Tag: Atlanta Hawks

The late Dikembe Mutombo was also the star of the funniest commercial ever made

Dikembe Mutombo showed so much joy on and off the court.

Dikembe Mutombo was easily one of the greatest defensive big men to ever play basketball. He was also one of the funniest people on the planet.

Mutombo, who tragically died at 58, had an iconic celebration whenever he blocked a shot. His finger wag was one of the greatest taunts in sports history and we saw him pull it out during some iconic moments both on and off the court.

While many remember him for his impact on the game, others may recall that he was the star of a particularly memorable commercial. Mutombo starred in an ad for GEICO in which he blocked various everyday items into oblivion.

During this ad, which released in February 2013, he blocked shots in the real world. The idea is that the way he played the game, winning four Defensive Player of the Year awards, made him so genuinely happy.

He also used his catchphrases like “no, no, no” as well as “not in my house” and “not today” with his amazing laugh, shattering everything in his sight and running away with child-like joy.

This commercial was amazing and so was Mutombo. He will be missed dearly.

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Dikembe Mutombo is mourned by the NBA world after his death

Dikembe Mutombo was a legend larger than life and one of basketball’s greatest ambassadors.

Basketball Hall of Famer, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and 8-time NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo is dead at the age of 58 after a battle with brain cancer. The tragic news about the larger-than-life big man was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, shocking the basketball world with a devastating bombshell on Monday morning.

A native of the Republic of Congo, Mutombo turned in one of the finest careers in NBA history. He was a defensive ace for every team he played for, a prolific shot-blocker who amusingly made light of his highlight plays with an iconic “finger wag” celebration.

The finest team moment of Mutombo’s illustrious career might have been when he led the 1994 Denver Nuggets — the No. 8 seed in those Western Conference playoffs — to a stunning upset of the No. 1 Seattle Supersonics.

Mutombo was an incredible professional basketball player but an even better person. He was seemingly wearing a smile from ear to ear any time anyone saw him in public, bringing sheer, unbridled joy into any room he walked into. More importantly, Mutombo went to great lengths to use his huge platform to help improve living conditions in the Republic of Congo while also later working to improve basketball infrastructure in Africa in general.

Mutombo was a giant of the game in every imaginable way, and his loss is tremendous.

The NBA world mourned Mutombo after his death

AJ Griffin may leave basketball 2 years after he was a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

Griffin was selected No. 16 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Once one of the top prospects in the entire world, AJ Griffin is reportedly considering stepping away from the game of basketball.

Griffin, who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the top-rated player in the state of New York, was a McDonald’s All-American. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and was named ACC All-Freshman in 2022.

While he missed part of his one-and-done season due to injuries, he was then selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

After averaging 19.5 minutes across 72 games as a rookie, Griffin did not get as much playing time for the Hawks during his second professional season. It ended with 8.5 minutes per game across just 20 appearances.

Earlier during the offseason, he was traded from the Hawks to the Rockets.

While he played in NBA 2K25 Summer League for Houston and appeared in the starting lineup each game he played, on Thursday The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Griffin is “seriously considering” stepping away from the sport.

The forward has battled various injuries and is the son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin.

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Research: Lakers play the fewest back-to-back games of any NBA team

Back-to-back games have always been contentious for teams and fans alike. Teams worry about player injuries, while fans are disappointed when their favorites sit out. Over the past decade, load management has emerged as a strategy to address …

Back-to-back games have always been contentious for teams and fans alike. Teams worry about player injuries, while fans are disappointed when their favorites sit out. Over the past decade, load management has emerged as a strategy to address back-to-backs.

But who gets the short and long end of the stick when it comes to the NBA scheduling those games?

We looked up all regular season games since 2004-05 (when the league expanded to 30 teams) to find out. The main takeaway: The Lakers score a major win with the fewest back-to-backs in the league in the last 20 years at just 336. (For context, the Clippers had 382, which amounts to 2.3 more per season on average.)

Here’s the overall ranking:

76ers’ Paul George names Nets’ Nic Claxton as dynamic NBA big man

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a dynamic NBA big man by Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George that could unlock Trae Young.

The Brooklyn Nets are moving forward with their plan to rebuild around some of their younger players as they try to find their next group impact players in the NBA Draft. One of the players that Brooklyn has invest almost nine figures in this summer is being recognized for his ability to contribute on the floor.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George recently had Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young on “Podcast P with Paul George” and one of the topics discussed was how the Hawks could build around Young heading into the future. In the clip posted below, George mentions that what unlocks Young’s game is having a dynamic big man and the first name that comes out of his mouth is Nets center Nic Claxton.

“I think what unlocks your game so much is having a dynamic big… say you had like a Nic Claxton,” George said. While dynamic could have different meanings in terms of describing a basketball player, it seems that in this context, George means dynamic in terms of athleticism when he refers to Claxton.

“Dynamic roller, locks up, controls the paint, great screen-setter, you can just play shooters around you at that point,” George continued. To be clear, this conversation isn’t good George or Young suggesting that a trade happens so that Claxton and Young can play together, but it is notable that George’s first player that would be a good fit with Young is Claxton.

Heading into the upcoming 2024-25 season, Claxton will be coming in with some heightened expectations now that he is getting paid like the dynamic big man that George and others have dubbed him to be at this point of his career. Earlier this summer, the Nets re-signed Claxton to a four-year, $97 million contract, ranking him as the 12th highest-paid center in the NBA as of this writing.

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Hawks’ Trae Young offers candid assessment of 2024 NBA draft class

Young, speaking with Paul George, doesn’t believe there are very many franchise cornerstones in the most recent NBA draft.

In the weeks leading up to the 2024 NBA draft, the conversation centered on how there was no clear choice for the No. 1 overall pick and how it may lack future star power.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young agrees with that notion.

Young appeared on “Podcast P” with Paul George this week and discussed various topics, including the incoming rookie class. The former top-five pick surmised that many players drafted may not develop into franchise cornerstones.

To be honest with you, and no disrespect to the guys that got drafted, from the (outside) looking in – and some guys may surprise us – a lot of us look at them as role players coming in anyway. The last three No. 1 picks, you got Victor (Wembanyama), you got like Ant Edwards, you got some big-time names. None of these guys – whether it’s Reed (Sheppard), who’s going to be a hell of an NBA player, or Alex (Sarr), who didn’t play well in summer league, but who’s going to be a hell of NBA player – but a lot of these guys could be just role players.

The Hawks were awarded the top pick in the draft and selected Zaccharie Risacher, who last played with JL Bourg in France. Young revealed that he welcomed Risacher to the team shortly after the draft, though he hasn’t been in the gym with him yet.

Sarr, who was also in contention at No. 1, went to the Washington Wizards with the second pick, and Sheppard was selected third by the Houston Rockets. Young previously gave Sheppard a shout-out on X, formerly Twitter, after excelling in summer league.

The class, overall, had a productive showing last month on the court, though it is far too early to determine how the group will ultimately pan out in the long run. However, it is clear the players will have to prove themselves to their peers starting next season and beyond.

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Rockets’ Reed Sheppard selected to win Rookie of the Year by executives in ESPN poll

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was voted the top choice to win Rookie of the Year by executives and scouts in a poll conducted by ESPN.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was voted the top choice to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award by a panel of executives and scouts in a poll conducted by ESPN.

The 20 individuals polled were asked a number of questions about the incoming rookie class, such as the best player and the biggest steal of the draft. They were also asked about the draft expanding to a two-day format, which received a positive reaction.

Sheppard received seven votes from the panel, while Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey garnered four votes and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle had three votes.

Who’s your NBA Rookie of the Year pick?

  1. Reed Sheppard, Rockets: 7 votes
  2. Zach Edey, Grizzlies: 4
  3. Stephon Castle, Spurs: 3
  4. Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers: 2
  5. Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks: 1
  6. Ron Holland II, Pistons: 1
  7. Dalton Knecht, Lakers: 1
  8. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic: 1

Sheppard debuted with the Rockets in the NBA Summer League, averaging 20 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots on 50% shooting from the field in four games. He was named to the NBA All-Summer League first team and finished ninth in scoring.

The third pick is second in odds to win Rookie of the Year, narrowly trailing only Risacher. He looked to be one of the top rookies on the court in the desert and proved himself as a high draft pick in a small sample size with the Rockets.

The odds will certainly continue to fluctuate over the course of the upcoming season, which tips off on Oct. 25. However, Sheppard and the rest of the players on the list established themselves as the top players thus far and should be in store for strong rookie campaigns.

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E.J Liddell traded to another new team

Hopefully, Liddell can land somewhere where he can have a stable career soon. #GoBucks

Former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell is on the move again. For the second time in about a month, the former All-Big Ten performer was traded. He was first shipped to the Atlanta Hawks from the New Orleans Pelicans on June 28. And just four weeks later, the Hawks have sent the U-Haul to Phoenix and the Suns.

Liddell was selected by the Pelicans in the second round of the 2022 but suffered a torn ACL that wiped out his rookie season. He received only spot duty in his return this past season, appearing in just five games for the Pelicans, picking up most of his playing time and development instead in the NBA’s G-League.

The Hawks inserted the former Buckeye start in five summer league games once he arrived there, but now it appears Liddell will have to start over again. Even more challenging are reports that the Suns may release the 6-foot, 6-inch ‘tweener soon to open up a roster spot.

Here’s to hoping Liddell can find somwhere stable to continue his professional basketball career soon.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Hawks’ Nikola Djurisic out until November after undergoing foot surgery

Hawks rookie Nikola Djurisic is expected to be out until November after undergoing surgery to repair a left foot fracture.

Atlanta Hawks rookie Nikola Djurisic is expected to be out the next 3-4 months after undergoing surgery to repair the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot on Monday.

Djurisic suffered a foot fracture in his second game in the NBA Summer League on July 14 during a loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas, Nevada. The injury was discovered during an X-ray taken at the Thomas & Mack Center and announced by the team the following day.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, North Carolina. He will begin rehabilitation for the injury as soon as possible and an update on his status will be provided by the team in November.

Djurisic, the 43rd pick, debuted with the Hawks on July 12, recording seven points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in a loss to the Washington Wizards. He went 2-of-6 from the field in 25 minutes of action.

The 20-year-old from Belgium hasn’t yet signed a contract with the Hawks. He isn’t guaranteed a roster spot as a second-round pick, so it is unclear how his foot injury may affect his contract situation for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Djurisic averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 36 games last season across all league competitions with Mega Basket in Serbia. He was previously named the ABA League Top Prospect in 2023.

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Hawks’ Nikola Djurisic diagnosed with foot fracture in summer league

Hawks rookie Nikola Djurisic sustained a left foot fracture on Sunday during a loss to the Spurs in summer league.

Atlanta Hawks rookie Nikola Djurisic sustained a left foot fracture on Sunday during a loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Djurisic suffered the injury in the first quarter after logging 6 minutes, 30 seconds of game time. He checked out of the game and went back to the locker room for examination. He wouldn’t return and later was seen on the bench in a walking boot.

The 43rd overall pick will miss the remainder of summer league following the injury. The team said it was discovered during an X-ray taken at the Thomas & Mack Center and further medical updates will be provided as appropriate.

Djurisic debuted with the Hawks in the desert on Friday, recording seven points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in a loss to the Washington Wizards. He went 2-of-6 from the field in 25 minutes of action.

The 20-year-old from Belgium hasn’t yet signed a contract with the Hawks. He isn’t guaranteed a roster spot as a second-round pick, so it is unclear how his foot injury may affect his contract situation for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Djurisic averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 36 games last season across all league competitions with Mega Basket in Serbia. He was previously named the ABA League Top Prospect in 2023.

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