Number one overall pick Paolo Banchero signs with Jordan Brand, Ice Cube speaks out on how the NBA & ESPN are trying to 'destroy' the BIG3 Basketball League, and a dive into title contenders and awards for the 2022-23 NBA season.

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PAOLO BANCHERO

Number One Overall Pick Paolo Banchero Officially Signs with Jordan Brand

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has officially signed a deal with Jordan Brand. Jordan Brand had announced the signing early Monday while not disclosing the official terms of the deal. Banchero was the #1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft prior to getting drafted by the Orlando Magic.

Prior to the draft, Banchero played one season as a part of the Duke Blue Devils. During his time at Duke he earned Rookie of the Year honors in his conference and was named a consensus second-team All-American. “I grew up wearing Jordans and to now be a part of his brand is really a dream come true,” Banchero said. “The opportunity to be a part of the Jordan family means everything to me.” Since his youth, Banchero has had many different pairs of Air Jordan 3’s, 4’s, and 11’s.

By the looks of it, Jordan Brand has no signs of slowing down when it comes to acquiring young talent. Banchero now joins a very elite roster of Jordan Brand athletes that includes Mavs guard Luka Doncic, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and many others. Jordan Brand has also recently announced a 20-year partnership with Howard University as well. Jordan Brand said that with the partnership they plan to “create academic and athletic opportunities that elevate the best of the Black community.”

BIG3 BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Ice Cube Speaks Out on How the NBA & ESPN are Trying to 'Destroy' the BIG3 Basketball League

Ice Cube has recently come out and talked about how he believes the BIG3 Basketball League is unable to grow due to the lack of support from large media brands and outlets. NBA veteran and now podcast host, Stephen Jackson, recently posted a video on Twitter encouraging more fans to support the BIG3. Cube reposted this clip from Jackson on his own Twitter where he said “The @NBA and @ESPN are doing everything in their powers to ignore or destroy @thebig3.”

This is also not the first time Cube has spoken out about the matter. Back in 2020 Cube first spoke out about how he believed the NBA had stolen his idea of the 3v3 format. This was the first year they changed the format of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. “The NBA hasn’t been the nicest to the BIG3,” Cube said. “Of course, publicly, they say all the right words. But we know privately, there’s things done behind the scenes [with] sponsors, broadcasters, blah blah blah… It did tarnish my fandom a bit.”

Even with Cube’s dicey relationship with the NBA, he has been able to keep the BIG3 thriving with other business ventures. The BIG3 announced Friday that it has officially been certified as a Black-owned and operated business by ByBlack and the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. This places Cube and his business partners within ByBlack’s network which allows the BIG3 to work directly with Black businesses at every stage as well as foster relationships with Black Chambers across the country. Furthermore, Cube has recently founded a contract with Black America which launched a partnership with the NFL. This contract gives the NFL $125 million to invest in and partner directly with Black-owned businesses.

2022-23 NBA SEASON

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Championship Predictions, Award Previews, and More!

The 2022-23 NBA season is finally here! After a long drama-filled off-season, it is finally time for teams to lock in and start their long grueling campaigns for a shot at the NBA Championship in June.

Last season the Golden State Warriors entered the year listed as 11-1 to win the NBA Championship. This season the Warriors are sitting at +575 (risk $100 to win $575) as the co-favorites along with the Boston Celtics to win the 2023 NBA Championship. Rounding out the top five for favorites to win the championship are the Clippers (+650), Nets (+700), and Bucks (+700). The Lakers are in an interesting spot at +1800 to win the NBA title after failing to make the playoffs last season. Although with a healthy Anthony Davis they will look to make some noise again this year.

Many NBA rookies are looking to make their presence known as they battle away for a Rookie of the Year trophy. The favorite coming into the year for ROY is #1 pick Paolo Banchero at +185. This is significantly higher than Sacramento Kings guard Keegan Murray who sits at the second spot at +500 along with Pistons guard Jaden Ivey. The final two rookies that round out the top five are Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin at +650. Mathurin had made this recent jump due to his impressive play in the pre-season.

Finally, the most covenant individual award in the league, the MVP trophy. The favorite for the MVP award is Mavs guard Luka Doncic at +450. Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both not too far behind at +500 (Embiid) and +550 (Giannis). Then a significant jump happens to round out the top five with Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic at +1000. Jokic is looking to win his third MVP award in three seasons and can be the first player to three-peat since Larry Bird in 1984-1986. However, his third MVP campaign will be tough since Denver has all-star guard Jamal Murray returning to the court this year. Furthermore, you can never count Steph Curry (+1300) out of this race as he sits at number seven on the list right behind Jayson Tatum (+1200). Either way all of these NBA superstars have a long road ahead of them to see who will come out on top.

THE RUMOR MILL

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

October 18, 1974: Chicago Bulls Nate Thurmond becomes 1st player in NBA history to complete a quadruple double-22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, & 12 blocks

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