Tag: alabama in nba

Brandon Miller shocks arena with dominant slam dunk, continues to impress

Former Alabama forward Brandon Miller brought jaws to the floor after making a posterizing dunk in the first half of the Hornets-Hawks game.

Alabama Crimson Tide fans are well aware of what former Tide forward Brandon Miller is able to do on the hardwood. On Wednesday night, he put his skillset to display. During the first half of the Charlotte Hornets-Atlanta Hawks game, the star rookie sent fans into a frenzy on a posterizing dunk over Hawks forward Bruno Fernando.

Miller finished the night with 27 points, three rebounds, and two assists. He also shot 9/17 from the floor and 5/11 from beyond the arc. His production helped lead the Hornets to a 115-114 victory atop the Hawks.

Unfortunately for Miller, he has not had much of a supporting cast this season. The Hornets have struggled to create a consistent rotation and have had to deal with multiple injuries this season. Needless to say, Miller has been more than dependable for the Hornets.

Miller will look to close out the season on a strong note heading into the offseason with the Hornets. Two games are remaining on the Hornets’ schedule. Those two games will come on the road against the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama basketball program and its former Alabama players in the NBA.

LOOK: Fans react to former Alabama forward Herb Jones’ posterizing dunk over former Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr.

On Thursday night, former Alabama forward Herb Jones made a dunk over former Auburn forward Jabari Smith. Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at how some of the fans reacted on social media.

It did not take long for former Alabama forward Herb Jones to meet former Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. at the rim on Thursday night. Jones and Smith Jr. guarded one another the majority of the night.

With just under five minutes remaining in the first half, Jones glided in for what appeared to be an easy slam dunk. At the last moment, Smith Jr. jumped up to try and swat the ball out of Jones’ hands. However, he was unsuccessful and subsequently fouled Jones in the act. Jones would also convert on the dunk attempt.

The dunk stirred up a lot of reactions on social media. Roll Tide Wire takes closer look at how fans reacted to Jones’ dunk over Smith Jr. in Thursday night’s contest.

Former Alabama guard Keon Ellis signs three-year deal with Sacramento Kings

Former Alabama guard Keon Ellis and the Sacramento Kings have agreed on a three-year contract

Recently, the Alabama men’s basketball program has had success with sending guards to the NBA. That success has translated to the next level for one guard in particular.

On Friday morning, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sacramento Kings and Keon Ellis have agreed to terms on a three-year contract. The terms of the deal have not been released at this time.

Previously, Ellis was on a two-way contract with the Kings. This means that Ellis was simultaneously rostered on both the NBA team and the G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

Now, he will officially be a part of the Kings’ active roster. So far, Ellis has averaged 11.9 minutes per game and 3.8 points per game. The best game of his professional career came this season against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Alabama guard scored 17 points, reeled in six rebounds, and dished out three assists.

Currently, the Kings sit at No. 7 in the Western Conference. The addition of Ellis as a full-time member of the Kings bench should be a boost. His ability to knock down threes and play elite defense should see him contribute in a big way down the stretch.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its former players in the NBA.

Former Alabama forward Brandon Miller scores career-high for Charlotte Hornets

Former Alabama forward Brandon Miller scored a career-high for the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday evening.

It did not take too long for Brandon Miller to solidify himself as one of the top forwards in the NBA. On Sunday, the former Alabama forward scored 35 points in a losing effort against the Indiana Pacers.

Miller finished the night shooting 10/25 from the floor and 10/12 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots on the night.

The Hornets are a young organization that is led by NBA veteran coach Steve Clifford. Thus far, Miller has made quite a name for himself. He will participate in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend. Along with that, Miller was also recently named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its former players in the NBA.

Former Alabama forward Brandon Miller to compete in 2024 Panini Rising Stars Challenge

Former Alabama forward Brandon Miller will be participating in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars Challenge during NBA All-Star weekend.

One former Alabama men’s basketball player will be a part of NBA All-Star weekend. Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller was recently selected to be a part of the 2024 Panini Rising Stars Challenge.

The event will take place on Feb. 16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The annual showcase of premier young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, will air live at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.

Miller will be a part of a player pool that consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year players, and seven G-League players. There will be four different teams with seven players on each team.

Miller has had a stellar rookie season through the first half of the season. He is averaging 15.3 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game.

It will be interesting to watch and see how Miller performs against some of the more premier up-and-coming talent across the NBA during All-Star weekend.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its former players currently playing in the NBA.

Former Alabama PG Kira Lewis Jr. headed to Toronto Raptors in three-team deal

On Wednesday, former Alabama point guard Kira Lewis Jr. was traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Toronto Raptors as a part of a three-team deal.

On Wednesday afternoon, a three-team deal was agreed upon by the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans. According to ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, former Kira Lewis Jr. was traded from the Pelicans to the Raptors as a part of the trade.

Lewis Jr. has spent the past four seasons as a part of the Pelicans organization. He was drafted No. 13 overall in the 2020 NBA draft by the Pelicans.

This appears to be a good opportunity for Lewis Jr. The native of Meridianville, Alabama played sparingly during his four seasons with the Pelicans. With the Raptors struggling this season, it could be a promising move for both parties moving forward. Lewis Jr. could provide some valuable minutes in the Raptors backcourt.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its former players in the NBA.

Alabama in NBA: How former Tide players have performed up to this point in the season

The Alabama men’s basketball team is well-represented in the NBA. Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at how some of the alumni are perfoming at the professional level.

Over the years, the Alabama men’s basketball program has placed players in the NBA. Despite Alabama being known predominantly for its football prowess, the Crimson Tide has stepped up in a big way in the last six years.

Since 2018, Alabama has had seven players drafted by NBA front offices. Not to mention, five of the seven that were chosen were first-round picks.

Basketball has become more meaningful in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has turned into a hotbed for some of the top prospects in college basketball.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down how former Tide players have performed in the NBA up to this point in the season.

Every former Alabama player on 2023-24 NBA rosters

The NBA season began on Tuesday night. Take a look at each of the former Alabama players that are in the league.

The Alabama men’s basketball program is well-represented in the NBA. Current and former Alabama head coaches have helped former Crimson Tide basketball players reach the professional level. Most notably, current Alabama men’s basketball coach, Nate Oats has sent seven players to the NBA.

Not many SEC programs can say that they have 10 former players on NBA active rosters. Alabama is one of the few that can. Needless to say, the Crimson Tide have sent plenty of talent to the league and will continue to in the future.

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at every former Alabama player on 2023-2024 NBA rosters.

Former Alabama guard John Petty Jr. traded to the Hornets organization

Former Alabama SG John Petty Jr. has been traded to the Hornets organization.

Former Alabama guard John Petty Jr. was traded from the Pelicans G-League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron to the Charlotte Hornets G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

Petty Jr. was a sharpshooter for the Crimson Tide from 2017-2021. In 2021, he was voted by SEC coaches as a First-Team All-SEC selection. As a senior, Petty Jr. also became Alabama’s all-time three-point scoring leader. Following the season, Petty Jr., entered the NBA draft and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Pelicans.

Petty Jr. has spent the past two seasons with the Birmingham Squadron. During that time, the Alabama native made 16 starts while averaging 7.4 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 1.8 assists per game.

With Petty Jr. joining the Hornets G-League affiliate, he will have to earn a spot on the NBA roster. If he is able to do so, he will become a fellow teammate of former Alabama forward Brandon Miller.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow John Petty Jr.’s professional basketball career as well as other former Alabama players in the NBA.

Former Alabama forward Braxton Key signs two-way contract with Denver Nuggets

Former Alabama forward Braxton Key agreed to terms on a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets .

Former Alabama forward Braxton Key agreed to terms with the Denver Nuggets on a two-way contract. Key has spent the last week playing for the Dallas Mavericks summer league team.

Key, a North Carolina native, signed with Alabama coming out of high school. He was regarded as a four-star prospect by 247Sports and chose the Crimson Tide over Texas.

During his two years at Alabama, Key averaged 9.8 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. He averaged a career-high 12 points per game as a true freshman.

Following his sophomore season in Tuscaloosa, Key transferred to Virginia. Key’s uncle, Ralph Sampson, played for the Cavaliers from 1979-1983.

Key spent the final two seasons of his college career in Charlottesville. He was a member of Virginia’s 2019 National Championship team.

Since beginning his professional career, Key has played for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Motor City Cruise.

Now, Key will be joining the Nuggets organization with an opportunity to earn a spot on the team’s active roster.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its former players in the NBA.

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