Nick Young once tweeted his hate for Golden State fans

What a difference a year makes. During the 2016 NBA Playoffs, Nick Young tweeted his hate for Golden State fans.

If the Boston Celtics’ assembling of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett introduced the term “Big Three” to everyday NBA conversation, the Miami Heat popularized the term unlike any team before or after. Search the phrase “Big Three NBA” on Google Trends and the results shows the use of the term peaked in July 2010, when Wade, James and Bosh signed with Miami.

Oscar Robertson was the original Russell Westbrook, averaging a triple-double in his second year in the NBA. The Bucks averaged 62 wins in the regular season in the four years he spent in Milwaukee, where he played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Dandridge to win the 1971 NBA championship. Abdul-Jabbar, who needs no introduction, averaged 31.7 points and 16.0 rebounds per game that season, while Dandridge chipped in 18.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Oscar Robertson averaged a cool 19.4 points, 8.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds in the regular season.

The 2002 Kings nearly toppled the might Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, before losing Game 7, in a season when Sacramento boasted both the league’s fastest and most-efficient offense. Chris Webber averaged 24.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and more than one steal and one block per game, while Mike Bibby ran the offense and Peja Stojakovic averaged 21.2 points as a lethal three-point threat. With a pair of good outside shooters spacing the floor for Webber, the Kings’ threesome would fit nicely and play a very entertaining brand of basketball.browns_003

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Zach LaVine expects to be All-Star player on ‘center stage’ with Bulls

Zach LaVine was mostly seen as the third option in Minnesota behind top players Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. He’s now headed to Chicago after being sent in a deal involving Jimmy Butler, and suddenly he’s one of the faces of the franchise.

While this will be a new role for the 22-year-old, LaVine told the Pioneer Press he’s ready to step up.

Mens Kent Tekulve Jersey The rule — Vincent calls it the May 16th rule or the graduation rule — states in part, Players who attend schools with final examinations that conclude after May 16 may not participate in any activities other than the three-day post-draft rookie minicamp until after the player’s final day of examinations.

Max Scherzer did what Max Scherzer does. He tossed eight innings, struck out 10 Mets batters, and got the win for the Nationals. This was the fifth game in a row he has struck out at least 10 batters.
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While three strikeouts for a closer might not be out of the realm of possibility, to strike out 48 batters and walk none to start a season is simply unheard of. But that is exactly what Kenley Jansen has done for the Dodgers. He struck out the side in Los Angeles’ 3-1 win over Cincinnati Friday to earn his 14th save on the year.

The Pirates led 5-4 entering the top of the ninth but reliever Juan Nicasio gave up four runs without recording an out to allow the Cubs to rally for a 9-5 win.

As bad as Nicasio was Friday we can’t leave Joe Biagani out of the discussion. He pitched one-plus inning in Toronto’s 11-4 loss to the White Sox, giving up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and one walk.

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He was accused of punching his pregnant girlfriend and choking her in 2014.

Lakers — Yes, the LaVar Ball show will follow his son to the Staples Center after the Lakers selected the UCLA point guard with the No. 2 pick in the draft. With that being said, Lonzo Ball has all the tools NBA teams look for in a future leader and game changer.
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(Note to management, although Allen, who knows Williams, what he means and who he means it to: You don’t want those problems. At all.)

It’s infuriating, because even as the soap opera in the front office gets soapier by the year, this is still the opportunity Williams had earned and was worthy of getting from another organization. Washington gets lots of credit for being the one to give it to him.

Demarcus Walker Authentic Jersey Like all the other minority front-office hopefuls over the years, he was given a rule book, he played by it, and then he watched the likes of John Lynch jump the line, while they ran in place hoping their turn to be the designated Rooney Rule interviewee would come soon.

Hill is proud of his speed, with T-shirts printed last December depicting Hill as half-man/half-cheetah and declaring him as the fastest cat on the planet. The shirts were sold locally, and Hill donated the proceeds to the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. Hill also plans to co-host a free football camp this summer with Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith, a longtime friend.

That’s quite a change from when Hill entered the NFL with several questions about his character after a domestic assault charge while in college. He was accused of punching his pregnant girlfriend and choking her in 2014. He was dismissed from Oklahoma State’s team and finished his final college season at West Alabama. He pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation and was sentenced to three years probation with a mandated anger-management course and attendance in a year-long batterer’s program and had to undergo a domestic-abuse evaluation.

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NBA Draft picks 2017: Results, grades for every selection

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The 2017 NBA Draft started off with a bang, but it was relatively smooth following a blockbuster trade Thursday at the Barclays Center.

The Timberwolves made the first big move of the night, sending Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick (Lauri Markkanen) to the Bulls for three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and the No. 16 pick (Justin Patton). Butler will reunite with coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota and attempt to lead the young Timberwolves to the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Jordan Jenkins Jersey As for the draft itself, the Sixers selected Markelle Fultz at No. 1 overall, and the Lakers quickly followed with Lonzo Ball at No. 2. Despite trade rumors leading up to draft night, the Celtics stayed in their slot and chose Jayson Tatum at No. 3, and the picks fell into place from there.

Here are the NBA Draft picks, complete with grades and analysis for each selection.

With Cousins hitting free agency next season (unless Washington somehow manages to hammer out an extension), it’s entirely possible that Shanahan is just punting the quarterback position this year and will pursue his former QB. The two worked together in 2012 and 2013 when Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator.

If not, then they should at least be drafting high enough to get a potential franchise quarterback. USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, and Wyoming’s Josh Allen are among the top prospects in what should be a loaded QB class in 2018.

That’s not a bad plan for next season, but it sure won’t make the 2017 offense any easier to watch. Hoyer hit his ceiling years ago as a mediocre journeyman, and any promise he showed last year was wiped out by a season-ending broken arm. Barkley didn’t show much in relief of Hoyer, throwing a staggering 14 interceptions in just six starts for the Bears.

If the New York Jets have the worst QB situation in the league, then the 49ers aren’t far behind. The silver lining is that Shanahan has a good track record with quarterbacks, so fans can only hope he has a plan here.

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NBA free agency 2017: Kyle Lowry wants to stay with Raptors, team prez insists

Raptors president Masai Ujiri has joined Kyle Lowry in shooting down a Toronto Star report that says the All-Star point guard has “zero interest” in remaining with the team.

Key words: “Under contract.”

George, who is set to make $19.5 million next season before a player option in 2018, also denied the rampant rumors he is being courted by other teams, especially by the Lakers.

“They’re all crazy, but they’re all expected,” George said.

Many speculations are that since George is a possible rental, it would cost a new team much more than his is worth. So for now, he is going to stay with the Pacers until he is a free agent next summer. Unless he is swapped out before the trade deadline.

Naturally, George said his goal is to win a championship with the Pacers, and another goal will be to make next year’s All-Star team, which will give him a nice payday. It will also mean other teams wanting him will have to pony up more money.

Will that happen? That remains to be seen. McCloskey became Pistons general manager in 1979 and held the position until 1992. The Pistons made the NBA playoffs nine straight years from 1984-92 with five straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals and three NBA Finals appearances, including the two titles.

Nicknamed “Trader Jack” for his proclivity to make deals, McCloskey is given credit as the architect for Detroit’s famed “Bad Boys” teams led by Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Vinnie Johnson. Both Laimbeer and Johnson were acquired in separate trades. McCloskey also acquired post player Rick Mahorn in 1985.

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NBA Finals 2017: J.R. Smith says Warriors have ‘one guy who keep kicking people’

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There are positives and negatives to having multiple days off between every NBA Finals game.

One positive is that players get a lot of time with the media and give out a lot of sound bites. One negative is that players get a lot of time with the media and give out a lot of sound bites.

Everything any player says in the media is going to to analyzed, over-analyzed, psycho-analyzed, and just for good measure analyzed again. J.R. Smith is the latest example of that.

When asked about the Cavaliers dirtying up the game with more physical play, Smith flipped the tables and alluded to Warriors forward Draymond Green, even if he didn’t mention Green by name. Apparently he isn’t letting the shot LeBron James took to the twig and berries in last year’s Finals go.

Jerebko is the Celtics’ first sub, replacing Horford.

Questionable call on Horford as Love drives baseline on him. Looks like Love initiated the contact, then lost his footing and may have traveled.
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LeBron James always finds himself on the sending or receiving end of some of the smoothest passes in transition. He finds Kyrie streaking through four Celtics and Kyrie draws a foul.

Boston leads 11-5 with 7:22 to play in the first quarter. Margin could have been even bigger if Olynyk’s early looks went in.

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Lonzo Ball’s comments at Lakers workout could indicate D’Angelo Russell’s future

Lonzo Ball had his one-and-only pre-NBA Draft workout with the Lakers Wednesday, and everything appears to have gone well. In fact, Ball is already talking like he’ll be D’Angelo Russell’s replacement in Los Angeles.

They have a lot of good players. I just think they need a leader at point guard. I feel I can bring that to the team, he told the media after his workout.
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Tyson Ross Elite Jersey While he didn’t mention Russell by name, it’s easy to see that as a shot at him. After all, Russell was the No. 2 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and he is a point guard. While Russell’s leadership skills can be questioned, many see the point guard position in Los Angeles as occupied.

With a rematch with Cleveland all but inevitable, the Warriors needed a ringer, and they got one when they landed four-time scoring champion and former MVP Kevin Durant in the biggest free-agent signing in recent memory. Durant has been all that and then some in this year’s finals against the Cavs, averaging a series-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. His pull-up 3-pointer over James with 45 seconds remaining Wednesday night was the go-ahead bucket and the dagger in a 118-113 victory to give the Warriors a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead heading into Game 4 on Friday.

The lanky 7-footer with point-guard handles and the touch of an elite shooting guard was brought on to help the Warriors — who already had a trio of All-Stars that also included Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — down the Cavs when they didn’t have the benefit of key Cleveland players hurt or out.

According to SB Nation, Green told Durant flatly that Golden State could get to the NBA Finals without Durant. They just needed him to get over the finals hump and hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

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The Steelers’ offensive line has helped Roethlisberger avoided taking too many sacks or hit’s in general this season

Baalke has admitted to his failures with the quarterback position. Following their Super Bowl season, Baalke engineered a trade that sent Alex Smith to Kansas City in 2013. The 49ers made the playoffs with Colin Kaepernick as the full-time starter, but he has regressed since. Smith has not had a losing season in Kansas City, taking the Chiefs to the playoffs in three of his four seasons.

Kaepernick is just one of three quarterbacks drafted by Baalke, who also selected South Florida’s B.J. Daniels in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. Daniels is now a practice squad wide receiver with the Falcons. The 49ers took Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, but he was released after training camp and is now the third-string quarterback for the Bengals.

Instead of selecting quarterbacks like Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Savage or AJ McCarron in 2014, Bryce Petty or Trevor Siemian in 2015, Jacoby Brissett or Dak Prescott this year, the Niners stubbornly stuck with Kaepernick and former Jaguars bust Blaine Gabbert while adding retreads like Christian Ponder and Thad Lewis. Each of those quarterbacks passed on in the three previous drafts have started and won games in the NFL.

The Steelers’ offensive line has helped Roethlisberger avoided taking too many sacks or hit’s in general this season, but the Chiefs will be fine with him hanging in there too long to welcome Justin Houston and their edge pass rush. They have the playmakers in the secondary, led by Marcus Peters and Eric Berry, to capitalize on any mistakes Roethlisberger makes against their coverage. They will be hungry to build on their NFL-leading 18 interceptions.vikings_010

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Aaron Rodgers’ dad details ‘complicated’ relationship with Packers QB

Aaron Rodgers has great chemistry with his receivers. He’s able to take relatively unknown wideouts like Geronimo Allison and Jeff Janis and make them look great.

Rodgers’ chemistry and relationship with his family, however, remains complicated, according to Rodgers’ father, Ed.
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A wide-ranging story published Sunday in the New York Times details how the Green Bay Packers star quarterback’s rise to fame has left his relationship with his family strained. At the same time, Rodgers remains close to some in his hometown of Chico, Calif.

John Jenkins Mens Jersey But Carey, who normally stood several yards behind the quarterback to his front side, scrambled around behind Manning on that play.

For some reason, I don’t know why, I ran all the way around (behind Manning), Carey told Siragusa. I just got lucky, and as I got there, they were pulling him back. Had I stayed (in front of Manning), I would have just seen him collapse into a pile. But I got a look in there, and I saw him free up, he launches it, and the rest is history.

‘Had I stayed (in my original position), I think the outcome would have been different,’ Carey said. ‘I probably would have blown the whistle.’

Just imagine if Carey had blown the whistle. Instead of a 32-yard completion, first down and instant-hero status for Tyree, the Giants would have faced fourth and long in their own territory. But it happened, and four plays later, Manning hit Plaxico Burress with a 13-yard TD pass to give the Giants a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds to play. They held on to win and end the 18-0 Patriots’ dreams of a perfect season.

After retiring from officiating, Carey served as a rules analyst on NFL broadcasts. An inventor, he owns or shares eight ski apparel patents.

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EA Sports trolls Jerry Jones, Tony Romo after optimistic Super Bowl prediction

John Wall Limited Jersey America’s Team might also be America’s Most Trollable Team.

Video game giant EA Sports got in the game Tuesday, firinga digital burn toward Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who told a Dallas radio stationhe believed former star andnow-backup quarterback Tony Romo still has a big future in the NFL.

Jonathan Toews Limited Jersey ‘I really believe that Tony Romo will play in a Super Bowl,’ Jones said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. ‘Now try that one on. I know that if he’s healthy enough, he’ll be in a Super Bowl. I strongly believe that.’

After missing nearly the entire 2016 season on the sideline thanks to injury recovery, but mainly because he got overshadowed by rookie sensation Dak Prescott Romo’s real-word football future is uncertain. But hope always springs eternal in the digital realm.

Moseley’s arrival to Jamie’s team in 1995 was the final piece: The Generals never lost a game with him on the team, going 22-0 over the next two seasons. Their only loss in ’95 came before his arrival, a 1-point loss on a last-second interception.

‘It was a combination, Moseley said, of young men playing, giving it everything they had, a coach who had a lot to prove and a player, a former NFL MVP who had the ability and the willingness to step into a situation that he wasn’t sure about.’

It was a talented team from top to bottom: not just Moseley.

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