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San Francisco Chronicle
25-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Warriors' Steph Curry is the NBA's Baddest Man, and his reputation is on the line
He's got four rings and two MVP trophies, but it's time to give Stephen Curry an award that would say the most about his career: Curry is, by a unanimous vote of this column's one-person panel, the NBA's Baddest Man. Not the meanest or dirtiest or chippiest. Just the baddest. In order for the Golden State Warriors to beat the Houston Rockets and advance to the Western Conference semifinals, Curry will have to live up to that title. This was written before Game 3 of the series, but there are signs that the Rockets can effectively counter Curry's badassery with their own. The Rockets' relentlessly aggressive defense of Curry held him to 20 points in Game 2. Earlier this month they held him to three points in a regular season game. With Jimmy Butler knocked out of action early in Game 2, the Warriors needed more than 20 from Curry. So, yes, Curry's title is on the line. Being the NBA's Baddest Man is like being heavyweight champion of the world. You have to constantly defend your title. That won't be easy, but neither was winning that Baddest Man title in the first place. Of the eight first-round playoff series in progress, Warriors-Rockets might be the roughest. It's let-'em-play time, say the refs, and that's the Rockets' wheelhouse. Discomfort is their comfort zone. Working away from the ball on offense, Curry looks like a skydiving instructor wearing a first-time jumper on his back. Only close relatives and lovers should be hugged that enthusiastically. That won't change. Curry knows he's not going to get the calls. What tells him that? The past decade. Sure, Curry yaps at the refs. He is one of the league's 400 biggest complainers. But he knows that crying to the refs is as effective as yelping after you stub your toe. In the first two games of the series, Curry played 77 minutes and shot six free throws, and one freebie was on a technical foul. It's part of a larger problem, though not everyone sees it as a problem. In the playoffs, the refs call the game more loosely. Hey, let 'em play, right? Sure, I want to let my kids play, too, but when their ball rolls onto the freeway, it's time to apply some adult supervision. Guys play harder in the playoffs, and you don't want to bog down the games with whistles. But players are smart. If you called games 5% tighter, players would adjust and play 5% less dirty. They would have to. Players will do exactly whatever they are allowed to do. The refs allow more in the playoffs because the Association seems to believe that fans want Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. Cool, this ain't croquet. But shouldn't there be some recognition at the league level that basketball is not football or wrestling? That there is an element of athletic art that can get wiped out when the refs become innocent bystanders? The league bosses want theater, so they allow unlimited yapping at refs, unlimited flopping and industrial-strength defense, while ignoring the fact that great basketball can also sell tickets. Curry shot 4.3 free throws per game this season. Among guards who shot a lot more freebies than that: Trae Young (7.4), James Harden (7.3) and Damian Lillard (6.8). Yes, I have joined the crybabies. For years I scoffed at people whining that Curry gets no calls. Perspective is hard, I preached to the whiners. Look, I coached CYO basketball for a few years, and my teams got royally screwed by the refs every single game. It looks like the NBA refs ignore the freestyle mugging of Curry, but there's no way (I explained to the crybabies) that can be true. Hey, it takes a big man to admit he's wrong. There should be no star treatment, but there should be recognition of the fine line between good, tough defense and illegal search and seizure. Meanwhile, Curry's only recourse is to do what he has done for the last decade, which is to go the Bruce Lee/Peter Pan route. Beat the bigger, meaner, dirtier guys with courage, cool and dazzling artistry. That is an increasing challenge. As Curry grows older, his foes grow younger, quicker and stronger. And smarter. As Warriors' assistant coach Bruce Fraser recently observed here, the newish tactic against Curry is to 'send in the linebackers.' Bigger guys, defending with more force. The Rockets have linebackers up the wazoo. Fred Van Vleet and Dillon Brooks are classic tacklers, and Amen Thompson is a gritty, athletic octopus. It will be harder for Curry if Jimmy Butler is out, or is limited by his injury. Butler not only eases the burden on Curry stylistically, by spacing, moving the ball and picking, but Butler adds a level of toughness the Warriors need against the hyper-aggressive Rockets. Curry knows the deal. After Game 2, he said, 'There were a couple (accidental) crashes that happened out there, but we know what they're trying to do — use their size advantage at times to try to bully us.' The forecast calls for stormy weather for as long as the Warriors are in the playoffs. Their umbrella is Curry, until further notice the NBA's Baddest Man.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada Is Aggressively Attacking U.S. Trade, Farmers and Workers
Canada has one of the most protectionist economies among developed nations. It particularly targets American farmers, media, and manufacturers. That may be why Donald Trump launched his counterattack on trade offenders with a 25% tariff on many imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10% on Canadian energy. Unhelpfully, Trump claimed authority to do so under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because of an "extraordinary threat" posed by "unchecked drug trafficking." The White House failed to explain how this applied to Canada. And, while his goals are entirely correct, his April 2 "Liberation Day" global strike, imposing 10% baseline tariffs on almost all nations, and so-called reciprocal tariffs on friends and foes alike, roiled markets and aligned the world against us. Thats why Trump rapidly retreated, suspending reciprocal tariffs, except for China. Clever countries are waging trade war on us. Despite this, America has the worlds strongest economy. Except where there are national security considerations that mandate pulling our punches, the U.S. can win every time - if we play chess, not Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. When it comes to using tariffs as a weapon, Trump should focus on two or three targets at a time, take them down, and then move on to the next. I nominate China, the European Union (see here) and Canada. Canada is our largest individual export market, and while it may not be a threat to American health, it is an adept abuser of free trade. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, exports of goods to Canada in 2024 were about $350 billion, and imports about $413 billion, for a deficit of $63 billion, though U.S. services reduce the deficit by about $10 billion. In January, the goods deficit grew to an annualized rate exceeding $140 billion. When Trump met with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney a few weeks ago, he avoided the undignified trolling to which he had subjected Justin Trudeau, and observed that "I think things will work out very well between Canada and the United States." Still, Trump singled out Canada on Liberation Day, criticizing its tariffs on agriculture, and claiming that the U.S. subsidizes our neighbor by almost $200 billion a year. Nonetheless, Trump imposed no additional tariffs on Canada. Canada will shroud itself in this miasma and continue to play the victim. Its an act. Canada takes care of Canada. While Canadas businesses and citizens benefit from almost unfettered access to the United States, it limits our access through "made-in-Canada" requirements, standards that generally can be met only by natural resources in Canada, and financial support available only to Canadians. Even its offer last week to rescind tariffs on U.S. automakers was conditioned on further investment in Canada. Canada looks out for Canada. One of the most enduring trade disputes involves subsidies Canada provides to its softwood lumber industry. Last year, the Biden administration raised tariffs on imports of Canadian softwood lumber from 8.05% to 14.54%. Recently, Canada banned most foreigners from purchasing Canadian residential property. Numerous provinces also impose additional property taxes on foreign property owners. The U.S. Trade Representatives report on Foreign Trade Barriers and the International Trade Administration website cite numerous obstacles imposed by Canada, including: The Investment Canada Act has regulated foreign investment in Canada since 1985. National security and a more nebulous standard of "economic net benefits" for Canada is a determining factor in reviews of foreign investments. Canada also restricts foreign ownership and board positions in many industries. In 2024, Canada began taxing online sales, advertising, and social media, singling out S. companies for taxation while effectively excluding Canadian firms in similar businesses. The tax is retroactive to 2022. Canadas regulation of the dairy, chicken, turkey, and egg industries "severely limits" S. imports. Canada also limits U.S. imports of seeds, cheese, fresh fruits, vegetables, and electricity. Most Canadian provinces "greatly hamper" U.S. imports of wine, beer, and spirits. More than 50% of TV channels, and at least 35% of popular music broadcast on radio, must be Canadian, and the "needs and interests" of Canadians must be prioritized in video, music, and digital media. Canadian cable and satellite suppliers rebroadcast U.S. border stations without consent, while denying tax deductions to Canadian businesses that advertise on these stations. Canada also offers tax credits, loans, and subsidies to companies and projects owned by and hiring Canadians. For example, subsidies for film and television production utilizing Canadian directors, writers, and actors have allowed Vancouver and Toronto to challenge Los Angeles and New York, and pull ahead of Atlanta, while providing Canadian actors life-long advantages. By contrast, the U.S. has long been hospitable to Canadian investment, goods, and people. Canadian headquartered or owned businesses that are well known in the U.S. include Burger King, Lululemon, Canada Goose, TD Bank, MAC Cosmetics (until being sold), Saks Fifth Avenue (spun off in 2024), Shopify, Rumble, and Pornhub. The Wikipedia list of prominent Canadian-Americans is 35 pages. Most spent their lives in the United States, which accorded them the economic opportunities available to all Americans. Canadas trade barriers reduce our GDP by less than 1% but boost Canadas economy by considerably more. The challenge is to work with Canada to eliminate its barriers over a period that wont rock the Canadian economy. But if that effort hits a wall, the administration would be obligated to protect Americans by rolling out properly computed and targeted reciprocal tariffs and non-tariff measures. Canada may be able to beat the U.S. in hockey, but despite its bellicose tone, it cant win a well-fought trade war. Kenin M. Spivak is founder and chairman of SMI Group LLC, an international consulting firm and investment bank. He is the author of fiction and non-fiction books and a frequent speaker and contributor to media, including RealClearPolitics, The American Mind, National Review, television, radio, and podcasts.
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Celtics take down Magic after a healthy amount of blood, showmanship and even laughter
BOSTON — The blood squirting from the head of Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porziņģis Wednesday night looked fake, if you want to know the truth. It was that bright, red neon-looking stuff, like when professional wrestlers grab a convenient folding chair and whack it across the good guy's yap. This was real blood all right, and a gusher, after Porziņģis took an elbow from the Orlando Magic's Goga Bitadze in the third quarter of the Celtics' 109-100 victory in Game 2 of this opening-round mismatch of a playoff series. But as if to illustrate how well this series is going for the Celtics, and how badly things are going for the Magic, Porziņģis just laughed. And kept laughing. Advertisement He exited the court but was only gone for as long as it took to apply a comically oversized Band-Aid to his forehead. He made it back, smiling, in time to attempt the flagrant foul free throws that had been awarded to him. He then came out, smiling. He later returned, still smiling. Nearly an hour after the game, when he sat down for a media availability, he was still laughing — even as he revealed that five stitches were needed to close the cut. 'I love my WWE moments, for sure,' Porziņģis said. 'You know me, I always love engaging with the crowd.' Kristaps Porzingis was bleeding from his head after an elbow from Goga Bitadze. Bitadze was called for a flagrant 1 foul. — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 24, 2025 This isn't to suggest the Celtics are laughing at the Orlando Magic. These are the playoffs. And Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla later delivered some serious coachspeak about the importance of playing within the margins, even if he couldn't resist having some fun with this, the second time in three weeks that Porziņģis has had a blood-inducing cut. 'I like watching him bleed on the court,' Mazzulla said. 'He comes back, he does the job.' The Celtics are in good spirits at a time when there's some serious stuff going on. Jayson Tatum, who when teamed with Jaylen Brown gives the Celtics an epic one-two punch, missed the game with a bruised right wrist. And as often happens with underdog teams, the Magic are bringing some Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots to the series. When that happens, someone can get hurt, or, at the least, really ticked off. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who committed the foul in Game 1 that resulted in Tatum's bruised wrist, had a run-in with Al Horford that caused nostrils to flare but not fists to fly. It'll likely continue throughout the series, which resumes with Game 3 in Orlando Friday night. Advertisement Now, about the Magic: It does get a little stale, this business of hollering that this or that lowly seeded team doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs, that it's all about television ratings and ad sales, feeding the fan beast, and so on. But then you watch Brown cleanly pick Corey Joseph's pocket and go the other way to deliver a jam that gave the Celtics a 72-58 lead, and you're like, gee. True, the Magic kept making it a game, as when a Franz Wagner 25-footer midway through the third quarter reduced Boston's lead to just five points. But the Celtics never lost their composure, even if Mazzulla maintained it wasn't about any of that. 'We're not responding to anything,' Mazzulla said. 'We're just playing the game. Every game is different.' He's right about that. What made this game different was Porziņģis taking that elbow to the head that needed stitches to close. With apologies to Brown and his game-high 36 points — and make no mistake, Brown came up big on a night when the Celtics needed him to come up big — what people will remember is KP needing an in-game visit to the MD, and then laughing about it. 'We're going to be us,' Porziņģis said. 'We're not gonna let anybody punk us. We expected this kind of stuff, for them to get in our heads, to try to provoke us, to try to maybe get some reaction out of us, a technical or maybe something. 'We weren't surprised,' he said. 'But we're not gonna take it.' Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. That was measured Kristaps Porziņģis. Here's I-had-a-blast Porziņģis: 'How could I not come back out? Oooooh, I had five stitches, I can't play anymore. No. My legs work. Everything works. Of course, I'm going to be back out there. Yeah. You know me. I like these moments. I come back out, ooooooooh, I get the crowd going. 'In my career, I've had a lot of ups, but I've had a lot of downs. I've been out with injuries. So when I have the actual moments to play basketball, I try to do it to the fullest, you know? I'm smiling, I'm having fun, I'm trying to engage with the fans.' When basketball ends for Kristaps Porziņģis, WWE awaits. (Photo of Kristaps Porzingis: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
