Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 24

Former Golden State Warriors general manager Larry Riley categorically denied a rumor of a trade that never came to fruition.  Ethan Strauss of The Athletic noted in his new book, “The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty,” how a package of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson almost netted them Chris Paul in […]

Former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson will get his clipboard and pen once again on Sunday, as he breaks down film of Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals as part of the Kobe Bryant-led ESPN+ series Detail. The first episode will feature Jackson going over the Bulls’ 96-54 pounding of the Utah Jazz to […]

The NBA HORSE Challenge came to a close on Thursday as Mike Conley of the Utah Jazz took all contestants by surprise and snatched away the title of NBA HORSE champion. While the broadcast of this competition had its share of problems, these contestants showed a few tricks up their sleeves. Let’s hand out some […]

The much-awaited docuseries “The Last Dance” is full of unfettered access to vital moments in the Chicago Bulls’ last championship run. Andy Thompson, uncle of Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson, played a major role in getting that close to the players during that 1997-98 season. “The germ of the idea came from Andy,” […]

The NBA and WNBA will partner with clothing brand Fanatics to produce cloth face coverings with team logos to help communities that have been impacted by the coronavirus, per Ben Pickman of Sports Illustrated. These team-branded cloth masks will be listed on NBAStore.com and WNBAStore.com. All the proceeds from sales will benefit Feeding America in […]

Christian McCaffrey recently became the highest-paid running back in football after mustering a four-year, $64 million extension with the Carolina Panthers. His contract includes a lot of juicy nuggets, including an escalating salary that will go from $8-12 million along with a couple of gaudy bonuses that could net him $22.5 million. Let’s take a […]

The NFL is still in limbo like all other sports, yet Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin isn’t quite licking his chops in anticipation of his partnership with newly-signed Bucs quarterback Tom Brady. Well, not within a certain context. The league is hoping to play ball at some point this year, but Godwin is […]

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was forced to watch most of the 2019 season from the sidelines. He watched his team fall short of the postseason with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges taking his place, something he’ll look to change now that he finds himself in good health. Big Ben suffered an elbow injury in Week 2, finishing […]

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller recently contracted the novel coronavirus, becoming the second NFL player to test positive after Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen. Miller detailed how he first found out about his diagnosis, a story that started with a simple nighttime cough: “I’ve just been here in the crib, and I started to […]

In a transient period where not much is happening, the NBA’s G League is taking massive steps past the NCAA. It started on Thursday, as the top prospect for the 2021 NBA Draft, Jalen Green, was nabbed away by the prospect of making $500,000-plus in salary (maybe even over $1 million counting endorsements) this year […]

Five-star prospect Isaiah Todd, who decommitted from the University of Michigan, is expected to ink an NBA G League deal and join the new Southern California team featuring top-recruit Jalen Green, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Todd, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Richmond, VA, is the No. 13 prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 […]

The No. 1 prospect heading into the 2021 NBA Draft, Jalen Green, has informed his college suitors that he plans to enter the NBA/G League professional pathway program, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Green announced his decision on Thursday afternoon. A Fresno, California native, Green won gold medals with USA Basketball at the FIBA U-17 […]

Many stories from Michael Jordan’s championship years have surfaced before the premiere of the 10-part docuseries The Last Dance, which is set to air on ESPN on Sunday, Apr. 19. Yet none are more impactful than this anecdote from Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless, who chronicled how Jordan responded to missing a potential game-winning shot in […]

Former coach George Karl reminisced about his time in the NBA and the players he’s coached, holding one regret still vivid in his mind. Ray Allen wasn’t fond of Karl, but the longtime coach would be willing to resolve those past issues with the now-retired marksman over golf and beers. Karl joined the Locked on […]

During an interview with Robin Roberts of Good Morning America, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan spoke about a part of his docuseries, The Last Dance, in which he risked a career-threatening re-injury upon returning to play. The Bulls star broke his foot in the third game of his second season, causing him to miss 64 […]

Owners and executives around the NBA have grown confident the 2019-20 season will be able to resume at some point. Sam Amick of The Athletic recently noted that “optimism abounds in the ownership, player, agent and league office ranks.” Amick admitted to not polling everyone in the NBA to gauge this but rather sensed it […]

Scottie Pippen has long been among the most recognizable faces in Chicago Bulls lore, but he recently claimed he lost his gig as a special advisor. While discussing this firing, he delivered a savage jab at a struggling Bulls organization. Via K.C. Johnson and Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports: “It’s probably a good thing, right?” Pippen […]

Only days before the docuseries premiere of The Last Dance, former teammates Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr reminisced on anecdotes from their playing days with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. A particular anecdote was surprising, as the Bulls forward explained how Michael Jordan hustled an arena security guard out of $100 every game, betting […]

The postponed PGA Tour is planning a potential mid-June return along with a series of schedule adjustments. The PGA Tour had previously been aiming to return in May for the Charles Schwab Challenge, but that event is now getting pushed back to June 8. A number of other tournaments are being repositioned between then and […]

Stephen Curry managed to play only one game after a long-awaited return from a four-month layoff brought about by a broken left hand. The Golden State Warriors star got sick and was the first NBA player to be tested for the novel coronavirus after registering a high fever shortly after dropping 23 points in a […]

The Golden State Warriors lived a long stretch of uncertainty during the 2018-19 season, dealing with the anticipation of Kevin Durant’s franchise-changing decision in free agency. Ethan Strauss of The Athletic, author of The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty, noted how the Warriors were split as to what to expect from Durant: “As […]

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith got to the root of former Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant’s animosity for pro-Stephen-Curry media in the Bay Area after Ethan Strauss’ recent book detailed just how irked he felt about it. Strauss noted how after an article that criticized Durant’s fit with the team, the superstar chose to address […]

Soon-to-be No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Sabrina Ionescu is being heavily courted by one of her NBA idols to join Under Armour. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is hard at work, hoping to convince the University of Oregon star to join the UA family of athletes. Ionescu, who owns the NCAA record for […]

The filmmakers of the much-anticipated docuseries “The Last Dance” finished a scene with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in mid-January, roughly a week before Bryant’s tragic death in the hills of Calabasas. Director Jason Hehir pointed to one particular scene in which Bryant declared Michael Jordan, the star he’d grown so keen on emulating […]

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had fully embraced his place as a mentor for NBA stars after his retirement. Following a successful mini-camp for players before the 2019-20 season, he chose to do the same for WNBA players from Jan. 13-15 at the Mamba Sports Academy. The ways Bryant saw it, if NBA players […]

Meeting NBA legend Michael Jordan is a benchmark moment for anyone. For Dwayne Wade, it was one that almost didn’t happen the way it was supposed to happen. Wade wasn’t expecting to meet His Airness until they crossed paths during his NBA career, but he got to experience that interaction just a touch before he […]

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the popular infectious disease expert who has been the face of the United States’ fight against the novel coronavirus, admitted the only way the NBA and other professional sports are played at all this summer is to do so without fans and by keeping players isolated in hotels. “There’s a way of […]

Raheem Mostert’s unique path to the NFL was put in full display during the San Francisco 49ers road to the Super Bowl last season. But the Niners running back doesn’t seem content with getting the chance to play under the bright lights, putting the Hall of Fame in his sights. Mostert has soaked in his […]

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has apparently impressed the rest of his locker room with his rap skills. Per The Lefkoe Show, defensive end Cam Jordan said the 41-year-old gunslinger is “straight heat” when it comes to his acapella freestyle rapping. We need the track, @drewbrees… (via @LefkoeShow) pic.twitter.com/KwKgvklPO5 — B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April […]

The New Orleans Saints released a statement expressing their commitment to playing football this season, deeming it “too important” for the city to not have it take place. “We are preparing to play and we are being very proactive in working with healthcare professionals, our medical staff and both the NBA and NFL,” the Saints […]

New England Patriots talent Brandon Copeland has received his share of inspiration throughout his NFL career. A previously undrafted linebacker out of the University of Pennsylvania, the young aspiring pro wasn’t sure he could openly speak about his dreams with some of his Ivy League college teammates. “I wanted to be an NFL player, but […]

University of Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu grieved the loss of longtime friend and mentor Kobe Bryant long after his passing. The projected No. 1 WNBA Draft pick remembers texting the Los Angeles Lakers icon even after his death, looking for that connection. “The rest is for you,” she texted him once, according to Mirin Fader […]

The Chinese Basketball Association has suffered yet another impasse in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. In efforts to resume play, the league has postponed the potential return date until at least July, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. That could eventually translate to another measure of caution by the NBA. The CBA had previously […]

Kevin Durant’s turbulent last season with the Golden State Warriors brought plenty of fodder with local scribes. Among them, Ethan Strauss of The Athletic recalls how he was once confronted by Durant, who accused him and others of just wanting “to kiss [Stephen Curry’s] ass at his expense.” Strauss revealed how that interaction went down […]

Hank Steinbrenner, co-owner and chairman of the New York Yankees, has died at his home in Clearwater after a long battle with an illness, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post. Steinbrenner, the eldest son of legendary owner George Steinbrenner, turned 63 earlier this month and was surrounded by his family in his […]

Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, posted an emotional message along with an Instagram video celebrating the anniversary of her husband’s final NBA game. Bryant scored 60 points in what may easily be the best career-closing performance of all time in a Lakers come-from-behind win over the Utah Jazz. […]

Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich has heard all the doubts about the legitimacy of his back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets, earned during Michael Jordan’s first retirement. Yet the Chicago Bulls legend never underestimated how good the Rockets were during that era. Despite all the hearsay throughout the years, “Rudy T” isn’t putting Jordan […]

The Chicago Bulls office is undergoing the massive restructuring that has been long needed in the wake of years of disappointment. Former executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson, one of the executives receiving blame for the team’s shortcomings, actually engineered this shuffling of the cards as early as December, according to K.C. Johnson […]

Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen reacted to the recent wave of front-office moves, starting with the hiring of new executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas. Karnisovas is already moving swiftly, first promising the hire of a minority general manager, then hiring an assistant general manager in J.J. Polk. The Bulls made moves […]