Tag: NBA
A Hollywood Ending
NBA journalist Yaron Weitzman lays out the high stakes drama happening inside the Lakers' organization as they try to juggle the warring priorities between LeBron James and the Buss family. When LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, it looked like a match made in heaven. Here was the preeminent athlete of his generation, fresh off ending Cleveland’s 50-year title drought and in need of a new challenge to help further burnish his legacy, joining forces with one of the most iconic teams in all of sports. And here were the Lakers, in the midst of their worst stretch in franchise history and reeling from the death of the legendary owner Dr. Jerry Buss, in need of a savior. The script wrote itself. A little over two years later, LeBron and Dr. Buss' daughter, Jeanie, were standing shoulder to shoulder, hoisting the NBA finals trophy into the air. Having won their record-tying 17th NBA title, the Lakers had reclaimed their accustomed perch on top of the basketball world. It looked to be the birth of a new dynasty. But this was a new Lakers’ franchise, one beset by infighting and years removed from Kobe's prime. And this was LeBron James, the catalyst of the “player empowerment” era, an athlete chasing things greater than Michael Jordan’s ghost. The two parties were too big to peacefully coexist under one roof. The 2020 title would represent the pinnacle of their pairing, and the beginning of a precipitous decline. Drawing from over 250 interviews, Yaron Weitzman takes readers on a riveting, behind the scenes journey of this fraught partnership. From the Succession-like power struggle between the Buss children, to the rise of LeBron’s landscape-altering talent agency and its attempts to assert its own power within the Lakers’ walls, to the evolution of LeBron’s priorities and political voice, “A Hollywood Ending” is the definitive story of an American icon’s final years on stage, one portraying him, a fabled NBA franchise, and the world of modern professional sports in a light never seen before.
What I'm Most Excited to Watch for All 30 NBA Teams This Season
The upcoming NBA regular season has the potential to be one of the more exciting ever. It's wild to think how many teams were incentivized to lose in the past. I watched too many Washington Wizards games last season with Anthony Gill playing heavy minutes at center. But it's a new day. Teams that finish in the bottom three are now most likely to get the 10th, 11th, and 12th overall picks. Since there is little benefit to losing, we are in store for one of the more competitive and enjoyable regular seasons of our lifetime. So here is what I'm most excited to watch for each team.
Pook-Emu Bee: Links For 08-13-26
I was working late into the night (unfortunately not on articles), but I am back for another Pook-Emu Bee link (one away from Sunday-Friday perfection before we yield the floor on Saturday for The Newsletter Leaf Journal). [caption id="attachment_6926" align="aligncenter" width="862"] I use SLS-free toothpaste because of canker sores. I also want toothpaste with fluoride....
Summer League Stats You Can Trust: 2026 Edition
What the 2026 NBA draft class actually showed us in Vegas
Fortunate NBA Champions (2001-2016)
Writing for The Pudding, Russell Samora recently put together a list of the "most ethical" NBA champions, wherein he used a formula (with many entertaining graphs) to determine, going back to 2001, which NBA champions benefited the least and most from missed games against their playoff rivals. I followed the NBA closely for most of...
The Real Reason(s) Jaylen Brown Got Traded
The analytics never changed. The math around them did.
Kylan Boswell, The Hornets' New Problem Solver
Why Charlotte's two-way signing could grow into a real rotation guard
Pook-Emu Bee: Links For 06-18-26
I missed Pook-Emu Bee links yesterday and am late today, but we can hardly let a backlog grow... so let us link today. [caption id="attachment_6010" align="aligncenter" width="975"] A black Cybertruck seen parked in Brooklyn Heights. I took this photo on June 18, 2026.[/caption] 1. Peeved NYC students, teachers, parents beg mayor to cancel school for...
Pook-Emu Bee: Links For 06-08-26
Wherein I managed to successfully publish my "daily" Pook-Emu Bee links for a second consecutive day (what a twist!). [caption id="attachment_5640" align="aligncenter" width="1008"] I took this photograph on the morning of June 8, 2026, on 3rd Avenue and 2nd Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn. I'm not 100% sure what is up with the random statue on...
Pook-Emu Bee: Links For 05-28-26
I have more work ahead of me today. But once again, I refuse to let work stand between me and another edition of our regularly scheduled Pook-Emu Bee links. 1. Can an ESPN analyst revive the Scripps Spelling Bee? (Molly Liebergall for Morning Brew. May 28, 2026.) The premise presupposes that the spelling bee needs...
Hvorfor Team USA ble utspilt i basketball-VM
Hint: det er ikke fordi de sendte B-laget.
e539 — Wikipedia is 25!
Michael R interviews Ian Hughes to discuss recent changes at Meta, Apple, and Wikipedia. They explore how large company layoffs can create opportunities for startups and highlight innovative uses for VR following Meta's shift towards wearables. The discussion also covers older games, Apple's Creator Studio, and Wikipedia's 25th anniversary.
The Wonder Boy
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon examines the pressure of building around a prodigy in the NBA, through the prism of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić. The Wonder Boy chronicles Dončić’s journey from the most hyped European teen prospect in basketball history to a generational NBA star — and all the madness that ensues as the Mavericks attempt to avoid blowing the golden opportunity of having a young, perennial MVP candidate as the franchise centerpiece. The book digs behind the scenes of the drama and dysfunction in Dallas during the early years of Dončić’s career, when owner Mark Cuban’s front office focused as much on internal power struggles as actually improving the basketball team. And it covers the new regime’s effort to earn Dončić’s loyalty, which requires putting the ruthless competitor in position to win. Readers will learn never-before-reported details about the blockbuster deal for Kristaps Porzingis that blew up in the Mavs’ faces, the divorces with coach Rick Carlisle and GM Donnie Nelson, the series of mistakes that led to Jalen Brunson leaving after a run to the Western Conference finals, the new pairing with mercurial Kyrie Irving, roster moves that could have been made and much more. As the clock ticks on the Mavs’ search for a co-star, The Wonder Boy dives into how the Mavericks have handled a dilemma every NBA team would love to have.
Above the Noise
From one of the most outspoken and respected NBA athletes comes a groundbreaking and remarkable memoir chronicling a very public struggle with depression, in the hopes that other young men will not suffer alone. "As men, and especially Black men, we don’t talk about our mental health enough. We struggle to admit when things aren’t okay, even when it’s obvious to everybody around us. I’ve seen how toxic that can become. I’ve experienced it myself, keeping everything under wraps until your head and heart are full of fire and rage.” DeMar DeRozan, six-time NBA All-Star, has been called a “basketball savant” (ESPN) and “the best closer in the NBA” (GQ) — but when he went public with his depression, it sparked a conversation that reached far beyond the court. By breaking the stigma of speaking out, he added a new, seldom-heard voice to the mental health space: a successful Black male athlete, openly naming his pain and advocating for others to do the same. Now it’s time to tell the full story. Born and raised in Compton, DeRozan was no stranger to hardship — living in poverty, losing friends to gang violence. In worn-out school gyms and community centers, fueled by hunger and a desire to prove himself, he started to rise, but doubts followed. In Above the Noise , DeRozan opens up about his proudest triumphs and the times he felt so weighed down he couldn't get out of bed. He reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors, the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models. From a scared, angry kid to a confident father of five, DeRozan traces his journey to basketball stardom and the forces that honed him into the player — and the slowly healing person — he is today. It will encourage anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggles and inspire a new generation of young people to rise above the noise and speak their truth.
Why So Serious?
A revealing, intimate biography of basketball savant and enigmatic NBA superstar Nikola Jokic, filled with news-breaking interviews and deep reporting from Mike Singer, the Nuggets’ former beat writer for the Denver Post. Why So Serious? takes readers on Nikola Jokic’s long, strange, and incredibly unlikely journey to becoming the heartbeat of the champion Denver Nuggets and the best basketball player on the planet. As he traces Jokic’s transformation from his humble beginnings in Sombor, Serbia, sports journalist Mike Singer captures the witty irreverence, unparalleled competitiveness, and slight mischievousness of the MVP fondly known as “The Joker.” Behind his veiled public persona, who really is Nikola Jokic? Filled with exclusive, sure-to-be-headline-making interviews, including unique insights from Jokic himself, Why So Serious? delves deep into the soul of the mysterious center and reveals how the big man developed his relentless work ethic, exceptional court vision, and magical playing style that has redefined dominance in the NBA.
Stephen vs Sabrina full 3-point challenge
Stephen Curry is considered the greatest shooter in basketball history. Sabrina Ionescu set the WNBA record for most three-pointers in a single-season and holds the WNBA and NBA records for most points in a 3-point shooting contest. They go head-to-head in the first ever contest of its kind…
Check in to your personal site
For a while now I've had a line on my homepage displaying the track I'm currently listening to via Last.fm. In the interest of taking things entirely too far I've expanded what it does a fair bit.
Immigrating to Your Dreams
Considering the surprisingly complex mechanisms that face talented athletes attempting to immigrate to another country for a professional team.
Dinwiddie’s Dream
NBA ratings are dropping, along with athletic shoe sales. So why is one player choosing this moment to push his own independent shoe brand?
Older Than Ever
The man who discovered iconic NBA player Manute Bol now says he made up an age for the 7'7\" icon—and Bol might’ve been around age 50 while in the league.