Author: lehang

Kyrie Irving, the star guard for the Dallas Mavericks, is widely considered one of the best ball handlers of all time. The 32-year-old, who recently shocked fans with a major announcement, has been a crucial part of the Mavericks’ success in the 2023-24 NBA season.

Alongside the superstar Luka Doncic, Irving displayed stellar skills that led his team to the NBA finals in the recent season. However, the dynamic duo failed to clinch the title as they lost to the Boston Celtics in the finals. Nevertheless, Irving is still praised for his remarkable skills on the court.

In a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast, Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard expressed high praise for Kyrie Irving. The 34-year-old explained why he believes Irving is the toughest opponent for a 1v1 matchup in the NBA.

“1-on-1, Kyrie a tough matchup. He’s just a tough matchup. You can guard him perfectly, & he’ll still make it. Either hand, bumping him, he does it when it don’t look like it’s hard to. Sometimes people do it and they make it look smooth, all net, you’re like, ‘Damn.’ That can turn into him making every shot.” Lillard said during a recent appearance on the Club 520 podcast.

Irving consistently delivered dominating performances for the Mavericks, including a season-high 48 points in a 147–136 overtime victory against the Houston Rockets on April 7. However, a former NBA player has an opposing view to Damian Lillard’s remark.

Gilbert Arenas Has an Opposing View to Damian Lillard’s Remark for Irving

Gilbert Arenas, a former NBA player, disputes the notion that Irving is unguardable and instead draws a comparison between Irving and Allen Iverson, who played 14 seasons in the NBA. During a recent episode of Gil’s Arena show, host Arenas said that Irving needs to make several moves to make a shot, whereas Iverson only needs to make one because of his quick play style.

“When people talk about Kyrie being unguardable, Kyrie is a snail compared to Allen Iverson. Think about how many combo moves Kyrie has to do to get by somebody. Allen Iverson does [one move] and he’s gone.” Arenas said.

According to StatMuse, Irving averaged 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in 58 games during the 2023-24 season. The next NBA season will start in just two months, and it will be fascinating to observe Irving’s performance with the Mavericks.

After a long injury lay-off, Australian Nick Kyrgios turned heads as he made his long-awaited return to the tennis court in a doubles match with Naomi Osaka.

Nick Kyrgios gave a tribute to Kobe Bryant alongside Naomi Osaka in New York

Nick Kyrgios made his return to the tennis court after a near two-year absence from action as he played alongside Naomi Osaka – while wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey. The Australian star and his doubles partner both took part in the tribute to the NBA icon as they demonstrated their talents in New York.

The former world No. 13 has been nursing a succession of injuries since requiring surgery on a knee problem on the eve of the 2023 Australian Open. Since then, a subsequent foot issue prevented him from his return at the French Open, before a wrist injury ruled him out of Wimbledon – leaving him sidelined into 2024.

However, the 29-year-old re-emerged from his long layoff at the US Open Mixed Madness as he played out an entertaining match with Osaka at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The pair were unable to get past Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova in the clash but turned heads with their choice of attire.

Demonstrating their admiration for the late Bryant, Kyrgios and Osaka donned the famous No.8 jersey wore by the NBA legend during his 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. In the case of the former, he wore a yellow jersey, while his partner on court wore some navy Lakers merchandise.

The Australian firebrand appears energized by the prospect of making a return to tennis in recent times, having teased another leg of his comeback at the upcoming Ultimate Tennis Showdown in New York recently. Taking to social media, the one-time Wimbledon runner-up said: “Hey guys, it’s NK here.

Nick Kyrgios has had a long injury layoff as he made his return in New York (Image: Getty)

“I just want to inform everyone that keeps up with the UTS or any tennis fan out there that I will be competing on the 22nd of August at the Forest Hill Stadium in New York,” he continued, before saying: “I know it’s been a long time but my body is finally ready to get back out there and have some fun.

“I will 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. Casper, please take it easy on me. I can’t wait to be out there again competing in front of all the amazing fans and hopefully I can still bring some life to the sport.”

Speaking previously about the demands of being sidelined through injury, the Aussie star acknowledged that he has found the period particularly challenging, admitting: “The last 11 months was brutal. Genuinely thought I wasn’t ever gonna play again. But this raw athlete doesn’t give up.”

Previously, Novak Djokovic revealed that his peer had looked sharp during one practice session at Wimbeldon. Recalling that encounter with his rival, he said: “He hit a really good serve, and he said, ‘Well, I might come back at the US Open.’ So I don’t know if he was joking about it or not. But let me tell you, he’s hitting the ball as good as ever, really.

Still no stranger to speaking his mind on the major talking points in the sport, Kyrgios waded into the debate after it emerged that world No. 1 Jannick Sinner has been cleared of a ban after failing to anti-doping tests. International Tennis Integrity unit ruled that the player was found to have committed “no fault or negligence”.

Giving his verdict, the outspoken star said on Twitter/X: “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice’.”

We didn’t think Taylor Swift could get any more popular than she already was. But all hell broke loose when she hooked up with Travis Kelce – and presumably, all Chiefs Kingdom now count themselves as fans. Even CM Punk is comparing himself to her now.

The WWE superstar recently claimed to be the male version of the TTPD artist, branding himself “Taylor Swift for men.”

CM Punk, who has moved between WWE, UFC, and AEW over the years, cut a promotion on ‘Monday Night Raw’ this week in the buildup to the upcoming strap match vs. Drew McIntyre scheduled for the ‘Bash in Berlin.’

He used a nice chunk of the promo to praise the crowd, suggesting they’re the main reason WWE has been on such a hot streak. At one point, he pulled out a bunch of friendship bracelets from his pocket, which he said fans made for him.

“Let’s face it,” he said, “I’m Taylor Swift for men.”

CM Punk Has A Particular Bone To Pick With His Upcoming Opponent

This is probably one of the best compliments someone can give themselves in 2024, although it’s still somewhat bizarre. Swift is, by far, one of the most popular women on the planet, and her foray into the NFL has only made her all the more famous, with a vast number of football fans gravitating toward her.

Getting name-dropped during a WWE show was probably a surprise despite her popularity, especially as it involved friendship bracelets.

CM Punk, meanwhile, claimed to still be upset over McIntyre stealing one of his trinkets, given that his wife and dog’s name were on it.

He’s probably in for it now. One does not mess with another’s friendship bracelet.

The late Kobe Bryant has a nephew who’s following in his footsteps, except for the fact that he’s also a stud at football.

Kobe Bryant and Jett Washington (Photos via Getty Images & _.jett_/IG)

Jett Washington, a four-star prospect for the 2026 class, is the No.1-ranked player in Nevada and the No. 6-ranked athlete in the country. Several top schools are vying for him in what has to be a wild recruiting period for the youngster.

According to Rivals.com, Washington has narrowed his favored schools down to Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, and Notre Dame following contact from said programs.

“Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas, Michigan and Washington are the early standouts for the 2026 four-star athlete from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman who is also (related to the late Kobe Bryant),” the outlet’s Adam Gorney revealed on Monday.

Gorney noted that USC has always been Washington’s “dream school,” but the parties haven’t made contact yet.

Jett Washington Wants To Blaze His Own Trail After Learning From His Legendary Uncle, Kobe Bryant

The star defensive back, who also plays basketball for Bishop Gorman High School in Vegas, is the son of the former Lakers star’s sister, Sharia.

He grew up under Kobe’s wing, soaking up advice, and also played basketball with his cousin, Gianna Bryant, who also lost her life in that fatal helicopter crash in 2020.

Washington stars as a safety and a wide receiver on the football field. And, while he’s an exceptional basketball player, he wants to pursue a career on the gridiron.

“Sometimes I feel a little bit of pressure (being Kobe Bryant’s nephew), but my parents make sure I don’t feel it too much,” he told The Athletic in an interview earlier this year.

“They tell me to just go out there and have fun, don’t try to overthink and just play.

“My uncle was a great player. At the same time, I know he wanted me to make my own name. He laid the foundation for me. I’m just grateful.” 

Kobe fans will likely keep tabs on Washington as he continues to develop. It will be extra special if he realizes his dream of going pro.

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Caitlin Clark couldn’t avoid the opportunity to ruthlessly mock her opponents in the final moments of Indiana’s blowout victory over Seattle on Sunday.

Caitlin Clark (Photo via @logo3sports Twitter)

The final moments of the game got heated when Storm head coach Noelle Quinn and several players went over to confront Fever head coach Christie Sides. Quinn seemed to be upset with Sides’ decision to keep her starters in for the waning seconds with Indiana already up by 17:

The argument between the two coaches led to a pause with less than a second remaining on the game clock. X/Twitter user @logo3sports was at the game and said that Clark exchanged some words of her own with the Seattle bench and had to be restrained by teammates.

Logo 3 Sports then shared a video of Caitlin Clark taunting the Seattle bench, shown on the jumbotron. It appears as though Clark told the Seattle bench to “Stop crying” at the 0:22 second mark:

Logo 3 Sports then shared a video of Caitlin Clark taunting the Seattle bench, shown on the jumbotron. It appears as though Clark told the Seattle bench to “Stop crying” at the 0:22 second mark:

Per Dustin Schutte of Sports Illustrated, Quinn said that the argument at the end of the game was simply a “gamesmanship” discussion.

“I respect Christie a ton,” Quinn said. “Been in this league a long time. Played for her in Russia. We were just having a spirited conversation about gamesmanship. That’s it.”

Clark had one of the best performances of her tremendous rookie season, recording 23 points, nine assists and five rebounds with a +18 rating. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 27 points in the 92-75 victory.

Through her first 28 games, Caitlin Clark is averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field.

Caitlin Clark Pushes Fever Closer To A Playoff Berth

Indiana (13-15) has won both games after the Olympic break, inching them closer to reaching .500 for the first time this year. More importantly, they’re getting closer and closer to locking down a playoff spot for the first time since 2016.

The Fever occupy the No. 7 seed and are three games clear on the Atlanta Dream, who are 1.5 games behind the Chicago Sky for the final WNBA playoff spot.

Caitlin Clark targeted by opponent with pettiest moveAugust 19, 2024

Caitlin Clark was targeted by an opponent on Sunday with an extremely petty move.

Clark helped her Indiana Fever beat the Seattle Storm 92-75 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The strong play of Clark may have been just a little too much for Skylar Diggins-Smith to handle.

Diggins-Smith was caught on video speeding up her walk to intentionally bump Clark after a timeout while both were heading to their benches.

The situation took a dramatic turn when the Storm’s coach, in a questionable move, tried to get Caitlin Clark called for a technical foul over contact that was clearly instigated by Diggins-Smith.

Clark shone with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists in the win, with her nine assists breaking the WNBA rookie record for most assists in a season.

Meanwhile, Diggins-Smith, a 6-time WNBA All-Star, struggled with just 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Perhaps a hint of jealousy was at play—an emotion that often surfaces among elite athletes.

Novak Djokovic has been told to pull out of an event ahead of the US Open.

Novak Djokovic has been told to pull out of Thursday’s Head NYC Mash Up pickleball tournament (Image: GETTY)

Novak Djokovic has been told to pull out of Thursday’s Head NYC Mash Up pickleball tournament after sending a grave warning to tennis bosses about newer racket sports last month. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is part of a star-studded line-up set to play at the event.

Djokovic will join fellow tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Barbora Krejcikova as well as pickleball aces Callie Smith and Roscoe Bellamy in New York.

The tournament has been arranged to go ahead just days before the US Open begins at Flushing Meadows, with Djokovic on the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the final major of the year.

The pickleball event is set to be streamed live on the Head Tennis Instagram page. But after the tournament was promoted by the Tennis Channel on X earlier this week, fans demanded Djokovic reverses his decision to play.

“Stop this immediately,” wrote @john_c_palmer, while @IbrahimKhory penned: “Noooooooo. Please Novak, nooooo. I hate this sport.” Tennis fan @2016daz exclaimed: “Nooooooo! That’s the worst racquet sport ever. And @Hulk_097 added: “Don’t do it bro.

One Djokovic follower @dannstra even appeared to allude to the Serbian’s recent comments as he wrote: “Ohh the irony.” And @703omerta simply penned: “Shameful.”

Novak Djokovic spoke out about newer racket sports during his run to the Wimbledon final in July (Image: GETTY)

Djokovic was asked about playing five-set matches following his four-set victory against Alexei Popyrin at Wimbledon last month.

And the 37-year-old took the opportunity to take aim at the newer racket sports as he said: “I think collectively we all have to come together and understand how to maintain the sport’s foundation or create a new foundation, a cornerstone of really what tennis is about – which is the base level, right, the club level.

“Now we have the paddle or padel, as you call it in the States, 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 racquet 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, paddle, pickleball in the States, they’re going to convert all the tennis clubs into paddle and pickleball because it’s just more economical.

“You have one tennis court. You can build three paddle 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.

“In the grand scheme of things, I feel like we need to address all of these, I feel like, challenges and issues for us really. They have been out there for a while, but I don’t think we have been addressing them in a proper way.”

Michael Jordan rose to NBA stardom during his time with the Chicago Bulls. Over his career, he played 13 seasons with the team, spanning two separate periods: from 1984 to 1993 and then again from 1995 to 1998.

Michael Jordan (Image Credit: Getty Images)

However, former NBA star Rasheed Wallace claimed that Jordan was even more dangerous during his time with the Washington Wizards. On a recent episode of The Sheed & Tyler Show, Wallace argued that Jordan’s performance with the Wizards, where he played from 2001 to 2003 after coming out of retirement, was overlooked.

“He was a phenomenal player then, but I think he was a little bit more dangerous when he was with the Wizards,” Wallace said.

Wallace admitted that Jordan may not have had the same explosive athleticism during his time in Washington. But the other aspects of his game had evolved with the Wizards.

“He didn’t have the athleticism that we were used to seeing MJ have, but his angles were a little bit more sharp; he was a strong two-guard; you weren’t just gonna move him lightly, and his shot became more dangerous. He became more solid as that veteran player,” he continued.

Michael Jordan’s Unparalleled Success With the Bulls

The Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan as the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. Throughout his career with the Bulls, the former Bulls star achieved unparalleled success and even garnered attention from Stephon Marbury.

Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, winning titles from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998. His remarkable performances earned him six NBA Finals MVP awards and five regular-season MVP honors.

Jordan’s defensive prowess was also recognized with a Defensive Player of the Year award. He was a 12-time All-Star and an 11-time All-NBA selection. In 1995, the Chicago Bulls retired Jordan’s iconic number 23 jersey in recognition of his legendary career and contributions to the team.

LeBron James has proven why he is regarded as the greatest player in the NBA’s history. The 39-year-old star consistently gave dominating performances, leading Team USA to their fifth straight gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite his outstanding achievements, James, who was recently trolled by Kevin Hart, has been a specific target of criticism from Skip Bayless for years.

Gilbert Arenas and LeBron James (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas recently explained the difference between James and the Michael Jordan era analysts. During a recent episode of Gil’s Arena show, host Arenas mentioned that Bayless has constantly criticized the Los Angeles Lakers superstar for 22 years, whereas during Jordan’s era, there were not as many critics targeting Jordan.

“Skip Bayless, what he’s done to LeBron [James for 22 years]. He wouldn’t have had [a job]… There was no making a career off of Michael Jordan’s slander… When you heard [MJ’s] name, it made you smile.” Arenas said at the recent episode of Gil’s Arena show.

James displayed outstanding skills at the 2024 Olympics, impressing American fans with his performance. Thanks to his remarkable efforts, the all-time points leader secured his third gold medal and was honored with the tournament’s MVP award at the conclusion of the 2024 Olympics basketball event. However, Bayless, former FS1 Undisputed show host, does not consider his MVP honor comparable to Jordan’s achievement.

Bayless Challenges James, Claiming He Still Needs to Catch Up to Jordan

When it comes to criticizing LeBron James, Bayless is never one to stay silent. The former host of FS1 recently shared a picture of Michael Jordan’s jersey on a mall store’s window display. Furthermore, Bayless added a contentious caption to his Twitter post.

“Walking through a mall in Palm Desert, CA, I saw these in an up-front window display. Wait, LeBron just stole – sorry, won – Olympic MVP and this store is featuring Jordan jerseys??? He left Chicago in 1998! Sorry, LeBron, you’re still chasing.” Bayless wrote.

Bayless believes that the true MVP of the 2024 Paris Olympics was Stephen Curry, due to his outstanding performances in both the semifinals and the finals. The NBA analyst also mentioned that the MVP award was unfairly taken from Curry and that he still has to work to match Jordan’s legacy.

Bayless recently concluded his tenure at the Fox Sports 1 Undisputed show, but he will continue to criticize James on his YouTube channel and Social media account on X.

Caitlin Clark made a strong comeback after the Olympic break, leading the Indiana Fever to a thrilling 98-89 victory over the Mercury in front of a packed home crowd. Clark scored 29 points, while she and Kelsey Mitchell combined for a remarkable 10 three-pointers in the final quarter. Here’s what Clark had to say about Mitchell’s pivotal role:

“Kelsey was phenomenal. She always steps up in critical moments, and she’s been doing that all year. I’m really happy for her. Her confidence and contribution have been huge for our team.”

Mitchell’s impact on Clark’s game is undeniable. As Mitchell puts it, “Basketball is a language, and Caitlin and I speak the same one. We both love to play fast, and I adjust my game based on how she’s playing.” Mitchell’s veteran presence and ability to align with Clark’s pace have been crucial, as evidenced by her 27 points and 5 rebounds in the game.

Despite the debate around Clark being left off the Olympic roster, the break provided her with much-needed rest, both physically and mentally. This downtime allowed her to recharge and escape the intense pressure she faces as a rookie. Whether she was in Cabo or just taking a break, this period has been beneficial for her overall well-being.

In addition to Clark’s rejuvenation, another significant development has been her growing connection with Aaliyah Boston. Initially slow to develop, their chemistry has flourished in recent weeks. Clark and Boston have formed a near-symbiotic pick-and-roll partnership, with Clark’s playmaking and Boston’s improved aggression in the paint creating a dynamic duo. The stats tell the story: Clark and Boston’s assists have jumped from 17 in the first 13 games to 54 in the following 14.

With the Fever now on a two-game winning streak and firmly in the playoff hunt, these evolving connections are proving to be game-changers.