Category: NBA

The 10-time champion Boston Celtics entered the 1968-69 season with very few expectations. They were an aging group, with five of their nine core players age 30 or older. Their rivals were younger and getting better. The Los Angeles Lakers had traded for Wilt Chamberlain to team with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, three of the greatest ever. No one was predicting the Celtics would get anywhere near the NBA Finals, much less win it.

But as it turned out, the 1969 NBA Finals were the most astounding, incredible, thrilling, unexpected, stunning, and for Celtics fans, glorious Finals perhaps in the entire history of the league.

The regular season

The NBA had 14 teams now, and the Celtics finished the regular season at 48-34 for fourth place in the East. Sam Jones announced before opening night that this would be his last season. (Spoiler: He did not go out quietly.) Though no one knew it yet, player-coach Bill Russell would also be saying goodbye.

Before the season, Boston acquired two former New York Knicks who found minutes in the rotation. Jim Barnes, the 1964 no. 1 overall pick, had the role of backup center to Russell. Emmette Bryant, a reserve guard, was more of a factor. The Knicks gave him to Phoenix in an expansion draft, then Phoenix gave him to the Celtics for just a second-round pick. But with Boston, Bryant appeared in 80 games and surprisingly became the starting point guard in the postseason.

The Celtics regular season wasn’t special, mostly short winning streaks that were offset by short losing streaks. However, when the playoffs began, they were ready to pull it all together.

Eastern playoffs

The Sixers weren’t the same team without Chamberlain. Philly finished the regular season seven games ahead of Boston, but postseason was a different story. The Celtics won the first three games (two of them in Philadelphia) and closed out a gentleman’s sweep with a 93-90 Game 5 win, also on the road.

After dominating the season series, 6-1, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and the Knicks thought they were ready to bring down the Celtics in the East Finals. In reality, they were not. The Cs won Game 1 in Madison Square Garden, 108-100, with Bryant posting 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists against his former team. Boston then won Game 2 at home, 112-97, and closed out the series in six with home wins of 97-96 and 106-105. Bryant played 42 minutes in Game 6, torched New York with 8 of 14 shooting, and outscored Knicks star Walt Frazier, 19 to 17.

NBA Finals

Celtics vs. Lakers in the NBA Finals, for the seventh time since Bill Russell arrived in Boston. In the 1980s, this was the dream matchup for fans, media members, and TV executives looking at their viewer ratings. It couldn’t get any bigger or better than that.

But in 1969? The NBA didn’t have that sort of status yet. The Lakers had yet to beat Boston at that point, so there was no historic rivalry to hype. In fact, Games 1 and 2 were not televised nationally, and they were not even shown in the Boston area!

It’s true. Celtics fans in Massachusetts and throughout New England were not able to watch their team play for the 1969 league championship. As explained in “Tall Men, Short Shorts,” a book about this Finals written by retired Boston Globe sports reporter and columnist Leigh Montville, the ABC network would televise the Finals nationally, but not until Game 5. Channel 38 in Boston was the Celtics’ home station, but they skipped West Coast games – even the Finals – due to high costs of production.

Also, Games 3 and 4 were seen only by fans who were present in the Boston Garden. They weren’t on Boston TVs because home games were blacked out “to protect ticket sales.” We had the great Johnny Most on the radio to call the games, but even now it is hard to believe that nothing was worked out to solve this problem. Fans who didn’t or couldn’t buy tickets were denied the ability to watch unforgettable hoops action, and the NBA forfeited a huge opportunity to promote its product. Obviously, that was a far, far different world than we live in now.

Game 1

The opening game set the tone for the series, and that tone was “WOW!” The score at the end of each quarter was no more than two points difference. According to a game report in the press, the lead changed hands 27 times and the score was tied 14 times. Most team stats were virtually even. Both teams took exactly 100 shots. Five players on each team scored in double figures. Chamberlain unofficially blocked 13 shots.

Havlicek led the way for Boston with 37 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. But even he couldn’t match Jerry West, who was in a zone: 21 of 41 shooting (remember, no three-point shot yet), 11 of 13 free throws, 53 points. And 10 assists to go with that.

The final score was Lakers 120, Celtics 118. A very tough loss for Boston, unless your viewpoint is the Lakers got the best game they could expect from West, yet were down after three quarters and had to win the fourth just to take the game by two points.

Game 2

Another heartbreaker for the Celtics. They led most of the way and were still up by four with four minutes left. A brief cold spell shooting opened the door for the Lakers to tie the score. After some trading of baskets, it was 112-112 in the final minute. From there, Elgin Baylor was fouled three times, the last two intentionally. With the Celtics in the penalty, he shot six free throws and made them all. Lakers 118, Boston 112.

Baylor scored 18 in the fourth quarter and 32 for the night. West was once again in another world with 41 points on 12 of 22 and 17 of 20 free throws. But Havlicek took the top spot with 43 points (15 of 27 FGs and 13 of 14 at the line). Chamberlain oddly tallied only four points. LA took 20 more free throws than Boston.

Being down 2-0 is not quite as dangerous as down 3-1, but it’s a deep hole to climb out of. Boston had never even been behind 2-0 in Russell’s career. Game 3 at home was an absolute must-win, and honestly, so was Game 4.

Game 3

Now at home, the Celtics almost turned the game into a blowout with a 57-40 first half. But…it’s the NBA, so the score was tied 78-78 after three quarters. Momentum is powerful in the league, but can change sides in a blink. So, Havlicek and Larry Siegfried combined for 24 points in the fourth, the Celtics retook the lead and were not threatened again.

West and Baylor proved to be mortals, scoring 24 and 11, respectively. On the Boston side, Havlicek continued his assault with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists. Siegfried went for 28 points, his career playoff high.

Game 4

This game was low-scoring simply because no one except West (40 points, 15 of 30 FGs, 10 of 10 FTs) could make a shot. By game’s end, LA had made 39.3% and Boston, despite desperately needing to win, was a hideous 31.6%.

Regardless, in the final half-minute of the game, the Lakers were ahead 88-87 with the ball. Bailey Howell and Emmette Bryant double-teamed LA guard Johnny Egan, Bryant slapped the ball away, and Sam Jones picked it up. His shot bounced away but in a scramble it went out of bounds and was awarded to the home team.

In the timeout, coach Russell called for a triple screen to free Jones for the game-winner. It was a play used by college teammates Havlicek and Siegfried (“the Bouncing Buckeyes from Ohio State,” as Johnny Most called them). The Celtics had practiced it but never used it in a game.

The next seven seconds will probably determine the NBA championship. If the ball goes in, its 2-2 and the season is saved. If not, it’s 3-1 Lakers, and how many times can the Celts pull off that comeback?

Turning point

As the play begins, referee Mendy Rudolph goofs up and throws the ball to the defender, disrupting the inbounds pass timing. But the Celtics keep going, Sam curls behind the screen and gets the pass, but slips a bit and is off-balance when he shoots. He says later that he hoped to get the ball on the rim for Russell to rebound, then is informed that the big center had subbed out for a better free-throw shooter.

But luck always seemed to be with Boston during Russell’s years. This was a Sam Jones clutch shot, enough said. The ball hit the rim, caromed up and bounced gently around the cylinder like a roulette ball dropping into place on the spinning wheel. It fell through the net into Chamberlain’s hands, and his scowl was pure art to Celtics fans.

Game 5

This one was drama-free, unlike every other game so far. West had 39 points and nine assists, as the Lakers slowly built their lead by a few points at the end of each quarter. Final: 117-104. LA had preserved home court advantage and would go back to Boston needing just one more win to capture the elusive championship.

But that wasn’t the headline. West injured a hamstring muscle and his status for Game 6 and possibly Game 7 was very much in doubt. The next game was only two days away, not much time to heal, and with a cross-country flight in the mix.

Game 6

It was a win-or-go-home game for the Celtics, down 3-2 in the series. In hindsight, Boston had that one all the way, building a 17-point lead after three and coasting to a 99-90 final. They couldn’t let the season end at home, or without a win for no. 24.

This was Sam Jones’ last home game before retirement, and he received a long and heartfelt standing ovation during player introductions. He didn’t have the best shooting day, scoring just nine points in 14 minutes with foul trouble. But everyone knew they wouldn’t be sitting in the building that day if not for his Game 4 finish.

Don Nelson took the scoring honors with 25 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Emmette Bryant had a big day with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Jerry West played through his hamstring injury; he and Elgin Baylor each scored 26 points.

Game 7

You don’t get to be a dynasty without winning some battles against all odds. That’s where the Celtics found themselves on this night in Los Angeles. Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was so certain of victory that he planned a postgame celebration that included a marching band, a victory cake and a balloon drop from the rafters. According to legend, when the Celtics learned of this plan and looked up to the ceiling, Bill Russell told the team, “There’s no bleeping way those balloons are coming down.”

Boston immediately took the lead on Havlicek’s jumper off the opening tip. The first half was close but at halftime it was 59-56, Boston. It was tied in the third quarter when Boston ran off 12 straight points. LA missed 16 consecutive shots. Even West, who would play all 48 minutes and provide a 42/13/12 triple-double, was no help. The Celtics led by 15 with 12 minutes left, and 17 when Bailey Howell hit a jumper with 10 minutes on the clock.

With about five minutes to play, Chamberlain suffered an injury to his knee. He limped off and was replaced by former Celtic Mel Counts, who was traded for Howell three years before. Counts starting making baskets and the Lakers were catching up while Boston suddenly was ice cold. LA ran off 10 straight points and the visitors’ lead was just 103-102 with still 2:30 left.

Meanwhile, Chamberlain told Lakers coach Butch van Breda Kolff he was okay to check back in. For whatever reason, the coach refused. They argued, but Wilt never returned. Controversy ensued and, unsurprisingly, van Breda Kolff was soon the ex-coach.

On the court, both teams missed shots and chances to get separation, and the score didn’t change – until the Celtics almost turned the ball over, but a fortunate bounce went to Don Nelson. The rim provided an even better bounce. Just watch.

That fluky hoop was the backbreaker for the Lakers’ hopes and momentum. Siegfried was fouled and swished two free throws for a five-point margin, LA scored a meaningless layup at the buzzer, and it was over, 108-106. Banner 11 was in hand.

It was over when…

Pregame: the balloon plan was revealed.

In the last two minutes: the moment Nelson’s lucky bounce came down.

The heroes we needed

• Havlicek scored 26, Jones 24, and Nelson 16.
• Russell totaled 21 rebounds and a team-high six assists.
• Emmette Bryant, who an expansion team didn’t want, and who came to Boston with just nine games of playoff experience, started Game 7, played 42 minutes, and scored a career postseason high of 20 points.

Notable facts and stats

• For the second straight year, Russell and the Celtics beat Chamberlain and his favored powerhouse team on the road in a Game 7.
• With the Game 7 win, Russell became the only player-coach and first black coach to win two championships.
• Rookie Don Chaney didn’t play much but won a ring, later became the starting guard known for his defense, won a second ring in 1974, and retired after the 1979-80 season. He is the only player who was a teammate of both Bill Russell and Larry Bird, the two greatest Celtics.
• Bryant and Barnes became the latest ex-Knicks to sign with Boston late in their careers and win a ring in the Russell years. Preceding them were Carl Braun, Willie Naulls and Clyde Lovellette.
• Department of They Really Did That?: Jerry West had a brilliant series, averaging 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. He was chosen as the first-ever NBA Finals MVP, despite losing.

And finally, farewell Bill Russell

During the summer, Sports Illustrated published an article in which Russell announced his retirement from playing and coaching. After 11 titles in 13 seasons, the Russell era in Boston was over. There will never again be anything like it. Before we leave this part of the Banner Years series, here are a few more moments of joy, including the entire Game 7 fourth quarter TV broadcast.

Banner Years continues tomorrow with a review of the 1973-74 season and the road to winning Banner #12.

Philadelphia made a huge change to the front office this offseason, parting ways with Daryl Morey and hiring Mike Gansey as the new President of Basketball Operations. So far, so very good on that front, as Gansey’s tenure has begun with the trade for Jaylen Brown and LeBron James joining the organization on a veteran’s minimum contract in free agency.

Don’t expect this next bit of news to make quite the same immediate impact, but the Sixers are reportedly bringing another new face into the front office. Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Philadelphia is hiring Tommy Balcetis as the new Head of Basketball Intelligence, Analytics and Innovation.

Balcetis was previously a member of the Denver Nuggets’ executive team, working there from 2013 through 2025, eventually as an assistant general manager. Lithuanian-born, Balcetis moved to New Hampshire as a teenager and later attended Harvard for college. He had his first NBA-related position in the NBA’s London office in 2012, which led to him meeting Tim Connelly during a Basketball Without Borders event in Moscow. Balcetis was contacted by Connelly a year later to build out the Nuggets’ analytics department when the latter moved from New Orleans to the top job in Denver.

During his time with Denver, Balcetis is most notably credited with an analysis that identified Aaron Gordon as one of the league’s top defenders against opposing alphas. Denver ended up trading with Orlando for Gordon, who in a supercharged role player position was an instrumental piece in the Nuggets’ 2023 championship. Since leaving the Nuggets when his contract expired in 2025, Balcetis had been working for Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania in a similar head of innovations role.

The Sixers have a championship-caliber core in place with Brown, James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe. The front office’s challenge will be to find the right pieces on the outskirts of the roster that could serve as a small missing piece to supplement the team’s starting five. With Philadelphia now approaching the first apron, possible moves could include a veteran signing at a prorated salary in December, or some sort of two-way player acquisition. Hopefully Balcetis’ experience and expertise will assist Gansey and the organization in making the right moves down the road in their pursuit of the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Karl-Anthony Towns has added a wedding band to his ring collection.

The New York Knicks star and Jordyn Woods reportedly got married over the weekend in Malibu, California.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, the New York Post shared photos and details of the wedding. The outdoor ceremony was held under a flowered arch overlooking the ocean. Woods wore a strapless ball gown with a neck scarf and Towns opted for a black suit and bow tie. All of the guests wore black attire.

The publication reported that Towns' Knicks teammates Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride attended the wedding along with New York superfans Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet. The "Marty Supreme" actor's girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, is a good friend of Woods and was also a guest. Other members of Woods' close circle shared in the joyous occasion, including Suni Lee and Hailey and Justin Bieber.

The Lakers now know their 2026-27 regular schedule – the longest road trips (the annual Grammy swing in late January/early February), the long homestands (three separate five-game stretches in December, March and April) and the competitive breaks.

They also know the marquee matchups in which Luka Doncic will be the featured player, leading a roster that was reconstructed around the Slovenian superstar.

Here are several big games the Lakers and Doncic should have circled in 2026-27: 

Oct. 21: vs. Warriors in Los Angeles

By the time October rolls around, Doncic would’ve already been with the Lakers for 20 months. 

This won’t be his first season opener in the Purple and Gold, but it will be the Lakers’ first season opener without former superstar LeBron James on the roster since 2017, marking a pivotal moment in the franchise’s Doncic-led era. 

Oct. 25: at Jazz in Salt Lake City 

This matchup is less about Doncic and the Lakers, and more about their marquee offseason acquisition, center Walker Kessler, playing his former team for the first time after the Jazz sent Kessler to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade.

Kessler, the No. 22 pick in the 2022 draft, spent the first four seasons of his NBA career in Utah before restricted free agency led him to Los Angeles. 

Nov. 27: at Spurs in San Antonio

This will be the first of three matchups between the Lakers and the defending Western Conference champions.

It’ll also be the first matchup between two players in Doncic and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who finished in the top-four in MVP voting in 2025-26.

Dec. 16 and Dec. 18: at Timberwolves in Minnesota 

This is the first of a pair of two-game series between the Lakers and Timberwolves – the two Western Conference playoff teams who underwent the most change this offseason. 

The Timberwolves will have plenty of starpower on their end, led by All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards, four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert and recently-acquired All-Star guard LaMelo Ball.

This will be a good test for both teams to see where they stand in the conference.   

Dec. 25: vs. 76ers in Los Angeles 

Christmas Day matchups always draw eyeballs. 

Add in this being James’ first game against the Lakers in Los Angeles since leaving the franchise, and the anticipation will be even higher. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the crowd inside Crypto.com Arena reacts to James’ return after LeBron left behind a complicated Lakers’ legacy despite delivering them their lone NBA title over the last 15 years. 

Jan. 7: vs. Celtics in Los Angeles 

Even during a season the Celtics may take a step back after trading Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, Lakers-Celtics remains one of the league’s marquee games because of the historic rivalry between the franchises.

Doncic is still looking for his first win against the Celtics since joining the Lakers. If he wants to ever make a name for himself in Purple and Gold, beating the Celtics is a must.

Jan. 26: vs. Thunder in Los Angeles 

The 2025 NBA champions, led by two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, beat the Lakers in all four 2025-26 regular-season matchups by an averaged margin of victory over 29.5 points before sweeping the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs.  

This should be a true measuring stick game for Doncic and the Lakers in the second half of the season. 

Jan. 30: at Knicks in New York 

For several years, Lakers at Knicks offered the one annual opportunity to witness James play on the NBA’s biggest stage at Madison Square Garden.

Now, Doncic will be in the spotlight against the defending NBA champions. 

Feb. 28: at Mavericks in Dallas

Matchups against the Mavericks in Dallas should become less emotional for Doncic as more time passes – especially compared to his first time playing against his former team at American Airlines Center in April 2025 after shockingly being traded to the Lakers two months prior. 

But this will still be just Doncic’s third game in Dallas since the trade.

Doncic, and fellow star guard Austin Reaves, sat out of the second visit to Dallas last April because of their season-ending lower body injuries.

NBA superstar LeBron James may have left the Los Angeles Lakers’ organization in the rearview, but he’s still hanging out with his former teammates.

James spent time with Austin Reaves at a golf course Sunday along with his son, Bronny James. The trio were filmed having a meal together with Bobby Fairways, Joey Coldcuts, Fat Perez, and Binny the Jet from the Bob Does Sports YouTube channel.

Perhaps the meeting is for a future collaboration on James’ new YouTube channel, which he launched earlier this week. Moreover, James’ channel posted a YouTube short with the group on the green, cameras in sight.

Both James and Reaves have had quite the offseason.

James was the top free agent of the NBA summer, spending a month-long saga weighing where his next and final destination would be before retirement. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer chose to sign a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

As for Reaves, the 28-year-old signed a four-year, $180 million max contract with the Lakers making it the richest contract signed by an undrafted player ever.

While both the 76ers and Lakers face immense pressure to be title contenders, there are many more questions surrounding the latter.

The Lakers were sold by Mark Walter after only 10 months to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and billionaire Josh Kushner.

The instability comes at a unique time for the storied franchise as the 2026-27 season will be Luka Doncic’s first season without James, arguably the biggest face of the league. Now, the Lakers are fully Doncic’s team and their performance this season will be on his shoulders.

If there was one certainty about the Lakers’ offseason, it was that change was coming. But no one could have expected change to this degree. 

With several players going out — namely team cornerstone LeBron James — and several coming in, the roster looks drastically different from what it did this time last year. Even with the known probability that a makeover was looming, what was startling was that it was a teardown, not a renovation.

The shuffling of the pro personnel was radical on its own. However, what took everyone by surprise was the recent news that the franchise would also be changing ownership for the second time in just 14 months.

After only a little over a year since taking over the team from the Buss family (who previously controlled it for the past 46 years), Mark Walter sold the Lakers to former CEO of Disney Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner.

Understandably, the news sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. It also raised serious questions. The suspicious timing of the sale amidst Walter’s ongoing FBI investigation was one thing, but seeing the league’s crown jewel flipped like a piece of real estate was another.

Before the sale, the Lakers seemed to have a fresh direction. They had clarity. With Walter and the ongoing Dodgerfication of the organization, the team seemed on track to finally catch up to the rest of the league in terms of modernization. The roster changes also supported this, with a clear emphasis on building directly around the new face of the franchise, Luka Dončić.

What was meant to be the first chapter of a new book suddenly was scrapped just months before it was set to hit shelves. And with new authors now in charge of the rewrite, the team’s fans are once again left uncertain about what comes next.

Natural questions such as: How invested will Iger and Kushner be in day-to-day operations? Is this just another business coup for a new set of wealthy investors? How deep actually are their wallets? What happens to the changes Walter began to implement? And perhaps most important for the fanbase, what impact will the new ownership have on the on-court product?

The Lakers were already heading into the year at a continuity deficit before all the changes at the top. With likely three new starters, a revamped bench, and a younger-leaning group overall, the team will have to find stability on the court in the face of all of the changes off of it.

While easier said than done, there may be optimism they will be able to expedite the chemistry process faster than a typical team of new players.

For one, the team’s new star duo remains intact with Dončić and Austin Reaves. Losing James obviously hurts, but he already began to take on a smaller role compared to his younger peers as the season progressed. Also returning are head coach JJ Redick and the rest of his staff, who have already shown an impressive ability to generate buy-in from new players previously.

Speaking of the new set of Lakers, it’s worth noting how many of them will arrive with some degree of built-in chemistry. Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton spent three seasons together in Utah. Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy both played with Dončić. And when looking further down the bench, Ziaire Williams and Bronny James were high school teammates at Sierra Canyon.

The importance of building chemistry right away seems to be a point of emphasis as Dončić is organizing a team-wide mini-camp in Slovenia this month. While not an uncommon occurrence in the offseason, it is an encouraging step towards bringing the group together, especially given how many of the new players signed multi-year deals.

For better or for worse, this is the core going forward. And if successful, it will be the backbone of bringing stability back to a franchise currently in limbo.

Ultimately, the fastest way to build cohesion and block the outside noise will be getting onto the court and, hopefully, winning.

There is no understating the sheer magnitude of the ripple effects that this summer will have for years to come. Time will reveal more details, and time will reveal the results. Yet for this group of Lakers players and their fans, shifting the focus back onto basketball itself will help make things feel less slimy than they currently do.

Owners, while important, should not be the beginning of a basketball conversation. The sooner we can get back to talking about the intricacies of a Dončić and Kessler pick-and-roll or the impact of Sexton’s driving ability instead of yet another rich person’s ROI the better.

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.

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UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni and his longtime big man with Phoenix and the New York Knicks, Amar’e Stoudemire, are two of the nine inductees entering the Naismith Hall of Fame this weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts.

But as Stoudemire and D’Antoni become forever enshrined in basketball history, it was their willingness to be different that helped them forge legendary careers. After years of coaching in the NBA and Italy, D’Antoni implemented the “7 seconds or less” offense once Steve Nash came back to Phoenix. The system is considered the catalyst for the fast, three-point-heavy offense that many NBA teams run today, and Stoudemire was the All-NBA big man who manned the paint for it.

Going 31-4 to start the 2004-05 season, winning 54 or more games in four straight seasons and making the Western Conference Finals in two straight seasons, Phoenix separated itself from the competition through its willingness to play unconventionally. The “7 seconds or less” offense was designed to give players ample opportunities to score and make plays, which is why D’Antoni thinks players bought in.

“We went where everybody can eat. Instead of that guy posting up this guy all the time, or going to a specific spot with the ball every time, we let everybody feed, and boy, they just bought in and went with it,” D’Antoni said. “It’s easy also to put the team first when your stats are strong because everybody wants to earn money, and you got to earn money by having stats in a career year.”

Someone eager to play in the new offense? Stoudemire. Despite being one of the youngest players on the team and going from playing power forward to center, he wanted to set the tone for his teammates by accepting the change without any qualms.

“I wanted to be a team player. Obviously, I had goals and wanted to be the best and dominate and show the world how good I am, but I also was willing to be a team player, and I think for me as a leader, you want your teammates to be leaders also,” Stoudemire said.

That leadership, he credits not just to D’Antoni but also to his “throwbacks,” as he called them: teammate Scott Williams, Suns broadcaster Eddie Johnson and team security guard Kevin Tucker. In his early days, when he was too young to go out to bars and clubs, he would hang around them because they provided him with “positive leadership,” which he feels put him on the right path. That leadership helped make the first year of “7 seconds or less” a memorable one during Stoudemire’s NBA tenure.

In the 2004-05 season, Stoudemire arguably had the best season of his career, making the All-Star team, averaging a career-high 26 points per game and receiving All-NBA Second Team honors while helping the Suns secure the best record in the NBA. Stoudemire, Nash, who won league MVP, and Shawn Marion were the first trio of teammates in NBA history at the time to earn All-NBA honors. Stoudemire and the team’s open-minded approach to D’Antoni’s new offense helped the system gel early and often. He says that everything came naturally in training camp.

“We all were in top shape, ready to go. And from training camp, we saw something special. We saw the style of play and the speed we were playing with,” Stoudemire said. “I was at my athleticism peak, and we had Shawn Marion, who was a brilliant floor runner and Swiss Army knife type of player, and Nash was the pass-first guy who could get the ball to whoever was hot.”

Along with Nash and this year’s two inductees, Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal were also members of the Suns during the 2000s who are in the Hall of Fame. D’Antoni coached only Hill, but Stoudemire played with both of them.

While they didn’t win a championship and break the franchise’s title drought, their impact on the game hasn’t been forgotten by people who covered the team, including Suns broadcaster Tom Leander.

Even once D’Antoni left the Suns to coach the Knicks, his impact on the organization remained strong. When Alvin Gentry took over as head coach in 2009 after the team fired Terry Porter, he tried to keep the offense the same.

“I just remember that when I took over, the one thing that I was gonna do was we were gonna go back to what I call ‘Phoenix Suns basketball,’ the ‘7 seconds or less’ days,” Gentry said.

Playing D’Antoni’s style of offense, the team scored 140 points in each of Gentry’s first three games as coach.

D’Antoni doesn’t give himself the credit other people do, but he feels the offense he ran in Phoenix was validated by how the Golden State Warriors have run their offense for so many years and won four championships.

“They’re playing the way that we played because we did it kind of without analytics, and we didn’t have that knowledge yet, and so now they do it with analytics telling them that’s the way to go, and so it’s obviously satisfying,” he said.

D’Antoni never won an NBA championship, but as the NBA becomes more and more three-point-centric (teams shot 13 more threes per game this year than they did 10 seasons ago) and with his teams consistently leading the league in three-point attempts throughout his career, his name will be one to remember when telling the story of the three-point revolution. Players like Stoudemire, who were willing to play a role in spacing the floor for their teammates, will be a part of it.

Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg isn’t afraid to say what he thinks.

Lendeborg was asked if he was excited for the upcoming matchup with Dillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns. The No. 11 overall pick wasn’t coy in his response.

“I’m finna give Dillon Brooks belt,” Lendeborg said on a Kick stream.

Brooks has built a reputation for being one of the least-liked players in the league. His alleged dirty antics and constant chirping has warranted that notion. But that’s not the only player Lendeborg at one time had some disdain for.

After being selected in the first-round of the 2026 NBA Draft, Lendeborg openly said he used to hate Steph Curry.

“It’s a full-circle moment for me. I’ve been saying this every time I get asked this question. In 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry,” Lendeborg said. “So now that I’m actually going to be on the same team as him, play and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot.”

The Brooks comments appears to be the former Wolverine’s latest candid comments.

But the rookie will have to prove that he can indeed keep up with a pesky defender like Brooks once Golden State faces the Suns in their first matchup of the season on Oct. 24.

Lendeborg has already made a good first impression on head coach Steve Kerr after leading the G-League team to an NBA summer league championship. He finished the title matchup with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Warriors have entered the final years of Curry’s career and many feel as though the organization may be squandering their closing campaigns with the 38-year-old. Golden State was involved in the LeBron James sweepstakes, but hasn’t made a notable free agent signing this summer.

However, Lendeborg is expected to be a key addition for Curry and the Warriors this season.

There aren’t many great memories of the Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard era.

What was supposed to be another title window opening for Bryant ended up being a season referred to as the Dwightmare. There was tension between Kobe and Dwight, players couldn’t stay healthy and it ended with a torn Achilles and a first-round sweep.

Time hasn’t really made that season look any better, but there was a kernel of joy in the midst of a downtime for the Lakers.

With the chatter about infighting between Kobe and Dwight almost reaching the levels of the Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal feud, the team decided to have some fun.

Then Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni was caught in the middle of Kobe and Dwight, jokingly looking like he was trying to stop the madness while also crying out for help.

This past weekend, D’Antoni joined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He sat down for a Q&A with Dave McMenamin of ESPN and this iconic picture came up.

How did it happen?

There were rumors that they had really gotten into it and they hated each other, and this was not going to work.

I was on the training table rehabbing my knee and Kobe was there, and Dwight and I go, “Can you believe this?” I don’t know how, but we just started talking and all of a sudden [the photo was shot].

In the moment, this image certainly cooled down the temperature in LA. There was still time to get things right, and with everyone clearly playing around, the reaction to this picture was positive.

Later in the story, D’Antoni revealed that Bryant made the picture happen.

Was it Kobe’s idea? Because obviously he posted it.

I think it was. I think it was Kobe. But it wasn’t an idea that, “Oh, let’s pose for a picture and get this out.” But it was more of a joke. And I guess maybe the trainer [Gary Vitti] had a phone camera or something.

Gary might have said something like, “You guys stand there and look like you’re fighting, which everybody thinks you’re doing every day, anyway.” Something like that. It was off the cuff. It wasn’t planned.

It was more or less just us responding with, “It’s not as bad as people say it is.”

As we look back on life, we sometimes feel nostalgia for moments that came even during bad times. This is one of those times.

Now that this is a story from well over a decade ago, we can all just laugh and shake our heads. In the end, this team couldn’t win, but the picture will live in infamy.

Bryant is a legend, Howard redeemed himself by helping the Lakers win the title in 2020 and D’Antoni is now a Hall of Famer.

This image won’t be hanging in the Louvre, but it would be appropriate somewhere inside a Lakers museum. Likely in the basement, though.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

San Diego Padres (66-58) at Cleveland Guardians (60-64), August 16, 2026, 10:40 a.m. PST

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When Mark Walter purchased the majority ownership of the Lakers last year, expectations for the franchise’s short- and long-term future soared.

After being primarily owned by the Buss family – first Dr. Jerry Buss and then his children, led by Jeanie Buss – for 46 years, which was the longest majority ownership tenure in the NBA, the Lakers were entering a dawn of a new era.

The Lakers, the league’s glamour franchises, were going from a mom-and-pop operation to a more traditional, corporate infrastructure under Walter. 

And Lakers fans didn’t need to look far to see the success that could be accomplished with Walter leading the franchise. 

The Dodgers, who Walter has been the majority owner of since 2012, have been one of the most successful MLB franchises in the last 14 years: Thirteen consecutive playoff appearances; 12 of the last 13 NL West division titles; five World Series appearances in the last nine years; three World Series titles in the last six years, including being the reigning back-to-back champs. 

Even with the understanding that Walter’s deep pockets wouldn’t impact the Lakers’ payroll for players in the same way it did for the Dodgers, there was optimism that modernizing and restructuring the Lakers in other ways – such as building out the franchise’s front office and investments in the infrastructure – would pay divendends. 

The Lakers made the type of expected progress in those areas over the last year. 

But Walter selling the majority ownership of the Lakers to businessman Josh Kushner and ex-Disney executive Bob Iger brought the end to an Walter-ownership era that was ultimately a disappointment.

Walter’s sad end to Lakers ownership

The succession plan for Walter to own the Lakers was essentially put in place when he became a minority owner in 2021, when he received a right of first refusal on the majority share of the team.

Why Walter chose to sell the Lakers now, just 14 months after agreeing to purchase the Lakers and 10 months since he officially became the majority owner, isn’t clear. 

There’s been speculation about the decision to sell now has something to do with Walter being under federal investigation. 

Walter hasn’t publicly commented on the sale outside of this statement: “Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life – an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family. I am grateful to Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, the players, and the staff for welcoming me into this chapter. The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead.”

Regardless of why Walter ultimately decided to sell now, his short tenure as the Lakers majority owner, whenever it officially ends, will be remembered as a disappointment.

In fairness, Walter didn’t have the time to make the impact on the Lakers like he has the Dodgers.

It took the Dodgers five years into Walter’s ownership to make a World Series appearance, and eight to win the title.

The Lakers didn’t even have a full year under the 66-year-old’s guidance.

But in that year, very few remarkable things happened.

Lakers changes under Walter

There were several hires on the business operations side, including Lon Rosen becoming the franchise’s president of business operations after leading the Dodgers’ business operations under Walter.

Season ticket prices were raised. The G League team moved to Coachella Valley. A second row of courtside seats were added. There were widespread layoffs in May. 

And there was a second-round playoff exit that preceded LeBron James leaving the franchise after eight years for the 76ers and a roster reconstruction around Luka Doncic. 

Not close to what was hoped for under Walter. 

Maybe Walter’s legacy as the Lakers’ owner will be remembered for how he set up the Kushner-Iger era.

The Lakers were revamping their basketball operations under Walter, and already started making more investments into their practice facility, which included medical equipment. 

There’s little-to-no evidence of what a Kushner-Iger-led NBA operation looks like.

But the valuation they paid for the Lakers, including their combined net worth, suggests they’ll be able to pick up where Walter left off with modernizing the franchise.

But so much more was hoped for under Walter, whose tenure with the Lakers will be remembered for much less than expected.

The people have spoken.

When posed the question of adding veterans to fill out the roster, the majority of voters (59%) felt it wasn’t necessary. This offseason has seen the loss of Mike Conley (Boston), Kyle Anderson (Toronto), and Joe Ingles (Australia) already, thus leaving Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, and newly added Trey Lyles as the lone 30-year-olds on the roster.

Since Anthony Edwards joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020-2021 season, there have been various “key locker room voices” that have helped guide the young star.

• 2026: Joe Ingles (38), Mike Conley (38), Kyle Anderson (32)
• 2025: Joe Ingles (37), Mike Conley (37)
• 2024: Mike Conley (36), Kyle Anderson (30)
• 2023: Mike Conley (35), Kyle Anderson (29), Taurean Prince (28)
• 2022: Patrick Beverley (33), Taurean Prince (27)
• 2021: Ricky Rubio (30), Ed Davis (31)

The community believes that it’s time for Anthony Edwards himself to be the “veteran voice” now. The 25-year-old is now entering his seventh season in the league and has demonstrated some of his offseason leadership. He has been as vocal as he’s ever been about building team chemistry over the summer, and he’s put his words into action. He spearheaded a trip to visit Rudy Gobert, who’s six years his elder, for team bonding excursion.

It should also be of note that LaMelo Ball, despite some of the negative perceptions of him, was known to be an outstanding locker room presence for the Charlotte Hornets as well. Many current players still on the Hornets have recently lamented his loss, saying that he was a great connector of people on and off the court. A bottle of optimistic energy that was a welcome presence on the team.

If the Timberwolves don’t fill out their roster with new “vets,” then who will be the final players that make the team? In the comments section, names such as Kevin Love, Ben Simmons, and Willie Cauley-Stein popped up. Even some of our own brave community members volunteered as tribute.

If you’re into sports betting and all that stuff, the Wolves odds currently sit at +1500 to win the Western Conference according to FanDuel, but that could change very quickly if CatalinaWineMixer (and his multiple aliases) makes the team.

Who ultimately rounds out the Wolves roster now becomes the final question as we barrel towards training camp next month.