The NBA Summer League is supposed to be a chance for the latest draft picks to get acclimated to the pros, and for fringe NBA players to strut their stuff for scouts in hopes of getting a training-camp invite.
While summer league does certainly do those things, it also has become a breeding ground for nepotism at its finest. Up until recently, over the years we’ve seen Rodney Billups (Chauncey’s brother) become a fixture on the Pistons summer squad, while Romeo Travis (one of LeBron’s best friends from high school) found himself in a Cavs summer league uniform frequently. Read More »
Tomorrow is the day! Red Bull’s 2on2 Revolution Tour kicks off in Beantown at the Jim Bradley Courts at The Fens (111 Park Drive at Jersey Street, behind Fenway Park). Come out to see 32 teams battle it out for the ‘chip and the $2,000 that comes with being the champs.
Exactly two weeks ago, Rajon Rondo came to New York City and showed up at court in Harlem to spread the word about this summer’s Red Bull 2on2 Revolution. And as you can see below, the scoring system works perfectly for his game. So if you’re looking to win $2,000 this summer, make sure you and your teammate signup in a city near you. There are still a few spots left for the first three stops: Boston (7/17), New York City (7/24) and Philadelphia (7/31). Don’t sleep!
It has widely been assumed that the Celtics and Nate Robinson would eventually come to terms on a contract, and today they finally did. Robinson agreed to a two-year deal worth $9 million, allowing the Celtics to keep him in Boston.
This move makes sense for both sides, as they both need each other. Robinson finally learned what it means to be a team player after being traded to Boston mid-season from New York. While with the Knicks he was a me-first player who worried about getting his own buckets before the good of the team. In Boston, he realized what it meant to be part of a team and a winning culture. Read More »
One of the highest compliments one athlete can give to another is, “I’d pay to watch him play.” Last night during the Dallas/Washington NBA summer league game, Chris Webber and his broadcast partner were debating whether John Wall and the Wizards would be a bigger draw this season than the superstar-loaded Miami Heat. All due respect to C-Webb, but that’s not even an argument: Scoring tickets to LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh‘s traveling show this season will be like getting front-row seats at a Lady GaGa show. Read More »
In the Dime office for the past couple weeks we have been watching NBA summer league basketball. I’ve gotten a chance to see most of the rookies play, and here are the 10 rookies — minus first and second overall picks John Wall and Evan Turner — I think will have the biggest impact next season after watching them go to work in the Orlando and Las Vegas leagues: Read More »
This morning on the subway I was reading Best American Sports Writing‘s 1998 edition, in particular a Sports Illustrated piece by Rick Telander about New York City playground ball. Telander, as you know, wrote the iconic Heaven is a Playground back in 1974, and in this SI piece, was going back to NY to see how (or if) the playground game had changed.
In one scene, he’s talking to talent-finder Rodney Parker (R.I.P.), a central figure in Heaven who used to ball with Lenny Wilkens and had seen Dr. J and Wilt and all the legends who came through spots like Rucker Park and West 4th back in the day: Read More »
When an NBA player hits free agency or gets traded, he’s looking for a few things: money, playing time, an opportunity to win a championship, and a nice city to call home. Some guys are fortunate (and good) enough to have their pick of teams where all four will be handed to them; others are just lucky to have a job and maybe get one to work out in their favor. If you land in the right situation, though, you could have an All-Star or an all-time season ahead of you. With NBA rosters beginning to fill out as teams sign free agents and make trades, we take a look at which new additions have set themselves up for a big season: Read More »
Sometimes, an impressive run during the NBA summer league can propel a young player to a solid career. Sometimes, it’s just something to talk about for a couple of weeks in July before dude goes back to balling in Poland.
Memphis Grizzlies’ second-year forward Sam Young has been one of the early standouts of the Vegas Summer League; he dropped 35 points (12-17 FG) in last night’s win over the D-League Select squad. Read More »
This week Major League Baseball played its annual Mid-Summer Classic. As the game’s greatest players took the field in Anaheim for Monday’s Home Run Derby, followed by Tuesday’s All-Star Game, it got me thinking of how some of the NBA’s best compare with MLB’s best: Read More »
For his sake, considering he was a No. 2 overall pick ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul, hopefully the highlight of Marvin Williams‘ career isn’t going to be that he was once traded for Shaq. As we posted this edition of Smack, reports were conflicting over whether the Hawks and Cavs are actually close to completing a sign-and-trade sending Marv to Cleveland for the Diesel; some said it was close to finished, while others said it’s not that close. If we’re the Hawks, though, we’re making the move. Read More »
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