Newsletter #1 - June 2023
Warm greetings to all of you! I am Manos Karousos and I hope you had a great week and enjoyed it to the fullest. I welcome you to the Newsletter section, where I will cover many interesting topics in the fields of sports, culture and activism, month by month.
In the next few days you will have the opportunity to visit another interesting topic called “History Class” which will contain short life stories of important personalities in sports, arts and culture. It will be highlighted in Substack's “Notes” section and will be available for free to all subscribers. So have your pen and notebook ready to take notes!
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What’s New NBA?
Monty Williams to Detroit Pistons - Former Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has reached an agreement with the Detroit Pistons to become the club's new coach. As Adrian Wojnarowski reports, Coach Williams has agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million contract. It is the biggest coaching contract in the history of the NBA. Monty Williams was named the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in two consecutive seasons: 2020-2021, when he reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, and 2021-2022. The new challenge for Coach Williams is not only to rebuild the Detroit Pistons, but also to lead the team's new talents to excellence.
Michael Jordan sells the Charlotte Hornets - Michael Jordan has agreed to sell his majority stake to a group of investors led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall. The deal is valued at nearly $3 billion. The deal ends Jordan's 13-year tenure, in which the Charlotte Hornets made the playoffs three times and were eliminated in the first round each time. It also means the team has not been to the playoffs since 2016. After a difficult 27-55 season, they have the 2nd overall pick in this year's draft, which gives them a chance to get a top prospect for their team. Needless to say, Jordan's financial gain would be huge, as he bought the Hornets for 275 million in 2010.
Minority owners include famed rapper J. Cole, who made headlines for helping Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin earn a spot on the team. J. Cole had called Caron Butler, a former NBA player and current assistant coach of the Miami Heat, and asked him to give Martin a chance. The rest is history, as Martin played in the NBA Finals series during the 2022-2023 season. Butler also said that J. Cole did the same thing with another NBA player, Dennis Smith Jr.
Bradley Beal to Phoenix Suns & Chris Paul waive - The Washington Wizards have completed a trade, sending All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who waived his no-trade clause, to the Phoenix Suns for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and future second-round draft picks and swap picks. A new Big 3 could emerge, as Beal would join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Maximum contracts would mean the Suns would have to pay luxury tax. In summary, Chris Paul will play for the Golden State Warriors as the Washington Wizards are finalizing a deal to acquire Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, a protected first-round pick for 2030 and a second-round pick for 2027 from the Bay Area team to send Paul to the former champions, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Denver Nuggets won the championship plus Nicola Jokic is my true MVP – Perhaps it was no surprise that the Denver Nuggets won the championship in an easier way than it first seemed. They were able to beat the Miami Heat 4-1 and celebrate their first ever NBA title. Nikola Jokic was named MVP of the Finals for his outstanding performance. The Serbian center was also the second candidate for the regular season MVP after Joel Embiid, as he averaged almost a triple-double in the regular season
I strongly believe that we should also keep league politics in mind when discussing the MVP. We have seen many times that the choice of MVP has raised questions due to misunderstandings in the selection process. Had Jokic won the regular-season MVP this season (the third in a row), he would have joined a very special club with Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. As I emphasize in the title of this post, Jokic is the true MVP for me not only in the NBA Finals, but also in the regular season because of his dominant and influential style of play. It's not only his tremendous passing and scoring skills, but he also manages to anticipate plays before they can even happen, as LeBron James mentioned earlier. So, for me, the most important thing is to be a player who can influence the course of the game and make his teammates even better.
To be honest and truly fair to the rest of the team, this year's title is undeniably the work of one team. Jamal Murray's scoring ability has complemented Jokic's presence on the court, making the two arguably the most dynamic duo in the league. After overcoming a serious injury suffered in 2021 (he tore the ACL in his left knee), Murray made a statement. It was a kind of redemption for this year's performance and perhaps the start of something new and bigger.
The team's puzzle consisted of veterans and some newcomers who contributed to the club's chemistry. Special praise goes to Aaron Gordon for his performance in the playoffs, especially in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, where he scored a career-high 27 points; to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, for whom this is nothing new, as he was a member of the Lakers who won the championship in 2020; to Jeff Green, the 14-year veteran who won his first title after struggling with health problems that almost ended his career; and to Michael Porter Jr. who faced similar difficulties and had to undergo surgery for back problems. In addition, Bruce Brown, Christian Braun, Vlatko Čančar, Collin Gillespie, Bones Hyland, DeAndre Jordan, Zeke Nnaji, Davon Reed, Ish Smith, Peyton Watson and Jack White were part of the Denver Nuggets 2022-2023 squad that finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference's Northwestern Division with a record of 53 wins and 29 losses and entered the playoffs to win the ring!
In conclusion, I must admit that this team has shown me that regardless of the ups and downs you experience in your career and in life in general, you can achieve anything if you stay focused on your goal and believe in your vision! We bid farewell to the champions and look forward to more exciting performances!
Ja Morant gun cases and his suspensions from the League – There is an old Greek proverb that goes like this, “A wise man does not make the same mistake twice”. That's also true for Ja Morant and his infamous flashing gun videos on Instagram. On March 4, the Memphis Grizzlies star posted a video of himself waving a gun around at a nightclub in Glendale, Colorado. Glendale police confirmed that the superstar guard would not face charges. Morant immediately apologized and deactivated his Twitter and Instagram accounts. The Grizzlies suspended Morant for 8 games. Two months later, Morant was seen holding a gun again on video that surfaced. The Grizzlies again suspended Morant from all basketball-related activities.
This month, the NBA announced Morant's suspension, which will be 25 games beginning next season. The NBA's CBA prohibits players from possessing a firearm “of any kind”. In addition, players must inform their teams about firearms and show proof of registration. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has the authority to penalize and suspend players for “conduct detrimental to the association”.
Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”
Let’s put things in order: Ja Morant did not do anything illegal as in Tennessee it is legal to carry a firearm according to the state law. Additionally, as we read on gambonelaw.com: “Unlike Pennsylvania and New Jersey, it is not illegal to conceal carry a handgun in Colorado outside of your home. A permit is not required and a handgun is not considered concealed when a person is in a private automobile or other private transportation. It is, however, illegal to carry a handgun if you are under the influence of alcohol”.
Again! We should emphasize that Morant did nothing illegal, BUT it seems worrying that he made the same mistake for the second time in such a short time. A player with such notoriety as him could face bigger problems because he could negatively influence so many children. Moreover, he is using the same platform that is used by millions of people to build a macho and hardcore profile. It seems that Ja Morant is under tremendous pressure because of his superstar status, and given his naivety and immaturity at his age, he cannot handle certain situations. A psychologist or psychotherapist could help the ex-Murray State star get back on track, set goals, get problems off his chest and come out stronger. The question is, how will the league react if Morant makes a similar mistake again? Should not the NBA get in touch with Morant's inner circle? I think they should sit down and have an honest conversation, not just business.
And speaking of business... Remember when NIKE parted ways with Kyrie Irving after the latter tweeted a documentary based on which the media later labeled him anti-Semitic? We'll have a chance to talk about that explicitly in an upcoming article. NIKE lost a lot of money as many consumers supported Kyrie and turned their back on the manufacturer. NIKE wouldn’t do the same mistake twice and released the new Ja Morant sneakers despite the player’s suspension and it sold out after a few hours. NIKE which signed Morant to a multi-year shoe deal in 2019, also released a supportive statement of Morant's decision to work on himself.
My wish is that Morant will overcome all obstacles like he jumps over the Big Men of the league and will flourish for many years to come.
Around the WNBA!
All-Star Game Starters – On Sunday, June 25, it was announced who will participate in the WNBA All-Star Game on July 15. The WNBA's official website states, and I quote, that the players from the starting pool will be those listed above:
Aliyah Boston, Fever (1st All-Star selection): Boston will be the sixth rookie to start in the All-Star Game and the first since 2014 (Chamique Holdsclaw, 1999; Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings, 2002; Maya Moore, 2011; and Shoni Schimmel, 2014). The Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from June 12-18, Boston is pacing the league in field goal percentage (.651) and leads all rookies in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (8.1 rpg) and blocks (1.5 bpg).
Chelsea Gray, Aces (5th All-Star selection): Gray was the MVP of the WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV and the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game last season. She tied with her teammate Young for second among all players in three-point field goal percentage (50.0 percent) and ranks third in assists with a career-high 6.7 apg. The two-time All-WNBA Team selection also is contributing 13.5 points per game.
Brittney Griner, Mercury (9th All-Star selection): Griner’s nine All-Star selections are the most of any 2023 starter. She was named an honorary All-Star and starter by Engelbert last year after Griner was detained in Russia. During the second half of that game, both teams wore jerseys with Griner’s No. 42. The two-time Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and six-time All-WNBA pick ranks ninth in scoring (19.1 ppg), 16th in rebounding (6.4 rpg), and paces all players in blocks (2.4 bpg) in 2023.
Jewell Loyd, Storm (5h All-Star selection): Loyd, also a starter in 2019, leads the WNBA in scoring (25.4 ppg) this season as well as in games of at least 30 points (four) and ranks first in made threes (41). The two-time All-WNBA Team selection is on track to challenge Diana Taurasi’s season scoring record of 25.29 points per game set in 2006. Loyd has scored 305 points this season, tied with Diana Taurasi for the second-most through a player’s first 12 games of a season in WNBA history (Elena Delle Donne, 323).
Arike Ogunbowale, Wings (3rd All-Star selection): The 2021 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game MVP with a game-high 26 points in the WNBA All-Stars’ win over the USA Basketball Women’s National Team, Ogunbowale has ranked among the top five scorers each of the past four seasons, leading the league in 2020. She ranks third in scoring in 2023 with 22.7 ppg and is second in made threes (38). Her career-high 41 points vs. Seattle on June 17 marked the 14th game in which she has scored at least 30 points since entering the league in 2019, the most by any player in that span.
Nneka Ogwumike, Sparks (8th All-Star selection): A starter for the second straight year, Ogwumike ranks sixth in scoring (19.7 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (9.5 rpg) in 2023. Her 19.7 points per game equals the career-best figure she posted in her MVP season of 2016, and her 9.7 rebounds is a career high. A five-time All-WNBA Team selection, Ogwumike helped the Sparks win the 2016 WNBA championship.
Satou Sabally, Wings (2nd All-Star selection): Sabally, who was a first-time All-Star two years ago, ranks seventh in the WNBA in scoring (19.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (10.5 rpg) in 2023 with career highs in both categories. Her 19.5 points per game are 5.6 ppg above her prior career best and her 10.5 rpg are more than 2.5 above her prior best. Sabally’s 14-point, 13-rebound effort against Los Angeles on June 14 made her the first player in franchise history and the eighth in league history to record seven straight double-doubles.
Breanna Stewart, Liberty (5th All-Star selection): Stewart, who has guided New York to an 8-3 mark, the league’s third-best record, ranks second in the WNBA in scoring (22.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.8 rpg) in 2023. Her 45-point effort vs. Indiana on May 21 is the highest-scoring game by any player this season. The 2018 Kia WNBA MVP, Stewart also is a three-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP (2020 and 2018) and five-time All-WNBA Team selection.
A‘ja Wilson, Aces (5th All-Star selection): The two-time Kia WNBA MVP and reigning Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year has helped the defending champions to a WNBA-best 12-1 record. Wilson and her teammates Gray and Young have Las Vegas averaging 92.5 ppg, a figure that, were the season to end today, would rank third in WNBA history behind the 2010 (93.8 ppg) and 2009 (92.82 ppg) Wilson is eighth in scoring (19.3 ppg), sixth in rebounding (9.4 rpg), and second in blocks (2.2 bpg) this season.
Jackie Young, Aces (2nd All-Star selection): Young has been selected as an All-Star starter for the second consecutive year. The 2022 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player has increased her scoring average every year between her second and fifth WNBA seasons. She is the WNBA’s fifth-ranked scorer in 2023 with a career-best 20.2 ppg, surpassing her previous career high of 15.9 set last season. She also is third in overall field goal percentage (58.8 percent) behind only two All-Star centers in Boston and Griner.
Is Aliyah Boston already the strongest candidate for the ROY Award? - Aliyah Boston, the 1st pick in this year's draft by Indiana Fever, is here to stay. After nearly scoring and grabbing rebounds in double figures and breaking all records in her 4-year college career, she is now putting up numbers in the league. Averaging 15.4 points per game, 8 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game, she is already proving her game-changing versatility. She was also named to the starting lineup for the All-Star Game. She is the first rookie since 2014 and just the eighth rookie in WNBA history. Indiana Fever is off to a good start and contrary to the Mocks' predictions, it will be even better this season. The team's leaders have built a young core with big bodies and great potential while having the veteran experience a team needs to be competitive. We look forward to seeing the results of this exhibition. Let’s go Fever!
Sue Bird jersey retirement – Seattle Storm honored the legendary basketball player with a jersey retirement ceremony. Sue Bird, who saw her jersey hang in the rafters in mid-June, was the 1st pick in the 2002 WNBA draft and has won it all in her nearly 20-year career with the Storm. She is a 4-time WNBA champion, 12-time WNBA All-Star, 5-time All-WNBA First Team player, all-time leader in seasons played, all-time leader in assists, all-time leader in games played, all-time leader in minutes played and she has made the all-time list of WNBA top players. She has also won 9 gold medals with the USA Women's National Team, 5 Euroleague titles and 2 NCAA titles. Need I say more? What a career, Mrs. Bird! Enjoy your retirement and thank you for what you have done for the sport of basketball.
Britney Griner’s confrontation by a YouTube personality in the airport and the need for a charter flight – Phoenix Mercury center Britney Griner's troubles seem to have no end, as she and her teammates were confronted at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport before flying to Indiana. Six months after being released from a Russian prison and returning home, Griner was again in the spotlight as her case highlighted the need for charter flights and more realistic travel planning. Travel expenses are part of the collective bargaining agreement reached between the WNBA and WNBPA in January 2020. Some of the key elements of this collective bargaining agreement specifically address additional cash benefits, quality of travel, maternity and family plans, freelancing, and career development.
The league announced earlier this year that it will offer charter flights this season for all playoff games, as well as certain regular-season games that are played on consecutive days and require air travel. The league's commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, has said charter flights are not financially feasible for the league because they would cost more than $20 million annually. She said that: “We funded [charters] for the Finals, we funded them for the Commissioner's Cup, we funded them where it makes sense. But I'm not going to jeopardize the financial viability of this league and do something that doesn't make sense”. On the contrary, Griner stated: “We should have already had the option to use…charter flights. It’s a shame that it had to get to rock bottom…When you play the ‘let’s-wait-and-see’ game you’re really playing with fire. You’re playing with people’s lives”.
Last year, New York Liberty owners Joe and Clara Tsai were fined for funding the 2021 team with unauthorized charters. More recently, the Las Vegas Aces were reprimanded by the WNBA and forced to cancel their flight schedule.
Personally? I stand with the Players Association in calling for a comprehensive charter flight program. Charter flights are the only solution for the safety and health of the players, otherwise we will see incidents similar to Griner's. Finally, the safety of the players should be put above any financial cost or expense.
Into Culture!
Tupac Amaru Shakur Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame - Legendary rapper, actor, poet, political activist and cultural icon Tupac Amaru Shakur was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his great contribution to the arts. Tupac's sister Sekyiwa Shakur became emotional during her speech as she accepted the star along with Pac's brother Mopreme Shakur, radio producer Big Boy and many other friends from the rap scene such as Treach from Naughty by Nature, EDI from Outlawz, director Allen Hughes and former Black Panther activist Jamal Joseph.
In 2002 Shakur was inducted into the Hip - Hop HoF and two years later he was among the honorees at the first Hip Hop Honors concerts. In 2009, the track “Changes” was added to the Vatican's online playlist, while the Library of Congress added the song “Dear Mama” to the National Recording Registry on June 23, 2010. On April 7, 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year, becoming the sixth rap artist to be inducted. Finally, on May 16, 2023, the City of Oakland voted to name the section of MacArthur Boulevard between Grand Avenue and Van Buren Avenue “Tupac Shakur Way”. He was gunned down on Las Vegas Boulevard on September 7, 1996, and died six days later at College Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where he was on life support due to his severe injuries. It was time to add another milestone to Tupac's legacy.
An in-depth feature on him will appear on this blog in the coming months. I bow to a great leader, a great inspiration and feel blessed to have him as my childhood hero.
Questlove to produce a documentary on Negro League Baseball - Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, members of the famed Philadelphia hip-hop music group The Roots, will reportedly produce a documentary titled “The League” which would explore the rise of Negro League baseball. “The League was a miraculous achievement,” Questlove told Deadline in 2020 adding that: “This documentary will tell the story about life on the field, as well as off the field, and so most importantly highlighting race in America through this lens. I am excited to bring this story to life and to also join forces again on another project with my partners at Radical and Sam Pollard”.
Just a quick history lesson on the NLB: African Americans began playing baseball intensively in the late 19th century, but due to segregation, racism, and “Jim Crow” laws, they had to form their own leagues. In 1920, Andrew Rube Foster, former player, manager and owner of the Chicago Giants, founded the first Negro National League with the help of other investors, and rival leagues soon formed across the country to provide a home for black talent. The leagues also became the center of financial development for many black communities. Integration in sports began when baseball players Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) and Larry Doby (1923-2003) were drafted to the Major League of Baseball by the Negro Leagues in 1947, simultaneously breaking the color barrier.
Manos Karousos