Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 21

Former Chicago Bulls general manager had an ambitious proposition for an up-and-coming Ron Artest, determined to one-up the legendary Michael Jordan and build past the two three-peats he blessed the franchise with in the ’90s. Artest admitted to being a fan of the Bulls as a kid, and Krause built into that energy by promising […]

Former NBA star Metta World Peace shared a few thoughts about the many names he’s adopted since trying to shake out his original name: Ron Artest (born Ronald William Artest Jr.) During an appearance on “Inside the Green Room with Danny Green,” the former Lakers forward opened up as to what spurred the change and […]

The recent all-around success of the popular ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance” has prompted the potential of another of its kind detailing Kobe Bryant’s career, including his last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Mitch Kupchak, the longtime general manager of the franchise, noted that it would be a vastly different scenario than Michael Jordan’s […]

“The Last Dance” has been a rousing success, with many fans tuning into the popular 10-part ESPN docuseries detailing the story about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls on their quest for a second three-peat. Kobe Bryant, who was included in the introduction of Episode 5, had actually caught wind of the extensive footage […]

Many greats have come through the Boston Celtics organization, being one of the oldest franchises in league history. Yet the Celtics’ small forward depth chart is slim, with only five players who could claim the right to be among the best to don the Celtics green and white. These are the top five small forwards […]

One of the hidden gems in “The Last Dance” was some of the tribulations Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan had to go through before signing with a sneaker brand. Episode 5 of the series saw Converse and Adidas fumbling the bag with Jordan while an eager Nike was willing to offer a mega-contract for his […]

Miami Heat swingman Jimmy Butler turned down his last invitation to play for Team USA in 2019 after he was invited to the preliminary training camp roster for the FIBA World Cup. It appears this rejection might become permanent. Butler previously won gold with Team USA in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but […]

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had to go through great lengths to earn the respect of his idol, Michael Jordan. Yet not many knew the extent of his sacrifice to learn the secrets of the game from the GOAT himself. Episode 5 of the “The Last Dance” was dedicated to Kobe, and it also […]

Former Los Angeles Lakers general manager Jerry West got to witness how a young Kobe Bryant gravitated toward longtime idol Michael Jordan and how he grew because of it. Several players wanted Jordan’s respect but few were able to get his attention. The late Lakers star managed to stick to Jordan through relentless perseverance and […]

Episodes 5 and 6 of “The Last Dance” delved into plenty of subjects, exploring a wide gamut of Michael Jordan antics, his relationships with fellow players, and his ultimate desire to become the best player alive. Here are six of the best things that took place in these episodes of “The Last Dance.” Kobe on […]

Michael Jordan was heavily accused of being the one responsible for snubbing Isiah Thomas out of The Dream Team squad that took on the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, taking back the gold medal. Episode 5 of “The Last Dance” saw Jordan denying he had any part in bringing up Thomas’ name, detailing the extent of his […]

“The Last Dance” highlights how Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan experienced unreal levels of fame after being hailed as a role model for a younger generation, but that didn’t come without its share of criticism. Perhaps one of the most significant things he was criticized for was his unwillingness to denounce Republican senate candidate Jesse […]

Michael Jordan faced a wave of criticism for his gambling habits, some that stretched even as the Chicago Bulls megastar reached the NBA playoffs. After going down 0-2 to the New York Knicks in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan was spotted gambling in Atlantic City, something “The Last Dance” docuseries revisited. Jordan was chastised […]

The NFL is planning to release its preseason and regular-season schedule at some point this week, though some don’t “think any international games (are) coming this year,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The league had previously lined up the Jacksonville Jaguars to host two games in London and the Arizona Cardinals to host another in […]

In Episode 4 of “The Last Dance,” Michael Jordan recounted how he first welcomed Phil Jackson as his new coach. The Chicago Bulls had parted ways with Doug Collins, a coach Jordan liked, to bring in Jackson, who had a very different philosophy. Jordan loved Collins and the trust the young coach had in him, […]

Episodes 3 and 4 of ESPN’s docuseries “The Last Dance” had new Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas “so emotional” that he decided to hire general manager Marc Eversley hours earlier than he planned to, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Karnisovas planned to make the hire on Monday, […]

On March 11, 2020, Adam Silver became a pioneer of sorts — the first commissioner of a major sports league to put a halt on its season. It only stands to reason he continues that precedent by taking the gut-wrenching but necessary decision to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season. It’s now been […]

The Chicago Bulls endured their share of tough playoff battles with Steve Kerr coming off the bench, but none scared him more than the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls were pushed to a Game 7 in 1998, a season they came to know as The Last Dance as they tried for […]

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has made his share of dubious decisions since purchasing the team from former owner Leslie Alexander. Furthermore, Fertitta’s restaurant empire has seen its share of troubles during this coronavirus pandemic, as the magnate has furloughed a bevy of his employees to keep the business alive. Some have suggested he should […]

The 2019-20 NBA season had a Western Conference finalist in the Portland Trail Blazers reassessing the strength of its roster after soon finding themselves out of the playoff picture. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum helped the team rally back to contention, but the Blazers could still fall short of the postseason, 3.5 games behind the […]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo reflected on the popular ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance,” taking a big lesson from the four episodes that have been shown to the public thus far: My MJ takeaway from the Last Dance documentary is that chasing greatness is a life mission. — Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) May 1, 2020 Antetokounmpo […]

The son of former NBA player and now Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd had some bark for mouthpiece LaVar Ball after the father of Lonzo Ball argued he’s “hungrier” than Kidd was. “Everybody would like to compare that to him,” LaVar told Brandon Robinson of Heavy.com in a phone in an interview on Thursday afternoon. […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr still recalls the moment his soon-to-be player Klay Thompson asked for his autograph. Reminiscing on his days with the Chicago Bulls, Kerr recalled when the young Warriors shooting-guard-to-be asked for his John Hancock: Via the Runnin’ Plays podcast: “I looked at him, I remember the moment really well. […]

A years after Dave Gettleman shocked the NFL world by drafting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, New York Giants new coach Joe Judge looks to be rousingly optimistic about his growth at the position. Jones threw for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his rookie year […]

Philadelphia Eagles executive vice president/general manager Howie Roseman tried to put out the fire once again after drafting Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Roseman defended his starter Carson Wentz, insisting the move to draft a quarterback within the first two rounds of the draft is about depth, not to […]

Back in 1998, “The Last Dance” was in the fetal stages of production as producer Andy Thompson and a young Adam Silver of NBA Entertainment took on filming the Chicago Bulls for an all-access season. James Stern co-directed a parallel tale about the Bulls’ success in “Michael Jordan to the Max,” an IMAX film that […]

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban defended the Los Angeles Lakers after they received and consequently returned a $4.6 million coronavirus relief loan from a federal government program intended to help small businesses. The Mavs owner quickly pivoted to putting blame on the treasury for not putting enough parameters to ensure those really affected by the […]

LeBron James quickly got wind of a recent report signaling that executives and agents around the league are pushing for the cancelation of the 2019-20 season. The Los Angeles Lakers star omnipotently denied that agents and executives would want that as an outcome for the season, taking to Twitter to appease his grievances: Saw some […]

The effortless chemistry between Lonzo Ball and New Orleans Pelicans No. 1 pick Zion Williamson has been undeniable in his 19 games in the league. Many had grown giddy with the prospect of a tall point guard with great vision throwing lobs to a 6-foot-6 skywalker who’s made a career out of thunderous dunks. Williamson […]

Team executives and player-agents around the league have started to feel the pressure, frustrated with the lack of information from the league after several weeks in limbo. They have started to push for an outright cancellation of the 2019-20 season in hopes that everyone can focus on what to expect for the 2020-21 campaign, according […]

Reggie Miller had no problems answering a very sensitive topic regarding The Dream Team that took the 1992 Barcelona Olympics by storm. During an interview with Dan Patrick on The Dan Patrick Show, Miller outright agreed that Bulls legend Michael Jordan was culpable for Isiah Thomas being snubbed from the roster. Patrick: Do you think […]

Charles Barkley had no qualms pointing to the real culprit of the Chicago Bulls’ breakup, coming to the defense of late general manager Jerry Krause and pointing the finger at owner Jerry Reinsdorf. The TNT analyst ensured to tell Dan Patrick of “The Dan Patrick Show” that Krause has been unfairly blamed for how the […]

The fame surrounding Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls back in their heyday often forced his teammates to take some odd routes to keep themselves safe and away from the prying attention. Pseudonyms were a popular and useful way to remain incognito amid the Jordan hype. Will Perdue says he went by “Cosmo Kramer,” of […]

Michael Jordan’s longtime agent, David Falk, is one of the select few who have been able to see all 10 episodes of ESPN’s Chicago Bulls docuseries “The Last Dance.” Watching them in full has rendered Falk aware that some of the things he’s suspected for years will come to light, including Scottie Pippen’s alleged jealousy. […]

The Chicago Bulls recently put together a brand-new front office, headlined by the new vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. This new regime could unseat current head coach Jim Boylen as part of a wholesale change in the organization. According to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, multiple rival executives […]

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was spotted at a rest stop near Sedona, Arizona along with model Kendall Jenner. The two were trying to keep a low profile after getting out of Bookers’ Maybach, according to TMZ Sports. This pops to the eye considering the recent guidelines of social distancing instated around the country. While […]

Former NBA center Pau Gasol reminisced about his time with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, including what sparked him to become the superstar’s sidekick during those championship-winning teams in 2009 and 2010. “They gave me two [nicknames],” the former Lakers talent told Spanish publication La Resistencia (via Marca). “[The first one was] the […]

TNT analyst Charles Barkley took a big shot at LeBron James as part of the endless GOAT debate between the Los Angeles Lakers star and Michael Jordan. In reference to Jordan’s trials and tribulations as shown in ESPN’s docuseries “The Last Dance,” Barkley prompted James would want no part of the Bad Boy Pistons, who […]

If the 2019-20 NBA season ended today, several rookies have already made a deep enough impact to secure a spot in the All-Rookie Team. These are the best 10 rookies from this season: All-Rookie First Team: Ja Morant (PG) — Memphis Grizzlies Morant took the NBA season by storm from his first day with the […]