Latest news with #NaismithMemorialBasketballHall
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt basketball commitment Chandler Bing explains origin of name, 'Friends'
Chandler Bing has seen exactly zero episodes of the hit television show "Friends." Vanderbilt basketball coach Mark Byington's latest commitment doesn't have any acting chops. But when the senior out of Pace Academy in Atlanta announced on social media April 29 that he committed to the Commodores, the jokes about his name − the same as Matthew Perry's character on "Friends" − were resurrected. Advertisement Bing, who averaged 19-plus points, 6-plus rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game for Pace last season, said he was named after a bishop, not the TV character. "My parents weren't even thinking about the show," Bing told The Tennessean. "My mom has seen the show, but when they were naming me, I guess she didn't watch it that much, wasn't even thinking about that." Chandler Bing is related to Dave Bing Chandler Bing has never met Dave Bing, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, former Mayor of Detroit, a member of both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams and the founder of Bing Steel. Advertisement Dave Bing, who also is former NBA player Jalen Rose's godfather, is Chandler Bing's grandfather's first cousin, making him a distant cousin. Dave Bing was a seven-time NBA All-Star, the 1967 NBA Rookie of the Year, the 1968 NBA scoring champion and a two-time All-NBA first-team selection. "I haven't spoken to him," said Chandler, the Commodores' third high school recruit. "My dad knows him very well." As for the "Friends" jokes, Chandler Bing, who heard them a lot, "especially when I was younger," knows he hasn't heard the last of them. "I actually haven't watched the show," he said. "But I never really had a problem with (the jokes). Once people told me about it, I was like, 'OK, well, I know I'm going to get it a lot now.' " Why Chandler Bing chose Vanderbilt Bing is a 6-foot-6 forward who previously was committed to Texas State. He also had offers from Georgia State and Troy. Advertisement He said he chose Vanderbilt for several reasons, including the level of competition in the SEC. "Playing against the best guys ... that was definitely a big part of it," he said. "It was a pretty easy decision for me. Going up there, seeing the campus, the facilities, the city. It definitely was a spot, a place where I can grow on and off the court." Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@ and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here. FYI: Chandler Bing, Vanderbilt basketball commit, has same name as Matthew Perry 'Friends' character Advertisement ANOTHER ONE: Vanderbilt basketball adds Washington wing Tyler Harris in transfer portal This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt recruit Chandler Bing explains origin of name, 'Friends'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bewildering Steph stat shows magnificence of his 25K-point feat
Bewildering Steph stat shows magnificence of his 25K-point feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Steph Curry joined elite NBA company by scoring his 25,000th career point on Saturday night. However, his path into the elite scoring club is markedly different than any of the other 25 players to accomplish the feat. Curry attempted the fewest career free throws — by far — of any player to eclipse 25,000 points, further highlighting the Warriors superstar's incredible open-play scoring ability. Steph Curry has the fewest free throw attempts by a player when reaching 25,000 career points. — StatMamba (@StatMamba) March 9, 2025 Curry surpassed the 25,000-point threshold with 4,355 career free-throw attempts. The only other player to score at least 25,000 career points that is remotely close to Curry's charity-stripe efficiency is Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Alex English, who is 23rd on the NBA's all-time scoring list (25,613) and finished his career with 5,141 free-throw attempts. Curry passed the 25,000-point mark with a 3-pointer during the third quarter of the Warriors' 115-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night at Chase Center. Steph's historic triple to eclipse 25,000 points 👏 — Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2025 Next up on Curry's ascent of the all-time scoring list is former Warriors executive and Hall of Famer Jerry West who sits 175 points ahead in the No. 25 spot. Where Curry will rank on the final scoring list remains to be seen, but it's clear his efficiency to reach these exclusive scoring plateaus will place him in rarified air when all is said and done. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shaq demands NBA fans include Steph in GOAT conversation
Shaq demands NBA fans include Steph in GOAT conversation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Since winning his fourth NBA championship in 2022, Steph Curry's status among basketball's all-time greats has been a hot topic. After the Warriors' comeback victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, TNT studio analyst and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal made a bold proclamation about Curry's greatness. 'As the supreme leader of the big man alliance, I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that greatest of all time conversation,' O'Neal declared during the TNT broadcast. 'Just start putting him in the conversation. There's [Michael Jordan], there's Kobe [Bryant], there's LeBron [James]. Start putting Steph in that conversation. I demand it.' That's high praise coming from someone whom many rank as another of the NBA's top 10 all-time players, and competed alongside and against many other names in that echelon. 'I played against Mike, played with Kobe, played against and with LeBron. They're all great,' O'Neal continued. 'But at some point, we're going to have to put Steph Curry in that category. I'm not saying he is [the GOAT], but let's just have the conversation. I like all the internet talk and the barbershop talk, but I ain't never seen nothing like that before, and nobody has. And how many [rings] he got? One, two, three, four, against LeBron. I demand that people start putting my guy in that conversation, period.' Needless to say, O'Neal probably isn't someone whose demands you want to refuse. Tuesday wasn't the greatest performance of Curry's career, but the Warriors star did put on a show in the second half at one of basketball's most renowned venues. He scored 14 of his 28 points during Golden State's big third-quarter charge, before adding a pair of clutch 3-pointers down the stretch to seal the win. And of course, the classic showman wished the home crowd sweet dreams just for good measure. It's hard not to call that greatness. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
USA Today
27-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Warriors' Gary Payton II on Jimmy Butler, NBA potential return to Seattle
Warriors' Gary Payton II on Jimmy Butler, NBA potential return to Seattle Show Caption Hide Caption The biggest questions for the 2nd half of the NBA season The For The Hoops crew poses their most pressing questions for the rest of the NBA season, including whether the Celtics will be back in the Finals! Gary Payton II has spent the past nine seasons in the NBA but as the son of a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, he's been around the game his entire life. Nearly a decade into his career, the guard has managed to carve his path and win an NBA title in 2022. He is currently on his second stint with the Golden State Warriors, who are currently eighth in the Western Conference standings. If the season ended today, the Warriors would be included in the NBA's play-in tournament, which gives the 7th through 10th-seeded teams from each conference an opportunity to play in the postseason. The Warriors are 31-27 throughout the first 58 games of the 82-game season. The Warriors will play the Magic in Orlando at 7 p.m. ET. Payton has averaged 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.4 minutes per game. He's started in 10 of the 46 games he's played for Golden State this season. Payton spoke with USA TODAY to share some insight on various topics related to the league and his career. Gary Payton II on playing with new teammate Jimmy Butler Payton and the Warriors want to make a strong push toward the postseason. The Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat before the deadline, adding him to a roster featuring Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. 'The Jimmy addition is amazing,' Payton said. 'His skill, his IQ and what he brings. … Jimmy is just a dog. He loves to hoop.' Through his first seven games with the Warriors, he's averaged 18 points, six rebounds and 5.4 assists. 'He goes out there and plays his heart out and he is a great fit for us. He can play big or small but just that addition to what Draymond and Steph bring for us, it's just amazing. … We will continue to figure it out and get him accustomed to everything but it won't be too hard. He is a high IQ level guy and loves to play the right way.' The Warriors have won six of their first seven games with Butler on the court. Butler signed a two-year, $113 million contract extension with Miami on Feb. 6 before he was traded to Golden State. Butler has averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists during his 14-year career. While Butler is expected to be a key player for Golden State, Payton is in the final year of a three-year deal he initially signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022. He signed the deal seven months before he was traded back to Golden State. The nine-year veteran exercised the $9.13 million player option he had on his contract to remain with the Warriors for this season. While it remains unclear where he will play next season, Payton did not hold back about his aspirations for the future. Bringing basketball back to Seattle Payton was born and raised in Seattle, where his father spent 13 years as a star player for the Seattle SuperSonics. While the city no longer has a basketball team, Payton remembers growing up when the basketball team was present before leaving for Oklahoma City. There's been speculation over the years that the NBA will expand in the future, leaving some to be vocal about Seattle's need to be a front-runner to host a franchise again. 'Personally, that's all I've ever wanted since they've left,' Payton explained. 'Growing up and being around the Sonics and the KeyArena and now being in the position I'm in today, I've always wanted to go back home and play. 'Hopefully, in the next couple of years, they can figure it out and bring it back and that my dad is a part of it.' There's no deadline set for an announcement regarding the league officially expanding. Still, the NBA has made it a point to host preseason games in Seattle in recent years, which may indicate some level of interest by both the city and the league. The Climate Pledge Arena, which was previously named the KeyArena from 1995-2018, hosts the NHL's Seattle Kraken and the WNBA's Seattle Storm. The arena finished its renovations in 2021, the same year the hockey team was founded. 'I think (Seattle) still deserves a men's hoop team,' Payton said. 'They are doing an amazing job with the Storm and now the Kraken down there. It's a great fan base and the city has proved that they deserve the Sonics back.' The Kraken upset the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of a seven-game series in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, becoming the first NHL team to win its inaugural playoff series against a defending champion. The Storm was founded in 2000 and did not leave with the NBA franchise for its move to Oklahoma City. The WNBA became the primary professional basketball team in town, winning four league championships (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020). Payton expands his investments beyond basketball Payton recently invested in a Black-owned water bottle brand called Suplmnt. He secured an equity stake in the company founded by Jarius Morris, aligning with the mission to promote hydration and cultural impact. 'My best friend and business partner presented me with this water bottle and wanted me to check it out,' Payton said. 'A few weeks went by and I was using the bottle everywhere and the feedback I was getting was crazy.' Morris created this brand to encourage Black and Brown communities to drink more water and empower others. The water bottles were designed to make drinking water easy and fashionable through a dedicated focus on the art and culture portrayed in the bottle designs. 'I discovered the isolated water space pretty late in the game,' Morris said. 'Water bottles have been around for a long time but I never heard of some of them prior to me discovering them. I did more research and realized that the reason I didn't hear of these brands is because they weren't typically targeting the urban demographic; it was more toward outdoor and the environment, so I wanted to get something that resonated with the culture.' Payton thought highly enough of the bottles that he used them as a Christmas gift idea for his teammates. He also enjoys the different laser-printed designs available and how they can play into his everyday fashion. 'This is pretty smooth,' Payton said about the bottle. 'So from there, it was just a part of my everyday life before I was even invested.'
USA Today
23-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UConn struggles continue since Dan Hurley told official he was best coach in men's college basketball
UConn struggles continue since Dan Hurley told official he was best coach in men's college basketball In an 80-78 overtime victory against Butler on Jan. 21, UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley attracted national attention not for something his team did, but something he said. At a stoppage in the game, television cameras cut to the Huskies coach berating a referee over what he believed to be a missed call. 'Don't turn your back on me,' Hurley said to the official, who had started to walk away while Hurley was speaking to him. 'I'm the best coach in the f---ing sport.' REQUIRED READING: Rick Pitino vs. Dan Hurley head-to-head record: Comparing St. John's, UConn coaches As it turns out, he may not even be the best coach in his own conference. On Sunday, Hurley's UConn team fell to Rick Pitino and No. 9 St. John's 89-75 at Madison Square Garden in New York, giving the Red Storm a regular-season sweep of the two-time reigning national champion. With the loss, the Huskies are 4.5 games behind St. John's for first place in the Big East, effectively eliminating them from the regular-season conference championship race. Few, if any, people doubt Hurley's accomplishments and his abilities as a coach. The 52 year old has won at every stop of his career, from Wagner to Rhode Island to UConn. He took over a reeling Huskies program and transformed it into a juggernaut that won each of the past two NCAA championships. UConn not only won the 2023 and 2024 titles, but it was dominant in doing so, compiling a 68-11 record over those two seasons and winning each of its 12 NCAA tournament games across those runs by at least 13 points. Since famously asserting that he was the best coach in the sport, though, his team hasn't quite lived up to that standard. In the eight games since that narrow win against Butler, the Huskies are just 4-4. Prior to that comment, UConn had been 13-5. REQUIRED READING: Men's March Madness bracket projection: No. 1 seeds, last 4 in, first 4 out for NCAA tournament The recent rut has included a loss at Xavier, which is widely projected to miss the NCAA tournament cut, and, more concerningly, Seton Hall, which is in last place in the Big East and was just 6-18 before toppling the Huskies. The victory against UConn is Seton Hall's only win in its past 11 games, a stretch that goes all the way back to Jan. 9. "I just wish they'd put the camera on the other coach more," Hurley said after the Butler game. "...I just wish they would show these other coaches losing their minds at the officials in other Big East games that I'm coaching where I look going into a timeout where I'm not talking to officials. I see these coaches as demonstrative as I am." There's no shame in losing to Pitino, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer who has won national championships with two different programs and could very well lead St. John's to the Final Four, which would be the fourth different program he had guided to the national semifinals. Hurley's team hadn't been playing well even the Butler game, either, having lost two of its previous three after a 12-3 start to the season. But whether it's hubris or his reconstructed team continuing to come up short of the lofty benchmark the program had set the previous two seasons, Hurley's loud claim, true as it may be, hasn't aged particularly well.
