Riana Mercado Articles - Page 4

On a re-airing of Syracuse’s 2003 national championship win against Kansas, the Orange’s head coach Jim Boeheim revealed that they came very close to landing a young Kevin Durant who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets. Boeheim revealed the tidbit in a Facebook Live video, which was conducted simultaneously to the re-run. The long-time Syracuse […]

When asked by Andre Drummond why fans love Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso so much, DeMarcus Cousins had a simple answer: “He the GOAT.” Boogie said Caruso's the 🐐 @ACFresh21 #NBA2KTourney pic.twitter.com/cCSjN4E4ci — NBA 2K (@NBA2K) April 6, 2020 Drummond asked the question while playing the Lakers for the NBA 2K players tournament. Cousins, […]

NBA players and fans’ worst nightmare just became more probable than ever: the 2019-20 season might be cancelled after all. According to Bleacher Report, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that the NBA is considering the said angle following China’s CBA shutdown. The NBA is "angling" to cancel the 2019-20 season after China's CBA shutdown, per […]

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most well-established organizations in the history of the NBA. The team, renowned for their consistency, has had the highest winning percentage among active franchises. They also topped this off with 22 consecutive playoff appearances, matching an NBA record. The Spurs are also home to Gregg Popovich, one […]

Many NBA players have explored various activities to fill their day ever since the season suspension, one of which involves streaming themselves playing video games. Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, in particular, played NBA 2K while on Twitch.tv, where he wore a throwback Carlos Boozer jersey. The most interesting thing about Donovan Mitchell’s current twitch […]

The Houston Rockets are reportedly preparing for all possible courses of action regarding the 2019-20 season. This includes a first round playoff match against the Denver Nuggets. According to Ben DuBose of RocketsWire, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believes that some regular season games are still going to be played. However, the No. 6 […]

With the coronavirus outbreak forcing people to stay home, mental health has globally become an increasing concern. San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan revealed that challenging himself daily personally helped with his anxiety. Per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, the Spurs star discussed players’ well-being during the suspension in an Instagram interview with Kensa […]

After skipping too many board meetings, investors have been asked to vote against Shaquille O’Neal’s re-election as a director of Papa John’s International Inc. According to Jeff Green of Bloomberg, investment adviser Institutional Shareholder Services reported that over the last year, O’Neal attended less than 75% of meetings. The NBA legend joined the board a […]

New York Knicks’ Kevin Knox may have improved his defense shortly before the season suspension, but the forward isn’t flourishing like his some of his fellow 2018 lottery picks. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, an NBA source cited that David Fizdale and his interim replacement Mike Miller felt that Knox was […]

In an Instagram Live interview, Carmelo Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers reminisced about his early basketball years. The story of when Melo gained Kobe Bryant’s respect especially warmed every fan’s heart. Talking to Dwyane Wade, the Blazers veteran recounted a night against the Los Angeles Lakers, back on his rookie year with the Denver […]

New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has shown flashes of brilliance in his first year in the NBA, but one league personnel believes his ceiling is pretty limited. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, an NBA personnel believes that Barrett will get better with time. However, the said source pointed out that […]

NBA players and fans have been looking for ways to pass the time since the season was suspended. Notably, one of the most popular activities is watching highlights. The league has done their part in this, offering a free League Pass so fans could watch their favorite games. They have also been active on social […]

College players seek to continue the transition into professional leagues amidst the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, some recently declared for the NBA draft during the recommended self-quarantine period. These include potential first overall pick, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, as well as Auburn’s Isaac Okoro. Duke’s Tre Jones is yet another player to declare for the draft. […]

Portland Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic summed up on Twitter how athletes and fans are feeling during the quarantine. Waiting for sports to come back .. pic.twitter.com/dlpFLv4Y5f — Jusuf Nurkić 🇧🇦 (@bosnianbeast27) March 21, 2020 The 25-year-old center has been out for almost a year due to a gruesome leg injury sustained in March […]

The NBA will allow players to travel out of their team markets starting on Monday, and it has garnered different reactions from players. For one, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James chose to react to the news on a lighter tone. On Twitter, the Lakers forward joked that he will bring his family to the […]

The NBA’s suspension of the season due to COVID-19 forced players to restrict their movements inside their homes or limited areas. Although an important safety protocol, many are left cooped up indoors with nothing else to do. It seemed like good news when the league finally announced that players can travel out of market. Despite many […]

NBA fans and players found themselves bombarded with news related to the coronavirus Wednesday night as cities and sports teams all over announced their course of action in response to the pandemic. A chronological sampling of events from the day that was Wednesday, March 11. pic.twitter.com/0ez6Oi9Mgv — Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 12, 2020 But for […]

The NBA has suspended the season on Wednesday immediately following initial reports of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19. Subsequently, teams who recently played with Utah have also taken swift action. The Toronto Raptors, who had a game in Utah on Monday night, has informed their players to self-quarantine for the next […]

In a heavily anticipated matchup, the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers finally battled with their respective duo headliners — LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George respectively — all on the court for the first time. When asked about possible playoff matchups between the two teams, Paul George believes […]

Even head coaches aren’t exempt from some heckling. That is proven true when a fan in the recent Sacramento Kings-Toronto Raptors matchup shouted angrily at head coach Luke Walton. Sacramento was down three with 13.7 seconds left on the clock, but the fan turned livid when Walton kept Buddy Hield — the reigning 3-Point champion […]

The Brooklyn Nets have emphasized that Kenny Atkinson’s departure as head coach was “mutual,” but that did not make the reports any less surprising for everyone. Recent reports have centered not directly on Atkinson’s performance, but instead, on a deteriorating relationship with players. NBA insider Ian Begley earlier did not pinpoint an exact reason for […]

Jersey exchanges are common among NBA players. What is unusual is wearing a signed one post-game — and yet, that is exactly what Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo did. He rocked a signed Bradley Beal jersey in the locker room after the game against the Washington Wizards, subsequently telling reporters it was out of respect. […]

Wednesday night’s highly anticipated matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans might have been a chance for many to watch Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic battle for the first time, but Kristaps Porzingis reminded everyone of his presence on both ends of the floor. The former New York big man recorded 34 points […]

The highly anticipated matchup between Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson ended in favor of the Dallas Mavericks, with the Mavs winning the game 137-133 in overtime. Doncic led his team with a masterful triple-double of 30 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to record ten 30-point triple-doubles in […]

The West’s eighth seed is a narrow race, but the Memphis Grizzlies intend to hold on tight. Following the All-Star break, the team’s tough schedule has led some to predict their falling out of contention. Adamant to prove critics wrong, the Grizzlies won their second straight 39+ point win on the road Wednesday night, making […]

Zion Williamson has been nothing but spectacular for the New Orleans Pelicans ever since he entered their starting lineup. The rookie has put everyone on notice — coaches, fellow players, fans, and the media — with his strong, explosive playing style. Now, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, even Los Angeles Lakers head coach […]

Bradley Beal has been making headlines as of late with a series of shooting streaks, which many would attribute to motivation acquired from the All-Star snub. In fact, when asked about how much it fired him up, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks merely smiled and said, “Can you imagine if he was an All-Star?” Scott […]

Last year, the Golden State Warriors went to the NBA Finals. This year, they have the league-worst record at 13-48. Key players have heavily marred the team’s season, especially those to the backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. After Sunday’s loss to the Wizards, head coach Steve Kerr answered another inquiry towards the […]

The New Orleans Pelicans’ quest for the last West playoffs spot took a slight detour Sunday night as the Los Angeles Lakers grabbed the win, 122-114. All were not dim for the Pelicans, however, as first overall pick Zion Williamson continued a historic run with a career-high 35 points, his third 30-point performance in his […]

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer seemed to take shots at James Harden’s trending remarks regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s style of play. Speaking after the game, he talked of Antetokounmpo’s talent and skills, and that the organization wants him to be their identity. Bud describing Giannis after the game: "He’s obviously very very skilled, very talented, […]

Dallas Mavericks point forward Luka Doncic’s birthday did not go well on-court, as the Mavs lost Friday night on the road against the Miami Heat. The first-time All-Star had an off-night as the ball kept slipping from his hands. Doncic did not make any of his six attempts from three and recorded six turnovers to […]

Two-time All-Star Bradley Beal is, to say the least, having an unfortunate season. With Friday night’s loss against the Utah Jazz, the Washington Wizards are now staring at a dismal .362 losing record. The 26-year-old shooting guard has even clinched an unwanted record, joining Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, and Allen Iverson with 7 straight 40-point […]

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta finally spoke up regarding the team’s unsuccessful protest made earlier this season over an uncounted James Harden dunk. According to Kirk Bohls of Statesman, Fertitta admitted that he wasn’t keen to file the protest because of a blown 22-point lead. He added that it was his “basketball people” that pushed for filing, […]

The Boston Celtics continue to aim for the East’s second-best record as the team took care of Utah, winning 114-103 on Wednesday night. Boston is now only a game behind the East’s current second, defending champions Toronto Raptors, thanks in large part to first-time All-Star Jayson Tatum. The young forward put up an efficient 33 […]

Everything has worked out for Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook this season when he stopped taking threes and started bulldozing his way to the rim more often. Since then, the Rockets’ point guard has been having an impressive but relatively quiet season, pouring in 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. Rookie of […]

The Dallas Mavericks further bolstered their record to 36-23 after rallying past the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 on Wednesday night. Mavs All-Star Luka Doncic put on his usual numbers, recording a triple double in the matchup. Now, speaking to reporters after the game, Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV acknowledged the defense’s focus on Doncic. Long-time […]

The NBA hasn’t been short of controversial officiating in the past few weeks. The most costly, perhaps, was a no-call goaltend against Damian Lillard’s game-tying lay-in. The league once again saw anti-officiating woes on Saturday night following the Dallas Mavericks’ loss against the Atlanta Hawks. Mavs owner Mark Cuban erupted on social media, speaking out […]

It is crazy to think New Orleans Pelicans rising star Zion Williamson has played less than 15 games in his rookie year. It is even crazier that he’s only 19 years old and that he’s supposedly coming off an injury. No one would blame him if he needed a few games to truly feel like […]

First overall pick Zion Williamson continues to impress during his late rookie year start. The New Orleans Pelicans power forward has only played in 11 games but is already making noise with 22.4 points and 7.2 assists per game. Even more impressive is that Williamson is doing this under a limited playing time average of […]