He's the reason why I started to watch basketball and became interested in the sport. He's the reason why at an undersized height of 5'8, I thought I had a chance at organized basketball, at least in my thoughts. The generations before mine grew up watching greats like Jerry West, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

I had Allen Iverson.

I still remember the day I purchased his #3 Jersey, the home all white Jersey representing the Philadelphia 76ers logo and uniforms from 1997-2009.

On Saturday night March 1, 2014, the 76ers organization during a home game hosting the Washington Wizards, honored its former franchise player by retiring his jersey during halftime.

His Jersey was hoisted up to the rafters joining the likes of other retired numbers of #6 Julius Erving, #34 Charles Barkley, and #13 Wilt Chamberlain. It was a heart-warming ceremony in which past 76ers greats and some of Iverson's teammates, including Dikembe Mutumbo and Julius Erving among others, were in attendance on the floor to celebrate with him.

It's actually not ludicrous to mention his name among those greats. He was that good.

Iverson received an MVP award in 200. He made 11 All-Star appearances (2000-2010); he's a 2-time All-Star game MVP awards winner (2001-2005), a 4-time scoring champ (1999, 2001-2001, 2005) and a 3-time All-NBA First team member (1999, 2001, 2005). But, wait, there's more!! Iverson was All-NBA Second Team for three years (2000, 2002-2003); an All-NBA Third Team member (2006); the NBA Rookie of the Year for 1997; All-Rookie NBA First Team also in 1997, and a 3-Time NBA Steals leader three years in a row from 2000-2003.

An Olympian, Iverson was selected to be a part of Team USA for the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament which was held in Puerto Rico. Iverson averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game while helping the USA Team finish with a perfect 10-0 record.

Other than never taking a night off from stepping foot on the hardwood, Iverson's retirement resonates with me because of the cultural and revolutionary impact he has made as a professional athlete. The NBA's dress code from dress-down to casual and formal is a result of Allen Iverson.

The cross-over dribble becoming as popular as it is today, was a torch passed down from Pearl Washington to Tim Hardaway and then to Iverson who modernized it and elevated its variations to his own style. He incorporated the moves of the pickup games of the playgrounds into NBA arenas which made him box office. His clothing choices off the court prompted the general public to question his character which in result compelled Iverson to attach the famed metaphorical phrase to himself of "don't judge a book by its cover".

He was also a trendsetter, making the cornrows hairstyle a global necessity as everyone had to have it. A hairstyle mostly sported by criminals became accepted by the general public as Iverson stated in one of the best interviews conducted by sports journalist Stephen A. Smith of ESPN once upon a time on his show, "Quite Frankly," "I made it Alright." Iverson inspired a generation of people, specifically targeting the children, to not just play basketball, but to be themselves.

In a post-retirement interview, Iverson, regarding his on-court attire and gear which included a headband and an arm sleeve throughout the better part of his playing days, stated that I wanted to look like a superhero. Sporting the arm sleeve began during the 2000-01 regular season. Iverson wore the right arm sleeve recovering from an injury that affected his right elbow. If that's the case who's to say that same attire and compilation of on-court gear hasn't inspired the likes of Miami Heat F Lebron James and New York Knicks F Carmelo Anthony, two players known for sporting the headband and arm sleeve combo. He tried his crossover on a Hall-Of-Famer in Michael Jordan successful in his attempt as Jordan bit on Iverson's change of direction as he drifted to his right off the hesitation crossover pulling up for a jump-shot which was all net.

One of my favorite Iverson moves was a sequence of events where Iverson was draped all over by then Kings Forward Peja Stojakovic at the corner of the three-point line in which Peja's defense was so compressing, that Iverson dribbled the ball from his right hand to the other behind Peja's back to free himself off the corner.

It was plays like that one that drew me to Iverson as a player. I marveled at the fact that someone of such a small stature could dominate a game single-handedly to his advantage causing numerous problems for the opposing team's defensive alignments and strategies. I remember how tough Iverson was, relentless in attacking the basket despite the punishment he received in return resulting in several injuries occurring throughout his career. It didn't matter who suited up for the other team assigned to protect the rim, Iverson penetrated and more times than not, you can count two in. Fans root for their teams with all their energy, but when Iverson came to town, it was hard to send negative resentment in the form of boos his way because we all knew we were in attendance to see what he would do next.

There was no answer for "The Answer", a name given to Iverson by Shaquille O'Neal, an All-Time great as a center acknowledging Iverson's greatness.

Iverson has totaled a career of 79, 40-point games for the regular season, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 271, Michael Jordan's 173, Kobe Bryant's 117, and Elgin Baylor's 88. Iverson also had 11, 50-point games following Wilts 118, Jordan's 31, Bryant's 24, Baylor's 14 and Rick Barry's 13.

Sounds like pretty good company to me.

Although Iverson's career has featured incredible highs, trouble was not too far behind as Iverson experienced his share of public controversy and legal problems.

Iverson made national headlines for feuding with coaches he has played for because he disagreed with their principles and methods. A disappointing season due to the team's overall success in the mid-2000s called for an ugly divorce, as management and A.I. had a falling out which led to Iverson's departure from the Sixers.

This then started an NBA tour as Iverson made short stints with the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies from 2006-2010. Iverson played three games with the Grizzlies until his contract was terminated by both parties, Iverson and the Grizzlies management, came to an agreement to part ways.

With Iverson facing thoughts of retirement, an opportunity for one last stand to validate his value in the latter stages of his career arrived with the 76ers who offered Iverson a one-year deal for the duration of the 2009-10 NBA regular season on December 2.

Complications to his daughter's health halted Iverson's progress from completing the season as he attended to his daughter's aid.

After a brief stint in the Turkish Basketball League and declining an offer to play in the NBA's development league, Iverson's officially called it quits, retiring from professional basketball entirely on October 30, 2013.

The final chapters of an excellent career had finally closed which led us to the celebration of Iverson's career with his Jersey retirement ceremony on March 1.

Fans, basketball enthusiasts, and sports analysts would all agree that maybe if Iverson accepted a lesser role towards the tail end of his career, he could have achieved the most coveted award of being granted a chance at an NBA title.

But he didn't. He believed he was too great to come off the bench, a role that would hurt his pride in admitting along with the general public that he no longer was the player he once was. He had other ideas.

Because that alternate ending was not a reality let's just reflect on what was and is a Hall-of-Fame career.

Allen Iverson is one of the best little "big" men to ever play the game.

An all-time great.

".. I still feel in my heart and everything I believe that I'm the best Basketball Player in the World and the Best Basketball Player to Eva play this Game," Iverson once expressed.

Long live the Legend of "The Answer", Allen Iverson.

Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and reserves Marcus Thornton and Mirza Teletovic all connected from behind the arc shooting 70% from three point range

Thank God, It's Friday, Right?

For the Brooklyn Nets, this is game No.75, as they host the Detroit Pistons, and this final regular season series between both teams favored the Nets for the first time all-season, The Nets defeated the Pistons, 116-104.

After failing to extend their winning streak to four straight games after taking a trip across the river to face their brothers from another borough in the New York Knicks, the Nets returned home looking to avenge that 110-81 loss. Determined to right their wrongs and protect their home-court, the Nets did exactly that plugging the Pistons, 116-104.

In winning, the Nets extended its franchise record of consecutive wins at home to 15 straight games.

This is a Pistons team that the Nets have struggled against all year in all three of their previous affairs, losing all three contests.

No motivation needed.

Message received.

Timing is of the essence and with a playoff berth guaranteed in the Eastern Conference, the Nets will look to use these last few games as tune-up sessions to further enhance their overall play and performance as they envision a deep playoff run.

For all intended purposes, it's game night and for those who missed tonight's action, this is what followed:

In the first half, following a 22 all conclusion of the first half, the Nets orchestrated a three-point barrage that gave them a comfortable advantage, achieving their highest point differential of 20 points.

Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and reserves Marcus Thornton and Mirza Teletovic all connected from behind the arc shooting 70% from three point range, 7-10, over a plus 5 min stretch, which aided the Nets improving their overall lead to 51-31 with 5:12 remaining in the second quarter.

Basketball is a game of runs, and like any other NBA team that enjoys an early substantial lead, the Nets botched their lead within the second quarter surrendering a 14-6 run courtesy of the Pistons who cut the deficit to 12, as the Nets progressed into the intermission period ahead 57-45.

And now your second half.

The Nets picked up where they left off in the first half, resuming their offensive efficiency from the field translating it to the second half.

The Pistons made an attempt to close the gap coming to within 10 points on an Andre Drummond put-back lay-up, now trailing 61 to the Nets 71 with 5:36 remaining in the 3rd, but their inability to produce stops on the defensive end of the floor only gave the Nets the benefit of the doubt in maintaining their lead.

With 5:13 left in the third quarter, a Brandon Jennings turnover was retrieved by Williams who spearheaded a one-man fast-break converting on the opposite end via a layup while absorbing a foul by Jennings.

A three-point play was rewarded as Williams sank his +1, and on the ensuing Nets possession, a Pistons turnover resulted in another three from "MT3" the nickname appointed to Teletovic by the Nets game announcer, draining his sixth three-pointer of the the night thus far, with both sequences extending the Nets lead to 17, 78-61 with 4:37 until the end of the 3rd quarter.

The Nets Public announcer addresses the crowd in attendance at every home game before the start of the 4th quarter advising the audience to help encourage the Nets to attain victory against all of their opponents, and in ending his address, commands the thousands in the stands to "Stand UP".

As the crowd stood, the Nets raised their efforts and gave the fans something to cheer about in the closing minutes of the final quarter.

The Pistons made their final attempt to bring drama to this game, slicing the deficit to single digits, down 9 points, 96-87 by a made free throw from Jonas Jerebko with 7:08 existing in the 4th quarter.

Despite the Pistons mission, it came to no avail as an alley-oop pass from reserve Andrei Kirilenko to Shaun Livingston converting with a one-arm slam while being fouled by Jonas Jerebko, gave Livingston a shot at a three-point play which he completed, increasing the Nets back to double-digits, leading 99-87, 6:57 left in the 4th.

More of the same followed from Livingston who connected on a turn-around bank shot with a little over five minutes remaining and a lane driving dunk with emphasis by Paul Pierce with 1:29 left till the resolution spelled their fate in a positive fashion.

The player of the game is reserve Teletovic, better known as "MT3", who continued to display his exploits from behind the arc and his reliability, adding six threes of 10 to the Nets cause, leading all bench scorers with 20 points.

Livingston led all Nets players with 23 points alongside Williams in the starting unit, showcasing his skills that warranted NBA recognition when he was selected 4th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Immediately following the Nets win, Livingston shared his thoughts to media correspondents from the Nets locker room regarding their performance at home.

"We've been playing well at this arena," says Livingston to media correspondents.

"I think it's a comfort zone and were just trying to build on the momentum that we have".

Like Livingston, Nets Head Coach Jason Kidd also addressed his team's performance in his post-game press conference, which he commented on the success the Nets enjoyed from downtown.

"The one thing that leads to threes is everyone being unselfish," said Kidd to media correspondents.

"When you're unselfish like that, you get the looks that we're getting from behind the three," Kidd continued.

I'd say it's been a successful year for first-year head coach Kidd, who's leading the same franchise that employed his services as a player and now as a coach to the playoffs in his initial head coaching gig.

The Nets stand motionless in seeding with the win, as they improve their overall regular season record to 41-34 currently cemented 5th in the eastern conference standings, looking up at the Chicago Bulls and ahead of the Washington Wizards.

Only seven games stand on the Nets schedule until the conclusion of their 2013-14 NBA campaign, embarking on a three-game road trip as they visit the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow night, and back-to-back contest challenging the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic respectively.

The Nets have their postseason berth but the season isn't over.

These last few games feature what's wrong with the Eastern Conference and albeit a soft schedule ahead with the one exception in the Miami Heat, the Nets can utilize these games in integrating injured players like Kevin Garnett back into their rotations and fine tuning their overall team production.

With May in sight, it seems like everything is OK in Brooklyn, for now.

A tight battle between the Nets and the Sixers, but Nets couldn’t close in final minutes

March 28, 2017, marked the third of four meetings this season between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Thus far, Philadelphia has gotten the better of the series by holding the Nets winless, 0-2. Brooklyn, having success in the month of March, is looking to continue their winning ways and notch their first win of the season against the 76ers. Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, who was out due to an injury, did return to the lineup tonight. Philadelphia has been bitten by the injury bug and travels to the Barclays Center with a significant portion of their roster unavailable to play.

The Nets offense has improved recently with the emphasis shifting to feeding Brook Lopez in the paint as the primary option as opposed to settling for shots beyond the arc. Lopez scored eight of the team’s first 13 points to start the game. The Nets struggled with fighting through 76ers’ screens and defending the three-point line. After a hot start, Philly’s shooting beyond the arc cooled otherwise it could have spelled big trouble for Brooklyn. Despite their early struggles, the Nets battled in the second quarter to overcome a seven-point deficit and tied the game with two minutes left in the half.

The second half of the game was a back and forth battle between the two teams. The pace of the game quickened and the Nets trailed by one point entering the last quarter of the game. Brooklyn had difficulty finishing at the basket but, victory was still within their reach. With just under 2:30 left in the game, a three-point basket by Isaiah Whitehead gave Brooklyn the lead. The crowd was alive, but unfortunately, the elation would be short-lived. Brooklyn went scoreless for the remainder of the game and fell to the 76ers, 106-101.

It wasn’t a particularly good shooting day for the hometown team.

On what made it difficult for his team to score, Nets point guard Jeremy Lin felt “like they (Philadelphia) did a good job of making Brook (Lopez) work late to get touches…. I had a lot of open shot tonight and I just have to make them. That’s on me.”

At this point in the season, fatigue may come into question.

However, Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson weighed in by saying “we look at it but we never use it as an excuse. I think we do a good enough job of managing our guys’ minutes.”

Lack of execution, turnovers, and iso-ball give Nets its third straight loss

Dion Waiters is having a very productive week. On Monday, Waiters danced on Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson with 2.4 seconds left in the fourth and drained the go-ahead three-pointer to beat the western conference power 105-102. On Wednesday night, Waiters would send the Nets to the same fate.

The Miami Heat overcame an 18-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter and used a 15-2 run in final 4:35, setting up Waiters dagger trey, to lead the Heat to an exhilarating 109-106 victory. With 30 seconds remaining in the final period, Randy Foye found Trevor Booker in the paint for a layup that gave the Nets an opportunity for the win, down one, 104-103. And then it happened.

Wayne Ellington inbounded the ball to Waiters who streaked towards the ball behind the three-point line. He dribbled once defended by Foye, pulled up without hesitation and fired a high-arching, 27-footer, giving the Heat a 107-103 lead with 6.8 seconds left to play.

“I love those type of moments,” Waiters said post-game. “Coach just drew up a play, and I looked at (Ellington) and said, ‘give it to me, I want it.”

It was a play that capped off the Heat’s big fourth quarter in which they outscored the Nets 38-17. And it also highlights the stellar defense they played down the stretch, especially on Brook Lopez, who after torching the Heat for 26 first half points, was limited to a two-point fourth quarter.

With 4:35 remaining in the fourth, the Nets were in good shape. They were up by 10, 99-89 after two made free-throws by Lopez and had the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin and eliminate any chance of a Heat comeback, but they didn’t. They folded.

And while Lopez misfired on two consecutive trips on offense, the Heat, led by Goran Dragic and Waiters, spearheaded a 10-0 run capped off by Ellington’s three, that tied the game at 99-all with 2:16 remaining in the quarter.

A couple possessions later, with the Heat down one, 101-99 on two made free-throws by Nets rookie guard Caris LeVert, Miami rookie forward Okaro White buried a three, assisted by Waiters 102-101, which gave the Heat the lead for good.

“You know (Waiters) drew two at the end and I was wide open in that corner and he had that trust and the faith in me that I’ll knock it down and kicked it right to me,” White said post-game. “I went up into the shot and it was good so it’s nothing but God.”

At the end of the day, the Heat made shots when it counted and the Nets didn’t. The Nets also relied heavily on Lopez to create down the stretch and settled for “iso-ball”. It also doesn’t help that after Waiters’ layup cut the Nets lead to three 99-96 with 2:54 left to play, LeVert turned the ball over coming out of a timeout on the next possession.

After White’s three put the Heat up one, 102-101, the Nets left it up to Spencer Dinwiddie who missed a big three that could have put the Nets up two, with 43 seconds left. Late game execution has plagued the Nets all season long and on Wednesday night, it cost them another contest, this time against the Heat.

“I think we didn’t execute,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said post-game. “We started playing iso-ball and they turned us over a few times. We were missing shots, and then on the defensive end, we couldn’t get stops. You can’t give up 38 points in the fourth quarter, that’s way too many.”

Atkinson also said that he has to do a better job coaching, in finding the right balance between getting Lopez the ball and when to run plays and move the ball effectively for good shots. On too many occasions in the fourth, Atkinson said that Lopez wasn’t getting the ball in good positions to score and in doing so felt that it was up to him to save the day.

Despite his shortcomings, the Nets should’ve won this game and Lopez, who said post-game, that he has to do a better job of keeping the Nets offense going, knows that the Nets let one get away in large part to one single quarter.

“We really gave ourselves a chance for 40 minutes tonight, but obviously, it’s a full 48-minute game,” Lopez said post-game.

He led all scorers with a game-high 33 points. Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and LeVert, who broke Ellington’s ankles in the third quarter on a vicious crossover step-back three, recorded 12 points.

The hero of the game, Waiters scored a team-high 24 points and dished out eight assists while his backcourt mate, Dragic nearly clinched a double-double with 17 points and nine dimes. Ellington, who hit several big shots in this game and seemed eager to face his former team, handed the Nets 22 painful points off the bench and Willie Reed, another former Net scored 14 points.

This is a young team and you have to think that late game execution and defending for 48 minutes will be issues the Nets will tackle going forward. Like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets need to “Trust The Process,” and continue to learn from their mistakes to become a better team in the future.

The Nets will have Thursday off and then face the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers and with Lebron James voicing his disappointment in his team’s play as of late and the inability of his front-office to find a playmaker for their bench, this is the absolute worst time for the Nets to face the Cavaliers.

Following the Cavaliers, the Nets will still be on the road and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday and the Miami Heat in Miami on Monday. The Nets will be home on Wednesday, February 1 to play the other struggling New York team, the New York Knicks.

With a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets seem to be seeking to win the battle of the NBA basement

At the beginning of the NBA season, the What’s The 411Sports on-air personalities had a conversation about who would emerge out of the NBA basement this season, the Los Angeles Lakers or the Philadelphia 76ers. Since the Nets finished third from last in the 2015-16 season, we were under no illusions that the Nets could make a run for the playoffs. However, we had no idea that we would be witnessing a full-scale regression of the Brooklyn Nets. If this Nets duel with the 76ers is foretelling what’s ahead, the Brooklyn Nets will finish the season dead last.

With a 105-95 loss to the Sixers, the Nets dropped their sixth straight and fell 2.5 games behind the 76ers for the worst record in the league.

At the end of the day, turnovers and free throws cost the Nets a win against the 76ers.

“It’s tough,” said Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. “To get 16 more shots than us, I think I’m correct on that, that’s tough – 16 more shots than us and 10 more free throws than us – so it’s a tough combination to beat, and we have to do a better job. I’ve mentioned it before, just executing our offense better and making better decisions. I think playing with the pass, I think when I watch the tape it’s going to be like, maybe there’s a guy open there and they come to the rim and can we make that pass to a teammate. And we have to look at it, is our spacing right? We’ve got to really look at our offense because it’s kind of a little disappointing because I felt like our defense gave us a chance. That’s what you get. Your defense gives you a chance and then you can’t turn it over like that and give them that many more possessions. Eventually, it’s going to get you. We have to do a better job though.”

Despite holding the Sixers to 39.4 percent shooting overall, the 76ers cleared a path to victory with a 17-2 surge in the fourth quarter.

In the loss, Brook Lopez led all scorers with 26 points on 8 of 16 shooting, (including three made 3-pointers) in 32 minutes. Justin Hamilton recorded 16 points with five rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes off the bench. Bojan Bogdanovic totaled 12 points with a season-high-tying eight rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes vs. the Sixers.

In the win, Joel Embiid scored 20 points for Philadelphia. Dario Saric added 18 points, while Robert Covington and Nik Stauskas each chipped in 15.

VIDEO Discussion: It took two overtimes for Knicks to beat the Philadelphia 76ers, what does this say about the Knicks and the 76ers; Derek Fisher and Matt Barnes meet again

Andrea Bargnani led all scorers with a season-high 23 points

In a must win game, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 100-91 on Thursday night. Although the Nets were a little shaky in the 3rd Quarter, with the 76ers record of 1-21, it would not have been a good look had the Nets lost.

The Nets set the tone early by allowing only 13 points in the first quarter, the fewest they’ve given up in any period this season.

Brooklyn Nets F/C Andrea Bargnani led all scorers with a season-high 23 points, while forward Thaddeus Young added 18 points and 11 rebounds.

''It was a good win because in our situation we take every win,'' Bargnani said. ''At the end we got the 'W' and that's all that matters at the end of the day.''

Also in double digits for the Nets were Shane Larkin with 14 points, six assists, and four rebounds; and Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 10 points, three assists and rebounds respectively for the Nets.

''(I'm) just playing with confidence,'' Larkin said. ''My coaches and teammates instill all the confidence in me and tell me to take the shots and make the plays for us. They've put me in a position to be successful and I couldn't be happier that everybody believes in me the way they do and I just want go out there and do well for them so they keep believing in me.''

Jahlil Okafor, who was making his second appearance since his two-game suspension for off-the-court antics, had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and T.J. McConnell scored 17 points for the 76ers. Richaun Holmes came off the bench and contributed 14 points for Philadelphia.

''Just trying to get my rhythm back,'' Okafor said. ''I'm trying to play more games and just getting (my) flow back. Tonight that was the case. I'm going to try to keep getting better and play every game.''

VIDEO Discussion: Former Nets player Darryl Dawkins passes on; he will also be remembered as a dunk legend

The Sports world lost an NBA legend. Former NBA player Darryl Dawkins aka Chocolate Thunder passed away at the age of 58. Dawkins was the first high school ballplayer to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft. Dawkins was picked 5th overall in the NBA Draft and played 14 seasons in the NBA including seven with the Philadelphia 76ers and five with the New Jersey Nets. Dawkins played with the Philadelphia 76ers from 1975-1982; the Nets from 1982-1987; the Utah Jazz in 1987; and the Detroit Pistons from 1987-1989.

After retiring from the NBA, Dawkins continued to play professional basketball for teams in Italy, the Harlem Globetrotters, CBA, and IBA.

Ironically, Dawkins received the name Chocolate Thunder from legendary musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Stevie Wonder.

VIDEO: Nets: Jefferson waived; Sign Bargnani; and Robinson underwent successful surgery; Knicks Summer League: topple Jahlil Okafor and 76ers; and Porzingis Adjusting 

On Monday, July 13, the Brooklyn Nets General Manager Billy King requested waivers on forward Cory Jefferson.

Then on Wednesday, July 15, Brooklyn Nets Forward and newcomer, Thomas Robinson, underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage from his right knee today at The Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. The surgery was performed by Nets’ Medical Director Dr. Riley Williams III.

Robinson, who was injured on Tuesday while working out in New York City, will begin rehab immediately and will be ready for on-court activities before the start of Brooklyn Nets Training Camp.

Lastly, on Friday, July 17, the Brooklyn Nets General Manager Billy King Announced that the Nets have signed Forward/Center Andrea Bargnani.

“Andrea will give us the ability to space the floor and complement our other front court players,” said King. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Meanwhile across the river, the New York Knicks battled to topple Jahlil Okafor and the 76ers, 84-81, to remain undefeated (3-0) in an overtime thriller in NBA Summer League action.

Phil Jackson’s Basketball Legacy May Hinge on the 2015 NBA Draft

After failing its fans during this past NBA regular season, the New York Knicks saved its best disappointment for last. In yesterday’s 2015 NBA Draft Lottery, the Knicks, who owned the second-best percentage to obtain the no.1 overall pick with 19.9 percent, fell out of the top-three selections, settling for the fourth overall pick. Of course, it had to be them. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who had a 25 percent chance of picking 1st overall, landed the top pick, the Los Angeles Lakers finished 2nd and the Philadelphia 76ers landed the 3rd.

The last team to finish with the highest percentage in picking no.1 was the Orlando Magic in 2004, and tonight, the Timberwolves overachieved.

“We were jumping up and down,” Wolves head coach and team president, Flip Saunders told the media following the lottery. “This gives us flexibility…every spot you move up, you have more control of what’s going to happen, you have more people talking to you, cause they’re trying to find out what you’re going to do and where you’re going.”

And it’s the flexibility that the Wolves are enjoying right now, a feeling the Knicks have coveted since the 2014-15 NBA regular season ended. With the 4th pick now a reality, the Knicks may have to change its focus. In early March, reports stated that the NBA fined Phil Jackson, the president of basketball operations for making a comment that could be construed that the Knicks were interested in Ohio State freshman, D’Angelo Russell. Basketball savants consider Russell to be a top-3 pick.

With the Sixers and Lakers both expressing interest in Russell, and the point guard position in general, according to multiple reports, the Knicks may need to look elsewhere and prepare for the reality that Russell might not be there when it is time for the Knicks to make their pick. They can also forget about Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, who shouldn’t slide past the 2nd pick. What seems more likely is Emmanuel Mudiay, the guard who decided to play in China, skipping that one-year college rule.

Mudiay was a highly regarded prospect, like Russell entering college and was slated to play for former NBA head coach, Larry Brown at SMU. But due to personal reasons regarding his family, Mudiay took the Brandon Jennings route and had to grow up quicker than the average 18-year old. In addition to Mudiay, Kentucky big, Willie Cauley Stein, a 7-footer who was honored as the NABC Defensive Player of the Year and Justise Winslow, fresh off of winning the NCAA National Title will be available, all targets of the Knicks as well.

Earlier this month, Winslow sat next to Carmelo Anthony at a New York Yankees game and who knows what was discussed between the current Knick and the soon to be NBA employee. The fact is, the Knicks still have options with the 4th pick. It can’t get any worse.

The 4th pick just hurts because of who the Knicks are and it seems like not winning the lottery and having to settle for the 4th overall pick, sums up the ineptitude the franchise has experienced for the last five years. According to, CBSsports.com, the Knicks are open to trading their 1st-round pick.

Although you can attract some suitors for this pick and maybe pick a player for a team with a substantial player coming in return, this is not encouraging news. The first overall pick could haul a franchise player while the 4th could also yield the type of player that could change the Knicks fortunes for brighter days. Keep the pick.

4th NBA Draft Pick Not So Bad, Knicks Need to Pick Right Guy

Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Mike Conley and Russell Westbrook were all former no.4 overall selections and have made significant contributions to the league that has made them household names. The Knicks can do the same here. They just have to pick the right guy. At the end of the day, the NBA Draft is a lottery in itself.