help an NBA team and much more.

Q&A: Draft prospect Nah'Shon 'Bones' Hyland demands your attention

Spencer Davies catches up with Will Bynum to discuss his unconventional journey and recent pivot to training NBA draft prospects.

After unconventional journey, Will Bynum is passing his wisdom on to next generation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Rookie LaMelo Ball has seized the attention of the NBA this season with his highlight reel passes and a surprising ability to score, including Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan.
The six-time NBA champion said when the Hornets selected Ball with the No. 3 overall pick they hoped the crafty 6-foot-6 point guard would eventually rise to the level of becoming an All-Star.
Jordan likes the way Ball is trending.
&ldquo;I think Melo has adjusted to the NBA game better than any of us ever thought this early in his career," Jordan told The Associated Press in an email. &ldquo;He has exceeded our expectations so far this season.&rdquo;
Ball leads all rookies in most statistical categories, including points (15.8), assists (6.3), rebounds (6) and steals (1.6) per game.
More importantly, Ball's game &mdash; which includes an array of slick, needle-threading passes &mdash; has brought some needed pizzazz and star potential to a franchise mired in obscurity for years. The Hornets are 17-18 entering the All-Star break, just a game behind the fourth place Boston Celtics in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
&ldquo;He's the real deal,&rdquo; Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said.
Warriors forward Draymond Green recently tweeted &ldquo;LaMelo is a problem!&rdquo;
"Right now, with the way things look, he looks like NBA rookie of the year to me," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "He&rsquo;s getting it done statistically, their team is winning. He&rsquo;s got energy, he&rsquo;s got a vibe, he&rsquo;s got swagger. If you like watching players that play with flair, he&rsquo;s right up there.&rdquo;
Ball, who grew up watching Penny Hardaway and Jamal Crawford highlights, sees things on the court most players don&rsquo;t.
He regularly delivers on-time behind-the-back passes leading to transition layups, kick-outs for open 3-pointers and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p51RnseYuc"> alley-oop lobs for dunks </a> off the pick-and-roll, many of those going to high-flying Miles Bridges, earning the duo the nickname &ldquo;AirBnB.&rdquo;
Ball's impact with the Hornets was almost immediate, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in just his 10th NBA game. Still, it took 20 games before Hornets coach James Borrego inserted him into the starting lineup following an injury to Devonte Graham.
It's unlikely Ball is giving up the position anytime soon.
The 19-year-old has only elevated his game in 15 starts, averaging 20.6 points, 6.6 assists and 6.2 rebounds and has already won NBA rookie of the month twice.
&ldquo;Me being me, I&rsquo;m never going to say putting me on the bench was something smart or good to do,&rdquo; Ball said. &ldquo;It always feels like when I&rsquo;m on the court I&rsquo;m helping. ... But I think one of the reasons is because we didn&rsquo;t have no summer league, so he probably wanted to ease me into it.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Said Borrego: &ldquo;His growth, his fearlessness, his ability to bounce back even when things don&rsquo;t go his way on one end of the floor &hellip; he&rsquo;s a special kid.&rdquo;
Before the NBA draft three where were concerns about Ball's unorthodox shooting form with a lower release point than most. He's proven doubters wrong by finding ways to create his own shot while making 37.8% from beyond the arc.
Ball said coaches have tried to change his shooting form just about everywhere he's been, but he's steadfastly resisted.
&ldquo;I always said, &lsquo;This is how I shoot,'&rdquo; Ball said. "I&rsquo;m confident in it. I feel good letting it go. Even coming here (to the Hornets), they low-key tried to adjust it a little but I said, &lsquo;No, this is how I shoot&rsquo; and I just stuck with it.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think people wondered at the beginning: was he a good enough shooter?" Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said. &ldquo;I don't think that's a concern.&rdquo;
That ability to shoot has forced teams to defend Ball behind the arc, making it easier for him to penetrate and score or dish.
&ldquo;Man, he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to lie, I&rsquo;m very impressed with his playmaking ability, his competitiveness, but his joy. ... He&rsquo;s very talented; he can do many different things."
Ball said he wants to add some muscle to frame and Jordan added "we believe that he will continue to work and get better as a player.&rdquo;
Ball's long-term NBA goal is simple, if not lofty: he wants to be a Hall of Famer like Jordan.
Nothing would please Jordan more.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Hornets haven't been to the playoffs since 2016 and haven't won a playoff series in 19 years.
They've lacked star power.
Ball, with 5.7 million Instagram followers, brings national attention. And his unselfish, pass-friendly approach could make the Hornets an attractive destination for future free agents, thus making Charlotte more competitive.
Like most rookies, Ball needs to continue improve on the defensive end of the court for the Hornets to achieve the consistent success.
&ldquo;Our goal is to build a consistent winner and have free agents look at our program, just like Gordon (Hayward) did this offseason," Jordan said. "It&rsquo;s not just about Melo. It&rsquo;s about our group of young, talented players, our coaching staff and our entire Hornets organization. All of those factors, along with Charlotte being a great city, will make us become a destination.&ldquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan opens up about LaMelo Ball's terrific start to his rookie season.

Michael Jordan: LaMelo Ball has 'exceeded our expectations'

January 26th will forever be a day of mourning in the basketball community. Today marks one year since the tragic death of Kobe and Gigi Bryant in a helicopter accident. Players and fans alike still feel Bryant's impact on the game, and he left an indelible mark on the sport and its culture.
Notable names in basketball have expressed their feelings on social media, and we'll be compiling them throughout the day:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Laker Nation we will always remember the brilliance, the legend, and the mamba mentality of #8/#24 💜💛 <a href="https://t.co/vnXNOYZ3Jy">pic.twitter.com/vnXNOYZ3Jy</a>
&mdash; Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1354065646355582990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I miss you, hermano... <a href="https://t.co/Wd2MdT1JZ0">pic.twitter.com/Wd2MdT1JZ0</a>
&mdash; Pau Gasol (@paugasol) <a href="https://twitter.com/paugasol/status/1354144583681249281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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


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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rest In Peace my guy...🙏🏽 Today we honor and remember you and Gigi!! <a href="https://t.co/2GVoq1VQTy">pic.twitter.com/2GVoq1VQTy</a>
&mdash; Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrvincecarter15/status/1353934975444398080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/ubTm50xmLH">pic.twitter.com/ubTm50xmLH</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1354070605264527360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Always in my thoughts. <a href="https://t.co/DWcxRbztWr">pic.twitter.com/DWcxRbztWr</a>
&mdash; George Karl (@CoachKarl22) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKarl22/status/1354068305737375745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/love2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="776" height="AUTO" />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Still inspiring the youth, Kobe forever <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackMamba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackMamba</a> 🐍🖤 <a href="https://t.co/Rn6R1gs5R4">pic.twitter.com/Rn6R1gs5R4</a>
&mdash; Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicolas88batum/status/1353540056947032066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🖤🐍🙏🏾 <a href="https://twitter.com/excelsm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@excelsm</a> <a href="https://t.co/xO5btH5D8c">pic.twitter.com/xO5btH5D8c</a>
&mdash; Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummond) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreDrummond/status/1354131420076269569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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


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


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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
KB 💜 🙏🏽 8 24
&mdash; Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanClarksons/status/1354096993031778305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
For the moments, lessons, and memories I&rsquo;ll have forever.. truly thankful 🖤 <a href="https://t.co/z5dZ52RfNS">pic.twitter.com/z5dZ52RfNS</a>
&mdash; Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1354098835434463233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kyrie pays tribute to Kobe ❤️ (via <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrooklynNets</a>)<a href="https://t.co/3Bq1p9tn3T">pic.twitter.com/3Bq1p9tn3T</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1353844596938313730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another day, another opportunity. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MambaMentality?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MambaMentality</a>
&mdash; 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) <a href="https://twitter.com/JCrossover/status/1354103890598268929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
24 Forever🕊🙏🏽
&mdash; Devin Vassell (@Yvngdevo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yvngdevo/status/1354130321034379266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MambaForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MambaForever</a>
&mdash; Richaun Holmes (@Rich_Holmes22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rich_Holmes22/status/1354135342987808768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Still unbelievable <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MambaForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MambaForever</a> 🙏🏾 <a href="https://t.co/y7enBSizZj">pic.twitter.com/y7enBSizZj</a>
&mdash; Felicio (@IamFelicio) <a href="https://twitter.com/IamFelicio/status/1354127519226716161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
R.I.P. Kobe 🙏🏽
&mdash; Frank Mason (@FrankMason0) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankMason0/status/1354139736491884547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🙏🏾 <a href="https://t.co/lb7DgKKqth">pic.twitter.com/lb7DgKKqth</a>
&mdash; Caron Butler (@realtuffjuice) <a href="https://twitter.com/realtuffjuice/status/1354100738792837127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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


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


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


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


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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/qaadFVOZrU">pic.twitter.com/qaadFVOZrU</a>
&mdash; Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) <a href="https://twitter.com/hbarnes/status/1354104438009556998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kobe is looking down on us smiling <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KobeForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KobeForever</a>
&mdash; JJJ (@jarenjacksonjr) <a href="https://twitter.com/jarenjacksonjr/status/1354168956089729024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hard to believe it's been a year. We miss you Kobe. Your impact and legacy live on forever. <a href="https://t.co/pe3u1x4idA">pic.twitter.com/pe3u1x4idA</a>
&mdash; Jason Kidd (@RealJasonKidd) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJasonKidd/status/1354170042229915648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RIP Kobe and Gigi🙏🏽 Still doesn&rsquo;t seem real, I&rsquo;m at a loss for words. You&rsquo;re loved and missed💜💛
&mdash; Tyus Jones (@1Tyus) <a href="https://twitter.com/1Tyus/status/1354224033659826177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

January 26th will forever be a day of mourning in the basketball community.

NBA world reacts to one-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's death

With training camps starting in a week, the NBA's 2020 free-agency period has moved very quickly. Nearly all of the marquee free agents are off the board, aside from Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram (RFA). However, both stars are expected to re-sign.
On Day 5, who are the top remaining free agents at each position?&nbsp;
GUARDS: Reggie Jackson, Shabazz Napier, Quinn Cook, Shaquille Harrison, Evan Turner, Dion Waiters, Marco Belinelli, Emmanuel Mudiay, Yogi Ferrell, Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, Jeremy Lin, Jordan McLaughlin (RFA), Chris Chiozza, Thabo Sefolosha, Jordan McRae (RFA), Courtney Lee, Troy Daniels, Brandon Knight, Andre Roberson, Allonzo Trier, Ky Bowman, Gary Payton II, Naz Mitrou-Long, Treveon Graham, Ian Clark, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Frank Mason, Ty Lawson, Shabazz Muhammad, J.R. Smith, Chasson Randle
FORWARDS: Anthony Davis, Nicolas Batum, Frank Kaminsky, Glenn Robinson III, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Wilson Chandler, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, John Henson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Taj Gibson, Jared Dudley, Ersan Ilyasova, Bruno Caboclo, Lance Stephenson, Kenneth Faried, Kenrich Williams, Anthony Tolliver, Cheick Diallo, Dante Cunningham, Donatas Motiejunas, Justin Anderson
CENTER: Hassan Whiteside, Kyle O'Quinn, Ian Mahinmi, Noah Vonleh, Skal Labissiere, Tyson Chandler, Thon Maker, Kosta Koufos, Andrew Bogut, Caleb Swanigan, Ekpe Udoh, Miles Plumlee
Who would you like your favorite team to add? Leave a comment below.

Here's a position-by-position look at the top players who remain unsigned on Day 6 of NBA free agency.

Which NBA free agents are still available?

David West, James Posey, Etan Thomas, Mo Evans, Jahidi White and more discuss injuries in the NBA, team doctors and second opinions.