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.

After shedding a few pounds, a leaner and meaner Luka Doncic shredded the competition at the FIBA European championships.

The Los Angeles Lakers should be excited for the 2025-26 NBA season following Doncic’s historic EuroBasket performance in which he led Slovenia to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Germany.

“Luka’s play in EuroBasket made it clear to the entire basketball world that he’s on that incredibly short list of ‘best player on the planet’ candidates, if not at the top,” said Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, who traveled to Poland to watch Doncic.

Luka described his offseason as a “great summer,” and he appears to be in the best shape of his basketball career. He gave a taste of what he’ll be serving in the upcoming NBA season with a spectacular performance during the European championships.

Doncic led EuroBasket with 34.7 points per game, becoming the third player to average over 30. His average ranks third in tournament history, trailing only Nikos Galis’ 37.0 in 1987 and 35.6 in 1989.

Doncic looks to be in prime shape and prime position to have an MVP-type season for the Lakers, and it’s up to head coach JJ Redick — who signed a two-year contract extension to be with the Lakers through the 2029-30 season — to make sure to put Doncic in the best possible position to succeed in Year 2 of their partnership.

“I expect the best version of Luka, and it’s my job to bring that out every day,” Redick said during a Lakers press conference.

Pelinka and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss traveled to Poland to watch Doncic play for Slovenia and came away impressed with Luka’s growth as a leader.

“He not only led by example, but he was very demonstrative in practice, in terms of his expectations of the team and how they play,” Pelinka said of Luka.

Doncic seems at peace over what transpired on Feb. 2, 2025, when he got traded from Dallas to L.A. But it doesn’t mean he has forgotten about the simple fact that the Mavericks — a team that drafted him and practically raised him — shipped him out of town.

The Luka Revenge Tour is coming to every NBA city, especially in Dallas, and the extra motivation could lead to an MVP season for Luka and a potential return to the NBA Finals for the Lakers.

OneManFastBreak projects the top eight teams in the Western Conference.

1-Oklahoma City Thunder — Fresh off winning an NBA title, the Thunder signed their top three players to significant contracts and brought back their major role players from their championship squad. However, repeating as NBA champions won’t be easy, as the West is stacked and there hasn’t been a repeat NBA champion since the 2018 Warriors.

2-Houston Rockets — The loss of veteran guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL, hurts from a leadership standpoint. The absence of VanVleet puts added pressure on Alperen Sengun to be more of a playmaker. Sengun had a superb EuroBasket, and his blossoming game should make Ime Udoka and the Rockets coaching staff excited. The addition of Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith make Sengun even more dangerous as he’ll have more room to operate.

3-L.A. Lakers — Pressure is on head coach JJ Redick to navigate around LeBron James’ potential last season with the Lakers, which could become a distraction. LeBron is entering the final year of his Lakers contract, and the team has shown little interest in extending his deal. “We would love for LeBron’s story to retire as a Laker. That’d be a positive story,” Pelinka said about LeBron’s future with the team.

4-Denver Nuggets — The Nuggets are trying to maximize Nikola Jokic’s prime years. They traded Michael Porter Jr., one of the key pieces of their 2023 championship team, to the Brooklyn Nets for a draft pick and forward Cam Johnson. The team moved off Russell Westbrook and brought back Bruce Brown, and signed veteran Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas should lessen some of Jokic’s heavy workload at the center spot.

5-Minnesota Timberwolves — Anthony Edwards is rededicating himself to getting in better shape, and it starts on the defensive end. Ant-Man is entering his sixth NBA season. He has been to the conference twice. For the Timberwolves to advance to the NBA Finals, Ant-Man must be more detailed on both ends of the floor.

6-Golden State Warriors — When Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler are healthy and playing together, the Warriors put together a 23-8 record. The problem is that age and mileage might be catching up with Curry (36), Butler (35), and Green (34).

7-San Antonio Spurs — Victor Wembanyama certainly had an adventurous offseason. He trained with Shaolin monks in Zhengzhou, China. He trained with NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston. Wemby is entering his third season as well-prepared as any player. This could be the year the Spurs return to the postseason.

8-L.A. Clippers — Allegations of a no-show endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and a now-bankrupt green banking company hang over the Clippers like a dark cloud. It’ll be up to head coach Ty Lue to keep the team focused and navigate around the scandal.

Play-In teams: Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks

If the bar of success means winning 50 games, winning the division, and finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs, then JJ Redick had a successful rookie campaign as an NBA head coach.

But the bar is much higher when you’re the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. If the season doesn’t include championship confetti reigning down the arena and the Larry O’Brien trophy isn’t sitting in the locker room, the season is largely considered a failure.

“I know I can be better, and I know I will get better,” Redick said when asked to evaluate his first season as Lakers coach.

“I don’t necessarily take satisfaction from how the year went,” he continued. “That’s not to say I’m not proud of what the group was able to do; how we were able to figure things out on the fly and put ourselves in position to have homecourt [advantage] in the first round. But there’s always ways to get better and I can get a lot better.”

Redick made three big coaching mistakes in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against Minnesota that contributed to the Timberwolves winning the series in five games and ending L.A.’s season.

The first mistake came in a 116-113 loss in Game 4 when Redick played his starting five 24 straight minutes in the second half, using timeouts as the only breaks. The huge gamble backfired as the weary lineup of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith struggled physically down the stretch and were outscored 19-9 in the final five minutes. Doncic and James missed point-blank layups that could have been attributed to fatigue. There were times when the Lakers looked like they were playing in mud. The ball was not moving and the bodies were stationary.

The second mistake came hours before Game 5 when Redick abruptly walked out of a pregame session with the media after becoming angry over a question about his decision not to sub out his main guys in the second half of Game 4. Redick’s emotions got the best of him and he took it as a jab about his inexperience as a head coach. As a coach or leader of a team, you cannot allow softball questions to bother you. JJ has to develop a thicker skin. Bolting out of a presser is a bad look, it shows immaturity and sets a bad tone leading up to an elimination game.

The third mistake Redick made was inexplicably inserting Maxi Kleber in Game 5. Kleber has been out for three months and barely had practice time with his new teammates. Redick not only played Kleber but he put him in the game during a crucial moment, with the team down six with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. The move was an act of a desperate coach who seemed to be wingin’ it instead of staying the course and trusting the guys who were there from the beginning. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, Redick’s former TV colleague, called the move an irrational decision.

Playing Kleber in Game 5 and burning out his starters in Game 4 were tied to the fact that the Lakers have a flawed roster. Redick felt Kleber was a much better option than Jaxson Hayes or Jarred Vanderbilt. The lack of a true center forced Redick to lean into his small-ball lineup, which could have worked if fatigue hadn’t sunk in. Redick overplayed his hand, and it ended up costing him his chips.
Outside of Hachimura, who fought through fatigue, the legs of the Lakers starters looked heavy, especially LeBron and Reaves.

LeBron, at age 40, played 46 minutes out of a possible 48 minutes in Game 4, and it hampered him in Game 5 as he shot just 9-for-21 from the field in 40 minutes and wasn’t as active defensively. Reaves was a shell of himself in Game 5, scoring just 12 points (eight below his average) and committing an uncharacteristically high six turnovers.

In team sports, especially in basketball, when the game is close the difference between winning and losing comes down to which player steps up in the clutch and which coach makes the right calls. Redick didn’t pass his first big test as Lakers coach.

During the Lakers end-of-season news conference, Redick reflected on his challenging season and the main lessons he learned.

“I look at everything as an opportunity for growth. I look at things more like a river. It’s all part of one long, winding journey. Along [the journey] you might run into a dam … You just never know what things will come along in that journey,” Redick said. “You have to be willing to embrace failure, you have to be willing to embrace success, but you have to be able to grow in both. Everything that’s happened this year with the players, the staff, the wins, the losses have been incredibly beneficial.”

Image caption: JJ Redick’s first season as Lakers coach ended in disappointment (Getty Images)

Christmas Day for basketball fans is the unofficial start of the “real season,” when contenders begin to separate themselves from the pretenders.

Seven of the top 10 teams and seven of the 10 best players in the NBA are playing on Christmas Day. There’s no shortage of star power when ABC starts its live marathon live coverage at noon ET.

But this year there’s major competition.

The NFL has a three-game slate on Dec. 25. Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers take on the Miami Dolphins at 1 p.m. ET followed by the Denver Broncos-L.A. Rams at 4:30 p.m. ET. The prime-time game at 8:20 p.m. ET features Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Arizona Cardinals.

Football is king when it comes to TV ratings, so the NBA will have to compete for viewers on a day when it usually owns the viewing audience. To help solve this viewing dilemma, OneManFastBreak.net has tagged three must-see NBA games. The other two games, well, let’s just say you’re fee to switch channel to the NFL games.

Must-see games
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks (noon ET, ABC/ESPN) — The Knicks enter Christmas Day as one of the hottest teams in the league. They’ve won eight in a row and now currently sit among the top six teams in the Eastern Conference. The offseason acquisition of point guard Jalen Brunson has solidified New York’s once shaky backcourt. Brunson is the perfect tough-as-nails leader head coach Tom Thibodeau has been seeking since his days with the Chicago Bulls. Brunson takes the pressure of forward Julius Randle and knows how to win close ballgames, which was a big problem last season. The Sixers have been coasting so far, but they still have MVP candidate Joel Embiid. When Embiid decides to take over a game, there are few people on planet Earth who can slow him down. Madison Square Garden will be rocking for this sexy matchup.

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks (5 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) — This could very well be a preview of the East finals. Both teams enter the colossal showdown with their full compliment of players. Khris Middleton, who missed last year’s playoff series with a knee injury, is starting to get back into shape. Middleton is the Robin to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Batman. The Celtics welcome back center Robert Williams, who was vital to their run to the NBA Finals last season. Jayson Tatum is enjoying an MVP season and his running mate, Jaylen Brown, is making a strong case to make the All-NBA squad. Celtics had owned the league’s best record until a rocky West Coast trip tripped them up and allowed the Bucks to gain ground in the standings. The Bucks’ game in Milwaukee starts at 5 p.m. ET, well after the kickoff for Packers-Dolphins game. Wisconsin fans will be able to watch their Packers and their Bucks on Christmas Day.

Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) — The Suns-Nuggets game is the last NBA game on the Christmas Day schedule. The first quarter of Suns-Nuggets might be a skip since most of us will be watching the end of the Buccaneers-Cardinals game when Brady leads the Bucs to victory over a depleted Cards squad. Once the NFL prime-time game is over, you can tune in to Suns-Nuggets. Both teams don’t like each other. During the 2021 playoffs, the Suns swept the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic was ejected in the clincher for a hard foul on Cameron Payne. Jokic and Devin Booker had to be separated after a heated exchange. Jokic’s brothers got involved in the bruhaha when they yelled at Booker from the stands. We could see fireworks again.

Skip these games
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) — A once promising matchup turned into a sour showdown after reigning Finals MVP Steph Curry injured his left shoulder and will be sidelined for a few weeks. Without Curry, the Warriors are a shell of themselves. There’s some bad blood between the Grizzlies and Warriors, so this could have been spicy. The Dubs-Griz game will be going head-to-head with Bucs-Cards, and we all know America will always choose football over basketball. It’s OK. This game could get ugly, anyways.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) — Not even LeBron James and Luka Doncic can save this awful matchup. The Lakers won’t have All-Star Anthony Davis and the Mavericks are struggling to find four other guys to play with Doncic. If LeBron was playing Luka one-on-one, then this game actually be interesting. But as currently constructed, it’s a battle of two teams closer to the bottom of the conference.

Kobe Bryant pounds his chest after the last game of his NBA career. (AP)

Remember when Kobe Bean Bryant announced he was entering the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high school? He had his shades flipped above his forehead, looking sharp in his tailored suit. Let’s be honest. He looked like a cocky teenager who feared nothing and no one.

Many thought Kobe would fall flat on his face and be humbled by the ultra-competitive world of the NBA. What those critics didn’t realize was that Kobe ended up having the last laugh.

For 20 years, the Black Mamba humbled the league.

We’re paying tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers legend, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, by revisiting some of the greatest moments in his basketball odyssey as we celebrate his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. In honor of his first number as a pro, OneManFastBreak highlighted eight of Kobe’s greatest moments.

8. Clutch 3-pointers vs. Blazers in 2004

Kobe Bryant loved coming through in the clutch. He was arguably the greatest clutch shooter in NBA history — or at least in the conversation. Back in the 2004 regular-season finale in Portland, he delivered two of the most incredible clutch shots you’ll ever see. The first one sent the game into overtime when he found enough daylight to get an off-balance 3-pointer over self-proclaimed “Kobe Stopper” Ruben Patterson. Then with one second left in the second OT, he took a pass from Gary Payton at the left wing well behind the 3-point arc, turned and fired over the long arms of Theo Ratliff, and swished it at the buzzer while falling down. The shot gave the Lakers a 105-104 win and the Pacific Division title.

7. Game-winners vs. Suns in 2000 and 2006 playoffs

Speaking of clutch, Kobe did it twice against the Phoenix Suns in the postseason. The first notable one came in Game 2 of the 2000 Western Conference semifinals. With the Lakers down 96-95 and game clock winding down, Bryant drained a midrange jumper from the left side of the free throw line over Jason Kidd with 2.6 seconds left, jogged back to the Lakers bench cupping his ear. The second dagger against the Suns came in Game 4 of the West playoffs in 2006. The Lakers ended up losing the first-round series but Kobe gave us two memorable plays in the series. He sent the game into overtime with a ridiculous circus shot under the basket. With under five seconds left in OT, he picked up the ball at midcourt after a jump ball. Took five dribbles to get to his favorite spot on the right wing and buried the game-winner over nemesis Raja Bell and Boris Diaw with no time left.

6. 62 points in three quarters vs. Mavericks, 2005

One month before Kobe’s historic 81, he exploded for 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. In those same three quarters the entire Mavericks team scored just 61 points. Because the Lakers blew out the Mavs, 112-90, Kobe never touched the floor in the fourth quarter. Phil Jackson asked Kobe if he wanted to go back in the game to try to increase his point total, thinking that he may not be able to duplicate the feat. Kobe’s answer: I can do it again. He was right.

5. 45 points vs. Spurs in 2001 conference finals

The Spurs had home-court advantage entering the 2001 Western Conference finals. The Spurs had Tim Duncan and David Robinson to matchup against Shaquille O’Neal. However, they didn’t have anyone who could matchup against Kobe. Kobe put his imprint on the series right from the start, setting the tone in Game 1 by dropping 45 points on 19-of-35 shots in a Lakers road win at the Alamodome where San Antonio is nearly unbeatable. After the game, Shaq proclaimed Kobe “the best player in the league by far.” L.A. ended up sweeping the Spurs in dominating fashion, finished the postseason 15-1 and secured a second straight NBA title.

4. 8 points in OT vs. Pacers in 2000 NBA Finals

“How good is this kid?” That was the line from play-by-play announcer Bob Costas after a 21-year-old Kobe stared down Reggie Miller and dropped a cold-blooded jumper from the top of the key. As he headed toward the Lakers bench, after Shaquille O’Neal fouled out, the cameras caught Bryant pushing both hands down as if to say “I got this.” Moments later, Bryant sealed the game with a reverse put-back off a Brian Shaw miss. It was the official coming-out-party for Bryant as he led the L.A. Lakers to a crucial road victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The main headline in the Los Angeles Times sports section read “Eight is enough.” The Lakers would eventually win the series in six games to break the franchise’s 12-year championship drought.

3. Alley-oop to Shaq vs. Blazers in 2000 conference finals

The careers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are connected at the hip. Their off-the-court problems were well chronicled. But on the court, Kobe and Shaq were very much in sync. The play that defined their partnership and launched the Lakers dynasty in the 2000s was the alley-oop that capped off the epic comeback against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Late in the fourth with the Lakers clinging to a four-point lead with under one minute remaining, Kobe was hounded by all-time great defender Scottie Pippen in the middle of the floor. Kobe gave him a subtle wiggle going to his right, which made Pippen bite hard. Once he got Pippen to commit, Kobe crossed him over and attacked the middle of the defense. When two Blazers collapsed on him, Kobe floated a high lob toward the basket that only Shaq could reach. Shaq seemingly elevated like Superman, caught the ball with his right hand and threw it down with so much force it may have triggered a small earthquake in L.A. Fans at the brand new Staples Center erupted as they sensed something special just happened. The Kobe-to-Shaq alley-oop sent the Lakers back to the NBA Finals after a nine-year absence.

2. 81 points vs. Raptors, 2006

I was working in the L.A. Times newsroom when I witnessed one of the most amazing things I’ve ever since in my lifetime. Through most of the day on Jan. 22, 2006, the big news was about the NFL playoffs. When the Lakers-Raptors game finally got done, Kobe moved our NFL coverage below the fold. The box score read: Kobe Bryant, 46 field goal attempts, 28 field goals made, 7-for-13 from 3-point range, 18-for-20 from the free throw line, six rebounds, two assists, one block, three steals, and 81 points. Let me repeat that last line. Eighty-one points! He scored 81 of the Lakers’ 122 points. It was the second-most points scored in an NBA game. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 tops it. But Wilt was a 7-footer playing in a era with fewer big men who could keep him out of the low block. Kobe did most of his damage from the perimeter against better athletes. And besides. We don’t have footage of Wilt’s 100-point game. We have video evidence of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game versus the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. We all saw it.

1. 60 points vs. Jazz in final game, 2016

Many of you would have guessed Kobe’s 81 points against Toronto would be No. 1 on this list. It would have been had the Black Mamba not pulled off the greatest drop-the-mic moment on April 13, 2016. Bryant wrapped up his 20 NBA seasons — all with the Lakers — with one last offensive showcase, scoring 60 points in leading a terrible Lakers squad to a 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz. The game capsulized Kobe’s dynamic career. It was messy. It was ridiculous. It was magical.

Bryant played 42 minutes and took a career-high 50 shots. He was completely exhausted. Longtime Lakers TV analyst Stu Lantz pointed out that Kobe, at age 37, was so tired he could barely pick up his feet. His teammates kept setting him up for shots on nearly every possession. It was quite a remarkable scene if you know Bryant’s history with his teammates. For years and years, Kobe’s teammates have complained about his penchant for not passing the ball. On the final night of his Hall of Fame basketball career, every Laker on the court was encouraging him to shoot the ball. And he did. The Lakers started clawing their way back from a 10-point deficit with three minutes left in the fourth quarter as Kobe went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 96-95. He scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning pull-up midrange jumper from his favorite spot just above the free-throw line to make it 97-96. He extended the lead to three after two free throws to give him 60 points for the night. He exited the game with 4.1 seconds left to a rousing ovation, with chants of “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” ringing across Staples Center. “What else can I say?” Bryant asked fans after the game before ending with, “Mamba out!” A true Hollywood ending.

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

L.A. Lakers reserve forward Devin Ebanks lost his cool in playoff game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (GETTY IMAGES)

Taking your jersey off after getting ejected from a basketball must for a L.A. Lakers thing. Last season, when the Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks, Lakers center Andrew Bynum decked Mavs guard J.J. Barea and on his way to the locker room he rips off his jersey as he walked off the court in Dallas.

In Monday’s 119-90 blowout loss in Oklahoma City, Ebanks channeled his inner Bynum by doing almost exactly the same thing. After a tussle occurred during a loose ball, Ebanks shoved Thunder guard Royal Ivey and got a technical for it. When he continued to mouth off, he got a second technical and was thrown out of the game.

On his way to the locker room, Ebanks slams a chair on the Lakers bench and then ripped off his jersey. “You just can’t lose your cool like that,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. Watch the classless act:

Watch Bynum’s ejection from the 2011 playoffs against the Mavericks:

Lakers big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined for 39 points and 35 rebounds in Game 7 against the Nuggets. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

George Karl summed up Saturday’s thrilling Game 7 playoff battle between the Lakers and Nuggets at Staples Center. The Denver coach said the Lakers’ size proved to be too much for the Nuggets’ speed.

Size over speed. That was the difference between the Lakers advancing to the next round and the Nuggets going home. And one sequence was the defining moment of the night.

It happened with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter with the Lakers clinging to a 76-75 lead. Kobe Bryant missed a short jumper from the free throw line, but Andrew Bynum kept the play alive when he tipped it off the backboard. Then came a incredible tip drill by Pau Gasol. The 7-footer had his hand on the ball seven times before finally securing the rebound and a put-back for a 78-75 Lakers lead. Gasol jogged back to the other side of the court belting out a primal scream that riled up the Staples Center crowd.

The play summarized how the Lakers were able to eliminate the pesky Nuggets in the first round, it also energized a Lakers squad that seemed to have lost some of their mojo after an embarrassing Game 6 loss in Denver two days ago.

“You just saw the hunger,” Lakers guard Steve Blake — who had 19 points off the bench — said about Gasol’s remarkable effort. “On that one possession it looked like he fought for like four, five taps before he finally got. And when he made it man he flexed his muscles, gave us some hope, some confidence and energy.”

It was a complete turnaround for Gasol, who had just three points in Game 6. In Game 7, however, he finished with 23 points, had 17 rebounds, six assists, and four blocked shots to power the Lakers to a 96-87 victory.

“We just played hard throughout the game, and pounded the boards,” Gasol said. “We stuck with it. Our energy and intensity was a lot better on both ends of the floor.”

He added, “I just wanted to bring a better effort than what I brought in Game 6. I’m not a player than can put up three points and three rebounds in one game. So I just made a conscientious effort of coming out harder and play at the fullest from the beginning.”

The other half of the Hollywood Hills, Bynum, also had a more determined effort on the boards. Bynum grabbed 18 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end. He and Gasol combined for 20 of the Lakers’ 24 offensive rebounds in the game. Bynum also had 16 points and six blocks.

“[The Nuggets] made a conscientious effort to double team me from everywhere so it left them open under the basket for second-chance opportunities. Because of the rotations they were able to seal down low and get second and third chances at the basket,” said Kobe Bryant, who had 17 points and a team-high eight assists in 45 minutes.

“We also did a much better of utilizing me on screen-and-rolls. Rolling Pau and rolling Andrew,” Bryant said. “They were catching the ball on the move, and the defense can’t just sit on them.”

Nuggets guard Ty Lawson flexed his muscles in Game 6 against the Lakers and had a career game. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Ty Lawson set the tone for Game 6. He made his first four shots and never stopped getting buckets.

The Denver point guard said he got some advice from his shooting coach, and it worked. He made 13 of his 18 shots from the field, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range, to lead the underdog Nuggets to a convincing 113-96 victory in Denver to tie the Lakers-Nuggets series at 3 games apiece.

“We were up until 12 o’clock last night putting shots up. The basket looked big, and it went in for me,” said Lawson, who had been on a  mini-shooting slump with just 11 and nine points the last two games (9-for-25) after brilliant games in games 1 and 2.

Nuggets coach George Karl said one small adjustment allowed Lawson to get his confidence back.

“We showed on film on how he was shooting the ball more flat than up. After making his first couple of shots he has that confidence,” Karl said of Lawson, who finished with a game-high 32 points.

Karl said the blowout victory in Game 6 belonged to the players, especially his young point guard from North Carolina. “Ty and I would always joked about our [North] Carolina careers, on how we always play big in big games. This was a big game, the biggest game probably he’s ever played in. And Saturday will be even bigger.”

The Saturday game Karl was referring to is Game 7 in Los Angeles after the Nuggets forced a seventh game after being down 3-1 in the first-round series.

“We knew we could beat them as long as we follow our game plan,” Lawson said. “Game 7. L.A. Let’s go.”

Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (right) won his one-on-one matchup with L.A. Lakers All-Star center Andrew Bynum in Game 5 of the Lakers-Nuggets playoff series. (GETTY IMAGES)

Andrew Bynum’s mouth may have cost the Lakers a victory in Game 5. Prior to Los Angeles’ potential close-out game against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers All-Star center said close-out games are “actually kinda easy” because teams “tend to fold in you come out and play hard in the beginning.”

Well, well, well. Guess who used that as bulletin-board material? The Nuggets. As it turned out, it was the Nuggets who came out and played hard in the beginning, taking it to the Lakers in the first quarter to jump out to an early lead and never looked back. Denver’s 102-99 victory Tuesday night in L.A. denied the Lakers – who appeared to have already moved on and had their minds set on Oklahoma City in the next round – an opportunity to close out the series. Now, the Lakers will have to travel back to Denver for a Game 6, and if the Nuggets win at home they’ll force a Game 7.

Rookie forward Kenneth Faried (10 points, nine rebounds) set the tone when he outran the Lakers big men from the outset and then center JaVale McGee finished off the job when he played like a monster in the fourth quarter.

In 32 minutes off the bench, McGee grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds and scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including four powerful dunks – two off lobs from guard Andre Miller. After the game McGee said the Nuggets used Bynum’s pregame boast gave the Nuggets extra motivation.

“It just made us play harder than the game before. Everybody on our team was rebounding. It wasn’t just me and Faried,” said the 7-foot McGee, who thoroughly outplayed Bynum.

“Coach put it on the film,” McGee said of Bynum’s quote. “That was the last thing we saw on the film. Andre [Miller] gave an emotional speech and we just went out there and played hard.”

Miller was the other bench player that gave Denver a huge lift, as the veteran point guard led the way with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting and dished out eight assists. He also put on some incredible moves that would have made every old YMCA player proud, showing the younger players that there is still plenty of gas left in his 36-year-old tank.

When a reporter asked Bryant if Bynum’s quote bit the Lakers in Game 5, he said: “That’s true. Close-out games can be easy sometimes. But tonight wasn’t one of those nights. I don’t think it made a difference. Did it pump them up? Yeah, probably. Would they have come out and play with that kind of energy? Yeah, probably. We didn’t execute, and they obviously played harder than we did. That’s a lesson to learn. You never want to give anybody bulletin material.”

“We didn’t play with the kind of effort that we should. Our supporting cast has to help out, Pau [Gasol] and Andrew [Bynum] in particular,” said, Bryant, who scored a game-high 43 points and nearly brought the Lakers all the way back with some remarkable 3-point shooting in the fourth quarter. But he missed his last two 3-point shots and the Nuggets hung on for the win.

“It sucks, but it’s not the end of the world,” Bryant said. “Nothing surprises me about this game anymore. I’m disappointed, but there’s nothing you can do about it now.”