NBA Sports

From the FIBA World Cup to Steph Curry’s golf era, the NBA offseason told by social media

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Byespn.com

Oct 24, 2023

The Nuggets’ first championship led to the summer of Nikola Jokic — or lack thereof — plus Victor Wembanyama‘s introduction to the NBA and the FIBA World Cup. From golf courses to tennis courts, the NBA stayed in the spotlight even if games were limited.

It can’t be an offseason without a championship parade and Denver did it big for its first celebration. Head coach Michael Malone stole the show with his shirt and icy chains. Days after Jokic said he needed to go home when reminded of the parade, his mood did a complete shift while on the podium,

Victor Wembanyama dominated the NBA Draft coverage, but New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson‘s old draft outfit made headlines on social media. Brunson, drafted in the second round in 2018, sported a suit and tie look that made him susceptible to jokes in his group chats.

When it rains, it pours, and the money flowed during the first day of NBA free agency.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry came up short in his bid for a second straight championship in a row last season. Instead, he won the American Century Championship Golf Tournament, becoming the second basketball player to ever win the event.

No stranger to deep 3-pointers, Curry had his most impressive long shot during the tournament in Lake Tahoe. He hit a hole-in-one from 152 yards away during the second round.

Curry documented the hole-in-one and former teammate Andre Iguodala chimed in too.

After soccer star Kylian Mbappé received a record bid from Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard had similar reactions to the news, before they became teammates with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Antetokounmpo went as far as to post a video of him juggling a soccer ball.

Last summer, LeBron James made headlines for his return to the Drew League, the Los Angeles based pro-am league. Kyrie Irving was rumored to join James, but didn’t end up playing. One year later, his performance made it worth the wait.

Lionel Messi’s shocking transfer to Inter Miami brought extra attention to the MLS club. Celebrities filed in for Messi’s debut in July, including James, who shared a hug with the soccer legend.

The buzz behind Wembanyama’s Summer League debut led to a sold out arena in Las Vegas and more than 500 credentialed media members. NBA icons such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West were in on the hype as well, showing up to see the No. 1 pick.

Wembanyama struggled in his first game with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks. But the pregame scenes were no different than a show on the Vegas strip.

August

Two months after winning the NBA championship, Aaron Gordon visited Jokic in his hometown, taking in a horse race with the two-time MVP. The teammates yelped and jumped as Jokic’s horse finished first place. Gordon even went on the track and raised the trophy, just like the Larry O’Brien one.

September

With American’s Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton making deep runs in the US Open, NBA stars came out to support in New York.

Miami Heat‘s Jimmy Butler supported tennis star Carlos Alcaraz with his friend and rapper J Balvin. They both wore matching sombreros in the stands, marking just one of many memorable Butler moments at the tournament. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant also took in a match seated near actor Jared Leto.

NBA fans were able to see their favorite stars in action during the FIBA World Cup.

Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks took home a bronze medal with Team Canada after defeating Team USA. Dillon led with 39 points while Shai added a 31-point, 12-assist double-double.

The U.S. team had its moments during the tournament.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards showed off his growth during the World Cup run. He also made time to heckle a fan who was making too much noise at him while he shot a free throw. Lakers guard Austin Reaves took the throne as the most popular player in the Philippines.

October

There’s hoodie Melo, masked LeBron and now emo Jimmy.

The Heat star continued his trend of unique hairstyles for NBA media day. He showed up with an emo inspired look, sending teammates Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo into shock. Just another day for Jimmy.

Source: www.espn.com

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