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š The USA wouldn't let it happen again...
Plus, this former hooper does what?
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ITS PLAYOFF TIME!
Okay, itās just the FIBA playoffs. But even without Kawhi Leonardās fading buzzer beaters or Mike Breenās iconic calls, basketball is basketball. And we love us some international hoops. Let get into it!
Todayās Lineup
Mamma Mia š: The USA wasnāt playing around against Italyā¦
The ā-vicās š·šø: Serbia just thrashed the Lithuanian team that beat the Americans on Sunday.
Golden Years š“: How this former player helps out retired hoopers!
But first, try your hand at this:
Who has the most regular season double-doubles of all time? |
World Cup Action šµš
Itās win or go home in the FIBA World Cup, so letās take a look at the high-stakes matchups that have happened in the quarterfinals so far.
šŗšø USA blew out š®š¹ Italy, 100-63
Unfortunately for Italy, the USA said enough was enough after losing to Lithuania three days ago. But weāll keep the pizza and pasta, thanks!
Mikal Bridges led the squad offensively to the tune of a smooth 24 points. Tyrese Haliburton and Paolo Banchero had an electric fast break alley-oop that had us reminiscing about Lob City. Plus, the American defense held Italy to its lowest point total in international tournaments in over fifty yearsā¦ šÆ
How do you think Tony Soprano, the greatest Italian-American of all time, would feel about the USA beating Italy?
š·šø Serbia beat š±š¹ Lithuania, 87-68
Even without Nikola Jokic, Serbia is STILL nasty in international play. Bogdan Bogdanovic (21 points) proved Shaqās comments on ā-viÄ playersā to be true. Serbia was also motivated by the absence of Borisa Simanic, who had two surgeries and lost a kidney after an injury against South Sudan.
As for Lithuania? We like to joke that Jonas Valanciunas is basically FIBAās version of Shaquille OāNeal, but yesterday he looked a little more like Celtics Shaq.
Lakers Add ANOTHER Weapon
The Lakers already had arguably the best offseason in the NBA, bringing in Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes in addition to re-signing Rui Hachimura, DāAngelo Russell, and Austin Reaves on mostly team-friendly deals. But this next move puts the cherry on topā¦
The Lakers add Christian Wood š
ā ENJšY (@EnjoyBBall)
3:04 AM ā¢ Sep 6, 2023
Does Christian Wood have his defensive issues? Definitely. But centers who shoot 38% from three donāt grow on trees, and getting him for 2 years/$5.7 million is great value. Wood becomes another weapon in LAās toolkit, and if anyone can get Wood thriving again, itās LeBron! š
Golden Years š“
Throughout our Golden Years segments, weāve told you about household NBA names and what theyāve been up to in retirement. But today, weāre discussing someone who was on the ends of benches and scraping to make training camps throughout his career.
Throughout his four-year career with New Jersey and Atlanta, Mario West only played 162 games in the Association. But during his time in the league, he learned that professional athletes often struggle with bankruptcy and depression once the crowds fadeāas recently described in an article in The Guardian. So West devoted his post-NBA career to this issue, as he explains here:
Since 2019, West has led the National Basketball Players Associationās Off The Court program, which helps retired hoopers transition to life after basketball. Off The Courtās programming focuses on five main pillars: mental health, physical health, financial literacy, brotherhood, and professional development.
āAs a former player myself, I know how difficult it can be, mentally and physically, to walk away from a game you devoted your whole life to. I hope to help players view this process as the beginning of a new chapterā¦ as they transition away from their playing days.ā
Weāre glad someone with Westās level of enthusiasm and compassion is working to help these hoopers be the best humans they can be! š
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Frozen Moments
The Hornets GM made a brutally honest joke during PJ Washingtonās welcome back press conferenceā¦ š
Check out yesterdayās best plays from NBA players in the FIBA World Cup! š
Do you think these two players had a higher basketball IQ than Rajon Rondo? š¤
What Weāre Enjoying
We are PUMPED for Loki Season 2āwe think itās the best project in MCUās Phase 4. Take a look at the trailer that just dropped:
And whether itās basketball, football, or badminton, thereās nothing we love more than an upset. On Monday night, a basketball school dominated a football school on the gridironācheck out the highlights from unranked Dukeās win over #9 Clemson:
Signing Off
Before we say goodbye, make sure to send your good wishes to Trey Murphy III, who hurt his meniscus in practice and will be out for anywhere from six weeks to a few months. Weāll fill you in as the full story develops, but prayers up! š Letās all appreciate our health in this moment, folks. Itās our biggest asset! Take it easy.
Trivia Answer: If weāre talking consistency, the answer will always be Timmy D! The Big Fundamental posted a double-double in 841 of his 1,392 regular season games.
Before you goā¦
Would you rather always be super hot or super cold? |
In your best Mike Breen impression, what did you think of today's newsletter? |