Kevin Harlan’s play-by-play of a fan on the field is a brilliant masterpiece

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“Waving his arms, bare-chested; somebody stop that man!”

Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season concluded with a whimper as the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 28-0. It was mostly a display of terrible offense, with the 49ers having enough good moments to win the game.

The game was probably the least enjoyable of the Week 1 slate, but it also gave us arguably the best moment of the week. Maybe even of the season. All thanks to one fan who ran on the field, and the great Kevin Harlan.

Harlan was calling the game on the radio and treated the moment like it was the game-winning play of the Super Bowl.

Kevin Harlan is a national treasure: pic.twitter.com/CQFjPxkTMX

— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dkurtenbach) September 13, 2016

“Hey somebody has run out on the field. Some goofball in a hat and a red shirt. Now he takes off the shirt! He’s running down the middle by the 50, he’s at the 30! He’s bare-chested and banging his chest. Now, he runs the opposite way. He runs to the 50! He runs to the 40! The guy is drunk, but there he goes! The 20 — they’re chasing him, but they’re not going to get him. Waving his arms, bare-chested; somebody stop that man! Oh they got him, they’re coming from the left — oh and they tackle him at the 40-yard line!

That was the most exciting thing to happen tonight.”

The fan only flashed on the TV broadcast for a few seconds, but Harlan’s call remains riveting.

Give Kevin Harlan an Emmy right now. Give him an Oscar. Give him all of the awards for this masterpiece.

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#Brilliant, #Field, #HarlanS, #Kevin, #Masterpiece, #Playbyplay - #Football

Kevin Durant backs Colin Kaepernick national anthem protest

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Colin Kaepernick continues to get support from fellow athletes over his decision to sit out the national anthem.

Kaepernick’s new Bay Area cohort, Kevin Durant, said he fully supports the quarterback’s decision to protest.

“I’m behind anyone who stands up for what they believe in,” Durant said, via Anthony Slater of the Mercury News. “Colin Kaepernick is standing up for what he believes in. That’s what makes our country so great, right? You have the luxury to do so. He was unapologetic about it and, in his defense, I don’t think he was trying to disrespect anyone. I think he was trying to get his point across. I’m all for anyone who wants to do that. As athletes, we have this huge platform. A lot of people are watching at all times. Sometimes it may not be what you do, they like. But if you feel like it’s gonna be impactful, that’s on you. I feel like everyone should stand up for what they believe.”

With the NBA season about two months away, it will be interesting to see if Kaepernick’s protests carry themselves over to basketball. It’s been a league where players have always been bold in standing against racism, which is the heart of where Kaepernick’s protests are coming from. Perhaps NBA players will take some cues from him once the season does kick off.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Kevin Durant says he and Russell Westbrook are cool

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Kevin Durant says he and Russell Westbrook “are cool” even though KD left his longtime former teammate when he decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors in July.

Durant was in Austin for a Nike event at the University of Texas on Friday and answered questions from the audience. One was about his relationship with Westbrook.

“We’re still cool. We’re going to compete against each other at the highest level. We’re gonna have fun against each other. We’re still cool,” said Durant.

Here’s the video:

Kevin Durant on his relationship with Russell Westbrook. #Thunder #Warriors pic.twitter.com/D0bwNd7kiG

— Rockets Insider (@Rockets_Insider) September 9, 2016

The topic of the relationship between the two players has been one of great intrigue since Durant’s league-changing decision to join the Warriors. The two had been on the same side trying to win a championship since Westbrook joined the league in 2008, so seeing one of the league’s best tandems splitting apart was shocking.

There were initial reports of tension between the two men — especially after reports like this came out — but in the end, you can’t throw away all they accomplished together nor their longtime close friendship.

H/T The Oklahoman

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Timberwolves still unsure of Kevin Garnett’s plans for next season

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Kevin Garnett has had an entire summer to decide whether or not he plans to retire, but apparently he still needs a little more time.

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said on Thursday that the team is still awaiting word on Garnett’s plans for the 2016-17 season.

“Kevin hasn’t told me or informed me yet if he’s coming back to play or if he isn’t coming back,” Taylor told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. “I can only assume I’ll be hearing from him in the next three weeks.”

The 40-year-old Garnett would be entering his 22nd NBA season and is currently the second-oldest active player in the league behind veteran guard Andre Miller. Having entered the league straight out of high school in 1995, Garnett is also easily the longest-tenured current NBA player.

The 15-time All-Star witnessed contemporaries Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan hang up their sneakers in the last few months. He also averaged just 3.2 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in 38 appearances for Minnesota in 2015-16, so there’s definitely a solid argument for Garnett to call it quits.

But Garnett has settled into a nice mentorship role for the team that drafted him, particularly for fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns. For a guy who has always been famous for it, Garnett’s passion for the game seems like it could easily sway him to suit up for one more year.

We last heard in July that Garnett was still wrestling with the decision, and he doesn’t appear to have made much progress on that front. But the former MVP has earned the right to take as long as he needs and can’t be faulted for what he chooses to do, one way or the other.

H/T Rotoworld

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Saxton, Worthy, Kevin Short are Latest Jets cuts

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By Glenn Naughton

 

The names keep rolling in as the Jets work their roster down to 53 players.

Some other #Jets cuts: Wes Saxton, Jeremy Ross, Chandler Worthy, Trevor Reilly, Freddie Bishop, Darryl Morris, Doug Middleton, Kevin Short

— Kimberley A. Martin (@KMart_LI) September 3, 2016

The latest names we’ve seen come from Kimberly Martin, are, TE Wes Saxton, WR Chandler Worthy and cornerback Kevin Short.

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#Cuts, #Jets, #Kevin, #Latest, #Saxton, #Short, #Worthy - #Football

Kevin Durant gets Rick James tattoo on his thigh

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Less than two months after getting a tattoo of a famous rapper on his leg, Kevin Durant has added a new tattoo of another famous musician to his body.

The Golden State Warriors forward recently got inked with an image of ’80s singer Rick James on his thigh:

KD got the 2Pac tattoo earlier this summer and now adding Rick James pic.twitter.com/RECB5mWJcq

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) September 3, 2016

Tattoo artist Steve Wiebe is the one who did the James portrait on KD’s thigh. Wiebe also inked Durant’s Tupac leg tattoo in July (see it here).

Many were surprised to learn five years ago that Durant was hiding tattoos from the world under his jersey as they were all contained within his chest area. Now he has some elaborate art work that will be visible to all.

We’re just wondering what led to the Rick James tattoo. Did KD suddenly start watching some Dave Chappelle reruns or something?

H/T Black Sports Online

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Kevin Durant: Olympics were ‘therapy’ after offseason of criticism

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Kevin Durant really needed to get away, and he credits the Olympics with being a big help.

Durant told Michael Lee of the Vertical that the Olympics were therapeutic for him after a summer of criticism stemming from his jump from Oklahoma City to Golden State.

“It was therapy for me after making a big change in my life,” Durant said after the USA’s gold medal victory over Serbia. “It made my life easier… I knew [a backlash] was coming. It was definitely different for me, but to come here in an environment where people accepted me and didn’t care about anything except being my buddy, that’s what I needed.

“I can’t let anybody steal my joy,” Durant added. “Monty Williams used to tell me that every day: don’t let anybody steal my joy. I get joy when I’m out there playing and it went to another level just playing alongside these great players and playing under Coach K and his staff. I focused on that. All that noise around me kind of quieted down.”

Durant has made no secret of the fact that he’s sometimes found it tough to deal with the inevitable criticism. The Olympics allowed him to blend in a little bit more and focus on basketball, which is ultimately what he wants.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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#Therapy, #After, #Criticism, #Durant, #Kevin, #Offseason, #Olympics, #Were - #Basketball

Steve Kerr: Calling Kevin Durant, Warriors villains is ‘absurd’

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The 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors are already one of the most hated teams in sports history, and the season hasn’t even begun. That’s what happens when you’re the best, and everyone assumes the Dubs will be the best after they signed Kevin Durant.

But having an absurd amount of star power shouldn’t make the Warriors the “villain,” at least according to their head coach.

“To think of Kevin Durant or Steph Curry or any of our guys as a villain, is kind of absurd,” Steve Kerr told Michelle Beadle and Ramona Shelburne on their ESPN Radio show Sunday. “But especially Kevin. This is one of the most likable people in the league. He’s been obviously a great player, but he’s just an awesome human being and what he did in Oklahoma City is just amazing for that community.”

Most reasonable people don’t think Durant is a bad guy simply because he put himself in the best position to win a championship. The main issue for some is that he took the so-called “easy way out” rather than sticking it out with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kerr thinks that is a bunch of bologna, too.

“Circumstances sort of dictate, I guess, that some people are going to view him as a villain. But it’s only because he decided to go elsewhere to play because he wanted a change of scenery, wanted a new challenge,” Kerr added. “More than anything, he wanted to play with our guys. He loves Draymond and Steph and Klay and Andre. He loved seeing those guys in New York. He loved seeing the chemistry that exists and I think he really wanted to be a part of it.”

Durant isn’t going to escape the criticism, no matter what his new coach says. There will always be people like Charles Barkley (read his comments here) who disagree with Durant exercising his right as a free agent and going elsewhere.

H/T CSN Bay Area

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Kevin Durant Scores 25 Points as Team USA Defeats China 119-62

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For the third time in two weeks, Team USA beat up on China, this time defeating them 119-62 in Team USA’s first preliminary game. China jumped out to a 1-0 lead to start the game, but that didn’t last for long as USA poured it on over the next 40 minutes.

Kevin Durant led the way with 25 points and 6 assists, DeMarcus Cousins dropped 17 and grabbed 5 boards and DeMar DeRozan continued his posterization campaign with another huge dunk:

For China, former NBA player Yi Jianlin had 25 points.

In their previous two matchups, Team USA defeated China 106-57 and 107-57. Team USA’s next game is Monday, August 8 against Venezuela, who they beat 80-45 in July.

The post Kevin Durant Scores 25 Points as Team USA Defeats China 119-62 appeared first on SLAMonline.

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Russell Westbrook deleted Kevin Durant’s text message about Warriors move

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It goes without saying that Russell Westbrook is unhappy Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder. Considering the duo helped turn the team into a championship contender, hard feelings are only natural. So how is Westbrook handling the big change?

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical took us behind the scenes of Westbrook’s new three-year deal with the Thunder. According to Woj, Westbrook did not sulk over Durant leaving. He didn’t ask the Thunder front office for an explanation of how they lost K.D., either. In fact, Westbrook began erasing his former teammate from his mind — and possibly life — almost immediately.

For a front office still mired in angst and anger, Westbrook delivered a sobering splash of ice water: What’s next?

No nostalgia, no reflection and no regret: In Westbrook’s world, Durant had been deleted like his old teammate’s text message saying goodbye on the way to Golden State.

One source close to Westbrook told Wojnarowski that the star point guard knew right away he wanted to stay in Oklahoma City and “go to battle” with the guys who are left rather than chasing a championship elsewhere. And aside from a casual “how’s it going” or “what up,” no one really expects Westbrook to speak to Durant.

For everyone waiting on Westbrook to unload on Durant, they could be disappointed. Yes, he has his thoughts and opinions on Durant’s move, but it is unlikely that he’ll be moved to share them in dramatic detail. What’s more, there’s a significant chance it could be years before Westbrook and Durant ever engage in a meaningful conversation again. Westbrook doesn’t do nostalgia, nor disregard slights – real or perceived.

Durant is deleted. Done and gone and no longer part of his world…

From the way it sounds, we wouldn’t be surprised if Westbrook hasn’t spoken to Durant at all since Durant signed with Golden State. That would help explain why Durant said what he did about Westbrook’s new contract.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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#About, #Deleted, #DurantS, #Kevin, #Message, #Move, #Russell, #Text, #Warriors, #Westbrook - #Basketball

Enes Kanter trolls Kevin Durant, Lakers over Russell Westbrook extension

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Enes Kanter is thrilled that Russell Westbrook decided to sign an extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the big man is letting everyone hear about it.

On Wednesday night, Kanter shared a photo on Twitter that trolled the Lakers using the infamous crying Jordan face meme:

Stop refreshing the page Lol
it"s true pic.twitter.com/WxyZUHImWN

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) August 4, 2016

The following morning, Kanter turned his attention toward trolling Kevin Durant:

I ain"t gonna join the enemy
I"m here to compete pic.twitter.com/2Elu93b4P5

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) August 4, 2016

Kanter has, in many ways, been the voice of Thunder fans this offseason. He jumped all over Durant by sending this tweet after K.D. signed with the Golden State Warriors. Kanter also unloaded on a writer who said no one wants to play alongside Westbrook.

Now that the Thunder have Westbrook under contract for at least two more seasons, they can focus on trying to become a contender without Durant. Kanter will handle all the jokes, so they don’t have to worry about that.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Kevin Durant won’t congratulate Russell Westbrook on new contract yet

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Russell Westbrook is now the new face of loyalty for the people of Oklahoma City after the star guard signed a new three-year contract with the team this week. Should Kevin Durant congratulate his former teammate for that?

He’s not going to — at least not yet.

Durant was asked on Thursday by a reporter at the Rio Olympics if he plans on contacting Westbrook.

Durant on whether he"ll contact Westbrook to offer congrats: "Nah, that"s a touchy subject. I"ll see once everything dies down." #Rio2016

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) August 4, 2016

That should tell you all you need to know about the current state of the relationship between Durant and Westbrook.

A Thunder reporter recently said Durant lied to Westbrook’s face about whether he was staying in Oklahoma City, though the reporter later admitted he misspoke. Durant also denied ever telling Westbrook he wasn’t leaving. Still, things seem a bit icy.

For Durant to openly admit he needs things to “die down” before he can reach out to Westbrook says a lot. Perhaps there is something to the report about Westbrook not being pleased with Durant’s decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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LeBron James training harder than usual because of Kevin Durant going to Warriors

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By returning to Cleveland and winning a championship, LeBron James has already cemented his legacy as one of the most unique we have seen in sports history. But now that Kevin Durant has signed with the Golden State Warriors, King James has found himself more motivated than ever.

In an excellent feature for Sports Illustrated, Lee Jenkins wrote that LeBron started getting up a bit earlier to work out after Durant made his decision. Though, James did claim the Warriors aren’t the only reason for the adjustment to his routine.

Shortly after Durant signed and the NBA’s tectonic plates shifted, James started setting his alarm for 5 a.m., working out in a West Hollywood gym at 6. He insists the Warriors are not the impetus, but he acknowledges that he rarely trains this hard this soon.

LeBron himself makes it hard to believe that the Warriors signing Durant hasn’t lit a fire under him. The Eastern Conference looks weak once again, so we can tentatively pencil the Cavaliers into the NBA Finals. And, of course, Golden State is the favorite in the West. That means there’s a good chance Durant, Stephen Curry and the gang will be the only thing standing between James and a fourth NBA title.

Couple that with the fact that LeBron openly admitted he is chasing Michael Jordan and it’s easy to piece everything together.

“My motivation is this ghost I’m chasing,” James said. “The ghost played in Chicago.”

“My career is totally different than Michael Jordan’s,” he continued. “What I’ve gone through is totally different than what he went through. What he did was unbelievable, and I watched it unfold. I looked up to him so much. I think it’s cool to put myself in position to be one of those great players, but if I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary.”

Can LeBron, who is 31, win three more rings before he retires? It’s certainly possible. Between chasing Jordan and his infamous “secret motivation,” it is clear James does not consider himself to be anywhere close to finished.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Klay Thompson ‘not sacrificing s—‘ with Kevin Durant joining Warriors

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It was not unusual for Kevin Durant to take somewhere in the range of 20-25 shots per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder last year. Now that he has joined forces with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, many have wondered how there will be enough shots to go around with the Golden State Warriors next season.

Thompson does not seem concerned.

In a recent interview with Shams Charania of The Vertical, Thompson said he is tired of hearing how he will need to “sacrifice” in order to let Durant do his thing.

“I feel kind of disrespected that people keep using the term sacrifice to describe me and describe us,” he said. “We all want to see each other do well. But I’m not sacrificing [expletive], because my game isn’t changing. I’m still going to try to get buckets, hit shots, come off screens. I want to win and have a fun time every game we play.”

What the Warriors will need to do is master the art of riding the hot hand. Thompson, Durant and Curry are all tremendous outside shooters, but they can’t all take 20 shots and 10-plus three-pointers per game. To an extent, Curry and Thompson are already used to the hot hand formula from playing alongside one another. Will it get more complicated with Durant in the mix?

“We want Klay to stay Klay,” Durant told Charania. “We don’t want him to change. The games dictate where the shots come from. I may shoot 12 shots one night; Klay may shoot eight or nine shots one night, and Steph may shoot 25 shots one night. And it could be a different flow another night.”

One of the main reasons Durant chose the Warriors is he likes the way they share the ball. Despite what one playoff-contending team may believe, it’s safe to assume Golden State is prepared to have all three of its studs work together, not compete with one another. Time will tell if that plan translates into NBA dominance.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Kevin Durant: James Harden is underappreciated outside of NBA

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James Harden is a year removed from nearly winning MVP, but Kevin Durant feels that his former teammate doesn’t get his due from observers.

On Sunday, Durant said that Harden is one of the best players in the game and bemoaned his absence from All-NBA consideration.

“Nobody really appreciates what he does except for the players in our league,” Durant said, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “Everybody on the outside doesn’t really appreciate what he brings. Anybody that can put up 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and not make the All-NBA team, that’s like a sin to even think about not putting a guy like that on the All-NBA team.

“As a player and someone that played with him and a fan of the game I was (angry) because somebody is right here in front of you and you can’t appreciate him. If he were to retire tomorrow, we would have so many stories and videos about how great he is, but he’s here right now doing it. Appreciate what he brings.”

Durant is right that Harden is an elite player who stuffs the stat sheet. It’s his defensive struggles and some criticism of his intangibles, however, that have kept him from being recognized as a consistent, consensus All-NBA talent.

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
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Kevin Durant Says ‘Nobody Appreciates’ James Harden Except His Peers

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USA TODAY Sports

James Harden is a veritable lightning rod for criticism. He’s been called selfish. He’s been accused of being a bad teammate and a coach-killer. And reveling in his lackadaisical defensive efforts has become one of America’s favorite pastimes. He’s quickly become one of the most unlikable stars in the league, and playing alongside the equally-unlikable Dwight Howard the past few seasons hasn’t helped his cause.

But it’s gotten so bad that some folks want to diminish his accomplishments on the basketball court. And it’s not just the fans. Despite posting up huge numbers this season, Harden failed to make an All-NBA team, and this after finishing second in MVP voting last season after logging eerily-similar numbers. But the Rockets were one of the most disappointing teams in 2016, and many saw that litany of aforementioned faults as one of, if not the, root cause of it.

It’s a different story, however, when it comes to the people who actually have to play against him on the basketball court. In fact, Harden was voted MVP by his peers at the first annual Players Awards last summer, and one former teammate now more than ever still thinks he doesn’t get his due.

Kevin Durant on his friend, former teammate James Harden: "Nobody really appreciates what he does except for the players in our league,”

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 31, 2016

Durant continued: "Anybody that can put up 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and not make the All NBA team, that’s like a sin."

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 31, 2016

Harden, however, appears poised for a bounce-back season. After jettisoning Howard, the organization didn’t make much of a splash in free agency this summer, but they added a few solid pieces (namely long-range sniper Ryan Anderson) who should help them in the win column.

With Harden recommitting to the team on a long-term contract extension and a new coach in Mike D’Antoni to revitalize a stagnate offense, the Rockets should rediscover at least a little bit of that swagger they showed two seasons ago when they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

For Harden, winning will likely be the only way to silence his critics.

(h/t Pro Basketball Talk)

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WATCH: ‘Competitive Streak’ Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook Tribute Video

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Los Angeles based R&B, soul artist Joey Dosik released an EP, “Game Winner”, June 24 and the video for the single “Competitive Streak”  complements the emotions Thunder fans must be going through in the wake of Kevin Durant’s departure to the Golden State Warriors.

Dosik, a hoop head and Lakers fan, wrote and recorded the entire EP while rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered while playing ball in 2015.

You also may remember Dosik’s voice from this Kobe Bryant tribute video set to his EP’s title track that we ran the day of Kobe’s final game in a Lakers jersey.

The post WATCH: ‘Competitive Streak’ Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook Tribute Video appeared first on SLAMonline.

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