All Heart: Derek Smith’s Ascent and Tragic Fate
Derek Smith was on his way to a career of an NBA All-Star. For the kid who had grown up poor in rural Georgia, averaging 22 points per game and outplaying Michael Jordan were unthinkable heights. Unfortunately, tragedies cut his life and career short.
‘It Was a Circus’. Delving into the Mark Madsen Game
The Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes inspire to explore what some consider the most blatant one-game tank job in NBA history. Mark Madsen fires up 3-pointers as Minnesota moves up in the draft lottery.
Kristaps Porzingis on Wizards, Kidd’s Staff, Analytics, National Team
Interview with Kristaps Porzingis on all things concerning the 2021-22 NBA season, the individual work he has put in during the summer and on Latvia’s national team.
Georgia’s Big Three, Belgian Lions and Dad Rudy Fernandez
Working the EuroBasket 2022 for FIBA gave the opportunity to write some fun stories. Georgia rolling with a lineup of three players over 6’11, Belgium demanding everybody’s respect and Rudy Fernandez’s leadership on the Spanish NT.
Quiet. Tough. Best Shooter on The Team. Timberwolves Remember Gundars Vetra
13 games, 89 minutes, 45 points. Those are the superficial numbers from the season Gundars Vetra spent in the National Basketball Association (NBA). However, underneath those figures stories are to … Continue reading
Accordionist, Horse Jockey, Teacher – Miraculous Participants in NBA Games
Fun exercise of how professionalization has changed in the NBA throughout the decades. Some stories on the guys who combined the career of a basketball player with another occupation.
Latvieša uzņēmības stāsts: vēstule ‘Instagram’ paver ceļu uz NBA
No Latvijas līdz Nacionālajai basketbola asociācijai (NBA) izsitušies vien valsts talantīgākie basketbolisti, bet pie prakses iespējām vasarās tikuši daži nacionālo izlašu treneri. Pavisam citu ceļu gājis treneris Toms Jēkabsons…
Trail Blazers from the West in the Latvian Basketball League (Pt. 2)
The second installment on a series of oral histories about the first American basketball players in Latvia in the 1990’s.
Elvin Hayes (43pts) Battles Ray Williams (38pts) and Micheal Sugar Ray (17asts)
Footage of Elvin Hayes, Ray Williams, Micheal “Sugar” Ray Richardson and a couple of others having awesome performances in a fun Knicks-Bullets game.
Penny Hardaway Battles Injury for 29 Points Before Surgery (1996)
A few new videos… Here I come, armed with my 2020 biases and second-hand experience of stars sitting out games due to wear and tear. Yet I do think that … Continue reading
NBA Record – Toronto Raptors Block 23 Shots vs. Hawks
Another NBA record which seems shaky at the least when you take a closer look at the footage.
Reinis Lacis's Basketball Blog 