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Exclusive Interview With Ryne Nelson
The big news within the online basketball community this summer has been Ryne Nelson’s meteoric rise from blogger to the new Online Editor of Slam Magazine. This weekend Ryne took some time to talk with me about his background as a broadcast journalism major, the story behind why he started the highly successful blog Odenized and how he was able to parlay that into his new gig with Slam.
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Pritchard Is NBA’s Latest Mastermind
It should come as no surprise that Kevin Pritchard has revealed himself as one of the smartest general managers in basketball over the past few years. After all, his college career saw him play under Larry Brown and Gregg Popovich, two great basketball minds, and he got his first front office job from Spurs’ general manager R.C. Buford.
Arenas Returns With Bold Predictions and a New Attitude
The biggest sign of Gilbert Arenas’ maturity and the newfound responsibility that comes with a large contract came towards the end of the press conference. In year’s past, his name has been synonymous with quirky and controversial behavior from flipping a coin to decide his free agency fate in 2003, to checking into a playoff game in 2008, without notifying Coach Jordan ahead of time. Arenas acknowledged during Tuesday’s press conference that behavior definitely has to be amended going forward.
Hey! Whatever Happened To Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf?
One of the most intriguing stories in basketball history belongs to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Don’t believe me? Think again. From his rail-thin physique to his 1991 conversion to Islam, in a traditional sports world, the man originally born Chris Jackson lived a spiritual life far removed from the traditional sports scene. Oh, and he did so while suffering the symptoms of Tourette’s.
Complacency Not An Option For Utah
For the Utah Jazz, complacency is not an option. Yet this offseason has, once again, sent signals around the NBA that the team prefers a holding pattern rather than an aggressive approach on the market.
Calderon Finally Gets His Shot
Looking back on Jose Calderon’s time in Toronto, you can’t help but be impressed and a little bit surprised that he would be in the position he now finds himself. His transformation from a nervous, timid, turnover prone rookie to one of the most respected and efficient point guards in the NBA is a story that should not be overlooked.
Advanced Stats 101: Player Shooting
In this space last week, we explored some basics regarding APBRmetrics and their application when considering team shooting. Let us now consider the same three metrics used to evaluate team performances and examine how they pertain to individual shooters.
Canadian Rally Keeps Olympic Hopes Alive
With the final 34 seconds of their Olympic hopes quickly evaporating off the Athens, Greece shot clock, Jermaine Anderson took his team, his country and the fate of his facial hair upon himself.
The Long Wait For Thomas Finally Ends
During a routine physical prior to the 2007-2008 season, doctors found a leak in Etan Thomas’ aortic valve and it required immediate surgery. At the time, it was unknown when Thomas would be able to resume physical activity again, let alone rejoin his fellow Wizards. This past weekend, a healthy Thomas returned to practice determined to resume his role as an intimidating presence in the middle.
Mental Mistakes Doom Canada
Canada’s Senior Men opened the FIBA Olympic Qualifier with a humbling loss, succumbing 86-70 to Slovenia.