Each March, the NCAA holds a tournament to determine which division 1 program will hold the title of national champion for both men’s and women’s collegiate basketball. This phenomenon is called March Madness. The name stems from the unpredictable nature of a 68-team single elimination bracket in which any team has a chance to win it all.
The NCAA selection committee ranks who they believe to be the top 68 teams and splits them into four regions with the regional champions playing each other in what is known as the Final Four. Most of the time, there are one or two major Cinderella stories with low ranked teams making it to the later rounds of the tournament. However, this year both the men’s and women’s brackets have been extremely uneventful. In the men’s bracket the four highest ranked teams have advanced to the Final Four and the women’s bracket would have seen the same fate if it weren’t for #2 seed UCONN beating #1 seed USC. USC was hindered by the recent loss of one of their star players, JuJu Watkins, to a torn ACL earlier in the season.
I filled out a bracket of my own and lost my chances of a perfect bracket on the first day of the tournament. On the bright side, Houston, the team I picked to win it all in the men’s bracket, is still alive as of now. I am going to stick with them as my pick to win the men’s bracket. However, before they make it to the championship they will have to go through Cooper Flagg, one of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA draft, and the rest of the Duke Blue Devils. On the other side of the bracket Auburn out of the South and Florida out of the West will be playing for the other spot in the championship. The women’s bracket features Texas versus South Carolina and UCONN versus UCLA. I think that Paige Bueckers will help lead UCONN to win the national championship. Sports fans can only hope that next March will have more madness than this one did.
Rivals, by Tommy Greenwald, is a great novel for teens for love sports. Two star basketball middle school boys feel the pressure to perform: a pressure many playing at an elite level feel. It is totally relatable, and as an AAU basketball player, I can really sympathize with what each boy is experiencing.
For Austin Chambers, basketball is starting to feel like a job. He must deal with his father’s legacy and worries that he’s not good enough to live up to it.
Carter Haswell, across town, is brilliantly talented and stressed to stay on his school’s basketball team to help them win and get a scholarship for college to ease his family’s financial situation.
Carter and Austin’s schools are traditionally rivals, and competition between those two middle schools is fierce. Neither school wants to lose, and Carter and Austin each do whatever it takes to win. However, the competitive spirits go way too far, and a few players get seriously injured. Through this, Tommy Greenwald shows how it’s good to compete in sports, but not to let it escalate to the point where people get hurt. Winning shouldn’t be a priority over health.
By the end of the novel, Carter, Austin, and the rest of their teams realize the same thing: at the end of the day, these sports are supposed to be for fun. This is something important to keep in mind because whatever sport you play should be to have fun and be competitive. Austin’s dad also sees that his son just wants to play for enjoyment, and that he shouldn’t force his legacy on him. He lets Austin have fun at the park simply playing ball, and Austin feels like basketball is his friend once again.
This book was totally enjoyable and relatable. The reader can really connect with the characters and learn an important message: sports should be competitive, but never forget that they are supposed to be fun.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson revolutionized the game of basketball by hitting ridiculously long-distance threes consistently. The second they step past half-court, they are an immediate threat to shoot and score. Teams have to bring their defense up past the three-point line to ensure that doesn’t happen. They are the first to have defenses be so frightened of such incredible shooting. They were given the nickname “The Splash Brothers”. When a basketball cleanly goes into a hoop, it makes a splash sound. That is why they are the Splash Brothers because they splash threes consistently and continuously.
When they first began contending for championships, lots of people doubted them because they thought shooting alone couldn’t win championships. The championship teams before Steph and Klay normally always either have a point guard with a great big man scoring and dunking, or two-way wing players. For example, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the point guard and big man, or Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as two-way wing players. But Steph and Klay completely changed that narrative.
From 2015-2022, they proved that you can win championships with great shooting alone. They also had a great playmaker in Draymond Green to find them open to shoot or set screens to get them open to shoot. They dominate the NBA together, winning four championships in seven years.
On December 30th, 1984, one of the greatest players in NBA history was born named Lebron Raymone James Sr. Growing up, Lebron had a difficult childhood. His father, a convicted criminal, was not a part of his life nor did he support the family in any way. As his family moved from apartment to apartment, his mother constantly looked for a stable job to maintain the family. When James was nine years old, his mom decided to send him to live with Frank Walker, a football coach who presented him with the sport and saw potential in him. Although he started out playing football while he was in Elementary School, he changed to playing basketball when he got older. James would practice basketball whenever possible to improve and achieve his dream of making the NBA.
Once James got to High School, He became the main topic of every newspaper and magazine. He was crowned the Best High School Player in the Nation. James had the whole world watching his every move and was given the nickname “The Chosen One”. A few years later in 2003, Lebron James entered the NBA draft. He went straight into the NBA draft without attending College which very few did because they did not have the talent. And to nobody’s surprise, James was selected number one overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft.
Many were excited to watch Lebron James’ first season in the NBA. He had immense pressure to live up to what was expected from him. Lebron went on and had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time and won Rookie of the Year in 2004.
Books about LeBron James are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.
Kevin Durant joined the Warriors for three years from 2017-2019. They obliterated the NBA together, making the NBA finals all three years in a row, and winning two championships. They are considered to be one of the greatest teams ever assembled.
Heading into the 2019 playoffs, everybody believed the Warriors were easily going to win the championship again due to their overpowering roster. In the first round against the Clippers, the Warriors shockingly blew a 31-point lead in game two, allowing the Clippers to tie the series up at 1-1. The Warriors would take games three and four in Staples Center, and everyone assumed they would close the Clippers out in game five. But the Clippers held on in the fourth quarter to defeat the Warriors and make the series 3-2. Everyone thought the Warriors might be in some trouble, but in game six, Kevin Durant scored 50 points to propel the Warriors to round two of the playoffs.
The Warriors in round two beat the Rockets just like they had done the year before, but the big concern was Kevin Durant. Midway through the third quarter in game five, Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles’ tendon injury and had to head back to the locker room. The injury seemed to be severe and he would have to miss at the very least the entire Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2019 Western Conference Finals. They knew they would have to face them without one of their best players. Many people were thinking the Warriors without KD were going to struggle a bit with Portland. But Stephen Curry proved the world wrong again. The Warriors swept the Blazers 4-0. In three of the four victories, the Warriors were down double digits and rallied back to defeat the Blazers. Stephen Curry averaged 36.5 points in the series, which is the highest average in the history of the NBA in a four-game sweep. This is one of the most impressive playoff series of all time.
In the NBA finals, the Warriors took on the Toronto Raptors, who had just defeated the Milwaukee Bucks with the league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo in six games, 4-2. The Raptors have the home-court advantage in this series due to their slightly better regular season record. The Warriors and Raptors split the first two games at Scotiabank Arena, evening the series at 1-1. But unfortunately for the Warriors, Klay Thompson would be out for game three due to an awkward landing after taking a jump shot in game two. Now the Warriors are missing Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, leaving Steph Curry on his own to carry all the load on offense.
Stephen Curry stepped up to the challenge and did not disappoint in game three. He scored 47 points with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. But his effort simply was not enough to defeat the fully healthy Raptors team. All five starters for the Raptors scored at least 17 points. Every time the Warriors hit a shot to try to start a run on their home court, the Raptors would hit a shot to respond right back. The Warriors were trailing for nearly the whole game and they never led again after 95 seconds into the game. The Warriors are now in trouble and have to find a way to win game four without their best players.
Klay Thompson decided to return in game four, but many thought he was not 100% healed. He just wanted to come back to help his team despite not being fully healthy. He knew if they were down 3-1, it would be extremely difficult to win three games in a row to come back in the series. In game four, the Warriors came out playing great in the first half and held on to a 4-point lead heading into halftime. The last three minutes of the third quarter was what lost them the game. The score was tied 61-61, but then the Raptors went on an 18-6 run to take a 12-point lead at the end of the third quarter. The Raptors held on to their lead in the fourth quarter and won game four by 13 points. Klay Thompson played well scoring 28 points on great efficiency. But Stephen Curry simply couldn’t duplicate his performance from game 3 and scored only 22 points on mediocre efficiency.
Down 3-1, heading back to Scotiabank Arena, many thought the Raptors would be crowned champions that night. But before the game, Kevin Durant was cleared to play in game five, giving the Warriors their full healthy roster back. Knowing the news, many started giving them a chance of completing the 3-1 comeback. With Kevin Durant on the court in the first quarter, the Warriors felt like a completely different team. The Raptors were not able to throw their entire defense at Stephen Curry because they had to worry about Kevin Durant as well. And it seemed like if this continued, there was nothing the Raptors could do. Durant played most of the first quarters and scored 11 points on three made threes. But in the second quarter, Kevin Durant was trying to drive past Serge Ibaka on a play. He fell and landed awkwardly. He struggled to get up. At that moment, the world just knew that it was something serious. Kevin Durant tore his Achilles, and he will be gone for the rest of the series. He had only played 12 minutes before getting injured.
Without Kevin Durant, the Warriors still had to win the game to stay alive in the series and bring it back home to Oracle Arena. The game was close the whole night, going back and forth between these two teams. But with three minutes left, the Raptors were up 6 points at home. It seemed like it was over. But Steph and Klay hit three consecutive threes in the next minute and a half to take a three-point lead. Down the stretch, the only two points the Raptors scored was a layup to make it a one-point game with 29.9 seconds left. The Warriors held on to win by one 106-105.
With all the momentum going home, it seemed like the Warriors had the chance to do the impossible. However, the Raptors came out in a great rhythm from three, shooting nearly 70% in the first quarter, but only led by one, 33-32. The game continued at a stalemate until halftime. During the third quarter, both teams tried to gain momentum but were unable to. However, Klay Thompson had been playing incredibly, already having 30 points with still three minutes left in the third quarter. With 2:22 left, it happened again. Klay Thompson was going for a fast break, and Danny Green was chasing him trying to block it. They both jumped and Klay got fouled hard. He landed awkwardly on his leg and was immediately in pain. The Warriors had suffered another injury. Klay Thompson immediately headed to the locker room and was unable to return to the game. Stephen Curry, without his two best teammates, was faced with 14 more minutes of game action, and his team was only up three points. In the fourth quarter, the teams fought it out but it ultimately ended with Stephen Curry missing a three for a chance to take the lead and the Raptors winning the 2019 Championship. Klay Thompson’s injury ended up being a torn ACL, which means he could miss all of the next season too.
Although it ended like that for the Warriors in game six, I believe that even if they had won game six, it would take a miracle for them to pull it off in game seven. They would have been down Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant again like they were in game three, and 47 points from Steph was not even enough for them to win.
In conclusion, if Klay Thompson had not torn his ACL in game six, I believe that they would have completed the 3-1 comeback and defeated the Toronto Raptors in seven games. And if Kevin Durant was healthy the entire series, they probably would have swept the Raptors 4-0, or at the very least won the series in five games 4-1. They were a way better team when fully healthy, and they were still the better team even without Kevin Durant.
The San Antonio Spurs dominated the NBA from 1999 to 2014. They won five NBA championships during that stretch and made the playoffs all fifteen of those years. There were many key reasons why they were able to dominate for so long.
The first reason is the greatness of Tim Duncan. Duncan was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1997 draft, and his impact could be seen in the first game he played. Scoring fifteen points and grabbing ten rebounds, the Spurs have found their key player for the foreseeable future. They also hired Greg Popovich at the end of the 1996 season to be their new head coach, and he would become one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time
The Spurs immediately won fifty-six games with a rookie Tim Duncan. A thirty-six game improvement from the previous year which is an NBA record. Then went on to win the championship the following year with Tim Duncan and veteran David Robinson.
The Spurs drafted Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the 1999 and 2001 NBA draft to add more talent around Duncan after David Robinson had retired. With the trio of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, the Spurs won three more NBA championships within the next six years in 2003, 2005, and 2007.
In 2011, The Spurs were looking to add more talent to their roster as the players had gotten older and were no longer at their absolute best, they traded for a rookie Kawhi Leonard. With another star player added to the team, the Spurs took on the hardest challenge in the NBA Finals that they had faced against Lebron James and the Miami Heat. After splitting the first two games at home in San Antonio, The Spurs would go on the road and completely dominate the Heat. They would win games two, three, and four and end the series four games to one. Their new young star, Kawhi Leonard, would win Finals MVP for playing outstanding defense on Lebron James.
The San Antonio Spurs were one of the greatest dynasties over the fifteen years in the history of the NBA. They were consistent every year and were always among the top few teams that were most likely to win the title.
Fun Fact: The Spurs were a couple of seconds away from winning another NBA championship in 2013, but the most clutch three that was hit by Ray Allen with five seconds left in game six took it away from them.
From behind-the-scenes insight to life-changing advice, Kobe Bryant’s autobiography is a great motivator for young athletes and a memoir of his style of play.
The book opens with a foreword from Pau Gasol, a longtime teammate of Kobe and a member of the 2023 Hall of Fame Class. Pau opens with a story about when he first got traded to the Lakers. When Pau arrived at his room at 1 AM, Kobe was there to introduce himself. On page 15, Pau says, “To me, that was a tremendous demonstration of a true leader, and our meeting had a huge impact on me, instantly.”
These short anecdotes throughout the book show both Kobe’s development and mindset. While these stories are great, there are some points in the book when the topic changes without warning. For example, Kobe talks about his 2013 Achilles injury, and how it could have been career-ending. Immediately after, he talks about his signature 2008 sneakers. These sudden transitions can be slightly off-putting at first, but it is the style of the book.
An overwhelming positive of the book is the photography by Andrew D. Bernstein, the official photographer for the Lakers and Clippers. Photos span from Kobe’s rookie headshot to his final game.
The formatting of the book is also extremely unique. Instead of just pages of text, many portions of the book are dedicated to full-page images. Quotes and other titles are shown in different fonts and colors to stand out even more. This helps separate pieces of information and makes it easier to digest information.
Overall, the imagery and formatting of the book are more than enough to make it an interesting read. If you are not a basketball player or an athlete, Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality” still applies. He preaches that the mindset is not “about seeking a result-it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life” (pg.93).
Mamba Mentalityby Kobe Bryant is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
I have been listening to podcasts for a very long time, whether they are while I am chilling at home or in the car with my dad. I’m a fan of different shows and this summer, I decided to make my own podcast.
Introducing to you, Daily Dub Nation! My podcast is based around the NBA world and I like to give my thoughts on different events that happen in the NBA. I am also a huge Warriors fan, so the podcast includes a lot of content about the Golden State Warriors. So far, the types of episodes I have been working on include game reactions, responses to rumors, and news updates. I have some exciting plans coming up for the podcast and would love to use my creativity to find new ideas.
If you like basketball, this podcast could be for you!
Additionally, if anyone is interested, you can check out the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify by searching “Daily Dub Nation”. If you find it intriguing and would like to hear more, I would appreciate it if you were to follow.
Also, if anyone else has an interest in making their own podcast, you can create an account on Spotify for Podcasters and Apple Podcasts Connect and drop your show there. I am a big fan of the speed and efficiency in the Spotify for Podcasters website and love using it.
This has been a heated debate for a really long time now, and it always changes depending on each player’s performance paired with their team’s success. So, I’m going to give you guys my top 10 NBA players in the league today.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis is simply an unstoppable player. He’s almost impossible to guard because of his strength and athleticism. If he gets inside the paint, it’s almost a guaranteed basket. His shooting has been a weakness of his for a while, but he has been working on it and has improved. The way Giannis makes the team better along with his unbelievable skills makes him the best player in the NBA, at the moment.
Stephen Curry
Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. There’s no argument to that. He has shattered records throughout his career related to his ability to shoot the three pointer along with his overall efficiency from the field. Stephen Curry is an electric offensive player that can get hot in just a few minutes and light your favorite team up for 40 points any given night. He is also a great team player, since he is willing to rebound and give up the ball to his teammates. His defense is very improved from where it used to be, and even at the age of 35 years old, Steph Curry still has a lot left in the tank.
Joel Embiid
Dominance, dominance, dominance! That’s what Joel Embiid provides the Philadelphia 76ers with every night. He averaged 33 points per game this season and was one of the best players in the league. His ability to post up, face up, and draw fouls makes him unguardable and even if you find a way to defend him, he’ll still end up drawing a foul and going to the line for two shots.
Luka Doncic
This season was a failure for Luka’s team since they failed to make the postseason. However, Luka still averaged 32 points per game along with 8 assists and 8 rebounds. Although his team’s success dropped him further down this list, he’s still an offensive machine who can do anything to get his team some points. However, his lack of defensive ability is the reason he isn’t as high on this list.
Kevin Durant
The long, lanky small forward is an offensive weapon. He can score from anywhere on the court, although he excels from the mid-range. KD can drive to the basket, pull up for a jumper, or nail a long distance three-ball. He can literally do anything on the court. Also, he can lock up on defense from time to time and swat the ball away when other players try to drive against him. KD has the potential to be number one on this list, except his injuries prevent him from staying on the court for the majority of the season like Giannis.
Lebron James
I know he’s 38, but we need to give this man his flowers! In his 20th year in the league, Lebron averaged 29 points per game! Although he isn’t as dominant as he was in his prime, James is often the best player on the court and can take over a game any time he wants to. Lebron’s shooting has improved throughout his career and he is still one of the best players in the game, even when he is much older than some other guys.
Nikola Jokic
Jokic is a two-time MVP and some people may believe that he’s much higher on this list than I put him, but I had to put him at 7th because I don’t think Jokic can take over a game like the other guys above him can. Yes, Jokic is a really valuable player to his team and is crucial to their success due to his scoring and playmaking, but he just isn’t as dominant as the other guys. If I need a bucket with my team down two points, I’d much rather ask Giannis to bulldoze his way into the paint, Steph to pull up from three, or Kevin Durant to get me a basket than ask Nikola Jokic to score. However, Nikola Jokic is an incredible basketball player and should not be dis-credited for everything he has done for the Denver Nuggets.
Jayson Tatum
The Celtics superstar is one of the top two-way players in the league and can score at will. His step back jumper makes him a lethal offensive weapon and a challenge for any player to guard. This season, he averaged 30 points per game, showing his rapid improvement even at a very young age.
Kawhi Leonard
Although Kawhi Leonard has struggled with injuries the last two seasons, he’s still an incredible player. He’s arguably the best perimeter defender in the league and one of the best scorers, too. He is gifted with some insane athleticism and strength that give him the tools he needs to impact the game.
Anthony Davis
The Lakers big man has proven his incredible abilities on the basketball court since he was drafted first overall back in 2012. He has an elite post-up game along with great footwork near the basket. His largest weakness has been how injury prone he is as he has gotten injured often and been forced to miss large amounts of time in the regular season and even the playoffs.
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is one of my favorite books and is written by the one-and-only Kobe Bryant. For those who don’t know, Kobe Bryant is a Laker legend and one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played 20 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring at 37 years old. He unfortunately passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020 when he was 41 years old.
Before he passed away, he published a book called The Mamba Mentality: How I Play which described his view of the game. In the book, he analyzed players he faced throughout his career and described some experiences he had. He also discussed his preparation and routines that helped him become the player he was throughout his amazing NBA career. The book includes small segments from NBA Legend and Kobe’s Laker teammate Pau Gasol and Kobe’s former head coach Phil Jackson.
Kobe Bryant was an incredible basketball player who believed in sacrificing everything and exhausting himself to the point of blacking out to reach his goals. He is a great role model for upcoming athletes and has proven that hard work leads to success. His dedication and determination to achieve his potential and be the best version of himself is shown in his book, where he explains his mentality and approach to his basketball career.
If you are a young athlete interested in achieving your potential in your sport, I suggest studying some of Kobe’s behaviors and words (found in his book) because it was the blueprint to his success.
Enjoy reading!
The Mamba Mentality: How I Playby Kobe Bryant is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
This has been a heated debate for a really long time now, and it always changes depending on each player’s performance paired with their team’s success. So, I’m going to give you guys my top 10 NBA players in the league today. 
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 