June 24, 2013
Your Semiannual Reminder That Dirk Nowitzki Is a Self-Aware Genius
This is Dirk at a charity soccer match, living that Arjen Robben life. Notice the wry smile at flop’s end.
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Stanley Cup Final: Can the Blackhawks Win in Six (Again)?
Patrick Kane was the first person to realize that the Chicago Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup. He had put a low-angle shot on net during overtime of Game 6 in Philadelphia, and the puck had disappeared from view, but Kane knew it wasn’t stuck somewhere in Flyers goalie Michael Leighton’s pads. He had seen […]
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NBA Job Interview: Kelly Olynyk (With Scouting Report!)
Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons talk to NBA draft prospect Kelly Olynyk about playing on the no. 1 team in the country, adjusting to the physicality of the NBA, and how Olynyk plans to “man up” when he plays against his childhood idol, Dirk Nowitzki. Check out a short clip below, followed by Brett Koremenos’s […]
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Choose Your MAC Allegiance, U-Pick Edition
Are you a farmers market shopper, gentle reader? Do you prefer to sniff your peaches before purchase? Would you like to knock out your summer homework with a field trip? The MAC is here to help you select your 2013 tertiary allegiance from right up close.* Fill out this here form and go hang out […]
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The John Wall–Led Wizards and the Three Other Teams Facing a Crucial 2013 NBA Draft
After being instantly dismissed from the national consciousness following a dreadful 4-28 start, few people noticed when the Washington Wizards quietly showed signs of a promising future during the second half of this past season. The Wizards’ improved play coincided with the return of John Wall, whose knee injury had kept him in street clothes […]
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Screws, Forks, and the Eephus: A Tribute to MLB’s Freak Pitches
Which position in sports produces (attracts?) the most neurotic personalities? Ask that question to 100 knowledgeable sports fans, and you’ll probably get three answers: soccer keeper, hockey goalie, baseball pitcher. The common thread? They all have to prevent something. The glory of scoring, in whatever form that takes, is permanently denied to them. The magnified […]
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Six Degrees of the Doc Rivers Trade
There are two fairly recent precedents for what happened with the Clippers and Celtics and Doc Rivers over the past 10 days. The first began on June 5, 1995, when Pat Riley, while still under contract with the Knicks, sent a secret 14-point memo to the Miami Heat outlining his contract demands, which included a […]
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NBA Job Interview: Michael Carter-Williams (With Scouting Report!)
Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons talk to NBA draft prospect Michael Carter-Williams about transitioning from Syracuse’s zone defense to man-to-man defense in the NBA, and the upsides of being an unselfish teammate. Then, Bill gets a little too excited about Williams being a Celtics fan. Check out a short clip below, followed by Brett Koremenos’s […]
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20 Years of Awkwardness: A Celebration of Gary Bettman Stanley Cup Presentations
The Stanley Cup will be in the building tonight in Boston, with the Chicago Blackhawks one win away from claiming the championship. And that means it’s time to get excited about one of the highlights of the NHL season: Watching commissioner Gary Bettman struggle through presenting the Cup. In the years since Bettman’s debut as […]
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About Last Weekend: Sweet Home, Chicago
In case you were busy bounding home incredibly after being left in the woods by your family, here’s what you missed in sports last weekend: The Blackhawks are one game away from a Stanley Cup championship after Patrick Kane scored two goals in Chicago’s 3-1 Game 5 win over the Boston Bruins. Kane’s anticipation and […]
Read moreJune 21, 2013
Grantland Channel: LeBron James’s Elated Championship Interview
In his most candid interview to date, LeBron James talks to Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, and Bill Simmons about winning his second NBA championship, his place in history, and what he’s going to do next to get even better. Bonus Video: Dwyane Wade’s Championship Interview After winning his third championship, Dwyane Wade talks about his […]
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Rembert Explains America: Finding the True Heat Fans in the Bowels of AmericanAirlines Arena
I didn’t know how, but Thursday night was supposed to be the most glamorous night of my life. In my head, this was the plan: Dress self in all-white Miami Heat fan wear, fancier than casual. Acquire seats to Game 7 and cheer for this team that was not my own. Once the Heat pull […]
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Grantland Network: The Basketball Jones
On today’s show, The Basketball Jones recap an entertaining Game 7 of the NBA Finals, share their favorite and weirdest moments from the 2012-13 postseason, break down the proposed Celtics-Clippers deal, and contemplate whether DeMarcus Cousins is a max-money player. All that, plus Leigh’s Tweet of the Weak, sleeved jerseys, back problems, Box Out Kid, […]
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Q&A: Oneohtrix Point Never (a.k.a. Daniel Lopatin) on the Celtics and the Doc Rivers Trade Rumors
Daniel Lopatin wears a lot of hats in the metaphorical sense — he and Joel Ford are the masterminds behind the eerie accuracy of ’80s synth-pop revivalists Ford & Lopatin, as well as the Brooklyn-based boutique label Software. But Lopatin’s best known for his work as groundbreaking and critically acclaimed electronic act Oneohtrix Point Never, […]
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NHL Grab Bag: Jaromir Jagr’s Favorite Player Was Possibly Also Your Favorite Player (If Your Favorite Player Was Jaromir Jagr)
Welcome to a weekly blog post of thoughts and observations from the past few days and/or decades of NHL hockey. The Three Stars of Comedy Recognizing the three moments or personalities from around the league that produced the most comedic fodder for fans this week. The third star: Dustin Penner, having a busy Sunday Anyone […]
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The MLB Weekend Top 10: Beautiful, Soaring Cardinals
We suffered through a bit of a downer last weekend, but the rebound is looking great. I forcefully recommend watching every minute of each game listed below, with one notable exception: 10. Oh God, the Astros and Cubs Are Playing (HOU-CHC) You know how some people get a kick out of watching bad movies over […]
Read more76-Day NFL Warning: Rise of the Trick-Shot Specialist
What’s that? You were wondering exactly how many days until the start of the NFL season? Well, you’re in luck! We here at the Triangle are set to spend the next three months providing a daily reason to get excited about pro football’s return. Here’s something you may not know about me — I’m a […]
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Why the Heat’s Big Three Are Champions and the NBA’s Star System Works
Stars win or lose basketball games in the postseason. That’s what everyone says, anyway. They play more minutes as the stakes rise and coaches shrink their rotations. Tim Duncan, ageless freaking Tim Duncan, just played 44:26 and 43:10 in back-to-back games in which he put up lines of 30-17 and 24-12 on 21-of-39 shooting from […]
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From Game 1 to the Groupie Apocalypse: Remembering the NBA Finals
We just watched one of the greatest NBA Finals of all time. We also live in an era where pretty much everything is instantly forgotten. So, for posterity’s sake and because remembering it all at once is way too much fun, let’s put together some memories and thoughts so we can remember this properly. Without […]
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NBA Job Interview: Mason Plumlee (With Scouting Report!)
Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons ask Mason Plumlee about what his brother has told him about playing in the league, his fear of playing against Carmelo, and getting a suit that fits when you are 6-foot-11. Check out the full interview below, followed by Brett Koremenos’s scouting report. Watch all the NBA Job Interviews here. […]
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NBA Finals Shootaround: The Gospel of King James
So much amazing is happening, and the Shootaround crew is here to help you keep track of it all. You’ll find takes on moments you might’ve missed from the previous night, along with ones you will remember forever. Not-So-Simple Math netw3rk: The confetti has only just settled to the court. The players are posing with […]
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The Re-Rise of Bartolo Colon
Two of the top starters in the American League meet Friday in Seattle. You could pair Felix Hernandez with several aces and make that make sense. Instead, this elite matchup will pit once lightly regarded Japanese import Hisashi Iwakuma against … Bartolo Colon. Or more specifically, the 40-year-old, 47-combined-starts-from-2006-to-2009, didn’t-throw-a-single-pitch-in-the-majors-in-2010 Bartolo Colon. This guy.
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Stanley Cup Final: The Five Factors of Game 5 (And Beyond!)
So the Blackhawks and Bruins are down to a best-of-three for the Stanley Cup, and nobody has any idea what to expect from these teams anymore. Oh, we thought we had it figured out. After Monday’s 2-0 Bruins win in Game 3, we all felt confident in going with the “defense wins championships” narrative. Then […]
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About Last Night: Miami Makes It Back-to-Back
In case you were busy preparing for the first day of summer by getting all of your mosquito bites out of the way up front, here’s what you missed in sports on Thursday: In what can only be described as the culminating erotic explosion of basketball magnificence, the Miami Heat clinched their second consecutive NBA […]
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