R.P. Salao Articles - Page 32

Marcus Smart has made good on his promise as a game-altering defender. The Boston Celtics guard has been known for his hard-nosed defense since his college days at Oklahoma State. Smart claimed the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award for this season, presented to him by the only other guard to ever win it […]

If there was a Most Wholesome Player award in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo would likely be winning the MWP for possibly the fifth year in a row. The face of the Milwaukee Bucks is as pure as they come, a far cry from what you would expect from a hundred-millionaire basketball superstar and arguably the […]

The Golden State Warriors took a haymaker right on the chin in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. After having the Boston Celtics on the ropes in the second half, a huge flurry knocked the Dubs out cold. But Klay Thompson isn’t worried. The Splash Brother doesn’t think it has to get complicated when it […]

Fans still bring up the point guard that was robbed of the NBA Finals MVP award – and not it’s not Jeremy Lin on the 2019 championship winning Toronto Raptors. Stephen Curry has three championship rings with the Golden State Warriors and no Bill Russell trophy to show for it. Kevin Durant rightfully won both […]

Tyler Herro made a splash in 2020 when he became the breakout star in the NBA bubble for the Miami Heat. But off the court, he also made waves with his public relationship with Instagram model Katya Elise Henry. The Heat guard famously shot his shot like a crunch time three-pointer when he tweeted at […]

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid finished second in MVP voting, but ended up on the All-NBA Second Team. With MVP winner Nikola Jokic also being a center, the ballot votes just didn’t pour in for Joel. Something that’s been a talking point of late is reportedly getting attention from the NBA’s head honcho Adam Silver. […]

Derrick White has been the X-factor that the Boston Celtics have sorely needed in their run to the NBA Finals. He may have his down games, but he’s come up large during massive spots for the guys in green. D-White showcased that again in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, hitting three after back-breaking […]

There are no ifs or buts about it. The Golden State Warriors choked away Game 1 on their own home floor. They built up a 15-point lead over the Boston Celtics towards the end of the third quarter and looked firmly in control of the contest with just the final frame left to play. After […]

More facts are slowly starting to trickle out as the allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson continue to go through the legal process. More recently, there was the revelation that Watson had paid a Houston spa owner $5,000 for helping set up his massage appointments. For insight on the most improved teams from the […]

Stephen Curry was absolutely scorching for the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter. But Al Horford and the Boston Celtics overshadowed that display, both with the final score and in the history books. Al Horford pulled off his best Steph Curry impression in his NBA Finals debut with 26 points and six threes. That […]

The Boston Celtics pulled off a stunning upset over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. With the spotlight on the biggest series of the season, people around the NBA were locked in on the action. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who himself has been in four NBA Finals series in […]

The Golden State Warriors have been the dynasty that’s last reigned over the NBA. But before their arrival it was the San Antonio Spurs that terrorized the league season after season. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have been the ruling trio over the past decade. They’ve tallied 21 playoff series wins heading into […]

Stephen Curry went nuclear in the first quarter of Game 1. The Golden State Warriors point guard oozed so much confidence that it even seeped into his assists yet to come. Steph Curry scooped a pass to Warriors co-star Klay Thompson. He didn’t even turn his head to check if his fellow Splash Brother made […]

In a perfect world, the NBA season would operate without injuries. With superstars sustaining season-ending injuries every year, it’s arguably the biggest problem that the league must try to alleviate. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the idea of shortening the 82-game season as one possible solution. While Silver admits that it’s been in […]

The best two weeks in basketball have arrived. The NBA Finals is upon us and the days leading up to Game 1 have provided fans the runway to get into heated debate over who has the edge as the Boston Celtics take on the Golden State Warriors. One narrative that’s taken shape is that the […]

LeBron James may not have won any hardware with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but he did hit a major milestone that even the greatest of NBA stars never reached. The Lakers star has now hit billionaire status – at least according to the unofficial estimate of Forbes. While it’s not a cold-hard fact […]

The Golden State Warriors are four wins away from being able to definitively brand their current roster as championship-caliber. Nobody can doubt what the original core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson had already achieved. But with age, injuries, and a new supporting cast, their team has had to prove itself all over […]

Ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Jayson Tatum was asked about his favorite Finals moment. The All-Star may be a Boston Celtic, but his favorite ones involve none other than Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Tatum didn’t have to think too hard to remember Kobe’s 2010 NBA Finals win. Unfortunately for Celtics […]

Josh Donaldson has been deeply embroiled in his beef with Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. While it’s no surprise that Anderson’s teammates are some outside observers are voicing out against the former American League MVP, what Donaldson can’t get over is that members of the New York Yankees have also piled on. Both fellow […]

The United States men’s national team took care of business on Wednesday night, blanking the visiting Moroccan side in the first of four World Cup warm-up matches slated this month. While the result went the USMNT’s favor, cruising to a victory 3-0 once the whistle sounded, Christian Pulisic was not completely happy with every aspect […]

Andre Iguodala is no stranger to the NBA Finals, entering his seventh trip in 18 career seasons making the grandest stage in basketball and his sixth doing so with the Golden State Warriors. He’s the elder statesman on a Warriors team rife with young talent such as rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Asked about […]

The Seattle Seahawks have a quarterback clash on their hands with the departure of Russell Wilson. Former backup Geno Smith and new arrival Drew Lock have both been vying for the starting spot. But there has been some light buzz on a potential big-name player getting linked to Emerald City – Cam Newton. Sheena Quick […]

The NFL season is just a couple of months away for the Cleveland Browns, but their starting quarterback’s legal issues aren’t going away. There’s been an additional lawsuit filed against him by a 23rd woman joining piling on Deshaun Watson’s legal troubles with new allegations. Nia Smith claims to have had three encounters with the […]

Daniel Ricciardo hasn’t had the dream stint with McLaren that he was hoping for. After a maiden season with the team resulting in just one Formula 1 podium to his name, a resounding win at Monza, the Australian has otherwise been unable to break through. Ricciardo finished 13th in the recently concluded Monaco Grand Prix, […]

The Seattle Seahawks are entering a new era – one without two franchise icons in Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. Tenure wide receiver Tyler Lockett is ready for the challenge. With those two gone, Lockett not becomes the longest-tenured player left on the Seahawks roster. His seven-year career now gives him franchise seniority, something he’ll […]

It’s hard to say that Adam Wainwright turned back the clock for one night. He’s been terrific once again for the St. Louis Cardinals in the past few seasons. But he pitched with a little extra fire in their 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Waino was spectacular on the mound, striking […]

Tommy Pham takes his fantasy football seriously. The Cincinnati Reds outfielder has made headlines of late after cameras and spectators caught him smacking Joc Pederson over their fantasy league from a season prior. The beef between the two stemmed from some incendiary comments Pederson joked about the struggles of the San Diego Padres, Pham’s team […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Kenny Pickett to be its quarterback of the future was one of the feel-good stories of the NFL draft. But the franchise isn’t planning to crown him the king just yet. Pickett is reportedly still simmering with the third-stringers for the second week in a row at the OTAs. That has […]

Boston is once again at the forefront of the sporting world as the Celtics have made their way into the NBA Finals. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, no stranger to that sort of spotlight himself, reacted to their crosstown brothers competing to bring another title to Beantown. The Patriots coach was asked about the […]

The Boston Celtics were battered and bruised throughout the battle that was the Eastern Conference Finals. Both of their top defenders in Marcus Smart and Robert Williams played through injuries in their grueling seven-game series against the Miami Heat. The extended rest before the NBA Finals begins is exactly what those two needed. Celtics head […]

The New York Knicks appeared to have a logjam at point guard coming into this past season. Now they’re trying to deal with the opposite problem with a need for their next floor general. One name on New York’s radar is a former All-Star, but probably not the ideal one Knicks fans would be clamoring […]

Is OG Anunoby unhappy in Toronto? The answer seems to be unclear. But the news coming from the Raptors star doesn’t exactly sound like it’s a resounding “No.” According to the latest report from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, there are rumors of discontent surrounding OG Anunoby and his minimized role in the Raptors offense, even […]

The Golden State Warriors enter the NBA Finals as the favorites to win, at least according to the FanDuel betting lines. But the narrative surrounding the Boston Celtics being a matchup nightmare for the Dubs is slowly gaining traction. There’s the catch-all figure that points to the Celtics matching up against Golden State the best […]

Jimmy Butler had a godlike playoff run that cemented his status as one of the premiere postseason performers in the entire NBA. When the lights shine brightest and when the Miami Heat need him, Jimmy Buckets can and will produce. However, there’s no doubt that it’s the final shot that he missed that will be […]

The 2022 Boston Celtics may be getting their first taste of the NBA Finals, but this is a franchise that’s no stranger to the biggest stage in basketball. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and the rest of the Celtics are four wins away from hoisting up Boston’s first Larry O’Brien Trophy in over a […]

The Boston Celtics won the decisive Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the NBA world was still busy talking about Jimmy Butler and his missed shot to give the Miami Heat the lead with seconds remaining. With the Heat down two points and less than 20 seconds left in the contest, Butler stopped […]

Jimmy Butler was one shot away from propelling the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals. After it went a few inches short and the buzzer sounded on the final result, a 100-96 Boston Celtics win, he went straight to his biggest series rival in Jayson Tatum. Butler shared an emotional embrace with his Celtics rival […]

The Golden State Warriors have made making the NBA Finals look easy. But Stephen Curry knows the long journey they took to get back to the mountaintop. Golden State is heading towards their sixth NBA Finals trip in the last eight seasons. The two years in between, a brief hiatus for some teams, felt like […]

Jayson Tatum is the Boston Celtics’ most important player, but he had some purple and gold on him for Game 7 against the Miami Heat. JT rocked a Los Angeles Lakers armband with his idol Kobe Bryant’s number 24 sown on it. If that’s not a Game 7 motivator for someone who idolized and patterned […]