The AllStar is proud to present The Daily Swish, a digest of what’s shaking and baking in your favorite basketball league. This is the place to help you start your day (or end it) with notable newsy nuggets from around the association.
Basketball is back. Today we celebrate the start of the NBA’s 75th anniversary season, with dramatically divergent opening results for the two championship favorites. The league also started unveiling the 75 best players in the history of the competition. Plus, the Sixers suspend Ben Simmons.
Making Headlines
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks kicked off their title defense in resounding fashion with a 13-point win over the Brooklyn Nets. They also collected their championship rings – the first the Bucks have brought home in 50 years. The Nets were without Kyrie Irving, who basically can’t play or practice until he gets his Covid vaccinations.
Over on the West Coast, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Golden State Warriors in their season opener. Two of the Lakers’ Big Three fired (LeBron James and Anthony Davis), while one (Russell Westbrook) sputtered. Stephen Curry meanwhile snagged his first triple-double in almost six years to lead the Dubs to victory.
Philadelphia has suspended Ben Simmons for the Sixers’ season opener against New Orleans on Wednesday. The move followed Coach Doc Rivers tossing the disgruntled star out of practice on Tuesday. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Simmons was rather disengaged when he did turn up. Rivers, for one, has had enough of distractions.
#What’sTrending
The NBA tweeted the first 25 players of its 75th Anniversary Team, garnering some hoops Twitter love. The remaining 50 will be unveiled over the next two days.
Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and Lamelo Ball (among others) featured in a special tribute to the league anniversary.
Best of r/NBA
The day’s most up-voted Reddit posts, like it or not, were all about Ben Simmons’ suspension. One could interpret that as the Reddit community affirming the Sixer management’s decision.
Joel Embiid is clearly tired of talking about his recalcitrant teammate.
Performance of the Night
It was a toss-up between Steph Curry’s triple double or Giannis’ 32-point, 14-rebound effort. In the end, much as we love a Splash Brother, The Daily Swish is giving it to the Greek Freak. He clearly went out of his way to demonstrate that he ain’t done with one ring.
Play of the Day
Yeah there were emphatic dunks and treys. But Jordan Nwora had himself a night too, coming off the Bucks bench for 15 points. And this monster block on Kevin Durant. Nice work young fella. That’s our Play of the Day.
