Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 45

In Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young joined Kobe Bryant as the only two players with 25 points and 10 assists before halftime. Young was those most affected by the deaths of Kobe Bryant and her daughter Gigi. Young actually had the opportunity to meet the two, with Bryant citing […]

According to Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones, guard Devin Booker is without question an All-Star in the NBA. After the release of the names of All-Star reserves which saw the snub of several players including Booker, Jones briefly recounted his playing days. For Jones, having played with and against great players, Booker is an […]

Players of the LA Kings of the NHL donned Kobe Bryant jerseys to honor the Los Angeles Lakers great. Per sports reporter Nick Hamilton, Anze Kopitar and the rest of his teammates wore the no. 24 Lakers jersey in memory of Bryant. https://twitter.com/NickHamiltonLA/status/1222704202578681856 This is just one among the many tributes paid to the Black […]

Without a single ounce of hesitation, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard drained a long 3-pointer from the logo on Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets. Right after crossing the halfcourt mark, Lillard suddenly rose up for the shot and left Russell Westbrook with no chance at to to contest it. To be fair […]

The New York Knicks have vested interest in Andre Drummond, but rumor has it that they haven’t placed an offer that would please the Detroit Pistons. The aforementioned offer did not reveal any specifics. However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pistons want a first-round pick in exchange for Drummond. Woj furthered that no […]

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts wore a pair of Kobe’s in their game against the Houston Rockets in honor of the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others perished in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California. They were heading to the Mamba […]

Legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who coached Kobe Bryant on three different USA Teams, shared that he and the Duke basketball team mourned together while recalling the good memories of the Los Angeles Lakers icon. Per the Duke Men’s Basketball Twitter, Krzyzewski noted that Bryant was his leader in the three times he coached him. […]

Khris Middleton powered the Milwaukee Bucks to a 151-131 victory over the Washington Wizards by way of a 51-point effort. After the game, the 28-year-old forward dedicated his performance to the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. Middleton admitted that Bryant is one of his favorite players apart from Michael Jordan, plucking several tricks […]

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was with Dirk Nowitzki to witness the tribute violations for the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. In Tuesday’s game between the Mavs and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center, the two teams committed an eight-second backcourt violation followed by a 24-shot clock violation to honor Bryant. […]

Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond is questionable against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday due to a left wrist sprain. Drummond joins a long list of injured Pistons players. Rookie Sekou Doumbouya is probable while several others — including star forward Blake Griffin — remain out. #Pistons Andre Drummond (left wrist sprain) is questionable, Sekou […]

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is now the franchise’s all-time leader in assists. Per Sportsnet Stats, Lowry took the crown from Spanish guard Jose Calderon who donned the Raptors jersey for seven and a half seasons. Most Assists in #WeTheNorth History: Kyle Lowry – 3,772Jose Calderon – 3,770DeMar DeRozan – 2,078Alvin Williams – 1,791Damon Stoudamire […]

Shaquille O’Neal, who won three straight titles with Kobe Bryant donning the Los Angeles Lakers jersey, is saddened by the fact that they will no longer be able to talk about their historic partnership when they are old and gray. In his the Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal spoke about the legacy of his former […]

For Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, the demise of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is the “saddest day” in NBA history. Kerr, who has been in the NBA since the 90s, also noted two tragic events that had a similar impact on the league. He recalled that when Lakers icon Magic Johnson announced […]

Pop superstar Rihanna shared his sympathies for the family of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and all the families of the victims who perished in the helicopter crash on Sunday. Via Instagram, Rihanna — like most Kobe fans — is still in disbelief. She posted a photo of Bryant and her daughter Gianna Bryan […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James changed his Instagram profile picture in honor of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant. The picture was taken in one of Bryant’s title wins which show, in just one photo, his devotion to the game and his family. LeBron James has changed his profile picture to Kobe Bryant and Gianna […]

For Draymond Green, the 2016 NBA Finals was the lowest point in his career. After all, they were favored to win it all after snagging a historic 73-win season. Yet in the NBA Finals, they faltered despite being up 3-1. According to the Golden State Warriors forward, a conversation with Kobe Bryant pulled him out […]

To honor the memory of Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, the City Hall and the LAX pylons will stay illuminated for the rest of the week. Bryant, who played for the Lakers for 20 years, was a major presence in the city. For two decades, he was among those who shaped the city’s culture […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard continued his scoring outburst, exploding for 50 points in their win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. In their 139-129 win over the Pacers, Lillard put up 50 points on 60.9 percent shooting from the field — going for 8-of-12 from deep and 14-of-16 from the free-throw line. Lillard […]

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki spoke out on the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. Via Twitter, Nowitzki briefly recalled how excited he was in coming home to see Bryant dominate in the fourth quarter. The Mavs icon also acknowledged how Bryant served as an inspiration to him and everyone else. Finally, Nowitzki shared his sympathies […]

With the trade deadline just around the corner, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers dismissed all trade rumors noting that the current roster is ‘enough’ to be a title contender. Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James shot down various reports which have claimed that the Lakers need one more piece to cement their title […]

NBA icon Reggie Miller claims that he’ll do well in today’s era where players happily jack up 3-pointers and play ‘little defense.’ Per Yahoo Sports NBA, Miller chimed in on today’s game, hinting that he’ll do relatively well considering his deadly stroke from deep and the lack of defense among teams. How good would Reggie […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is just 18 points away from passing Kobe Bryant on the all-time scoring list. For the four-time MVP, wearing the Purple and Gold — the same jersey that Bryant wore for two decades — is a ‘surreal feeling.’ Surpassing the record seems like just a bonus for him. James […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley went berserk after hitting a buzzer-beater against the Brooklyn Nets. Peep the clip below as Dudley beat the buzzer to end the third quarter. After swishing the net, Dudley went bonkers as he headed to the Lakers bench. His teammates, too, joined the fun. Jared Dudley hit the buzzer-beater […]

From Kendrick Perkins’ observation, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler’s choice to list himself as a forward instead of guard hurt his chance to start in the All-Star game Via Twitter, Perkins is still confident that Butler will be an All-Star this year. Jimmy Butler in my opinion should had been on the list of Guards […]

Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers made a crazy half-twisting halfcourt shot against the Brooklyn Nets. Sadly, the circus shot didn’t count. Peep the clip below to see Davis swish the net. After the whistle, Davis hoped that his shot would count. So he just tossed a prayer up. Anthony Davis nails the 360 […]

Ahead of their duel with the Brooklyn Nets at Barclay Center, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James wasn’t happy that they didn’t have any powder for his famous pregame routine. Peep the clip below. James was repeatedly asking for the powder moments before tip-off. However, his requests seemingly fell on deaf ears. For those have […]

San Antonio Spurs legendary head coach Gregg Popovich spoke on the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While he acknowledges the great things that King did during his lifetime for civil rights and justice, Popovich couldn’t hold back his feelings of sadness, considering how the country has been “rolling back so much” of what […]

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James shared a heartfelt message for Bronny James following the fan-throwing incident in Sierra Canyon’s game on Monday. Via Instagram, James advised his son to always take the high road no matter what happens. The Lakers star also wanted Bronny to know that he always has his back. “Know I […]

Monday was a bad day for LeBron James since not only did the Los Angeles Lakers lose to the Boston Celtics, but Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon also suffered a defeat. James was in attendance in Sierra Canyon’s duel with Paul VI Catholic High School on Monday. The younger James played 13 minutes and was held […]

Several clips of Delonte West are circulating online, showing the former NBA player apparently getting beat up and handcuffed on the street. His former college teammate Jameer Nelson became aware of West’s situation and called for prayers and help. Nelson also asked the public to be mindful of sharing the said clips. He shared that […]

The Boston Celtics’ dominant victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday marks Kemba Walker’s first win against LeBron James on his 29th attempt. Walker entered Monday’s duel in TD Garden 0-28. But after four quarters, Walker’s win-loss record against James now stands at 1-28. The record involves James’ Miami Heat days and second stint […]

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers shared that Chandler Parsons of the Atlanta Hawks is ‘doing better’ after his scary car accident. Last week, Parsons was involved in a car accident as he was driving home from practice in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven. According to his lawyers, he was hit by a driver who was […]

Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone has revealed that he has an interest in a potential role with the Serbian national team. Per Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Malone shared that he’s had conversations with Serbian national team head coach Igor Kokosov. “Right now I’m having some dialogue with Igor. We’ve had some great […]

After putting up an inspired performance in their win over the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers sharpshooter Doug McDermott claims that the team is motivated by the lack of respect. “People don’t give us a lot of respect, and we like that. It’s just motivation for us. We feel like we’re one of the better teams […]

Royce O’Neale is now ‘at ease’ after inking a hefty four-year extension with the Utah Jazz. Per Eric Woodyard of ESPN, O’Neale is thankful for the four-year, $36 million contract extension he recently signed. Jazz’s Royce O’Neale to ESPN on signing new extension: “I’m excited man. Just thankful for the opportunity and grateful for them […]

Veteran guard Jeff Teague, who’s now back with the Atlanta Hawks, knew that his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves were numbered after he sacrificed his role for Andrew Wiggins. Teague wanted Wiggins, who had fallen off the radar, to get his mojo back and eventually make an All-Star game. To aid Wiggins in this campaign, […]

The Houston Rockets are currently on a three-game slump and are slowly descending in the Western Conference standings. But former MVP James Harden believes that ‘tough times don’t last long.’ Sooner or later, the team will get its mojo back. Per Mark Berman of Fox 26, Harden downplayed concerns on their losing streak. He noted […]

Veteran swingman Trevor Ariza is now part of the Portland Trail Blazers after being traded from the Sacramento Kings. Star guard Damian Lillard liked the move, noting that Ariza can aid them in lots of things. Per Blazers reporter Casey Holdahl, Lillard pointed out Ariza’s experience, skillset, and size as his main assets. “I think […]

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has observed that more teams are employing a zone defense in the 2019-20 season. In previous years, the zone defense hasn’t been effective, but teams have found a way to utilize it well recently. The zone defense is a scheme that guards a certain area and not a specific […]