There have been 73 professional basketball champions since 1946. That’s not a lot. The list of coaches to win those titles is even more exclusive. Only 33 men have achieved the NBA’s grandest prize, and an even more select group of five own half of all available NBA championship banners. That’s after a decade that […]
As a show that hinges on the hot takes of the sports world, Hot Takedown this week does a retrospective dive into the many takes that defined this NBA Finals: from “the Warriors will sweep” to “the Warriors dynasty is over,” and every narrative in between. We ask ourselves what role analytics plays in driving […]
With a chance to win the franchise’s first-ever championship Thursday night in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Toronto Raptors didn’t miss. Led by Kawhi Leonard, Toronto officially sealed its membership in the exclusive first-time winners club. Maybe the Raptors drew inspiration from another first-time winner that had sealed its own unlikely championship on […]
This year’s NBA postseason has been a striking reminder of the difference between regular season and playoff basketball, particularly with respect to individual performance. The three finalists for the MVP award — James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George — all failed to match their production from the regular season in this year’s playoffs. On […]