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Joel Embiid Passes Wilt Chamberlain for Second Most 40-Point Games in 76ers History

Passing Wilt Chamberlain in any raw analytical list is a notable achievement. The two-time champ is among the best scorers of perpetuity and has this legendary energy around him since his name is connected to almost every record in the history of the NBA.

Kevin Durant on Why He’s Confident Brooklyn Can be a Title Contender

Kevin Durant just recently took a seat with ESPN’s Nick Friedell to speak about a myriad of stories surrounding Brooklyn and the NBA as a whole.

They spoke about one essential information: KD’s choice to stroll back his offseason trade demand and repeat his dedication to having fun with the Nets after the front workplace could not discover an ideal trade to move the previous MVP. Ever since, Brooklyn has actually taken control of 3rd location in the Eastern Conference playoff photo after rattling a 12-game winning streak and winning 13 of their last 15 video games.

Throughout that very same 15-game period, Brooklyn was no. 1 in offense (120.4 and no. 5 in defense (111.3 ). Durant balanced 29.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.6 helps per video game on 59.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc. Colleague and friend Kyrie Irving installed 27.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.1 helps per video game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The big-time production has actually resulted in Brooklyn ending up being an Eastern Conference Finals competitor, and the vibes around Barclays Center have actually been greater than ever. Durant informed Friedell that he understood his colleagues “delight in grinding” which he “had the faith” that his concerns about the group practicing more difficult and taking note of information would be responded to which Brooklyn and his colleagues comprehended those are his worths as a gamer.

“I do not even take a look at s — that method. My entire thing was — like — are we, does the procedure matter to us? Which’s something I did understand that individuals here take pleasure in, grinding. That was the most crucial thing for me. Titles and things feature the procedure in which you — — how you prepare. It was more so, “All right, are we going to practice more difficult? Are we going to pay more attention to information?”

“Not simply everyone else, everybody, me consisted of. Is that going to be preached to us every day? I had the faith that would take place since I voiced that throughout the summertime. Even behind the scenes, like, “Yo, this is what I like to do. This is how I like to practice.” I’ve been stating that for the last couple years, so I figured at that point with me going through that, they comprehended what I worth. That’s what I was hanging my hat on, the preparation side of it.”

Brooklyn and Durant will seek to return their winning methods when they play the New Orleans Pelicans (24-14) on the roadway.

The post Kevin Durant on Why He’s Confident Brooklyn Can be a Title Contender appeared initially on SLAM.

Boston Reacts to Rob Williams’ Return to the Starting 5

Boston Reacts to Rob Williams’ Return to the Starting 5

Jayson Tatum explained Rob Williams’ go back to Boston’s starting lineup completely when he stated it seems like the Celtics are “returning to regular.”

The fifth-year center out of Texas A&M began a video game for the very first time because Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals. He ended the night with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 helps, and 2 blocks while playing 23 minutes in a 107-99 win over the Chicago Bulls.

“He was fantastic,” Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla stated of Williams’ contributions, per NBA.com. “I believe he brought a level of happiness to our group even if of how unselfish he is and the kind of plays he’s able to make on both ends of the flooring. I believed our spacing was much better with our huge lineup. That’s simply something we’re going to continue to deal with.”

Williams has actually played in 10 video games because he initially returned from offseason knee surgical treatment on Dec. 16 versus the Orlando Magic. Ever since, he’s balanced 7.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per video game while playing 19.8 minutes. Boston has likewise end up being the seventh-best defense (110.9 protective ranking) and the very best offense in the League (117.1 offending ranking).

According to Mazzulla, Boston discovered their identity as an enhanced offense that can play stingy defense. Williams remaining in the lineup enables Boston to totally recognize their two-way capacity, with Mazzulla particularly specifying that Williams provides Boston “a various attack that we can have.”

Grant Williams appears to concur with that evaluation. The fourth-year forward stated that the Time Lord enhances Boston offensively and strengthens them on the protective end with his capability to patrol the paint and protect the rim at an elite level. Tatum observed how Williams “remained in a terrific rhythm” which the Celtics are”very pleased to have (Williams) back.”

“He does so lots of remarkable things that very few individuals in the league can even do,” stated Grant, “He does an incredible task of not just safeguarding us on the protective end, however he’s doing a terrific task pressing on the offending glass, being a hazard down there– a lob danger. And like JT and [Jaylen Brown] have both stated in previous days, we get to continue to include him, we get to continue to work him back into the offense, get knowledgeable about him, comprehend that there might be chances to not just toss lobs however likewise dropping off to him to enable him to make a play.”

Boston will aim to win their fourth-consecutive video game versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

The post Boston Reacts to Rob Williams’ Return to the Starting 5 appeared initially on SLAM.

REPORT: Anthony Davis to Begin Ramp-Up Process in Preparation of Return

Anthony Davis is supposedly intending on beginning his ramp-up procedure in preparation for a go back to the Lakers’ lineup once the group go back to L.A. later on today, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Advertisement has actually missed out on 12 straight video games since Saturday due to a bone stimulate fractured off the navicular bone in his best foot and a tension fracture. The Lakers are on a season-best five-game winning streak, enhancing to 7-5 without Davis in the lineup.

Marvin Bagley III Out Six Weeks After Successful Hand Surgery

The Detroit Pistons revealed Marvin Bagley III would miss out on the next 6 weeks of action after he went through effective surgical treatment to fix a 3rd and 4th metacarpals fracture in his right-hand man. He suffered the injury throughout Detroit’s 135-106 loss to Portland.

The Pistons got Bagley at the trade due date last season and signed him to a three-year offer over the summer season.

Marvin Bagley III will supposedly miss out on an indefinite quantity of time after suffering a concealed right-hand injury, per NBA expert Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Woj reported that Bagley would go through additional screening to identify his next actions to go back to the group. Bagley is balancing 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds on 53.7 percent shooting for a Detroit group currently without Cade Cunningham, who suffered a shin injury that eventually required season-ending surgical treatment to fix.

The post Marvin Bagley III Out Six Weeks After Successful Hand Surgery appeared initially on SLAM.

The Most Impactful Collaboration The League Has Ever Seen 

The Most Impactful Collaboration The League Has Ever Seen 

If you know SLAM, then you should know my story, but I want to really get into the journey I’ve been on…

I’ve always tried to do things a different way, and I’ve never been afraid of taking a risk. 

That meant going to Oak Hill, when I was already the #1 player in the country, cause I wanted to run at 6 AM every day. Learn from the best High School coach of all time, Steve Smith. I wanted to play the best schedule in the country. I wanted to break Melo’s scoring record. I wanted to put my skills on display, every night, and see if my love for the game, and that $30 orange ball, could get me millions. (And I did all that.) 

When I skipped college and went pro in Rome, I took an even bigger risk. I signed a shoe deal with a football brand that had never even launched a basketball shoe, and I took pride in that shit. I trusted Kris Stone and Kevin Plank and the vision we all had. I knew we all had that same dog mindset to get after it. 

Photo courtesy of Under Armour

I’m the OG at Under Armour, had their 1st ever signature shoe, and to this day I’m proud of that decision. The way I looked at making big decisions, I was always willing to take a risk, but confident about what I bring to the table. I was open minded, but knew how much work would have to go into building things from scratch. I always knew what I signed up for. And I was hyper aggressive and wanted to create some real energy.

That type of mindset was also exactly how Kevin Plank built the whole brand from his grandma’s basement. 

I always had that same entrepreneurial spirit, and you can probably see that now too, ever since I launched my own brand — Tuff Crowd. 

And now, it’s all coming full circle.

My Draft classmate, who I call Thirty, took a chance on UA a handful of years after me too.

When Stephen Curry first signed on with Under Armour, he hadn’t even made an All-Star Game yet. (He started the very next one.) His team hadn’t won a ring in like 40 years. (He won his first of four titles the year after that.) He got a signature shoe too, and now he’s on his 11th. (He won MVP in the 1, then again in the 2s.) 

So it’s only right that the two guys that laid the foundation of Under Armour Basketball are coming together now for a full collaboration collection. 

When I first launched Tuff Crowd in 2019, it was built on a simple idea. Life is a Tuff Crowd, and things don’t always go according to plan. That’s what I started to really figure out when I was by myself and playing in China that year. Stuff gets thrown your way that you didn’t think you’d ever have to deal with, but you gotta power through.

Photos via @DonCamms

That’s where the idea of my “Hostile Territory” tagline comes from. You gotta have that dog mindset to get past the struggles, and trust me, when you have that belief that things will work out, there’s no better feeling than being on the other side. 

I’ve been through it all. I tore my Achilles and my entire life changed. Changed the whole course of where I thought my career was headed. I was on a run right before that and playing my best hoop ever. But that’s life.

Friends and fam issues came up that you couldn’t imagine. Situations where I had to fight through, that made me stronger. I spent a lot of time by myself when I was playing in China and Russia, where I could really reflect. And I have perspective, appreciation, and belief cause of all of it. I’m at peace with the path I’ve lived. 

All of that goes into Tuff Crowd. 

Photo courtesy of Under Armour.

People might not know this, but during the NBA lockout in 2011, I actually interned at Under Armour for that whole summer in Baltimore. Kevin Plank loaned me his black Jeep to drive around. Had a whole office with my job title on it — “Curator of Cool.” 

Being in there every day, with Kris Stone, Ron Johnson and Ryan Drew, was everything. Being able to see how things work as a company, and learning about materials, fabrics, designs, comfort and different styles, it helped me get more detailed about how I wanted my product to be. 

That whole internship helped me a lot. Waking up every day, going to the office and working on projects that had to be delivered by a certain time and required an attention to detail — it was my foundation of understanding how brands and business works. 

When it comes to style, I always felt like I had an eye for stuff that was effortless, but bold. Drewsy at UA used to always joke that he could drop me off at a Goodwill for 10 minutes, give me $20 bucks to cop a whole outfit, and I’d come out fresh. 

I always just had that feel. That sauce. 

I’d be on LeagueFits every day if it was around back then. 

Photo courtesy of @UtahJazz

Since I’ve been working on my brand for the last couple years, we’ve had a ton of highlights for sure. Getting featured in NBA 2K has been killer. Doing an official collab with the Bucks was crazy. 

And I gotta give a shout out and special thanks to Jordan Clarkson. He really believed since day one that Tuff Crowd would take off, and he rocked the whole fit when he won 6th Man of the Year. You have no idea how much that support has meant to me.

Seeing players rock Tuff Crowd at championship parades, in the tunnel and at All-Star events ever since has been amazing.

But this, I’m telling you, is the dopest thing I ever worked on.

You already know Steph is locked in for life at UA, and with Curry Brand, he’s looking to really build up the style and designs of what he’s putting out.

 Photo by @Chief.Will .

That’s why we teamed up.

Tuff Crowd and Curry Brand — but not just a shoe, or a couple pieces. A whole collection. We’ve got three shoes off top, and almost 20 pieces of gear and accessories. And the story behind it is great. 

The idea of 11:11 is big for me. 

The bones design on the collection come straight from my neck tattoo, and it’s a spiritual reminder for me. 

It speaks to understanding who you are, what your purpose is, and alignment with your path and what God has in store for you. When you think about it, there’s no better representation of that than Stephen.

He’s a good dude at his core, he’s locked in on what matters most, and he wants to really, genuinely, help people out. No matter if you’re from Charlotte, Oakland, or anywhere else in between, he has a whole team around him that’s there to get things moving and make a difference. I’ve seen that firsthand. 

Photo courtesy of @Warriors

Steph has been rocking with Tuff Crowd since the start. It’s funny, cause earlier this summer, I was randomly looking up some of our original orders from TuffCrowd.com, and sure enough, Steph had bought one of the first beanies that we dropped years ago. He rocks the collar stitch tees. The dad hats. The dog hoodies too. 

And of course, that fire ass black and red chain stitch jacket that I made him after he broke the 3-Point record, with 2974 on the wrist, and patches repping his kids on the sleeve. 

Photo by @Chief.Will .

But this is different. We’ve got some Curry 11s that have black Flow tech for the first time ever for Curry Brand. The Cozy we did is so fire and clean. We got a hoody that I think is the best clothing item that Curry Brand has ever made. We got tees, socks, shorts, hats and a tote bag that is my go-to, day to day joint. 

I wanted to bring an edge to this collection and show another side of Stephen, that people haven’t seen. There’s a mood the whole way through. People think Steph is just a nice guy, but trust me, he’s hostile out there on the court, with how competitive he is. He attacks everything he does in life with intent and purpose, and I wanted to celebrate that part of his game and his mentality through the designs.

It’s about the details. The story. And the idea that two of UA’s most impactful dudes early on can come together again and put out some real heat that you’ll actually want to rock. To dinner. In the tunnel. On the court. With your fam. Wherever. 

Photo via Getty / Gil’s Arena.

I’m big on the idea of ownership. Of running your own thing. Putting your name, your imprint and your stamp on something that you can stand behind and be proud of. That’s what Steph is doing now as President of Curry Brand, what I’m building with Tuff Crowd, and really the roots of how Under Armour took off. 

When my guy launched his own damn Curry Brand at the end of 2020 (which is killer…read that sentence again!!), one of the first things he told everyone at UA was something like, ‘Look, this isn’t even about me, we have a real opportunity here to impact the next generation.’ 

They came up with a tagline for Curry Brand to describe the idea: “Change The Game For Good” 

Ever since, I’ve been able to see that impact up close. 

 Photo by @bydvnlln

I’ve been at Curry Camp the last two summers now, where Stephen is walking the top next up dudes and women through every drill, every detail and giving them some real talk about how you need to think the game at that highest level. All these boys and girls are the best at what they do — right now — but that doesn’t guarantee nothin when the lights come on, on the biggest stage, a few years from now. 

We know Steph’s story. He laughed and told all the Camp players, that when he was their age, he wouldn’t have even been invited to his own camp. That should say a lot right there. There’s work, detail and intent that you gotta pour in, to get to where we’ve gotten.

The week after his camp last year, I pulled up to a middle school in Long Beach, where him and Snoop Dogg had re-done the entire gymnasium for the LBC community. 

Man, you shoulda seen the smile on these kids’ faces. I can’t even begin to tell you how much hope that provides to all the youngins coming up, to get to see STEPH CURRY right up close, and know that he cares about them and wants to help them out.

Photo courtesy of Gil’s Arena.

Look — the shoes and the clothes we’re dropping are hard as hell. Like, really some of the hardest stuff I’ve ever dropped since I even started Tuff Crowd. 

But Steph’s line that he uses — “Change The Game For Good” — is real.  

That’s what makes this next sentence so amazing. 

As part of our 11:11 collection launch this week on Saturday, we’re actually taking it back to my hometown gym in LA, where I literally picked up a ball at 5 years old and learned how to hoop. Where our kids league director JK made sure we had a safe place to play. I got the trophy to prove it. 

I’m talking Rowley Park.

Photo via Getty.

Back in 2011, one of the first givebacks I did with UA was donate a new outdoor court at the park. The street signs say Brandon Jennings Way and Under Armour Way. And for the whole last decade it became a spot where kids from the neighborhood could escape and just play. Just have fun. Just be kids. 

This time around, I wanted to do even more.

That inside gym in Gardena, California ain’t seen any love since I was there in elementary school. It was the same hard court I dribbled on as a kid. The same walls and everything.

And we’re about to upgrade and overhaul the whole thing. 

Photo courtesy of the Jennings family.

A whole new Rowley Park, that’s gonna last for years to come. 

It’s gonna have “TUFF CROWD” on the baselines. My dog logo at the center court. The Curry splash logo with the barbwire in the key. And on the sidelines, it says “Change The Game For Good.”

11:11 is all about timing. All about balance. All about alignment, and things working out for you when your energy is right. 

The “011” on the hardwood means it’s the 11th court that Curry Brand has helped to re-do and upgrade since 2020. That’s timing right there.

Photo courtesy of Curry Brand.

We’re gonna kick the gym re-opening off with a basketball camp for kids. And then let my hometown get a first crack at copping the whole Tuff Crowd x Curry Brand collection. It’s gonna be one of the proudest days ever. 

All of this is as full circle as it gets for me. I’m hoping it shows the power of what players can provide for the communities that built them and supported them on their journey to somewhere as amazing as the Association. And how you can continue to find new passions in life, like being a clothing designer, or even a co-host on a basketball show. 

It also shows how impact isn’t just about launching some fresh black and red shoes and some hard clothes — it’s also about leaving something real for the kids coming up next. 

The kids from Compton and Gardena that need to know they can find their path in life. They can power through any situation they’re faced with. They can channel that Tuff Crowd mindset and keep going. 

The post The Most Impactful Collaboration The League Has Ever Seen  appeared first on SLAM.

Phoenix Suns Expect Devin Booker to Miss Four Weeks with Groin Injury

The Phoenix Suns revealed that Devin Booker would miss out on the next month of action after suffering a groin stress.

Book missed out on 3 video games with a groin injury before trying to come back on Christmas Day when the Suns played the Denver Nuggets. That return was cut short after 4 minutes when he re-aggravated the injury, requiring him to miss out on the last 2 video games of contests and will keep him off the court for the foreseeable future.

After the win on Tuesday, head coach Monty Williams provided the following on how Phoenix looked without Booker.

“I believe guys are constantly wishing to play, however I do not believe anyone’s ever thrilled when [Devin Booker] is not on the flooring. They wish to win for him,” Williams stated per Sports Illustrated.

“They understand just how much he enjoys to play; they understand just how much he enjoys his group; they understand just how much he provides to the program. I believe they simply wish to win for him. By and big, everyone desires [Devin Booker] back here, however to your point, I believe guys try to find chances, however I believe they were believing, ‘We got to win this for the guys that are out.’

“Especially [Devin Booker], due to the fact that we enjoyed him grind to return onto the flooring, and he returns on Christmas day, and he reinjures himself, and we saw his disappointment. I’m sure our guys are texting him and FaceTiming him and whatever they’re going to do to let him understand that those type of wins are for him and the guys who are out.”

J.B. Bickerstaff: Ricky Rubio’s Torn ACL Rehab ‘Progressing in the Right Direction’

Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave an injury news update on Ricky Rubio’s rehab from the season-ending torn ACL he suffered last year, revealing that Rubio could come back in January.

“I would expect him, if things go the right way, sometime early next month,” Bickerstaff said. “So we’re definitely progressing in the right direction.”

Rubio was averaging a career-best 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 36.3 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc when he suffered the injury on Dec. 28. At the time, Rubio played a significant role in Cleveland’s massive turnaround to becoming a play-in tournament participant.

As a veteran point guard, Rubio helped Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen become All-Stars. The positive impact he had was so palpable that after he got traded to Indiana for Caris LeVert, Cleveland re-signed him over the summer to a three-year pact despite Rubio missing a chunk of time rehabbing his knee.

The post J.B. Bickerstaff: Ricky Rubio’s Torn ACL Rehab ‘Progressing in the Right Direction’ appeared first on SLAM.

REPORT: Toronto Looking at Big Return if They Trade Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby

The Toronto Raptors (16-21) have gotten off to a less-than-desirable start to the season and currently sit at 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Although they’re looking outside the playoff and play-in tournament picture, Toronto doesn’t seem likely to blow up the roster and start a rebuild. However, if Raptors president Masai Ujiri decides that tanking is the best long-term option, he could reportedly find a significant haul trading Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.

“Or maybe they go all in and consider trading Siakam and Anunoby for what would likely be massive returns of picks and young talent,” Sportsnet’s Michael Grange wrote. “‘A s—load’ was the ballpark estimate provided by one league insider.”

The Raptors could use that trade to help build a strong roster around reigning Rookie of the Year and SLAM 239 cover star Scottie Barnes.

Siakam is averaging 26.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Anunoby is averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc. Siakam is a solid second or third star that any team would like to pair with their superstar duo.

Anunoby has emerged as an intriguing trade candidate and is putting up borderline All-Star numbers as a two-way wing for the Raptors. Siakam and Anunoby have deals that go through the 2023-24 season, with Anunoby carrying a player option for the 2024-25 season.

Barnes is a cornerstone talent for Toronto, and shipping off veterans like Siakam and Anunoby would force Barnes into a more significant role. The Raptors have lost seven of their last 10 games and are 5-18 on the road. They’ve made the postseason in eight of the previous nine seasons and won an NBA title in the 2018-19 campaign.

A decision will likely be made soon as the trade deadline approaches, and Ujiri can’t go wrong with either choice.

The post REPORT: Toronto Looking at Big Return if They Trade Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby appeared first on SLAM.

REPORT: Toronto Marks Scottie Barnes As their Only Untouchable Player

REPORT: Toronto Marks Scottie Barnes As their Only Untouchable Player

The Toronto Raptors have supposedly significant SLAM 239 cover star Scottie Barnes as the only untouchable gamer on their lineup, according to Josh Lewenburg of TSN.

2022 The ruling Rookie of the Year is still adapting to ending up being a gamer on top of challengers searching reports, however his very first year in the League highlighted simply how brilliant his future might be in Toronto while the Raptors effort develops around him and pursue their 2nd title in franchise history.

The possibility of a Raptors restore is still establishing. On Tuesday afternoon, Toronto (11-23) sits 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re 1.5 video games back of the Bulls for the last play-in area, and if the season were to end now, it would be the 2nd time in 5 seasons that the Raptors missed out on the playoffs.

Toronto has a three-game homestand, beginning with back-to-back contests versus the Charlotte Hornets.

The post REPORT: Toronto Marks Scottie Barnes As their Only Untouchable Player appeared initially on SLAM.

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