Connect with us

Sports

A’ja Wilson Wins Unanimous MVP Award in Historic Year on and Off the Court

Published

on

Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson has never minced words with regards to her quest for greatness. Being the top talent in today’s WNBA simply is not adequate for Wilson. Elite in this era is not enough.

In May 2023, Wilson, while a guest on the show, when asked by George what legacy she wanted to depart behind in the sport, replied that she wanted her name to be synonymous with all of girls’s basketball.

“When you talk about GOATs of the W, my name has to be there. At least in the top three. That’s my goal,” Wilson told George. “When you think about women’s basketball, when you think about the W, I want my name to be there. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to get there — whether it’s rings, whether it’s individual accolades — I want to be there in that category.”

It’s an announcement that few players with the talent and circumstances to attain could make. Those are former players like Sheryl Swoopes and Candace Parker, Maya Moore and Cynthia Cooper.

Since joining the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Wilson has steadily climbed the WNBA’s Mount Rushmore, starting with a Rookie of the Year award and an All-Star nomination. In 2020, she won her first MVP title and her first gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, she added one other MVP title, Defensive Player of the Year honors and her first WNBA championship with Las Vegas. Wilson added a second straight title by winning one other Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023.

In her seven-year profession, Wilson has gone from basketball immortality to jumping. It’s gotten to the point where Wilson could achieve her Goliath goal before she turns 30.

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson plays in a playoff game against the Seattle Storm on September 22 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

In 2024, Wilson became the league’s first 1,000-point scorer, set the record for many points and rebounds in a season, set a brand new record for points per game — breaking the previous record that had stood for 18 years — and became the first player to average 25 points and 10 rebounds in a season. That doesn’t include her second Olympic gold medal in Paris, where she was named tournament MVP.

On Sunday, Wilson became the second player in WNBA history to be unanimously named MVP — a feat that hasn’t happened since 2006.

“I know how hard it is to be successful in this league, how hard it is to maintain your greatness in this league,” Wilson said Sunday after receiving the MVP trophy. “My first one was, ‘OK, I kind of have my name in the record books, in the history books of this league.’ To this day, I feel like I’ve fully settled into the league that I dreamed of playing in.”

When Atlanta Dream point guard Allisha Gray first saw Wilson play as a freshman at South Carolina, she knew Wilson was playing at a unique level. Gray met Wilson as her recruiting host at the University of North Carolina when Wilson was the No. 1 recruiter in the 2014 class. The two quickly became friends after a funny experience at a neighborhood carousel during Wilson’s stay.

“It was one of those UFOs that just spins around and you’re glued to the wall,” Gray said. “That ride blew us away, man.”

That moment brought the two closer together and they at the moment are best friends. Gray, who later moved to South Carolina and won a national championship with Wilson, texted her friend when she heard the news.

“I know her phone is blowing up,” Gray said before the Dream’s first-round playoff game against the New York Liberty on Sunday. “As a best friend, I’m really happy with her. I’ve all the time believed in her and I knew she could do it, it’s only a matter of whether she believes in herself — and she does.

“She is the best player in the world.”

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson signs a book for fans after their game against the Indiana Fever on July 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ian Maule/NBAE via Getty Images

This season, Wilson became the first player to guide the league in points, rebounds and blocks in a single season. It was a dominant performance that spanned the entire league. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Wilson has averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds against six opponents this yr. Before this season, no player in WNBA history had averaged the same numbers against greater than two different opponents in a single season.

Throughout the yr, Wilson’s pursuit of greatness was measured by the performance of other great men whom she equaled or surpassed.

The single-season points-per-game record was originally set by Phoenix Mercury point guard Diana Taurasi. Wilson and Parker are the only players to record at the least 25 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks in a single game, which Wilson did against Atlanta on August 30. Wilson’s single-season rebounding record broke the record set by Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese also broke Fowles’ record that season). Wilson became the second player in WNBA history after Yolanda Griffith (1999) to complete in the league’s top five in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals per game. Wilson has scored 40 points twice this season, giving her 4 profession 40-point games, tying Taurasi and Breanna Stewart for the most points in WNBA history. With her third MVP title, she joins Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Swoopes as the only players to perform this feat.

“When you have players of that caliber playing now, you appreciate it. One day she won’t be here,” Las Vegas Aces guard Alysha Clark said Sept. 11. “She’ll retire and move on with her life, and people will admire what she did. Marvel at it now. It’s pretty damn impressive.”

Wilson matches that energy off the field as well.

In February, her first book, , was published and became a bestseller. In April, she was named considered one of the magazine’s 100 most influential people. In May, Nike announced that Wilson would receive her own signed shoe, making her the first black female WNBA player to have a signed shoe since Parker in 2010 and the first black woman since Swoopes in 2002 to have a signed Nike basketball shoe. In July, 2K Sports announced that Wilson would seem in the NBA 2K25 All-Star and WNBA editions of the popular video game.

For Gray, Wilson’s recognition is something she’s been waiting for for a very long time. While Wilson’s performances and resume could have warranted the amount of attention she’s currently receiving, Gray said Wilson has never complained earlier in her profession.

“A’ja, she’s a very humble person. What’s hers is hers. We know what she deserves, but she won’t cry and complain – she just shows what she does,” Gray said. “She’s not conceited, she’s not arrogant, what’s hers is hers and that’s why she’s always blessed. She always does everything right.”

“I know how hard it is to be successful in this league, it’s hard to maintain your greatness in a league like this.”

— A’ja Wilson

A yr ago, Wilson finished third in considered one of the tightest MVP races the league has ever seen. The final vote tally revealed Wilson received the fourth-place votewhich could have affected her placement in the race. Wilson said she “pushed” for the vote early on. During the Aces’ 2023 championship parade, Wilson, the reigning Finals MVP, wore a T-shirt that referenced her fourth-place finish and thanked the voter during her speech. But she said in February that she had decided to let the situation go.

“I had this epiphany moment where I just thought, ‘You know what, get my feelings out there. Put in the work, A’ja. Make sure people have no doubts about who you are and who you want to be in this league,’” Wilson said. “I think that was a turning point for me.”

Wilson ended her answer by saying that she didn’t really need to speak about the fourth-place vote anymore. She gestured to the silver MVP trophy that sat on the podium next to her, tapping the base just a few times as she finished.

“Because we are of one mind.”

Sean Hurd is an Andscape author who focuses on women’s basketball. His athletic peak got here at age 10 when he was named camper of the week at Josh Childress’ basketball camp.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Michael Jordan buys a private jet, the price is $65 million

Published

on

By

Michael Jordan, medical clinic


Being a billionaire means that you can enjoy making purchases that small countries cannot afford, and Michael Jordan proves it along with his latest purchase. The NBA Hall of Famer reportedly bought himself a private jet for $65 million.

According to , Jordan now owns a latest private jet, a Gulfstream G650ER worthwhile for about $65 million. The recognizable Jumpman logo is clearly visible on the rear of the jet and depicts the tail number, N236MJ. The plane was last seen in Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport, with people viewing it on the tarmac on social media. The plane is reportedly registered under the company name MJ Air LLC.

@seanpalmbeach Michael Jordan’s latest jet is a Gulfstream G650ER, registered on October 1, 2014 #goat #pj #michaeljordan #fyp ♬ M83 Solitude – Grace

The media outlet detailed that the private jet’s custom paint job totaled around $500,000 and might accommodate as much as 19 people, with the possibility of as much as 10 passengers having the ability to sleep comfortably. It also has a maximum range of 8,630 miles.

reported that Jordan is not alone possession Gulfstream G650ER. Other elite billionaires who own one include Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. Jordan’s newest aircraft is an improvement on his previous model, the Gulfstream G550.

Jordan can actually afford to purchase the plane, nevertheless it recently filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. He and one other automobile owner, Front Row Motorsports, are suing the sports organization and CEO Jim France, claiming it used anti-competitive practices to stop fair competition in the sport. According to the lawsuit claims that NASCAR and France operate without transparency and in a way that doesn’t profit team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners and fans.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports disagree that NASCAR controls all facets of the business, including purchasing racetracks exclusively for its races and allegedly forcing teams to buy supplies from suppliers chosen by NASCAR from a single source. Another point of contention is the ban on teams from participating in other stock automobile races.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Continue Reading

Sports

For Chauncey Billups, Minnesota was a turning point in his Hall of Fame career

Published

on

By

Former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Sam Mitchell is thrilled that Chauncey Billups will enter the Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday. Mitchell also used strong words for individuals who “nearly ruined this man’s career” before he rose to turn out to be a star and NBA champion.

“When they let you down, they blame you,” Mitchell told Andscape. “In my opinion, every coach until Chauncey got to Minnesota let him down. And then they turned around and as an alternative of saying, “We let him down,” they said, “He can’t play.” Explain to me how someone who’s the third pick in the draft cannot play but is now on the point of enter the Hall of Fame? Explain this to me, because I do know the reality. I was there. I do know what Chauncey told me. I saw what happened in Boston. I saw what happened in Orlando.

“So explain to me how a loser who cannot play the position now finally ends up in the Hall of Fame? … I might love to listen to what they must say because I’m drained of writing about all these great (expletive) coaches who let people down. And then these guys turned out to be good. And nobody says a word. By saying that, they almost ruined this man’s career.

While the Timberwolves can be the springboard, Billups’ Hall of Fame biography is highlighted by his time with the Detroit Pistons. The five-time NBA All-Star was the point guard who, with the assistance of fellow Hall of Famer Ben Wallace, led the team to 5 straight conference finals, two NBA Finals appearances and one championship. The 2004 NBA Finals MVP also earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” in Detroit for making clutch shots and have become an all-around defender. The Pistons also retired his No. 1 jersey in 2016.

But before landing in Detroit, Billups went from being the third overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft to being viewed as a failure in just three seasons. The former University of Colorado star was traded during his first three seasons by the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and his hometown Denver Nuggets. He never played for the Orlando Magic as he was traded through the 1999-2000 season as a consequence of a shoulder injury. Billups averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 assists and a pair of.3 rebounds over his first 4 non-playoff seasons, a far cry from what was projected for him when he entered the NBA.

“You come in as a third-round pick with your aspirations,” said Billups, now the top coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. If I play like I’m going to be an All-Star. I’m going to take it to the subsequent level. And then you definitely fall completely, identical to I did. I actually have to prove that I belong in this league…

“I needed one other likelihood to prove that I actually belong in this league. And once I’ve done that, I’ll return to my repeatedly scheduled program. I’m going to point out them. And so after that short time in Orlando, I was a free agent and ended up signing with Minnesota.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Chauncey Billups throws the ball onto the court on November 24, 2000, at Staples Center Arena in Los Angeles.

David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images

In 2000, Billups was an unrestricted free agent with the grieving Timberwolves and several other other teams. The Timberwolves needed a defenseman in 2000 as a consequence of the death of Malik Sealy.

Sealy averaged 10.1 points and three.2 rebounds in the NBA from 1992 to 2000, including his final two seasons in Minnesota. Former star of St. John’s University died tragically in the early morning hours of May 20, 2000, when his SUV was struck by a drunken wrong-way pickup driver.

Mitchell’s plans for an early golf outing immediately modified when Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders called him with the news of Sealy’s death.

“I will never forget this as long as I live,” Mitchell said. “I’ll always remember what a time it was. When Flip called me that morning, I never forgot what I was alleged to do. “I will never forget visiting (Sealy’s) house because I was the one who went to his house and told the police his wife.”

The Timberwolves honored Sealy’s life during their first home game of the 2000–01 season and retired his No. 2 jersey, however the team needed to recruit one other defender. Saunders and Timberwolves vice chairman of basketball operations Kevin McHale strongly considered signing Billups. But Mitchell said Saunders was concerned by rumors he had heard that the free agent was too offensive, couldn’t play the point guard position and lacked work ethic.

Mitchell said Saunders was near signing Billups and sought advice from Timberwolves players similar to Mitchell, point guard Terrell Brandon and All-Star Kevin Garnett. Mitchell, Brandon and Garnett were confident the rookie would do well in Minneapolis, and Billups and Garnett were close friends dating back to their AAU days. The Timberwolves signed Billups to a three-year, salary-cap contract, paying $2.25 million in the primary 12 months.

“Flip replied, ‘They say he’s selfish. They say it’s this one, they are saying it’s that one,” Mitchell recalled. “And I said, ‘Flip, I do not know him. But why don’t you give him a likelihood? So when he came, Chauncey told me that when he was in Boston, Toronto and Denver, they gave up on him as a point guard and principally told him to only come in and take a look at to attain. So that is what he did.

“And then when he came to Minnesota, I said, ‘Man, if you really want to learn how to play this position and if you really want to change how people think about you, you see this guy over there, Terrell Brandon, watch everything he does and talk with him. He’s a pure point guard…” Chauncey told me, “I need to play that position. No one ever taught me this position. “

Andy Miller, who was Billups’ agent on the time, said his client’s top offer was Minnesota. Miller said the 24-year-old Billups was perceived as an inconsistent and injury-plagued player on the time (Billups had played a total of 58 games in the previous two seasons). Miller added that McHale and Saunders were interested in adding Billups as insurance in case Brandon was injured.

“Chauncey obviously jumps,” Miller said. “He showed some flashes before, but not enough. And if he did not have respect in the league because he was such a precious person, he would probably be a minimum player at this point and wander a bit to search out his way. He had a certain level of talent that hadn’t been uncorked yet, and there was a certain level of respect when the Minnesota thing happened. This was actually a conversation that Kevin McHale, Flip and I had while trying to find a comboguard…

“They saw him as a safety valve who could still learn a position that may keep them young. And it wasn’t often because of the connection Garnett had with him. I do not remember there ever being a problem with selfishness or the rest. I believed it had more to do with his erratic play.

Left to right: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Sam Mitchell with teammates Dean Garrett and Chauncey Billups on the bench during a game on April 30, 2001.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

In addition to the pressure of joining one other team, Billups felt pressure to switch Sealy. In these difficult circumstances, the Timberwolves needed Billups not only as a player, but additionally as a positive person.

“I always loved Malik’s game, mainly because he was one of those guys that everyone respected,” Billups said. “I knew it could be difficult to switch him on and off the court. So the perfect thing I did was to not try.

“We had a lot going on, man,” Mitchell said, “and when Chauncey joined our team after what happened with Malik and stuff, it was a blessing for us. Malik was such a good dude and such a good teammate. And then when Chauncey got here in, he almost hit the nail on the top, being such a good guy, being funny. KG and all of us in this team needed someone like that. It’s like God sent us Chauncey.”

Billups had a breakout, healthy 2000-01 season with the Timberwolves and credited much of his turnaround to Brandon and Mitchell. He continued to enhance through the 2001-02 season, averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 assists in 54 games while learning to play the point guard position and familiarizing himself with the NBA’s operations on and off the court.

“Those two guys changed my life, man,” Billups said of Brandon and Mitchell. “Simply put, Terrell taught me how to be a quarterback and everything that comes with it. How to learn my opponents, how to learn my teammates, what to do myself, when to shoot, when to make everything easier. And Sam taught me how to be a professional.”

Miller said what fueled Billups as a free agent was his play through the 2001-02 playoffs for the Timberwolves. With Brandon sidelined, Billups averaged 22 points, 5.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal in three games against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves in a best-of-seven series, but Billups proved he was able to be an NBA point guard.

“At that point, he was ready to begin being a real point guard who was going to make an impact in the league. We also couldn’t take half a step back by waiting for Terrell to grow old or be traded,” Miller said.

The Timberwolves, Pistons and Miami Heat were interested in Billups as a free agent. With the Timberwolves committing Brandon at point guard, Billups missed the chance to begin. Detroit was the place when he signed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Pistons on July 17, 2002. Detroit was Billups’ sixth team in six years.

“When my time in Minnesota got here to an end, I never looked back. I went to Detroit and all of it ended,” Billups said.

Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups drives to the basket during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 22, 2004, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups is called NBA Finals MVP after playing against the Los Angeles Lakers in Auburn Hills, Michigan on June 15, 2004.

Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Wallace and former Pistons coach Larry Brown, each Hall of Famers, will introduce Billups on stage Sunday evening during his induction speech. Given Billups’ success in Detroit, expect a lot of talk concerning the Pistons. Expect the Timberwolves to get some love as well for laying the groundwork for his path to the Hall of Fame.

“Minnesota put him on the right track,” Mitchell said. “I do not think Minnesota made him a Hall of Famer. His years in Detroit made him a member of the Hall of Fame. The years spent in Minnesota were full of development, learning the sport, leading the team and so forth.

“I don’t know if you could cut the pie into pieces,” Miller said, “but I would say Minnesota was a huge piece of Chauncey going into the Hall of Fame because there wasn’t a level of stability up to that point.”

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to give you the option to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been in a position to do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
Continue Reading

Sports

Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton joins ESPN’s “First Take.”

Published

on

By

Cam Newton, Atlanta, youth group, youth camp


Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, who’s the host, has added additional duties as host of the ESPN show.

The network announced there can be a color commentator connecting the team of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on a top-rated sports program. His first performance as a part of the band is scheduled for October 11. The band might be filmed at Tennessee State University IN Nashville for the latest school to be featured on First Take on The Road.

In a written statement, Newton said: “I at all times put passion and energy into the whole lot I do, and that won’t change at ESPN. I’m looking forward to the chance to share my perspective and challenge the most effective within the industry. Fans can expect the identical intensity that I delivered to the pitch, together with real conversations, daring shots and fun.

Newton is the most recent personality to grace the ESPN broadcast booth, together with Shannon Sharpe, Sirius XM’s Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and lots of others giving their opinions on the most recent sports news.

“Cam Newton added to First shot brings an electrifying presence, strengthening the lineup of top personalities,” David Roberts, executive vice chairman and managing editor of Sports News and Entertainment at ESPN, said in a written statement. “His dynamic charisma combined with his high-profile debates with Stephen A. Smith will make for compelling television that fans will have to watch.”

This announcement was made ahead of ESPN aired WNBA 2024 finals, which can feature the 2 best teams within the league – No. 1 seed New York Liberty and No. 2 seed Minnesota Lynx. The series begins October 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN on the Barclays Center. The participants try to do what they didn’t do during last 12 months’s championship, which is to win the title.

First shot airs weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending