Following the Miami Heat’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Union popped in on Wade’s interview with Fox Sports.
Wade was busy updating the reporter on how he felt the game went — the first since he was sidelined for seven games following a hamstring injury.
“I just stayed with it,” Wade, 32, began to tell the reporter. “My teammates did a great job of keeping me into it. I got a little frustrated early on; guys ain’t played with me in a while …”
And bam, that’s when the 42-year-old actress decided to foul her husband and try to steal the ball from him mid-sentence.
“It was, uh, it was okay!” she said, joking. “It was okay. I mean, a hamstring pull … wow.”
Wade took one look at his wife with a sweet little smirk on his face and asked if she was photobombing him.
“Yeah, wow … to come back with 27 points, we’re gonna talk about the free throws later…” Union kept right on with her analysis. However, she may have touched a sore point considering Wade’s free-throw percentage in the game could have been … well … better.
In a lengthy interview with Bleacher Report, Dwyane Wade talked about his relationship with LeBron James, Wade’s new teammates, and how last year ‘wasn’t fun.’
“Me and LeBron, I’d go to Cleveland, we’d go to the movies,” Wade told Bleacher Report of his relationship with James before James joined the Heat. “He’d come here, we’d hang out. And then we’d go on the court, and we’d compete. And then after the game, that’s my boy.
“Then we got here, we teamed up, became even closer. And now it’s the same thing. You know, we’re still gonna be friends, and we’re still gonna compete our ass off, until the day we can’t compete no more.”
Wade says he has a new perspective, even if the goal of reaching the playoffs is still the same. This time, the 10-time All-Star wants to savor the journey rather than just focus on the destination.
“We went to the Finals four years in a row, and it was everything we wanted from that standpoint,” Wade said. “But sometimes throughout that run at certain times, it just wasn’t fun.
“I think now I’m at the point where I want to enjoy the game. Because once I’ve won three championships and been so successful, you’ve got to have something to play for. And I want to be able to play for my teammates and just the joy of the game.”
That joy was missing last season when the Heat lost to the Spurs in the NBA Finals.
“We wanted it,” Wade said. “… But sometimes you can put too much on yourself, all of us, and it becomes a black cloud. Last year wasn’t fun. I mean, there was no stretch of it fun. That whole season, to me, it’s amazing we made it to the Finals. It’s just honest.”
With Bleacher Report, Wade talked about how there was a renewed focus and energy within the coaching staff and the new players the organization has brought in.
“…it’s good for everyone to come in every day and want to be here,” Wade said.
With the excitement of the World Cup finally dwindling down after Germany’s thrilling extra-time win against Argentina, the world can now spend its time obsessing over the latest NBA moves. Of course, we all know that LeBron James has decided to return home and take his talents back to Cleveland, the place where he was born and raised. However, there are several other teams that are making big-time moves to better their rosters for the upcoming 2014-15 NBA season. Coming off of a successful, yet still slightly disappointing, season last year, the Chicago Bulls are one such team looking to reinvigorate its roster with some new acquisitions.
The latest news from the Bulls’s camp is the signing of two key, low-post players: Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic.
It hasn't been easy. After meditating it a lot I've chosen to play with the Chicago Bulls. Looking forward to this new chapter of my career
Gasol comes to the Bulls via the Lakers, where he won back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. Despite still playing with All-Star potential, averaging 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, Gasol found himself on the outside-looking-in on a Lakers team that is trying to rebuild itself around Kobe Bryant through newer, fresher faces than injury-plagued and aging Gasol.
With the acquisition of two new big men, though, comes the loss of someone currently in the Bulls organization – Carlos Boozer. While nothing has yet been confirmed, most sources agree that the Bulls are going to use the amnesty clause of the collective bargaining agreement to waive Boozer and his $16.8 million contract for his final year in order to clear more space under the salary cap. The amnesty clause means that the Bulls will still have to guarantee Boozer his contracted money, but that Boozer’s salary will not count against the Bulls’s overall salary cap.
Chicago Bulls expected to use the Amnesty Clause on Carlos Boozer to get below the salary cap to be able to sign Pau Gasol + Nikola Mirotic.
— Chicago Bulls Rumors (@chicagobullsbot) July 12, 2014
The acquisitions of both Gasol and Mirotic will take up most of the room created by the release of Boozer. There will be some room still left under the salary cap, though, leaving many to wonder who the Bulls will go after next. Much speculation has been made about the Bulls pursuing Carmelo Anthony. However, with the latest news reporting that Anthony has agreed to stay in New York for $120+ million, the odds are not in the Bulls favor.
Which leaves one, big name left on the table – Dwayne Wade. The Miami Heat guard has never played for a team besides the Heat throughout his entire NBA career, but with the loss of James and potentially Bosh (both to their respective home town teams), the prospect of taking his talents to Chicago may be more tempting now than never – despite the fact that a person close to Wade has said he shows no interest in returning:
On Bulls reported interest in Wade.Person close to Wade told me"He has no interest in returning to Chicago and recently sold his home there"
With the return of Derrick Rose, though, and the addition of a great passing center in Gasol and a stretch-four in Mirotic, the Bulls may have no room for Wade in a theoretically stacked roster. And, with the Bulls already sporting an injury-prone roster (Rose, Gasol, and Noah), Wade may not be the right fit anyways.
On Wednesday, LeBron James met with President of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley. And at the end of said meeting, nothing was accomplished – a scary thought for fans of the Miami Heat.
In case you have been living under a rock for the past month (or just too caught up in all the World Cup fervor), Miami Heat star LeBron James is now a free agent and on the market, looking for the best NBA team at which to win his fourth championship. Not only did James opt to become a free agent, but his two compadres, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, did as well. While Wade is expected to sign with the Miami Heat again regardless of James’s decision, Bosh has been rumored to want to wait until LeBron decides where he wants to go before making a decision.
Important point on Bosh: He's waiting on direction from LeBron, source says, not the other way around.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 7, 2014
What that decision from James will be is anyone’s guess. Before Wednesday’s meeting, most Heat fans would have guessed that LeBron was staying with the Heat due to the recent acquisitions of Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger – two pieces Riley and the Heat acquired in order to rebuild the team around LeBron.
No guarantees made, but Danny Granger/Josh McRoberts committed to Heat w/ strong belief LeBron James will be a teammate, sources tell Yahoo.
However, with LeBron leaving his hour-long meeting with Riley on Wednesday without a commitment, Heat fans should be worried as to what is to come.
Especially with the recent moves from the Cleveland Cavaliers. If you remember (And who couldn’t?), LeBron played for the Cavs for seven years before snubbing them to go to the free agency market and eventually signing with the Heat. After his “betrayal”, the city of Cleveland and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert effectively disowned James, calling him a coward and attempting to strike his name from the history books.
Now that the Cavs have the opportunity to woo LeBron back, though, all is seemingly forgiven.
LeBron James is that guy in your fantasy football draft that takes the entire 1:30 to make a pick round by round.
Yesterday, Cleveland composed a three-team deal which would drop $9.5 million from their salary cap, leaving the team $21.7 million under the cap overall. All of this wiggle room not only allows Cleveland to sign LeBron, but also makes their pursuit of LeBron’s friends and teammates (such as Ray Allen and Mike Miller) all the more plausible.
With LeBron voicing his opinion that he most certainly wants a max contract (putting him at $20.7 next year), the odds are looking in Cleveland’s favor right now.
That is, unless Chris Bosh goes to the Houston Rockets, clearing enough space for the Heat to land Carmelo Anthony. Or, perhaps LeBron will sign with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, or LA Lakers – all teams his agents has visited.
REPORT: LeBron James sneezed twice this morning, a clear indication that he’s signing with the #Cavs, unless he signs with the #Heat.
In the end, one thing is certain – LeBron James will be making much, much, much more money than you, I, or anyone else we know next year. And in LeBron’s world, that seems to be what matters.
Superstar forward and unrestricted free agent LeBron James is scheduled to meet with Miami Heat president Pat Riley within the next few days, in a sitdown set up by James’ agent Rich Paul
After James opted out of his contract with the Heat two weeks ago, Paul has been in talks with teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. The teams have been told that James himself maybe be willing to meet during the week, and will attend a Nike-sponsored basketball camp on Wednesday as well.
James is reportedly seeking a maximum tier contract, at roughly $20.7 million, and there have been rumors that Paul has favored the Cavaliers as being at the forefront to reacquire King James. After all, Paul is from Ohio.
Fans took to Twitter with their prognostications:
Cleveland has replaced Miami as my frontrunner to land LeBron James…
James, who has been compared to the basketball greats of the past, has garnered four NBA MVP Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Here is James’ NBA career highlight reel:
James, the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer, is said to be going to Brazil to catch a World Cup game soon, and speculation regarding his decision is plainly speculation.
Watching pundits and sports fans trip over themselves to explain and clarify Lebron James’s decision to terminate his contract with the Miami Heat and become a free agent is entertaining to say the least.
There’s a lot of blubbering about it not meaning he intends to tuck tail and run following the humiliating 4-1 defeat his team suffered at the hands of the ruthless San Antonio Spurs.
Said one writer, “James’ goal…is to win championships, and free agency gives James a chance to see what team can offer him the best chance to win another championship.”
I see.
So how does that NOT make LeBron James a glory-hunting mercenary?
LeBron James' 27.5 PPG leads active NBA players. He becomes unrestricted free agent July 1, could return to Heat. pic.twitter.com/AvSqir1upv
James is often classed with the great NBA pros of the past, most especially Michael Jordan. And yet the past NBA greats like Jordan are known for building long-term franchises. They are also readily associated with one particular team.
If James makes a move to yet another city with still more promises about all the NBA titles they will win with him on their team, it just wouldn’t look good.
It’s sort of like how a guy dumps a girl and insists to the new girl that the ex was crazy and dragging him down. Then when things don’t go exactly as planned, he’s looking for the exit, no doubt preparing to explain how the current girl is entirely responsible for what went wrong and things will work out for sure next time.
In short, a move would only demonstrate that Lebron James may have commitment issues.
Oh, but don’t worry Heat fans! You’re team is nothing like the bitter Cleveland Cavaliers. The Miami Heat has been far more successful. Surely James will appreciate what he has and what has been won and stay put!
THE VOTES ARE IN! 62% of SC fans DON'T think LeBron James will return to the Miami Heat. pic.twitter.com/qSNyFcSPny
….If you believe that, then please meet me in Brooklyn as I have a bridge to sell you.
In all seriousness, the Miami Heat was an outstanding team before “King James” and the promise of winning NBA championships without him (or even before him, should he move) will not be a hollow threat should it be made.
Ending Miami Heat’s two year winning streak, the San Antonio Spurs claimed their fifth NBA title. The games were won 5-1, and the score of the final game was 104-87.
“It makes last year OK,” player Tim Duncan told CBS.
Miami Heat received a crushing defeat in the final game. After losing four games to the Spurs, Miami Heat needed to make a major comeback and win the next three games.
What ended up happening? They lost. One could say that the San Antonio Spurs got their revenge for Miami beating them last year 4-3.
Or it could be the tide simply rising in the favor of the Spurs once more. Their last title was claimed seven years ago, and their four previous titles were won within a ten year time period.
Although fans of Miami Heat may be disappointed. Some commentators like Rob Oller from the Collumbus Dispatch found the game beautiful. “The Spurs’ artistry of play is refreshing, considering basketball no longer is known for its poetry of motion,” Oller wrote, “The game has turned, for the worse, from something resembling geometric simplicity — perfectly angled bounce passes, 45-degree back-door cuts and triangular ball movement — into a display of power dunking, three-point gunning and one-on-one clear outs.”
The Spurs, instead of shooting first, passed during their game, something Oller recognized as an aesthetic revitalization of the sport. Is he right? See for yourself:
Who takes the credit for this win? Perhaps coach Gregg Popovich would be a good candidate. It was he, after all, who chose to pursue effective team building instead of attempting to recruit major stars.
Regardless, the coach remains gracious in victory. When asked about Miami Heat player LeBron James, Popovich replied, according to Westport News, “LeBron James is a great player. He’s a great competitor. He’s a class act. And I know he’s feeling what we felt last year, and I don’t wish that on anybody. It’s tough. Most people never even have that feeling. Either the feeling of elation or the depression that goes with a loss.”
The Miami Heat are on the verge of being blown away by a dominant San Antonio Spurs. With only one win from four, the NBA Finals have thus far been a shocking blow to the defending NBA champions.
This is the same team that won the NBA title two seasons in a row. Last year it was the Heat besting the Spurs 4-3 after seven games played.
It is possible for the Heat to somehow dig deep enough to make this scoreline a reality once more.
The team would have to light the kind of fire under their own asses that leads to three game winning streaks at the last possible minute. At the same time, the Spurs would have to suffer one HELL of a blow to their confidence and game play to allow it to happen.
Make no mistake: This Spurs team is on a mission. This must not be forgotten, however unexpected their thrashing of the Heat happens to be.
This is a team dreaming of a return to glory, one that was dashed by the Heat last season. A fact they have obviously taken quite personally judging by their ongoing ruthlessness in this series.
The Spurs were a force to be reckoned with from 2002 to 2007, having secured 3 NBA titles during that window of time.
On this day in 2003, the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA title against the New Jersey Nets, winning the series 4-2. pic.twitter.com/5uOB5bgvfD
Over the past several years the Spurs have felt the empire they worked so hard to build in the early 2000s sliding downhill. Meanwhile, the Heat’s fortunes have drastically improved with the coveted LeBron James regularly touted as the team’s talisman. Winning the NBA Finals would give this team three back-to-back NBA titles.
Following the 2013 final, many dreamed of a rematch. How many predicted it would happen again so soon?
Probably the same number of people that foresaw the Spurs trampling over the Heat. The Heat may win their next game. They may win the next TWO games. But three games?
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is the latest recipient of a $5,000 fine after he exaggerated a foul on Game 2 of the finals.
The flop happened in the second quarter when Wade reacted excessively on a play where Manu Ginobili from the San Antonio Spurs was fouled. Ginobili took a swipe at the ball that Wade was controlling, and Wade exaggeratedly spun backwards, as if he had been hit.
Wade’s reaction resulted in boos from fans of the Spurs. He got two free throws from the foul, and Ginobili was benched for his third foul on the play.
The game ended with a score of 98-96 in favor of Miami.
The irony is that Ginobili is considered a “master flopper,” but he has not received any warnings this season.
“He took a swipe and he hit me,” Wade said on Monday before the fine was announced. “It was a late call by the ref, but he called it,” he said.
The game was reviewed and it showed an over-exaggeration on Wade’s part, as Ginobili only made light contact with Wade’s hand and the ball.
Dwyane Wade’s flop is the fifth flopping violation of the playoffs. Reports said that players are not fined for flops in the regular season until their second flop of the year, but in the playoffs, every flop gets a fine.
According to sources, Wade has already accumulated a whopping $19 million in salaries for this season alone. The $5,000 fine surely won’t put a dent in his pockets. Retired NBA Commissioner David Stern said that the fine isn’t enough. “You’re not going to cause somebody to stop it for $5,000 when the average player’s salary is $5.5 million,” he said.
Other players who have been slapped with a fine for flopping include Indiana’s Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert, and Spurs’ Tiago Splitter.
All season long, the Miami Heat were looking forward to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference standings, with the Pacers eventually finishing the season two games ahead of the Heat. The immense amount of success for the Pacers during the regular season had many people postulating as to whether this was the year someone would take down the Heat dynasty in the East. And after a decisive Game 1 victory of the Eastern Conference Finals for the Pacers, many of those speculations seemed to be vindicated.
Following Game 4 of the series Monday night, however, there is no doubt to be had – this is Miami’s year, once again.
The Heat cruised to a 102-90 victory over the Pacers at American Airlines Arena in Miami, leading the entirety of the game and even stretching the margin to 23 points in the fourth quarter. The final score did not represent the complete domination exhibited by Miami during the course of the game (thanks to a late run by the Pacers), but actions during the contest and comments following Game 4 prove how out-matched and desperate the Pacers are becoming.
Speaking after the Pacers’s loss in Game 3, Indiana’s Lance Stephenson expressed his belief that his trash-talking was finally getting to LeBron James, exhibited by the fact that James had finally decided to start jawing back:
To me, it’s a sign of weakness. Because he never used to say nothing to me. I always used to be the one that would say, ‘I’m gonna get under you. I’m gonna do something to get you mad.’ And now he’s trying to do it to me. So I feel like it’s a weakness. I feel like I’m doing something right, and I’m getting under his skin. But I definitely got to keep stepping up to the plate, and be more aggressive when he [does] that.
Proving that words are just that – simply words – Stephenson was personally violated and destroyed by James’s performance Monday night. While LeBron had 32 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, Stephenson did not score his first point until 3:43 was left in the third quarter. He would finish the game with a paltry 9 points.
LeBron has led his team outright (no ties) in PTS, REBS, & ASTS in a Playoff game 30 times. 2nd most all-time is Bird's 13 (h/t @MiamiHeat)
Stephenson’s response to the performances following the game: ”I was trying to get into his head. I guess he stepped up and got the win. I can take the heat.”
If Stephenson’s performances from Game 3 (10 points on 3-9 shooting) and Game 4 are any indication, he most certainly should stay out of the kitchen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0PdK-98AOc
Stephenson was not the only Pacer feeling the heat Monday night, though.
Pacers’s center Roy Hibbert put up a big goose-egg in Game 4, adding essentially nothing to the Pacers’s effort against the Heat. His excuse? Hibbert did not place the blame upon himself, but rather the coaches and the play-calling: “The game plan wasn’t really utilizing me much. Just try to be effective wherever I can. Would I have liked to get a few more touches earlier on and get going? Yeah. That’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.”
Roy Hibbert scoring ZERO points four times in the NBA playoffs will be the main reason the Indiana Pacers lose out AGAIN. Just unacceptable.
Unfortunately, Hibbert was not the only Pacer to pass-the-buck for the poor performance.
While Paul George seemed to be the one positive for Indiana on the court Monday night, scoring 23 points and pulling down 7 rebounds, his comments off the court hint at his level of frustration with the series.
“Looking at the stat sheet, we outplayed them. You got to give them credit. They won this game at the free throw line. They really just were able to get to the line more than we were, but I thought we outplayed them tonight.”
Letting his immaturity and inexperience show, George continued in his diatribe against the officials:
“I mean, you can’t tell me we don’t attack the basket as much as they attack the basket. You can’t tell me we’re not aggressive. Maybe we’re too aggressive… Maybe this was just home cooking.”
Paul George said the Heat may have gotten some “home cooking” from the refs last night.
LeBron had a response -> http://t.co/sA5KoiUyRS
Perhaps the behavior and comments of the Pacers’s players are simply a reflection of their head coach, however. While no one can take away the effort Frank Vogel has put into bringing the Pacers back to a position of prominence in the NBA, his actions reflect the heat he is feeling at the prospect of being eliminated by Miami in the postseason for the third consecutive year.
In the closing minutes of the first quarter in Game 4 Monday night, Vogel decided to help his Pacers play some sort of defense by yelling at Heat forward Shane Battier as he released a three from the corner.
When asked about the play, Battier replied that he was unaffected and could understand why Vogel would undertake such an action:
You don’t hear anything. You hear nothing. I didn’t notice it. Was he screaming at me? That’s news to me…He’s the man, he can do what he wants for his team. It makes them feel part of the game… He’s one of the guys who does not like when I call out what plays come in. I’ve been doing it my entire career. But some coaches really, it irritates. I don’t think he likes me very much. When the play comes in, he waits until I turn away, and I stare right at him.
While the Pacers are slowly but surely losing their collective mind, the Heat are thriving due to their experience and much-needed maturity.
In the post-game press conference, Dwayne Wade voiced exactly why the Heat have persevered despite the talk and pressure from the Pacers:
We played (the Boston) Celtics a lot, and they made it more than just about basketball, and they beat us in the mental game as well as the physical game. We learned that the only way we’re going to beat them is if we beat them playing the game of basketball. They’re great at that mental game… So from that point, we try to leave that alone. We try to beat you at basketball. We don’t go into the back‑and‑forth talking because that’s not what we’re here for, and that’s not going to win us a game. So we try to beat you at basketball.
When the Pacers learn to play basketball instead of childish mind-games, perhaps they will finally ascend to the NBA Finals. Until that time, though, the Heat will continue their Celtic-esque dynasty-building.
Dwyane Wade has been no stranger to injuries over the course of the 2013-2014 season, but he was able to return to the Miami Heat lineup during their game on Saturday. He has missed out on many games over the season, and just returned from a 9-game stretch that he was forced to sit out.
It was a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night when Dwyane Wade would return to the starting lineup. As a team that is currently fighting for the No.1 seed in the NBA playoffs, the Heat need every star to be playing, and unfortunately even with Wade’s return, the Heat lost to the Hawks 98-85.
As he continues to struggle, and with the playoffs starting in about a week, it could be risky for Wade to return now. In addition to his recent injury, he also almost missed the 2014 NBA All-Star game, and instead played limited minutes.
He has missed 28 games overall, with most of the absences due to his knee soreness. He has also missed time with an Achilles strain. The Heat are currently in a fierce fight with the Indiana Pacers heading into the final week of the regular season, and are currently half a game behind.
I don't care what nobody says watching the heat game without Dwyane Wade is just not the same
Speaking on his ability to play again, before the game Dwyane Wade said “I’m going to give it a go today. That’s the plan. The first thing was to get comfortable with it. You never know how severe it is until you try to strengthen it. Now, it’s just about getting comfortable and pushing it to see where you’re at.”
His recent hamstring injury kept him out for more time than he had missed during any other part of the season, and it was much more serious than he, or the rest of the team had initially thought.
There were a couple of other games recently when Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade was on the verge of returning, but the team ultimately held him out as a further precaution.
Dwyane Wade 24pts 10/14. He's back, if the Heat 3peat he'll get the Finals mvp.
Despite missing about a third of the NBA season, Dwyane Wade returned on Saturday to score 24 points. In the games that he has played in, he is averaging 19.2 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game.
After sitting on the sidelines for nine games, due to a strained hamstring, Miami Heat’s guard Dwyane Wade returned to the starting lineup.
On Saturday, Wade decided to give it a shot, and entered the game, at the start of the second half, against the Atlanta Hawks.
To be eligible to play, Wade had to go through an extensive pre-game workout which included three strenuous workouts throughout the day on Friday.
“I’m going to give it a go today,” Wade said before the game on Saturday. “That’s the plan. The first thing was to get comfortable with it. You never know how severe it is until you try to strengthen it. Now, it’s just about getting comfortable and pushing it to see where you’re at.”
Wade, nor his fellow teammates, realized the severity of the injury that he suffered on March 26. This was the longest that Wade had been out of the game this season, and he was excited, and anxious, to get back to the court. However, he knew that he needed to limit his playing time so that he didn’t add to his current injury.
“As human beings, we don’t really have patience,” Wade continued. “Especially as you get to this part of the season. You really start to gear up for the playoffs. I’ve tried to stay in tune with the team, in tune with what we’re doing. I had to understand that the time would come. We’ll see how it does.”
Wade (returning tonight after missing 9 games w/ hamstring injury): “Now it’s about getting comfortable and pushing it to see where I’m at.”
The final ten seconds of Tuesday night’s Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat NBA game resembled all of the teams’ previous 2013-14 match-ups against each other. Prior to last night’s contest, the Nets and Heat had squared-off against each other three times, with the Nets emerging victorious by one point in two of the victories and narrowly escaping in double-overtime in the third.
With the Heat down one point, the clock winding down, and the ball in “King James’s” hands, however, Miami was sure they were going to finally escape with a victory last night. Except, they didn’t.
James dribbled down the center of the court, found a streaking Rashard Lewis, received a return pass, and went to the basket strong, with all intentions of trying his best to shatter the backboard and bring home the W. Standing in his way, though, was Brooklyn’s rookie center, Mason Plumlee.
“It was a foul. I thought I should have been going to the line for two,” opined a more-than-frustrated James. “He grabbed my right hand. I mean, he didn’t do it on purpose, but he got my right hand. And, you know, the ball went off the rim and went back. You get all ball, the ball’s gonna go straight down. You know, so, but I mean, what are you gonna do about it?”
"It only mattered if three people (the officials) thought it was a foul, and they didn’t think it was, so we win." — Plumlee #Nets
So, who is right? LeBron or Plumlee and the referees?
According to the NBA, “The hand is considered ‘part of the ball’ when it is in contact with the ball and contact with a players hand when it is in contact with the ball is not a foul.”
Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Per the NBA rules, the play looks simple enough. Based on LeBron’s reaction, however, one would think a terrible atrocity had occurred:
With the win, Brooklyn is 33-13 since the beginning of the 2014 calendar year, giving the Nets the best record in the East over that period of time. In comparison, the Miami Heat are 29-17 and the Pacers are 28-20 following one of the best starts by a team in NBA history.
Understanding that Brooklyn is on a roll and just completed a season sweep of the Heat, NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager asked LeBron an apt question: “Are they [the Nets] your biggest challenge in the East?”
A question to which LeBron scoffed at before stating, “Get outta here, Craig… Next question.”
With the Pacers reeling down the stretch headed into the playoffs and with Brooklyn playing its best basketball yet, perhaps King James should pay a bit more attention to the happenings of the kingdom. After all, Robb Stark obviously did not perceive House Frey as a threat, and we all know the result of that…
Another NBA legend will be heading to the basketball Hall Of Fame with the recent announcement of Alonzo Mourning. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its inductees of 2014 on Monday, and includes a couple of familiar faces.
Alonzo Mourning was a legendary player for the Miami Heat who is known as one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. He led the NBA in blocked shots in the 1998-1999 and the 1999-2000 season, while also leading in blocks per game in the same two seasons.
He was a member of the Miami Heat from 1993 until 2008 after being traded from the Charlotte Hornets, and has the record for most blocked shots for the Heat, a total of 1,625. He won a championship with the Heat in 2006, and was a seven-time NBA All-Star in his time in the league, following his time as a member of the Georgetown Hoyas.
When speaking on his nomination into the Basketball Hall Of Fame, an emotional Alonzo Mourning said “I stand here on the shoulders of so many other people. The man over there to the left [pointing to former Georgetown coach John Thompson] that helped contribute so much to my life, not just as an athlete, but as a person, as well. Big John taught me more about life than he did about basketball and prepared me for that next step.”
He also had a strong relationship with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley, and said that his preference for those to present him for induction would be Thompson and Riley.
Joining Alonzo Mourning in the 2014 selections is Mitch Richmond, who is not as well-known, but and unlike Mourning, he played for a handful of teams including the Kings, Warriors, and Lakers. He scored 20,497 points and averaged more than 21 points per game for ten consecutive seasons in the NBA.
Additionally, the NBA stars will be joined by Nolan Richardson, Gary Williams and Immaculata University’s AIAW National Championship teams of the early 1970s in addition to five Direct Elect recipients from various Hall of Fame committees in the full list of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame entrants of 2014.
Alonzo Mourning has endured some struggles throughout his career, and also overcame a kidney transplant in 2003 before going on to win the 2006 NBA championship with the Heat. He currently serves as a Heat executive.
Mourning also becomes the second Heat player to be inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame, following point guard Gary Payton’s induction in 2013, a player who also helped Miami win the championship in 2006.
Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, 42, is under investigation for an alleged assault towards a fellow co-worker at Turner Studios.
Robert Williams, 44, accuses O’Neal for violently tackling him as he was working at the studio on May 19, 2013.
Williams’ claims are: “Shaquille O’Neal ran out of a room and hit me with a tackle punch to the back knocking me down and falling on top of me injuring my neck and back.”
The incident was reported to Turner Security. Williams says he received medical care following the attack.
The Atlanta Police Department was also informed about the confrontation that took place between Williams and O’Neal, but not within the same night.
Williams later recounted the events to the department.
“(The co-worker) alleged Shaquille O’Neal tackled him to the ground causing injury to his back while they were at work at Turner Studios,”Sgt. Greg Lyon said, according to WSB-TV 2. He later stated: “I don’t know the extent of his injury, but I have heard that as well, that his injuries were severe to his back.”
O’Neal’s attorney has associated the incident with “horseplay” and asserts that his client never intended to harm Williams.
Although charges were never filed against the NBA star, investigators say that they will continue to look into the allegations.
Lyon told the station that because the investigation was primarily “handled by the zone,” they plan to take their findings and go from there.
Williams’ attorney sent a statement to WSB-TV 2, stating that his client is in surgery and is very aware of the criminal investigation underway.
“However, he does state emphatically, that the permanent injuries he received were not the result of participation in any form of ‘horseplay.’”
O’Neal, who retired from the NBA in 2011, is currently a lead analyst on Inside the NBA for TNT’s sports coverage in Atlanta.
The NBA the playoffs are quickly approaching, and as teams continue to rise, and fall, the fates of each team will soon be known. There should be no surprise with who the top teams are toward the end of the year, but teams have been moving around slightly.
The San Antonio Spurs continue to rule the NBA, and are currently on a thirteen-game win streak. The Spurs have been one of the top teams for several years, and made it to the NBA championship last year before losing to the Miami Heat.
Following the Spurs’ first place spot are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and the Indiana Pacers to round out the top five.
The Miami Heat, who won last year’s NBA championship, follows closely behind in sixth place. They were in fifth last week, but lost recently, and have been showing signs of struggle.
It is no surprise to see that the West is dominating, although when comparing overall records, the Pacers are third overall, and were ranked third in the power rankings last week. The full NBA standings, showing their rankings in the conference can be seen here.
The Heat and Pacers are the two teams that have already clinched in the East, but due to tougher competition in the Western Conference, the only team that has clinched is the Spurs. The Mavericks just slipped from 8 to 10, and the Suns have risen from 11 to 9, placing them only one game behind the Mavericks.
Even the Brooklyn Nets, who looked amazing on paper to start the season, but struggled earlier, are on a four-game winning streak, and are likely to gain the fourth seed in the playoffs. Another surprise in the Eastern Conference in 2014 is the Toronto Raptors, who are currently in third place, although they are only half of a game ahead of the Bulls.
It is unclear where every team will land, and who they will each be paired with, but as the NBA season comes to an end, some teams have been improving, while others are falling. The Pacers are in first in the East, while the Spurs lead the way in the west. They almost met in the NBA finals last year before the Heat edged the Pacers out, could it happen this year?
It’s been a tough night for the Heat’s star player LeBron James as he was forced to sit and watch his teammates face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. It would have been harder were he to play, considering the back spasms he has been experiencing.
Prior to this, James had missed two games in the past four months due to injury. The first was the Heat’s 108-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in December when he had a groin muscle injury, and the second was their 93-79 victory over the Chicago Bulls when he had a broken nose.
On a positive note, James sitting out Wednesday’s game means he would have two full days of rest before the Heat face the Grizzlies on their home court this Friday. In their game the previous night versus Cleveland, he scored 43 points to take the Heat to victory 100-96. He also finished with four assists, two steals, three blocks, and six rebounds. This season, he has been averaging 27 points, 6.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
There’s less than a month to go in the league’s regular season, and in light of the coming postseason games, Miami could be ramping up its player sit-out strategy to conserve their energy for the games where they will be needed more.
Aside from James, center Greg Oden also took the night off for precautionary rest. Taking their places were Michael Beasley for James and Udonis Haslem for Oden.
The Miami team is currently in a fierce competition with Indiana for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are attempting to advance to four consecutive NBA Finals like the 1980s Celtics while also attempting to win three straight championships like the Lakers back in the early 2000s and the Chicago Bulls of the 90s era.
The Miami Heat has consistently been one of the top teams in the NBA for the past several seasons since gaining Lebron James on their roster. However, Greg Oden has eased himself into the starting lineup recently, and may be keeping that position.
Greg Oden has been plagued with injuries throughout most of his NBA career, which has been spent mostly with the Portland Trailblazers. He joined the Heat over the off-season last year, and made his debut with the team last October.
Lebron James has been forced to carry the team on his shoulders for much of the season due to another injury to Dwyane Wade, playing in a limited number of games in the 2013-2014 season. The Indiana Pacers have remained in first place throughout the season, and are currently 3 games ahead of Miami.
It was just the beginning of October when Greg Oden had his first practice in four years, but may be working his way into the starting lineup shortly. He started against the Houston Rockets last weekend in order to have a better match-up against their big man, Dwight Howard, and then again in Cleveland.
However, according to Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the decision to start Oden may not have just been based on the situation. After the game, he said “I’ve stressed that to our team, that last year’s blueprint was for last year, and the more we tried to pigeonhole ourselves into that blueprint, we might not be opening ourselves up to a more successful or necessary blueprint for this year, as the competition has changed.”
Starting Greg Oden is certainly a dramatic change from the regular Heat lineup that features smaller figures such as Chris Bosh, Shane Battier, and even Chris Anderson, all players that do not have much size to them, but are much better shooters than someone like Oden.
Lineups with Bosh and Oden have been less successful overall when compared to the way that Bosh and Anderson play together, but the template is there for for the Heat to succeed with two functional big men on the floor at the same time.
Greg Oden may be starting right now, but he continues to heal from his injury, and his playing time could be limited going forward. The Miami Heat have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, and currently have a record of 46-19.
While some teams seem to be in free fall mode, losing at a wild rate, the Chicago Bulls seem to continue to do whatever it takes to win. Their latest challenge was the second-best Miami Heat, who they defeated in overtime.
The Bulls are the one team that continue to give the Miami Heat trouble, and are certainly a team that they do not want to see during the 2014 playoffs. In another intense Sunday afternoon battle, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Heat with a final score of 95-88.
Miami was previously beaten by the Bulls by a total of 20 points on December 5th, and for some reason, they just cannot seem to beat the Bulls. Chicago is not likely to win the NBA championship, but anything could happen once the playoffs start, right?
It is no surprise that these two teams have had troubles with one another in recent years, and they each continue to show their hatred toward each other. An incident occurred during a game last year that resulted in the ejected of veteran Nazr Mohammed when he shoved Lebron James. Yesterday’s game was no different, as James was kicked, and abused again.
Joakim Noah further explained his hatred for the Heat in a post-game interview, and said “Those guys (the Heat), they’ve ended our seasons a lot (twice in three seasons). That’s where the hate comes from. It’s not, ‘Oh, I hate this guy.’ It’s that these guys ended it – I want what they have. I want a championship, and I know to get there one day, we’re going to have to get through those guys. So that’s the hatred.”
The Chicago Bulls are on quite a roll right now, but due to the significant injuries that they have faced this season, particularly Derrick Rose, they struggled during much of the earlier part of the season. They have relied on other players since, and are rising toward the top as a force to be reckoned with.
Fun Fact: In the James-Wade-Bosh era, the Chicago #Bulls are 7-1 in regular season home games vs. the Heat.
Since the departure of Derrick Rose from the lineup, Joakim Noah has been forced to step up, and has been a major contributor in the past few months. He has given big numbers, continues to work well with his teammates, and was even one of the biggest stars for the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
The Chicago Bulls have been giving their best effort in multiple games lately, but always seem to perform at another level when it comes time to play Lebron James and the Miami Heat. The Heat are currently stuck at second place, but if the Pacers continue to lose, they may be able to claim the top spot before the playoffs start.
On the other hand, the Bulls are 35-28, and in fourth place in the conference, which would have them matched up against the Washington Wizards if the playoffs were to start right now.
Joakim Noah scored 20 points, 7 assists, and 5 blocks for the Chicago Bulls in Sunday’s game versus Miami Heat. Noah filled up his team’s stats and led them through an overtime victory with a final score of 95-88.
The Miami Heat are the two-time defending champions and have eliminated the Bulls twice during the last three seasons, making Sunday’s game a special treat for the center. Noah is on his seventh year in the league and has just made the All-Star team for the second consecutive year.
Noah says his hate for the Heat isn’t personal, and stems more from wanting what the other team has: “I want a championship,” he says, and he knows that to get there, his team has to beat the Heat first. “I want everyone who wears a Bulls jersey to work. We’re going for one thing. That’s the championship,” he says with conviction.
Joakim Noah is what you call HEART… He has it! Gotta love him for it… The man played a hell of a game
Noah took the reins with the absence of Derrick Rose, who is sitting out the season to recover from his knee surgery. Rose was the team’s dominant scorer, and without him, the Bulls have had to win games by playing good defense, something that Noah says they work on every day.
“Defense is all about repetition, having trust in your teammates,” he says. He gives credit to the Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau for his drilling in the defensive aspect of the game.
The Bulls have a lot of strong opponents to face in the coming weeks, including the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. Noah keeps his eye on the prize—the championship. “One day, I want to party in Chicago and I want to see what that feels like.”
Shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who scored 16 points during the game and guarded the Heat’s star player LeBron James, was all praises for his teammate, saying that Noah was a great leader who “puts the team on his back every night.”
You gotta LOVE Joakim Noah if you’re a basketball fan. He’s everything that is right with the NBA. Hustles on both ends of the court.
The 2013 NBA Champs the Miami Heat now have a belt to add to their winning collection.
LeBron James got the idea to buy a WWE Championship belt for himself when he saw Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy sport one during a post game interview after an Eagles win.
James, who confessed to being a huge professional wrestling fan in his youth, went to the source and asked Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena where he could get one.
James wound up receiving a belt for his birthday last month.
Of course King James couldn’t wait to show it off.
It looks like James was so enamored with the belt that he wanted to share. Flash forward to yesterday and the whole Miami Heat team now have customized WWE Championship belts etched with the Heat logo compliments of King James. The special belts are even personalized for every player.
Here’s the pic of the team wearing the belts taken from James’ personal Instagram account.
LeBron and the Heat are looking strong to defend their Championship. They are once again contenders to win it all. They have a 40-14 record and are tops in the Southeast Division. They square off tonight in Miami against the struggling New York Knicks who are 21-36.
If you’re interested in your own WWE Championship belt, you can order a replica belt online. Here’s the link for the official WWE shop.
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