Articles by Phil Watson (170)
Tony Allen will likely never be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was never an All-Star. But two legends of the game, Kevin Durant and the late Kobe Bryant, both named Allen as the defender they least liked to face.
The Golden State Warriors plan to add Kenny Atkinson to their coaching staff as a lead assistant, hiring him away from the Los Angeles Clippers. The two teams have had a brewing rivalry in the Western Conference for several years and this is just another salvo in that battle.
Larry Bird doesn't have the nickname “Larry Legend” for no reason. But one of those legendary performances wasn't quite what it has been billed as over the years. Did Larry Bird score 47 points while shooting only with his left hand? No. But he made enough left-handed shots to make it a special game regardless.
Michael Jordan is practically synonymous with Nike. But that nearly 40-year-old relationship between player and brand almost ended in its infancy after Jordan broke his foot in 1985.
Clyde Drexler never said he was as good as Michael Jordan. But some in the media raised the possibility and that was enough for Michael Jordan to go after Drexler with an unbridled fury. One former teammate of Drexler's went so far as to call Jordan's methods inhumane.
A Larry Bird rookie card would be very valuable. So would one of Magic Johnson. The two legends together on the same card? That is likely to sell for more than a half-million dollars by the time an online auction closes.
Larry Bird won many awards as a player and later added Coach and Executive of the year honors to his trophy case. But his biggest impact on the NBA may have been off the court with a pair of landmark rule changes that were inspired by Bird.
Julius Randle capped a breakout season with the NBA Most Improved Player Award and a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. But he won't get an Olympic berth as the cherry on top, as he was left off the roster going to Tokyo in July.
The NBA Finals haven't started, but the Ben Simmons trade rumors are on full boil. A terrible playoff run by the three-time All-Star has led to speculation the Philadelphia 76ers might move him. The Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly would love to be Simmons' destination.
Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns is once again one win away from his first-ever NBA Finals. He's not focusing on that, however, as he knows the Suns first have to get that fourth win over the Los Angeles Clippers.