Tag: Emirates NBA Cup

Doc Rivers nearly dropped the NBA Cup trophy after the Bucks won

This was NEARLY an absurd situation.

The Milwaukee Bucks have won the 2024 NBA Cup, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder during a dominating game in Las Vegas.

While the franchise opted not to celebrate with champagne in the locker room following the victory, the Bucks did stay on the court for the trophy presentation from NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was named tournament MVP, which is yet another impressive note on his already stellar resume. When he was done with the trophy, it eventually made its way to head coach Doc Rivers.

Fortunately, everything turned out OK. But there was nearly a big problem:

As you can see above, the trophy was nearly dropped before Rivers actually received it.

Take a look at it more zoomed in and Rivers’ face said it all:

This is not the first time Rivers has held a trophy, as he was also an NBA champion for the Celtics in 2008.

But this was nearly a very silly and wild moment if the handoff had gone even slightly worse.

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Joakim Noah on Frances Tiafoe, bridging the NBA-tennis gap and the recent rise of French basketball

Former NBA star Joakim Noah is uniquely positioned to discuss the connections between tennis and basketball.

Former NBA star Joakim Noah is uniquely positioned to discuss the connections between tennis and basketball.

Noah, a two-time collegiate men’s basketball national champion at the University of Florida, grew up in New York. His father, Yannick Noah, was a widely-known tennis star in France and reached career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in the world.

YANNICK NOAH: Watch Joakim Noah’s dad ignore a sideline interview to give his son a standing ovation

After his March Madness titles, Noah enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional basketball player. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and even won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.

Although he did not follow in his father’s footsteps to play tennis, he still follows the sport and recently attended the US Open in his hometown of New York City.

The former basketball star, who is celebrated for his intensity and being unafraid to clash with LeBron James, caught up with For The Win from the Emirates Suite during their NBA night at the 2024 US Open.

He discussed his thoughts on tennis star Frances Tiafoe (who wore Noah’s jersey before a match earlier this year), the recent rise of basketball in France (where he represented the national team), and more.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Do you think Frances Tiafoe is creating a bridge between basketball and tennis?

Joakim Noah: Yeah! He has an inner city energy about him and it resonates a lot with the hoopers. A lot of the tennis players don’t know too much about basketball and he’s definitely a bridge. He has a great personality. I love the way he carries himself out there and he is somebody that a lot of the hoopers can relate to.

What drew you to basketball over tennis given your family background?

Joakim Noah: My father was a larger-than-life personality in France. It made me shy away from the game because of people’s expectation toward me when it came to tennis. I felt really safe playing basketball. I loved the team aspect. I loved being able to have friends and be able to do my own thing.

To what do you credit the recent rise of basketball in France?

Joakim Noah: Being retired from the game, I have more time and perspective to travel. I also grew up in the French grassroots system. I understand the difference between the AAU circuit out here in America compared to over there. The reality is that the competition is getting tighter. There is not this dominance that USA once had. I really believe that the reason why, especially in watching [the men’s Olympics gold medal] game, is that the grassroots system is completely different over there. That is the reason you are seeing all of these young talents coming in through the draft. You are seeing Wemby, who is obviously the next face of the league. But they are also doing something on a day-to-day basis: Professional teams have an 18-and-under and a 16-and-under [program]. Even at 12 years old on a Saturday, you can go see the pro team play or the 14 year olds play in the same gym right after your game. The fact you can see what that next level looks like and feels like is great for the younger players.

Describe your feelings watching LeBron versus Wemby in the Olympics final.

Joakim Noah: I think it was an unbelievable game. Obviously, watching Stephen Curry and LeBron James play on the same court after all those great moments they gave us was really powerful. Especially the way that Steph ended the game, you just saw greatness in full display. I felt like France really played their hearts out and they had a team that French people can be really proud of. When you’re playing in big games like that, all it does is inspire the next generation and I think basketball is in a really good place.

What are your impressions of the Emirates NBA Cup and the In-Season Tournament?

Joakim Noah: The NBA In-Season Tournament is something that is really needed for the NBA because the basketball calendar is a marathon. So being able to incentivise the guys to play hard in November and play for the guys who maybe don’t make as much money as the star players just makes everybody play harder. I really appreciate the Emirates NBA Cup because it brings the competition that we all love watching.

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Warriors release schedule of group play for NBA In-Season Tournament

The Warriors will open the NBA’s season in-season tournament against Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks.

In the first edition of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament, the Golden State Warriors’ run was over before it started.

Following a loss to Malik Monk and the Sacramento Kings in a thriller in Sacramento at the buzzer, the Warriors were eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers went on to win the first in-season tournament, now known as “The Emirates NBA Cup.”

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the schedule of the group stage for the 2024 in-season tournament. The Warriors group stage will begin with the return of Klay Thompson and the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks to the Bay Area. The Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets will round out the rest of Golden State’s group. Three teams in the group all made the playoffs last season.

The schedule full schedule is below:

  • Nov. 12 vs. Dallas Mavericks
  • Nov. 15 vs. Memphis Grizzlies
  • Nov. 22 at New Orleans Pelicans
  • Dec. 3 at Denver Nuggets

Via @warriors on Twitter:

The team with the best record from group play will advance to the knockout rounds that consists of 10 teams. The top team from each group will advance along with a wildcard team from each conference. The knockout rounds are single elimination with the semifinals and finals set in Las Vegas starting on Dec. 14.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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NBA refs suddenly have sponsored Emirates patches on their uniforms and fans weren’t happy

After the NBA’s All-Star break, officials have a new look on their jerseys.

After the NBA’s All-Star break, officials have a new look on their jerseys.

The league unveiled a partnership with Emirates on Feb. 8, the same day as the NBA’s trade deadline. They announced the airline as the title sponsor for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup.

Also included in that press release was the news that the Emirates logo will appear on all NBA referee jerseys, starting with the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game. All referees in the WNBA (beginning in 2025) and G League (starting in 2024-25) will also wear Emirates patches.

Emirates is currently a sponsor across various international sports properties, including referee jersey branding for the FA Cup, Cricket World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup.

Although the news was picked up by several outlets, fans may have missed this information if they were focused on the winners and losers of the trade deadline. After the league returned from the brief All-Star break, though, it did not take long for fans to notice the sponsorship:

Here is more from Chris Herring (via ESPN):

“The move comes at a time when NBA viewership is up from last year on the major networks and at a time when the league’s referees are being shown on television far more than in the past.

Television cameras generally zoom in on lead officials as they finalize their rulings over an in-arena microphone following coach’s challenges, where referees review replays of debatable calls — a process that often takes minutes at a time. The number of reviews has increased in recent years, as league stakeholders voted in 2023 to allow clubs a third challenge if a coach requests and is successful with his first two tries.”

Now that the NBA patches are public, though, fans shared their thoughts: