#nba winner 2020

[the-merry-librarian]

King and the Dragonflies is a richly detailed, compelling and heartbreaking novel about a young Black boy’s life in a small Louisiana town as he grieves for his older brother and grapples with questions about his own identity. Believing that his brother Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly after his death, Kingston searches the banks of the bayou for Khalid, stumbling across his former best friend Sandy in the process—former because Khalid told him to end their friendship after overhearing a secret; that Sandy is gay, and he doesn’t want anyone thinking his little brother might be gay too. Now that Khalid is gone, King struggles with the prejudices of those around him and the prejudices that he’s learned, attempting to reconcile conflicting lessons about bigotry, race, sexuality, and masculinity.

Genre: Fiction, LGTBQIA+ (National Book award winner 2020)

Target Age Group:

Grades 3-7

Justification:

King and the Dragonflies caught my attention in several ways. I found it on two lists; the National Book Award list, and a list of commonly banned books in school districts. While I review it here to fulfil the LGBTQIA+ category of my project, I chose it for its award status and its status as a commonly banned book—and, unfortunately, as a queer person in the South, I can understand why certain parents believe the material is inappropriate or should be challenged.

Evaluation:

For this review, I will be evaluating setting, character, and theme. Kacen Callender’s description of setting is nothing short of exquisite, with sensual descriptions of the Louisiana swamp that sent me standing on the road next to King. From the very first page of Chapter 1: “I like to look for my brother […] on the long and hot and sweaty walk back from school, down the hard dirt road that weaves between the thorny bushes with their big fluffy leaves, and through the trees with their moss and vines, cicadas making their noise and birds whistling their tunes” (Callender 2020). Callender pours detail into descriptions of locations, marking plastic coverings on favorite chairs and the swell of noise in school libraries. A house with a dead son is a graveyard; the house of a beloved aunt is a church. The characters are just as richly detailed in appearance and in personality. Mikey Sanders, the older brother of King’s former best friend, is introduced as part of a group of other white boys, described with light hair “so pale it might as well be white too” (Callender p. 2, 2020). King’s friend Darrell is “shorter than everyone around but will beat anyone at basketball (and then laugh in their face when he’s won)” (Callender p. 19). As the novel goes on, characters reveal themselves to be flawed and realistic, as King’s father struggles to handle his own grief and the idea that his surviving son might be gay and King himself betrays his friends’ trust in an effort to keep himself and everyone around him safe. Though not all characters are likeable, they are believable, and in a way loveable for that. The theme here is complex and difficult to sum up in one or two thoughts. At its heart King and the Dragonflies is about intersectionality, about the different influences and struggles that a single person can deal with—being Black in a prejudiced white world, being gay in a community that frowns upon it, and processing grief on top of it all. A single sentence to summarize all of these ideas is challenging, and I think that might be the point: King isn’t just overcoming racism or homophobia or mourning. He is navigating identity and discovering strength in himself, in his family, and in his community. I read King and the Dragonflies in its digital version through Axis360, provided by my local library. I personally felt that the digital version didn’t suffer at all from digitization—in fact, it was much easier for me to read since I was able to access it more or less on demand. With a different book, perhaps one with illustrations, I might have struggled more, but I enjoyed the digital version of King. This was the last book I read before posting my reviews, and I think I’m still processing it. It’s bittersweet in a way I can’t identify, and Callender’s lush language and descriptions will follow me for quite some time. Though I don’t know whether younger readers would absorb the book as well, I would definitely recommend King for readers between nine and thirteen. Older readers and adults would likely enjoy it as well.

References:

Callender, K. (2020). King and the Dragonflies. Scholastic (US). King and the Dragonflies. The Scholastic Teacher Store. (2020). https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/king-and-the-dragonflies-9781338129335.html

[cant-get-no-worse]

I mean Messi and Ronaldo both won lots of ballon d'or young but wasn't it just because there wasn't any other good player around? like Messi was good, but not a young prodigy like Erling or Mbappé. He became very good after a few years though. Ronaldo too he was alright in United but only became really good at Real Madrid, meanwhile Erling for his first season at City broke every record and Mbappé is considered amongst the best while still in PSG. He won the world cup at 18 I mean!!

Why... are we having this debate, again? It makes it seem like I have a beef with these players when in fact I don't. Love Erling, like Kylian as persons. But buckle up because I won't stand for career revisionism of the two grandads, even Ronaldo, cause ain't no fucking way the football world held ten years of obsessional, insufferable rivalry for youngsters to barge in and say oh, actually, were they that good?

I don't know a whole lot about Ronaldo because I only followed him through the Clasicos/RM era. But he wasn't "alright" in United. He was, at 18, compared to G. Best, David Beckham, etc. Was already decisive in finals. Won his first Ballon d'Or there at 23. There's a reason his transfer to Real was costly and such a show; he was way more than "alright". As much as I despise the guy's guts — I liked him alright when he was younger, but the traits that irked me at that time that I could dismiss as youth are now still present and even worse as a grown ass man, and I can't stand it — he was a fantastic football player. Will of winning, his work ethic, his football. He was absolutely lethal to play against.

Messi, well. I won't ramble on it because you can find that anywhere, really. Before he reached 20 years old, he was considered amidst the world best players. At 18 years old, Maradona said of him he was "the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football". Ronaldinho (at the time ballon d'or winner and viewed as best player in the world) said he "wasn't even the best at Barcelona", refering to then 18 years old teammate Leo. He was seen as one of the key players carrying a failing Barcelona team while being fucking 18/20 years old or something. I haven't got words for him. Genuinely. He's a magician, a genius with the ball, he embodied football. At 18 just like as 25 or 33 he was making you shake your head in disbelief at the sheer insanity of his goals, assists or playmaking.

Both Messi and Ronaldo being 36/38 now kind of make new football fans think they're just those washed versions of themselves and overrated. I assure you. Those fanboys, medias, pundits, coaches and ex-players were not obnoxiously talking about them h/24 for nothing. 18 - 28 years old versions of Ronaldo and Messi would make an utter mockery of any current player in the world, and I'm weighting my words.

Those two hags both embody the exact meaning of young prodigy, and I'd say Messi even more so. Personal preference, I leave it up to people. The fact that they were considered as such before they won any international trophy such as the world cup as, as you pointed out, Mbappé won with the French NT at 18, answers your own question and tells you stricly everything you need to know. They were the best players in the world all seasons long, from when they were 18/20 to more than ten years. They were absolutely ridiculous. Hope we can enjoy such rivalry with Erling and Kylian, but it's not the same, since it's all about stats and awards now, football is taking airs of NBA. It's different. It's not style versus style. That 2007 - 2020 decade was wild, and as much as I dislike this saying, you just had to be there.

So yeah, they were that good. They were even better than that.

[rmbaloncesto]

Happy 25th birthday, Luka 🌟

5× NBA All-Star (2020–2024)

4× All-NBA First Team (2020–2023)

NBA Rookie of the Year (2019)

NBA All-Rookie First Team (2019)

FIBA World Cup Top Scorer (2023)

All-FIBA World Cup Team (2023)

Olympics All-Star Team (2020)

EuroBasket champion (2017)

All-EuroBasket Team (2017)

EuroLeague champion (2018)

EuroLeague MVP (2018)

EuroLeague Final Four MVP (2018)

All-EuroLeague First Team (2018)

2× EuroLeague Rising Star (2017, 2018)

EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team (2020)

3× Liga ACB champion (2015, 2016, 2018)

Liga ACB MVP (2018)

All-Liga ACB First Team (2018)

2× Spanish King's Cup winner (2016, 2017)

[cyarsk5230]

Opinion | Celebs who picked Tory Lanez over Megan Thee Stallion need a reckoning, too

More than seven months after hip-hop recording artist Tory Lanez was convicted in the 2020 shooting of hip-hop megastar and three-time Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion, a judge sentenced him Tuesday to 10 years in prison. In December, a Los Angeles jury found the Canadian-born Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, guilty of three felony counts: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.

T he 10 years Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford gave Lanez Tuesday was less than the 13 years requested by prosecutors.

On Monday, the first day of Lanez's sentencing hearing, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta read into the record a statement from Megan: “Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace,” she wrote. She also wrote, “Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back, but I will never be the same.” Megan testified during Lanez's trial but said in her statement that she eventually decided not to appear at the sentencing because she “simply could not bring myself to be in a room with Tory again.”

The 10-year sentence is an appropriate one. It sends a message that you can’t harm someone and not be held accountable. This is his Lanez's own doing, and now he will have about a decade to reckon with that.

Lanez’s sentencing is the latest development in one of the most contentious periods in hip-hop history, when many of the most notable men in the genre chose to rally around a fellow male artist accused of violence and not a fellow female artist who said she’d been shot by him.

What does it mean for Black women fans of hip-hop that, at the same time the 50th anniversary of the art form is being celebrated, one of hip-hop’s biggest stars continues to see hip-hop’s biggest influencers rally around her assailant, put her on virtual trial and find her guilty?

As a Black woman who remembers sneaking into my cousins David and Eric’s room as a kid to learn the lyrics to “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, I find it difficult to celebrate this golden anniversary. Because even though it’s turning 50, hip-hop doesn’t seem to have matured.

In his song “Circo Loco,” a collaboration with fellow rapper 21 Savage, Drake called Megan a liar. “This b---- lie about getting shot but she still a stallion … she don’t even get the joke but she still smiling,” Lanez’s fellow Canadian rapper sings. Drake was one of several prominent men in hip hop who accused her of lying. Hip-hop podcasters and bloggers, including Joe Budden and DJ Akademiks, used their large platforms to vilify her. (Budden later apologized for joking about Megan’s mental health as he doubted her claims of being shot by Lanez.)

Future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James went out of his way to let us to know he’s Team Lanez. Responding to a tweet that claimed Lanez makes good music, James responded, “FACTS!!! He never misses. That boy talented as hell man! Bangers for days!!”

Akademiks and Megan engaged in a heated exchange on social media. Before a scheduled pre-trial court hearing even began, Akademiks falsely claimed on Twitter that there’d been a bombshell revelation that exonerated Lanez. Megan tagged him when she responded on Instagram, “Y’all tryna win a social media campaign this is MY REAL LIFE! Y’all tryna get retweets SPREADING FALSE NARRATIVES!” As recently as last month, Akademiks said he still has his doubts that Lanez is guilty.

Black women are three times more likely than other women to be killed by current or former partners. Even if Black people don’t know that exact statistic, they likely know of Black women who’ve been hurt or killed by their partners. That’s why I never bought the idea that the hip-hop community believed Megan was lying about what she said happened to her at the hands of someone with whom she’d been intimate with.

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I figured the hip-hop artists dogging Meg knew she was telling the truth but succumbed to what can be an overwhelming sentiment that we must protect and defend Black men at all costs: even when Black women and Black children are the victims. I mean, isn’t that why so many refuse to stop supporting R. Kelly?

In my lifetime, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Black people overwhelmingly stand with Black women victims when their assailants are Black men. And that makes me sad.

That idea that protecting abusive men is more important than protecting or defending the abused makes it harder sometimes to rock to the beat. Because this isn’t hip-hop’s first account of intimate partner violence or men in hip-hop attacking women in general. There were stories in its earlier years — such as Dr. Dre’s 1991 assault of Dee Barnes, a journalist whose only crime was being a Black woman who was good at her job. According to media reports, Dr. Dre assaulted Barnes because she’d previously interviewed former NWA member Ice Cube and, in his segment, Cube had less than flattering remarks for his former bandmates. Instead of addressing Cube, Dre took his frustrations out on Barnes. Dr. Dre pleaded no contest to attacking Barnes and was given two years probation and some community service. “It ain’t no big thing. I just threw her through a door,” Dr. Dre said of Barnes then in an interview with Rolling Stone.

In 2015, the film “Straight Outta Compton” was rightly criticized for leaving out Dr. Dre’s attack on Barnes and the allegations of abuse from R&B singer Tairrie B and Dr. Dre’s former girlfriend, R&B singer Michel’le. That’s when Dr. Dre finally paid lip service to owning up to what he’d done. In a statement to The New York Times that year, he blamed alcoholism and said, “I apologize to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives.”

Such an apology was too little and almost a quarter-century too late. That’s why it was such an offense that in February, to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the Grammys honored Dr. Dre by presenting him its inaugural Global Impact Award. Not only that, the Grammys named that award for him. Barnes couldn’t believe it. She told Rolling Stone, “You might as well call it the Ike Turner Award.” She added, “I’m not the bad guy, but I am made into the villain — very much like how they did Megan Thee Stallion … I watched what happened to my little sister Megan, and it just was heartbreaking to me because we have not changed in all these years.”

L anez being sentenced at the same time as the genre’s golden anniversary is fitting. Instead of seeing his violence against a woman as a stain on the record or a blip on the radar, let us view Lanez’s attack on Megan and hip-hop’s support of him as yet another notch in hip-hop’s belt. This is what it wants to be.

Women have left an indelible mark on hip-hop. We should salute and applaud them. But we should also recognize that they’ve achieved what they have despite the sexist and patriarchal environments they’ve been in, environments that have so often been indifferent, if not openly hostile to their success, their safety and their survival.

What is hip-hop’s community going to do as it begins its next 50 years to ensure that women will be valued? What are the genre’s influencers going to do to change a culture in which abusers aren’t just protected but are too often celebrated?

Through its silence on behalf of those who’ve been abused and its open affirmation of abusers, hip-hop makes it clear that, to borrow from an infamous bar in Jay Z’s song “30 Something,” they don’t respect the ones who got shot; they respect the shooters.

I can still recite “It Takes Two” word-for-word. I still have fond memories of how hip-hop shaped my youth and young adulthood, but I don’t see the world with the idyllic eyes of a child anymore.

There are very few spaces where Black women are safe, and the horrible response to Lanez shooting Meg is proof that hip-hop, in all this time, still isn’t one of them.

This post is part of MSNBC’s “Hip-Hop Is Universal” series, which celebrates the genre’s 50th anniversary and examines its future.

This is why I’m still outraged for meg it could have been any other black woman, I never felt more unsafe. Fuck everyone who has no respect for black women and doesn’t protect them.

I don’t care if these famous people who stood by that sociopath have either apologized or kept their distance nor them being legendary their meat sucking a degenerate is their legacy . Fuck them for this for life, stand in your discomfort, if you don’t like being called out on this. You were a bunch of meat sucking sluts and I’m shaming you and at the same time demanding you to do better. Stand in it!

[f1]

Daniel Ricciardo's agent SLAMS critics who say ego is to blame for lack of an F1 suitor

Daniel Ricciardo’s manager SLAMS critics who say the Aussie’s ego is to blame for lack of F1 opportunities and declares he will be back: ‘His maturity and experience is a matched by few on the grid…he’s not done’ Daniel Ricciardo has declared he will not have a seat in the F1 for 2023 His manager Nick Thimm has slammed critics for blaming the Aussies ego as his career demise Thimm says Ricciardo is far from done, and will work for a 2024 driving return By Stirling Taylor For Daily Mail Australia Published: 00:32 EDT, 9 October 2022 | Updated: 00:32 EDT, 9 October 2022 Redundant F1 star Daniel Ricciardo may be trackside next year - but his manager Nick Thimm says he is 'not done yet', slamming the critics who have blamed the Aussie's ego for his up-in-the-air future.  Ricciardo has revealed he will not have a seat in the F1 for 2023, declining options at Haas and Williams teams.  Ricciardo's manager Nick Thimm has defended the F1 driver, saying his ego is not to blame for his career pause The 33-year-old has just qualified 11th for the Japanese Grand Prix in what could be one of his last races behind the wheel, as McLaren opted for young gun Oscar Piastri to fly their flag. Alpine confirmed their signing of French driver Pierre Gasly, while the Alpha Tauri crew announced the inking of Dutchman Nyck de Vries, meaning Ricciardo was dead out of positive contracts.  Many believe Ricciardo's days in the sport could be over, crediting his salary expectations as the demise of his opportunites. Daniel Ricciardo looks on after final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore - the Aussie was sacked by McLaren for the 2023 season Yet Thimm said that proposition couldn't be further from the truth.  'None of this is about ego, unachievable demands, or a sudden lack of opportunity,' the CAA agent posted on Twitter. 'This is about a man who was dealt a bad hand, now finding the right next opportunity. Uncovering a new project where he can work with a team that embraces his unique set of skills. Daniel’s maturity and experience is a matched by few on the grid; now more than ever. The honey badger will still be as close to the F1 grid as he can in 2023. He’s not done. And as we saw this season, anything can happen.' Ricciardo waves to the crowd during a drivers parade at the Japanese Grand Prix which takes place on Sunday afternoon  Thimm was named in Forbes' 2020 '30 under 30' sports list, where he negotiated more than $50million in sponsorship agreements for big names like Red Bull Racing and the NBA tycoon, Golden State Warriors.  Using an F1 points system, Ricciardo has been firmed the long-margin winner of the 2022 drivers engagement championship - which ranks engagements with the fans per race. While the reality is Ricciardo will sit out 2023, hopes are that the Aussie Grand Prix trailblazer will re-spark his career in 2024.  Ricciardo lives it up with Redbull in 2018 after winning the Monaco Grand Prix - celebrating with a vintage 'shoey' 'I think that there could be some better opportunities then, so that‘s really what all this confirms and now where the sights are set,' Ricciardo told reporters post Japanese qualifying.  Ricciardo says he is merely putting his career on 'pause' for a period after 227 career starts - the most out of any Australian driver in history. The eight-time Grand Prix winner was an F1 sensation with RedBull towards the start of his tenure, but found difficulty when moving to Renault.  The West Australian has no interest in signing as a replacement driver, which sparked speculation of a move to Mercedes earlier in the year.  Advertisement Share or comment on this article: Daniel Ricciardo's agent SLAMS critics who say ego is to blame for lack of an F1 suitor via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[96thdayofrage]

Black Americans Say Oprah-Endorsed Emmanuel Acho Doesn’t Speak For Us, He’s Being Positioned By Elites As New Race Leader

Emmanuel Acho has attracted media attention and a celebrity following as the host of the controversial YouTube series, “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man,” which focuses on racial issues.

His guests have included former President Barack Obama, Lil Wayne and actress-comedian Chelsea Handler. Oprah Winfrey called Acho a “dynamic” force in conversations about race and he has been praised by Jada Pinkett Smith, among others. Winfrey tapped Acho to be the first guest on her show, “The Oprah Conversation,” when it debuted on AppleTV in June 2020.

Acho’s show tackles such issues as mental health, defunding the police, police brutality and the national anthem protests.

A former linebacker for the NFL, Acho retired in 2015 and went to work at ESPN before moving to Fox Sports 1 as an analyst.

He was born in Dallas to Igbo immigrant parents, Dr. Sonny and Christie Acho from Isuikwuato, Nigeria, The Players Tribune reported.

A New York Times Bestselling author, Acho wrote the “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” before launching the YouTube series of the same name in 2020. The series has had more than 80 million views to date and is a 2021 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Short Form Non-fiction or Reality Series, according to the show’s website.

Despite Acho’s popularity, some Black Americans say he doesn’t represent them and that he’s being positioned as a new race leader by elites.

Acho’s recent tweet about track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson, who was banned from competing in the Olympics due to a failed marijuana drug test, earned him some less-than-favorable responses.

Acho has been accused in the past of obsessively bashing Richardson.

Richardson finished last in the recent 100-meter dash at the Prefontaine Classic. After the race, Richardson congratulated the winners but said people weren’t “done seeing her.”

Acho tweeted on Aug. 22, “You can’t tell people, ‘they gotta see me’ in a race and then be behind them the whole time. They literally can’t see you.”

Kiara @25kWatts tweeted back at Acho, “Does this mean Emmanuel Acho gave up the farce of speaking FOR Black Americans. He ain’t still pretending to be a buffer between Black America and white America, is he? Cause that post is straight up, nasty, mean-spirited, anti-Black American garbage”.

ADOS co-founder Yvette Carnell @BreakingBrown tweeted, “Acho‘s ‘getting comfortable’ agenda has netted him car commercials, a book deal, and a podcast. Race relations is not redress tho. Race relations is about making white people comfortable. Redress is about about making Black ppl whole.”

In 2020, Acho called out controversial Instagram posts by former Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher, who criticized NBA players after playoff games were postponed in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “On the 65 year anniversary of Emmitt Till’s murder. Allow me to educate Brian Urlacher, and anyone else still unaware, as to the depths of black people’s pain. Love yall” Acho tweeted.

AADL – ADOS Anti-Defamation League @ADOSADL called out Acho in return. “How arrogant and ignorant? @EmmanuelAcho deceives himself and others saying he understands the “depths” and the pain of Black American #ADOS when his people were some of our original oppressors. How can you explain a pain your people helped cause without justice or remorse?”

[seowob]

"You can't be afraid to fail. It's the only way you succeed - you're not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that." LeBron Raymone James March 26 2009

On december 30, 1984 in Akron Ohio U.S. one of the Greatest Basketball Player was born, and it was LeBron Raymone James

Notably the awards he had won in his career are :

NBA

4× NBA champion: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020

4× NBA Finals Most Valuable Player: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020

4× NBA Most Valuable Player: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013

20× NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

3× NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006, 2008, 2018

19× All-NBA selection:

13× First team: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020

3× Second team: 2005, 2007, 2021

3× Third team: 2019, 2022, 2023

6× NBA All-Defensive selection:

5× First Team: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Second Team: 2014

NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004

NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004

NBA scoring leader: 2008

NBA assists leader: 2020

3× NBA minutes leader: 2007, 2017, 2018

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: 2017

NBA Cup winner: 2023

NBA Cup Most Valuable Player: 2023

United States National Team

Cited from USA Basketball's LeBron James page unless noted otherwise.[2]

3× Olympic medalist:

2× Gold: 2008, 2012

Bronze: 2004

FIBA World Cup medalist:

Bronze: 2006

FIBA AmeriCup medalist:

Gold: 2007

USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year: 2012,[3] 2008 (as a part of the 2008 Olympic Team)

High school

National Basketball champion: 2003

3× State champion: 2000, 2001, 2003

2× Gatorade National Player of the Year: 2002, 2003

2× Mr. Basketball USA: 2002, 2003

2× USA Today High School Player of the Year: 2002, 2003

3× Ohio Mr. Basketball: 2001, 2002, 2003

3× USA Today All-USA First Team: 2001, 2002, 2003

2× PARADE High School Player of the Year: 2002, 2003

2× First-team Parade All-American: 2002, 2003

Second-team Parade All-American: 2001

Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year: 2003

Naismith Prep Player of the Year: 2003[5]

McDonald's National Player of the Year: 2003[6]

McDonald's High School All-American: 2003[7]

McDonald's Slam Dunk Contest (Powerade Jam Fest): 2003[8]

McDonald's All-American Game MVP: 2003

EA Sports Roundball Classic MVP: 2003[9]

Jordan Brand Capital Classic MVP: 2003[9]

Morgan Wootten National Player of the

Year: 2003

Other

Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year: 2012,[10] 2016

Sporting News Athlete of the Year: 2012[11]

Sporting News NBA MVP: 2006[12]

Sporting News Rookie of the Year: 2004[13]

Sports Illustrated NBA All-Decade First Team: 2000–2009[14]

7× Best NBA Player ESPY Award: 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018[15][16][17]

3× Best Male Athlete ESPY Award: 2012, 2013, 2016[17]

Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award: 2004[18]

4× Best Championship Performance ESPY Award: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016[17]

6× BET Sportsman of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013[19][20][21][22][23]

3× Associated Press Athlete of the Year: 2013, 2016, 2018

2× Hickok Belt: 2012, 2013

Jackie Robinson Sports Award: 2017[24]

These may seem alot but the lists goes on and on, Lebron is ranked top 2 on "75 NBA players of all time just behind jordan, but lets talk about where this all started.

A young LeBron James was locally known as a basketball prodigy ever since in elementary school, he was named Ohio's Mr. Baskrtball (hs player of the year) three times while leading Akrons St. Vincent Mary High School to three state championships in his four years on the team. He was a national media sensation in his young year after showing up on Sports Illustrated where he was named by the magazine as "The Chosen One." In 2003 he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall in 2003 NBA draft, and he would sign a $90 million contract with Nike shoe company. As he started in Cleveland Caveliers alot of pressure went on by him, but he didnt get affected by it and he lead the team in scoring, steals and minutes played over 2003-04 season, and winning ROTY (rookie of the year) In 2004-2005 he became a starting forward on the Eastern Conference All Star Team, in 2006-2007 LeBron James led Cleveland to the NBA finals, the cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs but James postswason led many observers to place him in the very best players in the league. He held the NBA in scoring in 2007-2008 season and earned first team ALL NBA honours, in 2008-2009 he achieved the leagues MVP following the season he averaged nearly 30PPG and named MVP again. In 2009-2010 he went to the Miami Heat which had D Wade and Bosh, he helped miami reach the finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks, in 2011-2012 he averaged 27.1 PPG and won his third mvp, this time he defeated OKC Thunder and won the championship and reigned as the finals MVP, in 2012-2013 he averaged 26.8 PPG, 7.3 APG and a career high 8 RPG while posting .565 field goal percentage. The heat went in the finals again, Lebron rematching with the spurs but they lost again in the five game series. In 2014 he went back to the cavs and faced the greatest threats at his time, the Golden State Warriors, theyre dynasty was starting with the players, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins, LeBron averaged 35.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG and 8.8 APG but managed to lose to the Dynasty. In 2015-16 in the finals, Cleveland and Warriors face again, Warriors needed one win left to win the championship since it was 3-1 but LeBron overturned it and made it 3-4 Lebron won the championship. After doing that LeBron currently staying in the Los Angeles Lakers, he won another championship.

[luke7277]

NBA Play-ins

As the NBA regular season comes to an end there's a lot of drama happening around the teams that are in the play-offs. With the NBA introducing the Play-in tournament in the 2020-2021 season. There have been teams that make the playoffs that were originally at the 10th seed in their division. 

With the play-in tournament the 7th-10th seed from both the East and West get a chance at making the playoffs. So if you are between the 1st and the 6th seed you are in the playoff and don’t have to play in the play-in tournament. This all started because usually the seed between the 7th and 10th were always close and can go either way. So this gives them a chance to make it to the playoffs. In the East this year the 7th-10th teams are pretty close, they are within 8 games of each other, but in the West they are within 1 games of each other. 

This year the Miami Heat and the 76ers are playing in the play-in tournament. The 76ers are the 7th seed and Heat are the 8th seed, they are both good teams. The winner of that game will go into the playoffs as the 7th seed, but the loser gets one more chance and they will play the winner of the 9th and 10th seed game. Whoever wins in that game will go into the playoffs as the 8th seed. Since the NBA introduced this new tournament it makes the Playoffs an even more exciting experience because these games are usually a back and forth game. 

[wagerhome-blog]

NASCAR Cup Series Championship

It began nine months ago with “The Great American Race” - the Daytona 500. The NASCAR Cup Series concludes this coming Sunday with the most important race of year, the Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. At least it’s the most important race of the year for four of the drivers. But you do not need to be one of the four drivers racing for the championship to win this race. But it has worked out that way in each of the last three years that this has been the final and deciding race. In 2020 Chase Elliott won this race, and the Championship. In 2021 Kyle Larson did the double. Last year it was Joey Logano.

Odds to Win Cup Series Championship

- Kyle Larson (+150) - William Byron (+250) - Ryan Blaney (+250) - Christopher Bell (+300) The last three weeks for Ryan Blaney has been on quite the ride. He was disqualified three races ago in Las Vegas, dropping him well below the cutoff line for the Championship 4. But then the qualification was overturned, he finished as the runner-up at Miami two races ago, and he won at Martinsville in this race to punch his ticket to the final. Blaney finished last season in eight place, and has a Cup Series-high finish of seventh in 2021. William Byron was the other new qualifier at Martinsville, advancing as the highest ranked non-winner. He was the Cup Series sixth place finisher in 2022, his personal best finish. Denny Hamlin led for 156 laps, but his third place finish left him six points behind Byron, and out of the Championship 4. When Hamlin won here in 2019 it was not yet the final race of the season, and he did not win the Championship. Kyle Larson is the favorite to emerge from next Sunday. He qualified for the Championship 4 with a win at Las Vegas in the Round of 8 opener. In the last three seasons, beginning with his championship-winning run in 2021, Larson has won 17 races and he has 57 top-five finishes. He finished fourth at Phoenix Raceway earlier this season.

Christopher Bell won at Homestead, putting him into the Championship 4. He finished the season in third place last year with three race wins. This season he has just two wins, but he’s been in the top-10 a total of 19 times, including the race at Phoenix in March.

Pay Per Head Software

One final weekend of NASCAR betting, as well as betting on the World Series. But full weekends of NFL and college football, and a full season of the NBA and NHL are still to come. It’s a lot for a single independent bookmaker to keep track of. But with a top pay per head software provider lending a hand, it’s the most profitable time of the year.  With WagerHome.com you get a fully customizable website, access to WagerHome’s huge menu of sports and betting options, plus EZ Live betting. See a demo today at WagerHome.com and get your first four weeks of membership absolutely free. Read the full article

[ledenews]

The Basketball Tournament (TBT) Releases Field and Matchups for 2023 West Virginia Regional

Region Hosted by West Virginia Alumni Team Best Virginia Also Features Alumni Teams from Marshall, Georgetown, Pitt, and VCU The Basketball Tournament (TBT) – the $1 million, winner-take-all summer basketball event broadcast live on ESPN networks – today announced the bracket for this year’s tournament. Best Virginia, the West Virginia alumni team, will serve as the featured team for one of TBT’s eight regionals, and compete against seven other teams for the chance to advance closer to TBT’s $1 million prize. The games, which will take place July 25-29, will be played at WesBanco Arena. TBT will also host a quarterfinals game at WesBanco, which will be played July 30. Best Virginia, the number one seed in the West Virginia Regional, is organized by former West Virginia standouts John Flowers and Kevin Jones. The team will once again be coached by former West Virginia guard James Long. The Best Virginia roster currently includes: - John Flowers (2007-11) - Kevin Jones (2008-12) - Jaysean Paige (2014-16) - Nathan Adrian (2013-17) - Teyvon Myers (2015-17) - Kedrian Johnson (2020-23) - Jamel Morris (Glenville State/Fairmont State) The rest of the region includes: - #2 seed Sideline Cancer: A longtime TBT team looking to create awareness around pancreatic cancer, their roster is loaded with talent like Marcus Keene, Tyrese Rice, and former NBA player Dominique Jones. - #3 seed Challenge ALS Florida: A merger between TBT teams Challenge ALS and Florida TNT brings together two teams with a rich history of success in TBT. Former NBA point guard Darren Collison serves as the head coach. - #4 seed Herd That (Marshall alumni):. Former teammates and Marshall’s two all-time leading scorers, Taevion Kinsey and Jon Elmore, reunite on a roster that also includes Jarrod West, Stevie Browning, James Kelly, Ryan Taylor, among others. - #5 seed Zoo Crew (Pitt alumni): The University of Pittsburgh alumni team includes Nelly Cummings, Nike Sibande, and Greg Elliott, who this past season led the Panthers to their first NCAA Tournament since 2016. - #6 seed Dawg Town (Georgetown alumni): A first year TBT participant, the Georgetown alumni team includes program legends and former NBA players Chris Wright and Henry Sims. - #7 seed Ram Nation (VCU Alumni): Returning to TBT for the first time since 2019, VCU’s alumni team features players from different eras, like Juvonte Reddic, Marcus Santos-Silva, and Deriante Jenkins. - #8 seed Dubois Dream: Dubois Dream secured their spot in the West Virginia Regional via buy-in. Best Virginia will take on the #8 seed Dubois Dream in the team’s first-round game on Tuesday, July 25 at 7 pm ET. If The Ville advances to the second round, they will face the winner of #4 seed Herd That and #5 seed Zoo Crew on Thursday, July 27 at 7 pm ET CONFIRM GAME TIME. The West Virginia Regional championship game will be Saturday, July 29 at 2 pm ET. The West Virginia regional winner will take on the Syracuse Regional winner in TBT’s quarterfinals game at WesBanco Arena on Monday, July 30 at 4 pm ET. The winner of that game will advance to TBT’s semifinals in Philadelphia on Wednesday, August 2, and the $1M winner-take-all championship game will also be in Philadelphia on Thursday, August 3. For more information on the West Virginia Regional or to purchase tickets, visit TheTournament.com/WestVirginia. Read the full article

[best2daynews]

Elam Ending, explained: NBA All-Star Game target scoring and rules - news today

The NBA All-Star Game adopted its own version of the “Elam Ending” starting in 2020, and has stuck with the format ever since. With the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah featuring Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis, the winner will again be decided by a target score and not a running clock during the fourth quarter. Here’s how the NBA’s version of the Elam Ending works for the 2023…

[fabianocolucci]

Now that Karim Benzema has been awarded the 2022 Ballon d'Or, I wanted to point out that his victory marks the very first time a Ballon d'Or winner from 2000 onwards has not played in the 2006 World Cup. That is a rather remarkable streak, considering that we are talking about a World Cup who took place 16 years ago.

Of course, the fact that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated it for more than a decade helped this streak stay afloat. I compare it to how, between 1984 and 2020, every NBA Final had at least one player who had been a teammate of Shaquille O'Neal at some point in his career, but it makes sense that, in the last portion, the streak was carried on thanks to LeBron James (who has briefly played with Shaq) making it to so many finals.

Indeed, when Modric won in 2018, he broke a 10 year streak of consecutive wins between Messi and Ronaldo, but he too was a young talented player in 2006, being featured in the last minutes of two games for Croatia.

And while many do believe that this streak could have ended in 2020 had the Ballon d'Or been awarded, now it is officially over.

Even if we extend it to the Top 3 (because the streak starts with 2000 only because 1999 winner Rivaldo wasn't there in Germany, but Ronaldo and Zidane, who had won it in '97 and '98, were there), this is the first time since 1995 to not see one player from Germany 2006 among the 3 best players of the year.

That says a lot about how elgendary that World Cup was. So many stars were featured there that they influenced and dominated the football scene for almost 3 decades, even now that the last stars left are on the twilight of their careers.

[joomlagreys]

Sports head basketball legends

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If you are looking for free games for school and office, then our Unblocked. In fact, there are not many specific tweaks and strategies required to operate this game. Play now a popular and interesting Basketball Legends 2020 unblocked games. After each round, the results will be saved, helping the follower see the results when completing the task. If you want to turn on/off sound or resume, you can pause and sound the icon on the right top.īasketball Legends is a game that does not discriminate against players based on their age, gender, or skill level.By practicing in the demo, you may enhance your gameplay.As a result, you'll be able to enter the ring swiftly and with a high score. To pass the rounds, you must maneuver the ball into the right place and aim for the ball to fall into the basket.In addition, you can also join your friends or family to participate in the tournament and take home the overall victory. To gather enough, you must adhere to the game's rules, be fast, and aim for the precise ball location. The player with most points within the given time wins the game. When you have a sufficient number of balls, you will get a super shot, which will assist you in scoring the highest possible score. Sports Heads Basketball is a sports game that allows you to play a league and 2 players. Always ensure the correct technique and try to get high scores, collect gifts to have an advantage. To become a winner, you need to hit the ball past your opponent and score as many points as you can. This is how you achieve your goal of being the greatest player on the field. Also, pay attention to the top of the screen's super shot bar once it's completely filled, you may utilize the special ball from anywhere on the field. Using these prices and our collection tracker, you can keep track of how much your Basketball Card collection is worth. You can see historic prices for every Card so you know which Basketball Cards are increasing in price and which are dropping. To win, you use the mouse cursor to perform actions.Keep a calm demeanor while playing, and you'll be able to take down your opponents. Our Basketball Card pricing algorithm then determines the value for each Card for each grade. You may join a team or participate in a gaming challenge. Move your basketball head with the arrow keys, and press space to swing your hand. Otherwise, you can improve your skills when you take part in tournaments.īasketball Legends is a fun basketball game that may be played by two or more people. When playing this game, you can earn a bonus by selecting the quick match option if you want. Besides you can play with two players or against the computer. As multiplayer, you can play as 2 players with. Focused on providing a great user experience, we're constantly trying to create and improve games that you can play on the web without downloading. Basketball legends in 2021 year is among the top 10 of the most popular games in the internet gaming world. This game can help you have a lot of fun and relaxing time. In February, Huggins was named a finalist once again.Basketball Legends is one of the top 11 most popular games in the world. Huggins, along with all-time players, coaches and officials from the NBA, NCAA and international play have been voted on to determine the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 the 68-year-old made it to the final stages for the class of 2021 before being left off the list. He is the second in all-time coaching wins at WVU, with 326 wins. Huggins returned to his alma mater in 2007, taking the Mountaineers to their second Final Four in school history in 2010. Huggins has won 916 career games spanning five coaching tenures at Walsh College, Akron, Cincinnati, Kansas State, and West Virginia. Thorn played his time for the Mountaineers from 1961-63 scoring 1,785 points. West played at West Virginia from 1958-60, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer. Both West and Thorn are WVU basketball legends as the two have the No. Huggins’ selected presenters, West and Thorn, both have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame announced the presenters for the inductees on Monday afternoon. 10, the current WVU men’s basketball head coach will be presented by Jerry West and Rod Thorn, two West Virginia legends. There are some power shoots in the sports game. During Bob Huggins long awaited Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame induction on Sept. The big head basketball legends 2020 is based on one of the famous sports of the wild, that is, basketball.

[maskframe2]

Proved Tough For These Owners In This Summer Time - Sports

Kelly is a highly regarded younger player who had been selected in the 1st round for the Red Sox in 2008. Boston awarded Kelly $3 million, that has been a franchise record during the time. In 1998 NBA selection he awarded the NBA's Sixth guy of the season . They played hard, but they had been swept quickly by Golden State in 4 games to make the Warriors the NBA Champs. Assists the first individual in history in order to make his teammates and his co-operation be excellent, and his scoring ability and conditioning in the face of his strong might to win, also seems not crucial. The Wiz, the Lions plus the LG Twins all had an opportunity to finish initially. The club guaranteed a top four finish for the first time because the deviation of Ferguson. They added a set of works when you look at the top seventh to open up a comfortable 10-4 lead. The Bears will likely to be playing within their seventh consecutive postseason and certainly will now attempt to become the very first club to appear in seven Korean Series in a-row. The United states skipper had twelve months left on his contract, but after lacking the postseason in his first two years, he was shown the door. In the event that two groups are all deadlocked through nine innings, they will use until the winner is set. SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- The offseason for non-playoff groups in South Korean baseball is barely under means, and one of those five teams caught outside looking in has let go of its supervisor. The true harm can be achieved with teams putting within their “B” bullpen set for mop-up duty. No other game with no other gaming team has seen the success Phone of Duty has actually observed in such a short length of time. He averaged 14.6 things, 6.2 helps and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games with 25 begins before his period had been cut quick due to surgery to correct torn cartilage in his leg. You can also live flow games from a few of your favourite leagues all over the world. Important aspects of the body's immune response called memory B cells continue steadily to evolve and obtain stronger for at the very least many months, creating extremely powerful antibodies that can neutralize brand-new variations for the virus. MLB. In 2019, he put 180 1/3 turns in 29 starts, offering a time of 2.55. In 2020 and 2021, his ERA slips only over 3.00, but he still tends to make at the least 28 starts and throws over 170 in each promotion. https://mt-police24.com/ , in 4th place ahead of Saturday, had secured at the least a spot in the great outdoors card online game, but the Landers could still snatch the 4th seed with a victory. He had been quickly considered among the top leads within the game, appearing in the American Baseball Top 100 for four successive months from 2010 to 2013 therefore the title trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez towards the Red Sox. The Lions tacked on a run into the top ninth en route to a breezy triumph. Therefore the KT Wiz and also the Samsung Lions goes at it for starters last time on Sunday. The KBO said data from the tiebreaker game will not count toward regular season totals. Following summary associated with 2021 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season on Saturday, the Wiz and the Lions were tied for the greatest record in the league at 76-59-9 (wins-losses-ties). Job protection for industry supervisors into the KBO is difficult to anticipate, regardless of their agreement situation, because of an original dynamic involving the forward office and the corporate owners. A season that the front office may consider adequate may possibly not be viewed in identical light because of the professionals at the mother or father business just who oversee financial decisions. 3rd and fourth destination, Valencia and Villareal correspondingly, experienced the same scenario on the weekend: the point-difference between them ended up being increased. Four key players, including beginning 2nd baseman Park Min-woo and third baseman Park Sok-min, had been suspended for the whole last half associated with period after violating COVID-19 protocols. They only missed the ultimate playoff area by a half online game, leaving many to question exactly what could have been if the Landers had their particular pitching staff undamaged. The Landers' Kim Won-hyong handled the club to sixth devote their very first 12 months, despite dropping three beginning pitchers to accidents in the first 1 / 2 of the growing season. Fast and powerful with great fingers and eyesight, he will undoubtedly possess chance to be an Olympic champ in February before bidding for a first Stanley Cup.

[thesportsbay]

NBA playoffs: Winner takes all as Miami Heat battle Boston Celtics on Monday

The Heat, who last won the NBA crown in 2013, are seeking a second finals in three years, having lost to Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, while the Celtics are looking for their first success since 2008 and finals since 2010.

The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 111-103 in the Eastern Conference finals, sending the series to a decider. Jimmy Butler scored 47 points, a career playoff high, to send the series to a decider. In the early hours of Monday, a winner-takes-all tie will be played in Miami (01:30 BST). The game was tied at 99-99 with two minutes left until Butler’s three-pointer and three P.J. Tucker…

[junker-town]

NBA Finals 2022: Full schedule, start times as Warriors return to title round

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Here’s the full schedule for the 2022 NBA Finals.

The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years. Kevin Durant is in Brooklyn, and Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson are now each firmly entrenched in their 30s, but Golden State is again on the precipice of a championship.

After defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors are now set to host Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 2. They will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

The Warriors were inevitable at their peak, but their run to the NBA Finals this year wasn’t expected. Six teams were projected to win more games than Golden State by oddsmakers before the season, and two more were pegged with the same regular season win total. It made sense to doubt the Warriors given how bad they had been the last two seasons. In 2019-2020, the Warriors finished with the second worst record in the NBA as Thompson missed the season with a torn ACL and Curry was limited to only five games with a broken hand. The Warriors were better last season at 39-33 overall, but they still missed the playoffs after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament as Thompson recovered from a torn Achilles.

Thompson finally returned this season, but the team around him, Curry, and Green had changed significantly since their last Finals run. Durant’s departure was the headline move, but the Warriors also needed to replenish the depth from their glory years. Golden State had three lottery picks in the NBA Draft over the last two seasons, but it was a player taken at No. 28 overall in 2019 that provided the talent boost the organization needed. Jordan Poole is another electric perimeter scorer with great speed and deep shooting range, and he’s been a natural fit into the Warriors’ system.

Golden State’s other big move was adding Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors had originally acquired and re-signed D’Angelo Russell in Kevin Durant’s move to the Nets, and then traded Russell for Wiggins and the first round pick that became Jonathan Kuminga halfway through the next season. The Wiggins trade now looks like an act of genius by the Warriors front office after his length and athleticism flustered Luka Doncic in the West Finals.

Veteran free agents like Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, and Nemanja Bjelica also helped the Warriors get back to their signature style of constant motion and ball movement. The team also deserves credit for developing Kevon Looney into a valuable big man after taking him No. 30 overall in 2015.

The Warriors only finished No. 16 in offensive efficiency this year as Curry, Green, and Thompson each missed significant time with injuries, but their No. 2 overall defense kept them afloat. Golden State’s offense has again been incredible in the playoffs, putting up a 116.1 offensive rating that only would have trailed the Utah Jazz by a tenth of a point for the league’s top mark.

With Steve Kerr’s steady hand again guiding the ship, Golden State is back where it belongs in the NBA Finals. Here’s the full schedule for the 2022 NBA Finals:

2022 NBA Finals schedule: Dates, TV times for every Warriors game

Game 1: Thursday, June 2: Miami/Boston at Golden State, 9 ET, ABC

Game 2: Sunday, June 5: Miami/Boston at Golden State, 8 ET, ABC

Game 3: Wednesday, June 8: Golden State at Miami/Boston, 9 ET, ABC

Game 4: Friday, June 10: Golden State at Miami/Boston, 9 ET, ABC

Game 5: Monday, June 13: Miami/Boston at Golden State, 9 ET, ABC (If necessary)

Game 6: Thursday, June 16: Golden State at Miami/Boston, 9 ET, ABC (If necessary)

Game 7: Sunday, June 19: Miami/Boston at Golden State, 8 ET, ABC (If necessary)

2022 NBA Finals predictions on Finals MVP and more

We’ll give you some NBA Finals predictions right now:

The Warriors will face the Boston Celtics

The Warriors will win the NBA Finals in six games

Stephen Curry will win his first NBA Finals MVP award