Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 72

The Golden State Warriors have tricked out their new practice facility as they make the move to the state-of-the-art Chase Center to start their 2019-20 season. The facility is decked out with numerous perks and amenities, including a court with a facial recognition tracking system that measures every shot, an underwater treadmill, sleep pods, a […]

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant spoke at length about the infamous breakup with Shaquille O’Neal after winning three titles together early in their careers. Bryant, a guest of the Knuckleheads podcast, admitted to fellow retired NBA players Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles that he was tired of getting flak for his partnership with one […]

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant recalled what Charlotte Hornets general manager Bob Bass told him when the organization made the decision to trade him to the Lakers on draft day. While brief and inconsequential, Bass’ words had a profound effect on Bryant, which stuck with him for the rest of his 20-year career. “We […]

Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey isn’t bothered by the lack of a true center besides starter Andre Drummond, fully knowing he might just have to resort to a few acrobatics to close out games as teams opt for faster lineups. Among his options are power forward Blake Griffin and hybrid 7-footer Thon Maker, both […]

Stephen Curry is bound for a heavy minutes load in this upcoming 2019-20 season after a hefty loss of firepower with Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s injury. However he’s not expecting his playing time going through the roof in order to rack up wins, still fully aware that in order to thrive in the […]

Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine has begun to understand how NBA players are often judged in the large scope of earning awards, making All-Star teams, and earning call-ups for Team USA. LaVine has been an otherworldly talent with ridiculous ups, a great penchant for scoring the ball, and awesome athleticism, but he has yet […]

JJ Redick played next to Jimmy Butler for less than one full season with the Philadelphia 76ers, yet that short time was enough for the veteran marksman to assess his character as a teammate. The 35-year-old marksman told ESPN’s Zach Lowe on his podcast, The Lowe Post, that he’s not buying into the narrative about […]

Stephen Curry responded to recent comments from his former teammate Kevin Durant, who told WSJ. Magazine about his departure from the Golden State Warriors and his decision to join the Brooklyn Nets in the summer. Among the deciding factors, Durant listed feeling that “nobody could get a full acceptance of me there” due to his […]

Like many other NBA stars, Stephen Curry is expecting to take part on Team USA’s convocation process for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, hoping to experience being part of an Olympic team for the first time. The Golden State Warriors floor general turned down potential consideration from this year’s FIBA World Cup due to coming off […]

Stephen Curry has the unique chance to showcase his MVP form once again at the wake of Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s unfortunate torn ACL injury, which should leave him out of action until February or March. The Golden State Warriors talisman could very possibly be in the running for the award, now that […]

The L.A. Clippers will have their best chance at an NBA championship since the heyday of the Lob City days, having acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George through a season-long free agency and a consequent blockbuster trade, respectively. Yet much like their hallway rival Lakers, the Clippers will have to survive three main storylines through […]

A shocking offseason has the Los Angeles Lakers as a reborn franchise capable of achieving the glory that has long evaded them for the better part of this decade. However the well-storied organization will have to survive these four major storylines to make that postseason dream possible. Heir to the throne: Will LeBron James cede […]

Despite being a finalist for the Most Valuable Player award in three consecutive years and having won one in 2018, Houston Rockets guard James Harden admits he hasn’t accomplished even half of what he wants to in the NBA. “I still haven’t accomplished half of what I want to accomplish,” said James Harden, according to […]

Former Golden State Warriors player and newly-named assistant general manager Mike Dunleavy played a significant role in the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell. President Bob Myers was acutely aware that a sign-and-trade deal for Russell’s expiring contract could be a workable transaction, but he first needed to know if Russell was a player worth the trouble. […]

Free agent forward Iman Shumpert has chosen to decline the Houston Rockets’ contract offer after months of consideration and negotiation with the organization, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Shumpert won’t be reporting to the Rockets’ Las Vegas training camp, where players are expected to show up in two weeks prior to the start […]

Team USA’s seventh-place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Cup is bound to be a thorn in the side of USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, who noted this underwhelming performance in competition will bother him until next year’s Olympics: “There has not been any disappointment around USA Basketball in a while,” Colangelo told Chris […]

Walt Frazier took off the PG label from his otherwise impeccable answer when asked about his memories of Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, aka The Willis Reed Game. Or the way Clyde knows it, as “bulls**t.” “They call it The Willis Reed Game and I call it ‘bulls**t,’” said Frazier at a Puma-sponsored […]

Kevin Knox experienced the pressure-cooker that is playing for the New York Knicks during his rookie campaign last season. Now entering his second year in the league, Knox has seen the contrast of what he could experience down the road after just a few offseason practices: “Very competitive practices so far,’’ said Knox, according to […]

Karl-Anthony Towns is already one of the most well-rounded and effective players at his position, but the Minnesota Timberwolves center has been working on his handles through the course of this summer. The video below shows a few of the drills he has been going through, as well as combining his deft handle with his […]

The New York Knicks are still working to find an identity, but they might have an instant rivalry on their hands after being scorned by the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, who chose to team up for the Brooklyn Nets this summer. Second-year forward Kevin Knox tried to nonchalantly play it off during […]

San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills awkwardly found out he missed out on his inclusion in the All-Star Five of the 2019 FIBA World Cup after being told by the Australian Basketball Federation that he had made the team. Mills was Australia’s leading scorer, finishing the tournament with averages of 22.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and […]

Damian Lillard has a stint with Team USA in his future sights, with every intention to don the red, white and blue during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Portland Trail Blazers guard was one of the many familiar faces missing from the convocation process in Las Vegas last month, but he’s hopeful to participate in […]

Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry is happy with how his comeback season treated him with a bevy of fond memories upon signing with the Portland Trail Blazers The sharpshooter recalled a great shooting season, the 3-Point Contest and reaching the Western Conference Finals to match up against his brother in a high-stakes four-game tilt: “I […]

New York Knicks forward Bobby Portis made his way back to Chicago, despite having recently signed with his new team in the summer. The 24-year-old admitted it’s hard to get away, even after he was traded by the Bulls to the Washington Wizards last season, then becoming a free agent in July. “I always come […]

Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine proved he was back to his old self after a breakout season to follow his return from injury with his new team after three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 24-year-old put up a career-high 23.7 points and 4.5 assists per game while rendering his most efficient shooting season, […]

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta took a massive leap of faith signing Eric Gordon, who despite struggling with his shooting last season took massive steps defensively during the playoffs. Fertitta explained that his desire to keep Gordon, much like the Rockets kept Clint Capela over a five-year contract, was to make the most of this […]

The Golden State Warriors will have to learn to navigate the upcoming 2019-20 season in a very different way than they have for the past five seasons. While they have a laundry list of incertitudes, there are also three secrets to their potential success and potential playoff run. 3. Health The Warriors will largely depend […]

The reported back-and-forth between Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni and owner Tilman Fertitta over contractual matters heading into the last year of his deal left a sour taste for those fond of the longtime coach, as his record in Clutch City is terrific. Fertitta, who reportedly initially offered D’Antoni an incentive-based “prove-it” extension, is […]

Chris Bosh feels the Miami Heat made the right move pursuing and netting the services of Jimmy Butler in free agency, trading some of their pieces to acquire the two-way star: “You want guys that are competitive, that love the game and want to win. That’s what it’s all about, so I think it’s a […]

The NBA has embarked in a perhaps futile mission to end tampering after a wave of blockbuster signings and trades took place in a wild free-agency period with record-breaking numbers. The Brooklyn Nets were among the teams pulling strings even before free agency started, reportedly confident that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were done deals […]

Michael Jordan’s surprising sale of part of the Charlotte Hornets is not a night-to-day decision, but rather a conscious one for a franchise that will need some stability as a small NBA market. Jordan sold a portion of his team to Gabe Plotkin, founder of Melvin Capital, and Daniel Sundheim, founder of D1 Capital— two Wall Street hedge-fund traders […]

There are several questions surrounding the 2019-20 iteration of the New York Knicks, ranging from leadership to playing time, to perhaps the most important of them all — a sense of identity. An NBA coach told SNY’s Ian Begley he’s curious to see if the Knicks find that identity with coach David Fizdale, also hoping […]

Kobe Bryant congratulated new Phoenix Suns point guard Ricky Rubio on winning the Most Valuable Player award during the FIBA World Cup after a convincing 20-point win over Argentina. The former NBA and Team USA legend sang the praise for the Spanish floor general, who has looked starkly different in international competition. Amazing final. Well […]

New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale has a huge test ahead of him for his second season at the helm of the franchise. One of his NBA counterparts believes juggling playing time and developing his young players is among his biggest problems entering this season: “I think it’s a huge challenge. In order to […]

The Houston Rockets have finally freed themselves from their obsession with beating the Golden State Warriors, now that the Dubs have undergone a roster overhaul in the wake of Kevin Durant’s departure. However, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta believes it is perhaps even more worrisome to have a wide-open Western Conference to watch out for: “I […]

Despite a relatively quiet free agency, the Houston Rockets made a splash by trading point guard Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook, a move owner Tilman Fertitta insists has to do with an opportunity to upgrade their roster rather than the reported rift that swarmed the franchise shortly after a playoff exit at the hands of […]

The NBA has been among the most progressive leagues in terms of hiring women, each year populating their benches and front offices with more diverse talent. The Boston Celtics have added former WNBA star Kara Lawson as an assistant coach and Allison Feaster as their director of player personnel. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge […]

For the first time in five years, the Golden State Warriors will enter an NBA season through uncharted waters, unable to decipher their immediate course with a wildly different Western Conference and plenty of change within their own organization. Besides the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Chase Center and coming off yet another run to […]

The window of opportunity the Houston Rockets have long waited for is finally bound to open up during this 2019-20 NBA season, as the era of dynamic duos has officially replaced the superteam craze of the past three seasons. The perennial playoff staple will have to manage a wave of storylines that will determine its […]