Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 14

The Charlotte Hornets have failed to advance to the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons, the longest active drought in the NBA. At this point, the Hornets need any form of help they can get. While the team has a talented nucleus in guards LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller and forward Miles Bridges, roster depth remains […]

The San Antonio Spurs remained undefeated in the NBA Summer League after notching their third straight win in nail-biting fashion at the Thomas & Mack Center in Nevada on Monday. With the game tied with only 1.9 seconds left in overtime against the Utah Jazz, Riley Minix sank a tough fadeaway jumper from the baseline […]

Another year, another offseason filled with optimism for the New York Jets. This time, the Jets are pinning their hopes on quarterback Justin Fields, who agreed to a two-year contract worth $40 million this offseason. He will take over under center from veteran Aaron Rodgers, who had an eventful two-season stint in New York. There […]

With limited roster spots at stake, players in the NBA Summer League can get highly intense at times. Just ask the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. On Monday, Celtics forward Jordan Walsh was ejected from the game at Cox Pavilion in Nevada after shoving Heat guard Pelle Larsson in the second quarter. He was […]

The Chicago Sky tapered off after a strong first half and absorbed a sorry defeat against the Minnesota Lynx, 91-78, at Wintrust Arena on Monday. The Sky held a two-point lead at halftime but couldn’t sustain their momentum. The Lynx, playing their fourth game in six days, avenged their upset loss to Chicago on Saturday, […]

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has come out swinging this offseason—literally. Curry has been busy trying to defend his title in the American Century Championship Celebrity Golf Tournament in South Lake Tahoe. But while he’s currently focused on an entirely different goal, he couldn’t escape the realities of what’s coming next for the Warriors. […]

Indiana Fever forward Natasha Howard knows how to play in two modes: Intense and more intense. The Fever picked up Howard in the offseason, and the move has paid off well. She has been the perfect complementary player to the star trio of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell, doing the dirty work and […]

The New York Knicks shocked the basketball world last month after firing Tom Thibodeau despite coaching the team to its first conference finals since 2000. Fans felt it was a knee-jerk reaction after the Knicks’ tough loss to the Indiana Pacers. The front office, however, stressed that the squad needs to head in a new […]

If there’s one athlete who would truly enjoy the new “Superman” movie, it’s NBA legend Dwight Howard. In fact, that’s exactly how he felt after watching it—twice. Howard gave himself the nickname “Superman” during his illustrious basketball career. While he received flak for stealing it from fellow NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal, the three-time Defensive Player […]

NFL legend Jim Kelly and his family are going through a difficult period right now, and they are seeking help from fans. In a statement, Kelly revealed that his daughter, Erin, and her husband, Parker, welcomed their first child last week. It was, however, a bittersweet moment as the birth resulted in “unexpected medical complications.” […]

While she’s known for her fiery competitiveness, it has become pretty common to see Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark having fun with her teammates. During their celebration in the locker room after the Fever won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, a video of Clark making her teammates drink from the trophy went viral. Clearly, she has […]

After showing promise in 2023, the Cleveland Browns were sent crashing back to earth the following year and missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. The Browns finished with a woeful record of 3-14 in another forgettable campaign. But as they say, there’s always a silver lining. For the Browns, it’s the […]

One of the most anticipated games of the season ended with a lopsided result, as the Indiana Fever made easy work of the Dallas Wings, 102-83, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday. Fans were eager to witness the first matchup between Fever star Caitlin Clark and Wings rookie Paige Bueckers, the last two top overall picks […]

The Orlando Magic made the first splash in the offseason after acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and a slew of first-round picks. The move was panned by fans, saying Orlando gave up way too much for Bane, who has struggled with injuries over the past few […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up where they left off last season after winning their first assignment in the NBA Summer League on Thursday. The defending champions defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 90-81, behind the trio of Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic, and Chris Youngblood. Drew Timme, meanwhile, was a bright spot for the Nets, finishing with […]

Cooper Flagg showed a glimpse of what he can do for the Dallas Mavericks after making his much-anticipated debut in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Thursday. Flagg helped the Mavericks to a tight win over the Los Angeles Lakers, 72-70, at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Lakers had a chance to […]

Just imagine if the San Antonio Spurs added another young player with a long wingspan, athleticism, and rim-protecting abilities to pair with their unicorn star Victor Wembanyama. Oh, yeah, that’s right. That’s exactly what the Spurs have done. The Spurs landed the rookie they were targeting after drafting Carter Bryant as the 14th overall pick […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers did a major reset in the offseason to finally make a deep run after a string of mediocre campaigns. Obviously, their biggest move was signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal worth $30 million. It’s a high-risk, high-reward gamble for the Steelers, with the 42-year-old Rodgers already on the tail-end of […]

The much-anticipated return of superstar Caitlin Clark ended on a whimper for the Indiana Fever after losing to the Golden State Valkyries, 80-61, on Wednesday. The Valkyries held off a strong run by the Fever in the third quarter and ultimately took control of the game. Indiana suffered its second straight defeat and dropped to […]

What’s an offseason in the NBA without some drama from the Los Angeles Lakers? Rumors are swirling that LeBron James is not happy with the front office. While several teams have already stacked up in preparation for next season, the Lakers have only landed Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. The team also lost Dorian Finney-Smith […]

Following a strong performance last season, the Houston Rockets made sure to make bold moves in the offseason to build on their momentum heading into the next campaign. The Rockets made arguably the biggest splash this summer by acquiring Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in a historic seven-team trade. Despite being the second seed, […]

The Las Vegas Aces could be dealt a double black eye after their loss to the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on Tuesday. Aside from absorbing their 10th defeat of the season, 87-78, the Aces also lost star center A’ja Wilson to a right wrist injury in the second quarter. She was visibly in […]

It must be extremely difficult being Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker right now. After all, how can he live comfortably with a meager annual salary of only $72.5 million? In this economy? On Wednesday, Booker signed a two-year contract extension with the Suns worth $145 million through the 2029-30 season. It is the highest annual […]

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker could treat the whole state of Arizona to a round right now after signing a massive extension on Wednesday. Booker agreed to a two-year maximum contract extension worth $145 million through the 2029-30 season. It is now the highest annual extension salary in league history at $72.5 million. It surpassed […]

Being in limbo is one of the toughest places to be in the NBA, and right now, it seems like that’s exactly where Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal is. When Beal was traded to the Suns in 2023, many expected that he would finally join a winning team after languishing for years on the Washington […]

The Green Bay Packers are getting creative with their fans to build up excitement for the upcoming season. Literally. The team has announced its “Give Us A Sign” contest, which looks for “clever captions” and “savvy sign ideas” that will be used on gamedays. A panel of judges will pick the top 16 entries as […]

The Milwaukee Bucks made a strong offseason move after acquiring center Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers on a four-year deal worth $107 million, according to ESPN. The Bucks, however, had to waive star Damian Lillard to make room for Turner. It was a stunning yet necessary move, as Milwaukee used the NBA’s stretch provision […]

Memphis Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway has kept it a family affair after appointing his godson, Darrell Brown Jr., as director of player development. It’s the latest move made by Hardaway in his staff after promoting Jermaine Johnson from director of analytics to assistant coach. Like Hardaway, Brown is a legend in Memphis, starring at […]

The Indiana Fever will be well-represented in the much-awaited WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on July 19. The trio of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell got the nod for the second straight year, which would surely be a treat for the home fans. The Fever are hosting the midseason showcase […]

While the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners were battling it out on the diamond at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, a different kind of diamond also came to the fore. With the Yankees up, 1-0, early in the game, a special moment occurred behind the scenes. With the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh at bat, a […]

Behind the explosive scoring of Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty bounced back from a tough loss and defeated the Las Vegas Aces, 87-78, on Tuesday. The Liberty, who bowed to the Seattle Storm, 79-70 on Sunday, clamped down on the Aces in the fourth quarter to complete the victory. They improved to 13-6, while […]

An interesting takeaway from Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow on the newly released “Quarterback” documentary series on Netflix was that he wanted to buy a Batmobile. He, however, was forced to cancel his purchase of the replica car worth $2.9 million after his house was burglarized in December. For what it’s worth, Batman wouldn’t have […]

Fans of the Golden State Warriors didn’t hide their grief after longtime center Kevon Looney decided to move on and signed with the New Orleans Pelicans as a free agent. Looney agreed to a two-year contract with the Pelicans worth $16 million. He will provide veteran leadership in the frontcourt, guiding young big men Yves […]

The Phoenix Suns will enter the new season with an overhauled roster, cutting short their era with superstar forward Kevin Durant to move in a different direction. All-Star guard Devin Booker will now carry most of the cudgels for the Suns, who received talented youngster Jalen Green and veteran forward Dillon Brooks in the complex […]

After helping the Boston Celtics win the championship just two years ago, Kristaps Porzingis found himself packing his bags once again after being shipped to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are Porzingis’ fifth team since entering the league in 2015 as a highly touted big man. Injuries, however, have hounded him in his entire career, […]

The Las Vegas Aces returned to the win column on Sunday after beating the Connecticut Sun, 86-68, on the road. The Aces were coming off an embarrassing loss to the Indiana Fever, 81-54, on Thursday and appeared to release their anger and frustration on the league-worst Sun. Las Vegas is still grasping for consistency this […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently held their championship parade after winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy with a young roster anchored on players with talent, length, and versatility. News flash: They’re about to add another one. After sitting out his entire rookie year with an ACL injury, Nikola Topic finally made his much-anticipated debut for Oklahoma […]

The Golden State Warriors are amid a period of uncertainty with superstar Stephen Curry still recovering from a hamstring injury and the front office still looking for pieces to soup up the roster. While it’s quite feasible that Curry will return in full health for next season, it remains to be seen how the said […]

Jalen Ramsey’s wish to be shipped to a new team was granted after the Miami Dolphins traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ramsey didn’t hide his displeasure with the Dolphins last season after they tallied an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years. The talented cornerback will join star […]