The 3 point King; 4000 and counting…

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There are always certain where were you moments in sports that you just never forget as well as players.

Stephen Curry is definitely one of those players who leaves you speechless with a jaw dropping moment.

For example, the 2016 game winner he hit against OKC with Mike Breen on the call, by far one of my favorite plays in his career.

Steph has solidified himself as one of the all-time greats. December 14, 2021 in Madison Square Garden, he officially became the All- Time 3 point leader in NBA history surpassing none other than Ray Allen. That night was super fun, emotional, and one I won’t forget. Watching a player since college, his growth, the countless amount of criticism he receives on a day and day out basis, and constantly have to prove himself.

You would think a 4x NBA Champion, Finals MVP, NBA MVP, 3 point leader, Gold Medalist wouldn’t have to constantly prove himself over and over again but what do we always say, if you don’t have at least one hater are you really doing it right? LOL….

From three pointer number 1 to 2,974 ( passing Ray Allen) to 4,000+ it is amazing to just state the fact that the amount of work, strength, confidence, and conditioning goes into such an achievement. Keep in mind these are MADE three point shots, just imagine where the number would be if he didn’t miss. It is very astounding. I am always in constant awe whenever I get a chance to watch the chef cook it up on the court. I have also been blessed to see him in person as well. My hope is to get to another game before he hangs it up.

March 13, 2025 at home against Sacramento, Stephen solidified himself once again by hitting the 4,000 three point milestone. Congrats Steph! Keep changing the game for good and moving the needle. I feel like Steph at this stage in his career now is honestly in some of the best shape he has been in just overall stamina and his teammates. Having a good on the court team structure as well as trust makes for milestones like this truly inspiring. His teammates, coaches, trainers trust him to do his job but also have lots of fun along the way.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Steph, I’m pushing for championship number 5. If the warriors would get it done, He will join the exclusive company: Magic, Kareem, Michael, Kobe, just to name a few. I know that is the one title he is seeking. With the playoffs on the horizon the western conference is going to be as competitive as ever. If any team can do it , Golden State can…Remember 2022?! Never ever count them out! With the 3 point king on their side.

Again Congratulations Steph on accomplishing a huge milestone. Your impact on the game is definitely seen, imitated, and imagined. There is only one Chef Curry! Keep shooting and when it’s all said and done on your hall of fame career, I can’t wait to see what the overall All-Time 3 point number ends up being.

Celebrate this moment and Kill it in the playoffs 🙂

As always I appreciate my readers! Check back with me next week. We head to the NCAA and celebrate the UCONN Huskies!! 🙂

*pics/vids courtesy of google/youtube*

Kevin, Kyrie, Russell: The Saga Continues….

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The NBA is one the best leagues for entertainment especially during the off season. Now although the end of the NBA season was captivated by the Warriors winning their 4th title in 8 years as a team, the trade deadline is taking over the summer. Throughout the season, the biggest topic of discussion was Kyrie with his refusal to be vaccinated , Russell and his lack of looking like he still in his prime, and whether or not KD could lead a team to a championship without Kyrie.

Thinking through all of these stories and how they captivated the season, now that the season is done the next question is will these players be in new jerseys come next season or be with their current. My thing is this, why request a trade if you don’t plan to stay with the team who had to give up so much just to sign you.

If you don’t know by now, Durant requested to be traded from Brooklyn less than two years with his team he asked to be traded too after choosing to leave the Warriors. This poses the question if KD will ever understand how to be true leader. I mean, true leaders of teams don’t bounce around, they usually try to stick it out. And before the Lebron stans comment, Lebron although a leader left his hometown team to join already established teams to win championships. I remember speaking to a friend about Kevin’s current request and the response was like didn’t he just get to Brooklyn why leave? Add in the Kyrie distraction drama and now Brooklyn is a mess. As I kept reading different sports articles pertaining KD & Kyrie, I started to see they both wanted to be traded and still play together and the Lakers is the only team Kyrie is demanding to be with. Now how would any of this make sense, let alone the amount of money and future draft picks you would have to give up because how high caliber each player is.

With the Lakers being the hypothetical new destination for KD or Kyrie, Westbrook is now being thrown in the conversation. Russell did mention he tends to stay in LA for now but if this trade from Brooklyn somehow happens which is highly unlikely seeing that teams don’t want the contracts of either player, it poses the question should NBA players be given the opportunity to be traded or requests trades less than two years after already being traded? I would love to know to your thoughts!

For me I think, if you are just traded your window should be at least 3 years. If you remember, KD was out for almost a year when he signed with the Nets due to his achilles injury. The Nets made the playoffs twice but have been bounced out of the first round. So because you weren’t successful right away you just walk away and give up? It took the Bulls 7 years after Michael Jordan was drafted for them to win their first championship and after that well you know the rest. I see a life lesson in this potential trade situation, you have to be okay with failure, having to wait for true results, and it may take years for success but as you go through these ups and downs you are building a foundation for solid success. So why not trust that everything you are dedicating to your job will eventually pay off? It will (whew) I needed that motivation for myself.

I hope that KD & Kyrie just stay in Brooklyn and figure it out and have a serious conversation about what they expect from each as teammates going forward instead of leaving and taking the same drama to another established team. As for Westbrook, I believe he stays with the Lakers and has a good season with them coming up and proves to everyone doubting him why they call him Mr. Triple Double!

Guess we will have to wait & see….

As always I appreciate my readers both old and new.

If you are new welcome! My goal is to blog at least once or twice a month.

You are more than welcome to comment suggestions here or tweet me @bballmypassion on twitter, riah_3 on IG. Share your thoughts 🙂

*Pics/ Videos courtesy of Google Images/Youtube*

Talk soon!

M.B.

Bringing Sports Back….Is it worth it?

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SPORTS

I know I’m not the only who misses sports. In the midst of this pandemic, I have been keeping an eye on how the NFL, NBA and other various organizations are trying to bring back sports and most likely without fans being present. My thought is it worth it?

Not sure how the NFL plans to play but in regards to NBA, we know that Commissioner Silver is doing his best to bring the season back. This pandemic we are in right now has forced us to make mini sacrifices that I know will payoff in the long run. Even in order to bring the season back, everyone from players, staff would have to tested and still practice social distancing. In contact sports, that is nearly impossible.

We know how fast covid-19 can affect one’s body, so in all honesty, I wouldn’t plan on sports coming back at least not this year. It’s way too risky especially with cases in each state going up. Thousands of people have died since March 31, when most stay at home orders were put in place. I miss sports, but is it worth risking a life or jumping through hoops just to bring it back. Is it okay to just cancel it until you know for sure numbers of deaths haven’t spiked. I feel like if fans have to stay home why push for games to happen if fans can’t support in person.

I think sports should be on hold a little bit longer. In the meantime while we wait, I will continue to indulge in Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance, sports highlights on youtube and old sports games on ESPN/NBATV to get my fix. Soon we will have sports,the one thing that brings most of us together.

Tell me your thoughts? Should sports make a come back this year?

Thanks for reading!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms 🙂

*Pics/Vids Courtesy of Google Images*

Favorite Sports Moments #2

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WNBA-Draft

Last Night the WNBA honored the beautiful lives and families of those lost on January 26.

Huge Congrats to Alyssa, Gianna, and Payton on being drafted last night a dream come true!

So I wanted to give you 5 more of my favorite sports moments. 🙂

#5 Team USA wins back to back gold medals for Men’s Basketball (2008,2012)

#4 Gilbert Arenas buzzer beater vs. Utah Jazz on MLK Day 2007-I was at this game! CRAZY!

game winner

#3 Russell Westbrook Triple Double Season- He’s a beast!

#2 Washington Nationals win it all!!!-Woohoo

nats

#1 Washington Capitals winning the Stanley Cup!-DC Stand up 🙂

caps

This was again fun for me to write, if you have any sports moments you would want to share let me know in the comments 🙂

Until next time!

*pics/vids courtesy of google images*

Favorite Sports Moments! :)

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SPORTS

Thinking back on some of my favorite sports moments! I love sports and the energy you get watching your favorite athlete compete. Let’s take a walk down memory lane…

Favorite Sports Moment #10- Serena Williams winning the US Open in 2008 and reclaiming the #1 ranking!

Favorite Sports Moment #9-Gabby Douglas Winning Gold 2012..shocking the world!

Favorite Sports Moment #8-Peyton Manning and the Colts win the Superbowl, s/o Tony Dungy!!

Favorite Sports Moment #7-Dwyane Wade coming back from a rib injury to help his team win in the playoffs against the pistons to force a game 7..”Fall Down 7 Get up 8″(2005 playoffs)

Favorite Sports Moment #6- Dwyane Wade wins his 1st NBA Title June 2006!!!

DALLAS – JUNE 20: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat celebrates winning the NBA Championship after the won 95-92 against the Dallas Mavericks during Game Six of the 2006 NBA Finals June 20, 2006 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

Top 5…..HERE WE GO….keep in mind the bottom 5 are all great moments in sports for me, no moment is better than the other.lol

Favorite Sports Moment #5- UCONN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL…domination..need I say Moore! HA- see what I did there lol 🙂

Favorite Sports Moment #4-Ohio State beating Michigan-LOL…:) Go Buckeyes!!!

Favorite Sports Moment #3- Watching my friends dominate in flag football :)..Lots of fun and lots of memories! s/o to team District 5!

AHHHH…Top 2..Top2..can you guesss?!!!

Favorite Sports Moment #2- Candace Parker and the Lady Vols- CHAMPS!!!..the original CP3 HAHA! 🙂

#1 is always hard to pick..sooooo two people get it…..

Favorite Sports Moment #1(a)- Kobe Bryant! His entire 20 year career on and off the court! He will be forever missed! Congrats on the Hall of Fame.. We miss you Bean!

Favorite Sports Moment #1 (b)- Michael Phelps!!!!!! my favorite swimmer and one of the most decorated olympians EVER!!! 🙂

There are sooo many sports memories that I have witnessed with the world, I could write countless blogs about it. So with that being said there will be another installment with more sports memories from around the world! I hope you enjoy this blog and going down memory lane with me.

Stay Safe, Stay Home, and relive some of the best moments in sports history!

*Athlete photos courtesy of Google Images*

*FXA photos courtesy of my phone :)*

Until next time!!

Mamba Mentality 2020

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We don’t quit, We don’t cower, We don’t run.

We endure & conquer.. That’s the mamba mentality

Kobe Bryant

January 26,2020 will be a day none of us will ever forget. We lost 9 beautiful people way too soon.  I have been trying to comprehend it and the lesson God is trying to teach through their lives. It still makes me sad, so I am going to do my best to not make this a sap post.

Most of you guys know if you have been following my posts from the beginning or even my instagram that I love Kobe Bryant as an athlete and person. I have grown up with Kobe and a lot of his later milestones happened to occur during some big milestones for me. In 2010, I graduated high school and the Lakers won the title! Kobe’s 5th ring. In 2016, Kobe scored 60 points in his final game… I graduated from college with my bachelors degree. Basketball has always been apart of my life.

To lose someone who is known for just his hard work, determination, passion, and just love for the sport is really heavy, then to have to hear his daughter Gianna was with him breaks my heart.  It literally takes your breath away. I am not going to discuss the emotion part of it but I want to discuss the mentality and work ethic Kobe started to enstill in Gianna and her teammates as well as everyone else he touched.

The Mamba Mentality to me is diving head first into your passion and being the best at it and working everyday to perfect your craft whatever that may be.

For me, my passion is bringing value to a company no matter where I work. I want to be the best at my job and if that means going to work everyday early and having the mindset to be ready to learn, I will continue to do that. I want to be able to help people succeed, because someone always came along side me to help me and sometimes I even had to help myself. This year no matter how many obstacles come my way, I am going to continue to be the best I can be and accomplish all my goals and stay committed to writing.

For Kobe, his mentality and work ethic began to spill into GiGi as she started to develop and become better at basketball. Practicing everyday, staying committed to your craft, having goals and working everyday to do them. Gianna could’ve picked any sport but she picked the sport her dad dominated. GiGi was great in her own right. I saw some highlights of her game and she was going to be a female force to be reckoned with and I was excited to see her continued growth. Her mindset and foundation was strong from the beginning.

If anything, I hope that people see how much love and appreciation he gave to her and her teammates as well as encouragement.

Think about what your biggest goal for 2020, and how will you achieve it? Write down the process, and go to work every single day to achieve it.

Out of all the accomplishments Kobe received throughout his entire career, I believe firmly his biggest accomplishment was being the best father and husband he could be to his family. There is nothing like a father’s love and you could see how happy he was spending time with them.

My heart and thoughts also breaks for the other families involved in this unexpected tragedy. Please keep them in your prayers as they grieve.

We remember the beautiful lives:

Payton Chester

Sarah Chester

Christina Mauser

John Altobelli

Alyssa Altobelli

Keri Altobelli

Ara Zabayan

Kobe Bryant

Gianna Bryant

Their lives and legacies will not be in vain. They will never be forgotten and their spirits will live on forever.

in memorymentality

Sports Recap

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cropped-bball

It has been a little over a month since my last post….. with the NFL, College Football underway and the NBA season on the way, the content will be back and more consistent. I just have to stay disciplined to post once a week, sometimes it is good to step back and reflect. I have been going through and re reading my posts trying to find some inspiration to write.

So if you are reading this short blog and have some suggestions on what you would like me to write about please feel to comment or tweet me @bballmypassion or dm me on instagram @riah_3.  I am open for anything!

But since I have you here, I figure why not give you a sports recap 🙂

NBA- The USA Basketball team finished in 7th place during the FIBA World championships over the summer. Spain won the tournament, but it posed the question if the dominant USA team of old is gone or if they are just waiting for the Olympics. We all know that the Olympics are a big deal and I am sure that key players such as Lebron, Steph, Klay will show up and show out for our country. Only time will tell but I am excited for next summer’s olympics. A time to come together and support each other.The

NFL- The NFL is in full swing and we are seeing teams struggle and dominate. Three key teams that are struggling right now : Steelers, Redskins, Broncos all are trying to find their way due to injuries and just lack of communication and growing pains of changes. Hopefully they will work out the kinks and get some wins on the board. I still have hope!

College Football- OHIO STATE! has been dominating! 5-0 with an impressive win over Nebraska 48-7 and Miami(OH) 76-5. I love my buckeyes and I have a feeling they will be in a very good position to win the national title. I know we are only 5 games in but they offense and defense of the buckeyes is telling and as long as they stay healthy they will go very far. 🙂

Sports Season is fun! Who are your favorite teams? What are you looking forward too from them? Let me know 🙂

I appreciate all my readers! I’m back…so be on the lookout for most posts!

Next Week: Highlight on Case Keenum

*Pics/Vids courtesy of Google Images/Youtube*

 

 

 

 

Secure the bag…Stay where you are?

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shock

NBA Free Agency!

The last few days of NBA Free Agency has caused quite a frenzy with fans and teams. It is just amazing to see how many players have left and joined new teams, with one decision that is carrying the NBA Summer. Will WWKD? lol what will Kawhi Do? Most people are banking him to go to the Lakers, some think he will stay in Toronto. I honestly don’t know what he will do and don’t want to guess. I will just wait for him to announce.

Securing the bag is what most of the free agents who have signed have been able to do. In day 1 of NBA Free Agency over $2 billion dollars was awarded. It is amazing that companies hate discussing pay and yet you see the amount of how someone’s hard work can pay them. For example, Al Horford left Boston and signed a max deal with Philly for $109 million. The question poses in my head for businesses that don’t like to pay their employees or discuss pay why not?

When your employees see sports contracts shown it definitely brings the thought of why not go get what you are worth? Most employers rather than find a solution regarding pay or when an employee brings it up, they blow them off. Employers often forget that income is heavy decision maker when choosing to come on board for a job unless you are retired. So why make it a big deal? I’m glad you asked, from my personal experience I have found it difficult to get employed with a job I like because employers like to lowball salaries. I feel like if you put in the work and sacrifice a lot to learn skills, connect with new people then naturally the right opportunity will present itself with the perfect salary.

So how does this tie in with the NBA Free Agency? …On day 1 over 48 contracts were signed and a lot of players made the decision to leave surprisingly. We all know Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both left to join up, but with KD out an entire year, we may not even see the success of that decision for awhile. I think one of the biggest winners of the draft was the Miami Heat and the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. I love his mentality and the way he plays and I know he will do well. Him and Dwyane Wade have a great relationship and it will be fun to see the role he plays in miami. Butler’s contract is worth $140 million over the next 4 years. CRAZY, that sport organizations can give out so much money but when you come back down to the real world, you see organizations have their wages at the bare minimum with it taking years for it to increase. What free agency shows me is that the opportunity will always present itself if you are working hard and believing in yourself.

Continue to seek your worth whatever that may be…..The right YES, will present itself.

I’m excited to see how the rest of free agency will play out and ultimately how the NBA Season will play out as well. Stay Tuned and keep watching, I am sure jaw dropping moves are on the way still. 🙂

Thanks again for reading! Happy 4th! Eat Some Good food for me LOL

Comment your thoughts and Feedback below.

*Pics/Vids courtesy of Google Images/Youtube*

Stand up for YOU…Always

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Man, it has been a crazy roller coaster of a month for me.

One of my best friends recently told me to never feel bad for standing up for yourself. You did nothing wrong. In essence, he is absolutely right but (and their shouldn’t even be a but) lol I feel like maybe, I shouldn’t have used my voice but then again why have a mouth if I don’t use it. If anything these last few weeks have given me time to really evaluate and appreciate not only my voice but those around me pouring their lives into me.

You always know who your TRUE friends are when a situation arises and you are fighting for everything. I can count on one hand my true, genuine friends.

I woke up today feeling pretty good, the sun actually woke me up lol (super bright) and I decided to write. Kyle Lowry was on my brain, so I pulled out my laptop and here we go.

As you may recall, The Toronto Raptors are the new NBA Champions! Congrats to them and Canada! :)…but I wanted to shed a light on Kyle Lowry, not because of him turning on the heat to help his team but his act of resilience and using his voice to not tolerate disrespect from anyone (no matter who you are).

Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Kyle ends up falling out of bounds on to who we now know to be Warriors Investor Mark Stevens ( pictured above on the left in blue shirt). If you are sitting courtside, for one you are risking your body to be hit lol, if you don’t want that risk sit in box seats. Secondly, you have lots of money, we all know ticket prices sky rocket and for whatever reason people always feel entitled to NBA players and saying whatever they want to say. WRONG! and let me tell you why. When Lowry fell on Stevens, Stevens could have said a number of things or nothing at all but he chose then to say some obscene words to Kyle and be really rude and disrespectful to him.

Kyle who was in the middle of Finals game could have easily risked everything he had by laying a hand on Stevens, who could’ve been drinking etc. ( still no excuse for he said..NONE) but he chose not too and approach the referee who was standing there and let him know what happened.  Because Mr. Stevens is white, he tried to use his whiteness to get a rise out of Lowry which he didn’t. Lowry was very angry but was able to finish the game only to use his voice at the press conference calling for action. Many NBA players had Lowry’s back and spoke up as well. The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver had to do something to let everyone know this won’t be tolerated.

You may recall a similar incident in 2014 where Donald Sterling former owner of the LA Clippers was banned for life and fined 2.5 million dollars after recordings of him making racist comments were found and made public. I will never forget the feelings I had during that whole situation. It just made me think, what do people really think about me or say about me when I’m not around. People talk even when you aren’t present, my hope is that I carry myself in such that way that if I’m thousands of miles away, that it would be nothing but positive things.

So what did the NBA do…..

Commissioner Silver banned Stevens for a year from the NBA and fined him $500,000. Most don’t think that’s enough and think he should’ve got more. I think about it this way, I’m glad they did something, Stevens has most likely invested alot of money into the Chase Center (Warriors new arena), If his money is gone, do they still open? I say yes….but you just don’t know… This entire situation shows me that it is okay to say how you feel, stand up for yourself no matter what, don’t be afraid to risk losing everything. If you character stands tall that is everything you need. Believe me, something good always comes from standing up for yourself. It may not be instant, but there is always a blessing come from it.

Let me know your thoughts… Should the NBA or any sports organization make the consequences heavier for uncalled behavior? or should it be a case by case basis?

Thanks so much for reading!

As always leave your feedback or comments below or tweet me @bballmypassion 🙂

-Never be afraid to stand up for YOU…Always-

*Pics/Vids courtesy of Google*

 

The Hate is Real…..

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champs

The NBA Finals are underway with the 2 time defending Champion Golden State Warriors taking on Rookie Coach Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors.

I remember listening to a interview by Coach Kerr and he mentioned trying to 3 peat is really hard to do. It is a constant battle but it can be done. Coach Kerr knows what he is talking about he is a 6 time champ with the bulls being a key piece for one of their games.

The goal all season for Golden State has been to win another championship and basically shut all the haters up. Let your haters be your motivators and for whatever reason, everyone and their mama hates on GSW.

I get it the NBA is a business and mostly for entertainment now but if you want my honesty put some respect on their name. There was a time when the Warriors under Don Nelson struggled to make the playoffs and if they did they were booted out round 1. (yes, I have been watching and riding the warriors since the struggle years). Now that they are so dominant, it’s nothing but criticism, not as much praise. Analysts make it worse but that is their job sometimes, feed into the hype and continue the narrative.

Are you mad at the fact you have to face them every year? Are you mad that they have dominant shooters and defenders when they are HOT and shooting lights out. Golden State can destroy teams on both ends of the court and it’s fun to watch. You blink and they are up 30 in the 3rd quarter. We need that intensity the rest of these finals…BLOW THE RAPTORS OUT!…

With the Finals this year and injuries pouring in, the question becomes can the Warriors finish it? My answer: HECK YES! It just won’t be a cake walk. Yes I wanted them to sweep Toronto, but the NBA wants to drag this series out as long as it can go. I believe it will go 6 games with Golden State closing it out and winning it at Oracle. This being the last season the Warriors play in Oakland, it will be bittersweet to finish at home in front of your crowd.

Stephen Curry gets the most hate and it’s inspiring how he deals with it. Andre Iguodala said it best: ” I like Steph, I never see the hate he gets because people are jealous of what he has, I am going to do everything I can to protect his legacy” . Andre for one is a real one, real brother, real teammate. His statement shows me that the relationships and respect the Warriors have is real, not a lot of teams can say that. Stephen is the leader, his faith is strong, his character is stronger.  I can see why people are jealous of him and get frustrated when they have to play him but remember his journey has always been as the underdog. He fuels off that but I think it pushes him to rise to the occasion. Game 3, Stephen scored a playoff career high 47 points with assists and rebounds. If his teammates would have made some of the shots they missed , they might have pulled it out. But hey, take it one game at a time. Game 4 will be quite different especially if GSW gets Klay Thompson & Kevin Durant back. Kevon Looney  they really needed but he is out due to a injury caused by a foul which I think could have been prevented. I hope he gets healthy soon.

Warriors are going to do it! I want them to pull this out, They are the defending champs and 3 peating will make them apart of an elite club. The last team to 3-peat was the Lakers in 2002.(2000-2002). The Warriors will continue to fight..they got this!

The Hate is Real….but the confidence, strength, and heart of a champ is realer…

Thanks so much for reading!

Leave Comments, Thoughts below or tweet me @bballmypassion

*Pics/Videos courtesy of Google Images*