I still remember where I was when Kobe Bryant was drafted. It was 1996 and I was nine years old. It was the summer before 4th grade, and I had just started really watching the game. The NBA Draft was on TNT, and after the first few picks, I got bored and restless; not out of the ordinary for a grade schooler. I decided to go to my backyard and put up some shots, something I never did as often as I should have. After some time, I eventually made my way back into the house to catch the rest of the first round. With the 13th pick, the Charlotte Hornets selected the teenage phenom from Philly that many had heard about, but not everyone had seen. He never made it to the Queen City, however, as he was sent almost immediately to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for starting center  Vlade Divac . Many may not have known it at the time, but this was the summer that would change the shape of the NBA for the next two decades. Aside from the fact the 1996 NBA Draft is now looked at as ...

Draymond Green expressing himself is nothing new. It's part of what makes him great. To call him an emotional player would be a gross understatement. He's loud, brash, in-your-face, and not afraid to say what's on his mind. In short, he keeps it real. However, as comedy legend Dave Chappelle taught us on his iconic Chappelle's Show , there are instances where keeping it real goes wrong. Green's well-publicized dust up with fellow All-Star Kevin Durant during - and following - Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was one of those instances, with much less comedic effect, leading to a one game suspension for last night's 110-103 win against the Atlanta Hawks. For those of you living under a proverbial rock, with the game tied in the fourth quarter, Green snatched a rebound off a missed shot by Clippers guard Lou Williams, raced down the court, ignoring the pleas of an open Durant, and ended up turning the ball over as time expired. At first yo...

Throughout his candidacy and into his time in the White House, President Donald Trump has vowed to "Make America Great Again." Nine months into his term, however, racial tensions and division overall seem to be on the rise. In yet another tirade that has become all too familiar, he may have inadvertently succeeded in uniting at least one sector of the American population: professional athletes. Speaking at a campaign rally this past weekend in Huntsville, Alabama for Republican Senator Luther Strange, Trump referred to NFL players who protest during the playing of the national anthem as "sons of bitches" that should be fired. The comments were met with harsh criticism, to say the least. Almost instantaneously, social media was ablaze. All 32 NFL teams, the NFLPA, as well as Commissioner Roger Goodell released statements denouncing Trump's comments, while preaching unity and togetherness. As one might imagine, there were a plethora of protests league...

This past Saturday night, Saul "Canelo" Álvarez and Gennady "GGG" Golovkin gave fans the fight they had been clamoring to see. The in-ring action did not disappoint, and they more than met the expectations that had been created by the hype over the past several years. Although a bit more tactical than many had anticipated, the bout had its share of toe to toe exchanges. Golovkin, making his Las Vegas debut, seemed to come out a bit stiff, exhibiting some big night jitters, and missing his trademark smile on the way to the ring. Canelo, no stranger to the big stage, kept Golovkin honest by throwing well-timed, powerful counter shots. Both men had their moments, but after all was said and done, Golovkin seemed to have done enough to pull out the victory and escape with his perfect record intact. Or so he thought. Like most viewers, I have a pretty good indication as to who I believe is winning the fight while watching. However, after having seen my share of d...

On Saturday, September 16th, boxing fans' long wait will finally end, as Saul "Canelo" Álvarez (49-1-1, 34 KO) will battle Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (37-0, 33 KO) for middleweight supremacy at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. With the two being come-forward, action fighters, fans should expect plenty of fireworks as the two warriors trade shots throughout the night. However, they don't have to be the only ones doing so. All of you holding fight parties at home can join in as well. Now, before you accuse me of encouraging us all to engage in backyard brawls, let me just say I am doing no such thing. I bring to you:  THE [UN]OFFICIAL CANELO-TRIPLE G DRINKING GAME! Drinking games are always a fun way to spice up any event, and to mark a special event such as seeing two of the best fighters in the game fight each other in their prime (from two regions that have given us traditional alcoholic staples) naturally, a unique game seems an appropriate trib...

In the months leading up to this past Saturday's cross-promotional superfight between boxing's longtime pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, there has been no shortage of adjectives to describe what many thought was a pipe dream just months ago. Circus. Spectacle. Embarrassment. Revolutionary. The mere thought of a someone making their professional boxing debut against an elite-level fighter seems rightfully preposterous to any reasonable person, let alone when you're talking about a future Hall of Famer and once in a generation talent such as Mayweather. He has made a career of making world champions look foolish; men that have spent their lives dedicated to the sweet science. If he made them look like amateurs, what then would he do to an actual amateur? For all his greatness in mixed martial arts, Conor McGregor had zero experience as a professional boxer. While he may be a devastating striker in the octagon, the square...

  The Los Angeles Chargers brought in free agent quarterback Robert Griffin III for a workout Tuesday. The oft-injured former Heisman trophy winner and Offensive Rookie of the Year has had a hard time finding suitors after being released by the Cleveland Browns. New Chargers coach Anthony Lynn, a former NFL fullback, had success with a run-heavy offense in Buffalo with Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy. With Philip Rivers' career winding down, Lynn may look to replicate the formula with third-year back Melvin Gordon, who is coming off a nice sophomore campaign. While Griffin certainly has the tools to run Lynn's offense, he's coming off a year in which he played just 5 games, after suffering yet another injury during Week 1. If Lynn is looking for a mobile quarterback, former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick should be another option worth exploring. It seems like ages ago that Griffin and Kaepernick were supposed to revolutionize the quarterback position, and yet here t...

Veteran swingman Nick Young signed a one year, $5.2 million deal with the Golden State Warriors Friday. I never thought I'd see the day that Nick Young would be a big part of a team that actually mattered. However, upon closer observation, I could actually see this situation being beneficial for both the defending champs as well as the man known as Swaggy P. For all the improvement made by the Dubs' bench throughout the season, they never found a consistent offensive threat on the second unit. Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala upped his offensive input after Kevin Durant went down late in the season; Ian Clark had flashes, as did rookie Patrick McCaw, but no one player put the fear in opposing defenses on a nightly basis. As Marreese Speights and Leandro Barbosa have in the past, expect Young to thrive as a designated bench scorer. He’ll see open shots he’d never dreamt of seeing as a Laker. Aside from the on court perks Young should receive this season, he stands to gain jus...

Admittedly, after a week of training camp and one preseason game, this is way too early, but for the sake of fun, I'll do it anyway. With the exception of Varej ã o, they should all end up in Santa Cruz, provided that they aren't claimed by other teams.

After all the offseason hype and buildup following the signing of Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors made their long-awaited debut against the Toronto Raptors last night in Vancouver, the former home of the Grizzlies. While the Dubs dropped the preseason opener by a final score of 97-93, and KD didn't exactly set the world on fire finishing with 9 points on 9 shots, there were some positives to take away. Klay Thompson It seemed like as soon as KD signed with the Dubs, Klay was the designated player chosen by the media to adapt his game to accommodate KD. Klay made it abundantly clear when asked that he " wasn't sacrificing sh*t " and that his game wasn't going to change. As we saw last night, he remained true to his word and came out aggressive, taking a team-high 13 shots, including going 4-11 from downtown. Truthfully, it was a little unfair to make it seem that Klay was the only Warrior who would have to adapt to KD. It's going to be a growing proc...