Tag: Michael Jordan

Playoff MVPs: Choosing the best player in each postseason in NBA history

HoopsHype chooses an NBA Playoffs MVP for every postseason, including LeBron James, Michael Jordan and many more all-timers.

In the NBA, there is a regular season MVP and a Finals MVP, but no award for the best player of the postseason, which is odd if you think about it. Hell, we even had a bubble MVP that one time.

No worries, though, because we are here to right that wrong by naming a Playoff MVP for every postseason dating back all the way to the BAA days. There’s a bit of overlap between Finals MVP and our pick for Playoff MVP but there are also many years in which our Playoff MVP pick didn’t even see his team win the championship.

With so many players to discuss and so many Playoff MVP awards to hand out, let’s get right to it.

(You can go to the bottom of the page to see how many times each legend is selected).

Xander Schauffele learns the hard way going against Michael Jordan

How much trash talk did Michael Jordan save for Xander Schauffele on the golf course?

Xander Schauffele was able to capture his first major title with a win at the PGA Championship last month and is now looking to make it two in a row at the U.S. Open this week.

But as Schauffele and the golfers battle it out at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, he recently shared a story about a round of golf he had against the GOAT Michael Jordan.

Per NBC Sports Chicago, Schauffele was in the middle of a practice round at Memorial Tournament last week when he was asked by Cole Knost if he had ever played a round with Jordan. And the conversation directed to Jordan’s trash talk:

“It’s really hard to talk s— to him,” Knost said.

Schauffele agreed and said he gave Jordan his “best version” of trash talk.

“And then he beat me,” Schauffele said. “Straight up, which is embarrassing.”

A shocked Knost asked him to elaborate.

“In the last three holes, yeah,” Schauffele said. “I pancaked him on his stroke holes, and I started talking s— to him. He got all quiet and focused, and then he birdied, like, 15-16, no strokes.”

https://twitter.com/GolfonCBS/status/1800248867218510054

If there’s one thing we should have learned from “The Last Dance” documentary, it’s that you should never EVER talk trash to Jordan no matter the circumstance. Jordan takes it personal and will use everything in his power to make it against you.

The 30-year-old Schauffele doesn’t have to worry about Jordan at Pinehurst this weekend but winning a major is tough enough.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Michael Jordan releases statement on passing of Jerry West

Here is the statement that Michael Jordan released on the passing of Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West.

The basketball world lost a legend on Wednesday as former player and basketball executive Jerry West passed away at the age of 86.

When news broke that West had passed, the basketball world poured in tributes to the former West Virginia and Los Angeles Lakers standout who had a major impact on the game. West is the logo of the NBA and certainly left a big impact on basketball over the years.

Among the tributes that came in were from former UNC, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards star Michael Jordan. He released this statement on the passing of West:

“I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing. He was truly a friend and mentor—like an older brother to me,” Jordan’s statement said. “I valued his friendship and knowledge. I always wished I could have played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate.

“I admired his basketball insights and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game. He will be forever missed! My condolences to his wife, Karen, and his sons. RIP, Logo.”

That’s one great player respecting another icon of the game.  West had an impact not only on fans but other players as several players have spoken out on him including LeBron James, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant.

West is already a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member and will be posthumously enshrined for the third time this Fall as an executive and contributor.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Michael Jordan opens up on the passing of peer, mentor Jerry West

“I always wished I could’ve played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate,” said MJ.

Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame wing and executive Jerry West has passed away. In response, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan voiced his thoughts about the passing of his peer and mentor in a statement shared on social media by Jump Foundation senior vice president Estee Portnoy.

“I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing,” said Jordan of a man who shares a truly iconic level of recognition in the sport of basketball as the face of the sport. “He was truly a friend and a mentor. Like an older brother to me. I valued his friendship and knowledge.”

“I always wished I could’ve played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate,” he added.

“I admired his basketball insights, and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game,” wrote Jordan.

“He will be forever missed. My condolences to his wife Karen and his sons. Rest in peace, Logo.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Xander Schauffele reminds us all to never talk smack to Michael Jordan on the golf course (or anywhere else)

Reminder: NEVER TALK SMACK TO MICHAEL JORDAN EVER.

I don’t know how many times we need to tell you this, but here you go: Never. Ever. Talk smack to Michael Jordan.

Ever.

We’ve seen it cost players on the court in the NBA, and when it comes to professional golfers, the same thing has happened. Just ask Brooks Koepka, and now you can hear it from PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele.

While hitting on the range before the 2024 U.S. Open, Colt Knost asked Schauffele if he’d played with Jordan and remarked how it’s “really hard to [expletive] talk him.”

Schauffele revealed that Jordan beat him in the final holes of their round after Xander talked at the legend. And maybe he’s glad that he didn’t do that at the beginning of the round.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2306]

Watch: Seahawks rookie AJ Barner picks between NBA all-time greats

We’re convinced that nobody who picks LeBron in these scenarios actually got to see Jordan play in his prime.

The NBA Finals are in full swing, with the Boston Celtics taking a 2-0 lead over Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks last night. Naturally, a lot of NFL players are closely following the Finals and are fans of the game themselves. We can apparently count Seahawks rookie tight end AJ Barner among them. After OTAs practice last week Barner was asked to pick between a series of all-time greats from the NBA.

Barner inexplicably picked Allen Iverson over both Magic Johnson and Kevin Garnett and gave a very unfortunate wrong answer at the end, but otherwise he got most of them right. Observe.

We’re convinced that nobody who picks LeBron in these scenarios actually got to see Jordan play in his prime. James’ longevity is undeniably impressive and he’s a strong No. 2 all time, but Michael simply accomplished a whole lot more in fewer years while competing in a far more physical and slower-paced era.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Seahawks 90-man roster going into mandatory minicamp

Seahawks top-10 all-time scoring leaders going into 2024

Seahawks top-10 all-time receiving leaders going into 2024

Every NFL team’s best choice for Madden 25 cover athlete

Nikola Jovic Q&A: ‘From a young age, I always want to be the best no matter what’

Serbian big man Nikola Jovic sat down with HoopsHype to discuss how he’s developed, what it’s like playing with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, what’s his natural position, and more.

Serbian big man Nikola Jovic became a pivotal part of the Heat’s rotation in his second NBA season shooting almost 40 percent from deep and starting 38 games.

Jovic sat down with HoopsHype, on behalf of adidas Eurocamp, to discuss how he’s developed, what it’s like playing with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, what’s his natural position, and more.

The players who made the biggest scoring leaps in the NBA Finals

HoopsHype takes a look at the NBA players who made the biggest scoring jumps from the regular season to the NBA Finals.

For NBA players, there’s stepping up in the playoffs, an impressive enough feat, and then there’s stepping up in the NBA Finals, a whole different level of greatness.

Throughout NBA history, there have been various examples of players who made huge scoring leaps in the NBA Finals, from Jerry West in 1969 to LeBron James in 2015 and Kevin Durant in 2017, and much more.

Today, we’ll highlight the NBA stars who elevated their scoring the most from their regular-season averages to the Finals stage, a list featuring some of the biggest names in the history of the sport as well as a few surprises.

Check out the list we put together below.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper and Boston Celtics alum Dee Brown share Larry Bird stories

Cooper and company got into some Larry Legend hijinks, and also touched on some Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Isaiah Thomas.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper had a heck of a career battling Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics for titles in the 1980s, so he has saved up a bevvy of stories to share from those halcyon days. And Coop recently shared a bunch of them on a recent episode of his CLNS Media “Showtime with Michael Cooper” podcast.

Cooper and company got into some Larry Legend hijinks, and also touched on some Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Isaiah Thomas dirt for good measure.  To top it off, the guest for the episode is none other than former Bird teammate and slam dunk specialist Dee Brown, who had some nuggets of his own to share in the show.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about the Hick From French Lick and their peers from that era.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=590969556]

LaMelo Ball buys Cam Newton’s Charlotte condo, rides go-kart on roof

When you buy Cam Newton’s condo for $2.47 million, you better be able to take a go-kart to the roof.

Big ballers do big baller things, and LaMelo Ball is a big baller.

The Charlotte Hornets star just closed in on a pretty high-profile piece of property, purchasing a 3,300-square-foot condo in Uptown’s exclusive Trust building for $2.47 million. But it’s not only the space, the apartment and the price that makes this an interesting purchase—it’s also the previous owner.

Mecklenburg County property records show that Ball’s MB1 Enterprise completed the transaction with Agape Property Management Group LLC, headed by Cecil Newton. And yes, that’s the very Cecil Newton you probably think it is.

Ball’s new(ish) digs were previously inhabited by Carolina Panthers great Cam Newton. Newton purchased the property for $2.1 million back in 2015, the same year he signed a five-year, $103.8 million extension and dabbed his way to a near-unanimous Most Valuable Player award.

According to the Charlotte Business Journal, Ball began leasing the apartment in 2020 with a “handshake agreement” that he’d eventually buy it. Well, he did, and it seems like he’s getting his money’s worth already . . .

Oh, and that’s not the last fun tidbit about the property—as some guy named Michael Jordan also lived in that same building.

[lawrence-related id=697852,695093,693856]