Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 35

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 […]

Defensive end Bryce Huff will have a new zip code once again after he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers by the Philadelphia Eagles for a future draft pick. Huff only lasted one season with the Eagles and was inactive during the team’s Super Bowl victory. While he was quickly let go in Philadelphia, […]

The Chicago Cubs exacted revenge on the St. Louis Cardinals after scoring an easy 11-0 win at Wrigley Field on Sunday, highlighted by a milestone home run from Seiya Suzuki. The Cubs lost to the Cardinals on Sunday and got their four-game winning streak snapped. But they bounced back in a big way, with Suzuki […]

The Indiana Fever saw their three-game losing streak get snapped by the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday, 89-87, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The defeat dropped the Fever to 9-9 and seventh in the team standings as the All-Star break approaches. They have won three of their last five assignments despite missing star guard Caitlin Clark due […]

The massive seven-team trade headlined by the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets was finalized on Sunday after a complex review of all the moving pieces. With this, fast-rising guard Jalen Green is officially headed to the Suns as part of the package offered by the Rockets to land star forward Kevin Durant. There were […]

The upcoming 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend could be a welcome respite for the Indiana Fever as they try to gain traction in what has been a pedestrian campaign. The Fever are currently sitting on a 9-9 record after dropping a close game to the Los Angeles Sparks, 89-97, on Saturday. Indiana is 5-5 in its […]

All eyes were on Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey as he made his NBA Summer League debut on Saturday in Salt Lake. With the issues that surrounded his approach to the NBA Draft and his reported reluctance to play for the Jazz, many got even more curious to see how Bailey would fare. While Utah […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have split their first two assignments in the NBA Summer League after bowing to the Golden State Warriors, 89-84, and routing the Miami Heat, 103-83. Free agent forward Cole Swider has been the top performer for the Lakers, averaging 22.0 points on 70% shooting from the field. Originally signed by the […]

While many teams have been burning the phone lines with all the wheeling and dealing, the Miami Heat have yet to make a bold move in the offseason. That, however, could change soon, as the Heat are reportedly targeting free agent guard Damian Lillard and Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal, according to veteran insider Marc […]

The backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves did wonders for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, and the two playmakers are expected to carry the momentum moving forward, especially now with a full season of them together. There were concerns early on about the fit between Doncic and Reaves, as they’re both ball-heavy […]

IT’S TIME!—for the UFC to invade the White House. Or at least that’s what noted UFC fan Donald Trump wants. During his speech at a rally in Iowa on Thursday, President Trump said he plans to stage an MMA event at the White House to celebrate the United States’ 250th Independence Day next year. “We’re […]

With the departure of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets are facing another transition phase as they look to finally climb out of the cellar. It seems the Jets are perpetually mired in mediocrity, missing the playoffs for 14 straight seasons—the longest drought by any team in NFL history. Despite their doormat status, Jets […]

The Indiana Fever are in high spirits after winning their first WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title on Tuesday. Despite missing star guard Caitlin Clark for the third straight game due to a groin injury, the Fever hacked out an impressive victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the finals to capture the in-season tournament crown. Fans are […]

The Miami Dolphins are looking for a fresh start to rejuvenate their roster after trading star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. Ramsey didn’t hide his displeasure with the Dolphins, as the team missed the playoffs last season with a middling 8-9 record. To add to that, Miami hasn’t advanced past the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers finally made a big move in the offseason after signing Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal following his buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers have been in search of a dependable big man since the departure of Anthony Davis. When healthy and motivated, Ayton can provide instant double-doubles for […]

Despite all the outside noise, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese continues to live her best life during her second year in the WNBA. Reese has been putting up monster numbers for the Sky and was recently named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging a double-double of 19.7 points and 17.0 rebounds on […]

The San Antonio Spurs continue to be among the most revered organizations in the NBA, with many opposing squads trying to replicate the franchise’s blueprint of sustained success. Among the players who helped push the Spurs to the top is former star Tony Parker. He led the team, alongside fellow legends Tim Duncan and Manu […]

Jose Alvarado had a breakout campaign for the New Orleans Hornets last season, playing a key role off the bench for the upstart squad. He averaged in double-digit scoring for the first time at 10.3 points per game. He also tallied career-highs in rebounds, assists, and steals, proving he’s one of the more dependable backup […]

Despite not playing due to a groin injury, Caitlin Clark surely made her presence felt in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup finals between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, particularly during their locker room celebration. The Fever beat the Lynx in convincing fashion, 74-59, at Target Center to win their first crown in […]

Caitlin Clark could only watch as the Indiana Fever took on the Minnesota Lynx in the finals of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup at Target Center on Tuesday. Clark was forced to sit out the game due to her groin injury. There were speculations before tip-off that she might suit up as she was listed as […]

Courtney Williams looked to help the Minnesota Lynx make history as the first team to win back-to-back titles in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday. The Lynx battled the Indiana Fever for the crown at Target Center in what could be a preview of the finals in October. Minnesota ruled the Commissioner’s Cup, the league’s […]