Author: lehang

Shaq has always said he dunked on Dudley that hard because he was angry over not being double-teamed.

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Shaquille O’Neal has claimed his disrespectful dunk on Chris Dudley back in 1999 was his greatest highlight.

On the latest episode of Complex’s GOAT Talk, Shaq and his son Myles played a round of the popular game where they named some of the greatest and worst things in pop culture. One of the questions asked was Shaq’s greatest highlight, and his pick was a moment that is deeply ingrained in basketball fans’ minds.

Shaq spent 19 years in the NBA and built a hall-of-fame career filled with countless highlights, but his dunk on Chris Dudley during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks in 1999 takes the cake for him. According to Shaq, he received the ball near the bottom of the key and was angry that the Knicks didn’t send a double team at him as he was posting up Dudley.

Shaq took matters into his own hands and violently dunked on Dudley and let his genitals slide down the former Knicks center’s body. Dudley tried to hang on, but Shaq shoved him to the court to add further insult to humiliation.

“I’m at the Forum, and I take a bounce, and Chris Dudley is on me,” Shaq recalled. “It’s against my religion if you don’t double-team me. It means you’re not showing me proper respect. Now he’s trying to use his strength, and the double is not coming; I’m like, ‘What the fuck?’ So I take another bounce, and he is still there, so now I’m pissed.”

Zoë Kravitz & Channing Tatum Debate GOAT Superheroes, Gifts & Billionaires | GOAT Talk

He continued, “So now I just take another bounce, drop step, dunk, try to put my nuts all on his freaking face. Like just open up the legs, the dunkman pose, and then when I was coming down, he was like, ‘Oooh,’ and I was like, ‘Fuck off me,’ and I pushed him.”

What happened after made the dunk one of the funniest moments in NBA history as well. As Dudley got back on his feet, he showed his frustration with Shaq pushing him by throwing the ball back at the four-time NBA champion and yelling “Fuck you!” at him.

In 2024, current Lakers coach JJ Reddick told Shaq that dunk was his favorite during an episode of The Old Man and The Three. According to Shaq, the defensive scheme the Knicks and Pat Riley tried to put on him wouldn’t work, as he got beat up harder in the past, so a double-team should’ve happened.

https://twitter.com/Complex/status/1831497022006030478

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese has announced that her WNBA season is over in an emotional post after suffering a wrist injury.

Reese was listed as questionable on the Sky’s injury report, and has since told her fans that she will be done until next season. “What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” Reese wrote on X.

“Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.

“I’m filled with emotions right now that I have a season ending injury, but also filled with so much gratitude for what is next. Although this is God’s timing and not mine, I am finally able to give myself a physical and mental break.

“‘God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.’ You’ll still see me being the biggest cheerleader on the sideline! And Unrivaled league, see you soon!”

The regular season is nearly over for Reese and the Sky, with the team currently 12-22 with six games remaining. While Reese’s injury is a major blow for the Sky as they look to finish the season strong, it could have repercussions for the rookie when it comes to individual accolades.

Reese is locked in an intense battle with Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever for the Rookie of the Year award, with both enjoying breakout debut seasons. Reese is averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds this season, and broke the WNBA’s single-season record for rebounds, after recording her 418th during a defeat to the Minnesota Lynx.

Clark is leading all rookies in points and assists, averaging 19 points per game and 8.4 assists, with 5.8 rebounds also a respectable return. It was poetic that Clark and Reese would go head-to-head for the award, continuing their infamous college beef.

Toward the start of the season it was Reese who was leading the way while Clark took longer to find her feet during a disastrous start to the year for the Indiana Fever. Since players have returned from the Paris Olympics the form has been flipped, with Clark finding consistency and helping the Fever move above .500 for the first time in five seasons.

Although there is only a handful of games remaining, it allows Clark to push on and leave Reese in her wake as she chases the ROTY award. Despite the long-lasting beef, which has since cooled slightly in the WNBA, Clark isn’t focused on winning ROTY and claimed that Reese wouldn’t be either.

Caitlin Clark has outscored Angel Reese head to head this season.© Getty

“I think me and Angel would both give you the same answer,” Clark said when responding to the ROTY debate. “You don’t wake up and think about individual awards. I know that’s what all of you think we do. I know we don’t. That’s what everybody wants to make this about.

“Both of our teams are competing for playoff spots, that’s our main focus. That’s a selfish thing to just care about an individual award. And she would give you the same exact answer. I’m sure she has given you the same exact answer. If you’re playing basketball to win individual awards, no matter what level you’re at, you’re doing it wrong.”

WNBA All-Star and Chicago Sky’s No. 7 overall pick Angel Reese revealed a season-ending wrist injury sustained during her double-double performance against the Los Angeles Sparks.

While the injury has unexpectedly ended her historic rookie campaign, Reese is aiming to develop a stronger 3-point shot to add next season and says she will still participate in the upcoming Unrivaled League in Miami.

In her final WNBA game of the season, Reese scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, leading the Sky to a 93-78 victory over the Sparks. The victory ended a seven-game losing streak for Chicago, which is fighting for a playoff berth alongside the Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, and Dallas Wings.

One day after the win, Reese went on X to announce the career setback. And she made two promises in her statement which sum up her desire and drive to achieve success in the WNBA – stating she will be the Sky’s “biggest cheerleader” in their remaining games and then become an even better player next season.

She wrote: “What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2

“Through it all, I have shown that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.

“I’m filled with emotions right now that I have a season-ending injury, but also filled with so much gratitude for what is next.

“Although this is God’s timing and not mine, I am finally able to give myself a physical and mental break. God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. You’ll still see me being the biggest cheerleader on the sideline! And Unrivaled League, see you soon.”

Before officially announcing the injury, Reese was listed as questionable for the Sky’s upcoming match against the Wings on Sunday. The Sky forward’s season concludes with six games left in the regular season.

Angel Reese grabs the rebound© Getty

Despite its early end, Reese’s impact on the WNBA in just one year has been historic. Reese posted a record-setting 26 double-doubles, the second-most in a single WNBA season and the most by a rookie. She also recorded 15 consecutive double-doubles, setting a new WNBA record for consistency in rebounding and scoring.

The Chicago rookie averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, putting her on track to set the highest single-season rebounding average in league history. She also became the first player in WNBA history to record three consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds and made the All-Star team in her rookie season.

The injury will provide Caitlin Clark with six additional attempts to win the award at the end of the year. Clark’s long accolades include getting the Indiana Fever into the playoffs, setting a WNBA single-game record with 19 assists, becoming the first Rookie to record two triple-doubles in a season, and more.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger chose a humble Greek taverna in Mykonos for a romantic dinner after their lavish three-day wedding party.

The NBA superstar posted photos on social media enjoying the Greek cuisine in an unspecified location on the cosmopolitan Greek island.

Credit: giannis_an34/Instagram

Fish on the menu at the Greek taverna for Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger

The Greek Freak is seen enjoying a fish, squid, fried zucchini and Greek salad dinner. He also posed for a photo with his wife.

Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger are now officially husband and wife both in the Greek Orthodox and the Catholic traditions. The two married last weekend in Greece.

Credit: giannis_an34/Instagram

After three days of an incognito (to the extent possible) wedding party, the couple got married at Costa Navarino on Sunday in a Catholic and Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony, as the bride is Catholic.

The ceremony took place around seven in the evening at the Golf Court, the largest in Greece, with the view of Navarino Bay. The sunset across the bay offered the couple the most romantic backdrop when exchanging vows.

Fresh fish is on the menu for the newlyweds. Credit: giannis_an34/Instagram

The wedding was celebrated by 200 guests and 30 VVIPs from the sports world, including the families of the newlyweds, friends of the couple, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with his wife Mareva Grabowski.

Greek basketball legend Vassilis Spanoulis with his wife and children and the Olympian, Emanouil Karalis were among the Greek athletes in attendance.

NBA VVIP LeBron James who flew in on his private plane and Serena Williams traveled to Greece for the special wedding. Chris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks was the best man and Giannis’ teammates along with those from Greece’s National Team were also present.

After the completion of the ceremony, the newlyweds took their VIP guests on a tour of Pylos, where the Costa Navarino resort is located.

Three-day celebration

The three-day celebration began on Friday when the “White Party” was held at the ‘W’ Hotel with all guests dressed in white.

Giannis Antetokounmpo arrived with Mariah from Navarino Bay in a boat in the magical landscape of the bay while fireworks lit the sky.

On Saturday, the “Nigerian Party” was held with traditional costumes. The theme was the 29-year-old basketball player’s homeland.

The three-day events were also a celebration of an affair that began 10 years ago when Giannis met Mariah. They have been together since. They are a very private couple and most details about their relationship are hearsay.

Yet there are some facts that are known. Mariah Riddlesprigger’s father, Pat, played college basketball, while Mariah herself played college volleyball. It is said that the couple met in 2014, when Giannis was an NBA rookie and Mariah was graduating from Rice University’s Sports Management program.

Since then, the happy couple have had three children: Liam, who is 4; Maverick Shai, 3; and their newborn daughter, Eva Brooke.

See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!

For the first time in seven years, Novak Djokovic will end a season without a Grand Slam title to his name. The world No. 2’s form and fitness issues throughout 2024 have raised questions about whether he will be competing for major honours next year. Eurosport expert John McEnroe warned to “never count him out” as the 24-time major winner will “find motivation to get number 25”.

This video is unavailable in your country. More information can be found here

Highlights: Djokovic crashes out of US Open in shock third-round defeat

John McEnroe has backed Novak Djokovic to “find his motivation again” in the hunt for a record-extending 25th major title, warning that “you never want to count him out”.

The Serbian completed a career ‘Golden Slam’ by winning Olympic gold at Roland-Garros in the summer, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling final.

But it has otherwise been a difficult season for the record 24-time Grand Slam champion, who suffered a shock third-round exit at the US Open to ensure he would end the year without a major title for the first time since 2017.

Questions have been raised about whether the 37-year-old’s age is finally starting to show after a season of struggles for fitness and form in which he has only won one title, at the Olympics, and reached one final at Wimbledon.

McEnroe remains convinced that Djokovic has what it takes to prove everyone wrong once more, but admitted things do feel a little different now.

“You never want to count him out,” McEnroe told Eurosport when asked if Djokovic will win a major next year.

‘This sport is unpredictable’ – Sinner on Djokovic and Alcaraz suffering shock losses

“This would certainly be the first time where you could say with some seriousness that you start to wonder if he’s going to win again.

“How long can this guy keep motivated? Then he won the Olympic gold. I’m amazed that he’s kept it [motivation] for this long.

“I’m sure to be surprised either way. If he doesn’t win [a major], you would be like wow – he won three of the four last year. And now we’re saying he’ll never win it again.

“And then I would sort of be surprised in a way if he did, because his age. At some point, that catches up to you, and you lose a little bit of that fear factor with some of the guys.

“Then guys that didn’t think they had a chance feel like they have a chance, and that whole thing changes and makes it much tougher.

“That’s what he’s facing right now. It will be interesting to see if he’s able to pull it off. But I do think he’ll try to find that motivation to get number 25.”

Alcaraz ‘better than Big Three at his age’ 

One obstacle standing between Djokovic and a 25th major title next year is sure to be Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard is a four-time Grand Slam winner by the age of 21 and denied Djokovic in dominant fashion at the Wimbledon final in July.

Although Alcaraz is ranked No. 3 in the world, behind Djokovic and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, McEnroe believes he possesses generational talent that is better even than the ‘Big Three’ of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

But the American thinks that the sport would benefit from more of the rivalries that were such a feature of the trio’s period of dominance in the sport.

“I think Alcaraz is the most complete player I’ve seen at his age, better than those other guys. That’s how good he is,” McEnroe said.

‘I was doing the right things’ – Medvedev on ‘tough loss’ to Sinner in US Open

“If you had told me that Djokovic, Federer and Nadal would all have 20 majors, I would have said you were crazy.

“Somehow, they took the sport to a whole new level. You’re talking arguably about the three greatest players that ever lived playing at this time.

“To think that that won’t be a big void would be crazy. Of course, it’s a big void. You’ve got these all-time greats.

“We are lucky Djokovic is still playing so well that these young players, Alcaraz, Sinner are the two most obvious, come along and are able to have somewhat of a rivalry with him.

“The next step for me is getting, you know, hopefully, some American men and a couple other players, because in a one-on-one sport, in my opinion, you need rivals. You need great rivalries.

“That’s what made that so interesting and made them better players. It’s very important. But as you know, in all sports, Father Time never loses.”

Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics defeated Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals to clinch their first championship in 16 years. The Celtics forward led his team in points and rebounds last season. However, he fell short of winning the 2024 NBA MVP and Finals MVP honors.

Jayson Tatum (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Jayson Tatum helped Boston raise their 18th banner. With their 2023-24 victory, the Celtics became the most successful NBA team with 18 championships.

Jayson Tatum’s 2023-24 NBA Season

After winning his first championship ring, the five-time NBA All-Star has etched his name in history. In the 2023-24 regular season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, his joint-second highest-scoring average in his career. The 6’8” Celtics forward averaged 8.1 rebounds per game, which was a team-high, and also led Boston in win shares.

Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game MVP finished 13 assists short of the Celtics’ assist leader, Derrick White. He was also ranked second in the total steals with 75, while Jaylen Brown finished at the top with 83.

In the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic dominated the statistics with the most points, rebounds, and assists, while Derrick White had the most win shares. Jayson Tatum averaged 25 points on 42.7% shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.

Why Didn’t Jayson Tatum Get The Finals MVP?

In the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, Jayson Tatum’s side clinched the title in Game 5. The Celtics forward averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in five games. On the other hand, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.

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

Many questioned the decision to give the Finals MVP to Brown over Tatum as the 26-year-old led the three categories. However, the Celtics shooting guard/small forward registered a better field goal percentage, earning him the award. While Brown averaged 44%, Tatum made 38.8% FG in the 2024 NBA Finals.

A Look At Jayson Tatum’s 2024 Offseason

Jayson Tatum joined Team USA for the Paris Olympics 2024, and his Midas touch helped “The Avengers” clinch the gold medal. The USA men’s basketball team won their fifth straight Olympic gold in 2024. Although Tatum didn’t get much playing time in the Olympics, which left the Celtics fans furious, it was the star forward’s second Olympic gold medal after winning his first at Tokyo 2020.

Jayson Tatum and A’ja Wilson On NBA 2K25 Cover (Image Credit: X/NBA)

The 2024 offseason was a big win for him as he agreed to a contract extension with the Celtics. According to his new contract, which he signed in July 2024, Tatum will get $313 million over five years, making it the largest contract in NBA history.

Recently, the NBA star and her girlfriend Ella Mai, an English singer, welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in August. To commemorate his spectacular 2023-24 season, popular gaming company 2K made the Boston Celtics forward NBA 2K25’s cover athlete. He is featured on the cover alongside WNBA star A’ja Wilson.

Will Jayson Tatum Win MVP In The 2024-25 Season?

The Celtics star ranked sixth in the 2023-24 NBA MVP list, with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic winning the award for the third time in his career. He also fell short of the Finals MVP honor following a close contest with his teammate Jaylen Brown.

Jayson Tatum (Image Credit: Getty Images)

However, Tatum is among the favorites to win MVP awards in the 2024-25 season. Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics preferred stability in the summer trade and almost kept the championship-winning roster for the upcoming season.

Many fans and former players desire to see Tatum lifting the MVP award. Among those, former Boston Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas claimed on social media that Jayson Tatum will win MVP this upcoming season. This came after the USA’s gold-winning Olympic campaign, where Tatum registered 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1 steal per game in 17.7 minutes of average game time. Time will determine if the Celtics star can secure the MVP award next season.

Angel Reese’s rookie season is over.

The Chicago Sky forward unfortunately sustained a wrist injury against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday and will have to sit out the rest of the way.

Reese took to social media to announce as much late Saturday night.

“What a year,” she wrotep. “I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol.

“I’m filled with emotions right now that I have a season ending injury, but also filled with so much gratitude for what is next. Although this is God’s timing and not mine, I am finally able to give myself a physical and mental break. ‘God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.’”

Angel Reese Had An Impressive First Season In The WNBA

Angel Reese’s rookie campaign has been nothing short of sensational. Drafted as the No. 7 overall pick earlier this year, she hit several milestones with the Sky, recording 26 double-doubles, the second most for a single season in WNBA history. She registered 15 of them consecutively.

The former LSU star has also registered the most rebounds in a WNBA season, proving to be a beast on the boards.

Reese’s first-season stats bear averages of 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. She was named an All-Star ahead of the Olympics and has been firmly lodged in the Rookie of the Year race all season.

The Sky had her listed as questionable ahead of Sunday’s clash vs. the Dallas Wings, but it appears the injury is not one she will be able to play through.

Shaq Names The Worst Player In NBA History

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest players in NBA history. Because of his unique position in hoops lore, he can speak with a certain authority on other stars.

Over the years Shaq has become known for his brutal honesty. Whether he is talking about J.J. Redick’s status as the new Los Angeles Lakers coach, confessing the drug he took before his games or naming the two most dominant players in league history, he always keeps it real.

This week was no exception.

During a recent interview, Shaq revealed who he believes is the worst player in NBA history.

“Rudy Gobert,” he said.

“And Ben Simmons is another bum. You know why? Because if you sign a contract for $250 million, show me $250 million. There’s a reason why I walk funny and I can’t turn my neck, because I played for my $120. You got guys like him that f**k the system over there, making all this money and they can’t f***ing play.”

Gobert heard Shaq’s comments and decided to respond accordingly.

Gobert obviously has his fair share of haters, but he hasn’t exactly done a ton to take the air out of their tires. Generally speaking, his actions support their criticism.

That said, this year Gobert has the opportunity to change that. Will the 2024-25 NBA season mark one where he finally becomes an NBA champion? Time will tell.

Lindsay Davenport admits she was a bit stunned to see Novak Djokovic pick up a very US Open exit but warns that the Serb absolutely cannot be written off as she predicts that he could win two or three Grand Slams next year.

When the 37-year-old arrived in New York for the final Major of the year, it was his last chance at winning a Slam this year. But after Alexei Popyrin handed him a shock 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 loss in the third round, he went without a Major won in a single season for the first time since 2017.

But while Djokovic didn’t win his 25th Slam this year, he was able to do something that he had never done before – and that’s to collect his first Olympic gold medal and complete his resume.

“Of course I’m surprised he lost so early, but in a weird way, I’m happy for him. After everything he’s done, it hasn’t been easy for him to play another major tournament since mid-May. I really want him to rest well, to play whatever and however he wants until the end of the season. We keep forgetting that Novak is 37 years old, that he has been on tour for 20 years. He knows and feels it best. He needs time to enjoy, celebrate and then get ready for Australia. I believe that next year he can take two or three Grand Slams,” former world No. 1 Davenport told Sport Klub.

Novak Djokovic© YouTube screenshot

Davenport thinks Djokovic’s main goal has been accomplished

After suffering that shocking collapse in the Tokyo Olympic semifinal against Alexander Zverev and failing to become an Olympic champion, the Serbian tennis star appeared to be heartbroken and devastated like never before. And in the last couple of years, he spoke very openly about how important the Paris Olympics would be because he didn’t want to finish his career without a gold medal.

Following a win over Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic final, Djokovic accomplished the biggest goal for the final part of his career after previously setting an all-time Slam record and breaking the record for the most weeks spent at the world No. 1 spot.

“Big, but that’s normal. I was delighted when he won the gold medal in Paris. If you had asked him if he wanted Olympic gold or all four Grand Slam tournaments, I am convinced he would have said gold. It is without a doubt the best moment in the world of tennis this year. He wanted it more than anyone else, more than anything in the world. And he did all this after the surgery and the lost final at Wimbledon. It just shows his greatness,” the American former three-time Major winner said.

Djokovic was disappointed but not surprised

Even though the defending champion started with a straight-set win over Radu Albot and was up by two sets when Laslo Djere retired their second-round match, he wasn’t particularly happy with his performances afterward. And after Popyrin sent him home, the former world No. 1 slammed his play in New York as some of “the worst tennis” that he ever delivered.

“The way I played from the beginning of the tournament reaching the third round is a success. I have played some of my worst tennis ever,” the four-time US Open champion admitted.

Novak Djokovic© YouTube screenshot

However, some came to Djokovic’s defense by arguing that he was coming off a very physically and mentally demanding win at the Paris Olympics and that it was extremely hard for him to quickly change surfaces and also mentally prepare himself for the final Major of the year. And the 37-year-old himself acknowledged that he didn’t arrive at Flushing Meadows feeling his best.

“I spent a lot of energy to win the gold medal at Paris Olympics and I came to New York not feeling fresh mentally and physically. I came not feeling fresh mentally or physically. Since it’s the US Open, I tried. I had no physical problems. I just felt out of gas. You could see it in the way I played from the beginning. From the first match I didn’t feel at all on this court. That’s all I can say. Life goes on. I’ll try to recalibrate and see what happens next,” the record 24-time Major winner said.

Meanwhile, Djokovic pulled out of next week’s Davis Cup action and won’t represent Serbia in their tie against Greece. Now, it is expected that the Serb’s next tournament will be the Shanghai Masters, which starts on October 2nd.

“I haven’t had a freshman come in with the leadership qualities, the vocal-ness, the confidence that this freshman has come in with,” said Brenda Frese, Angel Reese’s former coach at Maryland before she had a gruesome foot injury. Popular for her unapologetic outspoken personality, Angel Reese always dons confidence on her face.

However, a few years back, she wasn’t who she is today. Rather, she was a heartbroken kid who had to make a hard choice between fulfilling her dream to play for the country and the painful reality of having fallen to a gruesome injury.

When injuries led Angel Reese to a big question mark

Rated as the highest-rated recruit in Maryland’s history Reese was a key player for the Terrapins. However, life was not all rainbows and sunshine for Reese before she moved to LSU. Rather, there came a day when all her hopes fell into a haze.

In December 2020, the Maryland Terrapins were to face off against the Towson Tigers. It was in the game’s opening minutes when Reese felt pain in her pinky toe after landing awkwardly during Maryland’s blowout win. “Freshman year [at the University of Maryland], I broke my foot,” Reese recalled the painful moment.

Later on, she was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in her foot and required to go under surgery. The medical procedure required a screw to be inserted into Reese’s foot along with 12 weeks of rest and recovery post-surgery.

USA Today via Reuters

But that didn’t stop there. Coming back from a 12-week recovery, Reese had a fracture in her shin. Hence, she had to have another procedure done.

She recalled the time on Brandon Marshall and Ashley Nicole Moss’ podcast I Am Athlete and said, “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don’t know that. Eight months after my first foot surgery, I had to get another surgery. So I had to get a rod put into my leg I had a rod going through my leg because I had a shin splint.” 

This drew out the last straw for Reese losing all of her confidence and questioning whether the game was worth this much pain. She grew self-conscious and admitted to wearing a sleeve on her left leg to hide the scars from the tibia surgery.

“My confidence completely dropped. I was like, do I wanna play basketball anymore? Like, I had high expectations. Everybody thinks I’m gonna do this. But I didn’t even believe I could do it anymore. Because I thought I gained my love for the game back and then I lose it again,” she described her mental situation at the time.

Amidst all this, there was one more thing Reese had to decide upon.

Reese stood at a crossroads

The summer before her sophomore season at Maryland, Angel Reese had already made it to the USA women’s amateur basketball team. But having to deal with the shin issue at hand she found herself standing at crossroads.

She had to choose between fulfilling her dream of playing for Team USA or undergoing surgery. Taking a wise yet one of the hardest decisions of her life, Reese chose surgery over the former. After returning from recovery, she put out a successful sophomore season and averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

After her second season, Reese finally said her goodbyes to Maryland. “This was my time to go. I think I’ve done everything I could do at Maryland, and I’ve grown mentally as a woman. Now where can I go?” she said.

Angel Reese then headed towards, what we came to know about, the life of a star athlete at LSU, and the rest is history.