Latest news with #NBASkillsChallenge
USA Today
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Kevin Durant saw latest NBA All-Star Game backlash as proof people just like complaining
Kevin Durant saw latest NBA All-Star Game backlash as proof people just like complaining The fallout from the latest disaster that was the 2025 NBA All-Star Game continues. My pal Mike Sykes wrote about how Sunday's mini-tournament strangely seemed like it was about everything but the basketball. Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic said the league should probably focus its energy elsewhere after another dud of an event. Meanwhile, other league superstars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were kinda baffled by the egregious break in the middle of the final game. We can now throw Kevin Durant's thoughts into this mix. On Monday afternoon, the legendary Phoenix Suns scorer noticed all the backlash from the latest All-Star Game madness and came to a pretty reasonable conclusion on his X account. Per Durant, sometimes, people just like to complain about the NBA rather than actively watch it. As a result, Durant said the league would perhaps simply be better off instituting a midseason break that had no additional fanfare because everyone seems so "miserable" this time of year. While this in no way excuses the league's and TNT's atrocious presentation of Sunday's All-Star proceedings, I do find it otherwise hard to disagree with Durant. I'm not sure what the NBA could have done to genuinely make its fans happy. It's the nature of the online world we live in. As a diehard NBA fan, I'm fairly certain folks would've poked holes in whatever product was delivered to them. Fair Criticism Maybe KD is right and fans just want something to complain about. But we had Mike Sykes in San Francisco and his criticism was more than fair. Shootaround — Chris Paul was so mad after the Spurs were hilariously disqualified from the NBA Skills Challenge — Adam Silver revealed why the Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu 3-point contest was canceled — Mac McClung jumped over a Kia during the NBA Dunk Contest in an awesome tribute to Blake Griffin — Nikola Jokic downplayed a big-man rivalry with Karl-Anthony Towns with the coldest analogy
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Skills Challenge: Cavs defeat Warriors to win title after early controversy
Cleveland Cavaliers players Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley defeated the hometown Golden State Warriors on Saturday to win the 2025 NBA Skills Challenge in San Francisco, California. Team Cavs completed the on-court obstacle course in 1-minute in the final round, topping Draymond Green and Moses Moody. Mitchell and Mobley cruised through the passing, shooting and dribbling drills, while Green stumbled through the chest-passing portion, which sealed the win for the Cavs. The two All-Stars narrowly advanced out of the opening round after beating Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr by just 1.2 seconds. They followed Team Rooks and knew the time needed to beat to punch their ticket to the championship round. TEAM CAVS (MOBLEY & MITCHELL) ARE THE 2025 #KiaSkills CHAMPS 🏆 — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 The field was narrowed down when Team Spurs were disqualified from the competition after Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama intentionally missed their 3-pointers and free throws. They opened the contest with a recorded time of 47.9 seconds, which was the fastest time of any team. Paul was visibly frustrated with the disqualification and launched a courtside petition to allow their time to stand. However, the decision was confirmed because the players competing must have three valid shot attempts to remain in contention and advance to the next round. CP3 and Wemby were DISQUALIFIED after trying to hack the NBA Skills Challenge 😭 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2025 The strategy by Team Spurs, which Wembanyama said was his idea, received loud boos from the fans at the Chase Center and a thumbs-down by Mitchell. But Mitchell admitted afterward that had Team Spurs not been disqualified, they likely would have used the same method to try to win. "I don't regret it," Wembanyama said. "I think it was a good idea.' This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: NBA Skills Challenge: Cavs win title, defeating Warriors, Rooks, Spurs
USA Today
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Victor Wembanyama said he (not Chris Paul) had idea that led to Skills Challenge disqualification
Victor Wembanyama said it wasn't Chris Paul's idea to circumvent NBA Skills Challenge rules. It was his. Yep. Wemby was behind the idea that led to him and CP3 being hilariously disqualified. Per ESPN's Marc J. Spears, Draymond Green revealed that Wemby allegedly asked multiple NBA executives if he could try a unique no-shooting process, and they said he could. 'We tried something that we thought could win—to see if we had the best time. It was fun,' CP3 explained afterward. According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post, Wemby told the media that he devised the idea to 'hack' the system while joking about the whole situation. 'Was I booed? I don't think I was booed. I wasn't booed. Right? Chris was.' Spurs' Victor Wembanyama said it was his idea, not Chris Paul's, to 'hack' the Skills Challenge, which led to disqualification. 'Was I booed? I don't think I was booed. I wasn't booed, right? Chris was.' — Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 16, 2025
NBC Sports
16-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Controversy in All-Star Skills Challenge? Yes. And Cavaliers won event.
SAN FRANCISCO—On a weekend when Adam Silver talked about respecting the All-Star event and taking it seriously, the first thing most fans saw was the Spurs' team of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama trying to game the system. CP3 and Wemby DISQUALIFIED after trying to hack the NBA Skills Challenge 😂 It turns out that there is a rule book that governs the NBA All-Star Saturday Night Skills Challenge. Seriously. Paul and Wembanyama were disqualified for not making a valid attempt at shooting the ball — an NBA executive came out with a rule book to show Paul where it said that. 'If they weren't disqualified, I think we probably would have just did the same thing to be honest with you,' the Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell said. 'Play to win, I guess.' With the Spurs out of the way, the Cleveland Cavaliers team of All-Stars Evan Mobley and Mitchell went on to win the event. Team Cavs goes first in the Final Round of the #KiaSkills Challenge 🍿 In the event finals, it was the Cavaliers against the Warriors — Draymond Green and Moses Moody — in what was a fitting Finals throwback vibe. The bad news for the Warriors fans filling the Chase Center it was more reminiscent of 2016, when Green let the Warriors down — he did it again and Cleveland got the upset at home. But all we're going to be talking about is the Spurs trying to cheat their way to a win.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA All-Star 2025: Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama disqualified from Skills Challenge for not taking shots
Chris Paul thought he figured out a way to skirt the rules of the NBA All-Star 2025 Skills Challenge, but he and his San Antonio Spurs teammate Victor Wembanyama were disqualified for their shenanigans. The final stage of the three-part Skills Challenge involves shooting, but to get through the relay with as fast a time as possible, Wembanyama and Paul didn't actually shoot the balls from the rack. Instead, they flung the balls quickly toward the basket, not engaging in any sort of shooting motion. CP3 and Wemby were DISQUALIFIED after trying to hack the NBA Skills Challenge 😭 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2025 Team Spurs was booed by the fans at the Chase Center and received disapproval from their fellow competitors for trying to circumvent the rules and get through the relay quickly. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was seen giving the Spurs duo a thumbs-down — two thumbs-down, actually — for their attempt to create a loophole. Paul tried to plead his case and get the disqualification overturned, but with no success.
