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🏈 Taste of Revenge

🏈 Taste of Revenge

January 05, 2023

Good morning BTP family! We are flying through the first week of 2023! Our first Wednesday night of 2023 was filled with tons of NBA action including two game winning shots by Saddiq Bey and Evan Mobley! Not to mention the Chicago Bulls ending the Brooklyn Nets 12-game winning streak. We have all the highlights down below!

In today's newsletter we break down Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner's ultimate revenge game, how Kevin Porter Jr. got himself into some legal trouble, and a fascinating throwback Thursday story on the beef between Shaq and Kobe Bryant!

Start your day off here!

REVENGE GAME

How the Seattle Seahawks 'Gave Up' Bobby Wagner

Rams’ linebacker Bobby Wagner has revenge on his mind as he returns to Seattle for the first time since being released by the team. Wagner is a Seahawks legend after having captained the infamous “Legion of Boom” defense six times during his 10-year run in Seattle while making eight Pro Bowls along the way.

But despite owning the franchise’s all-time tackles record and having plenty of gas in the tank, Seattle opted to release him this offseason, and they fumbled how they did it. Wagner caught wind of the team’s plans to replace him with a younger player before Seattle's decision-makers officially told him. Wagner, justifiably, felt disrespected and hurt after a decade of elite performance and dedication to the team. GM John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll eventually took public blame for their roles in this decision, but it was too little, too late.

Wagner has already played the Seahawks once this season, where he had his best game of the year with two sacks and an interception. But this matchup has even greater stakes as Seattle’s playoff hopes are on the line. So even though the Rams’ season is over, expect a monster effort from Wagner and his teammates. And if Wagner needed any extra motivation, he’s also just ten tackles away from setting the Rams’ single-season record.

LEGAL TROUBLE

Kevin Porter Jr. Gets Sued By 'Ex-Wifey'

Kevin Porter Jr.’s breakout year may have just hit its first snag, and it has nothing to do with basketball. KPJ’s former partner Dinamarie Simone has officially sued the 22-year-old point guard on a litany of charges totaling $7.5M!

The Fine Print: Simone’s official complaints include breach of contract, declaratory judgment of common law marriage, defamation, malicious prosecution, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. These complaints stem from a laundry list of allegations that includes Porter Jr. kicking her out of the home they leased together, failing to properly return her belongings, using her credit cards for his personal payments after they broke up, and that Porter Jr. defamed her character.

The two sides nearly settled things in November 2022 before Simone withdrew her consent and signature on the settlement agreement. The key difference between this lawsuit and the previous settlement is the inclusion that they were a common-law married couple, and therefore, Simone would be entitled to a portion of all marital property, including their dog, Rain. This dog must be the cutest pup in the world, as it was at the center of a lawsuit from Porter Jr. this summer.

Big Picture: Whether Porter Jr. is innocent or not, this lawsuit represents the latest in a long line of questionable decision-making from the young man. In 2021, Porter Jr. was fined for his involvement in a bloody incident at a Miami strip club, and he was previously arrested on a gun charge after crashing his car in 2020.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

TBT: The Outstanding Feud Between Shaq & Kobe

The drama that engulfed the early-2000s Lakers dynasty could have only been written in Hollywood. Despite winning three consecutive championships, it’s hard not to look back on the Kobe-Shaq era and think they left titles on the table.

So, who's really responsible? It’s natural to want to point fingers and blame someone, but the truth is both parties were guilty. However, the feud undoubtedly starts with Shaq. Shaq was supposed to be the grown-up in the room, but his insecurities about Kobe, whether it was about his jersey sales, his attitude, or his role on the offense, led to a very public feud.

O’Neal routinely put Kobe down, telling coaches and teammates that they couldn’t win with Bryant, and even once publicly called Bryant “the problem.” Shaq was so in his feelings over Kobe that the coaches had to assemble game film just to prove Kobe played his position correctly. Can you imagine being so blinded by rage that you thought Kobe Bryant couldn't ball?

But while Shaq may have started it, Bryant had plenty of issues with Shaq too. In addition to having to endure these constant barbs, Kobe was pissed that Shaq was less than dedicated to his fitness and his defense — two things very much in O’Neal’s control. The nail in the metaphorical coffin, however, might have been Shaq not reaching out to him during his legal troubles. Kobe felt really betrayed by this and said, “[Shaq was] supposed to be my friend.”

The Boiling Point: After losing to the Pistons in the 2004 Finals, things in La La Land reached a point of no return. With Phil Jackson fired, and after GM Mitch Kubiak said he would consider trading O’Neal, Shaq demanded out. The Lakers had to choose a star, and ultimately they went with the younger and more dedicated player, and it was the right call.

Time and space were definitely needed for these two, and things trended in the right direction after they broke up, before improving exponentially after they retired. Of course, they were robbed of this newfound friendship after Kobe's tragic passing, but it became crystal-clear to everyone just how much Shaq truly valued him and how remorseful he was of his role in their falling out.

THE RUMOR MILL

Lakers Rumors: LA Keeping First-Round Picks for Potential Blockbuster Trade for Third Star

2 best trades Bulls must make before 2023 NBA trade deadline

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

January 5, 2019: Golden State Warriors & Sacramento Kings combine for 41 3-pointers in Warriors' 127-123 win; set a new record for 3s in a game