Sports

Biggest Kentucky Group to Date Preparing for NBA Draft

Published

9 years ago

June 24, 2015

From left, Kentucky NCAA college basketball players Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew Harrison, Trey Lyles, Dakari Johnson, Devon Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Aaron Harrison stand during a news conference where they announced their intent to place their names in the NBA draft at the Joe Craft Center, Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

GARY B. GRAVES, AP Sports Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — John Calipari and his Kentucky pipeline to the NBA will have yet another major impact on the league’s annual draft.

It’s nothing new, but Thursday night could be record-setting — even for the Wildcats.

Calipari’s first Kentucky team in 2010 featured five first-round NBA draft picks, including No. 1 overall selection John Wall. Six Wildcats turned pro after their 2012 NCAA championship, with Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist going 1-2 in a parade of four first-rounders.

All told, Calipari has groomed 15 first-round choices among 19 players, with the total figuring to jump significantly Thursday night.

A school-record seven Kentucky players from last year’s 38-1 Final Four team could hear their names called at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with Karl-Anthony Towns possibly becoming Calipari’s third No. 1 overall selection in six years. Seven-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, 6-10 Trey Lyles and 6-6 shooting guard Devin Booker have also been invited to the green room and could be lottery selections.

Seven-footer Dakari Johnson and 6-6 twin guards Andrew and Aaron Harrison are also expected to be drafted, positioning the Wildcats to have 26 picks in Calipari’s six seasons, enough to stock nearly two NBA rosters alone.

That is nearly double any other school during that six-year span.

With Wall, Davis and DeMarcus Cousins coming off All-Star seasons and Towns facing huge expectations as one of the top selections, it’s no wonder Calipari boasts a scenario of an NBA All-Star game half comprised of Kentucky talent.

“Our goal is not just to help guys get into the league; we want guys to become all-stars,” the coach said during a teleconference last week. “We had three last year, and if you took Derrick Rose (a No. 1 overall under Calipari at Memphis in 2008) as a fourth, then our goal would be to say, ‘Hey, half of the NBA all-stars started with us.'”

Though many in Kentucky’s fan base consider the 2012 draft class as the school’s gold standard for pro talent. Calipari often refers back to his 2010 group for setting that high bar of success for subsequent groups to follow.

Wall has overcome an injury-filled start to his career to become an All-Star guard and lead the Washington Wizards to back-to-back playoff appearances. Cousins earned his first All-Star selection last season and is considered one of the NBA’s top big men after averaging 24.1 points and 12.7 rebounds with the Sacramento Kings.

Eric Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson, who went 18th and 14th to Oklahoma City and Houston respectively, are key parts of the rotation in Phoenix and Toronto. Daniel Orton meanwhile hopes to land on a roster next season.

“I feel good about my chances,” said Orton, the 29th overall choice with Orlando. “When you have that Kentucky stamp and teams know what they’re getting, you’ve got to perform.”

As for that 2012 class, Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist established another school milestone as the first two players chosen and are considered respective franchise cornerstones in New Orleans and Charlotte. Terrence Jones was a key cog for Houston, and Darius Miller just helped the Brose Baskets win the German League championship last weekend.

Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague have bounced back and forth between the NBA and the Developmental League, but Calipari sounded hopeful that their work could land another opportunity.

“You gotta let it play out,” Calipari said, “but I come back to us teaching position-less basketball, and it’s not one way of playing, it’s a lot of ways of playing. … I’m proud of these guys, and these guys got a lot to live up to.”

The coach has stressed that point to his latest crop of pro prospects, whose versatility could fill a number of teams’ needs. Calipari provided pro scouts an initial opportunity to judge them last fall during an on-campus combine that drew representatives from every NBA team.

For Kentucky players, the tryout offered a baseline to prepare for the next level. Scouts meanwhile got glimpses of talent from which to track during the Wildcats’ remarkable season that put them within reach of becoming the nation’s first unbeaten champions since Indiana in 1976.

Now comes the next step of teams choosing from Calipari’s biggest pool of talent. Towns seems set on going no worse than second, but his former teammates’ fates depend on where clubs determine they might fit best.

With so many options this year, Detroit Pistons president and coach Stan Van Gundy stresses being as thorough as possible before choosing with the eighth overall pick.

“It takes a little longer to get through that film, at least for me,” Van Gundy said, “simply because as you’re making your notes, you might be making notes on five different people on the same play. It takes a little longer to write things up.”

___

AP Sports Writer Noah Trister in Detroit contributed to this report.

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Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

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California Black Media

Several Black Californians Are Playing Key Roles in LA 28 Olympics Planning

From politicians and businesspeople to athletes and community leaders, a number of Black Californians are contributing to the thought leadership that is shaping the planning of LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: IOC Member Hong Zhang, IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, LA28 President Casey Wasserman, James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood, IOC President Thomas Bach, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the President of the Los Angeles City Council (IOC/Greg Martin)

By Lila Brown, California Black Media

At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

“The 2028 Games present an incredible opportunity to unite our city and lift up every corner of Los Angeles,” said Bass during a historic event at Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 13, when the Olympic and Paralympic flags were unveiled and installed.

The event marked the return of the Olympic flag to L.A. since 1984, when the city hosted the Olympics for the second time. It was the first time the Paralympic flag was raised in California’s largest city.

“From creating jobs to supporting small businesses, we are committed to ensuring that these Games benefit all Angelenos — not just for the summer of 2028, but for decades to come,” Bass added.

Nearly two months after the Olympic flag handover from Paris to Los Angeles, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles.

Bach toured several of the city’s newest world-class sporting venues, including the SoFi Stadium and the recently opened Intuit Dome, both located in Inglewood. At the stadiums, he was joined by two other Los Angeles County Black mayors, whose cities will be key to hosting LA28 events: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

SoFi Stadium, known as the home of NFL teams the LA Rams and LA Chargers, will host swimming competitions during the LA28 Games, with a temporary pool set to make it the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, boasting 38,000 seats. Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest state-of-the-art venue and home to the LA Clippers, will host the Olympic basketball tournament in the 18,000-seat arena.

In an interview with California Black Media ( CBM), Butts highlighted Inglewood’s central role in the upcoming Games, stating, “Inglewood will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, basketball, and swimming competitions of the 2028 Olympic Games. This will be our second hosting of Olympic Basketball, the first in 1984.”

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, also attended the tour.

Harris-Dawson is one of the leading backers of PlayLA, a parks development program that promises to provide sports programming to “young Angelenos of all abilities.” The initiative is funded by a $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee.

Black Californians serving on the LA28 Board include Businesswoman Mellody Hobson; decorated Paralympian Lex Gillette; former Netflix Executive Dana Smith; President of the LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Yvonne Wheeler; and television host, retired sprinter and four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Rosalyn Brant Clark, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist and mother of three-time Paralympian Breanna Clark, said while the “Games for All” theme is promising, she is looking for more concrete action that impacts the lives of ordinary people, including Black Californians.

“They are going to need to show me more on that one before it gets my stamp of approval,” she added, challenging organizers to ensure genuine inclusivity.

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Bay Area

Ohemaa Nyanin Named GM of Valkyries WNBA Team

The Bay Area is filled with excitement, and much of the conversation is about the Bay Area’s newest WNBA team — the VALKYRIES! The Golden State Warriors were awarded the 13th team in the WNBA last October, and just four months ago, the team’s General Manager was announced — Ohemaa Nyanin.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

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By Y’Anad Burrell

Nyanin’s parents are from Ghana, and she was born in Maryland. Nyanin’s experience in this industry precedes her both as a former college player and on the business side. Nyanin is an American University alumna who played on the Eagles’ women’s basketball team. In 2019, Nyanain joined the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, initially serving as the director of basketball operations before she became assistant general manager.

“No excuses,” Nyanin said. “We are here, first and foremost, as humans, and secondly to win basketball games. So how do we do that, and how do we do that in the most inclusive way?”

From viewing interviews that Nyanin has done since her arrival in the Bay Area, a constant theme in her conversations is talking about taking a “people first” approach. Nyanin talks about how she will be focused on the players, staff, and fans as she navigates and executes her role as general manager. Health, both mentally and physically, is important to Nyanin, as I’ve seen in her many interviews.

Just days ago, The Golden State Warriors announced the head coach for the Valkyries — Natalie Nakase.

Nakase has been the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces for the past three seasons, where she was a part of the Aces’ back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before joining the Aces’ coaching staff, Nakase spent ten seasons with her hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their G League.

The Valkyries will practice at downtown Oakland’s Golden State Warrior space and play games at Chase Center in San Francisco. This is an excellent opportunity to experience both sides of the water.

The Valkyries WNBA season opens May 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Valkyries website shows over 18,000 season-ticket deposits. For clarity, if someone is ‘interested’ in purchasing season tickets, a $25 deposit is required. The Chase Center’s capacity is a little over 18,000, so you can imagine how electrifying the stadium will be during all home games.

Ohemaa, welcome to the Bay and The Town!