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chrollohearttags · 1 year

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nba player! connie and model! reader eye fucking each other on the court, then really fucking each other after the game 🤭

omg new hyperfixation just dropped!! 🥴🥴 I got you!

cw: black fem reader (thick descriptors)hotel/balcony sex, implied oral, backshots, squirting, cumshot

Connie Springer: it was a name that was practically inescapable nowadays. Whether it was for his impeccable skills and stats on the court or his devilishly handsome looks off of it. The NBA’s hottest new rising star; a generational talent that had captured the attention of many, including (y/n) (l/n), who had become somewhat of a prominent figure in the fashion and modeling world over the past few years.

A woman who was as bodacious as you were beautiful, turned heads with every room you walked in. Like a goddess traipsing amongst men..you were an absolute vision of perfection. The same sentiment was mirrored when you stepped foot into the arena for the playoffs game tonight. Telfar in hand, Giuseppe heels on your feet and a Marine Serre bodysuit that practically clung to your curvaceous figure. Sitting court side as many other infamous celebs had done before, (y/n) observed the activities up and down the court, watching the players run drills and get prepared before the game began..even occasionally stealing glances at the camera. It was while you were doing so that you’d catch the attention of number 21, the fine ass point guard with the butter pecan complexion, two sleeves of tattoos trailing down his arms and diamond earrings reminiscent of early Iverson’s. What you wouldn’t give to have something like that on your own roster..but you weren’t alone in your dirty little train of thought. The way that ass was moving when you walked by? He damn near lost all focus and control. Admittedly, he had seen you on Instagram and Twitter a couple times, wanting to hop in your DM’s but figured they’d probably go unanswered as you probably had a laundry list of men chomping at the bit to get with you..still, it wouldn’t stop him from shooting his shot in person!..no pun intended. So the game would kickoff as any other had in the past. Connie is to no one’s surprise, stealing the spotlight like he owns it. Playing his ass off, doing all of his award winning antics and scoring mad points for his team. Everyone was so impressed and (y/n) was no exception..the entire time though? His attention was on you…stealing glances at one another through sultry glares. You couldn’t help but ogle that sweat sheened body and he couldn’t help but do the same. When it came time for intermission, you tried your hardest to look inconspicuous but when he sat down, towel draped around his neck as he squeezed that water bottle and let the fluid squirt into his open mouth..you had to clutch your thighs together immediately! You had never felt something like this…it didn’t help when his gaze shot towards you seconds after. It was getting more than obvious that the two of you had your own side game going on outside of the one taking place. Fluttering those big fluffy lashes..(y/n) kept a keen eye on him for the second half, even tossing him a wink or two when he made a basket. Just for that, he had to flex a little bit! Springer was playing like someone had lit a fire underneath him, pulling out every stop he thought would impress the one he had his sights set on. Up and down the court, tossing free throws as if it were child’s play..shooting you a very confident smirk each time he did so. Tucking your lip between your teeth, your deep set eyes fixated on him until the end of the game. If he didn’t come over and say something, you’d surely be making your way in his direction to break the ice. Little did you know a simple hello and some constant eye contact would be the start of a very interesting night.

it would only take a few hours and five shots of Hennessy at an after party for you to find the courage you needed to turn that subtle silent flirting into a fury of passion. “I’m Connie. I seen you out there…thought I’d come see what was up wit’ you.” And the second he did so, it was lust at first sight. So it came as no surprise when he invited you up to his room, sat you on his bed and started spitting game, that your clothes would wind up twisted in a pile on the ground, shoes discarded at the door and you two fucking like animals on the fourth floor balcony of the DoubleTree hotel. It wasn’t something you’d normally done. An esteemed model hooking up with a star baller in some illustrious one might stand? Oh, the tabloids would be going crazy off of this. But for now, he’d just keep you bent over; leg hoisted over that railing as his balls slapped vehemently against your clit. His tattooed hand cradling your throat with a vice grip as your tongue dangled from your mouth. “Ooh fuck!…this dick feels so good..” crying out into the night air as this man…this complete and total stranger outside of his namesake brought you to yet another climax. “Ah…damn baby, I ain’t never had a squirter before..this pussy some pressure..shit.” Having started this steamy little affair in between the sheets where he looked you dead in your eyes, chain dangling above your forehead as he fucked you slowly. A hand on the headboard and your thick, trembling legs laid across his shoulders. Creaming and making an absolute mess of his cock…shortly after finding yourself riding him atop the suede carpet so that you could keep your balance and bounce on his dick the way you really wanted to. In a way that would have him flying you out to every city he played in. To now being hit from the back atop a balcony for potential passerby’s to see. However, his only focus was you and vice versa. Turning to look back at him, you’d flick your tongue and grin. “That’s because you’ve never fucked somebody like me…” and after this? he didn’t think he could ever mess with anyone else the same.

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readyforevolution · 9 months

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Someone sent me this😂😂😂. Many may not know back in the 80’s and 90’s I was a die hard NBA fan. Spent a lot of money on season tickets. Still to this day love me some #NBA. My era is the best. My favorite point guard and one of my top 5 of all time. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met is this brother, Magic Johnson …Happy Birthday to you. Have a wonderful day!

He picked me up like I was a little baby 😂😂😂.

Stephanie Mills

#blacktumblr #black history #black liberation #magic johnson #stephanie mills

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trsrina · 2 years

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HEADSHOT - &TEAM JO

jo was only trying to teach you how to play basketball but he somehow hit you in the head with it instead

written in second person pov, fluff, established relationship, gender neutral reader but reader is implied to be shorter than jo? word count : 0.66k warning!! mentions of an injury? like yeah a whole ass basketball hitting you in the head.

it was a very spontaneous idea of you to drag take jo to your nearest basketball court at 11pm and have him teach you how to play basketball.

“okay, now you try,” jo separated from you and stood aside.

“what? are you sure? i can’t do it that fast i mean,” jo cut you off with a peck on your lips, “i’m confident in my own teaching and that my pupil can succeed, if you don’t, blame it on the hoop.”

“okay, i can do this,” you huff, getting into position, shooting the basketball into the hoop, you closed your eyes scared of the outcome.

“you did it!” the moment you heard cheering, you opened up your eyes to meet eyes with a happy jo, running towards you to pick you up and spin you around like you just won the nba.

“couldn’t have done it without you,” you smile at your adorable boyfriend, grabbing his cheeks and staring at his gleaming smile that single-handedly lighted up your whole world.

jo let go of you and picked up the basketball and suddenly tried to pass it to you, “catch!”

you were caught off-guard and before you knew it, the basketball was flying towards you, hitting you in the head, bonk.

“y/n!!! oh my god, i’m so sorry,” your vision went black for a second and your life flashed in front of your eyes, you collapsed onto the ground dramatically and landed on your butt, only being able to hear your boyfriend’s voice.

jo ran towards you and knelt down, worriedly holding your head, rubbing it to try to ease the pain with continuous kisses on your head.

“i’m so sorry, y/n, are you alright? should i call an ambulance?” he frantically asked with tears brimming his eyes, acting as if he just killed you with the murder weapon of a basketball.

“hey, don’t need to worry that much, i’m fine. it’s just a bit painful. let’s go home, it’s getting late,” you lied through your teeth so jo wouldn't worry while wiping away the tears that fell from his eyes, trying your best to ignore the aching you felt on your head.

"i'm so sorry, i should've been more careful. this is all my fault. i will not let you near a basketball ever again," jo pouted, his cuteness distracting you from the tremendous pain you were feeling.

"none of us wanted that to happen. it's not your fault, stop blaming yourself or i'm gonna start crying too," you nagged at him like a parent reprimanding their child, pointing a finger at him and joked around so he would stop crying and blaming himself.

you steadily tried to stand up by yourself only for black dots to blind your vision once again, falling back on your butt for the second time tonight.

"come on, you can barely stand up by yourself," jo slightly giggled then proceeded to turn his back against you, pulling your arms to wrap them around his shoulders, you were confused at his actions at first but soon realised he wanted to piggy-back you.

"are you sure this is necessary?" you chuckled, moving your head to face him, your lips almost touching his cheeks.

"yes, very necessary," he moved his face closer to yours, smoothly making you kiss him on the cheeks.

"okay then, let's go!" with your arms around jo, you excitedly pointed to some random direction and jo somehow managed to run with you on his back.

although the way back home from the basketball court was short but the couple still decided to sprint like the main characters of some romantic coming of age movie.

young love, isn’t it?

hdhshdhwhd sh AHHH WHAT IS THIS IDK i just really wanted to write for &team so i just made this fjsjfjsjdhw

feel free to interact, i’d really appreciate it if you liked or reblogged. <33 (tumblr’s algorithm is shit)

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lionydoorin · 11 months

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so talk about tara! literally anything you want!! skateboarding!tara, thoughts? what sport do you think tara would think is useless and just an utter waste of time. what's sam's favourite sport and does tara support her in that love. what's tara's most hated food enemy. does she have any skills she keeps hidden from everyone, too shy to admit to.

swinging my legs and twirling my hair thinking here . ummmmm

skateboard!tara would be SO cute!!! even cuter if it was something she got from sam. i can imagine little tara wearing a helmet and pads that are simply too big for her, balancing herself on the board while sam is in front of her, helping her by holding her hands out while tara moves (or tries to).

i don't know about one she'd dislike, but i think tara would have a certain soft spot for sports where you have to run. she can run pretty fast, but she runs out of breath just as quickly, so she'd have to sit out and watch the kids during P.E. while they ran around, laughing, with the ball.

i can also see tara trying a sport once (maybe soccer, since, well, jenna used to play soccer, or another sport which i'll get into later but it's what i think sam might've played) but maybe she had a bad asthma attack during practice or a game and had to be sent to the hospital – cut to christina prohibiting her from practicing, not for her own safety, but because she hates having to "waste her money" on hospital bills. it's not that tara's asthma was specifically bad at that point where she couldn't play, seeing she did practice for a while! but this one isolated episode was enough for her mother.

sam's a basketball girly for me. maybe i'm saying this because i'm a basketball girly (gender neutral) myself, but... sam playing basketball since she was little? it being one of her safe places, besides tara, and her dropping out as punishment for herself after her dad left (maybe because he was also a basketball player? i dunno? but i see her dropping out at 15/16 when she started to get more and more involved with drugs)? her old teammates and coach trying to reach out and help her, but she's running away from them and rejecting said help? tears.

^ more of basketball sam! i think she'd play in quick, but strong positions, maybe as a small forward or a shooting guard, where she'd be okay with an average to tall height (not being one of the tallest on the team) while also having an aggressive play style. sam was a tall kid that took a while to grow into herself, but her base was very stable, and she was quick, so she was a great and very versatile player. great shooting, amazing infiltration and layup technique. the coach loved her and saw great potential in her.

baby tara admiring how much of a good player sammy was and attending every single one of her games???? yes!!! she was too small for basketball, yeah, but sam was just so cool. sam teaching her how to shoot? sobbing sobbing sobbing

to this day, sam still watches the NBA/WNBA and knows a lot about basketball. whenever they watch together, tara loves to watch as sam gets into the game, how she's involved, standing up from her seat and watching close to the tv, hands on her hips, analyzing plays and players and all but screaming when she thinks something's wrong. it's very entertaining, and tara loves how alive her sister feels.

(not sure which teams she'd root for, though. lakers?)

tara's a very picky eater, and for a while she was super used to bland food because she cooked (or tried to cook) things for herself a lot when sam left, so i think she'd hate very strong flavours.

she loves pasta and loves noodles in general, though, so i think by the amount of instant ramen she ate when she was younger, maybe she could have a surprisingly good spice tolerance? but she only eats the same brands and doesn't explore much!

when judy and wes offered to take her out for dinner, she'd always order the most simple thing on the menu and wouldn't add much salt to it.

she eats slowly, as well, separating things on her plate and making sure what she likes is far, far away from what she absolutely would not eat.

and after scream 5, she became a vegetarian because, well, the smell of meat reminded her of some not very nice things 🫶

about secret skills!!! hmm.. i like to imagine artist tara a lot, like she draws a lot on her free time and doesn't show it to a lot of people. even sam is surprised to see how good she is when she got back, and then the guilt coming from realizing she didn't know that because as much as she was there when tara started drawing, she wasn't there, you know?

#i dont have any other ideas though so! feel free to add more <3 #had to think about this one for a while to figure out what i wanted to say but replying to this ask was SO fun #thank you kai 🫂🫂🫂 ur amazing dude!#ask #krikeymate #tara carpenter #sam carpenter #carpenter sisters #ma talks scream #sk8er carpenters #scream

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fiveht · 8 months

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i've literally never read wolfstar in my whole life but i DO love me some drarry and i ADORE you. i devoured Disarm You and i truly. In my spirit and in my bones, need to see baby siri in subspace. or something. remus in top!space? possessive? protective? literally feral thinking about keeping sirius under lock and key (and plug) forever?? i am losing my mind here. remus being 6'5???? who do i ask about creating art for this??? tiny ass siri and NBA point guard remus?? and topping all this off with daddy!kink? let's talk about this fic and all your other favorite pairings forever and ever. write me back. love you.

UUUGH their height difference is everything to me. (Sirius is 5'7" btw, don't @ me)

Okay so, their Christmas is mostly about like, watching movies and taking baths and learning each others' bodies, just touching all the time and having cute, dirty, exciting new relationship type sex, falling into bed together whenever they want because they have like two weeks together and no one to interrupt them.

But, once Christmas is over, I absolutely want to write some stuff that's just straight up PWPs with these two, because honestly PWPs are my thing, like that's my whole fandom existence up until like 6 months ago. And they have so many things to explore together, and baby boy is obviously getting tied up and plugged up and spanked and whatever else the two of them can come up with. Because Remus is the definition of down bad for this boy, like he's going to spend the rest of his days gritting his teeth trying to resist the urge to to toss Sirius over his shoulder and drag him to his bedroom and bind him to the bed and keep him there forever, because he just wants to fucking touch him ALL THE TIME, and know where he is all the time, and keep him safe and sheltered and right where Remus can always reach him forever and ever amen.

But what he'll do is buy a little bluetooth controlled vibrating plug and have Sirius put it in while Remus is on campus teaching his night class, and every now and then he'll just unlock his phone on his desk and turn the plug on and know that halfway across the city, Sirius is wailing into a pillow, because even at a distance, daddy controls his pleasure.

And he's not gonna do that, because Remus is not actually crazy, he just has crazy thoughts, because Sirius is like a fucking dream come true, a lifetime of fantasies made flesh, and it's breaking something in Remus' brain. But he also wants Sirius to be his beautiful self, and thrive, and get his engineering degree, and take over the fucking world if he wants to. So Remus isn't actually going to act on the caveman desires.

And what he'll do is get Sirius a whole new wardrobe and all kinds of expensive bath bombs and hair care products, because while Remus isn't a jealous man, he sure is a possessive man, and the idea that Sirius is walking around in the clothes that Remus picked out, smelling like mango shampoo because Remus wanted him to smell like that, that kind of ownership makes him feel fucking FERAL.

And what he'll do is strap Sirius into these pretty cuffs that bind his delicate wrists to his pale little thighs and he'll sit him in his lap and bounce him up and down on his daddy's cock until he's sobbing and three orgasms deep and still begging for it because he's daddy's good boy.

And then he'll carry him to a nice hot bath, and wash his lovely hair, and take him to the kitchen and make him pancakes at 3 in the morning, because Remus is his daddy, and that means he takes care of him. And Remus is, above all else, a complete fucking simp for Sirius Black.

So uh, hi, and thank you 😊

#asked and answered #wolfstar

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waheelawhisperer · 5 months

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Pick a new collab for arknights and outline the plotblurb for the event.

I considered Bloodborne but we kinda already have that with the Abyssal Hunters

I considered RWBY but I sorta already did that in a prior post

Let's go with a crossover with professional basketball in a Space Jam-esque goofy event where the Rhodes Island Defenders have to save the world from whatever the fuck necessitated the construction of the false sky that Kirsten broke by defeating them in an exhibition match. The players train with NBA Hall-of-Famers at their respective positions, while Coach Doctor learns strategy and tactics from the legendary Gregg Popovich. The roster is as follows:

Point Guard: Nearl (trainer: Steph Curry)

Shooting Guard: Horn (trainer: Dwyane Wade)

Small Forward: Saria (trainer: Kevin Durant )

Power Forward: Eunectes (trainer: Dirk Nowitzki)

Center: Hoshiguma (trainer: Shaquille O'Neal)

The players on the roster all get basketball skins, as does Amiya, who gets a lore-relevant Defender Alter as one of the team's substitutes and the one who scores the game-winning buzzer-beater. She later uses her newfound skills to dunk on Theresis and take her place as the King of Fiends, ruler of the Royal Court.

Blemishine, Bagpipe, new 6-star event operator Kirsten Wright, Gavial, and Ch'en all get cheerleader skins. Amiya's associated cheerleader is Kal'tsit, but she threatened Closure to keep the skin from showing up in the shop, thus forever depriving us of the ability to deploy Mon3tr with a skirt and pom-poms.

The event starts with the Galleria Stellaria crashing down through the hole in the sky it initially ascended through and landing near the border between Columbia and Sami. Saria, recieving Kirsten's distress call and fearing what the Columbian government will do to her after her actions in Lone Trail (because her first thought is still to protect her), asks Rhodes Island to recover her from the wreckage before either the DOD or Maylander can arrive. Upon receiving medical treatment, Kirsten reveals the existence of invaders from beyond the stars and warns that Terra has limited time to prepare. As Rhodes Island's operators clash with DOD/Maylander strike teams, Kirsten informs the Doctor that the combined military might of Terra's sovereign nations is insufficient to repel the impending attack, but mentions that the files she stole and decrypted from one of the enemy ships implies that they can be convinced to retreat by defeating their mightiest warriors in a form of ritualistic combat known only as... "basketball".

Saria arrives at Rhodes Island to check on Kirsten and they have many Yuri Moments together while everyone else in the room stands there coughing uncomfortably. Kal'tsit contacts the Maylander Foundation and the Tin Man arrives shortly after, bearing a missive from President Mark Max on behalf of the Columbian government. The Tin Man provides all the data Columbia's archives have on this mysterious "basket ball", warning the assembled members of Rhine Lab/Rhodes Island that everything he has shared is highly classified and that the President expects their discretion. Most of the data is useless, but a report from a Columbian research station in Sami indicates that more information about "basketball" can be found by traversing one of the many dimensional rifts in the northern icefields. Rhodes Island calls in every ally it can find, assembles a team of its hardiest operators, and sets out for the frozen north.

After fighting its way through hordes of icefield demons, Rhodes Island and its allies manage to locate a likely portal and send forth communications and scouting drones in hopes of locating information about "basketball". What they find is a nation similar in many respects to the Columbian Union, though its advanced technology is in many respects very different from what they're used to seeing on Terra. Fending off attacks from the icefield demons, our heroes are about to lose hope when one of the communications drones picks up a reference to a place known as... Madison Square Garden. Video and audio footage of that night's Knicks vs. Spurs game is sufficient to convince Kal'tsit and the Tin Man that they have found the "basketball" they seek. The rules of the sport are not overly complicated, but developing the skills and strategies in the time they have available is not considered feasible, so Rhodes Island sends Operator Hellagur, at great risk, to make contact with the winning coach in hopes of securing his assistance. A bargain is struck - Pop will tutor the players in basketball basics and teach the Doctor how to coach the team, while a group of the best players to ever touch the game will help Rhodes Island's roster refine its techniques. In exchange, Rhine Labs will help the "National Basketball Association" adapt its broadcasts for a Terran audience.

The Doctor recruits other Rhodes Island operators to serve as the Rhodes Island Defenders' practice partners while the Columbian military sets up defenses around the portal and its communications array. The team improves steadily, but it feels like something essential is missing. No one has any clue what that might be, until one day when Kirsten shows up at practice claiming to have found the missing component. She mentions that after poring over every scrap of footage she could find, she determined that what the team needs is a group of fans and well-wishers, and follows this pronouncement by unveiling official Marthe cheerleader outfits, commissioned jointly by Rhodes Island and Rhine Labs. Several operators volunteer to form the Rhodes Island cheerleading squad (Ch'en gets bullied into it), and Bibeak alters the uniforms to fit them. They practice alongside the basketball team, and the players demonstrate notable improvement with something to simulate the adoration of their fans.

The fated day arrives, and after a brief clash with the alien forces, wherein Rhodes Island and its allies just barely manage to hold the line, an avenue of communication is opened with Kirsten's help and the challenge is issued: if the Rhodes Island defenders can defeat the alien invaders in a game of basketball, they will win their world a brief reprieve. Using alien technology, the match will be broadcast all across Terra, and people from every nation on the planet send Rhodes Island and its team tokens of their support. The world comes together, sort of, in perhaps the first time in Kal'tsit's living memory, to her equal parts amazement and chagrin.

The match is epic, brutal, and violent, with things like "fouls" reserved for injuries at least as severe as broken bones. The team fights hard and gives as good as it gets, but eventually star point guard Margaret Nearl is forced to leave the court with serious injuries after she leads an epic comeback and puts her body on the line to protect her teammates. Amiya subs in for her as Saria runs the offense, and the Doctor's coaching is crucial to allowing Rhodes Island to keep the game close. At a pivotal moment, Amiya manifests Nearl's shield and swordspear, much like she did with Chi Xiao against Talulah, and strikes down the enemy's deadliest player before sinking a fadeaway jumper as the clock runs out.

All of Terra erupts into cheers. The alien invaders retreat. Rhodes Island and its operators are hailed as heroes worldwide. Many people get drunk and party. Lots of babies are born nine months later. Someone posts pictures of Kal'tsit's ass on social media. Only a few in the know worry about the eventual return of the invaders.

Kirsten Wright is the 6-star banner operator for this event. She's the first operator with the ability to switch classes outright during an operation - her base class is an offensive ranged unit whose kit focuses around manipulating the planetarium spheres from her boss fight, while her alternative class is a Bard Supporter and features her donning her cheerleader outfit to encourage her allies. The banner 5-star is Jordan, a Forte Sniper with a sick jump shot and a habit of sticking her tongue out in battle. The event welfare is S&C Coach Sideroca, a 5-star Instructor Guard who provides stat buffs and heals to Guards, Defenders, Snipers, Vanguards, and Specialists.

Skins include the aforementioned basketball outfits and cheerleader getups, as well as Coach Dobermann and Athletic Trainer Silence. General Manager Hellagur, Towel Boy Bison, and Concession Stand Worker Schwarz (she hates customer service) also make a limited-time appearance in the shop.

The final boss is actually five different units at once. As each unit is defeated, the remaining units gain buffs depending on which unit was defeated previously. When all five are defeated, they revive with greatly reduced HP and increased movement speed, becoming briefly unblockable as they mount a last-ditch drive to the basket. Take them down quickly, or all of Terra will pay the price...

#arknights

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splash-brothers · 2 years

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The Splash Brothers are a duo of basketball players consisting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The two guards play professionally for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. Considered among the greatest shooters in NBA history, and one of the greatest backcourts of all time, they have combined to set various NBA records for three-point field goals by a pair of teammates, and each has won the Three-Point Contest. They are NBA All-Stars, and together have won four NBA championships and appeared in six NBA Finals with the Warriors.

#stephen curry #steph curry #klay thompson #splash brothers #*#that wiki page reads like a myth lol

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cyarskaren52 · 3 months

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Jack Harlow Is Serious About This

By Ross Scarano

Photography by Stacy Kranitz

December 11, 2020

Jacket, $2,850, and shirt, $875, by Louis Vuitton Men's

Somewhere amidst the green hills of West Virginia, in the kind of club that offers bottle service to its VIP customers, there’s a woman in possession of Jack Harlow’s heart.

He flew into Pittsburgh—the nearest major airport—before driving into the wild and wonderful heart of Appalachia for a club appearance. At the club, he met a bottle girl who stopped him cold. If you were unaware that West Virginia had bottle girls, so was Harlow. “I found out just shortly before you did,” he deadpans over a video-less Zoom call.

She’s been on his mind since, and because everything in Harlow’s lyrics really happened, she’s in his music, too. Track three on his debut album Thats What They All Say, his first full-length release since his smash single “Whats Poppin” (and its star-studded remix) shot up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance, to be precise.

Thats What They All Say will likely be one of the biggest albums of the year, and the bottle girl makes her cameo early, on “21C/Delta,” a mellow two-part journey into 21st century romance as experienced by a 22-year-old rap star who claims few vices outside of sex. In fact, Harlow is something of a strip club aficionado—when the Los Angeles Clippers point guard Lou Williams was allowed to leave the NBA bubble in July to attend a memorial service, it was Harlow’s Instagram photo that revealed that Williams had also found time to stop by Atlanta’s legendary Magic City. According to Harlow, there are no hard feelings and the video for his single “Tyler Herro” was shot on Williams’ home basketball court.

But he’s too decent a guy to say anything more about his brief encounter in Appalachia. “I don't want to ruin this person's life,” he says. Fingers crossed, this will not devolve into a “Courtney from Hooters on Peach Street”situation.

Jacket, $1,750, and pants, $600, by Room Service Los Angeles / Earrings (throughout), his own

Harlow was introduced to hip-hop around age seven by his mother Maggie, who played The Marshall Mathers LP and other landmarks of the genre while driving around their home of Louisville, Kentucky. Her trip to buy Kanye West’s Late Registration is one of his earliest memories. “She told me all the words I was about to hear but wasn't allowed to say,” he told me. Around the same time, he remembers his teachers praising his writing. “In first grade, I was writing personal narratives and persuasive letters,” he says. “That's when I knew I enjoyed words.”

After years of adolescent grinding in the mixtape circuit in Louisville, supported by his parents and grandmother, Harlow recognized that in order to progress he needed to be at the center of American music culture. So in 2017 he moved to Atlanta, where he met hip-hop veterans DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and Leighton “Lake” Morrison, who signed him to their label Generation Now in 2018. The mixtapes and EPshe made in Kentucky often felt too try-hard, both in terms of the attempts at comedic wordplay (“Like blue jeans at the state fair, I might cut you off straight mid-sentence”) and the self-seriousness that Harlow deployed as a counterbalance (a ride past his elementary school on “Eastern Parkway” becomes an opportunity for a belabored metaphor about states of matter). He describes those early records as “forcefully goofy,” so much so that he felt uncomfortable playing the music “in front of girls.” Atlanta gave his music a new sense of nonchalance; he learned to relax his grip. “I'm doing a much better job of representing who I am off record, on record,” he says.

Blazer, $1,025, and turtleneck, $750, by Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh / Sunglasses, $625, by Vintage Wood Collection

“I’m signed to the gatekeepers,” Harlow raps on the intro to Thats What They All Say. Often when gatekeepers are invoked in rap, it’s to decry the (white) executives, radio programmers, and members of the Recording Academy who prevent authentic music from truly succeeding, or, conversely, amplify the wrong things. But for Harlow, gatekeepers means Black men with impressive industry bona fides who vouch for him. Drama hosted the Gangsta Grillz mixtape series, where Lil Wayne did some of his most sublime work; Cannon produced a number of the highlights across those mixtapes; Lake managed both Drama and Cannon, along with the aughts R&B star Bobby Valentino for a period.

“I don't know if [credibility] is a requirement to have success, but it's important to me,” Harlow says. “When I was shopping around before I signed I wasn't like, ‘I’m not signing until I find some Black gatekeepers.’ But I’m proud to be signed to them.” Cannon says “gatekeeper is simply a word that says, ‘Hey, you belong here’”; Lake says that Harlow is “driven and trying to move in an urban space, and one thing that I appreciate about him is he's open to a conversation.”

A successful white rapper will always have to reckon with the fact that their skin color lends a commercial advantage. But these are times of particularly intense scrutiny about the ethics of cultural appropriation. The release of the artwork for Thats What They All Say, which depicts Harlow signing autographs for a racially diverse group of children while sitting in a luxury vehicle next to a faceless brown-skinned woman, prompted much ado on social media. But rather than, say, rush out a Macklemore-esque apology, he’s not sweating it. Harlow’s touch stays light.

Not everyone has welcomed his rise: In 2019, labelmate Lil Uzi Vert posted a photo on Instagram of Harlow with a clown emoji superimposed over his face after Harlow made his support of the label clear in response to Vert’s criticism of it. (Lake says he appreciates Harlow’s solidarity.)

Suit, $1,850, by Grayscale / Turtleneck, $590, by Thom Browne / Boots, $515, by Raf Simons / Watch (throughout), his own, by Rolex / Ring (throughout), his own

Harlow wants his name (and debut) to be mentioned among greats like Drake and Kendrick. The wide audiences they found and the respect they commanded for their technical abilities—he wants those things too. Drama, Cannon and Lake push him: 48 hours before Thats What They All Say was supposed to be completed, Harlow says Drama told him that “the greats would do a new intro.” In the final hour, Harlow recorded “Rendezvous,” a bars-forward salvo that sets the tone for the level of candor found in the album’s best moments. Cannon, who thinks “all the greats are honest,” encouraged him to rap with increasing frankess—a key skill in the age of the vulnerable rapper. “Nobody really knows who you are,” Cannon remembers telling him. “We have to know who you are, whether we like it or not. Whatever comes out, that's going to be our truth.”

Thats What They All Say is a concise coming-of-age story that marks significant improvement from his previous work. He’s trying the right amount, and the humor feels natural rather than overdetermined. When he raps with Lil Baby, the star of hip-hop in 2020, he doesn’t sound out of place. But above all, the project is animated by Harlow’s belief that he can be “honest about anything.” That can mean sexual adventures like the story of the bottle girl, or mishaps like the digital-era tragedy on “Way Out”: “I’m in the mountains out west on the tour bus texting a chick I used to mess with/Got her in the bed doing video shoots, tried to send one to me but it didn’t go through: damn.”

But Harlow can also be reflective about his flaws (he’s been seeing a therapist recently). He recounts running into someone he used to sleep with at a party for over two-and-a-half minutes on “Funny Seeing You Here,” an X-ray of early-twenties awkwardness that culminates with Harlow’s admission that, as a romantic partner, he can fall short:

You used to say her man was trash and tell me about the way he’d act

I would shake my head until I realized I’m the same as that

Now I wonder do she tell her man that I’m a trash dude

And would he shake his head until he realized that he was trash too?

On the album’s outro, “Baxter Avenue,” he stops pondering the vicissitudes of casual humping and turns his attention to race and his mixed crew. “Always wondered to myself if I could really be the leader to a group of brown-skinned boys when I’m not brown-skinned,” he raps before clocking the differences in their upbringings. Sounding genuinely unsure, he raps about wanting to share his success and wealth, and wonders what it would look like to do that fairly. He says it’s the kind of song that will be “tough to sit in a room and have other people hear.” According to Cannon, that’s exactly the sort of honesty he pushed Harlow toward.

Watch Now:

Jack Harlow Goes Undercover on Twitter, Instagram and Wikipedia

The song will start a conversation, something Harlow relishes. On the day he released the album artwork, the invite-only, audio-led social media app Clubhouse, which has become more and more popular as a gathering place for music industry real talk, hosted a vigorous debate about it. “I didn't tune in for a second,” Harlow says. “But a lot of people I’m close to did. There's no way we could have dressed that cover up, race-wise, without causing a discussion. If they had been all white, it would have been ‘Why are you whitewashing?’ If it had been all Black, it’s like, ‘Where’s the white people?’” Harlow thinks the cover reflects the city and scene he comes from. “If you come to our parties or the kickbacks we have with 20 people, it looks like [the cover].”

Lake chalks the conversation up to “everybody's in the house and has nothing but time.” Though he acknowledges that Harlow’s trio of label execs don’t always agree on his artwork choices, he says the critics “thought about [the artwork] in way more detail than Jack did. People that don't know Jack would maybe question it, but if you know him, that's him, 110%. He's a white artist in a Black genre, and he's attracted to women of all races, colors, creeds, everything.”

Painting, “Buster”, by Jaime CorumJacket, $2,850, and shirt, $875, by Louis Vuitton Men's / Pants, $820, by Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh

If you still take issue with his decision to cast a faceless Black woman as his love interest, the title is directed at you: Thats What They All Sayis meant to be an all-purpose retort. “It’s how I feel about any criticism or praise that I'm receiving,” Harlow says. “You really can't tell me anything I haven't heard before.”

Still, he does hear it. Though he’s stopped searching his name on Twitter, he hasn’t stopped reading his reviews and knows he’ll take in the latest round of press. (He doesn’t need the WiFi password to recall the 5.6 Pitchfork score for his 2019 release Confetti.) “I’m just too much of a narcissist,” he says. “I always catch ‘em.”

Blazer, $1,025, turtleneck, $750, and pants, $920, by Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh / Boots, $990, by Celine Homme by Hedi Slimane

At one point on Thats What They All Say, Harlow says that “all the rappers I love most at one point got called a fake.” Among others, he means Drake. From the occasional singing to the subject matter, Harlow is a student of the great Canadian, and he has Drake’s confidence too. Accusations of fakery never slowed Drake—he only became more powerful. Reflecting on Drake’s ability to overcome gives Harlow comfort. Like Drake, Harlow works hard at this. His seriousness is part of what makes it possible to root for him. That he’s more interested in reconnecting with the West Virginia bottle girl than trying to resolve the ills of the world with his music doesn’t hurt either.

Ross Scarano is a writer and editor from Pittsburgh.

PRODUCTION CREDITS: Styled by Metta Conchetta

Sent from my iPhone

#Instagram #jack harlow #jackman thomas harlow #jackman harlow #💚💚💚#Jack Harlow #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x black reader #jack harlow x you #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow fanfic

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kicksaddictny · 3 months

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The Iconic Converse Weapon Makes a Triumphant Return During All-Star Weekend

Converse marks a significant milestone as it brings back the iconic Converse Weapon and its low-cut counterpart, the Weapon Ox, just in time for the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. This revival follows a string of successful collaborations with fragment design, UNDEFEATED, and Kasina, further elevating the anticipation surrounding these classic silhouettes.

Originally introduced in 1986, the Converse Weapon swiftly became the footwear of choice for basketball luminaries of the late '80s and early '90s. Now, Converse reintroduces both the Weapon and Weapon Ox in their original material composition and design, catering to a new generation of enthusiasts. Boasting leather uppers, Star Chevron underlays, egret cup soles and outsoles, and the signature Y-bar characteristic of the Weapon, these models stay true to their heritage.

While the Weapon underwent a re-crafting in 2020 as part of Converse's CX line, featuring an updated CX foam midsole, it also received a reinterpretation by Rick Owens in 2021 as the TURBOWPN. Leading the charge for the revived Converse Weapon is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the esteemed All-NBA first team point guard and two-time All-Star. He headlines a campaign that pays homage to the original 1986 "Choose Your Weapon" ads, embodying the spirit of past basketball greats while propelling the silhouette into a new era.

The Converse Weapon returns in its classic colorways, including black and natural ivory, alongside vintage white, ash stone, and egret iterations. Meanwhile, the Weapon Ox makes its comeback in white and black, as well as vintage white and vintage cargo variants. Both silhouettes are set to hit shelves on February 8, available for purchase on converse.com and at select retailers, reigniting the fervor for these timeless icons.

#converse #kicksaddict

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noelandrew24 · 5 months

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My best NBA player 🏀

"STEPHEN CURRY

Born in 1988 in Ohio to an NBA player father and educator mother, Curry grew up in North Carolina where dad Dell played with the Charlotte Hornets. Curry, a seven-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and three-time NBA champion, began his career in college with Davidson College in North Carolina.

Curry with warriors since 2009

No.30-Golden state warriors

Position: point guard/shooting guard

born March 14, 1988, (age 35)

Nationality: American

Height: 1.88 m

Spouse: Ayesha Curry (m. 2011)

Parents: Dell Curry, Sonya Curry

Siblings: Seth Curry, Sydel Curry

College: Davidson (2006–2009)

#1st blog #emtech

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onlyinnba · 5 months

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💥MY TOP 5 GREATEST NBA PLAYERS OF ALL TIME💥

#EMTECH

#1STBLOG

1. MICHAEL JORDAN - "THE GOAT"

This man is arguably the Greatest Basketball Player to ever set foot on Earth. Wins 3 rings in a row then retired and when he came back, they win another 3 rings. So this man have a 6-0 record in the Finals. He won a Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1988 along with his 5 MVPs, 6 FMVPs with his 10 Scoring Titles and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team and if I mention all of MJs accomplishments and achievements it's gonna take years.

2. LEBRON JAMES - "THE KING" "THE CHOSEN ONE"

They are only 2 players who are in the conversation of being the "GOAT" or the Greatest Of All Time. It's Lebron and Michael, You can't hate someone when they put Lebron in their Top 1 because when you say greatness it's a crime to leave The King behind. For me what secured his spot in the "GOAT CONVERSATION" with MJ was his performance in 2016 when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors. He was a 4x Nba Champion, 4x Nba Finals MVP, 4x Nba MVP, 19x Nba All Star, 19 All Nba Selection and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He also surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the All Time Leading Scorer. Greatness.

3. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR - "THE TOWER FROM POWER"

The former NBA's All Time Leading Scorer and the inventor of one of the most iconic move in Basketball History, the "Classical Sky Hook" it was his move on his road to 38, 387 career points. He was an 6x Nba Champion, 2x Nba Finals MVP, 6x Nba MVP, 19x Nba All Star, 20x All Nba Selections and was named to the 75th Nba Anniversary Team. Old but Gold.

4. EARVIN JOHNSON - "MAGIC"

The Best Point Guard of All Time. Just think about how incredible it is that in his first season in the legue, Magic startd Game 6 of the NBA Finals at center and dropped 42 points. He won 5 NBA Championships, 3 Nba Finals MVP, 3 Nba MVP, 12 Nba All Star Appearances and 10 All Nba Selections. He also was named in the 75th Nba Anniversary Team. Magic. Showtime.

5. KOBE BRYANT - "THE BLACK MAMBA"

First of All, Rest in Peace to the Mamba himself Kobe Bean Bryant. He is one of the most iconic names in all Basketball History. Many kids idolized him for his Mentality and I can't hide the fact that I am one of those kids. We see the accomplishments in Kobe as he won 5 NBA Championships , 2 Nba Finals MVP, 1 Nba MVP, 18 Nba All Star Appearances and 15 All Nba Selections. He was also named to 75th Nba Anniversary Team. Mamba Mentality. Mamba Out.

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nbatrades · 20 years

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Charlotte Bobcats Acquire Melvin Ely and Eddie House from Los Angeles Clippers

On July 14th, 2004, the Los Angeles Clippers traded center-forward Melvin Ely and guard Eddie House to the Charlotte Bobcats for a 2005 second round draft pick (Daniel Ewing) and a 2006 second round draft pick (Paul Davis).

The 2001-02 season was a year of disappointment sprinkled in with some hope for the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year, the team won 39 games, its most in nine years. With young players such as Elton Brand, Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette on the roster, the Clippers had hope to build into a legitimate playoff team.

In the 2002 offseason, the Clippers held two picks in the lottery at number eight and 12. First, the team drafted athletic power forward Chris Wilcox from the University of Maryland. Next, the team selected big man Melvin Ely from Fresno State.

A throwback big man with the ability to score in the post with either hand, Ely excelled at the college level. A two-time WAC player of the year, Ely led the Bulldogs in his senior year with 23.3 PPG and 9.1 RPG. After the draft, Ely signed the traditional rookie scale contract for four years with a team option in the last year for $7.3 million.

The Clipper had high hopes for the 2002-03 season after trading for point guard Andre Miller. The team was a disappointment dropping 12 of its first 18 games. Los Angeles fell to third-worst in the West with a 19-39 record, head coach Alvin Gentry was fired. Assistant coach Dennis Johnson took over for the rest of the season. After the coaching change, the Clippers weren't much better, finishing the year with a 27-55 record.

Ely was on the fringes of the Clippers rotation, but injuries to starters Michael Olowokandi, Elton Brand and Lamar Odom in the frontcourt opened up time for the rookie. Ely appeared in 52 games (seven starts) and tallied 4.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 0.6 BPG in 15.4 MPG.

The Clippers had somehow compiled four players on the roster who were drafted in the first round of the 1999 draft in Brand, Odom, Miller and Maggette. That meant they all would hit free agency in the summer of 2003. All four players were restricted free agents. On top of that, starting center Olowokandi and reserve Eric Piatkowski were unrestricted free agents.

It would be a key moment in the franchise's history. Los Angeles went halfway in restricted free agency. Brand and Maggette signed offer sheets of six years and $82 million, and six years and $42 million with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz respectively. The Clippers matched both offers, keeping the two players in Los Angeles.

Miller and Odom both signed six year offer sheets with the Denver Nuggets and Heat respectively. Los Angeles declined to match the offer sheets, losing both starters. Olowokandi signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves while Piatkowski departed for the Houston Rockets.

The Clippers added Eddie House in free agency, signing the combo guard to a two-year, $1.6 million deal. In the first round of the draft, the Clippers added center Chris Kaman. On the coaching front, the Clippers hired head coach Mike Dunleavy in the offseason.

The Clippers started the 2003-04 season 4-2 after six games, but dropped nine of their next 11 games to fall to 6-11. Los Angeles was 24-30 after 54 games and the team finished the season 4-24 over the last 28 games to finish 28-54.

Ely was unhappy in his second season with the Clippers. With the departures of Olowokandi and Odom, there was hope for him to see an uptick in minutes. However, players like the rookie Kaman and fellow 2002 pick Wilcox received more playing time under coach Dunleavy.

The former Fresno State college player hoped to be traded at the deadline but that never happened. Near the end of the regular season, Ely expressed interest in being selected by incoming NBA team the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft. But really, Ely just wanted to join a team where he could receive regular rotation minutes.

"I just want to play, so if that means going to another team, that's what I want to do. Obviously, I'm not a fit here. God willing, I could be somewhere else next season, start everything brand new ... and just try to get onto the court by any means necessary."

Overall, Ely saw action in just 42 games (two starts) with the Clippers and put up 3.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 0.5 APG in 12.1 MPG.

House was in a similar role to his previous stop with the Miami Heat. Mainly a reserve, House played in 60 games and made 10 starts. The guard posted 6.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.1 SPG in 19.8 MPG.

Ely's request for a trade didn't work out the exact way he had expected. The Bobcats were interested in taking Ely in the expansion draft, but the Clippers kept him on their list of protected players.

Instead, the Clippers worked out a deal where reserve center Peja Drobnjak was selected by the Bobcats in the expansion draft. Charlotte moved up to the second spot—drafting Emeka Okafor—of the draft while the Clippers moved down to number four—taking guard Shaun Livingston. As part of this arrangement the Clippers also received the 33rd pick in the draft.

Ely eventually got his wish as the Clippers sent him and House to the expansion Bobcats for two future second round picks in 2005 and 2006.

The primary motivation for Los Angeles was to free up cap space to make a run at Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant who entered free agency in the summer of 2004. The Clippers were considered a legitimate threat at signing Bryant because of his interest in staying in the Los Angeles area.

Ely was owed $1.7 million for the 2004-05 season and House's was $825,000. offloading those two salaries cleared a max cap slot for the Clippers to make a run at Bryant which turned out to be unsuccessful. The star guard returned to the Lakers.

Melvin Ely and Eddie House joined the expansion Bobcats after being cast off from the Los Angeles Clippers. Ely played in Summer League for the Bobcats in Salt Lake City. In six games, he contributed 11.7 PPG on 50% shooting and 4.8 RPG in 21.8 MPG.

The Bobcats were bad early on, starting their inaugural season 1-8. The club was just 8-31 after 39 games. Charlotte finished the season 18-64, tied for the second-worst record in the NBA.

House was waived in early December by the Bobcats as the club made room to acquire guard Kareem Rush from the Los Angeles Lakers. He later signed during the season with the Milwaukee Bucks. House played in 13 games (five starts) with Charlotte, compiling 11.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.8 SPG in 23.1 MPG.

Ely saw a boost in playing time with the Bobcats, playing in 79 games (17 starts) and recording 7.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.9 BPG in 20.9 MPG.

After the 2004-05 season, the Bobcats drafted point guard Raymond Felton fifth overall and power forward Sean May in the 13th spot of the draft. Charlotte began the 2005-06 season 5-17 which set the tone for another losing season. Charlotte was 26-56 which was an eight-win increase from the previous year.

Ely continued to grow his game as he tallied a career-high 9.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 APG and 23.6 MPG along with 0.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG during the ‘05-‘06 season. The big man flashed his post up skill on offense to the tune of 30 double digit scoring games in 57 appearances.

Charlotte had the third selection in the 2006 NBA Draft which it used to select Gonzaga University standout Adam Morrison. Ely entered restricted free agency during the 2006 offseason. The post up aficionado reportedly turned down potential sign-and trade offers from the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. Instead, he signed a one year and $3 million qualifying offer deal with the Bobcats..

Due to poor defense and rebounding, Ely lost his place in the rotation to players like Emeka Okafor and Sean May. The dramatic decrease in minutes caused Ely to request a trade. Ely was producing just 2.9 PPG and 1.6 RPG in just 10.2 MPG, through 24 games before he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. The numbers were a career-low for him.

Ely averaged 7.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.7 BPG in two and a half years with Charlotte. The big man shot 46% from the field and 62% from the free-throw line in that time in the 160 career games he played with the Bobcats.

The two second rounders the Clippers acquired from Charlotte were juicy. Since the Bobcats were expected to be bad, both second rounders could be in the early 30s.

That happened right away in the 2005 draft. Since Charlotte was tied for the second-worst record in the NBA, the pick it sent to the Clippers was 32nd in the draft. Los Angeles used the pick on guard Daniel Ewing from Duke. Ewing was a productive starter for a quality Blue Devils program, but there were questions about his lack of size, suspect shooting and point guard skills.

The Clippers signed Ewing to a three-year, $1.8 million contract. An undersized combo guard, Ewing played for the Clippers' Summer League team in Las Vegas, recording 8.0 PPG on 37.1% shooting, 2.6 RPG and 1.6 APG in five games.

Los Angeles began the 2005-06 season 5-1 and was 9-2 after 11 games. The winning continued at an unprecedented rate for the franchise's modern history. Los Angeles held the fifth-best record in the Western Conference at 47-35.

The Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season, and it was the club's highest win total since 1974-75 when the team went 49-33. The franchise was the Buffalo Braves at that time and played in the Eastern Conference. Ewing played in 66 games in his rookie season, averaging, 14.7 MPG, 3.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.6 SPG in 14.7 MPG.

NBA playoff seeding rules at the time stated that division winners in each conference take the top three seed. Due to that rule, the Clippers were the sixth seed in the Western Conference despite having the fifth-best record in the conference.

The Clippers faced the third-seed Denver Nuggets. Denver was 44-38 and had a worse record than Los Angeles but was the third seed because it won the Northwest Division. Since Los Angeles had the better record, it held homecourt advantage in the first round.

The Clippers had a 16-point lead late in the third quarter of Game One. Denver tied the score at 87 after an Andre Miller layup with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. The Clippers scored two after Vladimir Radmanovic was fouled and made free throws with 59.8 seconds left.

Elton Brand blocked Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and Radmanovic was whistled for an offensive foul on a drive. Anthony missed two different shots that would've tied the game and the Clippers held on for the two-point win.

The Clippers led by as much as 25 points in the first half of Game Two and held on for a 98-87 victory. The Nuggets won the third game Anthony scored 24 points. In the fourth game, seven Clippers reached double figures and Los Angeles won 100-86. The Clippers closed out the series in Game Five with a 101-83 blowout victory.

Los Angeles matched up with the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Brand starred with 40 points, but Phoenix had four players score at least 17 in a 130-123 win. The Clippers used a 19-5 offensive rebounding advantage and a 31-6 edge in second chance points to take Game Two 122-97 victory.

In response to great play from Clippers guard Sam Cassell (25.5 PPG), the Suns had 6-foot-8 forward Shawn Marion primarily guard Cassell instead of the 6-foot-3 Nash. Marion helped limit Cassell to 2-for-10 shooting as the Suns took back homecourt advantage with a 94-91 Suns win in Game Three.

In Game Four, the Clippers led for most of the contest. Cassell hit a three-pointer with 27.2 seconds left to give them a six-point lead. They ended up taking the game 114-107 and tying the series 2-2.

Game Five was one of the best games of the 2006 postseason. Los Angeles trailed by 19 points early on but stormed back. With 39.2 seconds left and the Clippers down by three, Cassell knocked down a corner three to tie the game. Neither team scored again in regulation, forcing free basketball.

Los Angeles took a three-point lead with 3.6 seconds left in overtime after Cassell hit two free throws. Phoenix tied it after Raja Bell hit a corner three over a recently subbed in Ewing with 1.1 seconds left.

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The Clippers turned it over on their subsequent inbounds play, and Marion missed a heave at the buzzer. The second overtime saw Marion and Leandro Barbosa scored 11 of Phoenix’s 14 points in the second overtime as the Suns outlasted the Clippers 125-118.

The decision by coach Dunleavy to sub in the rookie Ewing for Bell's three-pointer was heavily criticized after the loss. The team had one foul to give on the play and its original plan was to foul before anyone on Phoenix could get a shot off.

The Clippers took out Cassell, Brand and center Chris Kaman and had five perimeter players on the floor to switch and guard the three-point line. Ewing for his part said he intended to foul but didn't because he didn't want to foul Bell on a shot attempt creating free-throws (via ESPN):

"He caught the ball in the corner and turned and shot. I did the best I could, put pressure on the shooter. It was a good play for them and a bad break for us. It was judgment call. He made a tough shot. We have to live with it."

Brand had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help lead the Clippers to a 118-106 Game Six win and tie the series 3-3. The series finale saw Nash score 29 points and hand out 11 assists to lead Phoenix to a Game Seven 127-107 blowout victory.

Though Ewing is remembered for being on the floor for one of the Clippers' most significant playoff moments, he appeared in just six of the team's 12 games for a total of five minutes. The guard scored two points in the postseason.

In the 2006 offseason, Cassell re-signed with Los Angeles on a two-year, $13 million deal. In the draft, the Clippers filled a need in the frontcourt, adding 6-foot-11 center Paul Davis from Michigan State. A four-year player in college, Davis averaged 17.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG with the Spartans in his senior year.

Ewing played in Summer League for a second consecutive season with the Clippers. In five games, the guard averaged 31.6 MPG, 14.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.6 SPG.

The 2006-07 season would be a rollercoaster ride for the Clippers. Expected to compete for a playoff spot, Los Angeles began the season 5-1 but soon dropped six of seven to fall to 6-7. A six-game losing streak dropped the team to 10-15 in December and a 7-1 stretch in January got the team to 24-22.

Injuries to point guards Sam Cassell and Shaun Livingston played a large part in the team's struggles all year. After 74 games, Los Angeles was in eighth place in the West with a 37-37 record. A 3-5 stretch in the last five games dropped the Clippers to 40-42. Los Angeles finished two games behind the seventh place Golden State Warriors and eighth place Los Angeles Lakers who both finished 42-40.

Ewing made appearances in 61 games in his second season and put up 2.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.5 APG and 0.5 SPG in 11.7 MPG. Ewing struggled to fill in at point guard with Cassell and Livingston out with injury as he felt more comfortable as a two-guard. Davis had a small role in his rookie season. The 6-foot-11 forward saw action in 31 games and amassed 1.6 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 5.8 MPG.

In the 2007 offseason, the Clippers waived Ewing. He ended his two-year run in Los Angeles with a stat line of 3.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.4 APG and 0.5 SPG in 127 games. The former Blue Devil shot 39% from the field, 32% from the three-point line and 78% from the free-throw line in two years. Ewing signed a two-year deal overseas to play with Khimki of the Russian League.

Davis played in Summer League with the Clippers in 2007. In Las Vegas, Davis started all five games, producing 12.6 PPG on 44% shooting and 8.0 RPG in 25.1 MPG.

Los Angeles' hopes for fielding a playoff team for the 2007-08 season were dashed before the start of the season. Brand ruptured his left achilles tendon during a routine offseason workout. The two-time All-Star would miss all but the last eight games of the season.

Los Angeles won its first four games but dropped 23 of the next 29 games. to fall to 10-23. The Clippers started a retooling, agreeing to a buyout arrangement with veteran starter Sam Cassell at midseason. After reaching 19-33, the Clippers went 4-26 over the final 30 games to finish the year 23-59.

In early January of 2008, Davis tore the ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee during a game against the Dallas Mavericks. The injury required surgery and ended his season abruptly. Davis averaged 2.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.5 APG and 8.8 MPG in 22 games.

In the 2008 offseason, Los Angeles underwent significant changes. The team was able to sign All-Star point guard Baron Davis, but lost Brand and Maggette to the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors respectively.

In response to losing Brand, the Clippers traded for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby in a deal with the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers renounced their rights to Paul Davis, but later signed the big man to a contract.

Los Angeles began the 2008-09 season just 1-9. The team made a significant early-season deal, acquiring power forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks for forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley.

The losing continued as Los Angeles was 8-25 when it waived Davis along with guard Fred Jones in early 2009 to make room for recently acquired center Cheikh Samb. In 27 games, Davis was averaging 4.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 11.5 MPG. Over the course of three seasons, Davis appeared in 80 games with the Clippers, posting 2.2 PPG and 2.0 RPG. The big man shot 40% from the field and 74% from the charity stripe.

Melvin Ely on being eager to join the Bobcats (via LA Times):

"This is a great feeling to start all over with a brand-new team. I'm just happy that I can start with a new team and a new coach and a clean slate and finally show people that it wasn't a fluke that I was picked 12th and that I can go in there and help the new team out."

On the strengths in his game (via Bobcats.com):

"I'm a low-post presence, defensively and offensively, and that's something that every team needs. I'm hoping to add along with (Emeka) Okafor and all the other guys that have been there."

Eddie House on arriving in Charlotte (via Bobcats.com):

"I'm just happy to get the opportunity to come to a new team with a new start and a new beginning and try to start something good there. It's also a great opportunity for me to come in and show that I can play this game."

On how he feels he is best used:

"I just want to get on the court and play basketball. I'm a basketball player. It doesn't matter what position I'm at, I feel like I could have a positive effect on the game for my squad. If asked to run the one, I could do that. "I have definitely gotten better over the years. People don't know if I'm a one or a two. My answer since I came to the league is that I'm a basketball player. Once I get out on the court, that's what I do. I play hard."

On whether his jump shot is the best part of his game:

"Yes, I see that as my strong point. I think also the energy I bring to the floor. I energize the team. I get my teammates going and also get the crowd into it at the same time."

Charlotte Bobcats general manager and head coach Bernie Bickerstaff on adding Ely and House (via Bobcats.com):

"Adding these two players complements the make-up of our team very well. We now have six players that are 6-9 or taller for a nice rotation in the center and power forward positions and we have solidified our point guard position, as well."

On Melvin Ely:

"Melvin Ely is someone who commands respect in the low post on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He is an old-school type of player who is physically tough. He can conceivably play multiple positions in the frontcourt, at both center and forward, and can attract double-teams in the post."

On Eddie House:

"Eddie House has the ability to be an outside shooting threat and will give us another scorer. Another thing I like about him is his versatility to play some point guard and off-guard."

On what the trade gives Charlotte (via Bobcats.com):

"The trade gives us another guy at 6’10 who was the 12th pick in the draft. The point is that he is a guy who can command respect on the low block. Kind of the old-school game, because I know people will have to double-team him. I think he’ll do a good job with rebounding. We feel comfortable with that. I think he matches up with a lot of the bigs we have and he and Emeka (Okafor) could play together. "In talking to Eddie House, I asked him about the point guard situation, he was telling me 'you know coach, sometimes they want me to play point guard, when I started to play point guard they'd pull me off and have me play the two.' My message to him was 'we just want you to come in and play basketball. Be yourself. That's how you excel.' There are things that we can do offensively when he's in the game that exemplify and are conducive to a good game."

On receiving Ely who was the 12th overall draft pick from 2002:

"Well, I'm just happy we got him. I can't speak for other people, but I'm certainly appreciative. Timing is everything. We were in the right place at the right time. There were some other offers from teams who had an interest in this young man, but we just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

On the deal’s effect on the Clippers salary cap room:

"They're in the Kobe Derby. This deal they tried to consummate at 12:01 a.m., but it didn't happen. But they probably want to make their move on Kobe. We certainly wish them well. They've been nice to us."

Los Angeles Clippers vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor on how the trade creates cap flexibility (via Clippers.com):

"We began discussions on this transaction in early July, with the goal of creating salary cap flexibility which would allow us to take advantage of any potential opportunities."

Image Credit:

Melvin Ely via UPI/Nell Redmond

Eddie House via Getty Images/Kent Smith

#Melvin Ely #Paul Davis #Daniel Ewing #Eddie House #Bobcats #Clippers #2004 #2004*05 season

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