The 41-year-old coach of the undermanned Boston Celtics has emerged as one of the sport’s sharpest minds, but reaching the NBA finals without his two best players would be his best trick yetThe first time I met Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens was outside Butler University’s famed Hinkle Fieldhouse. It was winter 2012, less than a year after Stevens, then the coach at the tiny Indianapolis school, had led Bulldogs to their second consecutive NCAA championship game. I was with a friend who knew Stevens a little and wanted to say hello. I was surprised Stevens had agreed to meet us. Most college coaches don’t have time for such things, especially in the middle of the season with practice barely...
Despite LeBron’s heroics on Wednesday night, the Cavaliers struggled to defend and are riven by locker room divisions. The immediate future doesn’t look brightThe NBA calendar is pretty similar from year to year. The regular season officially tips off in October, then there is great debate throughout the land about whether LeBron James’ team is not what it was a season ago highlighted by James making a cryptic social media post alluding to his team’s struggles. Next on the schedule are the Christmas Day games, which are soon followed by a period of deep contemplation on LeBron’s team, if it just might be falling apart (but for real this time) and where LeBron might play next. That period is promptly...
The outspoken NBA defensive player of the year on winning titles with the Golden State Warriors and why he’s aiming for the Hall of FameDraymond Green, the Golden State Warriors’ man-of-all-trades, struts through the NBA’s European headquarters in London. But you’re permitted a certain swagger if you spent the early part of your summer winning an NBA title. In five seasons, the 2017 NBA defensive player of the year has already won more than most players will in their entire career. What motivates the two-time NBA champion now? “I haven’t won three championships,” he tells the Guardian. Related: Domination and no drama: how big a threat are the Warriors to the NBA? Related: Draymond Green on Clevelanders: 'They don't seem...
The four-time MVP a free agent again in 49 weeks and will look for the best place to win another NBA title. At the moment, that place isn’t ClevelandThe matter of LeBron James v Michael Jordan has been debated once or twice before. This column will not be another entry into that genre. That’s a promise. But maybe we can all briefly agree on just one thing about those two esteemed basketball gentlemen before moving on: Michael Jordan is much better than LeBron James at holding a grudge. Twenty-three years ago, when Tim Tebow was just a six-year-old attending homsechool in Florida, Michael Jordan tried his hand at baseball. It didn’t go too well. Sports Illustrated wrote about his foray...
The Warriors are probably the best team the NBA has seen in 20 years, but the defending champions showed in Game 4 they’re more than afterthoughts The Cleveland Cavaliers are still the NBA’s current champion with essentially the same team from last year’s title and it was particularly cruel they had to spend three days at home enduring a debate about whether these Golden State Warriors are the greatest team ever. What happened Friday night with Cleveland’s 137-116 Game 4 trampling of the Warriors shouldn’t be a surprise.Did everyone really think Golden State – as good as they have played – are that much better than the Cavs? Related: NBA finals Game 4: Golden State Warriors 116-137 Cleveland Cavaliers –...