Milton-Jones and Ross Reunited by Basketball
On a hot Sunday afternoon in July, Los Angeles Sparks forward DeLisha Milton-Jones relished in shooting around with her teammates. The one they call “Sunshine” was about to make her 400th career WNBA start, but it was business as usual for the 37-year-old forward, who smiled before every one of her previous 399 starts.
Since Milton-Jones played her first professional game more than 15 years ago, she’s built an impressive resume: Two WNBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, three WNBA All-Star selections, two FIBA gold medals and the list goes on.
But long before any of these accolades, current Sparks head coach Carol Ross recognized something special in young Delisha Milton (before she got married and added “Jones” to her name) more than 20 years ago.
Ross, who was then the head women’s coach at the University of Florida, had already developed a relationship with the lanky 17-year-old over the phone, but the two had never met.
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The Joys Of NBA Summer League, Part 2
The Golden State Warriors finished with the event’s best record, winning all five of their games. Six other teams boasted a record of 4-1.
Because there are so many days and so many games per day, one person can only watch so much basketball. Granted, that is a good problem to have. It becomes difficult, however, to watch every single team. I did not even come close.
Thankfully, I was able to watch the Houston Rockets, who were filled with exciting rookies, including but not limited to the No. 12, 16 and 18 overall picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. Let’s start with Jeremy Lamb, who left the University of Connecticut after his sophomore season. The incredibly lanky guard looked good offensively despite the fact that he’ll need to put on a lot more muscle. He was definitely not shy from the floor, taking all kinds of shots regardless of difficulty level. Lamb showcased a silky smooth jumper, as well as an ability to get to the rim. Although he averaged 20 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting, it is clear that Lamb will have to improve his shot selection. Read more >>
The Joys of NBA Summer League
The Las Vegas Summer League began in 2004 with six NBA teams playing a total of 13 games.
It was a humble start, to be sure. By 2005, the event had expanded to 15 teams, but the NBA would not attach its name to the proceedings until 2007. The following summer, EA Sports signed on as a sponsor. Big time!
Just a little more than a week ago, I visited the NBA Summer League for three days. Each day eclipsed 100 degrees, but the scorching heat took nothing away from my experience. I had an amazing time losing my summer league virginity.
Just eight years after the league had been introduced, 24 teams now took part in the festivities, including 23 NBA teams and a D-League select team.
This year, 10 days of basketball were scheduled from Friday, July 13 to Sunday, July 22. Two arenas housed the games, each of which was located on UNLV’s campus. The setup was convenient with two games typically occurring at once. Cox Pavilion, the more intimate of the two arenas, was located just across the concourse from the Thomas & Mack Center. Cox is so small that regardless of where fans were seated, they could hear the players communicate on the court. In turn, the players could hear cheers and jeers from the crowd. Read more >>
2012 NBA Finals: Q&A With Thunder Writer Jessica Lantz
The 2012 NBA finals featuring the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder tip off Tuesday night and the excitement is palpable. If you enjoyed our Neon Tommy NBA finals preview, we have more for you.
Jessica Lantz writes for and maintains Free Lantz Sports, and she really knows the Thunder, inside and out. That’s why we’re so excited to present our latest Q&A with her.
Fischman: Kevin Durant had an amazing conference finals, as did LeBron James. What can we expect to see in the first NBA finals to feature a matchup between the NBA scoring leader and the league MVP since 1997 (Karl Malone’s Jazz vs. Michael Jordan’s Bulls)?
Jessica Lantz: If we can take anything from the historical significance, impact and amazingness the 1997 finals brought to the table, as a basketball fan you should be salivating right now. In 1997, some of the best to ever play and coach the game were on the sidelines. Not only Jordan and Malone, but there were also Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Robert Parish, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Tex Winter. But who doesn’t know about the opening contest’s Jordan buzzer-beater or the “Flu Game”? Great, great basketball.
Who knows? In a few short decades we might very well be rattling off a cattle call of Thunder and Heat players that made it to Springfield, Mass. I expect the best of the best to show why they’re in the finals and give us a matchup for the ages. Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs: LA Clippers’ Comeback Victory Over Grizzlies Makes History
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night, 99-98, in a game that featured one of the biggest comebacks in NBA playoffs history.
Despite trailing the home team by as many as 27 points on two occasions, somehow the Clippers were able to recover just in time to secure the highly improbable Game 1 victory. In fact, the Clippers fell behind, 95-71, with 9:12 remaining in the game.
At that point, many coaches would have strongly considered pulling their best starters from the game in order to rest them and prepare for Game 2. Rightly so, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro considered this course of action, but according to Chris Paul, he begged the coach to insert he and Blake Griffin back into the game. Read more >>
Reigning MVP Derrick Rose Tears ACL, Out For Playoffs
Reigning MVP Derrick Rose will miss the remainder of the 2012 NBA Playoffs and the entire London Olympics after tearing the ACL in his left knee Saturday afternoon.
At the time of the injury, the Chicago Bulls were leading the Philadelphia 76ers by 12 points with 1:22 remaining in Game 1 of a first-round Eastern Conference series. This has led many to question why the Bulls’ star player was still in the game.
Of course, “hindsight is 20-20” as the saying goes, but the commonly asked question is a fair one: Why was Rose still on the court when the win already appeared to be secure for the home team? Read more >>
2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship
Baylor Goes Undefeated, Griner Shines
The Baylor Lady Bears won the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game and became the first Division 1 basketball team in history to win 40 games in a season after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 80-61 in Denver Tuesday night. 
Road to the Championship
After last season’s disappointing finish, the Lady Bears entered the 2012 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed with a perfect record of 34-0. Last season, Baylor lost to the eventual champion Texas A&M Aggies in the Elite Eight. This season, anything short of a championship would surely be considered a disappointment for junior star Brittney Griner and company.
In the Round of 64, the Lady Bears more than doubled their opponents’ offensive output as they easily beat the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 81-40. Baylor then defeated Florida, Georgia Tech and No. 2 seed Tennessee, each by 15 points or more. It even bested the Stanford Cardinal by double digits in the Final Four although it only held a two-point lead at the half. Read more >>
Clippers Midseason Report
Since the Los Angeles Clippers overhauled their roster and acquired Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler, among others, team expectations rose to never-before-seen heights in Clipperland.
The improvement from last year is apparent. Last season’s squad began the season losing an astonishing 13 of its first 14 games. This year’s team won nine of its first 14 (as opposed to just one) and went on to begin the lockout-shortened season with a record of 17-8 through 25 games.
Lob City
Largely due to the addition of precision-passing point guard Paul and the return of high-flying big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers have been billed around the league as one of the most exciting teams to watch. For that very reason, Los Angeles boasts the highest road attendance in the league, averaging 19,139 fans per road game. The Lakers rank second, just ahead of the Heat. The exciting young Thunder rank sixth in average road attendance. Read more >>
A Record-Breaking Sunday Night in Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets in overtime Sunday behind historic performances by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. These three players boast a combined age of 68. Ibaka is a mere 22 years old, whereas Durant and Westbrook are old men at 23 years apiece.
Durant has earned two NBA scoring titles over the course of his career, but he had never scored 50 points in a game. He had scored 40 points or more on 17 different occasions during his four-year career, but never the big 5-0. On Sunday night, he finally did. The 6-foot-9 forward dropped 51 points on just 28 field goal attempts. He made five of six three-point attempts and eight of 10 from the charity stripe.
The small forward’s running mate, Westbrook, also turned in an unforgettable performance. The former UCLA Bruin recorded 40 points, including three conversions from beyond the arc. Read more >>
Los Angeles Clippers Get Offseason Makeover
The Los Angeles Clippers have been awfully busy modifying their roster this holiday season in an effort to build a winning team around reigning Rookie of the Year, Blake Griffin. Thanks to some very hard work and crafty maneuvering by general manager Neil Olshey, the Clippers have accomplished just that.
Although the Clippers’ acquisition of standout point guard Chris Paul was undoubtedly the move of the year, Olshey made four additional offseason moves that have effectively transformed the Clippers from an exciting, but harmless team into a smarter, more experienced squad – one that will be a team to be reckoned with come playoff time. Read more >>