Kevin Durant!

A dominant force in the NBA, with over a 7 foot wingspan and raw talent. We saw him flourish in OKC and bring that city to life. He was there for 9 years and even won the 2014 MVP award and help lead the Thunder to a championship run in 2012 but losing to the Miami Heat. Kevin gave his all while he was with the thunder team but over the summer he had a decision to make. No one ever thought he would leave OKC and then his decision came.

July 4, 2016…Independence Day, I remember I was still lounging in my room and checked twitter and all I could see was KD and Warriors. I was like did he leave OKC and join Stephen Curry??..Parts of me didn’t believe it at first and then it was confirmed to me, he was about to start this new chapter of his life with one of the best teams in the West.

After reading comments and people’s opinions and how critical they were of him, I began to put myself in his shoes. I understood Kevin took awhile to come to this decision mind you he was receiving free agency questions 2-3 years prior to his free agency which was crazy. I also understood his loyalty to Oklahoma and the people and building that city and his love for where he was. But then I took into consideration his feelings and how he must have felt on the inside from a business standpoint as well as an emotion standpoint.

From a business standpoint, he wanted to see if OKC could really push to keep him and work hard for him to stay or give him the option to leave and really make that decision. We won’t really know Kevin’s true feelings on why he chose to leave and that shouldn’t be of our concern and that is the emotion side to it. Kevin is already successful and probably wants to be happier playing the game.

In my opinion, I feel as though Kevin Durant made the right decision in what was best for him and his family. He will continue to flourish and be successful and I don’t understand why he received so much terrible backash because no one said anything bad when Lebron, Chris Bosh, Dwade joined forces- we won’t speak on that but you know where I’m going with it. Kevin is a phenomenal player and he loves the decision he made, you can tell by just looking at his facial expressions. He is happy.

I wish Kevin all the best in this new chapter of his life with his new team. 🙂

The west will be fun to watch this season!

I’m so glad to be back writing to you guys! It has been awhile but I’m back and here to stay!

Next blog will be a break down of the Eastern Conference, so stay tuned.

As always if you choose to submit feedback you can to my twitter @bballmypassion or in the feedback section!

*Pictures/Videos courtesy of Google*

It has been to long since I’ve blogged but I decided to write about Allen Iverson in leu of his documentary on NBA TV premiering tonight.

Allen was a dominant force on the court and off the court. The way he carried himself made you want to stop and look at him and see what he was about.

Coming from a troubled upbringing, Allen challenged himself to be more than the average person.

His destiny started after a unforgettable bowling alley brawl that although he wasn’t involved directly it caused him to spend some months in prison for it. Once released his life changed for the better.

Allen attended Georgetown University for a year before declaring for the NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76rs and was later known as “The Answer”.

The tenacity and drive he had possessed made him deadly on the court, one crossover dribble and he was to the rim. He amazed the crowd and fans by how he pretty much sacrificed his body for his team and to show them he will do anything to win.

One of my favorite Iverson memories was the 2001 finals against the Lakers, this would be the only time we would see him in the finals but he showed why he deserved to be there.  He put on a scoring clinic, although the Sixers didn’t win a title he would never be forgotten. I can only imagine if Allen would have had the proper pieces around him while in Philly could they have won a title. We will never know but Allen changed the way players after him dressed, played, and brought the spark to the NBA.

You wanted to watch Allen play, he made you stop what you were doing and watch because he was that good.

Allen’s personality in regards to the  NBA actually made them changed  implement a dress code only because the commissioner wanted a more business type appeal to the company.

Iverson’s impact and legacy will always be one to remember when you speak of great players and legends of the game. I’m glad I got to experience him growing up and watch his games live now all we have are the memories.

If you are an Iverson fan or were fond of him please tune in to his NBA TV documentary/interview tonight at 8 on NBA TV.

Thanks for reading!

*Pictures/Videos Courtesy of Google Images*

This Year’s NBA All-Star weekend was held for the first time outside of the United States. It was held February 12-14, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario.

Many events and networking opportunities are held during this weekend.

Some of the events include:

• The Hall of Fame announcement for the class of 2016.
• The celebrity game which featured Kevin Hart and Drake as coaches.
• World and International game on Friday night
• All-star Saturday Night which includes : Skills Challenge, 3 point challenge, and Dunk Contest.

The Dunk Contest this year was amazing. There were 2 players that brought the excitement back!. Zach Levine and Aaron Gordon.

Check out photos below:

Zach Levine ended up winning the dunk contest but I am sure there will be a rematch year. 🙂

Kobe Bryant was also honored during this weekend as this was his last all-star game. It was fun to see him being honored as well as play during the game.

The west defeated the east 196-174.

Russell Westbrook was named the All-Star game MVP. 🙂

What were your favorite All-Star moments?

Comment below or tweet me @bballmypassion!

Will you be at next year’s All-Star Festivities? Next Year’s fun weekend will be in Charlotte, NC Feb. 2017. I look forward to sharing my experience with you! 🙂

Thanks for reading!!

*Photos/Videos courtesy of Google Images*

Hey Basketball Fans,

I have not forgotten about you!!

Happy New Year first off 🙂

How about the Golden State Warriors and their explosive start. It is amazing to watch them do something no other NBA Team has done as far as now with a 35 game win streak. I’m sure this season will be a lot of breaking records and setting new ones. They make the NBA exciting to watch.

We all know Kobe is retiring and it is fun to see him on his farewell tour and all the other teams around the league letting him know how much they appreciate him.

The Eastern Conference is constantly changing with who is on top and dominating but the top 3 teams I really see doing very well is Miami, Orlando, and of course Cleveland Washington on the other hand has its up and down moments but they will be able to bounce back and make the playoffs.

I’m excited to see how the second half of the season goes once the All-Star  Break concludes. Also have you voted yet? If not you can on all social media by tweeting the players first and last name #NBAVote for it to count. Voting will end Monday Jan.18,2016 at 11:59pm. I will then post another blog revealing who I think the starting lineups will be and reserves before they are officially announced on Jan.21 on TNT.

Stay Tuned for that!!

Thanks for reading ,if you would like me to feature someone or write about a topic please feel free to comment on this post or tweet me @bballmypassion. I’m glad to be back!! Let’s have some fun

Hey Hey the NBA season is officially underway!

I am beyond excited for this season and I hope you are too.

I’m sure it will be intense, exciting, heartbreaking, fun and just amazing to watch!

I wanted to take a minute to say welcome back Craig Sager! so glad you are doing well as well as my thoughts and prayers are with the Saunders Family. As you know Flip Saunders passed away from cancer this past Sunday. He was 60 and a phenomenal coach. He will surely be missed!

For full updates on all 30 teams and videos and stories be sure to check out NBA.com.

I look forward to blogging more as the season progresses! If you would like for me to blog on something specific please feel free to tweet me @bballmypassion or email me ryry_3001@hotmail.com

Enjoy the season!

*Pictures/Videos courtesy of Google Images*

As we all know by now Lamar Odom is in the hospital.

This post will be short but I wanted to say my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and most importantly his children.

Lamar was best known for his smile and on court play. He is a champion of the Lakers (2009, 2010).

We should remember the good things about him and not so much the negative.

The happiest Lamar was when he was married to Khloe Kardashian.

I am pulling for Lamar to recover and overcome this difficult battle.

Addiction isn’t easy but I know he can pull through and if he doesn’t I hope he knew Jesus Christ.

My prayers are with him and I hope and pray when he gets through this he will seek the help or treatment he needs.

An update on Lamar Odom:

He is out of the Las Vegas hospital he was in and was transported to a Los Angeles hospital where he is recovering. I’m glad that he is alive and hopefully this will get his life back on track

-Mariah-

*Thanks for reading..Please keep comments positive*

*Pictures courtesy of Google Images*

Hey Guys,

I know it has been awhile since I blogged but I am back in school now and finally have chance to update and let you know what is coming up. 🙂

This blog will be very short lol.

School has me busier than usual with classes and extracurricular activities but I do want to get into blogging weekly.

With NBA Training Camp starting soon I will be writing about that soon.

I will also provide a NBA Schedule and blog about the season as it progresses and highlighting players.

So if you have anything you would like me to write about or highlight please let me know. You can comment or tweet me @bballmypassion. I want this blog to be more interactive, so including videos and possible trivia questions just to get you guys involved with me.;)

Look forward to an awesome training camp and phenomenal NBA Season.

-Riah (ryah)

Seth Curry graduate of Duke University has began to make his impact on the game and NBA. Coming into the league after college, Seth has had opportunities to play for different NBA teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers  and the Golden State Warriors.

Seth has really flourished in the D-League and continuously developing his game and becoming better. Seth has always had the talent to play and shooting ability and it’s awesome to see him come into his own.

This summer he played for the New Orleans Pelicans Summer League Team which was undefeated until the quarterfinals of the tournament where they lost to the Phoenix Suns. Seth’s play throughout the tournament proved why he deserves to be in this league. Averaging over 25 points per game, he solidified his chances to earn a spot in the NBA and for the Pelicans at that. He will be a good asset at that.

I am so proud to see how far he has come and where he will go. This is only the beginning for Seth who has been on a long journey to really show what he can do. It is exciting and I am excited for him.

People may think I’m only a supporter of Seth because of his brother Stephen, Nope certainly not the case. I’ve been watching Seth since college wanting to see him in the NBA for a long time and now it is his time and he will leave an impact so if your not watching him you better just keep your eye on him. 🙂 He will surprise you.

Everyone’s journey to their career goal will be different than the next person, so it is all about hard work, persistence, faith, belief, and most importantly confidence that you will accomplish what you put your mind to.

Personal Short Story:

I am now senior in college. I will be graduating from Radford University with a Bachelor’s in Marketing. At one point I felt like I wouldn’t get to this point and wanted to just give up. Giving up only puts you at the bottom like the rest , but I had to just buckle down and not worry about the timetable to finish school. So now I was able to experience college and help make an impact rather than just wanting to leave. One of my biggest goals was to finish college and now I am 2 semesters away from achieving my goal. Never let anyone or anything stop you. Only you stand in the way of your destiny.

Good Luck to Seth on the next steps in his NBA Journey!! 🙂 I will be watching!

*Thanks for reading this week, Pictures/Videos courtesy of Google Images*

Heyyy

I hope you guys have been enjoying my NBA Player Series so far.

I am in the process of coming up with a new focus and direction for this on going series.

If you would like to contribute in any way, I would love suggestions, please feel free to tweet me @bballmypassion.

I will respond directly or comment on this blog below.

In the past few weeks, I have discussed many players such as John Wall, Stephen Curry, Lebron James, & Chris Paul.

It has been a lot of fun to read and write about each players accomplishments and what they will be doing in the offseason.

With the draft already taken place and new talent among us for the upcoming season, I will be highlighting a few key players who were drafted and how their impact may or may not help the team they are on.

I enjoy what I do and look forward to receiving your feedback.:)

Thanks for reading-Mariah B.