Russell Westbrook deserved better. For 18 seasons, Westbrook never cheated the game. He played every game as if it was his last. And yet, he was heavily criticized by fans and the media.

Westbrook, 37, announced his retirement on social media in a video narrated by Oscar-winning actor Michael B. Jordan.

Westbrook may not have won an NBA championship ring, but he will be remembered as one of the most electric and inspirational players of our generation. At the end of the day, what defined his basketball career was his effort and energy. He played the game at 100 mph. Sometimes he played too fast.

His candle was always lit. He didn’t need to flip a switch because his switch was always on. He was a human power generator, pumping energy into an arena. He was highly entertaining. As a fan, that’s all we ask of our athletes. Compete at the highest level and provide moments of joy. Russ was a one-man show.

Was he flawed? Sure he was. Did he turn the ball over too many times? Sure he did. Did he take too many ill-advised shots? Sure he did.

But you cannot question his heart, his toughness, and his competitiveness.

Westbrook finished his NBA career as a two-time league scoring champion and led the league in assists three times. He was a nine-time All-Star, a two-time All-Star Game MVP, and the MVP in 2017. He retires as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. For someone who supposedly couldn’t shoot and was tagged as a ball hog, Westbrook scored 27,000 points and more than 10,000 assists, placing him in an extremely small historical group.

Russ was one of the most athletically gifted players to play in the NBA. He put together a historic 2016-17 season when he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season. He set a record with 42 triple-doubles, one more than Robertson’s old mark set in 1962.

During his MVP season in 2017, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points per game, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He carried the undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder into the playoffs as a sixth seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, a year after Kevin Durant left OKC to join the Golden State Warriors.

Durant had a complicated relationship with Westbrook, but the two patched things up and KD posted a touching tribute on social media following Westbrook’s retirement, highlighting his former OKC teammate’s leadership style and his impact on the court.

“He led by example, and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom,” Durant said. “It was inspiring as his teammate, and everywhere I went, I saw it inspire people from all walks of life. The crazy thing is, he didn’t say much, he just showed up.”

Westbrook definitely showed up and showed out. You might knock him down a few times, but he kept coming.

In a 2015 game against the Portland Blazers, Westbrook got kneed in the head by a teammate and fractured his cheekbone. He stayed in the game with a visible dent and finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. Brodie had surgery and missed one game. In his next game, wearing a protective mask, he dropped 49 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had 10 assists.

Westbrook had as many detractors as admirers. Westbrook joked that “Spalding” was his best friend. Westbrook rubbed people the wrong way with his abrasive personality. But what drove a lot of basketball pundits completely batty was Westbrook’s shot selection and recklessness.

In his short stint with the L.A. Lakers, he was reportedly called a “vampire” for sucking the life out of the team. He got blamed for everything that went wrong. Many Lakers fans pinned losses on him.

“If you don’t respect and admire Russell Westbrook, there’s something wrong with you,” Charles Barkley said. “I’ve never seen a player give maximum effort every single night.”

Here’s a question Lakers fans who dissed Russ: how can you hate on a guy who grew up idolizing the Lakers. He attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale. He went to UCLA and made two Final Four appearances. He represented L.A. He never forgot his L.A. roots. If he was such a bad guy, then why do all his teammates love him? You’d be hard-pressed to find a Westbrook teammate who didn’t like him.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves was one of countless Westbrook teammates who had nothing but love for him. Reaves, who was then a role player with the Lakers, recalled getting COVID during a road trip and was forced to isolate in a hotel room for a few days. Reaves said it was Westbrook who checked on him and asked him if he needed anything.

That was Russ. A good guy and a great teammate.

***

Since 1956, when the first NBA regular season MVP award was handed out, six most valuable players finished their careers without winning a championship and two are still in pursuit of that elusive chip.

Twelve of the 15 players with multiple MVPs led their teams to at least one NBA championship. The only three multiple MVP winners — Karl Malone, Steve Nash — don’t have a championship. Malone reached the NBA Finals twice, but lost each time to Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Nash never made it to the NBA Finals.

Here are the ringless NBA MVPs: Charles Barkley (1993), Malone (1997, 1999), Allen Iverson (2001), Steve Nash (2005, 2006), Derrick Rose (2011), Russell Westbrook (2017), James Harden (2018), Joel Embiid (2023).

Charles Barkley (1993 MVP)

Barkley is one of the most beloved sports figures of all-time. He had a big personality to match his big physical presence on the court. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite in Philly. After being traded to Phoenix in 1992, Barkley enjoyed his best season as he captured the 1993 MVP and led the high-powered Suns to the best record in the league and advanced to the NBA Finals. But Barkley’s Suns ended up losing to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ’93 Finals, and Barkley never got back to The Finals. He did manage to win two Olympic gold medals, and his career was validated by being selected to the 1992 Dream Team. The Round Mound of Rebound finished with more than 23,000 points and 12,000 rebounds. He was a unique player who wasn’t defined by one position. Barkley has said many times publicly that not winning a title shouldn’t and didn’t define his basketball career. Hard to argue with Sir Charles.

Karl Malone (1997, 1999 MVP)

The Mailman finished his career as the second-leading scorer in history (36,928). He made the All-NBA first team 11 times and made the All-Defensive team three times. He was named to the NBA’s top 50 greatest players list and widely regarded as one of the best power forwards. With the help of longtime teammate and fellow Hall of Famer John Stockton, The Mailman delivered two MVPs as a member of the Utah Jazz but couldn’t deliver a title to Salt Lake City. Malone led the Jazz to appearances in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Both times his teams lost to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in six games. In 2003-04 Malone joined Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in L.A., hoping to make one final push for a ring. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Malone had an injury-plagued season and the Lakers went down to the Detroit Pistons in five games in The Finals.

Allen Iverson (2001 MVP)

Much like Westbrook, Iverson was a fearless competitor who played with reckless abandon. A.I. answered the call several times throughout his 13-year career, putting together an MVP season in 2001 and leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. But Iverson ran into Goliath in the form of Shaq and the Lakers, and the Sixers were defeated in five games. That was the closest A.I. got to playing for a title. After stints in Detroit, Denver and Memphis (extremely short stint there), Iverson rejoined the Sixers but did not finish the season. He took his talents to Turkey, but that lasted about as long as A.I.’s career as a hip-hop artist. Iverson desperately wanted to finish his career in the NBA, but no team took the bait. Iverson will go down in history as a polarizing figure who gave us great highlights and one memorable soundbite. Yes, we’re talking about practice!

Steve Nash (2005, 2006 MVP)

Nash helped revolutionize the game with how he manipulated the pick-and-roll. Point guards today use the “Nash dribble” coming off picks. He reached the conference finals four times but fell short each time — three times with the Phoenix Suns and once with the Dallas Mavericks. He teamed up with Dirk Nowitzki to lead the Mavs to the 2003 Western Conference finals, losing to eventual champion San Antonio. He captured his first regular-season MVP in 2005, leading the Suns to the NBA’s best record. But the Spurs got in the way again, bouncing Nash and a loaded Suns squad that also featured Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Joe Johnson in five games. Nash won his second MVP award in 2006, but was eliminated by Dirk’s Mavs. MVP voters may have made a mistake by giving Nash the MVP in 2006. Nash probably didn’t deserve to win it over Kobe Bryant, who had one of the best statistical seasons and delivered the signature moment of the year when he scored 81 points against Toronto. Nash maxed out in Phoenix and was never able to recapture that magic he had with coach Mike D’Antoni.

Derrick Rose (2011 MVP)

Rose’s once promising career was derailed by injuries. D-Rose was bitten by the injury bug several times and was never the same. We’ll never know how good Rose could have been had he not gotten hurt. During his time in Chicago, Rose’s Bulls teams had a nice nucleus and were strong title contenders. One year after becoming the youngest MVP in league history, a devastating ACL injury in the 2012 playoffs dramatically cut down Rose’s game. Despite flashes of his old self, Rose never returned to his MVP form. He lost the burst that made him such a tough cover, and his jump shot never got good enough to keep defenses from sagging back. All the physical gifts that made him special were no longer there. Rose bounced around the league for the next eight years, playing in New York, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Memphis before retiring in 2024 at age 35.

James Harden (2018 MVP)

Harden came into his own when he arrived in Houston after leaving Oklahoma City. Harden went from a 17-point scorer to a 27-point scorer. He went from Sixth Man to MVP. His 2017-18 season was almost like a video game. He led the league in scoring (30.4) and was the runaway leader in free throw attempts and free throws made. No one draws fouls (or tricks referees) better than Harden. In fact, he does it so well, and so often, league officials changed the way they call games. He gets to the line 11 times a game. For an 87% free-throw shooter, that’s 10 points in the bank. Harden is so clever and crafty that he has referees completely fooled. Harden does have other skills aside from gimmicks and tricks. He has a dependable step-back jumper to create space for his 3-ball, and he had straight-line drives going to his strong hand. Once the NBA cracked down on non-basketball moves to bait referees into calling fouls, Harden’s numbers have significantly dipped.

Joel Embiid (2023 MVP)

Embiid, who had long lobbied for the award, earned his first NBA MVP trophy in 2023, beating out Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Embiid has been through the wringer in terms of working through various injuries, and his durability has been questioned. He pieced together a healthy season for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022-23 as he averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. “It’s been a long time coming. A lot of hard work. I’ve been through a lot. I’m not just talking about basketball. I’m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here,” said the big man from Cameroon. He’s the second winner from Africa, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, the Nigerian who won for Houston in 1994.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

The first round of the 2026 NBA postseason wasn’t very kind to two recent champions and a future Hall of Famer.

The Denver Nuggets entered the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 3 seed and armed with arguably the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic. Denver lasted just six games and were eliminated by undermanned Minnesota for the second time in three years.

Since winning the NBA title in 2023, Jokic and the Nuggets are just 15-15 over the last three postseasons.

The Boston Celtics, boosted by the return of All-Star Jayson Tatum, entered the Eastern Conference playoffs with the fourth-best odds to win a championship. Boston took a 3-1 series lead against division rival Philadelphia, only to watch it evaporate and ended up being on the wrong side of history. The 76ers completed the dramatic playoff comeback, winning Game 7 in Boston.

When asked during his post-game press conference what was the turning point in the series, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to the return of Joel Embiid.

“What changed in the series was Joel Embiid came back, and they’re a completely different team,” Mazzulla said of the Sixers center, who came back in Game 4 after missing almost a month after undergoing emergency appendectomy.

Philly was the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the playoffs. Less than 24 hours after the Sixers’ win, the Detroit Pistons became the 15th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Thanks to the heroics of Cade Cunningham, top-seeded Detroit avoided losing to eighth-seeded Orlando with a convincing win at home in Game 7.

Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets weren’t considered championship contenders heading into the postseason, but they had a favorable matchup in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers, who was missing Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (rib).

But the Rockets found a way to turn an advantage into a disadvantage as the 2014 NBA MVP missed Game 1 with a knee injury he suffered in practice. Durant returned in Game 2 but suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half that ultimately forced him to miss the remainder of the series.

The Lakers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. After a couple of hiccups in Game 4 and Game 5, L.A. closed out the series with a blowout win in Game 6.

Detroit rides MotorCade to reach conference semifinals

After Orlando took a 3-1 series lead, Cade Cunningham put his hard on and went to work.

The Pistons’ All-Star guard dropped 45 points (5-for-8 on 3-pointers) in Game 5 and followed it up with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the next game, forcing a Game 7.

In Game 7 in front of a fired up Detroit crowd that included Pistons legends like Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace, Cunningham calmly led the Pistons to a 116-94 win. His 32 points and 12 assists helped secure Detroit’s first playoff series victory in 18 years.

Cunningham became the second Piston to score 20-plus points and dish out 10-plus assists in a Game 7. The other Piston to pull it off was Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who was in the building to witness Cade’s brilliant performance under pressure.

“It’s an honor to be in the same sentence as a legend like IT,” Cunningham said. “I’m glad he was here. I’m glad he was able to watch … just being able to talk to him, pick his brain, and have his support. It’s amazing. I feel extremely lucky to have that.”

No joke: Jokic gets ‘punked’ in playoff loss to Timberwolves

When you’re a three-time NBA MVP, expectations are high and losing in the first round is not an acceptable result.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, were eliminated in six games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team missing their best player (Anthony Edwards), starting guard (Donte DiVincenzo), and one of its top reserves (Ayo Dosunmu).

The Timberwolves had just eight players available for Game 6, but still managed to pull out a victory.

Denver’s early exit prompted some pundits like ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, to call out Jokic for his poor postseason performance following another triple-double regular season in which he became the first player to lead the league in rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.7).

Perkins on ESPN’s “First Take” said the Joker got “punked” in the Minnesota series as Rudy Gobert made him look human. Jokic shot 44.6% from the field and 19.4% from 3-point range, both well below his season averages. Perkins added that Jokic’s recent play suggests he may be stuck with just one championship for his career.

“We were so ready to put this man above all-time greats because of certain numbers he was putting up in the regular season. He has one NBA championship. Matter of fact, I don’t think Jokic is going to win another NBA championship. He got exposed,” Perkins added. “So when we talk about top-five this and top-five that. We need to sit back and keep cool.”

Denver heads into the offseason with a lot of question marks, including the future of their all-world center. But according to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Nuggets plan to secure a long-term contract extension for Jokic, who is eligible for a $290 million max deal.

“The expectation on both sides is Nikola Jokic will be signing that when he’s eligible in July, and they’re gonna move forward,” Charania said on “Inside the NBA.”

He added: “But beyond that, there’s going to be real roster changes coming to Denver to identify how they can surround Nikola Jokic with the right pieces to get this team over the top.”

Houston, we have a KD problem

A fluke knee injury kept Kevin Durant out of Game 1 against the Lakers. He reportedly bumped knees with one of the team’s two-way players in practice as they both went for a loose ball. Durant returned in Game 2 but suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half that ultimately forced him to miss the remainder of the series.

The Rockets’ implosion started back in February. The infamous “KD files” — Durant’s alleged social media burner account slamming Rockets teammates — created a major, unresolved distraction.

During a stretch in which the Rockets lost seven of nine games entering the All-Star break, allegations surfaced that Durant criticized teammates — including sharp jabs at Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. — while using a burner account on X.

Durant is one of the best to ever pick up a basketball. Once he’s done with his career, he’ll be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. But his off-the-court drama isn’t helping clean up his image.

Durant never discussed the matter in any detail publicly, calling it “Twitter nonsense.” But it’s hard to imagine his most recent social media tiff didn’t impact the Rockets. Houston appeared disjointed, and the team actually played better when KD was in street clothes sitting on the bench.

Since his split with the Golden State Warriors, Durant has had some conspicuous stops in Brooklyn and Phoenix. Houston gave up a ton of assets to bring him in, but now they may be regretting the move.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

On the anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game, Joel Embiid took center stage and eclipsed one of the many NBA scoring records held by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain.

Embiid scored 70 points in just 37 minutes on the court to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 133-123 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It was the most points scored in a single game by a Sixer since Chamberlain scored 68 points on Dec. 16, 1967. Embiid, who also grabbed a personal-best 18 rebounds, made 24 of 41 field goals and 21 of 23 free throws. The reigning NBA MVP outdueled much-hyped Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, who scored 33 points in 29 minutes.

“My mindset is to attack, dominate offensively and defensively, so tonight was no different,” Embiid said after the game on the local TV broadcast. The Sixers center was surprised to hear afterwards that Wilt “The Stilt” never had a 65-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist game in his Sixers career.

“Wilt never never did this? I don’t believe that,” Embiid said with a smile. “Some of those world records, you know, we still gotta see. I’m sure Wilt has done it at some point.”

Embiid’s reaction to accomplishing something Chamberlain never did is a testament to the great career of the man they called The Big Dipper. The NBA record book begins and ends with Chamberlain. He still holds the single-game record with 100 points, a record that may never be touched. Wilt was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors when he set the mark. Kobe’s 81 points is the second-highest scoring game.

Prior to Embiid’s 70-point game, Chamberlain held three of the four best single-game scoring marks in 76ers history. Allen Iverson is only other Sixer besides Embiid and Chamberlain to score over 60 points. Iverson scored 62 in 2005.

Embiid had tied his career high of 59 points through three quarters and re-entered the contest with 6:38 left and Philadelphia ahead 118-104. With the record in sight, the 76ers were feeding him the ball at every opportunity.

“Obviously he can score in so many ways, just his sheer size gets him a lot of stuff around the basket, gets him a lot of free throws,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “The shooting touch is the skill part. The way he moves, the skill he has, the size he is, and he gets motivated like that, anything can happen I guess.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich joked before the game that the Spurs’ plan against Embiid was to “hammer” him. “I told Wemby to back him down over the rim and just throw him through the rim,” Popovich playfully told reporters.

But it was Embiid who backed down the young Frenchman to the hoop early and often. He had hit going early with 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the first quarter. Once Embiid got rolling, there was no stopping the big man.

They don’t call him Nikola Jokic “The Joker” for nothing.

When a reporter covering the 2023 NBA Finals asked Jokic if he considers himself the best player in the world, he responded in classic Joker fashion. “I’m confused,” the Denver Nuggets superstar center replied. “It’s hard to say. Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not. And I’m cool with that.”

What’s cool about Jokic is he lets his game do the talking. He may not possess the agility of Hakeem Olajuwon, the shot-blocker skills of Bill Russell, or the sheer power of Shaquille O’Neal. But he belongs in the pantheon of all-time big men.

Jokic relies on his basketball IQ and guard-like skills. He’s also quite good at filling in the blanks.

Need scoring? Jokic averaged 24 points per game.

Need rebounds? Jokic averaged nearly 12 boards.

Need a playmaker? Jokic averaged almost 10 assists.

“The MVPs are real. The triple-doubles are real,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said about his franchise player after sweeping the L.A. Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference finals. Three weeks later, Jokic would lead the Nuggets to the franchise’s first NBA championship after overpowering the Miami Heat in five games.

The beauty of Jokic’s game lies in it’s flexibility. He’s a shape shifter. He doesn’t fight the game or force the issue.

There was some talk from TV pundits that he’s padding his stats to strengthen his MVP case. This “silly narrative” irked Malone.

“The narratives, the silly narratives this year are just what, silly and somewhat ignorant,” Malone said. “I think Nikola has gone through three rounds now where he’s averaging a triple-double in the playoffs. Have you seen any stat-padding out there? I’m serious, enough of the silliness.”

Malone continued, “The guy is a great player; give him his damn respect. Stop chopping him down at the knees. He’s a great player, and give him the respect he deserves.”

Shaq certainly has Jokic’s respect. After Jokic produced a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Shaq welcomed Jokic into the fictional “Big Man Alliance.” Jokic humbly accepted the flowers from The Diesel.

***

Each year OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best players in the NBA. The OMFB Furious Five pays homage to the five styles of Chinese martial arts: snake, crane, monkey, praying mantis, and tiger.

The ranking system is based on one man’s opinion and does not follow or conform to any standard format, with more emphasis placed on how each player and their respective teams performed in the postseason. Stars are born during the regular season, but legends are made in the playoffs.

In 2022, OMFB Furious Five featured Jayson Tatum (5), Nikola Jokic (4), Luka Doncic (3), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2), Steph Curry (1).

Without further ado, here are the five best basketball players in the world.

5. JIMMY BUTLER
Miami Heat, Forward

The Miami Heat have reached the NBA Finals twice since Jimmy Butler came to South Beach. And it could have easily been three Finals appearances if Butler’s 3-pointer in the waning moments of Game 7 in the 2022 Western Conference finals in Miami had gone in. “Next year, we will have enough, and we’re gonna be right be right back in this same situation and we’re gonna get it done,” Butler said after the Heat’s heartbreaking playoff loss.

Almost exactly one year later, the Heat found itself in the same situation. This time it was Game 7 in Boston’s TD Garden Arena with the surging Celtics having built up plenty of momentum to make a historic comeback after being down 0-3 in the series. The pressure was on Butler to deliver, and he delivered in Playoff Jimmy fashion. He scored a game-high 28 points despite struggling from the field (12-for-28 shooting) in 43 minutes. Despite battling fatigue, Butler grabbed seven rebounds, created scoring for others with six assists and was an absolute pest on defense with three steals. He also knocked down three timely 3-pointers. Butler also did the job on the defensive end as he bottled up Celtics All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown to 19 points on 8-for-23 shooting. Butler’s stifling defense also forced Brown into eight turnovers.

Butler, who was named the 2023 conference finals MVP, has firmly established himself as one of the best, if not the best, two-way players in basketball. But what separates Butler from other All-NBA studs is his grit. He can win a game with sheer will and determination. It’s not always pretty, but it is always effected.

“He’s one of those guys who competes at literally everything. Cards, UNO games … he’s just the ultimate competitor,” Heat guard Kyle Lowry told the Associated Press about Butler, who embodies everything about Heat Culture.

What exactly is Heat Culture? It’s about keeping the main thing the main thing. It’s about competing. It’s about winning.

The Heat Culture is not for everyone, but it perfectly fits Butler’s hard-charging personality.

“More than anything it’s just the belief that we have in one another, the belief that you must have in yourself to realize how special you can be in this league, in this moment, in this organization,” Butler told the AP. “I think everybody’s bought into that. Everybody’s confident. I don’t even know if overconfident is what you would call it, but it’s a thing. And our guys are playing some incredible basketball. So that Heat Culture, the confidence that Heat Culture instills in each and every one of us is very real.”

4. STEPHEN CURRY
Golden State Warriors, Guard

Steph Curry admits he is the NBA’s “petty king.” He sees and hears and remembers all the disses, the slights, and the snubs. It doesn’t matter if they are done in jest. If Curry thinks he or any member of his inner circle gets disrespected, he will clap back.

When a Boston bar trolled Curry’s wife, Ayesha, by posting a sign saying “Ayesha Curry Can’t Cook” the NBA’s greatest 3-point shooter fired right back by wearing a T-shirt to a postgame press conference that read “Ayesha Curry CAN Cook.”

When ESPN talking heads like Domonique Foxworth and Kendrick Perkins both predicted that Curry will win “zero” championships after signing his $215 contract extension with the Warriors, Steph put it in his memory bank and saved the retort for the right occasion. After Curry and the Warriors clinched their fourth NBA title in eight seasons, Curry called out Foxworth and Perkins during a postgame session with the media.

“I clearly remember some experts and talking heads putting up the big zero on how many championships we’d have going forward because of everything we went through,” Curry said. “We hear all that, we carry all that and try to maintain a purpose, not let it distract you. But you carry that weight.”

Curry has been carrying the weight of the Warriors since 2015 when he won the first of two straight MVPs and broke the Bay Area’s 40-year NBA title drought. For nearly a decade, the road to the championship had to go through Curry and Golden State. But the 2022-23 season was a trying season for Curry and the Warriors.

The normally buttoned-up franchise had to deal with the ugly Draymond Green incident where he was seen in a video punching teammate Jordan Poole during practice. The Warriors struggled to find their footing during the regular season and finished in sixth in the standings. There were flickers of hope that the Dubs dynasty would keep moving after Curry dropped a record-setting 50 points in Game 7 of the 2023 Western Conference first-round series against the Sacramento Kings in Sac Town. The Dubs’ tumultuous season came to an end one round later after getting eliminated by LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers in the conference semifinals.

3. JOEL EMBIID
Philadelphia 76ers, Center

Doc Rivers once asked Joel Embiid, “Have you ever seen an out-of-shape MVP?” Embiid laughed when he heard the question. Rivers then followed by saying, “It doesn’t exist.” The Philadelphia 76ers big man got the message loud and clear. In order for him to be at an MVP-level, he needed to work on his conditioning. He hired a chef and worked with a nutritionist. The renewed commitment to fitness turned Embiid into one of the most dominant centers the league has seen since Shaq and Tim Duncan.

Over the last three seasons, Embiid has averaged 28.5 points (2021), 30.6 (2022), and 33.1 (2023). He has led the NBA in scoring two years in a row. The last time a center did that was Shaq back in 2000. Embiid put an exclamation point on his remarkable 2022-23 season by dropping 52 points on a super efficient 20-for-25 shooting from the field against the Boston Celtics. After the game, Rivers told reporters that the MVP race was “over.”

Philly fans have been trusting the process for a decade. Thanks to Embiid, the 76ers are back to being one of the beasts in the East.

The 7-foot, 280-pound big man from Cameroon is an absolute two-way beast. He is an old-school centerpiece on offense who can destroy single coverage and command double teams. He forces teams to adjust. He has amazing footwork for a big man. It’s not quite Olajuwon level, but it’s getting very darn close. He has a vast array of low-post moves and shots, and he can drain the occasional 3-pointer if given space. Defensively, Embiid’s ability to be up on the pick-and-roll while also going back and protect the basket have made the Sixers one of the toughest teams to score on. He’s one of those guys who just has great size and skill and that allows him to be a top-notch defender. “He’s just smarter,” Rivers said of his center. “Smarter and able to cover ground. With this size, I never realized that he had the feet that he has and his IQ helps too. He’s a very smart defensive player so you don’t really know that till you coach a guy. I’ve been very impressed with him.”

2. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Milwaukee Bucks, Forward

Don’t tell Giannis Antetokounmpo that his 2023 season was a failure. A reporter made the mistake of bringing up the F-word to Giannis moments after the Milwaukee Bucks became the sixth No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

“It’s not a failure,” Giannis said after the Bucks were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in five games. “It’s steps towards success,” he continued. “There’s always steps to it. Michael Jordan played 15 years. He won six championships. The other nine years, he was a failure? (No.) So why do you ask me that question? It’s the wrong question.

“There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful. Some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn. Some days it’s not your turn. And that’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Some other people are going to win. And this year, somebody else is going to win. Simple as that.”

The Greek Freak had another superlative individual season. He finished third in the MVP voting — averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists — and led the Bucks to the best overall record in the NBA. Despite an outstanding regular season, Giannis’ 2023 season will be defined by his team’s stunning collapse in the first round.

Giannis has reached a point in his career that anything less than a championship is considered a failure. And that’s ok. It comes with the territory. The two-time MVP will undoubtedly use the Miami series as fuel for next season.

And now, the No. 1 player in the world. Drum roll please . . .

1. NIKOLA JOKIC
Denver Nuggets, Center

How good was Nikola Jokic in the 2023 NBA playoffs? Just ask Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

“I know how great Jokic is,” LeBron said after his L.A. Lakers were swept 4-0 by Jokic and the top-seeded Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

“There are certain guys in this league that play the game a certain way, a certain way that I like to play the game as well, and he’s one of them,” LeBron said. “Where you are always off balance when you are guarding a player like that, because of his ability to score, rebound, shoot. He sees plays before they happen. There’s not many guys in our league like that.You already knew you was going against a beast once the series started… Everybody gets cracked up into his stats, but I don’t think a lot of people talk about this part of his game. Maybe it’s not talked about because a lot of people don’t understand it. But I do. He’s special.”

“I always knew how great he was,” Durant said after his Phoenix Suns squad were beaten 4-2 by the Nuggets in the conference semifinals. “Jokic is a all-time great,” Durant continued. “He’ll go down as one of the all-time great centers that ever touched a basketball. He went out there and did what he was supposed to do.”

The media narrative around Jokic’s historic eighth season in the NBA was that he was “stat padding” and his triple-doubles were not organic. This false narrative was one of the biggest reasons why Jokic was denied an opportunity to win his third consecutive regular-season MVP trophy, an award that went to Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid.

Only three players in the league history won three straight MVPs: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. Some members of the media didn’t think Jokic belonged in that elite group. That’s an opinion that can be debated and litigated for hours, weeks, months, and years. There is no right or wrong answer. What can’t be debated was how Jokic performed during the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Jokic put up eye-popping stats in the Nuggets’ 4-2 series win over the Suns, averaging 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.3 assists in 38.5 minutes.

He pulled off another impressive triple-double feat in the conference finals against the Lakers as he averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists. He swished two off-balance 3-pointers over the best defensive center in the world, Anthony Davis, as the shot clock was running out. That’s when the Lakers knew it wasn’t going to be their day — or their series.

“Even when you guard him for one of the best possessions you think you can guard him, he puts the ball behind his head, Larry Bird style, and shoots it 50 feet in the air and it goes in,” LeBron said. “He did it 4-5 times this series.”

When Jokic was asked about those off-balance threes, he replied, “I’ve been off balance my whole life. It’s kind of normal for me.”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George team up in L.A. (Getty Images)

You know you’re big time when you can top an earthquake as the biggest news of the day. Just a little over two hours after a 7.1 magnitude quake rocked Southern California, Kawhi Leonard registered a major aftershock when he decided to come to the Los Angeles Clippers and brought another All-Star player with him.

The stunning announcement shifted the balance of power in the NBA. All of a sudden, the Clippers — long considered the JV team at Staples Center — became the favorites to win the 2019-20 NBA title and it evaporated dreams of a Lakers superteam. In the end, Kawhi wasn’t really interested in joining forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He was more interested in creating his own dynamic duo across the hallway.

Sacramento may be the capital of California, but Los Angeles is now the epicenter of the basketball universe.

For a guy known around the league for being quiet, Kawhi sure knows how to communicate what he wants. Kawhi looked around the landscape to see who’d be interested in joining him in L.A. He reportedly tried Kevin Durant, but he was already set for Brooklyn. There were reports he tried to lure Kyrie Irving but Kyrie also had his sights set on Brooklyn. That’s when he turned his attention to another former Southern California native, Paul George. Kawhi laid the groundwork by talking to George about joining forces. Once PG13 was onboard, Kawhi then told the Clippers what he wanted. His message was: make it happen and I’m coming. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, coach Doc Rivers and general manager Lawrence Frank went to work, and with the help of legend Jerry West acting as yoda, the Clippers got a deal done with Oklahoma City to bring George to L.A. Once PG13 was in the Clipper fold, Kawhi said “no” to the Lakers and Toronto Raptors.

This is now the new NBA. Two stars surrounded by good role players.

When Durant decided to leave Golden State and take his talents to Brooklyn, the superteam era officially came to an end. And this is a good thing for the league because the Warriors simply had a significant competitive advantage during Durant’s three years in the Bay Area. They had arguably four of the top 15 players in the league all in the primes. It just wasn’t fair.

Now that the Warriors are down to three studs (two for now until Klay Thompson returns from his ACL injury), teams feel like they have a shot.

Kawhi saw what Durant went through in Golden State. He saw all the scrutiny KD endured for joining a superteam and he wasn’t about to walk into that same fire. Kawhi already earned two NBA championship rings and wasn’t interested in being handed a third.

The move may not have been popular in Laker Land but it definitely made it a lot more interesting for the NBA and basketball fans. The league is wide open.

The Clippers may be heavy favorites according to Las Vegas oddmakers but there are bunch of teams led by terrific tandems right behind them, all with legitimate shots at winning a championship. OneManFastbreak breaks down the best duos in the NBA:

Kawhi Leonard + Paul George (L.A. Clippers) – Kawhi and PG are considered the best two-way players in the NBA. Add pit bull guard Patrick Beverley to the mix and the Clippers may possess the most impenetrable defense in basketball.

LeBron James + Anthony Davis (L.A. Lakers) – Last we checked, LeBron is still pretty good. He’s coming off one of his worst seasons due to injury, but statistically LeBron is still a top-15 player when healthy. The same can be said about AD. When he’s healthy, Davis is arguably the best big man in the basketball and capable of producing astronomical numbers.

Steph Curry + Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) – The Splash Brothers have taken a bit of a hit recently due to injuries and tons of mileage from playing in five straight NBA Finals. But we’re not ready to count out the Splash Brothers.

James Harden + Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets) – When Woj broke the story that Westbrook would be traded from OKC to Houston for Chris Paul and draft picks, a lot of basketball pundits immediately dismissed the Harden-Westbrook collabo as a desperate move by the Rockets. Talking heads are completely missing one important factor: friendship. Harden and Westbrook are very good friends off the court, so they will find a way to make it work on the court.

Damian Lillard + C.J. McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers) – One NBA executive said Lillard and McCollum are so good they can carry three dudes from the YMCA into the playoffs. Lillard and McCollum could have been in the Finals if Jusuf Nurkic didn’t break his leg.

Ben Simmons + Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – Simmons and Embiid are the Eastern Conference version of LeBron and AD. The Sixers came within a Kawhi Hail Mary bounce in Game 7 from reaching the conference finals. If Simmons adds a jumper and Embiid gets in better shape, Philly could reach the Finals for the first time since the Allen Iverson era.

Mike Conley + Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz) – The Jazz upgraded at point guard with the acquisition of Mike Conley from Memphis. The veteran gives budding superstar Donovan Mitchell a runningmate who can run the team, score if needed and defend his position.

Jamal Murray + Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – Jokic had a breakout season in 2019 as he established himself as one of the best centers in the Association. The 7-footer is a walking triple-double and the Nuggets run their offense through him. The Nuggets believe in Murray after signing him to a $170 million contract.

Kyrie Irving + Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) – This dynamic duo should be higher strictly on star power. Because of Durant’s devastating Achilles injury, NBA fans will have to wait a year. Kyrie will have to shoulder the load until KD returns.

Dante Exum and Andrew Wiggins are expected to go in the top five in the 2014 NBA draft. (GETTY IMAGES)

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 the Michael Jordan of Australian basketball. Much like Manu Ginobili is the Michael Jordan Argentina and Tony Parker is the Michael Jordan of France.

There was a ton of buzz surrounding Exum when he participated in the NBA draft combine in Chicago. The buzz turned into shock and awe for those scouts and general managers in attention, as the 6-foor-6, 196-pound Exum wowed everyone with his quickness and athleticism. But the best part of his stay in Chicago was the interview process. NBA execs came away impressed with the 18-year-old on how he handled himself during the one-on-one talks, exceeding everyone’s expectations.

“He’s been a top-five pick in this year’s draft since the Nike Hoop Summit,” ESPN’s Chad Ford said of Exum, who interviewed with the Lakers, Magic, Kings and Bucks. He could go as high as No. 4 in the 2014 NBA draft.

“Yes, we haven’t seen him like we’ve seen other players, but it’s not like these are all manufactured,” Ford said.

One man who has seen him play a lot is ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla.

“At Prague, at the [under 19 world championships], he put on a show. He was bottled up by Marcus Smart but this was an undermanned Australian team,” Fraschilla said. “Dante Exum has everything you want potentially. You’re talking about a young player who is athletic and skilled, and he has the it factor.”

Tom Penn, former assistant general manager with the Portland Trail Blazers, calls Exum an “international man of mystery.”

“Think Michael Carter-Williams, think Shaun Livingston in terms of body type,” Penn said. “He’s real thin and rangy. He’s the prototypical guard of the future. He’s got star potential. He’s a great kid with good pedigree. He’s an impressive kid, but the key word is kid.”

It has been a while since experts got really excited about a draft. It may not be Hall-of-Fame good like 1984 or dynamic the class of 1996, but this year’s draft is loaded with talent. OneManFastBreak.net rates the 10 best prospects in this year’s draft:

1-Andrew Wiggins
6-7, guard-forward, Kansas
Scouting report: A year ago the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins was the consensus choice as the top player coming out of high school. But his one season in Kansas allowed scouts to pick apart his game. In terms of athletic ability, Wiggins checks every box. He has ridiculous hops and can change ends as quick as Usain Bolt. The problem with Wiggins is he tends to disappear during games. Sometimes you have to light a fire under him to get him going. NBA comparison: Vince Carter

2-Joel Embiid
7-0, center, Kansas
Scouting report: There is no question that if Embiid is injury-free he would be No. 1 on this list. One a good day he looks like Tim Duncan. On a bad day he looks like Michael Olowokandi. After suffering a stress fracture on his foot a week before the draft, another comparison has emerged: Greg Oden. Embiid, who had back issues in his freshman season at Kansas, is expected to miss six months. And there is no guarantee that he’ll play this season after this latest setback. Despite all the red flags, Embiid is too good of a talent to pass up. He only started playing basketball four years ago so he’s extremely raw. He was a volleyball player until he made the switch to hoops. It will be interesting to see which teams will roll the dice on the big man from Cameroon. NBA comparison: Greg Oden

3-Jabari Parker
6-8, forward, Duke
Scouting report: Before the NCAA tournament, Parker was almost a lock for No. 1 or 2 in the draft. But something happened during the Big Dance that turned off a few scouts. Parker mulled for weeks if he should return to Duke, ultimately deciding that he’s ready to make the jump. Parker is the most NBA-ready player in the draft and he could start for half of the teams right now. NBA comparison: Luol Deng

4-Julius Randle
6-9, forward, Kentucky
Scouting report: Randle may be the most NBA-ready player on this list. He was a double-double machine (15 points and 10 rebounds) in his lone season for John Calipari and powered Kentucky to the NCAA championship game. He is a classic back-to-the-basket forward with enough quickness to blow by a defender. Randle doesn’t shy away from contact and is terrific rebounder. There is some concern about Randle’s right foot, which he broke during his senior year in high school. NBA comparison: Zach Randolph

5-Dante Exum
6-6, guard, Australia
Scouting report: Exum is represented by Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant’s agent. Pelinka tried to keep him under wraps since last year but a superb showing at the combine in Chicago has let the cat out of the bag. Exum could very well become the best player to come out of this draft class. He is a big guard with a great feel for the game. He won’t turn 19 until July so he is a blank canvass. You can picture him as an All-Star in a few years. NBA comparison: Steve Smith

6-Marcus Smart
6-3, guard, Oklahoma State
Scouting report: Smart returned to Stillwater, Okla., for his sophomore season to work on his game. But instead of getting praised for coming back to school, Smart was put under a microscope. His game was dissected inch by inch, and every little outburst was magnified. Smart’s passion is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. “I would rather calm a guy like this down than check for his pulse rate, which you have to do with a lot of guys,” said Fraschilla, who raves about Smart’s IQ. “He has the best IQ of anybody in this draft. He has an innate feel for the game.” NBA comparison: Baron Davis

7-Aaron Gordon
6-8, forward, Arizona
Scouting report: If were strictly judging this draft based on pure athletic ability, then Gordon may be the second-best player behind Wiggins. At 220 pounds with a 7 foot wingspan, Gordon has the size and strength to be a lock-down defender. His best offensive move is the dunk, so teams will have to work on his outside shot to keep teams from sagging back on him. He’s a fabulous player in the open court and doesn’t need the ball all the time to be effective. NBA comparison: Blake Griffin

8-Noah Vonleh
6-9, forward, Indiana
Scouting report: Vonleh probably would have been better served if he stayed another year in Bloomington to work with Tom Crean. What he could be is a solid power forward who can rebound and defend his position. At 247 pounds, he is extremely strong at the base. His 7-4 wingspan and extremely large hands make him a tough guy to score on, and he could become one of top defenders for years to come. He has more of a set shot than a jump shot so his offense will need some tweaking. NBA comparison: Kawhi Leonard

9-Elfrid Payton
6-4, guard, Louisiana-Lafayette
Scouting report: Payton gained some new followers when Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard tweeted this about him: “Don’t sleep on Elfrid Payton… I watched couple of his games. He can hoop.” Payton comes from a mid-major school, so his games wasn’t on TV much if at all. But when you look at his highlights on YouTube you see a feisty defender with long arms and very good quickness. His jump shot needs work, so he’ll have to work on that. NBA comparison: Rajon Rondo

10-Zach LaVine
6-5, guard, UCLA
Scouting report: Some scouts thought LaVine was crazy for entering the draft after one so-so season at UCLA. But after his pre-draft workout with the Lakers in which he cleared the vertical bar with a jaw-dropping 46-inches, the only crazy about LaVine is his hops. He performed well at the combine, showing his range as a shooter and ball-handling skills. LaVine could be the sleeper in this year’s, someone teams will regret not taking with the first 10 picks. NBA comparison: Jamal Crawford

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.