Derick Quinanola Articles - Page 3

When Dwyane Wade’s 8-foot statue was first revealed outside Kaseya Center in Miami, everyone had mixed feelings. Wade was impressed at how the statue turned out, even calling it ‘one of the best statues ever created.’ However, everyone else felt it looked nothing like him. Some even say it was on the same level as […]

The Los Angeles Clippers new arena has dominated headlines early in the 2024-25 campaign for its innovative design and insane $2 billion price tag. With that kind of money, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wanted everything to be perfect, especially the popcorn served at the concession stands. Instead of bringing on the same supplier of popped […]

In the world of professional sports, sometimes the unlikeliest heroes can come from the most random sources. During Tom Brady and the New England Patriots‘ Super Bowl run in 2003, that source came from a seventh-grade teacher at Parkview Baptist School in Baton Rouge named Brian Kinchen. Tom Brady, Patriots needed someone who was familiar […]

Despite playing in a small market city, the Oklahoma City Thunder have managed to create three separate “super teams” in less than a decade. While you can give a lot of credit to their scouts for finding the right talent, Sam Presti’s ability to negotiate trades often goes unnoticed. One of them was how, after […]

“He was like Zion before Zion.”  Those were the six words Paul George had to say when he was asked on his podcast about Deonte Burton, a talented player that first came to his mind that he feels wasn’t given enough chances in the NBA. Comparing a player who has spent most of his career […]

In this era of social media, anyone can be an overnight celebrity. As the face of one of the most popular memes on the internet, Dieunerst Collin made sure he’d make the most of his unexpected fame even if it would come a decade later. Back when he was a nine-year-old minding his own business […]

It’s not every day you see people with one arm shoot and dunk the basketball the way Hansel Enmanuel does. But then again, Enmanuel is a special breed. Born in the Dominican Republic, Enmanuel had a life-altering experience at just six years old. A concrete wall collapsed on him, trapping his left arm for two […]

Julian Newman’s skills were advanced for his age. At 10 years old, he earned a spot on his school’s middle school team as a 4-foot-5 5th grader. Once he finished a game scoring 91 points, he was immediately promoted to Downey Christian School’s varsity team. Despite weighing only 70 lbs. and facing players twice his […]

Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA with crazy expectations as a 7’4″ French phenom, and he immediately delivered in his rookie campaign (21.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 46.5 FG%), proving why he’s one of the most hyped basketball prospects in recent memory. While the San Antonio Spurs finished with just a 22-609 record, it was […]

Like in every professional sport, expectations are always high for a top overall pick. Some expect that player to produce from day one while some expect him to be the franchise savior. For Baker Mayfield, it was both. As the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns expected Mayfield to change […]

People use the phrase “records are meant to be broken” loosely in the world of sports. However, there are always a few that happen to go untouched. Wilt Chamberlain dominates the record books, but John Stockton might have a case with his all-time assist record. Despite the surge of offense in recent years, Stockton’s record […]

Social media can make anyone look like a superstar these days. Thanks to a viral mixtape that was made when he was in 7th grade, Emoni Bates became a household name. By the time he was 15 years old, scouts and analysts were already calling him one of the best high school basketball prospects since […]

Tough guys aren’t hard to find in the NFL. It’s those who play in the most crucial moments of the season despite injuries go on to be remembered as legends. Tom Brady once played in the Super Bowl with a torn MCL. There was the story of Jack Youngblood who played the entire 1979 postseason […]

Anthony Edwards is never shy about voicing his opinion. However, one of his commercials to promote his signature shoe with Adidas caused quite a bit of attention. It happened right after the Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated from the 2024 playoffs and Adidas released a commercial titled “Receipts.” This was a 51-second commercial that featured Edwards shooting […]

In the summer of 2011, Chris Paul was destined to a trade from New Orleans to Hollywood. The only thing nobody knew was whether he’d start the season as the point guard of the LA Lakers or Clippers.  While the Clippers eventually won the CP3 sweepstakes (thanks to former commissioner David Stern’s intervention), it makes […]

Oklahoma City Thunder and former Kentucky basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has asserted himself as one of the top players in the NBA.  However, as his basketball journey was unfolding, only a handful of people actually believed in his potential, let alone be the face of one of the most exciting teams in today’s NBA. His journey […]

When Luka Doncic left Real Madrid in 2018 to pursue a career in the NBA, he left behind a pretty stacked roster filled with European legends and former NBA players. In what turned out to be one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history, whatever happened to the key players on that roster […]

Kevin Garnett has a reputation as one of the most intense and competitive players in NBA history. He talked a lot of trash that even Joakim Noah went from a diehard fan to a foe, and most importantly, he made sure to never back down from confrontation. In fact, as a young 18-year-old playing with […]

Five teams (including the Minnesota Timberwolves twice) thought there were players in the 2009 NBA Draft better than Stephen Curry. Today, he’s widely recognized as the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, a four-time champion, a two-time MVP, and an Olympic gold medalist. While it’s not unusual for future Hall of Famers to slip past […]

The 2007 NBA draft had it all. Future superstars, role players, sleeper second-round picks, and of course, its fair share of busts. While most NBA careers span about 4-and-a-half years, this class showed it was a draft for the ages as four out of the first five players who were drafted are still on an […]

Nobody really batted an eye when the Washington Wizards suddenly waived 21-year-old Ryan Rollins in the middle of the 2023-2024 season. He only played in 10 of the Wizards’ first 30 games and averaged four points. However, once details emerged that the reason for his sudden release was because of a shoplifting incident at Target, […]

Every year, EA Sports makes it a point to tease fans and players with a player’s overall rating in Madden to see who earned the honor of getting the highest overall rating Madden can bestow. Aside from being a cheat code in the game, NFL players rated 99 before the start of the season often […]

When people talk about the Golden State Warriors dynasty in the 2010s, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Bob Myers often dominate the conversation. However, a former Los Angeles Lakers legend was another man behind the scenes who made pivotal decisions that eventually shaped the team’s success for years. As an executive board member […]

Even though Caitlin Clark has only been in the WNBA for less than a season, she already has her name in the league’s record books. Through her first 26 games as a pro, Clark gets a lot of praise for her ability to score the basketball boasting an average of 17.1 points a game. What […]

Angel Reese has been a focal point of discussion among WNBA fans for a multitude of reasons. In her first 24 games as a pro, Reese has shown she’s one of the future stars in the league. Her game isn’t the most glamorous, but her style of play has allowed her to carve up an […]

LeBron James gets a lot of credit for still playing at a high level at nearly 40. After all, nobody can be a professional basketball player forever. In one study from The Hoops Geek, the average age at which an NBA player retires in the last decade was 27.8 years old. Meanwhile, players who were […]

The fact that 13 teams (including the Charlotte Hornets) passed on Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft will always be remembered as one of the biggest draft mistakes in league history despite all the other notable names picked ahead of him. While Bryant’s illustrious career is widely celebrated, whatever happened […]

In an era of positionless basketball, it’s still hard to ignore the towering presence of Tacko Fall. At 7’6″, Fall made history by being the third tallest player to ever make the NBA, trailing only Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureșan who both stood at 7’7″. Fall’s basketball journey started like every highly touted recruit. He […]

Nobody was surprised when the Portland Trail Blazers took Greg Oden instead of Kevin Durant with the first overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. After all, he was once touted as one of the greatest prospects ever since LeBron James and was hailed as a future number one pick ever since he was a […]

In the seven years Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been in the NFL, his resume already guarantees him a spot in the Hall of Fame. As a starter, Mahomes has secured three Super Bowl titles in six years and has yet to miss the playoffs. As of this writing, only two quarterbacks have […]

As the draft class that brought generational superstars like Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton to the NBA, there was a lot of talent in the 1984 NBA Draft. But we can all agree the biggest star of them all was the player who fell to the third pick by the name of Michael […]

Travis Kelce flew under the radar on most teams’ draft boards, but today you can guarantee he’s on every opponent’s scouting report. As the fifth tight end selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, Kelce fell to the third round. Some even say he was only selected by the Kansas City Chiefs because his brother, Jason […]

The New England Patriots have won six Super Bowls since Robert Kraft became team owner. However, he only has five of the Patriots Super Bowl rings in his drawer. The ring the team won in Super Bowl 39 is currently with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And unfortunately for Kraft, that’s been the case for the […]

The most interesting story of the 2024 NBA draft isn’t how Zach Edey got drafted ninth by the Memphis Grizzlies or how Bronny James got drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a trade in the second round of the draft between the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks that ended with the Knicks […]

The Washington Wizards’ experiment of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal may have only lasted one season, but it was a decision that ultimately altered both Westbrook’s career and the Wizards’ future. Two years later, let’s take a look at how the Wizards roster has evolved since the team traded Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers […]

While Josh Allen went on to be the 7th pick of the 2018 NFL draft, five teams (Cleveland Browns had two picks in the top 5) passed on him. Furthermore, he was the third quarterback taken in his draft class. Now that he’s blossomed into a franchise cornerstone for the Buffalo Bills, it makes you […]

Can you imagine if LeBron James decided to play football instead of basketball? It almost happened when he was in high school and thought long and hard about it during the NBA lockout.  Even if for some reason James does decide to play in the NFL when he’s 40, his impact on the game would’ve been totally different had he played […]

Kobe Bryant might’ve retired a long time ago, but his legacy can still be felt to this day. You’ll often see players wear his sneakers, his memorabilia are some of the most sought-after collectibles in the world, and just about every player has an untold Bryant story. However, of all the players Bryant has played […]

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is already one of the future faces of the NBA. He won Rookie of the Year, led the league in blocks as a rookie, and finished games with stats that no other player could do. He’s been dubbed an alien by LeBron James. Adrian Wojnarowski called him the greatest […]