Latest news with #DukeBlueDevils
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"He need to get those cornrows out and go Snoop" - Kevin Garnett's advice to Paolo Banchero for getting to the next level
"He need to get those cornrows out and go Snoop" - Kevin Garnett's advice to Paolo Banchero for getting to the next level originally appeared on Basketball Network. Orlando Magic superstar Paolo Banchero is coming off a season where he posted career-highs in scoring and rebounding. He also earned his first All-Star selection during the 2024-25 campaign. Advertisement But while some say that Banchero is ready for superstardom, Kevin Garnett thinks that the former Duke Blue Devil still needs to toughen up a bit so that opponents will take him and his team more seriously. "He gotta take the next demon step," said Garnett. "He too nice of a guy. This is who you want your daughter to bring home. He's a good guy. He's a great guy. You know if you want to be one of these players out here, you gotta be a demon. He ain't demon enough." Banchero is an under-demon Garnett did not expressly define what a "demon" is to him. But he said to be one, a player must be a "ni–a who will step on you." He gave examples, like Milwaukee Bucks superstar Gainnis Antetokounmpo whom he dubbed as the captain of the NBA's demon team. KG also mentioned the likes of Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic and Ja Morant as current "demons" in the NBA. Unlike the players that KG mentioned, Paolo is a silent type of operator. Sure, he gets the job done like they do. However, he does so without emotion or nastiness. Garnett thinks that if Banchero is to take his game to the next level, he must play with that fire, intensity, aggressiveness, ferocity and take no prisoners - just like a demon. Advertisement "He got to get out there, let his hair out. He needs to let them cornrows out and go Snoop. Let the hair out, big fella. Let it flow. Come out and go. Go right to the Drew League. Don't play in Seattle this year. Come down to L.A. Get in UCLA. Get fouled hard," added Garnett. Related: "My heart was pounding so fast I thought I was having a heart attack" - Larry Bird on why Finals against Houston was the most intense series of his career No excuse, just produce Banchero honed his basketball skills in the gyms of his hometown, playing pick-up games with the best Seattle could offer, including ex-NBA players Jamal Crawford and Spencer Hawes since he was 15 years old. In 2022, Banchero appeared in Crawford's "CrawsOver Pro-Am" league and scored 50 points in a game. Advertisement "Playing with them in the summer, obviously, I knew it wasn't the real thing," Banchero said about playing in Seattle during the summertime. "But I knew that once I got better and went through college and eventually got to my first year in the NBA that I should be comfortable and be able to hold my own." But without any disrespect to J-Crossover and the hoopers in Seattle, playing in Los Angeles in the Drew League might be more beneficial according to Garnett. With a motto of "No excuse, just produce", the Drew League is one of the most prestigious pro-am leagues in the United States and there, the competition is better and more physical. If not, KG said the summer runs at UCLA is another good venue for Paolo to toughen up. Last January, Garnett also urged San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama to spend his offseason in L.A. instead of going home to France, for the same reason he gave Banchero. Related: Paolo Banchero recalls when Michael Jordan was messing with him the first time they met: "Make sure this dude doesn't get paid next week" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steph Curry Shares Missed Play Involving Cooper Flagg
Steph Curry Shares Missed Play Involving Cooper Flagg originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Long before the Dallas Mavericks took him first overall in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper Flagg was just a kid with a dream to make it in the big leagues one day. Players take different paths to the NBA, and for Flagg, part of his journey was a meeting with Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry on the court. Advertisement On Friday, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player acknowledged Flagg's arrival in the league with some posts on Instagram, including one that shows Flagg getting by the future Basketball Hall of Famer's defense on his way to the basket during the Curry Camp. Curry is not exactly known for his defense or rim protection, but Flagg will deal with many tough and talented defenders in the NBA, especially with the focus opposing teams will have on him. Flagg enters the NBA with immense hype, having left fans and scouts alike excited for his future in the pros. He became a basketball mainstream figure when he took his talents to Durham, where he played one season with the Duke Blue Devils. During his short but memorable stay at Duke, Flagg led the blue-blood ACC program in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game. Cooper Flagg at the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Penner-Imagn Images Flagg will continue his basketball education in the NBA, as he looks to help the Mavericks turn things around following a disappointing 2024-25 NBA season. Advertisement As for Curry and the Golden State Warriors, they should be able to present a tough challenge for Flagg once they cross paths with him and Dallas, which the Dubs defeated twice in the last campaign. Related: Stephen Curry Sends Clear Message to Cooper Flagg on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Duke Sends 1-Word Cooper Flagg Message to Dallas Hours Before NBA Draft
Duke Sends 1-Word Cooper Flagg Message to Dallas Hours Before NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Reigning National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg is the most obvious No. 1 overall pick since the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama with their top pick in 2023. Advertisement In a surprising turn of events, the Dallas Mavericks were awarded the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA draft lottery — despite a 1.8% chance of landing the top selection. Flagg put together a brilliant freshman campaign with the Duke Blue Devils in 2024-25, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game and leading the program to a Final Four appearance. Flagg will no doubt hear his name called by the Mavericks with the No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday night's NBA draft process. Duke sent a simple one-word message to Dallas just hours before the selection process began. Advertisement "Congrats," the team wrote, along with a pre-draft hype video. The Mavericks are understandably excited about landing a player of Flagg's caliber. Dallas head coach Jason Kidd reportedly has some serious hopes for the incoming rookie. Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg reacts after a 3-point basket against the Houston Cougars in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome on April 5, Donnan-Imagn Images 'There's a buzz about Cooper Flagg," NBA insider Tim MacMahon reported earlier this week. "I'm told Jason Kidd sees shades of another Duke guy in Cooper Flagg, a guy who J-Kidd shared the Rookie of the Year Award with, Grant Hill. Cooper Flagg is really gonna have a chance, especially early in the season when Kyrie Irving's out, to play a point forward type of game. He's gonna have the ball in his hands a lot, and J-Kidd thinks he can facilitate.' Advertisement The 2025 NBA draft will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. Related: Duke Basketball Sends Strong Kon Knueppel Message Before NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn Final Four Run Among Most-Watched Basketball Games of the Year
Auburn Final Four Run Among Most-Watched Basketball Games of the Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Last season, the Auburn Tigers basketball program accumulated 32 wins, their most in a storied 119-year existence. Advertisement Powered by an elite offense, Auburn started the season with a sparkling 27-2 record while surpassing 90 points a ludicrous 11 times. However, much of their success became overshadowed by the unprecedented success of three other teams: The Duke Blue Devils, the Houston Cougars, and the Florida Gators. Naturally, the quartet of 30-win teams dominated and earned one-seeds in the March Madness field. After the dust settled on a hectic first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament, the four juggernauts found themselves in the Final Four. Florida Gators star Walter Clayton Jr.© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images According to the College Basketball Report on Twitter, the nation took notice of the elite talent on display this season, with the final three games of the season among the most-watched basketball games of the year. Advertisement The fourth most watched game of the year, and third among college hoops, featured the Auburn Tigers. In front of 14.8 million television viewers, Auburn lost a 79-73 heartbreaker to Florida in the Final Four. Only Florida's title victory over Houston, Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the other Final Four tilt featuring Duke and Houston surpassed Auburn's final game in terms of viewership. The fifth most-watched basketball game of the season was also during Auburn's Final Four run. In the Elite Eight, head coach Bruce Pearl and Auburn bested the Michigan State Spartans 70-63. The contest amassed 11.7 million watched. College basketball thrived last season, with just one of the seven most-watched basketball games of the 2024-25 season belonging to the NBA. The SEC also reigned supreme, with four of the five most-watched college games featuring a team from the conference. Related: Cam Newton Uses Joe Flacco to Deliver a Hard Truth to Shedeur Sanders This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Hornets draft pick Kon Knueppel calls entering NBA 'blessing from God'
Kon Knueppel heard his name called fairly early during the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The Charlotte Hornets selected the former Duke Blue Devils star with the No. 4 pick. He went three picks after his teammate, Cooper Flagg, was taken No. 1 by the Dallas Mavericks. Knueppel was with his brothers as he spoke to ESPN following the selection and praised the Lord for being able to turn professional. "I mean it's such a blessing from God to be able to enter the NBA, but to be able to share it with your family is beyond comprehension. It's such a special moment for us and for me," he said. Kash Knueppel was one of Kon's four brothers who was with him on draft night. He was asked to hype up his brother. "It's awesome. It's a blessing from God. He'll have fun – every minute of it. It'll be awesome to watch him from home," he said. Kon Knuppel briefly mentioned his Christian faith in an interview with Rivals in February 2023. He said it was a big reason why he was considering Virginia at the time before he ultimately decided to join Duke. Tony Bennett was the head coach of the Cavaliers at the time. "I've told a couple of people this, but when I went on my visit there, coach (Tony) Bennett said that he wanted me to know that Virginia is a faith-based program," he said at the time. "That's something that's stuck with me, being a Christian. "That's something that's really important to me, so that was awesome to hear and something I don't always hear. They've also got a great, great program. They've been the best in the ACC for a long time now." Knueppel played one season at Duke. He averaged 14.4 points and 4 rebounds per game. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
