Cleveland Cavaliers' Water Boy Caught Cheating The System

Last night during LeBron's return to Cleveland, the Cavaliers water boy was caught in action.  He is being accused of pouring Gatorade into the Powerade sponsored water bottles.  Our guess is he will plead guilty and will get out of jail free.  Anyways, he was doing it for the Knicks not the Cavs.

The Return: LeBron's First Game Back In Cleveland

Thursday night rolled around and the whole city of Cleveland was buzzing.  LeBron said it himself, the night was going to be historic.  The festivities in the Cavaliers' Quicken Loans Arena began early.   Nike kicked them off with their video, "Together".  Watch it below.

Then the wait finally ended as Cleveland fans finally got to see their favorite player introduced, this time in a Cavaliers uniform.  

The Cavaliers ended up falling to the New York Knicks 95-90.  Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks with 25 points and 6 assists.  LeBron finished with 17 points, but also had 8 turnovers.  As the night went on the energy in the building slowly fell, all the way down to the disappointing loss.  But as the season goes on everyone will forget they even lost this game, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be atop the East.  

Boston Celtics Dominated The Brooklyn Nets On Opening Night

Wednesday night began with little energy in the air at the Boston Garden.  As Kevin Garnett was introduced for the Brooklyn Nets a buzz started to grow.  Then Rajon Rondo was introduced and the buzz grew a little more.

As the first quarter began the Celtics came out firing on all cylinders.  In the second quarter they carried over their momentum and set the tone for the game by outscoring the Nets 35-18.  Then going into the fourth quarter they had already scored 100 points.  The Celtics flat out dominated their opponent and the buzz grew some more.

It seemed everyone was getting in on the action throughout the game for the Celtics.  They encouraged ball movement all night long which led to eight players scoring in double digits.  Rajon Rondo set the tone for the team with 13 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds.  Kelly Olynyk also helped lead the way with 19 points and 6 rebounds.  He showed off his ability to shred through a defense with a beautiful euro-step move capped off with a finger roll finish at the rim.  Watch his highlights below.

Rookie Marcus Smart also had a great night, with 10 points and 4 steals.  His defense was stellar all night long and caused much chaos along with Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo.  Smart came off of the bench with the other new Celtic, Evan Turner.  Turner brought the ball up a lot for the Celts and picked the Nets defense apart with crisp passes and lightening quick moves.  He ended the night with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

As the night moved on all of the Celtics fed into a great energy being formed.  As the game was closing energy kept growing in the arena.  At one time Rajon Rondo scored 9 points straight and the crowd went wild.  After the Celtics convincingly beat the Nets their was a certain atmosphere in the Garden that felt like old times, like in the Big 3 era.  Only it's a new era.  It is now time for the underrated Boston Celtics to keep playing a team oriented style and shock many across the NBA.

James Ennis Crushes The Washington Wizards With His Dunk

James Ennis showed off his dunking ability tonight with plenty of flare.  He grabbed the ball on the fast break and ended up dunking all over Rasual Butler.  The Miami Heat ended up beating the Washington Wizards 107-95 in both teams season opener.

Buzzer Beater Basketball's NBA Preseason Predictions

The 2014-2015 NBA season is getting underway tonight at 8 o'clock eastern time, finally.  After a long offseason with many free agent signings and trades, all teams look different.  Over at Buzzer Beater Basketball we are looking forward to the new season and ready to make our season predictions.  Below we begin the process.

NBA MVP Award - LeBron James is going to win MVP this season.  His new teammates Kevin

Love and Kyrie Irving are going to take a load of weight off of his shoulders and allow him to play less minutes.  James is going to have the ability to get some rest on a loaded Cavs team, which is going to enable him to play 110% while on the floor and still put up great numbers.  Other potential candidates include Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul.

NBA Rookie of The Year - Jabari Parker is going to take home the ROY award.  Parker is the most NBA ready rookie by far.  He can rebound, shoot, pass, well... he can do it all.  Parker is going to be one of the lead forces on a young Milwaukee Bucks team, which will lead to him developing into an NBA star and getting plenty of touches to put up great numbers.

All NBA First Team -
1. Derrick Rose

2. Stephen Curry
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. LeBron James
5. Anthony Davis

Eastern Conference Standings Prediction -
1. Chicago Bulls
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Toronto Raptors
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Hornets
6. Miami Heat
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. Boston Celtics

Western Conference Standings Prediction -
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Golden State Warriors
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
6. Phoenix Suns
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. New Orleans Pelicans



NBA Championship - The Chicago Bulls are going to win the 2014-15 NBA Championship.  The resurgence of Derrick Rose is going to make a substantial difference to this team.  He is going to return to his MVP caliber playing type and lead the Bulls.  Alongside D-Rose will be Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, and Kirk Hinrich.  Together this team of loaded talent will fuse together to become one of the best teams in the league under head coach Tom Thibodeau.

J.J. Barea is Leaving The Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves waived point guard J.J. Barea today in order to cut their roster down to 15 players.  Barea, who has only a 1 year $4.5 Million contract, will now have to clear waivers before any team can sign him.

It is expected that the Dallas Mavericks will pick Barea up from free agency once they can.  In Dallas he would rejoin with ex teammate Tyson Chandler, and also serve as a great threat off of the bench.

This is not only great news for Dallas, but also for the young guards in the Timberwolves' backcourt.  J.J. Barea's departure opens up a huge opportunity for rookie point guard Zach LaVine, who was expected to play limited minutes, but he will now have the opportunity to serve as back up point guard behind Ricky Rubio.  LaVine, who is known for his athleticism and ability to attack the rim, still has great room for improvement after only playing one college season at UCLA. Watch his vicious dunk from the other night right here.

The Timberwolves are also expecting a big year from fellow rookie Andrew Wiggins.  He was drafted #1 overall in this year's past draft then traded from the Cavs as a part of the Kevin Love trade.  Wiggins has drawn comparisons to being the next LeBron James or Kevin Durant, and he is surely going to put up monster like numbers under Minnesota's system.  Watch out for Andrew Wiggins and his crazy potential to win this years rookie of the year award.  Watch his highlights from the Timberwolves' Dunks After Dark here.

Together Wiggins and LaVine are going to be one of the most dynamic rookie duos in the league.  Both are freak athletes who can jump out of the gym and also both have a gigantic amount of potential.  With Barea gone and more minutes open to these rookies, look out for them every night on Sports Center's Top 10 Plays.  The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to be one of the most exciting and energizing teams in the NBA this season and are looking forward to a great season.

Jeff Green Almost Swats a Shot Into the Stands

Last night Jeff Green was driving the lane on Sergey Karasev, when Karasev stripped him of the ball. He then raced down the court chasing Karasev on the one man fast break.  He then caught up and swatted the shot all the way out of Beantown.

Eric Bledsoe Shakes Jared Cunningham Into The Next Area Code

Last night, Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns faced of against the Los Angeles Clippers.  During the third quarter Bledsoe decided to show off his nice handles; well, maybe Jared Cunningham decided to show just how bad he is at defense.  Whatever the case is, it is a shame Eric Bledsoe couldn't sink the shot after potentially having the best shake off of the year, in the preseason.

Inside the Life of NBA Star Jamal Crawford

NBA star Jamal Crawford is one of the most interesting players in the league.  He is always in the running for the sixth man of the year award and provides highlight plays night in and nigh out.  Crawford recently got together with Ballislife to make a short documentary.  It highlights his Seattle roots and his basketball life.  Watch the great film below.

Top Recruit Elijah Thomas Choses Texas A&M

Texas A&M has received a commitment from top recruit Elijah Thomas.  Thomas was also considering other top schools such as LSU, SMU, Oklahoma State, and Illinois, but ultimately decided to attend his hometown school.  He will be joining one of A&M's best recruiting classes ever.

Thomas, a 6 foot 9 power forward, is ranked #29 in the ESPN 100.  He is a traditional low post player that can finish with either hand and rebounds the ball well.  He is also a solid fundamental player and can score the ball in bunches.  Watch Thomas' mixtape below.

Elijah Thomas will be joining a loaded Texas A&M class.  The Aggies already have commitments from Tyler Davis, D.J. Hogg, and Admon Gilder.  Thomas is going to form a dominant front court with Davis (#20 in the ESPN 100).  Both play with great intensity and are going to compliment each other nicely.  In the backcourt the Aggies will have Hogg (#35 in the ESPN 100) and Gidler (#64 in the ESPN 100).  Hogg is a lights out shooter and can heat up in an instant.  Gidler will also serve as a three point threat, and has the ability to pass the ball well.

Texas A&M is building up a contending basketball program, and quickly.  The addition of Thomas solidifies their 2015 recruiting class.  Now known as a football school, Texas A&M will soon be known as a college basketball powerhouse.

Harvard's Crimson Madness - Q+A With Wesley Saunders and Siyani Chambers

Friday night Harvard held their Crimson Madness.  The Crimson are gearing up for another season after reaching the NCAA tournament the past three seasons.  Harvard is again one of the premier teams in the country and is looking to win the Ivy League title.  They have a loaded front court with senior captain Steve Moundou-Missi, Jonah Travis, and Kenyatta Smith.  Sophomore Zena Edosomwan played great in their inter-squad scrimmage and showed off his aggressive style of play.  Edosomwan is looking to play a bigger role for the Crimson in the front court this season.  Harvard also has freshman forward Chris Egi.  He played with high-school national champion Montverde Academy last year.  The Crimson also have amazing talent in their back-court.  They are probably going to play the combo of Siyani Chambers and Wesley Saunders a lot this year.  Last season Saunders won Ivy League POY and averaged 14.8 PPG.  Junior captain Siyani Chambers averaged 11.1 PPG and 4.6 APG last year.  He played a crucial role along with Saunders in leading the team to the NCAA tournament.  The Crimson are hoping they can make another run this season and make it farther than ever.  They started to strive for that goal friday night.  Watch our mixtape of the event below.

After the event we caught up with Harvard's star players Wesley Saunders and Siyani Chambers.  Below we have Q+A interviews with both.


Buzzer Beater Basketball: What are your goals for this season?

Wesley Saunders: Just to win the Ivy League again, go farther in the NCAA tournament, and really just come together as a team and play the best that we can.

BBB: Since you mentioned winning the Ivy League, I'll ask you about what Columbia coach Kyle Smith said the other day, how he said he wants to win the Ivy League, what do you have to say about that?

WS: I know everybody in the Ivy League is gunning for us, I think that's everybody's goal.  I don't think they would be playing if they weren't trying to win.  So I just think every night is going to be a battle so we have to come out prepared to play hard and fight.

BBB: Do you plan on pursuing and NBA career after college? If not would you go overseas?

WS: Yeah, I want to, but if not probably overseas.  But I definitely want to try to pursue and NBA career though.

BBB: Coming from California, do you talk to any of the up and coming west coast talent like Jaylen Brown or Ivan Rabb?

WS: No, I don't really talk to any of them.  There's some guys from my AAU team, Compton Magic, that I talk to.  I try to keep in touch with some of the younger guys, and just let them know what they're in for.

BBB: What game are you looking forward to most this season? Probably at Virginia?

WS: Yeah that's going to be a great game.  I think playing at Arizona State too, because it's going to be closer to my home, so a lot of people are going to come out there.  But all the games are going to be tough.

BBB: You guys aren't ranked in the ESPN top 25, how do you feel about that?

WS: I mean hopefully we can get in there as the season goes on, but I'm not to worried about rankings right now.  We are just trying to get ready and everything will play out.

BBB: I know you a big shoe collector, what is your favorite shoe to play in?

WS: I'd say the Jordan 11's, but I was going to wear them tonight but I couldn't.  But they are really comfortable.

BBB: I've notice you and Siyani both wear low cut shoes, why is that?

WS: It's just more comfortable for me.  I started wearing Kobe's and I haven't gone back since he released the low cut ones.

BBB: What is your favorite shoe just to chill in?

WS: I like Air Maxes and Roshes, they're comfortable.  Anything that's comfortable.

BBB:  What's on your pre game music playlist to get you pumped up and into your zone.

WS: A lot of just rap, Drake, and I just like a lot of southern rap, and any Atlanta stuff.  Just anything that gets me going.



Buzzer Beater Basketball: After deep tournament runs the past few seasons, what are your expectations for this year?

Siyani Chambers: To win the Ivy, and get back there (the NCAA tournament) and try to go even farther than what we did last year.

BBB: Who do you think will give you guys a good run for the Ivy League Title this year?

SC: Colombia and Yale are looking pretty strong, but every game in the Ivy League is a tough game.  We'll see when that time comes around who's playing the best basketball.

BBB:  What game are you looking forward to most this season?

SC:  The first one actually, because then that means the season is underway and we're starting in the regular season and you know it takes a long stretch to get there, but once that first game gets going and the games start picking up.

BBB: After leading all D1 freshman in assists your freshman season, is it your goal to lead the nation this season?

SC: If it's a possibility I would love to do that, that would be a great accomplishment.  I'm just trying to go out there every night and just do what my job is, and get these guys open, and get these guys easy shots.  If I happen to get a lot of assists then that's more credit to the guys putting the ball in the basket.

BBB: Is it one of your goals to make the NBA after college?

SC: If the opportunity presents itself I would love to do that.

BBB: After leading your high school team to three state championships and now being named a team captain this season, what is it that makes you able to be such a strong leader?

SC:  Just my energy and my hunger to win.  I never give up, I always try to compete in everything I do, and I think it all just feeds into the energy of the other guys and then we all strive for the common goal of winning.

BBB: Since your from Minnesotta, do you talk to any of the high-school kids coming up from there?

SC: I do, I do. I try to give them as much advice as possible, and try to tell them to keep the tradition of Hopkins Basketball alive and if they just keep working hard then the world can open up to them.

BBB: We know you love video games.  Is NBA 2K your favorite? If not what is?

SC: Actually, I started playing FIFA, and FIFA soccer is now my favorite.  Me and my brother play all the time.


The Crimson kick off their tournament pursuit on November 14th against MIT.  Watch out for Harvard Basketball this year as they are one of the most talented teams in the country.

Elfrid Payton Banks In The Alley-Oop Pass?

Last night Orlando Magic point guard Elfrid Payton had some nice touch to his passes.  Payton unleashed some of that touch when throwing an alley-oop to teammate Aaron Gordon.  Instead of Gordon catching and dunking the ball,  Payton decided he wanted the points.  He went on to pass the ball right of the glass and take his three points.  Elfrid Payton had some "magic" touch on his side last night, when he hit this crazy shot.  Or was it a pass?  Whatever you want to call it,  Payton's play was amazing.

Nate Robinson's Crazy Shot

Last night while playing the Chicago Bulls,  Denver Nuggets' point guard Nate Robinson hit a 40 foot turnaround jumper to beat the shot clock.  It's not against Nate's style of play to hit a crazy shot like this from time to time.  Up to his usual antics Nate shocked fans once again with his ability to hit crazy shots.

Kevin Durant Broke His Foot

The OKC Thunder star Kevin Durant broke his foot today.  The MVP has a Jones fracture in his right foot, and is expected to have surgery on it as soon as possible.  The rehab time for a Jones fracture really varies from case to case.  The injury hardly ever heals correctly the first time.  As of right now there is no accurate time table of return for Durant.  

This is the worst possible news for Oklahoma City fans.  The Thunder were looking forward to having all of their star players healthy for this season.  Last year Russell Westbrook missed a good amount of the regular season and Serge Ibaka missed a few games in the playoffs.  Durant carried the team all year, and when all three played they really showed how dominant they can be together.  

With Durant out,  the Thunder will lose 32.0 PPG 7.4 RPG and will have 38.5 minutes available.  This leaves OKC as a question mark in the Western Conference.  Hopefully Durant makes a speedy recovery, but if not Thunder fans could be seeing a lot more L's in the Win/Loss column, and maybe not see the playoffs.

LeBron Sets a Screen on His Own Teammate?

Yesterday the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat faced off in a preseason game.  During the first minute of the game LeBron decided to run the pick and roll with Norris Cole.  Wait.  That's right LeBron set a screen for his ex-teammate.  He soon realized he is on the Cavs now, not the Heat.  It looks like it's even taking LeBron a little while to adjust from Miami to Cleveland.

Top Recruit Henry Ellenson Committed to Marquette

Henry Ellenson has committed to Marquette.  Ellenson is ranked 4th in the ESPN 100 and is ranked 2nd among the power forwards, only behind the number one player in the country Ben Simmons.  He is a huge addition for Marquette, as he can stretch the floor with a great jump shot and he excels running the pick and roll or pick and pop. Ellenson can also dominate opponents down low with a wide 6 foot 10 frame.  The top ranked power forward averaged 18.0 PPG and 9.3 RPG on the Nike EYBL circuit playing with Playground Elite.  Ellenson will join Nick Noskowiak and Haanif Cheatham at Marquette, who are also both ranked in the ESPN 100.  This will give the Golden Eagles one of the top recruiting classes for 2015.  Watch Ellenson's mixtape below.

Celtics Defeat The Sixers 98-78

On Monday night, the Boston Celtics opened up their preseason by beating the Philadelphia 76ers.  The Celtics had a dismal start to the game only shooting 5-23 in the first quarter.  As the game went on the Celtics slowly turned their act around.  

Evan Turner led the Celtics with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Turner looked great in his debut for the green.  He continually attacked the rim and it payed dividends as he got his shots to drop after a slow first quarter.  Turner played mostly small forward but brought the ball up a few times also.  He seemed to be more comfortable playing at his true position last night.  Evan Turner is going to be a pivotal piece for this Celtics team.

Other notable performers were Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, and Kelly Olynyk.  Bass scored 15 points and grabbed 9 boards, while both Thornton and Olynyk both scored 14 points.

Marcus Smart did not play his best game last night.  He only scored 2 points, but on the bright side dished out 6 assists.  Smart may not have shown off his offensive game, but he certainly demonstrated his ability to run the Celtics offense.  With Rajon Rondo hurt, Smart proved he is a worthy replacement, but he just needs a little more work on his offensive game. 

On the other hand, Hollis Thompson played a good game for the 76ers.  He exploded for 15 points in the first half, but failed to score in the second half.

Tony Wroten led the Sixers with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.  He played a great game all night picking the Celtics defense apart. 

The first half ended with the Sixers leading 48-44.  But as the second half opened the Celtics went on a 9-0 run and continued to blow the game open.  A 98-78 victory was a pleasing way to start the preseason for the Boston Celtics.

Utah Jazz Signed 5 Year Old JP Gibson

The Utah Jazz signed five year old JP Gibson to a one day contract on Monday.  Gibson, who suffers from cancer, was given the chance by Jon Diaz's "Anything Can Be" project.  The project focusses on changing the lives of kids with cancer.  Gibson was given the chance to play in Utah's scrimmage Monday night.  During his time in the game, the young basketball fanatic was lifted up by Rudy Gobert for a two hand slam.  Watch the video of the touching moment below.  

Kenneth Faried Signed an Extension With The Denver Nuggets

Late Sunday night, Kenneth Faried and the Denver Nuggets reached an agreement on a new contract extension.  Faried will be making $60 million over 5 years. 


The Nuggets' forward certainly earned the extension with his play of late.  Over the summer he averaged 12.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG with Team USA during the FIBA World Cup.  He played an essential role for Team USA, leading with his aggressive and determined style of play. 

Faried averaged 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds with Denver last season.  He is going to certainly play a huge role with them again this season.  Look for Kenneth Faried to be averaging double-double type numbers throughout this season.  

He ended out last season with a strong effort and looks for the momentum to carry over to this season.  It will be interesting to see if Kenneth Faried will be able to lead this Denver team to the playoffs this season along with point guard Ty Lawson.  One things for sure: Faried won't be worried about contract extension talks while he tries to do so.

NBA Extends TV Deals With ESPN & TNT

The NBA has extended its television deals with ESPN and TNT.  The deal is worth $2.66 billion per year according to The New York Times.  

The deal comes with new rights for both ESPN and TNT.  ESPN now has rights to summer league and D-league games, 10 more regular season games, 750 more hours of NBA coverage, and the ability to spread their brand across the globe.  TNT will also get more rights with 12 more regular season games and new multimedia rights.  

The deal is great for all sides of the party.  It also shows how much the NBA has grown over the past years.  ESPN president John Skipper pointed this out when he said, "The NBA has never been more popular and it continues to grow under Adam's leadership..."  Skipper is right the league has never been more popular and it's popularity will continue to grow.  

The deal becomes effective in the 2016-17 season and will run through the 2024-25 season.  Commissioner Adam Silver said the deal will lead to a "substantial increase" in the salary cap when it becomes effective.  This is good news for free 2016 free agents Kevin Durant and LeBron James.  The deal will allow them to break records in being the highest paid NBA players ever.

The new deal is great for everyone.  The NBA benefits with a large increase in coverage and the ability to globalize the NBA, which are main goals of new commissioner Adam Silver.  All fans will benefit to with increased coverage, and more ways to access it.  Lastly, ESPN and TNT get to keep televising one of the nation's fastest growing sports.  The new deal is beneficial for the league, fans, teams, players, and the networks.

Best Pass of The Day; Or Is It a Shot?

Last night during the Cleveland Cavaliers preseason game, Anderson Varejao attempted to throw a lob to teammate Tristian Thompson.  Instead of the pass going to Thompson, Varejao decided to throw it straight into the hoop. 

The whole night was filled with weird and fun plays like that.  The Cavs showed that they are going to be one of the best if not the best team in the NBA, with just their little time on the court.  They ended up beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 107-80.  LeBron James scored 12 points in the first half before resting for the second half.  Kyrie Irving added 16 points and Kevin Love was close to a double-double with 8 points and 11 rebounds.  For Maccabi, former NBA player, Jeremy Pargo scored 18.  The game was close in the first quarter, but the Cavs blew the game open during the first minutes of the second quarter.  The Cavs looked great for their first preseason game last night.

Justin Jackson Committed to UNLV

Justin Jackson has committed to UNLV.  Jackson is ranked #26 in the 2016 class by ESPN and #33 by Rivals.com.  The 6 foot 8 forward can both shoot and pass the ball at a high level. He capitalizes in transition and uses his long frame to his advantage to finish in traffic.  Over the summer on the U-17 Canadian national team, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG.  Jackson will be able to play either wing position for Rebels and can even bring the ball up as the team's point guard.  Only going into his junior season at Findlay Prep, Jackson still has plenty of time to develop his game.  He is already gifted with a great basketball body, but now just needs to define himself as a player.  Jackson is going a huge addition to UNLV's recruiting class.  Watch his mixtape below.

The Cleveland Cavaliers Have A New Court

The Cleveland Cavaliers got a new court for the new season.  It features the city's skyline under the big C for Cleveland.  It then has blue trim on the outskirts of the court.  The first time they will play on the new court is tonight during their inter-squad scrimmage.  The game will stream live at 7pm off of the Cavaliers website.