Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Nicki Minaj, known for her bold fashion and chart-topping hits, has made her mark on the NBA scene over the years. The rapper has been spotted courtside at various games, including the 2015 NBA All-Star Game in New York City, where she performed alongside Ariana Grande, and the All-Star Game in 2012. Her energetic performances and larger-than-life personality have made her a fan favorite among players and fans alike.
Check out some of her pictures through the years down below.
“I’m happy he’s killing it here — I will always support him,” said Brown.
Tremont Waters may not be part of the Boston Celtics anymore, but he will always be a Celtic — and not just for fans. Star Celtics forward Jaylen Brown made a quick stop in Puerto Rico during the All-Star Break for a little sun and a lot of activism, and while he was there he reconnected with Waters, his former Boston teammate.
Waters is currently playing for the Carolina (of Puerto Rico) Giants and the Puerto Rican National Team for FIBA play, and Brown’s visit provided a great opportunity for the two Boston alumni to reconnect. “I’m glad he’s doing well here,” said Brown to El Nuevo Dia’s Jorge Figueroa Loza (translated from Spanish).
“We used to train together,” Brown added. “He’s very creative with the ball.”
Celtics Lab 242: Inside the minds of MVP voters with ESPN's Tim Bontemps https://t.co/L8fKFNX5M0 pic.twitter.com/5cRNjgQP1n
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 21, 2024
“I’m happy he’s killing it here — I will always support him,” said the Georgia native. Waters was drafted No. 51 overall by Boston in the 2019 NBA draft out of LSU, and played for the Celtics until the summer of 2021. It was then he left the team for stints in the G League, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards before signing with Carolina in 2022.
“Hopefully (he can return to the NBA),” added Brown. “If he stays healthy, he has the talent and ability. Sometimes things out of your control get in the way; it’s difficult for short players. But, Tremont has the heart of a lion — I’m sure he will be fine, no matter what happens.”
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We are from Boston, so we are supposed to overreact to everything, right?
Did anything seem off to you about star Boston Celtics forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum collaborating in the NBA’s 2024 Slam Dunk Contest in the All-Star Week festivities this year? We are from Boston, so we are supposed to overreact to everything, right? Well, CLNS Media reporters Josue Pavon and Bobby Manning get Celtics fans all fired up in this in-person edition of the Garden Report from our East Boston studios.
Fresh off their trip back from Indianapolis, Indiana for all things All-Star Week, Josue and Bobby dissected the dunk contest fiasco from a disconnected sort of collaboration between Brown and Tatum. From there, the hosts tailspin into all-out speculation, seeming frustration and even so mild panic over the way Tatum and Brown interact vs. the other star duos around the NBA.
Do they have something here, or are they just paranoid?
Take a look at the clip above and decide for yourself.
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There’s little parity in the NBA even when it comes to All-Star contest wins, as the major-market teams tend to do the best in these sorts of popularity contests. As such, the Miami Heat with such a short history have already won 10 All-Star …
There’s little parity in the NBA even when it comes to All-Star contest wins, as the major-market teams tend to do the best in these sorts of popularity contests.
As such, the Miami Heat with such a short history have already won 10 All-Star contests. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies have never won anything.
That has a lot to do with more popular teams getting so many participants into All-Star weekend every year.
Below, check out which teams have won the most All-Star contests.
The All-Star Game itself bombed after reverting from the playground-style team picking and target score endings, and the Dunk contest was somehow both better AND worse.
Even days after the conclusion of the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game and All-Star Week festivities, people are still reflecting on the many flops involved. But they are also still talking about a few of the high points, so maybe this event can be saved — or at least improved.
The All-Star Game itself bombed after reverting from the playground-style team picking and target score endings, and the Dunk contest was somehow both better AND worse in that the dunks were largely repeats. But there was a Boston Celtics star making some of the flushes, which was cool. Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu was a seminal moment — that the broadcasters managed to sully.
And there are plenty of ideas out there in the ether of how to make things better, too. The hosts of the CLNS Media “The Big 3 NBA” podcast weighed in on a recent episode.
Check it out above!
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Could there be new wrinkles added to boost engagement? Or is it all pointless anyway, given the game is an exhibition tilt?
By now, we all have heard the many complaints about various aspects of the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Week festivities. From the overall lack of effort in the All-Star Game itself, and inconsistencies in the judging of star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest to the sexism heard during Steph vs. Sabrina and the utter confusion that is the Skills Challenge, there’s plenty that irked fans to point to.
That it ended up happening despite the league’s best efforts to ensure a return to the sport itself over spectacle alone to bring forth a greater level of effort and fan engagement makes it worse.
Can anything be done to fix All-Star Week? Are there events that can be changed to make it better? Could there be new wrinkles added to boost engagement? Or is it all pointless anyway given the game is an exhibition tilt?
The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Thunder Wire editor Clemente Almanza to talk it over on a recent episode.
Check it out above!
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Ryan and Tanguay analyzed the NBA’s All Star Game and the lack of competition in the tilt.
The esteemed hosts of the CLNS Media “Bob Ryan, Jeff Goodman, and Gary Tanguay” podcast were about as happy as the rest of us were with the level of effort put forth in the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game. Whatever was in the water in Indianapolis did not exactly produce any better results than the changes NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Co. made to the All-Star Week‘s proceedings to boost player effort.
The eponymous hosts took note, and Bob Ryan and Gary Tanguay analyzed the NBA’s All Star Game and the lack of competition in the tilt, despite the league’s hopes on their most recent episode. Ryan also looked back on the All-Star Games of old and the players who would have made it more competitive.
Plus, Gary and Bob talk about Jayson Tatum meeting Larry Bird for the first time and address Bird’s distance from the Celtics organization.
Check it out in the clip embedded above.
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Jaylen Brown took a contemporary approach to the 2024 dunk contest, giving fans a different viewing experience in the process.
Jaylen Brown finished as the runner-up in the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He fell to back-to-back winner Mac McClung in the event’s final round. However, the Boston Celtics All-Star forward brought a fresh perspective to the event, even if it failed to resonate with a significant portion of the NBA fan base.
Rather than relying on his undoubted athletic skill, Brown chose to produce a contemporary series of dunks. Each round had a meaning behind it. Brown was telling a story on the court. His first dunk paid homage to Dominique Wilkins. His second was a modern take on Dee Brown‘s dunk. And his final move was in honor of the late Terrence Clarke.
In the latest episode of “How ‘Bout Them Celtics,” hosts Sam LaFrance and Jack Simone discussed Brown’s performance in the dunk contest and whether his performance failed to meet expectations, both of Celtics fans and the wider NBA community.
You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded link above.
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The NBA’s 2024 All-Star week has come and gone, with the league’s 2023-24 regular season now roughly two-thirds over.
The NBA’s 2024 All-Star week has come and gone, with the league’s 2023-24 regular season now roughly two-thirds over. Before it, the 2024 trade deadline passed with the Bulls making a move at it for the third straight season. With word that internal growth, buyout guys and the draft will be the primary team building tools used by the front office.
What are the biggest questions facing the Chicago Bulls post All-Star break? There is no shortage of questions about the directions this team will take between now and the start of the next NBA season, but which are the most critical in need of a resolution before then?
With the storied ball club in danger of becoming a fixture on the dreaded treadmill of mediocrity, the moves the team takes carry added weight.
The hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast Haize and Pat The Designer weighed in on all of this on a recent episode. Check it out above!
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One of the biggest obstacles to making the NBA’s annual Slam Dunk Contest more engaging has been enticing star players to take part in it
One of the biggest obstacles to making the NBA’s annual Slam Dunk Contest more engaging has been enticing star players to take part in it. And the arrival of star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest has helped grease the skids to more stars participating in the future.
CLNS Media reporter Josue Pavon went 1-on-1 with Indiana Pacers legend and current ESPN analyst Jalen Rose to discuss the 2024 NBA Dunk Contest on the most recent episode of the “Garden Report” podcast. In it, Rose commends Brown for participating in the Slam Dunk Contest and explains why he believes the Celtics are his favorites to win it all in the 2024 NBA Finals.
To hear why so many older heads are praising Brown for his participation, check out the clip embedded below.
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