Last season, the Rockets wrecked the league during the regular season and the playoffs.

Not only did they have the best record in the NBA (ahead of Golden State), but they nearly swept the Jazz and the Timberwolves in the playoffs. They even pushed the Warriors to a game 7 in the Western Conference Finals!

The backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden just proved to me too much for most teams as the duo averaged a combined of 49.4 ppg and 16.7 apg. Counting their combined assists, The two were directly responsible for over 80% of the Rockets’ points!

Having two elite ball handlers on the floor provided Houston with endless opportunities to score the basketball and made the other players on their roster appear to be elite scores. This combined with the toughness of Clint Capela, PJ Tucker, Trevor Ariza, and Luc Mbah a Moute meant the Rockets could compete with any team.

However, this season, the opposite appears to be true. Not only are the Rockets currently out of playoff contention, but they are near the bottom of the Western Conference; ranked 12th behind even the Kings and the Grizzlies! So, what happened?

The Rockets’ woes, thus far, come from the fact that they have hollowed out their bench after giving James Harden and Chris Paul max contracts. No doubt after James Harden’s MVP season and Chris Paul’s playoff performance, the two deserved to be paid max dollars.

However, this comes with an opportunity cost to what the Houston Rockets organization could do to retain and recruit other players for the 2018-19 season.

From the 2018 season, the Rockets have lost Joe Johnson, Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute, Ryan Anderson, and R.J. Hunger from their roster. These players were not only extremely effective defensively but added offensive prowess to the team as well.

Not only could they guard the three point line, but they were big enough to prevent players from driving into the lane and getting easy baskets.

The Rockets were never one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, but they at least played average defense. This season, the Rockets are basically letting their opponents score at will. Currently, the Rockets are third from the bottom of the NBA in opponent’s field goal percentage; their opponents, on average, make over 47% of their field goals.

On the offensive end of the court, Joe Johnson, Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute, Ryan Anderson, and R.J. Hunger could also three shoot the three and helped the Rockets spread the floor better.

This created scoring opportunities for Clint Capela, CP3 (who is struggling this season), James Harden, and Houston’s other bench players. For the 2018-19 season, the Rockets literally have the lowest scoring bench in the NBA. Pretty far from where they were this time last season!

Part of the Rockets’ problem is that the Western Conference has just gotten so competitive this year. 15 out of the 16 teams in the West Conference are good enough to make the playoffs on a normal year. Now teams like the Spurs, Timberwolves, Jazz, and Pelicans are currently out of playoff contention.

Teams such as the Clippers, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and the Kings have made significant improvements from last season and are now playoff contenders. During the offseason, they have added depth to their rosters and drafted good talent to supplement their veteran parts.

However, there still is hope. The Rockets have shown flashes this season where they can beat any team in the NBA including big wins over the Lakers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Blazers, and the Warriors. And let’s not forget that James Harden is still unstoppable, either.

The Rockets, in my opinion, when healthy are still one of the top 5 teams in the NBA; alongside the Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, and the Nuggets (yes, the Denver Nuggets!).

However, the Rockets are going to have to make significant improvements defensively to make it into the playoffs this season. Just last season, Houston went on 17-game winning streak and I still believe they are capable of something similar this season.

This is definitely going to be something interesting to watch as the season continues to unfold and we get closer to the playoffs!

It is not hard to find a LeBron hater or lover these days — you’re either one or the other. Personally, he is my favorite player and I love what he brings to the game.

Nearly all players, coaches, and fans have their opinion about every aspect of his style of play, career, and life. There is no doubt that LeBron brings a certain gravity to the NBA and commands the attention of everybody that is associated with the sport.

Recently, Kevin Durant, who needs no introduction, made his opinion known about playing with LeBron. KD made the following comments about LeBron and potential players that he could play with next year in LA to the Bleacher Report saying,

“If you’re a younger player like a Kawhi, trying to pair him with LeBron James doesn’t really make sense. Kawhi enjoys having the ball in his hands, controlling the offense, dictating the tempo with his post-ups; it’s how he plays the game. A lot of young players are developing that skill. They don’t need another guy.”

And KD goes even further:

“So much hype comes from being around LeBron from other people. He has so many fanboys in the media. Even the beat writers just fawn over him. I’m like, we’re playing basketball here, and it’s not even about basketball at certain points. So I get why anyone wouldn’t want to be in that environment because it’s toxic. Especially when the attention is bullshit attention, fluff. It’s not LeBron’s fault at all; it’s just the fact you have so many groupies in the media that love to hang on every word. Just get out of the way and let us play basketball.”

Pretty harsh, right? Is KD a LeBron hater? Not sure, I love KD too. While some might argue that KD has undoubtedly tainted LeBron’s legacy with his move to the Golden State Warriors, I do not think that is the case.

LeBron’s battles with Golden State has been one for the ages even before KD got there. It has further elevated his game and showed the level he is capable of playing at when called upon; most great players are never put through such a test. Even before the move to Golden State, KD and LeBron had been going at it their entire career.

Their competitive fervor is reminiscent of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s rivalry. Both players are out of this world talented and all-world basketball players on both ends of the floor.

LeBron, however, has shown something KD has not; he can lead a team and carry the load as a leader. And, most importantly, that you can build a championship team around him. And LeBron, in return, has certainly given KD something to shoot for and was, undoubtedly, the driving factor behind his move to Golden State.

Some could even argue that Golden State has a superteam developed to combat LeBron’s reign in the NBA Finals.

https://giphy.com/gifs/nba-basketball-shocked-3o7bu8K1BVxUEUIXyU

While LeBron does command an excess amount of media attention, I disagree with his conclusion that other players may not want to play with him. LeBron has played with, and gotten along with, multiple all-stars in the past, on multiple teams; and with great success in many instances. In the past, this has not been an issue for LeBron.

But, what about Kyrie? LeBron and Kyrie had their beef and this lead to the demise of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving wanted to be the first option and wanted to have his own team. That’s finally what he got in Boston… kind of.

Clearly, he did not want to lead the Cavaliers once LeBron left. While this situation does mirror what KD was saying, let’s not forget that LeBron got along well with D-Wade, Chris Bosh, and Kevin Love — all of which will be Hall of Famers one day.

They have nothing but good things to say about playing with LeBron and they enjoyed their time playing with him. LeBron seems to play well with low key All-Stars that are interested in winning and less interested in the limelight. After all, LeBron has made it to the Finals for the last eight straight years.

So, does LeBron really need multiple All-Stars around him to win? The answer to that is, emphatically, no.  What does this mean for the Lakers moving forward?

The Lakers this past offseason lost out on Paul George because they pursued and signed LeBron James. Some marquee free agents such as Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard may not want to play for the Lakers with all of the drama surrounding LeBron

However harsh that may sound, it is not a sunset for the Lakers organization. As long as the young Laker talent drafted by Magic Johnson continues to develop, LA will be competitive for years to come.

And despite all of the narratives around him, LeBron remains stapled to the game.

The Timberwolves made one of the biggest trades of the year when they gave up All-Star Jimmy Butler and forward Justin Patton to Philadelphia for forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick.

Robert Covington and Dario Saric are decent role players in the regular season, however, in the 2017 playoffs, they fell short offensively and defensively. It was time for Philly to make a statement and Butler officially puts them over the top.

The 76ers new starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, JJ Reddick, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz will be dynamite. Most teams do not rely on their bench in the playoffs and only play seven players deep.

Therefore, the 76ers losing depth should not hurt them too much in the playoffs.

The Good

Jimmy Butler will bring solid veteran leadership to the 76ers. This will significantly complement and help the growth of Joel Embiid. This is what supposedly LeBron was to supposed to bring the 76ers before they fell short of successfully recruiting him. The Sixers with Jimmy Butler might make a serious run this offseason.

Likely, the 76ers will have to face the Raptors at some point in the playoffs where  Butler and Kawhi Leonard will make a solid match-up in the offseason.

Last time the 76ers played the Raptors this season, they got demolished, and they had no answer for Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi dropped 31 points in 34 minutes and shut-down Robert Covington.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGima_GI9oA

Jimmy Butler is an outstanding defender, and he can help to decelerate Kahwi on the offensive side of the floor. Moreover, Jimmy Butler is a stalworth offensive player and will make Kawhi play defense. This will help to tire him out.

Last year, the 76ers got routed and almost swept by the Boston Celtics. They had no answer for Jalen Brown or Jayson Tatum; however, neither did any other team. Jimmy Butler is a good enough defender to help the 76ers stop these two juggernauts.

Jimmy Butler is such a dynamic player that he can fit into any offensive and defensive system. The 76ers are top 4 in the league in the number of assists per game, and their offense seems to revolve around moving the basketball.

In addition to being a great scorer, Jimmy Butler is a good passer as well and can help move the ball around. Moreover, having another scorer on the floor means that opponents will not be able to double team Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons as easily; creating more scoring opportunities for them.

The Bad

Jimmy Butler’s health has been called into question by some teams and he is aging. Whether or not Butler will be able to perform the way he did in past seasons remains to be seen.

If the 76ers want to retain Jimmy Buckets, they are going to have to give him a max deal this offseason, making it difficult for them to sign other marquee free agents in the future. Moreover, Robert Covington and Dario Saric are young players and are still developing.

There could have been vital assets for the 76ers moving forward. However, Robert Covington and Dario Saric are now playing in the Western Conference and not for a rival team! Therefore, the 76ers will not have to face them in the playoffs.

This deal, however, is a big step forward for Philly. They now have the components to keep up with the Celtics and the Raptors. And if Jimmy Butler does not perform well, they have a movable piece that they can use to get other talented players this offseason.

In reality, the 76ers have added an extremely attractive piece to their arsenal. And Jimmy Butler is known for his competitive spirit and wanting to win; this should be an interesting season!

It’s only week two of the 2018-2019 NBA season and the league is already too lit! Week one was filled with drama, with the most action coming out of LA. The atmosphere of Saturday night’s game between the Rockets and the Lakers had the feel of a Western Conference Finals.

The Staples Center was rocking as LeBron was finally making his new home debut. James Harden, Chris Paul, and the rest of the Rockets were only looking to crash the party. Behind Harden’s 36 pts and CP3’s 28 pts, the Rockets would defeat the Lake Show 124-115.

James Harden was having his way against the Lakers the entire evening. With Ingram guarding Harden for the majority of the night, frustration started to set in for the third year player.

With 4:13 left in the 4th quarter, tempers started to flare. When Ingram was charged with a foul after Harden’s lay-up attempt, Ingram gave Harden and emphatic push. Ingram followed up the push by getting in Harden’s face and letting Harden know he can get the hands.

Slim why ingram push harden after Harden dropped him off for the And1 😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/8GJ4rQfrj9

— DJReggieReg #OneHellOfALife (@ReggieRegSW) October 21, 2018

While both Lakers and Rockets teammates were trying to separate Ingram and Harden, Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo found themselves face to face.

While exchanging words, Rondo went full Daffy Duck and got saliva on Paul’s face.

Best angle I've seen of Rondo CP3 #SpitGate and uhhhhhh pic.twitter.com/PULiw2fmMF

— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 21, 2018

Feeling the disrespect, CP3 mushed Rondo’s face with his fist while mouthing to Rondo “Don’t you ever spit on me.”

Ready for the smoke, Rondo quickly countered with a left jab catching CP3 in his right eye.

You can also definitely see Paul tell Rondo "don't you ever spit on me" right before Rondo's left jab connects to Paul's right eye. pic.twitter.com/GfsSW7MmmO

— 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐨 (@FlyByKnite) October 21, 2018

It was pandemonium from then on. Brandon Ingram even came back for more as he was caught throwing a punch.

On Sunday, the NBA wrapped up its investigation. The NBA ruled that Rondo did indeed spit on CP3’s face. As result, Rondo will serve three-game suspension while Chris Paul received a two-game suspension. Brandon Ingram will serve a four-game suspension as he was seen as the instigator.

Nevertheless, after being viewed as a soft, watered down league, it’s refreshing to see the aggressiveness returning to the NBA. Like Famouslos32 said, “this posed to have been worse.”

 

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🤦🏾‍♂️ Why dey scrappin like dat ? 🤣 I told y’all If we ain’t bout to scrap or scrappin we ain’t hoopin forreal 🤣 (Tag a hooper)

A post shared by famouslos32 (@famouslos32) on Oct 21, 2018 at 11:44am PDT

Spitting on someone is one of the ultimate signs of disrespect. So the NBA is lucky this didn’t turn into another episode of Malice at The Palace brawl in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers.

The young Lakers’ squad is letting the league know that they are no pushovers.

Maybe King James has this young team feeling invincible. Even Nipsey Hussle looked like he was ready to squabble on the sideline!

Nipsey Hussle spotted at the Lakers Game during the Rondo and CP3 fight it looks like he was ready for the smoke too!!!!!! 🏡 pic.twitter.com/GWnfMtpbb5

— Treehouse 🏡 (@DailyTreehouse) October 21, 2018

Floyd Mayweather and Travis Scott was feeling the adrenaline too!

Last night's Lakers-Rockets scuffle had Travis Scott and Floyd Mayweather fired up 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZJwMMRmAHM

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 21, 2018

The real question is, was Ingram in the right to wild out on Harden like he did? Harden is virtually unguardable and can get to the basket at will. However, his dribble penetration game has always been a topic of debate amongst hoopers.

Jemele Hill said Harden was doing his “antics” that’s why Ingram was upset. Example of Antics by Harden pic.twitter.com/VF9bOWh0Iq

— Forever Trill🇳🇬 🇰🇪 🇧🇸 (@mccauley318) October 21, 2018

The debate is whether or not Harden commits offensive fouls while driving to basket. Another is if a foul call is even warranted when a defender attempts to contest a Harden layup. Yes, Brandon Ingram was getting cooked by Harden all night. To keep it 100, not a single Laker defender could slow down Harden Saturday night.

It has to be demoralizing trying to guard an offensive player who can get to the free throw line whenever he wants. Will James Harden see less trips to the free throw line after this game? It will be interesting to see.

We all know that, sadly, a lot of basketball players who dominated at a young age and find success in high school and college don’t always pan out and become busts or just simply don’t live up to their hype.

They were stars at their local high schools and had all this potential, yet sometimes become mere role players. When prospects don’t pan out in all-stars, we often forget how talented these guys actually were back in the day.

Because of all the media hype around Lonzo Ball’s success in high school and college, his father Lavar Ball has brought attention to Lonzo’s younger brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo who played together at Chino Hills High School this past season.

The two dominated their league going undefeated and finished 30-3 overall, ranking #4 in the country. Lavar Ball has frequently said that all of his boys will enter the NBA after one year in college ball and so far with Lonzo Ball being projected to go top 2 in the draft, he hasn’t been wrong yet.

So who else in the past played together in high school and would eventually end up in the NBA?

Here is a list of dudes you probably didn’t know, or forgot, were high school teammates.

Trey Burke and Jared Sullinger

Sullinger and Burke played together on Northland High School in Columbus Ohio where Jared Sullinger’s dad Satch Sullinger was the coach. Burke’s father was the assistant coach for another school but Trey elected to play for Northland because of the talent there.

In Sullinger’s senior year and Burke’s junior year (2010), the two would lead the team to an undefeated 21-0 regular season and a #1 national ranking.

Jerami Grant and Victor Oladipo

Before these two played together on OKC with Russell Westbrook, they played at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland.

When Oladipo was a senior on the team, Grant was only a sophomore. Oladipo would end up playing for Indiana the next year and Grant would eventually end up at Syracuse where he would play for two years before entering the draft.

Thon Maker and Jamal Murray

Maker and Murray joined together at Orangeville Prep in Ontario and became a dynamic duo, finding huge success.

Murray went on to star for Kentucky, while Maker opted to return to play at Orangeville again even though he had previously reclassified to be in the class of 2015.

Maker would eventually prove to the NBA he graduated in 2015 but chose to play as a post graduate for Orangeville and enter the league straight out of high school.

Kyrie Irving and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Kyrie Irving transferred to St. Patrick High School in Hillside New Jersey where he would play with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who was a top player in the Class of 2011.

Kyrie and MKG led the team to win the New Jersey Tournament of Champions their first year together.

Kevin Durant and Ty Lawson

KD played for several high schools, but in his junior year, he played at Oak Hill Academy with Ty Lawson.

KD wouldn’t stick around for his senior year as he transferred to Montrose Christian School and then committed to the University of Texas before the season started.

Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell

These two have only begin to scratch the surface of their potential in the NBA, I mean Ben Simmons hasn’t even played a game yet.

Simmons who is originally from Australia transferred a year after Russell did to Montverde Academy in Florida.

They formed a ridiculously successful partnership and would become back-to-back Dick’s High School National Tournament Champions in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, they would go undefeated.

Shareef O’Neal announced on his Instagram yesterday that he’d be missing all of the ’18-’19 season due a serious heart issue that requires surgery.

With fans who’ve been watching him grow over the years into one of the most interesting high school basketball prospects in recent years, it was a sad moment.

“I am very blessed to be here living today, one of those moments on the court could’ve been my last breath,” O’Neal later wrote on Instagram.

“I want to thank god for looking out for me, I want to thank UCLA, my teammates and most importantly my family … this is just a small bump on the road and I gotta push through it.”

 

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Recently I found out I had a serious heart issue … I am very blessed to be here living today, one of those moments on the court could’ve been my last breathe .. I will not be able to participate in sports this year but I will be back in no time … I want to thank God for looking out for me , I want to thank UCLA , my teammates and most importantly my family … this is just a small bump on the road and I gotta push through it .. I am very down about not being able to do sport I love .. I really wanted this year I felt like I was at my best but this is just a minor setback.. my health is most important over everything .. like I said .. I WILL BE BACK.. thank you ❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Shareef O’Neal (@shareefoneal) on Sep 28, 2018 at 1:30am PDT

The standout freshman at UCLA and son of 4 -time NBA Champion, Shaquille O’Neal, was a four-star recruit coming out of college and is a rare combination of size and skill.

While no powerhouse like his dad, Shareef’s small frame had length and he knew how to play with touch.

Now, the UCLA basketball team is confirming he’ll have to take a medical redshirt season but remain enrolled in classes during the 2018-19 academic year. The team said in a statement:

“The UCLA men’s basketball program completely supports Shareef and his family as he gets this issue resolved.”

Although the news tragic, the outpouring of support and how quickly so many have galvanized to his side shows that basketball, though very competitive, is a fraternity more than ever.

.@cjbycookie and I will be praying for Shareef O'Neal, son of Shaquille O'Neal, as he undergoes open heart surgery soon.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 28, 2018

Goes deeper then basketball. Shareef O’Neal will have heart surgery, miss 2018-19 season.

Praying for a safe and healthy recovery for Shareef.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) September 28, 2018

https://twitter.com/SSJreef/status/1045746463341404160

While some may think they are just athletes who need to shut-up and dribble, if anything, basketball players have proven that they are multi-talented creatives who care a great deal about each other.

Blazers guard C.J. McCollum has a podcast, LeBron opened a school, and all summer some of the most heated playoff and regular season rivals play pick-up basketball and workout with each other all summer.

O’Neal, 18, signed with UCLA earlier this year after initially committing to Arizona, 27.6 points and 17.3 rebounds during his senior season at Crossroads School and was rated a consensus top-40 player in his recruiting class by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals.

He may be out this year with open-heart surgery but if anyone can do it, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward who is the son of Superman, can.

Back in February of 2018, Overtime disrupted the digital sports landscape and put everybody on notice when they raised over $9.5 million in their first round of Series A funding.a

Backed by high profile investors such as NBA star Kevin Durant, VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, and former NBA commissioner David Stern, I knew Overtime was on the come-up and it would only be a matter of months before they’d start competing against the likes of ESPN, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, etc.

 

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KD just a hooper who plays in the LEAGUE 🏀 Full vid in bio 🔥 @easymoneysniper @sharife.cooper @_isaacokoro

A post shared by Overtime (@overtime) on Sep 3, 2018 at 9:38am PDT

Fast forward a couple of months and Overtime has indubitably established themselves as the “go-to” platform for the next generation of athletes and fans.

Whether it’s highlights of some of the most prolific hoopers hitting the cleanest #JellyFam layups or comedic fan submissions worthy of viral coverage, Overtime has amassed a following of over 805,000 loyal supporters on their Instagram, 350,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel, and over millions of views and engagements from their eclectic collection of content.

 

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Where did the IRISH HULK come from!? 🇮🇪 Full vid in bio 🔥 @aidanigiehon

A post shared by Overtime (@overtime) on Sep 11, 2018 at 5:26pm PDT

But considering the digital era we live in today, Overtime’s meteoric rise is fascinating. Because social media has warranted an oversaturation of content, people are actually more inclined to tune out. So with that in mind, how is Overtime successfully navigating the sodden terrain of creative content?

In order to further understand their secret to success, I caught up with Overtime’s very own Laurence Marsach, more popularly recognized as @OvertimeLarry, at their headquarters in Brooklyn last week. As we started talking, I sensed the energy Larry emanated, and it was obvious that Overtime’s success wasn’t a result of sheer luck.

 

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Who thinks Zion should do the Overtime Challenge? #nextquestion™ @zionlw10 💯 📸: @michaeleng

A post shared by Laurence Marsach (@overtimelarry) on Apr 8, 2018 at 7:08am PDT

When I asked Larry how Overtime was different, he replied,

“We’re new and we’re fresh… You saw our office. You saw mostly young people. We don’t hire older heads. The way you reach younger people is by having younger people create. I think I’m one of the older heads at Overtime and I’m only 26.”

Steve Stoute touched upon this exact sentiment at the Hashtag Sports Conference back in July: “Have the people that work in your company, look like the people you’re trying to sell your products to.”

And as the main host for the Overtime Challenge, Larry does just that. He admitted that, in the beginning, he was hesitant to be working with such high-profile athletes. But once he shifted his mentality to that of a brotherly figure, things started to click:

“I realized that I’m like six or seven years older than these kids, they’re like my little brothers. And since then, they kind of look at me as the big brother. I just give them advice, I talk to them like I’m their friend. I relate with them through the music, the fashion, and anything dealing with pop culture. They’re kids, they wanna have fun.”

For those unfamiliar with the Overtime Challenge, it’s one of the most popular basketball series on YouTube today, featuring some of the biggest high school athletes from LaMelo Ball to Shareef O’Neal.

And while plenty of basketball can be watched, what the Overtime Challenge truly offers these high school celebrities is an opportunity to showcase their identities outside of the sport they’re most known for.

“I feel like people are getting a chance to see these high-profile athletes and how they act behind the camera. Because people can see the nasty dunks and the highlights, but they don’t get a chance to see who he is. That’s what Overtime’s bringing to the game.”

Authenticity is the name of the game, but there has to be more. Larry’s on-camera persona is electrifying, a raw energy that obviously appeals to the younger generation. But what exactly is it about Overtime and Larry that the youth are relating to?

We all know Gen-Z is notorious for being particular with the companies it chooses to interact with. When I asked Larry his thoughts, he shared the recipe to their success:

“I think they started messing with Overtime because we were consistent… a lot of these brands don’t cover high school at all, but they’ll try to cover the biggest game of the year and take over video rights. We’re always gonna be here, and provide value from the jump. We’re authentic and we really got a dream team filled with creatives and intelligent people.”

Consistently authentic and authentically consistent; that’s how Overtime and Larry are changing the game. They’re not looking to just provide highlights of the craziest plays, anybody can do that.

These guys are breathing creative life into content with a fiery personality, sharing relatable stories that have lessons to be learned for the betterment of the next generation.

 

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Working OT #nextquestion™

A post shared by Laurence Marsach (@overtimelarry) on Feb 23, 2018 at 10:25am PST

And for the younger sports content creators out there, Larry leaves you with this:

“Create every day. You never know what’s gonna hit. If you’re a creator, and you’re showing your personality and your brand, don’t be afraid to mess up.“

Keep shooting your shot, and maybe one day you’ll have Kevin Durant and the rest of the world believing in your vision too.

Be sure to stay on the look out for Season 2 of the Overtime Challenge don’t forget to follow Overtime on their IG, YouTube, and Overtime Larry on IG here.

“African-American women are the most powerful women in the world.”

LeBron James said as he accepted Harlem’s Fashion Row’s Icon award last night with his daughter Zhuri in hand.

Harlem Fashion Row was founded in 2007 with the purpose of championing black designers who don’t get the recognition or advantages they deserve in the mainstream fashion; a vision, being that he is more than an athlete, LeBron hopes to embolden.

 

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@kingjames paid homage to black women and girls during his acceptance speech at #HarlemFashionRow ✊🏾

A post shared by The Root (@the.root) on Sep 5, 2018 at 2:11pm PDT

The black women HFR were highlighting this nigh, in particular,r were designers, Fe Noel, Undra Celeste Duncan, and Kimberly Goldson, who all had their own separate fashion shows.

The moment of the night, however, came when it was announced that they are the design team behind Lebron’s 16th signature shoe — the first LeBron James sneaker that’s designed by a complete team of women on the collaborator and Nike sides.

 

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In other @Nike news… This is the perfect post for #wcw. Inspired by Women. Designed by Women. Made for Women. HFR x LBJ 16 for @nikewomen ✨🙌🏾💯👟✨ Collaborative brand designers: @love_ucny @fenoel @kimberlygoldson and Harlem Fashion Row founder @brandicedaniel!! #Repost @harlemsfashionrow The inspiration behind our HFR X LEBRON 16 collaboration, 16 strong women chosen my @kingjames himself! – “I believe that African-American women are some of the strongest people on earth…I grew up around incredibly strong women and continue to be inspired by the female strength I see around me, mainly in my mom, wife, and daughter. I thought it was important to recognize that strength through this shoe.” -LeBron James for Vogue – #strongest #nike #nikewomen #harlemfashionrow #lebronjames #fenoel #kimberlygoldson #undraduncan #brandicedaniel

A post shared by TCB Style (@tcb.style) on Sep 5, 2018 at 1:28pm PDT

To say the move is big is an understatement. Last season, James wore 51 different sneakers as part of the #LeBronWatch campaign but also as another opportunity for a platform to get his message across.

Just last season he rocked the black and white pairs with the word “Equality” written out on the heels, gave away dozens of pairs to all the kids at his new I Promise school for underprivileged kids in Akron, Ohio. Now, with his 16th signature shoe, James is giving a group of women access to a shoe that will inevitably get a massive amount of coverage. He said at the event,

“[Zhuri] made me a better person, stronger person, just a more sensitive person and I realized I had so much more of a responsibility to women in general, so thank you, baby girl.”

The shoes come with a detachable cuff that can be worn as a bracelet or choker and has an easy tan which you can sport with pretty much anything.

 

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Believe in SOMETHING. Even if it means sacrificing EVERYTHING. #STRONGEST because of my UNAPOLOGETIC AMBITION. • • • • #lebron16 #nike #kaepernick #justdoit #lebronjames #harlemfashionrow #ballislife #shegotgame #lebron #krystalgarner #grandhustlebet

A post shared by Krystal Garner™️ (@krystalgarner) on Sep 5, 2018 at 7:31am PDT

Besides the opportunity that comes along with designing a flagship shoe for a tremendous cooperation such as Nike, it’s also on par with how women in the sports community have been recently vocal about.

Serena has said it in regards to women in tennis and WNBA star Skylar Diggins recently caught heat for calling out the disparency in pay by using Harrison Barnes as an example. Either way, their message is all the same: women athletes do not get equal percentages of their organizations’ revenue.

 

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Skylar Digging always speaking the truth 🗣️ 💯. #respecthesewomen #marketthesewomen #paythesewomen follow me @wnbanation for more wnba content.

A post shared by WNBA ‘s 1st official fanpage (@wnbanation) on Aug 22, 2018 at 6:56pm PDT

WNBA players also earn just 22% of the league’s annual revenue while NBA players earn 50%. Further, WNBA players don’t get a percentage of jersey sales and are forced to travel commercially rather than on charter flights.

LeBron bringing in three women designers to make a men’s shoe immediately makes that argument unavoidable. Goldson said at last night’s ceremony referring to the lack of black women in a still painfully white fashion industry,

“Your voice is not heard. He looked to the left and looked to the right and said I’m going to take as many people as I can with me. And that’s what’s so special to me is that people want to hear what we have to say.”

 

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WOWW!! 😭🙏🏾 Thank you @KingJames + @nike + @harlemsfashionrow + @essence for including me in Lebron James’ 16th shoe launch and 16 #STRONGEST women!! 😱🙌🏾❤️ SEE #LebronJames Story!!! _______________________________________________________ This shoe is designed by African American Women!!! Lebron James, @mavcarter you all are visionaries!! You all see us, and celebrate and elevate our love, passion, dedication, determination, and empowerment! I am forever grateful to be uplifted by my brethren! Thank you for making it #MorethanAGame #Nike #LebronJames #16 #strongest #dancer #choreographer #tapdancer #syncopatedladies #chloeandmaud #chloearnold #striveforgreatness #harlemfashionrow #AKidfromDC #lakers

A post shared by Chloe Arnold (@chloearnoldtaps) on Sep 5, 2018 at 5:41am PDT

In addition to LeBron electing to go with these women for the design of his shoe, the compliance of Nike and their societal involvement of late is also worth mentioning.

Sponsoring events like HFR and making Colin Kaepernick the face of its new campaign is major. James said during his speech in a reference to the new ad,

“I stand for anybody who believes in change, who believes in a positive attitude, and I believe and I stand with Nike every day all day.”

Nike is even going as far as to air a commercial featuring Collin Kaepernick during the season opener of the NFL Thursday night.

Not that he ever needed to push, but ever since Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham told LeBron to “shut up and dribble”, he’s been doing so much more. Between the school, the movies, the tech companies, the camps and so much more, we should not be surprised that LeBron has the first all-women designed men’s basketball shoe.

With the NBA lifting the restrictions on which colors athletes can wear on their shoes, there’s no telling what LeBron has up his sleeve next. We’ll just have to wait and see.

LeBron’s move to the Lakers represents a cataclysmic shift in the NBA. The Lakers’ moves this offseason puts them much closer to a championship in the near future. But just how much more do they need to really put it all together?

With just 44 days until their season tips off against the Blazers, the Los Angeles franchise is gearing up for one of their biggest seasons ever, even considering their storied legacy.

Their new players bring veteran leadership, defensive, toughness, consistency, and grit to this young Lakers team. However, this is not the only move that the Lakers need to make to beat Golden State. Below are the steps that the Lakers need to take to dethrone the Warriors.

Develop young Lakers

The success and future of the Lakers depend on the development of its young players. Currently, on their roster, they have six players 25 and under that have shown real signs that they could be great parts on a championship team. Caldwell-Pope, Gary Payton II, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball.

If these players can develop into essential components the way that Boston developed its young players last season or the way the Spurs/Raptors have continued to develop their draft picks, then the Lakers have a real shot at beating Golden State in the future.

The Spurs and Raptors have built great teams through the draft and by developing players into their roles. Their players haven’t individually been the top talent in the NBA over the years, however, they are perfect for their roles on the offensive end of the floor and play strong defense.

If these young Lakers can mature into their roles, the Lakers have a real shot of beating Golden State.

Acquire Kawhi Leonard

Some players make their name through flashy showmanship or by off the chart statistics, Kawhi Leonard on the other hand, does it by performing in the postseason, being efficient, and by playing great defense. Kawhi Leonard is Scottie Pippen/James Worthy 2.0. In the playoffs, he takes his game to the next level.

This was showcased in 2014, at the age of 22, when he won Finals MVP on a team with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili when they beat Lebron’s Miami Heat.

Kawhi may be the only player that can keep up with Kevin Durant and defend against him. The Spurs had great success against Golden State before they got Kevin Durant because of Kawhi Leonard’s leadership, by playing excellent defense, and by functioning as a unit offensively.

Kawhi is the perfect complement to LeBron, Rondo, and the rest of the Lakers. He is efficient offensively, he can catch and shoot, relishes playing his role, is not ball dominant, and is the best defensive player in the League. Also, he is all about winning and does not try to hog the spotlight.

Kawhi Leonard is also young and can take over the Lakers from Lebron as he ages. He could be the new leader of the Lakers and soon be the face of the franchise. He is the best player that the Lakers should invest in for the future of the franchise.

The Lakers need to improve defensively and play as a unit

The Houston Rockets were able to challenge Golden State in the playoffs because they outhustled them and they played sensational defense. Unlike most teams, they were not afraid to challenge Golden State and to get in their face.

Moreover, Chris Paul was able to help Houston function as a unit offensively and was the moral leader of the team. This was essential in pushing Golden State to a game.

Last season, the Lakers struggle defensively. They demonstrate offensive firepower, however, they lacked unity offensively and struggled defensively

However, the Veteran players they acquired should fix these problems. And above all, Rondo will help the team function as an offensive unit and unlock the potential in these young players. Moreover, these Rondo and these new Veteran players will force the Young players to compete for playing time and help them develop in Practice.

The Lakers could play Lebron, Javale Mcgee, Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Caldwell Pope, and Michael Beasley as a six man and still have great success. Every position is now competitive on the Lakers team.

The Lakers because of their depth will also be able to give their players adequate resting time; something that Golden State has enjoyed in the past. However, no team can still compete with Golden State’s talent and shooting capability.

However, teams in the past have shown that they can play better defense, have a deeper bench, and can function better as a unit on the offensive end than Golden State.

This strategy will give the Lakers the best shot at beating Golden State.

He’s a 23-year-old Instagram savant who’s giving the saying “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” a new meaning.

Omar Raja created House of Highlights in his UCF dorm room as a way to help his friends find funny clips of LeBron James and Co., and now The King and his court of NBA All-Stars engage with the account themselves.

Speaking at Hashtag Sports 2018, Omar Raja discusses how he built a channel that reaches over 10 million people and continues to revolutionize the way sports clips are delivered to young fans.

This interview, originally conducted at HS18 by Rick Maese of The Washington Post, has been condensed and edited.

For those that don’t know, what is House of Highlights? What makes it unique? And if you have the secret sauce, share that too.

Yeah, it started when LeBron left the Heat in 2014. I was depressed, and I was looking for clips that related to [that] Miami Heat team.

People usually think of highlights as dunks, crossovers, and assists, but the moments that mattered to me and my friends were moments with Mario Chalmers joking on the bench or Wade and LeBron videobombing an interview, and what kind of happened is when LeBron made his decision I was looking for those clips and I couldn’t find them anywhere.

I looked on YouTube, I looked on Twitter, I looked on Vine and no one was really doing it so I decided that I was going to do it myself. I went on Instagram and thought at max I would have 100K – 200K followers.

I posted clips that I thought were funny, whether it be LeBron making a face…or a funny celebration. Now we’re at 9.6M followers. We got 700M video views in December, and I honestly don’t know how we got here but I’ll take it.

What are some examples of some of the inventive ways of working with brands that you guys have tapped into?

I think my favorite one is probably the Curry Challenge. Under Armour had this thing, the Curry Challenge that had already started, and we were able to put together videos relating to that Curry Challenge. I think [that’s] the best one.

I might be wrong here, but it got like 3M views, which in 2017 according to Brandtale, was [one of] the highest viewed branded video on all of Instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/BcLjmwohTXN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_control

That was fun because we got to go work with influencers and create our own content. You get nervous about it at first because you want to live up to the expectations and I think we blew past them so that was great.

What are some examples of things that do pop? Because I know game highlights is a portion of it, but some of the best content and the funniest material has nothing to do with the sport itself.

There was a soccer clip this weekend that kind of popped off. We signed a talent called Supreme Dreams, [his] real name is Mark Phillips, and he had a soccer video which combined two things that are [super] relevant: anime and soccer.

That video got 45K retweets and people thought it was absolutely hilarious. So that’s the one video that really popped off this weekend, and I think it’s a great example.

I wonder, do we see that more in the offseason? They do so much crazy stuff, like the banana boat or the guys go on vacation and open up a window into their personal lives. Do you look forward to the offseason because we get to see some of that?

Yeah, I mean the NBA is 24/7. I love that all these guys get together, and I think some of the biggest things last summer were like LeBron, KD and Carmelo having a pick-up game during the summer of last year, and everyone was just amazed that those three would willingly choose to get together and play against each other during July.

What’s also cool is like one of the highest viewed videos on House of Highlights last season was the Cavs taking the subway to their hotel, and no one could believe that these athletes–and LeBron James–would willingly choose to go on a subway to get to their hotel.

It was [a highly] viewed video, and I think part of that is like “Oh, they’re just like us!” And I think that’s a big thing that House of Highlights hit on.

How hard is that to keep track of because the landscape changes so fast, and today it might be Instagram and tomorrow something totally different?

Yeah, we check the comments; that’s where people are going to react. We check the likes, we check the views, and the DM’s too. So if there’s something that they don’t like, people are going to let us know.

You learn from that feedback, and you understand what’s the next move that you have to make, and that’s how you make most of your decisions.

Do you ever hear from someone like LeBron when you post a highlight?

You know, that’s also one of the most surprising things, and I won’t say names, but some of the biggest NBA athletes are sending in clips to House of Highlights asking if they can get posted.

Just say one name.

I cannot tell you one name. But I was talking to J.J. Redick on his podcast, and we were talking about how a lot of these guys are a little insecure, so when all of their friends follow House of Highlights, it’s their moment where they [want to] kind of brag about it.

I think the most surprising thing is it’s never the 13th guy on the bench; it’s max players and All-Stars.

Omar Raja spoke at Hashtag Sports 2018, an annual conference designed for digital decision makers in sports. Learn more here.

This article originally appeared on Hashtag Sports’ Innovate page.