Magic Johnson clapped back at Anthony Edwards in the best way after the Timberwolves star took a dig at NBA players from the 1980s and 90s.
Edwards told the Wall Street Journal in a recent interview that he wasn’t too impressed with players from those eras of the game.
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Well, Johnson was told about the comment by Stephen A. Smith while appearing at the Yaamava Resort & Casino with the ESPN personality, as the New York Post reports.
That’s when Johnson fired back at Edwards.
“I never respond to a guy who’s never won a championship,” Johnson told Smith and the audience, which drew laughter from the crowd.
Magic didn’t hold back in his assessment of Anthony Edwards. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP)Source: AFPEdwards (right) won an Olympic gold medal in Paris alongside Steph Curry and Team USA. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)Source: AFP
“There’s not really anything to say. He didn’t win a college championship, I don’t know if he even won a high school championship.”
Johnson is certainly an authority in the game, having won five NBA titles with the Lakers.
And Edwards’ comments were enough to annoy some people in the basketball world, which seemingly included Johnson.
Edwards had told the WSJ that outside of Michael Jordan, no one in that era had much skill.
“I didn’t watch it back in the day so I can’t speak on it,” he said.
Magic is one of the greatest players of all-time. Photo: ALLSPORT USASource: Getty ImagesEdwards and the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals last season. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then.
“(Michael Jordan) was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean?
“So that’s why when they saw Kobe (Bryant), they were like ‘oh, my God’. But now everybody has skill.”
Edwards is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 25.9 points per game and helped the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference Finals.
However, the Timberwolves star is still in search of his first NBA title.
Edwards was part of the United States team that won gold at this month’s Paris Olympic Games.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
You suspect the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry were hoping this chapter in USA men’s basketball history would be remembered in the same vein as the 1992 Dream Team, but the truth is it’s been a largely uneventful run for the Americans in Paris.
They’re not going to change the game on a global scale like Michael Jordan and Co did in Barcelona, or be cherished like Kobe and the Redeem Teamers were for returning their country to the top of the basketball world in Beijing.
The Americans will (probably) win gold and (probably) win it comfortably this weekend, but they’ll join the likes of the 2000 and 2016 teams in getting the job done with a minimum of fuss.
The only semi-interesting storylines to this point have been the minor controversy over Jayson Tatum getting a DNP early in the group stage and Joel Embiid getting booed relentlessly by French crowds upset he’s not playing for them.
Which, if you know basketball fans, leads to the inevitable habit of crystal ball-gazing. Specifically, about potential NBA trades.
It doesn’t happen every four years but there’s a couple of very famous examples of superstar players joining forces after forging bonds on an Olympic trip.
LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh changed the league by uniting in Miami after winning gold together in 2008.
Redeem Teamers LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan did the same in Brooklyn after living on a yacht together in Rio, albeit with contrasting results.
So hoops fans are looking for any slight indication a player from their favourite team is becoming particularly chummy with one of his US teammates.
James and Curry were in focus when the Americans first assembled.
NBA Finals rivals for four straight years from 2015-18 – a period where there were moments you felt the King really didn’t like the three-point wizard from Golden State – James and Curry have become great buds in recent years.
They spoke often about their excitement at playing together and recent comments by Curry — where he said he wants to be a Warrior for life but “things change quickly” in the NBA — gave some life to the idea of him joining forces with the Lakers veteran.
Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan forged bonds in Rio in 2016. Picture: GettySource: Getty Images
But James and Curry probably make too much money to fit on the same team at this point of their careers.
Outside of those two, Durant and Devin Booker’s situation in Phoenix is far from settled given what their owner is forking out for a team that has so far fallen short. Embiid is another who often hears speculation about his future in Philadelphia.
But the name on the lips of the most NBA fan bases is Anthony Edwards. The breakout star of this year’s NBA playoffs does not exactly play in the most appealing of destinations with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If you gave every team the ability to sign one young American talent they’d almost all pick the recently turned 23-year-old shooting guard.
Which brings us to this photo.
Anthony Edwards and Bam Adebayo share a laugh together. (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Edwards is a jokester who can make anyone laugh but the chemistry he appears to share with Miami Heat big man Adebayo has the rumour mill running.
To make matters worse for Wolves fans, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is in Paris too serving as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr.
“Anthony Edwards really loves Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra. He loved his experience with them,” NBA media personality Bill Simmons said on a recent podcast.
“Don’t be surprised … story drop,” Simmons added. “Am I dropping it now?”
Both Adebayo and Spoelstra have spoken glowingly about the man leading this USA team in scoring.
“He’s authentically himself,” Adebayo said to The Star Tribune. “He’s not going to change.
“He’s going to be the same person every day, on the court, off the court.
“You see on TV, when some of y’all make these moments go viral. It’s really like, ‘This is just you’. This is one of the things I love about Ant. He’s himself. He’s not going to change.
“He’s one of those guys where he can say something wild, as we heard, but it’s him being himself.”
Anthony Edwards pats Bam Adebayo on the back. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He wants to win, wants to be a part of winning,” Spoelstra added. “He’s dedicated to the process of it and he’s going to be him, and his personality.
“He’s not going to change just because he’s on a team of this caliber. I think that’s the beauty of his personality.”
Many are rightly pointing out Edwards recently signed a five-year contract extension tying him to the Wolves until 2028.
But a move doesn’t have to happen immediately. Paris might just be planting seeds that blossom down the road.
And it’s not unheard of for NBA players to push their way out of situations early. So remember this photo.
He will become one half of the first ever father-son duo to play in the NBA, as he joins his megastar father LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While it was widely expected the Lakers would select Bronny with their final pick in the 2024 Draft, it didn’t stop fans far and wide for calling out the move as nothing more than nepotism at its finest.
But ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wasn’t buying it and took aim at those calling out the Lakers with an impassioned speech during the Draft coverage.
“I don’t want to hear the charges, people talking about nepotism,” Wojnarowski said.
“The NBA is full of nepotism. The ownership level, front offices, coaching.
“I don’t want to hear about it all of a sudden because Bronny James’ father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league.”
Bronny James was once listed as a top 10 selection. Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
As Wojnarowski went into bat for Bronny, former ESPN host Bomani Jones delivered a scathing take on social media as he called out fellow journalists.
“Still can’t believe either LeBron thinks this is a good idea. And it’s embarrassing more ppl in my profession won’t call this the clown sh*t that it is. But here we are,” he wrote.
While Jones wasn’t alone in calling out the Lakers over the selection, it’s worth going back through the record books and looking at the fate of former 55th picks in the Draft.
Out of the past five selections taken with the 55th overall pick, only one has become a regular player within his team’s rotation.
In 2019 the 55th pick was Kyle Guy who spent three seasons in the league where he appeared in 53 games with averages of 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists. He was waived by the Miami Heat in 2022.
In 2020 it was Jay Scrubb’s turn to be the 55th pick. He also spent three seasons in the league with averages of 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists across 24 games. He was waived in October 2023 by the Boston Celtics.
LeBron and his son will team up. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFPBronny outrage is nothing more than idiocy. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Outside of Aaron Wiggins in 2021, the last time a 55th pick had any major impact in the league was E’Twaun Moore who was drafted in 2011.
While Moore didn’t blow the world away throughout his first five seasons, his fortune changed when he joined the New Orleans Pelicans and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2017/18.
Fans may be outraged, but the Lakers effectively used a nothing pick to take a teenager who before a cardiac arrest scare in 2023 was a McDonald’s All-American.
Now he gets the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong when he pulls on the Lakers jersey for the first time.
The NBA is mourning the death of Hall of Famer Jerry West, who died Wednesday at the age of 86.
A number of prominent figures in the NBA community reminisced about West’s legacy, including current Lakers superstar LeBron James and the legendary Michael Jordan, the NY Post reports.
“Will truly miss our convos my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers goes out to your wonderful family! Forever love Jerry! Rest in Paradise my guy!” James posted on X.
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Jordan, a six-time NBA champion with the Bulls, sent a message to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith to deliver on “First Take.”
“I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry’s passing. He was truly a friend and a mentor,” Smith said on behalf of Jordan, whose company later released said statement.
“Like an older brother to me. I valued his friendship and knowledge. I always wished I could’ve played against him as a competitor. But the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate.”
Jerry West died at 86. (Photo by Stacy Revere / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)Source: AFP
The Los Angeles Clippers announced West’s death. His wife, Karen, was by his side.
“Jerry West was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
“He distinguished himself not only as an NBA champion and an All-Star in all 14 of his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments … I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life.”
A star player in his own right, West was the second overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft after playing at the collegiate level in his native West Virginia.
He was named an All-Star throughout every season of his 14-year career and helped lead the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title.
West was named the Lakers’ head coach in 1976, a position he held for three years, before transitioning to become the team’s general manager in 1982, sparking a five-title run.
Nicknamed “Mr. Clutch,” West’s silhouette is also used as the NBA’s emblem.
West’s statue outside of the Lakers arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)Source: AFP
ESPN’s Jay Bilas posted on X that West “was far more than ‘The Logo.’”
“Admired him growing up in LA, revered him as a basketball man, and loved talking about players and the game with him. He was far more than ‘The Logo’. Jerry West is embedded into the very fabric of the game. He literally did it all. RIP Jerry West,” Bilas penned.
Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, who competed against West’s teams since taking over as team owner in 1995, also praised him.
“Jerry West is one of my favourite people that I had the honour to get to know in the NBA. He welcomed me to the league, offered advice from the first day, and asked nothing in return. He will be missed. Rest in peace,” Arison wrote on X.
ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski also praised the legend, tweeting that “Jerry West lived a profound basketball and American life — iconic as a player, executive and looming figure in the history of the game,” while Mike Greenberg said on “Get Up” that West was “one of the greatest figures in the history of American sports.”
During his time with the Lakers in the late 1990s and 2000s, West hired Phil Jackson as the coach, traded for the rights to Kobe Bryant and signed Shaquille O’Neal.
Most recently, West was working with the Los Angeles Clippers, whose executive board he joined in June 2017.
He was named NBA Executive of the Year twice, once with the Lakers in 1995 and in 2004 while general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies.
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
From the year he entered the league, putting Yuta Watanabe on a poster before a month later exploding for a 42-point haul against the Suns, Anthony Edwards has always been special.
How special?
Special enough to warrant Minnesota using its first overall pick in the 2020 draft to select the Georgia guard, with the kind of tantalising combination of athleticism and playmaking to transform a franchise.
And that goes without even mentioning his personality which Tom Crean, Edwards’ coach at Georgia, described as “infectious”.
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“He’s a pied piper personality,” Crean told The Athletic in 2020.
“People gravitate to him. They want to be around him and people really want him to like them. It’s a tremendous aura for a 19-year-old.”
Some people have a quiet confidence in the way they go about things. Anthony Edwards is not one of them.
There is nothing quiet about the way he operates. Nothing quiet about the way he dunked on Watanabe as a rookie, or the way he trash talked Kevin Durant after hitting a 3-pointer over the Suns superstar as Minnesota won Game 1 and went on to sweep the Phoenix series.
Edwards averaged 31 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.0 steals in that series and Durant said after Game 4 that the 22-year-old was his “favourite player to watch”.
“[He has] just grown so much since he came into the league,” added Durant.
“His love for the game shines bright. That’s one of the reasons I like him the most. Love everything about Ant.”
He is one of those players who makes it hard not to like them and now Edwards is rapidly rising towards superstardom after helping take Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals.
Like Edwards, there was nothing quiet about the way the Timberwolves took it to the defending champion Nuggets, claiming the opening two games on the road before obliterating Denver by 45 points in Game 6 and clinching the series with a historic second-half comeback.
Anthony Edwards is taking over the league. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
While the basketball world has been so used to the likes of Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry dominating the playoffs conversation, the Suns and Lakers were eliminated in the first round while the Warriors didn’t even make it out of the play-in tournament.
Even Milwaukee’s superstar duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are out of the picture after battling injuries in an opening round series defeat to Indiana.
The same goes for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, leaving Edwards as one of the biggest names left in the postseason along with Dallas superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Celtics duo Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and the much-improved Tyrese Haliburton.
But it seems like Edwards belongs in a separate category, probably along with Doncic and maybe one of either Brown or Tatum, depending on how the rest of the playoffs shake out, as the leading candidates to be the next face of the league.
Edwards in particular though seems purpose built for the role, with highlight-reel plays and an equally loud personality to match. Put simply, Anthony Edwards the player and person cuts through.
Want proof? According to the NBA, Edwards generated more than 100 million video views across the league’s social and digital platforms in the opening round of the playoffs.
That number was second behind only one player: LeBron James. Edwards had also gained the most Instagram followers among players since the start of the playoffs.
It wasn’t just the playoffs either, with Edwards finishing the regular season as the seventh most viewed player on NBA social media pages.
Edwards could be the next face of the league. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I’ve been saying that. He hate when I say it but it’s true.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, meanwhile, said on NBA Today that Edwards is “the future of American basketball”.
“The thing that is so great about him is he plays both ends and he cares about both ends and he truly loves his teammates,” added Windhorst.
“He is not a conventional leader but he is an effective leader.”
That means taking responsibility when you don’t play as well because as much as a confident Anthony Edwards is an unstoppable Anthony Edwards, self-accountability is just as important.
It wasn’t like Edwards’ output of 19 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Game 3 loss to Denver was that bad either. He just has such high expectations of himself and what he is capable of.
“It’s on me,” Edwards said after that game.
“I’ll take the blame for this loss. I came out with no energy at all. I can’t afford to do that for my team. I let my team down, the fans down.”
This was a different side to the Edwards who appeared on ESPN’s NBA Today in January 2022 and was asked who is the hardest player to guard in the league.
“Myself because I’m unstoppable,” a confident Edwards replied.
Confident. Not cocky. There is a difference, according to the man himself, who later told Malika Andrews ahead of this year’s playoffs series that is the one thing people don’t understand about him and the way he goes about his game.
“A lot of people be calling me cocky,” he told Andrews.
“That’s the main thing. It’s not cocky, it’s not arrogance. I’m just a confident person. I just think I’m the best in everything that I do.”
And by the end of last season when championship-winning guard Bruce Brown was asked who the hardest player is to guard in the league, he mentioned Edwards’ name alongside Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Anthony Edwards is a rising superstar in the NBA. C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Nuggets coach Michael Malone, meanwhile, said ahead of Game 7 that Edwards had “proven to be unguardable”, with second-year bench player Christian Braun Denver’s best bet of trying to limit his effectiveness.
Edwards averaged 27.7 points throughout the series against Denver, scoring 43 points in Game 1 and 44 in Game 5, when he warned a Nuggets locker room staffer that he’d be back.
“I told them,” explained Edwards, “I said ‘I’ll see y’all motherf*****s for Game 7.’”
It is that fierce competitiveness, confidence and swagger that has people across the league, including Edwards’ own teammates, drawing parallels with Michael Jordan.
“I’ve never met a guy or been a teammate with a guy who believes more in himself than Anthony Edwards,” Mike Conley said on ‘Inside the NBA’ of Edwards, who reminds him of a “young Michael Jordan”.
Former teammate Patrick Beverley even made the comparison back in 2022 on J.J. Redick’s podcast, declaring Edwards “has a chance to be really special” in the NBA.
“If I say this, I know you guys are going to look at me like I’m crazy and I’m going to put all that pressure on that kid,” Beverley said at the time.
“But, I told him, ‘Man, you got a chance, man. You got a chance, brother, to be Michael Jordan. You really do. You really do.’
“I’ve been around a lot of them and the kid doesn’t indulge in anything negative — just all positivity, all video games. His talent level, his skill level, it’s crazy. He has a chance to be really special. Really special in this league.”
Jordan himself also called Edwards “special” after Game 1 against the Suns, according to Stephen A. Smith.
Edwards has consistently dismissed the comparisons, telling FOX Sports he can’t be compared to somebody of Jordan’s calibre.
“I want it to stop,” Edwards said. “He’s the greatest of all time. I can’t be compared to him.”
Meanwhile, in that sit-down interview with Andrews before the playoffs, Edwards was asked the same question and said he doesn’t want to be known as “the next Michael Jordan”.
Instead, he would prefer to be “the first Anthony Edwards”. In other words, he just wants to be himself and that is what makes Edwards so easy to root for and so marketable for the league according to assistant coach Micah Nori.
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“I think that the people gravitated to him because he was just a likeable dude,” Nori said earlier this month after a practice session.
“He doesn’t change. He is who he is. I think anytime you’re not putting on a front or you’re not fake, you don’t have to change who you are, whether you’re in front of the media, or you’re out doing commercials or playing a game.
“Anthony Edwards is who he is, he knows who he is, and I think that’s why he’s able to accept it and handle it so well.
“… There’s obviously a big difference between confidence and arrogance. He’s just a very, very confident person and trusts his ability.”
It is why when Edwards told that Denver staff member he would see them in Game 7, it didn’t seem like just talk, and it is why when he said he “wins two championships this summer”, the rest of the league should have been taking notice.
If they weren’t then, they are now and all signs point to this just being the start of Edwards’ time in the spotlight as one of the most prominent characters in a new era for the NBA.
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Two-time NBA champion and TNT Sports broadcast commentator, Kenny Smith, has been unveiled as the head of the NBL’s Next Stars’ player initiatives for North America in a boost to the league’s reputation as one of the most legitimate pathways to the NBA.
Smith’s appointment was confirmed on Friday morning and will also see the NBA legend become a part owner of an NBL expansion team that is set to be announced in the “near future”, according to a statement from the league.
It follows the groundbreaking success of the Tasmania JackJumpers, who claimed their first-ever NBL championship last week after a thrilling Game 5 victory over Melbourne United.
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For the time being though, Smith’s focus will be on helping recruit, develop and mentor new Next Stars players and there will only be more opportunities to do so following confirmation last month that the NBA’s G League Ignite would not play after this season.
Ignite, who Australian Dyson Daniels played for before being drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans, was established to offer an alternative program for potential NBA players with a specific focus on player development.
With Ignite out of the equation, the NBL’s Next Stars program will only continue to grow having seen eight players drafted to the NBA, including homegrown talent such as Oklahoma City star Josh Giddey and American Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
“With my passion for growing the game of basketball globally, I’m incredibly excited to be an ambassador of the NBL’s Next Stars program and to be fully invested in the growth of the NBL as a future owner of a new expansion team,” Smith said.
“Legitimate pathways to the NBA are evolving, and the NBL has a proven track record of getting players drafted. The NBL identified a key role for me to mentor and support young talent and equip them with the tools to compete at a professional level with a view to making the leap into the NBA.
“The growing recognition of talent development in the NBL has proven the League and its Next Stars program is poised for even greater success.”
LaMelo Ball is one of the NBL success stories. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Larry Kestelman, owner of the NBL, said the addition of Smith is further proof that the league is “quickly becoming the most legitimate, and best pathway to the NBA”.
“We are extremely proud of our Next Stars program and what it has achieved but this is just the beginning,” said Kestelman.
“The addition of ambassadors and future team owners of Kenny Smith’s calibre and reputation is truly exciting and shows how far we have come, but also indicates to the basketball world where we are headed.
“There are currently 11 former NBL players in the NBA and we want to see that number increase significantly and we believe Kenny will help us expand the Next Stars program dramatically to achieve this.”
“I am excited to see the program continue to flourish, and with Kenny Smith’s support, knowledge and expertise and long-standing relationship and reputation, we are not only confident it will continue to help us grow and cultivate the best basketball talent from around the world, but also show how committed we are to developing the next wave of NBA stars,” added NBL Director Nikola Milivojevic.
NBA legend Gary Payton has opened up on the key advice he had for son Gary Payton II as speculation grows on whether Bronny James will declare for the 2024 Draft.
Bronny, son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, has not featured in ESPN’s mock draft since collapsing from cardiac arrest in July last year.
Yet given James’ potential impending free agency and his public desire to play alongside son Bronny one day, the spotlight continues to burn on the USC freshman guard, even as his father implores the basketball world to “let the kid be a kid”.
“These mock drafts [don’t] matter one bit! I promise you that! Only THE WORK matters!!” James wrote on social media last month.
“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball.”
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Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.6 per cent from the field in his freshman season for the Trojans, hardly the sort of eye-popping numbers that would make him an appealing prospect right now for NBA teams.
And that is the thing — most people seem to understand that Bronny as a player is a work in progress, especially when you consider the medical episode he suffered last year cast doubt over whether he would even play basketball again.
In that sense, there is no rush for Bronny to declare for the draft as he would likely be better suited to spend another year in college to further develop his game.
However, an anonymous Eastern Conference executive still told ESPN’s Jeremy Woo that teams would have interest in drafting Bronny if it meant a shot at landing his father.
“I think everyone is preparing for him to go in the draft, and I’m dead serious — I think a lot of teams will take the stance that they’ll draft him if there’s a 1% chance LeBron will join them,” the executive said.
“So, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t enter. Will he stay in, I don’t know.”
While Payton II and Bronny aren’t like-for-like comparisons given the impact of LeBron’s potential free agency on the draft conversation, there are still some lessons the Trojans prospect can learn from the Warriors guard and his famous father.
Payton was speaking as he returned to Australia for the first time since the 2000 Olympics, headlining the NBA and TAB’s free ‘Block Party’ event at Hotel Steyne on Manly Beach.
Payton, a NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, was the main attraction on Saturday afternoon as fans flocked for a viewing party to watch the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gary Payton poses with fans. Credit: Sam TolhurstSource: SuppliedJosh Mansour, Gary Payton and Jason Saab. Credit: Sam TolhurstSource: Supplied
That notoriety though meant something different for Payton II, who had to deal with the added pressure as he tried to step out of the shadow of his famous father, also known as ‘The Glove’ after nine-time All-Defensive team appearances.
Unlike his father, who went second overall, Payton II was undrafted and spent the next six years bouncing between the G League and NBA on five teams before eventually finding his home at Golden State.
Payton II may not have a significant role for the Warriors, averaging 5.1 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing 14.9 minutes this season, but for his father it is more than enough.
All he ever wanted was for him to be his own player — and person.
“I told my son, ‘You can’t be me. I’m the only one Gary Payton. So what you’ve got to do is be yourself, play your own game’… and a lot of kids don’t understand that,” Payton told foxsports.com.au.
“They try to live up to the expectations of their father or somebody else. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be because it doesn’t happen sometimes like that.
“So what I do is and I tell him, ‘Don’t think about being that person. Be next to that person. Hang your picture up next to my picture and hopefully that’ll make you better and solidify how your game is’.
“I think my son has done that in a great way now that he doesn’t think about that. He just plays his game and then he gets his own identity.”
It continues to be a rollercoaster season for Giddey.
Though he’s had some good games mixed in, the 21-year old Aussie hasn’t quite been able to capture the same consistency of his first two brilliant NBA campaign amid the emergence of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams moving into a bigger role for the Thunder, the West’s No. 2 seed.
There was some good news last week after it was confirmed Giddey wouldn’t face charges following a police investigation into his alleged relationship with an underage age, though the NBA is still probing the matter.
A weight off the shoulders for what would no doubt be a distraction for Giddey including getting booed by nearly every opposition fan base, he produced one of his best games of the season thereafter against Utah.
The OKC guard racked up a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double with six assists, which marked his second 20-plus point game of the campaign.
Can Giddey get going this season? (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
For Locked On Thunder’s Rylan Stiles, Giddey being more aggressive in the paint and scoring more efficiently inside the arc is the key to his growth as a player.
“You’re going to want Josh Giddey to get better at scoring inside the arc – that’s going to really be the swing for him. Because he’s just not going shoot enough three-pointers to where it even matters to adjust to him on the perimeter,” Stiles observed.
“That’s not his fault, that’s just not going to be his style of play. And that’s not going to be how the Thunder play – they are not going to feed him 10 three-pointers a game.
“So for Giddey, when he’s played some of his top games of he season, he’s been doing damage at the rim and inside the arc. That’s where you’re going to want to see him thrive.
“That’s where he thrived in FIBA, he can do it. And when he does, it’s going to really unlock things for him.”
BEN SIMMONS (Brooklyn Nets)
Injuries have again plagued Simmons this season, but he appears to be finally nearing a return.
The Aussie, who joined the Nets on their three-game road trip in Portland and LA, warmed up ahead of his team’s upset win over the Lakers, where he was seated courtside for the match at Crypto.com Arena in the most promising sign yet he’s ready to play.
Simmons has been slowly ramping up his activity from a back injury that’s sidelined him since early November. He’s now considered to be on the home stretch of his rehab, which includes participating in five-on-five practice.
The 6-foot-10 guard has featured in only six games, averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists for a 17-25 Nets side that sits outside the play in and would be desperate for the former All-Star to get back.
You sense when Simmons does make his return, the Nets will take an ultra conservative approach with him in gradually increasing his workload.
Simmons closer to return in Brooklyn win | 01:06
DYSON DANIELS (New Orleans Pelicans)
Though Daniels’ role has fluctuated as times on a stacked Pelicans team that might have the deepest rotation in the NBA, the youngster has been a valuable defensive weapon whenever called upon by Willie Green.
And the basketball world is taking notice.
Speaking on The Lowe Post, ESPN journalist Zach Lowe recently made mention of Daniels’ tenacity and hustle in an approach that sets the 20-year old apart from others.
“When Dyson Daniels and Herb Jones are on the floor together … it’s not safe to dribble. Dyson Daniels probably denies people at the grocery store … if it’s him and you for the last grapefruit, he’s gonna use his shopping cart to deny you access,” Lowe said.
The numbers back it up.
In statistics put out by Bball Index on X (formerly Twitter), Daniels this season has been the No. 2 ranked point of attack defender – a defender who’s basically on the frontline/perimeter guarding the opposition’s primary initiator.
The only player ranked ahead of Daniels is Boston stud and All-Star smoky Derrick White in a fair endorsement of the emerging Aussie’s impact and willingness to buy in defensively.
JOSH GREEN (Dallas Mavericks)
Green has overcome an injury-disrupted start to his season to get going in recent times.
Over his last three games, the 23-year old has averaged 13 points on 53 per cent shooting, two three-pointers, for rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes.
It included Green in the Mavericks’ win over New Orleans last week hitting a huge clutch three to clinch the win late or Dallas.
It’s clear Jason Kidd sees something in the young gun and views him as a key part of his team’s future.
Not only is Green showing better signs on offence, he was also recently praised by teammate Grant Williams for his work on the defensive end of the court.
“When Josh picks up full court and guards Jalen Brunson in that game. No one would really see that, and how much Jalen was pissed in that game … Josh sets the tone when he starts,” Williams said.
DANTE EXUM (Dallas Mavericks)
The career resurrection of Exum was one of the great stories of the early stages of this season before a heel injury has since sidelined the guard for the last eight games.
He recently went through full practice though and is listed as doubtful – not out – to play on Tuesday, so there’s signs a return is on the horizon, even if it’s a few games away yet.
A video uploaded to social media showed Exum getting light three-point shots up in the part of his game he’s really improved in. The Aussie has shot 45 per cent from beyond the arc on 1.7 makes per 36 minutes in a key to his NBA revival.
His uptick in form was most prevalent when the Mavs were dealing with a series of injuries, so it’ll fascinating what Exum’s role is – whether he starts or comes off the bench and how many touches he gets – as well as how he fares overall when he returns on Dallas’ full-strength squad.
JOCK LANDALE (Houston Rockets)
The centre remains in a lessened role for Houston, effectively functioning as its third-string centre behind Alperen Sengun and Jeff Green.
So limited has Landale been despite signing a four-year, $32 contract last off-season that his 8.9 minutes per game are the lowest of his three seasons in the NBA after previous stints at Phoenix (where he averaged 14.2 minutes er game) and San Antonio (10.9).
While the arrow has been pointing down for Houston in recent times – the team has lost six of its last eight games – it’s still hard to see a pathway to bigger minutes for Landale with Sengun, one of the most improved players in the league, holding down the pivot spot.
It could put Landale on trade watch in the lead into the February 9 deadline should the Rockets make a move including being one of many reported suitors for Bruce Brown.
JOE INGLES (Orlando Magic)
Jinglin’ Joe is back!
After a 13-game absence due to a an ankle injury, Ingles returned for the Magic a fortnight ago in a welcome inclusion to shore up the team’s bench and get its season moving back in the right direction.
In fact, the numbers with Ingles in and out of the team are telling.
In the 14 games the veteran has missed overall this season, Orlando is 5-9, compared to 18-11 with him in the side.
This isn’t to put all of Orlando’s improvement and success on Ingles, as he’s just an 18-minute a game player off the bench. However it highlights the impact the Aussie has had on the team and his importance as a steady playmaker and wise head in the second unit as well as overall leader on a young side.
DUOP REATH (Portland Trail Blazers)
After an epic stretch where Reath was getting heavy starters minutes for Portland while Deandre Ayton was sidelined, the 26-year old Aussie centre has moved back to the bench.
Reath showed plenty during that period though – he averaged 13.4 points, seven rebounds, 1.7 triples on 41 per cent shooting with an overall true shooting percentage of 61 per cent over a nine-game run.
Even in Ayton’s return against Indiana over the weekend, Reath played 19 minutes off the bench in a slightly heightened role to what he’d had previously. Reath backed that up with 16 points, two threes, three rebounds, four assists and one block in 22 minutes against the Lakers on Monday.
Chauncy Billups now knows if Ayton gets into foul trouble or isn’t playing well, Reath is a genuine option he can bring in to impact the game.
Sometimes all it takes is waiting for your opportunity.
Reath has been one of the most impressive Aussies in the NBA this season and now figures to have a bigger role to play for the Boomers in this year’s Paris Olympics.
MATISSE THYBULLE (Portland Trail Blazers)
Though it’s been a grim season for the rebuilding Blazers, Thybulle has been an important piece in their rotation as still one of the game’s premier defenders.
Not necessarily a direct correlation to playing good defence, he still ranks equal-third in total steals in the NBA this season.
Tybulle has importantly plugged holes when the team has suffered injury setbacks, with the forward’s versatility one of his strengths. Now with Shaedon Sharpe set to miss a couple of weeks, Thybulle should benefit in a larger role.
One area Thybulle has really improved as a Blazer since being traded from Philadelphia last year is his three-point shooting – he’s averaged 1.4 triples for the team on 37 per cent efficiency – the best returns of his career.
Given the 26-year old doesn’t appear to be in the Blazers’ future plans, he could also be on trade watch ahead of the deadline.
In fact, the Bucks are one team that have been linked to Thybulle – a link that makes sense given the team has struggled on the defensive end of the court despite having built a juggernaut offence around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
NBA reporter Chris Haynes, who first revealed Milwaukee as a surprise suitor for Dejounte Murray, mentioned Thybulle as another name to watch as a potential defensive upgrade for Adrian Griffin’s side.
“(The Bucks) do require a point of attack defender. There’s a lot of guys out there that fit that mould – allow me to throw some names out there that could help Milwaukee – you’re talking about somebody like Alex Caruso, Dorian Finney-Smith and Matisse Thybulle,” Haynes said on #thisleague UNCUT podcast.
“These are all names out there that are circulating that have some links to the Milwaukee Bucks as being that guy they can plug in to be that point of attack defender.
“Milwaukee is being very aggressive out there, that’s what I’ve heard, in surveying the market and seeing what’s available. (General manager) Jon Horst, he’s working those phones for sure.”
PATTY MILLS (Atlanta Hawks)
In what’s been a tough campaign for the veteran in Atlanta getting little to no opportunities, Mills might now have his best chance yet to show Hawks coach Quin Snyder he deserves more minutes.
Trae Young has entered concussion protocols to open up short-term opportunities in the Hawks’ backcourt, with Mills looming as one of the beneficiaries.
Mills already showed he was ready when his name was called. The sharpshooting guard got his biggest run for the season when Young missed the team’s win over Miami on the weekend, dropping a season-high 11 points with three tripes in a season-high 18 minutes.
More of that please, Snyder!
Atlanta is also a team expected to shake up its roster by the deadline, with Dejounte Murray likely on the move. And so Mills’ situation appears fluid including the possibility of the beloved Aussie finding a new home, with his expiring deal a movable asset.
Tyrese Haliburton has announced himself as a genuine NBA superstar under the bright lights.
Haliburton dropped 27 points with 15 assists and seven rebounds — and no turnovers — to see the Indiana Pacers take down the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 and advance to the In-Season Tournament championship game.
The Pacers led by 12 at half-time in the Las Vegas showdown before Milwaukee came storming back into the game in the second half to set up a tight, back-and-fourth final quarter.
That was until Haliburton’s layup extended Indiana’s lead to five points with 1:33 on the clock before the superstar guard iced the win with a massive stepback three-pointer with 49.1 seconds remaining.
After hitting the match-sealing three, Haliburton even took a cheeky dig at Damian Lillard, pulling out the ‘Dame Time’ celebration and saying: “Ya’ll know what time it is.”
Over his last two games, Haliburton has now recorded 53 points and 28 assists without a single turnover in an extraordinary feat as the Pacers have taken down the Celtics and Bucks — arguably the two premier sides in the Eastern Conference — en route to the In-Season Tournament championship decider.
“Tyrese Haliburton is putting the basketball world on notice that he has arrived,” NBA legend Reggie Miller said on the ESPN telecast.
Elsewhere, Myles Turner racked up 26 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks and Rick Carlisle’s squad improved to 12-8 overall.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (37 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks) led the way for the now 16-7 Bucks and Damien Lillard chipped in 24 points, four triples, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Indiana now awaits the winner of the Lakers-Pelicans clash later on Friday (all times AEDT) to determine who it’ll play in Sunday’s In-Season Tournament finale, which doesn’t count towards the regular season.
Lesson number one when playing against a basketball giant, don’t bother jumping.
Tacko Fall, the former NBA player, reminded the basketball world why he remains a devastating force on the court with a dunk for the ages over the weekend.
At 229cm, Fall is the third-tallest player to ever grace the hardwood in the NBA. His time in America however came to an end following the 2021/22 season after playing 37 games with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers across three seasons.
He’s now plying his trade in the Chinese Basketball League with the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings and he showed why he was such a fan favourite.
In his recent game the basketball giant received a perfect pass in the paint with an open lane to the rim.
He planted his feet and rose up to jam the ball home, but it was an opponent’s brain fade that made the clip spread around the internet like wildfire.
Fall threw the dunk down with reckless abandon and sent his opponent flying in the process, making the dunk even nastier than it should have been.
Why did he think this was a good idea.Source: SuppliedIt was at this moment he knew…Source: SuppliedI’ll just have a nap right here.Source: Supplied
The clip of Fall’s poster quickly whipped around social media with basketball fans far and wide losing their minds over the play.
Despite the absurd moment, the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks had the last laugh as they secured the 98-95 victory.
Fall finished the contest with 12 points on 5-10 shooting and 14 rebounds after 22 minutes of playing time.
But it was his poster dunk that stole the show and put him back into the basketball spotlight.
It brought memories of DeAndre Jordan’s murderous throw down over Brandon Knight from back in 2013.
It’s not the first time the basketball giant has taken over social media, with Fall becoming an instant cult hero when he joined the Celtics.
Fans routinely chanted for coaches to insert him into games with the big man only really seeing court time during blowout contests.
But much like it was throughout Yao Ming’s career, Fall became an instant meme for making fellow stars look minuscule.
He also sent basketball fans wild when he recreated one of the NBA’s most iconic photos. In the 1980s, 231cm giant Manute Bol posed with his teammate and the league’s shortest player Muggsy Bogues (160cm), Fall and the 178cm-tall Tremont Waters of G-League side Maine Red Claws did the same.
