w00fw0lf, Author at Basketball is Culture https://basketballisculture.com/author/89ieriko/ Basketball is Culture Wed, 08 Jun 2022 11:16:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://i0.wp.com/basketballisculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-basketball-is-culture-e1649400452266-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 w00fw0lf, Author at Basketball is Culture https://basketballisculture.com/author/89ieriko/ 32 32 205145716 Ranking Michael Jordan’s Biggest Rivals of All Time https://basketballisculture.com/michael-jordans-biggest-rivals/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=michael-jordans-biggest-rivals Wed, 08 Jun 2022 10:16:05 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=271 He’s the G.O.A.T and he was unstoppable. Many greats challenged him but he always prevailed. Let’s take a look at who Michael Jordan’s biggest rivals were. 5. Karl Malone Karl Malone is amongst the greatest players who never won an NBA championship. They can thank Michael Jordan for that.  His teammate and partner in crime […]

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]]> He’s the G.O.A.T and he was unstoppable. Many greats challenged him but he always prevailed. Let’s take a look at who Michael Jordan’s biggest rivals were.

5. Karl Malone

Karl Malone is amongst the greatest players who never won an NBA championship. They can thank Michael Jordan for that.  His teammate and partner in crime John Stockton is also one of the greatest single franchise NBA players of all time.

Malone was one of Michael Jordan’s biggest rivals. The pick and roll between Malone and Stockton was unstoppable. But Malone, Stockton and the Jazz also had a reputation of being dirty. Utah made the playoffs every season that Stockton and Malone played in but Jordan became the single reason why the Hall of Famers never won an NBA championship.

Despite Malone leading 13-11 all-time against Jordan, the Bulls beat the Jazz in 1997 and again in 1998, with Jordan’s famous 20-foot jumper with 5.2 seconds remaining clinching a sixth NBA championship. Malone never won an NBA title and he’s forever filthy that teammate Antoine Carr wanted Jordan’s autograph for his son.

4. Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley and the Philadelphia 76ers were one of Michael Jordan’s biggest rivals. In the 1990 and 1991 playoffs the Bulls eliminated Barkley and the Sixers. Barkley was throwing massive numbers up, averaging 24.7 points and 15.5 rebounds in the 1991 playoffs.

In 1992 Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns and had an MVP and career year. He averaged 26.6 points and 13.6 rebounds leading the Suns to the NBA Finals. Jordan however averaged 41 points a game during the playoffs and the Bulls went on to beat the Suns in six games.

That was Barkley’s only chance at winning an NBA championship and he became one of the best players who never won an NBA championship.

Jordan and Barkley struck a friendship during their playing days and were good friends into retirement. Barkley however publicly criticised Jordan’s ownership of his Charlotte NBA franchise and the two haven’t been friends ever since.

3. Clyde Drexler

Clyde Drexler was the reason why Portland Trail Blazers didn’t draft Michael Jordan in 1984. They already had a star guard in Drexler so they drafted center Sam Bowie instead.

Drexler still became a 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer. Drexler and Jordan met in the 1992 NBA Finals, and Jordan didn’t like the fact that some people compared him to Drexler.

The Bulls won in six games as Jordan dominated Drexler and the Trail Blazers, finishing with an average of 35.8 points and 6.5 assists in the series. Most surprising was the six three-pointers Jordan drained, the weaker part of his game.

Out of Michael Jordan’s biggest rivals, Drexler was the only one who managed to win an NBA title, doing so with the Houston Rockets in 1995. The Rockets swept Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals, after the Magic beat Jordan’s Bulls in six games in the second round.

2. Patrick Ewing

Jordan’s game winner for North Carolina in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown team set the tone with one of Michael Jordan’s biggest rivals.

Once the Bulls learnt how to deal with Michael Jordan’s biggest rival, Detroit, Chicago were unbeatable. The Bulls and Knicks are one of the biggest NBA rivalries and the Knicks were on the receiving end of most Bulls dominance.

Both John Starks and Ewing were one of only a few players who could somewhat make an impact on limiting Jordan’s game. It mattered little though as Chicago eliminated New York in the playoffs in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996. The Knicks did manage to defeat the Bulls in the 1994 playoffs but Jordan was off on his professional baseball sabbatical.

No matter what Ewing and the Knicks tried, they could not get the better of Jordan and the Bulls. In the 1993 Eastern Conference finals, the Bulls turned around a 2-0 deficit to win four games straight on their way to an NBA title. Ewing remains the best player who never won an NBA championship.

1. Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas has always been Michael Jordan’s biggest rival. Jordan believes that Thomas was the major force behind the infamous ‘Freezeout’ of Jordan at his first all-star game in 1985.

As the unquestionable leader of Detroit’s “Bad Boys”, Thomas was a key part of the Pistons’ “Jordan Rules” strategy. The game plan was to limit Jordan’s impact by limiting his clutch shot shooting and playing an extremely physical game on him.

During the late 80’s it was Detroit who dominated, knocking Chicago out of the playoffs in three straight seasons and winning back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

Phil Jackson and Chicago completely turned around the rivalry and became a dominant force in the NBA throughout the 90’s with the “Triangle Offense”. Thomas, a Chicago native, had to watch as Jordan transformed his hometown Bulls into one of the greatest teams of all time.

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]]> 271 The Guide to Tanking in the NBA https://basketballisculture.com/the-guide-to-tanking-in-the-nba/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-guide-to-tanking-in-the-nba Sat, 21 May 2022 09:39:11 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=249 If you’re an NBA fan then you’ll know all about the Philadelphia 76ers and how their long suffering fans were held ransom to “trust the process”. The Sixers were tanking their NBA seasons through the mid-2010s to draft Ben Simmons who never turned out to be the LeBron James 2.0 we thought he’d be. The […]

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]]> If you’re an NBA fan then you’ll know all about the Philadelphia 76ers and how their long suffering fans were held ransom to “trust the process”. The Sixers were tanking their NBA seasons through the mid-2010s to draft Ben Simmons who never turned out to be the LeBron James 2.0 we thought he’d be.

The Sixers also drafted Markelle Fultz with thr first pick in 2017 who turned out to be one of the most overhyped draft flops and passing on selecting Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell in the process.

What is tanking? It’s the process of sitting star players out due to “injuries” and then giving excessive minutes to inexperienced veterans and rookies who make enough mistakes to give themselves no chance of winning.

By season’s end the teams poor performances means that they sit bottom of the NBA standings which earns them a higher probability in the draft lottery of landing the first pick of the NBA draft.

The 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs tops the list of the best NBA tanking teams in history. There was a lot on the line as the lottery for the 1997 NBA Draft became known as the Tim Duncan sweepstake. San Antonio tanked perfectly as All-Star centre David Robinson was out for most of the season despite suggestions that he was fine midway through.

The Spurs finished the 96-97 season with a 20-62 record after finishing the previous couple seasons with 59-23 and 62-20 records. The Celtics had the best chance with a 27.5% probability of getting the first pick. It was the Spurs who would win the lottery with a 21.6% chance.

It ended up being the best example of NBA tanking in history as Duncan would help create a dynasty in San Antonio, becoming a 15-time All-Star and winning five championships with the Spurs.

Despite how good the Spurs did it tanking isn’t allowed in the NBA and team owners and executives have been issued big fines in the past for making references to tanking.

The idea of tanking isn’t new and the NBA has been working hard to clamp down on teams resting star players by bringing in anti-resting and anti-tanking policies.

The NBA originally aimed to prevent tanking by first implementing the lottery system in 1985 so that teams wouldn’t be so motivated to tank. Previously the lowest ranked team would have a 25% chance of securing the first pick, the second-worst a 19.9% chance and third-worst a 15.6% chance.

In 2019 the NBA reduced draft lottery odds so that the three worst teams would only have a 14% chance of the top pick and in 2021 the NBA introduced the play-in tournament which places the 7th to 10th placed teams in each conference against each other. It gives teams in the middle of the pack – especially those placed just outside the top eight – incentive to play for their lives instead of tanking in the last month of the season.

The mini play in tournament adds excitement in the NBA which we saw in 2022 with the Western Conference 10th seed 36-46 Pelicans upsetting the Spurs and Clippers. They earned a spot in the playoffs and even took two games from the 1st seeded Suns.

The new anti-tanking measures have made it much harder to tank in the NBA and it seems to have been largely effective. An era of tanking in the NBA is coming to an end with the addition of the play in tournament, and the flattening of the lottery odds has effectively killed NBA tanking as we know it.

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]]> 249 Is Kansas City NBA Expansion Team in Danger? https://basketballisculture.com/is-kansas-city-nba-expansion-team-in-danger/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-kansas-city-nba-expansion-team-in-danger Sun, 15 May 2022 10:59:28 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=237 Kansas City is one of 10 cities ready to become home to the next NBA expansion franchise and an NBA expansion team could happen in the city as early as 2025 when the current TV rights deal expires. As much as they’re one of the favourites to get a team, are they in danger of […]

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]]> Kansas City is one of 10 cities ready to become home to the next NBA expansion franchise and an NBA expansion team could happen in the city as early as 2025 when the current TV rights deal expires. As much as they’re one of the favourites to get a team, are they in danger of losing out?

COVID killed about 40% of the NBA’s revenue and everyone could do with the $4 billion extra revenue from adding two NBA expansion teams. Seattle is odds on favourite to get a team – the first expansion since the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004 – and a Kansas City NBA expansion team is a real possibility.

Kansas City has a great basketball history. It was home to the Kansas City Kings before relocation to Sacramento in 1985. The American Basketball Association team Kansas City Knights were also in the city until the league shut in 2005. The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is also in Kansas City as well as the annual Big 12 tournament.

T-Mobile Center is located downtown and was built to handle an NBA and NHL team with more than 19,000 seats. The arena is located downtown with the appealing Westport nearby for eating and shopping.

One of the biggest advantages for a potential franchise is that it’s an untapped market. There are no NBA teams nearby with Oklahoma City 350-miles away southwest and Memphis 450-miles southeast.

And don’t forget, Kansas City is already home to die-hard fans supporting the Chiefs and Royals. There’s a big problem for a Kansas City NBA expansion team however.

Las Vegas.

It’s almost a given that Seattle will get the next NBA expansion franchise for many reasons and a second franchise is gonna be needed to balance the conferences. A Las Vegas NBA expansion team is making more sense by the day and that’s bad news for Kansas City.

The city may struggle to find corporate dollars and an owner willing to dish out the couple of billion to make an expansion team happen. That’s what Vegas will be looking to exploit as a massive destination city and with tonnes of investment money flooding into the city.


Kansas City shouldn’t give up just yet. The city serves as the headquarters for companies like H&R Block and Hallmark Cards, and there’s a surging tech scene in the city. One of the wealthiest people in the world Charles Koch lives in Kansas as well as billionaire Min Kao and his family who have roots a stone’s throw away from Kansas City.

Perhaps it’ll be Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who will be the key to bringing an NBA expansion franchise to Kansas City. He’s on the largest contract in sports history worth up to $503 million which ties him to Kansas City, and he’s already a part owner in Kansas City’s MLB team the Royals as well as MLS team Sporting Kansas City.

 

NBA expansion is gonna come down to the wire and it’ll depend on who can gather the most corporate support, money and ultimately whoever has a stronger ownership group.

Another route that Kansas City could go to get a team is through relocation. There are four NBA teams most likely to relocate and Sacramento Kings are one of them.

Kansas City lost the Kings to Sacramento in 1985 so perhaps it’s time they reclaim what’s rightfully theirs. Hopefully for Kansas City, they can go down the easier route with an NBA expansion franchise to call their own.

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]]> 237 The 6 Biggest European Basketball Rivalries https://basketballisculture.com/the-6-biggest-euroleague-basketball-rivalries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-6-biggest-euroleague-basketball-rivalries Mon, 09 May 2022 07:16:19 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=149 The biggest rivalries in the NBA have nothing on the biggest European basketball rivalries. Let’s take a look at the most fiercest, most ferocious and biggest basketball derbies in Europe. 6. Aris vs. PAOK The Derby of Thessaloniki, also known as the Derby of Macedonia, or Derby of Northern Greece, is one of the biggest […]

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]]> The biggest rivalries in the NBA have nothing on the biggest European basketball rivalries. Let’s take a look at the most fiercest, most ferocious and biggest basketball derbies in Europe.

6. Aris vs. PAOK

The Derby of Thessaloniki, also known as the Derby of Macedonia, or Derby of Northern Greece, is one of the biggest European basketball rivalries. The derby translates over from football and the two Thessalonian clubs from Greece’s second biggest city are historically split on social differences.

Aris fans are traditionally from the upper class and PAOK fans are historically Greek refugees who are working class migrants. Both Aris and PAOK are among the most well supported clubs in Greece and both have passionate ultras among their fans.

5. Crvena Zvezda-Red Star vs. Galatasaray

Cultural differences between Serbia and Turkey is the foundation for one of the biggest European and basketball rivalries. The 2014 death of Red Star fan Marko Ivkovic who was stabbed by a Galatasaray supporter has only fuelled the hatred between both sets of supporters. The ill feeling was made obvious when a portion of Galatasaray fans booed the minute’s silence during a Turkish league game in honour of Ivkovic.

Both Red Star and Galatasaray fans are among the most passionate supporters in the world. In 2015 Red Star fans threw pork legs in the direction of Galatasaray players and fans in retaliation to Ivkovic’s death.

4. Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray

Galatasaray makes the list again, this time for the Intercontinental Derby, also known as the Eternal Rivalry. It’s a European basketball rivalry and a battle between two of the biggest basketball clubs in Turkey that extends across other sports especially football. It doesn’t matter what game or whatever the championship significance, the two sets of supporters have a fierce hatred for one another.

The Istanbul clubs are split over huge cultural differences. Fenerbahce is located in the Asian part of Istanbul and therefore has a traditionally strong Muslim fan base. Galatasaray on the other hand are based on the European side of Istanbul and they have a traditionally strong European and more specifically, French influence.

3. Crvena Zvezda-Red Star vs. Partizan

Two of Serbia’s greatest basketball teams are among the biggest European rivals and they’d rank even higher if not for their relative lack of success in Europe. Both Belgrade teams became immediate rivals since their creations in 1945 and both share Aleksandar Nikolic Hall and Stark Arena as their home courts.

The rivalry between Red Star and Partizan is mostly as a result of their geographical closeness with both clubs based in Serbia’s capital, and both are in a neck and neck face for national championships. The Belgrade Derby is just as fierce in football and the loyal and passionate fan bases makes it one of the biggest basketball derbies in the world.

2. Panathinaikos vs. Olympiacos

The Derby of the eternal rivals, also called Mother of all battles, is just like the football rivalry between the two. Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are the two most successful clubs in Greece but Panathinaikos are miles ahead domestically. The two clubs are split on social and cultural differences, Olympiacos traditionally made up of fans from the upper class and Panathinaikos from the working class.

Both sets of fans are among the most passionate basketball fans in the world and play out one of the biggest EuroLeague rivalries. Tempers flared in 2017 as Panathinaikos were closing in on the Greek championship. Olympiacos fans threw flares and fireworks towards both the court Panathinaikos players, the closing minutes having to take place infront of an empty stadium.

1. Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

The El Clasico is the biggest EuroLeague basketball rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona and is number one on the list of biggest football rivalries too. Spanish giants Real Madrid Baloncesto and FC Barcelona Basquet battle out the El Clasico in the biggest derby in football. Their fans may not be as rowdy as others in Europe but both clubs are well supported by passionate fan bases.

What makes the rivalry the biggest in Europe is that both clubs are successful having won more than 80% of all Spanish basketball championships. Real Madrid is the best club in EuroLeague history and in 2018 won their 10th title. Madrid and Barcelona fans have political differences and opposing beliefs on Catalan independence making it a fierce rivalry between fans.

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]]> 149 The Masks That Created NBA Superheros https://basketballisculture.com/nba-player-wearing-a-mask-becomes-a-superhero/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nba-player-wearing-a-mask-becomes-a-superhero Sat, 30 Apr 2022 10:19:23 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=138 This is the story about NBA superheroes and what better way to start than with Kobe Bryant. In the 2012 All-Star game Kobe had his nose broken by Dwyane Wade. Now rather than sticking to the traditional clear mask, Kobe ended up transforming himself into the first NBA “Black Panther”. It didn’t give him any […]

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]]> This is the story about NBA superheroes and what better way to start than with Kobe Bryant. In the 2012 All-Star game Kobe had his nose broken by Dwyane Wade. Now rather than sticking to the traditional clear mask, Kobe ended up transforming himself into the first NBA “Black Panther”.

It didn’t give him any special powers though. Kobe shot 1-of-6 from the field with the mask and ended up swapping it back for a clear one. It cost the Lakers dearly in an overtime loss to the Pistons, and so, the first chapter in this story didn’t end too well.

The next chapter begins in 2012 when Kyrie Irving played the “Black Panther” role wearing a mask. Kyrie Irving wearing a mask?! Nah, I’m not talking about a COVID protective mask.

Irving donned a black mask while at the Cavaliers in a game against the Knicks. There are a few reasons why NBA players wear masks and Irving wore one to protect a broken jaw. Irving became a hero scoring 41-points in what was a career-high performance at the time.

His sharpshooting performance of 15-of-25 shooting was without a doubt all because of the special powers vested in him from the back mask. Who cares that the Knicks ended up winning the game by a point.

Real life superhero Lebron James then had a go at playing Black Panther in 2014, brandishing a jet black carbon-fibre mask to protect a broken nose, again, against the Knicks. There just be something villainous about New York. Arkham City much?

The Heat beat the Knicks 108-82 with James scoring 31 points, grabbing four rebounds and four assists all no doubt thanks to his new superhero mask. The black mask looked out of this worldly mint with the throwback Heat jerseys but it would be the last time we’d see the black mask for some time as the league requested that James wear a clear mask instead of the black mask.

In 2018 we saw the return of Black Panther as Joel Embiid wore a high-tech carbon and polycarbonate mask. After copping an orbital fracture he wore the mask so he could take part in the 2018 playoffs. He helped the Sixers to a win over the Heat with 23 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 3 blocks and a steal.

Justise Winslow then played King T’Challa by stepping on Joel Embiids mask after Embiid threw his mask away in frustration. Winslow ended up copping a $15,000 fine but Embiid had the last laugh as the Sixers would take the series 4-1.

I’m convinced that wearing a mask gives players superpowers. Unfortunately the only face masks we’re talking about in today’s game are the ones protecting us from COVID.

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]]> 138 Why Las Vegas NBA Expansion Team Will Join the League https://basketballisculture.com/why-las-vegas-nba-expansion-team-will-join-the-league/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-las-vegas-nba-expansion-team-will-join-the-league Fri, 29 Apr 2022 08:40:40 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=125 Seattle is everybody’s favourite to become the next NBA expansion team when the league eventually expands. The league will need a 32nd team to balance both the Eastern and Western conferences and a Las Vegas NBA expansion team is making more sense by the day. The league could do with the revenue injection after the […]

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]]> Seattle is everybody’s favourite to become the next NBA expansion team when the league eventually expands. The league will need a 32nd team to balance both the Eastern and Western conferences and a Las Vegas NBA expansion team is making more sense by the day.

The league could do with the revenue injection after the NBA lost money because of COVID-19 and two expansion franchises could net the league up to $4 billion. Why will Las Vegas become the next NBA expansion team?

From having no major league franchises to having the Golden Knights in the NHL, the Raiders in the NFL and the Aces in the WNBA. Is Las Vegas getting a bit greedy now? Nah. It’s called Sin City for a reason and locals are allowed to overindulge with another major league team.

Las Vegas already knows how to handle a professional basketball team after relocating the Silver Stars from San Antonio in 2017. The Aces have played in the WNBA since 2018 and are owned by Mark Davis, who also owns the Raiders.

Speaking of millionaires, there are rumours that LeBron James could be part of a Las Vegas NBA expansion team ownership group. In fact, there are at least seven billionaires in Las Vegas and the city won’t have any issues with finding investors who are willing to make money from a franchise in Vegas.

Las Vegas NBA expansion is looking even more likely following the purchase of a 25-acre piece of land about 10 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The intention of the owners is to build a 20,000-seat arena to lure an NBA team to Las Vegas. Build it and they’ll come, right?

A valid argument against Las Vegas NBA expansion is that the metro area is smaller than both Sacramento and Austin. How’s Vegas going to support an NFL, NHL, WNBA and an NBA team all in a city smaller than Austin, who’ve only been able to get a Major League Soccer team in 2021? Sacramento can barely keep the Kings in their city.

Well, Las Vegas is unique. It’s a destination city that’s rife with gamblers and with the growth of sports gambling across America it’s only going to get bigger. As a centre for entertainment, fans of away teams who wouldn’t even consider travelling to support their team would be more likely to make a trip to Vegas as an exception. Imagine watching your team play an away game on a long weekend in Vegas.

Las Vegas also makes a solid case to become the next NBA expansion team with its track record of hosting the NBA Summer League, having hosted the event since 2004.

So Vegas, get ready to come up with a name for a Las Vegas NBA expansion team. The Las Vegas Sinners, or the Las Vegas Spades? Perhaps the Las Vegas Outlaws? This could be fun.

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]]> 125 Why NBA Players Must Keep Jerseys Tucked In https://basketballisculture.com/why-nba-players-must-keep-jerseys-tucked-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-nba-players-must-keep-jerseys-tucked-in Sat, 23 Apr 2022 01:28:34 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=95 Chris Paul was elected as the president of the National Basketball Players Association in 2013. It’s no surprise then that he has a high IQ when it comes to the rules of the game. In a December 2019 game while playing for the Thunder, he put that brain of his to great effect against the […]

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]]> Chris Paul was elected as the president of the National Basketball Players Association in 2013. It’s no surprise then that he has a high IQ when it comes to the rules of the game.

In a December 2019 game while playing for the Thunder, he put that brain of his to great effect against the Timberwolves. Paul snitched on Jordan Bell for an untucked jersey and they ended up winning the game from an almost impossible situation.

With 1.1 seconds on the clock, The Timberwolves were up by two points and Karl Anthony Towns had two free throws to effectively ice the game. Towns missed the first free throw. Minnesota subbed in Jordan Bell who entered with an untucked jersey. Chris Paul yells “jersey untucked! That’s a delay of game”.

Referee Scott Foster called a tech foul on Bell and Danilo Gallinari made the free throw. Towns still had his one remaining free throw, so all he had to do was miss it and the Thunder would have had no chance with 1.1 seconds to score a basket.

Towns amazingly scored the basket by accident. From the inbound Steven Adams threw a hail mary ball to Dennis Schorder who scored a layup almost immediately and as the buzzer went off. The Thunder forced overtime in miraculous circumstances and went on to win the game 139-127 win.

Chris Paul had effectively won the game from an impossible situation all because of an untucked jersey. Paul knew of the NBA’s “tuck rule”.

In the rule book is “Rule #3 – Players, Substitutes and Coaches” which goes on to read that “a substitute must be ready to enter the game when beckoned. No delays for removal of warm-up clothing will be permitted”.

A technical foul can be given because of a delay of game violation and that’s exactly what Paul called for. Because Jordan Bell came into the game and wasn’t “ready”, he got called for the tech foul. You can imagine that Bell would have been pissed off after the game.

But Paul kinda ruined it for the rest of the NBA though. NBA officials ignored the “tuck rule” until Paul brought it to everybody’s attention.

Not even two weeks after, Knicks guard Elfrid Payton was called for a tech foul as he entered the court while tucking in his jersey. Payton was bemused and the red told him “You can thank Chris Paul”.

Paul’s a bit of a snitch, but he’s a stickler for the rules and you can’t blame him with his National Basketball Players Association presidency role. Against the Blazers, Carmelo Anthony claps his hands and Paul is all too eager to highlight to the ref that he should be called for a tech foul. The referee of course, obliges.

So there you have it. Lesson learnt. Keep your shirts tucked in. The NBA’s “tuck rule” will earn players a technical foul if somebody picks up on an untucked shirt.

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]]> 95 The Reason Why Seattle Supersonics NBA Return is Imminent https://basketballisculture.com/why-seattle-supersonics-nba-return-is-imminent/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-seattle-supersonics-nba-return-is-imminent Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:28:13 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=80 The NBA last expanded in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league. They’d end up becoming the worst team in NBA history which is horrific when you see the list of the worst NBA teams of all-time. It’s time for the NBA to expand and it’ll likely to take place in 2025 when the […]

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]]> The NBA last expanded in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league. They’d end up becoming the worst team in NBA history which is horrific when you see the list of the worst NBA teams of all-time. It’s time for the NBA to expand and it’ll likely to take place in 2025 when the current TV rights deal is up for renewal.

Seattle Supersonics haven’t existed since their final game on April 13, 2008 and it’s outrageous that they aren’t back in the league yet. There are a host of cities that are challenging Seattle to become the next NBA expansion teams.

Vancouver have a real shot of becoming the next NBA city as well as Louisville, but Seattle are the clear favourites.

There are many reasons why the Seattle Supersonics will return to the NBA. Seattle-Tacoma is the 12th largest media market in the U.S and the city goes ballistic for the Seahawks, Mariners and Sounders. The Seattle Storm are also one of the best teams in WNBA history.

A return to the NBA is imminent for the Seattler Supersonics all because of Climate Pledge Arena (formally KeyArena). There were plans in the 90’s to replace the aging KeyArena south of Downtown Seattle as it was ageing and no longer up to NBA standards.

Plans failed for a new stadium to be built and the $300 million upgrade required for KeyArena never materialised. The rest is history, as the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and became known as the Thunder.

Since then the arena issue has been solved! KeyArena was renamed Climate Pledge Arena after Amazon bought the naming rights in 2020. Renovations were finally completed in 2021 totalling $850 million and its now home to the NHL team the Seattle Kraken who debuted in the same year.

It’s astonishing that a franchise like the Seattle Supersonics were allowed to relocate in the first place. We’re talking about a city that was the 1979 NBA champions. Superstars like Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Ray Allen and even Kevin Durant in his rookie year proudly wore the Supersonics jersey.

And why does California deserve to have four teams and Texas with three teams when Seattle can’t even have one? The Supersonics is a powerful brand but even then, you could relocate one of the Cali teams.

The Seattle Clippers for example is a name that reflects the city’s maritime history and the Seattle Kings has a good ring to it too. Seattle sits within King County for goodness sake!

Will Seattle get an NBA team again? It’s really a question of when and not if. When the NBA and team owners agreed to relocate the Supersonics, they didn’t have a choice as there was no suitable arena to continue playing at. The upgraded Climate Pledge Arena solves the issue and is why a return to the NBA is imminent.

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]]> 80 Why Lakers-Celtics Is the Biggest Rivalry in the NBA https://basketballisculture.com/why-lakers-celtics-best-rivalry-in-nba-history/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-lakers-celtics-best-rivalry-in-nba-history Sun, 17 Apr 2022 10:54:34 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=71 Everybody’s for themselves nowadays so it shouldn’t be a surprise that NBA beef is all personal and no longer about the team. It’s hard to blame the players entirely. The NBA is a business and teams will trade someone if they’re sh!t without hesitation. For the few out there that believe there’s no ‘i’ in […]

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]]> Everybody’s for themselves nowadays so it shouldn’t be a surprise that NBA beef is all personal and no longer about the team. It’s hard to blame the players entirely. The NBA is a business and teams will trade someone if they’re sh!t without hesitation.

For the few out there that believe there’s no ‘i’ in team, there are still some big rivalries that exist in the NBA. The Boston Celtics and LA Lakers are the biggest rivals in the NBA, are both the most successful franchises with 17 NBA titles and have won more than 45% of all NBA championships.

This is how the rivalry has continued to have feeling through the decades.

Bill Russell vs. Jerry West

Bill Russell and the Celtics owned the 1960’s with Boston winning 11 titles over a 13-year span. It was an ugly period in the rivalry for the Lakers and Jerry West, meeting the Celtics six times in the NBA Finals throughout the 60s and losing on every occasion.

As good as West was alongside Elgin Baylor, it wasn’t enough as Russell absolutely dominated the boards. West even became the first and only player to be awarded Finals MVP on a losing team in 1969. Russell would retire that same year with 11 championship rings to his name.

West guided the Lakers to nine NBA Finals and they lost every single series but one, with Los Angeles winning the 1972 championship over Philadelphia. Both West and Russell laid the foundations of the greatest rivalry in NBA history and West left a legacy of becoming the silhouette of the NBA logo.

Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

Throughout the 80s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson not only took the Celtics-Lakers rivalry to the next level, they helped transform the NBA. Johnson helped the Lakers continue the momentum from the 70’s and Bird helped turn around a Celtics franchise who had struggled in the later part of the 70’s.

Both Bird and Johnson led what are considered to be among the best teams in NBA history – the 1986 Celtics (67-15) and the 1987 Lakers (65-17) championship winning teams.

The rivalry was at it’s peak throughout the decade. Not only was it an East Coast vs. West Coast thing but there was also a strong racial divide between the two franchises. Boston was a largely white working class city and many locals resisted desegregation of blacks in schools. Bird was even nicknamed the “Great White Hope” but to his credit he cared little about the tag.

Los Angeles has the biggest population of blacks on the West Coast and it’s African-American stars of Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy were seen as representing blacks.

Both Boston and LA dominated the 80’s together winning 8 championships, the Lakers winning five of them and winning two out of the three times that they met Boston in the finals.

Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce

Between 2000-2010 the Lakers won five NBA championships led by Kobe Bryant. Boston and Los Angeles met twice in the NBA Finals during this period – 21 years after their 1987 NBA Finals meeting – and it was the battle between Bryant and Paul Pierce that helped revive the greatest NBA rivalry.

In the 2008 NBA Finals the Celtics beat the Lakers in six games thanks to Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen. Game 4 was one of the greatest playoff games in history with Boston overcoming a 24-point deficit to take a 3-1 series lead and all the momentum to run away with the title.

Kobe and the Lakers would get their revenge in 2010 winning the championship in seven games. Pierce and Kobe’s rivalry was on show as Kobe was held to an uncharacteristic 6-of-24 from the field. It wasn’t enough tough as Kobe, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom would help guide the Lakers to the NBA championship.

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]]> 71 Real Reason Vancouver is the Next NBA Team https://basketballisculture.com/real-reason-vancouver-is-the-next-nba-team/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=real-reason-vancouver-is-the-next-nba-team https://basketballisculture.com/real-reason-vancouver-is-the-next-nba-team/#comments Sat, 16 Apr 2022 00:47:39 +0000 https://basketballisculture.com/?p=55 Vancouver deserves an NBA team after they cruelly lost their team in 2001 after only six seasons. The original Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and the city watched on as the neighbouring Toronto Raptors went viral on the back of Vince Carter’s popularity. Fast forward to today and Vancouver has many reasons why they’re ready for […]

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]]> Vancouver deserves an NBA team after they cruelly lost their team in 2001 after only six seasons. The original Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and the city watched on as the neighbouring Toronto Raptors went viral on the back of Vince Carter’s popularity.

Fast forward to today and Vancouver has many reasons why they’re ready for the next NBA expansion or relocation team. They got ripped off by some piss-poor contracts in the past, like paying some bloke called Bryant Reeves $64 million on a 6-year contract

Reeves was on similar money to what Shaq was on at the time and Reeves went on to make zero All-Star appearances, averaged less than 10 points a game and he suffered from weight problems during his career which ultimately led to his retirement after only six seasons in the league.

The Grizzlies while in Vancouver made some woeful draft picks missing out on players like Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter. Carter of course ended up making Toronto an NBA relevant franchise so that ones gotta burn.

There are 10 cities that could host a team in the league and it’s the Seattle Supersonics who are most peoples favourites to become the next franchise with good reason. Louisville is right behind Seattle as favourites for the next team in the NBA.

Let’s be real though, money is everything in modern sports no matter what anybody else tells you and that’s the reason how Vancouver will become the next NBA team.

In the days of the Vancouver Grizzlies local businesses didn’t get behind the franchise. Who would though. This was a team that never produced a single NBA All-Star.

But in this day and age it’s all about clout and you’ve got close to fifty billionaires in Vancouver who could front up an NBA expansion fee which costs about $2.5 billion.

Vancouver’s corporate landscape has also changed drastically for the international city. You’ve got global companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Lenovo, Best Buy and EA Sports just to name a few, who are all headquartered in Vancouver.

For potential team owners, clout isn’t going to put food on the table or keep the Lambo in the driveway. Big business will get greedy on their returns too. Fact is, Vancouver is behind only Montreal and San Diego as the largest market in North America with only one major pro sports team.

It’s a different time since the Grizzlies left Vancouver in 2001. In their debut season home crowds averaged over 17,000 before the city realised they had a sh!thouse team which finished with a 101-359 record.

The population of metropolitan Vancouver has exploded by more than half a million people since then. Owners don’t even need to build a new stadium right away. Just negotiate a lease on the almost 20,000 capacity Rogers Arena and you’re ready to go.

Vancouver is as international and ethnically diverse as Toronto. The Raptors survived with a little but of luck, but Vancouver won’t it this time around. The reason Vancouver will get an NBA team is simple. There’s plenty of cash in the city and plenty of opportunities for owners make their money back and more.

By Sea, Land and Air, We Prosper.

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