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• Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Wins 2021 MVP

  Jun 9, 2021 SportZ 0 Comments

  Source: Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic wins first NBA MVP award

  Seven years ago, the Denver Nuggets used the 41st pick in the NBA draft on an unheralded center from Serbia.

  This past Tuesday, that center, Nikola Jokic, won his first MVP award, becoming the sixth international player to do so.

  Jokic was the runaway winner of the award, claiming 91 of the 101 first-place votes and 971 total points. He played all 72 regular-season games this season, one of just 11 players to accomplish that feat in this pandemic-shortened campaign, while also putting together one of the best statistical seasons in NBA history.

  Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry finished second and third, respectively, behind Jokic in the final voting, followed by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the winner the past two seasons, and Phoenix guard Chris Paul.

  He also became the first center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000, and the first Nuggets player ever, to win the league's top individual honor.

  In addition to being available every night for Denver, Jokic finished the season with career-best averages of 26.4 points and 8.3 assists and tying a career best by averaging 10.8 rebounds. He also shot 56.6% from the field, 38.8% from 3-point range and 86.8% from the foul line. He led Denver into the second round of the playoffs despite injuries to three of Denver's guards -- Jamal Murray, Will Barton and PJ Dozier -- a feat that none of the other teams that made it to the conference finals of last year's playoffs in the bubble in Orlando, Florida -- the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics -- were able to match.

  The combination of Jokic's play and availability gave him an unassailable case for the award in the eyes of the voters. He becomes the first player drafted in the second round to win the league's top individual honor in the common draft era (which means he set the record as the lowest-drafted player to win it), and also joins Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Antetokounmpo as international winners of the award.

  Winning MVP also means that Jokic will be eligible to sign a supermax contract extension with the Nuggets following the 2021-22 season -- a five-year deal that would be well in excess of $250 million.

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• Tom Thibodeau Wins Coach of the Year

  Jun 8, 2021 SportZ 0 Comments

  Source: New York Knicks' Tom Thibodeau named Coach of the Year for second time

   

  For the second time in his career, and a decade apart, Tom Thibodeau was named the NBA's Coach of the Year on Monday.

  The New York Knicks coach, who led the team he grew up watching to a 20-win improvement this season, edged out Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams by a total of 11 points, while Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder finished third. It was the second time Thibodeau won the award in his first year with a new team, after doing so with the Chicago Bulls in 2011.

  A couple of the players he had as part of that Bulls team, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, were veteran mentors on this year's Knicks squad, which went from being expected to compete for one of the top spots in the NBA's draft lottery to earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

  While the Knicks went on to lose to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, it was still a successful season in Gotham, as Julius Randle -- who was named the NBA's Most Improved Player last month -- became an All-Star, RJ Barrett took a significant step forward in his second season and Immanuel Quickley immediately contributed as a rookie for the Knicks, who had a top-five defense all season.

  The Knicks' accomplishments as a team this year is thanks in no small part to Thibodeau's effectiveness as a coach, and while the Jazz and the Suns both exceeded expectations this season (in my opinion), Thibodeau was the one to got the nod.

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• A Fresh Post-Season

  Jun 4, 2021 SportZ 0 Comments

  Last night's game 6 loss for the Lakers was a shocker for some, and an inevitability for others. With AD out and LeBron struggling with his ankle, they just couldn't pull out the series – regardless of the circumstances, this will still be considered an upset by most fans, as James loses in the first round for the first time in his career.

  But in my opinion, the Suns' advancement marks a significant paradigm shift in the NBA playoffs. In just the first round alone so far, a lot of young talent has been put on display this year, and they have not backed down from the spotlight; players like Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, and Trae Young mark the start of a new era for the NBA. Who know how next season will unfold, or the season after, but for now, the future belongs to players like them.

  Just looking at this post-season, though, you can see a lot has changed. For the first time in what feels like years, there is genuine uncertainty regarding who will win the Western conference, and many of the remaining teams are vying to leave their mark as champions for the first time in decades, or maybe even in franchise history. Of the nine remaining teams, five of them have never won a championship before, and of the ones who have, the most recent was the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 (and before them was the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983). On top of that, this year's finals will be the first one since 2010 that featured neither LeBron nor Curry, as well as the first one since 1998 that didn't have the Heat, Lakers, Warriors, or Spurs.

  Needless to say, these playoffs are definitely worth tuning into.

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• Reporter Compares 17yo Coco Gauff to the Williams Sisters "because you're Black"

  Jun 1, 2021 SportZ 0 Comments

  There is a lot of debate going on right now with Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from this year's French Open, mainly due to the media and how they impact the athlete's wellbeing. For those who don't know, to sum it up, the other day, Osaka was initially fined by tennis officials after announcing she wouldn't participate in interviews for the entirety of the Slam tournament, for the betterment of her mental health. No long after, she pulled out of the competition entirely.

  But, Naomi isn't the only one dealing with questionable media.

  One example took place the other day. During a recent press conference (at the French Open, no less), 17 year-old Coco Gauff was compared to Serena Williams by the reporter "because you're black."

  “You are often compared to the Williams sisters. Maybe it’s because you’re Black. But I guess it’s because you’re talented and maybe American too,” were the reporter's exact words.

  Gauff's response was deemed praiseworthy -- she emphasized that she and Serena (who was the focus of the question) were two different people, and that playing her was something she always dreamed about. Still, fans were appalled by the reporter's remark, and view it as further vindication of Naomi Osaka's decision (not that she needs any in the first place).

  Source: Reporter says Coco Gauff is compared a lot to Serena Williams ‘because you’re Black’

   

   

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• Fans Banned for Unruly Behavior

  May 28, 2021 SportZ 0 Comments

  Source: CNN "3 NBA teams have banned fans for disrespectful behavior during playoff games"

   

  The return to watching sports in person is supposed to be a happy time, including at the NBA playoffs, but clearly some fans have forgotten how to act.

  Three NBA teams indefinitely banned fans Thursday after incidents in which attendees exhibited unruly and outright disrespectful behavior toward players on Wednesday. "The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought great excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans," the league said in a statement. "An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved."

  The National Basketball Players Association also released a statement saying "no true fan" seeks to harm players or violate their personal space.

  Here is an overview of the incidents:

  • While limping to the locker room of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia after rolling his ankle, the TV broadcast showed a fan pouring popcorn on Russell Westbrook. Westbrook had to be held back from jumping into the stands.
  • The New York Knicks confirmed Thursday that a fan spit on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young while he was trying to inbound the ball Wednesday during Game 2 of their playoff series.
  • Security staff removed three fans Wednesday during Game 2 of the playoff series between the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake City, according to the Jazz organization. According to Memphis guard Ja Morant, a sexually explicit remark was made to Jamie Morant. Another fan, according to what Tee Morant told ESPN, said to him, "I'll put a nickel in your back and watch you dance, boy." The third fan ejected, Tee Morant said to ESPN, told Jamie Morant, "Shut the f--- up, b----."

  According to the Jazz, Knicks, and 76ers organization, the perpetrators of all three incidents have been banned indefinitely from their respective stadiums.

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