Basketball

Nothing But Nets: The End of an Era in Boston

Boston Celtics

It probably wasn’t supposed to end like this for Paul Pierce. Not after so many years in Boston. It’ll be strange to see him playing alongside Kevin Garnett next season, wearing the black and white Brooklyn uniform, chasing after one more ring. It doesn’t feel right to see him playing anywhere else. Mark Milner explains the End of the Era in Boston.

Basketball

Coach of the Year Fired: George Karl and History

Back in May, Denver coach George Karl won the NBA’s Red Auerbach Trophy, the award given to the association’s best coach, as selected by a panel of sportswriters. Within a month, the Nuggets fired Karl. It wasn’t a case of things going south for the Nuggets; if anything, they surpassed expectations this year. Despite lacking […]

Basketball

LeBron James does it again, again

Just when you think LeBron James is done making a case for himself as one of the NBA’s greats, he raises the bar. While the Miami Heat have their backs against the wall against the Indiana Pacers, the nerve-wracking 2013 postseason has only revealed more about just how singlehandedly dominant King James can be when he needs to.

Reviews

Eleven Rings (2013)

There aren’t many coaches more interesting than Phil Jackson, both in terms of career and personal life. In a trade where coaches are increasingly alike, Jackson’s the Zen Master, the imposing figure sitting on a throne-like seat. Mark Milner reviews Jackson’s latest autobiography.

Other Sports

TSN Duo Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole Head South

In what could be described as one of the biggest Canadian defections in recent memory, TSN SportsCentre co-hosts Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole will head south from their comfy northern confines to help launch the newly minted American sports channel, Fox 1. What does the move mean for the network? For Canadians? A lot more than you think.

Reviews

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig (2005)

It still boggles the mind to think about Lou Gehrig and his consecutive game streak. Sure, it was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. a few years back, but the 90s were a different time: Ripken played in a time of physical conditioning, specialized team doctors and better medicine. Gehrig played back when the trainer’s job was to rub players down.

Basketball

Kobe Bryant’s Achilles Injury: Coincidence or Fate?

Kobe Bryant injured his Achilles this weekend, that much we all know. What’s been lost in the shuffle of disappointment however, is that the actual name of the tendon that the future Hall of Fame guard tore isn’t the only similarity he and the mythological hero share. Mark Milner explains.

Basketball

The Javale McGee Effect

Remember the other recently ended NBA streak, the one not getting as much buzz? The Denver Nuggets just ripped off a 15-game win streak, which unfortunately happened to coincide with that of a certain other club’s. It’s too bad the Nuggets aren’t getting more attention: they’re one of the best teams in the tough Western Conference and they’re ripping through opponents without any superstars. They’re a team any basketball fan could love. A team you should love. Allow me to explain.

Basketball

Taking LeBron James for Granted

Both the Miami Heat and LeBron James have reached critical mass. James is far and away the best player in basketball right now. Forget head and shoulders, he’s waist-high above everyone else. And the Heat? They’re blowing through teams like it’s nobody’s business, winning 17 straight games and losing exactly once in the month of February. So why was ESPN putting the Blackhawks point streak in the same sentence?

Basketball

The One-and-Done Rule Revisited

When Nerlens Noel tore his ACL last Tuesday, it set off one of the most talked about, controversial and least impactful rules in sports: the age limit for the NBA Draft, usually called the one-and-done rule. It happens any time a high-profile college player gets injured: are they a casualty of the rule? Mark Milner takes a look back at high school players who made the jump the pros with a special focus on the good, the bad and the Ellis Richardson.