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Aussie teen becomes instant millionaire in NBA draft

<p>Johnny Furphy, 19, has made it to the NBA, after being selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 35th pick in the draft. </p> <p>The Aussie teen joins the world's top basketball league after just one year of studying at the University of Kansas. </p> <p>Furphy was initially selected by the San Antonio Spurs, but was then on-traded to the Pacers who had pick number 36. </p> <p>The teen received an exclusive invite to the green room for the first round of the draft, but wasn't selected until the second round. </p> <p>According to <em>Fox Sports,</em> Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told  Furphy that the franchise is “really excited” to have drafted him, and believe that he is a “great fit” for their team. </p> <p>“At the end of the day, it’s about wherever the best fit is, and I think Indiana is the spot,” Furphy said. </p> <p>Prior to the draft, the teen paid tribute to his fellow Australian basketballers with a custom-made suit for the big occasion. </p> <p>“I will be wearing a suit with all the Australia NBA players, who have played in the NBA and my name will be highlighted,” he told <em>7NEWS</em>. </p> <p>According to the publication, the young teen is set to be a millionaire with last year's 35th getting a partially guaranteed $US8 million ($A12m) deal over four years, with similar numbers for those selected either side. </p> <p>Growing up, Furphy also played Australian Rules in the Yarra Junior Football League for Fitzroy Juniors. </p> <p>He said that his footy history helped him throughout his NBA career. </p> <p>“I played until I was about 16. Playing that sport definitely helped my basketball being able to absorb contact,” he said.</p> <p>The teen has a promising career ahead, with Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze also supporting him. </p> <p>“(He is) a guy that hasn’t come out of nowhere, but it’s been a meteoric rise for someone now considered a first-round draft pick,” he told <em>7NEWS</em>.</p> <p><em>Image: Matthew Lynch/CSM/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"These can't be real": Boomers' Olympic uniform sparks instant outrage

<p>Australia’s basketball uniforms for the Paris Olympics have hit a new low, or should we say a new “high jump” with the kit’s release on social media sparking a full-blown hoopla.</p> <p>Designed by Asics, these uniforms have quickly become the butt of jokes faster than a basketball rolling down a court.</p> <p>The “outfit” features a bright yellow singlet with “Australia” across the chest, an Asics logo on one shoulder, and the coat of arms on the other – and the reactions have been nothing short of a slam dunk of disdain.</p> <p>Daniel Moldovan, a basketball player manager with a flair for theatrics, didn’t hold back. “Let’s just call a spade a spade," he wrote on X, "yet another embarrassment for a team full of NBA players at the peak of their sport. Our guys are going to be dressed like marathon runners. If the old adage ‘Look good, feel good’ has any truth to it, then our guys are going to feel like trash.”</p> <p>He even suggested that whoever approved these “marathon runner uniforms” for the Boomers should have their citizenship revoked. “What the f*** is this abomination?” he asked. Even past and present Boomers players chimed in.</p> <p>Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder’s rising star, simply commented “lol absolute joke”. Jock Landale of the Houston Rockets humorously mused, “Looks like we are off to throw a javelin.” And Andrew Bogut, never one to mince words, quipped that the Australian Olympic Committee had Stevie Wonder design the uniforms. Ouch.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let’s just call a spade a spade. This is a fucking DISGRACE. Yet another embarrassment for a team full of NBA players at the peak of their sport. </p> <p>Our guys are going to be dressed like marathon runners. </p> <p>If the old adage of “Look good feel good” has a modicum of truth to it,… <a href="https://t.co/mSxlLeHvGl">https://t.co/mSxlLeHvGl</a></p> <p>— Daniel Moldovan (@AgentMoldovan) <a href="https://twitter.com/AgentMoldovan/status/1800659140022595903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>The social media backlash was swift and savage. Benyam Kidane of NBA Australia tweeted, “Nah, this disrespectful. Boomers gonna bring home the gold in the decathlon.” Sam Vecenie from The Athletic added, “Pumped to see the Australian basketball team compete in the high jump at the Olympics. Probably not the optimal use of their skill, but will be fun to see them in these track-and-field-ass uniforms.”</p> <p>NBA Straya was in on the joke too: “Great to see we’re following in a hallowed Aussie tradition and getting Bali knockoff jerseys for the national team.” And one user couldn’t believe their eyes: “Is April Fools Day a different day? These can’t be real!!”</p> <p>The ASICS website, in its defence, claims the design incorporates Indigenous Australian artwork and Japanese design features. They boasted about the recycled fabrics and the artworks by Paul Fleming and David Bosun. While noble, it seems like they may have missed the mark on “aesthetic appeal”.</p> <p>The Boomers are set to kick off their Paris Olympics campaign on July 27, with warm-up matches against Japan, China, Serbia and the USA. Let’s just hope they’re not mistaken for a track-and-field team when they step onto the court. After all, no one wants to see them dribble with a javelin.</p> <p>In the end, perhaps the real win would be for the Boomers to win gold while sporting these “unique” threads. It might just prove that in the world of fashion, sometimes the ugliest outfits make for the most unforgettable moments.</p> <p><em>Images: Asics</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Russia finally frees Olympic basketballer

<p>Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dramatic high-level prisoner swap with the US for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.</p> <p>The swap was a major goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a hefty price. The deal, which was the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad.</p> <p>Brittney Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose months-long imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees abroad.</p> <p>Biden's authorisation to release a Russian felon once nicknamed "the Merchant of Death" highlighted the escalating pressure that his government faced to bring Griner home. This follows the recent resolution of her criminal case.</p> <p>"Today my family is whole," Cherelle Griner said in a press conference at the White House. She also called for Paul Whelan's release.</p> <p>Biden says US has "not forgotten about Paul Whelan", will "never give up" trying to secure his release from Russia.</p> <p>"We've never forgotten about Brittney and we've not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who's been unjustly detained in Russia for years," the US President said.</p> <p>"This was not a choice of which American to bring home. We brought home Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year. Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up.”</p> <p>Russian and US officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations. Biden announced in November that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were complete.</p> <p>The Biden administration was ultimately willing to exchange Viktor Bout if it meant Griner's freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.</p> <p>Griner's arrest in February made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad.</p> <p><em><span style="color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Images: Wikimedia / Twitter</span></em></p>

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"What's happened to Australia?": Why Karl ripped into "woke" councils

<p dir="ltr">Karl Stefanovic has once again let rip at “woke” neighbours and local councils, this time over one that forced a Queensland mum to remove a basketball hoop off a nature strip alongside her own driveway.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mandy Overton from the Gold Coast was threatened with a $750 fine if she did not get rid of the basketball hoop from in front of her house.</p> <p dir="ltr">Furious neighbours complained to the local council about Ms Overton’s children playing basketball in their own front yard, for allowing the ball to bounce on the road and for being too noisy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I got a knock at my door on Tuesday. The council officer came to the house and just basically said, if you don't move your basketball hoop by Friday, you will get $750 fine,' the mother told <em>The Today Show</em> co-host.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only that, but she also mentioned too many kids playing with my basketball hoop. I don't think that's a problem. Kids being kids and playing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Also, they were saying if an accident would happen it would be on their call because it's on their land. They're just playing. I don't see what is the problem. They're getting out. Getting off iPads. Getting sociable with all the kids.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A furious Karl took aim at the local council and the neighbours who filed the complaints, saying the kids should be allowed to be kids.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Can I say something here? This is not politically correct at all. I don't know what has happened to Australia,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have people around in our neighbourhood now who are just whingers and whiners.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have nothing better to do with their day than complain to the local council, who are so woke and left that it passes on to us in the form of complaints and blah, blah, blah, I'm just sick of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What's happened to Australia? You can't have a basketball hoop on the median strip?</p> <p dir="ltr">‘I'm sick of it. I don't know what has happened to this great country. Everyone whines now.</p> <p dir="ltr">‘It's local councils who are awful. Just fix the potholes, bros, as Kyrgios would say. Just do council stuff. Don't get in our lives.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Today Show</em></p>

Home & Garden

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What does American basketballer Shaquille O’Neal have to do with the Indigenous Voice to Parliament?

<p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with former NBA star and current TV personality Shaquille O’Neal in Sydney to enlist the sport star’s support for constitutional recognition for an Indigenous voice. O’Neal <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/from-insulting-to-welcome-shaquille-oneals-support-for-indigenous-reform-draws-mixed-reactions/0jlz2g5wo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voiced his support</a> for changes to the Australian Constitution, but is his voice the right one?</p> <p>The prime minister claimed O'Neal reached out to him because “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-27/shaquille-o-neal-anthony-albanese-voice-to-parliament/101379246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he wanted to inform himself</a> about what this debate was about”.</p> <p>Now O'Neal will be a part of the government’s campaign to change the constitution, recording a 15-second advertisement for free. He is meant to be the first of many stars, including unnamed players in the AFL, NRL basketball and netball organisations, to offer their public support for an Indigenous Voice to parliament.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">What are your thoughts? 💬<a href="https://twitter.com/SHAQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SHAQ</a> visited Parliament over the weekend to meet with PM <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlboMP</a> and Minister for Indigenous Australians <a href="https://twitter.com/LindaBurneyMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LindaBurneyMP</a> in a show of support for the Government's proposed Indigenous voice to Parliament campaign.⁠<br />⁠<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VoiceToParliament?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VoiceToParliament</a> <a href="https://t.co/9SCIfBk7xM">pic.twitter.com/9SCIfBk7xM</a></p> <p>— NITV (@NITV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NITV/status/1564078033727791104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <h2>Whose voice should be heard on the issue?</h2> <p>For many, the selection of “Shaq” as a spokesperson for the Indigenous Voice to parliament is a strange one. O’Neal is well-known for his viral and sometimes problematic performances on and off the court.</p> <p>During his NBA career, O'Neal built a reputation as an overpowering post presence and a savvy media jokester. In his current job as a sports analyst on the popular television show Inside the NBA, he hosts a popular segment known as “<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/shaqtin-a-fool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shaq’tin A Fool</a>,” which features bloopers from recent games.</p> <p>He has made some foolish decisions himself over the years: his feud with Kobe Bryant filled the tabloids for years, the film Kazaam was a ratings failure, and he has made and apologised for a range of <a href="https://www.sportscasting.com/shaquille-oneal-apologized-yao-ming-called-out-dad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racist</a> or possibly <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120606230641/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-11-05/sports/0211050282_1_sacramento-kings-christie-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homophobic</a> comments.</p> <p>Most Americans see O'Neal as a charismatic, even playful, person rather than as an engaged athlete activist. The prime minister claimed O'Neal had done great work in the US around “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-27/shaquille-o-neal-anthony-albanese-voice-to-parliament/101379246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social justice and lifting people up who are marginalised</a>” but has not followed up those comments with any specifics.</p> <h2>Raising awareness</h2> <p>Averill Gordon, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations at Auckland University of Technology, believes the choice of O'Neal will garner widespread domestic and international awareness and support for the Voice to Parliament.</p> <p>“Athletes are a great way to internationalise an issue as sport and music are key themes used to drive most global PR campaigns.”</p> <p>“The biggest challenge in a PR campaign is to move the people who are unaware of an issue to become aware,” she said. “Shaquille’s involvement and subsequent communication means people will become aware of this issue and may even become active. It also creates global traction that will feed back to Australia and circulate the message further, adding global interest that will ironically increase Australian awareness.”</p> <p>She notes the Australian government is addressing a global issue that “affects Australia’s country branding.”</p> <p>“The (Albanese) government is garnering popular international support to drive a national issue. By using a US opinion leader, it moves this national issue to be recognised as a common global issue.”</p> <h2>Support for conservative causes</h2> <p>The inclusion of O'Neal in the Voice campaign undoubtedly brings attention to the government’s position, but the choice is still considered an odd one by many. Albanese’s problem is not people’s unfamiliarity with the debate over the Indigenous voice, but rather that <a href="https://theconversation.com/creating-a-constitutional-voice-the-words-that-could-change-australia-187972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">few people yet know the proposed language</a> of any constitutional change.</p> <p>It’s important to also note that O'Neal is not an avatar of the sort of progressive politics that encompasses issues like the Voice. In the increasingly political NBA, players such as Lebron James and general managers like Daryl Morey have <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-has-form-as-a-sports-bully-but-its-full-court-press-on-the-nba-may-backfire-125141" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened political firestorms</a> with their critiques of Donald Trump and the Chinese government.</p> <p>O'Neal has previously been tied to more conservative causes. He is a strong supporter of police and sheriff’s departments across the United States, including in Los Angeles, Miami and, controversially, Maricopa Country, Arizona. Maricopa County’s former sheriff, Joe Arpaio, faced criticism for racial profiling, poor conditions for undocumented immigrants, and eventually <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/348061-trump-pardons-arpaio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received a pardon</a> from Trump following his conviction for criminal contempt of court.</p> <p>O’Neal’s strong support for law enforcement, despite the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, might make activists working in the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/14/australia-act-indigenous-deaths-custody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stop First Nations Deaths in Custody</a> uncomfortable, as it has <a href="https://www.theroot.com/shaquille-o-neals-politics-have-always-been-confusing-1823768959" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for many African Americans too</a>.</p> <p>If O'Neal has become a progressive, the change happened recently, since he admitted in 2020 that he had never voted. In subsequent political commentary, he argued athletes should keep quiet in the press and social media. He <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/12/why-shaquille-oneal-voted-for-the-first-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Sports Illustrated</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>My thought is that if you are not an expert on it, or if you haven’t been doing it, don’t do it.</p> </blockquote> <p>So when did he become an expert on constitutional issues in Australia?</p> <h2>Indigenous voices divided?</h2> <p>The government must also take care that any Voice spokespeople, including O'Neal, do not replace the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people. There is a vigorous debate among Indigenous people about the shape of any Voice to parliament.</p> <p>Minister for Indigenous Australians and Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney was with Albanese and O'Neal on Saturday. She lauded O'Neal’s efforts, presenting the American with a boomerang made by Indigenous artist Josh Evans and a South Sydney Rabbitohs Indigenous round jersey.</p> <p>Indigenous politicians from across the political spectrum have illustrated the complexity of this issue in Australia and the unsuitability of O'Neal as a commentator on it. On the political right, Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a Warlpiri woman, said “I’ve no doubt Shaq’s a top bloke but it’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-29/analysis-shaq-loves-indigenous-voice-but-will-it-score/101381066" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bit insulting</a> to call on a black American to help with black Australians as if this is all about the colour of one’s skin.” She followed up by calling Albanese’s move a desperate measure.</p> <p>Green Party’s Senator Lidia Thorpe, of DjabWurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara descent, also took aim at O’Neal. She wrote on Twitter:</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thought a Black man coming to our Country would be more respectful to First Nations people than interfering in what is a controversial topic, dividing our people. Ill advised, hope you take the time to set it right <a href="https://twitter.com/SHAQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SHAQ</a>. We don’t come to your country&amp; interfere in your business.</p> <p>— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorThorpe/status/1563719706418479104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <h2>‘Nothing about us without us’</h2> <p>In fact, there is reason to worry the selection of O'Neal as a spokesperson might overshadow the work Indigenous Australians have done in the sports space already.</p> <p>In the past, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes in a range of disciplines including athletics, AFL and Rugby League have used their sporting prestige to bring attention to Indigenous issues. Albanese could conceivably call on a range of beloved current and retired indigenous sports stars, such as Cathy Freeman, Adam Goodes or Ash Barty, to address this complicated issue.</p> <p>Many Australian sporting institutions, including the <a href="https://www.anocolympic.org/noc-highlights/australian-olympic-committee-approves-permanent-indigenous-voice-on-the-aoc-athletes-commission/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Olympic Committee</a>, already have committees devoted to including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices. But that would require Albanese to wade into the complexities of Indigenous politics in Australia rather than take advantage of a celebrity from America.</p> <div> <p>Polling shows many Australians <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-04/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-vote-compass/101031774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are already supportive </a>of an Indigenous Voice to parliament. Many in the public, as well as in Canberra, are wary of any decision made without appropriate consultation with Indigenous people and without clear language dictating the relationship between the Indigenous Voice and parliament.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-american-basketballer-shaquille-oneal-have-to-do-with-the-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-189533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em></p> </div>

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The truth behind Liz Cambage’s exit

<p dir="ltr">Former Opals captain Jenna O'Hea has revealed the details behind the comment that forced Liz Cambage to leave the basketball team. </p> <p dir="ltr">Cambage pulled out of the Tokyo 2021 Olympics after citing mental health reasons which allegedly occurred during training. </p> <p dir="ltr">She had also allegedly told Nigerian players to “go back to their third world country” following a fight in July last year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to Offsiders host Kellie Underwood, O’Hea confirmed the exact details that occurred which saw Cambage leave. </p> <p dir="ltr">“That is all 100 per cent correct,” O’Hea confirmed. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, O’Hea asked the media to focus on the players who are dedicating their effort to represent Australia. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone has done more than enough (to try and keep Cambage playing for Australia). We have sacrificed a lot to try and keep her in the program. You know, she doesn’t want to be here anymore and that’s her choice and we need to move on without her.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She concluded that Cambage would not play for Australia ever again and said she tried to show her the support she needed. </p> <p dir="ltr">Following O’Hea revelations, Cambage responded by tweeting: “The truth will always come to light, and it ain’t even dawn yet.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After allegedly making the comment last year, Cambage made an Instagram video calling out the “fake news and the lies”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m pretty annoyed at all the fake news and the lies I’m seeing floating around in news articles and being shown and being asked about,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yeah, things got heated in the Nigeria game. There was a physical altercation and there were words exchanged but I’m hearing things that aren’t true at all, flying around from people in Australia and America which is crazy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everything that happened and everything that was said is on film. I know what happened and I do not appreciate the lies and people constantly trying to tear me down. Hating on me won’t bring you love, at all.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

News

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Aussie basketball star survived coronavirus before the world knew what it was

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Basketball star Liz Cambage believes she survived coronavirus before the world knew what it was.</p> <p>The 28-year-old was playing in China in December before she started displaying symptoms similar to the deadly virus, forcing her to be hospitalised near Beijing.</p> <p>The Australian Opals centre revealed that she was confined to a wheelchair with pneumonia and was on a drip for three days fighting off her sickness.</p> <p>“I actually was sick in hospital and I honestly think I had corona,” Cambage told<span> </span><em>The Herald Sun.</em></p> <p>“I was so weak, I couldn’t walk, I was in a wheelchair. I had pneumonia. I think I had it before it was a global thing.”</p> <p>The Las Vegas Aces WNBA star underwent blood tests and was cleared before returning home in January.</p> <p>She said Australians were fortunate to have quality medical services after she spent time in a Chinese hospital.</p> <p>Cambage will join the Opals for Olympic training at the end of February and says she is confident the games will go ahead.</p> <p>“I think the media and people are reading too much into it and it’s causing hysterics in the general public. I can’t imagine them calling it off,” she said.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"><span class="like-bar-component"></span> <div class="watched-bookmark-container"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

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“Basketball is my life”: Nick Kyrgios on why Kobe Bryant’s tragic death moved him to tears

<p>An emotionally drained Nick Kyrgios was motivated by the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant to give it his absolute all against Rafael Nadal in their Australian Open grudge match.</p> <p>The controversial figure was praised by fans and his opponent after he bowed out of the grand slam in a pulsating four setter at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.</p> <p>Kyrgios paid tribute to Bryant before and after the match, which was played only a few short hours after he died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles, shocking the entire world.</p> <p>The 24-year-old, who is a huge basketball fan, was visibly emotional as he walked onto Rod Laver Arena wearing Bryant’s LA Lakers jersey in tribute to the star.</p> <p>With Bryant’s famous number 8 emblazoned on his jersey, Kyrgios struggled to contain his emotions during the warm-up.</p> <p>The Boston Celtics fan showed up to his post-match press conference after the loss in a Lakers jersey and was asked about the late sports star as soon as he sat down.</p> <p>“I never met Kobe. But basketball is practically my life. I’ve been following it for as long as I can remember,” said Kyrgios.</p> <p>“It was pretty emotional when I woke up to the news today. It was pretty heavy, like all day.</p> <p>“Obviously I was having basketball on at my house, watching the games. It was heavy. Yeah, it’s just tough. It’s horrible news.”</p> <p>He revealed Bryant inspired him to keep fighting in the fourth set where he looked down and out against the world number one.</p> <p>Kyrgios clawed his way back and forced the set into a tie-break, where he lost the match.</p> <p>“If you look at the things he stood for, what he wanted to be remembered by, I felt like, if anything, it helped me tonight,” he said.</p> <p>“When I was down a break in the fourth, I was definitely thinking about it. I fought back.”</p> <p>Kyrgios then made the ultimate tribute to Bryant.</p> <p>“I don’t think they make them like him anymore. He was different, the way he trained, the way he did things, the way he played. He was special,” he said.</p> <p>“Just sad. Like, when I think about my life [it] is literally basketball. When I think about it, it’s heavy. It’s tough.”</p>

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“Go back to America”: Alan Jones’ divisive words about Aussie basketball superstar Ben Simmons

<p>NBA star Ben Simmons has come under fire from radio host Alan Jones after the star was said to have snuck out the side door and avoided fans waiting outside his basketball camp.</p> <p>The basketball camp had kids aged seven to 18 reportedly turn up for the camp at the Hills Basketball Stadium in Castle Hill.</p> <p>Those who had missed out on spots inside the camp had waited outside in hopes of getting a photo or signature from their idol.</p> <p>Simmons is said to emerge from a different door to jump into a tinted Mercedes waiting nearby without stopping for pictures or autograph, according to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hundreds-of-ben-simmons-fans-left-devastated-as-he-failed-to-stop-for-selfies-autographs/news-story/c35c9224d97c84784f56bcb251e99f57" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Australia’s richest athlete Ben Simmons brushed off a few blokes asking for autographs in Castle Hill. Listen out for the “please Ben”. <a href="https://t.co/D4rNr1COh4">pic.twitter.com/D4rNr1COh4</a></p> — Mitchell Van Homrigh (@Moosk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Moosk/status/1160416748333461507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">11 August 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Jones had heard the news and has slammed Simmons on 2GB.</p> <p>“This bloke has lost a lot of people very quickly,” Jones said on<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.2gb.com/go-back-to-america-and-stay-there-alan-jones-slams-ben-simmons-latest-stunt/" target="_blank">2GB</a>.</p> <p>“He had promised to play for Australia at the upcoming World Cup only to pull out due to scheduling issues. He withdrew from the warm up games even though fans had spent hundreds of dollars hoping to watch him play.</p> <p>“And I’m told he held two training camps for junior basketball players in Sydney and Melbourne. I understand that when he arrived, he walked straight past the fans, who had been waiting for hours, he refused to sign autographs or say hello.”</p> <p>After announcing this news, Jones had divisive words for Simmons.</p> <p>“Ben Simmons, I know you’re an Australian but go back to America and stay there.”</p> <p>His comments come after Simmons accused Melbourne’s Crown Casino of racism last week, saying that he and a group of friends were denied entry because of their skin colour.</p> <p>Crown Casino hit back quickly saying that the company had audio and CCTV footage that proved the basketballer refused to show ID and did not meet the venue’s dress code.</p> <p>Fans were also not pleased about the fact that Simmons withdrew from Australia’s exhibition games against Team USA at the end of the year after he was used as a drawcard to sell tickets worth hundreds of dollars.</p>

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This team of 80-year-old female basketball players proves age is just a number

<p>The San Diego Splash may be the oldest team in the San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Association but they are proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.</p> <p>The team, where all players must be 80 or over to join, play to win and currently have two titles at the National Senior Games.</p> <p>Two of the women on their team, Meg Skinner and Grace Larson, are 91.</p> <p>The team plays three-on-three in 30-minute court games and the players are leading health due to the strenuous exercise they regularly dedicate themselves to.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FespnW%2Fvideos%2F10155261516070734%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>"A lot of my childhood friends thought I was crazy at 66 to be playing basketball. They said, 'You'll break an arm, you'll break a leg,'" 87-year-old Marge Carl told ESPNW.</p> <p>"You know, I'm the only one surviving of my childhood friends. They're all gone, every one of them."</p> <p>Grace Larson explained that she is making up for the time in her childhood when she could not play basketball.</p> <p>"I was 78 when I got my first basketball shoes, so that was a thrill. Growing up, we didn't have sports like the girls do today. We didn't have the opportunity to play."</p> <p>Grace describes her team as “friendship, a sisterhood, a family”.</p> <p>"It's the nicest group of people from all walks of life."</p> <p><em>Image credit: ESPNW via Facebook </em></p>

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US basketball team charters luxury cruise ship for Rio

<p>As stories continue to surface regarding the questionable conditions in the athlete’s village in Rio, the US basketball team has chartered a cruise ship.</p> <p>The 12, highly-compensated NBA stars that make up the US team including the likes of Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving will bide their time on the luxury Silversea Silver Cloud, having access to facilities like a pool, gym, spa and cigar room.</p> <p><img width="500" height="508" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/25385/andrew-bogut_500x508.jpg" alt="Andrew Bogut" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / Andrew Bogut</em></p> <p>Their Aussie colleagues, like NBA stars Andrew Bogut and Mathew Dellavedova, are facing far less appealing digs in the athlete’s village. Bogut, who earns roughly $16 million a year, posted a photo of himself putting together his own shower curtain.</p> <p>Aussie athletes have had a bit of a rough time at the tournament so far, after a fire alarm incident which saw many have their belongings stolen.</p> <p>What’s your take on the news? Are the US athletes being prima donnas? Or should the Australian Olympic committee have provided alternate facilities for our athletes?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/another-blow-to-the-australian-olympic-team-in-rio/"><strong>Another blow to the Australian Olympic team in Rio</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/07/rio-athletes-village-uninhabitable-two-weeks-before-olympics/"><strong>Rio Olympics athletes' village deemed uninhabitable</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/explosion-at-olympic-games-opening-ceremony-stadium/"><strong>Explosion at Olympic Games opening ceremony stadium</strong></a></em></span></p>

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World-record moment a basketball trick-shot specialist drops a ball from 130 metres – and gets it in the hoop

<p>A team of basketball trick shot experts have set a new world record by making a shot from 126.5 metres above the ring, smashing their previous record of 91 metres.</p> <p>The Australian group of friends, called “How Ridiculous”, attempted their crazy goal atop Tasmania's Gordon Dam. Footage, captured by Channel 7's <em>Sunday Night</em>, shows the ball curve in the air before the satisfying swishing through the net.</p> <p>“There was definitely some luck involved but really a shot like this is more likely when you can consistently put the same spin on the ball every time,” the group wrote online. “There are some good things that happen in life with some luck, some skill and lots of hard work.”</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/james-harrison-blood-donation/">Meet the man who has saved the lives of over 2 million babies</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/abs-results-aussies-veggies/">A survey found that Aussies aren't eating enough veggies</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/man-donates-wedding-dress/">A man donated his late wife's beautiful wedding dress to charity along with a touching note</a></strong></em></span></p>

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