Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Friday, August 23, 2019
Monday, August 12, 2019
Los Angeles Lakers 2019-2020 schedule
Season begins October 22nd 🙏🏾
(Open the image if the pic isn't clear on your device)
(Open the image if the pic isn't clear on your device)
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Dreamville: REVENGE (Documentary)
This is the official documentary chronicling the Revenge of the Dreamers III sessions in January 2019 at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
Album drops 7/5/19
Salute J.Cole
#ROTD3 #Dreamville #RevengeDocumentary
Album drops 7/5/19
Salute J.Cole
#ROTD3 #Dreamville #RevengeDocumentary
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Post Draft Clarity
Right now it's June 22nd. The NBA season is over, the draft is done, and random trades are being made to clear cap space for free agency. Us as fans are board out of our minds and we have to wait on this pointless NBA awards show to find out who is the MVP. During this downtime I look around and I see potential trainwreck after potential trainwreck. Draft night brings me joy every year. Seeing those kids walk across that stage to shake Adam Silver's hand after dedicating their young lives to the sport is beautiful to me. Then when all the cute shit wears off reality hits.
A lot of bad decisions we just made. Some of these kids were either pressured to leave school early or were given bad advice. I'm all for taking a leap of faith but some of those kids that left school prematurely are going to get swallowed alive in the NBA. From there it's stints in the G-League and possibly overseas. A kid that was drafted in the lottery who I won't name showed me nothing that indicated that he was ready to play at the next level but I'm sure media hype, a money hungry agent, and greedy family members convinced him that he was. I wish nothing but the best for him and a few others that aren't going to pan out instantly like they thought they would. Every year 60 kids get drafted and not even half of them are in the league 8 years later. Obviously there's guys like Quinn Cook and Fred Vanvleet that went undrafted but had to bust their ass to get in the league but their stories are rare. Making it in the league is one thing but being good enough to stay there is the hard part. It takes hardwork, health, and the right opportunities to survive in the NBA. These front office people are able to move onto new positions if they make mistakes but the players that are unprepared get hit with 1 reality check after another. If this article comes across the screen of college hooper all I ask is that you stay in school till you really believe that you're amongst the best 450 players in the world. Once you leave it's no turning back. That can result in depression, self doubt, and many bad life choices if your plan doesn't work. Save yourself from yourself. Choose wisely.
A lot of bad decisions we just made. Some of these kids were either pressured to leave school early or were given bad advice. I'm all for taking a leap of faith but some of those kids that left school prematurely are going to get swallowed alive in the NBA. From there it's stints in the G-League and possibly overseas. A kid that was drafted in the lottery who I won't name showed me nothing that indicated that he was ready to play at the next level but I'm sure media hype, a money hungry agent, and greedy family members convinced him that he was. I wish nothing but the best for him and a few others that aren't going to pan out instantly like they thought they would. Every year 60 kids get drafted and not even half of them are in the league 8 years later. Obviously there's guys like Quinn Cook and Fred Vanvleet that went undrafted but had to bust their ass to get in the league but their stories are rare. Making it in the league is one thing but being good enough to stay there is the hard part. It takes hardwork, health, and the right opportunities to survive in the NBA. These front office people are able to move onto new positions if they make mistakes but the players that are unprepared get hit with 1 reality check after another. If this article comes across the screen of college hooper all I ask is that you stay in school till you really believe that you're amongst the best 450 players in the world. Once you leave it's no turning back. That can result in depression, self doubt, and many bad life choices if your plan doesn't work. Save yourself from yourself. Choose wisely.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
All Time Great
Top 5 and G.O.A.T debates happen all the time when it comes to hip hop. As an avid fan of the craft I feel like a new discussion should begin. Music is an art and I think it's fair to judge rappers as overall artist without limiting the discussion to a comparison amongst just rappers.
Today you can mention an artist from the Renaissance era and they're automatically placed in a separate class and revered as a God-like figure. When I say artist this goes beyond musicians. I'm talking sculptors, painters, etc. The Creation of Adam is an amazing painting, but does Michelangelo have an illmatic? Can you definitively say William Shakespeare is a better storyteller than Nas? Leonardo da Vinci is well known for the Mona Lisa, but can you feel it like Can I Live by Jay-Z? Is it nuts to question if Reasonable Doubt is a better piece of art than The Night Watch or did Jay-Z have to die 300 years ago to be in the same sentence as Rembrandt? Like all types of artist nobody is well known for every piece they've made, but we've seen Nas take leftover tracks and make the Lost Tapes album which is easily one of his best projects. Could we open an art exhibit of lesser known work by Masaccio and have it be arguably his best collection of work? This isn't to knock well known artist of the past. I'm just simply proposing a new way of thinking.
We put the greatest rappers in a box where they far exceed the competition and don't think of putting them in the same sentence as Van Gogh, Mozart, and Beethoven. I don't believe in waiting till someone is dead for over a 100 years to give them the credit they deserve. I've lived long enough to see illmatic turn 25 and age like Merlot from the finest vineyard. As time passes the legend of Nas beginning to craft one of the greatest albums in history as a 17 year old wunderkind will only grow. 300 years from now some kid will research Shawn Carter and see tales of his wealth, quotes from his peers, photos of him with his jewelry, and possibly view him with the same allure as we have when we see someone from the 1600’s in noble clothing. I fully understand how it goes, but it's time to give people their roses while they're still here.
We put the greatest rappers in a box where they far exceed the competition and don't think of putting them in the same sentence as Van Gogh, Mozart, and Beethoven. I don't believe in waiting till someone is dead for over a 100 years to give them the credit they deserve. I've lived long enough to see illmatic turn 25 and age like Merlot from the finest vineyard. As time passes the legend of Nas beginning to craft one of the greatest albums in history as a 17 year old wunderkind will only grow. 300 years from now some kid will research Shawn Carter and see tales of his wealth, quotes from his peers, photos of him with his jewelry, and possibly view him with the same allure as we have when we see someone from the 1600’s in noble clothing. I fully understand how it goes, but it's time to give people their roses while they're still here.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Support = Progress
As I type this the 2019 WNBA draft is underway and the league doesn't even have a president. I truly believe this league has been mishandled for a very long time and a change has to come. By no means would I claim to be the biggest supporter or expert on all things WNBA, but I know for a fact that a situation like this should never happen.
At a time when the casual fan would only know players like Candace Parker, Maya Moore, and Sue Bird the WNBA is at a point where the legends have done all they can do for the league. Now it's time for the new generation to take the baton and take the league to a new height. The two players I believe in 10 years will be the Candace Parker and Maya Moore of their era are 2018 rookie of the year A'ja Wilson and 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart. I truly believe that with the support of the people they can have a Magic & Bird type of impact and boost the popularity of the WNBA. Like many I tune into the sports debate shows and there's never a mention of the WNBA because the ratings and lack of social media trending moments suggest that it's not a hot topic to cover. That doesn't mean there's no talent in the WNBA because that's far from the truth. What it does mean in that the fans aren't active enough. When the wage gap became a talking point I began to see many women speak in support of the players which I have no issue with. What was a problem was that a lot of them couldn't tell you who the last champion was or what was the last game they watched because they don't follow or actually support the league. From the myspace days to now I've seen tons of photos from women attending NBA games but outside of other athletes or media members nobody I've followed on any social media platform have posted anything from a WNBA event. I don't think I've ever seen anyone wearing any WNBA team apparel. This is in no way any fault of the players. This falls on the shoulders of the intended audience.
I understand that the level of athleticism isn't the same as the NBA, but there is real world class talent in this league. I'll go as far as to say there aren't many active athletes under 25 with a resume that compares to Breanna Stewart’s. I mean…
Just Sunday during the Women's National Championship over 20,000 people were in attendance to watch Baylor defeat Notre Dame. College sports tend to have huge followings but I just wish the WNBA could get that same love. It's to the point that it feels like NBA players are at times being forced to state their support for the league just to possibly garner new fans. Now with Maya Moore sitting out the league loses star power that it couldn't afford to lose.
They're already at a disadvantage because they play just 34 regular season games, average attendance is under 7k, 6 prior teams are gone, 5 teams have relocated, on their 4th commissioner, don't sell much merch, and couldn't even get Oxygen to renew their broadcast deal. People just simply don't support the product. If the ratings, social media trends, ticket sales, and merchandise sales increase these women would have more leverage when they demand a higher percentage of the revenue. The talent of the product is legit but the lack of fan support is holding back the progress. A league created for women desperately needs the support of women in order to evolve.
I'm old enough to remember how big the inception of the WNBA was. I remember Sheryl Swoopes dropping a signature shoe and having commercials so I know how prominent the WNBA can be when it is backed by fan support. The NBA loses money annually keeping the league afloat because it doesn't generate a profit, and even the likes of Kobe Bryant has taken matters into his own hands by training and coaching young girls who aspire to be stars in the WNBA and working with current WNBA players. The next generation of stars are in place. It's up to the women to support them and the possible results are endless. The 2019 season starts on May 10th. How yall gonna act?
At a time when the casual fan would only know players like Candace Parker, Maya Moore, and Sue Bird the WNBA is at a point where the legends have done all they can do for the league. Now it's time for the new generation to take the baton and take the league to a new height. The two players I believe in 10 years will be the Candace Parker and Maya Moore of their era are 2018 rookie of the year A'ja Wilson and 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart. I truly believe that with the support of the people they can have a Magic & Bird type of impact and boost the popularity of the WNBA. Like many I tune into the sports debate shows and there's never a mention of the WNBA because the ratings and lack of social media trending moments suggest that it's not a hot topic to cover. That doesn't mean there's no talent in the WNBA because that's far from the truth. What it does mean in that the fans aren't active enough. When the wage gap became a talking point I began to see many women speak in support of the players which I have no issue with. What was a problem was that a lot of them couldn't tell you who the last champion was or what was the last game they watched because they don't follow or actually support the league. From the myspace days to now I've seen tons of photos from women attending NBA games but outside of other athletes or media members nobody I've followed on any social media platform have posted anything from a WNBA event. I don't think I've ever seen anyone wearing any WNBA team apparel. This is in no way any fault of the players. This falls on the shoulders of the intended audience.
I understand that the level of athleticism isn't the same as the NBA, but there is real world class talent in this league. I'll go as far as to say there aren't many active athletes under 25 with a resume that compares to Breanna Stewart’s. I mean…
Just Sunday during the Women's National Championship over 20,000 people were in attendance to watch Baylor defeat Notre Dame. College sports tend to have huge followings but I just wish the WNBA could get that same love. It's to the point that it feels like NBA players are at times being forced to state their support for the league just to possibly garner new fans. Now with Maya Moore sitting out the league loses star power that it couldn't afford to lose.
They're already at a disadvantage because they play just 34 regular season games, average attendance is under 7k, 6 prior teams are gone, 5 teams have relocated, on their 4th commissioner, don't sell much merch, and couldn't even get Oxygen to renew their broadcast deal. People just simply don't support the product. If the ratings, social media trends, ticket sales, and merchandise sales increase these women would have more leverage when they demand a higher percentage of the revenue. The talent of the product is legit but the lack of fan support is holding back the progress. A league created for women desperately needs the support of women in order to evolve.
I'm old enough to remember how big the inception of the WNBA was. I remember Sheryl Swoopes dropping a signature shoe and having commercials so I know how prominent the WNBA can be when it is backed by fan support. The NBA loses money annually keeping the league afloat because it doesn't generate a profit, and even the likes of Kobe Bryant has taken matters into his own hands by training and coaching young girls who aspire to be stars in the WNBA and working with current WNBA players. The next generation of stars are in place. It's up to the women to support them and the possible results are endless. The 2019 season starts on May 10th. How yall gonna act?
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
2018-2018 NBA Predictions
With the NBA season kicking off tonight here’s my early predictions
Rookie of the Year: Harry Giles
Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder
Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid
Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram
MVP: Lebron James
Best Rivalry: Warriors vs Refs
Biggest Question: Will Jimmy Butler get traded?
Top Prospects for the 2019 Draft: Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, and Zion Williamson
NBA Champions: Golden State Warriors
Rookie of the Year: Harry Giles
Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder
Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid
Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram
MVP: Lebron James
Best Rivalry: Warriors vs Refs
Biggest Question: Will Jimmy Butler get traded?
Top Prospects for the 2019 Draft: Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, and Zion Williamson
NBA Champions: Golden State Warriors
Saturday, September 22, 2018
4 To Watch In 2019
Last year heading into basketball season I did an initial list of 4 players in different phases of their career that I predicted to take their game to the next level. After pretty much hitting it right on the head I felt like doing a 2019 list. This list consist of a high school phenom, college freshman, NBA rookie, and a budding NBA player that's ready to take a quantum leap. Without further ado I present the 4 To Watch In 2019. First up we have Cole Anthony.
This 2nd generation player is the son of former NBA player and current CBS Sports analyst Greg Anthony. Right now he's the number 1 ranked point guard in the country and hasn't committed to any college. This year he will be playing for Oak Hill academy under the tutelage of Steve Smith as the nation awaits his college decision. Recently he narrowed his options down to 12 schools with Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and Villanova being amongst them. In May during the Nike EYBL stop in Hampton Virginia I finally got a chance to see this kid in person and impressed is an understatement. He controls the offense with the poise of a veteran. Every part of his game is elite and his athleticism is nonpareil. I absolutely think his playmaking ability is his strong point. He can shoot incredibly well and play lockdown defense but his ability to get buckets for himself and others is insane and will propel him to another level.
Cam Reddish is a player that can potentially be the most important piece to whatever success Duke University has this season. This Pennsylvania native has the perfect build for today's positionless style of basketball. A Paul George/Jayson Tatum type player with prime Joe Johnson's jumper is really the best way I can describe him. The step back and Euro-step are his offensive weapons of choice. While playing alongside Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett I don't expect him to put up nearly as many points as he's capable of per game but he'll be the one Coach K will depend on in big moments for a bucket. I'm a believer in players sticking around in college for longer than a year but some guys are ready after their freshman campaign. Cam will be one of those guys. Many casual fans might not be familiar with him yet because he didn't play during the Duke exhibitions in Canada but the world will be on notice soon. This All-American 2-way wing is projected to be a top 5 pick in the 2019 draft. Keep this kid on your radar. Great things are ahead for him.
Expect Wendell Carter Jr. to be a key piece to the Chicago Bulls young core instantly. He's coming in as pretty high profile player already but I don't expect him to look like a rookie for long. He's a product of the evolved big man that can handle the general power forward duties and stretch the floor as well. As great as he was in college he was overshadowed by Marvin Bagley. That won't be the case in Chicago. I believe he has a good chance of averaging a double double and being one of the better shot blockers in the league this upcoming season as a rookie. Aside from being a menace in the low post on both ends of the court he's actually a pretty good 3 point shooter. Last season at Duke he shot 41% from beyond the arch and I believe that will carry over in the NBA. As good as Jaren Jackson Jr. is I think Memphis will soon regret picking him and not Wendell Carter Jr.
Spencer Dinwiddie is a player that I believe will continue to incline but this year specifically I see him taking a big jump. He has a first step that some of the best in the league can only dream of. According to ESPN production researcher Matt Williams last season Dinwiddie recorded the 5th most blow-bys on drives in the NBA. I trust that he'll continue to keep that in his arsenal of go-to moves and become even better at it like James Harden. This reigning Skills Challenge champion had the 2nd best assist to turnover ratio last season and I expect him to continue this trend while becoming an even better passer this season. Due to the mire of the Brooklyn Nets franchise it's easy to go under the radar when the team simply isn't built to win and national TV time is minimal to nonexistent. Last season he was also one of the better clutch scorers with a few game winners on his resume. His fearlessness and poise under pressure along with precise passing is going to make him an interesting player to teams looking to make additions to their backcourt as he approaches free agency next summer. With that in mind heading into a contract year after being cut twice and starting a season in the G-league this is his first time to really get paid. Expect him to play his heart out on a nightly basis. I expect his shooting percentage to improve and his PPG to jump from 12.6 to the 15-18 point range while still being a low turnover player. Not all star caliber yet but a damn good player that can be a contributor to a winning team in the future.
This 2nd generation player is the son of former NBA player and current CBS Sports analyst Greg Anthony. Right now he's the number 1 ranked point guard in the country and hasn't committed to any college. This year he will be playing for Oak Hill academy under the tutelage of Steve Smith as the nation awaits his college decision. Recently he narrowed his options down to 12 schools with Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and Villanova being amongst them. In May during the Nike EYBL stop in Hampton Virginia I finally got a chance to see this kid in person and impressed is an understatement. He controls the offense with the poise of a veteran. Every part of his game is elite and his athleticism is nonpareil. I absolutely think his playmaking ability is his strong point. He can shoot incredibly well and play lockdown defense but his ability to get buckets for himself and others is insane and will propel him to another level.
Cam Reddish is a player that can potentially be the most important piece to whatever success Duke University has this season. This Pennsylvania native has the perfect build for today's positionless style of basketball. A Paul George/Jayson Tatum type player with prime Joe Johnson's jumper is really the best way I can describe him. The step back and Euro-step are his offensive weapons of choice. While playing alongside Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett I don't expect him to put up nearly as many points as he's capable of per game but he'll be the one Coach K will depend on in big moments for a bucket. I'm a believer in players sticking around in college for longer than a year but some guys are ready after their freshman campaign. Cam will be one of those guys. Many casual fans might not be familiar with him yet because he didn't play during the Duke exhibitions in Canada but the world will be on notice soon. This All-American 2-way wing is projected to be a top 5 pick in the 2019 draft. Keep this kid on your radar. Great things are ahead for him.
Expect Wendell Carter Jr. to be a key piece to the Chicago Bulls young core instantly. He's coming in as pretty high profile player already but I don't expect him to look like a rookie for long. He's a product of the evolved big man that can handle the general power forward duties and stretch the floor as well. As great as he was in college he was overshadowed by Marvin Bagley. That won't be the case in Chicago. I believe he has a good chance of averaging a double double and being one of the better shot blockers in the league this upcoming season as a rookie. Aside from being a menace in the low post on both ends of the court he's actually a pretty good 3 point shooter. Last season at Duke he shot 41% from beyond the arch and I believe that will carry over in the NBA. As good as Jaren Jackson Jr. is I think Memphis will soon regret picking him and not Wendell Carter Jr.
Spencer Dinwiddie is a player that I believe will continue to incline but this year specifically I see him taking a big jump. He has a first step that some of the best in the league can only dream of. According to ESPN production researcher Matt Williams last season Dinwiddie recorded the 5th most blow-bys on drives in the NBA. I trust that he'll continue to keep that in his arsenal of go-to moves and become even better at it like James Harden. This reigning Skills Challenge champion had the 2nd best assist to turnover ratio last season and I expect him to continue this trend while becoming an even better passer this season. Due to the mire of the Brooklyn Nets franchise it's easy to go under the radar when the team simply isn't built to win and national TV time is minimal to nonexistent. Last season he was also one of the better clutch scorers with a few game winners on his resume. His fearlessness and poise under pressure along with precise passing is going to make him an interesting player to teams looking to make additions to their backcourt as he approaches free agency next summer. With that in mind heading into a contract year after being cut twice and starting a season in the G-league this is his first time to really get paid. Expect him to play his heart out on a nightly basis. I expect his shooting percentage to improve and his PPG to jump from 12.6 to the 15-18 point range while still being a low turnover player. Not all star caliber yet but a damn good player that can be a contributor to a winning team in the future.
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