Tag: Charlotte Hornets

Michael Jordan’s comment about beating Hornets players in 1-on-1 caught Miles Bridges’ attention

Bridges isn’t scared.

It didn’t take a 10-part documentary series from ESPN to tell us that Michael Jordan is supremely confident and competitive. We knew that already.

But The Last Dance has certainly brought Jordan’s legendary competitive nature back to the forefront of the sports conversation. And now, his own players with the Charlotte Hornets are taking notice.

Back in 2015, Jordan joined France’s L’Equipe for an interview, and at the time, Jordan claimed that he could still beat the Charlotte players in one-on-one but didn’t want to hurt their confidence. Jordan was 52 years old at the time of the interview, and the Hornets’ roster included Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum. As far as we know, those games never took place.

Yet, this weekend, the quote once again made rounds on Twitter as if the 57-year-old Jordan was saying it now. He wasn’t, but that didn’t stop Miles Bridges from wanting to take on the Hornets owner.

Time would probably be on Bridges’ side here — though Jordan’s age didn’t do any favors for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2013.

Jordan, then 50, beat Kidd-Gilchrist in one-on-one, and the No. 2 overall pick never lived up to his billing out of Kentucky.

Did losing to Jordan destroy Kidd-Gilchrist’s confidence and ruin his NBA career? Probably not, but Jordan doesn’t seem willing to take that chance again with one of his players.

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Charles Barkley opens up on fallout with Michael Jordan

Charles Barkley says he’s “really sad” about his fallout with Michael Jordan.

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were once close friends during their playing days. There are stories of them hanging out and playing poker or golf together when they weren’t going head to head on the court.

That relationship lasted through decades and kept going even after they retired from the NBA. Unfortunately, however, things haven’t been that way between the two for a while.

Back in 2012, Barkley said Jordan hadn’t “done a great job” running the team and that he hadn’t hired enough people who would disagree with him on decisions.

The two haven’t been friends since, Barkley revealed on the Waddle and Silvy show. And he isn’t happy about it.

“The guy was like a brother to me for, shoot, 20-something years…at least 20-something years. And I do, I feel sadness. But to me he’s still the greatest basketball player ever. I wish him nothing but the best. But, there’s nothing I can do about it, brother.”

Barkley said, though he is sad about the fallout, he doesn’t regret the comments. He was only doing his job as an analyst.

The main reason Barkley’s broadcast career has been just as successful as his NBA career is because he’s never pulled any punches with his analysis. Unfortunately in this case, that cost him a lifelong friendship.

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LaMelo Ball drafted to Bulls with third pick in The Athletic mock draft

In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie slotted LaMelo Ball third overall to the Chicago Bulls.

Despite recently listing LaMelo Ball at the top of his big board, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie’s latest mock draft for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft slotted Ball third overall to the Chicago Bulls.

Vecenie notes that his mock draft is based more on what league sources are telling him versus how he feels about prospects. He also used a Tankathon simulation to set the draft order, leading to the Detroit Pistons landing the number one pick.

The Pistons selected Anthony Edwards with the top pick while the Charlotte Hornets took James Wiseman with the second pick. The Bulls then landed Ball with the third overall pick to pair with Coby White, who the team draft last year. Here’s Vecenie’s take on the selection:

“…I’m going with who I think would be the best fit for them, here. Ball makes the most sense. He’s my favorite player in the class. I know that the Bulls drafted Coby White last year, but I see the pairing as being complementary of one another as opposed to the team replacing White with Ball (which is something they wouldn’t want to do anyway, after White finished the season exceptionally well).”

Ball and White would certainly be an interesting pairing that, as Vecenie said, would complement one another. The question, though, would be how the pair also fit with Zach Lavine. Given the Bulls’ current situation, taking the best player available makes the most sense but it’s hard to envision a way all three can be on the court together.

It’s a pick that makes the most sense for the Bulls but would put Ball in an odd situation. He would almost certainly not be the day one started and would not have a clear path into the starting lineup. But there is any number of ways the draft can play out once it’s held with no prospect establishing himself as the clear cut number one..

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Breaking down the games Dennis Rodman missed during Vegas vacation

Dennis Rodman grabbed the headlines in Sunday’s episode three of “The Last Dance” with one of the most bizarre stories in NBA history.

ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary had already captured the collective attention of the sports world even before Sunday night’s episode three focused on Dennis Rodman. Always a fascinating figure, Rodman captivated audiences for the full 60 minutes, but it was the final segment that really left a mark on viewers.

In a story untold before Sunday, Scottie Pippen, Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan shared on Rodman’s impromptu vacation to Las Vegas. An enigmatic character, Rodman had battled through a grueling opening half of the season as the second option to Jordan with Pippen on the sideline injured. But upon Pippen’s return, Rodman summoned Jordan and Jackson for an unorthodox request of an in-season vacation.

Rodman eventually negotiated down to a 48-hour trip to Vegas that lasted twice as long before Jordan himself pulled Rodman out of his hotel room bed and escorted him back to the team. Everything about the story was bizarre, including the fact that Rodman missed multiple games during his week-long hiatus.

Pippen returned against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 10 and the Bulls’ big three played for five games together through Jan. 18 against Houston. Rodman then embarked on his trip to Vegas with the Bulls not scheduled to play again until Jan. 21, leading to the logic behind the 48-hour window suggested by Jackson.

But Rodman did not arrive for that contest, a home game against the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets, who would later relocate to New Orleans before rebranding as the Pelicans and returning the franchise’s nickname and history back to Charlotte in the mid-2000s, were a respectable 23-16 on the year before meeting the Bulls.

Jordan showcased his typical dominance with 33 points while Pippen had 14 points as the Bulls obliterated the Hornets, 110-79. Charlotte’s leading scorer, Glen Rice, was held well below his 22.3 points per game average on the night as he shot just 4-of-18 from the field for 10 points.

Two nights later, the Bulls travel to New Jersey where they came away with a two-point overtime win behind 32 points from Jordan and 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds from Pippen. With Rodman absent, New Jersey’s Jayson Williams finished with 23 points and 23 rebounds.

Chicago then flew back home while Jordan made his trip to Vegas to locate Pippen and bring him back to the team. In his first game back from the multi-day escapade in Utah, Rodman played 34:14 and grabbed 14 rebounds without scoring in a 101-94 loss to Utah.

Rodman did not miss another game the rest of the regular season or playoffs. In the final 40 games of the regular season, Rodman averaged 36.2 minutes per game before playing 34.4 minutes per game in the playoffs.

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Ex-Celtic Terry Rozier reportedly a Knick trade target in February

SNY’s Ian Begley reports former Boston Celtic reserve guard Terry Rozier was a trade target of the New York Knicks this winter.

Had things gone a little differently this February, it’s possible Terry Rozier might be a New York Knick right now.

SNY’s Ian Begley reports the organization was seriously considering such a move at the 2020 NBA trade deadline.

The Knicks believed they could have acquired Rozier, D’Angelo Russell or some similarly young player with star potential for a few of the many mid-sized contracts and ‘future first round picks’.

With seven first rounders over the next four draft draft years, New York can afford to be more liberal with their draft picks than they have in the recent past — which is to say not much given the organization’s reticence to use draft assets to trade for players in the past.

It is debatable whether it would be worth a draft asset to get Rozier on the roster, but not because of Rozier himself despite how his last season with Boston went.

The former Celtic has had a solid if up-and-down first season with Charlotte, but has largely been worth his $19.8 million paycheck with 18 points and 4.4 assists per game.

While the Ohio native would be a huge upgrade over their current options at point guard — currently a who’s who of rehabilitation projects mostly leaning towards not working out — he’s also likely not enough of a draw to overcome the impact of dysfunction already driving free agents to the Brooklyn Nets.

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Michael Jordan agreed to ‘Last Dance’ doc on day of 2016 Cavs parade

Michael Jordan agreed to do the ‘The Last Dance’ on the day that LeBron James and the Cavaliers celebrated their title.

The much-anticipated premiere of “The Last Dance’ 10-part documentary series about Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls, like all things in the basketball world, connects not only Jordan’s past but the present and future of the NBA as well. While there has been plenty of speculation, most of it going nowhere, about what inspired Jordan to release the tapes that had been in captivity since 1998. And while the reason for the documentary may only be clear to Jordan himself, there is an incredible factor of timing as it relates to LeBron James that can’t be overlooked.

On the day that Jordan agreed to do the documentary with executive producer Mike Tollin, who had a documentary that Jordan loved on Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated their incredible 2016 NBA Championship in the streets of Cleveland, according to reporting from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

“The universe has such a funny sense of humor,” Tollin said. “Because when I woke up, I put on ESPN while I’m getting dressed, and there’s LeBron [James] and the Cavaliers parading through the streets of Cleveland with the trophy that they’d just won.”

“The Last Dance” promises a raw look at Jordan and the Bulls during what everyone knew would be their last season. While Jordan will never acknowledge it, or whether he realizes it, the subconscious aspect of him agreeing to the documentary on the day LeBron James celebrated an accomplishment that made him similar to Jordan for many, it’s some incredible timing.

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2020 NBA mock draft: Obi Toppin, LaMelo Ball offer intrigue

Rookie Wire breaks down the film and crunches all the relevant statistics to predict all 60 picks of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Like much of the world right now, the 2020 NBA Draft is full of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The cancellation of the NCAA Tournament changes the evaluation process and denies NBA teams the opportunity to see how players react to the pressure of performing on college basketball’s biggest stage. Nevertheless, scouts and front offices are doing their homework on this year’s top prospects.

As of now, the draft remains scheduled for June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, the event could be pushed back in reaction to the pandemic.

Meantime, our two-round mock draft accounts for potential fit for every team that currently owns picks. Some teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics, have enough picks to trade up or turn them into higher picks for future years. Others, such as the Golden State Warriors, may want to trade down to select a player based on roster fit.

That said, we made our selections without trying to predict trades.

A few quick notes: Some notable freshmen (such as Florida’s Scottie Lewis, Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Duke’s Wendell Moore and Matthew Hurt) have been omitted because Rookie Wire expects them to return to school.

Similarly, top juniors (such as San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn, Iowa’s Luka Garza, Georgetown’s Omer Yurtseven) were excluded because we expect them to return for their senior year.

Generally speaking, players who have already declared for the draft or are testing the waters were given priority over prospects who we may rate a bit higher but have not officially put the name into the draft pool.

Draft order is based on NBA standings when the league went on hiatus.

1. Golden State Warriors: Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Wing, 6-foot-5, 18 years old

The Warriors, obviously, have little need for a player who needs the ball in his hands as often as Anthony Edwards does. But the SEC Freshman of the Year arguably has the most star power of anyone in this draft class. Edwards averaged a strong 21.8 points per game in February and is a highlight-reel in transition. Edwards could conceivably be traded, which would allow Golden State to collect another asset while also selecting a player (perhaps either Obi Toppin or Deni Avdija) who fits better with the Warriors’ core.

Second pick | Third pick | Fourth pick | Fifth pick | Remainder of lottery | Remainder of first round | Second round

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Lonzo Ball March Madness Best Game Bracket: Semifinal, Game 1

With the first round over, we move into the semi-finals where the top seeds from both the first and most recent match-ups meet.

With the NBA season on hold indefinitely, we have taken the opportunity to rank and match-up Lonzo Ball’s greatest performance in a March Madness bracket format.

Round 1, Game 1
Round 1, Game 2
Round 1, Game 3
Round 1, Game 4

With the first round over, we move into the semi-finals where the top seeds from both the first and most recent match-ups meet.

No. 1 seed – Lakers vs. Phoenix, Oct. 20, 2017

Lonzo Ball needed all of two games to set a point total that still is the best for his career. Only four times has Ball eclipsed 25 points and only one other time did he finish with at least 10 rebounds and nine assists as well.

No. 5 seed – Lakers at Charlotte, Dec. 15, 2018

Ball’s historic triple-double with LeBron James earned an upset win in the opening round to move into the semi-finals.

Ball and James became the first Laker duo to record triple-doubles in the same game since 1982. The last time it happened in the NBA was 2007 by the pairing of Vince Carter and Jason Kidd.

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Lonzo Ball March Madness Best Game Bracket: Round 1, Game 4

One of Lonzo Ball’s personal best nights as a Pelican goes up against a record-setting night in Charlotte.

With the NBA season on hold indefinitely, we have taken the opportunity to rank and match-up Lonzo Ball’s greatest performance in a March Madness bracket format.

Round 1, Game 1
Round 2, Game 2
Round 3, Game 3

One of Lonzo Ball’s personal best nights as a Pelican goes up against a record-setting night in Charlotte.

No. 4 seed – Pelicans vs. Minnesota, March 3, 2020

The Pelicans’ loss at home to the Timberwolves in early March could be a game that, should the season resume, costs New Orleans a playoff spot. Against a struggling Timberwolves side, the Pelicans laid an egg as a team, falling to Minnesota 139-134.

Ball, though, did all he could to try to salvage the win, connecting on a career-high seven three-pointers as part of a huge night.

5. Lakers at Charlotte, Dec. 15, 2018

Statistically, Ball’s performance his second year in Charlotte didn’t stand out too much on its own aside from it being a triple-double. It was a rather mundane triple-double even by Ball’s standards.

It was the circumstances around it, though, that made it memorable as he and teammate LeBron James each notched triple-doubles, etching their names in the history books in the process.

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Introducing the Lonzo Ball March Madness Best Game Brackets

With the NBA season on hold, here’s a look at Lonzo Ball’s best games, seeding them for a bracket-style tournament with fan votes.

Few things in the sports are as exciting as March Madness and the NCAA Tournament. The drama, the stakes, the upsets, the cinderellas, the favorites, it all mixes together to create one of the exciting months of the year.

Unfortunately, like everything else in both the sports landscape and across the world as a whole, the tournament was unceremoniously canceled, leaving fans without brackets to be busted this year.

In an effort to fill at least a small portion of the hole in sports fans hearts, we decided to give our own version of a March Madness bracket for Lonzo Ball fans. With the better part of three seasons under his belt, Ball has begun to amass many impressive performances while in the NBA.

So, we decided to seed them, pair them up and pick which of Lonzo Ball’s games are the best. Each day, a new match-up will be revealed with a poll to vote at the end of the article. Fan votes will determine which game moves onto the next round until there is one winner.

For now, here is the field of what we narrowed down to Ball’s eight best games as a professional.

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