Kriel Ibarrola Articles - Page 23

Los Angeles Lakers fans collectively held their breaths when superstar LeBron James had an injury scare during opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The King had to leave the game in the fourth quarter after spraining his ankle in an attempt to block Ivica Zubac’s shot. As seen in the replays, James […]

If the Brooklyn Nets’ 26-point drubbing of the Golden State Warriors on opening night is any indication, they truly are up for big things in the 2020-21 season. Apart from giving Steve Nash the first W of his coaching career, the Nets accomplished five amazing feats in their 125-99 victory at Barclays Center. Tuesday’s game […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are indeed one of the most regal franchises in the league, and they certainly deserve a lavish championship ring that fits that status. The Lakers received their well-deserved jewelry on opening night on Tuesday, prior to tip-off of their match against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Here’s a closer […]

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Paul George has submitted an extremely early entry for Shaqtin A’ Fool in the 2020-21 NBA regular season. Early in the first quarter of their opening night game against reigning NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers, George tried to give an extra pass to a supposed wide-open teammate on the corner. But […]

The Los Angeles Clippers had a front-row seat as they watched their heated rivals Los Angeles Lakers receive their 2020 championship rings at the Staples Center on Tuesday. While it’s understandable that Clippers players were pretty peeved before tip-off of their season opener, it was the complete opposite for Marcus Morris. The Clippers forward was […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made sure he didn’t forget his late friend Kobe Bryant during the team’s championship ring ceremony at Staples Center on Tuesday. Right before the Lakers’ opening night tip-off against the Los Angeles Clippers, the reigning champions received some well-deserved jewelry for winning the 2020 Larry O’Brien trophy. Pelinka […]

TNT analyst Charles Barkley was extremely curious about how the redemption-seeking Golden State Warriors will fare in their season opener against the powerhouse Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Tuesday. But after the Nets gave the once invincible Warriors a 125-99 spanking, Sir Charles said the game only left more questions than answers for the […]

Gordon Hayward finally broke his silence about the real reason he opted out of his contract with the Boston Celtics and accepted an offer from the Charlotte Hornets this past offseason. Ahead of his Hornets debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, the 30-year-old swingman said he wanted a clean slate, per Rick Bonnell of […]

As far as sheer bad luck goes, this year has been truly devastating for the Golden State Warriors and their loyal fans. The team basically said goodbye to its dynasty last NBA season after a league-worst 15-50 record. But right when things seem on the come up again in The Bay, disaster struck anew when […]

The Boston Celtics have thrived in today’s so-called position-less era, with the brilliance of coach Brad Stevens playing a huge part. Still, there’s still some cause for concern with starting point guard Kemba Walker still not 100% heading into the new NBA season. Walker’s bothersome knee has forced Stevens to seek playmaking elsewhere, using both […]

At this point, there are just not enough adjectives to describe the greatness of LeBron James. The King, after all, is coming off one of the best seasons of his storied NBA career, capped off by leading the Los Angeles Lakers to their 17th Larry O’Brien trophy. Before the 2019-20 campaign, there were murmurs about […]

The shortened break heading into the 2020-21 NBA season has a lot of teams concerned about restricting minutes for their superstar players. But as far as new Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is concerned, his superstar duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will get their regular minutes as long as they’re healthy and […]

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is once again back to his cryptic ways following another tweet and delete episode on Sunday. Fans were quick to point out that the Sixers might have something big brewing with Houston Rockets disgruntled superstar James Harden, after Morey decided to re-tweet one of The Beard’s individual […]

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers experienced some growing pains with his new team on Friday. His interesting decision to play Ben Simmons at center during one stretch of the game backfired greatly, but they still came away with a 113-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers at the BakersLife Fieldhouse. The win pushed the 76ers’ […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis is already bringing his A-game even in the preseason. The Brow led a valiant Laker comeback against the Phoenix Suns in their final exhibition match against the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The reigning champs practically played catch-up for the first 42 minutes of the game against the Suns at […]

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving downplayed the significance of his first game back at the TD Garden Arena against the Boston Celtics on Friday. Shortly after Irving helped the Nets dismantle his former team, 113-89, in their second NBA preseason match, he discussed what went through his mind. He opened up about the situation on […]

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant also found it quite amusing that his teammate Kyrie Irving burned some sage before facing his former team Boston Celtics on Friday. KD had no qualms about Uncle Drew’s quirkiness and even blurted out a hilarious retort about the whole ordeal. Kevin Durant on Kyrie Irving saging the arena before […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is taking some heat online right now following his actions that led to Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges’ scary fall on Friday. The reigning champions suited up for their final preseason game on Friday inside the Talking Stick Resort Arena. At the six-minute mark of the opening period, James […]

Like most of the young point guards from this generation, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young is a big admirer of Chris Paul’s game. The 22-year-old shooter spent his downtime wisely on Friday by reviewing some old footage of the OG “point God.” Young shared a highlight clip of Paul on his Instagram Stories, back when […]

Phoenix Suns swingman Mikal Bridges figured in a scary fall on Friday, following an accidental collision with LeBron James in their preseason match at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. In the midway part of the first quarter, Bridges blew by James and made an explosive move to the hole. The 24-year-old completed the left-handed lay-in […]

Retired NBA player-turned-analyst Paul Pierce usually doesn’t give out praises to his former on-court adversary LeBron James. However, The Truth somehow changed his tune on Friday, calling the Los Angeles Lakers star “the best point guard” in the league right now. Pierce joined Rachel Nichols and Richard Jefferson in the latest episode of ESPN’s The […]

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson’s unique blend of power and finesse is indeed a sight to behold. The 6-foot-6 supreme athlete once again took his act to the skies in NOLA’s preseason matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The limited fans inside the Smoothie King Arena were in for a treat early in […]

To say it’s been a rough year for Vanessa Bryant and her family would be the biggest understatement ever. But just 11 months removed from the tragic passing of her husband Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna in a tragic helicopter crash last January, Vanessa’s own mother, Sofia Laine, has filed a lawsuit against her. […]

New Houston Rockets big man Christian Wood has quickly made his presence felt in H-Town. The impressive 25-year-old has balled out in the preseason so far, earning him some massive praise from teammate Eric Gordon. As far as Gordon is concerned, Christian Wood’s well-rounded game shows shades of a young Anthony Davis. Eric Gordon when […]

Paul George didn’t really have much to say about his exit with the Indiana Pacers in 2017, which ended his seven-year stint. In an appearance on Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s All The Smoke podcast, the Los Angeles Clippers superstar revisited the events that led to the ugly breakup. George said he was already unhappy […]

Most NBA fans and pundits believe the Philadelphia 76ers will indeed be instant strong title contenders if they can somehow trade for disgruntled Houston Rockets superstar James Harden. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, however, begs to disagree, claiming the Sixers won’t be significantly better with The Beard running the show. Sir Charles voiced his unpopular opinion […]

We can all now put the endless Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors to rest after he confirmed his commitment to the Milwaukee Bucks for the next five years. The two-time NBA MVP announced on Tuesday that he will be signing a gargantuan $228.2 million extension – the most lucrative deal recorded in NBA history. While the […]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware that Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker has been the toast of the town as of late. After all, the reigning NBA champions spanked the Los Angeles Clippers in back-to-back preseason games, with THT putting up two amazing performances. The 20-year-old guard flashed his well-rounded […]

In an effort to set up the biggest boxing bout of his entire life, infamous YouTuber Jake Paul unleashed an expletive-filled call out directed at UFC megastar Conor McGregor. The 23-year-old online sensation once again grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons with this cringe-worthy attempt for a promo on Monday. Paul, who is coming […]

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Paul George is one of the premier wing stoppers in the league today. The six-time All-Star has guarded his fair share of great players over the years, but he recently revealed that it was prime Carmelo Anthony that gave him trouble the most. In a guest appearance on All The Smoke […]

Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball has never lacked supreme confidence in himself. That unwavering self-belief certainly got a whole lot deeper now that he has realized his dream of making it to the NBA. The 19-year-old guard was not shy at all in his second NBA preseason game, as he stared down the opposing Toronto […]

With a week left before the start of the 2020-21 season, the Houston Rockets still face a dark cloud of uncertainty with their superstar, James Harden. The Beard has already made public his desire to play elsewhere, initially citing Eastern Conference contenders Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets as his top two preferred destinations. Parting ways […]

Marc Gasol has had no problems fitting in with the Los Angeles Lakers, something that he credits to team superstar LeBron James. Prior to tip-off for the Lakeshow’s second preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, the 35-year-old center praised The King for embracing him the moment he joined the reigning champions in […]

LeBron James and Anthony Davis just watched from the sidelines when the Los Angeles Lakers returned to the court for their two preseason games against the Los Angeles Clippers. Since this offseason is regarded the shortest turnaround in NBA history, the Lakers are expected to rest their two best players to keep them fresh before […]

John Wall looked pretty good in his Houston Rockets debut on Friday, leading his new team to a 125-104 preseason win over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. But as far as the five-time All-Star is concerned, this new-look Rockets team will be even more dangerous once their superstar James Harden joins them on […]

Houston Rockets fans received some good news when superstar James Harden finally reported to training camp. But as expected, he did not suit up in Friday’s preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Center DeMarcus Cousins, meanwhile, made his Rockets debut and offered what appears to be a direct message to The […]

Former Los Angeles Clippers teammates Patrick Beverley and Motrezl Harrell shared a nice moment in their first encounter as adversaries. The Clippers took on the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in a preseason match on Friday, marking the first time Bev is seeing Trez up close in Purple and Gold colors. While most fans […]

Fans are used to seeing Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving drop defenders on the court with his ankle-breaking crossovers. Turns out, Uncle Drew can also spit some bars, as he teased some content from his never-before-heard mixtapes in an Instagram Live on Friday. Irving dropped some of the verses of his self-recorded rap songs, much […]

Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler is as slick as they come on the basketball court. Judging by his most recent banter with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols,  it looks like he is the same way when it comes to dodging questions. Butler sent social media into a frenzy recently after he liked an Instagram post claiming that […]