Latest news with #Ex-NBA
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Nikola Jokic's Superstar Status
Ex-NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Nikola Jokic's Superstar Status originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The season came to an unfortunate end for the Denver Nuggets, as they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. Some around the NBA were surprised the Nuggets made it as far as they did, considering they fired head coach Michael Malone just days before the end of the regular season. Advertisement Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic did his best to carry the Nuggets to the Conference Finals, especially with injuries to Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, but ultimately ran out of gas down the stretch. Mar 8, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) attempts to dribble past Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) in the third quarter at Oracle Arena.© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Ex-NBA player makes bold claim about Nikola Jokic Former NBA players DeMarcus Cousins and Chandler Parsons were discussing what makes someone a superstar on Run It Back on FanDuelTV, and some Nuggets fans might not agree with Cousins' take. "Obviously, it's the on-court performance. I think that's the No. 1 thing," Cousins said. "Are you marketable? Can the league sell you? Do people like you? Global impact as well. Once you start having that global impact, obviously, you're going to that superstar status. Advertisement "As great as Jokic is, you can't sell him. You can't market him. He's not this great personality. I had the opportunity to be teammates with him. He doesn't care about the spotlight. He doesn't want to be that type of guy." Many might disagree with Cousins regarding this topic, particularly on the fundamental level of what defines a superstar. It's hard not to consider a five-time All-NBA First Team member and three-time Most Valuable Player award winner a superstar. While Jokic might not be hosting his own podcast anytime soon, that shouldn't exclude him from the conversation about superstars. The Nuggets will likely have an interesting offseason as they look to keep their championship window open and surround Jokic with more reliable pieces. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins on potential Kevin Durant deal: ‘KD would fit in beautifully'
Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins on potential Kevin Durant deal: 'KD would fit in beautifully' Ryan Hollins on a potential Kevin Durant trade: 'KD would fit in beautifully, and I believe he already has a relationship with Ime (Udoka). There's a high level of respect for him from our guys.' 'Ime is a ten.' 💯 Ex-NBA vet @TheRyanHollins breaks down Houston's rise, KD & Giannis rumors, and why the Rockets are built to win ugly. Read the full interview: via @LandonBuford — RG (@TheRGMedia) June 10, 2025 Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins knows the NBA, having played in the league for a decade. And Hollins also knows its current landscape, as he will soon begin his fifth season as Houston's in-game analyst for Space City Home Network, its regional television broadcast home. With reports emerging in recent days that Houston is among the leading trade suitors for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, Hollins didn't mince words regarding the possibility. In an interview with Landon Buford of RG, Hollins said of the talks: Kevin Durant, man, he's electric. When you get to those big moments, do you have enough firepower to execute? Do you trust your young talent to get you there, or do you bring in someone like KD... who you know can win championships? KD would fit in beautifully, and I believe he already has a relationship with Ime (Udoka, head coach) from their time in Brooklyn. There's a high level of respect for him from our guys. The question, however, is what a trade would look like. To Durant's credit, Hollins believes that the 15-time NBA All-Star is aware of that — and he doesn't want to excessively strip his new team of its talent in such a deal. 'He wants to be fair, to both teams and organizations,' said Hollins, whose playing career (2006-07 to 2015-16) featured quite a few matchups against Durant (2007-08 to present). 'That says a lot about him.' A 6-foot-11 forward, Durant averaged 26.6 points (52.7% FG, 43.0% on 3-pointers), 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games last season. The former Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP is now 36 years old, and his current contract runs through next season. More: ESPN lists Rockets first among potential Kevin Durant trade suitors with Suns
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-NBA star DeMarcus Cousins spars with fans in Puerto Rico in ugly incident
Ex-NBA star DeMarcus Cousins spars with fans in Puerto Rico in ugly incident Show Caption Hide Caption Paul George has these players in mind when it comes to the 'new' face of NBA Paul George shares who he thinks will become the 'new' face of the NBA once guys like LeBron James and Steph Curry retire. Sports Seriously Former NBA standout DeMarcus Cousins was ejected from a game in Puerto Rico on Monday night after an altercation with a fan sitting courtside, exiting to a shower of beverages from angry onlookers. Cousins, a four-time All-Star center with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, was playing for the Guaynabo Mets in Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional league when he exchanged words with a spectator on the front row during a timeout. According to video posted to social media, Cousins made a crude gesture toward the man before slapping at him. Teammates quickly stepped between the two and held Cousins back. As he was being escorted off the court toward the locker room, Cousins got into a shouting match with hecklers, who proceeded to throw food and drinks at him, setting off another scuffle. WOW — DeMarcus Cousins was ejected, and fans threw drinks at him — Cousins went after the fans. 😳 (via @12magnificos) — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 10, 2025 Cousins, 34, last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season, when he appeared in 17 games with the Milwaukee Bucks and 31 with the Denver Nuggets. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Kings, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game over his 11 seasons in the league. He finished third in the rookie of the year balloting in 2011 behind Blake Griffin and John Wall, and went on to make four consecutive All-Star appearances from 2014-15 to 2017-18. He was also a member of the Golden State Warriors team that lost to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals. Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon and sat out the entire 2019-20 season, never fully returning to his former level of performance. He latched on with Guaynabo in 2013 and played in Taiwan last season before rejoining his former team in Puerto Rico this year.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Guard Sends New York Knicks Warning After Game 5
Ex-NBA Guard Sends New York Knicks Warning After Game 5 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks managed to keep their NBA Title hopes alive by defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Advertisement The Knicks still trail Indiana 3-2, but live to play another game as the series shifts back to Indianapolis for Game 6, where the Knicks will have to fend off elimination once again. New York seemingly did everything right, particularly on the defensive end of the court. They held Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton to a combined 23 points on 7-of-20 shooting. © Brad Penner-Imagn Images Ex-NBA guard sends New York Knicks warning The Pacers had chances to climb back into the game, cutting the Knicks' lead to single digits twice. But every time it felt as though momentum was shifting, the Knicks would make a big shot or get a key turnover to keep things going their way. Advertisement Former NBA guard Jay Williams was particularly impressed with the Knicks and is feeling optimistic about their chances of coming back to win the series. "That team that we saw last night, ... is not only the reason why they have a chance to win this series, but that gives them a fighting shot against OKC," Williams said. "I will still have OKC favored, but if that [Knicks] team shows up, that will give them their best odds to compete for a World Championship." While Williams may be putting the cart before the horse, the Knicks' performance was impressive. They made Tyrese Haliburton incredibly uncomfortable, picking him up the length of the floor. While Haliburton didn't have a turnover, the Knicks forced the rest of the Pacers into 20 of them. Advertisement If the Knicks can win Game 6 in Indianapolis, the odds would likely be in their favor for winning Game 7. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Ex-NBA player Lamar Odom met with boos from hecklers at Trump's crypto dinner
Ex-NBA player Lamar Odom met with boos from hecklers at Trump's crypto dinner Show Caption Hide Caption Trump hosts crypto dinner for biggest $TRUMP coin buyers The president hosted top investors in his meme coin and rewarded the biggest buyers with gifts worth about $100,000. Lamar Odom soaked up plenty of adulation during his time in the NBA, including two championship victories with the Los Angeles Lakers. But on May 22 he was met with boos as he entered a dinner for top investors in President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency venture. Protesters gathered outside Trump's club in Sterling, Virginia, heckled Odom along with everyone entering the venue, as seen on a video the former NBA-player-turned-crypto-entrepreneur posted on social media. One protester called out, "Hypocrite!" Another held up a sign saying "Don the Con." Others had a banner reading "No Kings." Democrats and ethics experts have sharply criticized Trump's crypto businesses, saying they offer wealthy people access to and an opportunity to influence the president. The dinner for top purchasers of the $TRUMP meme coin is a vivid example of that, critics said, with 220 top investors getting prized time with the commander in chief. A group of congressional Democrats sent a letter to the Department of Justice on May 22 urging the agency to investigate whether Trump's crypto dinner violates the federal bribery statute or the foreign emoluments provision in the Constitution. The emoluments clause bars any U.S. official from accepting 'any present' of 'any kind whatsoever, from any King, Prince, or foreign state.' However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that it's "absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency." Though the White House refused to publicize the list of dinner guests, some revealed publicly that they attended. Odom posted on social media that he was "fired up" to be at the event, although the video only showed the jeers of protesters as he walked into the club. "Think about it – what meme coin has ever done this?" Odom wrote. Odom also has a meme coin of his own, which he promoted in the post. A 14-year NBA veteran, Odom was in the spotlight for his marriage to Khloé Kardashian and made appearances on her reality television show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." The couple also had a show, "Khloé & Lamar." In 2015, Odom was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel after a drug overdose. The pair's divorce was finalized in 2016.
