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"We're talking about a name that my mother made up!" - Jalen Rose on people naming their kids after him
"We're talking about a name that my mother made up!" - Jalen Rose on people naming their kids after him originally appeared on Basketball Network. Jalen Rose may not be the most recognized name in the history of the sport, but he takes great pride in his name's legacy. In every endeavor he undertakes, Rose consistently strives for excellence and gives his best, something that has certainly not gone unnoticed. Many fans still remember Rose's name, and in fact, some of them have even gone so far as to name their children after him. For Rose, this unbelievable phenomenon speaks volumes about what kind of career he had and the admirable qualities he displayed as a player. Moreover, Jalen firmly believes that the overwhelming number of kids named after him is a perfect reflection of the lasting impression he has made on the game. "It means everything," Rose told HoopsHype of his name's unique legacy. "And when you talk about impact on the game and impact on today's players, I always think about how crazy it is that people have named their kids after me." "People like Denzel Washington and Shaquille O'Neal are two of the greatest at what they do, so people would obviously name their kids after them," he continued. "But people have named their kids after me? We're talking about a name that my mother made up! What? I'm sitting at the NBA Draft and hearing, 'With the No. 3 overall pick, the Boston Celtics select Jaylen Brown.' What? Or I hear about Jalen Ramsey on the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's a common name now!" Before being drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 1994 NBA Draft, Rose was one of the most prominent college players in the country. In his junior year, he averaged an impressive tally of 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. During his three-year stint with the University of Michigan, Jalen was a two-time consensus All-American and a key member of the school's elite squad famously known as "The Fab Five." Rose looks back at his time with the group with deep gratitude. He truly believes that it was the Fab Five's success that made him a notable figure in the eyes of many hoops fans at the time. "If people hate you, they definitely aren't naming their kid after you," the 2000 NBA Most Improved Player pointed out."That right there, to me, was like my personal [achievement] that the Fab Five helped make happen. And that's special because that name is going to continue long after I'm gone." Prime Rose was indeed ahead of his time. His overall game was like what many consider in today's NBA as sexy. He had the ability to attack the basket and a sweet outside shooting. That being said, it's no surprise that many parents wanted their children to be the next Jalen. To gain a deeper insight into Rose's impact, the NBA conducted an extensive and comprehensive study examining professional athletes named Jalen or with similar sound but different spelling. The data were quite surprising as it revealed that "Jalen" has emerged as one of the most popular names in the realm of professional sports in recent years. The statistical trend suggested that the name Jalen has been appealing to younger generations and has become synonymous with talent and success. "For the 2024-25 season, there are 15 teams with a Jalen (or variation) on their roster – half the league. When you include all spellings, 3% of the NBA is named Jalen this season," the article read. "The NBA isn't the only league with an influx of Jalens. There have been three in the WNBA, 58 in the NFL, 322 in NCAA basketball and 496 in NCAA football." "To put the rise of the name Jalen into perspective, the other most popular names in the NBA since 2000 have been Chris, Jordan and Josh — all names with origins that date back over 1,000 years. The data makes it clear – Jalen Rose's game and his mother's innovation created the most popular name in the NBA and inspired the next generation of athletes," it his remarkable skills, Rose was never viewed as a superstar during his NBA career. In fact, he never even earned a single All-Star selection to his name. However, that didn't mean that the former Fab Five star didn't reach legendary status. Jalen had his breakout year in 2000, having averaged his first career-best 18.2 points per game. Along with Reggie Miller, he led the Indiana Pacers to an NBA Finals appearance. Since then, Rose has become one of the most prolific scorers in the league. However, the league was plagued with big-name superstars in his position at the time. Iconic figures such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter understandably gained more popularity than Jalen. Nevertheless, the growing number of modern-day athletes who carry the same name is a testament to the legacy he has built as a player. Arguably, this makes Rose a legend in his own story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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WNBA Player Shows Off Gnarly Injury After Getting Elbowed In The Face
WNBA Player Shows Off Gnarly Injury After Getting Elbowed In The Face originally appeared on The Spun. Not every hit and knock that WNBA players take results in simple bruising. Sometimes the impacts are a lot more visible - and gnarly. Advertisement During yesterday's game between the Washington Mystics and the Las Vegas Aces, Mystics star Jade Melbourne took an elbow to the face by Aces star Chelsea Gray. Unfortunately, the point of Gray's elbow struck Melbourne right in the mouth and the results were very nasty. Melbourne was visibly bleeding on the court as the strike caused her to lose part of a tooth. She had to leave the game while Gray was charged with a flagrant foul. Fortunately, Melbourne appeared to be in good spirits when she returned to the court after getting medical treatment. But as cameras panned to her it was clear that the Australian basketball star and Olympic bronze medalist was now sporting a very noticeable gap in the front of her mouth. WNBA fans were stunned by the scene and some believe that Gray owes Melbourne in a big way for doing that to her. Advertisement "Chelsea Gray you need to pay for Jade Melbourne's dentist. Oh my god," one user wrote on X. "So sad for her! I hope she's ok!" wrote another. "Did I just watch Jade Melbourne of the Mystics get a tooth knocked out?" a third wrote. "Nah the commentators wrong af how they reacted to Jade Melbourne." LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 26: Kiki Iriafen #44 of the Washington Mystics helps teammate Jade Melbourne #5 after she was hurt on a play against the Las Vegas Aces in the first quarter of their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 26, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mystics defeated the Aces 94-83. (Photo by)Melbourne remained in good spirits even after the game as her teammate Georgia Amoore shared an Instagram photo of Melbourne giving two thumbs up to the camera. "Bitta hard yakka x," Amoore wrote in the caption. It wasn't all good though. Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson revealed that Melbourne needed to get stitches and there's no timetable yet on when she'll be able to return to playing. Advertisement We hope Melbourne is able to make a full recovery. Related: Caitlin Clark Took Elbow To The Face vs. Holy Cross WNBA Player Shows Off Gnarly Injury After Getting Elbowed In The Face first appeared on The Spun on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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WNBA Fans Loving Kamilla Cardoso Moment After Chicago Sky Game
WNBA Fans Loving Kamilla Cardoso Moment After Chicago Sky Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky advanced to 4-10 during the 2025 WNBA season after a 97 to 86 win against the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Second-year center Kamilla Cardoso led the way for Chicago with a career-high 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Advertisement Cardoso was an All-Rookie selection in 2024 and has already improved in her second season. She is second on the Sky in both scoring and rebounds, averaging 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season. After Tuesday night's victory over the Sparks, Cardoso was interviewed on the court. She did not initially notice that her voice was not just being projected through the TV, but to everyone inside the arena. WNBA fans adored this video, as they felt that it gave them an honest indication of what one of their favorite players was like off the court. Several fans took to the replies of this post to express their love for the moment. Advertisement "Funniest player in the league lmfao," one fan said. "I just love her," another chimed in. "No, the super funny part was a little after this and the eye roll. 😂🤣😂," a fan wrote. "Kamilla deserves all the nice things," another replied. "Adorable." Chicago Sky forward Kamilla Cardoso (10).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "We going to Miss you Killa 🥺," a fan commented. "LMAOOOOO I love her," another responded. "She funny af lmaooo," one fan wrote. "I love Kamilla man," another said. Tuesday was Cardoso's final game before briefly leaving the team to play for her home country, Brazil, in the Americup tournament in late June and early July. She is expected to miss the next two games but return for the July 6 matchup against the Minnesota Lynx. Advertisement The rest of Cardoso's teammates will head to the West Coast for a two-game road trip, as they take on the 7-6 Golden State Valkyries on Friday before a rematch against the Sparks on Sunday. Friday's game will take place at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET. Related: Chicago Sky Locker Room Video Emerges After Sparks Game Related: Lisa Leslie's Message to Angel Reese Surfaces After Chicago Sky Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
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NBA offseason, free agency live updates: Naz Reid staying with Wolves; more news, analysis
The Wolves are re-signing one of their own. And there's new basketball leadership in Toronto. Follow for the latest. Getty Images I realize this isn't the biggest transaction of the cycle, but I'm shocked the Heat picked up Keshad Johnson's team option for $1.955 million. I thought for sure they would decline it and try to bring him back on a 2-way contract, as he made little impact after the Heat signed him to a roster contract midway through last season. Also, since the Heat are once again dancing with the luxury-tax line, note that because Johnson was undrafted, he counts the same as a veteran minimum ($2.296 million) for tax purposes. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images The Denver Nuggets can offer Nikola Jokić an extension this summer for three years and more than $200 million, and they intend to do so, Josh Kroenke, the team's vice chairman, said today. But do they expect Jokić to accept immediately? Kroenke didn't have an easy answer for that. "We're definitely going to offer it," Kroenke said today. "I'm not sure if he's going to accept it or not, because we're also going to explain every financial parameter around him signing now versus signing later. Be completely transparent. That's the way we always are. And then he makes the best decision for himself and his family, and we'll support him." It would likely behoove the Nuggets for Jokić to lock in as soon as possible but Kroenke left the door open that he won't. If he's right, that doesn't mean it suddenly becomes a situation worth watching. Jokić has two years and a player option left on the supermax deal that kicked in prior to the 2023-24 season. But the Nuggets have had a lot of turnover in the last few months. They fired head coach Mike Malone and replaced him with David Adelman. They fired general manager Calvin Booth and didn't directly replace him, instead hiring former Timberwolves exec Jon Wallace as Executive Vice President of player personnel and promoting Ben Tenzer to EVP of basketball operations. Those will represent the new braintrust in Denver and report to Kroenke. Kroenke noted Tuesday that the structure might be "unorthodox" but said that goes in line with how the franchise has gotten to this point. "Most everything that has got us to this point has been unorthodox," Kroenke said. "We've hired first time guys before. And our best player is the 41st pick, and (has) a very unorthodox manner (with) the way he plays the game. So everything about us is unorthodox. I think, from a process standpoint, I think it was important for us as an organization, and myself and my father to really slow down, take stock of what the organization really needed at this point in time, talk to a lot of different people from a lot of different areas, and gain a lot of different perspective, both in the basketball world and out of the basketball world. Really, kind of nailing down what the Denver Nuggets need, and that's the margins on the outside of our roster. And I think that both John and Ben's complementary skill sets are really going to help us address those things in a creative way moving forward." CJ McCollum is expected to add veteran leadership on the Wizards' roster, which team officials deem important with unrestricted free agent guard Malcolm Brogdon likely to sign elsewhere this summer. McCollum, who is more comfortable playing off the ball than Jordan Poole is, also should help enhance playmaking and shot-creation opportunities for the Wizards' young players. McCollum is a lower-usage player than Poole and also has a better assist-to-turnover ratio than Poole. One of the Wizards' priorities is to retain their own first-round pick for the 2026 draft. Because of a trade made in 2020, Washington would convey its 2026 first-round pick to the New York Knicks if it falls outside the top eight. By making today's trade with the Pelicans, the Wizards are giving more player-development opportunities for their youngest players and, in the process, likely will increase the likelihood of retaining their 2026 first-round pick. So, the Wizards made a trade in the summer of 2025 to acquire a bunch of veterans who have contracts that will expire after next season, creating cap space in the summer of 2026, allowing the Wizards to make trades to acquire more veterans on onerous contracts, offering teams financial flexibility/savings in return for draft compensation. You have to love the NBA. After the Jordan Poole-C.J. McCollum trade, the Wizards could have eight players under contract whose salaries add up to only about $51 million heading into the summer of 2026. The salary cap projects to be $170 million in 2026-27. Washington will have massive sway in the market next summer, however it wants to use it. Jordan Poole has two years left on his current deal ($31.8 million next season, $34 million in 2026-27). With this trade, the Pelicans get some additional playmaking with Dejounte Murray sidelined due to an Achilles injury and more draft capital. C.J. McCollum, who averaged 21.1 points per game in his four seasons with the Pelicans, is heading into the final year of his deal. Detroit Pistons team president Trajan Langdon said the Pistons 'aren't going to be super aggressive' this summer. He said Detroit is more interested in improving internally and around the margins. Tim Warner / Getty Images How are West teams adjusting to the idea that it probably takes a 60-win-caliber team to realistically hang with Oklahoma City in a playoff series? A 50-win Denver team and a 48-win Memphis team fired their coaches in the final weeks of the season; Memphis then traded Desmond Bane for four first-round picks in a bid to remix a core that wasn't going to be good enough in the Age of Thunder. The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, bravely went the other way, pushing some chips in on a young team to acquire Kevin Durant after a first-round playoff defeat. Even after acquiring Kevin Durant, the Rockets feel like they're one move away from being on Oklahoma City's level. In a related story, they still can trade five future first-round picks. GO FURTHER With Thunder on top, NBA's 'wide-open' Western Conference is a thing of the past Michael Reaves / Getty Images The Ace Bailey question has taken the draft world by storm this week, after he canceled a workout with Philadelphia. However, Bailey's evaluation is complicated, and this has been true for months, not days or weeks. The intel that NBA teams have on Bailey, from having spoken with over a dozen sources throughout the season and pre-draft process, is that his teammates enjoyed being around him. He has a lot of infectious energy. But he's a bit immature and can struggle with focus, those sources said. His pre-draft interviews with teams at the NBA Draft Combine did not go particularly well, as it seemed like he went into them a bit ill-prepared for what was being asked of him, according to sources. They weren't so bad as to knock him off of anyone's board, but they raised further questions about what exactly has been happening with his pre-draft process, as he's largely been shielded from teams. It's easy to chalk this up to Bailey being a teenager, and it's completely reasonable to think that he'll mature as he gets older. You can also chalk up the lack of preparation for interviews to questionable representation, and there are certainly many scouts and executives around the NBA who have questions about how effectively he's been repped. Right now, we're down to two possibilities. Either Bailey's agent Omar Cooper — whose lone experience repping a potential top-five pick was with Isaac Okoro in 2020 before Okoro left to be represented by Excel — is effectively steering Bailey toward a desired location, or he's bungled the process and will cause an unplanned slide for Bailey on draft night. The reality is that he just might not be for everyone. Read more intel in my latest NBA mock draft. GO FURTHER NBA mock draft 2025: Why Ace Bailey is the mystery man of draft week Kirby Lee / Imagn TNT Sports analyst and former NBA player Grant Hill will join NBC Sports' NBA coverage as a game analyst for the 2025-26 season. 'I'm incredibly excited to join NBC Sports as part of their NBA coverage. The NBA has been such a meaningful part of my life, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing the game I love with fans across the country,' Hill said in a release. 'To be part of NBC's return to the NBA — a network with such a rich basketball legacy — and its debut on Peacock is truly an honor. I can't wait to get started this fall.' Hill will continue his role at TNT Sports as a college basketball analyst for the men's NCAA Tournament as well as TNT's Big East and Big 12 basketball coverage. GO FURTHER Grant Hill joining NBC's NBA coverage as analyst for 2025-26 season Matthew Stockman / Getty Images The value of these finals, of the success of the Pacers and Thunder, is depth. This might seem axiomatic: having a lot of good players is important. Duh. But it's never that simple. A salary cap league, especially one with the newish apron constraints imposed in 2023, demands choices and opportunity costs. The Oklahoma City and Indiana front offices understand this — the Thunder had five players who averaged 13 or more minutes per game this postseason while taking up less than 10 percent of the cap; the Pacers had six. 'Depth, in general, is really important,' Thunder GM Sam Presti said at preseason press conference. 'I think depth relative to the parity in the league that we see now is directly linked, because the teams are so deep.' Depth is probably more valuable than ever. It's harder to put a roster together with more than two max players, so the strength of a team can no longer tilt heavily in favor of top-heavy talent. That means organizations not only have to hit on picks in the draft — i.e. Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams — but they also need to establish a player development program that can make contributors out of second-round picks, undrafted players and waiver wire finds like Lu Dort, Kendrich Williams, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Developing these kinds of players will become increasingly important for the Thunder if and when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams sign expensive contract extensions. But it's also important because teams need depth to hang in the NBA now because of the move to a faster pace and to withstand the increased physicality that has come out of looser refereeing. Depth keyed the Pacers' finals run, as they used a deep rotation to funnel in players who can run fast, play hard and beat up the opposing team. Indiana has accomplished their own mix of strong drafting and player development, from finding a key player in the second round (Andrew Nembhard) to optimizing 'second draft' acquisitions (Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith). Here are several other lessons teams should learn from these two NBA Finalists. GO FURTHER Pacers and Thunder provided an NBA Finals blueprint. Can other contenders copy it? Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Imagine being one of the other 14 teams in the West. How on Earth are you supposed to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder? Reminder: The Thunder won the conference by 16 games in 2024-25 and still may not have come into the best version of themselves. The entire logic of team-building in the West for the last half-decade has been that 'it's wide open.' Get yourself to a win total in the low-to-mid 50s, and then anything can happen in the playoffs. Veteran teams with title experience, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, could talk themselves into being contenders with a middling playoff seed as long as there wasn't a scary, dominant team in the conference that required a higher level. That's been the case the last few seasons, as the previous three Western Conference finalists before the Thunder won 53, 53 and 50 regular-season games, respectively. Now, that entire logic is flipped upside down; it's definitely not wide open, unless your desired endgame is losing in five in the conference finals. For those who aspire for more, it's either get to the Thunder's level or go home. What does a higher bar do to change the logic in an already cutthroat conference? Read the rest of my story here. GO FURTHER With Thunder on top, NBA's 'wide-open' Western Conference is a thing of the past Eric Hartline / Imagn The Trail Blazers briefly acquired Jrue Holiday in the 2023 trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, but redirected Holiday to the Celtics less than a week later. During the brief period Holiday was technically on the Portland roster, he and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups connected over what Billups has called 'a great conversation.' Billups, who was traded by the Pistons four years after helping them win the 2004 championship, helped Holiday deal with getting blindsided by the Bucks' decision to trade him. During that chat, Holiday also expressed that he would prefer to be moved to a contender. Billups wanted to help the veteran reach 'a great position and a great spot' for him. 'It meant a lot,' Holiday told The Athletic in 2024. 'Being able to see a coach that has my best interests (in mind). And you could see it and you could hear it, which a lot of times maybe some players don't get a chance to see that from a coach. So he definitely had my best interest (at heart) from the beginning. And he just always looked out for me.' This time, the Blazers appear to intend to keep Holiday, and he could help them with his defense and leadership. Dealing away Anfernee Simons also appears to clear the path for Scoot Henderson, the third pick in 2023, who only started 10 games in his second season. Simons started all 70 games he played. Read more on what this trade means for the Blazers and Celtics here. GO FURTHER Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Blazers for Anfernee Simons, second-round picks: Sources Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Indiana's 107.5 The Fan that re-signing Myles Turner this offseason remains a priority. Of course, Carlisle noted that he wouldn't get into contract numbers or anything like that. But he expressed complete faith in the front office. Brian Fluharty / Getty Images Even after trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Celtics still need to trim nearly $20 million to get under the second luxury tax apron and another $20 million beyond that to escape the luxury tax entirely. Because of that, league sources believe the Holiday trade will be only the first domino to fall for Boston. The Celtics are still shopping other players, including Kristaps Porziņģis, with an eye on alleviating their salary-cap dilemma, according to league sources. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Anfernee Simons can help replace some of the lost scoring with Jayson Tatum out for next season with a torn Achilles. He's a very talented scorer and an underrated playmaker. He's not quite a lead guard, but he does a good job of taking care of the ball, moving it and stretching the floor. He's a career 38.1 percent 3-point shooter, and more than half of his shot attempts last season came from 3-point range. That fits in very well with the Celtics' brand of offense that puts up a ton of 3-pointers and tries to bury your defense with them. Simons is not shy to let it fly. The question will be whether he fits defensively. He's not nearly the defender Jrue Holiday is, even compared to last season's slowed-down version of the six-time All-Defense selection, who battled injuries. That will be Joe Mazzulla's challenge: Getting Simons to move as necessary for Celtics guards to maintain teamwide intensity. Even though we are seeing the Celtics shed some salary, it doesn't mean they're going to be bad. They'll still compete and be a playoff team. They just won't look like a 60-win monster. Read more on why I gave this trade a B for the Celtics. GO FURTHER NBA trade grades: Does Anfernee Simons maintain Celtics' status as East contenders? C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images The New York Knicks will interview Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori for their head coaching job, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN was first to report the news. Nori, 51, has been a longtime, respected assistant coach at several stops. I covered him while he was with Dwane Casey in Detroit. He's a great basketball mind and better personality. Nori ran the offense in Minnesota while Karl-Anthony Towns was there. There isn't a player who will say a bad word about him. GO FURTHER Knicks head coach search: Could a new name enter the conversation?
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Why DiJonai Carrington was ruled out for Wings-Mystics game
The post Why DiJonai Carrington was ruled out for Wings-Mystics game appeared first on ClutchPoints. Dallas Wings forward DiJonai Carrington has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Washington Mystics, the team announced before tip-off. Carrington was initially listed as probable due to a rib injury. On Sunday morning, though, the Wings officially downgraded her status to out. Advertisement The probable-to-out downgrade is fairly surprising. Her probable status suggested she would likely play, but that clearly is not the case now. Nevertheless, the Wings, who have won back-to-back games, will attempt to earn a third consecutive victory on Sunday without Carrington on the floor. Carrington, a 27-year-old forward, earned the WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the 2024 season. So far in 2025, Carrington, who is in her first season with Dallas, is averaging 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per outing. She is shooting just 35.6 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc, however. The veteran forward was consistently in the starting lineup to begin the season. Aziaha James has started in her place in the last two games, though. Carrington has still impacted the Wings off the bench, but it remains to be seen what her role will be once she returns from her current injury. James will likely start once again on Sunday. Wings look to defeat Mystics despite DiJonai Carrington's injury absence The Mystics will enter Sunday's contest with a 5-8 record. Washington is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, Dallas holds a 3-11 record. Although the Wings are in last place in the Western Conference, they have built some positive momentum in recent action. Advertisement Earning a win on Sunday afternoon will prove to be a challenge without DiJonai Carrington. The Wings will try to take care of business despite her injury absence against the Mystics. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 PM EST in Washington for what should be a competitive affair. Related: Wings get crucial DiJonai Carrington injury update for Mystics clash Related: Paige Bueckers' Wings teammate gets 'spark' claim after huge win vs. Sun
