When most people think of Dirk Nowitzki’s overall demeanor, the words “kind”, “loyal”, or “dedicated” may come to mind. Put it this way—he’s the last person you’d expect to have beef with any players.

Perhaps this is the reason that we’re only finding out nine years later that Nowitzki did in fact have some beef—with his 2011 NBA championship opponents, the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Considering the fact that Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to an upset victory over them that NBA Finals, this new information has a lot more meaning.

Someone like Nowitzki wouldn’t have allowed his thoughts to get to the surface of the media back then—but after all this time, his former Mavericks teammate JJ Barea has revealed some interesting facts from behind the scenes.

On a podcast with JJ Redick, Barea divulged: “[Nowitzki] was not going to let us lose. The way he prepared the whole year for it. He hated Miami. He hated LeBron, Wade, Bosh. He’s never going to say that, but he couldn’t stand it.”

But apparently there was some extra motivation that got Nowitzki riled up during that series.

“When LeBron and Wade started making fun of him by coughing when he got a little sick … that clip really hurt him,” Barea revealed. “He will never say it, but he really saw the tape and that tape really hurt him. That gave him a little bit extra that he didn’t need, but it gave him a little extra to finish them off.”

The post Dirk Nowitzki Reportedly “Hated Miami” During 2011 NBA Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Carmelo Anthony has officially passed Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Carmelo is now 15th all-time, right behind Spurs star Tim Duncan.

Anthony has now scored 26,411 points since joining the league as the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, a legendary draft in which Anthony, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were all taken in the top five.

Anthony is currently playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, who are making a push to qualify for the 2020 playoffs. The 36-year-old player was originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets and has played for the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets.

He led the NBA in scoring in 2012-2013 with the Knicks and has averaged 23.6 points per game during his career. Anthony is also a six-time All-NBA selection and 10-time All-Star. And even though he hasn’t won a championship, his scoring prowess should be enough to cement his status as a future Hall-of-Famer.

Anthony has proven to be an excellent addition to Portland’s roster this season, where he has become a strong veteran leader and an excellent and reliable third scoring option next to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

The post Carmelo Anthony Now 15th on NBA’s All-Time Scoring List appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In the NBA, it seriously pays to be a major talent. Contract extensions are something that most players dream about—it means their specific franchise has faith in their abilities.

There are some moments when a lump sum of cash brought zero results, though. Here are five NBA ballers with some of the biggest contracts ever—but did they manage to make a huge impact for their respective teams? Read on.

The Eighth Wonder Of The World

Keith Allison

Kobe Bryant is one of the hottest talents in the NBA. While he went through a major sexual allegation case in 2014, he was still able to sign a seven-year contract lasting him until 2011. Of course, he extended his contract a couple times before his retirement at the end of the 2015–2016 season.

His original seven-year deal was worth $136.4 million. Unlike his first eight seasons with the Lakers, his final 12 years in the franchise only brought two NBA Championships and a ton of injuries. He did walk away with a plethora of NBA records that won’t be broken for a long time.

J.O. In The House

Keith Allison

After four years with the Portland Trail Blazers, Jermaine O’Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers. During his seven years with the team, he earned nearly $127 million.

Unfortunately, nothing came out of a massive contract aside from six appearances at the NBA All-Star Game. His nagging injuries forced the team to send him to the Toronto Raptors in the 2008 NBA Draft.

The Big Ticket

Keith Allison

Kevin Garnett was one of the leading stars of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 1997, he extended his contract to one worth $126 million. Critics called this move dangerous as it would prevent the Timberwolves from signing anyone else. The anger over his extension even led to a lockout in the 1998-1999 season.

Eventually, the Timberwolves would kick themselves repeatedly, as they had nothing to show for such a huge contract. They traded Garnett to the Celtics in 2007, but the star would have the last laugh. That following season, he led the Celtics to their first NBA Championship in 22 years.

The Big Fundamental

Keith Allison

Due to winning two NBA Championships as part of the “Twin Towers” duo, Tim Duncan was offered a seven-year contract extension worth $122 million. The longtime Spurs star delivered the goods with two additional NBA Championships in 2005 and 2007.

Seven years after the Spurs’ last NBA Finals appearance, Duncan brought them another Championship victory. He was the only player to have taken part in all five of their Finals victories.

The Boshtrich

Keith Allison

After seven years with the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh signed a six-year contract with the Miami Heat worth nearly $110 million. During his time with the team, he led them to back to back NBA Championships in 2012 and 2013 and earned them four straight conference titles from 2011 through 2014.

While Bosh is no longer with the team due to a possible career-ending illness, his number 1 jersey will be retired in honor of his work.

The post These 5 Major NBA Contracts Didn’t All Pay Off—Some Of Them Flopped appeared first on SportzBonanza.

When most people think of Dirk Nowitzki’s overall demeanor, the words “kind”, “loyal”, or “dedicated” may come to mind. Put it this way—he’s the last person you’d expect to have beef with any players.

Perhaps this is the reason that we’re only finding out nine years later that Nowitzki did in fact have some beef—with his 2011 NBA championship opponents, the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Considering the fact that Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to an upset victory over them that NBA Finals, this new information has a lot more meaning.

Someone like Nowitzki wouldn’t have allowed his thoughts to get to the surface of the media back then—but after all this time, his former Mavericks teammate JJ Barea has revealed some interesting facts from behind the scenes.

On a podcast with JJ Redick, Barea divulged: “[Nowitzki] was not going to let us lose. The way he prepared the whole year for it. He hated Miami. He hated LeBron, Wade, Bosh. He’s never going to say that, but he couldn’t stand it.”

But apparently there was some extra motivation that got Nowitzki riled up during that series.

“When LeBron and Wade started making fun of him by coughing when he got a little sick … that clip really hurt him,” Barea revealed. “He will never say it, but he really saw the tape and that tape really hurt him. That gave him a little bit extra that he didn’t need, but it gave him a little extra to finish them off.”

The post Dirk Nowitzki Reportedly “Hated Miami” During 2011 NBA Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Carmelo Anthony has officially passed Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Carmelo is now 15th all-time, right behind Spurs star Tim Duncan.

Anthony has now scored 26,411 points since joining the league as the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, a legendary draft in which Anthony, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were all taken in the top five.

Anthony is currently playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, who are making a push to qualify for the 2020 playoffs. The 36-year-old player was originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets and has played for the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets.

He led the NBA in scoring in 2012-2013 with the Knicks and has averaged 23.6 points per game during his career. Anthony is also a six-time All-NBA selection and 10-time All-Star. And even though he hasn’t won a championship, his scoring prowess should be enough to cement his status as a future Hall-of-Famer.

Anthony has proven to be an excellent addition to Portland’s roster this season, where he has become a strong veteran leader and an excellent and reliable third scoring option next to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

The post Carmelo Anthony Now 15th on NBA’s All-Time Scoring List appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In the NBA, it seriously pays to be a major talent. Contract extensions are something that most players dream about—it means their specific franchise has faith in their abilities.

There are some moments when a lump sum of cash brought zero results, though. Here are five NBA ballers with some of the biggest contracts ever—but did they manage to make a huge impact for their respective teams? Read on.

The Eighth Wonder Of The World

Keith Allison

Kobe Bryant is one of the hottest talents in the NBA. While he went through a major sexual allegation case in 2014, he was still able to sign a seven-year contract lasting him until 2011. Of course, he extended his contract a couple times before his retirement at the end of the 2015–2016 season.

His original seven-year deal was worth $136.4 million. Unlike his first eight seasons with the Lakers, his final 12 years in the franchise only brought two NBA Championships and a ton of injuries. He did walk away with a plethora of NBA records that won’t be broken for a long time.

J.O. In The House

Keith Allison

After four years with the Portland Trail Blazers, Jermaine O’Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers. During his seven years with the team, he earned nearly $127 million.

Unfortunately, nothing came out of a massive contract aside from six appearances at the NBA All-Star Game. His nagging injuries forced the team to send him to the Toronto Raptors in the 2008 NBA Draft.

The Big Ticket

Keith Allison

Kevin Garnett was one of the leading stars of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 1997, he extended his contract to one worth $126 million. Critics called this move dangerous as it would prevent the Timberwolves from signing anyone else. The anger over his extension even led to a lockout in the 1998-1999 season.

Eventually, the Timberwolves would kick themselves repeatedly, as they had nothing to show for such a huge contract. They traded Garnett to the Celtics in 2007, but the star would have the last laugh. That following season, he led the Celtics to their first NBA Championship in 22 years.

The Big Fundamental

Keith Allison

Due to winning two NBA Championships as part of the “Twin Towers” duo, Tim Duncan was offered a seven-year contract extension worth $122 million. The longtime Spurs star delivered the goods with two additional NBA Championships in 2005 and 2007.

Seven years after the Spurs’ last NBA Finals appearance, Duncan brought them another Championship victory. He was the only player to have taken part in all five of their Finals victories.

The Boshtrich

Keith Allison

After seven years with the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh signed a six-year contract with the Miami Heat worth nearly $110 million. During his time with the team, he led them to back to back NBA Championships in 2012 and 2013 and earned them four straight conference titles from 2011 through 2014.

While Bosh is no longer with the team due to a possible career-ending illness, his number 1 jersey will be retired in honor of his work.

The post These 5 Major NBA Contracts Didn’t All Pay Off—Some Of Them Flopped appeared first on SportzBonanza.