All Star Game

Shaq Has One Major Issue With Zion Williamson’s Recent Dunk Contest Comments

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Shaq has expressed his disappointment in Zion Williamson’s recent comments about participating in the dunk contest if he is named an All-Star. For the Hall of Famer, Williamson didn’t express enough desire to be named an All-Star. “You have to see it, Zion. When I make the All-Star team, yes. All that if talk, it’s just telling me that you’re not fully confident in yourself. Which is ok, he’s still a young player. But at some point, you have to say — like I said in Vegas — ‘this is my league’,” Shaq said.

Williamson is a two-time All-Star, appearing at the midseason event in 2021 and 2023. Williamson is averaging 22/5.5/5.2 this season but was not named an All-Star in a crowded field across both conferences. The Pelicans are 37-25 and fifth in the Western Conference.

Read More: New Orleans Pelicans Shade Stephen A. Smith After Latest Zion Williamson Comments

Shaq Shows Zion Williamson No Mercy

However, as Shaq himself alluded to, it’s not the first time that he has laid into the 2019 first-overall pick. Shaq and Charles Barkley had no time for Williamson’s poor showing against the Lakers in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament last December. “Does not run hard — it’s not a diss, this is gonna be a lesson from one great big man to another guy that can be a great. Does not run hard. I had the same problem my first, second year — I thought I was running hard. Charles talks about this all the time, my talent’s gonna get me 20. When I start going to 20, 30, and 40, it’s because I started doing certain things,” Shaq said.

However, the Hall of Fame big man wasn’t finished “He doesn’t create easy points for himself. I saw a couple times when he had a couple times at the basket, he don’t seal, right? He doesn’t demand the ball … and he doesn’t have that look. Like, I’m not the greatest athlete ever, but I know a look when I see it. In every sport, I know a look. Tiger Woods had that look, Jack Nicklas had that look. He just doesn’t have that look. And he doesn’t rebound. He does not rebound,” he continued.

Read More: Chris Brown Tells Zion Williamson To Be “The Best Man You Can Be”

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Stephen A Smith Calls NBA All-Star Game A “Travesty” During Passionate Rant

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Stephen A Smith is easily one of the most passionate men in all of sports journalism. Overall, he has some pretty big hot takes, and he is not afraid to say when he feels like there is something bad going on in the sports world. Although some don’t appreciate his takes, there is no doubt that he has a lot of fans. Besides, he makes over $10 million over at ESPN, so he is clearly winning. Even despite the hate, Smith continues to do his thing, and it has been pretty fun to watch.

Over the weekend, we got to watch the NBA All-Star Weekend. Unfortunately, this year was one of the worst weekends ever. Although the three-point contest was cool, the dunk contest was awful. Furthermore, the game itself was a layup line as 397 points were scored. No defense was played, and guys were just chucking up threes the whole time. As you can imagine, Smith was outraged at what he saw, and called it out on First Take. He went so far as to say that the game was a complete “travesty.”

Read More: Stephen A. Smith Wants To Be In “GTA 6”

Stephen A Smith Wants Better

Overall, Smith is convinced that the game itself needs a massive overhaul. For instance, he wants the dunk contest to be filled with people from across the country who are all about exciting dunks. Moreover, he wants the players to actually try in the game. He feels like they play harder at the YMCA than they do in the All-Star Game, which is pretty accurate. Smith has a similar rant every year, but now, it is very clear that he is at his wits end with this one. It just so happens that every other NBA fan is too.

Let us know what you thought of the All-Star Game, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite athletes and their coming moves.

Read More: Stephen A. Smith Apologizes To Cam Newton

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The post Stephen A Smith Calls NBA All-Star Game A “Travesty” During Passionate Rant appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

SOURCE SPORTS: Adam Silver Says NBA All-Star Game Could Go Back to Being East Vs. West

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Adam Silver

Future NBA All-Star games could look a bit different. According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the league may return to the East vs. West format, abandoning the popular draft pool.

“We’re looking at some potential changes in format in Indianapolis this year,” Silver said on ESPN’s First Take. “Maybe a return to something more traditional in terms of how the teams are presented. We went to sort of this captain and draft notion, but clearly historically it was East vs. West. So that’s maybe something we are looking at.”

The shift in the format follows the belief that the league desires to have All-Stars playing harder and a renewed interest in the game.

Silver added, “I’m always sort of laughing because before the game even starts on Sunday afternoon, people are saying, ‘This is the best ever!’ And I’m like, ‘We’ll, we’ve got this game.’ I’ll take some fault for that because when you’re there this year in Indianapolis, beginning essentially Thursday night and then through Sunday, I think it’s an opportunity for this whole global basketball community to come together. Great legends of the game. Not just the All-Stars, but lots of players. I don’t know how it works in other sports, but we have dozens and dozens of players in the league who choose to come to All Star Weekend for the activities for various events who aren’t even All-Stars. So I think we’ve lost sight a bit that it’s about the game at the end of the day.”

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Adam Silver Says NBA All-Star Game Could Go Back to Being East Vs. West first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Adam Silver Says NBA All-Star Game Could Go Back to Being East Vs. West appeared first on The Source.

WNBA Reveals All-Star Rosters

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The WNBA has revealed the results of its all-star roster draft. The game is set to take place on July 15 in Las Vegas. League superstars A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart served as team captains. The teams will be coached by Becky Hammon and Stephanie White. While there was little in the way of surprises come the all-star voting, there was one major headline. 2023 first-overall pick Aliyah Boston was named as an all-star starter. That made Boston the eighth rookie, and first since 2014, to start in the all-star game. At the time of writing, Boston is averaging 14.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

When it came to the draft, the captains exercised a fair amount of team loyalty. While Stewart was the only player from the New York Liberty named as a starter, she did draft her teammates Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot as reserves. Meanwhile, Wilson drafted her Vegas teammates Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young to start alongside her. Furthermore, Wilson drafted teammate Kelsey Plum as a reserve. Aliyah Boston is the only debut starter. However, Kelsey Mitchell, Ezi Magbegor, Allisha Gray, and Cheyenne Parker are all also first-time all-stars.

Read More: Fans call for WNBA expansion

Full WNBA All-Star Rosters

Team Stewart (Head Coach: Stephanie White)

Starters:

Jewell Lloyd (Seattle Storm)

Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings)

Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)

Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks)

Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)

Reserves:

Kahleah Copper (Chicago Sky)

Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)

Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever)

Courtney Vandersloot (New York Fever)

Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)

Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm)

Furthermore, Brittney Griner is the most decorated player at the game, with nine all-star appearances.

Team Wilson (Head Coach: Becky Hammon)

Starters:

Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)

Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)

Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings)

A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)

Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)

Reserves:

Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream)

Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces)

DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun)

Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics)

Cheyenne Parker (Atlanta Dream)

Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun)

Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments.

Read More: A’ja Wilson signs a two-year extension with the Las Vegas Aces

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Jaylen Brown Says 2023 All-Star Game Was Not “Real Basketball”

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The NBA All-Star game fell flat this year. The NBA recently adopted rules in the past few years to make the game more intriguing. A score target in the fourth quarter and team captains picking teams instead of East vs. West were supposed to make the game more competitive. Those tactics worked for a while. However, this year they did not.

Team Giannis ousted Team LeBron on Sunday (Feb. 19) 184-175. However, there was little defense or effort given throughout the game. This led to Jayson Tatum scoring 55 points and taking home the MVP trophy. “It means the world to me,” Tatum said about winning the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP. “Everybody knows how much [Kobe] meant to me. My favorite player, my idol. So it’s an honor to take this home.” However, not many others were thrilled with the outcome of the game. Players like Tatum’s Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown and coaches like Nuggets’ Michael Malone had their qualms.

Jaylen Brown Wants Change

In the post-game press conference, Team LeBron’s Jaylen Brown was asked about how he fared wearing a face mask during the game. Coming off a facial injury, Brown said he was fine. He explained that it was mostly because little effort was needed during the game. “Real basketball is different. This was like a layup line,” he said. “It was just a glorified layup line. We got to figure out how to make the game a little bit more competitive.” Additionally, Team LeBron’s coach for the night Michael Malone, head coach of the Denver Nuggets, agreed with this sentiment. Giving a harsher criticism, Malone had very few nice words to say about Sunday’s affair. “It’s an honor to be here, it’s an honor to be a part of a great weekend, great players, but that is the worst basketball game ever played,” he said.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith then applauded Malone for his comments during an ESPN broadcast Monday. “I applaud Coach Malone for highlighting the flagrant lack of effort. In basketball, they play in the summer leagues, they play in the offseason considerably harder than they played yesterday. Hell no, I didn’t enjoy it. It just reeks of a level of arrogance and taking fans for granted.” Neither of the team’s captains, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, were not able to finish the game due to hand injuries. But, the other players did not show enough effort to even put themselves at risk for injury.

Michael Malone & Stephen A. Speak Out

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LeBron James Greets Kobe Bryant’s Daughters At NBA All-Star Game

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LeBron James recently hung out with Kobe Bryant’s daughters at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Moreover, Team LeBron faced Team Giannis on the court, but they all still had some time for less competitive fun. Furthermore, Natalia, Bianka and Capri Bryant sat courtside during the match, and photographers and videographers captured a sweet moment they had with LeBron. With it being three years since Kobe and Gigi’s tragic passing, it still stings to see their family enjoy life without them. However, it’s even more heartwarming to see them celebrate his life and continue bonding with players.

Of course, James honors Kobe everywhere he goes. Not only does he continue his legacy as a dominant player (especially now on Bryant’s L.A. team), but he keeps his memory alive in other ways. For example, a couple of years ago, the 38-year-old posted a painting in his home of Kobe Bryant and the late Crenshaw rap legend Nipsey Hussle. “Wit me every single day when walking my hallways,” the star player wrote in his post’s caption. “[Flag Emoji x Snake Emoji] Continues to live on!” Also, James reflected on how Mamba’s passing continues to affect his Lakers team’s mentality.

LeBron James With The Bryant Daughters

“Man, it’s a saying that time heals all,” he remarked back in 2021. “And as devastating and as tragic as it was and still is to all of us involved with it, only time. And it takes time. Everyone has their own grieving process.” Also, teammate Anthony Davis added his own shock. “As we approach his one-year anniversary, it saddens our hearts to actually come to the realization that he’s gone,” Davis went on. “I know I still have trouble with it, you still just can’t believe it.”

Meanwhile, Kobe and LeBron are two of the highest-scoring members in the league, with LeBron recently becoming the NBA’s all-time scorer. As he acknowledged his impressive feat, he recognized that his family, especially his wife Savannah, deserve the credit as well. “She’s the real MVP. She’s actually the All-Time leading scorer,” he remarked a little over a week ago. Along that same vein, Bryant also thanked his family, wife, and children for everything they gave him. Stick around on HNHH for the latest on LeBron James, the Bryant family, and NBA All-Star Weekend.

Kobe Bryant’s Family At The All-Star Game

Our Favorite Celebs Sit Court Side at The 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend

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Fat Joe All Star Weekend

The Show was definitely on and off the court, as celebrities showed up and showed out at this year’s 2022 NBA All-Star weekend. From the kick-off on Friday with a celebrity game that will feature actors, singers, and athletes from other sports like Tiffany Haddish to Jack Harlow and Quavo to the Fashion show and a who’s who sitting courtside. We loved star gazing this weekend at all of the personalities that popped up on our Instagram and Twitter feeds. Take a look below at some of our favorites and check out our IG for more star-studded moments.

Lil Wayne & Bill Murray

Fat Joe & Jennifer Hudson

 Lebron James & Michael Jordan

Ludacris

Migos

Usher

Mary & Adele

D Nice 

Tiffany Haddish and Dave Chappelle

The Answer, Carmelo Anthony, Mary J. Blige, Fat Joe & More

Earth, Wind & Fire

2 Chains

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