Author: lehang

“They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill.” In the age-old debate of the old generation vs. the new generation, Anthony Edwards made his stance clear with this controversial claim. Sure enough, not everyone appreciated Ant-Man taking a jab at the stars who paved the way as Hall of Famer Magic Johnson responded with a brutal comeback, “I never respond to a guy who’s never won a Championship.”

Being a 5-time champion and arguably the greatest point guard ever, Magic has all the right to defend himself and the era he played in. However, his ‘no-ring dig’ at the Wolves star might be detrimental even to the stars of the previous generation like The Chuckster. Addressing Magic’s comments on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN analyst understood the Lakers legend’s sentiment but pointed out, “Charles Barkley would not be allowed to talk about guys like Magic Johnson according to Magic Johnson’s rules.”

Yes, Barkley caught strays from Stephen A. because as great a player as he was, a former MVP, he was never able to win a Championship in his Hall of Fame career. While many consider him one of the biggest stars of the ’90s, his opinion would not rank as high as some of the Champions of his era, as per Magic’s logic. Similarly, Stephen A. named players like Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and more, who were legends in their own rights but missed out on winning a title.

“There’s plenty of dudes that don’t have chips. They got opinions though, and it should be respected,” the analyst added. However, the veteran analyst didn’t just leave the hot topic there. He showered some advice on Anthony Edwards while showing his support.

Stephen A. Smith asks Anthony Edwards to “prioritize” one and only one thing, after the jaw-dropping controversial statement

With Magic Johnson refusing to respond to Anthony Edwards because of his lack of accolades, what does the Wolves star need to do to get the Hall of Famer’s attention? Well, Stephen A. Smith had the answer, “If you’re Anthony Edwards, here’s what you need to do. You need to prioritize winning a chip so you can have a conversation like that with Magic Johnson.”

Although Ant has risen to superstardom in a very short span, the furthest his franchise has ever gone in the playoffs is the West Finals, that too only twice. Meanwhile, Magic won a title and a Finals MVP trophy as a rookie.

via Reuters

While the analyst urged Anthony Edwards to pursue a ring and deemed him his second favorite player to watch behind Stephen Curry, the Wolves star seems to be in no hurry to win it all right away. “I don’t know too many guys who won a Championship super young, besides Kobe. Other than him, everybody took years and years of losing to get there. I just want to keep taking the next step,” he said in a recent interview.

At only 23, he believes there is enough time for him to win a title in the NBA, but does want to get better every year. However, what’s better than a West Finals appearance that he made last season? It’s either making the Finals or winning a title next season. So, with finer margins of error and rise in stakes, the clock might already have begun ticking for Ant-Man. Do you agree?

Rock, paper, Scissors- Michael Jordan would bet on anything, Jordan’s former teammate Jay Williams had said. Not far behind is his long-time friend Charles Barkley.

Barkley would not have left the table before either winning a million or losing it! It is no surprise that beyond the basketball court, gambling would be something where the two legends would cross roads.

One such has recently come to light in a May 28 article by The Athletic. The story covers the Kenny Rogers Classic Weekends hosted by the country singer from 1988 to 1990. About 15 celebrities, across all arenas, gathered in Rogers’ lavish accommodation – the 1200-acre Beaver Dam Farms to compete in basketball, tennis, golf, and fish bassing. One among them was Michael Jordan, keeping interests up through his games and bets.

Understandably, Jordan was impressive in basketball. But it wasn’t the only sport where everyone was in awe of him. Tennis star Kevin Curren recalled in the article by The Athletic how good of a player he saw Jordan to be in his sport despite his inexperience – thanks to his athletic ability and confidence. “It was the absolute dream to play basketball with Jordan, and then I played tennis with him. That was even more fascinating to witness his movement on the court,” recalled Curren, who won doubles titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

It was here that Curren also recalled that those very abilities helped him win a bet against Charles Barkley. According to the article, in one year of the Kenny Rogers Classic Weekends gathering, Curren found Jordan and Barkley arguing over who was the better athlete. To put an end to the debate, they decided to play a set of tennis for $10,000. Jordan won easily, Curren recalled.

While this could’ve been without getting money involved, not making a bet when the opportunity presents itself is not something either of them would do. And it’s not as if either of the stars has not admitted to the habit. In an interview back in 2022, Charles stated that he won close to a million, about 5 or 6 times. But also admitted to losing a similar amount around 10 to 20 times. “It got out of hand. I quit for like 2 years,” Chuck had said.

via Imago

However, he admitted he’ll probably continue doing it but not to a great extent. “”Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a problem, but I don’t consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble. It’s just a stupid habit that I’ve got to get under control, because it’s just not a good thing to be broke after all these years,” he had said in an interview in 2006. He also had a way out to keep that check. He said he would go to bet with only $1,000 a hand instead of $20,000. So he would be losing only $50,000 instead of millions.

As for the Chicago Bulls legend, he stated gambling is a hobby for him rather than a problem. He once accepted that things getting a bit out of hand with this hobby.

“I think I have a very positive life. Naturally, there have been some things that I have done wrong, and most people have. The gambling thing is something that kind of get out of proportion,” he said. Indeed it has landed him in a problem, at times quite grave.

Back in 1992, while investigating a money laundering and drug trials case, police found that Michael, one of the wealthiest sportspersons, had written a drug dealer for $57K to clear his golf gambling debts. But, according to some reports, Jordan’s biggest loss in gambling came in Las Vegas. lost $5 million at the craps table on one night. Interestingly, his gambling tales in golf are also legendary.

Michael Jordan’s way of gambling: hundreds and thousands of dollars a hole

Back in 2017, on Dan Patrick’s show, Barkley gave a glimpse of Michael Jordan’s lavish betting ventures in golf. “We’d be playing golf with certain people, and we’d be playing a couple hundred dollars a hole, and he’d be playing some guy for, like, a $100,000,” Barkley had said. His revelations also found support from Cedric the Entertainer.

Cedric had shared this instance on an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He shed light on Mike’s love for golf and how his bets throughout the game got pretty serious. The 60-year-old shared a particular moment that quickly got him out of his pay range.

“The time I played, (Charles) Barkley was with us, and they were playing like ten thousand a hole, $10,000 a hole,” he recalled. The stakes kind of scared Cedric, which should’ve been the case with most individuals. And more so considering Jordan wanted Cedric also to play.

However, the stand-up comedian tried avoiding it by hilariously stating he would have to open a second line of credit just to play golf with them. But Mike still got him to agree to put $1,000 on each hole. Little did Cedric realize it was 18 of those, and he lost every one of them.

This is still one of the many instances when Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan bet against each other until the two drifted apart after Buck’s one take on live TV. The two haven’t spoken in years for Barkley’s remark on Charlotte Hornets, a team owned by Jordan. Now, if the two were ever to reunite, it is up to the latter, because Charles is all in.

Miami Heat’s Udonis Haslem will be saying farewell to the NBA after a 20-year run, and he’s had quite the career, winning three championship titles with the team.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Bachman

On “The Pivot” podcast, Haslem revealed there was a time when he was certain his fate would be sealed when the “Big Three” was announced. He had been with the Heat since 2003, and in 2010, he was a free agent and realized the trio’s value could jeopardize his spot on the team.

However, the “Big Three,” which consisted of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, negotiated their salaries to keep him on the team.

According to NBC Sports, James and Bosh’s six-year contract was valued at $110.1 million, and Wade’s was $107 million.

“I’m out of here, because I know how the numbers worked, I know how the money worked. I know what those guys’ values was, I know they worth at the time. And I’m thinking, ‘Okay, it’s time to move on,’” Haslem explained.

Haslem adds he made his way to the 2010 Summer Heat Welcome Party at the American Airlines Arena to give his thanks to Pat Riley, Heat president, for providing him an opportunity when others failed to.

Before heading into the arena, Haslem received hopeful news from his agent of a deal valued at roughly $35 million. However, the Heat could not honor that amount, and the NBA player says he was presented with $20 million, thanks to the joint effort of James, Wade, and Bosh, who agreed to pay cuts.

Haslem knew from that moment on, their lost earnings would not be in vain.

He was right. He won two NBA championships alongside the trio.

“But the fact that Bron, CB, and D-Wade all collabed to take less money to make that $20 [million] available for me, it said enough, because they didn’t have to do that,” Haslem explained.

“Dwyane understood. Bron and CB don’t know me from a can of paint. They ain’t ever played with me, they don’t know nothing about me,” he continued. “But the fact that they was able to say, ‘Okay, cool. We need him. We need him to win.’ That let me know I got to get them boys they money worth.”

Jaylen Brown thinks Angel Reese has been playing better than Caitlin Clark this season, and should be WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Jaylen Brown spoke to Boardroom about the Rookie of the Year race in the WNBA. When asked who has caught his attention, Brown adamantly maintained that Angel Reese will get his vote, noting her consistency and her ability to regularly get double-doubles as a dominant power forward in the league as her reason to win.

“Angel Reese got my vote. I just think you know consistency to come in just double-double after double-double. It’s a lot of good players, it’s a lot of good guys out there doing their thing. Shout out to the WNBA. I’m a fan. I’m planning to come see some games when their schedule picks back up after the Olympics.”

Interviewer: “Do you have your eye on someone that could be [the WNBA] ROTY this year?”

Jaylen Brown: “Angel Reese got my vote. I just think you know consistency to come in just double-double after double-double.” 👀

(via @boardroom)pic.twitter.com/IYGWeVNf1U

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 7, 2024

Jaylen Brown picking Angel Reese over Caitlin Clark isn’t surprising. He has formed something of a friendship with Reese, especially since he has been linked romantically to Reese’s former Sky teammate Kysre Gondrezick.

The trio were even spotted watching an NBA Summer League game together, where Brown infamously told Gondrezick that he doesn’t think Bronny has what it takes to be an NBA player.

While Brown’s friendship with Reese is a very positive thing, it could be causing him to be biased towards Reese. So far, the race between Caitlin Clark hasn’t been as close as people would like to believe, with Clark seemingly pulling ahead with her incredible performances in the WNBA.

Clark And Reese Have Had A Long-Standing Rivalry

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry actually predates the NBA. The two went toe-to-toe in the 2023 NCAA National Championship, where Reese and LSU triumphed over Clark and Iowa State. Reese famously mocked Clark’s ‘You can’t see me’ gesture during the game.

Since then, the two players have made the jump to the WNBA, and have set the league on fire. A large part of the WNBA’s rise in popularity has been thanks to their incredible performances in their rookie years. The two even made it to the WNBA All-Star game this year, an incredible achievement for two rookies in the league.

Their rivalry has not slowed down since entering the WNBA, as they have been going at it and bringing physicality against each other. In one of their encounters,  Reese inadvertently smacked Clark in the head. And rather than apologize, she actually took a shot at Clark after the game for getting calls from the referees.

Clark has been having a phenomenal season, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. As for Reese, she isn’t too far behind in her performances, averaging 13.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.

Clark currently leads Reece in almost every statistical category except rebounding. This dominance from Clark should already cement her as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, as the WNBA regular season is about to come to an end very soon after the Olympics break is over and the season resumes.

The Rookie of the Year race may just be a formality at this point, as Clark has pulled ahead of Reese. However, there are many players in the league and many analysts who believe Reese’s double-double streak should be taken into consideration when casting their votes. It will be an interesting outcome to a hotly contested race for WNBA Rookie of the Year.

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Source: CNN

Tennis has a way of keeping everyone on their toes, and with the US Open just around the corner, the sport’s unpredictability is already in full swing. While the event is yet to begin, several shocking incidents have already begun to unfold. In a surprising and rather bizarre turn of events, Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune found themselves at the center of a situation that left fans scratching their heads.

Rune and Djokovic were scheduled to hit the courts together for practice on Friday at around 1 PM. But a series of unexpected events took place on the courts. Nole continued to remain absent, as his team was seen carrying his bags out of the courts. While Rune stood stranded, Grigor Dimitrov was also seen waiting for his Serbian counterpart on the courts for around 15 minutes, but to no avail.

Rune was later seen giving autographs to his fans, signifying that the practice session had been called off.  While the reason for the incident is still unknown and no formal announcement has been made so far, it is likely that Nole’s injury menaces have returned to the picture.

Ahead of his Flushing Meadows campaign, Djokovic initially attended practice sessions without wearing any knee brace. However, as he took to the Arthur Ashe Stadium to engage in a friendly match with Juan Martin Del Potro, the New York crowd witnessed him wearing a similar compression sleeve. Remember, the Serbian Maestro was seen limping during the Paris Olympics as well.

Playing against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals, Djokovic was spotted in pain and later revealed that he was scared ahead of his next match. Nole wouldn’t want another injury with the 25th Grand Slam title at stake. Earlier, he had to withdraw from the French Open despite making it to the quarterfinals, after he tore the medial meniscus in his right knee.– Advertisement –

The four-time US Open winner will be beginning his campaign to defend his title on Monday. He will face Radu Albot of Moldova where the Serb is a clear favorite. But as his injuries once again take center age, the discussion about his retirement after the US Open is making rounds in the tennis corridors.

Will Novak Djokovic retire if he wins the US Open title?

Novak Djokovic has often expressed his desire to go deep in his career and play for as long as possible. But the Serb’s latest injury troubles have left many wondering about his retirement, and the former pro-Chirs Evert is the latest to join the fray. Ahead of the Grand Slam, Evert engaged in a preview discussion with John McEnroe where she revealed that Djokovic might call it quits if he wins the US Open title.

Speaking to McEnroe, Evert said, “I think if he wins the 25th major, I would think he would leave the game. I mean, I don’t know, he would break that tie with Margaret Court. He’s won the Olympics. That was such a big goal for him, winning the Olympics.”

If Djokovic faces another injury scare ahead of the US Open, it will be interesting to see if he makes some tough decisions regarding his career, provided he clinches his 25th title.

Tennis legend Chris Evert thinks Novak Djokovic will likely retire if the Serbian breaks Margaret Court’s record by securing a 25th Grand Slam title at the upcoming US Open.

Djokovic has not competed since winning a gold medal in the men’s singles at the Olympics. He overcame Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 after one of the best serving performances of his career.

It was one of the most critical moments of Djokovic’s career. Claiming a gold medal for his country had been the only significant achievement missing from his incredible CV until his triumph against Alcaraz.

Some have wondered whether Djokovic will be able to motivate himself again. He holds the men’s record for the most Grand Slam singles titles and weeks at world No. 1, meaning many consider him the greatest player ever.

Former player and current analyst Laura Robson said Djokovic skipping the US Open after the enormity of his achievement at the Olympics was possible since winning gold had been his main goal for the season.

However, Djokovic recently practiced without a knee brace. That would appear to rule out any chance of the 24-time Grand Slam champion not playing in New York.

While previewing the US Open for ESPN alongside John McEnroe, Evert said she thinks the 37-year-old will leave the game if he wins his 25th major at Flushing Meadows. She was also unsure if Djokovic would have the same motivation after his Olympic triumph.

 “I think if he wins the 25th major, I would think he would leave the game. I mean, I don’t know, he would break that tie with Margaret Court. He’s won the Olympics.”

“That was such a big goal for him, winning the Olympics. As far as winning the US Open, does the 25th mean as much? Can he get that energy going as much as he got in the Olympics?”

Although Evert questioned whether the 25th major means as much to Djokovic, she acknowledged that the Serbian is incredibly driven and seems to be in a great place.

“He’s a very driven person beyond anybody that I’ve ever seen. He’s had a lot of ups and downs in his life, in his marriage, in his personal relationships, I think, because of being so driven.”

“He also has worked everything out. He’s a communicator and he works things out. He seems to be in the best place he’s been in a long time right now.”

McEnroe expressed his admiration for Djokovic ahead of the US Open. The seven-time Grand Singles champion is amazed by his ability to stay motivated for so long, something McEnroe could not do during his career.

“I’m amazed he’s kept this motivated for this long. I wish I knew. I would have been able to keep myself going. When I started to lose something physically, was juggling family and other stuff, I had a hard time figuring out how to get the right mix, and I never did. That was starting from my late 20s.”

Jeanie Buss Tries To Put Positive Spin On Bronny James’ Teammates Hating Him

Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Many criticized the move by L.A., given that they were clearly making it to appease LeBron James, but the front office didn’t mind.

When preseason commenced, Bronny confirmed everyone’s worst fears and played terribly. He wound up averaging 6.0 points on 32.7 percent shooting from the field and 13 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He also chipped in 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per outing.

Needless to say, the Lakers were left with one pretty big concern about Bronny after Summer League.

To make matters worse, following Summer League, it became apparent that at least some of Bronny’s teammates hate him. One was very vocal about it.

This week Lakers team owner Jeanie Buss appeared on AM 570 Radio and attempted to put out some fires in regards to Bronny.

“We have to let the kid have an opportunity to play and prove that he should be in a Laker uniform,” Buss said.

“Everything that we’ve seen from him and about him and his work ethic, just some of the things he’s had to overcome being the son of a big star. He works hard, he’s dedicated. He really wants to do this. And if we can have a roster of players with that same mentality, then I think the sky is the limit.”

It will be interesting to see what sort of campaign Bronny is able to put together for the Lakers in 2024. If he plays well, obviously all the other stuff will be immediately forgotten. If he doesn’t, though – it will do a lot of damage to both his reputation and LeBron’s.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese may have had a massive game on Sunday, but she found herself trending due to multiple critics who love to point out how many shots she misses and the rebounds she gets from those misses.

Angel Reese and Dave Portnoy (Photos via Getty Images)

On Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces, Reese scored only 11 points but grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds.

However, Angel Reese was still being blasted online because she finished 4 for 16 from the field and many clips showed her rebounding her own misses.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was one of those critics of the Sky rookie as he wrote, “Nothing but net!” following a terrible miss.

“Great kick out for the wide-open 3!” he added while posting a video of Angel Reese missing several shots and rebounding the ball on one possession.

After the loss to the Las Vegas Aces at the buzzer, Reese took to social media and appeared to fire back at Portnoy.

“If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. we good!” she wrote, adding the hashtag “Sky Town.”

Portnoy has made it clear he’s a fan of Caitlin Clark and the Fever, as he displayed this by live-tweeting during the Fever’s loss to the Lynx on Saturday.

Chennedy Carter Had Honest Admission On Angel Reese’s Missing Layups

Despite solid performances from Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese, the Chicago Sky suffered their third straight loss.

Reese did her job, securing 22 rebounds in the game, but she was 4 of 16 from the field.

After the game, Chennedy Carter praised Angel Reese while mentioning her missed shots and rebounds.

“Playing strong, playing hard,” Carter said. “Those are the things we need. Twenty rebounds, she had an incredible game, no matter if she finished at the rim. She’s doing the things that we need her to do in order for us to be successful. Regardless of the outcome… These are situations that we can learn from.”

LSU Tigers star Angel Resse has been making a lot of headlines after her match against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Reese has a unique fashion for her matches, she wears leggings on only one of her legs and she recently revealed the secret of doing so.

Angel Reese (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Reese lost her recent game against the Iowa Hawkeyes which left the fans wondering if she would continue with LSU or declare for the WNBA draft. Those questions have also been answered by Reese in her recent collaboration with Vogue.

Why does Angel Reese wear one legging attire?

Angel Reese wears only one legging as a part of her one-court attire and the fans have grown curious about it. Many people speculated that it was part of a superstition that Reese followed, however, that is not the case. The LSU star has herself revealed the reason for the unique dressing choice and it may surprise a lot of people.

“I had surgery two years back on my shin. I have a rod in my leg… I cover the scar on one, and then the two players that I admire, Te’a Cooper and A’ja Wilson, also wear it, too. So it is swag. But I have used it to cover my scar,” said Angel Reese. She revealed that she had surgery on her leg and had a scar on it. She wears the leggings to hide that scar and at the same time as a swag fashion accessory.

Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft with Vogue photoshoot

After the Tigers failed to stand up against Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes the fans were left wondering if the LSU star Angel Reese would declare for the upcoming NBA draft. Reese has answered those questions with a beautiful photoshoot in collaboration with Vogue. Reese did a photo shoot with the brand and announced that she would be declaring for the WNBA draft.

Reese expressed her thoughts about the decision on her official X (formerly Twitter) account. “Making my announcement with VOGUE was ICONIC. In the new world that I am stepping into, just believe in me, trust in me, and give me time to learn and grow!” said Reese in the post. She thanked her supporters for their support and love and also asked them to trust her in her new journey.

Reese expressed her thoughts about the decision on her official X (formerly Twitter) account. “Making my announcement with VOGUE was ICONIC. In the new world that I am stepping into, just believe in me, trust in me, and give me time to learn and grow!” said Reese in the post. She thanked her supporters for their support and love and also asked them to trust her in her new journey.

What do you think of Angel Reese’s secret about the one-legging attire? Which do you think will pick up Reese in the draft? We are eager to know your thoughts, so drop down in the comments and let us know.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and NBA star Stephen Curry were the latest entertainment and sports celebrities to make an appearance at the White House daily briefing, this time to give brief remarks on gun violence prevention and the recent release of Brittney Griner

The team was visiting the White House on Tuesday for a celebration of their 2022 NBA championship.

Kerr said that he also took part in a roundtable on gun violence and gun safety with senior White House staffers and Klay Thompson and Moses Moody.

“We learned a lot about what this administration is doing to help create a safer environment in our country. That is something that is very close to my heart,” Kerr said.

Curry also thanked Biden and his staff for helping to secure the release of Griner last month as part of a prisoner swap with the Russian government. “That means a lot to know she’s here and home safe with the family, and all the work that went on behind the scenes to make that a reality,” Curry said.

Kerr and Curry are only the latest celebrities that the Biden White House has invited to make remarks at a briefing.

Cyndi Lauper spoke in advance of a signing ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act, Matthew McConaughey urged lawmakers to pass gun safety measures and BTS appeared to talk about a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.