North Carolina’s disaster season discovered a new low on Saturday. The Tar Heels led arch-rival Duke by nine points at halftime, by 13 points with 3:55 to go in regulation, by three with under four seconds to play in regulation, and by five with under 20 seconds to go in overtime.
Devin Booker has a rep, and it’s the worst kind a prospective NBA star can have. He’s often seen as a no-defense, shot-jacking, empty-stat-hunting young player who cares more about his own numbers than actually trying to win.
Russell Westbrook is an all-star. It’s a surprise that’s presumably based more on counting stats and his Hall of Fame resume than any current impact had on winning. But regardless of whether Westbrook deserved the honor (Devin Booker was robbed), his recent play deserves further examination.
Kobe Bryant was a master plotter, always two steps ahead when it came to branding himself, plotting his business ventures, building his lore. He was calculating in the best and worst senses of the word. He gained a keen understanding of how to play personalities and the media fairly early on.
Kobe Bryant's legacy extends beyond his time on the basketball court. He was also known to the business world as a brand-builder; an investor; and a coach to other athletes and company founders.
Kobe Bryant used helicopters to get around Los Angeles, but he and his wife Vanessa Bryant made a point not to fly together.
Kobe Bryant was a complicated man.
In what has been an emotional day for the NBA, teams across the league have made touching tributes to Kobe Bryant, who was one of nine people — his 13-year-old daughter Gianna among them — to be killed in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California on Sunday morning. As the week goes on, more teams are expected to pay tribute to the Lakers legend, but there’s one team that has made a permanent gesture: The Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning, according to a report by TMZ that Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN confirmed. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports provided additional confirmation.
Amid their intense training in preparation for the 2020 FIBA 3X3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the national team pool, together with Kiefer Ravena, took time off for a very special mission, Saturday.
It’s game day, and you’re in for a treat: the NBA debut of Zion Williamson, the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. And it’s on ESPN, as the New Orleans Pelicans take on the San Antonio Spurs.
