The NBA is regarded as the best basketball league in the world.

Talent from all around the globe can flaunt their skills in the NBA and earn immense money as well as fame.

But even after making it to the NBA, the journey is not over, if anything, it only begins for most.

Either way, being in the NBA is not for every player because, deep down, the league is a business.

Former lottery pick Jabari Parker recently called out the NBA for being a business, via NBACentral on Twitter.

“Sadly, the NBA is a business, and there are 10-12 teams that try to win every game, and the other half try to get a draft pick,” Parker said.

Jabari Parker calls out the NBA, describing the league as "watered down," and outlines why he chose to leave for Barcelona

“I just want to be a part of something legitimate. I want to be a part of ‘every game matters’. Sadly, the NBA is a business and there are 10-12 teams… pic.twitter.com/IgAvBqCgZc

Advertisement

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 26, 2023

Parker played in the NBA for eight years before leaving the league to play for Barcelona in Spain.

Parker was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, but unfortunately, he could never be a legitimate superstar in the league.

As for his call-out, Parker claimed that most teams are tanking for a top draft pick during the regular season.

On the other hand, he believes there are only about 12 teams that are trying to win every game of the season.

Thus, it leaves a very small market for most players to play in the league.

Parker gave examples of how players like DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, and John Wall are out of the league despite being superstars in the league at one point in their respective careers.

Parker concluded by calling the NBA “watered down,” and it led to him leaving it for Spain.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick averaged 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over 310 games during his NBA career.

The post Former Lottery Pick Calls Out The NBA For Being A Business appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the worst teams in the 2022-23 NBA season, as they finished as the 13th seed in the Western Conference.

On a positive note, it helped them land the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, which they used to draft Scoot Henderson.

However, the Trail Blazers could have picked Victor Wembanyama if they had been awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

Wembanyama is touted to become the face of the NBA in the future, and another benefit for the Trail Blazers would have been that Damian Lillard was reportedly “cool” with playing alongside Wemby, via NBACentral on Twitter.

“First of all, if they got the number one pick Dame would be good. He would have been cool playing with Wemby,” Sean Highkin said.

Damian Lillard would have been ‘cool’ playing alongside Victor Wembanyama in Portland if they had secured the No. 1 pick, per @highkin

“First of all, if they got the number one pick Dame would be good. He would have been cool playing with Wemby. That would’ve been an exception… pic.twitter.com/OEQlxd0ufQ

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 26, 2023

Advertisement

Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers earlier this offseason after 11 years of loyal service to the franchise.

But Dame would have apparently considered staying with the Trail Blazers had they drafted Wembanyama.

While the rookie may take a couple of years to reach his potential, he’s almost NBA-ready from day one.

On the other hand, Henderson also flaunts a lot of potential, but not many believe that he’ll become better than Wembanyama in the long run.

Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers didn’t land the No.1 overall pick in the draft, and Lillard is expected to be traded soon.

The 33-year-old superstar has named the Miami Heat as his preferred destination, but there’s no guarantee that the request will be fulfilled.

After all, the Trail Blazers will accept the best trade offer available to them, regardless of which team offers it.

The post Reporter Notes 1 Way Trail Blazers Could Have Made Damian Lillard Happy appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

New England Patriots QB Mac Jones has been involved in yet another questionable situation.

Jones has only been in the league for three seasons, yet he’s been deemed a dirty player multiple times thus far by many players.

Now, he’s being singled out for punching New York Jets star Sauce Gardner in the groin before he shoved him onto the ground.

Following the game, the Alabama product claimed that he didn’t intentionally hit Gardner, stating that he has a lot of respect for him and that he just wanted to get back into the huddle (via ProFootballTalk).

“Sauce is one of the best corners in the NFL. I have a lot of respect for him. On that play, nothing was intentional. I just got up and went back to the huddle, and that’s it,” Jones said.

Mac Jones: Nothing intentional with Sauce Gardner. https://t.co/awPZ4PnZzr

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 26, 2023

We all know what we saw, and he shouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt after so many times he’s been involved in these sorts of situations.

Even some of his colleagues took to social media to call him out and let it be known that it’s not the first time that he has done something like this, and turning that narrative and reputation around is going to be almost impossible for him at this point.

The Patriots have a date with the Dallas Cowboys and their fierce defense coming up next.

The Cowboys will look to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and they’ll want to make a statement.

That doesn’t bode well for Jones, and we can only hope he doesn’t get involved in any other situation like this ever again.

The post Mac Jones Opens Up On Controversial Hit On Sauce Gardner appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link