Contrary to legend, the Detroit Pistons weren’t always a thorn in Michael Jordan‘s side. In the first 19 matchups between Young Mike’s Bulls and Isiah‘s Pistons, MJ averaged 36 points per game. That included a 61-point game in ’87, and this 59-point special in ’88. Enter the “Jordan Rules,” which lead to Mike motivating himself to seek and destroy Detroit, and six championships later we have The G.O.A.T. You could say it all started here.
“Mr. Big Shot” is back by popular demand, as if he never left.
It’s safe to say that the peak of Chauncey Billups’ career was his ’04 NBA Finals MVP performance, but it seems that ever since then, Chauncey has gotten even better. So why has he been almost an afterthought on Team USA?
Early in his career, Billups wasn’t viewed as one of the NBA’s elite point guards, but he showed great promise. During his six-year run with the Pistons that began in his seventh pro season, Billups made the transition from role player to great leader. Read More »
When the 1992 Dream Team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last week, Magic Johnson — as the de facto spokesman for the team on stage — saved the coveted “last but not least” status and maybe his most glowing remarks for Larry Bird, his longtime rival.
Watching Bird receive another Hall of Fame honor (he was inducted into the Hall as a player in 1998), I couldn’t help but think that Steve Nash is the Bird of this generation. Read More »
With the World Basketball Festival having now come to a close, and the 1992 Dream Team securely in the Hall of Fame, UNDRCRWN is doing their part in celebrating international dominance within the world of basketball. And keeping your looking good in the process. Without further ado, check out their “Dream Team” capsule collection below. Read More »
Late last week, Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall declared his intention to try out for either the Denver Nuggets or the Miami Heat should an NFL lockout go down in 2011. He made it clear he wasn’t joking by saying, “Not pursuing — I’m going to be on an NBA team. Seriously.”
This raises an interesting question: Which NBA players can say with equal confidence that, should they choose to, they will compete in the NFL? Read More »
Two weeks ago, I had Oleksiy Pecherov on my list of Top 5 NBA Free Agents Under 25 Years Old. Well, it appears at least one team in Europe read that list as well. According to The Hoops Market, the 24-year-old Ukrainian is headed to play for Olimpia Armani Jeans Milano in Italy after playing in the NBA for the last three years with the Wizards and Timberwolves. In case his new teammates want to know how to spell his name, watch the video below.
It’s safe to say that the guys at Nike take care of their own. So with five national teams – United States, France, Brazil, China and Puerto Rico – in town for the World Basketball Festival, they decided to lace their guys with a nice parting gift before they went off to the World Championships. Throughout the weekend, Nike gave each team captain a box, and as the teams return from the World Championships in Turkey, each team member will receive one as well. The limited edition boxes are for the players to keep the shoes they played in, the jersey they wore and hopefully the medal they take home. Check out each team’s box after the jump. Read More »
This past weekend wasn’t all fun and games for everyone in the basketball world. In a pair of separate incidents, Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem and Indiana Pacers rookie Lance Stephenson were arrested and charged with crimes.
Following a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon, Haslem was charged with speeding, having illegally-tinted windows, and marijuana possession (more than 20 grams). According to police records obtained by the Miami Herald, Haslem was driving his ’08 Benz at a speed of 78 mph in a 60-mph zone. Read More »
As the national team’s current headliner, Durant has been the face of the WBF and all of Nike and USA Basketball’s promotions this summer. But on Sunday, he had a relatively quiet 14 points and 8 rebounds as Rudy Gay and Chauncey Billups stole the show. Still, KD is unquestionably “The Man” on Team USA — only you’ll never get him to admit it. Read More »
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