One of the more bizarre sports feuds in recent years has popped up between NBA legend LeBron James and storied soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Last week, Ibrahimovic raised eyebrows with his shot across King James’ bow, in which he said LeBron and other athletes should just stay out of politics and focus on playing their prospective sports. LeBron responded by saying that he would never quiet down; Ibrahimovic countered that while politics as a topic tends to divide people, soccer provides a point of unity.
Stay tuned for more — as you consider online betting options in the NBA as we approach the All-Star break, take a look at some of the latest gossip from the Association.
NBA News: The Rumor Mill
Atlanta Hawks fire Lloyd Pierce
The Hawks won 49 games during Pierce’s first two years in Atlanta, and the team had started with a 16-20 record this season. The off-season had added Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn, Danilo Gallinari, Solomon Hill and Bogdan Bogdanovic to a core that had featured Clint Capela and John Collins. Trae Young led a core of young players. Their defense permits 112.9 points per 100 possessions, which is in the NBA’s bottom third. Assistant Nate McMillan has taken the interim title, as the Hawks sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, which seems quite ripe for one team to go on a hot streak and shoot up those crowded standings. Such head coaches as Dallas’ Rick Carlisle and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich had many positive things to say about Pierce; Popovich complimented Pierce as “the kind of guy you can build a culture around” but went on to note that “there’s got to be leadership enough that understands it takes time and continuity is important and that is not always available in our league as far as management and ownership are concerned.”
Multiple stars turn down All-Star opportunities
While players selected to the All-Star Game must participate or face hefty fines, if they do not have a qualifying injury, but when it comes to the Slam-Dunk Contest or the Three-Point Contest, as well as the Skills Challenge, players are free to say no. Such weighty stars as LeBron James have weighed in on the frivolity of playing an All-Star Game during a pandemic but still plan to head to the game. Zion Williamson, Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards and Miles Bridges have all said that they will not take part in the Slam-Dunk Contest, which means that, just days ahead of Sunday’s contest, there is still a spot open. DAmian Lillard will sit out the Three-Point Contest as well, and LaMelo Ball will sit out the Skills Challenge.
Isaiah Thomas may finally be back
The former Boston and Cleveland point guard had hip problems that kept him from playing for almost four seasons. No team opted to bring him in during the off-season, so he is plying his craft with Team USA. They took part in a couple of AmeriCup qualifying games this past weekend, and Thomas hit the floor for games for the first time since hip surgery in May. The team beat The Bahamas and Mexico, and Thomas had 14 points in each contest. He shot 12 three-pointers in the two games, making six of them. He looked like he did before the hip injury he sustained in March 2017. At that time, he was third in the NBA in scoring (28.9 points per game). However, he injured the hip again during the Eastern Conference Finals, and Boston went down to Cleveland in five games. Boston shipped Thomas to Cleveland as part of the Kyrie Irving deal, but Thomas only appeared in 15 games for the Cavaliers, and Cleveland sent him to the Lakers. He would next play in Denver (12 games in 2018-19), and in 2019-20 he was with Washington, who traded him to the Clippers, who released him. That led him to get hip surgery, and now he is looking for his next opportunity. What team couldn’t use a jolt at point guard?
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