Trash-talking is part and parcel of the NBA world! There are separate fan bases that enjoy on-court banters with special lip-reading experts. However, there are a few stars that take fans’ experiences to another level. There’s no need for an expert, the stars instead produce high-quality rap tracks. We’re talking about Shaquille O’Neal and Damian Lillard beef from 2019. Even though the heat had subsided, retired rapper, Joe Budden, crack opened it again, backing Shaq.
Fortunately, the 44-year-old asked the right bunch of people, and they quickly helped him out. Sitting in the Club520 Podcast, immediately listening to Dame’s best rapper claim, Budden said, “That one I’m not mad at dissing.” Certainly, the rapper aligned with Big Aristotle’s impulsive decision and backed him.
What’s the jazz? A blast from the past: Shaq vs Damian Lillard
As we know, Dr. Diesel went inside the studio after Dame’s claim. While Shaq had already ruled the music world with his rapping skills in the 90s, he still seemed to have got it. Speaking of Shaq’s talent, Joe Budden lauded his ability to compete with the 90s rapper. Nevertheless, back to the subject, the big man had no mercy as he took shots at Dame, trashing his balling ability.
Lines from Shaq’s Freestyle diss
Take your time to respond, There is no hurry, You’ll never be Westbrook, Never be Curry.”
USA Today via Reuters
On the other hand, Damian Lillard wasn’t letting that easily slide. Notably, he has also made himself a reputation as a rapper. Importantly, the Bucks star recently narrated the moment, he learned about the diss. He said, “Somebody was like, ‘Man, Shaq dissed you.’ And they like, sent me like, a link. I clicked on it and he actually did. He actually did diss me. Training camp, I left my house that day and went to the studio.” In fact, Lillard came up with two back-to-back diss tracks.
Your flexing ain’t really your thing bro. We both could be working at Kinko’s, And Kobe won you them rings though.”
Lillard straight away went to question Shaq’s legacy claiming that the big man depended on Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade for his rings. While the duo’s feud has boiled down, will it burst once again? Let us know in the comments.
Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.
Caitlin Clark is a basketball star, but a recent clip shows she can do anything she puts her mind to.
Caitlin Clark (Photo via Indianafever/Twitter) The Indiana Fever rookie stepped off the court and into the batting cage on Thursday.
Donning an Indianapolis Indians jersey – the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates – Clark stepped in the cage at the stadium and began hitting off a tee.
She connected with the ball, which went down toward the other end of the cage.
The video of Caitlin Clark hitting a baseball has received over a million views.
Caitlin Clark Shatters New Viewership Record
Caitlin Clark is rewriting the history books during her rookie season in the WNBA.
The Indiana Fever wanted to make some noise in their last game against the reigning champs but failed to do so after losing to the Las Vegas Aces 75-86.
Caitlin Clark was sensational, recording 16 points, three rebounds, and six assists.
A’Ja Wilson, who is gunning for yet another MVP, had 27 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.
Having those two players in one game reeled in a whopping 678,000 viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on NBA TV ever and the most-viewed game on NBA TV in general.
According to Sports Media Watch, the game also surpassed the 2023 Game 5 playoff matchup between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.
There is no telling what the views might be tonight as the same two teams are facing off against each other again at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Thanks to Clark and others, the Fever are already back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.
Since the Olympics break, the Indiana Fever has an 8-3 record.
Following a hot start coming out of the Olympic break, the Indiana Fever have now lost two of their last three games after an 86-75 defeat against the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night.
Caitlin Clark did not have her best performance, notching 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting and 1-of-10 from three and six assists. A’ja Wilson showed why she is the MVP frontrunner, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
In a postgame press conference, Clark revealed that she was not happy with the officiating throughout the game, mentioning a few calls that surprised her.
“The offensive fouls are definitely surprising at times,” Clark said. “I feel like I do get held and get quite a bit of contact throughout the games, and then you get hit with some of those when you take some contact and give contact back. It is what it is. I don’t know. Apparently, they [WNBA refs] see something different.”
The Fever finished the game with 19 team fouls, five more than the Aces’ 14. Clark went on to discuss her teammate Aliyah Boston getting into foul trouble in the third quarter.
“And then, we have to use our challenge to try to let [Aliyah Boston] not have a fifth foul in the third quarter that basically takes her out of the game,” Clark added. “We lose a challenge, we lose a timeout. So that’s tough as well.”
Boston did not finish the game after picking up her sixth foul with just one minute remaining. She missed eight minutes of game time between the third and fourth quarters due to her foul trouble.
Clark has seen a lot of physical defense during her rookie season, and that continued against a veteran-filled Aces squad. But the physicality will only get more intense come playoff time.
ABC moderator Linsey Davis, who was slammed by conservatives for going easier on Kamala Harris than Donald Trump during the presidential debate, was a member of the same historically black sorority as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Davis, 46, sparked backlash when she fought back against the former president’s false claims that doctors were discussing aborting babies after birth, with Republicans arguing that the ABC moderator was not nearly as tough on Harris’ erroneous assertions.
Now, it has come to light that the two were both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Harris became a member of the sisterhood when she was an undergraduate student at Howard University in Washington.
ABC News moderator Linsey Davis was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha at the University of Virginia. ABC
Vice president Kamala Harris was a member of the sorority at Howard University. AFP via Getty Images
The Democratic presidential nominee graduated from the private, historically black university in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts.
Lewis, meanwhile, became an Alpha Kappa Alpha sister when she was an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, where she graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s in psychology.
The two sorority sisters, however, had no known meeting prior to Tuesday night’s debate.
Still, the link unsettled some conservatives, who expressed concern online.
“The fact that Kamala Harris and Linsey Davis are members of the same sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha – Howard and UVA respectively) is relevant with respect to potential bias,” one commentator wrote on X.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha is one of the most storied legacy standing sororities in this country. Membership is by invitation only and regarded with the highest of honors by it’s members. @LinseyDavis and @KamalaHarris are both alumni sisters,” another pointed out.
Scrutiny has surrounded Davis after she corrected Trump’s abortion claim live during the debate as he appeared to be referencing former Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2019 remarks about aborting babies after birth.
“There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,” Davis said, drawing howls from conservatives who noted that six states and the District of Columbia currently do not place any limits on the procedure.
“Biased ABC anchor Linsey Davis teams up with Vice President Kamala Harris to attack former President Donald Trump on abortion,” Tom Olohan, a writer for the conservative Media Research Center, wrote on X following the incident.
Conservatives says Trump was repeatedly grilled on the debate stage, and more than VP Harris was. AP
While Davis and her fellow moderator, David Muir, were fact-checking Trump’s claims on stage, they have been accused of keeping mum when Harris stretched the truth.
Trump allies and Republican commentators were left fuming and compiling a long list of missed opportunities for Muir and Davis to fact-check Harris, such as when she said that police had died during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and that Trump had imperiled access to IVF treatments.
“ABC is making a huge mistake trying to fact check this live. They’re only proving how biased they are. Harris fabricated an attack on Trump over IVF. ABC sat there and said nothing,” Ari Fleischer, a White House press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X.
Other alleged falsehoods by Harris that went unchallenged included her comment that Trump had threatened a “bloodbath” if he lost the election, a misquote from his remarks about the state of the US auto industry.
ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis repeatedly challenged Trump’s false claims during Tuesday night’s debate. ABC
Fox News host and former Trump press secretary Kayleight McEnany said ABC should be “ashamed of themselves” over the alleged lack of fairness during the debate.
“Linsey Davis completely interjects herself into the debate to help Kamala. No surprise at all there,” OutKick founder Clay Travis wrote on X.
“David Muir is out of control,” added Tom Fitton, president of the conservative Judicial Watch, writing, “It isn’t ‘fact-checking,’ it is attacking.”
Following the heated debate, Harris reps immediately pitched a second debate next month, to which the Trump camp responded by noting that the former president is still interested in more faceoffs with the VP.
Skip Bayless opened up about his reservations over publicly supporting women’s basketball sensation Caitlin Clark in an episode of his podcast on Thursday.
Bayless revealed that he was actually in awe of Clark’s ability, and it was the main thing that got him to start watching the WNBA this year. However, he revealed that the reason he did not buy into the Clark excitement early on was because of “guilt,” and not wanting to stir racial division.
“I started to think, deep down in my psyche, ‘Wait a second, she’s really good.’ But I’ll be the first to admit, I felt guilty saying so on TV or on social media. I did not want to look like this red state white guy cheering for this red state white girl. Our country feels split enough racially already. I didn’t want to pour gasoline on that fire,” Bayless said on the show.
Bayless was a vocal opponent of Clark earlier this year, and he even questioned her potential during a broadcast on FS1 back in June.
“Caitlin, I don’t know if she has that dog in her,” Bayless previously said. “I know she’s got talent, I know she’s got distant shooting talent and I know she definitely has a gift for passing the basketball. But I don’t know if she has that dog in her because I start to wonder — I know it’s extremely early, but I’m just saying, I start to wonder when I see what I saw (Sunday).”
Bayless went so far as to say that one of the reasons he took stances like these against Clark was because he believed the Iowa native was a “right-wing symbol” due to the fact that she is a White player excelling at the game of basketball.
“Maybe I was wrong about this, but Caitlin Clark started to feel like some sort of new right-wing symbol. ‘White woman dominating game dominated by Black men and women for years and years.’ I could almost hear some people thinking, ‘White power baby!’ And please, I’m not saying Caitlin Clark is far-right in her politics or beliefs. I have no idea what her politics or religion are because she has carefully, and I say smartly, avoided taking any rookie year stance because she is already such a lightning rod.
“I know what a powerful point of pride basketball has been to the Black community in this country. Black men and women obviously have been routinely and consistently better at basketball.”
The 22-year-old Clark was actually pressed about her political beliefs during a press conference on Wednesday after liking Taylor Swift’s Instagram post that announced her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. Clark did not give an endorsement or even a mention of either candidate, but simply said she believed in using her platform to encourage people to vote.
Clark was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and played at Iowa before she turned pro and was drafted by the Fever. Her parents, Anne and Brent, have three children, as Caitlin is the middle child between her two brothers, Blake and Colin. Her parents are life-long Iowa natives. Former President Donald Trump won six electoral votes in Iowa in the 2020 election. However, most of the votes in Polk County, where Des Moines is located, went to Biden.
Conversations over the role Clark’s race plays in her popularity have been rampant since the end of her junior season at Iowa, when she led the Hawkeyes to the national championship game against Angel Reese and LSU, but lost.
Those conversations escalated in her first WNBA season, non-coincidentally against Reese’s team, the Chicago Sky. Clark took several hard fouls from opponents early in her rookie year, but an infamous one by the Sky’s Chennedy Carter in March ignited a strong backlash from many of Clark’s loyal fans.
Reese herself suggested many of Clark’s fans are racist in the first episode of her podcast last week.
“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it,” Reese said.
Bayless is not the first major controversial sports talk show host to speak about Clark’s race within the context of her reputation in the WNBA.
ESPN host Pat McAfee had to issue an apology over social media in June after referring to Clark as a “White b—-” during a live television broadcast. However, in the apology, McAfee doubled down on his original argument that Clark’s race has contributed to her reception by the WNBA and treatment from opposing players.
“Is there a chance people just enjoy watching her play basketball because of how electrifying she is, what she did, what she stood for, how she went about going what she went for?” McAfee said originally. “Maybe. But instead, we have to hear people say we only like her because she’s White, and she’s only popular because the rest of the rookie class is doing what they’re doing. Well, that’s a bunch of bulls— and we think the WNBA — more specifically their refs — need to stop trying to screw her over at every single turn. What you have is somebody special, and we’re lucky she’s here in Indiana.”
Jim Trotter, a columnist for The Athletic and the New York Times, has penned a series of columns focused on the aspect of Clark’s race, criticizing both her fans and Clark herself for not taking a stronger stance against some of her fans’ prejudices when asked about it.
A Critical Look at Indiana Fever’s Narrow Victory Against the Atlanta Dream
In a game that showcased both the highs and lows of the Indiana Fever’s season, the team secured a hard-fought victory against the Atlanta Dream. Despite the win, the performance left many fans and analysts questioning the effectiveness of the coaching and the team’s overall consistency. This analysis delves into the game’s critical moments, standout performances, and the underlying issues that plagued the Fever throughout.
Game Recap:
The game, which took place on an NFL Sunday, saw the Fever struggle against the Dream despite their eventual triumph. The Fever, led by standout performances from Aaliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, managed to overcome a significant deficit, but not without considerable drama and frustration. At one point, the Dream held a commanding 16-point lead, forcing the Fever to mount a significant comeback to secure the win.
Key Performances:
Aaliyah Boston delivered an impressive performance with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Her contributions were pivotal in the Fever’s effort to claw back into the game. Caitlin Clark, who added 26 points and 12 assists, also played a crucial role, particularly in overtime and the latter stages of the fourth quarter. Clark’s clutch shooting, including a key three-pointer late in the game, was instrumental in the Fever’s comeback.
Kelsey Mitchell also contributed significantly, particularly in the third quarter, helping to bridge the gap created by the Dream’s early dominance. Her scoring burst was crucial in keeping the Fever within striking distance.
Coaching Concerns:
Despite the victory, the performance of head coach Christy Sides was a major point of contention. The Fever’s struggle to maintain consistency throughout the game was seen by many as indicative of coaching issues. The team appeared lifeless for much of the first half and part of the third quarter, raising questions about Sides’ ability to motivate and adjust strategies effectively.
Critics pointed to Sides’ delayed timeouts and apparent lack of tactical adjustments as factors contributing to the Fever’s difficulties. The fact that the team fell behind again after making a comeback highlighted perceived deficiencies in coaching decisions and in-game management.
Frustration Among Players:
The frustration on the court was palpable, with visible tensions between players and coaching staff. Caitlin Clark’s visible frustration with the team’s performance and coaching decisions was evident. The disconnect between Clark and Sides was particularly concerning, as it suggests potential issues with team cohesion and communication.
The Fever’s ability to play down to the competition and then elevate their game against tougher opponents was also discussed. This inconsistency in performance has been a recurring theme and is often attributed to coaching strategies and motivational techniques.
Looking Ahead:
While the Fever secured the victory, the manner in which they achieved it raises significant concerns about their readiness for the playoffs. If the team continues to exhibit these erratic performances, particularly against stronger teams such as the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, or New York Liberty, they risk early exits from the postseason.
The team’s potential to underperform against lower-ranked opponents could be detrimental in the playoffs. To avoid such pitfalls, addressing the issues related to coaching and team consistency will be crucial. The Fever must find a way to maintain high performance levels throughout games and ensure that their talent is effectively harnessed.
Comments from Caitlin Clark:
In addition to the game analysis, Caitlin Clark recently addressed the impact of Angel Reese’s season-ending wrist injury. Clark expressed her sympathy and admiration for Reese, highlighting the unfortunate nature of injuries in the sport. She noted that while injuries are part of basketball, they remain a significant setback for players and teams alike. Clark’s mature response reflects her understanding of the challenges faced by athletes and underscores her leadership qualities.
Conclusion:
The Indiana Fever’s win over the Atlanta Dream, while ultimately a positive result, was marked by significant challenges and frustrations. The team’s inconsistent performance and the coaching staff’s decisions are areas of concern as they approach the playoffs. With a talented roster, the Fever’s potential remains high, but addressing these issues will be crucial for a successful postseason run. The team must focus on improving consistency, effective coaching, and maintaining high levels of performance to avoid falling short in critical moments.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark hinted at her political beliefs online, much like Brittany Mahomes did, by liking a social media post from Taylor Swift endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Caitlin Clark (Photo via MatthewByrne1/Twitter)
Clark had a good reason for liking Taylor Swift’s formal endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election on Instagram on Thursday night.
The Indiana Fever star is the most talked-about player in the entire WNBA, so anything she does will attract a lot of attention.
Caitlin Clark was asked before Wednesday night’s matchup against the Las Vegas Aces why she liked the post, and she cited her own “amazing platform” as the reason.
The 22-year-old strayed away from formally endorsing Harris herself but did share her reasoning for trying to get out the vote in November.
“I think for myself, I have my amazing platform, so I think the biggest thing will be just encourage people to register to vote,” she said. “It’s the second time I can vote in a [presidential] election; at 22, I could vote when I was 18. I can do that, that’s the biggest thing I can do with the platform that I have. And that’s the same thing Taylor did. And I think continue to educate yourself with the candidates that we have, the policies that they’re supporting.
“I think that’s the biggest thing you can do, and that’s what I would recommend to every single person that has that opportunity in our country.”
On Tuesday, shortly after the debate, Taylor Swift ended speculation about whether she would endorse a particular candidate ahead of November’s election by telling her Instagram followers that she would be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Caitlin Clark’s Boyfriend Connor Mccaffery Showed Love for Michelle Obama’s Speech at DNC
The Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark seems to be the latest celebrity to back Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States Presidential Election, although she wouldn’t come out and state it.
Amid her breakout WNBA season, the Indiana Fever rookie highlights a shift in focus from basketball to political activism.
She may not come out to say it directly, but her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, certainly is not scared to do so.
McCaffery showed love to Michelle Obama on Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention, leading you to believe he is for the democratic party.
The rookie rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has brought attention on the WNBA to new heights in the 2024 season.
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While this rivalry has come with a lot of good for the growth of the league, it’s also brought out the ugly side of these star players’ two feuding fanbases.
During her recent appearance on CNBC’s Power Lunch, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was asked about the increase of racist, sexist and homophobic vitriol on social media — specifically in reference to the rivalry between Clark and Reese.
Instead of denouncing the racism, sexism and homophobia being directed toward her players, Engelbert instead chose to speak about the league’s increased cultural impact and money-making opportunities.
“There’s no more apathy. Everybody cares. It is a little bit of that Bird-Magic moment if you recall, from 1979,” Engelbert said. “When those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one black. And so we have that moment with these two.
“But the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry,” Engelbert added. “That’s what makes people watch, They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don’t want everybody being nice to one another.”
WNBA fans and players are not happy with this response. Some are even calling for Engelbert’s dismissal as the league’s commissioner.
“Serious question: How is Cathy Engelbert able to keep her job? What has she done to elevate the WNBA? They asked her about racism and sexism. She responded with verbal garbage that highlighted rivalry and endorsements. She needs to go ASAP and is a part of the problem,” one wrote.
“Like many of us have been saying, the @WNBA is complicit in pushing the rhetoric this season without regard for the players, their safety, or their mental health. The players are people, not just a product. Shame on Cathy Engelbert and everyone involved,” another added.
“Cathy Engelbert is a terrible commissioner who clearly has no plan to protect players in the league and is mentally stuck in 1979,” another said.
“Cathy Englebert should not be the commissioner of this league… There’s been so many indications before but being asked about racism and saying it’s makes a good rivalry and its good for marketing is insane…” another wrote.
“It’s the start of the season, and we gotta start over.” Yes, it took Jayson Tatum seven years and five Conference Finals appearances to get there. But he finally lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy this summer. However, the adrenaline rush has now cooled off, the confetti has been swept and its almost time for the new season to tip off. Can the Celtics reach the mountaintop once again? Well, JT certainly believes so and he even predicted who his opponent will be in next year’s Finals. And it might be a Déjà vu moment for the fans!
Posed by an intriguing question “Which two teams will be in the NBA Finals next summer?” Tatum obviously named the Boston Celtics as one of the teams without missing a beat. But he initially seemed a little hesitant to reveal who he thinks would come out of the West. With a slight nudge from host Jimmy Fallon, JT finally claimed, “It’s going to be a rematch. We’re going to play Dallas again.”
Yes, the Mavs got dominated by the Cs in this year’s finals and lost the series in only five games. But what could make them back-to-back Western Conference Champions are the upgrades they have made in their roster this summer. Obviously, the biggest one was signing Klay Thompson on a three-year $50 million deal. While Thompson had an underwhelming showing this past season, he still managed to average 17.9 points on 38.7% efficiency from deep range. And his numbers could improve playing alongside Kyrie and Luka as he will get more open shots because of the attention the two stars demand.
Apart from Klay, the Mavs also added solid role players including Spencer Dinwiddie, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Grimes, all of whom can contribute in the Mavs’ pursuit for a title. Moreover, Luka and Klay have similar expectations to what Tatum predicted on The Tonight Show.
Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson are hoping to dethrone Jayson Tatum and Co.
While Tatum has predicted the Mavs to conquer the West, the superstars in Dallas are aiming a step ahead. Despite the disappointment from this year, Luka has complete faith in his team, “Just stay together, man. I think just having Kai on my team — I mean, on our team, he’s unbelievable. Just help him. We said, we’ll fight together next season, and we just got to believe.” In just a year, Luka and Kyrie became one of the most lethal duos in the league. And their chemistry will only get better going forward.
USA Today via Reuters
Moreover, that’s what pushed Klay to choose the Mavs over staying in Golden State, “Playing with Luka and Kyrie, that’s what was attractive, especially watching their championship run. I was really shocked to see the chemistry with their teammates.” And he too has high expectations for his debut season with the team, “I think we have a chance to do something really special and win a championship.” But it will be easier said than done as the Celtics are fully prepared to defend their throne with their core group intact. Well, one thing is certain. If JT’s prediction comes true, it will surely be a must watch series for all hoop fans. Do you agree?
“Great person off the court, a great leader, and just solid.” With Al Horford lifting his maiden NBA Championship after a seventeen-year wait, his Celtics teammates had nothing but great things to say about him. Well, this should not come as a surprise because, throughout his career, he has garnered praise for his professionalism and has kept his composure even amid adversity. But there was one player back in the day who made Horford break character with his dominance as a rookie. And it was none other than former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins!
Drafted fifth overall in the 2010 draft, Boogie instantly took the league by storm as he was among the rare players with the skills of a guard in a big man’s body. During his rookie year, Horford was in his fourth season and still playing for the Atlanta Hawks. And his then-teammate Jeff Teague recently revealed how Al reacted to a 20-year-old Cousins’ skillset. “I remember Al Horford saying ‘This motherf****r is nice. He nice.’”
Did Al Horford just cuss! Many of you might be wondering. Funnily enough, Teague had the same reaction, “I’m like Al? Yeah, Al don’t cuss.” But that’s how good DC was when he entered the league as he averaged 14.1 points and nearly nine rebounds in his first season with the Kings. And Horford only had one wish as Teague revealed on the Club 520 Podcast, “He was like ‘Man, we gotta stay away from him. He gotta stay in the West.’ Al say he nice that mean he really nice though.” Yes, playing in different conferences, Horford and Cousins never matched up against each other in the playoffs.
But Al’s veteran experience did come into play whenever they competed as he holds a 13-4 winning record against Boogie in their regular season matchups.
Well, if you compare Horford and Cousins from a talent standpoint, many of you would agree that DC is a much more skilled player than Al. Yet, it is Horford who is about to enter the eighteenth year of his career and has a championship to show for it. Meanwhile, Boogie has not played in the league for the last two seasons. So, what went wrong? Sure enough, there are multiple reasons why he couldn’t maximize his potential in the league.
First and foremost, his reputation took an immediate hit soon after he began his career as there were constant tensions between him and the Kings franchise. Moreover, there were even rumors of him demanding a trade in his second season because his vision did not align with the team. While he stayed in Sacramento for seven years, he earned the reputation of being a bad presence in the locker room. Adding to those issues, he even tore his Achilles, which led to a massive decline in his performance.
As expected, his market value took a hit as teams were hesitant to add an injured star who could cause problems in the locker room. Although there were brief stints toward the end in Denver and Milwaukee, Cousins was no longer one of the best Centers in the league by that time.
Meanwhile, Horford continued with his professional approach and found a permanent home in Boston where he was able to win his first title this summer. “Just his professionalism. He’s just the best. I mean, the way he takes care of his body, his consistency, who he is as a person, as a great teammate. He’s everything you want in an organization and a coach, and he’s one of the cornerstones of what we do.” Head coach Joe Mazzulla remarked. Do you think the story would have been different for Cousins if he had a similar reputation as Al Horford?
Caitlin Clark (Photo via Indianafever/Twitter)
