🏀 History.

December 28, 2022

Good morning Beyond The Press family! What a historic night for Luka Doncic. He single-handedly carried the Mavs over the Knicks in OT! We're going to break down his performance and where he now stands in the MVP conversation down below! In other news the Lakers snapped their 4-game losing streak last night with a win over the Magic. LeBron now needs 601 points to break Kareem's scoring record. We are truly witnessing greatness this NBA season! In today's rendition of BTP we take a deep dive into Luka’s historic night, whether or not Kyrie Irving will have his jersey retired in Cleveland, and how Shaq’s kids inspired him to make a $155M investment!

Happy Humpday!

HISTORY.

Luka Doncic Breaks Records, Leads Mavs to Insane Comeback Win

We’re running out of ways to describe how special Luka Doncic is. Last night Doncic put up 60 points, 21 rebounds, and ten assists and shattered all the records. He set a Mavs franchise scoring record, became the youngest player in league history with a 50-point triple-double, and the first-ever player to register a 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double. That's right — not even Wilt did that!

But as insane as those stats are, they don’t even tell the full story of Luka’s brilliance last night. The Mavs were down by nine points with 33 seconds left in the game, and They took home the W. With just seconds left on the clock, Doncic intentionally missed a free throw, miraculously grabbed his own rebound, and scored the bucket to force overtime. For some added context, according to ESPN Stats and Information, in the last 20 years, NBA teams were a combined 0-13,884 when trailing by at least nine points with 35 or fewer seconds remaining.

After a shot like that, you just knew the Mavs had this one on lock. The Mavs suffocated the Knicks in overtime, holding them to just two free throws in the first four minutes, while Doncic scored seven of Dallas’ 11 OT points to complete the comeback and set a new career-high. In typical Luka fashion, when asked by a reporter about this special game he said: “I’m tired as hell…[and] I need a recovery beer." Never change, Luka, never change.

JERSEY RETIREMENT

Will Kyrie's Jersey Get Retired in Cleveland?

Kyrie Irving has a complicated legacy, and that’s putting it mildly. For as brilliant as he can be on the court, he can be just as frustrating and difficult off of it. So, when the red-hot Nets came to Cleveland Monday night, naturally, the topic of Irving’s potential jersey retirement came up. Kevin Love was asked about the tricky topic by cleveland.com and gave the idea an enthusiastic yes.

He said: “Without a doubt. Absolutely. Right away, after his career ends.” He added: “It’s not even a question to me. He needs to be up there. He made the biggest shot in franchise history and one of the most important shots in Finals history when you consider how it all went down.”

Love isn’t being hyperbolic about the iconic three-pointer over Steph Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, but it’s not the only point in Irving’s favor. Over his six years in Cleveland, Irving also averaged 21.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, won Rookie of the Year, made four All-Star teams, and one All-NBA team. That should be enough to qualify for a jersey retirement, but with Irving, it’s never so simple.

Not only were his first three years in Cleveland a massive headache, but he forced his way off the team in the middle of their title window (allegedly threatening knee surgery if they didn’t trade him) and has been involved in countless off-the-court issues since. Whether it’s peddling flat-earth conspiracies, anti-vax rhetoric, or most severely, endorsing a deeply anti-semitic film, Irving consistently makes the wrong kind of headlines. Therefore, it’s understandable if those actions will cost him a jersey retirement, even though, from a basketball standpoint, he deserves it.

BIG INVESTMENTS

How Shaq's Sons Inspired a $155M Investment

Shaq may have a Hall of Fame NBA career, but his work as an investor is quickly becoming just as legendary. From being an early adopter of Apple and Google to becoming a franchise king with Five Guys, Shaq reportedly earns 4x his NBA salary on investments and endorsements.

So it’s no surprise that O’Neal was ahead of his time when it came to investing in esports. In 2016, Shaq’s kids asked him to take them to a League of Legends tournament at the Staples Center, and Shaq, being the doting father that he is, obliged. O'Neal knew nothing about esports, but when he saw how passionate the young audience of 30,000 kids was, he knew he had to get involved.

Shaq did some research and decided to invest $155M into NRG Esports, which was founded a year earlier by Sacramento Kings co-owners Mark Mastrov and Andy Miller. Speaking about his decision to invest in the space, Shaq said: “when it comes to technology, kids dictate what’s going to be and what’s not going to be. I knew it then, and I know it now: esports is still one of the fastest-growing industries, and it just appeals to so many people.” Currently, NRG Esports is estimated to be worth around $240M, but should only increase as the industry continues to become even more popular and mainstream.

THE RUMOR MILL

Ex-Ravens star Ed Reed set to become new Bethune-Cookman football coach

Trae Young & Luka Doncic Teammates? Mavs Have Top Betting Odds for Hawks Trade

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

December 28, 2008: Detroit Lions crash to a 31-21 loss to Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field; first team in NFL history to go winless in a 16-game season