Beyond The Press
Posts
👟 LeBron's Crawsover Debut was Cut Short!

👟 LeBron's Crawsover Debut was Cut Short!

Chris Lesiak
August 22, 2022

Jayson Tatum claims to have played through the NBA playoffs with a fractured wrist, NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is set to travel to Russia to help free Brittney Griner, and LeBron James' Crawsover Pro-Am debut was cut short!

Start your week off here!

JAYSON TATUM

Jayson Tatum Claims to Have Played Through the NBA Playoffs with a Fractured Wrist

Celtic’s superstar Jayson Tatum revealed in an interview on Sunday that he played through a fractured wrist in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Tatum did not miss a single game in the playoffs as he led the Celtics to their first finals appearance since 2010. The extent of the injury was ultimately unknown and nobody outside the organization was aware he was playing through this injury.

When speaking to Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, Tatum had claimed the injury had occurred in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Super Bowl Sunday. At first, Tatum was set to get his wrist looked at over the all-star break but chose to play through the pain so he wouldn’t miss any games. Prior to the playoffs he did get his wrist looked at which revealed a non-displaced fracture. Tatum also received a cortisone shot during the second round of the playoffs to deal with the pain.

Tatum stated, “After each game I would have to wear a brace to shootaround and I would take it off before the cameras saw me, and pre-game taking my nap I would put it back on just to make sure it was stable.” Tatum stressed that the injury did not affect his playoff performances this past season.

DENNIS RODMAN

NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman Plans on Traveling to Russia to Help Free Brittney Griner

NBC News had reported Sunday morning that former NBA superstar, Dennis Rodman, plans on traveling to Russia to help negotiate the release of WNBA star, Brittney Griner. Earlier this month, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison for alleged drug charges. Griner’s team has since appealed this sentence while the U.S. and Russia have been in talks about potential prison exchanges. Rodman told NBC News that he is “trying to go this week.” There seems to be no clarity on where Rodman “got permission” to work on this case.

Rodman had previously been involved in informal diplomacy with international leaders who have strained relationships with the U.S. government. It is arguably what Rodman is most known for since retiring from the NBA. He has developed a relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and made multiple visits to the country in the past. Rodman has also had previous interactions with Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Rodman claimed to NBC News, “I know Putin too well.” There is a current travel advisory set by the U.S. government for American citizens which is “do not travel to Russia.” Because of this, Rodman will need to acquire a visa from Moscow before traveling there.

CRAWSOVER PRO-AM

LeBron James' Crawsover Pro-Am Debut was Cut Short

Saturday’s star-studded Crawsover Pro-Am was cut short due to an unexpected interruption before halftime. Thousands of fans were camped out in Seattle nearly 24 hours before tip-off to see the long list of coveted superstars and upcoming rookies show out. This list included Jayson Tatum, Aaron Gordon, DeJounte Murray, Isaiah Thomas, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero. Seattle residents DeMarcus Cousins and Mathew Miller were also in attendance.

Former NBA star and Crawsover host, Jamal Crawford, ended up canceling the game due to large amounts of condensation building up on the court. Multiple NBA players had slipped while the game was occurring including this years #1 overall pick, Paolo Banchero. There were also many discrepancies that happened before the game including long chaotic lines to get in the gym, a pulled fire alarm, and multiple crowd warnings from a police officer on site and Jamal Crawford himself. Many fans were not happy about LeBron’s first game back in Seattle since 2007 being cut short but it is simply what had to be done.