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There’s A New Sheriff In Town, How Curry Won The West

Published

9 years ago

January 29, 2016

Oakland, CA – If there was any doubt on whose the best player in the NBA, that was proven after what appeared to be the most highly anticipated regular season game. The reigning MVP Stephen Curry did what he always does, show out! But this time it was against a team the Warriors didn’t see in last year’s playoffs and failed to beat in the 2015 regular season.

The San Antonio Spurs ranked the second bested in the West was abashed on Monday night after suffering their worst loss since 2013. Golden State snapped their 13-game winning streak after handing the Spurs a 120-90 beatdown. And it was all done without All-Star Time Duncan who sat out due to knee soreness. Just a precaution by head coach Greg Popovich whose focus is longevity versus hype.

“Why not?,” said Popovich when asked about the matchup. “It’s the two teams with the best record, playing it up would seem to be logical to me,” he said. “We feel different going against a team that’s the best team in the league. I get butterflies in my gut and excited about the game, and all that sort of thing. I don’t feel like that every night.”

I digress, how can you not feel some kind of way after that embarrassing loss. It’s pretty obvious, Curry continues to get better. It’s entertainment at it’s best. It’s not how he scores 37 points (Mon night) while averaging 30.3 points per game. It’s the way he drops dimes! Curry’s release is more graceful than a ballerina. His force is of a super hero but the what I think is most dominating is his aim.

If we break down the responsibilities of a point guard:

• See the floor
• Mastering the dribble
• Control tempo
• Communicate
• Lead by example
• Open shots

The list can go on and on but nowhere can you find banking a three-point shot makes a great point guard. Yet, Curry has mastered this fete in becoming the most successful and most coveted player in the NBA. His extraordinary ability to make a jump shot anywhere on the court, while doubled teamed or forced out of bounds. This young star keeps you wanting more.

“We are more a conventional team,” said Spurs Manu Ginobili. “They are different. So we need to adjust. Tonight, they killed us. At this point, they are better than us. I’m not embarrassed to face it.”

But the one team that many felt could be the only team to dominate Golden State left Oakland with their tails between their legs. The once fearless Spurs were another team embarrassed at Oracle Arena. LeBron James who referred to himself as the best player in the league during the NBA Finals last year. Found himself outside looking in after the recent firing of his head coach David Blatt.

Whether he’s behind Blatt’s ignominious dismissal or realize’s he’s now #2. The reality is clear, he’s no longer the best simply because there was room for someone else to take over. There’s a new Sheriff in town and he’s won the West along side a talented cast. The Warriors are now on to new goals, another NBA Championship, chasing the Chicago Bulls historic 72-10 record and without a doubt a second MVP for Curry.

Golden State is the best show on earth. They’ve proved to be the best NBA team this season and what they do collectively as a team is something we just haven’t seen in a long time. Teams like this are considered a “dynasty” sure to win championships over the next three years if they stay healthy. But this young team has fun on the floor eery night while intimidating their opponent easily.

With a 42-4 record, the Warriors keep getting better. Wednesday night they beat the Dallas Mavericks 127-107. And despite a phenomenal night by Klay Thompson who scored 45 points didn’t negate the Mavs comeback after halftime to overcome a 14-point lead by Golden State. They came within one point after the half but Curry made moves without taking the shine away from Thompson.

After going 1 for 8 in the first half, Curry made his first three shots from long range and helped his team regain the lead. The Warriors never looked back while Curry finished with 14. Sometimes being a team player is just as good as leading a team. Either way, Golden State has yet to play their best game and I feel sorry for their opponent when that day comes.

“Every time we have an opportunity to prove who we are and continue another step in the journey, we’re ready for it,” Curry said.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

Published

6 hours ago

November 22, 2024

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn, Pressley, Scanlon, Colleagues Urge Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration Before Leaving Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country.

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Read the letter here.

Watch the press conference here.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.

The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here and photos are available here.

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”

Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.

In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system by pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers and urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also outlined the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”

Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Popular Democracy; Last Prisoner Project; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Death Penalty Action; The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition; Second Chance Justice of MCAN; JustLeadershipUSA; FAMM; The Episcopal Church; The Bambi Fund; Free Billie Allen Campaign; People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom; Prophetic Resistance Boston; and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

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Tennessee State University Set to Debut the First Division I Hockey Team at An HBCU

THE AFRO — “I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Duanté Abercrombie, the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team, in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

Tennessee State University (TSU) continues to break ground on a historic journey to become the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to field a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey team. Alongside some assistance from the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association and the Nashville Predators, the TSU Tigers have already named their official head coach, unveiled their jersey and received their first official commitment from a student-athlete.

TSU held an official press conference to announce the plan in June 2023. Their first official season as a sanctioned Division I program is planned to commence in 2025-26. On April 18, TSU named Duanté Abercrombie as the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Abercrombie in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Abercrombie was raised in Washington, D.C., and was mentored by hockey legend Neal Henderson, the first Black man to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Abercrombie attended Gonzaga College High School and graduated from Hampton University, where he was a track and field athlete prior to retiring due to an injury. After college, Abercrombie briefly played professional hockey in both the New Zealand Ice Hockey League as well as the Federal Hockey League.

After his career as a professional hockey player, Abercrombie moved onto coaching, including stints with his alma mater Gonzaga and Georgetown Preparatory School. In 2022-23, Abercrombie was a member of the coaching staff for NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

“We are no longer doing club play in 2024-25. We are going right into D1 play for 2025-26,” Nick Guerriero told the AFRO. Guerriero is the assistant athletic director of communications and creative content at Tennessee State.

On Jan. 19, TSU got their first official commitment from an ice hockey recruit, Xavier Abel. Abel played at Drury University and scored 12 goals in 34 games, including three game-winning goals. Abel was recruited by Guerriero.

In July, the Tigers got their second commitment from forward Trey Fechko. In October, Trey’s brother Marcus Fechko also committed to Tennessee State. Since, the Tigers have also signed forward Greye Rampton, goaltender Johnny Hicks, Grady Hoffman and four-star forward Bowden Singleton. Singleton flipped his commitment from North Dakota to Tennessee State. Guerriero said that TSU has a “few” other recruits that they are waiting to announce during their November signing period.

“I think it’s important to invest in these unorthodox sports for Black athletes because it allows Black children to have more opportunities to play sports in general,” said Zion Williams, a 2024 Gettysburg College graduate and former collegiate athlete. “The more opportunities that children have, the better. They won’t feel like they are boxed into one thing or sport.”