Lakers Part II: The business of 'betrayal'
When the Lakers do not sign any of the top free agents this offseason, fans can thank former President of Basketball Operations Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his comments crushing the character of general manager Rob Pelinka.
Pelinka spoke to the media at the press conference introducing new head coach Frank Vogel on May 20. Just hours before the introductory conference, however, Johnson appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” and did nothing short of assassinate the character of his former front-office partner. “If you are going to talk betrayal, it’s only with Rob (Pelinka),” Johnson said on the show.
Lakers’ instability starts at the top
The Lakers are a mess.
More specifically, the Lakers’ second “Summer of LeBron” could not have gotten off to a more rocky start, and it’s all thanks to a lack of front-office stability.
NBA referees should not be playoff focus
At the end of Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Semifinals, the Houston Rockets trailed the Golden State Warriors 100 to 103 with just over 10 seconds left to play. Rockets guard James Harden fired up the potential game-tying 3-pointer over Warriors forward Draymond Green.
The shot clanked harmlessly off the rim, effectively ending the game. Yet, Harden landed on Green’s foot and flopped to the ground. Rockets guard Chris Paul, irate with the fact that no foul was called on Green, picked up his second technical foul of the game and was ejected with four seconds left.
NFL teams do not care about domestic violence
The 2019 NFL Draft came and went last weekend with much fanfare and debate over who was picked when.
As often happens in North America’s most popular professional sports league, however, the event was overshadowed by yet another example domestic violence plaguing the NFL.
The league is now four-and-a-half years years removed from the release of video showing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice beating his now-wife unconscious in an Atlantic City elevator. Though Rice never saw the field again, it was because his talents had dwindled, not due to his mere two-game suspension the NFL meted out in response.