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Playoff Blowout!

CURRY NOWITZKI WHITESIDE


1

6 GODS

LOWRY DRAKE DEROZAN

NIKE.COM/BASKETBALL

Y
A
L
P
# G
I
B

FF
O
D
N
ON A COURT!
THE

BASKETBALL IS EVERYTHING.
7135243036 | BIGFOOTHOOPS.COM

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JULY 6-10, 2016

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JULY 13-17, 2016

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JULY 25-27, 2016

NO. 198 JUNE 2016

ROSTER
28 DEDICATION
He may be one of the oldest guys
in the League, but Dirk Nowitzki
just keeps on getting buckets.

32 JUST KNOW
Having traveled all over the globe
chasing his dream, the gregarious
Hassan Whiteside has made
himself a factor in Miami.

36 FANTASY PLAYER
Reigning MVP Stephen Curry (taking
a layup, at right) is gonna win again
this yearwhile keeping his sights on
another ultimate team honor, too.

44 THEM BOYS,
THEY A HANDFUL
All-Stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar
DeRozan team up with Drake
to make the Raptors one of the
hottest franchises in the game.

52 FLEX ON EM
The Hawks have better players than
Dennis Schrder, but none are
cooler and few are more integral to
the teams post-season hopes.

58 MAN IN CHARGE
Commissioner Adam Silver sat down
with SLAM to talk hoops, culture
and what to make of those pesky
subscription cards in our mag.

62 STATE OF THE UNION

Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

We caught up with Players


Association Executive Director
Michele Roberts to discuss the many
issues that have kept her busy since
she took the job.

66 UNFORGETTABLE
Legendary Celtic Satch Sanders
made history on and off the court.

6 SL AMONLINE .COM

COVER ATIBA JEFFERSON

NO. 198 JUNE 2016

FRONT
COURT

BACK
COURT

12 TRASH TALK

72 KICKS ON COURT

Two covers, and so many good,


long letters. One of these days
were making Trash, like, 10 pages.

Getting ready for the second


season...

15 HYPE

Two dope. Too dope.

Mike Muscalas unlikely goal, the


pressure on Kyrie takes a toll and
Tony Finau, a hoops-loving golfer
with soul. Plus, Rodney Hood,
Lil Bibby and a whole lot of noise.
And, NOYZ.

26 SLAMADAMONTH
Theres a new J-Rich in town,
and he dunks almost as well as
the original.

74 KICKS OFF COURT


75 KICKS EXTRA
Kevin Durant and Nike unveil
his latest sig while Nick Young
shows love to KB8.

76 PUNKS
Meet NYCs own Rawle Alkins
(right), plus one-time New Yorker
Omari Spellman and great future
stars Joyner Holmes, Josh Langford
and Cassius Winston, who hail
from all across the land.

80 FROZEN MOMENT
Take care.

8 SL AMONLINE .COM

PORTR AIT CHRIS R A ZOYK

If you smoke cigarettes, your little


brother may learn how to do that
from you too.

2016 Vol.23 No.5

GENERAL MANAGER Dennis Page


EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ben Osborne
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Scirecalabrisotto

Editorial
MANAGING EDITOR Susan Price Thomas
ONLINE EDITOR Ryne Nelson
SENIOR EDITOR Adam Figman
ASSOCIATE EDITOR/KICKS Abe Schwadron
ASSISTANT EDITOR/HIGH SCHOOLS Franklyn Calle
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Rajah Allarey, Bill DiFilippo,

Habeeba Husain, Leo Sepkowitz, Milo Taibi,


Peter Walsh, Yaron Weitzman

very photo shoot we ever


do makes me nervous. Even
after there have been emails,
phone calls and texts confirming a shoot, I like to say the shoot
isnt happening until I see the
photographer snapping pics of the
subject, or, if Im not there in person,
someone sends me a pic of the
shoot happening. Too many things
can go wrong, you know? So just
imagine my anxiety about a photo
shoot featuring two All-Stars and the
hottest rapper in the world.
Well, sure enough, the text came.
It was this pic you see on the page,
in fact. Right from Adam Figman, our
Senior Editor, who almost singlehandedly made this whole thing happen
(he can share credit for the idea with
Dave Schnur, but everything after that
was all Figs). It was a Friday night.
Adam was at the Raptors new training facility. Photographer Atiba Jefferson was there. Kyle Lowry was there.
DeMar DeRozan was there. And then,
suddenly, Drake was there. And one of the most unique shoots in SLAM history was underway.
And why this cover? Why now? If it was as simple as SLAM being the hip-hop basketball magazine, a description bestowed on us for years by outsiders (if not us), we would have put a rapper on
the cover years ago. It had to be the right rapper, which Drake, with his millions of fans, upcoming album and official role as the Raptors Global Ambassador, is. And it had to be the right players, which
Kyle and DeMar, fresh off their All-Star spots and still hungry for their first SLAM cover, certainly are.
And the right timing. With the upstart Raptors poised to go on the franchises deepest Playoff run
ever, our Playoff Issue certainly fit that bill. Hope you guys agree.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jillian Burmeister


CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ryan Jones, Tzvi Twersky
ONLINE NEWS EDITOR Marcel Mutoni
BASKETBALL EVANGELIST Rick Telander
EDITORIAL INTERN Max Resetar
SENIOR WRITERS Jake Appleman, Russ Bengtson,

Michael Bradley, Alan Paul, Khalid Salaam,


Bonsu Thompson, DeMarco Williams, Nima Zarrabi
Rodger Bohn, Shannon Booher,
Christopher Cason, George Hassett, Sherman Johnson,
Sam Rubenstein, DAngelo Russell, Eli Schwadron,
Jayson Tatum, Dave Zirin

CONTRIBUTORS

Art
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Atiba Jefferson,

Tom Medvedich, Chris Razoyk

Circulation/Advertising
ASSOCIATE GENERAL MANAGER David
MVP Spiro Maroulis
ADVERTISING SALES Michael Yaari

Schnur

Manufacturing & Production Operations


VP, MANUFACTURING & AD OPERATIONS Greg Parnell
SENIOR DIRECTOR, AD OPERATIONS Pauline Atwood

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Back Issues

GEORGE HASSETT George Hassett Jrs mom bought him the first issue of
SLAM in 1994, and before long, Scoop Jackson was his literary idol. Now that hes
grown up, Georges favorite SLAM reading comes online, where he scrolls through
our archives to read classic Old School features by Alan Paul. Given that, George
says interviewing Satch Sanders for this issue (pg. 66) is the biggest thrill of his
journalism career. And its not like he hasnt done anything else. George, who
appropriately tweets from the handle @BosCrimeWriter, covered organized crime for
the defunct Boston Phoenix, has written for DigBoston and penned the 2013 book
Gangsters of Boston. A Beantown native, George has one message for the Knicks
enthusiasts at SLAM: Patrick Ewing is from Greater Boston. What George doesnt
know is how few people here now care about the Knicks. Sorry, SPT!

10 S L A M O N L I N E . C O M

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Printed in U.S.A.
Copyright 2016 by
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Network Magazines, LLC.
All rights reserved.

Raptors: Adam Figman

OFF THE BENCH

To order back issues, visit https://www.circsource.com/store/


storeBackIssues.html

STARS ARE BORN

I really like the cover with Kawhi on it.


Its crazy how a sports athlete, let alone
in the NBA, can be so good yet so quiet.
Its like Kawhi Leonard is bored of playing the best defense in the League. He
doesnt brag, he doesnt care, he just
goes
g
oes out there and grinds...much respect
for that. Keep up the great worklooking
forward to SLAM 200!
Justin MF, via email
Love seeing THE GUY who SHUT
DOWN the so-called Best in the
World a couple of years ago in the
Finals on your cover. Klaw put the socalled Best in the World in handcuffs
and the media kept it on the low.
Alonzo Conley, via Facebook

ally need Ed. to tell me if he agrees


that Gordon got robbed.
JSS, via email
No, because Zach was getting 50s,
too. I thought it should be a tie
and/or in the future, judges should
be allowed to give a 50+.Ed.

The Butler did it! #buckets


Rashad McDaniel, via Facebook

Hey SLAM! I am a subscriber and I


am 10 years old. I think you should
write an article about Bismack
Biyombo. He might have a really interesting backstory, and he has been
an important part of the Raptors this
season. Also he just set a franchise
record of 25+ rebounds.
Isa, Rain City Vancouver, Canada
Hope you read the Bismack piece
on our site recently! And a Raps
cover should make you happy!Ed.

I dont know about everybody else


but I thought this was hands down
one of the best All-Star Saturdays
in years! No questioning anymore if
Steph and Klay are the best-shooting
backcourt of all time. Aaron Gordon
and Zach LaVine just brought the
Dunk Contest back. LaVine was
great but Gordon got robbed! I actu-

INSTAGRAM OF THE MONTH


@ZACHLAVINE8
Into the game

TAG YOUR
PICS

#MYSLAM
12 S L A M O N L I N E . C O M

GET DOWN
This is my first time writing and Id
like to thank you for saving me from
homework the past three years. Here
in Australia, not much NBA gets covered and you guys are my top source
for news. The only real basketball
that gets noticed is when Bogut,
Mills or Delly perform well on a given
night (Joe Ingles, Cam Bairstow and
Dante barely get a mention). But
now that big Ben Simmons is taking
over, I can finally hear something
about Australian basketball in the
States from our media. Being a
die-hard Celtics fan, I hope Brooklyn
keeps playing terribly so we can pick
Simmons. Either way, I hope he lives
up to all the LeBron comparisons.
I would love to see an article about
Aussies balling in the NBA as we are
starting to produce really good talent.
USA better watch out in Rio!
Caleb van Raay, Melbourne
Youre not doing your SLAM
homework, my man. We had a huge
feature on Aussie ballers in Ish 189.
And just wait til next issueEd.
I was reading SLAM and I liked the
DeAaron Fox part. I never heard of
him before but looking at his stats
and reading the way he plays, it looks
like his future is bright. Ive been
reading and theres never any Celtics
inside. Im from Kildare, Ireland.
You probably never get letters
from Ireland. Im only 12 but I love

basketball. I think the Finals will be


Golden State vs Cavs. Maybe Spurs
instead. Anyways, a Western team
will win. Im in a boarding school so
my stepdad can tell me any bullshit
he wants and Ill believe him. He just
told me Dwight Howard is going to
the Celtics. Im getting Curry Twos.
The rookies are tearing shit up this
season. I cant choose between
Kristaps Porzingis or Karl-Anthony
Towns. My favorite player is Isaiah
Thomas. It would be cool if you put
a poster of him in the next issue. The
last thing is, basketball in Irish is cispheil. You probably think Irish people
dont like basketball but we love it.
Show some love to the Celtics and
Thomas. My second favorite player
is Harden. I love the way he takes
contact. Im in a school where we
learn Irish and I have a subscription
for SLAM. Gotta go.
Kyle Houlihan, Newbridge,
County Kildare, Ireland
What a shock that you like the
Celtics. Peep the poster, btw.Ed.
Ive been rocking with SLAM since
the first issue, and you guys havent
disappointed. Ive been incarcerated
a lil over 20 years and Im about
to go to the crib. I know a lot has
changed over the past 20 years,
including basketball. The game aint
the same no more. Like back in the
days when MJ Michael Jordan, Sir
Charles, AI Allen Iverson played.

SLAMONLINE.COM

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(WE MAY EDIT LETTERS TO FIT.)

Nowadays these dudes are soft;


especially LBJ! Im not a LeBron fan!
Im a DWade fan! Yes, LBJ is a freak
athlete, but hes soft, conceited,
self-centered, a crybaby. He should
not be called King cuz he doesnt
have as many rings as Wade. Wade
gotz his first ring in 06. And what
was LeBron doing? Watching
DWade win the chip in 2006. For
four years after DWade won his first
chip he didnt have anyone but he
didnt leave the Heat, his team. When
things got bad he stayed loyal. Can
you say the same for LBJ? No. Wade
is more loyal and has more rings. I
rest my caseand I love this game.
Sarah AJ Stadtfeld, aka CRU3,
Logan CC
Im writing from the depths of a
dungeon in a distant land but hope
to be heard from by many. Its time
to burst the bubble for the LeBron
followers. The unrelenting praise is
getting tiresome. True, he did accomplish something in last years Finals
that MJ never did HE LOST! Had
LeBron limped to the Finals against
that Utah team like MJ did, Utah
wouldve swept. No need to compare
LeBron and the GOAT! Bron is not
even in the top 5. Hes not even the
GORN (Greatest of Right Now).
Shout out Steph the Chef Curry for
that honor. Big ups to SLAM for giving inmates a forum to talk trash. Any
ladies talkin b-ball, look me up :)
William Huddleston, Santa Rosa
CI, Florida
You and Sarah should meet :).
And please dont ever use GORN
again.Ed.
Big ups to Stephen Curry for his
dedication and practice in the game.
Forget what the haters sayyoure
earning everything that rightfully belongs to you. #KeepDoingYourThing
Timothy Timor Morgan,
Green Bay, WI
P.S. Attached is a drawing of AI I did.
I wanted to show appreciation for
what he gave to the game and to his
fans. #CruThikworldwide
Good stuff, see above right.Ed.

this year. Ive followed AI since he


was Gatorade HS POY! Through
all the in-betweensbeing arrested
(racial motivated), coming home on
house arrest, going to prison and
holding his water (not telling) to
being pardoned, going to G-Town
and dominating, to No. 1 pick in the
96 Draft (Kobe went 13th). My beef
is this: Kobe is retiring and the only
reason he is receiving so much hype
is because mainstream America
embraced the kid from Italy! Granted,
he will go down top-10, but the
difference between he and AI is this:
Kobe went to a stacked teamEddie
Jones, Elden Campbell, Nick Van
Exeland couldnt get off the bench.
AI went to Philly and returned them
to prominence. AI carried his team to
the Finals with nothing close to what
Kobe had. Thats where AI decimated
Tyronn Who? Kobe had the most
dominant big man EVER (shout out
Diesel) along with shooters. AI had
Mutumbo, McKie and Eric Snow
No match or comparison. Kobe is/
was a team killer. He begged to be
the man in L.A. They traded Shaq
after they lost to Detroit in 04. He
went on a tear, 13-plus games of 45
or better but didnt make the Playoffs.
Then he proceeded to blame everybody on his team for losing WHEN
HE FORCED THE TRADE! L.A. then
pulled off a coup to get Pau Gasol,
Lamar Odom and Bynum. Yes, Kobe
won a final ring in 10 but he shot
6-24 (25 percent); Ron Artest won
Game 7. Kobe wonyes, but at what
extent? And they say AI shot too
much?! The criticism and disrespect
of teammates...second-worst loss in
Finals history...breaking up a dynasty
because of ego...Need I go on? All
AI did was literally give his all every
night. If he had half the talent Kobe
had...smh. Can you say multiple
rings? They STILL try to imitate his

SLAMONLINE

crossover (to no avail), instituted a


dress code because of him and in his
10th season my mans stats only got
better. Not many can say that. AI did
what WARRIORS and TRUE leaders dobrought it every night.
Yes, he made mistakes financewise. Name any young black man
back then who came from where
he did and acquired his wealth who
didnt make mistakes. The NBA disrespected the shit out of him toward
the end of his career. I close this

with: No matter what, AI, true basketball lovers, fans, fanatics, enthusiasts,
analysts, and gurus know who you
are and where you stand in this
game...top 5 in history. True lovers of
this game will agree.
#RespectBubbaChuck
#RespectMsAnnsOldestBoy
Free Me, TP 2016, Southeast DC
P.S. AI needs a new cover and
interview showing where hes at
nowfinancially, mentally, etc.
Hows Timors version for now?Ed.

TWEET OF THE MONTH

I pray you print this because it


has to be said. I am a 37-year-old
lifelong basketball historian/fan,
born and raised in Southeast DC.
Not the outskirts. Ive been in prison
15 years and I finally come home

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 13

HAL PASTNER PRESENTS

THE HEAT IS ON.


A NEW CLASSIC BEGINS JULY 6-10, 2016
BIGFOOTHOOPS.COM

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THE
OPENING
TIP
always by

Rick Telander

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

love the NBA Playoffs


because, abruptly, everybody starts playing as if
each game is important,
whichat lastit is. I love
the Playoffs because the
coaches shorts get in
knots so tight they could
strangle a bull. I love the Playoffs
because homecourt advantage, that
key seventh game when the series is
tied 3-3, is at your house, basically
why the regular season was played. I
love the Playoffs because tension oncourt gets so high and fouls get so
rough, but nobody fights or swings
or clears the bench because getting
suspended is the worst thing you
can do. [Except those silly Knick and
Heat players back in the day.Ed.]
I love the Playoffs because nobody ever says the best team didnt
win. I love the Playoffs because
late-round upsets are rare, but theyre
awesome when they happen. I love
the Playoffs because every now and
then youll see somebody whos
pursuing Michael Jordans legacy go
out and hang 40 or half-a-hundred
on the other team. I love the Playoffs
because they roll right through spring
into the official outdoor playground
shirts-and-skins season. I love the
Playoffs because guys who cant
shoot free throwshello, Dwight
Howard and DeAndre Jordanget
exposed and abused at crunch time.
I really love the Playoffs because
Gregg Popovich finally plays his
starters, the Great Blank Face, Tim
Duncan, creaks into another series,
and even the kid players swirling
around cant say its not cool as hell.

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 15

Jim LaBumbard skyrocketed up the SLAMs


Favorite NBA PR Staffers Rankings in the last
monthThe Verticals video function means
we can see the Woj I-just-took-a-shit-onyour-career face instead of just imagining
what it looks like while readingCraig Davis,
please get a lifeCongrats to the soon-to-bemarried basketball lovers, Milani Malik
and Norman Richardson. Too sweet
Where you at, Milo?...Tyler Johnson is the
new Shabazz Muhammad

IN YOUR FACE

RODNEY
HOOD
Utah Jazz
6-8, G

16 S L A M O N L I N E . C O M

I KNOW
I WAS A LOT
BETTER THAN
PICK NO. 23.
THAT ONLY
ADDED MORE
MOTIVATION
FOR ME.

As a young player when things


are going good, sometimes you
relax on your habits, Hood says.
Thats one thing I didnt do when
I started playing well. I continued
with my same habits. I got up early
on game days, came in early, got up
extra shotslots of extra repetitions.
Coach [Quin Snyder] encourages
me to stay aggressive and not worry
about my misses or makes.
Even with the desire to prove him-

self, Hoods goals are team-oriented,


focusing on trying to improve the
Jazz as a team and to help lead Utah
back to the postseason.
Injuries have served as a deterrent to the teams growth, but with
a solid coach and teammates who
share Hoods motivation to surpass
expectations, its only a matter of
time before those outside of Salt
Lake City are singing the Jazz
praises. Christopher Cason

Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

uch like the team that


drafted him, Utah Jazz
second-year guard Rodney Hood is on the rise.
The Meridian, MS, natives college career began at Mississippi
State before he transferred to Duke.
Despite having to sit out the following year due to transfer rules, the
way he carried and asserted himself
in practices was enough for Coach
K to name him a team captain
during his redshirt season. Jabari
Parkers presence commanded
the national spotlight, but Hoods
versatility and shooting were a
constant, often overshadowing the
more heralded frosh.
However, the backseat he took
in Durham led to many NBA GMs
undervaluing Hoods skillset, and he
fell to 23rd in the 2014 Draft.
I know I was a lot better than
[pick] No. 23, Hood says. That
only added more motivation for me.
While a foot injury stunted the
progress of his rookie season, his
play this year has surely elicited some second-guessing from
the teams that passed on him.
Equally impressive, aside from his
increased role as a scorer and
playmaker is his attitude.

VAGUELY LITERARY

KYRIE IRVING,
THE BOOK FOR YOU IS
THE ODYSSEY BY HOMER
Kyrie, you are
one of the top
guards in the
NBA, but your
career has been
defined as much
by the time you have missed as the
games you have played. It began in
college, when you missed a huge
chunk of your one-and-done year.
There have been injuries in the
NBA, but nothing quite so cruel
as getting hurt early in the Finals,

when you might have swung the


balance of the series and been a
Champion by now. The epic poem
The Odyssey by Homer tells the
tale of a man stranded away from
his glory. It is one of the most
influential tales of adventure and
vengeance, and while the regular
season winds down and you take
your next shot at the title, the time
for reading is now.
Odysseus, the title character of
The Odyssey, was a great general

Irving: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images; Sterling: Andrew D.


Gutter Credit TK
Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images; Russell: Atiba Jefferson

LINE OF THE MONTH


LYRICS OF THE MONTH This one mic, this Jordan
flow/Trying not to wear Jordan clothes/These kids are dying,
Jordan knows, My Uzi; To Doc Rivers and the Clippers/
Sterling basically called us niggers/Called us slaves in some
Js shooting Js/We got made to look weak/They offered him
2 bil in two weeks/Thats Microsoft pimping, Warrior. In
keeping with the election year at hand, David Banner brings
it back to his political and socially conscious roots on Before
The Box, with even the NBA references on theme.
THE ONLY VOTE THAT MATTERS OF THE MONTH
The Western party features a Californian re-election
candidate running a historically successful primary
campaign, only to have an establishment vet from Texas
making an almost equal amount of history. But the public
only sees Cali. A contested convention is all but inevitable.
Meanwhile, the Eastern party has a drama-loving Ohioan
front-runner shouting about building a wall on the northern
border to keep their Canadian competitors out. Election
2016, NBA Playoffs style.

who suffered a fate like yours. He


was the strategic genius behind
the Trojan Horse, and a key factor
in winning the war. Sure, Achilles is
the one who gets the glory, much
like LeBron receives all the credit
for everything your team does.
The war ends, and Odysseus is
missing in action, like when youve
been on one of your injury stints,
being punished by Poseidon like
the city of Cleveland has been
tortured by the basketball gods. In
fact, when The Odyssey begins,
Odysseus is stranded on an island,
like your infancy on the much
larger island, Australia. We soon
learn that he is not only brilliant,
but physically powerful. You are
as well Kyrie, an intelligent refined
Dukie with a streetballers aggressive handle.
His challenge is to get back
home to his family. Your challenge
is to get back to the Finals and
this time finish the job. There is
peril at every step of the journey,
where comrades fall to temptation
or immortal monsters. Still, brave
Odysseus must persevere despite
the suffering. Kyrie, if all goes well,
you will be back in Oakland, the
same place where your knee once
betrayed you.
Before the journey, now is the
time to reflect like Odysseus when
he spent seven years on Calypsos
island. The time for action is coming, you could face immortal monsters Scylla and Charybdis, the
nearly impossible task of winning
basketball games in Oakland or
San Antonio. Youve shown that on
a given night you can be the most
dominant guard in the League, just
as Odysseus overcame a series
of terrifying obstacles. Make sure
youve done your reading before
the next step of your journey.
Sam Rubenstein

by

Shannon Booher

ROOKIE DIARY with

DANGELO
RUSSELL

I want to give...
yall some insight to me and
not just rookie happenings. You
all watched March Madness,
so you know my school Ohio
State struggled. Like, really
struggled. But Coach Matta is
a great coach and I know hell
figure out a way to get them
back on top next season.

Also random, but


when it comes to watching
film, I prefer watching re-runs
of my game over anything else.
I feel like I can better myself
by seeing what Im doing right
and wrong. Im a basketball
junkieif a games on, college,
summer league, Ill watch.

A couple days ago


my first commercial, a Gatorade
spot, debuted. [Go Google
that!Ed.] Not everybody gets
that opportunity, so I feel really
blessed. On top of being in a
skit, that I was featured with
established stars like JJ Watt,
Bryce Harper, Elena Delle
Donne and Usain Bolt makes it
even a little bit cooler.

Lets talk about


my recent play. I think just getting opportunities has helped
me break out a little. Being
able to feel out the game and
play through mistakes has
given me the edge. Once I felt
comfortable, things started
happening.

Going into
the last weeks of the season,
I feel like I have something
to prove. I want to, ultimately,
prove that Im one of the top
rookies and end the season on
the right note.

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 17

No way DeAndre Bembry is going to win the Julius


Erving Award that we get to vote for (thanks, Hoop
Hall!) given the stiff comp, but much respect for him
rocking the same hairstyle as the DoctorSpeaking
of voting for that award, Roy Williams said on
the call that he doesnt have email. Is he that
much of a hick or is this all part of the act??...
Never heard of Rich Walsh before his Sean Miller
reportinghis mentions after now mean well
never forget himNardwaur the Human Serviette
should start interviewing ballplayers...

THROWBACK

FAX ONLY
The surreal excitement
fans felt when
MICHAEL JORDAN
rejoined the Bulls in
95 was only enhanced
by the unfamiliar
number he wore.

18 S L A M O N L I N E . C O M

against the Indiana Pacers. Suiting


up for the first time in more than
21 months, Jordan played 43 (!!)
minutes and shot 7-28 from the floor
in a ragged Bulls loss. Nothing like
easing your way back, huh? Besides
the decidedly un-Mike-like shooting
percentage and perhaps a few new
wrinkles, the other thing that was
different about 95 Jordan was his
uniform number. He was rocking 45.
After a March 22 road win in
Boston, Mike made his return to
the United Centerand debuted
the crispy white 45 jersey you see
on this spreadin a 106-99 loss to
the Magic that saw Jordan shoot
poorly again.
In all, hed play 17 regular-season
games in 95, eight at home and
nine on the road. The highlight of the
road run was obviously the March 28
game in New York, when MJ dropped
his double-nickel on the Knicks.
He actually had no truly memorable

home games in that stretch, posting


a lot of poor-shooting, 20-somethingpoint outings as the Bulls struggled
to get in a rhythm.
When the Playoffs tipped off, MJ
stayed rocking 45 and seemed to
turn his game up a notch. He went
for 48 points, 9 rebounds and 8
assists in 47 minutes in a Game 1
win at Charlotte in the first round.
The Bulls won that series, 3-1, and
actually seemed capable of reprising
their title runs of the early 90s.
Up next was the Magic, whod
won 57 regular-season games
before rolling past the Celtics in
round one. In the first game of the
Magic series, Orlando edged the
Bulls, 94-91, as Jordan had another
rough shooting night and committed
a key late turnover. Speaking of the
turnover he helped cause, Orlandos
Nick Anderson told the media after
the game that No. 45 is not No. 23.
Motivated by Andersons tweak,

Jordan took the court in No. 23


for the second game of the series.
His 45 jersey would never be worn
again. So, all told, Mike played just
22 games in No. 45only 10 in the
gorgeous home white one.
Its one of the weirder chapters
in sports uniform history, really. A
guy who became the most famous
athlete in the world wearing a very
specific number, who would go on
to double his success and fame
in that same number, had a brief
period where he wore something
completely different.
Given the discrepancy in achievements, its fair to say that MJs 45
doesnt stand for the same level of
greatness 23 does, but it does stand
for Jordans resilience in rejoining a
team in the heart of a Playoff race
and giving his all immediately.
It also stands, to me at least, as a
symbol of the pure joy his comeback
brought. Ben Osborne

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

nless you were


there (proverbially),
and unless you
cared (literally), you
cant really imagine
the excitement
caused by the most
famous fax in sports
history; the one that featured Michael
Jordans scribbled, Im Back.
Trust, both apply to me. I grew up
falling in love with all that Michael
Jordan did on the basketball court,
so Ilike many otherswas devastated when he retired at age 30 in
October 93. Sure, hed already
won seven scoring titles, three
MVPs and three Chips, but it was
clear there was so much more he
could accomplish. Instead, he went
to play...baseball?
After a full season of baseball
and preparations for a second one,
Jordan was supposedly spending
more and more time around the
Berto Center, the Bulls practice facility. But in the early internet/pre-social
media era of 95, whispers of MJ actually rejoining the Bulls were pretty
much just thatwhispersespecially
if you didnt live in Chicagoland.
News and rumors didnt travel so
fast back then. So it was that the fax
(Google what that is if you must) MJ
sent on March 18 really was when
his return was officially news.
The next day, a Sunday, the Bulls
played at Market Square Arena

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 19

The below notwithstanding, Ed. will still


happily wear Jordan Brand cleats on the golf
course. Hi Brian!...We enjoyed ordering a
decaf Single Origin Guatemala Ghosttown
Espresso and then a Boozy Arnold Palmer
from the aptly named Thomas Walkup
while he was in Brooklyn for the first two
rounds of the NCAA TournamentShout
out to the white Dusty Baker at Weber State.
He should wear Mimz BandzTaya Reimer is
officially extended #slamfam

DIME DROP

NEW LOOK
Big-hitting pro golfer TONY FINAU is
a former high school hoops star and
easily the best dunker on Tour. If thats
not reason enough to get familiar with
him, we dont know what is.
A COOL, STYLISH, hoops-loving
golfer with NBA bloodlines, Tony
Finau is the type of athlete SLAM
roots for. We caught up with Finau
the first person of Tongan/American
Samoan descent to play on the
quietly diversifying PGA Tourhours
after his practice round at the Vaslap
Championship, and days after one of
his favorite games of the season.

SLAM Whered you play highschool ball, and what type of player
were you?
TF I went to West High in Salt Lake
City and played through my senior
year. Im 6-4 now but then I was just
6-3, playing center against guys six
inches taller than me. But I was the
leading rebounder in the state my
senior year!

And you got scholarship offers?


Yes, from Utah State and Weber

State, which are kind of a big deal if


youre from Utah. And a bunch of DII.
What if the Utes had offered?
[Chuckles]. I dont know. As much
as I enjoyed playing, I think theres a
reason Im on the golf Tour instead.
I saw that clip on Instagram
[@tonyfinaugolf] where you threw
down a dunk from a flat-footed
position; I guess you got those
rebounds with athleticism?
I am pretty athletic, but I also knew
how to use my body and track shots.
Do you still play now?
Yes! I still play once or twice a week
whenever Im home.
One of the ways we tracked you
down was through your relationship with SKLZ, who makes great
training tools. Do you look at bas-

ketball as a way to stay in shape?


Absolutely. Im proud to have SKLZ
as a partner, and I use their stuff for
golf all the time. I havent used their
basketball stuff yet. Even though I
know there are injury risks in playing
basketball, I do think its one of the
best ways to stay in shape. It helps
with cardio. I have a passion for itits
really a great sport that has always
brought my family together.

PICTURE ME BALLIN
STEFAN MOODY, Ole Miss
Dont try to define Stefan Moody. Yes, he goes just 5-10, 179 (on
paper), but hes not a point guard. Yes, he can drop threes from
Stephen Curry range, but Moody is not just a shooter. It would be
fairer to call the Kissimmee, FL, native a pure basketball player, with
instincts and IQ that youd be hard-pressed to match anywhere in the
country. The senior averaged 23.6 a game for the 20-12 Rebels, and
earned All-SEC for two straight seasons. This definitely wont be the
last time we hear from him.

COURTNEY WILLIAMS, South Florida


Theres not much Courtney Williams cant do. She gets buckets at the
rim, mid-range, three-point line, free-throw lineit doesnt matter. The
senior from Folkston, GA, will get hers. Williams is also first on the Bulls
in blocks and second in rebounds, assists and steals. Maybe the only
thing she cant do is loseshes led the Bulls to a spot in the NCAA
Tournament for a second consecutive year. Regardless of what happens
in the Dance this season, the 5-8 forward is headed to the W next year,
where her all-world swagger will help her adjust in no time. Max Resetar

20 SLAMONLINE .COM

Speaking of family, Jabari Parker is


your cousin, right?
Hes my second cousin. My dad and
his mom are first cousins, but they
grew up in the same house so theyre
almost like brother and sister. Im not
as close to Jabari as some people
thinkwe speak every once in a while
but I do follow him and the Bucks and
its very cool to have someone I share
blood with succeeding at that level.
Who else do you follow?
Im watching Steph and the Warriors
because I appreciate what theyre
doing. But historically, Im a Laker fan.
Thats my team. I enjoyed that win over
the Warriors the other night.
Lastly, I wanted to ask you about
kicksyouve been wearing hightop Nike Flyknit golf shoes?!
Yeah man, Flyknit Chukkas. Im newly
signed to Nike Golf and I feel that I
can embody what Nike is all about as
far as embracing the modern athlete.
Theyre trying to show cooler clothes,
cooler shoes and move the game
more in that direction. We need to do
that to make it more accessible and
interesting to young people.
And I take it your off-course kick
game is improving, too?
My Jordan collection has gone way up.
My favorites now are Retro IVs, but if
you talk to me next month, Ill probably
say something else. Ben Osborne

TIME OUT

IN THE WINGS

Finau: Mark Sims Icon Sportswire via AP Image; Moody: Andy Lyons/Getty Images;
Williams: USF Athletics; Looney: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

Golden State first-round pick KEVON


LOONEY tells what its been like to sit at the
end of the bench (and in the D-League)
as the Dubs have chased history.

he beginning of the season


when we started 24-0, it
was like, This is not normal.
I didnt know how it felt
to lose in the beginning. In the
preseason, guys were good, we lost
a couple of games. But then when
the season started, a whole other
light just went off. I would say when
I watched Steph go for 50 earlier in
the year against New Orleans, I was
like, Yeah, this is crazy. You dont
see this every day. Ive never been
on a team where at any moment,
you never feel like youre gonna
lose a game. When guys come out
flat, we could be down 20, but you
always feel like, Were gonna win
this game. And they always figure
out a way to do it.
The first game I suited up, I

didnt expect to play til maybe the


end of the game if we blew them
out. Draymond [Green] got in foul
trouble and they just threw me in in
the second quarter. I hadnt even
played in six monthsI was kinda
lost as to where to be. But when I
got out there, Klay [Thompson] told
me, When in doubt, just go set a
screen and get out the way. I just
followed that and it worked for me.
Sometimes I dont know if Im
gonna be active or not, or if Im gonna be in the D-League or with the
real team. I gotta stay ready. I gotta
do a lot more extra work to make
sure Im in game-shape because
Im not playing really no minutes.
So I gotta do a lot of conditioning.
You gotta really take everything like
youre gonna play 40 minutesdo

your workouts, stay focused, and at


any moment you have a chance to
get in the game. If someone gets in
foul trouble or somebody tweaks an
ankle, you gotta be ready when they
call your number.
This is the best thing for me. I
needed a lot of work to develop my
body and my game, and what better

place than with the champions? The


older guys are really teaching me
about nutrition and taking care of
your body. Its really the perfect experience for me. I have a chance to
win a Championship my first yeara
lot of guys dont get that chance
their whole careers.
As told to Adam Figman

DREAMING of a CAREER
in BASKETBALL?
Analytics
Broadcasting
Scouting
Game Operations
Basketball Agent Coaching
Front Office
MARK WARKENTIEN

SMWW.com | 503-445-7105

JOEL CORRY

Use discount code SLAM25


for $25 off registration fee.
SLAM_4_16

JOSH KEITH-URL

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#1 software by the NBA & EA Spor
ts; Synergy Sports.

He treats Twitter like a catalogJerry Cole


is the coolest Senior Production Manager
around. And the best Iona fanWere guessing Boston College would like a mulligan for
firing Al SkinnerSam Dhillon from USC has
got to be the most impressive student/
aspiring billionaire at any big-time college
program in the country. And if youre talking
about dudes who get real minutes, our vote
goes to Jaylen Brown...Yo, you got waves on
deck? Always, bro

HUSTLE & FLOW

LIKE MIKE
Chicagos LIL
BIBBY has the hoops
pedigree to back up
his amazing rap name.

22 SLAMONLINE .COM

the Kings with Chris Webber, Doug


Christie, Vlade Divacyou remember
that team? Thats when homeboy
started calling me Bibby, because
he said I looked like him, he says.
And on top of that, I had the threepoint shot like Bibby. And I really
dont think I look like no Mike Bibby,
man. Bibby didnt even have hair! I
dont know how my homeboy came
up with that.
Fazo passed away shortly after
bestowing the nickname. I just ran
with it after he passed away, Bibby
says. I just stuck with it, and everybody in the whole neighborhood just
started calling me Bibby.
Midway through our interview,
Bibbys friend and tour partner G
Herbo (the two have collaborated on
numerous tracks including Kill Shit,
My Hood and Play They Role)
hops on speakerphone and the two
young rappers start talking shit about
an upcoming game of 1-on-1.

STEPH CAN
HIT IT FROM
ANYWHERE.
HES THE BEST
PLAYER IN
THE LEAGUE
RIGHT NOW.

Look who just walked inG


Herbo, Bibby said. Were supposed to be playing one-on-one for
2 grand soon. This man is pigeontoed and slow-footed. He cant stay
in front of me, and were finna get it
on camera.
The conversation then turns to
Stephen Curry.
His shit is like on another level.
Its like he just mastered the handles
and the shot. Hes unguardable,

Bibby says. You cant steal the


ball, you cant stay in front of him,
and then you have to jump at every
pump fake because his shot is so
quick. And he can hit it from anywhere. Hes the best player in the
League right now.
Bibby recently paid his respects
to the reigning MVP by releasing
a track called Steph, a booming,
blacktop anthem over a haunting,
piano-driven instrumental from
producer Ryan Ryu. Perhaps the
most impressive feat on the song is
Bibbys ability to switch flows like a
lane switch on Lake Shore Drive.
I freestyled the whole thingI
dont know what I was feeling at
the moment, Bibby says. A lot of
people counted [Curry] out, but Ive
been a fan since he was in college.
Safe to say that Bibby, a babyfaced assassin in his own right, has
a future bright like Stephs.
Eli Schwadron

Kemosabe Records

randon Dickinsons music


speaks for itself.
The 21-year-old Chicago
native is one of the illest
up-and-coming emcees in the game,
with a Shyne-like baritone and a
spine-chilling South Side perspective permeating his lyrics.
But a proper rap moniker
especially one with a storycan
also make a world of difference in a
young artists career. And Lil Bibby
is one of the best.
Hes between shows on Pusha
Ts Darkest Before Dawn Tour when
he calls us to share his love for
hoops and explain how he earned
his stage name.
I would say up until I was about
15, I was heavy into basketball,
he says. I used to play every day,
all day when I was a kid. I used to
watch it, I used to collect cardsthe
whole basketball lifestyle.
Growing up, Bibby made the
rounds at local courts in Chi-Towns
South Shore neighborhood, in an
area known as Terror Town.
I used to have crazy handles,
he says. I used to make people fall
on concrete.
Bibbys favorite players were Dirk,
T-Mac, Kobe, Melo and LeBron. In
terms of his own game, Bibbywho
is also the voice behind lifestyle
brand 47s great Black 5s campaign
featuring Taj Gibson and Chase
Adams that SLAM co-produced
recentlysays he was more Jason
Kidd. But when Bibby was in middle
school, his friend Fazo made a different point guard comparison, which
had a deep, long-lasting effect.
When Mike Bibby played for

UNDER REVIEW

BOOKS
DREAM AGAIN
by Isaiah Austin
Isaiah Austin dreamt of playing in the
NBA, and those dreams were on the
verge of coming true until he got a
diagnosis that turned his life upsidedown in the middle of 2014.
Dream Again is about having faith
even during the worst circumstances.
During the 2014 NBA Draft Combine,
tests revealed Austin had Marfan Syndrome, a genetic mutation affecting
the connective tissue of the skeletal
system. People with Marfan tend to
be unusually tall with disproportionately long, thin limbs and enlarged
hearts. The diagnosis forced him to
withdraw from the Draft.
Isaiahs story touched everyone
throughout the world of basketball,
even all the way to the top. Commissioner Adam Silver selected Austin
in the first round of the Draft even
though hed never play a minute in
the League, making his dream come
true. Now Austin is a spokesman for
1

the Marfan Foundation. His condition


could get worse but hes dreaming of
funding research through awareness
that will save the lives of thousands,
including his own. Sometimes the
best stories take place off the court,
and Dream Again is one of them.
Sherman Johnson

BALL DONT LIE!


by Yago Cols
Who makes the game? University
of Michigan professor Yago Cols
discusses just that in Ball Dont
Lie! Myth, Genealogy, and Invention in the Cultures of Basketball.
Cols scrutinizes an assortment of
myths about the state of modern
basketball, including the fallacy of
the Leagues foundation. He cites
the auction of Naismiths original
13 rules for $4.3 million in 2010
as the foundation of an elaborate
pyramid scheme that obscures the
games true essence. The NBA was
formed in 1949, instead of 1946,
2

as a result of a merger between the


Basketball Association of America
and the National Basketball League.
The barnstorming NBL existed for at
least a decade before a consortium
of hockey owners incorporated the
BAA in 1946 and squeezed them
out of the labor market. Why does
the NBA insist on June 6, 1946
instead of 1949? Cols claims its
an elaborate Jedi mind trick of the
white basketball unconscious in
the form of Wilt vs Russell as well
as the prohibition then decriminaliza-

tion and celebration of the dunk.


Dribbling wasnt in the original
rules, but Naismith didnt punish
those who found loopholes in his
game. He incorporated innovation
into his blueprint so future generations would be free, but in the
modern state that Cols maps out,
he wouldve been dumbfounded
by the resentment of the Chosen
Ones decision to take his talents
to South Beach.
Ball Dont Lie! isnt a conspiracy
theory; its a revelation. SJ

The legend of Lamar Mundane predicted Stephen Curry


Slam dunks are tough, but when a 35-footer comes
raining out the sky, itll wire you up.Shouts to Sammy
Newman-Beck, doing big things with the TWolves
and his new organization, Hoops and HopeWe blame
the NBA for Keith Frazier-type stories, honestly. Give the
kids with no interest in college a legit place to work and
get better!Get well soon, Sages!...Pat ConroyCaval
HaylettChip HooperKen Howard...Clyde Lovellette
Aubrey McClendonDemetrius PinckneyEugene
ShortMalik Phife Taylor...Doc Weiske

HOMEMADE

LAKE SHOW
MIKE MUSCALA may be an
ATLien now, but the down-to-earth
Hawks big man became
the man he is today in Roseville,
a small city in Minnesota.
SLAM A lot of kids fool around
with the game at a young age.
When did you know that this was
something that you could really be
e
good at?
MM I feel like you have to go
through stages. I think, as a kid, you
have times where you just mess
around, and then you have times
when you think youre good, you can
have skills. But sometimes, you kind
of have doubts, too, you know? But
I feel like I really started to really like
the game when I was around third or
fourth grade. I really started to enjoy
playing with my friends and [like] the
challenge of it. And I was always tall
growing up.

Like Khalid El-Amin?


Yeah, yeah. I used to play in a pro-am
every summer after my college years
downtown and there would always
be some great players there. I even
think my high school class had some
really good playersRodney Williams,
Royce White, Mike Bruesewitz,
Nate Wolters. I think we had some
good ones.

What kind of hoops scene did


Roseville have?
I definitely grew up in a hockey town.
Our varsity team, my senior year we
were like two games under .500 and
that was like the best record they
had had in the last five or six years. It
was really a hockey-oriented school.
But even then, and now, I feel like
the hoops scene in the metro area
of Minneapolis actually is still underrated. I think there are some good
players that have come out of there
that continue to come out of there.

Why werent you a Minnesota


Golden Gopher like some of those
guys?
I was definitely a late bloomer. The
Gophers had two scholarship spots
my year. Rodney and Royce were
slam dunks for them. I mean, they
were the guys in Minnesota at that
time, you know? Rodney was dunking everything and Royce White was
like a point forward. They were great
players. And there is only one DI program in Minnesota: the University of
Minnesota. You are kind of left with

24 SL AMONLINE .COM

North and South Dakota. After that,


theres not much. You could go to
Wisconsin or Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
but there is only one in Minnesota.
So why Bucknell?
Like I said, I wasnt really heavily
recruited. So, I was playing in some
AAU tournament in Indianapolis or
something. I played well one game.
I got a call from Dane Fischer, who
was an assistant at the time at
Bucknell. He left me a voicemail and
said he was from Bucknell and I
was like, That name sounds familiar.
I looked them up and I was like, Oh
yeah, they beat Kansas. You know, in
the Tournament? Thats how I knew
them. Did some more research on it.
Just one thing led to another.
I know the DI dreams blossomed
late, but when did the pro aspirations start?
At first, I didnt have any. It was just

about playing at Bucknell and getting


time there and just being competitive
at that level. But then, maybe in my
junior year, we lost to Lehigh and CJ
McCollum at home. We ended up
going to the NIT. We beat Arizona at
Arizona in the NIT as the 8th seed.
Then we played Nevada a few days
later. I had two pretty good games
against those two schools and had a
pretty good junior year.
I went to work out at IMG Academy that summer. I paid to gomy
parents helped me payjust to see
what it was like. I started playing with
the guys there. I just felt like, Yeah,
OK. This is a possibility.
DeMarco Williams

Game action: Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images;


Childhood photos: Courtesy of the Muscala Family

Were you that awkward big kid?


WellI wasnt super awkward. But I
was always pretty tall over the next
tallest kid in my class. But then there
came a time, from 8th grade through
about 10th grade, I didnt grow as
much as my other friends. I was still
tall, but I wasnt like the really tall
dude. I wasnt playing center; I was
playing more of the 3 and the 4 as
opposed to just the 5. It was a really
awkward phase for me because
I had never done that in my life. I was
out there trying to shoot threes. But
it was good because it forced me
to try to learn some other skills that
I feel like I still use now.

LOUDER THAN A BOMB

S.A. SMASH

Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Despite the hype surrounding the


Golden State Warriors, one writer
believes its the SAN ANTONIO SPURS
who are about to cruise through
the NBA Playoffs. always by Dave Zirin

am making it plain: The San


Antonio Spurs will beat the
Warriors in the Western
Conference Finals this year,
en route to an NBA Championship.
Even though Stephen Curry, the
presumptive unanimous MVP, is
rewriting the rules of basketball.

Even though Golden State is


well positioned to win 73 games
this year and go down as the
greatest regular-season team in
NBA history, I think the Spurs take
it. I believe this for a very simple
reason. I believe in Pop and I
believe that when the lights are

at their brightest, Timmy, Manu


and Tony will emerge from their
cocoons and bring the pain.
First, on Pop, he said the
following in February and it is
sticking with me like Jared Dudleys
feet to an NBA floor: Ive spent
more time thinking about Golden
State than I have any other team
Ive ever thought about in my
whole career because they are
really fun. Id go buy a ticket and
go watch them play. And when I
see them move the ball, I get very
envious. When I see them shoot
uncontested shots more than
anybody else in the League, its
inspiring. Its just great basketball.
So Im actually enjoying them
very much. You try to solve them,
but theyre in a sense unsolvable
because its a particular mix of

talent that they have. Its not just


that Steph can make shots or
that Klay can make shots or that
Draymond Green is versatile.
Everybody on the court can pass,
catch and shoot. And they all get
it. Theyre for real. Theyre talented.
But theyre also very, very smart.
Its the first part: Ive spent
more time thinking about Golden
State than I have any other team
Ive ever thought about in my whole
career that has stuck with me.
Pop is 67 years old. He has been
doing this since his days toiling
the sideline at Pomona Pitzer
when Jimmy Carter was in the
White House. His team can roll
out there with half its roster and
beat most squads in the League.
In any other season, we would be
talking about the Spurs chase for
70 victories. But while his body
has been in San Antonio, his mind
has been in Oakland. It is difficult
to believe that he is not thinking of
somethingmaybe Kawhi guarding
Steph, maybe hack-a-Bogut,
maybe Rasual Butler at the stretch
4that will be a wrinkle we havent
seen to slow the Warriors down on
offense and exhaust them on D.
Then there is Timmy, Manu
and Tony: the most successful
trio of teammates in League
history judging by Playoff victories
and second in chips to whatever
trio of Red Auerbachs Celtics
you want to put together back
when the League had eight
teams. Duncan, as of this writing,
is averaging a career-low 25
minutes per game and has taken
the equivalent of three weeks of
the season off to rest. Manu is
averaging a career-low 19 minutes
per game and also took time away.
Tony Parker is averaging a careerlow 27 minutes per game and his
season high in assists in a contest
is 10. In other words, a subpar
night for Rajon Rondo or John
Wall is Tony Parkers season high.
And yet, the emergence of Kawhi
Leonard as a bona fide superstar,
the play of LaMarcus Aldridge and
the sick stretches with David West
playing for 1/10 his market value
have allowed them to be on this
near-70 win pace.
There is nothing statistically to
suggest that Tim, Manu and Tony
have slowed down. Check their
averages per 36 minutes and it is
the same stellar play we have seen,
just less of it. This is why I think it
is the Spurs year. Pop has been in
the lab, the Best Big Three to ever
take the court has been in the San
Antonio custom-made cryogenic
chamber, and the Golden State
Warriors are about to be taken
to the woodshed. Its been fun,
Dubs, but daddys home and the
middle-aged posse is about to take
the Western Conference Playoffs
by storm. S

SLAMONLINE .COM 25

Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

Russ Bengtson

ets start with the good


stuff about the Manimal.
Technically, Kenneth
Faried had a perfect game
on March 14. From the field,
anyway. He shot 11 for 11two of
three from the free-throw lineand
had 11 boards to go along with
24 points. He also had one of the
Nuggets two blocks, and tried
for a second one. Emphasis on
tried. Also, the Nuggets lost. So
much for the good stuff.
Because, you see, Heat
rookie (and 40th overall pick) Josh
Richardson has just been getting
started. Hes not as heralded as
fellow rook Justise Winslow, but
he did follow his 17 points in this
game with 18 in the next and 19 in
the one after that. Which means,
if he were to simply follow that
progression (he presumably has
not), hed break Wilts single-game
scoring record early in his third
season [Russ math is a little fuzzy
I think, but man is he funny.Ed.].
But hey, records can wait.
Instead, Richardson has established himself as a rotation player
in Miami, one who can shoot, who
can drive, who can get a twopage spread in SLAM. Not bad,
new J-Rich. Not bad at all.

JOSH RICHARDSON on KENNETH FARIED

MARCH 14, 2016


AMERICANAIRLINES ARENA
MIAMI, FL

Everyone counted
out the 2015-16 Dallas
Mavericks, and yet
here they are, making
yet another post-season
run. How? Start with
37-year-old future
Hall of Famer DIRK
NOWITZKI, whos
fending off Father
Time once again.
by leo sep ko witz

SL AMONLINE .COM 29

D
Dirk Nowitzki no longer runs, exactly.
Instead, he jogs gingerly, his thin
elbows bobbing by his hips, shoulders pinched back, nothing coming
easy. He is typically the last Maverick
downcourt following a team rebound.
Occasionally, as his teammates
sprint ahead, he will walk for a few
secondsa brief Im too old for this
shit momentbefore acknowledging
that, even at age 37, he is needed.
And so off he goes on one more
run toward the offensive end, where
nobody has ever looked or played
like him. Its not a graceful dance, but
its not lazy or sad, either. Think the
stride of a long-distance runner.
Dirk is pacing himself on a
December night at Madison Square
Garden. The season is still young,
and this is the second game of a
road back-to-back. A few minutes
in, Nowitzki plants himself at the left
wing and receives the ball inside
the arc. He creates a sliver of separation with a modest jab step and
releases his trademark high-arching
jumper. As the ball flies, a satisfied
Dirk edges back, and the New York
crowd emits a sort of perverse cheer
as it finds itself rooting for the wrong
side. The shot rips through. That
makes 11 points over Dallas first six
possessions for Nowitzki, whos making Father Time look like the most
overrated defender in the League.

30 SL AMONLINE .COM

Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images

ITS A MONTH AFTE R Dallas win


in New York, and the team is home,
holding strong at 25-19, fifth-best
in the West. Dirk is at a conference table thats too low for his
comforthes rotated his chair out
to extend his legs. Hes wearing
sandals, half-length socks striped
in clashing shades of purple, shorts
and a gray collared shirt buttoned
all the way up. A thin black brace
covers his right knee. His dirty blond
hair is thinning slightly in the front
and grazes his shoulders in the
backfinally a sensible do after two
decades of frosted tips, mini-fades,
long surfer-dude locks and more.
Nowitzki, the ninth pick of the 98
Draft, is extremely unique, according to his coach, Rick Carlisle. There
are his quirky mannerisms: tugging
the upper left corner of his jersey
after buckets; the approximate W his
hand forms (thumb sticking straight
out) after a three; his knees nearly
touching as he shoots free throws.
And then there are the important
distinctions: that hes the best
player on earth who doesnt have an
ego, according to his GM, Donnie
Nelson; that hes within 200 games
of John Stocktons record for most
played with one team; that his skills
inspired an Xs and Os revolution.
And of course there is his 2011
Finals MVP honor, distinct in its own
rightthat summer, Nowitzki proved
that a Championship teams best
player could be a jump-shooting
big man. Dirk had drawn a lot of
criticism because he hadnt won a
Championship, Carlisle remembers.
But he virtually carried that team on
his back as the lone superstar. The
triumph changed the game as we
know itthe small-ball boom is a direct result of Nowitzkis success. And
his longevitynearly 18 ppg this year,
all these seasons lateris owed, in no
small part, to that transformation.
When asked how he feels about
the Leagues evolution, Dirk scratches his head and jokes, Theres a lot
more running now.
That seems like it would be a
problem for Nowitzki (hes top-15 all
time in minutes played), and yet he
rolls on. Only four guys have ever averaged more points per game at 37
or olderNique, MJ, Kareem and the
Mailmanand only the latter two did
so for a Playoff team; Nowitzki will
likely soon join them. In December,
Dirk became the NBAs sixth-leading
scorer, passing Shaquille ONeal on
a jumper from the left wing.
Im not surprised hes sustained
his greatness, says Carlisle. You
should see the amount of work he
puts innot just on his game, but the
dieting and the strength training to
allow him to function.
Sadly, admirable snack-discipline
has done little for his mobility. As old
teammate Michael Finley points out,
Dirk was never the quickestand
now hes a little less quick than that.

Obviously my strength will always


be my shot, he says. His jumper
inspired the 2014 documentary
Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot. Nowitzki
himself has noticed stars like LeBron
James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin
Durant trying out the wonky J. In
February, Sports Illustrated called his
form ungainly and unblockable.
Guys have to respect my shot,
Dirk says. Thats why Im still able to
produce a little bit. I dont play in this
League on dribbling or athleticism.
Nowitzki is thoughtful and modest.
Ask him what its like to be considered a senior citizen at 37, and hell
emphasize the upside. The good
thing is, you gain experience over
these years, he says. Even though
you lost a step or two, you know more
about the game than you did in your
20s. Youre smarter: OK, how do I get
my shot off against this guyOK, last
time he kinda reachedOK, let me go
under his arms and make him stop
that one time, oryoure just smarter.
Ask about his still-unbelievable 11
Playoffs, and heres what youll get:
You know, I think the first round in
Portland I wasnt that great, and in the
Finals I didnt shoot the ball as well as
I thought. In the middle rounds, I was
pretty good, I gotta admit.
Tyson Chandler remembers the
Finals, where Dallas vanquished
Miamis Big Three in its inaugural
season, a little differently. Ive never
seen anybody play like that in my life,
he says. Nowitzki averaged 26 in six
games, leading the Mavs to a title
and ascending from an all-time great
scorer to, simply, an all-time great.
Dirks not a vocal guy, but I saw it in
his eyeshis belief in himself, and how
locked in he was. It was infectious.
We were like, Were not losing.
Ask Dirk about his influence on
the stretch-4 craze, and hell again
speak dismissively, crediting German
forward Detlef Schrempf (his idol)
and some favorable rule changes.
When I first came into the League,
there was a lot more 1-on-1 game, a
lot of iso, a lot of post-ups, he says.
They didnt wanna watch someone
take 15 dribbles on the block anymore. So they put in the five-second
backdown rule. I think it forced teams
to play a little more European style,
which is a lot of passing, a lot of motion. Even the 5-men have to be able

to shoot and spread the floor.


Consider the shape of the League
back in 98 when Dirk was drafted.
The West was entering a golden
age for physical big menthe classic
typesand Nowitzki arrived as a
scrawny 20-year-old, tagged with the
stereotypical soft European label.
In his fourth career game, Nowitzki
faced a Houston frontcourt comprising Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles
Barkley and Scottie Pippen. He shot
3-9 in a loss. (Hed shot 0-5 in his
debut a week earlier.)
When Dirk first came in, I didnt
think he was that good a player,
Finley remembers. Coach Nelson
had hyped him up to be the player he
is now, and I just didnt see it. But I
did see a Hall of Fame work ethic.
Two years later, Nowitzki beat
the Stockton/Malone Jazz, dropping
33 in each of Games 3 and 4 to
erase a 2-0 hole. He swept KG in
02. He won Game 7s against Yaos
Rockets and Sheeds Blazers. He
met C-Webbs Kings three straight
postseasons. Hes faced Duncan six
times (and survived twice).
In 98, the West All-Stars started
Kevin Garnett at the 3. This season,
they started Kevin Durant at the 5.
Its Dirks fault, says Al Jefferson,
half-joking. Big Al began his career at
power forward in 04 but has since
been bumped to center. When I got
into the League, every team except
Dallas had a big power forward and
a big center. Im not saying Dirk
wasnt a big power forward; he just
wasnt like any other power forward.
A 7-footer who could shoot?
There were tall-and-good shooters
prior to Dirk (mostly other Europeans),
but none could score like him. As
fellow 98 draftee Paul Pierce says,
I hadnt seen a player like hima
7-footer who could put the ball on the
ground and shoot threes with range.
If Nowitzki didnt invent the
stretch-4 (There was Detlef and Toni
Kukoc and others before me, he
argues), then he certainly perfected
it. Since the 04-05 season, not once
in a given year has a player made
more mid-range shots per game than
Dirk and shot them at a better clip.
Not once. He is the best mid-range
shooter of this era, and may be the
greatest of all time. Just ask those
who have seen him up close.

Guys have to respect


Guys
my shot. Thats why
Im still able to
produce. I dont play
in this league on
dribbling or athleticism.

He mastered that one-legged


shot, man. Thats just automatic,
Vince Carter says.
With that height, and that accuracy, says Finley, its unstoppable.
Its buckets, says Jefferson.
Sometimes it makes me so mad
its like, how can you hit that over
and over?
That shot is certainly one of
the most, Carlisle begins, before a
pause. Let me find the right word...
Actually, its not a hard shot to
shoot, says Nowitzki.
AS OF EAR LY J U LY, the Mavs only
reliable player was Dirk, the 10tholdest guy in the League. Chandler
Parsons had quietly undergone
knee surgery a few months earlier.
Raymond Felton was slated to start
at point. Charlie Villanueva was the
second-tallest dude around.
Then-GM Donnie Nelson and
owner Mark Cuban pulled the team
together: Wesley Matthews (free
agency) and Zaza Pachulia (trade)
arrived on July 9, followed by Deron
Williams (FA) the ensuing week. By
August, there was a roster in place
in theory. Matthews was recovering
from an Achilles tear, Williams had
endured multiple ankle surgeries
while with the Nets, and Parsons
status was murky. Heading into
November, the quality of the team
remained a mystery.
I wrote the Mavericks off in the
preseason, admits Tyson Chandler,
who left Dallas for Phoenix over the
summer. I thought, theyre just not a
Playoff team anymore.
Nowitzki grins as Chandlers harsh
words are read to him. I dont think
anybody really expected what wed
dowe really didnt know, he says.
But it came together. Its all veteran
guys that want to winthey dont care
about stats. Everybody sacrifices.
That includes Nowitzki, who
takes the most shots on the team
but ranks 38th in the League in
attempts per game. (Also, his
team-friendly, three-year, $25 million
contract, signed in 2014, provided
Dallas with enough flexibility to bring
this group together.)
A lot of superstars would be
impatient with roster overhaul, says
Carlisle. Dirk just wants to lead and
make the team as good as it can be.
For the 15th time in 16 seasons,
the Mavericks appear to be Playoffbound. The reality, however, is that
they might only serve as first-round
fodder for one of the Wests three
giants (Golden State, San Antonio
and Oklahoma City). Nowitzki emphasizes the teams desire to plug
and fight, but that might not be
good enough. But then, that wasnt
expected to be good enough to get
them here, either.
They werent even supposed to
be in the mix, says Chandler of the
creaky, feisty, familiar Mavs. But
Dirk is just being Dirk. S

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 31

Gutter Credit TK

JUST KNOW

Following close to a halfdecade spent traversing


the D-League and
professional basketball
leagues overseas,
HASSAN WHITESIDE
was finally given a real
shot with the Miami
Heatand hes taken full
advantage of it.

Gutter Credit TK

by pe ter wal s h

SL AMONLINE .COM 33

Following a 98-81 victory over the


Knicks on a late-February Sunday, its
business as usual in the Heat locker
room. In the middle of the teams
road trip, the veteran roster isnt
blasting music or wasting time with
small talk, instead showering and
dressing quickly. While the media surrounds former Brooklyn Net Joe Johnson after his first game with the team,
Hassan Whiteside fits his impossibly
long 7-foot frame into a small corner
of the visiting MSG locker room. The
26-year-old is in a good mood after a
16-point, 11-rebound, 2-block performance and brushes off a back-andforth jawing with courtside regulars
Fat Joe and Spike Lee after he hit a
smooth fadeaway baseline jumper.
Before he bounces, Whiteside

DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas


and Tyreke Evans, there was little
veteran leadership to show Hassan
the ropes of NBA life.
I had to deal with everything on
my own, really, he recalls. I had a
few older guys talk to me but we was
a young team so it was tough.
The tough times, unfortunately,
would last a while longer.
The 2012-13 season took
Whiteside literally around the world.
After bouncing around the D-League
with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Rio
Grande Valley Vipers, he agreed to
join Lebanons Amchit Club in April
2013. By the end of May, Whiteside
was out of Lebanon and in China to
play for the Sichuan Blue Whales of
the NBL. There, the big man enjoyed
the best ball of his career to that
point, averaging 25.7 ppg, 16.6 rpg
and 5.1 bpg. He also took home
Defensive POY, Center of the Year
and Finals MVP as the Blue Whales
won the NBL Championship.
In November 2013, Whiteside
was back in Lebanon, then back to
China in April 2014.
Whitesides experience in the
Middle East proved a reality check.
As he hooped inside, tension in the
streets was high and violence wasnt
uncommon. I felt scared sometimes
because youre hearing car bombs
and you see people die, he says. It
put everything in perspective.
After 17 games with the Jiangsu
Tongxi Monkey Kings in China, Hassan was done with international ball.
That summer Whiteside returned
to North Carolina, where he trained
and played pickup at a local YMCA.
Four years into his career and he was
in basketball purgatory, a vicious cycle
of D-League stints, 10-day contracts
and seasons spent in hard-to-pronounce cities on the other side of the
world. Based on the odds and track
record of players in his situation, it
would take a small miracle for Hassan
to play in the NBA again.
The rest of 2014 was a whirlwind.
Instead of heading back overseas
where he had big money offers
Whiteside remained in the States.
Between September and November,
he was signed and waived by the
Grizzlies, signed by the Rio Grande
Valley Vipers, traded to the Iowa
Energy and re-signed and waived by
Memphis before rejoining the Energy.
Hassan hadnt touched an NBA floor
since April 12, 2012, but was putting
up big numbers with the Energy. In
the time since his rookie year, he also
bulked up, going from a 227-pound
20-year-old to a 265-pound man.
On Nov. 22, 2014, Whiteside put
up 24 points, 16 boards and 4 blocks
against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the
Heats D-League affiliate. The next
day, Chris Andersen went down with
a nasty ankle sprain and Miami suddenly needed a shot blocker. Already
familiar with Whiteside thanks to a
2012 workout, the Heat signed Has-

san on Nov. 24.


As a coach, GM and president,
Pat Riley has had the patience and
wherewithal to take second-round
picks and guys playing in lesser
leagues and turn them into important
role players, NBA All-Stars and
champions. He did it with the late
Anthony Mason and John Starks on
the Knicks and plugged in countless
players alongside LeBron, Wade and
Bosh. None, however, have been as
dominant as Whiteside.
The first time I met Pat Riley I
thought, hes a winner, says Whiteside. He told me in 2012 I was going
to get bigger and stronger and better.
Its amazing. I have to tip my hat to
Pat Riley. Everything hes done for me
has been amazing and everything hes
done throughout his career has been
amazing. Thats why he is who he is.
On Jan. 4, 2015, Whiteside
notched his first double-double. A
week later, he put together an absurd
23-point, 16-rebound, 2-block performance in a win against the Clippers.
Post-game, he took the opportunity to
call out every teamand Doc Rivers in
particularthat passed on him.
I got a chip on my shoulder, he
told Heat broadcaster Jason Jackson.
Every other team in the NBA said
no to me, especially [the Clippers].
I couldnt even get a training camp
invite. The Clippers thought it was a
good ideaDoc said no. I tried to get
a workout hereDoc said no.
On Jan. 25, 2015, Whiteside
went viral. After killing the Bulls with
a 14-point, 13-rebound, 12-block
triple-double, he told ESPN reporter
Heather Cox that he was, just trying
to get [his] NBA2K rating up. The
clip sent Twitter wild.
From playing in far corners of the
world to being a household name,
Hassan was a feel-good story for the
Heat, one they needed after Boshs
scary bout with blood clots and the
team missing the Playoffs. But somewhere along the way, perception of
Whiteside changed and the suddenly
dominant center became a target.
In 100-plus games with the Heat
over two seasons, Whiteside has
had violent altercations with Kelly
Olynyk, Alex Len and Marjanovic,
publicly feuded with Draymond Green
on Twitter, been ripped by Dwyane
Wade for being selfish, criticized
for his poor free-throw shooting (hes
hitting at an impressive 82.9 percent
clip since All-Star) and shown poor
body language when benched by Spo
for fourth quarters. Early this season,
more than a few bloggers were quick
to point out that the numbers showed
the Heat were better defensively with
him off the floor, even though hes a
prolific shot-blocker. Off-court, critics
point to his relationship with the
equally fascinating Khaled, alleged
aloofness and engagement on social
media as distractions.
Because of this, Whiteside has become one of the most polarizing play-

Previous spread from left: Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images; Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
This spread: Oscar Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

slides on a pair of Jordan Xs, daps up


a few members of the Heat staff and
grabs a plate of food. All the while, a
smile never leaves his face.
Whiteside has a lot to be happy
about these days. Since his onegame suspension stemming from
an altercation with Spurs behemoth
Boban Marjanovic, the big man has
embraced his role off the bench
and averaged an eye-widening 18.5
points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks
since the All-Star break. As of this
writing, Miami is 8-2 in that span,
and with Chris Bosh sidelined again,
Miamis center holds the key to postseason success. Word to DJ Khaled.
The fact that Whiteside is even
being mentioned in this magazine, let
alone as a major part of the Heats
Playoff run, is downright astonishing. As a child in Gastonia, NC, he
suffered freak injuries that would
keep most kids off the court for life.
There were the 68 stitches in his leg
after rough housing with his older
brother Danney. A broken leg and
a growth plate separated from his
knee suffered after being hit by a car,
requiring surgery and a defibrillator to
wake him up.
Me and my brothers, we used to
go on adventures, laughs Hassan
about the injuries.
His high school career saw him
bounce between six high schools
before concluding at The Patterson
School in North Carolina. He drew
interest from high-major programs
Kentucky and NC State but ultimately
committed to mid-major Marshall.
In his freshman year, Whiteside
averaged an eye-popping 5.4 bpg
before declaring for the 2010 Draft.
Selected 33rd overall by the Sacramento Kings, the raw Whiteside was
assigned to the Reno Bighorns by
the end of November. Once he was
called back up by Sacramento in early
2011, he suffered a partially torn tendon in his left knee and was sidelined
for the rest of the year. Whitesides
rookie year total stat line read two
minutes played, 0 points and 2 fouls.
Whiteside appeared in just 18
games with Sacramento in 11-12. At
the end of the season he was waived.
With a roster full of young guys like

ers in the L. The numbers hes putting


up for a $980,000 salary make him
the second-most underpaid player in
the Lthe first is Stephen Curry, by
farbut the questions surrounding
him made him a buzzworthy name at
the trade deadline (rumors Pat Riley
called bullshit). With his contract
set to expire at the end of the season,
Whiteside is in line for a massive
contract, but there is wide speculation
that the Heat will let him walk.
ESPNs Brian Windhorst, who
covered the Heat through the
LeBron era, came out and said on
the Lowe Post podcast with his
colleague Zach Lowe that, [Hassan
is] absolutely not a Heat player. His
style of play, his personality and the
way he goes about his business is
not congruent with the way the Heat
normally go about themselves.
Whiteside is well aware of what
is being said about him in the media
and has answers for his critics. For
those who point to the Heats defensive numbers with him on the bench:
Everybody that said them numbers

is talking different now. That was at


the beginning of the season when we
were trying to figure things out. When
you look at the last 20-30 games, its
better when Im on the court.
For those who disapprove of his
legendary Snapchat use, attitude
and relationship with Khaled: A lot
of times Im just chilling at home or

at Khaleds house and we just watch


and talk basketball. Its not like Im
at the club til 3 or 4, drunk on TMZ.
Im having a good time but not doing
anything bad.
For those who claim hes not a
Heat player: People are trying to
nitpick and find bad things about me
to try and figure out why I wasnt in

People are trying to


People
nitpick and find bad
things about me to try
and figure out why I
wasnt in the NBA for
so long. It comes with
the territory.

the NBA for so long. It comes with


the territory. Theres nobody in the
NBA that people arent going to say
something bad about. Theyll always
look for negative stuff. I love Miami.
As the season wears on, his
teammates have publicly had his
back. His impact is huge, says PG
Goran Dragic. Hes a rebounding
machine, a shot-blocking machine,
[and] hes doing unbelievable things,
especially for me. When hes setting
those screens, he opens the floor
a lot for me and if his guy steps up
and defends, the lob to Hassan is
open. Its awesome to play with this
kind of player, who gives you a lot of
options.
Whiteside is young, talented and
about to be rich as hell. He also isnt
a cookie-cutter NBA star, which
makes people uncomfortable. As his
role expands, Whiteside knows all he
has to do is help the Heat win and a
big payday in his future will come.
Were worried about winning, and
thats what Pat has said: Win and
everything will take care of itself. S

SL AMONLINE .COM 35

FANTASY

PLAYER

As his team rumbles into


the Playoffs, reigning MVP
STEPHEN CURRY is
enjoying one of the most
incredible NBA seasons in
the history of the game.
And many people
(Steph included) think he
can get better.
by mar c e l m uto ni

S L AMON LI NE .C OM 37

Heres a terrifying thought for the


NBAs 29 other teams: Stephen
Curry and the defending Champion
Warriors have been coasting.
Thats right, coasting, to what is
at press time the greatest regularseason performance in League
history, Currys first scoring title and a
second consecutive MVP, all setting
themselves up for what seems like
inevitable back-to-back immortality.
We did the same thing last year
where we were sort of cruising a little
bit, says assistant coach for player
development Bruce Fraser. I feel like
weve been cruising a little bit lately.
I dont want to say that in a negative way toward the team, because
they play hard. I think we play hard
most of the time; I dont think our
mindfulness is as sharp as it could
be. The game comes easy sometimes, and thats not a good thing.
Its great in that it allows us to win,
but its not always great for execution
and preparation for whats to come.
This is all perfectly normal, of
course. The Dubs are so much better
than their comp most nights that it
doesnt make a lot of sense for them
to go 100 percent each possession.
And in the biggest of games, theres
no doubting their resolve: Golden
State has so far beaten each of the
other so-called contenders, often in
completely demoralizing fashion.
We know how were gonna win
games in the Playoffs, says Curry.
We demonstrated that last year.
Through certain principles: Dont turn
the ball over, play defense, rebound. If

38 SL AMONLINE .COM

we do those three things, we feel like


were gonna win. If you forget about
that and just think about winning,
then you get unfocused. I think were
talented enough to play a sub-par
game and maybe still win thanks to
the depth we have, but thats not
gonna help us as we try to win a ring.
Were just a little more focused,
adds Steph about getting up for big
games against foes like Cleveland
and San Antonio. It goes back to
the three things I mentioned earlier.
In those games, we went out and
executed them to deathdid what we
needed to do. We understand the
moment, and how big those games
were, and being in the regular season, you wanna play well and send
a message, that if we see you again
down the road, well be ready and
were gonna be a tough out. Over a

seven-game series, we feel like well


be in good shape. But it ends there.
Because no good team with Championship expectationswhether you
lose by 2 or 20 pointsis gonna be
rattled when it comes to Playoff time.
Perhaps its that most of us dont
get to see the work these guys put
in before the lights come on.
I asked Curry during All-Star
Weekend what his approach to
offseason training is, and if he sees
any weaknesses in his game.
Oh, yeah! Steph said. Three
years ago, I was never able to drive
right or do anything going to my right
hand; I was left-hand dominant. So,
for two summers, thats all I worked
on: how can I be more explosive
going right, or how can I be more
efficient with my dribble going right?
If you gave me a one-on-one opportu-

nity, 99 percent of the time I was going left. I feel comfortable now giving
away that scouting report, because
I think Ive opened up other options.
Little stuff like that helps me become
a better player. Last summer, it was
about creating space. Being efficient
with my dribble in tight spaces and
creating enough separation to get
my shot off. The right balance, too, to
make whatever move to get into my
shot. Being able to go from here to
there in one step [Curry points to a
row of liquor bottles behind us in a
downtown Toronto restaurant] goes
a long way, especially in the Playoffs.
Next year, I might add post moves
but I gotta gain weight, though.
The MVP continues to submit one
of the more remarkable runs anyone
has witnessed, seemingly playing at
a differentand higherplane from

Previous spread from left: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images; Noah Graham/
NBAE via Getty Images; This spread: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

the rest of the L. His statistical output


has been staggeringhe recently
became the first player to ever hit
300 three-pointers in a season, many
from impossibly long distancesand
he is now the most popular star in
the NBA based on jersey sales. If
theres any justice, he should win
both the 2015-16 MVP and Most
Improved Player awards this year.
Youre still amazed by the amazing, if that makes sense, says Fraser,
whom you may recognize as the
silver-haired guy working out Curry
in his now-famous pre-game routine.
Maybe not shocked, like when he
makes a last-second shot or one of
those long shots, theres part of you
shaking your head, and theres also
part of you that says, Thats Steph.
Fraser, who worked with Steve
Nash in Phoenix, says the two-time

we know how were


gonna win games
in the Playoffs:

dont turn the ball


over, play defense,
rebound. If we
do those three
things, we feel like

were gonna win.

MVP shares a certain irreverence


with CurryNash in life, and Steph on
the court with the bold and at times
mind-boggling moves he pulls off.
Theyre both risk-takers, explains
Fraser. Nash saw the game differently, just based on playing soccer,
and Stephs starting to see the game
in those ways. I think, based on the
way we play with our ball movement
and system, Stephs much more comfortable with it now. I thought he was
a really good passer and playmaker
when he played at Davidson, but
everyone just saw a great shooter.
Hes a little more of a gun-slinger
than Nash, but thats what makes him
great. No moments too big for him.
Currys appeal stretches beyond
his play. Blending good looks,
average-ish size, unending patience
and basic decency toward insatiable

SL AMONLINE .COM 39

40 SL AMONLINE .COM

Curry transformed himself from an


oft-injured question mark to the best
player in the galaxy in the span of
roughly four years? Insanity.
Im comfortable knowing this is
my job, says Curry, to support my
family, and I know the ins and outs
of how Im gonna handle my career.
The thing Ive noticed the last few
years is that each season is different:
from highs of winning a Champion-

ship to the depths of rehabbing


from injuries, every year is different,
something you can learn from as
you go through it. When were winning and doing what were doing
now, its still very surreal. Like I said,
Ive been around the League since
I was born, basically, and Ive seen
a bunch of my dads teammates
Vince [Carter], Muggsy Boguesall
the guys he used to play against as

He
He won the mvp, and
hes a lot better this
year. So, I dont know,
maybe he can get
better. kerr

well. I never thought Id be one.


While everyone else freaks out
over his ascension to superstardom,
Curry remains completely unfazed.
Stephs a really normal guy,
explains Fraser. I think its due to
his family. Also, he wasnt a star at a
young age. He wasnt coddled. He
is a super normal and none-affected
person, and thats refreshing.
The Warriors are perhaps the
happiest team weve ever seen. Great
squads usually have a bit of internal
conflict, but that seems largely
foreign here. Kobe Bryant likes to
spout about friction being a necessity
and a catalyst for a Championship
team, but the Warriors see things
differently. Even assistant coach Luke
Walton, who believed the same thing
as Bryant after working alongside Phil
Jackson (a master button-pusher) for
many years in L.A., came to realize
this doesnt apply to Golden State.
Aside from the occasional angry

Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

fans, he is now the face of the NBA.


In mid-March, I took an Uber from
a hotel down the road from Oracle
Arena and couldnt figure out where
to get out. A Warriors official spotted
me and kindly offered a ride on his
golf cart. Sitting in the back were
a sweet woman celebrating her
94th birthday and her middle-aged
grandson; she gleefully explained that
she couldnt imagine a better way
to spend her day than by watching
Steph and her Dubs play. (Curry was
also turning a year older that day and
delivered with 27 points, hitting his
usual array of absurd shots, leading
the Warriors to their 60th win, remaining unbeaten on their home floor.)
None of this was pre-ordained.
Even allowing that he comes from
a pretty good gene pooldad Dell
enjoyed a solid NBA career; Sonya,
his mom, played volleyball at Virginia
Tech; younger brother Seth comes off
the bench for the Kingsthe fact that

I WILL.

42 SL AMONLINE .COM

former playergreat and not-so-great


ones alikewill declare that back in
his day, Steph wouldve been shut
down and the Warriors wouldnt
have survived when the game was
more physical. Is the backlash due to
jealousy, or is it just that no one can
really understand what Curry and the
Dubs are doing?

I turned to Jimmy Goldstein for


some perspective. The mysterious
billionaire businessman has had a
courtside seat to NBA games since
the 50s when he was a 15-year-old
statistician for Milwaukeethey
were called the Hawks back then
making him a living encyclopedia of
the League (If my memory were bet-

Youre
Youre still amazed by
the amazing. Theres
part of you shaking
your head, and theres
also part of you that
says, thats steph.
fraser

This spread: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

locker room outburst from Draymond


Green, the teams emotional leader,
these guys are usually too busy smiling and kicking ass.
Joy and happiness are the
hallmarks of this team: everyone who
draws a check from this organization
seems to have a pep in their step.
Arena usherstypically grim-faced
men and women in virtually every
other arenaare dancing in the
aisles, helping fans and reporters
find the best angles to take pictures.
The Warriors are basically
unbeatable at home, not having
registered a loss at Oracle since
they suffered a 2-point OT defeat on
January 27, 2015 to the Bulls. Ninety
minutes prior to tip-off that night in
mid-March, the gym is three-quarters
of the way full as fans elbow for
space to watch Curry warm up. During the game, whenever Steph pulls
off his latest breathtaking move for a
bucket, it sounds like 19,596 people
simultaneously achieving orgasm.
And some of this seems to really
bug the old-timers. Every few days, a

ter you could say that, he jokes).


Goldstein has dutifully kept tabs
on all of the Ls top teams and stars
throughout the decades, and says
that even though the Dubs arent
necessarily stacked with legendary
talent from top to bottom, they still
rank among the greatest and most
enjoyable teams to watch.
So, is Oscar Robertson correct in
his widely derided assessment that
Curry is something of a product of
todays game and its (supposedly
lacking) defensive schemes?
I agree with him, says Goldstein.
The way defense is played now,
players who are positioned at the
three-point line arent guarded closely. Its always a sagging defense with
somebody running out as soon as a
pass is made. In the old days, that
player would be closely guarded
whether he had the ball or not.
The Big O may have a valid point
about the changing defenses, but
Goldstein concedes: I think that
Steph Curry, even if he were guarded
closely, releases the ball so quickly
and is such a phenomenal shooter
that he would do well under the old
defensive system. Nevertheless, its
true that he gets some wide open
shots that he probably wouldnt have
gotten in the old days.
The Dubs were crowned champs
last season, but they didnt dominate
the 2015 Playoffs the way a 67-win
team might have been expected
to. Aside from a first-round sweep
of the Pelicans, Golden State
was tested in every other round and
faced a scare in the Finals when
LeBron James singlehandedly
won two games despite a skeleton
supporting cast.
This years postseason promises
to be an even bigger challengewith
the Spurs (perpetually under the
radar despite enjoying a historically
great season in their own right), Cavs,
Clippers and Thunder all looking to
knock off the Warriors. But doubt the
reigning champs at your own peril.
Wardell Stephen Curry II is in
the prime of his Hall of Fame career,
universally considered the greatest
shooter of all time. Where does it go
from here?
Just think about how crazy it is
that Curry came back this season
as a considerably better player, and
upped his numbers in just about
every meaningful statistical category.
The 28-year-old and those around
him dont think hes even reached his
ceiling as a basketball player.
I thought he was as good as he
was going to get last year, says
Kerr. He won the MVP, and hes
a lot better this year. I dont think
people would argue with me on that.
So, I dont know. Nothing would
surprise me with Steph.
Maybe he can get better, Kerr
adds. Itd be awesome.
Awesome.
And frightening. S

Gutter Credit TK

SL AMONLINE .COM 43

Gutter Credit TK

44 SL AMONLINE .COM

THEM BOYS,
THEY A
HANDFUL

With All-Stars
DEMAR DEROZAN
and KYLE LOWRY
killing it on the court
and megastar rapper
DRAKE serving
as the official
Global Ambassador
of the franchise,
the Toronto Raptors
have become
one of the hottest
teams in the NBA.
What a time, indeed.

Gutter Credit TK

wo r d s
a da m f i gm a n
p o r t r a i ts
at i ba j ef f er s on

couple managers, a videographer,


a wide-shouldered, expressionless
man who says no words at all, and
Diamondhis adorable 13-weekold Akita puppyhes right to roam
around a little more like a team
employee than simply an excited fan
(which he admittedly is, too). But
the other two guys featured on our
cover who walked in a few minutes
earliertheyre kind of relevant to
the franchises relatively newfound
energy as well.
DEMAR DEROZAN

and Kyle Lowry


took two very different paths to
Toronto. The 6-7 DeRozan was
raised in Compton, CAa city with
a name that at this point speaks
for itselfand after a 2008-09
stint at the University of Southern
California, he was drafted by the
Raptors, whom hes played for ever
sincehis whole life, Lowry says.
DeRozan holds the franchise record
for most wins, and hes played the
second-most minutes and in the
third-most games in Raptors history.
Hell break those marks, along with
a lot of other records, if he re-ups
with the team when hes a free
agent this summer.
Lowry, the Raptors 6-0 starting
point guard, came up in Philadelphia,
played two seasons at Villanova, then
spent a few seasons in Memphis
and a few in Houston before landing
in Toronto in 2012. He developed
a reputation during that journey
as someone who can be a little
too tough, both in the good sense
(he absolutely battled every time
he walked onto the court) and the
not-so-good sense (he fell out with
a few coaches along the way). That
said, Lowry has since developed a
maturity thats helped him alter his
rep and command the respect of his
peers and coaching staff. The heartbeat of this team, is how DeRozan
describes him.

Before they linked up with Drizzy


to shoot the images you see on
these pages, I sat with the duo in
the corner of the Biosteel Centres
main court to discuss where theyre
currently situated, as individuals
and as a unit, and how the hell
they got here. And the fact is: Its a
pretty, pretty good place. Both in the
physical senseI mean, this building
were in is massive and gorgeous,
and Toronto is an undeniably fun
cityand in a basketball sense. As of
this writing, the Raptors are 48-22,
good for second in the Eastern
Conference. They reside behind
only the Cleveland Cavaliers, who,
despite an irrefutable abundance
of talent, have had no shortage of
off-the-court turmoil throughout this
season. Meanwhile, the Raptors
have experienced an almost confusing lack of drama, and over the
course of the past month or so have
positioned themselves to be the
team that skirts by the Cavs if they
do let the noise get to them and slip
up this spring.
If that happens, it will be because
of the leadership and play of two
very real friends. Both two-time
All-Stars, Lowry is averaging 21.9
points, 6.4 assists and an NBAleading 2.2 steals per game as of
this writing, while DeRozans averaging 23.7 ppg and 4.4 rpg.
Its pretty obvious: Those two
guys are our guys, says Luis Scola,
the Raptors oldest player at 35.
Weve gotta do everything to make
them happy, do everything in our
power to help them play better.
Those are the guys who are in the
driver seats, and theyre gonna
drive the cartheyre the ones who
are gonna take us as far as we
can get.

SLAM Can you each tell me about


the others role on this team?
KYLE LOWRY DeMars role is to
be a leader, be a scorer, be a guy
we can count on every single day,
every single game, to get his 20 to
30 to 40 points a night, plus give
us some good rebounding. And
also to go out there and take the
challenge of knowing hes gonna be
double-teamed and knowing hes
going to be in tough situations, but
still be able to come through for us.
At the end of the day, we need him
as a team to be that guy who we
can go to and say, Here, go get us
a bucket.
DEMAR DEROZAN Kyles a
leader, our floor generalthe general
of the team. The heartbeat of this
team. One of the guys that, once he
steps on that frontline, everybody
else falls in line as well and understands that were about to go to
war and were going to go out there
and fight for each other. Once you
have a teammate with that caliber
of attitude and presence, its gonna
make everything else easy.

Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images

Yo, Ollie! Drake yells toward his


manager and good friend Oliver
El-Khatib, his trademark smile
spread across his face. Wheres
my office?
Were in Toronto at the brandnew BioSteel Centre, a gorgeous,
68,000-square-foot training center
situated 10 minutes from the citys
downtown area, where the team began practicing in mid-February, less
than a month before we gather here

for a SLAM photo shoot. Its home to


two shiny basketball courts, a workout area with fresh-out-the-box equipment, a barbers chair, a film room,
a mini-cafeteria and a war room
with a wall of stat- and analytics-filled
monitors that looks even a little too
intense for actual war.
Drakes kidding (I think), but if
the Raps were to give The Boy his
own personal nook in the facility, it
wouldnt be without good reason.
In a weird but undeniable way, the
29-year-old rapper is responsible
for pushing a momentum into the
franchise thats resulted in all
sorts of positive movement for the
organization, perhaps the building
of this facility included. It started
with him showing up to a bunch of
games, injecting some cool into a
franchise that hasnt exactly dripped
with it since its founding in 1995
(the Vince Carter era excluded).
Then that sideline role became official, with Drake in 2013 assuming
the title of Global Ambassador, an
unpaid position that nonetheless
gives him all sorts of random power.
He has since added an actual
nightclub to the Air Canada Centre,
where the team plays; collaborated
with the team and Mitchell & Ness
to release Raptors gear; and hosted
entire game nights in his own honor
(on Drake Night, fans received a
black-and-gold OVO/Raptors shirt
and could dance in the Hotline
Bling booth). The players even
wear a black-and-gold alternate
jersey, appropriately referred to as
their OVO Alternate uniforms, a
few times per season.
So yeah, when Drake, fitted
in a crisp suit with a sparkling,
diamond-encrusted OVO Sound
pseudo-championship ring on his
left ring finger, takes a break from
the making of his upcoming album,
Views From the 6, and strolls into
the shoot with a few buddies, a

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 47

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

When during this season did


you guys realize, OK, weve got
something herewe could do
something special?
KL I think we felt that a while ago,
man. I think we felt that when we
took Brooklyn to Game 7 [in 2014].
I think that was where me and
[DeMar] felt like we could be special
together and take this city to another
level. Weve got some great pieces
around ussome young talent, like
JV [Jonas Valanciunas], Terrence
[Ross]. Right now, with the pieces
that theyve put inBiz [Bismack
Biyombo], Cory [Joseph]its been a
really good fit for everybody. Its been
one of those things where we felt we
could really be special together.
Kyle, youll have just turned 30
when this story comes out, and
DeMar, youre 26pretty young
to be the teams veteran leaders,
all things considered. Whats that
responsibility like?
DD I think its great when you have
guys that look for you to be that.
I think it makes your job easier. Its
been a process for me, since Ive
been in the League, every single
year, of trying to figure out how
to be a great leader. [When I was
drafted] I was so young and in the
position of having to take on so much
responsibility. Since Kyles been my
teammate, its kinda been easier.
KL It balances.
DD Yeah, it balances it out. You have
somebody you can look to when
you feel like you may be lacking,
leadership-wise, and you look to the
guy next to you. Thats one thing
that helps with my processthe
knowledge of the game of basketball
that he has. When he came to the
team, I learned so much from him,
and it kinda accelerated my process.
Especially being so youngIm seven
years in the League. Weve been
All-Stars together, and now weve
got a younger group of guys that
look up to us. We just try to be the
right example of working hard and
winning.
KL This is my 10th yearIve
been fortunate to have had some
good leaders. It took me a while to
understand it. When youre given
the keys to the team and youve got
somebody like DeMar to help you,
and youve got these young guys
behind you, you dont want to show
a bad example. You want to show
a good example, so they can show
this story one day and say, Man,
I had leaders like Kyle and DeMar.
Early on you had a reputation as
being a little hardheaded.
KL Little bit.
Now it appears youve evolved a
bunch. Has that been a conscious
change on your part?
KL I think its just been life, just
growing up. And you know, being

a father, a husband. Being able to


just grow and see things and go
through life. Youre going to hit trials
and tribulations, and youre going
to have failures and setbacks. But
its how you get back up. Its how
you respond to those things. I think
Ive done a good job of responding
to those things, and during the process, taking tidbits from people, and
seeing how they go about things
when they have a problem. Its just a
learning process. Ten years is a long
time in the NBA. Its still a process,
though. And as a man, youre never
done growing.

DeMar, you think youre still that


same guy you were when you were
drafted?
DD Hell nah.
KL He can shoot now.
DD Its definitely night and day.
Man, I couldnt even put a word
on how different it is. Coming in,
I got drafted at 19 after a year of
college...
KL You said what? College? Dog,
when you say college, just say you
went to school. Cause you didnt
really go to college. [Turns to me]
He went to one class. Once. Ever.
[Laughs]

DD I was 19, coming into the


League, everything was so new to
me. People try to prepare you and
tell you what the League is going to
be like, but its nothing compared to
what it is. Id never been away from
home until I got drafted, and I get
drafted to Canada. It was a whole
new experience.
You make it sound like the country
drafted youwhich I guess was
basically the case.
DD Yeah. I didnt have a passport
until I got drafted.
KL Thats crazy.

I think weve felt like we could do


I
something special for a while.
I think we felt that when we took
Brooklyn to Game 7 in 2014.
I think that was where me and
demar felt like we could be
special together and take this
city to another level. lowry
SL AMONLINE .COM 49

DD I had to learn to grow fast. My first


year I was here by myself, because nobody in my family came up, because
nobody in my family had a passport.
It was a life-changing experience for
me, and not just for basketball. Just
being able to grow and mature faster,
and look at things in a different light
thats how it was coming in.
And looking at me today, being a
father, [someone who] accomplished
so much already in my young career,
from winning a gold medal to being
an All-Star to being the winningest
player in franchise historyso many
things that are still things I cant
believe when I go home at night. It
just shows the growth.
Playing for the Raptors is a little
different because you arent just
representing a cityyoure putting
on for an entire country. Tell me a
little about what thats like.
KL Its different. In the States, you
have your certain city that you play
for. I played for Houston, where
theres two other teams [in the state].
I played in Memphis, where it was
a small market. Here, its really a
country. We try not to think about
it, and its not like were constantly
thinking, Oh, were in another country, but when we go to Vancouver [to
play pre-season games], we sell out,
and people know who we are. We
go to Ottawa, we sell out. We go to
Montreal. We go to Halifax. Thats
from Atlantic time zone to Pacific
time zone that we have to cover, and
theyll watch us and live and die on
our moves, watching every game.
Its crazy. Its an experience that you
have to be a part of. People are like,
Its Toronto, but nahits not just
Toronto. Its Canada.
DeMar, youve been here seven
years.
KL His whole life.
Has the way the team is looked at
changed a lot over time?
KL You see this building were in
right now? [Laughs]
DD Its so much. Just sitting in here,
looking at this placethis place
wasnt even thought of when I got
here. I look downtown, look at the
freewaystheres so many buildings

that werent here my first couple


years.
KL You see that Open Gym
episode? It was on a show we got
up here called Open Gymthey
showed the Air Canada Centre in
the 1990s. It was literally the arena
and then dirt. Nothing around it.
Now its a major city right there.
DD Even in the franchise, internally,
Ive seen it grow so much. Its crazy
to see the market, how much its
grown, how much people want
something to do with the Toronto
Raptors. You see the fan base grow
outside of the country. If we play
anywhere thats close to the
borderif were playing in Detroit,
Portland, New Yorkwe see so
many Raptors fans.
KL If we play anywhere, we get
Canadian Raptors fans. Theres
Canadians everywhere.
DD We cant go nowhere without
people coming to us, like, Im from
Canada! We love you here! Then for
me, seeing how much its changed,
then All-Star being here, the whole
world seeing Toronto in the light
of us pushing it and trying to get
people to understand what its
likeits definitely unbelievable. You
really dont realize the time that goes
by and process thats going by until
youre actually in the moment. Its
one of those things where, when
you look up and we see this big ole
facility here, its definitely crazy.

I saw your coach Dwane Casey


walking around here earlier. He was
carrying himself like a pretty serious guybut those are usually the
funniest people behind the scenes.
KL Man, Im telling you, if you
wanna see some funny stuff, go find
some clips of his interviews. Hes
the most country-est, down south,
old-school...
DD Case, he be hard on us, but he
is one of the greatest dudes you can
know.
KL Ever.
DD Its just great to have a coach
like that, knowing that hes gonna
give you the freedom to be yourself,
as long as you just go out there and
play hard. Its rare to find coaches of
that caliber. And with the success
that hes had with us, I just always

wanna see him succeed. With that,


everything Case getsif its Coach
of the Month, whateverhe thanks
us. And were playing for him.
KL Hes our guy. Everybody tried
to make a big deal out of me and
himwe didnt see eye to eye my
first couple years [in Toronto]. But
honestly, that mans done a lot for
my career.
DD With [Casey and Kyle], their
relationship is like a marriage. You
look at everybodys marriageyoure
gonna fight, youre gonna argue,
but yall gonna enjoy the great
times together. Thats what its all
about. His relationship with Case is
like a marriage. Me and Case, its
like, father-son.
KL Yeah, hes yo daddy. [Everybody
laughs]

To
To see Drake grow and evolve into
the megastar he is, and always
supporting the city, the country,
us, to be our team ambassador
this man got his own team jersey
that we wear. derozan
50 SL AMONLINE .COM

DD I kinda come between them.


KL When [DeMar] comes around,
[Casey and I] gotta figure it out and
make it work. Hes like, Listen yall,
why cant we just figure this out?
Thats himthats his role.
DD And at the end of the day, we
all laugh at it. If its something thats
going on, I just look at Case, like, I
got him [points to Kyle].
KL We dont have too many moments of those anymore. But its
been fun, man. Its crazy how things
work out.
Whos the funniest dude on the
team right now?
KL Gotta be Biz [Biyombo]Biz is
funny. Biz always calls himself the
President of the DRC. And Im like,
Biz, you aint the President, Im the
President! Hes like, Youre too little
to be President of the DRC! And
before all games, me and DeMar,
we try to score on Biz. Well push
him, and if we miss, hell be like,
Yeah! I lock up All-Stars! I lock up
superstars! I lock up people from
Compton! People from Philly! I run
this! Hes just an animated dude.
DD I used to hate Bismack when
he was on Charlotte. But him being
on your team, hes one of the dudes
thats a great teammate, a great friend
to have, and his energy and his presence are always positive. He always
comes in with classic Jordans...
KL ...hes got all of em.

DD He has no idea theyre exclusive. One day he had on some


Jordans, and I was like, Man, youve
got some fire on your feet! He said,
Well, I dont even know what these
are. Im gonna wear them in a game,
then, since they fire. He just dont
know.
Say you guys are down, like, 6
points, two minutes of the game
left. Whos job is it to yell at everybody to get it together?
KL Oh, me and DeMar. Me and
him. And aint no yelling. We dont
even yell.
DD Its just a look.
KL No words are said. No words.
Its not really a secret that the Cavs
appear to be in a weird placethey
fired their coach mid-season,
theres tons of speculation about
what LeBron is up to on social
media, there have been reports
that players are unhappy, etc. Do
you feel like theres suddenly this
opening in the East that you guys
could be in prime position to take
advantage of?
DD I think we just worry about ourselves, honestly. We never got caught
up with what somebody else is doing,
or how theyre doing it, or their approach. Weve just always been us.
We always play with that chip on our
shoulder, and we always like being
under the radar, so to speak.

KL It might sound clich, but its really how we operate. We really dont
worry about nobody but ourselves,
man. Thats how we work.
But you guys have to have seen all
the headlines that have come out
recently.
KL Everybody does. Yeah. We all
read Hoopshype, we all read...
Uhh...
KL I was about to say SLAM Magazine! We read SLAMonlineI go on
SLAMonlines Instagram, I follow
@SLAMonline.
DD They be throwing the pictures
up of everybody, birthday shout
outs, all that.
KL You see that Ron Artest picture
today? [Laughs]
DD But I think, to give an example
of our team, its like when you go to
the club and everybody in the club
is up, jumping around, turning up on
the coucheswere the guys who
are just sitting in the corner, quiet...
KL Having fun.
DD Yeah, having fun. We let everybody else get the spotlight and all
that. Were gonna do what we gotta
do over here and be mellow with it.
Drake is on his way here right now.
How cool is it to have someone like
that in your corner?
KL For us, its gotten to the point
where hes our friend, and for a guy to

be a megastar, to be a guy that we can


call our friend, and to be at our games,
to be as supportive of us as he is, you
cant put that in words. He truly loves
what we do, loves the city, loves the
organizationhes a part of us for a
reason. We just appreciate the respect
that hes given us. Me, him and DeMar
I can call him a friend and Im sure
DeMar, you can call him a friend, too.
DD I mean for me, my first year here,
thats when Drake first started coming out. To see him grow and evolve
into the megastar he is, and always
supporting the city, the country, us,
to be our team ambassadorthis
man got his own team jersey that
we wear. To have that, its definitely
incredible. Hes really our man. He
texts me and Kyle in our group chat
after games and all that. Hes really
supportive of what were doing, and
vice versa. Now, to be here, to be
on the cover with himSLAMs been
a part of my life since I was a kid. I
used to cry to want to get a SLAM
Magazine with Penny on it.
KL And take the magazine and put
the cutouts on the wall.
DD Man, I had a whole room full of...
everybody.
KL I had the Jordan onethe 45
[SLAM 6, July 95.Ed.]. I had that
poster up.
DD To have that, and just to think of
then to now, to being on the cover.
Man, Im going to 7-Eleven every day
when this comes out.

Who else is in this group chat with


Drake?
KL Just us three.
DD A lot of times, its not even
about basketball.
Do you guys get early music
previews?
KL [Whispers] Little bit.
DD Yeah, a little bit.
You guys just both got quiet at the
same time.
KL [Laughs] No bullcrap though,
its really a friendship. That makes it
a lot better. Its not like were calling
him to be like, Yo, we need this...
Nah, we can just call him and be
like, What you doing, dog? Have a
conversation. Lets go get dinner.
But can he hoop?
DD Yeah. The crazy part is, in L.A.,
he lives down the street from me,
and I go to his house in the summer
and we hoop in the backyard or just
chill, and just to have thatlike, Yo,
you at the house? Im in L.A. and
hes like, Yeah, come by the house.
That is definitely cool. His passion
for basketball is really there. He
always be playing all summer in the
backyard, hooping with his boys and
everything. Ill go there and shoot
around with them and all that, but Im
not really the concrete-playing type.
KL Aint enough money for him
out there. S

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 51

DEMAR DEROZAN & KYLE LOWRY


Toronto Raptors

Atiba Jefferson

B. Sevald/Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images

ISAIAH THOMAS
Boston Celtics

As a young player in
Germany, DENNIS
SCHRDER was
oft-criticized for his
flamboyant play.
Now the 22-year-old
sparkplug is a big
reason why the Hawks
are under-the-radar
title contenders.
by ab e sc h wadr o n

SL AMONLINE .COM 53

team-highs in just 20 minutes of


action. His irritating defense helps
hold All-Star PG John Wall to just 2
second-half points. Late in the fourth
quarter, an overserved Wizards fan
in the lower bowl attempts to get his
attention, bellowing, 17, you suck!
Schrders back is turned to the
fan, but its hard to imagine him
not smiling if he heard it, since hes
familiar with the experience of killing
the competition before they can
even put a face to his name on the
roster.
Him being black in Germany and
being a point guard, people look
at him different, explains Okulaja.
Schrder is a very typical German
name. If you hear his name and you
dont know anything about basketball and then all of a sudden Dennis
walks through the door, people are
like, Hold up. I thought Schrder
theyre expecting a little white boy,
just from the name.
Schrder laughs about it now,
remembering the confusion on
opponents faces as he carved up
defenses as a kid. But he admits
that navigating the hoops culture
back home was no joke.
I didnt have it easy. All the
German people, like, white people,
they didnt say my name. They just
came every time with, like, Hes
black, says Schrder. It was terrible for me, but I knew, like OK, I
just got to work.
The son of a Gambian mother
and German father, Schrders first
passion was skateboarding, not basketball. The middle child of five, he
didnt play organized hoops until the
head coach of the local club teams
youth program, Liviu Calin, recruited
him straight off the skatepark as
an adolescent. Schrder was fast,
he was fearless and he took to the
game with ease. But he says he
didnt really take basketball seriously
until his father died suddenly of a
heart attack.
When my dad passed when I
was 16, it became my goal to go to
the NBA, Schrder says. Before
that, I never could have imagined
that Id play in the NBA. But after 16
I knew, that was my goal. I need to
make it, I promised him that.
With a more disciplined approach, Schrder improved rapidly.
Hed train all day, then stay up until
2 or 3 a.m. to watch live NBA
games, paying special attention to
his favorite players, Rajon Rondo
and Chris Paul. By age 17, he was
playing for both Braunschweigs
youth team and its pro team, simultaneously. He was a burgeoning
star, but it was chaotic. Often, hed
miss practice with one team when
he thought he was supposed to
be running with the other and get
unfairly blamed for the organizations
shortcomings in communication.
Still, in a pro system where young
players rarely get much playing time,

Schrder showed scouts enough


to get invited to the Nike Hoop
Summit in 2013. He knew playing
in the Hoop Summit was his only
shot at getting the NBA to notice
him for real, even if disappearing
mid-season meant pissing off his
club team.
The risk paid off. Dennis showed
out, and two months later the Hawks
made him the 17th pick in the 2013
NBA Draft. (For Dennis, everything
went from 0 to 100 after the Hoop
Summit, says Okulaja.)
Schrder showed up in Atlanta
a fish out of water. To ease the
transition, his sister and niece, and
later his older brother, came over
from Germany to live with him. After
practice, his sister would cook for
him, or theyd go to the Cheesecake Factory or Benihana or
Potbelly. Hawks fans were intrigued
by the foreign import with the
blonde patch in his hair (a fashion
compromise between Dennis and
his mother) whod shown flashes
in Summer League, but he barely
played during his rookie season,
and even spent a couple weeks in
the D-League.
Rather than sulk, Schrder put
in more work. When the team plane
landed on the road, hed ask an
assistant coach to come with him
to the gym, to work out before hed
even dropped off his bags at the
hotel. After home games, hed
make one of his boys (members
of #SchrodersSwagTeam, aka
#FlexGanG hashtag he started on
Instagram to see all the pics from
their trips to Berlin or wherever)
rebound for him late into the night,
often with an early morning practice
only hours away. Those close to
Schrder characterize his work ethic
as relentless. Almost ruthless.
Schrder is so obsessed with
honing his craft in fact that even
when hes lobbed a lighthearted
question about his musical taste,
he begins and ends his answer
with, I just try to focus on basketball. (For the record, he listens
to a lot of Migos and, on off days,
he will occasionally kick it with
young artists from ATL who have
become friends, like Solo Lucci
and K Camp.)
In his sophomore season,
Schrder worked his way into
a role as a key reserve, pushing
starting point guard Jeff Teague for
minutes as the Hawks reached the
conference finals, and in 2015-16
hes become as scary a weapon
as there is coming off the bench in
the East, averaging career-highs
in points (11.1), assists (4.5) and
minutes (20.5) per game. And his
growth in the NBA coincides with
an international career thats even
more impressive. Schrder made his
German senior national team debut
in 2014, and last summer he led the
team in scoring at Eurobasket with

Previous spread, from left: Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images; Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
This page: Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

Ademola Okulaja was born in


Nigeria, but moved to Germany with
his family as a toddler. He earned a
basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he
started alongside Antawn Jamison
and Vince Carter on Tar Heel teams
led by legendary coach Dean
Smith. Nicknamed The Warrior at
Carolina, Okulaja played 13 years

for the German national team and


is a cancer survivor. These days, he
works as a sports agent in Berlin.
A few years ago at a tournament
in Hagen, Germany, Okulaja was
finally introduced to a young player
hed be keeping an eye on for a
while: a 17-year-old named Dennis
Schrder.
Dennis does not play like a
typical German, and thats what
stood out. He was a 1-on-1 guy
who could beat his man, recalls
Okulaja. Give him the ball, space
out and let him beat his man, either
to finish or for the assist. Hes an
incredible passer who sees the
complete court. But he was criticized for passing too much. People
said he was too flamboyant, that
hes trying to do Magic Johnson
passes between the legs to 10
people. But it was just his style.
He had a swag to him, but most
people looked at that as a negative. I
saw that as a positive. In basketball,
you have to have self-confidence,
but most guys saw it as arrogance. I
liked it. I liked his swagger.
The pair stayed in regular
contact, and Okulaja made several
trips to Schrders hometown of
Braunschweig before eventually
signing him as a client.
Fast forward to the present and
Schrder, now 22, is sitting in the
visitors locker room at the Verizon
Center in DC. Hes getting set
for a late-March matchup with the
Wizards, with the pair of all-gold Air
Max 1s he wore to the arena tucked
underneath his chair and teammate
Tim Hardaway Jr blasting something
vicious through his headphones at
the locker to his right. Later tonight,
Schrder will come off the bench
to lead the Hawks to a 122-101
blowout win over Washington,
his 23 points and 8 assists both

(713) 524-3036

BIGFOOTHOOPS.COM

56 SL AMONLINE .COM

He just opens up the floor so


much for all of us, adds Hawks AllStar center Al Horford. His speed,
when he attacks the basket, hes
either going to get a layup or one
of us is going to get an open look.
Theres not a lot of guys that can
blow by you like that.

For the Hawks to take serious


aim at dethroning the Cavaliers in
the Playoffs, theyll need Schrder
to have more nights like this one
in DCthe kind his fans champion
as evidence that he deserves
more minutes.
Schrder already has a strong

Schrder is so
obsessed with honing
his craft that even
when hes lobbed a
lighthearted question
about his musical
taste, he begins and
ends his answer
with, I just try to
focus on basketball.

following in the US because hes


tough (when he got a tooth knocked
out during a game this season, he
put it in his sock and kept playing),
and because hes cool (he dyed
his jersey number into the back
of his hair), and because he can
flat-out play. Being different, as
Horford describes him, is what sets
him apart.
In Germany, basketball is far from
the national sport, lagging behind
soccer and more traditional Olympic sports. Even when it comes to
hoops, hes hardly Dirk-level yet,
but his star is rising. He landed
a spread in GQ and the cover of
NBA 2K16 in Germany, and Tadda
says he had to pick Schrder in the
first round of the fantasy basketball
league he plays in with his German
league teammates, just to make
sure to get him.
They said he would never be a
good point guard, he would never
be able to play for the national
team, he would never lead a team
those were all comments that he
had to face early in his career, says
Okulaja. I think he is very happy
now that all those people who criticized him and said he would never
amount to anything, all of those
guys are very quiet now. S

Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

21 ppg (Dirk Nowitzki was second,


at 13.8 ppg). He is, without question, the future of German basketball. Just ask the dude who had to
check him in practice every day.
Hes got so many ways now
to score the ball. You never know
whats coming next, says Karsten
Tadda, a backup PG on the
national team who first met a teenaged Schrder after shredding his
German pro league squad. Normally
the goal is only to stay in front of
him. You dont have any chance of
stealing the ball with his long arms
protecting the ball.
When hes going to the basket,
it doesnt matter whos trying to
block him at the rim. Nobodys
got a chance to block him, Tadda
continues. I havent seen anyone
block his shot on the national team
or in our games. When hes going
to the basket, Im like, Damn, it looks
so easy.
In Atlanta, Hawks coach Mike
Budenholzer has noticed the same
thing. Dennis, I think at times hes
just determined to get to the paint,
get to the rim, says Bud.
Yeah, like the time last season
against the Spurs when he got a
step on Kawhi Leonard and pounded
home a dunk over Tim Duncan.

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MAN
IN
CHARGE
No longer new to
the seat of Commissioner,
ADAM SILVER
took time out of his busy
schedule to chat with
one of his favorite magazines
about the League
we know and love.
by adam fig man

58 SLAMONLINE .COM

SL AMONLINE .COM 59

2014. We hadnt attempted a sitdown with Silver since hed taken the
job, because, well, we figured hes a
pretty busy dude.
Where have you been? he
immediately asked me. Ive been
Commish for over two years now.
Oops.
SLAM Are you a SLAM subscriber?
SS Absolutely, I subscribe to SLAM
and I do read SLAM. You guys talk to
a core part of our audience and you
guys spot trends often before we do.
Im fascinated with who you choose
to put on the cover. It doesnt necessarily coincide to the teams that get
the most exposure on national TV.
I have one question for SLAM:
How does the magazine travel across
the country without those subscriber
cards falling out?
Its some sort of physics magic
that I will never understand either.
My apartment is littered with those
cards. As soon as I touch the magazine they fall out, yet its come across
the country without being encapsulated in plastictheres a physics issue
there. Static electricity or something.

The NBA Commissioners corner


office sits 15 floors above midtown
Manhattan with sprawling views of
Central Park and an attached conference room. The last time SLAM was
welcomed to this domain was 2004,
when two editors sat with then-Commish David Stern and ran through all
sorts of League issues. Twelve years
later, I took a seat in the aforementioned conference room next to Adam
Silver, who replaced Stern in early

60 SL AMONLINE .CO
OM
M

At the time of our interview with


David Stern in 2004, the NBA
was running ads featuring Elvis
and Frank Sinatra and the Rolling
Stones, and the writers we sent
were jokingly needling David,
saying players dont really listen
to that kind of music. David responded by saying, Well, we have
that lane and we have SLAMits
good to have that balance. Now
it all overlaps: The SLAM culture
and the NBA culture are essentially the same thing, and theres
much less division within pop culture in general. Are you conscious
of that? And how does that affect
the way the NBA operates?

Yes, it does influence me. In the same


way that I read SLAM, it doesnt mean
Im not still reading Sports Illustrated
or ESPN: The Magazine. But I also
think its just as important for me to
read the Style Section as it is the
Science Section. I feel that one of the
great things about the NBA is that we
are both influenced by culture and
we influence culture. To your point,
the last thing I wanna do is stay in
my lane. I think it was in GQ recently,
there was a spread on player wardrobes from All-Star and the players
are there, but also many of the celebrities/entertainers who were in town
as well. Theres always been, at least
in my tenure at the NBA, that marriage
with entertainers and athletes. Its a
little bit clich to say, but you always
get the sense the athletes wanna be
the entertainers and vice versa.
Even from when [SLAM] did that
last interview with David, I was running NBA Entertainment. So I was at
the center of the production of many
of those spots. I think youre rightits
interesting that there was, back then,
more of a so-called mainstream audience. I think primetime had a meaning
that it no longer has. You know,
whats primetime on Netflix? Whats
primetime for House of Cards?
The same way, back then I think the
Billboard chart was more meaningful
in terms of what so-called mainstream
music is. And now audiences are
much more dispersed. You cant just,
even as a marketer, you cant reliably
buy primetime now and reach your
audience in the same way that the
front page of the New York Times and
the Wall Street Journal doesnt reach
America in the way it once did. And
so I think for us it means that we have
to have more balls in the air.
How would you describe your job?
I begin by saying Im incredibly fortunate. I believe that I have one of the
best jobs in the world as Commis-

sioner. I have an incredibly diverse


day. It ranges from, of course, dealing with our teams, maybe having a
conversation with one of the owners,
talking to a team president about
a marketing campaign, talking to a
GM about what he thinks we should
be doing about Hack-a-Shaq. And of
course, managing the roughly 1,000
people who work in the League
office. I spend probably too much of
my time in meetings every day but
its a necessary part of running the
business.
I travel extensively. Its harder than
I thought it would be when I took this
job to get to 30 NBA teams every
season, plus we have 10 international
offices that I try to get to every year
but they are as far away as Shanghai,
Mumbai and Johannesburg. I spend a
fair amount of time talking directly to
business partners of the League. That
means regular conversations with
David Levy, who runs Turner Sports,
and John Skipper, who runs ESPN,
and many of their colleagues. On
top of that, Im very involved with the
WNBA and the Development League.

Thats a lot.
What makes my job so interesting is
that its chock-full and its constantly
changing. I should add to that mix Ive
been, especially in the last few years,
building relationships with players
as well. We encourage players when
theyre coming through New York to
stop by the League office. Not only to
say hello to me, but get a sense of our
business. Part of my time therefore is
spent dealing directly with the Players Association.
Do you expect Nike to do anything
different than what adidas is currently doing when they become the
official provider of NBA jerseys?
I do. Ill say weve had a wonderful relationship with adidas, but adidas was
not endemic to basketball. They are at
root a soccer company. I think on the
other hand, with Nike, as I heard Mark
Parker, the CEO, say, basketball is the
soul of Nike. Even in the case of Mark
Parker, he grew up in the organization
as a shoe designer.
I was out in Beaverton recently and
they have in essence an R&D center,
where they have prototypes, where
they have their equivalent of mad
scientists who are noodling different
approaches to uniforms: new fabrics,
new styles, new fits. I have no doubt
wearables will come into the equation. I think they are committed to
sports science. They also recognize
that we shouldnt just think of the
uniform as a fashion itemthat the
uniform ultimately directly correlates
to performance, including injury prevention. And Nike, again, its a season
and a half before they will begin being
our official on-court supplier. Im
really excited to see what comes. But
I have no doubt that theyre gonna
once again change the game. Thats

Previous: Courtesy of NBA; This spread, from left: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images; Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

who they are. As I said, thank you


to adidas, theyve been wonderful
partners. But I think Nike is ready to
take it to another level.
At the moment there are no adidas
logos on NBA jerseys. After the
new deal starts, are we going to
see a Nike logo on the jerseys?
And does that open the door for
other advertisements on them?
Number one, yes. As part of our new
deal with Nike, the Swoosh will be on
the jersey.
I know some people were wondering if the Jordan Brand logo would
be on some of them, too.
That is not clear yet. There will
definitely be a Swoosh and there
is an ongoing discussion with
Nike about Jordan Brand being
represented on the team owned
by Jordan Brand [laughs].
In terms of other advertising on

My
My job is chock-full
and its constantly
changing. In the last
few years, Ive been
building relationships

with players. We
encourage them to stop

by the League office


when theyre in New
York. Not only to say
hello to me, but get a
sense of our business.

jerseys, thats an ongoing discussion


with our Board of Governors. We
experimented this year at the All-Star
Game in Torontoyou may have
seen there was a Kia patch on the
uniform. Thats something that were
considering doing.
Youve made it clear youd like to
raise the NBAs age minimum. Do
you see changes to that happening
in the near future?
The minimum age is now 19, and
yes Ive said historically that my preference would be that it would be
20 instead of 19its a subject that
needs to be collectively bargained
with the players. Its nothing that
the League can do unilaterally. Its
something that, with the Players
Association, weve agreed that given
that its a subject of collective bargaining, its something that we will
not talk about publicly. But certainly
my preference has not changed. S

S
SLL A
AM
M O N L I N E ..C
C O M 61

62 SLAMONLINE .COM

STATE
OF
THEE
UNION
NION

MICHELE ROBERTS
has been presiding over
the NBA Players Association
for almost two years.
Now that shes fully settled
into the role, we caught
up with her to break down
some of the biggest
issues surrounding the
players and the League.
by kh alid sala am

Roberts built with Luol


Deng and Chris Paul last
summer at a Basketball
Without Borders event in
South Africa.

SLAM As you became head of


the union, Im certain you prepared
for as many things as possible. Did
anything catch you by surprise?
MR I did not realize how active this
world was in the offseason. Not just
this job but the players, toothey
take time off, but their conditioning
process is year-round. Then theres
Summer League, the Draft, international play and this year the Olympics.
Its a non-stop business.
The story of the season is the
Golden State Warriors. What does
a team like this do for the game?
Theres always been magical teams or
magical players. Like everyone else,
Ive enjoyed watching Golden State
and Steph play. Weve had heroes
before the Warriors, but Stephs
particular magic is intriguing to me
because he came from a small school.
Granted, he has the pedigree from his
dad. For kids Ive watched, they view
him as someone whos not a giant and
they say, Maybe I can do that if I keep
practicing, so its fun having this kind
of hero. Its great for the game.
Weve lost several former players
to heart conditions. How is the PA
addressing this?
Soon after I got here, it was clear to
me that one of the holes that needed
to be filled was having someone who

64 SL AMONLINE .COM

had the skill set to talk about the


physical challenges our players have
to contend with. It wasnt meIm
a lawyerand it wasnt anyone else
here. It was strange to me that the PA
didnt have anyone familiar with sports
medicine or the training our players
undergo. When I interviewed for the
position, the person who ultimately got
the job, Joe Rogowski, shared with me
his concerns for cardiac issues. That
got my attention, and that continued
when he talked about programs he
wanted to bring to the PA. He was in
the process of preparing something
and then the unthinkable happened:
we lost Darryl Dawkins and Moses
Malone. So earlier this year we started
conducting exams in Houston and we
had a lot of retired players come out.
They were tested, and we replicated
it in Atlanta. We did it with the League
and the Retired Players Association.
It needed to happen. Unfortunately,
we had to lose people to underscore
the significance of getting it done,
but were doing it now and I think its
going to bear some fruit.
Media locker room etiquette, or the
lack thereof, is an issue that has
come up during your term.
When I first started going to locker
rooms, I viewed it as sacrosanct. Its
their personal workspace and I was

always respectful if they just got out


of the shower or were in some state
of dress. I understand the media has
an interest in securing information
for their readers and locker rooms
are a place journalists have fought
especially female journaliststo have
access to. What disturbed me was
seeing people doing less reporting
and more gawking. Im interested
in figuring out if having locker room
access is the best way for you to get
your job done. Im more interested in
watching a press conference after a
game, and if I were a writer, thats how
Id like my questions asked.
Agreed that its an awkward space,
but locker rooms are where you get
more intimate conversations, with
stars as well as the 10th guy.
I totally understand writers wanting
to get their stories out and I want my
players getting their stories out, so it
seems to me that this is a partnership
that should work. We just dont want
players feeling put upon.
Do you give any credence to
[Phoenix Suns owner] Robert
Sarvers comments on millennial
culture and social media?
Im sure its all generational. When I
talk about social media and showing
caution with my nieces and nephews,

We have a long way to


go and thats the way
it iswe are turning
in a way thats healthy
for our country and
healthy for our game.

they look at me as if I have horns. Im


fearful of young people who dont
appreciate the lasting power of social
media. Im also jealous of the power
that it brings. If you really think through
what you can accomplish contacting
that many people, it is really quite
impressive. Sarver may have the same
concerns that I have. That said, I worry
about not only millennials but all of
us. I re-read everything before I send
an email, nevermind a tweet. Taking
something down, as we know, is not
the end of it. We talk to players about
social media and ask them, Is this
something youd want your mother,
your team or your wife to see? And if
yes, then feel free to do it.
Do you agree that Blake Griffins
assault situation not becoming
a narrative on NBA culture is a
step in the right direction for race
relations?
As a country we are growing and
thats the good news. We have a long
way to go and thats the way it is, but
with the Blake situation, I remember
a time when if an NBA player got
into a fight, it was connected to every
negative connotation you can think.
This ended up being a story about a
guy who got into a fight and it lasted
about a week. Im not going to say
we have turned the corner, but we
are turning in a way thats healthy for
our country and thats healthy for our
game. Im inspired by that. Im glad it
was just a guy in a fight instead of a
black guy who got into a fight.
Are you a fan of the magazine?
The first time I saw SLAM I was at a
barber shop and I started thumbing
through it. I really like SLAMyou
guys are cool. I dont have a subscription, but you guys send me stuff.
There are about four or five places I
go when I want to get my basketball
news, and SLAM is one of them. I like
the feature-type pieces, too. S

Previous spread: Jennifer S. Altman/For The Washington Post via Getty Images;
This page: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

In her two seasons as the Executive


Director of the NBAs Players Association, Michele Roberts has earned a
rep for sharp words and direct engagement. With the NBA experiencing
boom times while labor negotiations
lurk around the corner, shes become
one of the most important people in
sports, and her leadership is likely to
play a role in the games continued
success. We sat down with the esteemed trial lawyer from The Bronx to
discuss the Warriors, millennials and
more in an enlightening conversation.

COMING SOON!

Gutter Credit TK

e
g
r
o
f
n
U

As a member of the
legendary 1960s
Boston Celtics,
New York City-bred
SATCH SANDERS
made history both
on and off the
basketball court.
BY GEO R GE HASSET
HASS ET T

e
l
b
te ta
SL AMONLINE .COM 67

In

1963, two Boston dynasties met


up in Washington, DC, when
President John F. Kennedy hosted
the NBA Champion Celtics at the
White House. With names such as
Russell, Cousy and Auerbach in the
room, it was an underrated forward
who stole the moment.
Satch Sandersborn Thomas but
known by his nicknamewasnt the
most publicized of the 1960s Celtics,
but he was an indispensable part of
their dominance. Sanders exploded
onto the NBA scene as a rookie in
Game 4 of the 1961 Finals when
he scored a season-high 22 points
and provided pivotal defense and rebounding to beat Bostons archrival,
St. Louis Hawks.
Between 1960 and 1973, Sanders
played 916 games and averaged 9.6
points and 6.3 rebounds. He was the
Leagues Iron Man, playing in a thenrecord 450 straight games. Before
there was an All-Defensive team,
Sanders was a stopper who defended
future HOFers Dolph Schayes, Bob
Pettit, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor
and Chet Walker. His eight NBA
Championships as a player are tied for
third most all-time.
In todays game, Sanders would
be comparable to Andre Iguodala
that is, if Iguodala regularly defended
7-foot centers. Tall Tales by Terry
Pluto is an authoritative oral history
of the Russell-Wilt yearsjust a quick
scan of the books passages on the

68 SLAMONLINE .COM

Celtics dynasty make it clear that,


among his peers, Sanders was
considered the premier defensive
forward in the league: a wiry 6-6,
210-pound defensive menace.
To forwards, Satch was a
nightmare. He covered you like a
blanket. I never faced a forward who
played the defense Satch did, said
Jack Twyman.
The premier scorer at the time,
Elgin Baylor, told Pluto, When I
think of the Boston defense, I think
of Satch Sanders. He was about my
size (6-6). He was aggressive but not
dirty, and he lived to play defense. He
was totally unselfish and the toughest
player I ever went against.
Also in Tall Tales, Sanders
described his breakthrough this
way: When I came to the Celtics
[Jim] Loscutoff was coming off a
back injury and there was a chance
for me to play immediately if I could
show I played very stern defense. I
was there to guard people, to pass
to my teammates and do only a
minimum of shooting. If I stepped
out of that role, Id hear abuse from
Red the likes of which I never heard
before.At times, sacrificing my
offense was frustrating. But I also
knew that my teammates appreciated me, and I took tremendous
satisfaction in the winning.
Sanders was rarely the leading
scorer but he was always the
consummate teammatethe
consummate Celtic. That day in
the White House, though, Satch
wouldnt be stopped from making
an individual movea smooth exit
from the leader of the free world.
We spent over 35 minutes with
the President. Usually you might just
get a handshake and a picture and
youre gone. But because he was a
Massachusetts guy and a Celtics
fan, we had a lot of laughshe had a
great sense of humor, said Sanders.
Kennedy was a fan and a nice man

so when it came time to say goodbye


it was nothing to say, Hey, take it
easy, baby.
Satch wasnt just on the front line
of the Celticshe was on the front
lines of change taking place in the
US. In 1961, Sanders and his black
teammates, including Bill Russell,
boycotted an exhibition game in
Lexington, KY, after he and Sam
Jones were denied service in a coffee shop. On December 26, 1964,
Sanders was among the first allblack lineup to start an NBA game.
After he retired, Sanders continued
to contribute to the game. In 1973 he
became the first African-American
head coach in any Ivy League sport
when he took over Harvard basketball.
In 1987when John Lucas rehab
center could field as good a starting
five as some NBA teamsSanders
inaugurated the player programs
department and developed the rookie
transition program, the first of its kind
that was later adopted by each of the
other major sports leagues. In 2011,
the Hall of Fame inducted Sanders as
a contributor, recognizing his overall
impact on the game.
In addition to his many accomplishments, Sanders is known around
Boston for being an engaging, perceptive conversationalisthis book
of short stories, Satchs Commuter
Moments, reveals Sanders wry perceptions of the human condition.
Given what an amazing career this
great man has had, we were thrilled
to sit with the 77-year-old in downtown Boston recently and discuss it.

SLAM You were the top defensive


forward in the League. Who was
your toughest match-up?
SS Elgin Baylor was the best in the
world. There were times I could hold
him scoreless for two minutes or two
plays. But if he was going to play 40
minutes I can enjoy those two minutes but rest assured I was getting

my ass kicked the rest of the time. He


was the best I ever played against.
I think he was the best all-around
player I ever sawbar none.
In your Hall of Fame speech, you
mentioned your early mentors
were on the Harlem Rens teams of
the 1930s. How did you meet those
guys, like William "Pop" Gates?
Many of the former Renaissance players lived in Harlem. Pop Gates was
one but there were five or six guys
Charlie Isles, numerous others. When
they saw kids out there playing, they
would call you over and if you were
open to criticism they would help you
and if you were not, they would tell
you what to do with yourself. We all
knew who the older guys were and it
was great to be out there with them.
Some were still playing with us at 40
or 50. They taught me a lot. I learned
from guys who could really play.
A lot of people were concerned
about young people and how they
carried themselves. If they saw you
treat people with disrespect in the
street, a lady might strike you and
then tell your parents why she struck
you. Then perhaps there would
be another whipping. You were
respectful to adults because they
were all looking out for you.
You played in some Rucker tournaments in the '50s. Your battles
against Cal Ramsey are legendary.
Did you know Holcombe Rucker?
Yes, Holcombe was a nice man. He
was a park director and his interest
was trying to get guys to use basketball to get college educations. Most
of the guys did go down south to the
black colleges since they could not
go to the majority of colleges. By
1952-53, there were only four or five
black guys in the NBA by thenincluding Nat Clifton, Chuck Cooper,
Earl Lloyd. At the Rucker, you had
guys from the Globetrotters and
the Eastern Leagueall the places
where black guys could play. Guys
with local reputationsguys who
shouldve been in the NBA.
I played at Rucker through the
1960s when I was a professional.
To the best of our knowledge, this is
where people came to play. Even
Oscar Robertson when he visited
New York wanted to play at the
Rucker. Philadelphia guys would
come up. Brooklyn was a rivalry and
definitely New Jersey.
There were lots of legendsguys
touching the top of the backboard.
If the basket is 10 feet, top of the
backboard youre talking about
14 feet, so you tell me, how could
anyone get up there? The only guy
I saw who might be able to reach
those tremendous heights was Wilt
Chamberlain, who I played with
and against at the Ruckermostly
against. As a 7-3 high-jumper, if
anyone could get to the top of the
backboard, it would have been Wilt.

came to play in New York, Boston had


always represented themselves well.
So when I came to Boston to play for
the Celtics I thought, Hey, why cant
we start a league? There was a circle
of strong players in Boston.
The Celtics of the 1960s are
remembered as possibly the
greatest team in sports history.
But you faced obstacles such as
discrimination, jeers and racist attacks on the road and in Boston.
There are always opportunities to
check out American racismwhen
youre traveling, looking for transportation, food or hotel lodging. It was
all part of being black in Americafar
more than one incident. Situations
in Lexington, Indiana, L.A.this is
America. In Kentucky the black players refused to play in the exhibition
game for the service situation. That
was the times. Martin Luther King Jr
and other outstanding people were
making changes about how America
looked at the relationship between
black and white. But if you were
trying to go places, rest assured you
would run into racism and bigotry.

Previous spread, from left: Vernon Biever/NBAE via Getty Images, Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images
This spread, from left: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images, Ron Koch/NBAE via Getty Images

In December 1964, the Celtics


made NBA history when they put
an all-black starting five on the
floor. Was it commented upon?
The first substitute for Tommy
Heinsohn was Willie Naullsit was automatic. When Bob Cousy came out,
KC Jones went in; when Bill Sharman
came out, Sam Jones went in. These
were the natural order of things for
our team. So when Heinsohn got hurt,
Naulls came in. [Cousy and Sharman
had retired the year before.Ed.]
Nothing unusual about thatit just
turned out everybody on the starting
five was black. History is interesting, a
lot of things grow, a lot of yeast comes
out of things that happen just naturally.

It didnt feel unusual


first
u when we put out theu
all-black starting five -it just turned out
that way. History is interesting,
u a lot of things
grow out of things that happen naturally.
C

You even defended Wilt in the NBA.


I played against Wilt when Russell
was hurt for three games. My performance was forgettable and he was
not tested: he scored 48, 50 and
50-something points. I scored well,
tooI scored close to 30 a game by
bringing him outside.
Did you employ any of Bill Russells
secrets in defending Wilt?
There werent any secrets, just a lot

of different approaches and hard


work. Front him or force him outside.
Youve had a great impact on
playground basketball in Boston,
too. As a co-founder of the Boston
Neighborhood Basketball League,
you helped develop generations of
Bostons inner-city talent, including Shabazz Napier, who is in the
NBA now. One of your co-founders
was Ken Hudson, the first African-

American full time NBA referee.


Well, I wont talk about his refereeing skills.
He was short.
Yes, but I would question his vision,
his decision, his judgment as a referee. He was a real good guy though,
a great guy, and we got together and
were talking about how Boston had
some good basketball competition,
some good kids. When Boston teams

Did you know you were making


history?
Now think about what you just said:
Did you know you were making
history? We knew we had a game to
winHeinsohn was a high scorer but
Naulls was, too. We knew we didnt
lose any offensive power, thats what
we knew. History? Things become
landmarks based on people looking
back and saying that was history.
They grow as time passes.
In 1964, Ali won the championshipguys were stepping up, doing
things, saying things, trying to get
stuff to change. No one was trying to
make a historical moment, just even
the playing field. Thats what it was
all about. Were slaves making history when they were hung or killed?
When slaves stood up and said, No,
you cant do this, you cant take my
wife and kids, was that historical?
Of course, but if the bright lights and
publicity werent there it was just
another important moment. Who
really writes history? S

SLAMONLINE .COM 69

2016 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group. The NBA and
individual NBA member team identifications are the intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams.
2016 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. 2016 NBAE Photo by Issac Baldizon. NBAE/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

ON COURT

Clockwise from bottom right:


AND1 Fantom 2, Fall 2016, $75
Under Armour Curry Two Electric Blue, Out now, $130
Jordan XXX, Out now, $200
Nike KD8 Ocean Fog, Out now, $180
adidas Crazylight Boost 2.5 Cargo, Out now, $130

i m ag e to
imag
tom
m me dved
dv e d ic h

SL AMONLINE .COM 73

OFF COURT

adidas Originals Superstar


Out now, $120

adidas Originals Superstar


Out now, $120

adidas Originals Tubular X


Out now, $120

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II Knit


Out now, $85

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II Neon


Out now, $70

Jordan Eclipse
Out now, $110

Nike Metcon 2 Strong As Steel


Out now, $140

Nike Air Max Ultra Superfly T


Out now, $240

Nike Air Max Ultra M


Out now, $180

PUMA Ignite Disc Sleeve


Out now, $115

Reebok Club C FVS


Out now, $60

Reebok FuryLite NP
Out now, $75

Timberland Newport Bay Canvas Chukka


Out now, $70

Timberland Amherst Chukka


Out now, $100

Under Armour Charged Ultimate Iced Tonal


Out now, $110

74 S L A M O N L I N E . C O M

EXTRA

HOW FLY

The KD9 is equipped


with some of Nikes
finest sneaker tech.

THE NEW WAVE of player-tracking

technology has produced some


eye-opening results for NBA teams.
Same goes for sneaker companies
looking for insights to build the
latest and greatest in performance
footwear. So when Nike calculated
that Kevin Durant runs the equivalent of 15 full marathons on the
hardwood over an NBA season, it
was clear that it was time for Flyknit
technology to come to the KD
signature line.
A longtime fan of Flyknit, Durant
will debut the KD9 on-court at the
Olympics in Rio, with its global
release date set for June 20 at a
reasonable price point of $150. The
KD9 comes on the heels of the KD8
Elitewhat designer Leo Chang calls
a concept carthe sneaker Durant
will wear during the 2016 Playoffs.
After a wear-test at Nike HQ last
summer, KD gave Chang his blessing; from there, Chang put the final

touches on the KD9. The defining


feature of Durants latest signature
sneaker is indeed its brand new Flyknit upper, featuring a honeycomb
pattern that supports all of Durants
multi-dimensional movements. That,
combined with a minimized midsole
and an anatomical flex groove in
the forefoot allow the sneaker to
be lightweight while still strong,
and KDs foot can move naturally

without any give. Not to mention the


visible, evolved Zoom Air unit that
Nike debuted at its March 2016
Innovation for EveryBody event
in New York City, engineered to
amplify the feeling of Air.
Of course, there are certain
things that KD always wants: a light
and tight upper, a super responsive
feel and a low-top cut. While the
technologies may change, the

philosophy and the principles dont,


Chang said at the event. So Nike
increased the amount of Zoom and
decreased the amount of foam to
give KD that bouncy, springy sensation. Thanks to the implementation
of Flyknit, the bottom and the top of
the shoe work in perfect conjunction. We made it way more flexible,
so the transition is just buttery.
Abe Schwadron

GOIN CRAZY

Top: Courtesy of Nike; Young: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty


Images; Inset: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

NICK YOUNG is showing love to his Lakers


teammate Kobe Bryants impending retirement
by rocking his old adidas kicks on the court.
NICK YOUNG IS the personification of L.A. He played for USC, the Clippers
and the Lakers. The SoCal native grew up watching Kobe Bryant and practiced
his moves. I had the jersey, I had the fro. I told him, Im going to wear these
Kobes for you. Hes retiring, so Im going to represent for him, Young says.
As teammates in Kobes 20th and final season, Young has found the fountain
of youth in the form of adidas footwearmore specifically, the Crazy 8s, Crazy
97s, and Crazy 1s. People dont get it, he says. I tell kids because they ask
What are those? And Im like, Come on now, this is history right here.
The adidas basketball tradition runs deep with signature athletes like Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar and the signing of Kobe when he was still in high school. Before
Bryant was drafted, he signed a multi-year contract to wear the Three Stripes.
Everything from his footwear, apparel and ad campaigns were memorable and
slightly ahead of their time. I remember setting up the benches so we could
dunk and do everything he did in that commercial when he went behind the
back, Young says. And the commercial when he jumped in the air and was like,
What should I do? Should I go for the reverse? He was thinking [in mid air].
The gesture hasnt gone unnoticed. [Kobe] says, These are the only shoes
adidas has, they miss me. Hes always talking trash. Anthony Gilbert

S L A M O N L I N E . C O M 75

2015-16

BORN
TO BE WILD

RAWLE ALKINS is taking his New York


City-honed game out to Arizona.

he stage was set. Arizona


was hosting Oregon in
Tucson in late January, and
with recruit Rawle Alkins in
attendance to witness, the Wildcats
were looking forward to keeping
the nations longest home winning
streak alive by extending it to 50
consecutive games. The milestone
was also set to coincide with head
coach Sean Millers 300th career
win. The McKale Center, which
had not seen Arizona lose a game
in almost three years, was ready
to erupt. Their visiting recruit was
going to be taken aback by the
atmosphere and achievement,
and would want to commit to the
Wildcats right then and there.
But then, they lost.
Didnt matter. Alkins was still
sold on the program. Everyone was
pissed, recalls Alkins of his first time
on campus. But thats what really
stuck with me. Its like the world
ended. They took it so seriously.
From there I fell in love with Arizona
and the atmosphere.
The Wildcats had offered the 6-4
shooting guard a scholarship last
summer, but he never really heard
from them as much as he did from
other schools, and so he eventually cut them from his list. But after
an impressive performance at a
showcase in Detroit last December
with Coach Miller in attendance,

WORDS FR ANKLYN CALLE

the program implemented a late


full-court press in its pursuit of the
Brooklyn-bred guard.
Less than three months later,
Alkins went on ESPNU live and
announced his intentions of joining
Arizona in the fall after also considering St. Johns, UNLV, UNC and
NC State.
Ranked as the No. 9 player in
the nation for the Class of 2016 by
Rivals, Alkins is an assertive scorer
who possesses a next level-ready
physique that allows him to attack
the rim at will after beating defenders off the dribblebut he can also
get hot from distance. He led his
NY RENS AAU team to the adidas
Gauntlet series championship last
summer after averaging 24.3 points
per game and then went on to claim
the MVP at the adidas Nations
showcase.
Winning for Alkins hasnt just
been limited to summer hoops. After
arriving at Christ the King Regional
High in Queenswhich counts
Lamar Odom and Speedy Claxton as
alumnias a barely known freshman,
Alkins quickly rose to stardom.
He helped lead CTK to three
consecutive city titles (the first
time thats happened in 30+ years)
in the Catholic league and two
consecutive state championships.
But because he played some varsity
games as an eighth grader in Florida

PORTR AITS CHRIS R A ZOYK

TO BE TALKED
ABOUT AS ONE
OF THE BEST
PLAYERS IN
THIS LOADED
CLASS IS
AMAZING.
and with NY state rules only allowing four years of varsity eligibility,
Alkins was forced to transfer out of
the Empire State for his senior year,
ending up at Raleigh (NC) Word of
God, where John Wall finished his
high school career.
This past season was unique and
challenging for Alkins and Word of
God, as the team spent much of the
year fighting to get above the .500
mark, a stark contrast to the winning

tradition at CTK. Nonetheless, the


experience provided Alkins with an
important perspective and outlook
on the game.
Coach Miller said this quote:
With team success comes individual success, says Alkins, who
dropped 51 points in one game in
December. That quote really stuck
with me.
I thought about the year Ive
had now and the years Ive had in
the past. And its true. They called
me King of New York because of all
the winning. Now, you havent really
been hearing about me as much,
he continues. When the attention
and media coverage slowly faded
away, I saw I couldnt get too comfortable, and now Im back on the
grind. To be talked about as one
of the best players in this loaded
class is amazing and I dont take it
for granted. S

S L A M ON LI N E .C O M 77

2015-16

FORWARD THINKING
JOSHUA LANGFORD
Madison (AL) Academy
6-6, F
IF YOU EVER have the chance to

ask Joshua Langford about the areas


of his game he hopes to improve on,
make sure youre comfortable. His
answer might take a while.
Ive learned I have to be really
meticulous in everything, the 6-6,
205-pounder says. My catchand-shoot game, my one-dribble
pull-ups with my right handmy
off-the-ball defense, my rotations on
defense. And my leadershipI try to
do it without talking, but sometimes
you have to be vocal.
Its quite a list for someone who
already does so much so well.
Langford recently wrapped one of
the greatest prep careers in Alabama
history, topping 3,000 points and
leading Madison Academy to a third
state title. Not bad for a kid who
survived a bout with bacterial men-

ingitis in middle school, an illness


that nearly killed him. Needless to
say, hes undaunted by a challenge,
which helps explain his decision to
head north and play for one of the
most intense coaches in the nation at
Michigan State.
Everybody knows the intensity
Coach Izzo has, the way he pushes
his players, but Im ready for that,
Langford says. It doesnt hurt that
Izzo has gotten the most out of
some guys who Langford would love
to emulate. You look at guys whove
been really successful there, 6-5
to 6-7 and versatile like Draymond
[Green] or Denzel Valentine, and
Im like, Yeah, that could be me
next year.
Spartan fans are about to find
out all the things Langford does
very, very well. Ryan Jones

SPELLBOUND
OMARI SPELLMAN
Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More
6-9, F
GROWING UP IN CLEVELAND, just 70+ miles northwest from where both

of his parents hooped at Youngstown State, Omari Spellman knew passion


for the game came naturally.
It just made basketball a little easier for me because it felt like it was in
my blood, says Spellman. There were things that I would do when I was
young that even to this day I cant really explain.
That DI family tradition will be passed on to another generation now that
the 6-9 big man has signed to join Villanova in the fall.
Highly regarded for the strength and power he brings to the paint, as
well as his ability to step out and sink jumpers, Spellman averaged 13.4
points and 9.5 rebounds (both team-highs) in the regular season of Nikes
EYBL travel circuit last summer while playing for New York-based PSA
Cardinals (his dad lives in NY now), who made it to the Elite Eight despite
his absence during the circuit finale at Peach Jam due to an ankle injury.
This past season, Spellman led St. Thomas More to the NEPSAC AAA
final and the National Prep Championship title game and received the
NEPSAC Player of the Year honor.
And now as he preps for college, theres one motive pushing him
through. We havent talked about it in great detail, but I have a good
depiction of the things my mom had to go through to keep our family afloat
when we were younger, says Spellman. I just want to make sure that no
matter what happens, she and my family are OK. Franklyn Calle

78 S L A M O N L I N E . C O M

ON HER
WAY
JOYNER HOLMES
Cedar Hill (TX) High
6-3, F

WHEN SHE WAS a tyke, Texas

native Joyner Holmes shot on


the Little Tikes hoop her parents
bought. Soon after, her parents
signed her up for a local recreational league where she quickly
advanced. The fact of the matter
was realized: This girl can play.
They could tell I had potential,
says the high school senior, standing

tall at 6-3. I started moving up. I


was put in different age groups,
and then it just went from there.
A Naismith Trophy First-Team
All-American, gold medalist
with Team USAs U17 squad, and
now a Texas Longhorns commit,
Holmes is fitting in nicely to
that potential realized so many
years ago.
What is it about basketball
that she finds so appealing? The
competition, the people you come
by, the places you get to travel to,
Holmes says. The opportunities,
and the doors that open for you.
From her travels and international play in Europe to competing
against the top high schoolers in
nation, basketball gives Holmes
a chance to do what she loves
every day.
Holmes will take things to
the next level in the fall at UT,
where shell put her top skills to
use: ability to attack the basket,
length and height, athleticism (she
played track, tennis and volleyball,
too) and improved mid-range
jumpshot.
With rec, Team USA and
Cedar Hill in the bag, the next
door opening for Joyner Holmes
is obvious. Texas Longhorns, here
she comes. Habeeba Husain

GRIT N GRIND
CASSIUS WINSTON
Detroit (MI) University Jesuit
6-1, G

Langford: Kelly Kline; Spellman: Kelly Kline; Holmes: USA Basketball;


Winston: Jon Lopez/Nike; Taytum: Atiba Jefferson

THE CLASS OF 2016 is filled with tons of lead guards who have blazing

end-to-end speed and bounce that gets their heads near the rim. Cassius
Winston is not one of those guys, and it hasnt affected him one bit.
I was slower when I was younger, so I had to figure out how to get
around people with my change of speed, the heady 6-1 senior explains.
Im not going to jump over you at the rim, so I had to practice all types of
trick shots at the basket.
The hard work definitely paid off. Winston finished second in the Nike
EYBL in points and assists while playing for The Family. He has University
of Detroit Jesuit sitting undefeated and two games away from a state
title as we go to press. His averages of 24 points, 7 dimes and 5 boards
helped make him Michigans Mr. Basketball and Tom Izzos playmaker of
the future.
It was the best fit for me and the best fit for my game. Simple as that,
Winston says confidently about choosing Michigan State. Coach told me
Im going to have to take a leadership role before I get on campus.
Patterning his game after Chris Paul and Tony Parker, Winston has
the type of poise and acumen that every coach loves. But he will always
maintain the Detroit grind that shaped his game to where it is today. Im
tough, gritty and am going to get the job done, Winston says. Im going to
do whatever it takes for my team to win. Rodger Bohn

SLAM (ISSN:1072-625X) April 2016, Vol. 23, No. 5 is published monthly except January and October by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC,
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send address corrections to SLAM, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

BASKETBALL DIARY

JAYSON
TATUM
M

arch was great! I turned


18 and finally got a state
championship, which Ive
been working so hard
to get for the last four years. And
to finally accomplish that, a lot of
weight is off my shoulders.
I didnt really care about how
many points I had as long as we
won. It just turned out that I had
40 points and 17 rebounds in the
championship. I just got going from
the beginning and got on a roll, but
it was a collective effort from everyone. We ended up winning by 13.
But we were only up by 2 with, like,
1:50 left. We got a couple of stops
and then they started fouling.
This is only the second time
Chaminade has won the state
championship in over 100 years
since the school has been opened.
Brad Beals sophomore year they
won the state title. That was 2009
and they were actually the underdogs that year.
In the playoffs, we ended up
playing the team my father coaches
in the quarterfinals. That was one of
the biggest games in St. Louis. The
winner advanced to the Final Four
in Columbia. We ended up winning
by 19 but we were only up 2 or 3
points going into the fourth quarter.
After, we were relieved knowing
we can both put this behind us and
never have to worry about competing against each other again. We
can be on the same team now.
Being named Gatorade State
POY for a third consecutive season
also means a lot, just to be in the
company of the great players that
have won. I was the first sophomore
to ever win it, and the youngest to
ever get it, and now the only one to
win three. Its truly special and Im
very grateful.
I have the McDonalds Game,
the Jordan Brand Classic and the
Nike Hoop Summit in April, and
then college right around the corner. Now Im really focusing on skill
development, getting in the weight
room and just trying to get bigger.
Looking back at my HS career,
everything that I could have wished
for and more, I feel like I got. I had
the best time of my life.

SL AMONLINE .C OM 79

DRAKE

March 11, 2016

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EMMANUEL MUDIAY
PG, DENVER

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DOUBT
NEVER

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