Basketball

• Basketball Africa League

  Dec 20, 2019 SportZ 0 Comments

  After years of initiative and campaigns in Africa, including the league's exhibition game in South Africa, which featured Team Africa versus Team World, the NBA has announced its plans to bring a pro league earlier this year. The Basketball Africa League, as it's called, is a collaboration between the NBA and FIBA, scheduled to begin play in March 2020. The league will consist of 12 teams, and games will be hosted in cities across Africa, including Cairo; Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; and Rabat, Morocco. Each team will have a 16-man roster, at least 8 of whom must be citizens of their respective team's country, and only 2 of whom from outside Africa. Former President Barack Obama was reported to have direct involvement with the league's operations.

  Significant progress has been made in the past several months, as the league's inaugural season approaches. Earlier this month, the Basketball Africa League held its first-ever scouting combine in Brooklyn, New York, which brought in scouts, coaches, and executives from 20 different African countries, and featured 56 athletes from around the world. A few days ago, the league's official logo was unveiled in Rwanda, who will also host their first-ever finals.

  The formation of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) will lead to an efficient, continental basketball system providing countless opportunities for young Africans to play at the next level. It will provide numerous jobs within the various countries, and further cultivate talent and experience.

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• Kawhi Leonard Buys New Penthouse

  Dec 13, 2019 SportZ 0 Comments

  It's been nearly a month and a half since NBA all-star and champion Kawhi Leonard started this season playing for one of his hometown teams, the Los Angeles Clippers, after leaving the Toronto Raptors – and so far, he's made himself quite comfortable in downtown LA. This week, Leonard bought a penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at LA Live, practically across the street from the Staples Center. He paid $6.725 million for the 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom residence, which also features two custom fire-placed and wall-mounted iPads for controlling smart home systems, among other things. According to reports, he bought the 4,280-square-foot penthouse under a limited liability company managed by his uncle, Dennis Robertson. This places Leonard in the vicinity of former Lakers executive Jim Buss, who is still seeking to sell his own penthouse, and former Lakers guard Lonzo Ball, who owns a unit a few floors down. The property had been originally listed at $6.995 million.

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• Kawhi Leonard Buys New Penthouse

  Dec 13, 2019 SportZ 0 Comments

  It's been nearly a month and a half since NBA all-star and champion Kawhi Leonard started this season playing for one of his hometown teams, the Los Angeles Clippers, after leaving the Toronto Raptors – and so far, he's made himself quite comfortable in downtown LA. This week, Leonard bought a penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at LA Live, practically across the street from the Staples Center. He paid $6.725 million for the 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom residence, which also features two custom fire-placed and wall-mounted iPads for controlling smart home systems, among other things. According to reports, he bought the 4,280-square-foot penthouse under a limited liability company managed by his uncle, Dennis Robertson. This places Leonard in the vicinity of former Lakers executive Jim Buss, who is still seeking to sell his own penthouse, and former Lakers guard Lonzo Ball, who owns a unit a few floors down. The property had been originally listed at $6.995 million.

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• Carmelo Anthony's Return

  Dec 6, 2019 SportZ 0 Comments

  CARMELO ANTHONY'S RETURN

  

  by Z Roney

  On November 19th, Carmelo Anthony made his long-awaited return to the NBA after signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Portland Trailblazers. Before then, his last game had been with the Houston Rockets, over a year ago, near the beginning of the 2018-19 season. Eventually, he had been traded to the Chicago Bulls, where, at the start of February, he had been waived. The return of the former scoring champion and 10-time all-star was commemorated by fans, players, and media across the league.

  Since then, Melo has played 8 games, averaging 16.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 31 minutes despite spending a year on the sidelines. In his Trailblazers home debut, he scored 19 points and grabbed 4 rebounds against Oklahoma City. A couple days earlier, he scored a season-high 25 points in a win against the Bulls. Almost immediately after his return, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week.

  Now, his contributions have been rewarded. According to reports, the Portland Trailblazers have amended their deal, guaranteeing Carmelo's contract for the remainder of the season. In just a few months' time, he ascended from pondering retirement to once again having a full spot on a roster. Now, he'll have the rest of the season to build upon this opportunity.

   

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• Bill Russell Accepts Hall of Fame Ring After 44 Years

  Nov 30, 2019 SportZ 0 Comments

  

  By Z Roney

  In 1975, 11-time NBA champion, 5-time MVP, 3-time All-NBA first team, and 12-time all-star Bill Russell was given his merited praise and commemoration by being inducted into the Hall of Fame. For many, this is a reward of the highest honor in the world of basketball – a lifetime goal and dream to strive for – and he was the first black player to receive this accolade. However, for some unbeknownst reason at the time, Bill did not accept the symbolic ring. In fact, he continued to refuse the memento for 44 years, boycotting the ceremony.

  However, just a couple of weeks ago, his attitude towards the event changed. Hosting a private ceremony, he finally accepted the Hall of Fame ring, and gave fans his reasoning for his prior actions. There were other players who he felt deserved the honor of being the first black Hall-of-Famer besides him, such as Chuck Cooper, Sweetwater Clifton, and Earl Lloyd, who all played before him, being the first African-American players to be drafted. However, none of them were inducted before the turn of the century; Lloyd was inducted in 2003, while Clifton was inducted in 2014. Chuck Cooper was the latest to be inducted, only receiving the honor this past September. It was after this when Russell finally accepted the ring himself. Bill Russell is the greatest winner in the history of North American sports, and the achiever of countless jaw-dropping accolades – but regardless of these accomplishments, he is still a man of principle.

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