Derek Fisher doesn't like to be left hanging

Usually when a player hits a buzzer-beater or something of the sort, teammates and others line up for high five's or fist bumps.

Well, last night in the impressive Thunder's victory over LeBron James and the Miami Heat, Derek Fisher banked in a three as a quarter came to a close and he was going to get his, whether the gentleman in the suit wanted to give it to him or not.

This gave me a good chuckle from my couch as it went down (h/t Yardbarker).

Royce White labeled the 'worst first-round pick ever'

Ouch. This label isn't really fair to Royce, who is dealing with his fair share of issues and still has ample opportunity to make it playing professional basketball.

Check out the original article from Philly.com, here.
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There have been a lot of questionable first round picks throughout the history of the NBA draft – Dominque Jones, Lazar Hayward, and Darko Milicic – to name a few. But, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believes that by selecting Royce White with the 16^th overall pick in the 2012 draft, that he is responsible for the ‘worst first-round pick ever.’

“I take some sort of pride in that you could argue that Royce White is the worst first-round pick ever,” Morey quipped in a recent interview with ClutchFans.

Morey, insensitivity aside, was alluding to the fact that White may never play in an NBA game. 

“He’s the only one that never played a minute in the NBA that wasn’t just a foreign guy staying in Europe.”

Face-to-face with the world's largest t-shirt launcher, the Sixers' Big Bella

The Sixers don't have the NBA's best or biggest team at this point, but hey, they do have the world's largest t-shirt launcher.

Big Bella, as it has been fondly named, was unveiled at the start of last season, and has been a fan favorite ever since.

The 600-pound launcher can fire out up to 100 t-shirts in just 60 seconds. Too bad most of them are XL's that the average person could only wear as a night gown.

Anyway, while covering a recent game at the Wells Fargo Center, I came face-to-face with Big Bella in a lower level hallway, and man, the thing is big. It looks like some sort of futuristic weaponry, just with Sixers' symbols painted upon it.

It is a pretty impressive piece of machinery, if only it could be taught to play basketball, or intimidate opponents, the Sixers might have a real advantage.

Here is a close up shot of Big Bella:

Photo taken by Michael Kaskey-Blomain

The thing is taller than me.

 

Photo via @Sixers

Sixers selling Evan Turner stuff as the trade deadline approaches

What great timing by the 76ers. You have to think that they did this on purpose just to play with us. The organization is not deaf to the constant supply of trade Turner rumors, and maybe this is their way to joke at it. Or, it really is foreshadowing of the future. Either way, the timing is nothing short of interesting.

Catch the original article from Philly.com, here.
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Talk about timing, or trolling. 

The Sixers’ 25% off all Evan Turner apparel and novelties sale may not mean anything more than that the team is trying to give fans a cheaper supply of Turner stuff, but the timing is tremendous. 

Sixers' mid-season review

Check the original article from Philly.com, here. 

After their loss to the Wizards in Washington on Monday afternoon, the Sixers officially sit at the halfway point of their season. The team has played 41 of the 82 regular season games on its schedule and won a grand total of 13 times, which, at this point, is more than many expected. 

With the season’s glass half empty, now seems to be a good time to look at some trends on the Sixers’ struggle of a season. 

First of all, the Sixers’ 13 wins is the third least in the league at this point. Only Milwaukee (7) and Orlando (11) have fewer wins than Philadelphia. If you’re on board with using this season as a developmental tool and landing as high as possible in the summer’s lottery than this is a good thing. If not, well then you’re likely out of luck, and you will just have to continue to suffer through some bad basketball from the Sixers this season. 

Thank you, Chris Bosh

Thank you, Chris Bosh for your latest entertaining internet clip. Intentionally or not, you always seem to be making us laugh.

This is almost as good as his battle with the flying confetti:

Or that time he gave himself a campaign shower:

 

Keep them coming, Chris.

Jason Richardson hopes to suit up for the Sixers at some point this season

Not the biggest news in the league's landscape, but it's nice to be reminded that Jason Richardson, who used to be one of the league's most athletic players, is still, um, on the Sixers and trying to play some basketball.

Check out the original article. which ran on Philly.com, here.
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Do you remember the 2003 NBA Dunk Contest? The one where the victor threw down such a clean off-the-bounce, through-the-legs, reverse dunk to take home the title that even Michael Jordan had to smile at it (although he tried his best not to look too impressed)?

Well, in case you forgot, that victor was Jason Richardson, and he is still a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, also, in case you forgot.

LeBron James is a fan of the Sixers' Michael Carter-Williams

In anticipation of a second show-down with the Sixers this season, LeBron James shared some thoughts on rookie Michael Carter-Williams. 

Check out the original article from Philly.com here.

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Michael Carter-Williams’ strong NBA debut against Miami, and his high level of play since has impressed a lot of people, including apparently, the NBA’s reigning MVP.

“They got a good one,” LeBron James stated, in regards to the Sixers’ likely Rookie of the Year. 

Putting up 22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals, and flirting with a triple-double in a debut against the league’s top team is a pretty strong statement, and one that James obviously took heed to.

“He has been playing great basketball, obviously he has his ups and downs like any ol' rookie, but he has been playing pretty steady basketball for his team,” James added, per a report from Dei Lynam. 

Not a bad endorsement from the world’s best baller, whose rookie stats were actually very similar to the numbers Carter-Williams has put up so far this season:

Nick Young tries to fight the whole Suns team by himself

Okay, so Nick Young trying to fight the entire Phoenix Suns team by himself is my favorite thing that happened this week. I already had an affinity for Swaggy, and this only added to it. Who knew he had a tough side?

Nick apparently wasn't too happy with his teammates after the incident, but really, where were the Lakers?? Not one player felt it necessary to come over and help their teammate?

I wonder what Kobe what have done if he were out on the court?

Image from blacksportsonline.com

Red Bull Midnight Run Recap: Indianapolis crowned 'Most Talented Basketball City'

The Red Bull Midnight run took place over the course of seven months. Back in July I went to Girard College to catch the Philadelphia qualifying run, and the event just ended this past Friday evening at Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. There was a lot of talented players involved, and as I point out in the article, it was nice to see ballers playing for pride, rather than motivated by money.

Check out the original, full article from Philly.com here.
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After seven months of tough competitions across the country, the Red Bull Midnight Run, a street ball tournament aimed at determining which city has the best ball players, came to a dramatic conclusion Friday evening at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. 

The Midnight Run, which held its Philadelphia-based qualifying round at Girard College back in July, brought together teams of eight elite ballers from Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Indianapolis, to battle for the title of ‘Most Talented Basketball City.’ The teams were comprised of D-Leaguers, street ballers, former college standouts, overseas players, and others. 

Each team was out to prove that their city is the most skilled, and the players found a lot of pride in representing their city on a larger scale. There was no money on the line, just bragging rights, and the ability to represent your city. 

“I always represent my city, my block, where I’m from,” former WVU guard and Philadelphia run representative Jarett Kearse told me over the phone prior to the event. 

“To be able to do it as a whole for my city is a big accomplishment.”

Sixers' rookie Nernels Noel cleared by doctors to resume basketball-related activities

Full article from Philly.com here.

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Eleven months after the original ACL injury, Sixers rookie center Nerlens Noel has been cleared by doctors to resume basketball activities, and he may be ready to get out on the court shortly after the all-star break, according to a report from ESPN. 

Noel visited Dr. James Andrews in Florida last week and was given the go-ahead.

"He is doing excellent and the team is taking good care of him," Andrews told ESPN.com, while providing few other details, except that Noel may be ready for in-game action in 4-6 weeks, barring a setback. 

While he may have been cleared by doctors, the team still needs to clear him as well, and thus far they have not been in a rush to bring him back. 

Most, including head coach Brett Brown, had accepted that Noel would likely have to sit the entire season. 

"I doubt, everybody doubts that he's going to play this year," Brown said before a preseason game at the Cleveland Cavaliers. "We don't want to waste this year. I think from a skill perspective, it's an opportunity for us to break down his shot, really work on his free throws and start a little bit from ground zero."

The coaching staff has worked with Noel on his shot and other areas of his game throughout the season, and now it will be up to them to determine when, and if, some actual in-game NBA experience this season would be beneficial.

Are Spike Lee and Ray Allen going to film a sequel to 'He Got Game'?

Check out the original article, which ran on Philly.com, here. 

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Jesus Shuttlesworth will be making an on-court comeback Friday night in Brooklyn, and rumor has it that he may be making a comeback to the silver screen sometime soon as well. 

Ray Allen, who played high school basketball standout Jesus Shuttlesworth in the 1998 Spike Lee- directed classic He Got Game, recently revealed that he and Lee have had discussions about a sequel and are ‘throwing ideas back and forth.’ 

The film, which finds Allen paired on-screen with Denzel Washington, was extremely well-received and remains relevant, and immensely popular today.  

"Not one day goes by where I walk in here and guys don't say that they didn't watch it last night or it wasn't on," Allen said prior to playing the Pelicans earlier this week. 

Image from Dimemag.com

Allen, who hit an insanely clutch three-pointer to save the season for Miami in the 2013 NBA Finals, is still often referred to as ‘Jesus’ by his teammates. 

Sequels aren’t always good (see: Grown Ups 2), but the idea is intriguing. 

"Sequels to most movies are always fluff and not as good as the first,” Allen acknowledged. “But it's something we've been talking about for the last couple months. If we get a really good story line and are able to bring everybody back, then it would be something worth doing."

Worth doing indeed. It would be tremendous to see how Jesus’ stint at Big State, and following professional career turned out, and what became of Jake (Washington). 

Many would be excited about a sequel, including Jesus Shuttlesworth himself, stating simply:

"Hopefully it works out."

Michael Carter-Williams needs to develop a solid shot

This article ran originally on Philly.com earlier this morning, check out the article in its entirety here.

I've watched virtually every Sixer game so far this season, and consistently find myself thinking how deadly Carter-Williams could be if he developed a solid shot.
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Michael Carter-Williams has already exceeded expectations this season.

The fresh-faced point guard has demonstrated the ability to run an NBA offense, which is a difficult transition for many young guards fresh out of college to make, and he has consistently been able to get the ball to his teammates in positions where they can score; a prerequisite to being a successful starting point in the league. Carter-Williams looks like he knows what he’s doing with the ball in his hands, and by all accounts the Sixers’ offense has been more effective with him running it. 

He has been better than decent defensively as well, where his nose for the ball and ability to suddenly pop into passing lanes have him leading the league in steals, and his length and sheer size have allowed him to switch seamlessly onto other position players around the perimeter. Throw in the fact that Carter-Williams has been a reliable rebounder from the guard spot as well, leading all rookies with 5.7 boards a game, and you get the picture of a pretty complete point who may very well shape the future of the franchise in Philadelphia. 

The Philadelphia 76ers have the NBA's worst home attendance so far this season

Check out the original article from Philly.com, here. 

The Sixers aren’t the NBA’s worst team, at least record-wise, as some expected them to be, but they are getting the least support from fans. The Sixers, who boast the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in Michael Carter-Williams, have the lowest home attendance in the league. 

Apparently even MC-W can’t help the Sixers sell seats this season.

In 15 home games so far this season, the Wells Fargo Center has averaged 13,266 attendees per game, and at times it feels, and looks like much less than that. The Sixers are the only team in the league that have drawn less than 200,000 total fans at this point in the season, and with the team out of the playoff picture the trend is likely to continue. 

A drop-off in support was expected this season after it was clear the team couldn’t contend, but last in the league? Yikes. 

You would like to think that even though the Sixers are struggling they could draw more interest than say the Bucks or the Bobcats, especially considering market size and the fact that they have their first true Rookie of the Year candidate since Allen Iverson. But Philly fans, ever desperate for a winner, don’t want to shell out for a team that is not contending in the now, no matter how bright the franchise’s future may be. 

Things get slightly better for the Sixers away from the Wells Fargo Center, as they at least aren’t last in away attendance, as the Kings, Trail Blazers, and Magic all draw less away from home than the Sixers. 

Sam Hinkie and the rest of the organization knows what it needs to do. If all goes according to plan, the Sixers will be building a young contender in the coming years, and once the wins start coming, fans will follow. 

NBA attendance figures can be found here: http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance

The Toronto Raptos love Drake and hope he can sell some tickets for them

Check out the original article from Philly.com, here. I can't ever recall seeing a team align themselves so directly with an entertainer that had no hand in ownership. I get that they're playing on the whole "Drake is from Canada and so are the Raptors thing," but come on, how about using your on-court product to sell some tickets rather than the aid of an entertainer. (Notice I don't refer to Drake as a rapper).
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Toronto isn’t the most popular place in the National Basketball League’s landscape. Superstars aren’t lining up to play for the Raptors, and fans aren’t kicking down the door to snag season tickets. They are televised nationally about once every 67 days, and then usually only against a marquee team. Toronto has not made a Finals appearance in its 18 years of existence (The Raptors were founded in 1995), and hasn’t had a true superstar since Vince Carter, or Chris Bosh, if you care to call him that.