Following in the footsteps of great international bigs like Arvydas Sabonis, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Gasol, 7-foot German forward Aleksej Pokusevski has the talent and skills to have earned a spot among the youngest projected draft picks in this age-limit era. Before the likes of Kristaps Porzingis or Luka Doncic burst onto the scene and…
There’s a lot of talent to be found all around the world, and more front offices are searching through Europe, Asia, South America, etc. to find the next great import. This season, 108 players from 38 countries were on an NBA roster for opening night, which includes reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even though the league…
Triple-doubles used to be uncommon, even as Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James have recently produced a spike in them. But San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson long ago one-upped these luminaries by recording the NBA’s last quadruple-double. Only three other players have ever registered such a feat: Hall-of-Fame centers Nate Thurmond and Hakeem…
I was too young to appreciate the 1992 USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Dream Team. And although I was old enough to enjoy the 1996 and 2000 American gold medalists, I took their success for granted. It wasn’t until the disappointment of the 2004 bronze and the ensuing 2008 “Redeem Team” campaign that I understood the…
In an interview on the Double Clutch podcast last year, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve shared a story about the start of her career in the early days of the WNBA when she was an assistant coach to former NBA star Bill Laimbeer on the Detroit Shock. “Bill was a great mentor to me…
In this sixth episode of the Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by TBW’s Huw Hopkins to outline the upward trajectory of the WNBA and global women’s leagues, as well as the opportunities and hurdles that lie ahead. Centered around Huw’s fantastic “Meet a Few of the Many Women Creating a Basketball Renaissance”…
The fate of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo had been hanging in the balance ever since the COVID-19 outbreak began in China months ago. However, pressure truly began to mount on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the virus rapidly spread throughout the world. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced last weekend that they…
Dear friends and subscribers of TBW, Much has certainly changed in our world over the past couple of months. We anticipate further changes and challenges due to COVID-19 in the near future. These hurdles supersede everything I am about to discuss, so please note this perspective that we recognize basketball (and sport, in general) as such…
LeBron James might have initially balked at the prospect of not playing basketball in front of fans, but the NBA is now shutting its doors with the news that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has tested positive for Coronavirus. The world simply has to take note of the serious problems that could arise from this…
The last time Team USA played in an international tournament was an embarrassment. The inaugural FIBA World Cup took place in China this past summer and, after taking home the gold in the previous five events, the Americans finished seventh. They lost back-to-back games against France and Serbia to close out the tournament. It was…
