Tag: cole anthony

LOOK: Former UNC guard Cole Anthony back in Chapel Hill working out

Former UNC basketball and current Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony was back in Chapel Hill working out over the weekend.

The NBA offseason is here for the teams that failed to make the playoffs and that also means it’s a time where multiple former UNC basketball players return to Chapel Hill to workout in the summer months.

That’s the case for former North Carolina point guard [autotag]Cole Anthony[/autotag]. The current Orlando Magic guard just finished up his second season in the NBA.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16.3 points per game this season in 65 games (65 starts). He averaged 31.7 minutes per game and shot 39.1 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three. He also added 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

Anthony had three 30+ point games this season. His best game, however was a 29-point, 16-rebound and 8-assist night against the New York Knicks.

In his lone season at North Carolina (2019-20), he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Anthony took part in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest this season and was involved in the Rising Stars Game over the NBA All-Star weekend.

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Cole Anthony had a hilarious message for Jalen Suggs after Gonzaga loss

Anthony, being the good humanitarian that he is, delivered some words of encouragement for Suggs immediately following the loss.

On Thursday, the No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks shocked the world and upset the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs to advance to the Elite Eight with a 74-68 win.

Arkansas entered the contest winless in 10 tries versus No. 1 seeds, but it held the Bulldogs in check and limited most of their key players to win. JD Notae scored a team-high 21 points to lead the Razorbacks while Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade each had 15 points.

On the other side, All-American Drew Timme led Gonzaga with 25 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, All-American Chet Holmgren battled through foul trouble and eventually fouled out in 23 minutes of work, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks.

The early exit left Zags Nation feeling it afterward, including Jalen Suggs.

Fortunately, Suggs’ Orlando Magic teammate, Cole Anthony, was there to help him out during this difficult time. Anthony, being the good humanitarian that he is, delivered some words of encouragement for Suggs immediately following the loss.

I sent him a nice voice note as soon as the game ended: ‘Jalen, it’s going to be OK, bro. UNC is going to get this dub for you. We’ll win the whole thing for you.’ That’s what I told him. He sent me a little meme back … I could tell he was going through a lot so, me, I’m just going to give my brother some moral support. I gave him a little dap (this morning) just to try to keep the young fella happy.

Of course, Suggs was named a consensus second-team All-American last year with Gonzaga, averaging 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals. He helped lead the Zags to the national title game after draining the game-winning shot over UCLA in the Final Four.

Suggs kept up with the program throughout the season, and even stopped in to watch a couple of games when there was a break in the Magic’s schedule. Given his relationship with the team, Suggs is likely still reeling from the loss.

The strong season by the Zags certainly came to an end far earlier than they wanted it to but, with seven-straight appearances in the Sweet 16, it seems like a safe bet that they will be back again next year.

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

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Marques Johnson proves he can still dunk at 66 and jokingly calls out Cole Anthony while doing it

Cole world.

For several years now, former Milwaukee Bucks star Marques Johnson has posted a video on Twitter around the time of his February birthday to show he can still dunk a basketball. 

Now 66 years old, Johnson kept the tradition alive Monday by throwing one down while sporting a Giannis Antetokounmpo jersey.

He nearly completed the look with a pair of “butter” Timberland boots but thought better of it after seeing Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony’s performance in the slam dunk contest. 

“I was going to rock the butters, but I didn’t want to choke them up too tight and disrespect New York like that,” the five-time All-Star said before tossing the boots.

For those who missed the dunk contest (you didn’t miss much), Anthony completed a dunk in Timberlands in honor of his dad Greg Anthony, a former first-round pick of the New York Knicks.

Timbs are a staple in urban New York shoe culture, but the heavy boots aren’t normally worn as tight as Anthony had to tie them to jump. The moment was also a little anticlimactic after he failed to complete it the first couple of tries.

Even without the Timbs, Johnson’s dunk at his age is still more impressive than some of the dunks we saw in the actual dunk contest.

He dedicated it to his late mother Madea.

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NBA Slam Dunk Contest: Obi Toppin bests Juan Toscano-Anderson to win

Obi Toppin on Saturday defeated Juan Toscano-Anderson in the final to take home the trophy in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin on Saturday defeated Golden State Warriors guard Juan Toscano-Anderson to take home the trophy in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.

Toppin, competing for the second straight year, and Toscano-Anderson made it to the final round after out-dunking Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony and Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green. The event had some highlights but was mostly anticlimatic after numerous failed attempts.

Anthony got the action started by bringing out his father and former 11-year NBA veteran, Greg. Cole changed from his basketball shoes into a fresh pair of Timberlands and proceeded to dunk the ball from Greg. He was given a 40 by the panel of judges.

The turning point of the evening was when Green was on center stage.

He was assisted by rookie teammate Joshua Christopher. Unfortunately, the energy was sucked out of the building after Green needed several attempts to throw down his dunk. He eventually changed his dunk a bit and was finally able to get it down.

From there, the reaction from the announcers on TNT, which featured Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith and Dwyane Wade, was mixed. The crowd on hand in Cleveland, including those celebrities and former players, appeared to have given up on the competition.

The evening still produced several highlight-worthy jams that provided plenty of entertainment to continue All-Star Weekend. Here are all of the dunk attempts from the four contestants.

NBA fans were not thrilled by this year’s Slam Dunk Contest

Obi Toppin ran away with a victory on Saturday night after Juan Toscano-Anderson ran out of attempts on his final dunk.

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest was once nearly as big an affair as the All-Star Game itself. We all have our favorite whether that be Vince Carter’s monster performance in 2000 or a more recent event like the 2016 showdown between Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine.

This year’s contest proved to be a bit anticlimactic, though. New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin rolled to a relatively easy victory, having the high score in the first round and essentially winning by default in the finals after fellow finalist Juan Toscano-Anderson ran out of attempts on his second dunk.

There were certainly iconic moments from Toppin’s performance, and while it wasn’t his highest-scoring dunk, it’s hard not to be impressed with this one that sealed his advancement into the final round. Toppin tossed it off the glass and slammed it home with a windmill through the legs.

There were also some, shall we say, interesting moments. Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony led off the contest by channeling his inner New Yorker, donning a pair of Timberlands and wearing the Knicks jersey that his father, Greg Anthony, once wore. The elder Anthony also gave his son the assist.

But Anthony’s run came to an end prematurely as he ran out of attempts on his second dunk and was eliminated in the first round.

That proved to be a recurring theme throughout the contest, as many of the candidates took several tries before successfully executing the dunk. Some fans were disappointed with the showing, which was far from one of the most exciting dunk contests in recent years.

Here were some of the best reactions on Twitter.

Concurso de clavadas NBA All-Star 2022: Lista completa y highlights

El concurso de clavadas de la NBA siempre es algo se tiene que ver sin importar quien participe. Hemos visto 50s perfectos en años recientes e incluso algo de controversia – ¿Se acuerdan de Dwayne Wade en aquel momento que involucró a Aaron Gordon …

El concurso de clavadas de la NBA siempre es algo se tiene que ver sin importar quien participe.

Hemos visto 50s perfectos en años recientes e incluso algo de controversia – ¿Se acuerdan de Dwayne Wade en aquel momento que involucró a Aaron Gordon en el 2020?

El año pasado, Anfermee Simons de los Portland Trail Blazers ganó, Derrick Jones Jr. – entonces del Miami Heat – fue el ganador del 2020, y Hamidou Diallo y Donovan Mitchell obtuvieron la victoria Enel 2019 y el 2018 respectivamente.

¿Quiénes participan este año? Buena pregunta, solo hay cuatro jugadores este año, pero algunos han demostrado ser muy buenos clavadistas, incluyendo uno que regresa después de un sólido desempeño en el concurso del año anterior:

NBA Rising Stars: Cade Cunningham named MVP to lead Team Barry to win

Cade Cunningham was named MVP of the NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Barry to the championship and tip off All-Star Weekend.

Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham on Friday was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Barry to the championship and tip off All-Star Weekend from Cleveland, Ohio.

Cunningham recorded five points, including a huge 3-pointer late, three assists and two rebounds in the final game over Team Isiah. He scored a team-high 13 points, six assists and five rebounds to lead Team Barry in the semifinal round versus Team Payton.

Orlando Magic rookie Franz Wagner sent Team Barry to the win after hitting his first free throw to cross the 25-point threshold to win. The teams played to 50 points in the semifinal round and 25 points in the final to commemorate the 75th-anniversary season of the NBA.

Here is how each player and team fared in the competition.

Magic trio eager to play in Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend

Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner each reflect on participating in All-Star Weekend beginning Friday in Cleveland.

The trio of Orlando Magic players set to participate in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend are each excited and honored to take in the festivities in Cleveland, Ohio.

Magic second-year guard Cole Anthony and rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner were among 28 total players selected to participate in the Rising Stars game on Friday. The pool of players included 12 rookies, 12 second-year players and four NBA G League Ignite players.

The weekend will give the trio the chance to unwind and soak up the event surrounded by All-Stars and other legends of the game as the NBA celebrates its 75th anniversary season. The experience should create lasting memories for them.

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is excited for the three players.

It is such a great experience for these young men to just be around the caliber of players that are going to be there, as well as celebrating 75 years of the NBA and the history of the game, which has given these guys such a great opportunity now. To take that in and soak that all up is just a phenomenal opportunity for them.

Said Suggs:

It is going to be a ton of fun, just getting to see all of the rookies and guys I’m that close with and friends with. That is going to be a good time, looking forward to it. Of course, that is a blessing coming in my rookie year. You want to stay focused, stay humble and keep your head down and work but those things really are a blessing to be picked to that and it is an honor. I can’t wait to go down there. I’m excited.

The Rising Stars game this year will feature four teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.

Hall of Famers Rick Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas and James Worthy will serve as honorary coaches for the four teams. They each drafted their teams by a random drawing from the pool of players as Worthy selected Anthony and Suggs while Barry took Wagner.

Anthony, Suggs and Team Worthy will face Team Thomas in the semifinals while Wagner and Team Barry will play Team Payton on the other side of the bracket. While they won’t meet in the semifinals, Anthony is hoping to face Wagner in the final game.

I done told Franz a couple of times: I’ve been waiting for that matchup for a while. All of that Euro stuff and all of them floaters and all of that, I ain’t having none of that. I want him in an isolation situation because if I see him, it’s going to be a long time on that island. I’m excited for that matchup. I’m sure Jalen is, too.

The three players have each proven to be worthy of their selections.

Anthony, averaging 17.7 points, is currently fourth in scoring and third in assists among second-year players. Suggs is posting 12.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds while Wagner leads all rookie players in scoring and is in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

Wagner, speaking earlier this month, said it is an honor to be selected.

It is an honor for us three as players but also for the whole organization. … I think everybody is happy for us. I hope (our teammates) know, and the coaches know, they are the reason that we’re so comfortable and get opportunities and stuff like that so I hope they know that. I think everybody is happy for each other.

While the three players will compete in the Rising Stars game, Anthony will also be participating in the Slam Dunk Contest. He will be challenged by Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin and Golden State Warriors guard Juan Toscano-Anderson.

Anthony wouldn’t divulge much about his plans but is excited about it, nonetheless. He hinted that there could even be an appearance by his father, former 11-year NBA veteran Greg Anthony.

“I got a few tricks up my sleeve. It is going to be exciting,” Anthony said. “I might bring Greg out. I might let Greg touch the floor and keep his name alive a little bit longer. That’s about all of the hints I can give.”

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

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Magic: Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony react to Rising Stars selection

Cole Anthony and rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner were among the 28 players selected to play in the Rising Stars game.

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley called it a phenomenal opportunity for three of his players to participate in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.

Magic second-year guard Cole Anthony and rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner on Tuesday were among the 28 players selected to play in the annual showcase game. In all, 12 rookies, 12 second-year players and four NBA G League Ignite players were chosen to play this year.

Mosley said the trio of players earned the opportunity to play in the game.

I think it is a phenomenal opportunity. It is great for our fans. It is great for our organization and it is great for those guys. The work that they put in. You talk about growth and development and guys getting better. The league recognized it and other coaches recognized it.

Anthony is averaging 17.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 38 games this season. He leads the team in scoring and assists on the season and ranks 20th in assists among all players. He is fourth in points among second-year players.

The former 15th pick is happy to see their hard work paying off.

It is dope, definitely an honor to see all of our names get called for that. We all have been working hard, it has been a long season. Obviously, we would like the season to go a little bit better but that won’t take away from the work we’ve all put in. I’m just happy we’re all getting recognized for that. I know Franz and Jalen are ecstatic.

Suggs, the fifth pick, is posting 12.3 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 31 games. He produced his best game on Jan. 21 with 22 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and recently scored in double figures in seven straight games, his longest streak of the season.

Meanwhile, Wagner has started every game this season for the Magic, averaging 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists. The eighth pick leads all rookie players in total scoring and has the most 20-point games of the season with 13.

Wagner credited his teammates and coaches for the honor.

It is an honor for us three as players but also for the whole organization. … I think everybody is happy for us. I hope (our teammates) know, and the coaches know, they are the reason that we’re so comfortable and get opportunities and stuff like that so I hope they know that. I think everybody is happy for each other.

The trio of players certainly represent a big part of the future in Orlando. They have taken full advantage of their early opportunities and have flashed their potential in various moments. The hard work they are putting in is paying off and they’ll be rewarded soon in Cleveland.

The Magic dropped to 11-41 on the season after narrowly losing to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, 126-115. The wins have been few and far between amidst a rebuilding effort, but the opportunity to participate in All-Star Weekend will certainly be a high point for the group.

“I’m going to take care of them while we’re out there,” Anthony said. “We’re going to have some fun. Really, that whole weekend is just about having fun. The whole season is about business for me but (it will be nice) to take a little break, kick back and have some fun.”

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

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NBA Rising Stars 2022: Player pool revealed for revamped game format

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the 28 players set to participate in the Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 18 as part of All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.

The showcase game will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning that a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.

The semifinal games will be played to a final target score of 50 with the final game being played to 25, for a total of 75 points across the semifinal and final to celebrate the league’s 75th anniversary season.

NBA All-Star Game: Rookie players to earn All-Star selections

The pool of 28 players for the game consists of 12 first-year players, 12 second-year players and four players from the NBA G League Ignite. The rookies and sophomores were selected by assistant coaches and the Ignite players were chosen by G League head coaches.

The teams will be coached by members of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team. The coaches will select their rosters in a Rising Stars draft with each team consisting of seven players, including one from the Ignite. The details of the coaches and draft will be announced at a later date.

TNT will televise the competition beginning at 9 p.m. EST.