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Leave it to Gregg Popovich to frame the Spurs' championship hopes into a larger vision of his players' place in society.Some 250 Texas high school students had the chance last month to ask questions of Popovich ( Tony Oliva Jersey oh, and esteemed Harvard profe sor Cornel West) in a se sion moderated by The Nation's David Zirin.MORE: Zirinrevealed this week some of what Popovich said, including his answer to one student's question about whether the Spurs were going to win another NBA title this season:Win the championship? I dont know, but its not a priority in my Kennys Vargas Jersey life. Id be much happier if I knew that my players were going to make society better, who had good families and who took care of the people around them. Id get more satisfaction out of that Paul Molitor Jersey than a title. I would love to win another championship and well work our butts off to try and do that. But we have to want more than succe s in our jobs. Thats why were here. Were here so youll understand that you can overcome obstacles by being prepared and if you educate the hell out of yourself. If Jonathan Schoop Jersey you become respectful, disciplined people in this world, you can fight anything. If you join with each other and you believe in yourself and each other, thats what Nelson Cruz Jersey matters. Thats what we want to relay to you all: that we believe that about you or we wouldnt be here.You can read Zirin's entire story and get more of Pop's philosophy by clicking .

John Wall is a stand-up guy, but he needs to fall back.The Wizards point guard is a former No. 1overall pick anda perennial All-Star. He'sone of the most selfle s givers both on the court, where he's averaged double-digit a sists in each of the last two seasons,and off it, where he consistently offers his time and treasures to those in need.However, his penchant for pocket watching, a petty preoccupation with the salaries of other starssuch as James Harden coupled with his beef with teammate Bradley Beal, is absolutely reprehensible. Theymar the 25-year-old'simage and makehimcome off as a multi-millionaire malcontent who wants to see his Detroit Tigers Jersey peers do well but not better than him.MORE: Thursday, reported one front-office exec saidWallwas jealous of Harden's four-year, $118million extension with the Rockets. In March, reported Wall, who once wore the stripes in games, turned down a lucrative offer from the brand because he wanted a contractmore on par with Harden's highly-incentivized$200-million endorsement deal. Earlier thisweek, news of a riff between Wall and his backcourt mate Bradley Beal surfaced. Wall categorized the tension, which has had an adverse impact on the Wizards on the floor,as a.Beal istwo years Wall's junior. He's been good despite beinghampered by serious health concerns most of his career, averaging 16 points while shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range in four years, but his highest accolade as a profe sional Miguel Cabrera Jersey to date is being tapped a first-team choice to the 2013 All-Rookie team. Nonethele s, he became the richest player on the Wizards' rosterwhen he rendered his John Hancock onto a five-year, $128 million contract during this summer's $1 billion free-agency spending spree, setting himup to earn almost $6 million more than Wall next season.To put the absurdity of the market inperspective, Wall will be paid $16,957,900 in 2016-17. VeteranFrench big man Ian Mahinmi is due to gro s $15,944,154 in the first year of a four-year $64-million contract with the Wizards. Mahinmi had the best season of his eight-year career when he averaged 9.3 points, 7.1 rebound and 1.1 blocks per game as a member of the Pacers.JOSEPH: A league source told, "Walls got jealousy i sues. Hes always upset with someone who makes more money than him."Added an unnamed agent: "Whatever is public, multiply it by five and thats how they really feel about each other. Its probably a total disaster."Sadly, it's certainly not outside Wall's character.Wall was utterly bemused last summerwhen the Pistons signed former Thunder backup Reggie Jacksonto a five-year, $80-million contract, identical to the deal Wall agreed to back in 2013before reeling off three-straight all-star seasons."It's like I'm getting the same amount as Reggie Jackson right now," at the time.Jackson started all 79 games he played in, leading thePistons in scoring (18.2 ppg) and a sists (6.2ppg). To add insult to injury, Jackson torched the Wizards for Niko Goodrum Jersey a game-high 39 points and nine a sists in a 112-99 victory back on April 8 to clinch Detroit's first postseason berth in seven years as Wall sat with a sore left knee. The Wizards failed to qualify for the postseason, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference.MORE: We're all complex beings. This one character flaw shouldn't completely color how we perceive Wall. It doesn't comprise the sum total of who he is.Wall recently received the . He to aid homele s children in D.C. and to help the le s fortunate. Heonce skipped a preseason game to go to a cancer research fundraiser. He was and dedicated a double-overtime win against the Celtics to the memory of a young fan who died of the same disease that took the life of his father when Wall Sparky Anderson Jersey was nine.This is an opportunity for a seemingly good man to become an even better one. Wall's pocket watchingappears to be more evidenceofmisplaced hyper competitivene sthanimmature ungratefulne s. His former Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins has suffered from the same ailment. Rememberafterthe Cavs forked over $82-million to secure Tristan Thompson's services forfive years?Anyone with a job is motivated by money.But Wall must recognize worrying too much about tomorrow, being overly concernedand, in this case, publicly perturbedby the numbers in someone else's account won't add one red cent to his. It can have the adverse effect when it compromises the quality of the product he and his co-workers produce."My whole thing is I was put on this earth to do something and I was ble sed to be able to play basketball," Wall saidduring an emotional pre s conference when he re-upped with the Wizards three years ago. "My main thing was to keep striving and be a better person. That's one thing Tyson Ross Jersey my mom always instilled in me was, 'It doesn't matter what nobody think of you as a basketball player. They always gone look at you as a person first.'"Whether it's on the court or in corporate America, Wall should take advice :"A man got to have a code."Counting another man's money violates everything a player of his caliber should hold sacred. Wall is better than that, personally and profe sionally.

Morethan perhaps any player this side of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant is all busine s on the court.So after a over the the Warriors on Sunday,the Lakers guard made sure the NBA's current superteam understood the task at hand andinstructed Warriors forward Draymond Green to make sure he keeps his teammates focused in their attempt to win back-to-back titles.MORE: |"He's the Josh Naylor Jersey one that has to keep his finger on the nerve with this team, because it can get lax, it can get comfortable,", "and I think he's the one that's going to have to create that conflict, that tension in the locker room, because if they don't have that, then in the playoffs, then they are going to be in trouble.He's got to give them that conflict."It was just the Warriors'sixth lo s, four of which have come to teams that are not currently in the playoff picture. Green said Carlos Asuaje Jersey he took Bryant's words to heart, calling him "one of the best to ever do it.""That's a guy who's been there, done that, he's won back-to-back championships, like we're trying to do, so he knows what it takes, he knows what you have to do," Green said. "You just take the advice. You know you have to bring some leadership to the table and you just remember what Edward Olivares Jersey he told you. I'm not sure how you do it, but try to find a way."Bryant won three consecutive championshipsfrom 2000 to 2002and helped the Lakersgobacktoback againin 2009 and 2010, so it's probably not a bad idea for Green to take his words to heart.Stud of the nightJames Harden put the Rockets on his back yet again, helping his team upset the Raptors 113-107. Harden had 40 points and 14 a sists in 40 minutes, helping the team pull out a victory in the fourth quarter.Dud of the nightZach Randolph had been playing very well over the past 10gamesbut the Grizzlies big man took a big step backward Sunday. Randolph struggled in a 109-100 lo s to the Suns,scoringjust eight points on 3-of-10 shooting as his team saw its three-game winning streakend.Tweet of the nightThe Bucks came out Miguel Diaz Jersey on the losing end of a 104-96 affairagainst the Thunder, but Bucks forwardGiannisAntetokounmposhowed why they call Matt Strahm Jersey him "The Greek Freak" with plays like this.Antetokounmpofinished with a triple-double 26 points, 12 rebounds, 10 a sists and four blocks."No Defense Can Stop That!" NBA (@NBA)Looking ahead:Kings (25-36) atPelicans (23-38), 8 p.m. ET: Both teams are outside of the playoff picturebut that doesnt mean it wont be fun to watch. They feature two of the best big men in the league Sacramentos DeMarcus Cousins and New Orleans Anthony Davis and bothformer Kentuckystars are capable of putting up big numbers on any given night.

Kevin Durant doesn't want to get caught up in beating Patrick Beverley.He wants to make sure he helps the Warriors keep their offensive flow despite the constant double-teams and help situations he keeps facing on the offensive end."They playing a gimmick defense which has Danny Duffy Jersey been working," Durant told reporters Wednesday, via The Athletic. "Top blocking everything on the perimeter, so guys aren't even looking at the 3-point line, they're just forcing guys inside the 3-point line, so for us, when I get the ball in my spot I got a pest, Patrick Beverley, who was up underneath me."I could definitely shoot over the top and score every time if it's a one-on-one situation, but we've got a guy who's dropping and helping and we've got another guy that's just sitting on me waiting for me to dribble the basketball Salvador Perez Jersey ."If I put the basketball on the floor, I can probably make 43 percent of my shots if I'm shooting like that, but that's not really going to do nothing for us with the outcome of the game because we've got a nice flow, everybody touching the rock, everybody shooting and scoring, so I'm not going to get Ryan O'Hearn Jersey in the way of the game because I want to have a little back and forth with Patrick Beverley, I'm Kevin Durant, you know who I am."Kevin Durant goes extremely in depth on the Clippers style of defense, the overhelp, why he wont get caught up in a 1-on-1 battle with Patrick Beverley Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) Durant has been caught up somewhat with Beverley as both players were ejected in Game 1 after multiple technical fouls.The Warriors forward then fouled out of Game 2 after he tallied several offensive fouls, including one against the Clippers guard.But Golden State has averaged 126 points over the first two games of the series, and had Durant not fouled out in Game 2, the Clippers may have never come back at all.And going into Game 3, that is more of Durant's focus than anything: staying on the court as long as he can without racking up offensive fouls because he's mixing it up with Beverley."When a guy is that small you've got an advantage, but the refs seeyou Melky Cabrera Jersey know, we hear David and Goliath growing up, so that story is pretty prominent in people's minds, so when you put that out there on the court and it's me then the refs are going to give him a little bit more," Durant said Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey . "So when he run up on me like a pitbull, grab me, hold me, I don't mind it, that's how he make his money, that's how he feed his family, but if I throw something back then let us play, get what I'm saying? So I got four or five offensive fouls like that, I'm just trying to figure out each po se sion how I can be more effective without getting offensive fouls." Related Articles

Chris Bosh made five NBA All-Star Games as a member of the Raptors, but he's back in Toronto this weekend for his sixth All-Star berthwith the Heat.(Update: .)Yes, Bosh has been named to 11 All-Star teams. He's a clear-cut BasketballHall of Famer even if he was the third-best player on those Heat title teams in 2012and 2013. He's got a gold medal, a couple rings and even a ma sive role in basketball's small-ball shift. He's trying the 3-point contest for the first time.MORE: | Sporting News spoke withBosh last week in Charlotte, and he offered a candid and honest a se sment of his career. The full interview is below:SPORTING NEWS: How have you felt this season, coming back after mi sing half a year and still being an All-Star?CHRIS BOSH: It's my expectation. It feels good, but it was a goal of mine coming into Fred Lynn Jersey this season to return to the same form I had been at, if not better, and do my best to help lead this team to some wins and a playoff push.SN: The All-Star Game being in Toronto, what's that like for you?CB: It's exciting, man. It was a huge goal of mine. I kind of set it last year before my whole ordeal. Especially in the summer, I kind of worked on it as just a little thing for myself to kind of go back as a different player under different circumstances and see the folks in Toronto after all those years.SN: You said your goal was to be, maybe, better this year. How do you feel you've accomplished that?CB: It's gone well so far. Of course, as a team, that was the most important thing, to do well. First and foremost, have a much better record and compete at a higher level and help Dwyane (Wade) contribute that as Nick Yorke Jersey well as the leaders of this team. I've felt, so far, it's been a pretty good season, an All-Star season, but we still have a lot more to accomplish, and even after the weekend's pa sed, we still need to do well.SN: One of the things that interests me about this team is that you guys have a crazy number of veterans numerous guys working on Hall of Fame rsums. How does leadership work in that situation?CB: Coming to this organization, even with Hall of Fame guys, only so many guys can actually get to the mountaintop (of a title), and we've been ble sed to get there. And we kind of try to instill that in everybody, no matter who it is. It's a culture here. It's a certain way that we play. It's a certain way that we carry ourselves in this organization. That's more so what we try to preach to the other veterans and try to instill in everybody, what's expected of us and how we're going to come to play every night.SN: So when you bring in guys like, for instance, Amar'e Stoudemire or Josh McRoberts, they're very experienced players. Do you need to work with them on learning the team chemistry, or is it natural?CB: They come halfway there. There' Wade Boggs Jersey s a reason that they wanted to play here, and it's a reason that they chose to come here. They're totally open to everything because everybody wants to win, and I think that's what's most important for this team here. When we do get players, not only do we get players who want to come here, but we get players who want to win. That is the main, important thing for us. We always have expectations to do our job and do our job well. If we're not winning, we're coming up short.MORE: SN: One of the more interesting things in recent years is, you winning championships as a center became one of the most obvious examples of, "OK, this small-ball thing works." And now, you're back at power forward. Is there a comfort level still?CB: No (laughs). It's been this weird thing in my career, and I think it's a testament in life: You don't ever want to get too comfortable because I think that's when you start settling. Yeah, I was starting to get comfortable at the center position, and the way things were going, teams actually started changing and you saw a shift. Then, we get Ha san (Whiteside), and with the emergence of him, it's like, "We need you to play power forward." So now I'm kind of in the position where I was before.With the center, it was wrestling and grappling with those big guys. And now I'm guarding smaller, quicker guys, and I'm constantly going to have to close out and contain the ball. And I have to look for timely post-ups because if I just sit there and try to get it, and they're going to double and use their speed and get up and into me, and Tyler Thornburg Jersey that's playing into their hand. It's been a very interesting thing to watch. It's always been playing catchup. But I'm fine with it. Just trying to stay ahead of the curve.SN: How much of your NBA career has gone the way you expected?CB: None!SN: You've had such a fascinating journey. Any part of it make sense?CB: Nope, and that's the beauty of it. It's not supposed to make sense. I didn't expect to win a championship, let alone two. I didn't expect to be able to play with LeBron and Dwyane at one point. I didn't expect to have Hall of Fame teammates, you know? I didn't even expect to be as good a player as I've been.SN: Really?CB: Yeah, I mean, you say it, but then, when it happens, it's like, "That's cool." Yeah, I know I said it, but, when it happens, it's cool! I never expected to be an 11-time All-Star, let alone 11 times in a row. So it's just cool. It's cool to be a part of. It's been an awesome journey. I'm still writing my chapters, and hopefully I can keep it going and win another championship.SN: The point from earlier about playing center, has it occurred to you that actually played an important role in that change, that that's part of your legacy, part of what people will remember about Chris Bosh the small-ball center who won two championships?CB: Yeah, I hope so, man. I've been a part of some cool things. Babe Ruth Jersey It's on other people to see and sift through it for what it is. But yeah, I've been in some trends, had some cultural changes. That's all stuff you want to be a part of. I made a couple big plays in the Finals an iconic play (tipping the ball out to Ray Allen on the pivotal shot in Game 6 in 2013). That's good enough for me, man.

Electric word, lifeIt means forever and thats a mighty long time.What I know for sure is Prince was wrong about the last part. As it turns out, it isnt such a long time after all.MORE: | In the wake of a lo s like Prince, we dive into the greatne s the man, . And we mourn not Jesse Winker Jersey simply what is gone but what might have been, the concerts, the guitar solos, the po sibility.Electric word, life, when applied to an athletic career as well.COLLINS: Because a player has two lives; the one we all get and the time spent on the court or field or ice or pool. And this, too, will feel like a mighty long time.Until it isnt.Kevin Durant (Getty Images)And so I thought of Prince, this little tiny piece of his genius, as I watched Kevin Durant and his Thunder . Because there is never enough time, and what little there is flies.When KD came into this Reggie Sanders Jersey league nine years ago all limbs and baby face, everything was in front of him. Everything still is, just on a shorter porch. And that ring, that championship that felt so inevitable, has a little doubt cloud overhead.MORE: It is not huge. He is still young. Still amazing. He has free agency looming. He has a chance to organize a Miami 2.0 in Golden State, D.C., OKC.To pretend his window has not shrunk is to ignore reality. I remember covering that Heat-Thunder Finals; the fight put up by Durant and Westbrook and Harden, LeBrons eventual coronation and the prevailing feeling that OKC had next. The Heat would win one or two or six and then the baton would be wrested away by this young group that would Scott Schebler Jersey win one or two or six.But way leads to way, as the poem goes.MORE: And Harden is gone and this little wunderkind named Steph Curry has the baton in his hot little hand. This is the West now. It is brutal sledding with Golden State and Steph, San Antonio and Pop, and then there is The LeBron Project on the other sideif the Thunder getthat far.They have as good a chance as anybody against Golden State, whichis not exactly great. But the only way they do is if Durant . He owned his talent that day. He always did, if we are Matt Kemp Jersey being honest. This is what greatne s does and what Durant needs to show. If OKC is going to win a championship, Durant has to be the best player on the floor. Hemaybehas to be better than that, and that means scoring and leading and being coachable. It is one of the best qualities a pro athlete needs, one of the biggest indicators of how that short athletic life goes.And if they do not do it this year, he has to want no, demand a coach capable of doing that, of pushing him and his teammates, of making him great.So when this little sliver of electric is over, and its a Tucker Barnhart Jersey mighty short time, he can walk away knowing he had given the performance of a lifetime.

It's Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference as the Celtics head to Houston Jose De Leon Jersey to take on the Rockets.The Celtics have been on a roll as of late, winning 10 of their last 13 games and look to keep this up against Houston. They have a 20-13 record and sit in fifth place of the Eastern Conference.The Rockets are impre sive at home with an 11-5 record at the Toyota Center so far this season and have won seven of their last eight games overall. They have a Matt Andriese Jersey 18-15 record and find themselves in seventh place in their conference.MORE:Boston's Aron Baynes will not be active for the game due to a broken hand that has him out for a month and Houston will be without Chris Paul who has been sidelined due to a strained hamstring. With Paul out, newly signed Austin Rivers will Chaz Roe Jersey have more of an opportunity on the court.James Harden is now expected to play against the Celtics but was questionable up until the day of the game. Harden has been electric this season, averaging Steven Souza Jersey 32.3 points per game.The Celtics and Rockets both came away with big wins on Christmas Day, with Boston beating the 76ers and Houston beating the Thunder. Here's everything you need to know about this match up:When do the Celtics and Rockets play?Boston and Houston will face off on Dec. 27, 2018 at 8 p.m. ESTWhat channel can I watch Celtics-Rockets?Boston and Houston will face off on TNT.You can also watch Celtics vs. Rockets onWhere will the Celtics and Rockets play?The Celtics andRockets will playat the Toyota Center Daniel Robertson Jersey in Houston, Texas.

After , the Celticslookto close a four-game west coast trip with a victory when they visit the Nuggets on Monday night.Despite holding the Easts No. 1 seed, the Celtics(35-15) havestruggled throughout the month of January. Boston enters the Pepsi Lance Lynn Jersey Centerhaving lost five of its last six games. In the109-105 lo s to Golden State Wei-Chieh Huang Jersey , All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Al Horford combined for 52 points, but the Celticscould not overcome 49 points from All-Star guard Stephen Curry.The Celtics will be without guard Marcus Smart again in Denver; he was sent home prior to the lo s at Golden State and will mi s an extended period of time due to hand lacerations sustained in a non- Scott Heineman Jersey basketball injury.MORE:Winners of three straight, (26-23) look to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. In a91-89 win over the Mavericks, Nuggets center Nikola Jokichit the go-ahead field goaland posted his second triple-double of the season with 11 points, 11 Darwin Barney Jersey a sists and 16 rebounds. Jokicis averaging a team-high5.3 a sists per game this season, good for second among all centers in the NBA.In addition toproduction fromJokic, Denver has benefited from the scoring oftalented young guardsGary Harris (17.3 points per game) and Jamal Murray (16.3 points per game) this season.Can the Celtics get back on track, or will the Nuggetsmake it four straight wins?Celtics vs. NuggetsTime: 9 Alex Claudio Jersey p.m. ETLocation: Pepsi Center, DenverTV: NBA TVStreaming:

Evan Turner's last-second runner to beat the Hawks did more than just raise eyebrows acro s the NBA on Wednesday; it also could go Jon Berti Jersey a long way in helping his Celtics get into the playoffs.Turner hit a running one-handed shotwith 0.2 seconds remaining to give the Celtics a stunning 89-88 home victory overthe Eastern Conference leaders. The fourth-year guard finished with 12 points, nine a sists and seven rebounds in the win.MORE: | Turner was Jorge Alfaro Jersey one of five players in double figuresfor the Celtics, who shot 92 percent from the free-throw line. The Hawkshad a rare off night from the charity stripe by hitting only 15 of their 23 attempts.While the Celtics' 20-31 record heading into the All-Star break is far Deven Marrero Jersey from pretty, it still puts them just 1 1/2 gamesbehind the Hornets and Heat (22- Lewis Brinson Jersey 30)for the final playoff spot in an extremely top-heavy East. With the victory over the Hawks, the Celtics have won seven of their last 12 games.And the upset of one of the NBA's bestcould be a huge momentum boostfor a team suddenly fighting for a postseason berth. Four of the Celtics' next five Miami Marlins Jersey games after the break are against teams with losing records.After everything is said and done this season,Turner's heroics against Atlantacould be viewed as a turning point.

Los Dario Agrazal Jersey AngelesLakers forward Julius Randle was excited after nailing thegame-winning shot to beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday. A little too excited for the NBA.The league it fined Randle $15,000 for an "obscene gesture."MORE: | Randle's jumper Jordy Mercer Jersey with 1.9 seconds remaining lifted the Lakers to a 102-100 overtime win against the Heat. He then mimicked the celebration dance of former NBA guard Sam Ca sell, whichwas derived from the "marbles" celebration made famous in the 1994 Starling Marte Jersey movie "Major League II" by charactersTaka Tanaka and Pedro Cerrano.The NBA has fined Julius Randle $15,000 for this "obscene gesture" (the Big Balls dance). The Sports Quotient (@SportsQuotient) Randle' Melky Cabrera Jersey s game-winner helped snap the Lakers' four-game losing streak. He finished the night with Chris Archer Jersey 13 points and 14 rebounds for his 33rd double-double in what has been a difficult season for the Lakers, on and off the court.