The FIBA World Cup is upon us and for the first time in a long time, team USA is an underdog. They are lacking the typical stars like LeBron and KD, paving the way for a new country to reign supreme.

Greece

A Greek squad led by Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking for the FIBA crown and they are ready to fight for it. Giannis is coming off of an MVP season after leading the Bucks to the one seed in the East and into the Eastern Conference Finals. They fell at the hands of the Raptors and Kawhi but Giannis had big things in his future.

As many stars we’re dropping out of the World Cup over the summer Giannis was staying locked in with Greece, making them an automatic contender. Although they only have the Antetokoumpbros they could capture the FIBA crown.

The Boomers

The Aussies could be a problem. They have meme Legend Joe Ingles and Spurs point guard Patty Mills. Mills is fresh off of a huge 30 point game against team USA, splashing threes and dropping dimes. Australia seemed to have great chemistry in their win against the USA, winning 98-94.

With their star power and chemistry the Boomers could take the FIBA chip home to Melbourne.

The Serbians

The Serbians have maybe the second deepest roster in the World Cup featuring a big three of Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Nemanja Bjelica. They can pass well with Jokic running the offense and rebound as they also have Boban Marjanovic, the 7’3” center who can out-rebound almost any player in the tournament.

If the Serbians can catch fire from deep and keep the ball moving they just might be able to win the chip.

The F team

Many say that this is the worst USA team in years, and they are right. But this is still the best team in the tournament without a question. They have two of the top five players in the tournament in Kemba Walker and Donovan Mitchell, paired with a good young cast can still win.

They may not have the same star power without LeBron, KD, and Anthony Davis but they still have a chance. If they can keep the ball out of the hands of Giannis and Jokic then they can prove all of the doubters wrong and win.

Edit: The USA lost and proved all of the doubters right.

Are the Chiefs the real deal or do they have no chance at Lombardi this year? The Patrick Mahomes led team has a talented reviving core in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce but the Chiefs have had troubles getting past the Patriots for years regardless of quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes burst onto the scene as a young hotshot quarterback out of Texas Tech and was picked mif first round by the Cheifs. He played in only one game in his rookie season where he showed flashes of potential as a successor to Alex Smith.

Then in late January the unthinkable happened, Alex Smith was traded to the Redskins, opening the door for Patty to step in and try to claim NFL Dominance. He was dominant as a QB at Texas Tech and now had to show he was worth it.

patty started off strong and just kept getting stronger throughout the season, dominating with a strong supporting cast of Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill. But Hunt had some off the field issues and he was released by the Chiefs and was suspended indefinitely, taking away one of the Chiefs biggest threats on offense.

Patty then shouldered even more of the offensive load, leading the Chiefs to a strong 12-4 record and a one seed in the AFC. They skipped the wildcard and went into a divisional round matchup against the Colts. Patty looked somewhat pedestrian in this game without any passing touchdowns but still beat the Colts 31-13.

The Chiefs then entered their biggest test this season a playoff game against the GOAT and the mighty Patriots, one year removed from a devastating loss at the hands of Nick Foles and the Eagles. Patty and Brady were locked in a battle all night forcing the game to overtime, tied at 31. The Patriots then won the coin toss and Brady forcefully drove them down the field, embarrassing the Chiefs weak defense and winning the game.

Patty was later honored at the NFL honors with the NFL MVP award after a truly dominant season, only the second player in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

The Chiefs now need to find a new defensive weapon off of the trading block or they have no chance at capturing that elusive second banner to hang in Arrowhead Stadium.

I predict that Patty will have a good season, but not up to the level of his last season, a sort of sophomore slump but instead in his third season. With a good season from Patty I think that the Chiefs can go 11-5 and will be a 2 seed in the AFC. They are a contender but are unlikely to win this year.

This is a list of my top 10 NBA players of All Time.

Honorable Mention: Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem was DOMINANT. He could body anyone he wanted in the post and won the Finals back to back in 94 and 95, winning finals MVP in both. Hakeem spent 17 seasons of his illustrious career in Houston where he averaged 22.5 ppg, 19.4 rebs per game, and 3.2 blocks per game. He spent a dismal last season in Toronto where he didn’t get many minutes and didn’t play as well as he had in the prime of his career.

10: Wilt Chamberlain

Many would say that Wilt is top 5 all time but I don’t think so. Wilt is best known for his 100 point game and his 48 inch vertical. In 1961 -1962 Wilt averaged 50.4 points per game, 25.7 rebound per game, and 48.5 minutes per game, he didn’t win MVP. The amount of minutes he was getting is why I have him lower on this list than expected. He was playing over 48 minutes per game which would have given him an insanely high usage rate. The pace of play was also much faster in his era. He was a giant and was very athletically gifted. This was very impressive but not top 5 impressive.

9: Kevin Durant

Many view Kevin Durant’s move to Golden State as a very dishonorable thing to do, but we learned this postseason that Kevin Durant may have been holding up the Warriors Dynasty. Kevin went down with a calf strain back in mid May and the Warriors looked as if they could survive without him as they swept Portland, who barely made it this far, scraping by the Nuggets in 7. The Warriors went 1-4 in the Finals when he didn’t play and 1-0 when he did play. Not to mention the fact that he had been a consistent contributor to their Offense for the past 2 years and had won finals MVP in the past 2 years. He was able to keep Lebron in check and score on him with consistency through his 2 finals with the Warriors and had they had him to guard Kawhi the Warriors may be NBA champions right now. KD signed with the Nets this offseason, teaming up with Kyrie Irving in the biggest sports market in the world. If KD can come back strong from his achilles injury and win a championship with Kyrie then he can cement his legacy as a top 10 player of all time.

8: Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is a simple man off the court, polos, jeans, and sneakers, but on the court his game was anything but simple. He had a mean post game and his fade-away was unmatched by any other big man. Tim Duncan will give you 25 and 15 every night, rain, shine, or zombie apocalypse. His greatness was in his consistency and the respect he drew from other bigs. He was also a very clutch player who excelled in big moments. He won an astounding 5 finals with the Spurs and helped build a team under Greg Popovich that made the playoffs in all of his years there. Tim is now an assistant coach on the Spurs, adding to Greg Popovich’s uber-talented coaching staff. He was a great player overall and a stand up guy, giving him #8 on this list.

7: Bill Russell

Bill Russell was different. He was the best rebounder of all time and one of the most winningest players. He won 11 championships in 13 years as a member of the Celtics dynasty that lasted from the late 50s to early 70s. He once snagged 40 rebounds in a finals game, an NBA record and almost impossible in today’s game. He wore #6 with the Celtics and his number now hangs in the rafters of TD Garden reminding everyone who visits the Garden of his greatness.  

6: Larry Bird

“He couldn’t play in today’s NBA,” They said, “He’s too weak.” They said. Larry Bird was one of the best shooters in the NBA and he doesn’t get his dues. He played with a 3 point line during his career but this was around the birth of it, many rejected it and so did Bird, shooting only 1.9 threes per game through his career. Had he shot the ball in the same quantity that James Harden does today he could have scored over 40 points per game. He was a great scorer without the 3 point line and was the best mid range shooter ever. Larry Legend is one of the best offensive players in the history of the NBA.

5: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an all time great, he is forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He played in the NBA for 20 seasons with the Bucks for his first 6 seasons and then 14 seasons with the Lakers. He was a 19 time all-star and he won 6 NBA Finals. Kareem was also the anchor of most of his defenses, being selected onto the all-defensive team eleven times. His number 33 is hanging in the rafters of Staples Center and Fiserv Forum. He is not higher on this list because he had almost not shot from outside of 15 feet.

4: Magic Johnson

Magic was in my opinion the greatest passer of all-time, you could have the entire defense surrounding you and Magic could still get you the ball. Magic was a cornerstone of the Lakers franchise for years. Magic was one of the better scores in the league too . He could score on anyone from Scottie Pippen to Bill Russell. Magic was also a good shooter, he shot 52% from the field in his career. His career was shortened by an illness and he played PF in the last season of his career where he played at a subpar level.

3: Lebron James

LeBron James is the ideal NBA player, he can play and guard any position on the court, he can score from anywhere inside of 30 feet, and can carry a team on his back for entire seasons. Lebron has one small flaw, he can very easily turn a locker room with good chemistry into a a wasteland of big trades and locker room drama. Lebron did this with the Lakers, he had a great young core and was a championship contender and then the AD trade rumors started. Later in the season LeBron went down with a groin injury and the Lakers crashed. His teammates didn’t have faith in one another and this led to them not being able to play together. Lebron has had success in Cleveland and in Miami. Lebron has built great relationships with other stars and this may play a large factor in free agency. He was also able to acquire Anthony Davis which is sure to attract another big name free agent like Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler. Lebron is overall 3-5 in NBA finals, but you can’t blame him, he has always had injury plagued teams or has had little help in trying to achieve NBA Finals Immortality. In conclusion LeBron is one of the best NBA players of all time but his locker room presence brings him down on my list.LeBron James is the ideal NBA player, he can play and guard any position on the court, he can score from anywhere inside of 30 feet, and can carry a team on his back for entire seasons. Lebron has one small flaw, he can very easily turn a locker room with good chemistry into a a wasteland of big trades and locker room drama. Lebron did this with the Lakers, he had a great young core and was a championship contender and then the AD trade rumors started. Later in the season LeBron went down with a groin injury and the Lakers crashed. His teammates didn’t have faith in one another and this led to them not being able to play together. LeBron was able to secure AD in a trade that traded away their young core but put them in contention for a title.

2: Kobe Bryant

The Mamba Mentality is something that every sports player wants to adopt, the mentality that getting better is all that there is and that he is the best player on the court for every minute he is out there. Kobe started his career as the 13th overall selection by the Hornets ans was traded to the Lakers on draft night. He was a flashy young player who wore #8 for the first half of his career, three peating with Shaq, but this didn’t come without criticism. Shaq and Kobe didn’t get along in the end and Shaq was traded to the Heat. Kobe even had trade rumors but shot down any trade that was offered to the Lakers. Kobe was a different player in the second half or his career. He wore 24 and changed his play style. Early Kobe was a young, athletic, energetic player who got most of his scoring on the inside and could pull of insane dunks. Kobe towards the end of his career created his shots and shot in a higher quantity in the mid range, trying to take advantage of a league that was actively forgetting about the mid range shot. Kobe’s give rings and the magic of his game put him at number 2 on my top 10 list.

1: Michael Jordan

His Airness, MJ was the goat. Michael was drafted at third to a faltering Bulls franchise in need of a savior. Michael came in and made an immediate impact, winning ROY and lifting the Bulls to a playoff berth. Michael had many a magical moment in the NBA, his game winner against the Jazz, the back to back championships, and his leap from the free throw line in the dunk contest. Michael could score from anywhere within 25 feet. He could leave the ground and soar in for a dunk, he could snap your ankles and drain a mid range shot as you fell, or he could shoot a contested three right over your hands and into the basket. Michael was also one of the greatest defenders ever, earning DPOY and all team first defense honors in his career. Many put Michael behind LeBron, citing Michael’s retirements and his gambling, trying to taint his reputation but he is unequivocally the best player ever.

The Eagles have had a quarterback carousel since the beginning of the 2108-2019 season. The Eagles spent their second overall pick in 2016 on a young, talented quarterback out of a small division two school, North Dakota state, Carson Wentz. Wentz was supposed to be a backup for his first year but then the he was pressed into service after the Eagles traded their starter at the time, Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings for a first round draft pick in 2017 and a conditional fourth round pick in 2018. He then went on to lead the Eagles to 7-9 record, with some talent on the roster but not enough to make it into the playoffs. Wentz was a good rookie quarterback, breaking a few records, but was not able to boost his team into the playoffs even with good stats.

Wentz then had an amazing 2017 season, playing at MVP caliber for the entire season until in week 14 he tore the ACL in his left knee. Wentz actually played through this injury for most of the game until the doctors pulled him out of the game. He was still in MVP consideration going into the end of the season. Then Nick Foles happened.

Nick Foles started his career as third round pick out of Michigan State. Nick Foles became the starter for the Eagles in December of 2012 after Michael Vick went down with an injury. Andy Reid finally trusted his rookie with the starting duties and it ended up costing Foles. He broke his wrist on December 23rd and he went on the IR, killing any chance of him being a starter for the rest of the season.

Foles then had a great season in 2013, making the pro-bowl for the Eagles. Michael Vick was named the starter for the Eagles by Eagles coach Chip Kelly after he played well in preseason and won the job. But per usual, Vick’s season was derailed with injuries, giving Foles a perfect opportunity to become the full time starter for the Eagles and prove that he belonged in the pocket, and not on the bench.

In 2014 Foles began to blossom, showing potential with a young Eagles squad that was looking to make some noise in the NFC East. He was able to lead the Eagles to the second best record in the NFC and the NFC East crown. In March of 2015 Foles was traded to the Rams for Sam Bradford and a package of picks. Foles did not play well with the Rams and was later benched for Case Keenum.

In 2016 he signed with the Chiefs on a 2 year contract with a team option for the second year. The Chiefs decided to not pick up his option for a second year as he underperformed as a backup and it wasn’t worth it to keep him around to back up Alex Smith. In 2017 Nick Foles decided to come back for another two seasons with the Eagles. This season looked like it would be his typical run of the mill backup job to the talented young Carson Wentz, the Eagles prized first round draft pick. Foles spent 14 long weeks sitting on the bench until he was pressed into service against the Rams when Wentz tore the ACL in his left knee. Foles led the Eagles to a NFC East division title but people didn’t believe in him. The Eagles adopted an underdog mentality and their fans made the infamous dog masks that their playoffs became known for.

The playoffs weren’t looking bright for the Eagles, they had a backup quarterback as their starter and their starting quarterback, the heart and soul of their team had been injured. But this Eagles team wouldn’t go down without a fight. They went into the divisional round as an underdog to the Falcons, they were the first one seed to ever be an underdog in the NFL playoffs. The Eagles went down early but fought back and made it up 15-10 going into the last drive of the game, but hadn’t shut the door as the Falcons had the ball. The Falcons drove down the field into the Redzone and they had one last play to score a touchdown. Matty Ryan took the snap, dropped back, looked to the right corner of the endzone with Julio Jones on a fade route, he threw the ball… and it went right through Julio’s hands! It was a miracle! The Eagles had won the game, and they would advance to play the Vikings in the NFC championship game.

The Eagles were underdogs coming into the game, with an unconvincing win against the Falcons all that they had on their playoff resume. The game did not start well for the Eagles and they gave up a touchdown on the first drive of the game. The Eagles then tried top answer on offense and failed, surrendering a punt after only 4 plays. The next drive looked like the Vikings might score again, which would have put the Eagles in a 14-0 hole to a talented Vikings team that would be hard to make a comeback against. But instead the Eagles soared, getting a pick 6 and tying the game at seven. The Eagles then scored an insane 31 unanswered points on their way to a crushing 38-7 defeat of the Vikings. As they celebrated they also looked ahead to the toughest opponent that they would see the entire season, the New England Patriots.

The Patriots were coming off a strong 13-3 campaign with their MVP quarterback Tom Brady at the helm. The Patriots were also one season removed of a legendary comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Many Eagles fan believed that their beloved quarterback Carson Wentz had been robbed of the MVP after Brady won it, but Wentz had only 14 games played while Brady was on track to have played in all 19 games that season.

Going into Media Week the Patriots were heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl, the Eagles were yet again underdogs. This was again the biggest storyline for the Eagles. Nick Foles had brought a new attitude to these Eagles and their fanbase and they didn’t care of they were favored by one hundred or if they were underdogs by a billion.

The game started well, a filed goal by Jake Elliot and a touchdown pass by Foles to Alshon Jeffery to take a 9-3 lead by the end of the quarter. The next quarter both defenses disappeared and after two touchdowns by the Eagles, and a touchdown accompanied by a field goal for the Patriots the Eagles were up 22-12 going into the half. In this first half one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history happened, the Philly Special. Doug Pederson, the Eagles Coach, pulled this play out of his bag of tricks. The Philly Special was a wildcat snap to Half-Back Corey Clement, then a lateral to Tight End Trey Burton, and then a pass to Foles for a touchdown. This play will forever haunt the nightmares of Bill Belichick.

The Patriots came a live after the half, cutting the Eagles lead to three, and making the score 29 to 26. New England was able to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, leading 33-32. The Eagles then responded with a touchdown and a field goal, making the lead 41-33. The Patriots tried to make it into the endzone but they couldn’t and the Eagles were crowned NFL Champions.

This Championship was the first ever for the Eagles and Philly celebrated hard. Eagles fans climbed lamp posts, flipped cars, lit things on fire, and raided gas stations. Philly had gone mental. But even with these celebrations the Eagles front office had a tough decision to make, who do they start once Wentz got healthy? The young, talented Wentz, or the franchise savior Foles?

Kickoff came and went with Foles starting the first game and the second game while Wentz was still unfit to play. But eventually week 3 came and Doug Pederson decided to go with Wentz for his starter which paid off for the Eagles and they got the win. Wentz played well, averaging 306.6 yards per game, but the rest of the Eagles didn’t. They quickly fell to .500 going into their week 8 bye.

Coming out of the bye they suffered a disheartening, 27-20 loss to the Cowboys. The Eagles then played the Saints in week 11 and they fell right on their face. They suffered a blow out to the tune of 48-7 after being lit up by Brees, Kamara, and company. The team then stumbled into week 15 at a dismal 6-7 record, their playoff hopes almost dashed. But then, Wentz went down with an injury, opening the door for Foles to step in and try to save the playoff hopes.

Foles came in to a stumbling Eagles team at 6-7, fighting for the last wildcard spot in the NFC. Foles then rallied the team and got an insanely important win over the Rams and they moved up to 7-7. Foles then managed to pass for an astounding 471 yards against the Texans, putting the team on his back and getting them to 8-7, needing a win to make it into the playoffs.

The Eagles now have their backs against the wall, looking at a week 17 matchup against their division rival Redskins. They then rolled to a 24-0 domination if the Redskins, leapfrogging them into the playoffs off the shoulder of Foles at 9-7.

The Eagles now had a very tough matchup against the 3 seed Bears with their rock solid defense and their young, hotshot quarterback Mitch Trubisky. The Eagles came into the last play of the game up 16-15, praying that Bears kicker, Cody Parkey, would somehow miss a chip shot field goal for most kickers. The kick went up… off the upright! And then off the crossbar! Cody Parkey had double-doinked it!

This was able to put the Eagles through to the divisional round where they would have a tough matchup against a young, talented, Saints team. The Eagles again an underdog, looking up at a 2 seed that was willing to bulldoze anything in their way for the Vince Lombardi trophy. It was time to break out the dog masks and pray for a miracle yet again.

The Eagles started off the game right on a roll, two touchdowns early leading them to a 14-0 lead. Then the Saints came roaring right back into the game. With two touchdowns, courtesy of Drew Brees, and two field goals added on by Saints kicker Will Lutz. Later in the game the Eagles were driving down the field led by their hero quarterback Nick Foles. Foles lofted up a pass intended for Alshon Jeffery when Marshon Lattimore, the Saints star cornerback jumped the route, came down with the ball! Foles had been picked off, sealing the game and advancing the Saints to the NFC championship game against Foles’s former team, the Rams.

This play ended the Eagles season and left the front office with a very big question, do they re-sign Foles and trade away Wentz? Or do they extend Wentz and let Foles walk in Free Agency? Wentz still seemed very much like the team leader but he was coming off a down year and Foles showed that he could play well in Doug Pederson’s system and propel a team into the playoffs. But on the other hand, Wentz had a bigger upside than Foles, was more talented, and already had the Eagles system which was designed around a quarterback who could create his own plays like Wentz. Wentz was also the leader of the team, when the Eagles won the Super Bowl they did for Philly and for Wentz who had been injured earlier that year.

In reality even when Foles had brought a championship to Philly, Wentz was still the Eagles future and the front office saw that and chose wisely in letting Foles walk. In my opinion this was the right thing to do. Wentz is a young, talented, mobile quarterback that will be the future of an Eagles team that can stay competitive for years.

Foles ended up signing with the Jaguars who were in desperate need of a quarterback even though a year earlier they gave one of the worst starters in the league, Blake Bortles, a huge contract extension, locking him in for year to come. Foles is hoping to find a home in Jacksonville.

Move over Madison Square Garden, Staples Center is now at the center of the NBA world. The Lakers and the Clippers have had the cross city rivalry for years, each team claiming their own turf in town and trying to turn fans towards their cause. This has gone as far that some businesses will refuse service to players and management from the opposing team. The Battle For LA has split families and divided a city and this year the battle will really begin. For the first time both of these teams are primed to make a deep playoff run in a balanced Western conference, both with deep benches and all-NBA duos that won’t fail to excite. Anthony Davis and LeBron James are sure to get along well and Kawhi with PG is sure to be a killer combo. This rivalry will be sure to entertain you and keep you on the edge of the set as both of these teams will be vying for the top spot in the West.

The Lakers are now at a crossroads in the history of the franchise. The Lakers were a disappointment to say the least last year, they went a dismal 37-45 under coach Luke Walton while they had turmoil in the locker-room after LeBron’s injury and rumors of a trade for Anthony Davis. The June of 2018, before signing LeBron Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball dropped diss-tracks on one another. LeBron then announced that he would be joining the Los Angeles Lakers on July 2, 2018. This move turned the league upside down, making the Lakers an automatic favorite to win the West. LeBron to the Lakers was not looking good at first, starting off 0-3 with Lebron being the scoring leader for the first few games. They were able to turn it around by midseason, a decent record at 23-19, hovering just above .500. LeBron was struck with a groin injury on Christmas day against the Warriors, he said, “I felt something pop.” This injury made the Lakers season take a turn for the worse, without their star they were bad, making them fall below .500. They finished their season at 37-45, finishing well under expectations but things were looking up for them. They had a young core who could be either developed or traded and they had a healthy LeBron for next season. Then on June 15th, 2019, the league was flipped upside down. The Lakers traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and 3 first round picks for the “Brow”, Anthony Davis. This was a franchise changing trade, putting the Lakers in a win now situation with only 3 players left on their roster. The Lakers were then able to clear enough cap for one more max free agent slot. Their goal, Kawhi Leonard. They wanted to build a big three out of three of the top 5 players in the NBA. When FA started they awaited Kawhi’s decision, not even trying to sign other top free agents like Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler becasue they needed to get to Kawhi. America’s 243rd birthday came and went and still no decision from Kawhi. At 2 a.m. on July 6th Kawhi announced he was going to LA, to the Clippers. The Lakers were crushed by this and signed some other mid level free agents but they were forever haunted by the fact that the Clippers won the Kawhi sweepstakes. So how will these Lakers play together? I think that these Lakers will be good. Lebron always succeeds when he has a sidekick, he loved having a Dwade and a Kyrie and he has finally found his Robin to his Batman in Anthony Davis. LeBron also has a solid bench and when LeBron has a sidekick and a solid bench he wins and he wins a lot.