Avery Bradley’s heroics lift Lakers to OT win over Raptors

Avery Bradley hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds to play in overtime, then added two free throws as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 128-123 Friday night.

Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, including the tying 3-pointer to force overtime.

Bradley finished with 14 points and LeBron James led the Lakers with 36 points as they ended a three-game losing streak. They had lost their 11 previous road games.

Toronto took the lead with 26.1 seconds to play in regulation on Gary Trent Jr.'s 3-pointer, but Westbrook tied it at 116 with a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left.

Austin Reaves made two free throws to give the Lakers a two-point lead with 1:49 left in overtime. Trent tied it on a layup. Pascal Siakam made one of two foul shots with 51.8 seconds to play, but Bradley made the crucial 3-pointer and, with 12.6 seconds to go in overtime, made two free throws.

Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points for the Lakers and Reaves had 10.

Scottie Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds for the Raptors, who had a five-game win streak end. Trent had 23 points, Fred VanVleet had 20, Precious Achiuwa scored 18 and Siakam 17.

Toronto took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter. The score was tied at 99 on a layup by James with 7:39 to play.

Reaves made a 3-pointer to give L.A. the lead with 6:48 left. Trent tied the game with a layup with 4:15 to go. Barnes made a dunk to put Toronto ahead by two with 3:03 remaining. James answered with a 3-pointer, but Barnes made a layup and a free throw to give Toronto a two-point lead. James tied it with a jumper.

The Lakers led 33-30 after one quarter.

Toronto finished the first half on a 7-0 run to trim the lead to 59-55.

Chris Boucher's put-back layup gave Toronto an 89-88 lead after three quarters.

The Lakers were without Carmelo Anthony and Wayne Ellington because of non-Covid illness and Talen Horton-Tucker (sprained ankle). The Raptors were without OG Anunoby (broken finger).

-reuters

NBA: LeBron James fined for 'obscene gesture,' warned for swearing

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was slapped with a $15,000 fine for an "obscene gesture" and was warned for swearing during a news conference by the NBA's disciplinary officials on Friday.

"LeBron James has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture on the playing court and warned for using profane language during media availability," said league spokesman Byron Spruell in a news release.

This is the second time this week that league has disciplined James for an on-court incident. 

James was hit with a one-game suspension for a bloody altercation with Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart in a game last Sunday. It was the first suspension of James' career.

The ban meant James missed the Lakers 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

He returned Wednesday to face the Indiana Pacers and scored 39 points in a 124-116 overtime win. Late in the fourth quarter James drew the ire of league officials for making an obscene gesture after sinking a three-point basket that extended the Lakers lead to six points. 

James slammed the one-game suspension after the Pacers game, describing the punishment to reporters as "some bull----".

The NBA on Friday also issued a warning to James against "using profane language during media availability."

In nine games this season, James is averaging 24.6 points, five rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: LeBron James leads Lakers past Timberwolves

LeBron James totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-104 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

The Lakers, one of the best road teams in the league this season, won for the 13th time in 16 games away from L.A. and prevailed for the eighth time in their past nine games overall.

Playing without Anthony Davis, who is expected to miss multiple weeks after straining his right Achilles, the Lakers trailed 81-77 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

James sparked a 26-8 surge that helped the Lakers open up a 14-point lead in the final quarter and eventually hold on for the victory.

Kyle Kuzma (seven points) started again with Davis out, but it was Montrezl Harrell who was clutch off the bench with 17 points and six rebounds. and Marc Gasol (11 points) on the defensive end limiting Karl-Anthony Towns to only 15 points and six rebounds.

Towns was averaging 21 points over his first three games back since returning from a 13-game absence due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Dennis Schroder also delivered on the offensive end shooting 9-for-15 and finishing with 24 points. The Lakers made 11-of-26 three-point attempts (42.3 percent).

But Minnesota was sharp from long distance as well, connecting on 16-of-34 attempts (47.1 percent). Rookie Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Jordan McLaughlin and Ricky Rubio each finished with 13 points, and Naz Reid had 10 points.

But Malik Beasley struggled from the field shooting 4-of-15 and finishing with only 11 points after averaging 24.6 points per game over his previous seven.

Things got worse on the injury front for the Timberwolves on Tuesday.

According to ESPN, Minnesota is expected to be without guard D'Angelo Russell for the next 4-6 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Russell is averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assists in 20 games this season.

-reuters-

LeBron James is wealthiest athlete on Instagram

MANILA, Philippines — Lebron James has been identified as the highest earning NBA player through Instagram, a recent report said.

With his 54.7 million followers, the Los Angeles Lakers forward, now on his 16th year in the league, reportedly earns $300,850 per sponsored post, a study by Online Gambling Canada revealed.

Following him for the second spot is Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who has some 28.2 million followers and earns $155,100 with each post.

The two are trailed in the rankings by Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving, who rake in $83,000, $79,750 and $74,800 per post, respectively.

"Whether it’s shooting hoops or enjoying their multi-million dollar homes, it’s safe to say the players know how to entertain their audiences, on and off the court. However, the entertaining doesn’t come at a cheap price," Online Gambling said.

Of the study's methodology, the website said, "Using Instagram we were able to compile a list of the highest followed NBA players, sports athletes & celebrities.  We used the Hopper HQ Instagram Rich List combined with Later to establish how much all of individuals earned per sponsored Insta post."

"From this we were able to compare earnings across the different verticals, which allowed our client to form their piece," they added.

Despite the eye-popping numbers, the NBA superstars' Instagram earnings are still no match for their celebrity counterparts.

For instance, Kylie Jenner tops the list of celebrity Instagram earnings with a whopping $1,266,000 earned with every Instagram post.

Professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, too, rakes in $975,000 every time he posts on the social media platform.

LeBron James surpasses Kobe Bryant at No. 3 in NBA all-time scoring list

MANILA, Philippines — The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James is now third in the NBA all-time scoring list after surpassing Kobe Bryant on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

James came out in the game with an ode to Bryant, with "Mamba 4 life | 8/24 KB" written in his game-worn shoes.

In his 17th season, James is continuing to make history with at least 33,644 career points. He now only trails Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).

The 35-year-old is the only active player in the Top 10 all-time leading scorers list.

James sank the history-making bucket at around the 6:27 mark of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Lakers would go on to lose the match, 91-108 and fall to a 36-10 slate with James finishing with 29.

But James and his squad remain at the top spot of the Western Conference as the league nears the All-Star break.

James hopes to lead the Lakers to their first title since 2010. Last season, the Lakers missed out on the playoffs.

source: philstar.com

Lakers outmuscle Mavericks as LeBron hits assist milestone

LOS ANGELES – Anthony Davis had 23 points and nine rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 108-95, on Sunday at Staples Center (Monday, Manila time).

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came off the bench to score 19 points while LeBron James, who turns 35 on Monday, finished with a double-double, 13 points and 13 assists.

James became the ninth player in league history to reach 9,000 career assists.

Luka Doncic, who entered the contest as the NBA's third-leading scorer at 29.1 points per game, had 19 points on five-of-14 shooting and seven assists.

The Mavericks got a scare in the second quarter when Doncic was slammed to the ground by Lakers Dwight Howard, who was hit with a foul on the play.


Doncic was driving to the basket and in the air when Howard reach in with his left arm sending Doncic crashing to the floor.

This is the second vicious hit by Howard on Doncic this season. In November, Howard bloodied the 20-year-old Slovenian with an elbow to the head.

Delon Wright added 14 points off the bench, while Kristaps Porzingis managed 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

The Lakers outshot the Mavericks 48.7 percent to 36 percent.

The Mavericks also played most of the game without Tim Hardaway who left the contest with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.

Hardaway, who had 25 points in the Mavericks' win at Golden State on Saturday, seemed to hurt himself after a dunk.

In New Orleans, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball scored 27 points each as the host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the injury-hit Houston Rockets 127-112.

Jrue Holiday and E'Twaun Moore added 25 each and Derrick Favors had 12 points and 16 rebounds as the Pelicans won for the fifth time in six games.

The Rockets played without Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who sat out with a sore toe. Harden is averaging a league best 38.3 points per game.

Westbrook sat out because the Rockets were playing two games in as many days after beating New Jersey 108-98 on Saturday.

Danuel House scored 22 points, Eric Gordon added 20 to lead the Rockets.

source: philstar.com

LeBron powers Lakers past Hawks

LOS ANGELES – LeBron James scored 33 points as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 122-101 win over the struggling Atlanta Hawks at the Staples Center here Sunday (Monday, Manila time).

The Lakers jumped out to a 25-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back.

Rajon Rondo scored 15 points and Anthony Davis added 14 as the Lakers posted their 11th win in their last 12 games since a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Trae Young scored 31 points and Cam Reddish added 13 as the Hawks lost their third straight game.

Atlanta was blown out in Los Angeles for the second consecutive night after losing by 49 points to the Clippers.

Also, Denver's Jamal Murray scored 39 points and Paul Millsap added 23 to lead the Nuggets over host Memphis 131-114 for their fifth win in six road contests. Jaren Jackson led the Grizzlies with 22 points.

Tobias Harris scored 27 points to lead six Philadelphia players in double figures as the 76ers rolled to a 114-95 triumph at Cleveland.

Cameroon center Joel Embiid added 14 points for the 76ers and Australia's Ben Simmons had 10 points and 11 assists for Philadelphia. Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 17 points.


With Orlando clinging to a three-point lead, Magic guard Markelle Fultz made a steal and dunk then sank a free throw with 36 seconds remaining to lift the hosts over the Washington Wizards 125-121 in a matchup of struggling Eastern Conference clubs.

Montenegrin big man Nikola Vucevic led Orlando (6-7) with 30 points and 17 rebounds while Frenchman Evan Fournier had 25 points and Fultz had a 45-game career-high 19 points for the Magic, who ended a 4-1 homestand.

Bradley Beal scored 34 points to lead Washington (3-8) and crack the NBA career 10,000-point mark.

source: philstar.com

5 things to know about the LeBron XVII

MANILA, Philippines — As LeBron James gears up for his 17th season in the NBA, Nike is outfitting him with the latest innovation in his newest signature sneaker: the LeBron XVII.

Set to launch in the Philippines starting October 10, the latest LeBron kicks will set you back Php 9,895 a pair.

So what's new about the King's latest kicks? Here are five things you need to know about the LeBron XVII.


1. It has the highest-volume Heel Max Air unit in a LeBron shoe

It's the most Max Air that LeBron's worn in a shoe, set beneath the heel to provide shock absorption for his explosive play.

A soft foam pod directly under the Max Air units add cushioning.

2. The shoe has two independent Air Zoom pods under the forefoot

Combined with Max Air, the Air Zoom provides the ultimate hybrid cushioning.

The Air Zoom units in the forefoot respond to LeBron's downhill speed from point to point.

3. The shoe introduces 'Knitposite'

Evolved from the upper construction from Battleknit 2.0 on the LeBron XVI, the LeBron XVII combines lightweight Flyknit construction with heat-molded yarns that add structure and color.

The result is durable, supportive and resists stretching.

4. Signature LeBron details have shifted to the tongue

In the LeBron XVI, the Lion crest was on the heel of the shoe while the silhouette of LeBron dunking could be found on the outsole.

For the LeBron XVII, the details shift into the tongue, combining phrases and symbols like "I'm King", "LJ" and "23".

"LeBron wanted a more overt tongue for the shoe, which opens up the opportunity for storytelling," LeBron XVII designer Jason Petrie said.

5. The LeBron XVII releases on September 27

The LeBron XVII will be available in three colorways, Purple and Gold, In The Arena and Air Innovation.

They're set to drop on October 10, 20 and 29, respectively.

Will you be copping a pair of the King's newest signature shoe?

source: philstar.com

LeBron's Lakers finale veers off script

LOS ANGELES – As movie pitches go, LeBron James' move to the Los Angeles Lakers had all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster.

An ageing NBA superstar joins a storied-but-struggling franchise and leads a dramatic revival which transforms the team into title contenders.

But five months after James began training with the Lakers, the perfectly scripted finale has been stuck in what entertainment industry executives call "development hell".


After a promising start to their new era, the Lakers have tailed off dramatically since an injured James limped out of a Christmas Day upset of the mighty Golden State Warriors.

At that point, the Lakers were still firmly in the Western Conference playoff hunt with a respectable 20-14 record.

Since then, however, the Lakers have won nine games and lost 17, a slump which has seen them fall out of the playoff rankings into 11th spot in the West, three places adrift of the eighth postseason slot.

Much of that slide can be attributed to James' prolonged absence due to a groin injury, with the 34-year-old missing all of January before returning for a 123-120 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on February 1.

However, the Lakers have continued to struggle even with James back in the line-up.

A chastening sequence of results has included the heaviest defeat of James' career, a 136-94 pounding by the Indiana Pacers, as well as losses to lower-ranked opponents who have little to play for.

The most recent of those came on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies, who are one place off the bottom of the West with a 24-38 record.

James later appeared to question his team-mates' focus after Monday's 110-105 reverse in Memphis, suggesting that any player unable to cope with the pressure of chasing a playoff berth should find another club.

Locker room turmoil?
"At this point if you are still allowing distractions to affect how the way you play, then this is the wrong franchise to be a part of and you should just come and be like, 'Listen, I don't think this is for me'," James told reporters.

Those kinds of comments are unlikely to endear him to a locker room which has reportedly been in turmoil since the team's pursuit of New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis ended in failure in early February.

The Lakers were reported to have offered several prominent members of their roster in exchange for Davis, including Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Ivica Zubac and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

James meanwhile had earlier spoken favorably of a possible link-up with Davis, saying playing alongside the Pelicans ace would be "amazing".

The perception that the Lakers' pursuit of Davis was going ahead with James' blessing was pounced upon by rival fans.

Ingram was subjected to taunts of "LeBron's gonna trade you" during the loss to Indiana on February 5.

One unnamed NBA executive believes James bears some of the responsibility for the Lakers' problems by making no secret of his admiration for Davis.

"He killed the Lakers' chemistry," the executive told Bleacher Report. "He shouldn't have been so public about it."

Other pundits, however, believe the Lakers' problems are linked directly to James' fitness and his lengthy injury layoff.

"The biggest problem with the Los Angeles Lakers is LeBron James," Stephen A. Smith told ESPN's First Take show.

"Age, attrition or injury. Something is not right. He doesn't look like himself."

James meanwhile has always cautioned that rebuilding the Lakers would be a long-term project, stating in September that he anticipated "bumps and bruises" as the team attempted to rebuild after missing the playoffs for five straight seasons prior to his arrival.

But James must now conjure something remarkable over the final weeks of the regular season if he is to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in his career since 2005.

The Lakers face a brutal run-in which includes games against Boston, Denver, Toronto and Milwaukee.

A daunting final six-game stretch sees them play New Orleans, Golden State, Oklahoma City, the Clippers, Utah and Portland.

source: philstar.com

LeBron vs Warriors headlines NBA's Christmas lineup

There's no NBA Finals rematch this year on Christmas. Not technically, anyway. It's LeBron James vs. the Golden State Warriors for the fourth consecutive year on December 25, though James will be wearing a Los Angeles Lakers uniform this time.

It was a predictable matchup.

It isn't, however, a break from tradition.


That's one of the biggest misnomers about the NBA and the schedule. An NBA Finals rematch is not common, not the norm, not a guarantee for the last two teams that were standing the previous season. The league has crowned a champion every year since 1947, and the tradition of Christmas Day games started later that same year. (They've been an annual fixture since, with the exception of 1998, when a lockout didn't allow that season to begin until February.)

But there have been only nine NBA Finals rematches on December 25. The recent Golden State-Cleveland history may make it seem like more.

James has been in five Finals rematches on Christmas, all since 2011: Miami vs. Dallas that year, Oklahoma City vs. Miami the following year, and Cleveland vs. Golden State in each of the last three years.

The other four rematches on the holiday: Orlando vs. Houston in 1995, Philadelphia vs. the Lakers in 2001, San Antonio vs. Detroit in 2005 and Boston vs. the Lakers in 2008.

So instead of a Cavs-Warriors rematch, getting Lakers vs. Warriors — for the first time in the LeBron L.A. era — makes perfect sense.

"Bron is Bron," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "They're going to be tough, a tough matchup on Christmas Day, but we're looking forward to it."

Inevitably, so will James. Even with the Lakers having lost four of their last six games, they're off to a 19-14 start — their best since the 2011-12 season.

"We've got a long way to go to get to Golden State," James said in September.

He's about to get his first look at how the Lakers measure up with the champs.

Christmas lineup

Tuesday's slate starts with Milwaukee at New York, followed by Oklahoma City at Houston, Philadelphia at Boston, the Lakers at the Warriors and then Portland at Utah. It's Milwaukee's first Christmas game since 1977, which will end what was by far the league's longest December 25 drought. Utah hasn't played on Christmas since 1997.

A look at each of the five games:

Bucks at Knicks

Congratulations to the schedule-makers, because there's no way they could have known this Christmas game would be wrapped in animus. Giannis Antetokounmpo was peeved at New York forward Mario Hezonja — who dunked on him, stared at him and then stepped over him when the teams last met on December 1.

Thunder at Rockets

A rematch of a game from Christmas 2017, which the Thunder won 112-107. Oklahoma City is 6-2 on Christmas since the team moved there; when the franchise was in Seattle, it was 0-11 on the holiday. Rockets star Chris Paul will miss Christmas for the third straight year — with the Clippers, he had a left hamstring strain and missed their game with the Lakers in 2016, sat out last year's Houston-OKC game with a groin strain and this year, it's another left hamstring issue that will keep him out.

76ers at Celtics

These are heated, historic rivals, but they've met on Christmas only once before — in 1961, when the 76ers were the Syracuse Nationals. Boston, which famously avoided home Christmas games forever (the Celtics played their first 30 such games away from Boston), will be at home on the holiday for the second consecutive season.

Lakers at Warriors

It's the 20th consecutive Christmas appearance for the Lakers, and with LeBron James there now don't expect that streak to end anytime soon. Warriors star Kevin Durant apparently loves playing on the holiday; he's averaging 31.1 points in his eight previous Christmas games.

Trail Blazers at Jazz

Portland is 14-3 all-time on Christmas, and could tie Miami (10-2) for the best winning percentage on the holiday if it tops the Jazz. Meanwhile, for Utah, it's a chance for Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell to get his first — but almost certainly not his last — look at playing on Christmas.

Christmas history

The NBA's five-game Christmas lineup is back for an 11th consecutive year, and that may seem like a lot of matchups but has been exceeded plenty of times in the past. There were seven games on the holiday in 1949, 1971 and 1977, as well as six in 1970 and 1976.

And there were some years where everybody played on Christmas.

In 1952, the league had 10 teams so that meant five Christmas games. In 1956, the league's eight teams got together for two Christmas doubleheaders — two games at Madison Square Garden, two others at the War Memorial in Rochester, New York. And in 1959, eight teams meant four games on the holiday again.

With Milwaukee playing, the league's longest Christmas drought will belong to the Atlanta Hawks, who haven't appeared on the holiday since 1989. After the Hawks, the longest droughts will be held by Charlotte (no appearances in 29 seasons), Memphis (no appearances in 24 seasons), Toronto (2001), Sacramento (2003), Indiana (2004) and Detroit (2005).

Everyone else has played at least one Christmas game since 2009.

Year of the 3

Houston set the NBA record for 3-pointers made in a game with 26, doing that against Washington last week.

It cemented that, without question, 2018 in the NBA was the year of the 3-pointer.

So far this season, 11 franchises — Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Golden State, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento and Utah — have set or tied team records for 3-pointers made in a regular-season game. That doesn't even take into account Brooklyn, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia also doing it in 2018, albeit last season.

Maybe the craze hasn't caught on in Canada.

The longest-standing team record for 3s in a game is held by the Toronto Raptors, who made 21 on March 13, 2005. Orlando's mark of 23 has stuck since Jan. 13, 2009 and Phoenix's record of 22 came on Nov. 14, 2010.

Meanwhile, Zaza Pachulia's quest for a 3 continues.

Pachulia has the NBA record for most 3s attempted in a career without a make — the Detroit backup center is now 0 for 29 in the regular season, 0 for 31 when including playoffs. He's 0 for 3 in 2018, though all those tries in this calendar year were desperation heaves from midcourt or deeper. And in fairness, only six of his career 3-point tries have been shots inside of 30 feet.

source: philstar.com

Lakers rip Nuggets

LeBron in groove, hits triple-double

LOS ANGELES – LeBron James had 28 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds while leading the Los Angeles Lakers’ late rally for his first home victory at Staples Center, 128-111 over the previously unbeaten Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points and JaVale McGee added 21 to complement James’ 74th career triple-double, his first with his new team.

With Kobe Bryant watching from a courtside seat for the first time since LeBron’s arrival in LA, the Lakers trailed by eight points with six minutes left in the fourth quarter before Lance Stephenson started a 15-2 rally with back-to-back 3-pointers. Stephenson finished with 12 points.


James got Staples Center rocking on a go-ahead dunk with 3:31 to play before Lonzo Ball made an artful step-back 3-pointer. Kuzma added two huge dunks down the stretch of Los Angeles’ second win in two days after an 0-3 start.

Nikola Jokic scored 24 points for the Nuggets, who were off to their best start since the 2009-10 season. Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Monte Morris had 20, but Denver couldn’t answer the Lakers’ rally led by James, who posted his third career triple-double in Staples Center for his third different team.


In Oklahoma City, Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, and Boston rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to beat winless Oklahoma City, 101-95.

Marcus Morris added 21 points, Al Horford had 19 and Kyrie Irving 15.

Paul George scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, but shot just 7 of 22. Russell Westbrook had 13 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but he shot 5 for 20. The Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers are the only winless teams in the NBA.

Morris hit a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to give the Celtics a 98-95 lead, and they held on.

Oklahoma City led 50-34 at halftime. Boston shot just 32 percent in the first half and missed all 11 of its 3-point attempts.

In Detroit, Andre Drummond had 26 points and 22 rebounds, and Detroit improved to 4-0 and dropped Cleveland to its sixth straight loss, 110-103, for the first time since 2003-04 – when LeBron James was a rookie.

source: philstar.com

LeBron James says in Kaepernick reference: I stand with Nike

NEW YORK — Clutching his young daughter in his arms, LeBron James said he stands with Nike, a clear reference to the company’s Colin Kaepernick ad campaign.

The basketball superstar — and new Los Angeles Laker — made the remarks as he received an award Tuesday for both his style and his philanthropy from Harlem’s Fashion Row. The fashion collective partnered with Nike for the New York event, both a fashion show and an awards ceremony that focused on diversity in the fashion world. The evening culminated in the reveal of the latest LeBron James Nike basketball shoe: a women’s sneaker designed by three female African-American designers and inspired by strong African-American women.

In emotional remarks, James paid tribute to the three women in his life — his mother, wife and 3-year-old daughter, Zhuri.

He noted how his mother had raised him alone, and given him “a sense of pride, a sense of strength, a sense of no worry.”

“Because of you, Gloria James, I’m able to be in a position today where I can give back and showcase why I believe African-American women are the most powerful women in the world.”

The NBA star, who was wearing one of his favored shrunken-fit shorts suits by designer Thom Browne, called his daughter “my rock.”


“People always told me if you ever have a girl, she’ll change you,” said James, who also has two sons. “I was like, nobody’s changing me, I’m a man.” But she did, he said.

“Not only did she change me, she’s made me a better person,” James said. “A more dedicated person, a stronger person, I guess a more sensitive person.”

Closing his remarks, he said he stood “for anybody who believes in change.” He added: “I stand with Nike, all day, every day.”

Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, unveiled his first ad of the new campaign Monday. “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” it said.

The new endorsement deal has sparked vigorous debate, with some fans expressing displeasure over the apparel giant’s support of a player known for starting a wave of protests among NFL players against police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues.

Some angry fans were even burning and cutting out the signature swoosh logos on their gear — and posting the results on social media.

But Kaepernick and his Nike campaign, which marks the 30th anniversary of Nike’s “Just Do It,” received plenty of support from the fashion world in attendance Tuesday.

Bethann Hardison, an activist for diversity in fashion and a former supermodel who was also honored by Harlem’s Row, said she was happy with Nike’s move. “It’s such a divided situation in our world right now,” she said of the negative reaction by some fans. “But I’m such a huge, huge, wholehearted supporter of Colin that I’m very proud that someone understands what he’s done and (is giving) him some kudos.”

Prominent African-American designer Tracy Reese said she loved the new Nike campaign.

“It was tastefully done,” she said. “And really, this is the time to stand up for what you believe in. Colin Kaepernick has done that and I think that we need to follow his example and really go where the heart leads, instead of where everybody expects you to go.”

Also honored at the ceremony were Harlem streetwear designer Dapper Dan and stylist Jason Rembert. A fashion show highlighted the work of designers Kimberly Goldson, Undra Duncan and Fe Noel, who together helped create the new shoe.

source: philstar.com

LeBron, back in Boston, for another Cavs farewell

BOSTON- LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers won’t get any sympathy from the Celtics when they return to Boston for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Already laboring to reach his eighth straight NBA Finals with a supporting crew made mostly of cast-offs and throw-ins, James lost the only other All-Star on the roster on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) when Kevin Love was declared out for the series finale with a concussion.

Now, in what could be his final game in a Cleveland uniform — again — James will have to do it largely on his own.

In Boston, where the Celtics are perfect so far this postseason.

And in a series where the road team hasn’t really even come close.

“There’s something different about LeBron, period,” Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr. said after James scored 46 with 11 rebounds and nine assists on Friday night (Saturday in Manila) to send the series to a decisive seventh game. “I think (coach Tyronn Lue) said it best: ‘We’re going into a Game 7 with the baddest dude on the planet on our team.’ I like our chances.”

James is having what could be the best postseason of his career, averaging 33.9 points and just under nine assists and rebounds, with seven 40-point games, two buzzer beaters, and a sweep of top-seeded Toronto. But he’s played in every game this season — Sunday (Monday in Manila) will be his 100th — and it showed in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics.

He admitted to fatigue afterward and then played all but two minutes in Game 6 despite a sore knee from a collision with Nance.

Still, the four-time MVP carried his team even after Love banged heads with Boston’s Jayson Tatum in the first half and left the game.


“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Every time we watch. Every time you’re standing out there. Every time you watch him on film. Best player in the game.”

James will probably have to do it again in Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals for the eighth straight year, something accomplished only by Bill Russell and some of his Celtics teammates in the 1960s.

Lue said he wasn’t concerned about James’ leg. Or about the team’s history in the TD Garden, where the Cavaliers lost the first three games by an average of 17 points.

“We throw it all out,” Lue said on Saturday. “It’s one game left to go to the NBA Finals.”

The Celtics have had their own injury problems, starting in the first quarter of the season opener — at Cleveland — when top free agent Gordon Hayward went out for the year with a broken leg. Five-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, acquired from the Cavaliers in an offseason roster overhaul, needed knee surgery and was lost in March.

But they caught a break when Tatum was cleared to play on Saturday. Stevens said the team doctors checked on him “and he’s great.”

“So nothing there as far as to be concerned about,” Stevens said.

Well, there’s one thing to be concerned about.

“We know LeBron is different than a lot of other guys, but we’ve got to get the job done,” Celtics guard Terry Rozier said. “That’s no excuse, so we’re looking forward to it.”

For James, it’s an opportunity to extend the season for his hometown team and put off another summer of questions about his future. Eight years ago, he came to Boston for the conference semifinals and had a triple-double — 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists — but shot 8 for 21 with nine turnovers and the Celtics eliminated the Cavs from the playoffs.

As he left the court, James stripped off his Cleveland jersey; then came “The Decision” and the move to Miami.

James is again able to become a free agent this season, with the Lakers, 76ers and Rockets among the most-mentioned destinations. Having led Cleveland to the city’s first major sports title in half a century in 2016, there is less pulling at him to stay home this time.

But another title would ease the pain even more. And with the injury bug hitting the Western Conference finalists — Chris Paul was the latest ruled out for a game — the East champion might not be as big an underdog as expected.

James will be ready.

“You’ve got to be poised. You’ve got to be able to handle a punch or two,” he said. “We know it’s challenging. They’re 10-0 on their home floor, and they’ve been very successful against us, obviously, at home. But if you love challenges, then this is a great opportunity.”

source: philstar.com

LeBron dumps 44 points as Cavs level series with Celtics

CLEVELAND- LeBron James scored 44 points, surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop a postseason list and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers even the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2 on Monday night (Tuesday Manila time) with a 111-102 victory over the Boston Celtics who are looking forward to getting home.

Pushed by a raucous crowd that wasn't so confident a few days ago, the Cavs held off Boston's comeback in the fourth quarter and squared a series that is now a best-of-three.

Cleveland is trying to become the 20th team — out of 300 — to overcome a 2-0 deficit and James, who has already orchestrated two such rallies, is a step closer to a third.

But to do it again the Cavs will have to win in Boston, where the Celtics are 9-0 this postseason.

Game Five is Wednesday night at TD Center (Thursday Manila time).

Kyle Korver added 14 points with several hustle plays, and Tristan Thompson had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 and Boston had all five scorers in double figures, but the Celtics fell behind by 19 in the first half and didn't have enough to catch Cleveland.

And, of course, they didn't have James, who moved past Jabbar (2,356) for the most field goals in playoff history. James also recorded his 25th career postseason game with at least 40 points — his sixth in this postseason.

The Celtics hung around in the second half and pulled within 100-93 on Marcus Smart's basket with 4:29 left. But Thompson got free for a dunk, and after a miss by Boston, James recovered after making his seventh turnover by making a steal and layup.

Moments later, James drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to finally put away the young Celtics, who will now feel the immense pressure of trying to hold off the three-time champion.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens considered changing his starting lineup, but decided to stick with the same first five — Brown, Jayson  Tautum, Marcus Morris, Al Horford and Terry Rozier — as the first three games.

Boston's starters held their own, but none of them was able to match James when it mattered most.

The Celtics couldn't afford another slow start and that's exactly what happened.

Boston got some open looks in the first quarter, but the Celtics shot just 27 percent (7 of 26) and both Tatum and Brown missed dunks. Also, Morris picked up three fouls and his teammates all seemed tentative as the Cavs pushed their lead to 15 at halftime.

Blowout city

Like most fans, Lue has been stunned — but not necessarily disappointed — by the number of lopsided wins in the playoffs, especially in the semifinals.

The first six games between Boston-Cleveland and Houston-Golden State were decided by an average of 24 points. The Warriors won Game Three on Sunday night (Monday Manila time) by 41, the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

"It does surprise me," he said. "All four teams are really good. But the home court has shown it's been a factor."

source: philstar.com

NBA Wrap: Bucks stop Cavs; Warriors extend hot start during Filipino Heritage Night

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's Jerryd Bayless held LeBron James scoreless over the final 3:15 of the second overtime to steer the Bucks to a 108-105 win against Cleveland on Saturday (Sunday Manila time), snapping the Cavaliers' eight-game winning streak.

James scored 37 points for Cleveland but could not break the shackles when it mattered most, and the Bucks — last in the Central Division — took a creditable victory over that division's top team.

One man who could not be stopped was Stephen Curry, who again led the way as Golden State won in overtime against Brooklyn to improve to 11-0.

Elsewhere, Blake Griffin sank a clutch late basket to cap a strong individual performance and give the Los Angeles Clippers victory over Detroit, while Washington beat Orlando for the 10th straight time.

Milwaukee's Bayless and Michael Carter-Williams scored 17 points for the Bucks while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 45 minutes before fouling out with 3:15 left in the second overtime.

Bayless drew the assignment of guarding James after Antetokounmpo fouled out, and he held the Cleveland star scoreless the rest of the game.

Golden State's Curry scored 21 of his 34 points after halftime to steer the Warriors past Brooklyn 107-99.

Andre Iguodala hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to tie the game, while Brook Lopez missed a short shot on the buzzer that would have won it for the Nets.

Iguodala finished with 18 points for the Warriors, who pulled quickly in overtime, scoring the first 10 points.

Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 28 for Brooklyn

Los Angeles' Griffin scored 34 points, including a crucial jumper with 17 seconds left that helped the Clippers down Detroit 101-96.

Jamal Crawford added a season-high 37 points, making all 10 of his free throws, for the Clippers, who were without injured starters Chris Paul and J.J. Redick.

Ersan Ilyasova scored 20 points for the Pistons, who have lost nine in a row against the Clippers.

Such a lopsided head-to-head record was outdone by Washington's domination of Orlando, extending the winning streak to double figures with a 108-99 victory.

Kris Humphries scored 23 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers. The last of them came with 4:45 remaining as part of an 8-0 runs that put the Wizards ahead.

Garrett Temple matched his career high with 18 points for Washington.

Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic.

Dallas overcame the absence of three regular starts, including talisman Dirk Nowitzki, and comfortably beat Texas rival Houston 110-98.

San Antonio won 92-83 to inflict a 10th straight loss to start the season for Philadelphia, which has lost 20 successive games dating back to last season.

Phoenix's Eric Bledsoe scored 30 points, and the Suns cruised to a 105-81 win over Denver.

source: philstar.com

Curry, Warriors overcome LeBron’s 40-14-11 night as Golden State beats Cavs in Game 5 to near NBA title

The Golden State Warriors moved just one win away from their first championship in 40 years after dispatching the Cleveland Cavaliers, 104-91, in a pivotal Game Five win in the NBA finals Sunday (Monday morning Philippine time) at the Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry poured in 37 points, 17 in the fourth quarter as he knocked down crucial triples down the stretch to give the Warriors a 3-2 series lead.

Cleveland superstar LeBron James tallied another Herculean triple-double of 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but his Cavaliers just couldn’t contain Curry and the Warriors.

For the first time in the series, the Cavaliers went all out playing small-ball basketball. Big man Timofey Mozgov, who had a career night in Game Four, only saw limited action as Cleveland at times slotted in James as center to counter Golden State’s prolific lineups.

After struggling in his last game, JR Smith came out firing off the bench early, scoring eight points in the first quarter off James’ dishes. He continued his hot shooting in the second quarter with back-to-back triples as they took a 31-26 lead.

But Curry and the Warriors displayed their usual deadly shooting form and kept the game close. An eight-second backcourt violation by James followed by a Harrison Barnes and-one helped put the Warriors ahead, 51-50, at halftime.

Both teams engaged in a tight battle in the third frame but a 13-4 run by the Warriors put them up, 73-67, entering the final period.

Cleveland started the fourth period with an 8-2 run fueled by triples from James and Iman Shumpert that tied things up at 75-all.

The Warriors then waxed hot from downtown, with Curry and Klay Thompson knocking down triples. Andre Igoudala scored five straight crucial points and Curry fired a signature pull-up triple to give Warriors their biggest lead at 10, 96-86, with 2:44 left.

Curry sank a dagger triple from way beyond the arc with over a minute left to ice the win.

The Warriors will try to close out the series in Game Six in Cleveland on Wednesday.

source: interaksyon.com

LeBron scores 40, unlikely hero Dellavedova steps up as Cavaliers go up 2-1 on Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers had to hold off a furious fourth quarter comeback from the Golden State Warriors but escaped with a 96-91 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals on Tuesday (Wednesday morning in Manila) at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland led by 20 points late in the third but Golden State was able to come back to as close as one point in the final period. But the Cavs were able to keep the Warriors at bay thanks mainly to superstar LeBron James and unlikely Finals hero Matthew Dellavedova.

James finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists while Dellavedova surprised with a personal playoff-best of 20 points. Both players also made big plays down the stretch.

With their team up, 81-80, with 2:47 remaining, the Australian guard completed a big three-point play while the four-time NBA MVP knocked down a three-pointer to spark a 7-0 run that made it 88-80.

Regular season MVP Steph Curry knocked down a triple on the other end and the Warriors earned a stop for a chance to inch in even closer but Dellavedova made a huge defensive play, diving onto the floor to recover a loose ball and earning another trip to the line, knocking down both of his attempts.

James then added two more free throws to make it 92-83 with 51 seconds remaining.

Curry made a couple of late threes but James was steady from the free throw line to seal the win.

LeBron’s 40 raised his total to 123 points in the first three games of the NBA Finals, the most in NBA history.

Curry led the Warriors with 27 points. His struggles from the previous game continued until the first half of this one, starting the game by making just one of his first six shots. He turned things around in the second half, though, scoring 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting and 6-for-9 from three.

The Cavs blew the game wide open in the third quarter behind huge performances from James and Dellavedova. The pair combined to score 23 of the team’s 28 points in the quarter while the Cleveland defense allowed only 18 as they pushed their lead up to as high as 20 points.

James scored 13 in the quarter and sparked the Cavs’ big run. He knocked down a triple and followed it up by scoring in the post to score the first five points of a 12-0 run that made it 68-48 for Cleveland with 2:52 remaining in the quarter.

The run was capped by baskets from Dellavedova, who hit two big three-pointers earlier in the third quarter, JR Smith and Timofey Mozgov.

Smith and Tristan Thompson finished with 10 points apiece.

The scores:
Cleveland (96) – James 40, Dellavedova 20, Smith 10, Thompson 10, Jones 7, Mozgov 6, Shumpert 3, Miller 0.

Golden State (91) – Curry 27, Iguodala 15, Thompson 14, Lee 11, Green 7, Ezeli 5, Bogut 4, Livingston 4, Barbosa 4, Barnes 0.

Quarterscores: 24-20, 44-37, 72-55, 96-91.

source: interaksyon.com

NBA stars LeBron, Dirk call for shorter season

CINCINNATI – Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and German NBA star Dirk Nowitzki say the league needs to look at shortening its 82-game per club regular-season schedule.

Both players spoke out this week in the wake of the league planning an exhibition game that lasts only 44 minutes instead of the usual 48.

James and Nowitzki say it’s the length of the season, not the games in it, that causes troubles, and they would both be willing to take less money.

“Less games is less concessions and less tickets and all that, but at the end of the day we want to protect the prize, and the prize is the players,” James said Wednesday. “If guys are being injured because there’s so many games, we can’t promote it at a high level.”

Indiana star Paul George will miss the upcoming season after breaking his leg in a scrimmage for the US team that went on to win the Basketball World Cup, while five-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City is out at least two months with a broken foot.

“I’m not saying it’s because of the amount of games, but anything will help,” James said of the physical stress on players.

James does not see trimming four minutes from every game as much help in that respect.

“The minutes don’t mean anything. We could play 50-minute games if we had to,” James said. “Once you go out and play on the floor it doesn’t matter if you’re playing 22 minutes or 40 minutes.

“Once you play it takes a toll on your body.”

With the NBA just inking a $24 billion television contract extension to broadcast more games, any cutback is unlikely in the near future.

“It’s something that obviously won’t change tomorrow or anytime soon,” James said. “But it’s something we should definitely talk about.”

James suggested 66 games, the number played during a lockout shortened campaign. But James would spread the load over the typical six-month time span to avoid playing such time-crunched schedules as three games in three nights as was done in the shortened season to allow for a full playoff program.

Dallas big man Nowitzki was a proponent of shortening the number of games in the NBA march to the playoffs as well.

“I think you don’t need 82 games to determine the best eight in each conference,” the German said. “That could be done a lot quicker, but I always understand that it’s about money, and every missed game means missed money for both parties, for the league, for the owners, for the players.

“I would say that (a number of games) in the mid-60s would be enough, which is still a lot of games.”

source: interaksyon.com

‘It’s not all about dunking’: UCLA recruit Kobe Paras eager to prove he’s more than just about highlights

The Los Angeles Times has diligently followed Filipino teenage sensation Kobe Paras, who recently announced his decision to commit to the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States.

On Monday, high school sports reporter Eric Sondheimer wrote a column detailing Paras’ journey, starting with his introduction to the basketball world as a 15-year-old who dunked on LeBron James in an exhibition in Manila to how he caught the eye of the UCLA Bruins which eventually led to a scholarship offer.

Some interesting tidbits from the piece include:

– Paras’ high school coach drew similarities between Kobe’s popularity in the Philippines and LeBron’s hype in the US during his high school days.

– Paras wants to prove that his basketball skills aren’t just limited to flashy dunks: “I want to show everybody it’s not all about dunking or highlights,” he said. “It’s about what you do on the court.”

Read the full piece here

source: interaksyon.com

LeBron James scores career-high 61 points against Bobcats as Heat win eighth straight

MIAMI – LeBron James scored a career-high 61 points to break the Miami Heat one-game scoring record on Monday, sparking the defending NBA champions over the Charlotte Bobcats 124-107.

The Heat’s season win streak stretched to eight games in a row with a 16th consecutive victory in meetings with Charlotte, whose win drought against Miami now spans four years.

James sank eight 3-pointers, hitting 22-of-33 shots from the field overall, and also grabbed seven rebounds and passed off five assists.

“It was a special performance,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was efficient. The rim certainly looked like an ocean to him.”

The former Heat single-game scoring record was 56 points by Glen Rice in April of 1995.

On a night when Miami star guard Dwyane Wade was rested, Chris Bosh contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.

Miami shot 55.4 percent from the floor, including 16-of-28 from 3-point range.

Charlotte’s Al Jefferson scored 38 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.

The Heat improved to 43-14, trailing only Eastern Conference rival Indiana (46-13) for the best record in the NBA and a home-court edge throughout the playoffs.

Charlotte fell to 27-33 as the Bobcats and Atlanta fight for the final two playoff positions in the East.

Miami led 60-54 at half-time before James went wild in the third quarter, going 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc on his way to 25 points in the quarter, matching the Bobcats’ total team output.

James scored Miami’s first eight points of the second half, then added back-to-back three-point plays late in the period for an 89-69 Heat lead.

James followed with his eighth 3-pointer for a 95-73 edge with 1:16 to play in the third and began the fourth quarter with four straight points to reach 53 for the night.

But with Charlotte still fighting to stay in the game, James remained in the lineup and added a pair of layups and a spinning bank shot for a 115-99 Miami edge with 2:23 to play.

After Jefferson hit a jumper for Charlotte, James was fouled and sank two free throws to cap his scoring as fans chanted “M-V-P” to the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player.

James set several other Heat team records, including 22 baskets in a game, most points in a quarter by a player with 25 and most second-half points with 37.

It was his 10th time in his career that James cracked the 50-point barrier.

Since James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami, the Heat have lost the NBA Finals to Dallas, then won the past two league playoff crowns.

source: interaksyon.com