We knew it couldn’t possibly be long before he struck again — he being NY Jets football coach Adam Gase. While the jury is still out on the unproven head coach, one thing that is becoming more and more practice from Gase is his ability to make bold moves that will either strike gold or entirely fall flat on its face. In his latest bag of tricks is one that appears more risk than reward. Already rumored as not seeming eye to eye, the Jets have made a move that could potentially put a further wrench in Gase’s working relationship with star running back Le’ Veon Bell.
Bell, a three-time pro bowler, signed with New York in March of 2019 for $52.5 million. A Hall of Fame talent, Bell’s expectations were that of a bellcow for a team that used to hang its identity on running the football efficiently. So after a rocky first year as the Jets lead back, with much to blame on Gase play-calling and a bottom-tier offensive line, Gase said all the right things until actions proved otherwise.
On paper, the Jets made a confusing move by signing the veteran and future Hall of Fame running back, Frank Gore. Gore coming off a solid year with the Buffalo Bills is a reliable insurance policy even at the age of 37 and is as sure-handed as they come. Aa first glance, one might assume Gore’s signing isn’t a bad idea. That is until Gase openly spoke about it.
Gase showered Gore with praise that came few and far between for the far superior Bell during his first year in New York.
“Frank brings something that is really hard to teach,” Gase said in an interview with the team’s website. “He’s a natural leader. He’s the kind of guy that guys respect around the NFL. He’s done a great job as far as helping younger players that are in the room. I think he’s a good teammate especially the last three or four years in that backup role and the supporting role of whoever that starter is. He’s a great guy for Le’ Veon [Bell] to be around. Those two guys can really do some damage together. We have two guys that can play all three downs. They both have outstanding skillsets. There’s a little bit of difference in their running style and how they do things, but we know Frank really well and we know how to use them.”
Let’s evaluate this in a nutshell: Gase wants to take carries away from his dynamic 28-year-old running back for a 37 year old likely entering his final season in the NFL. As subtle tension mounted as early as minicamp last season through the season’s schedule, Gase mainly praised running back on his roster not named Le’ Veon Bell should sit just right with his star back.
In 15 games last season, Bell amazed a disappointing 789 rushing yards while only touching the ball 245 times. Both numbers are noticeable drop-offs from his 2017 campaign in which he ran for 1,291 yards and 321.
With Gase getting the Jets job in large part because of his reputation as an offensive guru, he must be held accountable for not only quarterback Sam Darnold’s ascension, but also for the lone dynamic playmakers they have on offense in Bell. Anything less than a stellar bounce-back season for Bell won’t sit well for Gase as his seat could go from lukewarm to up in flames.
How often is it that a Most Valuable Player (MVP) winning quarterback that led his team to a Super Bowl appearance gets shown the front door by a franchise that selected him with the first overall pick? The answer is never — unless you’re Cam Newton — one of the most disrespected athletes of all time.
The racial tones, baffling hot-takes and overall out-of-bounds analysis on Newton is hardly a new thing. In college, the far and away best player at the collegiate level, Newton, was chastised and even described as “disengenuos” and “having a fake smile” by Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki. Newton’s bravery, Superman-like stature and unapologetic blackness seem to rarely ever get a fair shake in the eyes of media members and NFL teams.
When he won the Heisman they yelled “he will never do it in the NFL,” when he was the MVP they yelled “he dances too much and is too cocky” and now that the injuries have unfortunately piled up on Newton the same naysayers are pronouncing his career to be over.
Whether you fall on the side of Newton supporter or detractor, one thing that can not be debated is the absurd handling of this divorce by the Carolina Panthers. Let’s take a look at just what Newton has meant to the organization on and off the field.
On the Field Production
For a franchise that has been around for 25 years, Newton is the best signal-caller they have ever had, and the numbers prove it. Many critics say Cam is a lousy passer of the football, so bad that he ranks No. 1 in Panther’s franchise history in passing yards and touchdowns. The second-place quarterback in each category, Jake Delhomme, trails Newton by 10,000 yards and 62 touchdowns.
Take Drew Brees for an example. One of the games best and most accomplished quarterbacks of all time. Brees holds some of the most heralded NFL records one could want including passing touchdowns and yards. Since Brees reinvented his career in New Orleans under the tutelage of offensive guru Sean Payton, the Saints have been in great hands. However, here is something interesting to think about. Why is it that Brees for all his glory was never questioned about his football skills early in his career, yet Newton does time and time again?
When taking a closer look at each signal-callers numbers, Newton has outperformed Brees by a wide margin over there first 125 career games. Newton has played in 125 games since entering the league, in that stretch he has totalled 33,806 yards and 240 touchdowns. Brees, on the other hand, totalled 215 touchdowns and 31,978 yards.
See where this is heading?
Think fans did not want Newton back with the Panthers? In late December, fans purchased a billboard that read “Keep Cam in Carolina.”
“Cam Newton has brought so much joy, passion, loyalty, and culture to the Carolina Panthers, the City of Charlotte, and the Two-State Region, that we want to show him and the team how much we want him to stay,” a GoFundMe Page for the billboards read.
Carolina wanted to move on, fine, however, the fashion in which the decision is taking place is damning for one of the franchises greatest players.
Cam’s Philanthropic Impact
For all of Newton’s accomplishments on the field that deserve praise, his off the field resume is one that should not go unnoticed in the bigger picture. In 2019, although Newton barely played due to injury, the team still nominated him for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award — an honor bestowed upon a nominee from each NFL team that recognizes athletes for their outstanding community service and excellence on the field. The award is named after the late legend and Hall of Fame Chicago Bear Walter Payton for his humanitarian work.
In a time when athletes have to be chastised or called out for not giving back to their communities, Newton has proven to be the opposite. Since founding the Cam Newton Foundation in 2012, Newton has provided over $5.13 million in grant allocations, resources for programs to thrive, donations to K-12 schools and non-profit organizations with great causes in Charlotte and Atlanta.
In addition to the $5.13 million Cam donated through his Foundation, the former MVP separately started two annual events that helps families in need. “Thanksgiving Jam” and “Santa Cam Surprise Sleigh” each are tremendous with the former serving over 1,300 underprivileged families and the latter surpassing over $100,000 in donations.
Newton is not just a typical football player basking in his money and fame; this is a young man who provides a bolt of energy and joy into a community without asking for anything in return. To list out all of Newton’s great deeds would require an article within itself, but it is obvious his impact on the Charlotte area should have warranted more than a cast-off tweet from the Panthers’ organization giving Newton the right to seek a trade.
Conclusion
Where someone falls on the side of this debate is up to them entirely. Many believe Newton can still play at a high level, and others feel his best days are well behind him. All in all, that is the most irrelevant portion of this conversation. How does a franchise push its greatest quarterback out of the backdoor in an announcement on Twitter? That is unjust and one that Newton doesn’t deserve.
Back in December when the fans’ billboard went up in support of Newton, he had the following to say: “I won’t [leave the Panthers]. They got to ship me off for me to leave … In order for me to leave, they got to get rid of me. It’s not up to me.”
It is a shame Newton will no longer call Carolina home again. Is this the thanks he gets?
Yearning for the “old days” or consistently reminiscing about the best athletes of decades past can often be an annoyance for sports fans living in the “right now.” However, if that statement has ever been more relevant or rang true, it would be now in a worrisome shading of the greatest boxer actively fighting today in Terence “Bud” Crawford (35-0).
In the ring, Crawford is an unquestioned boxing superstar with an immense repertoire of elite offensive and defensive skills. If there was ever a measuring stick for a fighter in the Welterweight class to test just how good they are, Crawford is the standard. So while the cream of the crop in arguably boxing’s best division should be running toward a battle with Crawford, unfortunately, it’s been the complete opposite.
While the UFC has gained popularity for an impressive ability to match up the best against the best, boxing has allowed politics to get in the way of not only making the best fights possible but maybe even derailing Hall of Fame careers.
Boxing great and DAZN partner Oscar De La Hoya recently spoke on this topic. When asked about the state of DAZN, the Mexican legend made an interesting comment about Crawford.
“We have a huge target on our back, everybody wants a piece of us. And we just have to be careful and strategize and be smarter than them. Look, Bob Arum, he was like fantasizing about Canelo, he was like salivating over him. Right? And then he has [Terence] Crawford — what is he doing for him?!
“He’s not doing anything for him! I actually feel kinda bad that Crawford might not even get to the Hall of Fame one day because Bob can’t get him a fight! So, look, Canelo’s with us, Team Golden Boy for many more years. Ryan Garcia is with Team Golden Boy for many more years, Bob Arum or whoever’s out there, stop salivating, leave our fighters alone and let us do our job.”
The statement may seem laughable in a sense, however, when sitting on it for a while, is it possible one of the most gifted boxers of his generation can miss out on the Hall of Fame? De La Hoya may be a bit off base in criticizing Top Rank’s Bob Arum, without mentioning the Inexplicable tactics used by rival boxing agency Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
In a July PBC segment featuring Heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz, Crawford was inexplicably not mentioned or shown in a graphic that highlighted current Welterweights champions. Crawford currently holds the WBO title after defeating Jeff Horn by Technical Knockout (TKO) in June of 2018.
PBC graphic that fails to list Crawford as a Welterweight title holder.
The fact contract talks have yet even to be discussed between Crawford and fighters on the PBC side is troublesome and ultimately unfortunate for fans who want to see the best fights possible.
The notion of Crawford being left out isn’t a myth or overreaction. The fighters know it, and premiere Welterweight Shawn Porter spoke on the matter and voiced his support for Crawford.
“… He is definitely overlooked in the welterweight division and definitely one of the best fighters out there in the world,” Porter told Fighthype.com.
With all the politics and uncertainty surrounding the division, Crawford remains confident and unnerved by the difficulties in making the best fights — after all — they can’t duck him forever.
“There’s no such thing — there’s no such thing as ‘across the street,'” Crawford said, in reference to competing promotional companies. “Back in the day, you never heard fighters say ‘across the street.’ What street? This is boxing, everybody fights everybody.”
Crawford is slated to fight Egidijus Kavaliauskas (21-0-1) on December 14th at Madison Square Garden.
The Heavyweight division remains dormant, and that has largely been the case since Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield last squared off in 1997. Like children, fans and critics were excited and full of anticipation that the most significant division in boxing was finally making a return to its glory days of years past — that is until everything changed. In the blink of an eye, reality set back in and the hype surrounding a potential mega-showdown between superstars Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder took a massive blow.
On June 1, Joshua went into his American debut at Madison Square Garden as a 15-1 favorite to beat Andy Ruiz Jr. Joshua, a strong charismatic champion was boasting three of the top four weight class belts and possessed an impressive resume that led to ESPN listing him as the No. 10 best fighter in the world. In what was meant to be a rather simple night of sparring for Joshua, turned into anything but when he was dropped four times at the hands of Ruiz Jr. before referee Mike Griffin ultimately declared the TKO — handing Joshua the first defeat of his promising career.
Anthony Joshua (R) on the offensive against Andy Ruiz Jr. (L)
What made Joshua’s stunning defeat so disappointing was the deflated anticipation for a showdown with “The Bronze Bomber” and immensely powerful puncher Deontay Wilder. Wilder and Joshua have been at odds over making a fight happen that would’ve likely earned the fighters over $100 million in total.
Now? That boat has likely sailed as many fans have exhaled their excitement, realizing the best of today’s heavyweight division wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to the cream-of-the-crop of the ’90s, ’80s, ’70s or ’60s. Following Joshua’s defeat, Wilder took to social media to once again show his disdain for his rival.
“He wasn’t a true champion. His whole career was consisted of lies, contradictions and gifts. Facts and now we know who was running from who!!!! #TilThisDay”
Wilder will undoubtedly be upset at the big payday all but evaporating, although it is fair to wonder if he has some blame to play in the negotiations that never materialized into a fight between himself and Joshua. While Wilder has never received accusations of ducking anyone as he has shown on countless occasions he is willing to take on challenges, his comments on Joshua read more like relief than disappointment.
Wilder, who came close to losing his last two major showcases against Tyson Fury and Luis Ortiz, takes an even bigger hit in this situation as a fight with Joshua would have netted him by far the biggest payday of his career. In contrast, Joshua, powered by his large England fan base, is a cash-cow who never needed Wilder to make top dollars. To date, Joshua has a reported net worth of $60 million — doubling Wilders worth ($30 million).
Deontay Wilder (L) facing off against Tyson Fury (R)
The lineal champion of the world, Fury, had a more appropriate response to Joshua’s defeat, encouraging the former champion to bounce back. Fury, unlike Wilder, likely realizes the importance of Joshua’s relevancy moving forward to make top dollars in a potential fight down the road.
“We have our back and Forth’s but @anthonyfjoshua changed his stars through life. heavyweight boxing, these things happen, rest up, recover, regroup and come again.”
As the general public increasingly grew more excited over Wilder’s Iron Mike-like knockout power or Joshua’s sharp skills similar to his countrymen Lennox Lewis, one thing is clear: the heavyweight division remains a dark and bleak place that has drifted far away from the glory decades of Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali.
The weight a true NBA superstar holds on their shoulders is that of immense pressure and expectations. For every large contract, massive billboard promotion and endless TV and sneaker deals — the other side shows a more concerning reality — a story of falling short, media abuse and chasing the over-glorified NBA championship.
For the all-time winners, we praise for their historic championship runs, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Bill Russell, we tend to under-appreciate the incredible contributions of great players who never hoisted up the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy including Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson or Reggie Miller.
Enter James Harden: A superstar that has rewritten the record books with every dazzling performance he put on during the 2018-2019 campaign. “The Beard” as many tend to call him, is heading toward a potential career-altering season that will either put him in conversations more aligned with Jordan — or unfiled expectations like Barkley.
The pressing question is, how will Harden, 29, finish the final lap of his career?
Harden took his game to levels that caught many across the NBA landscape off guard in 2019. While Harden will be Hall of Fame-bound one day, he rarely is recognized amongst the top 3 in the NBA alongside LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Even with impressive numbers and winning league’s Most Valuable Player honors, Harden continues to face criticism for his postseason shortcomings than his regular season heroics.
This season, Harden averaged 36.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. During a two month stretch, the MVP boasted a ridiculous 32 game streak in which he scored 30 or more points — making him second on the list behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 65 in league history. When it’s all said and done Harden will have better all-around numbers than Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and many other First-Ballot Hall of Famers, but how will history remember him?
In 2017, Harden and the Rockets had a complete meltdown. One so historically shocking that legendary journalist Bill Rhoden couldn’t recall ever seeing in his 40-plus years of writing.
“I’ve never seen anything like I saw last week when Houston completely disintegrated,” Rhoden said on his podcast. “James Harden melted, Mike D’Antoni’s system melted.”
While Rhoden’s remarks are from two years prior, much hasn’t changed as the 2018 and 2019 Houston Rockets have faced disappointing defeats to the Warriors in playoff contention. Harden who averaged 34.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the semi-finals this year, still left much to be desired in critical moments — most specifically only shooting the ball once in the final seven minutes of regulation in game five.
Tempers flared between Chris Paul (L) and James Harden (R) this season (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
The Rockets undoubtedly celebrated when Durant, despite his Achilles tear, departed Golden State in July to the Eastern Conference’ Brooklyn Nets, giving Houston its best shot of supplanting Golden State and reaching the NBA Finals.
While Anthony Davis is now in commission with LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard joining forces with Paul George on the Clippers — the Rockets have a chemistry advantage and a younger, bigger and more explosive point guard in Russel Westbrook— who was recently traded to Houston for Chris Paul and draft capital. Harden now has a new running mate, but many of the same concerns linger.
For all the accolades and phenomenal statistics, Houston’s superstar continues to perform below the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders. In the last three postseasons, Harden has averaged fewer points, rebounds, assists on less efficiency, a noticeable decrease in all significant statistics in comparison to his regular season numbers over the same period.
Harden, who will turn 30 in August is reaching the now or never territory on an NBA championship run. While Houston has given the Warriors their most onerous task in the Western Conference to date, there are younger teams on the rise who have a brighter outlook than the Rockets moving forward including the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpois is 24, Nikola Jokic, 24, Anthony Davis, the newest addition to the Laker family is 26.
This is the future of the NBA.
That goes without mentioning the strong off-seasons the Clippers, Jazz, Blazers and Spurs have had.
While the championship window grows thinner, a reported rift between Chris Paul and Harden is what likely ended any possibility of the backcourt tandem winning big together. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harden and Paul were at odds during the 2018-2019 campaign.
“There was something of a clash of styles brewing throughout the Rockets season, with members of the team — most notably Paul — having spirited discussions with Mike D’Antoni about the offense and pushing for more movement, league sources told The Athletic.”
“Harden and Paul had tense moments with one another throughout Game 6, culminating in a verbal back-and-forth postgame that went into the locker room, sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic. Sources said the verbal exchange between Harden and Paul was regarding the ball distribution throughout Game 6. By the time the remainder of the locker room was ready to talk, Paul and Harden had gone their separate ways, with Paul swiftly making his way to the postgame podium.”
With Paul out of the picture and Westbrook stepping into the fray, it is imperative for the two ultra-talented guards to ban together and win an NBA Championship. Their legacies are depending on it.
It comes as no surprise to anyone who has been watching basketball for the last 20 years that the New York Knicks have been nothing short of an abysmal, poorly run organization that never seems to get it right. In the immediate aftermath of the Knicks last NBA Finals appearance against the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, the two franchises have been ritual opposites — one winning five NBA Championships, the other? Fifteen losing seasons, scandals and downright embarrassing management. But things appear to finally be headed in the right direction for New York and with the selection of RJ Barrett with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, for the first time in decades the Knicks are heading toward a better tomorrow.
Barrett, 19, is the most celebrated rookie the Knicks have drafted since taking Patrick Ewing No. 1 overall in the 1989 NBA Draft. RJ a 6’7, 200-pound wing at Duke averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. The Knicks, a franchise usually shipping away lottery picks years in advance for underperforming players, are in a good spot and armed with draft picks including two first rounders from the Dallas Mavericks over the next four years. For a franchise that has virtually gutted their future assets time and time again, the plan put in place by general manager Scott Perry appears to have the Knicks destined for greatness down the road.
For many Knicks fans losing out on drafting Zion Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick of the New Orleans Pelicans is perceived a disappointment. After posting a 17-65 record during the 2018-2019 campaign, New York yearned for the possibility of drafting the 6’8 280-pound juggernaut often considered a crossover between the likes of LeBron James and Charles Barkley. While Williamson would have been gold, New York needs to understand who Barrett is and why drafting him is far from a disappointment.
Barrett, born in Toronto, has basketball flowing through his veins. As a youth, Barrett was submerged in the game as his father Rowan Barrett, played at St. John’s University and ultimately went on to play for Team Canada alongside close friend and godfather of RJ, Steve Nash. A future Hall of Famer, Nash, was an additional figure in Barrett’s life that further motivated him and molded the newest Knick into a young winner.
RJ Barrett during his high school years at Montverde Academy
“I didn’t get to spend as much time with him as I wanted because I was busy and he was busy,” Nash told ESPN. “They were in Europe. And when they were back from Europe, [RJ] was getting into this crazy high school AAU circuit. But it has been a thrill and a pleasure to watch him emerge and continue to grow and grow and grow.”
While Duke teammate Williamson dominated college basketball and was considered the far and away best player in the draft, Barrett’s accomplishments are second to none. Claiming every National Player of The Year (POY) award in his final year of high school at Montverde Academy, Barrett is the most celebrated prospect since LeBron James winning the following POY awards: Gatorade, Naismith, Morgan Wootten, All-USA Today, MaxPreps and Mr. Basketball USA.
There hadn’t been a single player since LeBron to sweep every national POY award.
The Knicks have drafted talented athletes in the past which includes a list of good plays such as Trevor Ariza, Danilo Gallinari, and David Lee; however, none of them were as accomplished or possessed the potential upside of Barrett. Past regimes would have traded the pick that landed the Knicks Barrett years ago, that is why the culture is changing in New York.
Since Scott Perry has taken over as general manager, the Knicks have made real fundamental leaps that have included ending the Carmelo Anthony era, drafting a potential future star in Barrett, and not hesitating to deal away a malcontent in Kristaps Porzingis which netted the team a promising young guard in Dennis Smith Jr. and two future first round picks.
In addition, Perry hired David Fizdale, one of the brightest young coaches in the NBA and only two years removed from a playoff birth in 2017 with the Memphis Grizzlies.
“One of his strongest qualities is his perseverance,” Perry said upon hiring Fizdale. “We believe that quality will transfer to our players moving forward.”
Perry not only showed his ability to get adequate compensation when trading away a star player, he perhaps, more importantly, showed discipline when chasing a superstar in Anthony Davis. The Knicks regimes of years past undoubtedly would have gutted the entire roster and future assets to acquire Davis. In 2005, Isiah Thomas looking to make a splash, traded a haul for the 22-year-old Eddy Curry, a former lottery pick with a lot of hype.
We all know how that turned out. In five seasons with the Knicks Curry would average an underwhelming 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds — worst of all he was one of the laziest players in the entire Association constantly ballooning in weight every offseason. Virtually the dagger to Curry’s career is when he struggled to get in shape in 2010, leaving newly hired coach Mike D’Antoni in such shame they eventually used him as a contract dump in the three-team blockbuster deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York.
Oh, and by the way, the two draft picks the Knicks sent to Chicago ended up being the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft and the No. 9 pick in the 2007 draft — LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah.
Isaiah Thomas (left) coaching Eddy Curry (right).
In more recent memory the Knicks were so determined in their pursuit of Carmelo Anthony they traded talented young assets along with draft compensation to secure a deal with the Denver Nuggets. As we all know, Anthony was an unstoppable offensive force in New York averaging nearly 25 points and seven rebounds; but while he was that good, the after-effects of the Denver deal made it very difficult for New York to build a real winner around Anthony ultimately only winning one playoff series in six seasons.
Perry refusing to go down a similar route with Davis proves this regime is steering the franchise in the right direction. For all the talent Davis possesses, the Pelicans have a franchise record of 251-323 during his seven-year tenure in New Orleans. The most revealing part of a potential Davis deal that the Knicks never thoroughly entertained is the role of owner James Dolan.
Steve Mills (Left), Davis Fizdale (Center) and Scott Perry (Right)
For all the years of bad basketball in the Garden, Dolan has been the common denominator that has kept the franchise from winning. Whether it was forcing Donny Walsh to bring Anthony to New York or shooting down Steve Mills deal for a prime Kyle Lowry, Dolan, who has no basketball background always finds a way to interfere. The fact Dolan didn’t overstep his boundaries while a potential Davis trade was on the horizon should make every Knick fan ecstatic.
“Jim would prefer to operate this way,” Mills said in 2018. “If you look at how he’s operated with the Rangers with (team president) Glen Sather, he’s stayed out of the Rangers’ operations pretty much for the most part.”
“He has to feel comfortable with the group that’s leading the team and the process that we’re going through. And he feels comfortable – we laid out a plan to him. He was very comfortable with it and he gave us the assurances that as long as we follow through with our plan – if we’re going to deviate from it in some big way, he wanted us to come back and check in with him. But he was going to give us the room to do this the way we laid it out.”
If Dolan continues to allow the basketball minds to work, the Knicks will be in a position to compete much sooner than many may realize. A roster that was bear just a few short years ago is now full of young, talented athletes with a lot of potential. Whether it’s Mitchel Robinson, Kevin Knox or Dennis Smith Jr., the Knicks appear to be on their way, and Barrett is the prize possession that will be the driving force behind the team’s success even if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decide to take their talent to Brooklyn.
“RJ’s won a championship almost every year since he was in seventh grade,” father, Rowan Barrett said. “He’s a winner, I think New York likes winners. He’s competitive, he plays for that, he doesn’t play for numbers. He plays to win, he plays to beat you, he’s very, very competitive.”
Should Barrett be as good as advertised, maybe the Knicks can finally begin to close the massive gap between themselves and the Spurs that has existed since 1999 — the last time the Knicks made New York proud.
“I’m glad the city wants me here as much as I want to be here,” Barrett said.
“I went to Duke, we got a lot of attention. Being in New York there’s going to be a lot more, but I’ve just been built this way to handle it. I’ll be fine.”
Since Kevin Durant decided to join the Golden State Warriors in July of 2016, it hasn’t always been so easy for the franchises favorite son, Stephen Curry. Curry, the greatest shooter in NBA history and two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), was for the most part riding high before Durant came into the picture; winning league MVP honors twice and splitting championships with LeBron in 2015 and 2016.
Curry was (and still remains) a feared sniper and highly respected, yet, the temperature around the greater half of the splash brother duo has shifted for the worse. Why is that?
While Curry has averaged 26.3 points, six assists and 4.9 rebounds during Durant’s time in East Oakland, it’s almost as if he has been relegated to a glorified Robin when in fact that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Many argue in favor of the Warriors being Durant’s team as he secured Finals MVP honors in back to back championship runs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Durant’s reputation has escalated for going toe-to-toe with LeBron and Curry has been labeled an underachiever in the games biggest stage.
On that stage, in four separate appearances, Curry has averaged Over 25 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Still, there remains grave doubt Curry, and teammate Klay Thompson can lead the Warriors back from a 3-1 deficit against the Toronto Raptors. Outside opinions, however, don’t rattle the champions as they rely on their experience to overcome obstacles.
“I think they rely on their experience,” Livingston told reporters. “They’ve been doing it for a while. There’s no pressure being down, what, six points, two minutes left? At that point they’ve got 25, 30 points, so they take the shot. You trust them. They know they’re getting the ball. That’s just how we play, how they play.”
Steph Curry (L) celebrating with teammate Klay Thompson (R)
Arguments in favor of the Warriors needing Durant to secure championships are unfair to a nucleus of Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. The more appropriate assertion is that Durant needed Golden State. Durant was the Oklahoma City Thunders (OKC) best player and surrendered a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals and ultimately was defeated. Two months later, he would depart OKC for the Warriors.
Durant, even with his immense talent, didn’t know how to win. It’s fair to argue he would’ve reached the mountaintop with OKC point guard Russell Westbrook eventually, however, Durant’s actions prove that was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.
As Durant helped carry the Warriors to consecutive championships, he is now sidelined with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The pressure to perform is back where it all started in 2015 on the shoulders of Curry. While you’ll be hard to find a single soul celebrating the absence of Durant, the unfortunate injury presents an opportunity for Curry to leapfrog his way name into conversations more aligned with Jordan, James, Bryant, and Magic.
Headline from the 2014 playoffs as Kevin Durant failed to win a pivotal game.
“We just kind of go out there and play,” Thompson said. “We’re very in tune with each other being that we’ve played with each other for years. So when we hit the open man — Steph doesn’t stop moving. Same for me. So it just comes down to having the chemistry we do with the team and just playing that ball movement type of basketball. I know Steph has been doing it for 10 years with this organization, and me eight. So we know what it’s like to take those, and we can live with the make or miss. It’s just what it comes down to.”
Magic lost four NBA finals, LeBron six, Kobe and Shaq two a piece. All is not lost should Curry ultimately fall short – but ponder for a moment what the legend of Curry will catapult to should he lead the Warriors to a miraculous championship, washing away the memory of 2016’s nightmare.
The never-ending whirlwind surrounding the future of
Anthony Davis has been a season-long headache for fans, teammates and front
office of the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis, a superstar and one of the NBA’s
elite talents made it clear he wanted to be traded — specifically to the Los
Angeles Lakers. With the season winding down and the Pelicans heading nowhere
fast, were they wise or foolish to pass up on the Lakers impressive trade package
before the Feb 5 deadline?
Rumors circulated in Feb that Lakers executives Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka offered the Pelicans an impressive offer for Davis that included Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Ivica Zubac, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope and two first-round picks. Should those rumors be true, the Pelicans dropped the ball in this matter. While Davis is having another incredible season averaging 25.9 points and 12 rebounds per game, Pelicans ownership has struggled over his seven-year career to put together a consistent winner. From the baffling firing of Monty Williams to letting star center Demarcus Cousins walk in free agency, the Pelicans franchise have wasted valuable prime years of arguably basketballs best talent.
The Lakers offer would have solidified the Pelicans with a young core of players who have yet to reach their peak, and they still could have used 2013 NBA All-star guard Jrue Holiday in trade talks to acquire more young talent and draft picks.
So why did the Pelicans pass on the Lakers lofty offer?
Perhaps it was to spite LeBron James and Klutch Sports Group Agent Rich Paul?
While the Pelicans have a right to be upset with
potential tampering that may have taken place between James, Paul, and his
client Davis, the NBA remains a business, and the front office should have
moved on from their franchise player quickly. While teams such as the Boston
Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers may get involved in trade talks this summer,
do they have the assets that would surpass that of the Lakers offer?
Doubtful.
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and Clippers consultant Jerry West are all-time great front office executives, and they rarely overpay to acquire a player. The chances of either Ainge or West offering anything close to what Johnson and the Lakers made available is unrealistic.
Rob Pelinka (L) and Magic Johnson (R).
In the end, maybe the Pelicans are banking on cooler
heads to prevail, and Davis will reevaluate his situation during the summer;
Similar to 2007 when Laker legend Kobe Bryant demanded a trade out of Los
Angeles only to ultimately stay put and win consecutive championships in 2009
and 2010. While the notion of Davis changing his mind may have once been a
bright idea, his appearance on LeBron James’s HBO show The Shop delivered a gut
punch to Pelicans fans everywhere.
The Pelicans superstar made it clear he’s ready to take
control of his career: “As the CEO of my own business, I got the power.
I’m doing what I wanna do and not what somebody’s telling me to do.”
Davis is ready for a change and with a franchise record
of 250-319 since drafting him in 2012, the Pelicans should be too!
Over the last decade, Drake has been the undisputed biggest rap artist in the genre, seamlessly delivering No. 1 records easier than maybe anyone in hip-hop history. Drake has platinum plaques, an array of A-List girlfriends and an unmatched versatility that allows him to dress formal and host the ESPYS or kick it with Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane in an East Atlanta neighborhood.
Raps biggest act who we remember once upon a time as Degrassi’s wheelchair Jimmy received strong endorsements from R&B act Trey Songz and rap superstar Lil Wayne early in his career and never looked back. With critically acclaimed mixtapes Comeback Season and So Far Gone under his wing to pair with five No. 1 albums, Drakes stardom has surpassed his peers and put him in conversations more in line with Beyoncé, Rihanna and Bruno Mars. So as the cocky Canadian continues to dominate the Billboard charts, I ponder on a question.
Has Drake ever produced a classic album?
In the upper echelon of raps hierarchy, you will find familiar names every time. Jay Z, Nas, Biggie, 2Pac. I personally believe Drake has the attitude, wit, and cleverness on the microphone to hang in conversations with the aforementioned MCs. The problem is Drake hasn’t produced a body of work that even compares in the slightest to the best of the legends named.
Drake & Jay-Z Photo via Instagram
Drake is great. He makes music we can vibe, relate and party to all at once, however, he doesn’t have an Illmatic (Nas’s debut). Where is his Reasonable Doubt? (Jay Z ), All Eyes on Me? (Tupac) or Life After Death? (Biggie Smalls). Drake has gained comparisons to LL Cool J who was once the biggest act in hip-hop hailing from Queens, NY. Like LL, Drake possesses a crossover ability to peak the interests of men and women listeners that have allowed for some of the biggest billboard hits in recent memory. The argument can be made that Drakes formula works and he shouldn’t change a thing.
But even LL dropped Mama Said Knock You Out, a critically acclaimed album that had cross-over appeal while still receiving praise from hip-hop purist. For every I need Love, LL marched back with I Shot Ya or I’m Bad. Drake hasn’t been able to get his hands on one of those timeless records, at least to date.
So Far Gone is considered a classic in the eyes of many, but that’s a mixtape and therefore isn’t under consideration for this topic at hand. In recent years, Drake has grown more and more arrogant in a sense, but it’s necessary when individuals are increasingly aiming their competitive nature in your crosshairs. From his viscous Meek Mill diss Back to Back to More Life’s Free Smoke, Drizzy is clearly not holding any punches as his celebrity continues to grow.
In fact, one of the arguments against Drake early in his career was whether or not he would ever be battle-tested, having to prove himself on the mic against a formidable foe. Drake’s Back to Back clearly put an end to that debate and added a check mark on his To Do List for GOAT status.
While Drizzy used to shy away from battles he clearly has shown the wit to go head to head with anyone and has even continued to throw jabs at rap mogul Kanye West on several occasions. On French Montana’s “No Stylist” Drake raps during his guest verse, “Keep it a G, I told her don’t wear no 350s ’round me.” The clever bar is likely in reference to West’s popular Adidas sneaker, the Yeezy 350s.
Drake has seemingly answered the call to every indictment against him, the singular question that remains is whether he can deliver a timeless masterpiece that will be heralded decades from now. A tweak in production, specifically not relying as heavily on the likes of 40 would work wonders for Drake’s chances of creating a classic. It would actually be wise for Drake who undoubtedly has the skill set, to follow Jay-Z’s formula, and flood the audience ear waves with the highest level of production hip-hop has to offer.
40 and Boy1wonder are good producers, however, nobody would ever mistake them for Kanye West, Just Blaze, Timberland or Pharrell Williams — Jay-Z’s most common collaborators over the years. Reaching out to the likes of a Williams or Timberland to sprinkle some magic in the middle of a Drake project could be pivotal in securing him his first undeniable album.
Nas’s Illmatic is considered by many to be the greatest hip-hop album of all time. On Illmatic, Nas boasted production from Q-Tip, Large Professor, and DJ Premier to name a few. While Nas was in peak lyricism form, the production by some of the game’s greatest producers matched his every rhyme.
The same can be said for Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt or Biggies Life After Death. Immensely talented rappers need to be matched by attention-grabbing production, and while Drake has received good production, it is clear 40 has a ceiling and falls short of the ability to bring a Drake project to heights in which we have yet to see.
Drake is highly connected within the music industry and continues to ride a successful formula that is unparalleled, however, his lack of a classic project hasn’t gone unnoticed by everyone. There is an audience who agrees with this sentiment about Drake including The Breakfast Clubs own Charlamagne Tha God.
“Drake does not have a classic album,” Charlamagne said on the radio. “Hov’s first album was a classic, Kanye, Nas and Wu-Tang’s, too.”
Perhaps Drake is comfortable in the space he’s currently in? Realizing he’ll be in the record books regardless so why not just keep making hits and make as much money as possible?
It’s clear Drake feels he has accomplished every bit as much as his idols had before him. In terms of sales, fan base, and endorsements, Drizzy has a convincing argument to make. But this is hip-hop and the digital era has traded in the expectations of great albums for catchy singles. If Drake wants to one day become the unanimous greatest rapper of all time, there’s one hurdle standing in his way.
In an impressive 88-72 UNC (21-5) victory over long-term rival Duke (23-3) at the Cameron Indoor Stadium, the outcome of the showdown was hardly the story. In the opening minute of action, Duke superstar freshman, Zion Williamson went down with a knee injury in an odd sequence that saw his foot rip completely through his Nike sneaker. As I watched the future No. 1 overall pick hobble into the locker-room, I couldn’t help but hope Zion never steps on an NCAA court again. Williamson’s family, friends and loved ones should be encouraging him to hang it up now and start preparing for the upcoming NBA Draft.
Hours before the game it was reported the cheapest ticket for the UNC vs. Duke showdown priced out at an unbelievable $2,990. The best seat in the house went for sale at $10,652, nearly doubling last year’s steepest ticket priced at $5,400. This is the Zion effect. Williamson, a freshman sensation in every way imaginable had single-handedly set the online ticket resale market on fire. Fans across the country were purchasing seats at incredible rates to see the biggest show in sports; President Obama, Spike Lee, Ken Griffey Jr. among other recognizable celebrities were in attendance to see up close the “next big thing.”
And yet Zion doesn’t see a penny.
To phrase it differently, Williamson, along with the other young men on Duke and UNC, devoted their entire childhoods chasing a dream while helping the NCAA produce nearly a billion dollars in revenue.
And yet they don’t see a penny.
When Zion went down with the knee sprain, many fans took to Twitter and expressed their desire for Zion to hopefully get back on the court. My thinking is the complete opposite — Zion should come out tomorrow and declare he has no intentions of playing out the remainder of the season.
Hall of Fame forward Scottie Pippen received backlash recently when he stated on ESPN’s “The Jump” that Williamson would be wise to shut things down and wait for the draft. He believed that Williamson had nothing left to prove and could risk injury. Pippen received some pushback for his remarks; however, his comments are now validated.
On the year, the 6-foot-7, 285-pound juggernaut is averaging 22.4 points and 9.2 rebounds.
With Duke being the No. 1 ranked team in the county heading into Wednesday night, Williamson was the clear favorite to take home the Naismith College Player of the Year award after the season.
But everything changes with the unfortunate injury and that might even include his upcoming choice to sign a sneaker deal with either Nike or Puma — a pivotal decision as both companies are courting Williamson. For now, though, the top concern is the health of college basketballs most talented player.
Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) didn’t offer many details during his postgame press conference outside of stating Williamson suffered a mild knee sprain.
“We don’t know how long he will be out,” Coach K said. “So that’s that.”
Zion Williamson dribbling during a Duke practice. Photo Credit: Duke Basketball
In four months, Zion will be drafted to an NBA team, signing a multimillion-dollar contract along with massive endorsement deals. It would be an incredible risk to jeopardize future earnings to a program that could still contend for a National Championship in his absence.
If I were Coach K, I would tell Zion you had a hell of a year and entrenched your name in college basketball history forever. Go home, get healthy and get ready for the draft on June 20th!
The financial implications are too steep to say otherwise.
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