SOURCE SPORTS: Lakers Open Season with 110-103 Win Over Timberwolves, Anthony Davis Drops 36 & 16

unnamed (3)

unnamed (3)

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2024-2025 season in style, securing a 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on NBA Opening Night. This win marked their first Opening Night victory in six years, fueled by a dominant performance from Anthony Davis and an exciting piece of NBA history.

Davis posted a monstrous stat line, finishing with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. This was his 15th game as a Laker with 35+ points and 15+ rebounds, tying him with Wilt Chamberlain for the fourth-most in team history. The Lakers have won 13 of those 15 games when Davis has put up such numbers.

The Lakers trailed early in the second quarter after Julius Randle hit a three-pointer to give Minnesota a 26-24 lead. However, a 21-3 run by the Lakers in just five minutes turned the game around, giving them control for the rest of the contest.

In his 22nd season, LeBron James amade NBA history by playing alongside his son, Bronny James, in an official game. The father-son duo shared a memorable moment, capping off the night with a handshake as the Lakers sealed the win. LeBron finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Despite the loss, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 points and five three-pointers. New additions Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo combined for 26 points in their debuts, while Rudy Gobert contributed a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

First-year head coach JJ Redick earned his first career win and celebrated with a water bottle shower from his players in the locker room.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Lakers Open Season with 110-103 Win Over Timberwolves, Anthony Davis Drops 36 & 16 appeared first on .

SOURCE SPORTS: Murray’s Buzzer Beater Seals Nuggets’ Game 2 Victory Over Lakers

Murray's Buzzer Beater Seals Nuggets' Game 2 Victory Over Lakers

Jamal Murray delivered a jaw-dropping performance, capping off the Denver Nuggets’ thrilling comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 with a sensational game-winning shot. Murray’s 15-foot fadeaway jumper over Anthony Davis’ outstretched arm, dubbed the Tissot Buzzer Beater, sealed the Nuggets’ 104-101 triumph.

Murray erupted for 14 points in the final 9:19 of the game, finishing with 20 points. His heroics were complemented by Nikola Jokic’s monstrous triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and ten assists. Michael Porter Jr. also contributed significantly with 22 points and nine boards.

“That’s Jamal Murray right there,” said Nuggets Coach Michael Malone. “He can struggle, he can struggle, he can struggle. He sees one go in and he’s never shying away from the moment, the spotlight.”

Jokic’s performance marked a historic milestone, as he tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most games with 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 10+ assists in playoff history, achieving his fourth in just 70 career playoff games.

Despite the Lakers’ efforts, led by Anthony Davis’ 32 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James’ near-triple-double of 26 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, they fell short in the face of the Nuggets’ relentless onslaught.

Meanwhile, in another electrifying matchup, the New York Knicks stunned the Philadelphia 76ers with a late rally in Game 2, securing a 104-101 victory at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks’ trio of Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo combined for an impressive 64 points, overshadowing Joel Embiid’s historic performance of 34 points and ten rebounds. This marked his 15th playoff game with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for the most in Sixers history.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Murray’s Buzzer Beater Seals Nuggets’ Game 2 Victory Over Lakers first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Murray’s Buzzer Beater Seals Nuggets’ Game 2 Victory Over Lakers appeared first on The Source.

Lil Wayne ‘Got Treated Like Sh*t’ At A Lakers Game And Thinks It’s Because Of An Old Anthony Davis Take

lil wayne
Getty Image

The Los Angeles Lakers needed overtime on Thursday night, but by the time the dust settled, the team picked up a 134-131 win over the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena. Like most Lakers home games, there were celebrities in attendance, with one of them taking to Twitter after the game to voice his frustrations about how he was treated.

Lil Wayne tweeted that he “got treated like sh*t at the Laker game just now,” although as he tells it, he isn’t surprised this happened. In his eyes, some remarks about Anthony Davis from earlier in the 2023-24 season are likely behind all of this.

For context, back in November, Lil Wayne appeared on the FS1 show Undisputed and expressed his belief that Los Angeles couldn’t win a championship with Davis on the team. As he explained, this is “because he’s AD … he shows us them spurts every other other night — it used to be every night, then every other.”

He ended up going on Undisputed on Friday and dove into this even further.

At the time of these comments, the Lakers were 3-5 on the year and Davis had just missed his first game of the season, a 34-point road loss to the Houston Rockets. The good news for L.A. is that Davis has mixed durability with production as well as ever this year, as he’s played in 57 of a potential 61 games while averaging 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 35.8 minutes per game.

Anthony Davis Confident Of Lakers Second Half Surge

Anthony Davis is confident that the Lakers are simply been slow out of the gates and are destined for greatness in the home stretch of the NBA season. “[It’s] not what we can be, but it’s who we are. We’re starting to establish that we’re going to be a fast-paced team, a team that likes to get into the paint, get to the line. But also be tenacious on the defensive end. Creating that identity for what we have to be moving forward. We can’t be coming back from All-Star and [wonder], ‘All right, what type of team are we?’ This is what we have to be. This is who we are. And we’ve got to make sure how we’re playing as of late, the past two, three, four weeks, keeping that identity and carrying it over into post All-Star,” Davis said after the Lakers beat Utah.

Davis had 37 points against Utah as the Lakers played without LeBron James. While LeBron was sitting due to ankle soreness, the game came out after a bombshell story from ESPN. The Golden State Warriors reportedly made an eleventh-hour push to acquire LeBron just before last week’s NBA trade deadline. Warriors owner Joe Lacob was eager to engage in talks with the Lakers. However, both owner Jeannie Buss and LeBron’s camp were not interested in engaging with the Warriors. The lack of interest from LeBron’s camp is consistent with pre-trade deadline news that he would be remaining with the Lakers through the rest of the season. However, things reportedly went as far as Draymond Green texting Rich Paul. The veteran Warrior and LeBron’s agency stablemate tried to convince their mutual agent to get LeBron on board with the trade.

Read More: LeBron James Links Up With GloRilla, Spotted Vibing To Her Music

Lil Wayne Walks Back Anthony Davis Comments

Meanwhile, Lil Wayne has reversed course on one of his bolder basketball takes. The rapper argued that Anthony Davis is now irreplaceable for the Lakers. “You can’t get nobody for him that’s gon’ replace what he can do. There’s nobody out there like that. If you could get Jokic, but you can’t do that,” Wayne said on UNDISPUTED last week.

As mentioned, the sentiment is a major departure from something that Wayne had previously advocated for. “If the Lakers want to be a championship team, they have to get rid of AD,” the rapper said on the show last November. It was a bold take at the time, despite Davis’ injury struggles. He was still the No. 2 scoring option behind LeBron and his trade value was considered prohibitively high, at least in terms of immediate impact players.

Read More: Lil Wayne Taps Ja Morant To Be The Next “Face Of The NBA”

[via]

The post Anthony Davis Confident Of Lakers Second Half Surge appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Lil Wayne No Longer Believes The Lakers Should Trade Anthony Davis

Lil Wayne has his reversed one of his bolder basketball takes, arguing that Anthony Davis is now irreplaceable for the Lakers. “You can’t get nobody for him that’s gon’ replace what he can do. There’s nobody out there like that. If you could get Jokic, but you can’t do that,” Wayne said on UNDISPUTED this week.

As mentioned, the sentiment is a major departure from something that Wayne had previously advocated for. “If the Lakers want to be a championship team, they have to get rid of AD,” the rapper said on the show last November. It was a bold take at the time, despite Davis’ injury struggles. He was still the No. 2 scoring option behind LeBron and his trade value was considered prohibitively high, at least in terms of immediate impact players.

Read More: Lil Wayne Taps Ja Morant To Be The Next “Face Of The NBA”

50 Cent Trashes Lil Wayne Ahead Of All-Star Celebrity Game

Meanwhile, Wayne will be swapping punditry for coaching next week as he serves as an assistant coach under Stephen A. Smith at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. However, 50 Cent, who will be coaching under Shannon Sharpe, has already started taking shots at Wayne. “All star game ⭐ ⭐⭐ I’m coaching, you know my team is gonna win. @LilTunechi is probably gonna get high and not show up ! LOL,” Fif wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Wayne is yet to respond to the G-Unit boss.

Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe will face off next week during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. The two ESPN personalities will serve as the team coaches while also boasting stacked benches of assistants. Smith will be joined by A’ja Wilson and Wayne while Sharpe has added Fif and Peyton Manning. However, their respective rosters are also equally loaded. Smith boasts the likes of Texans QB CJ Stroud, WNBA star Natasha Cloud, and R&B legend Jennifer Hudson. Meanwhile, Sharpe’s team includes Cowboys powerhouse Micah Parsons, WNBA star Jewell Lloyd, and streamer Kai Cenat.

Read More: Saweetie Refuses To “Spin The Block” About Quavo With Shannon Sharpe

[via]

The post Lil Wayne No Longer Believes The Lakers Should Trade Anthony Davis appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Anthony Davis Trolled For Being A 30-Year-old Kai Cenat Viewer

Anthony Davis is someone who is constantly facing the wrath of Los Angeles Lakers fans. Overall, this is because he is injured a lot of the time. Furthermore, there are people out there who believe he hasn’t been worthy of his contract. His performances are a bit inconsistent, and the Lakers have not been what fans would have hoped. Sure, AD has helped the team get an NBA title and even an in-season tournament win. However, there are still plenty of ungrateful stans out there, ready to denigrate his every move.

For instance, in a win against the New York Knicks the other night, AD only had 12 points. Although he was superb defensively, fans got after him for his performance. On Sunday night, AD seemed to be relaxing ahead of his game against the Charlotte Hornets tonight. He was watching Kai Cenat, and some fans noticed that he gifted subs to those in the chat. However, LeBron fans began roasting AD for his choice of entertainment.

Read More: Anthony Davis Signs Three-Year Extension With The Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis Donates

In the various tweets down below, you can see that Davis caught a lot of heat for enjoying what some believe is juvenile content. For instance, the main criticism was that 30-year-old men should not be watching Kai Cenat. Cenat himself is 22 years old, and his content is mostly consumed by teenagers. Consequently, some feel as though Davis is not a “serious individual” by watching this kind of stuff. Of course, these are criticisms made, ironically enough, by teenagers hiding behind NBA player profile pictures. Needless to say, Davis and other Lakers players can’t do much without being criticized.

LeBron Fans Are Distraught

What do you think of AD watching Kai Cenat? Are the fans right about him being too old for this content, or is that just ridiculous? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming releases.

Read More: Rich Paul Texted Cam’ron To Defend Anthony Davis

The post Anthony Davis Trolled For Being A 30-Year-old Kai Cenat Viewer appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

SOURCE SPORTS: Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, and Jalen Brunson Headline NBA All-Star Reserves

Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, and Jalen Brunson Headline NBA All-Star Reserves

The NBA All-Star reserves for the Eastern and Western Conferences were announced on Thursday, introducing a mix of rising talents and seasoned stars set to illuminate the midseason celebration in Indianapolis.

In the Eastern Conference, the seven reserves include first-time All-Stars Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, and Paolo Banchero, alongside more experienced players like Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, and Julius Randle. Mitchell, with five selections, leads the pack in experience. Notably, each of the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, and Knicks contributes two All-Stars between the starters and reserves.

Turning to the Western Conference, the reserves showcase a trio of former All-Star MVPs in Anthony Davis (2017), Kawhi Leonard (2020), and Stephen Curry (2022). The West boasts zero first-time All-Stars, with Anthony Edwards being the least experienced, earning his second selection. The seven players collectively hold an impressive 44 All-Star selections, averaging 6.29 per player. Notably, the Wolves, Suns, Lakers, and Clippers each contribute two All-Stars to the West roster, forming a formidable lineup for the All-Star festivities.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, and Jalen Brunson Headline NBA All-Star Reserves first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, and Jalen Brunson Headline NBA All-Star Reserves appeared first on The Source.

Anthony Davis Hypes Revenge Game Against Nuggets, Scores 0 Points In Second Half

Anthony Davis had 17 points on 17 shots against the Nuggets to open the NBA season. However, all 17 of those points came in the first half as the defending champions held AD scoreless in the final 24 minutes to take a 119-107 win in their title defense opener. However, AD’s poor performance was only made worse by how much he had hyped the game as a grudge match. “It was just a lot of talking. We get it, y’all won, but me and Bron had some conversations… we can’t wait [to play them],” Davis said during the preseason.

However, the Lakers once again proved no match for the Western Conference preseason favorites. Nikola Jokić opened the season with a triple-double as three Nuggets starters put up at least 20 points. LeBron fittingly opened his 21st season with 21 points but it simply wasn’t enough to stop the Denver juggernaut from extending their win streak against the Lakers to six.

Read More: NBA Under DOJ Investigation For Supposed Anticompetitive Behavior Against Ice Cube’s Big3 League: Report

AD, Lakers Punished For Their Hubris

Both teams were fairly quiet during the offseason. The Lakers largely focused on locking up their core, with their most notable additions being Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish. That pair put up a combined 13 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Nuggets traded for a collection of draft rights and added Justin Holiday, who didn’t play in the win. The game firmly set the tone for the season – Denver is the team to beat, LA still doesn’t have an answer for them.

However, things don’t get any easier for LA. Their next game is against the other Western Conference giant – Phoenix. The Suns knocked off the Warriors to open the season, doing it without Bradley Beal. Meanwhile, Denver takes on the Morant-less Grizzlies later this week. The Grizzlies open against the Pelicans tonight.

Read More: LeBron James Builds More Hype Around Playing With His Sons In Newest Beats Ad

Best Reactions To AD’s Performance Versus Denver

How do you think the Western Conference will play out this season? Let us know in the comments.

[via]

The post Anthony Davis Hypes Revenge Game Against Nuggets, Scores 0 Points In Second Half appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Rich Paul Texted Cam’ron To Defend Anthony Davis

Rich Paul reportedly defended Anthony Davis after the Lakers star came under some harsh criticism from Cam’ron. “Shout-out to my man Rich Paul. Whoever is Rich Paul’s clients, you guys should feel very lucky. He doesn’t let nothing slide. He’s very passionate about his clients. He’ll call and try to check you about his clients. He texted me like, ‘Y’all kinda went hard on Anthony Davis the other day.’ Just in case y’all missed the episode, there was a statement where LeBron said, ‘This is the year they want to hand the team over to Anthony Davis.’ And we up here and we made a little fun of Anthony Davis,” Cam’ron said on a recent episode of It Is What It Is.

However, Cam’ron didn’t entirely offer a mea culpa, defending his comments as well. “I texted Rich Paul back that’s my man you know we Ohio and all that. I texted him back, ‘Yo Rich listen, maybe I’m on the outside looking in, but I thought that was the whole reason he left New Orleans anyway. He got to the Lakers and I thought that was LeBron saying, ‘Okay cool, I got somebody young on the team,’” the Dipset rapper added. “I can defer to him and this is a four-year project that hasn’t taken the team over and I relayed that to Rich. I thought that was the plan from the jump to give him the team and LeBron is about to be 39 and we still have to go about LeBron giving him the team. LeBron been ready to defer and give him the team,” Cam’ron argued.

Read More: Rich Paul Hints That He And Adele Are Headed Towards Engagement: “You Can Say Whatever You Want”

Rich Paul Explains Why He Hates The Term “Max Contracts”

Elsewhere, Paul went in on the phrase “max contract” while speaking with JJ Redick. “It’s your approach, your play, then your professionalism. That equals your power. Because if I have a guy whose approach is right, is playing at that level, and is a professional, I’ve got all the power in the world. And the owners, they’re going to respect and accept and enhance that power. Very few guys in the league actually has the power to move the needle and have an impact on things. But because you may be making max money, you feel like you do, and we all know that is not true. That’s why I hate that word, max. Because it gives you this entitlement, and that’s where you lose it all,” Paul said in a teaser posted to social media.

In short – Paul doesn’t like players conflating “max contract” with “league power player”. Elsewhere in the teaser, Paul says there are only 9 or 10 players in the entire league with any sort of power. He means your LeBrons, your Giannises. The sort of player who can demand how, where, and for how much they play almost without restriction. Just because you make the maximum amount of money a team can offer you doesn’t mean that you get to dictate the terms of your employment carte blanche.

Read More: LeBron James Reflects On Rich Paul’s Success Amid 60 Minutes Special

[via]

The post Rich Paul Texted Cam’ron To Defend Anthony Davis appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Anthony Davis Signs Three-Year Extension With The Los Angeles Lakers

The Brow is staying in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN that Anthony Davis had signed a three-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $270 million. The contract, that keeps AD in LA through 2028 is the richest per-year contract in NBA history, coming in at $62 million a year. Davis entered the offseason with two years and $84 million left on his current contract. The new extension will trigger in 2025.

Injuries have plagued Davis’ last few seasons. He has failed to reach the 60-game milestone in the past three seasons, playing 56 games in 2022-23. Despite this, he remains a core part of the Lakers’ championship roster alongside LeBron James. In the 2022-23 season, Davis put up 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Davis has played in LA since a blockbuster brought him over from the Pelicans in 2019. “Couldn’t think more highly of Anthony Davis as a Laker and as a player,” GM Rob Pelinka said recently. “He’s helped deliver a championship to our franchise. He’s been an incredible captain and leader.”

Read More: Terrence Williams Receives 10-Year Prison Sentence For NBA Fraud Scheme

AD Preparing For Future Without LeBron?

Up until this point, Davis and LeBron had their contracts running concurrently after both signing extensions following their 2020 championship. However, Davis is now on the books until 2028 while LeBron has a player option in for the 2024-25 season. A number of other Lakers signings this offseason are also on contracts that expire in 2025. Could it be that the Lakers are preparing for a future without LeBron, be it due to retirement or other circumstances?

LeBron has made it very clear that he wants to play alongside his son Bronny before he leaves the NBA. Given that the Lakers likely won’t have a first-round pick in 2024, it’s unlikely that Bronny lands with the team. Of course, this is also dependent on Bronny’s recovery and future following his cardiac arrest last month. However, many experts believe that LeBron will decline his 2024-25 player option and sign with whichever drafts his son. As this is a well-known scenario, it could be that the Lakers are setting themselves up to retain at least one cornerstone veteran for the near future.

[via]

The post Anthony Davis Signs Three-Year Extension With The Los Angeles Lakers appeared first on HotNewHipHop.