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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 20 - Phil Smith (1974-80)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the eighth of 29 players who wore the No. 20 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State guard alum Phil Smith. After ending his college career at USF, Smith was picked up with the 29th overall selection of the 1974 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. The San Francisco, California native would play the first six seasons of his pro career with the Dubs, coming to an end when he was dealt to the (then) San Diego (now, Los Angeles) Clippers in 1980. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Smith wore only jersey No. 20 and put up 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference. This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history - No. 20 - Phil Smith (1974-80)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Kevin Durant reveals what makes basketball truly hard for top players
Kevin Durant reveals what makes basketball truly hard for top players (Image Source: Getty Images) Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant joined a trending basketball debate on X and shared what he believes is the most difficult skill to master in the game. Instead of picking flashy moves or fancy dribbles, Durant pointed to something much simpler, but harder to perfect. His response sparked fresh discussions among fans and players alike, especially considering his elite skill level. Kevin Durant says toughest NBA skill is scoring against great defense On Monday, August 4, Kevin Durant, who now plays for the Houston Rockets, joined an online basketball debate on X. A fan shared a post stating that people often think being skilled in basketball only means scoring difficult shots. Durant decided to reply, offering a very honest answer that surprised many. — kdtrey5 (@kdtrey5) He wrote, 'The hardest skills to learn are getting your shot off against great defense.' Durant's comment quickly went viral. Many fans and players started sharing their thoughts. The 36-year-old forward has built his career on hitting tough shots under pressure. From mid-range fadeaways to deep threes over defenders, Durant has done it all. His shooting numbers back that up. According to Basketball Reference, since the 2011-12 NBA season, Durant has shot above 50% from the field every year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brother Donates Kidney To Save Sister's Life. One Year Later, He Says, I Wish I Never Did It, When This Happens Daily Sport X Undo He's also held a strong 40% average from the three-point line for over a decade. How Durant's words reflect his style and past praise Durant's reply on X wasn't just a random thought. It reflects his training and playing experience over the years. This debate took place during a week of basketball talk online, and Durant joined in while preparing for the Houston Rockets' training camp, which begins in September 2025 in Texas. Many fans recalled what Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr once said about Durant: 'I've said it before, I think he's the most skilled basketball player I've ever seen.' But Durant disagrees. In a past interview, he said that his former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving is the most skilled NBA player ever. Both stars are often listed among the top when it comes to basketball talent. Durant joined the Rockets in June 2025 after being traded by the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets gave up Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and several draft picks to land him. With his arrival, Houston became one of the favorites to win the 2025-26 NBA title. According to Fadeaway World, the Rockets added Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith to support Durant. In the 2024-25 season, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, with 52.7% field goal shooting. Also Read: New York Knicks closely tracking Giannis Antetokounmpo after Milwaukee Bucks' surprise Damian Lillard exit His recent post reminds everyone that, even after 15 All-Star appearances and years in the league, Kevin Durant is still learning, observing, and teaching, one tough shot at a time. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 20 - Jim Walsh (1957-58)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the second of 29 players who wore the No. 20 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State forward alum Jim Walsh. After ending his college career at Stanford, Walsh was picked up with the 21st overall selection of the 1952 NBA Draft by the (defunct) Baltimore Bullets. The San Francisco, California native played his sole season in the NBA with the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors instead, however. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Walsh wore only jersey No. 20 and put up 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Warriors jersey history - No. 20 - Jim Walsh (1957-58)
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics jersey history No. 28 - Sam Cassell (2008)
The Boston Celtics have had players suiting up in a total of 68 different jersey numbers (and have three others not part of any numerical series) since their founding at the dawn of the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- the league that would become today's NBA), worn by well over 500 players in the course of Celtics history. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Celtics Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. With 25 of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Celtics to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover. And for today's article, we will continue with the eighth of 14 people to wear the No. 28, Boston guard alum (and current assistant coach) Sam Cassell. After ending his college career at Florida State, Cassell was picked up with the 24th overall selection of the 1993 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. The Baltimore, Maryland native also played for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Clippers before signing with Boston for the final 17 games of his NBA career as a player in 2008, helping to win his final of three titles won as a player. During his time suiting up for the Celtics, Cassell wore only jersey No. 28 and put up 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics jersey history No. 28 - Sam Cassell (2008)
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 19 - Lou Amundson 92010-11)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the 12th of 13 players who wore the No. 19 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State forward alum Lou Amundson. After ending his college career at UNLV, Amundson would go unselected in the 2006 NBA Draft, instead playing in the G League before signing with the Utah Jazz in 2007. He would also play for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns before signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2010. His stay with the team would span 46 games before he would be dealt to the Indiana Pacers in 2011. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Amundson wore only jersey No. 19 and put up 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Warriors jersey history - No. 19 - Lou Amundson 92010-11)
