Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 33

After their 118-111 scrimmage victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo praised the performance of big man Myles Turner. Oladipo also hinted that he might suit up for the rest of the bubble, contrary to previous reports that he might sit out to rehab. In 24 minutes of action, Turner chipped in […]

For Philadelphia 76ers stars Ben Simmons, big man Al Horford is crucial in the team’s eight remaining regular-season games and subsequent playoff run. Despite the Sixers’ scrimmage loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, Simmons was happy with what he saw with Horford. The veteran, filling in for Joel Embiid, chipped in 13 points, […]

Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley has rejoined the team after attending to a personal emergency earlier in the week. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Beverley has returned to the Orlando bubble. However, per league protocols, Beverley will be required to quarantine for four to 10 days. Given this timetable, Beverley will miss the […]

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has made significant strides in his post game. According to him, patience has been the key factor in his improvement for the Sixers. Per Jon Johnson of 94 WIP Sports Radio, Joel Embiid shared that he’s learning to kick the ball instead of forcing his way. Joel Embiid on […]

Amid low expectations, the Oklahoma City Thunder have managed to clinch a berth in the NBA Playoffs this year. General manager Sam Presti shared his insights on their overperformance, citing the “randomness” of every NBA season. Entering the 2019-20 NBA season, analysts thought that the Thunder were about to enter a long rebuilding process. After […]

For Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, speaking out on the social injustices in the US is something that’s innate in him. And he’s proud of that fact. After their scrimmage against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, James shared his thoughts on the racial and social injustice that’s been hounding the country. James is one […]

Newly-minted Los Angeles Lakers guard JR Smith has spent some good amount of time with his new teammates. So much so that he knows who the best on the team is – at dancing. Smith spoke with Allie Clifton of Spectrum SportsNet where they talked about some not-so-serious basketball matters. One of the questions that […]

For Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers should be the 2019-20 Most Valuable Player because of his sheer dominance. Lillard appeared in the Dan Patrick Show where he shared his thoughts on the MVP race. Analysts are divided between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James. While Lillard acknowledges the […]

In his new young adult fiction book entitled “Geese Are Never Swans,” Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant tackled the subject trauma and the healing process that proceeds it. Kobe Bryant’s co-author, psychologist Eva Clark shared what it was like working with the basketball legend. Clark pointed out that Bryant was particularly interested in the […]

Amid low expectations vis-à-vis to what the Oklahoma City Thunder have done this season, general manager Sam Presti believes that head coach Billy Donovan has a strong case for winning Coach of the Year. The Thunder currently sport a 40-24 record for fifth in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Note that they did this with a […]

Philadelphia 76ers big man Al Horford is concerned that the absence of fans in the NBA restart may affect how the game is played. Horford — who’s on his 13th year in the league — acknowledged that all players will be entering an unfamiliar environment. A good chunk of them is used to playing high-octane […]

With just a few days before the restart of the NBA 2019-20 season, Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams reminded everyone of the team’s depth. Via Twitter, Williams asked an interesting question. Whether or not he’s really curious, NBA fans — whether Clippers diehards or not — know that Williams is referring to himself and […]

To practice social distancing during timeouts, the NBA has introduced a new protocol that involves “timeout chairs” during games. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, NBA players and coaches must practice social distancing rules during timeouts using movable chairs. After the timeout, the staff will sanitize these aforementioned chairs. Sources: The NBA has informed teams […]

Los Angeles Lakers big man Dwight Howard made the headlines after questioning the need of wearing masks in the bubble. As expected, he was slammed by fans and critics. The most recent person to take a shot is his former coach, Scott Brooks of the Washington Wizards. Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, Brooks noted […]

In honor of legendary head coach Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz players will have a “1223” patch stitched onto their jerseys for the 2019-20 NBA season restart in Orlando. Sloan passed away at the age of 78 on May 22 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. For what it’s worth, “1223” refers […]

NBA fans are intrigued as to how games will look like in the Orlando bubble. After all, there will be no home-court advantage and no supporters in the stands. Fortunately, Los Angeles Lakers swingman Danny Green gave everyone a pretty good idea. According to Green, there will be tons of trash talking in the Orlando […]

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and rookie Tyler Herro have been getting along pretty well as teammates. In a recent Instagram post, Butler alluded to “Karate Kid” to describe his mentor-mentee relationship with Herro. Butler posted a photo of him and Herro in one of the practices in the Orlando bubble. He captioned it with […]

It’s safe to say that Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis has completely healed from the ACL injury he suffered in 2018. In fact, the Latvian star sees himself as a “dangerous” player for the Mavs. Per Mavs reporter Dwain Price, Porzingis shared that coach Carlisle hasn’t really locked him in the forward or center […]

Kendrick Perkins delivered a massive warning to the NBA, specifically the East: don’t be surprised if the Miami Heat make it all the way to the Finals. In a heated debate on ESPN’s First Take, Perkins noted that anything can happen in the Orlando bubble. As such, he said that the Heat have a legitimate […]

While rookie center Bol Bol has yet to see some NBA action, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray thinks the 44th overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft could be the steal of the class. Bol, who is the son of former NBA player and defensive stalwart Manute Bol, has been raising eyebrows during the team’s […]

Oklahoma City Thunder big man Steven Adams believes that the absence of fans will cause a spike in technical fouls in the NBA 2019-20 season restart in Orlando. According to Adams, the referees would be able to hear everything the players will say about each other or about them. As such, more technical fouls will […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard JR Smith is a bit perplexed that ESPN ranked Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki ahead of Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon in their top foreign-born NBA players of all-time. Smith shared his sentiments on Twitter, noting that he doesn’t have any contempt against Nowitzki. He knows what Dirk has done throughout […]

NFL icon Steve Young has issued a massive challenge to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the 2020 season: earn the trust of head coach Kyle Shanahan. Young, who forged his legendary career donning the 49ers uniform, appeared on KNBR 680 earlier this week to share his thoughts on the relationship between Garoppolo and […]

According to several NFL executives, coaches and players, Khalil Mack of the Chicago Bears is the best edge rusher in the league. In a poll conducted by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, a group of NFL executives, coaches and players were asked to name the best players in each position. Nearly every voter placed Mack in […]

Whispers all over the league point to Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis as the one poised to be crowned this season’s Defensive Player of the Year. But for Utah Jazz swingman Joe Ingles, it’s his teammate Rudy Gobert who deserves the award. Davis seems the top contender to win this year’s DPOY award. After […]

Contrary to earlier reports, the request of Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler to wear a blank jersey is still under review by the NBA. The same goes for the over 30 players who asked to do the same. Per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the NBA is still evaluating if they will grant Butler’s wish […]

There is no doubt that Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter on the planet. He single-handedly revolutionized how the game is played. But according to Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, it wasn’t necessarily his playstyle which made him a “franchise-changer.” Kerr appeared in 95.7 The Game where he shared his thoughts on his […]

There are some concerns about whether Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski is in elite shape after being away from football for more than a year. However, Gronk hushed these concerns by pointing out that he remained physically active during his retirement. Rob Gronkowski said that even during his playing days for the New […]

Rob Gronkowski shocked the football world in 2019 when he announced his retirement at just 29 years of age. Little did everyone know that Gronkowski will return back to action but this time, he wouldn’t be donning the New England Patriots uniform. He detailed his reason on why he chose not to return to the […]

After the bombshell report by The Washington Post which detailed the Washington Redskins’ toxic work culture, the NFL has chosen to remain silent for now. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league has not responded to queries regarding the said report. As of writing, the NFL hasn’t released any form of a […]

You’ve probably heard by now about the scintillating article by the Washington Post regarding the allegations against the toxic culture that’s festered within the Redskins franchise. Despite all the anecdotes and claims, the name of owner Dan Snyder was never directly mentioned as a first-hand perpetrator for claims. The Washington Post article detailed a grim […]

Tyler Johnson’s stint with the Phoenix Suns wasn’t as good as he expected it to be. Now that he’s with the Brooklyn Nets — a team that he wanted to be a part of four years ago — Johnson is catching up on lost time. To recall, Johnson was traded to the Suns from the […]

Zaire Wade, son of NBA icon Dwyane Wade, revealed that his father has been working out in the gym every day. While this could mean that the elder Wade just wants to remain healthy, Zaire believes it’s for a possible return to basketball. Through his Instagram stories, Zaire reacted to a tweet by his father […]

Knee soreness in January hampered the season of Boston Celtics star Kemba Walker. Despite the hiatus brought about by the pandemic, the guard has not fully recovered. However, the guard remains positive that his knee will fully heal soon. In a post-practice conference call with the media, Walker gave an update of his knee situation. […]

NBA icon Charles Barkley has made another bold prediction for the playoffs. According to him, the Portland Trail Blazers have a chance to upset the Los Angeles Lakers if they secure the eighth seed. Barkley uttered the strong statement in NBA on TNT. He seems to have supreme confidence in the Terry Stotts-coached Blazers squad. […]

Houston Rockets star James Harden has finally joined his team in Orlando, noting that “family issues” delayed his arrival, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Houston Rockets star James Harden says his delay in getting to Orlando was due to “family issues.” — Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 16, 2020 Earlier reports noted that Harden did […]

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone declared Nikola Jokic as the best center in the league today, and he offered some reasons for his claims. Malone played down the talks about Jokic’s massive body transformation and pointed out that the Nuggets star has been putting in some serious work even before the nearly four-month long […]

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James continues his commitment to the city of Akron, as his foundation’s I Promise Village is getting ready to move in 330 ambassadors and students. The I Promise Village is done in partnership with Graduate Hotels. As noted on the foundation’s website, the village is located just a few blocks […]

Philadelphia 76ers fans may be in for a treat in the 2019-20 season restart as Ben Simmons intends to unveil his new and improved jump shot. During one of his workouts, Simmons was caught chatting with Detroit Pistons guard Tony Snell. Simmons hinted that he will be gunning for more jumpers in the season restart […]