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.
Just a week before the regular season tips off and it’s still all about Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. The drama doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon but there is a glimmer of hope for Sixers fans.
Making Headlines
Nets GM Sean Marks announced that Kyrie Irving will not be allowed to play or practice until he is vaccinated and a “full-time member of the team”. The Athletic attempted to defend Kyrie’s stance by saying he isn’t anti-vaccine but is simply “upset that people are losing their job due to vaccine mandates.” The story was met with disbelief from both fans and members of the media.
The other co-star in the year’s offseason drama, Ben Simmons, appears to be taking steps to mend his relationship with the Sixers. Simmons met briefly with Sixers GM Elton Brand and president of basketball Daryl Morey. He remains ineligible to participate in team-related activities until Friday at the earliest.
#What’sTrending
NBA Twitter didn’t hold back with the memes after the Nets’ announcement.
Others wanted to prevent Irving’s name from getting sullied.
The Nets’ announcement rounds out the top tweets from the past 24 hours.
Best of r/NBA
Sham Charania’s tweet about the Nets situation was the hottest topic of the day. u/keepon18 seems surprised that the Ben Simmons drama appears to be resolving before Kyrie gets vaccinated.
Jimmy Butler’s interview with The Wall Street Journal is the second most upvoted post. He touches on the downfalls of being a celebrity and how it prevents him from being the father that he wants to be.
JR Smith received attention on the golf course but for the wrong reasons. u/rslashnbaaccount reminisced how it was a “nice throwback to a time before Kyrie and Ben.”
Performance of the Night
Sam Dekker: 18 points (7-10 FG), 1 rebound, 1 assist
Dekker made his minutes off the bench count for the Raptors. He finished as the third-highest scorer of the game after sinking four three-pointers in 18 minutes of play.
Play of the Day
Jordan Poole has been on fire this preseason for the Warriors. His in-and-out dribble move locked up the defender and paved the way for an easy slam.
