11-Time NBA Champion Bill Russell passes away at the age of 88, the 76ers may have been caught tampering, NBA rookies and stars shine at the CrawsOver Pro-Am!

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BILL RUSSELL

11-Time NBA Champion Bill Russell passes away at the age of 88

The NBA community and the world mourns the death of NBA legend and 11 time NBA Champion Bill Russell, who died Sunday morning with his wife Jeannine by his side. Bill is an absolute legend of the game. He was a part of a Celtics dynasty that won eight straight titles, but Bill’s outreach expanded much past the game of basketball. He was a barrier breaker for underrepresented communities and was a true revolutionary in the integration of the game of basketball. He was an individual who boycotted a 1961 exhibition game to unmask intolerable discrimination, he was also a continuous activist throughout his career. Bill not only broke barriers for his current generation, but also generations to come. This was on showcase when he was able to lead and establish Mississippi's first integrated basketball camp. Not only was Bill’s activist resume incredible, but so was his game. 

Since the beginning, Bill incorporated a winning attitude to his game that translated on the court in flurries. This dates back all the way to Bill’s college days at the University of San Francisco. He was a two time All-American during his time at USF who won two straight titles and led the team to 55 consecutive wins. He also won a gold medal in the 1956 Olympics. He had a winning mindset, winning 11 titles out of 12 NBA Finals appearances he made with the Celtics. He was the NBA’s first African American coach as well as the first African American coach to win a title. Bill’s winning resume speaks for itself. He was a five-time MVP winner and a 12-time All Star who changed the strategies of NBA playbooks throughout the league with his physical and defensive mindset. He set an NBA record with an uncanny 51 rebounds in ONE GAME and 49 in two others, his approach to the game was not only relentless but just different. To put his greatness into perspective, he competed with the all time great Wilt Chamberlain and won 11 championship rings  his career while Chamberlain only won two. Even off the court, Bill’s presence was felt. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama in 2011 and also the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. 

Bill was a true innovator in the game of basketball, revolutionizing how players play defense and approach the game as a whole. His shot blocking approach was foreign to the game of basketball during his time when coaches wouldn’t want players to “leave their feet” while playing defense. Bill created his own approach to defense and became one of the NBA’s best shot blockers in its long history. Bill’s competitive demeanor and his approach to the game eventually led to Bill having the NBA Finals MVP Trophy being named after him although he never won one himself. Bill Russell’s legacy will forever live on; after being the first African American player to be inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, being voted the Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America, and being a part of the 75th Anniversary Team by the NBA in 2021. Bill’s presence on and off the court will always be cemented in not only the NBA’s long history, but also American history.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Did the 76ers get caught tampering?

The Philadelphia 76ers are being investigated by the NBA for possible tampering in offseason free agency moves involving James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Danuel House. As we know, Harden took less money in order to allow the 76ers to make other moves in free agency, so let’s look at the timeline. Harden signed a $68 million deal where he would make about $14.4 million less than what he would have made with his $47.4 million option coming into the season. To break it down, Harden would have made $47.4 million coming into this season but decided to decline and lower that number to $33 million. Because of this move, the 76ers were able to ink Tucker to a $30 million deal over three years and House for $8.4 over the next two seasons. So how is this tampering? Investigators within the NBA believe in order to have Harden agree to this, the 76ers had a “handshake” agreement on a future contract with James. Daryl Morey and the 76ers have been very cooperative with the NBA during their investigation.

 This brings us back to other tampering cases within the NBA. Whether that be NBA stripping the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat a second-round pick for early contact with free agents Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry. A notorious case of tampering within the NBA came in 2017 revolving around the Lakers and then free agent superstar Paul George. Within this case, the Lakers were fined $500,000 for their communication with George. Another case dates back to 1995 where the New York Knicks accused the Heat of tampering by recruiting Pat Riley while he was under contract with the Knicks. This resulted in the Knicks dropping the tampering allegations following Miami giving the Knicks a first-round draft choice in 1996.

So do you think the 76ers have a future secret agreement with James for a massive future contract? Or is this a genuine approach by James to bring a championship back to Philadelphia.

CRAWSOVER PRO-AM

NBA rookies and stars shine at the CrawsOver Pro-Am!

The Pro-Am game brought out some of the most anticipated incoming rookies and NBA stars and they didn’t disappoint. Flashy plays such as Chet Holmgren’s block leading to Pablo Banchero’s 360 dunk, to Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2020 first round pick Jaden McDaniels dropping 52 points as well as 11 rebounds and 7 assists. NBA fans everywhere were salivating over the promise of the NBA’s future young stars. Chet Holmgren ended the night with a near triple double with 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 blocks. Pablo Banchero, Orlando’s first overall pick collected 50 points with eight rebounds, and five assists. It’s safe to say the future of the NBA with this 2022 draft class is in good hands. This reminds us of another young NBA star showing out at this Pro-Am game, Jordan Poole, where he finished with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in 2021. But there was one franchise in particular who truly won on Saturday, the Atlanta Hawks.

Hawks fans everywhere probably felt like it was Christmas morning seeing their new trio (Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and John Collins) absolutely tear up the Pro-Am. The trio went viral when they completed a three man double-lob alley-oop in the game, which was possibly the highlight of the entire year. Not only did they complete this specimen of a highlight reel but they all individually put up very notable numbers as well. Trae Young finished with a double double (37 points and 13 assists) John Collins also collected a double double with 27 points and 17 rebounds. There is no denying that the chemistry between the Hawks big three looked unbreakable. Is this a sign for future things to come for Hawks fans?

THE RUMOR MILL

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