Mike Cruz Articles - Page 64

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma is soaking in all of the knowledge that he can from his experience with Team USA, especially with coach Gregg Popovich serving as top general. Kuzma, in fact, hailed the legendary San Antonio Spurs mentor as his favorite coach of all time, per USAB.com: He’s my favorite coach of […]

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis in a blockbuster trade last February to form an international star tandem with Luka Doncic. In an interview with Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle admitted that he has been enamored with the 7-foot-3 Latvian Unicorn ever since he entered the NBA. “Listen, I can’t wait […]

Team USA recently cut Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo in the first series of knockouts as the team rounds out its final roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup later this month. Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Team USA had a preference for long range shooting, something that is still a […]

The game of basketball is expanding rapidly in Canada. Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse believes that the recent boom in popularity, as triggered by the Raptors’ recent championship victory this past season, will eventually lead to the growth of local talent, per Ted Wyman of Canada.com. “The most important thing is the talent growth,” […]

All 30 NBA front offices passed up on the chance to select Tacko Fall out of the University of Central Florida in the 2019 NBA draft. Skeptics were wary whether the 7-foot-7, 289 lbs. big man could keep up with the fast-paced action in the professional ranks. Fall quickly put that notion to bed when […]

Team USA finally gave NBA-hungry fans some action when the senior roster squared off with the Select Team on Friday night. Following the blowout contest, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell made the day even more special for some lucky young fans, gifting them his kicks for the night. Donovan Mitchell giving his shoes to a […]

The Charlotte Hornets low-balled Kemba Walker this summer with an offer that was nowhere near the supermax contract that their former franchise star was eligible to get. The now-Boston Celtics point guard apparently had a gut feeling that he wasn’t going to get the offer he wanted from the franchise that he called home for […]

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons recently called out a casino in Australia for alleged racial profiling. Boomers head coach Andrej Lemanis’ support for the Melbourne-born point forward’s right to speak out did not waver despite Simmons’ withdrawal from playing for Team Australia in this year’s FIBA World Cup: “Ben’s made his statement on that, and […]

The NCAA recently announced that it would require certain criteria for agents who wish to represent NBA hopeful student-athletes. One of the requirements is that agents should have a bachelor’s degree. The announcement did not sit well with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who believed this was a direct shot at his agent and […]

Drake is still on that championship high. The Grammy Award-winning rapper opened up his recent concert in Toronto with a gigantic Larry O’ Brien Trophy — or Larry OB as Kawhi Leonard likes to call it — to honor the Raptors’ championship victory this past season: Drake: “I want you to make some noise for […]

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox got the call of a lifetime when Team USA head coach Greg Popovich promoted him to the senior roster from the Select Team a couple of weeks ago. Coach Pop and his camp did not make a mistake promoting Fox, as they love his quickness and the fact that he […]

Team USA is giving De’Aaron Fox a chance to earn a spot on the final roster for the FIBA World Cup, and the Sacramento Kings point guard is confident he can make the cut: Kings PG De'Aaron Fox on his promotion from the Select Team to the USA National Team. "I feel like I have […]

Many pundits have blasted Washington Wizards point guard John Wall for his $171 million supermax contract that kicks in this upcoming season. With all this criticism going his way, the former No. 1 overall pick is motivated to prove his naysayers wrong. In an interview with Michael Lee of The Athletic, Wall claimed he deserved […]

A lot of people have tried to play doctor regarding Kevin Durant’s injury during the 2019 playoffs. Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, in an interview with Michael Lee of The Athletic, stated that he believes Durant’s initial injury was already to the Achilles, instead of the reported calf strain: “I don’t like to talk […]

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari went through a successful appendectomy this week, the Italian Basketball Federation announced. Despite the setback, Gallinari will still suit up for Italy in the upcoming FIBA World Cup. According to Eurohoops, the Italian forward already missed the Trentino Cup and will miss the Verona Tournament. Gallinari, however, is expected […]

This NBA offseason has seen a lot of movement around the league. Players have changed addresses left and right, and the entire landscape of The Association has been shaken up like a snow globe. Washington Wizards guard John Wall, however, would rather stay put on one team for his entire career. In an interview with Michael […]

Dwyane Wade’s NBA career may be over, but he’s still out there teaching and passing on knowledge to the younger generation. Evan Sidery of Forbes and Bright Side Of The Sun shared a video of the three-time NBA champion teaching some of his tricks to Phoenix Suns rising star Devin Booker: When Dwyane Wade gifted […]

Wilson Chandler knows what it feels like to play under the microscopic bright lights of New York City. The newly-signed Brooklyn Nets forward, in fact, spent the first three and a half years of his career with the New York Knicks. In an interview with Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune, the 11-year veteran […]

Class is in session for Washington Wizards point guard John Wall. No, he’s not taking defenders to school and breaking their ankles like he normally does. He’s actually back in school in the hopes of getting a degree. Listen to John Wall as he talks about continuing his education, per the Wizards’ Twitter account: “My […]

NBA stars have been showing up to various basketball run-ins this summer. Recently, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum took his talents to the Rumph Classic in Philadelphia and gave everyone a teaser on what he will do this upcoming season. Jayson Tatum pulled up to Philly and went OFF at the Rumph Classic @jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/EmPgTV9nCp […]

The Golden State Warriors have locked up All-Star forward Draymond Green to a four-year, $100 million contract extension. The deal will commence on the 2020-21 season and will go through the 2023-24 campaign. With this extension, however, Green bypasses the possibility of earning a heftier paycheck ⁠– at most $235 million ⁠– next summer. Anthony […]

DeMarcus Cousins has been busy getting into his top physical condition this summer. On Saturday, however, the new Los Angeles Lakers center had a little bit of free time on his hands and decided to take a peak at the BIG3. Boogie in the house! @boogiecousins pic.twitter.com/T7crHzNbQM — BIG3 (@thebig3) August 3, 2019 Slim Boogie […]

San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge was feeling like Santa Claus on Friday, gifting over 200 students from the Boys & Girls Club in San Antonio with iPads, as posted by the Spurs Twitter account. All the feels. ❤️ LA gifted 243 iPads to kids from the @bgcsanantonio at today's Back-to-School Bash, along with school […]

After spending his first four years with the Philadelphia 76ers, point guard T.J. McConnell moved on and signed with the Indiana Pacers this past summer. However, according to Scott Agness of The Athletic, McConnell signed on the dotted line without any promise for minutes. “Nothing in my career has ever been easy. I just got […]

The Philadelphia 76ers signed veteran big man Kyle O’Quinn this off-season in the hopes that he can spell superstar center Joel Embiid some valuable minutes off the bench. Per Tom Moore of The Morning Call, O’Quinn, fully aware that he will primarily be Embiid’s back-up, is prepared to make the most of his role with […]

After winning the NBA Most Valuable Player award this past season, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo now has his sights set on a gold medal in the FIBA World Cup this coming September. In fact, the Greek Freak would actually be willing to trade his newly-won Maurice Podoloff trophy for a gold medal. “I would […]

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid’s top priority this offseason is to get into prime physical condition. That means improving his stamina and shedding off some pounds. Sixers part owner Michael Rubin appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast and shared that the All-NBA center has completely removed Krispy Kreme Doughnuts from his life to get into […]

The NBA has become a global sport, and its popularity all over the world has increased rapidly over the course of this decade. Likewise, more international players are taking their talents from overseas and into the NBA. In an effort to expand the game further, the NBA, in a partnership with FIBA, announced during February’s […]

Just moments after the Toronto Raptors won their first-ever NBA championship over the Golden State Warriors, team president Masai Ujiri allegedly got involved in an altercation with a sheriff’s deputy. The latest development on the alleged confrontation reveals that the case has already been submitted to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, George Kelly of […]

As soon as the Houston Rockets acquired Russell Westbrook, skeptics immediately began to howl their concerns on his fit next to another ball-dominant player like James Harden. However, an opposing NBA coach who spoke with Keith Smith of RealGM during Summer League thinks Westbrook will have a field year playing off the ball: “I bet […]

The stage was set for San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray to have a breakout campaign in his third year in the league. Unfortunately, his season ended before it even it began. In a preseason game against the Houston Rockets, Murray suffered a torn right ACL that subsequently held him out for the entire […]

Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey pounced on the opportunity when Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook became available for trade. Morey acquired Westbrook in exchange for 34-year old point guard Chris Paul and some draft picks. Of course, no one on the Rockets was more excited about the trade than Russ’ former teammate with the […]

The New York Knicks failed miserably in their attempt to land any marquee free agents this summer after hyping up their off-season prior to free agency. Knicks fans are obviously not pleased with how their off-season turned out. However, newly-signed forward Bobby Portis remains positive about their upcoming 2019-20 campaign. In fact, he believes that […]

Luka Doncic had a historic rookie season for the Dallas Mavericks in which he broke nearly every “teenager” or “before turning 20” record imaginable. He entered the league as arguably the most anticipated prospect from Europe. He was as good as advertised. Doncic strolled through his debut season, winning the 2019 Rookie of the Year. […]

In a summer full of shockers, the Houston Rockets and Daryl Morey made the most recent one by acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the deal, the Rockets’ GM didn’t believe they could actually pull off the trade for the 2017 NBA MVP. In fact, Daryl Morey already informed team owners […]

As a player, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is one of best to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. As a dad, he’s just like any ordinary father cheering for his children. In a recently concluded contest, his son Bronny parted the seas and iced the game with a massive throwdown. Of course, […]

Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell didn’t look like your typical rookie when he arrived to the NBA as a 21-year old. As the 13th overall selection in the 2017 draft, nobody expected him to immediately grab the keys of the franchise and run away with it. There is no doubt that Mitchell is the […]

New Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren has been attending NBA trainer Chris Brickley’s Blackops Basketball scrimmage runs this summer. Watching Warren up close has made the former Knicks Director of Player Development a huge fan. In a post on Instagram, Brickley said that playing in a small market team had a negative impact on Warren’s […]

After reaching the pinnacle and winning the NBA championship last June, the Toronto Raptors saw the two former San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, depart this summer for the bright lights of Los Angeles. The two-time Finals MVP made his way to the Clippers, while Danny Green signed with the Lakers. Their departures […]