In 1984, the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan with the third pick in the draft. Many fans and basketball experts thought he would be special, but few staked so much on their analysis as Nike marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro.
The Nike of 1984 wasn’t the Nike that we know today. The company was built on running shoes, not basketball shoes. The market for basketball shoes was largely dominated by Converse and Adidas. Converse had Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Nike wanted to grow their basketball market share, and they knew they needed to sign some rising NBA stars to help elevate the brand.
“Air,” released earlier this year, tells the story of how Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon) became obsessed with signing Jordan to Nike, despite incredibly long odds. Jordan had zero interest in signing Nike. He was choosing between Converse and Adidas. And his agent, David Falk (Chris Messina), had no interest in helping Nike even get a meeting.
One of the all-time NBA great, Bill Russell, has passed away at the age of 88. He was an amazing player and also a great man and civil rights leader.
Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics. Sure, the NBA was much different back then, but this is still a stunning achievement.
Anyone making a list of the greatest NBA players of all time has to consider Russell as among the best. He was a powerhouse on defense, and an unselfish player on offense. He did the dirty work and all the little things that helped his team win. If you want an idea of how great of an athlete he was, check out this highlight video.
Few predicted we’d see the Phoenix Suns in the Finals versus the Milwaukee Bucks, so we’re in new territory in predicting the Finals result. Most sportsbooks have Phoenix favored, but the lines and odds fluctuate depending on the reports on the health of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The latest reports have Giannis playing in Game 1, so now the spread is tightening a bit for this first game.
Aside from this health issue, much will depend on Chris Paul. He has a history for getting hurt at the worst time, so anything can happen in this series.
It’s frankly one of the more interesting matchups in years given all the uncertainty, so enjoy the show and we’ll see who pulls it out.
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After squeaking by the depleted New jersey Nets, the Bucks seem to have a much clearer path to an NBA title. Many believe that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best all-around player left in the NBA playoffs, and that the Bucks should roll through the Hawks. The odds are heavily in the Bucks’ favor.
Of course, some TV personalities will go with the Hawks just for entertainment purposes, and of course they can pull an upset. Anything is possible. But the smart money seems to be with the heavily favored Bucks.
Here’s a tweet from a respected sports better:
Pretty shocked to see so many experts on tv and radio take Atlanta to win this series. No real rhyme or reason just a lot of hunches. I think the Bucks steamroll in this series starting tonight. As I asked a few days ago who in the world is trying to guard Giannis on ATL?
That’s the question . . . can anyone on the Hawks guard Giannis? This is his chance to take control of the playoffs and grab a title in a year when the other NBA icons have been eliminated.
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The Detroit Pistons will have the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, with the Rockets, Cavs, Raptors and Magic rounding out the top five. Most scots believe this draft is loaded, particularly with the top five prospects.
Cade Cunningham – He’s the consensus top pick, though the Pistons will certainly do their homework on all the top prospects. Cunningham is a 6’8″ point guard who many believe can do it all. He can create his own shot or make plays passing, and is the type of wing player most GMs crave in the modern NBA.
Evan Mobley – Mobley is a modern-day big man who can handle the ball like a guard and shoot from the perimeter while also protecting the rim. As a seven-footer he’s certainly an intriguing prospect.
Jalen Green – He’s a 6’5″ wing player who is probably the most dynamic scorer in the draft. He would be an ideal for for a team like the Cavs but frankly fit the prototype of the NBA wing player who can dominate the game with his athleticism.
Jalen Suggs – A 6’4″ guard who can play the point or off the ball, Suggs is an elite athlete who has a complete game. He’s probably the best known prospect given his time at Gonzaga.
Jonathan Kuminga – Like Green, Kuminga is another G League player who will likely go in the top 5. He has prototypical size at 6’8″ but is more of a raw talent at this point. He’s very athletic with speed, strength and the ability to play above the rim.
It will be interesting to see how things play out as opinions vary on the order that these five should go after Cunningham likely gets picked by the Pistons.
