All Good Basketball

Sotto and Edu under Coach Tim Cone!

Gilas Pilipinas is set to take on the visiting New Zealand team in November, with the game taking place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. This matchup is particularly exciting as it will feature a healthy Kai Sotto and AJ Edu, who are expected to play pivotal roles under the guidance of Coach Tim Cone.

The presence of these talented players adds depth and potential to the Gilas roster, making the upcoming game a highly anticipated event for fans and supporters of Philippine basketball.

Salute to you, Mr. Awesome!

Pinunan ni NewNew ang absence ni Skati. Ang tindi pa dumipensa, napakasipag hayop. May mga midrange fadeaway pa.

Sa dala ng pagod at higpit ng depensa, mayroong lapses sa bandang huli pero napakasolid magdala't magtawid ng bola, kahit na pressure dahil crucial ang laban, humahabol ang #6 World Team.

Pinakita ni Chris na kaya niyang maging floor general o magtimon bilang uno. Napakavocal din sa teammates kapag nagkamali.

Mukhang blessing in disguise ang pagkawala ni Thompson para maipakita ni Newsome na hindi lang siya best perimeter defender o didipensa sa best player ng kalaban sa ibabaw, kundi kaya niya ang role as a point and captain of the team.

credit to the owner:

Coach Tim Cone running the triangle 🙂❤️

Credit: tiebreakertimes

I guess I’m still a dinosaur at heart, playing the triangle,” he quipped to a reporter during the post-game press conference.

The triangle offense is so complex that it takes years for a player to master. Moreover, not all players or teams are suited for the triangle offense, particularly those without skilled passers who struggle with decision-making.

That is why, during the very first day of Gilas practice early this year, Cone emphasized to the entire Gilas pool that the triangle was here to stay and that he would do his best to teach it to them.

“When I came into camp with the players, I said to them that this is what I know best, this is what I can teach best, so we will live and die with this,” he shared.

Of course, there was a time when Cone doubted whether his system had become passé.

Chot Reyes’ dribble-drive offense brought success to both Gilas and TNT during the 2010s.

On the other hand, Tab Baldwin’s approach – which integrates both motion and continuity offense – was believed to be the future of Philippine basketball.

“It gets a lot of criticism, especially when it was used with the New York Knicks. People really started to doubt it. Even I left it for a couple of years because everybody must be right, right?” Cone recalled about the time when he diverged from the triangle during the late 2010s.

He added, “If everybody is saying that it is a bad offense, they must be right. But I did as much as I could for two years, and I still went back to it

“It’s been my best friend ever since.”

With Phil Jackson long retired, only a few coaches run the system created by Sam Barry and perfected by Tex Winter.

For this generation, running the triangle seems weird or even new. That is why Cone is still running it – not just because it’s his bread and butter, but also to re-introduce the system of his late mentor Winter.

“People aren’t as familiar with it now compared to fifteen to twenty years ago when Chicago and LA were running it. I’m enjoying running it, and I’ve always enjoyed running it. I’m just proud that we were able to do something with it,” said Cone, noting that it’s also the system that helps alleviate the defensive deficiencies of Filipinos.

I’ve been playing the triangle for thirty-plus years. I was mentored by Tex Winter. So I just enjoy living his legacy and keeping it going. It’s an offense that I believe in.”

Laban Pilipinas, Puso! 🙂❤️

He is the best player that I've ever coached
-Tim Cone
Credit : Spin.ph

TIM Cone has had the privilege of handling a lot of players who won championships, became MVP, and went on to become PBA greats in their own right.

But out of these select group, only one stood out on top.

Heck, he’s even the smallest of them all.

The legendary coach named Johnny Abarrientos the best player he ever coached in his more than 30 years of calling the shots from the sidelines, be it with Alaska, Purefoods, or with Barangay Ginebra.

The 5-foot-7 ace playmaker was the anchor of Alaska’s 1996 grand slam team and for almost a decade, served as the perfect extension of Cone inside the court.

So much so the 63-year-old coach described Abarrientos as the most ‘intuitive player I’ve been around.’

“I’ve always said the one player I’ve never coached was Johnny Abarrientos. I’ve never coached him. I just let him play,” shared Cone in a special guest appearance in the SPIN.ph ZOOM In.

“He just shows up in practice and did his thing, got in the game and did his thing. I never coached him. He was just so totally instinctive, and knew what the right plays were all the time.”

Cone was already at the helm of Alaska when the franchise selected the wily point guard out of Far Eastern University with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1993 draft.

It only took a year before Abarrientos would win the first of the nine championships he won

with the team starting in the 1994 Governors Cup.

But it was the 96 season that really proved to be the highlight of his playing career following a sweep by Alaska of all the three conferences at stake, topped by Abarrientos winning the MVP plum. He became the first player under Cone to win the league’s highest individual award.

Recalling his days with his top playmaker, Cone said Abarrientos was the perfect combination of a player.

“He was a tremendous teammate, tremendous work ethic, tremendously skilled with what he can do in terms of his size. He was a totally all-around player, defensively, offensively, passing, rebounding. He was a great rebounding guard like Scottie Thompson. He can shoot it. He was our best shooter,” said the man who owned the most number of PBA championships won by a coach with 23.

GILAS - NEXT 4 YEARS

“We understand that, and you know, I think we just have to play that by ear,”

“Chris Newsome’s 33, and he’ll be 37 [by the World Cup]. Those are things that are going to happen along the way: Our veterans will get older. June Mar (Fajardo) is going to be 38, too, and we’ll have to see how things go at that point,”

“That’s the way a basketball team is, right? Players get old, you have to replace him, players get hurt, you’ll have to figure out a way to make up with him, next man up. That’s what we are, a basketball team, and we are treating this team like any other basketball team like the Ginebra team or San Miguel team or TNT.”

“Maybe there’s a 7-foot guy that comes over from the States and wows everybody and we put him on the national team, able to replace June Mar (Fajardo); or an import comes in, really wows us and you know, maybe he comes in and replaces Justin. Someone can get a bad injury, knock on wood. Those are all possibilities,”

“The idea is each year-end we assess just like you do with any Ginebra team, San Miguel team. After every conference we reassess. You keep track, and maybe see some players not pulling their weight. That’s what we [usually] do, and things won’t be any different,”

Source: INQUIRER.net

"Hindi ako masyadong tumitira sa tres kasi marami na kaming shooters baka mawalan sila ng trabaho" 😆😆😆

Junemar Fajardo's funny comment on his 2 straight three pointers in Game 2 of the PBA Season 48 Commissioners Cup Finals.

Coach Tim wants 12 man Gilas core intact for 4 years.

credits spin.ph

Cone said he intends to keep the same core for four years, but is open to make minor tweaks along the way to the pool made up of PBA players Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Jamie Malonzo, and June Mar Fajardo, Japan B.League stars Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, and Kai Sotto, UAAP cager Kevin Quiambao, and naturalized player Justin Brownlee.

“The team is going to stay together through every window,” said Cone on the sidelines of the Philippine Sportswriters Association awards at the Diamond Hotel on Monday.

“If we play Southeast Asian Games, we expect to play this team in the Southeast Asian games. If we play Asian Games, World Cup qualifiers, FIBA Cup, Fiba Cup qualifiers, (we play this team),” Cone said.Cone said he wants to build the Gilas team as if it was a club team where they grow in each tournament they compete in.

“As we are saying, we want to keep this team intact because every time we either grow from the success or failure that we have. It kinda looks like a PBA team or NBA team or B.League team, any kind of basketball team, you keep a team together as much as you can and you try to get them together and learn from the failures and successes,” said Cone.Cone though admitted keeping the 12 all through the four years will be easier said than done as changes due to health injuries could also happen along the way.

“Eventually, you’ll grow it. You have to make a little tweak here and there. Ideally, it will be the same 12 guys for four years. But that’s not realistic. There would be tweaks along the way but the idea is to keep an intact core,” said Cone.The concurrent Ginebra coach also admitted he doesn’t believe in forming a huge pool.

“We are just going with 12 guys,” said Cone. “We didn’t want to put a big pool together. That takes more time. The PBA, the leagues, the UAAP, they don’t want to stop their league for a month or two for us to prepare. If we are going to try that, there will be resistance to lend their players.”

Kung ikaw si KQ, papayag kb na maging naturalized player ng UAE?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kevin Quiambao is demonstrating that he is on par with the continent’s best players.

In the ongoing 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship, the reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player is averaging 18.67 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, helping Strong Group Athletics maintain a 3-0 record.

With his string of stellar performances, the 6-foot-6 all-around forward has garnered interest from top club teams in the Middle East.

Not only that, but one federation has expressed interest in naturalizing Quiambao, and it’s none other than the tournament host, the United Arab Emirates.

“Nung kinausap nila ako at sinabi nila na gusto nila ako i-naturalize, siyempre hindi ako nakasalita,” recalled Quiambao to Tiebreaker Times about the conversation he had with a UAE Basketball Association official over the weekend.

“Hindi ko alam yung mararamdaman ko nun. Na-amaze ako at siyempre, na-overwhelm kasi ibang usapan na ito e. Hindi lang ito about playing sa club level. National team na ang usapan dito.”

During SGA’s game against UAE, Quiambao played only 21 minutes but still managed to contribute 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists, ending up with a plus-16 rating.

His performance impressed the officials of the UAE.

Initially, the 22-year-old thought that what the UAE basketball official told him was just a bluff or a quip.

The federation though scheduled a meeting with him over lunch on Tuesday, indicating that they are serious about their offer.

“I’ll listen to it. Siyempre, nakakahiya naman if di ko sila pakinggan ‘di ba?” continued Quiambao.

However, Quiambao has already played six games for Gilas Pilipinas.

Credits: Tiebreaker Times

DWIGHT MEETS MANNY
Credits: Daily Tribune

LOOK: Former NBA champion Dwight Howard pays octuple boxing champion Manny Pacquiao a visit on Thursday evening, during his stay in the country in preparation for the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship with his team, Strong Group Philippines. 📸MPBL/Facebook

Strong Group Receives Big Boost

Former National Basketball Association big man Dwight Howard touched down in the country last night as Strong Group gears up for the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship in the United Arab Emirates.

Howard, an NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, was in the company of former Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche.

The two other American reinforcements — Andre Roberson and Mckenzie Moore — arrived Saturday and immediately worked out.

Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu told DAILY TRIBUNE that while Howard is excited to get a glimpse of the Filipino culture and meet the fans, his top priority will be training with the team as they only have a few days to prepare for the Dubai tilt.

The 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship will begin on 19 January with Strong Group leaving two days before.

“Dwight has been wanting to do a lot of things with the fans so let’s see what we can come up with for the fans but our priority is to train and prepare,” Tiu said.

“We want to build chemistry get them to play some good defense and play together,” he added.

Apart from the NBA veterans, Strong Group will be led by University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao and Francis Escandor of De La Salle University and joined by College of St. Benilde’s Allen Liwag, Tony Ynot and Justine Sanchez.

Joining Tiu on the sidelines are Australia national team coach Brian Goorjian and Green Archers tactician Topex Robinson.

2023 - 24 NBA GMs VOTE ✅
PG 👉 CURRY
SG 👉 BOOKER
SF 👉 TATUM
PF 👉 ANTETOKOUNMPO
CE 👉 JOKIC

Champion 🏆
Kudos! Gilas Pilipinas!
Asian Games Mens Basketball..

Philippine basketball: The sad reality. 😔

Where is Kai Sotto headed next?

credit: tiebreaker times

A quick check of Hiroshima’s official roster page for the upcoming 2023-24 B.League season reveals that the Dragonflies currently have only 11 players on their team.

Multiple sources closely monitoring the situation have also informed Tiebreaker Times that the Dragonflies have been actively searching for a new Asian import to complete their team, dating back to last month.

This development is intriguing, given that the Dragonflies had previously announced that the 7-foot-3 Filipino phenom has a contract clause allowing him to sign with another team only if it’s an NBA or G League team, with the team still retaining his rights.

In his debut season with the Dragonflies, Sotto averaged 8.92 points, 6.08 rebounds, and 1.29 blocks in 24 games played. He later participated in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

During the World Cup, Sotto averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

'BASTOS NAMAN TALAGA ‘YUNG IBANG PINAGSASABI. I DON’T DESERVE IT'

Credit: Philippine Star

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes expressed his dismay over inappropriate name-calling and bashing he and his family received following his coaching stint in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

In an interview with reporters, Reyes said that this served as one of the last straws in his decision to step aside as the national team's head coach.

“After a while, it’s just too heavy. Masyado nang masakit. Masyado nang mahirap. Just to be very honest, bastos naman talaga ‘yung ibang pinagsasabi. I don’t deserve it. My family doesn’t deserve it,” he stressed.

| via John Bryan Ulanday

Pido Jarencio: Long preparation, players’ commitment key to Gilas Pilipinas’ success

Credit: fastbreak

Alfredo “Pido” Jarencio emphasizes that for Gilas Pilipinas to excel in international competitions, thorough preparation and unwavering commitment from players and coaching staff are imperative.

The returning head coach of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers added that, with sufficient preparation time, Gilas can achieve excellence regardless of the system employed by head coach Chot Reyes.

“Kulang lang tayo sa preparasyon,” Jarencio said in an interview with DZYT 765. “Kung maganda ang preparasyon at commitment natin, madami tayong tatalunin.”

“Kahit anong sistema ang itakbo natin, hindi tayo outdated for me, hindi lang tayo buo. Kulang lang sa preparasyon at commitment ng mga tao na involved,” he added.

“Bakit ‘yung France? ano ba ang (world) ranking ng France? Ang dami nilang NBA players pero na out sila. European system na ang gamit nila pero natalo pa din, so wala ‘yan sa sistema,” he further said.

Having previously been an assistant coach to Reyes at San Miguel Beermen in 2006, Jarencio holds the belief that Gilas Pilipinas performed admirably in their group stage matches during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

“For me, maganda naman ang ipinakita nila eh, syempre world stage na ‘yan,” Jarencio said. “Against (the) Dominican Republic, breaks of the game lang, then versus Angola and Italy, kinapos lang.”

“Good learning experience ‘yun for the Gilas team,” he added. “More preparation, established system, and ‘yung mga tao na kukunin is full commitment, from there maglakaroon ng magandang resulta ‘yan.”

Tim Cone stands by Chot Reyes: “If he goes, I go”

Credit: hoops Ph

Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach Tim Cone says he has no plans to take over as head coach, despite rising calls for Chot Reyes to resign.

In fact, Cone has stated that if Reyes decides to go that route, he, too, will follow suit.

coach Chot goes, I go,” said Cone during an interview with One Sports’ Carlo Pamintuan.

The Brgy. Ginebra mentor said he supports Reyes and believes he is still the best man for the job.

“Some assistant coaches come into a team believing that they will get their chance to be the head coach someday but that’s not me. I’m here to serve at Coach Chot’s pleasure. I’m only here to support him because I believe in him,” said Cone.

Cone stated that Reyes performed well in the World Cup given the quality of opponents they faced.

“I’ve been with this program for a year now and I really believe that he is still the best man for the job. I think the steps he has taken are correct and we’ve never really been out of any game. You know it’s hard to win in the World Cup because you’re going up against great teams,” said Cone.

Cone also stated that the reaction directed against Reyes on social media is unjust.

“If you have 12 coaches in a room, they will coach any game 12 different ways. In the Philippines, you have 110 million coaches who will all have opinions but being an assistant coach here, but I’m the one who sees it up close and I think he’s done a great job.”

Cone revealed that he and team captain Japeth Aguilar, as well as Kiefer Ravena, discussed backing Reyes following Gilas’ loss to Italy at the end of the group stage campaign.

“You guys played one hell of a game. And Coach Chot was amazing (against Italy). Italy just shot the ball a little bit better but that’s basketball,” said Cone.

“I think that postgame affected coach Chot because he saw the support from the team. Kiefer spoke and Japeth spoke up and told coach Chot to lead the way,” added the PBA’s most successful bench tactician.

“We all try not to be affected by negative comments on social media. Even I stay away from it when Ginebra loses but of course, we are aware it’s there. So it was important for the team to show our head coach that they still support him.”

NBA star Clarkson elevates Gilas PH games up a notch.

Ctto: manilastandard.net

Barely a week in practice with the Gilas Pilipinas team, Jordan Clarkson is showing the way why he is a marquee NBA player.

That was how Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio and the coaching staff observed the Utah Jazz star’s first few days with the Gilas squad that is preparing for the FIBA World Cup.

While Clarkson acts like he’s just one of the guys, Panlilio said the Fil-American naturalized player still proves he’s a “different animal” in terms of skills and game IQ.

“May mga moves or assists that he only sees and does. Paano niya nakita ‘yun?” said Panlilio on Tuesday during the special edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association at the Meralco Conference Hall in Pasig City.

“And that’s how you are if you are an NBA player, you see things differently and see opportunities,” added Panlilio.

“ Clarkson would definitely elevate our team, and would provide big contributions,” Panlilio said.

Clarkson’s presence in the Gilas lineup, according Panlilio, has added an additional attraction to the top-tier basketball event co-hosted by the Philippines with Japan and Indonesia.

With some the NBA superstars begging off from the tournament, Clarkson and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic were left as top attractions.

Defending champion USA squad, under coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, are composed mostly of young NBA players.

Under head mentor Chot Reyes, the Philippines’ Gilas squad will have Dominican Republic as its first game on opening day of the World Cup at Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

LAGUNA LOSES MPBL GAME BY DEFAULT

Laguna Heroes turn into villains as they pay the price for tardiness

Ctto: Spin.ph

THE Laguna Krah Asia Heroes made MPBL history for the wrong reason on Tuesday when they lost to the Bataan Risers via forfeiture.

The Heroes came in 45 minutes late for the supposed tipoff at 4 p.m. at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City, forcing crew chief Jovet Ocfemia to declare them losers without a shot being fired.

Laguna forfeiture mars MPBL Tuesday gameday.

In March 2021, Basilan was declared the loser in the Lakan Season South Division finals knockout match against Davao Occidental via default after four of their players tested positive for COVID-19 following a re-swab.

Laguna's case was the first forfeiture in the MPBL under such nature.

Under the league house rules, the competing teams must be in the venue 15 minutes before the game starts. A team that misses it is entitled to a 15-minute grace period, after which the forfeiture will be applied.

In effect, Bataan notched its 11th win against 12 defeats and remained in playoff contention.

Already out of the running, Laguna tumbled to 3-21.

RAIN or Shine is keeping Fil-Am forward Nick Demusis.
Credit: Spin.ph

The Elasto Painters signed Demusis to a new two-year contract following a season that saw him become a fixture in coach Yeng Guiao's rotation.

Demusis signed the deal accompanied by representative Marvin Espiritu in the presence of board of governor Atty. Mamerto Mondragon.

"Thankful for the management and coaching staff especially coach Yeng (Guiao)," said Demusis, a second round pick (no. 18 overall) of Phoenix in Season 46 draft.

"They see something in me long term with this two-year extension. I've improved under coach Yeng and I'll continue to work hard and improve and do what is needed to do to win," added the Fil-Am husband of former courtside reporter and news anchor Rizza Diaz.

Demusis was acquired by Rain or Shine from Phoenix last season as part of the Javee Mocol trade.

Magnolia secures the top honors in the PBA On Tour with an immaculate 11-0 record

Credit: Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Magnolia completed its perfect run in the PBA On Tour after a 106-92 win over Terrafirma behind James Laput and Joseph Eriobu at the San Juan Arena on Wednesday, July 26.

Laput posted a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Hotshots, who secured the top honors in the preseason tournament with an immaculate 11-0 record.

Eriobu chimed in 15 points off the bench as he connived with Laput in the decisive fourth quarter where Magnolia pulled away for good.

The Dyip trailed by only a single possession at the end of the third period, 69-72, before the Hotshots erupted for 34 points in the final frame, with Eriobu and Laput scoring 9 and 7 points, respectively, during that stretch.

PBA On Tour Standing (As of 07/26/2023)

1. Magnolia Hotshots 11-0
2. ROS Elastopainters 8-2
3. Blackwater Bossings 6-4
4. Meralco Bolts 6-4
5. Converge FiberXers 5-5
6. NLEX Roadwarriors 5-5
7. Northport Batangpier 5-5
8. Brgy. Ginebra 5-5
9. Terrafirma Dyip 4-7
10. Phoenix Fuelmasters 3-8
11. San Miguel Beermen 3-8
12. Tropang Giga 1-9

Draymond Green: LeBron James has a next-level basketball IQ.
Credit: Fade away World

With over 20 years of greatness on his resume, there is no denying that LeBron James is one of the greatest to ever do it. As a 19x All-Star, 4x MVP, and 4x NBA champion, there is really nothing that LeBron has left to prove in his basketball career. In fact, even after two decades, James is still the source of awe and amazement amongst his fans and biggest competitors alike.

Speaking on James and his impact on the game, Warriors star Draymond Green became the latest to shower him with praise as he explained how his transcendent basketball IQ.

LeBron James has a next-level basketball IQ. Guys that size and athletic, they are usually dumb as sh*t. So the fact that he’s that size and that athletic and like top-3, top-5 highest IQs to ever play is insane.”

When it comes to LeBron, his game has always been more than about his physical abilities. He can obviously handle his own against anybody, but the real key to success for James involves using his head.

Over the years, there have been countless stories about King James calling out the opposing team's plays or simply learning their entire playbook with hopes to counter their game plan. Either way, LeBron always knows where to go, and he always knows the right play to make. Even more so than his natural physical gifts, his superior understanding and mastery of the sport have helped ensure his dominance even 20 years after his first season.

Draymond Says Less Than 60% Of NBA Players Understand The Game
LeBron's IQ is really an outlier compared to other players, but it actually gets even worse than that. According to Draymond, a ton of average players don't actually have a deep understanding of basketball at all...

"Not only do I not think there's not many guys that have that next-level basketball IQ," said Green. "There's not many guys that have a basketball IQ in the NBA. You're talking less than 60% of the NBA... Really generous. They don't have an IQ..."

Unfortunately, too many players seem to rely on sheer talent and luck to succeed in the NBA, but LeBron is not one of them. When he's on the court, he's using his mind and body to put his team in a position to win. Love him or hate him, it's hard to say this strategy hasn't worked to great effectiveness for the King.

Russell Westbrook on breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for triple-doubles in a month: 'This s--- ain't easy'

Credit CBS: By Sam Quinn
Apr 27, 2021 at 11:20 am ET

Rumors of Russell Westbrook's demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Washington Wizards point guard struggled mightily to start the season as he scored only 18.9 points per game in his first 19 appearances on what appeared destined to be a lottery team. But the Wizards have rallied of late, and Westbrook is at the center of that resurgence.

Entering Monday, Westbrook had posted a triple-double in 14 of his past 17 games. The Wizards had won 10 of their past 11, and they hoped to keep their winning streak alive on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. They fell just short in overtime, but Westbrook continued his remarkable stretch of triple-doubles with 22 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds. That gave him a grand total of 12 triple-doubles in the month of April, breaking a record previously held by Wilt Chamberlain which was set in March of 1968.

The triple-double was Westbrook's 30th of the season, but more importantly, it was the 175th of his career. That is now six short of Oscar Robertson's all-time record of 181, giving Westbrook a legitimate chance of catching up by the end of the season. Even if he doesn't, Westbrook is only 32 and will likely play several more NBA seasons. The record is going to be his someday, as will every other record involving triple-doubles.

"I honestly believe there is no player like myself, and if people want to take it for granted, sorry for them," Westbrook said after the game. "I'm pretty sure if everybody could do it, they would do it. I honestly make sure I impact the game in many ways every night: defending, rebounding, passing, assisting ... whatever it is my team needs from me to be able to win, and that's what I do. I really don't, honestly, I don't care what people [think] about it."

Westbrook is currently on pace to average a triple-double for the fourth time in the past five seasons. In his entire career, Robertson accomplished the feat only once, during the 1961-62 season. No other player has ever done so, and Westbrook holds the single-season record with 42 triple-doubles during the 2016-17 campaign.

Talking about his latest feat, Westbrook called out those who say his triple-doubles aren't really earned, or that he's "stat-padding" to reach that mark.

"I don't care what anybody thinks of this whatever they want to call it 'stat-padding' or 'not useful,'" Westbrook said. "I think it's very interesting that it's not useful now that I'm doing it. It wasn't useful when Magic [Johnson] and Oscar [Robertson] and those guys were doing it. Now that I do it and it looks easy. This s--- ain't easy, though. I'll tell you that. It ain't easy."

The Wizards have ridden Westbrook's hot streak back into the playoff picture. They currently lead the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors by one game for the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference. If Washington can hold on, no team in the play-in round is going to want to face this version of Westbrook along with Bradley Beal. Westbrook may not be quite the player he once was, but he remains one of the league's most dangerous all-around players in a single-game setting.

Want to read more interesting article?
hit like 👍 button

“I Don’t Have An Issue With Giving Up Certain Aspects Of My Game For The Better Of The Team.”
By Nico Martinez - April 11, 2021
(via NBA.com)

Andre Drummond’s arrival in L.A. has been seen as a major blessing for the Lakers. Amid injuries to several key players, on top of an already thin lineup at the center position, the Purple and Gold needed a guy like Andre, who could grab rebounds, protect the paint, and score easy buckets under the rim.
Still, the question surrounding Drummond was if he was willing to sacrifice his role for the betterment of the team. But after the Lakers’ big win against Brooklyn on Saturday, he put those concerns to bed, telling the world what he was willing to do to help this team capture another title…

“I know what the main focus is, which is to win a championship. So sacrifices will be made, and that’s something I’m comfortable with.

I don’t have an issue with giving up certain aspects of my game for the better of the team, or what’s best for the team. And I’m in a great situation right now where I can showcase myself in a different light,” Drummond told reporters.

After years of being featured as a frontline star in Detroit, and then (for a short time) in Cleveland, Drummond is someone used to being under the spotlight.

With the Lakers, however, he’s just another wheel in the system, and will have to get used to being a “background character” behind the two major stars. Fortunately for him, and his team, he seems more than willing to embrace that new reality.