The FIBA Basketball World Cup — known as the FIBA World Championship from 1950 until 2010 — is arguably the most intense international basketball competition in the world. And, based on the strong play during the qualifying rounds, the world can’t wait for #Spain2014. Host team Spain — led by the Gasol brothers — captured … [Read more…]
Despite several players declining invitations to play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, it will be hard to find a more talented and deeper roster than the one USA Basketball will send to Spain. USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have built a solid enough program that it can withstand the … [Read more…]
Before Dwyane Wade became the unofficial mayor of South Beach, the face of the Miami Heat franchise was Alonzo Mourning. You can’t write the history of the Heat without mentioning the man who embodied everything team president Pat Riley preaches. “When you talk about Alonzo … what it comes down to is he’s the absolute, … [Read more…]
It was the perfect storm. An NBA All-Star suffers a major injury on national TV while playing a meaningless intrasquad scrimmage on a court many suspect does not meet NBA standards. Everyone at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena cringed when Indiana Pacers star Paul George broke his lower right leg while trying to block a … [Read more…]
When Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski were putting together their list of players for Team USA in preparation for the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball they may have been listening to California Love on their Beats by Dre headphones. OK, that’s probably way not how Coach K and Jerry C. roll. But you can’t … [Read more…]
It’s like seeing your ex-girlfriend, and those old feelings start to percolate. Your heart beats faster. Your palms get sweaty. And you can’t seem to put two sentences together because you’re so nervous. That’s what LeBron James must have felt like when the Cleveland Cavaliers made their free-agent pitch. Those same old feelings began to … [Read more…]
LAS VEGAS — You don’t have to be a basketball junkie to love the NBA Summer League, especially if the venue is Las Vegas, Nevada. For the general admission price of $25 you get to watch a slew of games at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, and if you’re paying attention you … [Read more…]
Before Cleveland begins throwing a victory parade in honor of his royal highness, King James, there is still that 5-10 percent chance he could change his mind. But if Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com is 100 percent right on his 90 percent reporting that LeBron James will be returning to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers, … [Read more…]
Adam Silver has only been NBA commissioner five months but he has already delivered two landmark moments. First, Silver dropped the hammer on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling by banishing him from the league after it was found that he made racist remarks. Second, Silver and the NBA made an incredible touching gesture Thursday … [Read more…]
Dante Exum may be from Melbourne, Australia, but he is well versed in the history of American basketball. Exum’s dad, Cecil, was on the University of North Carolina basketball team coached by Dean Smith. On that same Tar Heel team was a young phenom named Michael Jordan. Exum would love nothing more than to become … [Read more…]