Tag: blast

NBA players who wore the No. 6 during the 2021-22 season

The NBA and NBPA announced that the No. 6 worn by 11-time champion Bill Russell would be permanently retired to honor his life and legacy.

The National Basketball League and National Basketball Players Association on Thursday announced that the No. 6 worn by 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell would be permanently retired across the league to honor his life and legacy.

Players will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys throughout the 2022-23 season to pay tribute to Russell, who passed away on July 31. Every team will also display a clover-shaped logo with the No. 6 to honor the Boston Celtics legend on the sidelines near the scorer’s table.

The Celtics will have a unique recognition for Russell on their uniforms.

Players currently wearing the No. 6 will be permitted to continue doing so but the number will not be issued again by any team to any player. The league also confirmed that if any of those players change teams, they will be able to continue wearing the number.

With the No. 6 now retired, Rookie Wire took a look at those players that donned that number last season and could wear it again during the upcoming 2022-23 campaign.

Note: Information via Basketball-Reference.

2023 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: An early look at the top prospects next year

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor over the course of the 2022-23 season.

With the basketball world over a month removed from the NBA draft, many have started to look ahead to the next rookie class and which prospects may be available.

The class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is considered one of the top prospects in recent memory. He has performed well in the top basketball league in France and looks to already be locked in as the top pick in 2023.

Elsewhere, there are several other prospects that will be worth monitoring over the course of next season. The rankings will certainly change but it can be a productive exercise to see how prospects moved up and down draft boards ahead of next year.

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor as the 2022-23 season approaches in a couple of months.

Note: The order of the draft was determined by the reverse championship odds set by Tipico Sportsbook. The 2023 draft will only have 59 picks after the Bulls were stripped of their second-round pick by the NBA due to a tampering violation involving the signing of Lonzo Ball.

Who is Victor Wembanyama? What you need to know

Victor Wembanyama is poised to make a big splash at the 2023 NBA Draft and beyond? Here’s what you need to know about the French phenom.

The 2023 draft may already have a main attraction with France’s Victor Wembanyama NBA eligibility drawing near. The 7’3″ Parisian big man might just be the next great star in the Association, and teams are already positioning themselves to add the intriguing phenom to their future plans.

Every so often prospects create this kind of epic gravity. Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James are among those generational players who earned name-brand recognition before ever stepping on to an NBA court. It appears Victor Wembanyama is destined for that same hype.

So what makes this young man so special? What is he good at and where are his weaknesses? Who is Victor Wembanyama?

4 realistic trade proposals for Donovan Mitchell

Check out a few possible Donovan Mitchell trade packages the Jazz should consider.

It seems that Donovan Mitchell’s days in Utah might truly be numbered. The Jazz are reportedly looking to trade away the All-Star guard, ushering in a new era for the club. With Rudy Gobert now in Minnesota, Mitchell’s departure would signal a full tear-down for Utah’s new CEO Danny Ainge.

Mitchell — a three-time NBA All-Star and New York native — has been tied to the Knicks prior to this offseason. The Miami Heat buzz is alive and well. Surely Utah has fielded a number of calls across the league, though the Jazz understandably have a steep asking price for their home-grown star.

It’s unclear what Utah’s top priorities are here. It seems likely the front office will consider bottoming out and amassing draft picks to make a run at Victor Wembanyama. At the same time, small market clubs sometimes prefer to re-tool rather than rebuild. Perhaps Ainge and Co. will accept ready-made players rather than draft equity. With that frame, let’s explore some trade proposals for the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell.

Watch the new trailer for NBA 2K23 featuring Devin Booker

Devin Booker will grace the cover of two versions of NBA 2K23. Watch the latest trailer for the game.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker will be on the cover of the latest edition of basketball fans’ favorite video game, adorning the front of two very exciting versions of NBA 2K23. He joins Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, as well as Michael Jordan as this year’s 2K cover athletes.

Booker was just named to the All-NBA first team in ’21-22 and is one of the league’s brightest stars. He averaged a career-best 28.6 points per game, along with five rebounds and 4.8 assists. All at the age of 25.

From a trip to the 2021 Finals and to rubbing elbows with high-profile celebrities to devastating opponents with his smooth jump shot, Book is a worthy cover athlete for this iteration of the game.

The game is available for pre-order now, and officially launches in September. Check out the trailer below:

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA 2K taps Michael Jordan as one of its 2K23 cover athletes

The makers of NBA 2K announced Michael Jordan will be featured on the cover of distinct two versions of NBA 2K23.

The makers of the popular video game NBA 2K have announced that the franchise will honor the great Michael Jordan by featuring him on not one but two distinct covers for the upcoming version of the game. The game will release both a NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition and a premium NBA 2K23 Championship Edition, both of which will feature His Airness on the cover.

The makers of the game stated that this will be a way of celebrating Jordan, his six NBA titles, his five MVPs, and his 14 All-Star appearances. Rookie Wire can confirm reports that Devin Booker will also appear on the cover of NBA 2K23. Two WNBA athletes will also be featured as well.

This new version of the beloved video game will have all sorts of updates and improvements, including a rebuilt rendition of the Jordan Challenges which were featured in NBA 2K11. 

The company said it was proud to celebrate MJ, saying “Honoring the impact Jordan has made for basketball on a global scale, NBA 2K is excited to be able to showcase Jordan’s greatest moves on the virtual court to relive one of the most sensational times in NBA history.”

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NBA free agency 2022: Complete signing tracker for every team

Rookie Wire took a look at every deal agreed upon after the start of free agency.

Free agency in the NBA tipped off Thursday evening, and the occasion was met with plenty of news and excitement in the immediate moments after the action began at 6 p.m. EDT.

Seconds into the start of free agency, several players agreed to new contracts with their respective teams while others found deals elsewhere. The first night saw dozens of players agree to terms and the action is expected to continue in the days to come.

2022 NBA Summer League: Complete roster tracker for every team

Players and teams can agree to terms on new contracts during the moratorium period as signings can be completed starting on July 6 at 12 p.m. EDT. The salary cap for the 2022-23 season will be $123.655 million with the tax level at $150.267 million.

Rookie Wire took a look at every deal agreed upon during the moratorium period based on the reporting of several notable individuals. The list is sorted by each team and will be updated throughout free agency.

Note: Players are listed in chronological order.

Last Update: July 1, 10:30 a.m. EDT

2022 NBA Summer League: Complete roster tracker for every team

Rookie Wire took a look at each team and where their rosters stand ahead of summer league based on announcements or reporting.

The NBA draft has come and gone as players and teams alike now turn their attention to free agency and the start of summer league across three separate cities.

The festivities will begin July 2-3 with the California Classic in San Francisco. The NBA will then host the Salt Lake City Summer League on July 5-7 with the Las Vegas Summer League running July 7-17 featuring all 30 teams.

With dozens of players going undrafted, those individuals will now work to sign with teams or join summer league rosters in an attempt to earn contracts. Teams will also look to sign some notable players from other professional leagues.

Rookie Wire took a look at each team and where their rosters stand ahead of summer league based on announcements or reporting. We will continue to update the rosters as information becomes available.

Note: Recent draftees are not included unless it has been announced or reported that they will play.

Last Update: June 27, 12 p.m. EDT

2022 NBA draft grades and analysis for every first-round pick

Rookie Wire went through and graded all 30 picks from the first round of the draft now that the smoke has cleared from the evening.

The smoke has cleared on the NBA draft as the basketball community has had some time to reflect on the selections, trades and other moves made on Thursday.

Of course, the Orlando Magic made the first splash of the night after taking Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick. The choice may have been a surprise to those around the sport, but it wasn’t to those in charge of making the selection.

Elsewhere, several teams made trades to help themselves now or in the future. There were some winners and losers, and other teams that genuinely confused everyone with some of their moves. The festivities will certainly give fans plenty to talk about in the coming days.

Now that we’ve had some time to evaluate the picks and trades from Thursday, Rookie Wire went through and graded all 30 picks from the first round.

2022 NBA draft first round results: See the top 30 picks

See all 30 picks in the NBA draft first round, led by No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero.

There was a major shift atop the NBA draft board on Thursday night that developed not long before the first overall pick was announced.

All indications were that the Orlando Magic would select Jabari Smith Jr. with the first pick, followed by Chet Holmgren going to Oklahoma City with the second selection, and Paolo Banchero landing in Houston at third overall.

Instead, Banchero vaulted both Holmgren and Smith, and become the fourth No. 1 pick from Duke University in the modern draft era.

Here are the full draft results from the Barclays Center on Thursday night: