Latest news with #HakeemOlajuwon
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
‘Dunkstronaut' returns: Rockets to bring back popular City Edition uniforms in 2025-26
'Dunkstronaut' returns: Rockets to bring back popular City Edition uniforms in 2025-26 Back by popular demand, the Rockets are returning to their 'dunkstronaut' City Edition uniforms in the 2025-26 NBA season. That set was first worn in the 2023-24 season. Under something of a 'greatest hits' concept by the NBA and Nike, teams across the league are returning to a previous City Edition uniform during the upcoming 2025-26 season. A few of the NBA's 30 teams are using alternate color versions, but each is doing at least a variation of a popular concept from the first few years of the program. Most are simply running it back with their most beloved version, as is. In Houston, that will mean bringing back the 2023-24 'dunkstronaut' concept, which pays homage to the city's basketball history. In the team's original announcement from late 2023, here's how those white uniform sets were described: These uniforms are a part of the overarching 'Hometown Heroes' storyline, which was developed to celebrate NBA teams' unique connection to their respective cities. The Rockets new City Edition jersey is adorned with 'H-Town' across the chest in honor of the impact Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler had in building Houston's love of basketball during their iconic Phi Slama Jama collegiate careers (at the University of Houston). The 'H-Town' nickname was quickly adopted by the players and appeared on their team warmups during the 1982-83 season. The jersey design is a fusion of classic and modern elements, combining the sleek, contemporary style of today's NBA uniforms with the retro flair from the Phi Slama Jama era. It prominently features 'H-Town' in a sleek, script typeface with player's name and numbers designed in a bold collegiate style. A standout feature of the uniform is the inclusion of a dunking astronaut on the side of the shorts This emblem is a homage to the high-flying style of Phi Slama Jama and to City of Houston's status as 'Space City,' adding a unique and powerful touch to the uniform. The shorts also include silicon print signatures from Olajuwon and Drexler near the bottom corner tag. The dunking astronaut became known as the 'dunkstronaut,' and that logo was featured at midcourt as part of a custom, matching court design at Toyota Center for those City Edition games. The news of Houston bringing back its 2023-24 City Edition uniforms was first reported on X by ProLine Mockups and Basketball Jersey Archive, and Rockets Wire can confirm the reporting. Choices by other NBA teams can be viewed in that thread. City Edition uniforms for seasons beyond 2025-26 have yet to be revealed. More: Hometown heroes: With nod to Houston's hoops history, Rockets unveil 2023-24 City uniforms
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"He didn't play in my position" - Patrick Ewing claims Michael Jordan wasn't one of his toughest rivals
Patrick Ewing faced numerous intense on-court battles against the legendary Michael Jordan throughout his career. However, in reflecting on this rivalry, Ewing offered a candid perspective that might surprise many fans. He did not view Jordan as one of his toughest adversaries; rather, Pat emphasized that his most significant challenges came from other centers in the league. The legendary big man specifically pointed to formidable opponents such as Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal as the players he truly regarded as his rivals. Each of these centers presented unique challenges that tested Ewing's skills and determination on the court. By focusing on these matchups, "Big Pat" highlighted the competitive spirit that defined his career and the high level of talent that existed among the league's big men during that era. Advertisement "You talk about Jordan, he didn't play in my position," the New York Knicks legend recently said on Club 30 with Henrik Lundqvist. "But to me, when I'm playing against Hakeem, when I'm playing against Shaq, when I'm playing against David, those are the three top guys." "When you're playing against them, you have to make sure you get the sleep, bring you're A-Game, and just make sure that you're prepared to dominate them because they're gonna try to dominate you," the Georgetown product added. MJ never let Ewing win an NBA title Ewing and Jordan's rivalry goes way back. Even before they crossed paths in the NBA, "Hoya Destroya" and "His Airness" were already going toe-to-toe in college. Patrick's Georgetown was one of the nemeses of MJ's North Carolina. Advertisement In the pros, Pat and Mike unsurprisingly emerged as ultimate rivals. Their fierce competition defined an era in the NBA, as both dominant players showcased their extraordinary talents every time their teams met. Despite Ewing's claim that MJ never truly haunted him during their time, the reality remains undeniable and everybody knew Jordan consistently thwarted his aspirations for an NBA championship during their prime years. Truth be told, their rivalry not only shaped their careers but also left an indelible mark on the history of the game through the fierce battles between the Knicks and the Chicago Bulls back in the '90s. Related: Coach who recruited Manute Bol admits he made up his birthday: "He was probably 40, 50 years old when he was playing in the NBA" Ewing believes he played in a great era In all fairness to Ewing, he has been consistent about his perspectives on the toughest opponents he has ever faced in his career. Despite the widespread recognition of Jordan's dominance during that era, "Big Pat" has never mentioned Michael's name when discussing his past rivalries. Advertisement In a separate conversation addressing the same topic, the Hall of Fame center emphasized that he played in a time when the NBA was ruled by formidable big men, suggesting that these centers represented his true competition rather than Jordan. "Kareem was still playing, Moses was still playing, Robert Parish used to kick my butt every time we played Boston. You got David, Shaq, and those guys," Ewing said on the Roommates Show. "Every time you played that you played against those guys, you definitely want to perform at your best. I played in a great era where the big man was dominant." In conclusion, it's safe to say that even though facts are undeniable, nobody could question how an NBA legend views his career. This means that Ewing has every right to say what he thinks of the man many consider the undisputed GOAT. Related: Michael Jordan revealed it was hard to win multiple titles for the Bulls because of inflated egos: "We fought against human nature"
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
The rare 2-0 comebacks that can give Knicks hope before Game 3
INDIANAPOLIS — The Knicks are facing a daunting obstacle, to be sure, but not an insurmountable one. Tom Thibodeau's team posted two straight wins in Boston to start the previous round of the playoffs, but they find themselves on the other side of that problem after dropping the first two at the Garden against the pace-happy Pacers. The Celtics were unable to become the sixth team in NBA history to win a seven-game series under that scenario, but the Knicks now must accomplish that feat and win four of the next five — beginning with Game 3 on Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — if they are to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Overall, 34 teams in league annals have overcome any 0-2 deficit to win a playoff series. 3 Jalen Brunson is pictured during the Knicks' loss to the Pacers on May 23. Charles Wenzelberg It's never been done in a conference final, but here is a look at the only five times a team has lost the first two games on their home court before rebounding to win a best-of-seven series. (Note: The Suns also overcame an 0-2 hole in a five-game set against the Lakers in 1993). 1969 Lakers vs. Warriors Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain rallied their team to take four straight games in the first-round Western Conference semifinals, including three in San Francisco, after losing the first two in L.A., including a 40-point blowout on the road in Game 6. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. The Lakers fell short in the NBA Finals again that year to Bill Russell and the Celtics — for the sixth time in eight seasons — although West became the only player in league history to win Finals MVP on the losing team. 1994 Rockets vs. Suns 3 Hakeem Olajuwon blocks a shot during the Rockets' playoff series against the Suns in 1994. NBAE via Getty Images One year after Charles Barkley and the Suns had pulled off a five-game series comeback against the Lakers after losing the first two in Phoenix, they dropped four of the final five to Hakeem Olajuwon and the eventual champion Rockets in the second round after opening the series with two wins in Houston. With Michael Jordan giving baseball a try, the Rockets won their first of back-to-back titles that year in seven games over the Knicks. 2005 Mavericks vs. Rockets More than a decade later, the Yao Ming/Tracy McGrady Rockets — coached by Jeff Van Gundy — were on the other side of that scenario after taking the first two games in Dallas. 3 Dirk Nowitzki attempts a shot during the Mavericks' playoff series against the Rockets in 2005. Getty Images Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs grabbed wins in the next two games in Houston before eventually closing out the first-round series — which was expanded to seven games in 2003 — at home with a 116-76 romp in Game 7 behind 31 points from Jason Terry. 2017 Celtics vs. Bulls Tom Thibodeau was in his first season coaching the Timberwolves after spending five seasons at the helm in Chicago, but predecessor Fred Hoiberg's squad flushed the 2-0 lead it seized in Boston in the opening round. Led by leading scorer Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics won three times in Chicago and four straight games overall under coach Brad Stevens before falling short against LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the East final. 2021 Clippers vs. Mavericks The road teams actually won each of the first six games of this first-round clash before the Clippers pulled out Game 7 at Staples Center behind the All-Stars tandem of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. That year marked the closest the Clips ever have gotten to the NBA Finals, losing the West title to Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Cam Payne and the Suns in six games.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Makes Hakeem Olajuwon Announcement Before Draft Lottery
The 2025 NBA draft lottery is set to take place in Chicago on Monday night, deciding the first 14 picks of the upcoming selection process. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets hold the best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick at 14%, followed by the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%) and Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%). Advertisement The Houston Rockets, who finished the 2024-25 regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, hold the No. 9 position via a trade with the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets have a 3.8% chance to claim the No. 1 overall pick and a 17.3% chance to land a top-four pick. On Monday, the NBA announced the on-stage representatives for each of the 14 teams participating in the 2025 draft lottery. The Rockets will be represented by all-time great NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon. Behind the scenes in the drawing room, the Rockets will be represented by senior team counsel Sam Strantz. Olajuwon entered the NBA as the Rockets' No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 draft. He spent 17 of his 18 professional seasons in Houston, earning 12 All-Star selections, two Defensive Player of the Year trophies and one NBA MVP award. He also led the franchise to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, earning Finals MVP honors both times. Former Houston Rockets Hakeem Olajuwon (left) sits courts side during the game between the Houston Cougars and the Memphis Tigers at Fertitta Lysaker-Imagn Images The Rockets' impressive 2024-25 campaign came to an end with a disappointing Game 7 loss to the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. But with this year's first-round pick, the Houston franchise can add to their already-solid young core before the 2025-26 NBA season. Advertisement The 2025 NBA draft lottery will begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Related: Mavericks' Nico Harrison Decision Turns Heads Before NBA Draft Lottery Related: Pelicans Make Zion Williamson Announcement Before 2025 NBA Draft Lottery
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Team representatives
The Dallas Mavericks, four months after trading superstar Luka Dončić, leapt up from a 1.8 percent chance to win the first overall pick and the right to select Cooper Flagg. Jacek Boczarski / Anadolu via Getty Images) Dallas lands the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft for the right to draft Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks had a 1.8 percent chance to grab the No. 1 pick. San Antonio finished second, followed by Philadelphia and Charlotte. The rest of the lottery picks are: 5. Utah, 6. Washington, 7. New Orleans, 8. Brooklyn, 9. Toronto, 10. Houston, 11. Portland, 12. Chicago, 13. Atlanta and 14. San Antonio. Follow along below for live updates, analysis and reactions. Email: live@ GO FURTHER 2025 NBA mock draft: Cooper Flagg to Mavericks; Dylan Harper to Spurs Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Each of the 13 teams in contention for the top pick will be represented on stage tonight. Brooklyn Nets: Head coach Jordi Fernández Head coach Jordi Fernández Charlotte Hornets: Head coach Charles Lee Head coach Charles Lee Chicago Bulls: Current player Matas Buzelis Current player Matas Buzelis Dallas Mavericks: Team ambassador Rolando Blackman Team ambassador Rolando Blackman Houston Rockets: Team legend Hakeem Olajuwon Team legend Hakeem Olajuwon New Orleans Pelicans: Current player Zion Williamson Current player Zion Williamson Philadelphia 76ers: Current player Jared McCain Current player Jared McCain Portland Trail Blazers: Current player Toumani Camara Current player Toumani Camara Sacramento Kings: Current player Keon Ellis Current player Keon Ellis San Antonio Spurs: Head coach Mitch Johnson Head coach Mitch Johnson Toronto Raptors: Vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri Vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri Utah Jazz: Co-owner Ashley Smith Co-owner Ashley Smith Washington Wizards: Current player Bub Carrington 6-10 wing/forward | 18 years old | Rutgers Bailey remains quite polarizing and has seemed to have borne the brunt of the blame from NBA personnel for Rutgers' poor season. Yes, he averaged 17.6 points and seven rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3. But his style of play did not seem wildly conducive to winning basketball. He settles for a lot of long jumpers because he struggles to get all the way to the rim (he has a high handle and high center of gravity that gets knocked off its line a bit too easily). Defensively, he wasn't always particularly engaged in help situations unless he saw an opportunity to go get the basketball. And yet, it's worth noting that Rutgers was a catastrophe when he wasn't on the court. Even in Big Ten play, they lost Bailey's minutes by only three points per 100 possessions. When he was off the court, they lost those minutes by 23 points per 100, per CBB Analytics. His presence was clearly helpful, and I think that's what tracks most for me. Bailey is enormous, he's long, he is a real shooter and he showed some defensive moments that were very positive in switch situations. I can't really get him outside of the top five, and I think it would be very reasonable to take him at No. 3. 6-10 big | 20 years old |Maryland Queen can pass, dribble, shoot and is a good decision maker, averaging nearly 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists as a freshman at Maryland. He's been exceptionally productive at every stage of his career to this point, and he has real offensive talent that should lead to him putting up real numbers in the NBA. 7-2 big | 19 years old | Duke Maluach isn't a monster shot-blocker, but he understands how big he is and is excellent at using his size to cut off angles and contest on the interior. Offensively, there are more questions, largely about his hands and overall feel for the game. He got to basketball a bit late and is still working on how to see the floor around him. He also doesn't always seem to come down with contested rebounds, as was starkly seen in Duke's Final Four game against Houston, when he played 20 minutes and had zero rebounds. Still, someone will take the bet on a player who's 7-2 with long arms and real movement skills. After restructuring their front office a few weeks ago, firing David Griffin and hiring Joe Dumars as their new top basketball executive, the New Orleans Pelicans still face many questions. Monday will provide some welcome clarity. The NBA's annual draft lottery will be held in Chicago tonight. The Pelicans have a 12.5 percent chance of landing the top pick. With the future of Zion Williamson still unclear and several key players recovering from major surgeries this offseason, getting a chance to add a franchise-changer like Duke forward Cooper Flagg would give New Orleans — or any other team — a much better idea of what the path forward looks like. Flagg is the kind of prospect who can become the face of a franchise during the next decade. Those don't come along very often. With the high-end talent in this year's draft, securing a top-four pick would be a huge win for New Orleans as it begins the Dumars era. The Pelicans go into tonight with a 48.1 percent chance of landing in the top four. Read more on New Orleans' options below. GO FURTHER Pelicans draft scenarios: What happens if they don't get Cooper Flagg? 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Baylor The Pelicans have already made substantive changes to their organization, firing David Griffin and hiring Joe Dumars to run basketball operations. The word out of New Orleans is simply not to expect the roster to look the same as it did this year. Edgecombe ticks a lot of boxes here, though. Following the Dejounte Murray injury and with CJ McCollum only having one year left on his deal, they have a real need for a backcourt player of the future. Edgecombe had an excellent freshman season, averaging 15 points, nearly six rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Bahamian national team member has a case as the best athlete in the draft class, with all sorts of bounce and explosiveness. 6-8 wing/forward | 20 years old | South Carolina Murray-Boyles is a tremendous defender who passes well, has serious toughness and processes the game at an elite level. He averaged 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from deep. Since its institution in 1984, the draft lottery has undergone multiple changes. The NBA had unweighted draft lottery odds from 1985 through 1989 and then implemented the weighted system in 1990. Back then there were 66 'chances' for winning the No. 1 pick. The team with the worst record had 11 out of 66. The team with the second-worst record had 10 out of 66. And so on, and so forth. We saw the 41-41 Seattle SuperSonics move up to the second pick with just a 3.03 percent chance of getting the top spot, and they took Hall of Famer Gary Payton. After the Orlando Magic won back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in 1992 (15.15 percent chance, second-best odds) and 1993 (1.52 percent chance, worst odds), the NBA decided to overreact and change things to an even more unevenly weighted system. The worst record went from a 16.7 percent chance of grabbing the top pick to a 25.0 percent chance. The teams with the lowest odds dropped even more, to a 0.5 percent chance. It pretty much stayed that way until 2019, when the NBA decided to legislate against the 'Trust the Process' 76ers to make the lottery system less severe for odds to win it. Now, the teams with the three worst records each have a 14.0 percent chance of obtaining the top pick in the draft. The fourth-worst record has a 12.5 percent chance of getting it. Then, with each subsequently better record from the regular season, the odds continue to drop. After a disastrous season for the Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA draft lottery could either provide a glimmer of hope or add insult to injury. They possess the fifth-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick at 10.5 percent. However, if this pick lands outside the top six, it will convey to Oklahoma City via a deal that sent Al Horford to Philadelphia in 2020. 6-7 guard | 19 years old | Duke Knueppel is a bigger shooter who is competitive and tough. He has a case as the best shooter in the class along with Johnson, and his overall game was more impactful this season. They're right next to each other on my personal board. Some executives worry about what exactly Knueppel's upside is because of some perceived athletic limitations. 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Illinois Jakučionis is big and can play both on and off the ball, coming off a terrific freshman season in which he averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. His vision is sublime, and he fits the current ecosystem of the NBA well with his dribble, pass and shoot traits. Still, he is a bit polarizing for folks around the league as he doesn't have a ton of athletic explosiveness, and his defensive game was not always on point this year. His range is seen as somewhere in this ballpark down to around the end of the lottery. By David Aldridge and Josh Robbins Monday will be one of the most important evenings in Washington Wizards history. Does that sound a tad melodramatic? We don't think so. Consider that so much of Washington's on-court suffering during the 2024-25 season — the 18-64 record, the blowout losses and the late-season scratches of veteran players, in the team's second year of a full-blown rebuild — stemmed from the goal of giving the franchise its best chance to win Monday night's NBA Draft lottery in Chicago. Let's go over six possible Wizards draft lottery scenarios below. GO FURTHER Wizards' 2025 Mock Draft: Evaluating all lottery and draft scenarios 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Arizona The 6-8 wing didn't start many games this year at Arizona, but he was a monster defensive player when he was on the court, showcasing serious playmaking chops as well as great on-ball play. He also knocks down a solid percentage of his 3s. Bryant is the guy in this class who seems to have a ton of juice when you talk to front offices, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him land in the top 10 when it's all said and done. I think I'd park his range in the No. 7 to No. 16 area. 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Texas Johnson was the most impressive player I saw working out during my trip to the U.S. He had one of the best shooting workouts I've ever seen from a teenage player, showcasing a serious-minded intentionality about how he goes about his craft. He displayed the ability to hit shots off movement at a high level, something that he rarely got the chance to do in an offensive scheme at Texas that could be charitably described as anachronistic but fairly described as hideously archaic. Even within that scheme, Johnson found his way into 19.9 points per game, even if he struggled a bit once he had to foray into the lane because of the team's lack of spacing and his own still-improving overall strength level. I see Johnson's range as somewhere in the No. 3 to No. 8 area. Gacanefa N.: Cooper should of kept the door open to return to Duke. If Washington wins the lottery it will ruin his career. Gonzalezc.: Let's see, missed the playoffs, again, and no first round pick. And a roster sorely lacking in talent. It goes from bad to worse in Sacramento. Rebuilding for 21 years, and counting. Wolf: I know Johni Broome is never going to be the best player on a team, and he's rather old, but I think whoever drafts him is going to be really happy with him. He's just a baller. I get why bad teams draft kids who were playing in high school two years ago because they can afford to wait 2, 3, 4+ years for them to figure it out, but I feel like teams in win-now mode should look for juniors or seniors who are ready to be assets this year or next. Jonathan H.: Maluach to the Bulls would be great if the board fell that way. Bulls need a big to replace Vucevic and fit their style of play better. 6-6 guard | 19 years old | Rutgers Harper is exceptionally likely to be the No. 2 pick. It would take a real surprise for someone to unseat him from this spot. His 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field as a freshman guard put him in rarefied air, as few players have gotten all that close to such marks in their first year. He also creates rim pressure at an elite level, with the ability to get into the paint and finish at the basket at a serious clip with his impressive array of gathers and touch finishes at 6-6 as a lead guard. The biggest question for Harper remains his pull-up game as a shooter, as he only hit 29.2 percent of his pull-up 3s. I watched Harper work out recently, and it's clear that working as a scorer in ball screens, re-screens and dribble handoffs is a real emphasis for his pre-draft process. He shot the ball well in the workout that I saw. I felt like the ball would sometimes flatten out on him this season at Rutgers, but he's starting to work on getting more consistent arc on the shot off pull-ups. 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Duke Flagg will go No. 1 regardless of who gets the pick. He was the national player of the year in college basketball this season at just 18 years old after reclassifying into the 2024 recruiting class. He posted ridiculous numbers, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, but it got even better after January. In his final 25 games, including the Georgia Tech game in which he rolled an ankle after 15 minutes in the ACC tournament, Flagg posted 20.5 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 assists on 51.1 percent shooting from the field, 45.1 percent from 3 and 88 percent from the line. Duke went 23-2 in that run before falling in the Final Four to Houston in staggering fashion (despite Flagg's 27, seven and four with two steals and three blocks in that game). Flagg isn't quite at the Victor Wembanyama level of prospect over the last 20 years, but he belongs in the Anthony Davis tier. Barring injury, he's about as can't-miss as it gets because of his skill level, athleticism, shot-creation ability and mentality. Flagg is about as competitive as you'll find on the court and will bring a serious degree of work ethic into whatever situation he arrives. He wants to be great. There's no red flag in terms of entitlement here. He's all about winning and will immediately become the centerpiece of whatever organization drafts him.
