Derick Quinanola Articles - Page 7

LeBron James really went on one of the highest-scoring 4th quarters of his career just to shut two fans up. In a regular season game during the 2007-2008 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers traveled up north to face Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors. You could tell from the jump, there was a different feel to […]

Were the Boston Celtics able to land Bill Russell all because of an ice-skating show? How did he even fall to number two in the 1956 NBA draft in the first place? Russell was one of the greatest basketball players in the 50s, and Red Auerbach knew it since he was in college. He led […]

The NBA playoffs are one of the most exciting times in every NBA season. It’s where the men separate themselves from the boys and where legends are made. And while the 2023 playoffs have given fans a lot to remember in terms of upsets, including the Miami Heat becoming just the 6th team in NBA […]

The 40-yard dash is one of the few drills every NFL prospect goes through during the draft process. It’s a way teams can measure a player’s speed and acceleration. While this event was mostly an important measuring stick to assess defensive backs, wide receivers, and running backs, having a faster 40 these days, regardless of […]

Michael Jordan once made sure a fan won $1 million after he knocked down an 80-foot shot during a timeout of a Chicago Bulls home game. It’s normal for NBA teams to host in-arena entertainment during timeouts. For the Bulls on April 13, 1994, one of them was a three-quarter-court shot contest with a chance […]

One NFL draft pick said no to the NFL because he never plays on Sundays. But once you know more about his story, you’ll agree that his reason behind it is pretty valid. Standing at 6 feet 8 and weighing 330 pounds, Eli Herring was on track to be one of the best offensive tackles […]

There have been a lot of iconic nicknames in the NBA. Some superstars have multiple nicknames, while some are pretty straightforward. Jerry West was nicknamed ‘The Logo’ for being the cover of the NBA logo. Meanwhile, David Robinson was nicknamed ‘The Admiral’ simply for his Navy background. However, role players deserve a Hall of Fame […]

The Miami Heat made a ton of history when they eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Not only were they the first play-in team to make it past the first round, but the Heat also became just the sixth 8th seed ever to beat a one seed […]

Before Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley had a petty beef, Jordan once gave Barkley a little piece of advice that has helped him earn millions to this day. Jordan might be the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and have endorsement deals with Hanes and Gatorade, but we all know most of his fortune comes from […]

Russell Westbrook has already made more than $330 million in NBA salaries alone per Spotrac. There was even a time he signed the largest contract in NBA history. What’s more, he’s one of the ten highest-paid players ever and has ongoing endorsement deals with Jordan and Samsung. One could imagine Westbrook definitely has more money […]

Don’t let Adam Sandler fool you. The job and responsibilities of an NFL waterboy might seem pretty straightforward, but they actually do more than ensure players stay hydrated during the course of a game or in training. They’re an essential part of every NFL team’s training staff and there’s only a handful of available jobs […]

If there were any doubts as to why Victor Wembanyama should be the consensus number one pick in the 2023 NBA draft, maybe $500 million will change your mind. Even if Wembanyama hasn’t even stepped foot on an NBA court, the hype around the 19-year-old prodigy has been insane, and he’s received a lot of […]

If you think Aaron Donald and Derrick Henry were freaks of nature, I don’t blame you. However, I’d have to assume you probably never met former Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Larry Allen, because he puts their workouts to shame. For a little bit of context, there’s even proof Allen could bench […]

One NFL player went on one of the longest Uber rides ever just to make sure he wouldn’t miss practice. In the 2017 offseason, Shareece Wright wanted to make a good first impression on his new team, the Buffalo Bills, after spending the last two seasons playing for the Baltimore Ravens. When OTAs arrived, the […]

Kobe Bryant was famous for his hard work and being intensely hard on his teammates. After all, nobody wins five NBA championships by accident. If he saw that you weren’t going to work as hard as him, he wouldn’t respect you. While not too many NBA fans will remember Jodie Meeks, he was part of […]

Mark Cuban only had $60 to his name and had to move into his friend’s apartment when he graduated college. So, how did he turn that into 5 billion in 17 years? It’s mostly three things: luck, hard work, and an obsession with hearing his Indiana Hoosiers play basketball. Here’s how it all happened. Cuban […]

Only some NBA players are lucky enough to make the NBA Finals let alone win the championship. What’s more, that list gets even smaller for players who can do it in year one. But there is one player who was put on this earth to win, and his name is Patrick McCaw. McCaw’s not a […]

28-year-old Lauren Silberman made history in 2013 by becoming the first woman to get a tryout at the NFL regional combine. While her performance didn’t get her a spot on any NFL team, she broke a diversity barrier most people thought would never be possible. When the NFL made it official for women to join […]

The NFL Combine gives prospects one last chance to impress scouts and GMs. Consider it a final job interview for average Joes like you and me. The only difference is, this opportunity only comes once in a lifetime. One wrong move could entirely affect your chances of getting accepted to the position (getting drafted). And […]

The New Orleans Pelicans had no choice but to trade Anthony Davis once he requested a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers after seven seasons with the team. While he did only lead them to two playoff appearances and won only one series, did the Pelicans really get enough for Davis four years later? Or […]

Dillon Brooks is today’s number one villain. And quite frankly, there’s nobody even remotely close to him. Every great movie needs to have a villain. In the NBA, there’s been one in almost every era. It started with the Bad Boy Pistons in the 80s. Then, it shifted to Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in […]

What if I told you one man found a way to get into the NBA All-Star Game, The White House, World Series, US Open, and just about any other major sporting event in the world without paying a dime? This is the story of the greatest imposter in sports history, Barry Bremen. The legend of […]

There’s only one jersey number in the NBA rumored to be banned. When one person tried to use it, the NBA shut the idea down immediately. Some professional athletes will do whatever it takes to get the jersey number they want. Some buy their teammates dinner, offer $250k, or even buy their teammate a brand-new […]

Sixteen games, one playoff series win. That’s all the Brooklyn Nets got in return for a Hall of Fame trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. The superteam experiment in Brooklyn lasted only three and a half seasons and it failed miserably. If there’s one thing their tenure made up for in lack […]

D’Angelo Russell had to get a leak of his NBA script early. Back when he was a rookie, he knew he was going to be teammates with LeBron James and Anthony Davis before anyone else. Russell was a beloved player for the Los Angeles Lakers during his first two seasons. While he did have to […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed he used to have a different surname. And just a bit of a spoiler, it was way easier to pronounce than Antetokounmpo. Before Giannis turned into a freak of nature for the Milwaukee Bucks with two regular season MVPs, an NBA championship, Defensive Player of the Year award, among other awards and […]

Every athlete has an occasional bad game. Kobe Bryant once shot four airballs in five minutes, Jason Kidd committed 14 turnovers, and the list goes on. However, in one NBA game for the Oklahoma City Thunder, almost everyone had an off night. Meanwhile for their opponents, the Memphis Grizzlies, nobody could miss. In today’s NBA, […]

Larry Bird’s will to win helped him become the legend he is today. But on one night in a Boston bar, his competitiveness got the better of him, eventually costing the Celtics a championship. In the 1984-1985 season, Bird and the Celtics were set to defend their title after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in […]

It’s hard to believe now, but back in their primes, Kevin Garnett actually wanted to team up with Kobe Bryant over Paul Pierce. The only reason it never fell through was that Kobe never answered any of Garnett’s phone calls. In 2007, Garnett was ready to move on from the Minnesota Timberwolves to try and […]

Big or small, almost every professional sports team has fans who’d do whatever it takes to watch them live. But for one Kansas City Chiefs fan, he crossed the line. “Chiefsaholic,” real name Xavier Michael Babudar, was a local celebrity in Arrowhead Stadium. He wears a wolf costume to every game and even has a […]

The 2022-2023 season has proven that anything is possible. It was the first time more than one player scored more than 70 points in one game. Luka Doncic became the first player to record a 60-20-10 triple double. While the talent in the NBA has certainly evolved over the years, there will always be a […]

Like in any sport, weird things are bound to happen in a course of a game. Just take Tim Duncan getting a technical for laughing on the bench for example. Referees tend to lose their patience eventually, especially if a player or coach is yelling in their ear for most of the game. But on […]

Kenny Anderson had to file for bankruptcy the same year he retired. The crazy part is, how could someone blow through $63 million in such a quick time frame? Athletes going bankrupt isn’t breaking news anymore. In fact, even NBA hall of famers isn’t strangers to filing for bankruptcy. But the story of how Anderson […]

When you search for the ‘richest players in NBA history’, the list is pretty standard for the most part. You’ll find Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and of course, Michael Jordan at number one. However, there is one name on that list in the top three that not a lot of people are familiar […]

Magic Johnson said he only talked trash once in his 13-year NBA career. He chose Michael Jordan as his lone target, and he immediately regretted it. The legendary tale happened in the summer of 1992 when both players were practicing for team USA in preparation for the Olympics. In one of their four initial scrimmages, […]

Lauri Markkanen has to go down as one of the most respectful players in NBA history for doing this one simple act. Normally, when a player enters a new team and his preferred jersey number isn’t retired by the team, it’s up for grabs. While you’ll see some players ask permission from past Hall of […]

James Harden has come a long way from his role as a sixth man with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s gone on to become an MVP, all-star, and future first-ballot hall of famer. A player of his stature should never have to start a game from the bench anymore, right? However, in one of Harden’s […]

Hindsight is 20/20. Nobody expected Kawhi Leonard to become one of the best two-way players in NBA history. Scouts said he was an undisciplined defender, lacked the skill to become a role player, and his high arcing jump shot wouldn’t translate in the NBA. Fast forward twelve years later, Kawhi’s won two Defensive Player of […]

The New York Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973. But that could’ve changed if they just listened to their head coach. The Knicks were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference during the ’90s despite never winning a title, making the playoffs every year while also reaching the NBA Finals twice. […]