The Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 — headlined by the late Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett — is the most accomplished class in history. After more than a year of delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, finally, this weekend, the Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine the star-studded Class of 2020
San Antonio Spurs
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The NBA’s play-in tournament kicks off Tuesday and every team will need stars and role players to come up big. Here’s the secret weapon each team will count on.
Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs legend Robert Horry deserves recognition for his clutch plays, but he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. The Robert Horry debate has begun once again. In his Hall of Fame induction speech, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich went to bat for Horry as a Hall
LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the Brooklyn Nets, hoping to win that elusive ring. Instead, a medical scare led to a surprising retirement announcement. On Thursday morning, LaMarcus Aldridge released a statement announcing his retirement from the NBA. The statement revealed that he had suffered from an irregular heartbeat, which sparked the surprising decision. “My last
It’s official: we’re entering the regular season’s endgame. Every game from here on out will have much bigger consequences, a statement even truer in 2021 than perhaps any other season thanks to the NBA’s new play-in tournament. If you’re not familiar, the play-in tournament will consist of two matchups within each conference. The seventh and
ORLANDO, FL – APRIL 12: Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs players stand in a circle during the United States national anthem at Amway Center on April 12, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. DeMar DeRozan is 31 years old, what would typically be the end of a player’s athletic prime. He hasn’t made an All-Star team in the three years since he
Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports NBA rumors: Kyle Lowry prefers to remain with Raptors or trade to Heat by John Buhler NFL Draft: Kyle Pitts’ blazing 40 could run him right into the record books by John Buhler As the NBA trade deadline approaches the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat are the favorites
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Marquese Chriss #32 of the Golden State Warriors looks on in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Chase Center on March 07, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the
Welcome back to another edition of Deadline Watch. The trade deadline is less than a week away folks. We’ve had a few trades over the past several days that, while they may be inconsequential, it has been fun to see a few swaps go down. However, with the lack of movement that’s gone on since
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors. (Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports) Michael Chandler’s latest Instagram post will get you excited for UFC 262 or you are dead inside by Thomas Albano The Miami Heat want to make moves ahead of the 2021 NBA trade deadline. Two players they have their eyes on are Toronto Raptors point
The Houston Rockets are in the midst of a massive freefall. After hitting a home run with the acquisition of Christian Wood, the Rockets appeared to have a solid core with John Wall and Victor Oladipo both looking good coming back from devastating injuries. Wood was even the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award
DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs. (Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports) Eagles: Jason Kelce signs new contract and pumps up fans with Instagram announcement by John Buhler DeMar DeRozan really wanted to replace Devin Booker in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. Not everybody is happy about Mike Conley Jr. making his first career trip to the
With the Orlando Magic floating near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, four playoff teams are eyeing star center Nikola Vucevic. The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is in the books, which means the trade deadline is on the horizon. March 25 is the date that team executives will keep an eye on, as playoff
Julius Randle is everything for the New York Knicks – for now at least. Randle entered the NBA in the 2014 draft. Selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, the former Kentucky Wildcat was a bowling bowl on the offensive end, viewed as a seriously unique athlete. But there were question marks, too. Criticisms
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Dak Prescott giving Cowboys fans heart attacks with latest Instagram activity by Amy Kaplan NHL fans are roasting John Tortorella for benching yet another star player by Scott Rogust Draymond Green had a long walk back to the locker room in San Antonio. The
Role players may not have the spotlight, the insane contracts or the endorsement deals, but they are vital pieces that contribute to team success. There have been countless examples in the past, including the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers just last year. The focus for the role player is to excel in one or two
Last season was strange for everyone, but especially San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. It was the first time in his 25-year tenure that his team missed the playoffs. Heck, it was the first time his team ever finished with a losing record since he took the job in 1996. But, in spite of
Kevin Porter Jr. has likely played his final game with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA rumor mill is about to add one very intriguing name into the fold, as all signs point to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kevin Porter Jr. having talked his way out of The Land. Porter, who has been hit with weapons charges
Regrettably, this piece came out a little bit later than usual. Usually, Basketball Insiders tries to get this out around the time the season begins, but it’s only been two weeks, give or take, so it still feels appropriate. Better late than never, right? Well… the jury’s still out in this case. Naturally, this begins
The late Kobe Bryant makes a cameo in Netflix’s new Tony Parker documentary. Hearing Kobe Bryant talk about Michael Jordan in the epic 10-part documentary series, The Last Dance, was an emotional treat for NBA fans last summer. It appears as though fans of the Black Mamba will get another precious sound bite from the late Los Angeles
Spurs immortal Tim Duncan almost ended up with the Boston Celtics in the 1997 Draft. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs were the beneficiaries of some ungodly luck when they ended up with the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, giving them the privilege of selecting Tim Duncan over the Celtics despite
We’re just over a week into the NBA’s 75th regular season and, already, we’ve seen some significant developments. From the new direction teams that made an offseason coaching change have taken, to the impact of some of the more critical offseason acquisitions with their new teams or even the development of the rookie class as
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 04: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Bills Mafia will return just in time
ALERT. ALERT. ALERT. The NBA’s 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin in less than a month. If it feels like we just crowned the 2020 NBA Champions, that’s because we did. The Los Angeles Lakers secured their 17th championship on October 11, just over a month ago. Still, the new season kicks off in less
The San Antonio Spurs saw their multi-decade playoff streak broken last year. Are they ready to start a new one? Is there an NBA team run by Jawas? The real issue with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan is that they have outlived their usefulness in the basketball world. The words are cruel, but so is
The San Antonio Spurs own the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. With a rebuild on the horizon, here are five young guys they can prioritize. For the first time in 23 years, the San Antonio Spurs failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Kawhi Leonard trade two years ago signaled that
LaMarcus Aldridge, #12, San Antonio Spurs, (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) BBWAA member explains bold decision to leave Yu Darvish off Cy Young ballot by Mark Powell The Golden State Warriors seem willing to ship off their second-overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft for a veteran big man The 2020 NBA Draft is less
Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images NBA Offseason 2020: 5 potential landing spots for Danilo Gallinari by Mike Luciano The Lakers are reportedly trying to get DeMar DeRozan. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have to turn around and defend their championship ring in record time given the pandemic-shortened season. Even with such a major
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 15: Tyrese Maxey #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Tyrese Maxey will almost certainly be a first-round pick. As the 2020 NBA Draft draws closer, Kentucky will send another potential lottery pick into the fold in the form of combo guard Tyrese Maxey. A deadly slasher with