This Is A Cool Tree Tribute

Shaq’s “Broken Rim Tree”, made from every hoop he has broken

(CavemanCircus.com)

A Rare Intelligent Business Decision

Nike, Under Armour, Adidas not interested in deal with Lonzo Ball

An endorsement deal with Nike, Under Armour or Adidas is not in the cards for Lonzo Ball.

Ball's father, LaVar, confirmed that the three shoe and apparel companies informed him they were not interested in completing a deal with his son. Sources with the three companies told ESPN.com that they indeed were moving on.

Never in the history of modern-day shoe endorsements have the big companies all stepped away from a potential top pick nearly two months before the NBA draft. But LaVar, who has been representing Lonzo in the deal, has offered something that has no precedent.

In his meetings with all three companies, LaVar insisted that they license his upstart Big Baller Brand from him, according to the companies. He also showed the companies a shoe prototype that he hoped would be Lonzo's first shoe.

"We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal," LaVar told ESPN. "We're looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they're not ready for that because they're not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn't ready for Uber, either."

(ESPN.com)

You Don't Mess With The Best

The epic Jordan-led summer pickup games on the set of 'Space Jam'

Michael Jordan was fresh off the sting of what would turn out to be the last playoff series loss of his career, to the Orlando Magic in the second round. Movie or no movie, he was determined to return to his place atop the NBA. So he ordered the construction of a tented hardwood basketball court on the Warner Bros. studio lot and laced up his Concords. Word got out, and an array of NBA players came through.

Besides the movie co-stars such as Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, there were the likes of Grant Hill, Rod Strickland, Glen Rice, Dennis Rodman, Juwan Howard, Steve Smith and Cedric Ceballos. Shaquille O'Neal came by. Magic Johnson, less than a year shy of his return to the NBA, made an appearance. Reggie Miller showed up for what turned into a clear-out-and-let-em-go-at-it game, with the trash talk flying.

"It was like an NBA all-star game every day," said Tracy Murray, who was coming off the third season of his 11-year pro career that summer.

Except it had regular-season intensity. So many players showed up that losing meant a two- or three-game wait to get back on the court. Veteran center Olden Polynice came by and made the mistake of thinking, "It's the summertime, they're going to be bulls----ing."

"Come to find out, they weren't bulls----ing," Polynice said.

Murray credits the cutthroat competition with priming him for a breakout season -- he made 116 more 3-pointers and his scoring average jumped by 11 points, setting him up for a nice free-agent contract that provided the bulk of the $22 million he made in his career.

For Jordan, it was the launchpad to the Bulls' record-setting 72-10 season, capped by a championship.

(ESPN.com)

And You Wonder Why Soccer Is The #1 Sport Worldwide

(CavemanCircus.com)

Today's NBA Fact

The 1990 East all stars are one of the greatest - if not the greatest all star team of all time - all 12 players are in the HOF and they’re the greatest or one of the greatest to play at their position

(CavemanCircus.com)

If You're Not Feeling Old Today, Here's Some Help

Famed 'Be Like Mike' Gatorade ad debuted 25 years ago

Aug. 8, 1991.

Twenty-five years ago, one of the most famous commercials of all time debuted: Gatorade's "Be Like Mike." Fans of a certain age are probably already hearing the jingle in their head. While the commercial is famous, the story of how the spot came to be isn't told as much. But it's just as good as the commercial itself.

Executives at Gatorade, then owned by Chicago-based Quaker Oats, were head-over-heels for good reason -- they'd just stolen their hometown star from Coca-Cola, fresh off his first championship. Quaker paid a hefty price to land Michael Jordan -- a 10-year, $13.5 million deal and the promise that he would be the beverage's only endorser.

(ESPN.com)

That's A Damn Good Question

Preps to pros: Was Kevin Garnett the best prospect to make NBA jump?

Future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett is reportedly contemplating retirement ahead of his 22nd season, according to NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner. The Big Ticket, who won an NBA championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics and league MVP honors in 2004 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is among the best prep-to-pro NBA players of all-time.

Drafted No. 5 overall by the T-Wolves in 1995 out of Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illi., KG went on to become one of the game’s most accomplished big men. His skills have diminished significantly at 40 years old with more than 50,000 regular season minutes on the odometer, but he’s one of the last remaining relics of stars drafted in the 1990s following the retirement of both Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. While Garnett’s decision to play another year seems up in the air at this juncture, his legacy has already been solidified.

(SI.com)

Why You Don't Mess With Coach K

Mic’d Up Coach K Gets Caught Telling Kyrie Irving ‘F*ck You’ For Interrupting Team USA Practice

During his short time at Duke, Kyrie Irving probably learned that it’s not a good idea to mess with Mike Krzyzewski’s practice sessions.

During yesterday’s Team USA practice, Kyrie decided to goof around and interrupted practice while Coach K was attempting to coach the team which led to Krzyzewski telling the Cavs superstar to fuck off.

Thankfully, the NBATV mics were on hand to pick up the hilarious exchange.

Video link (BroBible.com)

The Big Fundamental Calls It A Career

Spurs' immortal Tim Duncan retires without a whimper

Born in St. Croix and schooled at Wake Forest, Teemy—as he was adorably called by his French-born teammate Tony Parker—was not a man made for highlight reels and social media. He was, though, a man made for his city. San Antonio wrapped him in its no-nonsense arms and squeezed tight, especially after he refused a tempting free-agent offer to abscond to Orlando in 2000. It seems so logical now that the Alamo would trump Disney World, but not back then. Duncan had no Parker or Manu Ginóbili beside him, and his fellow twin tower David Robinson was getting long in the tooth.

But Duncan stayed, and four more championships (he won his first with the Admiral in 1999) followed. Though there was nothing remotely regal about his demeanor or, for that matter, his island wardrobe, Duncan’s championship record puts him in the company of kings. He trails (of course) 11-ringed Bill Russell (and a slew of other Celtics from their dynasty years) and, more relevantly, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan, both of whom have six. He retires with the same number of championships as worthies named Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, which seems about right.

It’s hard to argue that Duncan does not belong among the top 10 players of all time, his frontcourt versatility nonpareil. Feel free to join the protracted chat-room disquisitions on whether the 7-foot Duncan was a center or a power forward, but it comes down to this: He was both. He was not the first player to seamlessly blend the positions (Elvin Hayes and Bob McAdoo preceded him, and Kevin Garnett came along later), but Duncan is certainly the best combo four and five—call him a nine—that the league has ever seen.

(SI.com) 

You Tell Em' Kevin!

Kevin Durant on increased price of his shoes: ‘I’m not a $88 player’

Kevin Durant’s KD9 Nike shoe was released late in June, available to the public for $150. While it is $30 cheaper than the KD8 that came before it, the most recent version of Durant’s shoe is still far pricier than what it used to be.

Durant and Nike began selling the shoe at an affordable $88, and actually dropped the price down to $85 for the KD2 and KD3 releases. Then, the price began to climb, all the way to $180 for the KD8.

When asked about this in a recent press conference, Durant was pretty blunt.

“As humbly as I can say it, I’m not a $88 player,” Durant said. “I’m an elite player in the league. I wanted everything to be affordable, but I knew we had to sacrifice some stuff. I just wanted the fans of the brand and of the shoe to just stay patient with me. And stay patient with who I am as a player, and the level I was trying to go to.”

(SI.com)

This May Be A Trivia Answer 1 Day

The Highest Paid Player In NBA History Is Mike Conley. I Repeat, The Highest Paid Player In NBA History Is Mike Conley. 

Many of you may have clicked on this post because you thought that BroBible started doing satirical articles like The Onion, however, the headline is correct; the highest paid NBA player right now is Mike Conley. This went down after Conley wisely agreed to a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies that will pay him $153 million over the course of five years. The largest fucking contract in NBA history. Let that sink in. 

(BroBible.com)

A Feel Good Moment For Game 6

Craig Sager to join ESPN broadcast team for Game 6

Turner Sports reporter Craig Sager will get a chance to work his first NBA Finals, thanks to a unique partnership with ESPN.

Sager, a 34-year Turner veteran and popular TNT sideline reporter known for wearing flashy suits, has continued to work as he faces a recurrence of the leukemia he has been battling for the past few years.

He has never worked an NBA Finals series but will share sideline reporting duties with Doris Burke for Thursday's Game 6 in Cleveland between the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors (ABC, 9 p.m. ET).

(ESPN.com)

A Good Read If You Got A Few Minutes

The birth of the Warriors' death lineup

The crowd buzzes. The sideline scrambles. And the four gold-clad guys on the court, watching the whole frantic scene unfold, try not to laugh. “I love it,” Green says, a devilish smile creeping up his right cheek. “I relish it. I see Dre come in, and I’m like, ‘Here we go. Now it’s on.’” Rotations change, so Iguodala is not always the last one in. Sometimes it is Curry or Thompson or Green or Harrison Barnes. No matter the order, when those five reunite, they turn giddy, and their opposition antsy. Coaches desperately send wings to the scorer’s table, bigs to the bench. 

“There’s a panic,” Green says. “It’s like they’re thinking, ‘I have to get somebody out of there. I have to get somebody in there. I have to do something.’ The reactions we get are pretty funny.” The Warriors call their feared five the Small Lineup because no member stands taller than the 6'8" Barnes. The Internet terms them the Death Lineup because no foe survives their speed and spacing on one end, their strength and switching on the other. 

Traditionally, a team’s best lineup is the group that starts. The Warriors typically deploy their killer quintet to close, whether quarters, halves or games. They often call on it to negate an offensive-minded post player who can’t cover on the perimeter, or to match a stretch forward who won’t venture inside anyway. Golden State’s coaches compare their mighty-mite unit to a trump card and a turbo boost, to Mariano Rivera and Usain Bolt. They don’t like to use it for more than 15 minutes per game. That would be like pitching Rivera for three innings or making Bolt run a mile. Green and Barnes, tenacious as they are, can only wrestle behemoths for so long.

But those 15 minutes are a marvel. All the qualities that distinguish the Warriors are amplified: the fast breaks, the high screens, the split cuts, the penetration, the movement, the flow. Golden State’s rollicking five-piece band shot 53.5% from three-point range this season. It defended better than the tight-fisted Spurs. And it outscored opponents by 47.0 points per 100 possessions, the highest rating for a lineup with at least 100 minutes together since such figures were recorded. The next most productive group to log as many minutes this season was a Cleveland crew with plus-24.2 net points. You can argue the Dubs boast the best team ever—and the best lineup ever. 

(SI.com)

The Results Are Not Too Suprising

Why Basketball Runs in the Family 

A new WSJ study finds 48.8% of players are related to an elite athlete—that number is 17.5% for the NFL and 14.5% for MLB

(WallStreetJournal.com)

Did You Know - Russell Westbrook Edition

Everything you always wanted to know about Russell Westbrook but were afraid to ask

He's left-handed.

• Westbrook does everything with his left hand -- sign autographs, brush his teeth, throw a football -- except shoot a basketball.

He has a tell when he really doesn't like a question.

• Westbrook rarely -- rarely -- looks a reporter in the eye to answer a question. But if he doesn't like what you asked, he'll blink his eyes 2,000 miles per hour and make eye contact for a millisecond.

Complete list (ESPN.com)

A Good Read If You Got A Few Minutes

How Skylar Diggins is building a brand that transcends the WNBA

Diggins has a jock's cool disposition, so when she smiles, it's transformative, like a ray of light passing through stained glass. In person, she is disarmingly beautiful, with hooded eyes, Ginsu knife -- sharp cheekbones and the kind of lips people pay for in Beverly Hills.

None of this has anything to do with Skylar Diggins the athlete -- the 25-year-old point guard who was shooting 45 percent from 3-point range before tearing her ACL last year, the terrifying competitor who once told her alumni magazine: "I lead with fear, not love." But it is certainly relevant to Skylar Diggins the brand. Since signing with Jay Z's Roc Nation in 2013 -- she's the sports agency's only female client -- she has done deals with the likes of Nike and BodyArmor, posed in Vogue and Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue and twerked on MTV's Wild N' Out. She's an advertiser's dream, the kind of celebrity who tests off the charts on public opinion surveys. "She's relatable. She's cool. She's relevant," says Michael Yormark, the president of Roc Nation. "She's incredibly marketable."

(ESPN.com)

Maybe Lue Was The Right Choice To Lead

Report: Tyronn Lue Took Control Of The Cavs After He Told LeBron James To ‘Shut The F*ck Up’ In The Huddle

“They felt they were doing this for LeBron,” the person familiar with the internal workings of the team said, “instead of with LeBron.”

Lue changed that the moment he first told James in a huddle, “Shut the [expletive up]. I got this,” according to a person who heard the exchange — and a few others like it. If Lue was going to get the stars and the role players to buy into the strategic changes he was determined to implement — play faster, space the floor, move the ball, take full advantage of Love’s versatility — he was going to have to restore order first

(BroBible.com)

Why He's The Back To Back NBA MVP

(ESPN.com)

Who Knew There Was More To The Story

Allen Iverson's practice rant: What has been forgotten 14 years later

The other part few remember from the practice rant is the raw and lingering wound Iverson still suffered from the death of his best friend. Rahsaan Langeford was shot and killed seven months earlier, an event with which Iverson struggled to cope. All throughout the '01-'02 season, Langeford's death hung over Iverson, and just days before his interview, the murder trial for the man accused of killing Langeford began.

The 2014 documentary "Iverson" explores this dimension.

"Nobody looks at the whole comment Allen made," Scoop Jackson says in the film. "He was talking about his boy dying ... [The media] would not play that full track."

In truth, minutes after he jokes about practice, Iverson becomes more serious and vulnerable.

"I'm upset for one reason: 'Cause I'm in here. I lost. I lost my best friend. I lost him, and I lost this year. Everything is just going downhill for me, as far as just that. You know, as far as my life. And then I'm dealing with this. ... My best friend is dead. Dead. And we lost. And this is what I have to go through for the rest of the summer until the season is all over again."

(ESPN.com)

I Hope This Really Happens

President of basketball operations Jim Buss has said he'll step down after next season if he can't get the franchise headed in "the right direction." He has never wavered from that timeline, nor has his sister Jeanie Buss, the Lakers president, ever let up in holding him to it.

(ESPN.com)