Cougars

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston showed once more her consistency is every bit as important as her enormous talent.
Boston had her program record-setting 73rd double double with 13 points and 14 rebounds as No. 1 South Carolina moved to 20-0 with a dominating 92-46 victory over Arkansas on Sunday.
Boston&rsquo;s coach, Dawn Staley, has watched the 6-foot-5 All-American stay engaged and focused despite junk defenses with three or four players aiming to limit her production. Very little has worked the past four seasons.
&ldquo;Mentally tough, mentally strong. Those are the separators for Aliyah,&rdquo; Staley said.
Boston takes in the information and knows in the end she&rsquo;ll get the better of things in nearly every game, Staley said.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s at a place,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;Where you really can&rsquo;t stop her.&rdquo;
Zia Cooke scored 24 points to lead the Gamecocks (8-0 Southeastern Conference), who won their 26th straight and seventh in a row over the Razorbacks (17-5, 4-3). And just like much of the past four seasons, the 6-foot-5 Boston was right in the center of things.
Boston, who tied the school mark set by Sheila Foster from 1979-82 at Vanderbilt this past Thursday, came out quickly with seven points and three boards in the first quarter. She was up to 11 points and six rebounds at the break.&nbsp;
Boston clinched the record with three rebounds on one offensive possession that she finished with a basket. She was taken out with 1:18 left in the third quarter to a loud ovation from the crowd &mdash; and South Carolina cruising 73-33.
&ldquo;Hey, y&rsquo;all got room for another statue?&rdquo; asked Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, referring to the statue of South Carolina great A&rsquo;ja Wilson outside the arena.
It&rsquo;s not that far fetched &mdash; except for the ultra humble Boston, who typically deflects attention to her teammates. She surprised herself with her steady play over the years.
&ldquo;Coming in (to college), I didn&rsquo;t really know this was a record,&rdquo; Boston said. &ldquo;To do it, is very exciting because, wow, who&rsquo;d have thought.&rdquo;
Foster, now second in South Carolina double doubles, was in attendance. She smiled and waved to the crowd after Boston surpassed her.
Boston is 13 away from catching LSU great Sylvia Fowles for the SEC mark of 86 double-doubles set from 2004-08.
The NCAA mark is way out of reach. Oklahoma&rsquo;s Courtney Paris had 128 from 2006-09 and Boston is widely expected to be the WNBA&rsquo;s No. 1 overall pick after this season.
Cooke, the team&rsquo;s top scorer this season, had 19 points by halftime as South Carolina blew things open in the second quarter by outscoring Arkansas 28-7 to lead 53-24.
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina&rsquo;s 6-7 backup, ended with 12 points and tied her career best with 16 rebounds.
Samara Spencer had 15 points to lead Arkansas, which was outrebounded 74-17 overall and 32-2 on the offensive boards.
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas: The Razorbacks took No. 3 LSU down to the wire before falling 79-76 this past Thursday. Facing the SEC&rsquo;s two undefeated teams on the road in consecutive games proved too much for Arkansas. Neighbors said he expects his team to flush this performance and continue a solid season as it competes for a top-four seed to the SEC Tournament.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks are the first in Division I to 20 victories &mdash; 19-0 Ohio State and LSU play on Monday &mdash; and have started 20-0 for just the third time in coach Dawn Staley&rsquo;s 15 seasons. Both previous perfect runs in 2015 and 2016 got to 22-0 and were ended by UConn. South Carolina has two games to play before heading to UConn on Feb. 5
REBOUNDING MARK
South Carolina put on a rebounding show against Arkansas, grabbing 74 boards to its opponents 17. ESPN posted that the 57 rebound edge was the highest in women&rsquo;s basketball against a Division I opponent in 20 years. The Gamecocks did even better on the offensive glass, winning that battle 32-2.
UP NEXT
Arkansas returns home to play Alabama on Thursday night.
South Carolina plays at Alabama on Jan. 29.&nbsp;

Aliyah Boston had her program record-setting 73rd double double with 13 points and 14 rebounds as South Carolina moved to 20-0.

Boston sets record, No. 1 Gamecocks top Arkansas 92-46

Cementing himself within an NBA rotation for the first time in his career, Charlotte Hornets big man Nick Richards is the only active Jamaican player in the league.&nbsp;
He joins only seven others from the country to have accomplished that, including the legendary Patrick Ewing (and his son Pat), Jerome Jordan, Samardo Samuels, Omari Johnson, Rumeal Robinson and Wayne Sappleton.
He looked up to Ewing for certain, but having competed in every sport when he was growing up, Richards idolized one of his countrymen in particular.
&ldquo;Usain Bolt,&rdquo; Richards told Basketball News at last Friday morning&rsquo;s shootaround in Cleveland. &ldquo;When I was younger, I played track and field.&rdquo;
A 7-foot, 245-pound behemoth of a man, Richards is taking his opportunity to show the NBA what he&rsquo;s made of and running with it &mdash; just like his hero.
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Entering last weekend, Charlotte&rsquo;s backup big came in as the league leader in Offensive Rating (137.4) on a strikingly efficient 68.2% True Shooting percentage over a career-high 19.0 minutes per contest.
Veteran center and Hornets teammate Mason Plumlee jokingly answered for him before Richards could respond to hearing those numbers: I want some more minutes!
&ldquo;Best vet in the world (laughs). I don't know how I feel about that honestly. Maybe Mase is right?&rdquo; a grinning Richards said, leaning back in his chair courtside.
&ldquo;It feels good to get some minutes, get some reps in. The past couple of games, [I&rsquo;ve] been getting into a good flow. Just feeling good. I'm contributing to my team in a positive way. But honestly, we should be able to get more wins under our belts. We should just learn from every single game and just try to get better from every single loss that we have so far. Just locking in on details, just getting better at playing for 48 minutes. As [Hornets head coach Steve Clifford] said, we don't want to play good for [just] 30 minutes and not 48.&rdquo;
(Note: Richards now ranks third in Offensive Rating [134.8] with a slight dip to 66.2% TS. He's increased his minutes average to 19.5 per game.)
An instant-impact player with the Hornets&rsquo; second unit, Richards has been making the most of his newfound opportunity. Over the last two seasons, his playing time was sporadic, honing his skills with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League as a rookie, then, observing the guys who&rsquo;ve been in front of him in the rotation with the big club.
&ldquo;Honestly I feel like the first two years were really good, were really more important years for me,&rdquo; Richards said. &ldquo;I sat back and learned from my vets that are in front of me. Just watched them and how they play on the floor, and just try to duplicate that.&rdquo;
Richards wasted no time doing it. To start the season, he put together two double-doubles in three games, collecting a combined 39 points and 21 rebounds as Charlotte started its campaign with a 2-1 record. Over his last two contests, he's produced 24 points and 24 rebounds in total, notching back-to-back double-doubles.
To this point, Richards is putting up 18.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per 36 minutes.
&ldquo;I think [it&rsquo;s] just his approach. Being consistent in this league is hard to achieve. For him, he's really been consistent for us. And I think as a teammate, you appreciate that, the staff appreciates that,&rdquo; Plumlee told Basketball News. "Obviously he had the games earlier in the year where he had incredible numbers, and I think he'll have more games like that, but just knowing what you're gonna get every night is a sign of maturity.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nick Richards said NO 🚫 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsOnBally?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HornetsOnBally</a>)<a href="https://t.co/7vRsIlwk16">pic.twitter.com/7vRsIlwk16</a>
&mdash; Dime (@DimeUPROXX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX/status/1593778914496860163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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One aspect of Richards&rsquo; breakout that Plumlee enjoys is watching him take the mantle while taking a breather.
&ldquo;It makes me feel great, and for our team, it really gives us a chance,&rdquo; Plumlee explained. &ldquo;What's been fun is like... our rotation is consistent, but other teams do it differently. So to see him match up with the starting bigs too and do his thing has also been exciting.&rdquo;
Explosiveness plays a key part in Richards&rsquo; success. He is all over the glass to keep possessions alive, trailing only Steven Adams with his 16.6% Offensive Rebound percentage, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2023_advanced.html#advanced_stats::orb_pct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Basketball-Reference</a>. In addition, the Kentucky alum is scoring 1.42 points per possession on putbacks, <a href="https://basketball.instatscout.com/players/476499/playtypes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to InStat</a>.
&ldquo;I can get up, but I have to load a little more," Plumlee said of Richards' athleticism. "He's quicker. He's a quicker jumper. Some of his dunks are really impressive."
&ldquo;Honestly something Coach [Clifford] has been telling me is to try to gather myself more instead of just trying to get it up there quicker. But I'll probably focus on that,&rdquo; Richards explained. &ldquo;Instead of just going straight up, you just try to gather and try to dunk the ball.&rdquo;
Asked to elaborate why Charlotte is asking Richards to use that gather more, Clifford said it had to do with him getting his shot blocked too often.
"If he gets a little bit lower, he gets his eyes up, he can read the defense better to me and still make a quick move," Clifford said. "Or, you know what they say, 'Look up and look out.' If everybody's here [in the paint], just touch the ball out sometimes too. So I think that's part of his development also."
Richards&rsquo; screening and handoff abilities are helping his teammates too. Among <a href="https://go.nba.com/gj2gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-man combinations that the Hornets employ</a> (min. 100 minutes), he and Terry Rozier lead the pack with a plus-20.4 Net Rating. Next is teaming up with a rejuvenated Dennis Smith Jr. (15.2), and then, the Richards-Kelly Oubre Jr. duo (7.2). There&rsquo;s also a great rapport with LaMelo Ball, though they&rsquo;ve only played three games together so far this year.
&ldquo;We have really, really good guys that play really well off the pick-and-roll. That's really what our offense is based around,&rdquo; Richards said of freeing his teammates up for good looks. &ldquo;So it's just more about knowing your role on the team and just also playing your game within that role."
"I think right now he's the 35th-best screener in the league, which is important to me," Clifford said on Friday. "I think for our team, when we get everybody back, we have three guys who have the potential to be really good pick-and-roll players, and you need a good screener. And he's a good screener and he's getting better. He's improving that way. His screening on the ball and off the ball."
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As a roller, Richards is seeing some progress as well. He is getting smarter when it comes to diving hard toward the bucket, and has begun timing his cuts at the right moments.
"I think he locks into the things that make him play well. He doesn't worry about the other things," Clifford added. "He runs, he rebounds, he brings physicality, he screens, and he's gonna develop into a good roller. And if he does those things, I think he understands that those are important skills to have in this league. It makes him unique."
As we approach the quarter mark of the NBA season, Nick Richards seems to be finding his niche, and Plumlee and Clifford both recognize that growth and potential in real time.
&ldquo;I think he's having a great year,&rdquo; Plumlee said. &ldquo;I think he's impacted the game every time he's in it, and he's impacted both ends. He's getting us second-chance points, he's defending the rim, he's running the floor hard and he's been a big boost for our bench.&rdquo;
"You look at Jarrett Allen, what's he do? He runs, he sprints to the rim, he protects the rim; he's a terrific player," Clifford said. "And I think Nick understands that he can become as good as he wants to be by getting good at those things. Those are skills that a lot of guys don't appreciate."

Spencer Davies sits down with Nick Richards to talk about his fast start with the Hornets, his incredible efficiency and more.

Nick Richards boasting solid screen skills while boosting Hornets bench

FIBA EuroBasket is making a triumphant comeback this week after five years away from competition. Per ESPN, that's the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34457762/eurobasket-2022-scores-schedules-teams-news-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longest gap in the tournament since World War II</a>, so EuroBasket 2022 should turn out to be a remarkable celebration of basketball's growth across Europe.
A&nbsp;lot has changed in five years. Luka Doncic was the "chosen one" of European hoops in 2017 as an 18-year-old suiting up for Slovenia, Giannis Antetokounmpo had just won Most Improved Player with the Milwaukee Bucks and earned his first NBA All-Star appearance, and Nikola Jokic had yet to clear 30 minutes per game in an NBA season.
Today, the three international stars are among the faces of basketball in the NBA and around the world, and the trio will compete in EuroBasket 2022. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as the immese talent slated to participate. We've already gotten a peek of what the action could look like via the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers that have taken place over the past week.
EuroBasket features 24 teams in four groups, with action beginning on Thursday and culminating in a gold-medal showdown on Sept. 18. Here's a rundown of the must-see NBA players (as of last season), international stars and top prospects (under age 23) in each group.
(Note: If a player is listed as "questionable," it is because their playing status is uncertain. Not all EuroBasket rosters have been finalized, so several countries' teams may look slightly different. <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022/news/roster-tracker-fiba-eurobasket-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here is a full roster tracker</a>.)
GROUP A: SPAIN, TURKEY, MONTENEGRO, GEORGIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA
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Alperen Sengun against Serbia: 17 PTS | 13 REB | 2 AST | 2 BLK | 61 TS% Spearheaded the Turkey comeback in the third quarter 🔥<a href="https://t.co/faBFt2SQLe">pic.twitter.com/faBFt2SQLe</a>
&mdash; Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/JTGatlin/status/1563966082322468869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players: Juan Hernangomez (Spain), Willy Hernangomez (Spain), Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey), Cedi Osman (Turkey), Goga Bitadze (Georgia), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Georgia)
Top International Players: Rudy Fernandez (Spain), Lorenzo Brown (Spain), Shane Larkin (Turkey), Bojan Dubljevic (Montenegro), Retin Obasohan (Belgium), Sasha Vezenkov (Bulgaria)
Notable Prospects: Usman Garuba (Spain), Vrenz Bleijenbergh (Belgium), Alperen Sengun (Turkey), Marko Simonovic (Montenegro)
Spain and Turkey might not have quite the Tier 1 star power of some other countries, but both squads are fun and deep. Fernandez and Brown are stalwarts who have starred on their respective European teams for years. Then for Turkey, Osman and Korkmaz are NBA rotation players boosted by an electric point guard in Larkin.
We'll hopefully get to see the pair of Houston Rockets sophomore talents as well. Sengun impressed with his flashes last season and has already created highlights with Turkey over the summer. Garuba was quieter as a rookie, but has experience on a large Spanish stage with his time playing for Real Madrid.&nbsp;
GROUP B: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, FRANCE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, LITHUANIA, SLOVENIA
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Luka Doncic drops 25 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST in win over Estonian National team 🔥😭<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/4khnb7BEr3">pic.twitter.com/4khnb7BEr3</a>
&mdash; MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationMffl/status/1562897679155204098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players: Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Evan Fournier (France), Rudy Gobert (France), Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot (France), Daniel Theis (Germany), Dennis Schr&ouml;der (Germany), Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Ignas Brazdeikis (Lithuania), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia)
Top International Players:&nbsp;Dzanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Elie Okobo (France), Guerschon Yabusele (France), Thomas Huertel (France), Vincent Poirier (France)
Notable Prospects:&nbsp;Th&eacute;o Maledon (France), Franz Wagner (Germany), Rokas Jokubaitis (Lithuania), Ziga Samar (Slovenia)
Yeah, this group is absolutely loaded. Five of the six rosters could potentially boast multiple players with 2021-22 NBA experience. Slovenia, led by Doncic and Dragic, is considered a favorite to win EuroBasket. But France has a loaded roster (though no Victor Wembanyama), too. They'll be worth checking out additonally because Okobo has been balling in Europe since leaving the NBA.
New York Knicks fans might want to circle Lithuania as the team to watch. They'll receive a nostalgia injection in the forms of Brazdeikis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and they'll get a glimpse of the future with Jokubaitis, the team's 2021 draft-and-stash guard. Franz Wagner is one of the best young talents in EuroBasket too, making Germany a team to monitor.
GROUP C: CROATIA, ESTONIA, GREAT BRITAIN, GREECE, ITALY, UKRAINE
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Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Giannis_An34</a> dropped 26pts 7rebs in the <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBAWC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fibawc</a> Qualifiers win for Greece. Watch all the games of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> Qualifiers on Courtside 1891 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForAll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForAll</a> <a href="https://t.co/t7JNIYvGgG">pic.twitter.com/t7JNIYvGgG</a>
&mdash; Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) <a href="https://twitter.com/swishcultures_/status/1564222344067010561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players:&nbsp;Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia), Dario Saric (Croatia), Ivica Zubac (Croatia),&nbsp;Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tyler Dorsey (Greece), Simone Fontecchio (Italy), Alex Len (Ukraine), Svi Mykhailiuk (Ukraine)
Top International Players: Mario Hezonja (Croatia), Sacha Killeya-Jones (Great Britain, questionable),&nbsp;Nick Calathes (Greece), Georgios Papagiannis (Greece, questionable), Kostas Papanikalou (Greece), Kostas Sloukas (Greece, questionable), Nicolo Melli (Italy)
Notable Prospects:&nbsp;Karlo Matkovic (Croatia), Roko Prkacin (Croatia),&nbsp;Issuf Sanon (Ukraine), Nico Mannion (Italy)
Three of the Antetokounbros (the above two, plus Kostas, who is questionable at this time) could assemble for their home country. Greece also has a handful of international stars who might play; their roster has yet to be finalized. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 40 points in a World Cup Qualifiers loss against Nikola Jokic and Serbia, so it's safe to say he's firing on all cylinders.
Croatia, however, might be my pick for most intriguing team in the tournament. They have a trio of NBA players, plus a former top-five pick in Mario Hezonja. Prkacin has been on NBA Draft radars for several years now, and Matkovic just went No. 52 overall in the 2022 Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans. This is a fun mix of talent at different stages and platforms.
GROUP D: CZECH REPUBLIC, FINLAND, ISRAEL, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, SERBIA
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They call him the MVP for a reason 🃏 Deadly in so many ways, Nikola Jokic was in top form for Serbia during World Cup Qualifying 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForSrbija?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForSrbija</a> 🇷🇸 <a href="https://t.co/1ZqvDPLQsi">pic.twitter.com/1ZqvDPLQsi</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1564286832510226436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players:&nbsp;Vit Krejci (Czech Republic), Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic, questionable), Lauri Markkanen (Finland), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Nemanja Bjelica (Serbia, questionable),&nbsp;
Top International Players: Jan Vesely (Czech Republic), Vasilije Micic (Serbia, questionable), Nikola Milutinov (Serbia)
Notable Prospects: Deni Avdija (Israel), Yam Madar (Israel), Balsa Koprivica (Serbia, questionable)
Nikola Jokic instantly makes Serbia a frontrunner for the gold, but the nation could have several veterans backing him up in a potential deep run. Micic in particular should be on NBA fans' radars as a player who could immediately come over and produce in the league. The 28-year-old guard won two EuroLeague titles and was named MVP in 2021. Oklahoma City currently owns his draft rights, though he was mentioned frequently in offseason trade rumors.&nbsp;
Israel has a pair of notable young talents leading the way. Deni Avdija took a legitimate step forward in his second year with the Washington Wizards. Madar, meanwhile, has been playing overseas as a draft-and-stash prospect selected by the Boston Celtics in 2020.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic lead a stellar group of competitors in EuroBasket 2022.

FIBA EuroBasket 2022: Top teams, players and prospects to watch

LeBron James has once again caused a stir throughout the sports world.
No, I&rsquo;m not talking about his 42-point performance at The Drew League, or the rumors of him being in favor of a reunion with Kyrie Irving with the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, I'm referencing the apparent outrage he caused for the city of Boston and its sports fan base
During the most recent episode of UNINTERRUPTED&rsquo;s The Shop, LeBron was asked, &ldquo;Why do you hate Boston?&rdquo; He responded, &ldquo;Because they&rsquo;re racist as f**k."
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Upon hearing news of LeBron&rsquo;s statement, many people didn&rsquo;t exactly consider this &ldquo;breaking news," as Boston has historically had a rich history of being exactly what LeBron described. However, there were a large amount of Boston fans who took to social media to take exception to LeBron&rsquo;s generalization of the entire city. But was he wrong?
You don&rsquo;t have to get Dr. Emmett Brown to fire up his <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjhoPPz5YL5AhUDhIkEHS9JCd4QwqsBegQIAxAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DI5cYgRnfFDA&amp;usg=AOvVaw3yzsh2Y3Z5nk0s22_1_2pU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DeLorean time machine with the 1.21 gigawatts</a> to revisit the 1960s, as Bill Russell has long described his racist encounters with Boston fans. And over time, plenty of professional athletes from every sport have made their racist encounters in Boston publicly known.&nbsp;
Let's look at some of those examples.
In his rookie season with the Celtics, Dee Brown was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/a34620ecfa0605c35908d7f1b858b427" target="_blank" rel="noopener">physically snatched out of his car and ordered to lay on the ground with a gun pointed at him by Boston police</a> while driving in a white neighborhood. The police later claimed that he &ldquo;resembled a suspect."
This falls right in line with <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/06/12/black-people-made-up-70-percent-of-boston-police-stops-department-data-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent data collected from the Boston Police Department</a> in June 2020. It unveiled that "70% of people stopped by Boston police officers through the department&rsquo;s 'Field Interrogation and Observation' program throughout were Black &mdash; even though Black residents comprise less than one quarter of the city&rsquo;s population."
In May 2014, Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban of the National Hockey League was vocal about <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/habs-bruins-denounce-fans-who-made-racist-comments-towards-subban-on-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racist tweets and comments from Boston fans on social media</a> after his double-overtime game-winning goal in a playoff win over the Bruins. This wasn&rsquo;t a case of fans simply being upset that their team lost; these were racial epithets being specifically targeted against a Black player.
Over in Major League Baseball, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones told reporters in May 2017 that Boston fans <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/05/01/orioles-adam-jones-berated-racist-taunts-fenway-park-peanuts/101187172/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurled racial epithets at him for an entire game</a>.
&ldquo;A disrespectful fan threw a bag of peanuts at me,&rdquo; Jones said via <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/05/01/orioles-adam-jones-berated-racist-taunts-fenway-park-peanuts/101187172/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today&rsquo;s Bob Nightengale</a>. &ldquo;I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. It&rsquo;s unfortunate that people need to resort to those type of epithets to degrade another human being. I&rsquo;m trying to make a living for myself and for my family.&rdquo;
Former Celtic and current Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has been vocal about various encounters he has had with the fans of Boston. Irving didn&rsquo;t give any specific examples to reporters, but rather imported fans at TD Gardens to keep it &ldquo;strictly basketball."
Further, Celtics guard Marcus Smart seemingly supported Irving&rsquo;s comments. Back in October 2020, he <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/marcus-smart-nba-boston-celtics-covid-racial-injustice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned an article for The Players' Tribune</a>, detailing an encounter with a white woman in Boston.
Smart wrote about a time he attempted to be a good Samaritan and told a white woman, who was actually wearing a Celtics jersey, to be careful walking in the street as she was in the direct line of oncoming traffic. Instead of thanking him, the woman turned around and hurled a racial epithet directly at Smart.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard a couple of them,&rdquo; Smart <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj66pnd9IL5AhXskIkEHX_ECb0QtwJ6BAgcEAI&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyE0VVQova78&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jg8MlJ31eU3VDMJsz0FAs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in the middle of the Celtics-Nets playoff series in May 2021</a>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of sad and sickening because even though it&rsquo;s an opposing team, we have guys on your home team that you&rsquo;re saying these racial slurs and you&rsquo;re expecting us to go out there and play for you.&rdquo;
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So to those who were unaware, yes, racism is definitely alive and thriving in the city of Boston &mdash; but is it fair to label the entire city of Boston as racist?&nbsp;
I interviewed Celtics legend Bill Russell for <a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/we-matter-athletes-and-activism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my book</a>, "We Matter: Athletes And Activism," to try to answer that question, and this is what he told me:
"Well, one thing you have to always remember is that the majority of the country are decent folks. The majority of white people are decent folks. And I was always very careful not to stereotype people based on the actions of a few, or a little more than a few, as was the case in Boston," Russell said. "... A lot of the stuff that went on, I knew they were individual acts and not a reflection of everybody in Boston. I see many people today who who really believe that Black folks are responsible for all of the actions of other Black folks, and that&rsquo;s just ridiculous. And it&rsquo;s just as crazy for me to think that all white people were responsible for the ones that treated me and my family so poorly, broke into my house and destroyed my property for no reason at all...
"But just because I said that I don&rsquo;t put all white people in the same boat doesn&rsquo;t mean I don&rsquo;t still recognize that too many white people looked at me as less than, and no matter what they thought, I wasn&rsquo;t about to allow them to treat me as less than."
Powerful words by a giant in NBA history and one of the great athlete-activists the game has ever seen.&nbsp;
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has addressed Irving&rsquo;s comments as well, but also brought light to the fact that racism extends far beyond the borders of athletics in Boston. During Brown&rsquo;s media availability prior to Game 3 against Brooklyn in May 2021, he <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31529162/boston-celtics-jaylen-brown-spotlights-systematic-racism-says-bigger-basketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke about systemic racism in the city of Boston and, to Russell&rsquo;s point, that every Boston fan isn&rsquo;t racist</a>.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we should have to put up with that, and I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s okay," Brown said. "I think that racism should be addressed, and systemic racism should be addressed in the city of Boston and also the United States... The constructs of racism in our school system, inequality in education, lack of opportunity, lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable health care, tokenism &mdash; the list goes on.
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&ldquo;I know that every Celtics fan in our arena is not a racist. We have people of all walks of life, ethnicities, colors, that are die-hard Celtics fans. So I think painting every Celtics fan as a racist would be unfair. However, Boston, we&rsquo;ve got a lot of work to do, no question.&rdquo;
So, in conclusion, yes, Boston has a very long history &mdash; past and present &mdash; when it comes to racism, but it&rsquo;s not everybody.
Hopefully, the non-racist white people of Boston will be inspired to prove LeBron wrong, displaying the moral courage and feeling obligated to no longer remain silent in the face of being surrounded by prevalent racism (both systemically and on a personal level, such as Boston fans yelling racial epithets at players).
Hopefully, the non-racist white people of Boston will become agents of change, equality, justice and unity.
As Angela Davis said, &ldquo;In a racist society, it&rsquo;s not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_690w.png" alt="" />

Etan Thomas reacts to LeBron James' latest comments on "The Shop" about city of Boston and its sports fan base.

LeBron isn’t wrong about Boston fans' racist history — past or present

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic returned from a hamstring scare to hit a tying three-pointer with a 1:21 left, Spencer Dinwiddie made the winner with nine seconds to play and the Dallas Mavericks spoiled Kevin Garnett's special day by beating the Boston Celtics 95-92 on Sunday.
With Garnett courtside awaiting the postgame ceremony to retire his uniform No. 5, the Mavericks won for the seventh time in eight games and snapped Boston's five-game winning streak.
Doncic, who left in the first half rubbing his left leg, finished with 26 points and eight rebounds. He was called for fouling Marcus Smart on the a potential tying three-pointer with five seconds left, but a review overturned it.
The Celtics won the ensuing jump ball, called a timeout and got the ball to Jayson Tatum, who missed an off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer.
Tatum had 21 points and 11 rebounds, but made just a pair of baskets in the second half and ended a five-game streak of 30-point performances.
Maxi Kleber had 14 rebounds for Dallas.
LAME LUKA
Doncic came up limping late in the first quarter and stayed in the game, rubbing his left hamstring. At the next whistle, he walked off and into the tunnel.
The three-time All-Star returned midway through the second quarter and showed no further ill effects. Doncic is fifth in the NBA in scoring with an average of 28.1 points.
NO ASSIST
Garnett received a standing ovation when he walked in, and he was honored with video tributes during most breaks. But one of the biggest cheers came early in the fourth quarter, when a ball got stuck on top of the backboard on the basket right next to his seat.
A floor crew member came out with a mop and offered it to the Hall of Famer as the crowd rose to its feet to cheer him on.
He declined, smiling. The crew member knocked it loose, then got a bro hug from Garnett.
LOVE FROM KG
The Celtics honored public relations vice president Heather Walker during a break in the second quarter. The longtime executive is fighting Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Garnett gave her several long hugs courtside.
The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation said it will match all donations up to $100,000 the <a href="http://www.celtics.com/m4h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heather Walker Glioblastoma Fund</a> at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
TIP-INS
The teams, who are two of the top three in scoring defense, combined to allow just 85 points in the first half. ... Al Horford blocked two shots in one defensive stand. He also had five steals. ...Doncic hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat Boston in Dallas on Nov. 6. ... The Celtics were called for a pair of technical in the second quarter, the first on Robert Williams III and the second on coach Ime Udoka.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Celtics: At Golden State on Wednesday night.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks spoiled Kevin Garnett's special day by beating the Boston Celtics 95-92 on Sunday.

Luka Doncic leads Mavs past Celtics 95-92 on Garnett's day

There were a few games yesterday. There was some news, and there were some stories. But to be honest, there are only two that feel right to talk about.
Maybe it is because this past weekend, a friend of mine and former Lincoln Memorial University G/F, Dorian Pinson drowned in Georgia&rsquo;s Lake Lanier after renting a boat for the afternoon with his friends. His body has yet to be recovered. He was rehabbing a minor injury, but was excited about his next career venture after playing in CEBL and NBL Canada for the past three seasons.
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Rest Easy Dorian 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/gkZdb1VgRc">pic.twitter.com/gkZdb1VgRc</a>
&mdash; Jeremiah Samarrippas (@JSamarrippasLMU) <a href="https://twitter.com/JSamarrippasLMU/status/1384249233188945922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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💔💔 <a href="https://t.co/HbJBuVWGyW">pic.twitter.com/HbJBuVWGyW</a>
&mdash; Jeremiah Samarrippas (@JSamarrippasLMU) <a href="https://twitter.com/JSamarrippasLMU/status/1384249476273950723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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His passing feels like a blip in the news, a quick break between updates of COVID-related deaths and mass shootings. An unfortunate palate cleanser from what has become the norm.
And Thursday night, though I didn&rsquo;t know him personally, the same feeling that I had felt only days earlier came back, when I heard the news of University of Kentucky standout and NBA Draft hopeful Terrence Clarke&rsquo;s devastating passing in a car accident in Los Angeles. Clarke had signed with Klutch Sports only a day before, and was expected to be a high lottery pick.
His mother&rsquo;s life was about to change in ways you can only dream about as a mother.
Instead, it became her worst nightmare.
That&rsquo;s two mothers who have to bury their sons.
Two futures turned to funerals.
Two communities ripped apart in an instant.
Two news stories that deserve more than five minutes of attention.
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RIP LIL BRO💕❤️ 💔 <a href="https://t.co/IU22MqJjZr">pic.twitter.com/IU22MqJjZr</a>
&mdash; Shareef O&rsquo;Neal (@SSJreef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SSJreef/status/1385403741537542151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Rest In Peace Terrence Clarke Keep the Clarke family in your prayers 🙏🏾 <a href="https://t.co/I0nkTbEDIu">https://t.co/I0nkTbEDIu</a>
&mdash; JJJ (@jarenjacksonjr) <a href="https://twitter.com/jarenjacksonjr/status/1385406504883261440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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We are devastated to learn of our own Terrence Clarke's tragic passing. Our hearts are heavy for Terrence, his family and all of us who loved him.<a href="https://t.co/u81DDOszPa">https://t.co/u81DDOszPa</a>
&mdash; Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KentuckyMBB/status/1385425158316478466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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My heart is extremely heavy right now! 🥺 HUG YOUR LOVED ONES! Prayers up to my man Terrence Clarke&rsquo;s Family! ❤️ MUCH LOVE BRO! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/riptclarke?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#riptclarke</a>
&mdash; Tyrese Maxey (@TyreseMaxey) <a href="https://twitter.com/TyreseMaxey/status/1385415202942984192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Rest Easy Terrence Clarke😞🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/yyAgoEIhcT">pic.twitter.com/yyAgoEIhcT</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1385412196243578882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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😭😭😭 I love you lil bro 💔 <a href="https://t.co/Qc56iX05fp">https://t.co/Qc56iX05fp</a>
&mdash; Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/status/1385411909856366596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://t.co/5TamXzb7bi">pic.twitter.com/5TamXzb7bi</a>
&mdash; Klutch Sports Group (@KlutchSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutchSports/status/1385429157312548864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Rest In Peace Terrance Clarke. I remember hoopin with him in the city when he was still in high school. He was destined for the league. Prayers up to him and his family 🙏🏽 gone way too soon.
&mdash; CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum/status/1385422046964768770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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"It's hard to talk about a basketball game." Brad Stevens reacts to the news of Terrence Clarke dying in a car crash. Clarke is from Boston and is beloved in the community. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a>)<a href="https://t.co/9MbZvXqqLZ">pic.twitter.com/9MbZvXqqLZ</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1385424715355856896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Man 🙏🏾💔 <a href="https://t.co/I9fZi7pzVv">https://t.co/I9fZi7pzVv</a>
&mdash; 13am Adebayo💥 (@Bam1of1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bam1of1/status/1385406380446785536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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wayyy to soon 🤕🥺RIP brudda 🤧💕 tell ur loved ones u love em <a href="https://t.co/RU8rBIaTdw">https://t.co/RU8rBIaTdw</a>
&mdash; Melo (@MELOD1P) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELOD1P/status/1385445470034616320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Today is a rough day for our Kentucky Family...RIP Terrence Clarke 🙏🏽
&mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarlTowns/status/1385435050422898688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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BasketballNews.com extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Clarke and Pinson families at this difficult time.

BasketballNews.com extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Clarke and Pinson families at this difficult time.

Basketball community mourns the tragic losses of Terrence Clarke, Dorian Pinson

Nearly 11 months after the 2019-20 NBA G League season was suspended and ultimately canceled, the league has formulated a plan for 2021. Here is everything you need to know about the new G League season.
The Location:
The success of the NBA bubble set the precedent for the G League's return. Like the NBA, all G League games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL (just outside of Orlando).
The Teams:
Not every NBA team decided to send their G League affiliate to the new bubble. This will give the newly-formed G League Ignite team (which features top NBA prospects who are part of the professional path program) a chance to play their very first season alongside the following 17 teams:
Agua Caliente Clippers (Los Angeles Clippers affiliate) Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs affiliate; formerly Columbus Riverdragons, Austin Toros) Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers affiliate; formerly Huntsville Flight, Albuquerque Thunderbirds, New Mexico Thunderbirds) Delaware Bluecoats (Philadelphia 76ers affiliate; formerly Utah Flash, Delaware 87ers) Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans affiliate) Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers affiliate)&nbsp; Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets affiliate) Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves affiliate; formerly Iowa Energy) Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic affiliate; formerly Erie BayHawks) Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets affiliate) Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies affiliate) Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder affiliate; formerly Asheville Altitude, Tulsa 66ers) Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors affiliate) Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets affiliate) Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz affiliate; formerly Idaho Stampede) Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors affiliate; formerly Dakota Wizards) Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks affiliate)
The following teams have opted OUT of the G League bubble:
Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards affiliate) College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks affiliate; formerly Erie BayHawks) Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons affiliate; formerly Anaheim Arsenal, Springfield Armor) Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics affiliate) Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns affiliate; formerly Long Beach Jam, Bakersfield Jam) Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat affiliate) South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers affiliate; formerly Los Angeles D-Fenders) Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings affiliate; formerly Reno Bighorns) Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks affiliate; formerly Colorado 14ers) Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls affiliate) Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks affiliate)
NOTE: The Mexico City Capitanes, formerly of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, were slated to begin the five-year experiment of having a G League team outside of Canada or the U.S. The bubble format has pushed this timeline back, and the Capitanes will not be playing with the G League in Florida.
The Format:
Each of the 18 participating teams will play a minimum of 15 games. The top eight teams will advance through single-elimination playoff rounds until a champion is named for the season.&nbsp;
The Rules:
With the inability to have two-way players safely transition between the parent and affiliate teams -- or to send players from the parent team down on assignment -- the G League has implemented new rules to ensure a smooth and simple season that still produces maximum benefits for its players.
Two-Way Players:
Rather than the previously allotted 45-day maximum, two-way players will now be eligible to spend 50 of the 72 regular-season games with their parent team. This ensures that the days are not &ldquo;used up&rdquo; without the player ever stepping on the court. The salary for two-way players was adjusted for the 2021 season, and is now a flat $449,155 rather than a prorated salary dependent on days of service.&nbsp;
Teams that do not have an active affiliate participating in the G League bubble will be allowed to send both two-way players and roster players on assignment to the G League bubble.&nbsp;
The Jeremy Lin Rule:
After an attempt to acquire NBA champion Jeremy Lin fell through for the Santa Cruz Warriors due to his FIBA clearance, the NBA and G League created a new rule that allows NBA teams to fill one G League roster spot with an NBA veteran who has at least five years of experience. This rule allows Lin to sign with the G League itself (instead of a specific designated team) and to be assigned to a roster where he would fill a need -- in this case, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Lin is not the only former NBA player to take advantage of the newly created loophole, as Nik Stauskas has signed with the G League via the same avenue in order to play for his hometown Raptors 905.&nbsp;
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/li2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="791" height="AUTO" />
Health and Safety:
The health and safety protocols of the NBA bubble were so successful that they are being implemented in their entirety into the G League bubble. Mask wearing, social distancing, enhanced cleaning and sanitization methods -- plus regular COVID testing -- should ensure the bubble and everyone in it is kept coronavirus free.&nbsp;
The Draft:
The G League draft will be held on Monday, Jan. 11. Only the 17 teams participating in the bubble, excluding the Ignite, will be eligible to draft players. The draft is three rounds and will be conducted via Zoom. G League teams who already have a complete roster or have used the Jeremy Lin Rule will not be required to use their available draft picks and can forego all remaining picks in the draft. Players signed using the Jeremy Lin Rule will not be required to enter the draft pool.&nbsp;
Notable players who have declared for the G League draft include: Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, Emeka Okafor, Terrence Jones, Shabazz Muhammad, Mario Chalmers, Festus Ezeli, Vander Blue, Marquis Teague, Allonzo Trier, Admiral Schofield, Antonio Blakeney, Justin Patton, Kenny Wooten, Jacob Evans, Tyler Ulis, Cat Barber, Isaiah Briscoe, Phil Booth, Terry Armstrong, Diamond Stone, Quincy Pondexter, Shawne Williams, Freddie Gillespie, Dusty Hannahs, Hollis Thompson, Jemerrio Jones, Cory Jefferson, Deonte Burton, Charles Cooke, CJ Fair, Gary Payton II, Shamorie Ponds and Chris Walker among others.&nbsp;
Players that were waived by a team prior to the new season are also draft eligible. Like the NBA, once a player is waived, his rights no longer belong to his former team -- thus becoming a G League free agent. Players who have signed overseas with rights still held by their former G League teams are also eligible to rejoin that team and circumvent the draft.&nbsp;
The Date:
The G League schedule has not been released yet, but teams have been given a tentative start date of Feb. 8. While this would usually be at the same time as the NBA All-Star Break, the late start to the NBA season moved the All-Star break back to the beginning of March.&nbsp;
All NBA G League games are streamed on Twitch and <a href="https://gleague.nba.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the G League's website</a>.

Kelsea O'Brien dives into the details of the NBA G League's upcoming 2021 campaign inside of the Florida bubble.

Shamar