Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 23

Amid the praises heaped on the NBA for the successful restart and conclusion of the 2019-20 NBA season in Orlando, Florida, it wasn’t enough to bolster the ratings of the league which has dropped considerably over the last few years. Critics believe that the NBA’s decision to fully support the Black Lives Matter movement negatively […]

Amid the Boston Celtics‘ failed draft transactions and Gordon Hayward’s departure, latest rumors reveal that the team is open to trading guard Marcus Smart. David Aldridge of The Athletic highlighted the Celtics’ future will be centered around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—both of whom inked long-term extensions. While Smart has played a pivotal role for […]

Fresh off DeMarcus Cousins’ new deal with the Houston Rockets, former NBA player Zach Randolph spoke out on his infamous “Bullies get bullied” moment with the big man. Randolph made an appearance on the “The James Posey” podcast where he looked back on his NBA career, including his little chat with Cousins in the free-throw […]

Gerald Green isn’t officially part of the Houston Rockets roster just yet, but he sent a bold warning to the NBA as the team tries to keep James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Per Mark Berman of Fox 26, Green seems well aware of the talk surrounding the Rockets. With both Harden and Westbrook reportedly wanting […]

Veteran forward Jared Dudley is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal, hoping to lend his veteran presence once again. Dudley flocked to Twitter to announce the good news, prompting his buddy LeBron James to have a good laugh about it. Dudley referenced Michael Jordan’s infamous fax message to the Chicago Bulls […]

It’s safe to say that Saturday was a bittersweet day for Denver Broncos wide receiver turned quarterback Kendall Hinton. Although he never would’ve dreamed to be starting at QB, his first and probably only game as Denver’s thrower didn’t exactly go great. Amid the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, four Broncos quarterbacks were deemed ineligible to play. […]

While Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. took home over $1 million each in their recent exhibition boxing match, ex-NBA player Nate Robinson and YouTuber Jake Paul took home just a measly $600 each from their showdown. Per Marc Raimondi of ESPN, Robinson and Paul were slated to earn a guaranteed amount of $600 each–the […]

After The Murray State Racers pummeled the Greenville Panthers by 78 points, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies sent out a tweet in support of his alma mater. Via Twitter, Morant’s single-emoji reaction to Murray State’s dominant 173-95 win in their home opener says it all. As noted in the tweet, a total of 10 […]

Dallas Mavericks fans collectedly gasped when Kristaps Porzingis suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his right knee in the 2020 playoffs. However, in a rather positive update for the Mavs, the Latvian big man was spotted putting up some shots in the gym. Porzingis, who underwent surgery last October, didn’t go full throttle in his […]

Boston Celtics icon Paul Pierce and former Maryland stalwart Len Bias headlines the 2021 College Hall of Fame inductees, which include six players and two coaches, per Sports Illustrated. Along with the two former college basketball stars, other players to be part of the 2021 Hall of Fame Class are North Carolina’s Antawn Jamison, Ohio […]

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is known to be an avid golfer. The sport may be his hobby. But he admits that he’s actually more nervous playing in golf tourneys than in the NBA Finals. Per Adam Kramer of Bleacher Report, Stephen Curry — who has participated in the 2017 and 2018 Ellie Mae […]

Marco Belinelli, most known for his stint with the San Antonio Spurs, is returning to his home country after inking a three-year deal with Italian basketball club Virtus Bologna. The deal was first reported by La Gazzetta Dello Sport. It was later confirmed by Virtus Bologna then by Belinelli himself via Twitter. The report noted […]

Like most NBA players, CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers isn’t too pumped about the league’s short offseason. The guard even pointed out that the NBA hasn’t released a set of health protocols with three weeks to go before opening night. The NBA 2020-21 season will kick off on Dec. 22. While some teams […]

Though his son wasn’t a part of the Los Angeles Lakers 2020 NBA title, LaVar Ball claims that the franchise owes him  ‘Thank You’ card. The Ball patriarch believes the Lakers went on a mission to prove him wrong after he claimed that the Purple and Gold would never win a title after they traded […]

A heated debate between Max Kellerman and Kendrick Perkins ensued during a First Take episode on who’s the greatest scorer of all time between Michael Jordan and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant. The debate trickled onto Twitter, where a fan laid out his argument on why Durant could overtake Jordan as the greatest offensive talent […]

Jared Dudley sent out a premature tweet during the game between his alma mater Boston College and Villanova. In the end, it was top-ranked team Villanova who won, 76-67, and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry rubbed it in Dudley’s face with a savage response. Lowry, a Villanova icon, wanted Dudley to put his money where […]

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ application to exclude Luol Deng’s salary from their books has been denied by the league. The Purple and Gold still owe him over $10 million over the next two seasons. To recall, Deng signed a hefty four-year, $72 million contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2016. It was a […]

Last week, the Golden State Warriors applied for a Disabled Player Exception (DPE) in the wake of Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles injury. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Dubs have been granted the DPE worth $9.3 million. The DPE will expire on April 19. It should be noted that the 2021 playoffs are tentatively […]

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel now has the benefit of hindsight to reflect on his tumultuous stint in the NFL. His latest realization is that his teammates ‘100% lost respect’ for him. Manziel, the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, made an appearance on the YNK Podcast where he opened up about his […]

Amid the Danilo Gallinari signing and the addition of USC center Onyeka Okongwu, John Collins’ future with the Atlanta Hawks seems bleak. But in a recent interview, general manager Travis Schlenk says that contract extension talks have begun with the incoming fourth-year man. Per Hawks reporter Brad Rowland, Schlenk expressed their desire to keep Collins […]

After being spotted donning Miami Heat apparel, fans were quick to speculate that two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas was about to take his talents to South Beach. However, Thomas extinguished any Heat talks from the get-go. According to Thomas, he collects game shorts and wears them in the offseason. It’s as simple as that. I collect […]

When the Brooklyn Nets hired Amar’e Stoudemire as a player development coach, eyes flocked to the team’s big men particularly incoming four-year man Jarrett Allen. After all, many have spotted Allen’s potential and in a recent interview, the big man shared how Amar’e been on him from the get-go. As an assistant for player development, […]

Sonny Vacarro was the executive who pushed Nike to sign Michael Jordan—who was then just coming out of North Carolina. The partnership boomed to a billion-dollar business and instantly revolutionized the shoe industry. After winning his first NBA title, Jordan gave Vacarro a shoe, which the executive has kept in his wife’s dresser for almost […]

With an NBA title on his resume, Markieff Morris expected some pretty hefty deals from different teams. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as expected given a dampened free-agent market. However, more than financial concerns, a new report revealed that it was Anthony Davis who pulled Morris back to the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Brad Turner […]

Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera is looking to take a page off the book of Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who smashed watermelons in front of his players to motivate them. McCarthy actually got the idea from American comedian Gallagher, whose antics include smashing watermelons in front of his audience. The method worked […]

With the Portland Trail Blazers’ offseason haul and their new and improved players, there’s a good chance that Carmelo Anthony will come off the bench—a role that he has vehemently shunned in the past. In the coming 2020-21 NBA season, the Blazers will have plenty of options at the forward spot: Robert Covington, Derrick Jones […]

Kemba Walker’s knee practically nagged him in his first season donning the legendary Boston Celtics uniform, particularly when the games resumed in Orlando. With the brand new season just around the corner, head coach Brad Stevens shared the precautions they’re taking to make sure Walker remains healthy. Stevens joined the Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman […]

The 2020 NBA Finals, which featured the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, was the first championship series in five years that did not have the Golden State Warriors. Understandably, three-time champion Stephen Curry found the finals difficult to sit through. However, Steph’s love for the game trumped his apprehensions. Curry joined Jeff Neubarth […]

As part of their trade deal, the New Orleans Pelicans have given Steven Adams a two-year, $35 million extension, per Zach Lowe of ESPN. Adams’ departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Pelicans was part of a four-team trade that also involved the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks. As part of his trade […]

Last September, New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball ended his brief stints with Creative Artists Agency and Roc Nation to join Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports. For Ball, it’s his first big independent decision. Now, on Sunday’s episode of “Ball in the Family,” the Pelicans playmaker shared why he chose to sign with Klutch Sports. According […]

In their quest for a successful title defense in the 2020-21 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers fortified their roster by signing Wesley Matthews, an 11-year veteran known for his steady shooting from deep and significant experience on the floor. It’s inevitable that Matthews will be compared to Danny Green. Though they weren’t swapped for […]

Superstar Anthony Davis has yet to sign a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, with reports noting that the two parties are still ironing out the details. Though it’s highly-expected that Davis will continue donning the Purple and Gold. And so the news that all fans are waiting for is how long will he stay […]

NFL Insider Adam Schefter tried to hop over the fence by breaking an NBA signing. However, premier league insider Adam Wojnarowski caught Schefter and put him back to his place. Schefter announced DeAndre Bembry’s deal with the Toronto Raptors on Instagram. Wojnarowski, who is actually a colleague of his in ESPN, savagely responded to Schefter’s […]

In Thursday’s duel against the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson suffered a leg injury that forced him to be carted off the field. Thompson suffered the injury in the final minute of the first half when he tried to tackle Seahawks running back DeeJay Dallas. Below is a clip of the incident. It […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have extended a qualifying offer to All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, per NBA reporter Keith Smith. Ingram’s qualifying offer is worth $9.5 million. He will also become a restricted free agent which means that the Pelicans have the right of first refusal. Per league sources: The New Orleans Pelicans tendered a qualifying […]

Though New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara missed Thursday’s practice due to an injury, he remains optimistic that he’ll back on the field come Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Kamara is dealing with a right foot injury — the same foot that restricted him in practice two weeks ago. In Week 9, the team […]

During Wednesday 2020 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Seth Curry from the Dallas Mavericks via trade. His brother, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, believes that the Sixers made a great choice. On Twitter, Curry expressed his belief that the Sixer got a gem in his brother. @sixers yall got a good one! […]

Amid Klay Thompson’s leg injury which dampened the Golden State Warriors’ hopes in returning to title contention, the team is staying optimistic. They still believe that the sharpshooter will not miss the entirety of the 2020-21 season. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Warriors still don’t know how severe Thompson’s right leg injury is until […]

For their 20th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat selected 6-foot-9 forward Precious Achiuwa. And team president Pat Riley couldn’t be any happier. Riley spoke about Achiuwa, noting that the Memphis standout is exactly the type of player they were looking for. Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Heat […]