Warriors

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In the first few days of his second presidential term, Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders that will have an impact on the healthcare industry, some issuing new policies and some rescinding policies set forth by prior administrations. This has had a devastating impact on the American people.
While the country is on pins and needles awaiting the next bomb (both literally and figuratively) to drop from the Trump administration, Michael Jordan has figured out a way to actively combat one of the casualties (U.S. Health Care) of Trump&rsquo;s plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and extended tax cuts for the upper echelon of the American population.&nbsp;
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<div>From an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/01/republicans-medicaid-cuts">article in The Guardian titled:&nbsp;&ldquo;Medicaid recipients fear &lsquo;buzzsaw cuts&rsquo; for Trump&rsquo;s agenda&rdquo;</a>, it reads&nbsp;</div>
<div>&ldquo;Republicans are considering a rollback of the federal social safety net, particularly Medicaid, which has nearly 80 million enrollees in all 50 states. The budget plan proposes an $880bn reduction in funding for the insurance over the next 10 years, an amount that experts warn would hollow out the program and have ripple effects across the entire American healthcare system.&rdquo;</div>
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<div>From an <a href="https://www.maynardnexsen.com/publication-president-trumps-latest-executive-orders-impacting-health-care">article in the MaynardNexsen titled &ldquo;President Trump&rsquo;s Latest Executive Orders Impacting Healthcare&rdquo;</a> it reads &ldquo;President Trump rescinded former President Joe Biden&rsquo;s order that extended the enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) plans in most states, and granted additional funding for third parties aiding enrollment in ACA insurance. While ACA enrollment nearly doubled under the Biden administration to about 24 million people, those gains are attributed primarily to government subsidies that lowered the cost of ACA premiums. The effect this rescission will have on enrollment trends is one thing to watch in the coming years&rdquo;</div>
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<div>While all this is happening in real-time, Michael Jordan opened his fourth health clinic in North Carolina on February 19 in Wilmington. This new clinic, established in collaboration with Novant Health, focuses on providing care to uninsured and underinsured patients.</div>
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<div>MJ has spoken publicly exhibiting a tremendous amount of sincerity and passion about how important these clinics are and how many people they will help. He has addressed the growing issue of healthcare disparities and affirmed his dedication to providing healthcare to all people regardless of their income or economic status in particular in his hometown of North Carolina.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Many people are pleasantly surprised to see this side of MJ, but it goes along with what I witnessed as his teammate for the Washington Wizards.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I recall one time in particular when I was sitting in the training room getting treatment and he was getting his knee drained, which fans didn&rsquo;t know at the time he had to often do in order to continue playing. MJ asked me about a book (Soul On Ice by Eldridge Cleaver) he saw me reading on the plane and we engaged in a deep conversation about race, politics, the community, and much more.&nbsp;</div>
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Sitting in earshot was his bodyguard, George, who chimed in and said jokingly, &ldquo;Yeah Michael doesn&rsquo;t like to tell anybody the things he does, so people don&rsquo;t think he does anything&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<div>He then proceeded to tell me a story of when MJ was all set to have this big event at an exclusive golf resort in Georgia back in the day, and he found out that they were still keeping an old tradition of not allowing Black People to join the club, but of course, they would let MJ participate. Well, long story short, right before the event, MJ informed the organizers that he was going to cancel everything if they didn&rsquo;t change their policy and of course, they capitulated to his demands.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I remember responding saying, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a great story that people need to hear. Why wouldn&rsquo;t you tell people that ?&rdquo; And MJ looked at me and said, &ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t do it for that.&rdquo; I remember looking at George and him saying, &ldquo;See, he doesn&rsquo;t want to tell anybody anything&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I tell this story for this reason. Playing with MJ for two years with the Wizards, I saw him do a lot of things quietly that nobody knew about. And from time to time I would whisper to him, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not gonna tell anyone about this either huh?&rdquo; And he would just smile and shake his head. In fact, he didn&rsquo;t even tell anyone that he donated his entire salary to the victims of 9-11. I remember being in the locker room when he was watching the coverage on TV and made the decision. Nobody found out until later that he did that.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Now, for years I have been on panels and programs talking about activism and athletes and they would always bring up MJ as the antithesis to the activist athlete and his infamous statement &ldquo;Republicans Buy Shoes Too&rdquo;. They would always paint MJ as the athlete who doesn&rsquo;t care about the community or really anything outside of himself and I would always push back on that because that&rsquo;s just not what I saw when I was his teammate. Now, did he lend his voice to causes or speak out on political issues that directly impact the Black Community? No, he didn&rsquo;t. But did he do nothing behind the scenes and have no interest or care for the community? I can&rsquo;t say that because that&rsquo;s not what I saw.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>People don&rsquo;t know about MJ&rsquo;s community impact platform, known as the Black Community Commitment (BCC), which is a 10-year, $100 million initiative focused on creating equitable futures for Black Americans through education, economic justice, narrative change, and social justice.</div>
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<div>They also don&rsquo;t know about him funding nonprofit institutional grantees and grassroots organizations across the country through his Open Call Community Grants program.&nbsp;They don&rsquo;t know about his Jordan Brand Wings Scholars Program which has sent hundreds of kids to college on full scholarships. But like George told me in the training room, he doesn&rsquo;t tell anyone so people assume he does nothing in the community.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Now, going back to MJ&rsquo;s 4th healthcare clinic.&nbsp;There is indeed currently a national healthcare crisis in the United States.&nbsp;In 2025, an estimated 27.1 million Americans of all ages are projected to be uninsured, representing an uninsured rate of 8.2%, according to data from the National Health Interview Survey. MJ&rsquo;s efforts have helped thousands of uninsured Americans actually receive care.</div>
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<div>Furthermore, as many Americans have found out the hard way, being insured does not guarantee full coverage. There is a large percentage of working-class Americans who are currently drowning in medical expenses, faced with increased costs of medications (thanks to the Trump administration), and higher co-pays all while having limited access to essential treatments.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>An article by Vishwesha Kumar of Fadeaway World, described Jordan&rsquo;s Health Clinic as,&nbsp;&ldquo;After witnessing the positive impact of these centers, Jordan donated $10 million to Novant Health to expand the project, leading to additional clinics being built in Wilmington. His efforts have helped thousands of patients receive their first-ever primary care visits, reinforcing his dedication to improving healthcare access.</div>
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The new Wilmington facility spans 7,300 square feet and includes 12 patient rooms, offering comprehensive medical services to uninsured and underinsured individuals. In addition to primary care physicians, the clinic will have a community health worker to connect patients with essential local resources. The facility will be open on weekdays, aiming to serve as a lifeline for many who struggle to access consistent coverage.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Micheal Jordan doesn&rsquo;t have to do any of this. He could ride off into the sunset and not care about what anyone thinks about him. He doesn&rsquo;t need any additional notoriety. He already has all the fame a man could possibly have. He doesn&rsquo;t need pats on the back or nods of approval from anyone. He does this because he genuinely cares.&nbsp;
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<div>&ldquo;Michael Jordan gives back but you didn't know it. Like LeBron does, but it's just seldom they show it.&rdquo;~Nas</div>
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While all this is happening in real-time, Michael Jordan opened his fourth health clinic in North Carolina.

In This Trump Era, Michael Jordan’s Free Health Clinics Are Very Much Needed

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

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

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

Spencer Davies tells the complex story of Eban Hyams, the first Indian-born international professional basketball player.

Setbacks and bouncebacks: On Eban Hyams, India's first pro ballplayer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; The best story in this NCAA Tournament is a fairly ridiculous one.
For years, outsiders and even some of Fairleigh Dickinson&rsquo;s proud alumni have called the private, commuter school in Teaneck, New Jersey, by another name &mdash; an inside joke and pet moniker suggesting a reputation for partying.
Fairly Ridiculous. You bet.
That would certainly describe what the Knights, college basketball&rsquo;s smallest squad which includes some Division II players brought to FDU by Tobin Anderson, the team&rsquo;s fast-talking, first-year vagabond coach, have accomplished in a few days.
From underdogs to overnight sensations. March madmen.
Only in the NCAA field due to a technicality, Fairleigh Dickinson, which went 4-22 last season, won a First Four game in Dayton before the Friday night stunning 63-58 win over top-seeded Purdue. It was just the second No. 16 seed win over a No. 1 seed in men&rsquo;s tourney history.
The Knights awakened Saturday to a new world.
&ldquo;Life changing,&rdquo; said FDU forward Sean Moore, who scored 19 points and blocked a layup in the final seconds to help seal the win over Purdue. &ldquo;That whole game has changed everybody on our team, staff, students, everybody who goes to Fairleigh Dickinson University.
&ldquo;Everything is different now. Phone has been going crazy, still is.&rdquo;
Same for Anderson, who spent much of his morning doing national TV interviews following an upset that reverberated across the sports world.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got, like, 1,200 unanswered texts right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The problem each time I look at my phone it&rsquo;s more and more. My message, if anybody&rsquo;s listening, stop texting right now. Give me a chance to catch up.&rdquo;
Using their superior speed and quickness at both ends of the floor to fluster the Big Ten champion Boilermakers, FDU&rsquo;s players brought Purdue 7-foot-4 star center Zach Edey down to their level and advanced in the East Region.
On Sunday, the Knights (21-15) will face No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic (32-3), which nipped Memphis 66-65 in the final seconds late Friday night, for a spot in next week&rsquo;s Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
That possibility is almost too much for the 51-year-old Anderson to fathom.
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have to fly back to Jersey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I could jog back, take off running, be like Forrest Gump or something. That would be incredible.&rdquo;
Incredible may have already happened. FDU&rsquo;s feel-good story seems to have been pulled from a Hollywood movie script.
Over the past few days, Anderson, who was born in Iowa, played college ball in Connecticut and started his coaching career bouncing from one small college to another in upstate New York, has referenced &ldquo;Hoosiers&rdquo; several times. There are indeed parallels to the famous Indiana high school hoops miracle and what FDU is doing.
In May, Anderson took over a program in need of a massive renovation. Just hours after he was hired at Fairleigh Dickinson, he held his first practice and quickly realized the job would require patience along with an influx of talent.
He knew just where to find some, convincing four players on his team at St. Thomas Aquinas College, a Division-II power about 15 miles from New York, to join him at FDU.
One of them to make the leap was 5-foot-8 guard Demetre Roberts.
&ldquo;Coming out of high school, not having no D-I looks, I didn&rsquo;t pout,&rdquo; said Roberts, who had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists against Purdue. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t sit around and mope all day. I trusted coach. I trusted him all the way and I&rsquo;m still with him. And five years later, I&rsquo;m still here.&rdquo;
Not only did Anderson&rsquo;s sales pitch to enroll at FDU work, so did his proposal to the Knights on how to beat Purdue. They took the floor fully confident they could contain Edey despite being outsized, a 23 1/2 point underdog and a statistically deficient team.
&ldquo;We felt we could beat them ever since we were watching film, trying to prepare for them,&rdquo; said 6-foot-6 center Ansley Almonor, FDU&rsquo;s tallest player. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all close. We&rsquo;re like brothers. That was just a regular game for us.
&ldquo;We felt we could go out there and beat them, and that&rsquo;s what we did.&rdquo;
The fact that the Knights are even in the tournament is another twist in their captivating tale. By all rights, they&rsquo;re a No 17 seed.
FDU lost the Northeast Conference tournament title game 67-66, but still received the league&rsquo;s automatic bid because champion Merrimack remains ineligible for postseason play after moving up from Division II to Division I.
Now, the Knights, who opened the tourney with an easy win over Texas Southern in Dayton, are 40 minutes and one win from being one of the last 16 teams standing.
Beating FAU, a team with a similar playing style and swagger to FDU&rsquo;s, will be tall task. But after taking out one of the nation&rsquo;s top players &mdash; a literal giant &mdash; nothing seems too big for this group.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re not huge,&rdquo; Anderson said of the Owls. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re still bigger than us. Who is not bigger? There&rsquo;s five guys in the hallway bigger than us. But we&rsquo;ve got to box out, rebound, be tough, be scrappy.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to play really, really well, compete our tails off and hope they&rsquo;re maybe not quite as sharp. That&rsquo;s just the way it is. And it worked last night. We&rsquo;re hoping that it will help us tomorrow.&rdquo;

Only in the NCAA Tournament due to a technicality, Fairleigh Dickinson, which went 4-22 last season, has shocked the world.

FDU goes from underdog to overnight sensation with NCAA wins

While almost everyone in March Madness wants to be this year&rsquo;s version of reigning national champion Kansas, almost anyone playing over the next three weeks would also love to be this year&rsquo;s version of Doug Edert.
If that name doesn&rsquo;t ring a bell, maybe Edert&rsquo;s wispy mustache will. Edert was the reserve guard from Saint Peter&rsquo;s who turned into a social media sensation after scoring 20 points in a first-round upset over Kentucky last March.
By the time he and the Peacocks made history by becoming the first 15 seed to advance to the Elite Eight, Edert&rsquo;s mustache had its own Twitter handle and Edert himself had deals hawking chicken wings and a few other products.
All of this was spurred by the confluence of social media&rsquo;s ever-growing imprint on society (and sports) combined with the new and loosely regulated world of NIL, the name, imagine and likeness deals that allow college athletes to cash in on paid endorsements.
Edert&rsquo;s success story is one of several examples of the ways social media has turbocharged March Madness, that one-of-a-kind American sporting event that had communal elements built in &mdash; think, the bracket and the office pool &mdash; long before the internet even existed.
The key for someone like Edert &mdash; and there will almost certainly be another &ldquo;someone like Edert&rdquo; once the shots start flying &mdash; was to move quickly.
&ldquo;My main focus was basketball, and obviously, I&rsquo;m trying to do whatever I can to help my team win games,&rdquo; Edert told The Associated Press. &ldquo;But at the same time, I&rsquo;m trying to capitalize on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.&rdquo;
Some things &mdash; namely, the emerging love affair with his jump shot, to say nothing of his &rsquo;70s-style &rsquo;stache &mdash; took on a life of their own, the way things often do on TikTok, Instagram and the other social media platforms that help drive the tournament&rsquo;s popularity. Others &mdash; namely, the hot wings deal and a few more sponsorships &mdash; came because he struck quickly at the urging of his friends and parents, who were watching this unheralded guard from a tiny school blow up in real time.
&ldquo;Nobody was pressuring me, saying, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ve gotta do this, or you&rsquo;ve gotta do that,&rsquo;&rdquo; Edert said. &ldquo;They were just behind me, and they were offering to help in any way they could.&rdquo;
Edert would not divulge the amount he has made from his sponsorships, which included a deal shooting celebrity video messages and another promoting a website that offers adult recreational sports leagues.
But, he said, it gave him a &ldquo;nice little start, for whatever happens after college.&rdquo; Certainly, it gave him more than someone like him might have gotten only a couple years ago. And it was not something anyone saw coming for a guard from a 3,400-student school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s always that chance that a star player, or an underrated player from a team that goes far, will capture the hearts of America, and where will they capture it? On social media,&rdquo; said Jeffrey Weiner, senior vice president for NIL marketing at GSE Worldwide. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be on TV, and then they&rsquo;ll go look for that person on social media. People are watching these games with their phones in their hands.&rdquo;
Edert said he rarely posted on social media, and had a following of about 1,500 on Instagram in early March of last year.
&ldquo;And after the Kentucky game, I look at my phone and it&rsquo;s 6,000 followers and it&rsquo;s going up,&rdquo; he said. It is now 149,000, barely a blip by hoop-star standards, but a 1,000 times more than he had a year ago.
Perhaps the single most impactful social media post to emerge in the NIL era came from the TikTok account of Oregon&rsquo;s Sedona Prince.
Her takedown of the NCAA for the sparse weight room facilities at the 2021 women&rsquo;s tournament shined a spotlight on the disparities between men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s college sports. That video currently has been viewed more than 12.3 million times.
In the month between February 2021 and the time Prince posted a month later, the hashtag &ldquo;NCAA&rdquo; spiked from 7 million to 490 million views on TikTok. The hashtag &ldquo;March Madness&rdquo; has gone from 957 million views in 2021 to 1.4 billion views this year on TikTok &mdash; and that 2023 figure was calculated before a single basket had been made in the actual tournament.
Prince&rsquo;s TikTok following now numbers 2.8 million. With the explosion in popularity came a deal with an energy drink that includes equity and cash in exchange for creating content on social media. Her current feed also includes sponsored content with Buick and Crocs, which means she now has a bank account to go with her unexpected fame.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve tried to optimize my NIL opportunities.,&rdquo; Prince said in an interview last year with Yahoo Finance. &ldquo;I take what I do off the court, which is TikTok and certain brand deals, but turn them into something I can use for the rest of my life., money that I can retire with, put my kids through college with.&rdquo;
The NIL platform Opendorse estimated that companies spent $917 million on college athlete deals in the first year they were approved. Most of those earnings were made via social media.
These days, many arrangements come on the front end through so-called collectives that are tied to schools, often sealed during the recruiting process. Edert, however, was making no such money when he signed to play for Shaheen Holloway at Saint Peter&rsquo;s.
&ldquo;At the beginning of the year, when they explained to students that you can start your own business or have your own brand, I&rsquo;m thinking, &lsquo;This doesn&rsquo;t really apply to me,&rsquo;&rdquo; Edert said of the preseason athletic department presentations he sat through.
Now, it does, and Edert&rsquo;s star turn at March Madness last year also played a roundabout role in his second run through the recruiting process. When Holloway left Saint Peter&rsquo;s for a job at his alma mater, Seton Hall, several Peacocks, including Edert, used social media to let the world know they were entering the transfer portal.
&ldquo;I announced early in the morning, and by 7:30 or 8, my phone started blowing up,&rdquo; Edert said.
Most of those calls and messages were from coaches at Edert&rsquo;s new school, Bryant University, where they knew a lot more about the guard out of Nutley, New Jersey than they might have the year before. Those coaches weren&rsquo;t the only ones.
&ldquo;Even yesterday, I was signing autographs and taking some pictures with kids in middle school and high school,&rdquo; Edert said. &ldquo;They said &rsquo;We love you, Doug.&rdquo; And I felt great. I&rsquo;m just doing what I love to do. There&rsquo;s a lot of love and support from a lot of people, and it really means a lot.&rdquo;

Doug Edert’s success story is one of several examples of the ways social media has turbocharged March Madness.

Social media madness gives opportunities to Edert and others

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

You know, I always find it ironically amusing how much the general NBA public gets upset over who does and doesn&rsquo;t deserve to be an All-Star. Because when the weekend comes itself, the incredible competitive spirit that each player performs with to earn that rare honor is completely absent by the time the ball tips on Sunday night.
This isn&rsquo;t going to be an old-man-yells-at-a-cloud hit piece of "here's how the All-Star Game needs to be changed" or how this current generation of stars doesn&rsquo;t carry the same gritty mentality as the rough-and-tough decades. Those tropes are tired by my estimation to be quite honest. However, isn't it just a wee bit concerning that we have this exact conversation year after year after year after year?
Let&rsquo;s Keep it 94 (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keepin-it-94/id1545629382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free plug!</a>): The three-day spectacle is meant to be a celebration of the greatness that this league has to offer and a pat on the back to the players who make it so. It&rsquo;s a show, a reason to take a break and not take things so seriously. Guys are laughing, and spending time with family and friends and co-workers that have a sensational gift of talent.
(No matter how good or bad All-Star Saturday turns out to be, I will always crack a smile watching these guys dressed to the nines huddled on the sidelines just having a blast.)
With that being said, I cannot truly feel the All-Star Game right now. There just isn&rsquo;t that &ldquo;must watch&rdquo; factor that could absolutely destroy every other professional sport&rsquo;s marquee weekend if it wanted to, and it&rsquo;s head-scratching as to why.
Our Nekias Duncan &mdash; who was on the ground for Basketball News this weekend in Salt Lake City, shout out to him for that and his amazing work all the time &mdash; tweeted something out that really got me thinking.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
To clarify, I mean in general with the All-Star Game. Not just tonight. There&rsquo;s a spectrum between giving playoff effort and risking injury (they shouldn&rsquo;t do that) and what the first three quarters are. Like, 60-70% would be cool. It doesn&rsquo;t have to be 5% lol
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1627489292602998785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t have to be 5%.&rdquo;
Nekias is on point with that message, and five percent may be generous. There has to be a balance in this thing. You don&rsquo;t want these guys to sustain any type of injuries, and you certainly don&rsquo;t want a potential setback to cost their respective teams. But can&rsquo;t there be just a smidgen more &ldquo;give an F&rdquo; about the game? You don&rsquo;t have to compete on every possession. How about once every 10 instead of every 30? Is that a fair compromise?
I was watching the game with a friend of mine at home, and I feel like the biggest fans that support this event can&rsquo;t even argue with the typical NBA haters when you&rsquo;re essentially watching a game of HORSE for two hours. It just gives those detractors more fuel.
I&rsquo;m all for a good parking lot shot &mdash; Damian Lillard, a tip of the cap to you because... holy hell &mdash; but when deep threes, mostly uncontested and many bricked, make up the shot chart the entire way, it becomes old hat. By the way, some of these lanes were more wide open than pregame shootaround layup lines before actual games.
It just seems as if that aura we&rsquo;ve been searching for continues to be missing.
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Again don&rsquo;t get me wrong, it has its moments still. Like, I highly enjoy when All-Stars decide to have their own dunk contest in the early-going to pump the crowd up. LeBron James started it off, and Ja Morant electrified with his as per usual. Kyrie Irving attempting to get Nikola Jokic to dunk on alley-oop attempts was rich, as was Luka Doncic being mic&rsquo;d up for the second quarter saying essentially nothing. At least LeBron &nbsp;put a body on some dudes and attempted some blocks at the rim.
People got on their feet when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown iso&rsquo;d each other for the final moments of the third quarter in a clash of the Boston Celtics&rsquo; best. That was cool to watch unfold, and it just shows even the best of friends and teammates want to one-up each other on the floor. It&rsquo;s why they play the sport. We need more of those types of interactions, 1-on-1 matchups and a game within the game, so to speak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his infectious personality were made for this kind of event. He legitimately loves what he does, and has a ton of fun with the experience.
Having the Elam Ending in the fourth with all the marbles is an innovative addition. Bringing charities into the mix is brilliant as well. Hell, the first-ever live game day All-Star draft was a creative move.
But when you have players and coaches talking down about the quality of basketball being played in postgame interviews, that&rsquo;s problematic.
When you have media talking down about the quality of basketball being played in different mediums, that&rsquo;s problematic.
When you have an arena full of people that see that quality of basketball being played on such a stage, that&rsquo;s problematic.
While there&rsquo;s obviously some looking inward for the players to do considering that&rsquo;s in their control, it&rsquo;s also telling that no matter how many tweaks have been made, nothing can really be done to incentivize them more.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not basketball,&rdquo; Jaylen Brown said. Called the game a glorified &ldquo;layup line&rdquo; and said he hoped there was a way to make the game more competitive. Obviously no real defense played tonight
&mdash; Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanWoikeSports/status/1627521703441211394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote>

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I don&rsquo;t have the answers. I don&rsquo;t think anybody does. I also wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised if anybody reading this gives a damn what a 30-year-old reporter who types and talks for a living thinks.
I am a hoops fanatic. This sport is literally my life. Watching these talented individuals grow the NBA the way it has on a global scale is a privilege.
There just has to be a way to put on a show while also trying just a little bit harder. This is arguably the biggest annual weekend of the NBA's calendar year. It&rsquo;s an offensively-driven night, I get it. It&rsquo;s a meaningless game for all intents and purposes.
We're not going to care about this for another 365 days. I'll be over it by the time tomorrow comes quite frankly.
But a 184-175 final? That has to be where we draw the line... right?

Spencer Davies spills his candid thoughts on the 2023 NBA All-Star Game following the weekend in Salt Lake City.

Davies: I love NBA All-Star weekend, but I just can't feel the game

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; UConn star Azzi Fudd was battling for rebounding position in the first half Sunday when she banged knees with Georgetown&rsquo;s Ariel Jenkins. Fudd left the game and did not return.
It was just her second game back after missing eight games with an injury to the same right knee. It also came a week after injuries forced the fifth-ranked Huskies to postpone a game with DePaul because it did not have enough healthy players available &mdash; a step that became sadly familiar during the height of the pandemic but is rarely seen otherwise.
A few days later, Arizona State was forced to forfeit games against Utah and Colorado because the Sun Devils had too many injured players.
Programs such as Vanderbilt also have lost multiple starters to the injury report. Low roster numbers because of health issues led Lewis and Clark Community College in Illinois to cancel the remainder of its season just this week.
With injuries mounting in women&rsquo;s programs, experts note there are number of factors in play, including the specialization of sports at a younger age, and longer recovery times contributing to those thin benches. Certain knee injuries are more common in female athletes then men.
Whatever the reasons, the search for solutions is always on.
At UConn, just two players have been available for every game. Coaches have burned sage in the locker room, brought holy water to practice and had Native American dancers perform healing rituals.
Former national player of the year Paige Bueckers, who missed most of 2021-22 with a knee injury, and freshman Ice Brady both suffered serious knee injuries in the preseason. Two other players are sidelined with concussions. Other players have missed time with foot and hand injuries.
&ldquo;What kind of exercises do you do in the weight room to make sure you don&rsquo;t get a concussion?&rdquo; coach Geno Auriemma said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing, you know. What do you do to make sure that your teammate doesn&rsquo;t push a kid into you, a teammate knocks you on on the ground and you hit your head or where you catch your thumb and a kid shirt and break your thumb in the first first game of the year? So some of these are just weird.&rdquo;
Some injuries, sports medicine experts say, may be linked to the way elite athletes are preparing for college.
Nicole Alexander, the head trainer for the WNBA&rsquo;s Connecticut Sun and a former trainer at Notre Dame and North Carolina, said kids are specializing in one sport earlier and playing that sport year-round.
&ldquo;So, they&rsquo;re not getting a chance to rest their bodies,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re putting the same amount of mileage on the same body parts, over and over again. So, now you get these kids who are in college, but their bodies are such that it&rsquo;s almost like they&rsquo;ve been playing professional ball for 10 years because that&rsquo;s all they&rsquo;ve been doing.
Fudd missed two months last year with a foot injury. She also suffered ACL and MCL tears while in high school.
UCLA coach Cori Close has another theory. She said she thinks the apparent rise in injuries, especially knee injuries, can be linked to the pandemic.
&ldquo;I definitely think because of COVID &mdash; the interruptions of prehab and training and periodization and off times and prevention work,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I talked to Geno about this at UConn and several other coaches. And we think it&rsquo;s a dramatic effect for how the training regimens were interrupted from COVID.&rdquo;
Dr. Andrew Cosgarea, an orthopedic surgeon and sports injury specialist at John&rsquo;s Hopkins, said there is no data yet suggesting there are more injuries this year than in previous seasons. He said schools have been doing a lot of work teaching kids how to prevent ACL and other injuries by changing, for example, the way they cut, jump and land.
Cosgarea and other experts said one factor in the lack of available players is that athletes are sitting out longer because it leads to better outcomes when they return.
Dr. Anthony Alessi, UConn&rsquo;s team neurologist, declined to talk about specific players he&rsquo;s treated, but said the time it takes to return varies with each individual, but on average is now between 10 days and two weeks.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s multi-factorial,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But, what we&rsquo;ve found is that by making the investment in time, by gradually bringing them back to their full capacity based on their symptoms, you&rsquo;ll get them at full strength to the end of the season.&rdquo;
At top-ranked South Carolina, coach Dawn Staley said she&rsquo;s not going to overrule the recommendation of her trainer just to get a player back sooner.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not going to tell me when to put the 2-3 (zone) out there or when to do a triangle and two. I don&rsquo;t interfere in his business so that our players are ready to rock and roll. I&rsquo;m going to listen,&rdquo; she said.
Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said coaches have to take some of the responsibility for not having enough healthy players to put a full team on the court.
&ldquo;Women&rsquo;s basketball has 15 scholarships,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a challenge sometimes but it&rsquo;s your responsibility as coaches to have a full roster. It&rsquo;s challenging when you have a new coach and the (transfer) portal and people leave and stuff but part of it also is keeping people healthy. That&rsquo;s a big part of the job.&rdquo;
Auriemma said coaches have already cut back on the length, number and intensity of practices on the advice of medical staff, sometimes to the detriment of play. He said he is learning to be more patient when it comes to injuries.
UConn guard Nika M&uuml;hl, who missed time last year with a concussion, said that&rsquo;s the hardest part for everyone involved.
&ldquo;We see everybody playing every day you just want to get out there already but you have to go through the protocol,&rdquo; she said.
___
AP Sports Writers Peter Iacobelli and Joe Reedy contributed to this story.

With injuries mounting in women’s programs, experts note there are number of factors in play.

‘Just weird’: Azzi Fudd among rash of injuries hitting women’s hoops

Nekias Duncan takes an early look at this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through mid-December.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award front-runners: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

According to Front Office Sports, <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/draymond-green-jordan-poole-fight-video/?fbclid=IwAR06DN4uNMRkH-dmcZ5KKm4FRXQVxiyw_yT7hl6mGwMiMUykbqM9l3VJ2Mc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ paid an estimated $120,000</a> for leaked footage of the Golden State Warriors' recent incident between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole.
The Warriors announced Saturday that they've <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/07/warriors-investigate-jordan-poole-draymond-green-fight-video-leaked-tmz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched an investigation to see which one of their employees was responsible for the leak</a>.&nbsp;
On Friday, NBA trainer Chris Matthews a.k.a. Lethal Shooter &mdash; <a href="https://youtu.be/6VDwmFm5sOM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who I interviewed on my podcast "The Rematch" last month</a> &mdash; tweeted his opinion on the matter, to which I responded:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Not weird at all, employees of NBA organizations leak info to the media all the time. A lot of times media pay them to do so, like an inside informant/snitch. Been happening for decades, but whatever Warriors employee leaked this to TMZ should be fired.
&mdash; Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) <a href="https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1578395171338813441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
The Athletic's David Aldridge and I have already <a href="https://youtu.be/ix8XD_4t3R0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had a back-and-forth over my characterization of the media in the past</a>. When I posted the screenshot of my reply to Lethal Shooter's tweet on Facebook, David <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02UKeEzgNUhxZAtQVX32BRgJaQi9fUoF8yyehwZecVnFhMazKcMxagHoMtJNzBk16l&amp;id=100003621989018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commented on it</a>, which brought about another healthy debate between us:
<blockquote>
David Aldridge: "Just curious: What evidence do you have that 'media' pay teams and/or team employees for information?"
Etan Thomas: "I did lump in TMZ and supermarket tabloid media into the big bucket of media. But they are the media, and every media outlet picked up their story on Draymond. But to answer your question, my eyes are the evidence that they have paid team employees, etc. for info. I first saw that my two years in the league with MJ (Michael Jordan). It happens quite a bit, as it happened here."
Aldridge: "I can't and won't go back and forth with you on this, but by definition, no one in the 'media' as I define that term &mdash; and, I think I have some standing here &mdash; pays for information. This is part of the problem: When entities like TMZ, Fox News, etc. are just called 'media' and people think everyone in my profession does what they do. That's the same B.S. you'd call out if someone made some blanket statement like 'NBA players are bad fathers' &ndash; which SI did back in the day, and for which SI was rightly, and roundly, criticized.&rdquo;
Etan: "I would have to respectfully disagree. TMZ, supermarket tabloids, etc. are in fact a part of the media whether you wanna claim them or not. I get why you don&rsquo;t, but they still are. Now, I didn&rsquo;t say all media. I didn&rsquo;t say most media. I said many times the media (pays for inside information), and that statement is 100% accurate because they (TMZ and those of their ilk) do this all the time. Respectfully, all media isn&rsquo;t good media. But it is interesting that I haven&rsquo;t heard any good media condemning TMZ either."
</blockquote>
I have the utmost respect for David, his body of work, his ethics and him as a person. I even interviewed him for <a href="https://a.co/d/3oYaKAD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my book,</a> "Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge," back in 2013. As I mentioned before, I also had a great debate with him and Marc Spears of ESPN regarding the Old Media vs. New Media.
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However, on this topic, we have differing perspectives. Our Facebook exchange prompted me to reach out to Howard Bryant of ESPN and Michael Lee of the Washington Post &mdash; two more men in the media who I have a great deal of respect for &mdash; to further delve into this topic.
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First, here is my conversation with Howard Bryant:
Etan: Do you think it&rsquo;s ethical for TMZ, supermarket tabloids, etc. as members of the media to pay an employee for pictures or video or leaked footage in your opinion?
Howard Bryant: "So let&rsquo;s break this down. The word 'media' covers a lot of ground. In the current world of social media, podcasts, athletes executive producing documentaries, etc., media and journalism are not always the same thing. So to address your specific question, is it ethical to pay for material? Well, in traditional journalism, the answer is no. However, is it a practice that is a common practice? Sure. When Jackie Robinson retired in 1956, he sold his story to Life Magazine for $5,000. Is it ethical for someone to pay for a leaked tape of a racist owner talking about Magic Johnson? Is it ethical for someone to take a tape of something that doesn&rsquo;t belong to them &mdash; which I think is really the question &mdash; so if you have a tape of the Golden State Warriors practice, which is not yours, even though they say possession is 9/10ths of the law, to go and take that info and profit off of it? So let&rsquo;s break down the second piece of this...
Etan: Well, before you go there, I think everyone will agree on that part as far as the employee of the Warriors selling the info to TMZ. But I&rsquo;m not quite asking about it from the employee&rsquo;s standpoint, but more from the media-outlet standpoint.
Bryant: "So from the media-outlet standpoint, yes, it&rsquo;s news. And it depends on your policies, and that&rsquo;s the difference between what we would call 'reputable' media and 'tabloid' media. The tabloid media has always paid for information. If you go back and look at the British tabloids, that&rsquo;s all they do; that&rsquo;s why they call them 'paparazzi.' If you can snap me a picture of X athlete, I got $20 for you. If you can snap me a picture of X athlete and his family, I got $50 for you. If you can snap me a picture of X athlete and his mistress, I got $1,000 for you. They have been doing this forever. But for traditional, reputable journalism, the answer was always, 'No. We don&rsquo;t do that, period.'"
Etan: So you&rsquo;re saying there is absolutely no crossover of this practice into reputable journalism?
Bryant: "Well, what we are seeing now, especially in the age of documentary &mdash; everyone wants to get paid to talk. So the money piece of journalism is becoming a greater and greater piece of reputable journalism, and this disreputable piece has become even bigger because the celebrity side of it is becoming more and more important.&nbsp;
"So if you&rsquo;re TMZ right now, is it reputable? Probably not. But on the other hand, as these other sides become more and more powerful, would TMZ be doing the people somewhat of a service, however they obtained their information? Is it important for the public to know what happened? Absolutely."
Etan: So you&rsquo;re saying the ends justify the means?
Bryant: "I don&rsquo;t know... I&rsquo;m saying that is the quandary. Do you feel it&rsquo;s valuable journalism? Does the public need to know that Donald Trump said what he said on the Access Hollywood tape? Is that piece of information valuable to the public? Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it&rsquo;s no. Is it important for us to hear what <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/howard-beck-explains-differences-in-donald-sterling-robert-sarver-cases-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Sterling said</a>? That was the smoking gun that led to him being forced to sell the team. It literally changed the history of the NBA. So was it valuable? Yes. Would I have paid for it? No I wouldn&rsquo;t, but was it important? Sometimes that trash journalism that people have decried for a long time actually produces valuable information.
"The question is, how do we sit with that practice? Which I believe is your question. We would like to think that we take the improper obtaining of the information and we do proper things with it. Or do we just sink deeper into the gutter?"
Etan: Right. So the question then becomes: When do all of those involved become part of this improper or disreputable equation? And how can you separate TMZ and those of that ilk from the traditional, reputable media if the traditional media is complacent and finds value in what is produced from the disreputable media? Does what I'm saying make sense?
Bryant: "Makes perfect sense. And that again is the quandary. But let me answer the first part, then we&rsquo;ll get to the second part of your question. It&rsquo;s tough to just say 'the media, the media, the media.' It drives me crazy when athletes say that because I&rsquo;m like... y&rsquo;all are talking about yourselves too."
Etan: Of course, and this is what so many are pushing for the police to do with the so-called &ldquo;bad apples&rdquo; &mdash; although I don&rsquo;t agree with that theory; it&rsquo;s more of a bad system, but that&rsquo;s a whole 'nother discussion &mdash; but who better to criticize and hold the entire entity of the media accountable than someone from within? I&rsquo;m a part of the media now.&nbsp;
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Bryant: "Are you a journalist?"
Etan: Yes, I am.
Bryant: "Then the standards have to apply to you as well, right?"
Etan: Definitely, but I also feel that I am in the position where I can criticize from both sides, having been a player. Seeing a lot of what I don&rsquo;t like in the media and becoming a part of it, I'm attempting to do things differently and having the journalistic integrity to call out what I see as going against reputable media. So if I see someone like a TMZ and I say I have seen the media do this too often...
Bryant: "I hear you, but I would still make a distinction between tabloid journalism and our reputable journalism because we don&rsquo;t all operate the same way."
Etan: And I get that, but I will say that after TMZ did obtain this info, every media outlet &mdash; whether reputable or not &mdash; did report from that information; thus, becoming part of the equation. So if you are not condemning the practice, then the only possible conclusion or connection is that you are complicit, excusing and/or in support of it, right?
Bryant: "I hear you, but it&rsquo;s what you do with the information and how you use it. If you see the information of Ray Rice slugging his girlfriend in an elevator, that information that you obtained from TMZ or whoever, you then apply ethical journalistic standards to following the rest of that information. Your issue is more of the process of tabloid journalism and not of the media as a whole in and of itself, and I get that. But we have to ask ourselves, 'Is this information important for the public to have?' And many times, it is. Not always, but many times it is, and I think that&rsquo;s the difference
"Was it in the public&rsquo;s interest to know the details of what was in the Pentagon papers? One hundred percent, yes. Is it in the public's interest to know what Ime Udoka is doing in his private life? Not really. I don&rsquo;t think so. So there&rsquo;s a thin line. If the people in power are lying to you, the entire dynamic changes. Whether those people are an NBA organization, an administration in the White House, the police, a company, a business &mdash; it does change things. So yeah, it depends."
Etan: Are you at all surprised that you don&rsquo;t hear some of the reputable media outlets or journalists condemning the TMZs of the world or the supermarket tabloids that pay for stories and leaked footage and pictures, etc.?
Bryant: "No, not at all. But everyone has to understand &mdash; this has been going on for 100 years. So I think what it comes down to, that the instructions have decided and we went through this in journalism school, is that there are different layers to doing this job, and we&rsquo;re going to let the public decide who you trust.&nbsp;
"But that&rsquo;s why this job requires ethics. That&rsquo;s why this job is really, really important and shouldn&rsquo;t be taken lightly. The media has the goal of obtaining the truth so you can allow the people, who are sitting at home or listening to your podcast or reading your books, the chance to understand and make the discussions for themselves. And the other piece of this that we know is the institutions always lie to the people. So sometimes these things provide the counter. It&rsquo;s not my practice, but I can&rsquo;t lie and say I don&rsquo;t see the value in some instances of the practice."
Etan: Hmm...
Bryant: "But I do get your point. But let me add this: An even bigger problem is when the reputable guys like us think that we&rsquo;re better than everyone else. And when we fall down, then it provides the opportunity for anyone to say, 'Well, they&rsquo;re all the same.' When you have a reputable outlet trading access for information or the practice of withholding information from the public so someone can make money off of a book, and you hold all that information across a presidential election &mdash; and you know what I&rsquo;m talking about &mdash; that gives us more of a bad name than the TMZs and supermarket press. Although, I understand your overall point. But an argument could be made that that&rsquo;s also unethical and putting yourself ahead of the public. So that&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s up to us to make sure that we are walking the walk."
Etan: That makes sense.
Bryant: "Listen Etan, I&rsquo;ve known you for a long time and have read your work for a long time and I appreciate the fact that you are trying to hold the media accountable. Because the fact of the matter is, if we reputable media start doing unethical things like the tabloid media, then it is all the same and your point holds. So yes, I appreciate you in this space."
Etan: Well, I appreciate you too, and that&rsquo;s why I wanted to reach out to you for this discussion. Very good breakdown, I appreciate you taking the time, sir.
Bryant: "Anytime Etan. This was a great discussion."
I also had a lengthy discussion with Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/c05ca8fe-0a76-47d4-bc1b-cff2aa8e0649.png" alt="" width="601" height="602" />
This, too, was a very open, honest and thorough talk about the ethics of journalism and tabloid vs. reputable media. You can listen to our conversation below:
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Etan Thomas has a healthy discussion with well-respected media members about the Warriors' leaked tape and journalistic practices.

Is it ethical for the media to pay NBA employees for leaked footage?

We need a bit of context to truly grasp the remarkable nature of RJ Barrett's development in the NBA.
Barrett just wrapped up his third professional season and turned 22 years old in June. He is younger than several incoming rookies, including No. 14 overall pick Ochai Agbaji and No. 31 pick Andrew Nembhard. He recently signed a four-year contract extension worth $120 million &mdash; a lot of money for sure, but nowhere near the rookie maximum.
Yet, despite these indicators that Barrett is still a very young basketball player with ample room to grow, he is already taking on some of the heaviest two-way physical demands we've seen from someone his age.
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The third overall pick from 2019 averaged 13.7 adjusted drives per 75 possessions in 2021-22. Barrett attacked relentlessly, and far more than his New York Knicks teammates. Driving with the basketball is one of the most taxing moves a player can make on offense. It requires the wherewithal to handle the ball and assess the court's shifting spaces, the lower-body strength to explode by defenders and the core and upper-body strength to fend off contact and, then, shoot or pass. These bursts of energy, physicality and processing are not easy to successfully replicate over and over.
And that's just one side of the game. Barrett also graded out as a defender who faced some of the toughest opponents. The BBall Index has created a <a href="https://www.bball-index.com/glossary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matchup Difficulty metric</a> to try and quantify this. Barrett earned a plus-1.66 score, meaning his defensive assignments were more challenging than 95% of the NBA &mdash; requiring an elite combination of physical tools, focus and understanding of concepts to be successful.
With a few charts (sourced from BBall Index), we can place Barrett's responsibilities in the wider frame of the league. Here's a plot of every NBA player who logged at least 1,000 minutes and their numbers in those two categories. I additionally colorized the dots with BBall Index's Defensive Role estimator to add some clarity about what might be changing on defense.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/scatterplot-4.png" alt="" width="675" height="390" />
Several of the league's most frequent drivers &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, for example &mdash; had very low matchup difficulty scores on defense, and their roles were even estimated as "Low Activity." Then, you have the elite defensive stoppers in the top-left corner who barely drive the ball. Barrett, who is labeled in yellow, kind of balances in the middle.
Zooming in gives more of an appreciation for his company. The below chart cuts off at 8.0 drives per 75 possessions; it's an arbitrary choice, but a fair one, I think, that encompasses just under 100 players. It also begins vertically at a matchup difficulty rating of zero. I won't break out the ol' AP Stats textbook, but these scores are based on Z-Scores that relate to each other, meaning a "zero" is average among the NBA. With these boundaries, we get down to 55 players:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/scatterplot-5.png" alt="" width="675" height="390" />
Barrett stands out more clearly here as a player who drives frequently before turning around and staring down tough defensive assignments. He's in the company of household names like Jrue Holiday, Jimmy Butler and Fred VanVleet, and he's one of 10 players in this chart who was under 22 years old last season. This isn't to say he matches the impact, of course, but Barrett has a general reputation as a quality defender for his experience level.
This could be restricted even further to players who only take on very difficult matchups. If we cut the chart at 1.0 (about the 84th percentile for Matchup Difficulty), Barrett would be one of only 15 players to stay on the board &mdash; and one of only three players 21 or younger, along with Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.
This type of two-way role is exceptionally unusual for someone of Barrett's age and position. Take a look at the 21-and-under players sinced 2014 who have averaged at least 8 drives per 75 possessions with a Matchup Difficulty score over 1.0:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/scatterplot-3.png" alt="" width="675" height="390" />
Sixteen seasons make the cut. Fourteen of those seasons were from young point guards, who often got thrown into the fire with bad teams. Second-year Andrew Wiggins is the only other wing, and he barely cleared the thresholds (and wasn't nearly as good a player).&nbsp;
Barrett is one of the youngest two-way catalysts in the NBA, and he's taken on the responsibility with relative success. Oh yeah &mdash; and he's playing on the biggest stage in the country.
Obviously, though, he can be better, as he referenced on Monday's live stream interview discussing his new contract.
<iframe title="An Evening with RJ Barrett" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b-5GMPFFHd4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
"I'm always working on my finishing, and just being able to shoot [and] shoot off the dribble," Barrett told Monica McNutt. "Many things. Free throws &mdash; holy, we've been shooting a lot of free throws, things of that nature."
Barrett averaged 16.2 drives per game after Jan. 1, which ranked eighth across the entire league, per Second Spectrum. But he made just 41.1% of his shots off of drives, ranking third-worst among 64 players who drove to the basket at least 8 times per game. His overall at-rim clip of 55% ranked in the 15th percentile among wings, according to Cleaning the Glass.
The finishing, despite Barrett's superb and improving aggression, remains perhaps the biggest target for critics. It's an area several leading basketball minds have dissected, and a place that can turn him from a volume-based scorer into a dominant, efficient spark.&nbsp;
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3548723/2022/08/31/rj-barrett-knicks-polarizing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Vecenie of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>&nbsp;noted how important it is for Barrett to develop a right-hand finish. To piggyback, according to InStat Scouting, Barrett made just 36% of his at-rim attempts with his right hand vs. a still-rough-but-better 40% (on over 280 more attempts) with his left.
<a href="Mark%20Schindler%20de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler detailed for UPROXX</a> how improving pull-up and foul-grifting games could help Barrett keep defenders on their toes against his drives. Barrett is drawing more fouls; per Cleaning the Glass, 14.7% of his shots came with a whistle, placing in the 92nd percentile among wings.
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As Schindler wrote, Barrett has enticing potential as someone who can capitalize on second-side swings and kick-outs by continuing to apply pressure as a driver. He's strong and fast with a much-improved handle and court vision that is approaching refinement. But New York rarely surrounded its rising star with the right blend of spacing and complementary aggression.
This year, those pieces might come together, starting with new acquisition Jalen Brunson.
"Jalen's great. He's really smart. He's a hard worker; he works on his game a lot," Barrett said. "He has natural leadership ability too. Just being around him, guys gravitate towards him as well, so I think him and I will work together very well &mdash; especially us being lefties, that'll be very good."
Brunson is one of the elite driving threats in the NBA. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-jalen-brunson-is-in-the-drivers-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I wrote about this specifically</a> back when he was popping off for the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. Brunson has proven himself as both a secondary pressure-cooker and a lead initiator, and it's easy to see how he can ease some of the load on Barrett.
The Knicks also have Immanuel Quickley, who continues to be one of my favorite young players to watch in the league &mdash; full stop. Quickley has picked up his pace as an attacker; he averaged 6.6 drives per game before the All-Star break and 10.3 afterwards. Like Brunson, he's another point guard who doubles as a quality catch-and-shoot option, and deserves to start next season.&nbsp;
Julius Randle can hit the gas pedal, and he's due for a happy medium between his 2020-21 breakout and last season's struggles. Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims keep defensive help in check as lob threats. Evan Fournier can still shoot it (and is still only 29?). New York has enough support for Barrett to find those extra spaces to dribble, shoot or pass when he puts the ball on the floor.
Driving and guarding tough matchups is not the only example of a demanding two-way role. But it certainly is a big one. Barrett ran the ninth-most miles (2.63) per NBA game last season, and his average speed (4.30 mph) ranked 21st of 124 players who averaged two-plus miles per game. He played 70 games after completing a full 72-game season in 2020-21; the durability in his role is impressive.
Barrett is gaining more experience, and succeeding more frequently, in a context few players receive at his age. Yes, he can markedly improve in several areas. But the man has tons of time and is surrounded by teammates who can help him be successful.
The growing pains of a 22-year-old franchise centerpiece should not overshadow the unique trajectory of his stardom.

RJ Barrett is a rare young NBA player who takes on major offensive and defensive responsibilities.

Understanding RJ Barrett's uniquely heavy burden with the Knicks

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe admonished her fellow athletes for not doing enough to speak out and encouraged them to support detained WNBA star Brittney Griner at The ESPYS on Wednesday night.
Griner was arrested in Russia in February after customs officials said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of transporting drugs.
&ldquo;For me, the most striking thing is that BG&rsquo;s not here. BG deserves to be free, she&rsquo;s being held as a political prisoner, obviously,&rdquo; Rapinoe said while accepting a trophy for best play at the show honoring the past year&rsquo;s top athletes and moments in sports.
&ldquo;Like what are we doing here dressed up like we are when our sister is detained abroad? We haven&rsquo;t done enough, none of us. We can do more, we can support her more, and just let her know that we love her so much.&rdquo;
&ldquo;First, bring BG home. Gotta do that,&rdquo; tennis great Billie Jean King said.
Griner has pleaded guilty in court and acknowledged possessing the canisters but said she had no criminal intent.
Rapinoe urged her fellow competitors to keep Griner&rsquo;s face and name on social media.
&ldquo;Every time we say it in interviews, it puts pressure on everybody,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It puts pressure on the administration, it puts pressure on Russia, it puts pressure on Putin, it puts pressure on everyone, and it lets BG know also above everything that we love her and that we miss her and that we&rsquo;re thinking about her all the time.&rdquo;
NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry hosted the show and joined WNBA players Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith in calling attention to Griner&rsquo;s plight.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been 153 nights now that BG has been wrongfully detained thousands of miles away from home, away from her family, away from her friends, away from her team,&rdquo; Diggins-Smith said. &ldquo;All throughout that time, we&rsquo;ve kept her in our thoughts and in our hearts even though we know that ain&rsquo;t nearly enough to bring her home, y&rsquo;all.&rdquo;
Wearing her Phoenix Mercury jersey under his track suit, Curry noted the effort being made to free Griner.
&ldquo;But as we hope for the best, we urge the entire global sports community to continue to stay energized on her behalf,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s one of us, the team of athletes in this room tonight and all over the world. A team that has nothing to do with politics or global conflict.&rdquo;
They were applauded by Griner&rsquo;s wife, Cherelle Griner, who was in the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Curry picked up a trophy, too, for best record-breaking performance, having set the mark for most 3-pointers made in league history. He also shared the best team award with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani won best athlete in men&rsquo;s sports.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honor to be in the same category as all of you. You are the best at what you do,&rdquo; the Japanese player said, speaking in English via videotape. &ldquo;Have a wonderful everything and enjoy your afterparties.&rdquo;
Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky won best athlete in women&rsquo;s sports.
Ledecky earned two golds and two silvers at the Tokyo Games last year, giving her 10 career Olympic medals. She received her trophy from Maybelle Blair, the 95-year-old who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
&ldquo;I represent one of the few sports that is also a really important life skill, so I want to encourage all the parents here, anyone watching, to make sure your kids learn how to swim,&rdquo; Ledecky said. &ldquo;Our planet is 70% water, so it&rsquo;s very important.&rdquo;
Former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, having impacted the world beyond sports. Klitschko, mayor of embattled Kyiv, Ukraine, since 2014, wasn&rsquo;t present. He appeared in a pre-taped video.
King led off a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal legislation that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive government funding.
She was joined by Lisa Leslie, Brandi Chastain, Chloe Kim, Allyson Felix, Aly Raisman and Rapinoe, among others. They spoke against a background of black-and-white photos showing women athletes in action, on the field or in the streets advocating for gender equality. Their comments were interspersed with country singer Mickey Guyton performing her songs &ldquo;What Are You Gonna Tell Her?&rdquo; and &ldquo;Remember Her Name.&rdquo;
The ESPYS were criticized by South Carolina women&rsquo;s basketball coach Dawn Staley for not inviting consensus player of the year Aliyah Boston to the show. Boston had hoped to attend and was disappointed not to be asked. She was issued a last-minute invitation but declined it.
ESPN said COVID-19 concerns and a smaller venue forced organizers to prioritize invitees to the show. Boston was nominated in a non-televised category that was handed out a night earlier. She lost to Oklahoma softball star Jocelyn Alo, who took part in the Title IX tribute.
ESPN college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. The 83-year-old has undergone multiple melanoma surgeries and six months of chemotherapy for lymphoma over the last year. In March, he said he was cancer free.
Vitale dismissed messages on the teleprompter urging him to conclude his remarks, which stretched to 20 minutes.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m gonna wrap up in about three minutes,&rdquo; he said in a raspy voice. &ldquo;Jimmy&rsquo;s dream was to beat cancer. We must do it because it doesn&rsquo;t discriminate. It comes after all.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe admonished her fellow athletes for not doing enough to speak out in support of Brittney Griner.

Rapinoe, King urge freedom for Brittney Griner at The ESPYS

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

It&rsquo;s Christmas in late June for NBA fans.
The 2022 NBA Draft is hours away, and the rumor mill is churning. BasketballNews has compiled every major rumor to keep you up-to-date on the latest rumblings around the Association.
If you missed yesterday's NBA Rumors Notebook with updates on Malcolm Brogdon, John Collins, Gordon Hayward and more, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-rumors-draft-2022-news-reports-atlanta-hawks-malcolm-brogdon-new-york-knicks-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check that out here</a>.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s jump into the juicy intel.
Kevin Durant will request trade if Kyrie Irving leaves Nets
On Wednesday, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped this blockbuster nugget in his <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/34130810/how-kyrie-irving-contract-talks-change-kevin-durant-long-term-commitment-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN+ story</a> detailing the the uncertainty surrounding the Nets and Kyrie Irving. Woj said that the star point guard has a huge leverage play in negotiations: Irving knows that if the Nets refuse to sign him to a long-term extension, Kevin Durant will soon follow him out the door in Brooklyn. Wojnarowski said the Nets are aware of this situation, so their front office is trying to walk this tightrope.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/kyrie-irving-latest-more-trade-talk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added on Substack</a> that he&rsquo;s heard Irving and LeBron James have been in contact recently, potentially about reuniting on the Los Angeles Lakers. Wojnarowski relayed on NBA Today that the Lakers are considered "the biggest threat" to acquire Irving outside of Brooklyn too. Also, Stein said don&rsquo;t rule out the Miami Heat as a possible suitor via sign-and-trade.
The Irving drama has already created a negative impact on the Nets&rsquo; free-agency plans. Wojnarowski said on NBA Today that Brooklyn is having a hard time retaining their own free agents, plus Durant isn&rsquo;t recruiting potential names to the Nets as well.&nbsp;
"In previous offseasons, rival agents and players would tell you of Durant's eagerness in talking to potential free agents. So far, that hasn't been the case with him, sources say," Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/34130810/how-kyrie-irving-contract-talks-change-kevin-durant-long-term-commitment-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote on ESPN+</a>.
Durant has also been putting pressure on the Nets to sign Irving long-term, per Wojnarowski.
All of a sudden, the possibility of the Nets breaking up feels very real. Could we actually be looking at a scenario where Durant is requesting a trade over the next few weeks? If Irving's contract situation isn&rsquo;t resolved soon, it sure feels like it.
OG Anunoby joining Jerami Grant in Portland?
According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1539759808907284480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports&rsquo; Chris Haynes</a>, the Portland Trail Blazers aren&rsquo;t done trying to make massive moves to improve their roster. After acquiring Jerami Grant for a bargain price on Wednesday, Haynes relayed that Portland is offering the Toronto Raptors the No. 7 overall pick in today's NBA Draft in exchange for versatile wing OG Anunoby.
There has been persistent smoke surrounding Anunoby in trade talks over the last few weeks, and now things have kicked into overdrive.
If the Blazers are able to land Anunoby alongside Grant, it&rsquo;s a dream wing pairing to place alongside the high-usage backcourt of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. Assuming Portland also re-signs Jusuf Nurkic, they could become a playoff contender once again.
Deandre Ayton, Suns heading for a split?
Deandre Ayton may have played his final game with the Phoenix Suns. Even though things seemed to be heading in this direction after the Suns' shocking postseason exit, Wojnarowski confirmed Wednesday on NBA Today that the organization doesn&rsquo;t view&nbsp; their former No. 1 overall pick as a max-level player. Woj added that Phoenix plans to engage in serious sign-and-trade discussions surrounding Ayton.
Keep an eye on the Detroit Pistons as a potential landing spot for Ayton, especially after the Grant trade went down. The Pistons now have more than $40 million in cap space, which means they can offer Ayton a max contract without any hiccups. According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3379072/2022/06/22/jerami-grant-blazers-pistons-deandre-ayton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s James Edwards III</a>, Detroit is &ldquo;heavily expected&rdquo; to pursue Ayton.
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Will James Harden opt in?
Wojnarowski mentioned on NBA Today that James Harden was likely to exercise his $47 million player option for next season and sign a short-term extension with the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden&rsquo;s new deal with Philadelphia will come in at a figure slightly below the max, as Woj relayed on ESPN2. This lines up with <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038916-latest-nba-intel-sources-say-james-harden-will-sign-short-term-extension-with-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a recent report</a> from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Philadelphia has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-rumors-draft-2022-news-reports-atlanta-hawks-malcolm-brogdon-new-york-knicks-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been linked to Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker</a> this offseason, so we'll see if the 2018 Houston Rockets are planning a reunion. Would adding Gordon and Tucker be enough to put Philadelphia over the top in the Eastern Conference?
The Sixers are also shopping the No. 23 overall pick, Matisse Thybulle and Danny Green, per <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038916-latest-nba-intel-sources-say-james-harden-will-sign-short-term-extension-with-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer</a>.&nbsp;
Thunder planning blockbuster trade to move up draft?
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/34121058/2022-nba-mock-draft-projecting-all-58-picks-based-latest-intel-scouting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony</a>, the Oklahoma City Thunder are aggressively trying to trade up from No. 12, with their primary targets being Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey and Kentucky&rsquo;s Shaedon Sharpe.
The Thunder are hoping to come out of this draft with two of the top prospects; OKC also has the No. 2 and signs seem to point to them taking Chet Holmgren.&nbsp;
Could you imagine Oklahoma City trotting out a core that features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Holmgren and either Ivey or Sharpe? That&rsquo;s simply unfair.
Hawks pursuing Dejounte Murray trade?
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Jake Fischer</a>, the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks have discussed a deal that would involve swapping Dejounte Murray and John Collins. Fischer noted that the price for Murray to leave San Antonio would be &ldquo;Jrue Holiday-like&rdquo; in terms of the return. If that&rsquo;s the case, the Spurs would likely have to part with multiple first-round picks to land the versatile guard.
The Athletic's Chris Kirschner joined BasketballNews' Twitter Spaces last night and confirmed that these talks are ongoing, but added that a deal isn't close. He has also heard that the asking price for Murray is significant.
With this coming out of nowhere, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see the Spurs be a very aggressive team during tonight's NBA Draft.
Knicks all-in on Jalen Brunson?
Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/kyrie-irving-latest-more-trade-talk?sd=pf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday that the New York Knicks are viewed as a real threat to sign Jalen Brunson, if they can clear the necessary cap space. The Knicks are trying to offload the expiring contracts (if you count their 2023-24 team option) of Alec Burks, Kemba Walker and Nerlens Noel. Wojnarowski added later in the day on ESPN2 that New York will be aggressive in clearing said space.
Stein dropped another Knicks-related note involving underrated rim protector Mitchell Robinson. <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-draft-forecast-trades-aplenty?sd=pf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Stein</a>, the Knicks are expected to re-sign Robinson, which may close the door on potential draft options like Memphis&rsquo; Jalen Duren or Duke&rsquo;s Mark Williams at No. 11 overall.
Yesterday, ESPN&rsquo;s Brian Windhorst mentioned on NBA Today that New York has been unwilling to include No. 11 in any trade talks involving Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon. The availability of Brogdon continues to be a hot topic, which included <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038623-latest-nba-intel-sources-expect-zach-lavine-to-re-sign-with-chicago-bulls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer reporting</a> that league executives believe Brogdon is the Knicks' backup option after Brunson.
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Pacers accepting rebuild?
On ESPN's NBA Mock Draft Special on Tuesday, Wojnarowksi said that the Pacers plan to reshape their roster and move toward a rebuild under head coach Rick Carlisle. Woj added that Indiana is hopeful to add a second lottery selection since there are multiple prospects they like in that range.
The full expectation is that Brogdon will be moved soon. However, when it comes to Myles Turner's future, the Pacers may wait for better offers or hold onto him long-term. Both Brogdon and Turner have constantly popped up in trade rumors, and that likely isn't changing until there's a resolution.
Indiana deciding on a full-scale rebuild opens up a lot of roster possibilities, and it further suggests that Brogdon, Turner and maybe even Buddy Hield could be on the move. Leading up to the draft, Indiana continues to be one of the most active teams on the trade market.
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer mentioned on Wednesday</a> that the following teams have shown interest in a Turner trade: the Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell staying in Minnesota?
Speaking of the Timberwolves, another interesting tidbit was shared on Wednesday morning by <a href="https://theathletic.com/3363956/2022/06/22/dangelo-russell-future-timberwolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Jon Krawczynski</a>: Minnesota has not come close on any potential trades involving D&rsquo;Angelo Russell or any other players. Russell is on the final year of his contract, but his season ended with some fourth-quarter benchings in favor of Jordan McLaughlin during the playoffs.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly <a href="https://twitter.com/JonKrawczynski/status/1539694720108085248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> on Wednesday that the organization is &ldquo;super open&rdquo; to trading the No. 19 pick. Connelly added that they would welcome a win-now piece in exchange for the top-20 selection.
Cavs open to trading back?
According to <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/06/cleveland-cavaliers-getting-trade-offers-for-the-no-14-pick-in-2022-nba-draft-sources-say.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com</a>, the Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trading back from No. 14 overall. This lines up with what <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-bradley-beal-bobby-portis-nicolas-batum-lakers-nets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported</a> earlier this week. Scotto added that the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks have called about the No. 14 pick.
Holding the final pick in the lottery, Cleveland could fetch a solid return on the trade market. The Cavs are reportedly hoping for a future first-round pick, but they&rsquo;re open to adding a win-now role player in a trade-back scenario as well.&nbsp;
If the Cavaliers are able to move back while also improving the top of their rotation, it would be a huge win for the up-and-coming team.
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Suns shopping Jae Crowder?
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Fischer</a>, the Suns have reached out to rival teams to gauge Jae Crowder's trade value. Over the last two seasons, Crowder has played a pivotal role in the Suns&rsquo; historic turnaround. However, with a looming extension for Cameron Johnson, it could make sense to clear more playing time for he and Mikal Bridges on the wing.
Phoenix has no picks tonight, but they are rumored to be interested in getting into the draft. While they have looked into buying a second-round selection, perhaps trading Crowder could get them into the first round.
If the Suns send Crowder to Philadelphia for the No. 23 pick and Danny Green&rsquo;s non-guaranteed salary, would that make sense for both sides?
Wizards listening on Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Fischer</a>, the Wizards are open to discussing Kuzma and KCP in deals. Earlier in the week, Wojnarowski listed Washington as one of the most active teams in trade discussions.
After a strong season with the Wizards, Kuzma could provide a strong return. KCP&rsquo;s expiring contract would be a strong match with Indiana for Malcolm Brogdon, which has been rumored for several days.
Blazers, Pelicans draft preferences
Closing out the notebook, here are two draft-related notes. First up, if the Portland Trail Blazers stay put at No. 7, they are reportedly fans of Dyson Daniels and Shaedon Sharpe, per <a href="https://theathletic.com/3377254/2022/06/22/nba-mock-draft-trades-rumors-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s John Hollinger</a>. Both Daniels or Sharpe could be real complements on the wing alongside Lillard, Grant and Simons. If Portland nails their lottery pick, they are set up to potentially rebound in 2022-23.
The New Orleans Pelicans&rsquo; top choices at No. 8 are Daniels and Arizona&rsquo;s Bennedict Mathurin, per <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/please-dont-aggregate-this/id1618992995" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer on his podcast</a>. If neither Daniels nor Mathurin are on the board, New Orleans would be more inclined to listen on potential trade-back scenarios.
Buckle up, folks, as this is going to be a crazy day! BasketballNews will keep you updated on all the latest NBA news and rumors.
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The 2022 NBA Draft is hours away, and the rumor mill is churning. Here are all of the latest rumblings from around the Association.

NBA Rumors Notebook: Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Deandre Ayton, more

We saw glimpses late in the regular season. We saw more flashes in the Round 1 series against the Atlanta Hawks. Then, in last night's 120-85 drubbing of the Philadelphia 76ers, we were given yet another view of what Victor Oladipo can provide the Miami Heat when healthy and in rhythm.
With Kyle Lowry hobbled and in and out of the lineup, Gabe Vincent struggling from the field and an overall lack of half-court shot creation outside Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, Oladipo finding his groove is proving essential for the Heat.
Oladipo played only eight games in the regular season, which is still mind-boggling. He hasn't even played in 20 contests with Miami since the trade from Houston last season, though he'll hit the mark on Thursday when he sees the court during Game 6.
Returning from injury multiple times and trying to find his way on the court as a player has certainly been a process for Oladipo. He fell out of Erik Spoelstra's rotation entirely near the end of the season, accruing five DNP (Coach's Decisions) in a six-game stretch.
When Oladipo did play, he never quite found his role. The flashes were there, but the cohesiveness wasn't, which was understandable given the context. That's what makes his current play all the more impressive.
Some of the clunkiness in the offense remains, but the process is clicking.&nbsp;
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Here, Oladipo throws a lob when Caleb Martin isn't on the same page, and even with the failed outlet, Oladipo quickly makes himself available.&nbsp;
Selling the at-rim attempt to get Paul Reed in the air before hitting Bam Adebayo with a dumpoff is the kind of verve and creativity the Heat really need in half-court settings. Turning nothing into something was Oladipo's specialty in Indiana. Being able to do it flowing in the offense alongside Butler was highlighted in Game 5, and it had me doing the Leonardo DiCaprio Once Upon a Time in Hollywood&nbsp;point at the screen from my desk.
Off this baseline out-of-bounds play, we hardly even get to see it (much like Joel Embiid!), and that's part of the point:
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His suddenness and stealth as a cutter collapsing the defense creates easy points for the two-man play with Jimmy Butler.
A few possessions later on another broken play, Butler misses the jumper and gets his own board. Oladipo makes himself available in the corner, and when Maxey flies in to pick him up, Oladipo jets to the rim to keep the outlet open for Butler.
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With how demonstrative Butler has been getting into the lane and collapsing the defense in the playoffs, Oladipo finding his timing as an off-ball player is an absolute boon.
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But, the Heat have a multitude of players who can flow off the ball. What makes this so notable is what Oladipo has been able to bring as both a pick-and-roll operator and late clock shot-taker/maker.
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When Oladipo draws close-outs the way he's capable of when his shot is falling, he creates havoc with his secondary attacks. If the shot clock is winding down, he's good at drawing contact and finding his way to the free throw line, averaging four trips to the line in the series and 3.4 in the seven games he's played in the playoffs.
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Finding his balance toggling on and off the ball opens up new line-up constructions and modes of play that elevate who the Heat can be.
So much depends on his shot falling on volume, which has been a sticking point since his initial injury in Indiana. Drawing the defense on the weak-side and getting to the rim to keep revving the engine of the offense, or gliding into his pull-up twos or floaters is predicated on defenses respecting his shot. He still doesn't quite have that standstill burst he did in 2017-18, but stepping into the catch off the second side is legitimately devastating from him.
A side note: I'm not even sure it's about his legs not being back. He certainly doesn't have the same first step he once did. However, it feels like his handle and his lower body haven't gotten back into sync. Injuries suck, but I think it makes me appreciate Oladipo and the work he's put in to get back even more. It's been a really difficult few seasons for him, and seeing him find his footing is awesome.
This snippet from Game 2 is the quintessential vision of who Victor Oladipo can be in Miami:
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He exhibits consistent cycling of the offense. He makes himself available and shifts on and off the ball.
The ground coverage has been awesome. Watch the way he shuts down Tyrese Maxey's drive and the way he's able to crunch in to help in the paint before closing back out, getting his hand in the cookie jar and getting away scot-free with a turnover.
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He's absolutely hounded James Harden when he's matched up with him, often pressing Harden for 94 feet. It sounds minute, but just go back through and watch the possessions where Oladipo presses Harden.
Furthermore, look how consistently the Sixers are starting their possessions with a third of the clock drained. Even without a turnover caused (and many have been!), applying pressure has smothered Philly's offense.
Oladipo is so active on screens, and his play this series reminds us why he was All-Defense a few seasons ago. He engulfs offensive players on switches and chokes the gaps to make it more difficult to slip (a great part of Miami's overall defensive ethos). I hate charges with a passion, but Oladipo draws contact as the low man with charisma. I don't know how else to explain it!
He sheds screens and uses his probing arms so well to spear ball-handlers and make his presence felt. James Harden is not having a good time with Oladipo!
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What he's brought defensively is unquestionable. Pairing his aptitude and skill on that end with his growth in comfort as a more complimentary player makes me more optimistic about the postseason upside of this team.
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Miami's 120-85 win over Philadelphia last night was punctuated by Victor Oladipo's play, which amplified the Heat.

Victor Oladipo is finding his verve with Miami

Once upon a time, not too long ago actually, a college athlete transferring from school to school was an anomaly, mostly due to the fact that said player would have to sit out a year before joining a new team, with a penalty put in place to deter it from happening. Those days are over now, as a new system has been put in place that has resulted in over 1,000 names currently being in the NCAA transfer portal.&nbsp;
This has created much discussion and debate as to whether or not this is in fact a good system to have for college basketball.
There can be many determining factors for student-athletes having the desire to leave a university. &nbsp;For instance, they could be being mistreated by a coach, something that happens far more often than many are aware of. Maybe their families simply believe their son or daughter&rsquo;s talents would be better utilized elsewhere, or maybe they are homesick and want to go to a college closer to home due to that familial support for their mental well being. Or, if their coach leaves for greener pastures, it's because their commitment, comfortability and connection was with that coach who will no longer be there.&nbsp;
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Another rising phenomenon is a player at a smaller school who had a successful season or a big tournament run having the opportunity to transfer to a bigger school. Case in point, St. Peter&rsquo;s Doug Edert. His school had an amazing March Madness run, had the entire country rooting for the Peacocks as underdogs and made it to the Elite Eight (the first No. 15 seed to do so).
Edert's coach, Shaheen Holloway, left St. Peters soon thereafter to take a job with his alma mater Seton Hall. So why shouldn&rsquo;t Edert be able to leave to go to a bigger school with a bigger opportunity and platform? (Edert settled on Bryant University, by the way.)
This has been a very controversial topic from the moment it was implemented. Some hold the position that players should have the freedom to easily transfer schools in order to find the best fit for them (just like coaches do). Others believe that athletes should be required to &ldquo;honor their commitment&rdquo; to the school and retain the negative consequences of the past (i.e., sitting out a year or losing a year of eligibility) in order to deter this from becoming the widespread situation that it currently has become.
I sat down with two assistant coaches at Louisville, former Duke assistant Nolan Smith and former Maryland interim head coach Danny Manning, to hear their thoughts on this particular topic.
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Etan Thomas: What are your overall thoughts on the transfer portal?&nbsp;
Nolan Smith: "My initial thoughts were that, 'If a coach can leave a kid after they&rsquo;ve recruited that kid and promised him and his family that he will be their coach for the duration of his college experience, why shouldn&rsquo;t the players be able to?' But now, obviously you&rsquo;re seeing kids at different colleges and universities, and they&rsquo;re not sticking around for a long time, and you&rsquo;re wondering, 'Why isn&rsquo;t this kid staying?' So, a few things here: Kids, together with their parents, need to start making better decisions about the schools they&rsquo;re choosing. We&rsquo;re dealing with a lot of transfers here now, and we&rsquo;re seeing that a lot of kids are coming in beaten down mentally and emotionally. So if that&rsquo;s leading to the transfer, I have no issue with a player removing himself or herself from an unhealthy situation.
"But, I will also say, they need to do a better job of doing their homework first. Don&rsquo;t rush decisions. If you ask the questions that need to be asked and really do your homework on a lot of these coaches, you will know which coaches you need to stay away from no matter how much they wine and dine you while they&rsquo;re recruiting you."
Etan: I definitely agree with that. Some of these coaches present a false image of themselves and their program during recruiting, and the kid gets there and they see they were lied to. But like you said, that&rsquo;s where you have to do your homework. Ask around, research, ask the non-starters on the team how the coach treats them, ask former players... like, really research.
Smith: "Exactly, you have to do your research before. But also let me say this: Sometimes, parents and players don&rsquo;t have patience. They want everything to happen immediately and it doesn&rsquo;t always work like that. You know, sometimes there is a process. Some players come in with a preconceived notion that they should be one-and-done, or two-and-done, and things don&rsquo;t always work out according to your plan. Sometimes you gotta be patient and your time will come."
Etan: Did y&rsquo;all have a lot of transfers at Duke while you were there? I&rsquo;m trying to remember, because we had a lot at Syracuse. And all for different reasons, but a lot of turnover happening all over.
Smith: "We brought in a couple. We lost two kids who were playing a good amount of minutes their freshman year. It worked out for one of them; the other is basically playing the same amount of minutes he was playing with us and same position. But yeah, we were losing guys just like every other program &mdash; two to three a year I would say."
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Etan: Do you think it&rsquo;s getting almost like AAU where guys just leave situations regularly? And do you think that&rsquo;s good for the game as a whole?&nbsp;
Smith: "It&rsquo;s definitely becoming a fad. You see starters transferring. Or you factor in NIL deals (name, image and likeness) and a kid may be in a mid-major [school] averaging 20, and he could stay there and the next year maybe average 25 and improve every aspect of his game, but he can [also] transfer to a bigger market &mdash; an ACC or Big 10 school &mdash; and has the opportunity to get a bigger NIL deal in a bigger market, and I understand that as well. Not everyone will be turning pro, so capitalizing on their earning potential is their ceiling, so you have to factor that in as well."
Etan: That&rsquo;s a great point. Does it make it difficult to build your program when there is so much turnover?
Smith: "It&rsquo;s extremely difficult. Okay, so at Duke, we were planning on recruiting four [prospects], but then you have to factor in the two transfers, so now you&rsquo;re recruiting six. So you have to either go out and get a grad transfer or [use] the portal, so now you&rsquo;re bringing in six new guys to the team, so that&rsquo;s in essence starting over. I think lot of teams are going straight [to the] transfer portal. We saw in the tournament against Arkansas and Texas Tech, [we] we&rsquo;re playing some old veteran grad-transfer led teams. They were really good and really old. But I&rsquo;m sure there was a lot of team-building things they had to do with a whole new team."
Etan: Do you think that hurts the overall college game, or do you think that helps it?&nbsp;
Smith: "I think overall I would say yes [it hurts it] because teams are rebuilding every year; it&rsquo;s essentially AAU. And as a fan of the game, you&rsquo;re not getting to know the players and see them grow and really root for them because you&rsquo;re gonna have a whole new group of players the next season. Now, let me be clear, I am an advocate for athletes and them having the freedom and flexibility to move as they do choose. But, there are some aspects from a coaching standpoint and from a fan standpoint that does make it problematic."
Etan: I definitely understand that, and at the same time like you opened up with, it allows players not to feel trapped, so to speak, when they&rsquo;re with coaches who aren&rsquo;t who the players thought they were when they recruited them.
Smith: "Definitely, 100%. With all the problems and issues and concerns, it always comes back down to that. If these head coaches are not treating these young men and young women right, they need to have the freedom to leave. So much goes on that people have no idea about, of coaches abusing their power, literally tormenting players both mentally and emotionally, or playing mind games with them, holding their scholarship over their head or playing time over their head. So now, they can&rsquo;t do that because a player has the option to leave without penalty or repercussion, and they can no longer have that power over them so at the end of the day, it always comes back down to that."
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Etan Thomas: Do you think the transfer portal is getting out of hand? There are over 1,000 players currently in it.
Danny Manning: "Regardless of what anyone thinks about the transfer portal, the fact is it&rsquo;s here. And we have to now navigate with this being the new reality. It&rsquo;s a part of college sports, and it&rsquo;s going to be here whether people complain about it or not. I&rsquo;m a fan of the portal; there are a lot of things that do go into it. Of course, you have to do your research and see why a guy is transferring; you definitely don&rsquo;t want to recruit any problem players, but sometimes, things just simply didn&rsquo;t work out in their previous situation and they are looking for a better fit, a better opportunity. And there is something to be said about having the ability from a coaching standpoint to bring in a player who has some college experience who can help out your team immediately. I do think there are more people in the portal than there are scholarships available, but that&rsquo;s a whole 'nother issue."
Etan: Yes, that definitely is a problem. How does the portal help or hurt the recruiting process?&nbsp;
Manning: "Well, again from a coach's perspective, it helps. Let me give you an example. Back in the day, the recruiting process could drag on and on, but now with the portal, it widens the pool so it would be in the player&rsquo;s best interest not to drag his process out because that position has a higher potential of being filled. Of course, the top high school athletes may be in a different situation, but for the majority of the high school players, they can&rsquo;t let it drag out and enjoy the recruiting process and waste a lot of coaches' time when they aren&rsquo;t really interested in that particular school. So now, the pressure is turned up quite a bit on that player making his decision because the pool has widened with the addition of the transfer portal."
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Etan: So from the standpoint of you recruiting other players, you like it. But what about from the standpoint of you retaining your players and your roster? It seems like a lot of guys leaving are rotation players, starters even. Has that become problematic?&nbsp;
Manning: "Yes, that&rsquo;s definitely problematic, but that&rsquo;s part of what we&rsquo;re dealing with in this new reality of the transfer portal. There are players who are in pretty good roles and pretty good situations who feel that they want to be in better roles and better situations. And they have a right to exhaust those avenues. The days of putting together a college team with the mindset of when we were in school &mdash; of bringing in this high school player and this young player is going to develop and get better over time &mdash; that&rsquo;s almost out the window. We&rsquo;re putting together teams now like a professional organization on a year-to-year basis."
Etan: And you don&rsquo;t see it going backwards? Initially, I thought it was more that the NCAA decided to allow players the freedom to transfer without having to sit out because of COVID &mdash; at least that&rsquo;s what I thought. But you keep referring to it as the &ldquo;new reality&rdquo; or &ldquo;new normal.&rdquo; So you think it&rsquo;s here to stay?&nbsp;
Manning: "I do. I don&rsquo;t think they can backtrack at this point once they&rsquo;ve given it to them. They opened Pandora&rsquo;s box now, so that&rsquo;s why I keep referring to it as the new reality because college basketball as we once knew it &mdash; where a player transferring was an aberration &mdash; is no more. It&rsquo;s going to be the norm moving forward."
Etan: In your opinion, does the transfer portal make it harder for high school players due to the fact that, like you said in your beginning statement, colleges now have the opportunity to recruit an experienced player now? Does the portal hurt high school players?&nbsp;
Manning: "Definitely. For that reason alone. You&rsquo;re a college coach and sometimes you want someone who has already been through the rigors of college, who understands the academic piece and understands navigating all of the other responsibilities that you have to handle as a college athlete. A lot of times, it takes freshman a while to adjust to that process. They&rsquo;re away from home, they get homesick, freshman blues, but just overall adjusting to life on your own and handling your business. So the level of maturity is typically already there with a transfer player because they&rsquo;ve already been through it
"My advice to a high school kid who is being recruited and they feel like a college is a good fit for them, my advice to them is jump on your offer and claim it right away &mdash; because that portal changes the game. I know with social media high school players like to post and tweet that they received an offer from this school and that school and let the process drag out. Well, with the transfer portal, you&rsquo;re going to see high school players lose offers they once had, and a coach is going to call them and say that scholarship is no longer available because we decided to sign a player from the transfer portal because you were dragging your feet to make a decision. High school players need to understand that this is a business, and they need to treat it as such, and with the transfer portal, they&rsquo;re actually at a disadvantage, and that&rsquo;s just the reality of this new norm.
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Louisville assistant coaches Danny Manning and Nolan Smith share their thoughts on the polarizing NCAA transfer portal.

Louisville's Danny Manning, Nolan Smith discuss NCAA transfer portal

Suitcases are packed, and passports are in tow. The Philadelphia 76ers will soon be heading to Canada to do battle with the Toronto Raptors in this year's NBA Playoffs.
Best believe, no matter how lightly he packs, it is James Harden who will be carrying most baggage, even if he doesn&rsquo;t want to admit it.
Ahead of Saturday&rsquo;s playoff matchup in which the Sixers will play host to the Toronto Raptors, Harden has been consistent in stating that he doesn&rsquo;t feel any pressure heading into his first playoff series as Joel Embiid&rsquo;s running mate.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing to it,&rdquo; he <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33739023/philadelphia-76ers-james-harden-not-feeling-pressure-entering-playoffs-ready-hoop">said to ESPN</a>, just days after he <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/james-harden-interview-philadelphia-sixers-playoffs-brooklyn-nets?utm_campaign=sportstw&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social">declared to Complex</a> that he had, &ldquo;Nothing to prove.&rdquo;
Not even Harden himself believes that. That is, assuming he gives one iota about the legacy he will eventually leave.
Named MVP in 2018, the 32-year-old Harden is a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA First Team Member. He&rsquo;s one of the most talented players of his generation and one who has helped revolutionize the way the game is both played and officiated today.
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James Harden + Joel Embiid Best of PNR Highlight Reel I First 5 Games Here are the top PNR plays between James Harden and Joel Embiid through 5 games, good luck stopping this duo Brooklyn <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sixers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sixers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HereTheyCome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HereTheyCome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JamesHarden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JamesHarden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JoelEmbiid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JoelEmbiid</a> <a href="https://t.co/iKBMReqBLP">pic.twitter.com/iKBMReqBLP</a>
&mdash; MRCROCKPOT TPL (@mrcrockpot) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrcrockpot/status/1501996652634193921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Despite being able to boast those facts, if things ended for Harden here and now, he would only be remembered by future generations as another &ldquo;superstar&rdquo; who ultimately wasn&rsquo;t able to deliver when it mattered most. Fair or not, he wouldn&rsquo;t be considered among the likes of Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson or even, perhaps ironically, Chris Paul.
Each of those three players have proven histories that show they were not only winners, but that they managed to get every bit out of their potential. They showed up, every single day.
Can the same be said of Harden?
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As a basketball-viewing public, we are in an era where individual greatness is ultimately defined by someone&rsquo;s ability to deliver championship-level performances, if not championships. The perception (whether true or not) is that Harden hasn&rsquo;t done that. What he&rsquo;s mostly remembered for today is quitting on each of his last two teams. That, and a rather shabby playoff track record.
To his credit, in his eight years in Houston, Harden did get the Rockets out of the first round five times, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2015 and 2018. But is that good enough? Do people remember that he lost twice to the dynastic Warriors? Do they even care?
Or do people more remember Harden for his five dubious Game 7 performances? In those contests, he shot a combined 37.4% from the field and also happens to have a higher regular-season scoring average (24.9) than playoff scoring average (23.3). If you check the tape on the greatest of Harden's contemporaries &mdash; Giannis, Curry, LeBron and Durant among them &mdash; you&rsquo;d see that this isn&rsquo;t the norm.
In the end, sadly for Harden, the scoring titles, incredible individual performances and career accolades ring a bit hollow. Not only because he hasn&rsquo;t been able to win a championship, but because, on an individual basis, he has faltered so tremendously on the quest.
Once upon a time, we said similar things about Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce. To a lesser extent, we at least questioned the true greatness of Kevin Garnett. In the end, they were able to write final chapters that mostly made us forget about their earlier shortcomings. They reinvented themselves and changed their legacies. The aspiration is what brought Harden to Philadelphia to in the first place.
On the precipice of his first postseason run with MVP candidate Joel Embiid, Harden can only hope that his career trajectory in Philadelphia emulates that of his new teammate. Through his first eight seasons as a professional, the hallmarks of Embiid&rsquo;s still-young career have been about working harder and doing more. He just secured his first scoring title and has a legitimate shot at dethroning reigning MVP Nikola Jokic for that accolade. He&rsquo;s looked almost as dominant as an in-prime Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and will now attempt to lead the Sixers to the franchise&rsquo;s first Eastern Conference crown in over 20 years.
That, Embiid knows, will require Harden to play at a high level.
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James Harden discusses shooting struggles: "I'm one of the most confident players in this league because I put the work in." <a href="https://t.co/YdbevAOCZW">pic.twitter.com/YdbevAOCZW</a>
&mdash; HoopsHype (@hoopshype) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopshype/status/1513152084069130244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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"I tell him to be himself,&rdquo; Embiid <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33739023/philadelphia-76ers-james-harden-not-feeling-pressure-entering-playoffs-ready-hoop">told ESPN</a>. &ldquo;He just has to be himself and not worry about people talking about pressure. Whatever happened in the past, you look back at what he's accomplished and what he's done, he had to play against a dynasty&hellip; Bad timing. But I'm sure it's going to be fine."
For Embiid&rsquo;s sake and that of the front office in Philadelphia, we can only hope his words are prophetic.
Whether James Harden cares to admit it, there&rsquo;s a lot riding on his marriage with Joel Embiid. Not the least of which is James Harden&rsquo;s ability to write a final chapter devoid of postseason shortcomings.
With all his baggage, Harden forced his way to Philadelphia.
Passport in tow, baggage checked, as he prepares to head north to Canada next week, the hope for Harden is that it will be just the first of many postseason trips that the Sixers will be taking.
Truth be told, Harden's legacy depends on it.
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When it comes to legacies, championships are the measuring stick, and Philadelphia's James Harden is still fighting for his.

Despite his remarks, James Harden actually has quite a bit to prove

The nail was finally put into the Los Angeles Lakers' coffin on Tuesday night in Phoenix, as the purple and gold's postseason hopes are no more following the team's 121-110 loss to the Suns.
Even after a splashy offseason, headlined by Hollywood&rsquo;s newest Big Three in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, it was an unmitigated disaster on multiple levels in L.A. Due to injuries, the Lakers&rsquo; star trio only played 21 total games together; it's far too little time to have an extended viewpoint on the subject, but even the small glimpses occasionally provided nightmare fuel.
Westbrook turned out to be an extremely poor fit next to Davis and LeBron, because none of them could adequately space the floor at a consistently above-average clip. Also, the role players for Los Angeles simply didn&rsquo;t get it done. The all-in bet on veterans backfired for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
Now, the pressure cooker has turned up to a whole new level for the Lakers entering an offseason with massive long-term ramifications.
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At points during the 11-point loss to the Suns on Tuesday, the Lakers looked shell-shocked, which eventually turned into a complete lack of energy once hit with a massive counter run in the second half. Just like that, Los Angeles folded at the first sign of resistance.
Already knowing of their postseason fate at halftime when the San Antonio Spurs upset the Denver Nuggets on the road, the Lakers' effort turned into an all-out embarrassment. Devin Booker was easily getting whatever shot he pleased. Chris Paul was bending the Lakers&rsquo; defense to his will, as the future Hall-of-Famer usually does.
Overall, the sense throughout was a team knowing its season was already over. Without James, the 2021-22 Lakers were toast long before their latest shellacking.
&ldquo;Extremely disappointed,&rdquo; Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said postgame. &ldquo;Disappointed for our fan base. Disappointed for the Buss family, gave us all this opportunity. And we want to play our part in bringing success to Laker basketball. We fell short, we were eliminated tonight. I can say it&rsquo;s not due to a lack of effort. We have all put in the work. All of our guys stayed fighting right until the end.&rdquo;
Reminiscing on one of the most disappointing seasons from any title contender in recent memory, the Lakers&rsquo; main theme was how injuries mangled a team with NBA Finals hopes.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t take the injuries out, but championship,&rdquo; Davis said of the Lakers&rsquo; potential entering this season. &ldquo;When we first put the team together our goal was to win a championship. I feel like we had the pieces, but injuries got in the way of that. That&rsquo;s the difference in our season.&rdquo;
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Davis is correct on how injuries charted the Lakers off their path into rocky waters over the last few months. Davis himself missed 42 games while James missed 26. When you&rsquo;re missing the two foundational building blocks for at least one-third of the regular season, the game of catch-up will be seemingly impossible at the end. That&rsquo;s exactly what happened here with the Lakers, but the issues run deeper than simply injury issues.
&ldquo;When we put this team together we had championship aspirations. Once again, injuries kind of got in the way of that," Davis added. "The world love to see, we would love to see, what this team would look like if healthy for a full 82 (games).&rdquo;
Zooming out for a moment: Where exactly would the Lakers have finished in the Western Conference standings with a fully healthy AD and LeBron? It&rsquo;s an interesting question, but one that has holes. Westbrook looked like a deer in the headlights trying to mesh his game within the Lakers&rsquo; system. And without any real three-point threats from the outside, opposing teams could simply stack the paint to prevent real interior damage.
It was a flawed roster from the beginning, seen through purple-and-gold-shaded glasses in Los Angeles thanks in large part to two superstars covering gaps all over the place.
Realistically, based off the pedigree with LeBron alone, you could place the Lakers within the same tier as the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. All three teams could win a round or two in the postseason, but the ceiling is eventually capped. Even with a dynamic one-two punch, it&rsquo;s not enough without the right pieces to cook with on the basketball court.
&ldquo;I mean that&rsquo;s the plan, but nothing is promised,&rdquo; Russell Westbrook said when asked about playing alongside James and Davis again next season. &ldquo;You kind of got to take it one day at a time each day. And like I said all season long, you play the cards you [are] dealt. We want to be able to see what that looks like, what it entails over the course of an 82-game season. We not sure that&rsquo;s guaranteed either, so hopefully we&rsquo;re able to do something in the future.&rdquo;
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If the Lakers truly are in run-it-back mode &mdash; and use injuries as the main excuse with Vogel as the scapegoat &mdash; they&rsquo;re in deep trouble for next season and beyond.
With the greatest player in the NBA&rsquo;s modern era on their roster, Los Angeles is back at the same spot it was when LeBron first arrived. And that&rsquo;s saying something when the roster is chock-full of current and former heavy-hitters past their prime years. The excuses are running thin in Los Angeles, and now it&rsquo;s time to see what all the issues under the hood truly are.
With the Lakers&rsquo; playoff plans officially dashed, Carmelo Anthony put what I believe to be a succinctly perfect bow on their disappointing campaign.
&ldquo;I would say this was a season we just didn&rsquo;t get it done,&rdquo; Anthony said. &ldquo;We had the tools. Some things we could control, some things we couldn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s nothing else more than we didn&rsquo;t get it done. You can&rsquo;t make no excuses about it. We didn&rsquo;t get it done.&rdquo;
No excuses, so what&rsquo;s next in Hollywood? The possibilities truly are endless &mdash; whether you view it from a positive or negative perspective.
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With the Lakers' postseason hopes officially finished, what's next? It's time to look in the mirror.

Are the Lakers truly ready to look in the mirror this offseason?

The Elite Eight is set! After two more days of madness, nail-biters, and upsets, eight programs will meet this weekend to earn trips to the Final Four. Here's the breakdown of Thursday and Friday's results:
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Saint Peter&rsquo;s def. Purdue 67-64, will face North Carolina Happy National Peacock Day! Shaheen Holloway and the Saint Peter's Peacocks have stunned another powerhouse, defeating the No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 to advance to the Elite Eight. They have now beaten Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue en route to becoming the very first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history. Daryl Banks III led them in scoring with 14 points, while Doug Edert provided 10 huge ones off the bench.
Arkansas def. Gonzaga 74-68, will face Duke In a fast-paced game for most of the night, JD Notae, Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade knocked off the No. 1 overall seed. Williams said after the game, "We've been disrespected the whole year, so it's just another thing for us.&rdquo; Notae led the way with 21 points on 9 of 29 shooting from the floor, while Drew Timme posted 25 points in (potentially) his final game for the Zags. This one had the internet buzzing - what a win for Eric Musselman and co.&nbsp;
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Duke def. Texas Tech 78-73, will face Arkansas This game was a heavyweight fight from start to finish. Texas Tech held a four-point lead at the half, but Paolo Banchero took over down the stretch, finishing with 22 points in the win. Jeremy Roach also played a huge role in this one with 15 points and 5 assists. Coach K and his Blue Devils survive and advance to a meeting with Arkansas. Must-see television ahead.&nbsp;
Houston def. Arizona 72-60, will face Villanova Kelvin Sampson is having, arguably, the best coaching season in America. He and the Cougars led wire-to-wire in this one to defeat the Wildcats, whom many had as their championship pick. Jamal Shead led the way with 21 points while Kyler Edwards posted 19. Another &lsquo;Culture Win&rsquo; for the Cougars as they will meet Collin Gillespie and Villanova in the Elite Eight.&nbsp;
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Villanova def. Michigan 63-55, will face Houston The Wildcats took the lead with 3:42 to go in the first half and never looked back. They remained in control the rest of the way behind 22 points from Jermaine Samuels and 15 from Justin Moore. This ends the Wolverines' run, which has been nothing short of impressive. Villanova will now meet Houston in the Elite Eight in a matchup of two of the most disciplined, well-coached teams in the country.
Kansas def. Providence 66-61, will face Miami (FL) The Jayhawks advance to their first Elite Eight since 2017 behind Remy Martin&rsquo;s 23 points, a season-high for him. They only got 19 combined points from Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and David McCormack, but were able to hold on down the stretch. The Jayhawks are the only No. 1 seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament, and they are currently the betting favorites to win it all.&nbsp;
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North Carolina def. UCLA 73-66, will face Saint Peter&rsquo;s UCLA led 64-61 with 2:08 to play, but Caleb Love had other plans. He would catch fire from deep and hit two huge shots with just under a minute to play, giving his team the 67-64 lead. Armando Bacot would add a putback with 0:15 to play to make it a five-point game. That would be enough to hold off the Bruins. Love led the way with 30 points in an incredible performance, propelling the Tar Heels into a meeting with Cinderella, the Peacocks from Saint Peter&rsquo;s.&nbsp;
Miami (FL) def. Iowa State 70-56, will face Kansas The Hurricanes have advanced to the first Elite Eight in their program's history. Senior guard Kameron McGusty led all players with 27 points in this one, something he&rsquo;s accustomed to. A Sam Waardenburg three and Jordan Miller alley-oop extended Miami's the lead to 13 points with under 2:00 to play, which sealed the deal. Jim Larranaga and co. will play the final No. 1 seed in the field, Kansas, for a spot in the Final Four.
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Eight programs will meet this weekend to decide the Final Four. Here's Derek Murray breaking down how everyone got where they are.

March Madness: Sweet 16 recap, looking ahead to the Elite Eight

It was the upset that ruined the majority of March Madness brackets.
On Thursday night, 15-seeded Saint Peter&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/putting-saint-peters-shocker-over-kentucky-in-historical-context" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shocked the world</a> by slaying Goliath, the 2-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Many publications had Kentucky as 20-point favorites against the Peacocks, but as the Wildcats found out, seeds and favorites mean nothing once it&rsquo;s gametime.&nbsp;
Daryl Banks III led the way with 27 points, while Doug Edert poured in 20 off the bench to overcome a 30-point, 16-rebound explosion by Kentucky star Oscar Tshiebwe.
It&rsquo;s important to note that Kentucky had never lost to a team lower than an 11-seed in the history of the program. And they hadn't lost in the first round since 2008, when they were the No. 11 seed and were defeated 74-66 by 6-seeded Marquette.
In fact, the last time they lost in the first-round as a higher seed was back in 1987, when they came up short in a 8-seed vs. 9-seed game against Ohio State.&nbsp;
So yes, for Kentucky faithful, this upset was disastrous, cataclysmic, devastating, catastrophic and every other adjective fans have used since Thursday night.&nbsp;
I caught up with Derek Anderson &mdash; who helped lead Kentucky to a national championship in 1996 before becoming a lottery pick and 11-year NBA veteran &mdash; to get his thoughts on the upset.
Etan Thomas: "Okay, DA, the dust has settled a bit after the shocking loss. What was your reaction?"
Derek Anderson: "Well, as a fan, you&rsquo;re definitely disappointed. As a former player, you&rsquo;re hurt for various reasons &mdash; bragging rights being one of them. I had us going to the championship. But just watching the game, a lot of these young guys are just not being trained to make in-game adjustments and some of the decision-making was just frustrating. I mean, fans are upset, and they have good reason to be upset.
"As a former player, we would&rsquo;ve known to make certain adjustments because they were guarding [Sahvir] Wheeler differently. I don&rsquo;t know if you remember but with the San Antonio Spurs, when Avery Johnson couldn&rsquo;t shoot, they put him on the baseline. So when they were trying to match-up, they kept him down there, and that&rsquo;s where he hit his open shots. It was just frustrating. But the team played hard, no doubt about that. There was no quit in them. I love Oscar&rsquo;s work ethic. [Keion] Brooks did well. They gave it their all, so that wasn&rsquo;t the issue. But the adjustments just weren&rsquo;t there and that&rsquo;s unfortunate."
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Thomas: "In the postgame press conference, Coach Calipari pointed out that ya'll were up by six with three minutes to go. What do you think went wrong?"&nbsp;
Anderson: "Well, the team took a timeout and went zone. So they made the adjustment and to be quite honest, we didn&rsquo;t adjust. We were fortunate to send it to overtime. But if we would&rsquo;ve adjusted, had Oscar set some screens up and then hit the glass, had two guys up top and Oscar could&rsquo;ve filled the baseline and had Brooks or someone catch in that free-throw-line area and had those two guys crash and get in that lane, I think we would&rsquo;ve had a better chance. But we simply didn&rsquo;t adjust."
Thomas: "How impressed were you with Shaheen Holloway? I played against him for four years while he was at Seton Hall, and he used to always give us fits. He&rsquo;s been doing a phenomenal job coaching. I&rsquo;m happy for him."
Anderson: "I was super impressed. I&rsquo;m watching a lot of these young coaches do really well. He&rsquo;s a former player and he actually gets adjusting. He said, 'Hey, we gotta adjust. We can&rsquo;t guard Oscar one-on-one, so we gotta change it up.' And unfortunately, we didn&rsquo;t adjust to his adjustment. And that was the game. Shaheen did a great job. Even the body language; he never got down, so they never got down. His head was up, so their heads were up. He never panicked, so they never panicked. He did a tremendous job."
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Thomas: "I know a lot of people are upset about the loss and it's raw emotions, but a lot of Kentucky faithful are saying that there may need to be a coaching change with Calipari. What are your thoughts?"&nbsp;
Anderson: "Kentucky fans are passionate. They want to win. It&rsquo;s great that it&rsquo;s an amazing catapult to the NBA, but Kentucky fans want to see the team win, period. It was a tragic loss &mdash; the first time we have ever lost to a team that was the 15th seed. And that&rsquo;s absolutely no disrespect to Saint Peter&rsquo;s, because they&rsquo;re hoopers obviously, right? People get too caught up with rankings sometimes, but I think the raw emotions of the UK fans are more about winning than it is about the coach."
Thomas: "Okay, that&rsquo;s fair. But now that a little time has passed and the dust has settled a little, what does Derek Anderson say about whether there should be a coaching change?"
Anderson: "Well, I don&rsquo;t want to say anything negative about Calipari because it&rsquo;s still raw emotions; it hasn&rsquo;t even been 48 hours yet. But I will say: I wish he would&rsquo;ve made different adjustments, like we all do. I don&rsquo;t have any ill feelings towards him, I just wish we would&rsquo;ve made adjustments during the game."
Thomas: "So, what&rsquo;s next for Kentucky? I&rsquo;ve seen things written and comparisons to Virginia when they lost to a low seed and then came back and won the championship the next season. What are your thoughts about what to expect next year?"
Anderson: "I think TyTy is really built for the NBA. He's really good one-on-one in open space. I think Oscar has a great opportunity to pursue his dreams, help his Mom get here; he has other things he&rsquo;s thinking about to help his family and I don&rsquo;t blame him at all for that, and nobody else should either. So I think those two guys will probably leave, if anybody. I think the rest of the guys would benefit from coming back, staying, growing. I don&rsquo;t know how good we&rsquo;ll be; we just had a de-commit from one of the top players (Skyy Clark), so I&rsquo;m not sure.
"But we really need some leadership. I think we need to look into this transfer portal and get someone like Oscar who has been playing some basketball for a few years and can lead the team. Wheeler is a good player, just struggled with his shooting, but he did everything else really well. It all depends on who comes and then I can give you a better evaluation. But whoever we bring in, we have to be able to make adjustments during the game or it won&rsquo;t matter. Adjustments are what wins games."
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Kentucky alum Derek Anderson weighs in on the Wildcats' shocking loss to Saint Peter's, John Calipari's future and what's next for UK.

Noah