Author: lehang

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum finally achieved their long-standing NBA title dream last season, but their luck shifted at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brown missed out on the Team USA roster, while Tatum made the team but saw limited playing time during the games.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Tatum’s reduced role in Paris attracted significant attention from former players and analysts. Despite the buzz, Brown remained notably silent on the matter. When asked about Tatum’s playing time during an interview with Monte Poole of NBC Sports, Brown was clearly not interested in discussing the issue.

“I don’t have any comments right now… I’m focused on the Oakland XChange, and I’m excited about that. Jayson will be fine. Jayson Tatum will be fine,” Brown said.

Brown had hoped to join the Team USA roster as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard. However, when Derrick White was picked as a replacement, Brown was more vocal, expressing his feelings on social media.

Jaylen Brown Reflects on His First NBA Title

Jaylen Brown recently celebrated his first NBA title as the Boston Celtics secured their second championship of the 2023-24 season. While the victory was an unforgettable experience, the 27-year-old is already shifting his focus to the future. In an interview with NBC Sports, Brown shared his thoughts on the past season and what lies ahead.

“Last year is over, to be honest. We celebrated, we had a good time. It’s been an awesome summer. I’ve been having a great summer, by the way. But it’s over with it,” Brown said.

“Now we got the target on our back. Everybody’s trying to come after us and I’m like, ‘come on.’ It’s back to work. And I’m looking forward to next season,” he added.

With the new season approaching, Brown acknowledged the challenges of being the defending champions. The Boston Celtics will begin their NBA 2024-25 campaign on opening night, October 22, against the New York Knicks.

Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas responded to Anthony Edwards’ claim that past generations of NBA players lacked skill.

In an interview with Lane Florsheim of the Wall Street Journal, Edwards said Michael Jordan was the only player from previous generations “that really had skill” on the court.

Thomas reacted to that sentiment in a post on X:

Edwards admitted in the interview he “didn’t watch” the NBA “back in the day” and can’t speak directly about the talent level in the game then.

“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, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill,” Edwards said.

Some of the disconnect here could stem from the fact that Edwards was born in 2001. While he could go back and watch games or clips from past generations, it’s not a prerequisite to playing in the league now.

If you’re a person of Edwards’ age—he just turned 23 on Aug. 5—the highlights he saw on television while growing up were going to skew heavily toward Jordan. Maybe you would get a clip of Larry Bird or Magic Johnson thrown in there, but Jordan remains such a towering figure in the NBA more than 20 years after his playing career ended.

Thomas and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons were one of the best teams in NBA history, but their success can get overlooked because it was sandwiched between the end of the Showtime Lakers’ rivalry with Bird’s Boston Celtics and the start of Jordan’s dynastic run with the Chicago Bulls.

There have been plenty of extremely skilled players prior to this current era of basketball. Thomas, Johnson, Bird and Hakeem Olajuwon are among the superstars whose games would translate well to this time period.

But it’s also easy to argue that the level of skill and talent in the NBA has never been better. One reason there aren’t any dynastic teams right now is that there are more great players available.

Considering how long Thomas can hold a grudge, don’t expect him to be appearing at any Minnesota Timberwolves games to cheer on Edwards in the near future.

Jannik Sinner escaped a drugs ban after proving that contamination caused two positive tests.

John Millman is hoping Novak Djokovic’s PTPA can fight for more outcomes like Jannik Sinner’s (Image: Getty)

John Millman has become the latest tennis star to weigh in after Jannik Sinner avoided a drugs suspension when he was ruled to have “bore no fault or negligence” after testing positive for a banned substance twice in March.

The world No.1 successfully argued that the positive samples were the result of contamination via his physio. The same explanation allowed him to appeal his provisional suspensions earlier in the year, with three experts agreeing that it was plausible.

The news was kept under wraps until after an independent tribunal was held last week. The private, swift resolution is one that retired pro Millman wants to see implemented across the board for similar cases. And he name-dropped Novak Djokovic as he shared his wish.

Djokovic co-created the Professional Tennis Players Association with Vasek Pospisil in 2020. The group is made for players, by players and is “committed to safeguarding and supporting men’s and women’s professional tennis players worldwide.” And Millman believes the Serb’s group can lead the way in getting all doping disputes resolved as efficiently.

The former world No. 33 tweeted: “I am a huge Novak fan, records don’t lie and therefore he’s the best male to play the game. Another legacy that he and the team at the PTPA is trying to create is a body that better represents players.

“Now I’m sure that includes when a player tests positive, that their case is heard in a timely manner, I was appalled how long it took for Simona [Halep] to have hers heard, I was appalled to learn how long it took Tara Moore to have hers investigated.”

Jannik Sinner successfully proved that his positive tests were the result of contamination (Image: Getty)

While some have questioned why Sinner was allowed to keep competing between his positive tests and the independent tribunal hearing, Millman believes it was the correct way to handle his case. But he wants to see other players afforded the same opportunity.

“There shouldn’t be different rules, on that I completely agree. A case should be investigated efficiently and as quickly as possible. Until the case has been concluded should there be any announcement. Moving forward all cases should be dealt with like Jannik’s. I’m sure this is the goal of PTPA and why there needs to be representation,” he added.

“But the overall goal and outrage should be at the officials not at the player. And if player representation is the aim then this outcome is ideal. A case, a quick investigation, a judgment. Without having reputations dragged through the mud until findings are absolute.”

Novvak Djokovic co-founded the PTPA in 2020 (Image: Getty)

It seems the PTPA is pushing for more outcomes like Sinner’s. The organisation’s executive director Ahmad Nassar tweeted: “Players winning anti-doping violation appeals is generally good. But we have to have clear, consistent processes for ALL players. Whether ranked #1, #100, or #1000; whether man or woman. And no matter what region of the world they may call home.

“The absence of a clear and consistent system creates obvious problems for players who are not the perceived ranking, gender and/or nationality of choice. The absence also undermines the tennis establishment’s credibility with fans and media. Clarity & consistency are hallmarks of what @ptpaplayers is pushing the tennis establishment to adopt across the board. For the benefit of all.”

Novak Djokovic will meet one of his old rivals on the US Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Novak Djokovic will meet old foe Juan Martin del Potro ahead of the US Open (Image: Getty)

Juan Martin del Potro will finally make his long-awaited return to the US Open on Wednesday night. The 2009 champion was forced to retire from tennis in tears back in 2022 after going through years of hell with a knee injury.

But he is now set for an emotional outing alongside Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

After he retired at the Argentina Open more than two years ago, the man affectionately nicknamed ‘Delpo’ left the door open for a possible US Open return. Given his special memories at the tournament, he wanted to make a comeback last year and started training with the goal in mind.

But he eventually conceded and shared an emotional statement after his dreams were crushed. “I tried by all means to reach term, but my body does not accompany me 100 per cent to be able to feel comfortable and happy to share, once again with you, a unique moment,” the former world No. 3 said a year ago.

Twelve months later, Del Potro will finally have his wish granted. The 35-year-old will take to the main stadium court at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Centre on Wednesday evening for a practice session with world No. 2 Djokovic.

Juan Martin del Potro was forced to retire in tears at the 2022 Argentina Open (Image: Getty)

The pair have faced off in many important battles, including the 2018 US Open final where Djokovic came out on top. Del Potro also ousted the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Their London meeting was a bronze medal playoff while their Rio clash came in the first round.

It will also be Djokovic’s first appearance on court since he finally got his hands on a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games. The Serb is the defending champion in Flushing Meadows and has not won a Grand Slam title so far this season.

The Delpo vs Djokovic training session is one of many star-studded practices taking place on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. The day opens with a hit between Naomi Osaka and Amanda Anisimova before reigning women’s singles champion Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini take to the court.

Juan Martin Del Potro won the US Open in 2009 (Image: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz will then practice with Grigor Dimitrov before Frances Tiafoe comes out for a session fresh off the back of his run to the Cincinnati Open final. And the day ends with Del Potro’s return.

US Open organisers have packed their schedule for fan week. On Tuesday night, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa won Mixed Madness, a mixed doubles exhibition tournament which also featured Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios.

Djokovic will be back out on court later on Wednesday for a blockbuster doubles exhibition match. In a true generational clash, the 37-year-old will pair up with John McEnroe to face Alcaraz and Andre Agassi.

Nick Kyrgios has signed up to a lucrative tournament for his comeback.

Nick Kyrgios asked Casper Ruud to be nice ahead of his comeback (Image: Instagram @u.t.s_tour)

Nick Kyrgios has sent a plea to Casper Ruud ahead of his return to competition.

The former world No. 13 has played just one singles match in the last 22 months after being sidelined by knee and wrist injuries.

But he will be back in action at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown – an exhibition league with unconventional rules, where £230,000 ($300,000) is on offer for the tournament winner.

UTS is the perfect tournament for Kyrgios. The brainchild of Patrick Mouratoglou, the event encourages players to show their emotions and is played with a unique format with each match made up of four quarters of eight minutes.

It’s also a good chance for the 2022 Wimbledon finalist to test himself against top players after more than a year out of the game. The Australian has already contested one exhibition match this week – a mixed doubles event at the US Open with Naomi Osaka, which they lost.

And he will be thrown in the deep end with his first singles outing against world No.8 Ruud. Kyrgios takes on the Norwegian on Thursday night and he has already pleaded with the 12-time title winner to “be nice” to him.

Nick Kyrgios tested himself in a mixed doubles exhibition match with Naomi Osaka (Image: X @USOpen)

In a video for the UTS Instagram, the 29-year-old confirmed his comeback before addressing Ruud. “Hey guys, it’s NK here. Just want to inform everyone that keeps up with the UTS or is a tennis fan out there that I will be competing on the 22nd off August at the Forest Hill Stadium in New York,” he started.

“I know it’s been a long time but my body is finally ready to get back out there and have some fun I’ll see if I’m still able to go up against some of the best players in the world, starting off with my old rival Casper Ruud.”

Turning his attention to the three-time Grand Slam finalist, Kyrgios added: “Casper, please take it easy on me! I can’t wait be out there again competing in front of all of the amazing fans and hopefully I can still bring some life to this sport.”

Nick Kyrgios was defaulted when he faced Casper Ruud in 2019 (Image: Getty)

Kyrgios and Ruud have a rocky history, dating back to their first meeting at the Italian Open in 2019, where the Aussie was defaulted for throwing a chair. Ruud celebrated as if it was a normal victory and later branded his opponent “completely crazy”, claiming Kyrgios acted like an “idiot”.

The seven-time title winner hit back on social media, appearing to make fun of Ruud’s quest for a spot in the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan later that year. “Hey @CasperRuud98 next time you have something to say, I would appreciate you say it to my face, I’m sure you wouldn’t run your mouth so much after that. Until then I will continue to rather watch paint dry then watch you play tennis, boring af,” he wrote.

“But again, I also understand why you have to keep my name in your mouth, because people dont even realise that you play tennis. goodluck in Milan champ x”. When they faced off again in 2022, with Kyrgios coming out on top, he said: “I hear no talking now, none.”

Since then, both men have patched things up. Later that year, Ruud said there were no hard feelings and noted that they said hello to each other when they saw each other. He also revealed that previously Kyrgios congratulated him at the Laver Cup.

Andre Agassi doesn’t see eye-to-eye on a matter which Novak Djokovic feels is “endangering” their beloved sport of tennis.

Andre Agassi was Novak Djokovic’s coach for less than a year between 2017 and 2018 (Image: Getty)

Novak Djokovic appears to have U-turned on a matter he’s been at odds with Andre Agassi over. The tennis legend will soon begin the defence of his US Open title.

But before the fourth and final major of the year gets underway at the weekend, Djokovic will be participating in sponsor Head’s pickleball tournament on Thursday (August 22). The racket sport has shot to popularity in the States particularly in recent years.

But it was just last month at Wimbledon, after his third-round victory over Alexei Popyrin, that he claimed it was “endangering” the sport he’s been so successful in. Djokovic called on tennis chiefs to buck up their ideas.

“Tennis is a very global sport and it’s loved by millions of children that pick up a racket and want to play, but we don’t make it accessible. We don’t make it so affordable,” he passionately explained.

“Now we have the padel that is growing and emerging. People kind of have fun with it and say ‘yeah, but tennis is tennis’. Tennis is the king or queen of all the racket sports, that’s true. But on a club level, tennis is endangered.

“If we don’t do something about it, as I said, globally or collectively, padel, pickleball in [the] States, they’re going to convert all the tennis clubs into padel and pickleball because it’s just more economical.

Djokovic spoke out about the rise of pickleball and padel at Wimbledon (Image: Getty)

“You have one tennis court. You can build three padel courts on one tennis court. You do the simple math. It’s just much more financially viable for an owner of a club to have those courts.”

Djokovic’s view is the complete opposite of eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi, who’s been one of the leading ambassadors of pickleball. He believes it fills a void that tennis doesn’t, but both will be just fine existing alongside one another.

Putting his point across in a hypothetical situation, Agassi said: “If you have your weekend-warrior match in tennis and I give you tickets to Alcaraz-Nadal playing down the street, you’re going to give up playing to watch.

Agassi has championed pickleball (Image: Getty)

“But with pickleball, if I say the best are playing down the street, you’d say ‘well, what about us? What about our game? We want to play’. It’s a real participation-centric activity.

“I love watching pickleball, but only until I get to that point of wanting to go play it. I’ve seen pickleball save so many tennis clubs because people come and play. This sport translates culture, it breaks down cultural barriers. It’s people, it’s community, anybody can play it.”

Given his contract with racket manufacturer Head, it seems Djokovic has little choice but to join the likes of Jannik Sinner and Barbora Krejcikova as well as pickleball pros Callie Smith and Roscoe Bellamy in New York tomorrow to give it a go for the first time.

Novak Djokovic and Juan Martín del Potro shared a practice court in New York.

 

Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro shared a practice court together at the US Open. (Image: ESPN)

Juan Martin del Potro revealed Novak Djokovic’s emotional Olympic Games win over Carlos Alcaraz brought him to tears.

Djokovic turned back the clock and served up a dominative showing at Roland-Garros earlier this month, waltzing his way to Olympic gold.

Beating 22-time Grand Slam champ Rafael Nadal en route to the final, Djokovic secured his first-ever gold medal at the Games with a straight sets win over man of the moment Alcaraz.

It came just weeks after Alcaraz swept a frail-looking Djokovic aside in a one-sided Wimbledon final, with many questioning whether the Serb’s time at the top table was coming to an end.

Djokovic silenced those doubters with his gold-laden trip to the French capital – so much so it brought Del Potro to tears.

Speaking in New York for the US Open, the Argentine ace admitted: “He made me cry the other day when he won the gold medal. It was the first tennis match that I cried.”

Djokovic had come close to earning a spot on the top step of the podium before, but it came at the opposite end of his career during the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Olympic agony is a feeling Del Potro knows all too well, having also narrowly missed out on gold at the 2016 Games, with the then 27-year-old losing to Andy Murray in the final.

Juan Martin del Potro had to settle for silver at the Rio Games in 2016. (Image: Getty)

Despite the final defeat, Del Potro still has fond memories of the Rio Games, not least because he got one over on Djokovic in the competition’s opening round – something the pair reminisced about during this week’s practice session.

When asked if winning Olympic gold was the best achievement of his career Djokovic replied with a smile on his face: “My greatest success ever was beating Juan Martin del Potro in the final of US Open in 2018.”

Not one to miss out on the banter, Del Potro chimed in to say: “My biggest success was beating you in Rio.”

Clearly still bitter about the loss, Djokovic responded: “And in London!” Delpo is my nemesis at the Olympic Games. He’s been my slayer.”

The pair were in town ahead of the US Open, which gets underway at Flushing Meadows later this month.

Having refound his best form at the Olympics, Djokovic will enter the final Grand Slam of the year eyeing up a record-extending 25th major title.

Djokovic is unsurprisingly among those fancied to take the crown, but it’s familiar foe Alcaraz who is being tipped as favourite for the men’s US Open title.

Alcaraz, already with four Grand Slam titles to his name, will no doubt be relishing a return to Flushing Meadows, given it was the site of his first major victory two years ago.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz played in a charity doubles match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium before the US Open.

Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to Olympic gold a few weeks ago (Image: (Image: Getty Images))

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz were reunited on Arthur Ashe ahead of the US Open – and Djokovic disclosed his simple message for the Spaniard after recently beating him at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Serbian superstar clinched gold at the expense of the young Spaniard – but told him after the match his time would come. Speaking about Alcaraz after playing in a doubles exhibition match with Andre Agassi and John McEnroe at the US Open, Djokovic revealed: “I told Carlos [Alcaraz] at the net when we finished the final that I was very grateful to him for letting me win the gold. He’s probably going to have like 3 gold medals before he retires.”

Djokovic’s triumph in Paris marked the submission of the final puzzle piece into his illustrious trophy collection. The young Spanish sensation Alcaraz made his Olympic debut, with expectations of future glories already predicted by Djokovic.

Alcaraz was alongside Andre Agassi for their US Open exhibition match (Image: (Image: Getty))

Their latest meeting on court took place during a star-studded charity event preceding the 2024 US Open, which featured McEnroe and Agassi alongside the modern-day greats, boasting a combined total of an astounding 43 grand slam victories.

Commenting on the intensity of their charity doubles clash, Djokovic reflected, “I don’t think I’ve ever played, maybe, I don’t know, a few times in my life, on such a high level, intensely for three hours, only two sets.”

Out of their seven head-to-head confrontations, Djokovic leads with significant wins, including the Olympic and the 2023 French Open semi-finals, both at critical junctures in their rivalry.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz has registered monumental victories over Djokovic, most notably at the Wimbledon finals in both 2023 and 2024. Nevertheless, the Spaniard’s four major titles pale in comparison to Djokovic’s staggering collection of twenty-four championships.

After defeating Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics brought home the NBA title after 16 years. Entering the series, both teams were considered evenly matched, but Jason Kidd’s team faltered under the Celtics’ heavy defense.

After facing a 1-4 defeat in the 2023-24 NBA Finals, the Mavericks’ coach is ready to yet again face the best team in the NBA in the Finals. In an interview with NBC Sports, Kidd said that he hopes to meet the defending champions in the finals next season.

Kidd also gave props to the Celtics and said that the team was built to compete for the title even next season.

“You got to go through Boston, they won this past season and they are built to compete for another one,” Kidd said. “So, you got to go through Boston. You got to beat the defending champs. I am happy they are in the East and so hopefully we can see them again.”

Kidd added that this season would be even more difficult for every team because more teams have gotten better with their roster.

Last season, the Mavericks were ranked fifth in the Western Conference. They were only two games ahead of the New Orleans Pelican, who were ranked seventh in the West.

After the offseason trade, teams like the Pelicans are expected to become a big threat to the Mavericks. The Pelicans added Dejounte Murray to their roster this offseason.

Can the Dallas Mavericks make NBA Finals again?

The Dallas Mavericks were not the favorite to make it out of the West last season and are not the favorite even in the upcoming season. Their path to coming out of the West would be far more difficult than last season, but easier if the Klay Thompson trade works in their favor.

Apart from the Pelicans, the OKC Thunder have gotten better than last season. They have added a defensive player in Alex Caruso behind their elite offensive power. The Minnesota Timberwolves added 2024 No. 8th Draft pick Rob Dillingham to their roster.

Perhaps the Sacramento Kings pulled the biggest trade in the Western Conference. In a three-team trade, the Kings traded for DeMar DeRozan. Despite not making the playoffs, the Kings were a formidable team last season. With the addition of DeRozan, their chances of being one of the best in the West are much higher.

The biggest threat would be rising in the West from the Memphis Grizzlies. Last season, the Grizzlies, with a series of injuries, were invalid. Now with their team coming back fully healthy, they are sure to make noise this season. They possess an outstanding combination of defense and offense.

The Mavs rightly deserved to be in the NBA Finals last year. This upcoming season, more forces have risen in the West and the road is not going to be easy whatsoever.

The debate over who holds the title of the GOAT between Michael Jordan or LeBron James never seems to settle. Both legends have dazzled fans with their performances, but their supporters are always eager to argue why their favorite player stands above the other.

LeBron James and Michael Jordan (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Recently, a new comparison has given LeBron’s fans more ammunition in this ongoing discussion. The focus is on their respective achievements before Jordan joined Scottie Pippen and LeBron before his move to the Miami Heat.

Before teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, LeBron had achieved 6 winning seasons, 4 seasons with over 50 wins, and 2 seasons with over 60 wins. In addition, LeBron won 2 MVP awards and had 8 playoff series wins to his name, including a trip to the NBA Finals.

On the other hand, Michael Jordan’s early years with the Chicago Bulls tell a different story. Before Scottie Pippen joined the team, Jordan had 0 winning seasons and no playoff success. He did not have any MVP awards, and his playoff record was a disappointing 1-9 in games and 0-3 in series.

While Jordan eventually became the shining star that led the Bulls to six championships, LeBron’s early career dominance in Cleveland showed that he was capable of making a significant impact even without a strong supporting cast.

LeBron James Hopes to Inspire Future Generations After Third Olympic Gold

LeBron James has added yet another accomplishment to his legendary career, winning his third gold medal with Team USA after defeating France in the Paris Olympics finale. As the MVP of the 2024 Olympic tournament, James shared his thoughts on the victory and the impact he hopes it will have on the global basketball community.

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“We got our moment. It’s a basketball world. Everybody loves the game. We just hope that we continue to inspire people all over the world,” James said.

James perhaps spent his last career Olympics as he hinted little possibility of playing in the 2028 Summer Olympic. Nevertheless, the records he set and the milestones he achieved will surely serve as a source of inspiration for players around the world.