Bryant, Duncan, Garnett headline Hall of Fame Class of 2020

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its annual class, this time for the Class of 2020. This was a unique way that the class was announced.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic that is wrecked havoc on the world, as we’re all in a national emergency, the Class of 2020 was announced on ESPN on Saturday morning. Normally, this announcement was made at the Final Four.

Kobe Bryant speaks to the media following a game against the New Orleans Pelicans (Getty Images)

However, the pandemic has caused the sports world to be on hold for weeks since March 12^th. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship – also known as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – was cancelled all together, along with other sporting events, while the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, and other leagues have events on hold.

This year’s group is headlined by the late Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan. Bryant will be honored posthumously following his January 26^th death.

Bryant and eight others were killed in a plane crash in California. His death sent shockwaves through the sports world.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend spent his entire 20-year career with the purple and gold.

“The Big Fundamental” is considered by many as the greatest power forward of all-time. Like Bryant, he has spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs.

Kevin Garnett also is a headliner. Unlike Duncan and Bryant, Garnett played for three teams in his career – the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and the Brooklyn Nets.

Spurs name Duncan as assistant coach

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The San Antonio Spurs have hired Tim Duncan as an assistant coach. Duncan — one of the team’s greatest players — last played during the 2015-16 season.

This will be Duncan’s first opportunity as a coach. The 43-year-old will work under Gregg Popovich.

Coach Pop was Duncan’s Head Coach during his entire tenure with the team. During this time, the duo helped the Spurs to five championships.

The first championship was in 1999. They also won in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

Their final championship together came in 2014.

The Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands native has his No. 21 retired by the team. His Jersey was retired on December 18, 2016 when he became the eighth different Spurs player to be retired.

Duncan and new assistant coach Will Hardy were added to the coaching staff on Monday. Hardy has been a part of the organization since serving as an intern in 2010.

Both are expected to join Becky Hammon in the front bench next to Popovich.

“It is only fitting, that after I served loyally for 19 years as Tim Duncan’s assistant, that he returns the favor,” Popovich said.

During the off-season, the Spurs lost two assistant coaches. Ime Udoka and Ettore Messina were the two assistant coaches, who moved on.

Udoka joined the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach. Messina left to become a head coach, as he was named the leader of Olimpia Milano in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A league.

Lopez says Duncan is in his Top 5 players of all-time

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 16th, 2014 at 2:33 am EST

Portland Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez says Tim Duncan is one of his five best players.

The Spurs, who just clinched their fifth NBA Championship, won 4-1 over the Miami Heat. The Heat were outmatched the entire series with the Spurs, as they looked for revenge after losing the 2013 NBA Finals.

Robin Lopez (Getty Images)

Duncan has been a member of each of the five championships.

Lopez also has Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics great Larry Bird has his top players. Then, he has Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan as the 3rd best player.

He has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as his fourth best player, and Duncan has his 5th best player. Duncan won his 5th NBA Championship on Sunday night, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 4 games to 1.

I don’t usually talk bball but… 1a/1b Magic and Larry 3 MJ 4 Kareem 5 TIMMY No question.

— Robin Lopez (@eegabeeva88) June 16, 2014

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsHe doesn’t have Shaquille O’Neal in his top 5 players. But credits the Diesel, as the reason why the Los Angeles Lakers had a 3-peat from 2000 through 2002.

@eegabeeva88 haha can’t put kobe over shaq man those are the Diesel’s titles hahahahaha kobe’s a great but Shaq is the dude

— Robin Lopez (@eegabeeva88) June 16, 2014

 

Ehh his finals numbers arent great. Shaq raised his game for the big stage.

— Robin Lopez (@eegabeeva88) June 16, 2014

 

Bayless goes off on the Heat, LeBron James on Twitter after the Spurs win

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 15th, 2014 at 11:33 pm EST

ESPN First Take debater Skip Bayless has been extra critical of Miami Heat superstar LeBron James.

Bayless has had a dislike for James for quite some time. It has been going on for years.

Skip Bayless

To make the show better, fellow First Take debater Stephen A. Smith is a big fan of James and the Heat. Smith will now have to eat crow, as he picked the Heat to win the series, as did Lil Wayne and other athletes.

It will be interesting to see what happens on tomorrow’s First Take.

After the Heat loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Bayless went off on Twitter.

Before the NBA Finals started, Bayless said that the Spurs were going to win the series in 6 games. He was a little short, as the Spurs needed one less game.

In one of his tweet’s he said James faded in the past three games. Yet, he led his team in scoring all three games.

Thank you, LeBron, for going so weirdly passive in the second and third quarters when your team needed you most.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

Congrats, Kawhi, You deserve MVP – but wish Tim Duncan could share it with you.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

Tim Duncan, GREATNESS.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

FORGIVE ME, BUT I AM SO HAPPY FOR THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS. TEAM BASKETBALL AND GUTS DESTROYED MENTALLY WEAK TALENT.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

LeBron James is 2-3 in Finals. Dallas meltdown. Saved by Ray in Game 6. Faded in Games 3/4/5 this year. Not exactly Jordanesque.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

Now we get to hear about how LeBron has to leave to find more help. This time DWade or MikeMiller or Battier or Chalmers couldn’t save him.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

#Spursin5! See you tomorrow at the Hard Rock on the River Walk. No way I can get to sleep tonight.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 16, 2014

 

Spurs second-year forward Leonard named the Bill Russell MVP

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 15th, 2014 at 11:17 pm EST

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James gets so much credit for being the most talented player in the NBA Finals.

While that is the cause, he was not the best player in the Finals. Second-year player Kawhi Leonard became a star in the Finals.

Kawhi Leonard with Bill Russell (Photo by the San Antonio Spurs)

He was named the Bill Russell MVP. He is the youngest MVP since Tim Duncan in 1999.

“I would have told you that you were lying,” Leonard said to ESPN’s Stuart Scott. “This is all surreal to me.”

Leonard is the fourth youngest to be named the NBA Finals MVP. He is 22-years old and 350 days.

In 1982, Magic Johnson was 22-years-old, and 297 days. Duncan was 22-years-old and 60 days in 1999.

Johnson was 20-years-old and 274 days in 1980 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He is also the 6th Finals MVP, who was not selected to an All-Star team. Chauncey Billups did this in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons.

In the first two games, he had 9 points in each game. Then, had a career-high 29 points in Game 3. He had 20 points in Game 4, before having 33 points in Game 5.

“They told me that I had to be aggressive for us to win,” Leonard acknowledged. “Pop and my teammates pushed me. They told me in order for us to win, I had to be aggressive. It’s all surreal to me”

Spurs defeat the Heat in Game 5 to win the NBA Finals

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 15th, 2014 at 11:04 pm EST

The San Antonio Spurs are the NBA Champions.

The Spurs beat the Miami Heat, 104-87, causing a 4-1 series win in the NBA Finals. It is the second loss in the NBA Finals for the Big 3 of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.

San Antonio Spurs celebrating (Photo by the San Antonio Spurs)

“We remember how it felt last year,” Duncan said. “It makes last year ok. We remember how it felt in that locker room that got us here today.”

This championship is the fifth for the Spurs since 1999. It is also the fourth in the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili era.

Last year, the Spurs were just seconds away from winning their fifth in Miami, before Ray Allen hit a key three-pointer and turned Game 6 into the Heat’s favor. A few days later, the Heat won in Game 7, as the Spurs were deflated after the Game 6 loss.

Kawhi Leonard let the Spurs with 22 points. Ginobili came off the bench and scored 19 poins with Patty Mills scoring 17 off the bench, as well.

Parker scored 16 points, and Duncan scored 14 points with 8 rebounds. Besides Leonard, Boris Diaw chipped in five points and Danny Green had zero from the Spurs starting lineup.

Marco Bellinelli scored 4 points, while Tiago Splitter scored 3 points. Jeff Ayres and Aron Baynes chipped in 2 points.

They had 16 fast break points and 32 points in the paint. The Spurs also scored 8 points off of 8 turnovers.

The Heat were led by James, who had 31 points. This was his third NBA Finals loss in his career.

Bosh scored 13 points with Wade chipping in 11 points. The rest of their starting lineup had 8 points, as Rashard Lewis scored 3 points and Allen, who started as the point guard in place of Mario Chalmers, had five points.

Michael Beasley scored 9 points and Chalmers had 8 points. Toney Douglas had 3 points, while Udonis Haslem and Norris Cole had 2 points.

The Heat had 11 fast break points, and 34 points in the paint. They scored 12 points off of turnovers.

Road to redemption: Spurs take a 3-1 lead over the Heat after winning in Miami once again

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 13th, 2014 at 12:13 pm EST

The Miami Heat are on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs.

The San Antonio Spurs have improved to 3-1 in the NBA Finals after winning on Thursday night in Miami. The Spurs defeated the Heat, 107-86, at the American Airlines Arena.

The Finals (Photo by the NBA)

The Spurs will now return back to San Antonio on Sunday to potentially win their fifth NBA Finals Championship since 1999. By doing so, it would snap the Heat’s back-to-back Championships.

The Heat’s 13 game win streak following a loss was snapped in this game. In addition, no team in NBA Finals history has overcome a 3-1 lead, as they are 0-for-31.

The Spurs have also won each game by double figures.

Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Tony Parker chipped in 19 points and two assists, while Tim Duncan scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

With his double-double, the Big Fundamental surpassed Magic Johnson with his 158th playoff double-double. Duncan also surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in playoff minutes played.

The Spurs had six fast break points against the older Heat. They also had 46 points in the paint and 21 points off of 14 Heat turnovers.

LeBron James scored a game-high 28 points with 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Chris Bosh scored 12 points and four rebounds, while James Jones scored 11 points and Dwyane Wade chipped in 10 points.

Besides James, the entire Heat starting lineup scored 28 points. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has announced after the game that he will make changes to the lineup.

“I have a couple of days to mull over things,” Spoelstra added. “We’ll see what happens. We’ll talk it over as a staff.”

The Heat had 7 fast break points. They had just 30 points in the paint. They were only able to score 13 points off of 12 Spurs turnovers.

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Flashback? Spurs take Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Heat

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 11th, 2014 at 12:08 am EST

The San Antonio Spurs are once again leading the NBA Finals.

The Spurs defeated the Miami Heat, 111-92, in Game 3 of the Finals at the American Airlines Arena. It also marked the 38th road playoff win in NBA history, the most ever.

The Finals (Photo by the NBA)

This is also the first loss at home for the Heat all postseason.

The Spurs will now have to avoid a letdown in Game 4 on Thursday night, as the Heat attempt to make it 2-2. Last year, the Spurs won Game 3 by 36 points, winning 113-77 at AT&T Center.

In Game 3 last year, Danny Green stepped up and had 27 points. This year, Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 29 points.

It seemed like he couldn’t be stopped, as he went 10-of-13 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range. He also went 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

Green and Tony Parker added 15 points, while Tim Duncan scored 14 points and 6 rebounds. Duncan will attempt to break Magic Johnson’s career playoff double-double on Thursday in Game 4, as both are tied with 157 double-doubles.

LeBron James, who had a game-high 35 points in Game 2, scored 22 points, along with Dwyane Wade. Rashard Lewis chipped in 14 points and Ray Allen scored 11 points.

Manu Ginobili also scored 11 points for the Spurs.

The Spurs will attempt to take a 3-1 lead at American Airlines Arena. They are looking to win their 5th NBA Finals since 1999.

They have won NBA Championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007. The 2007 NBA Finals was against James’ Cleveland Cavaliers team.

Game 3 winner of a tied NBA Finals series goes on to win the series 83 percent of the time (30-6)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 11, 2014

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Spurs: 15-3 in best-of-7 series when leading 2-1 in the Gregg Popovich era

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 11, 2014

 

Heat take Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals at 1 as the teams head to Miami

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 8th, 2014 at 11:00 pm EST

The Miami Heat have tied the NBA Finals at 1 game apiece.

The Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 98-96, tonight at the AT&T Center.

The Finals (Photo by the NBA)

The series will now move to Miami for Tuesday night’s Game 3. Last year, the Spurs won the first game, before the Heat won the second game.

In last year’s NBA Finals, the Spurs won Game 3 113-77. The Spurs also won Game 5, after the Heat tied the series at 2-2, before they took the final two games.

LeBron James, who left Game 1 in the fourth quarter with cramps, had a game-high 35 points with 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Chris Bosh scored 18 points with 3 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade and Rashard Lewis each scored 14 points.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 21 points. Manu Ginobili scored 19 points, while Tim Duncan had 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Duncan ties Magic Johnson with his 157th career playoff double-double.

Duncan ties Magic Johnson with his 157th double-double in the playoffs

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 8th, 2014 at 9:57 pm EST

San Antonio Spurs power forward/center Tim Duncan has tied an all-time record.

He picked up his 157th double double in the playoffs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. With 4:31 left in the third quarter, Duncan had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Tim Duncan (Getty Images)

With his 157 double double, he ties Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson. Duncan could surpass Johnson on Tuesday night at Miami.