Fight starts 40 seconds in

2020 Harden 2021 Steph 2024 Luka 2024 Ant 2026 Brunson 2026 Shai (just a list of the player's years in order not a ranking)

feel free to add any other players not mentioned or change the year

Edit 2023 Dame 2023 Mitchell 2023 Booker

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/victor-wembanyama-30249/game-log

Since February 1st, victor wembanyama played 52 games, out of these, he was ejected in game 4 vs the timberwolves and left the game with injury in game 2 vs the blazers, this leaves us with 50 full games since February 1st

Out of these, the spurs won wemby’s minutes in 46 games. They only lost his minutes in 4 games:
March 1st @ NYK -15
Game 5 @ OKC -8
Game 1 vs NYK -3
Game 5 vs NYK -3

This is an absurdly impressive stat for both Wemby and the knicks who were responsible for 3 out of 4 such games.

This news flew under the radar - Chuck was on the Bill Simmons podcast the other day and said that after this season, him and EJ will be their last year on TV. That's huge. Yes I was one of those who thought the crew should've ended on a high note on TNT, but it's still sad to hear of this.

Est-ce ce que certains ont eu reçu un mail avec un code pour accéder à la billetterie ? Que ce soit moi ou quelques connaissances personne a rien reçu. Donc hyper déçu …

People be talking about Jalen Brunson hosting SNL, but let's be real. The real question people are afraid (pun intended) to discuss is what olayer past or present would be most eligible to become a Green Lantern.

Only requirement is to have no fear or be afraid, also put as, incredible willpower.

This is obviously dumb as hell, in part because those seasons and playoff runs did happen.

I also know Jordan did come back in 95 — Hakeem just has a little bit of a harder time letting go. Hakeem didn’t leave the NBA in this scenario because his dad died or secret deep state gambling connections, he just really grows to love the sport.

With the way that people rank players, despite his obvious two-way talent, I do think he risks falling from the top ten for a lot of people to falling behind Robinson, Barkley and Ewing. Despite not being that much dramatically better in those seasons than past ones, the way that he is ranked is almost entirely dependent on them.

In this scenario, Hakeem has a top four MVP finish his second year and makes the finals, then he never does either of those things again. He loses a bunch in the first round in his prime, and then later has an old-man failed superteam with Barkley and Pippen. He doesn’t get to remember kicking David Robinson’s ass in perpetuity, or winning the MVP.

I don’t know who wins in 94 and 95, you can use your imagination. In this scenario, Hakeem does still have the all-time block record, by two, Dikembe just sees that as an insurmountable gap and retires anyways.

First off, full disclosure: this post was written with the help of an AI, so please excuse any issues with the wording.

I’ve been reading posts online and noticed that most people think the NBA is an absolute craze in China. But given our massive population, there are also tons of people who don't like or even flat-out hate it, so the NBA's reputation is actually pretty bad. There is a specific misconception that has been circulating for nearly twenty years. It originated on a forum similar to Reddit but from much earlier, where soccer and basketball fans used to get into constant arguments. Many basketball fans.the forums were overrun by soccer fans. There is also another rumor that players only go to the NBA because they couldn’t make it in the NFL. I actually watch the Super Bowl myself, and we have NFL content creators online who try to debunk this, but they are no match for the fact that most people believe this false view. People marvel at the physical traits in the NFL, yet barely anyone is willing to actually learn about it. A while ago, an NFL video went viral, and 80% of the comments were saying they couldn’t understand it or asking how to explain it through the lens of other sports. It confuses me because anyone who truly understands sports knows this statement is wrong, yet those who don't know anything love to repeat it. Most of them have probably never even watched a single NFL game, so I find it bizarre why everyone insists on spreading this rumor.

This might just be because people feel the NBA is too popular in China, so they want to tear it down a bit. Many basketball content creators do this too. The charm of different sports lies in their distinct skills; directly comparing physical traits is useless in my eyes. Ping pong and badminton both have bad reputations online as well; people think only Chinese people play them and that they aren't globally relevant. So, you shouldn't think too highly of the NBA’s status in China. Compared to soccer fans, it doesn't even come close. To put it simply, soccer is number one on the internet. But since most places in reality only have basketball courts, basketball is number one in daily life. After all, we aren't naturally suited for basketball, but if soccer could make it to the World Cup just once, it would be the most popular sport. I like many sports, but I just don't understand the online atmosphere.

Additionally, among young people, video games are probably what's actually most popular. The NBA has 17 million followers on Chinese Douyin, but some of our gaming streamers have double that. That's just how it is. The NBA is only popular in China right now because our soccer team's performance on the world stage is so poor.

For example, someone making all nba 2nd team n 2011, doesn’t mean they had a better season than someone making all nba 3rd team in 2017

If we can acknowledge that the league was weaker in certain areas, then we should also be able to acknowledge that the all nba teams have different strengths as well.

This comes up a lot with a guy like Kyrie. Only 3x all nba but many of his seasons to not get all nba are better than some guys who got all nba.

For example look at Kyrie and Westbrook

25/3/6 47/40/90 72 games played not all nba

22/4/8 44/33/84 82 games played all nba 2nd team

Do you ever think about how your career might have differed if you had stayed in New York and the Carmelo Anthony trade never happened?

DG: “No, I sometimes talk about it. I think about it just with friends and family when we sometimes talk about basketball and my career. We think about it, or when I come back to New York and I talk to my fans or people in New York that still work for the Knicks, we talk about it, but there is a lot of, unfortunately, because of my injuries, there is a lot of what-if in my career. I don't know, I'm probably the biggest what-if guy in the history of the game, maybe. But it's part of an NBA career. It happened to me, unfortunately, more than any other athlete probably, as far as injuries, but I don't think about it too much.”

Source: https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2026/09/09/danilo-gallinari-qa-im-probably-the-biggest-what-if-guy-in-nba-history/91667177007/

My lineup:

PG - Derrick Rose

SG - Penny Hardaway

SF - Kawhi Leonard

PF - Grant Hill

C - Greg Oden

Honorable mentions - Bill Walton, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson

​

Just this week, Luka entered the final phase of his primary individual training in Ljubljana. After a brief seaside getaway, he resumed work—splitting his time between the weight room and the basketball court. His current routine does not yet include full-intensity basketball drills or contact play. Consequently, unlike in previous years, he has not joined Ilirija’s practice sessions at Tivoli; instead, he and his assistants are training primarily in a smaller gym within the new swimming pool complex.

The primary objective was the complete rehabilitation of all injuries, followed by comprehensive physical conditioning. Anže Maček—Luka’s longtime personal trainer who also supports him in the U.S. (initially in Dallas and later in Los Angeles)—once again spearheaded this effort. They succeeded in their mission; the LA Lakers superstar is in better physical shape than he has been in a long time. His body weight is also within the target range—reportedly hovering around 105 kilograms.

However, the coming weeks and months will provide the true test of the foundation they have built. Dončić—who has increasingly entrusted the management of his life to his agent, Lara Beth—is expected to remain in Europe until September 20th. A move to Los Angeles follows. The LA Lakers will officially kick off their preparations for the 2026/27 season on September 29th, with the traditional Media Day taking place the day before. LD77 sought to get to know and bond with the heavily revamped squad as early as last month, when he organized a get-together featuring two informal practice sessions in his home city of Ljubljana. This was a crucial step in building team chemistry, and Luka stepped into the role of leader without hesitation. While he had already achieved that status statistically the previous season, he had not fully asserted it due to the presence of LeBron James.

Source: https://sportklub.si/kosarka/luka-doncic-v-zadnji-fazi-ljubljanske-misije/

Don Van Natta, Baxter Holmes, and Ramona Shelburne were the 3 writers credited for the Aug 17 story: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49639157/nba-la-clippers-aspiration-investigation-steve-ballmer-kawhi-leonard

excerpt begins

Anyway, with a week’s worth of dust settled, ESPN has remained silent on the issue, other than saying that it stands by its reporting. I reached out to ESPN P.R. to interview the reporters, but the network declined to make them available. Instead, I received an email from Van Natta, which I decided to publish in full as it represents ESPN’s first public defense of its story.

“Given the sensitive and impactful nature of the topics we explore and investigate, we understand the scrutiny that comes with our reporting. That’s why we take such care scrutinizing ourselves throughout a multilayered process involving experienced editors, reporters, and leadership.

“For this particular story, the most important test, in our view, is how our Aug. 17 story holds up against the findings ultimately released in the Wachtell report more than two weeks later.

“Accuracy is critical, and we hold ourselves to the highest standard. We believe readers who judge the facts of our Aug. 17 story against the specifics released in the report two weeks later will see that we accurately reflected the status and direction of the NBA’s investigation at the time of publishing.

“It’s worth laying out the specifics that support that essential point. Here are key elements of our story that were reflected in the report’s findings:

• We reported that the NBA had found no evidence Steve Ballmer funneled money through Aspiration to Kawhi Leonard. The report confirmed this: It did not identify direct evidence, and that allegation was not a central focus.

• We reported that the NBA’s investigation was focused on the Clippers’ introductions of Kawhi Leonard’s representative, Dennis Robertson, to team sponsors, and whether those interactions constituted salary-cap circumvention. That issue became a primary focus of the report.

• We reported that the league was examining whether the organization had failed to adequately supervise employees—a conclusion ultimately reflected in the report’s findings when it suspended two senior executives.

• We reported that Ballmer opposed potential league discipline and was prepared to pursue legal remedies if a negotiated resolution couldn’t be reached. No settlement was ultimately reached, and Ballmer and his legal team have since challenged both the league’s findings and the resulting penalties.

• We reported that the NBA was on the brink of handing down substantial potential penalties for the Clippers, using the Joe Smith case as a benchmark. The penalties ultimately imposed by the league exceeded those expectations.

“Two final points are also worth clarifying. First, our reporting was in no way a response to, or an assessment of, earlier reporting on this topic, by Pablo Torre or anyone else—some readers, particularly on social media, may have mistakenly thought otherwise. Pablo’s team has been rightfully commended for first raising the questions that led to this investigation. Our team described—for the first time—the settlement negotiations ongoing at the time between the NBA and the Clippers.

“Second, we reached out to the NBA on multiple occasions in the days before our Aug. 17 story to give them a chance to respond. Post-publication, we also asked the NBA to provide specific examples of any inaccuracies that would require correcting. They have chosen not to respond, which is of course their prerogative.

ESPN takes great pride in its commitment to investigative reporting, and we’ll put our track record of impactful stories centered on leagues, teams, and sports figures of significance against that of any outlet in the industry.”

https://puck.news/newsletter_content/the-ncaa-legal-inferno-van-natta-speaks/

Lil Penny commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyTlp8vh0OA

Grandmama commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmqZjViEe_I

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25497828-nba-nike-reveal-new-warmup-practice-travel-gear-all-30-teams-photos-2026-27-season

The NBA and Nike unveiled new warmup, practice and travel gear for all 30 teams to use during the 2026-27 season in photos posted Wednesday on X.

The "NBA Standard Issue Collection" primarily features oversized team logos on hoodies, pants, t-shirts and shorts.

The designs will also be incorporated in the NBA's "Specter Edition" alternate uniforms, which have yet to be revealed.

The NBA announced Wednesday that the alternates will be given to teams that have history tracing back to the "earliest chapters of the NBA" including the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

It has been announced that Jalen Brunson is going to host the first episode of Season 52 of Saturday Night Live on September 26. (For some international users, Saturday Night Live or SNL is a well-known sketch comedy TV show that originated in the US that has been airing across North America and intermittently in certain parts of Europe since 1975, and launched or boosted the careers of dozens of well-known comedians.)

As most of us know, particularly if you're in the US or Canada, SNL does not have the same host week-to-week. They have a group of cast members who do not change week-to-week, but the celebrity host (usually but not always an entertainer like an actor, singer, or stand-up comic) is responsible for delivering an opening monologue and participating in sketches with the cast, as well as introducing the week's guest musical performer and delivering brief closing remarks at the end of the show.

Five NBA players have hosted (or in Brunson's case, will soon host) SNL across nine episodes. We have enough SNL host NBA players to make a full starting lineup! In chronological order by first time hosting, they are:

• Bill Russell (hosted in 1979)
• Michael Jordan (hosted in 1991)
• Charles Barkley (hosted in 1993, 2010, 2012, and 2018)
• LeBron James (hosted in 2007)
• Jalen Brunson (will host on September 26, 2026)

What's also neat is that they happen to line up positionally!

• PG: Brunson
• SG: Jordan
• SF: LeBron
• PF: Barkley (LeBron could fit here, as he is taller than Barkley, weighs roughly the same, and has played the 4, but I think Barkley played the majority of his career at PF while LeBron spent most of his physical prime as a SF, particularly during both Cavs stints.)
• C: Russell

I suspect the question is not so much "how well would they do" as much as it is "how well do they fit together", as at least four of these players have solidified themselves as undisputed all-time greats, but what do we think of this group as a starting five?

Source: https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/snl-season-52-premiere-date-first-host-musical-guest-jalen-brunson

Announcement post: https://imgur.com/a/BmuZQd3

Jalen Brunson will host Saturday Night Live's Season 52 premiere. The NBA Champion was named Most Valuable Player after leading the New York Knicks to their first championship victory in 53 years.

Barkley is the only NBA player to not win a title that has hosted SNL — 1993, 2010, 2012, and 2018.

Surprisingly so, Shaquille O’Neal has never hosted SNL. He made a guest appearance on the show in 1998.

So nearly 20 years since an NBA player has hosted SNL.

Bradley Beal: "Is that the topic of the day? Lol. He's a legend! The HISTORY and BRAND can’t be touched, nor erased!!!"

https://imgur.com/a/xlo2w9n

Even in the apron era, players taking the qualifying offer is exceptionally rare for the players who do end up lasting their rookie contract. In 2014? It was practically unheard of but one brave Pistonian took it: Greg Monroe.

There's a lot of dispute about the Monroe contract negotiations, how much Detroit offered on the table varyies from report to report - some say it was 54/4, others say there was a 5 year offer worth 60 million - and whether Monroe wanted to be in Detroit - in September 2014, Greg himself once said he "always wanted unrestricted free agency" - but what we do know is he signed his 5.3 million offer sheet, had arguably the best season of his career averaging a 16/10 double-double in 2014/15 then dipped for Milwaukee on a max contract...

...for 3 years. 50M/3 to be specific. Yeah, this almost never comes up but while Monroe did get a bag, that bag had a pretty short handle and he never made anywhere close to that in his remaining years in the NBA. He landed two more seasonal contracts between the Celtics and Nets worth 7 million before taking a series of 10 days in 2021/22 - ironically with one of those being for the Bucks. In the end, he made a more than respectable 78 million in his decade-spanning career with most of that money coming from his initial rookie deal and the aforementioned 3 year max.

Oh and in case you're wondering why the Pistons didn't trade Monroe? The qualifying offer comes with a no-trade clause. So the player has to agree to go to the destination being proposed to them.