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🏀 Draymond Blames Himself for 2016 Finals Loss

🏀 Draymond Blames Himself for 2016 Finals Loss

Chris Lesiak
September 20, 2022

Becky Hammon makes WNBA coaching history, Draymond Green blames himself for 2016 finals loss, and Charles Barkley calls LeBron 'the greatest story in sports'.

Start your day off strong!

BECKY HAMMON

Becky Hammon Makes WNBA Coaching History

Las Vegas Aces' Becky Hammon has done something no person in WNBA history has ever done — win the WNBA title as a rookie head coach. Before making the jump to the WNBA, Hammond spent the last eight years as a Spurs assistant coach to Gregg Popovich.

Winning as a first-time head coach is an exceedingly rare feat. In the last 60 years, only five NBA coaches have won a league title, the most recent being Nick Nurse with the 2019 Toronto Raptors. It’s worth noting Nurse had been a head coach at other levels of basketball but was a first-time NBA coach.

Before Hammon was a coach on the Spurs, she was an undrafted rookie who defied all odds and became a six-time WNBA All-Star, and Hammon credits her time in the league for her transition into coaching. She said: "The WNBA made me. Without the WNBA, I never would have had a chance to be around Pop in San Antonio."

Her time in San Antonio had no shortage of memorable moments, from coaching the Spurs to the 2015 Summer League title to becoming the first woman to act as head coach following Pop’s ejection in a 2020 game. Congrats to Hammon on this prolific achievement; we’re sure it's the first of many!

DRAYMOND GREEN

Draymond Green Blames Himself for 2016 Finals Loss

Draymond Green has heard the hot takes about how his famous flagrant foul on LeBron cost the Warriors the 2016 title, and while he agrees, he doesn’t exactly regret it.

While appearing on the "Checc'n In" podcast, he said the following: "I take that on the chin. I cost us a championship. I'm fine with that. I can take that on the chin. No problem. I own up to my mistakes." Green added: "Would I do it again? One thousand percent. If somebody try to step over me, I'm going to hit them."

While Green doesn’t regret attacking James’ groin area, he did express regret for his actions that ultimately led to the suspension: "What I wouldn't do again is, I wouldn't allow myself to be in the position to where someone can make that decision and cost me. And so guess what? If I get to that point again and you step over me, I'm going to try to hit you again. But I wouldn't be in the same position with flagrant amount of points, with the amount of techs to where I leave that decision in someone else's hands."

Green plays the game with his heart on his sleeve, so it’s no surprise to hear him defend his style of play. After all, this man went from the 35th overall pick to a four-time NBA champion — it’s safe to say he’s doing something right!

CHARLES BARKLEY & LEBRON

Charles Barkley Calls LeBron 'The Greatest Story in Sports History'

Charles Barkley might be an MJ guy, but he had nothing but good things to say about LeBron during a recent podcast appearance. While on the Draymond Green Show, Barkley said the following:

“I think what LeBron has accomplished is arguably the greatest story in sports history. For No. 1, you look at Kobe, Kevin Garnett, guys like that, they were not good players when they first got into the NBA. LeBron is the only player in my forty years in the NBA who played great from day 1.”

He added: “And for him to turn into one of the best players ever, he’s never gotten in trouble, especially in this 24-hour news cycle with social media. For him to be as great as he’s been from the year 18 to where he’s at now, I think it’s one of the greatest stories in sports history. He was that good from day 1.”

There is a lot of truth to Barkley’s praise. Kobe had an uncharacteristically slow rookie year averaging 7.6 PPG, while KG only put up 10.4. James, on the other hand, entered the league like a shot out of a cannon, averaging 20.9 points alongside 5.9 assists and 5.5 boards. To this day, he’s one of just seven people to never average fewer than 20 PPG, and he’s done it over nineteen remarkable years.