LaVar Ball may owe $495 shoes to each of his travel teammates

After music icon Ice Cube stated that he'd purchase 10 pairs of NBA Draft Prospect Lonzo Ball's $495 signature sneaker if Lonzo's father LaVar Ball was able to knock down the four-point shot that will be featured in the Big 3 League once they debut later this summer.

As you can see from the video clip below, courtesy of the Big Baller Brand Twitter account, Ball tried to raise the stakes by challenging Ice Cube to buy LaVar's entire travel team a pair of Lonzo's signature shoes if he's capable of making the shot before Ice Cube does.

Let's Run It! @icecube pic.twitter.com/wvavd2OQbu

— Big Baller Brand (@bigballerbrand) May 30, 2017

The video shows no actual proof that the shot was successfully made. If Ice Cube can make this shot before LaVar can prove it, than not only will LaVar dig a bigger hole for himself by having to by a huge amount of $495 sneakers for his whole team, but he will once again prove that he is trying way too hard to help his son.

UNB! Network owner and creator Joey Gucciardo had some intense thoughts on LaVar as a whole.

"I feel so bad for Lonzo," Gucciardo said. "The poor kid must wake up everyday and say to himself 'I am a great basketball player, but my dad is embarrassing the [heck] out of me.' LaVar is a true bigot who has no remorce for insulting any sports analyst or reporter on live television or radio. In fact, the only reason I feel that people even pay attention to LaVar is that he is so embarrassing that it's actually enjoyable to watch him make a bigger fool of himself, and Lonzo deserves much better than this. LaVar Ball should be a prime example of how a father should not represent himself, publicly especially. Forcing a successful career out of your son by threatening reporters, and losing big sponsors on a shoe brand that should not even exist this early on in Lonzo's career, is not good for Lonzo's mentality. It just doesn't make sense. I can't make sense of why [LaVar] can't just back off one hundred percent and let Lonzo control his own destiny."

Obviosly some heated thoughts there.

But will LaVar owe his whole travel team a pair of Lonzo's signature shoes? We'll just have to see if Ice Cube responds.

NBA Finals: 10 things to watch

When the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers meet in a third consecutive NBA Finals beginning Thursday, it will mark the first time the same clubs staged a three-peat performance on the game's biggest stage.

There are plenty of intriguing storylines ahead of the best-of-seven showdown between the 2015 champion Warriors and the 2016 champion Cavaliers. Here are 10 things to watch:

1. LEBRON JAMES: Andre Iguodala earned MVP honors of the 2015 Finals mostly for his defense on James, who was harassed into 39.8 percent shooting in the series. Last season, James lit it up for 49.4 percent to wrestle away the hardware and the championship. As the 2017 road to the Finals has demonstrated, James appears to be getting better with age.

2. KEVIN DURANT: At some point, the TV debating duo of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are bound to take sides on whether the first-year Warrior should opt out of his contract and return to Oklahoma City next season or unpack his bags and settle in. The question will become: Is he more likely to leave if the Warriors win or if they lose?

3. EXTRACURRICULARS: It has been a relatively quiet 2017 postseason in terms of flagrant fouls, technicals and ejections. Chalk that up to all the blowouts. But now it's high-tension time, so it is worth noting: Durant, Stephen Curry and Shaun Livingston were all ejected from playoff games last season; Draymond Green drew a league-high five technical fouls and 10 other participants in this year's Finals got nailed with at least one in the 2016 postseason; and Green's momentum-turning flagrant foul wasn't the only one detected among current Warriors and Cavaliers last spring -- Durant, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith crossed that line as well.

4. 3-POINT DEFENSE: Forget Kyrie Irving vs. Curry. Irving had 34- and 26-point games in losses in last year's Finals. Curry had 11- and 18-point games in wins. They have, and quite possibly will, offset each other. More significant in this matchup will be which team defends the perimeter the best. The final stats show the Warriors outshot the Cavaliers 37.3 percent to 32.9 percent on 3-pointers last year, but don't be misled. It was 37.6 percent to 34.0 percent for the Cavaliers in their wins, 42.7 percent to 26.1 percent for the Warriors in the Golden State wins.

5. SHOE WARS: James vs. Curry is Nike vs. Under Armour. And then there's Big Baller. Or haven't you noticed that LaVar Ball is everywhere, and the NBA Draft is just four days after a possible Game 7 is scheduled?

6. TYRONN LUE VS. MIKE BROWN: Lue seemed to have the Steve Kerr offense figured out by their seventh meeting last June, a 93-89 Cleveland win that ended with Golden State missing its final nine shots and going scoreless over the final 4:39. Lue has more weapons at his disposal this time around, and the Warriors will have one fewer with Kerr relegated to watching on television from the locker room due to a back ailment.

7. KYLE KORVER: One of the great chess matches in the series will be how Lue uses arguably his best long-range shooting weapon, and how Brown attacks arguably the series' worst defensive player. When Cleveland is on defense, the 6-foot-7 Korver would seem to match up best with the Warriors' 6-7 Shaun Livingston, a stand-still shooter who likes to use a height advantage to shoot over smaller guards.

8. AKRON, OHIO: Will we be able to see the lights of Akron, 39 miles to the south, when ABC gives us an aerial view of the Quicken Loans Arena? You better believe we're going to find out given the link between Ohio's fifth-biggest city and the Finals. Both Curry and James were born there. Are there vacancies at the Timber Top Apartments complex on the north side of town, where Curry first lived? Is James' first house, in the Akron inner city and condemned when he was 5 years old, still standing? Stay tuned.

9. CELEBRITIES: There is more than Drake (Curry) and Dr. Dre (James) to this series. It's Jim Brown and Joe Montana. Nine Inch Nails and the Grateful Dead. The Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser. And then there's Tom Hanks, born in Oakland but having adopted the Indians in last year's World Series. Too bad there's no Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. After all, this is the most highly anticipated best-of-three rubber match since the Thrilla in Manila.

10. TACOS: The most likely person to get fired after the Finals? The promotions director at Taco Bell. In a matchup of teams undefeated (13-0) on the road in the playoffs, Taco Bell is offering "Steal a Game, Steal a Taco" -- one free taco to everyone interested should either team win a road game in the Finals.

NBA announces officials for The Finals 2017

NEW YORK – The NBA today announced the list of 12 referees who earned spots to officiate the 2017 NBA Finals.  The championship series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors tips off on Thursday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

“The Finals is the pinnacle for our officials, just as it is for our teams, coaches and players,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations.  “Earning this opportunity is a testament to each official’s work ethic and unwavering commitment to their profession.”

Finals officials were selected by the NBA Referee Operations management team based on their performance throughout the first three rounds of the 2017 playoffs.  Officials were evaluated after each round to determine advancement in this year’s postseason.

The 12 referees assigned to The Finals are below:

Tony Brothers (6th Finals)
Mike Callahan (14th)
James Capers (6th)
Danny Crawford (23rd)
Marc Davis (6th)
Scott Foster (10th)
John Goble (1st)
Ed Malloy (5th)
Ken Mauer (12th)
Monty McCutchen (9th)
Derrick Stafford (7th)
Zach Zarba (4th)

Five of the 12 have officiated at least 15 Finals games, highlighted by Crawford with 33 and Callahan with 18.  The officiating roster also includes one first-time Finals referee, John Goble.

NBA officials Tom Washington and Sean Wright have been assigned as alternates for The Finals 2017.

Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. ET each game day.

LeBron James passes Michael Jordan to become NBA's all-time playoff scoring leader

Eleven years after his NBA playoff debut, LeBron James is now the NBA's all-time playoff scoring leader.

James took the title with with a deep 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:40 left in the third quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Cleveland Cavaliers won 135-102 to reach the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.

The shot gave James 29 points for the game and 5,989 points for his postseason career. Jordan's mark of 5,987 points stood for 19 years. James reached the record in his 212th game, while Jordan played in 179 playoff games.

Career Scoring Leaders -- NBA Playoffs

Rank Player                Points
1. LeBron James       5,995
2. Michael Jordan       5,987
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar   5,762
4. Kobe Bryant           5,640
5. Shaquille O’Neal      5,250
6. Tim Duncan       5,172
7. Karl Malone       4,761
8. Jerry West       4,457
9. Tony Parker       4,012
10. Larry Bird       3,897


Before the game, James said when he passes Jordan he will cherish the honor, but the category does not define who he is as a player.

“I’ve always told you guys, any time I’m linked to any of the greats and even the greatest in Mike, it’s an honor," James said. "It’s a tribute to what I’ve been able to do with this game.”

5,989: the most Playoff points EVER.@KingJames is the new leading scorer in @NBAHistory. 👑#StriveForGreatness pic.twitter.com/BYGPjbacRl

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 26, 2017

"I wear the number because of Mike," James said after the game. "I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike, just because of what he was able to accomplish. When you're watching Michael Jordan it's almost like a god. So I didn't think I could be Mike."

While James has appeared in more NBA Finals than Jordan, His Airness still leads James in several significant categories, including championship rings (six to three), MVP awards (five to four) and regular-season scoring titles (10 to one).

James, Cavs KO Celts, set up rematch vs. Warriors

(TSX / STATS) -- BOSTON -- The Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to get there, and they did.

They were supposed to play the Golden State Warriors there, and they will, deciding the league title for a third consecutive year.

LeBron James and the defending champion Cavaliers are headed back to the NBA Finals.

"We all need to soak this up. This is a great moment, and this is not promised," James said after scoring 35 points and becoming the NBA's all-time leading playoff scorer in a 135-102 blowout of the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Thursday to clinch the Eastern Conference title.

James, who was joined on the podium by teammates, pointed out that it is a special moment for Deron Williams and Kyle Korver, two veterans heading for their first Finals.

James, who also had eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a blocked shot, then talked about "the beast of an opponent" that is waiting.

Kyrie Irving had 24 points and seven assists and the Cavaliers, who sat their starters for the entire fourth quarter.

When James takes the court June 1 in Oakland, Calif., he will be appearing in his seventh straight Finals while seeking his fourth title.

The Warriors, who beat Cavs for the 2015 championship before losing the rematch in 2016, are 12-0 in this year's playoffs.

"They've been playing great, but you can't get too far ahead of yourself," Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said of the Warriors. "You saw that in Game 3 against Boston. ... To be honest, I didn't do one (bit of) prep for Golden State yet because I really believe that this (Boston) team is a good team."

James, who shot 13 of 18 from the floor and 4 of 7 from 3-point range, hit a 3-pointer with 2:41 left in the third quarter to pass Michael Jordan and move to the top of all playoff scorers.

James finished the night with 5,995 playoff points, topping Jordan's mark of 5,987. Jordan appeared in 179 postseason games; James played his 212th.

Before the game, James said, "It's just a personal goal of mine. It has nothing to do with passing the rings, passing the points, passing MVPs. It's just my personal goal to keep me motivated -- that's all."

For the third time in as many TD Garden games in the series, the Cavaliers never trailed. They won the three road games in the series by a combined 90 points, the last two by a total of 77.

Kevin Love had 15 points and 11 rebounds and was a game-high plus-43, and Williams added 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench in the win that made Cleveland 12-1 in the postseason.

Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 23 points, and Gerald Green scored 14.

"We're definitely disappointed. I felt like if we weren't, it would be a problem," Bradley said. "We feel like we should be here, and we feel like we should be a championship-contending team."

With 2:44 left, the remaining Boston fans began a "Let's Go Celtics" chant that kept going until the final horn, cheering every basket as if the game were close.

"I leave with a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth not playing as well here, and man you want to play well here," said an emotional Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who earned his first two playoff series wins this year.

James said he embraced Isaiah Thomas, who sat out the last three games of the series after playing the first two with a hip injury, later paying tribute to Boston's little big man.

"It was a matchup that we were all looking forward to, and I'm glad that we prevailed," Irving said. "But they tested us every single minute, and we needed that."

The Celtics made some noise near the end of the first half, but Irving scored Cleveland's first 11 points in the opening 3:18 of the second half. Two baskets by James ballooned the lead to 25 with 6:39 left in the third quarter. It soon grew to 32 and then to 35 by the end of the quarter.

James scored 15 and Irving 13 in the period, with James hitting three bombs in the final 2:41.

Irving, who shook off a Game 4 twisted ankle, shot 9 of 15 from the floor and 4 of 8 from 3-point range.

"If we have a great game plan and play inspired basketball, we're tough to beat," Love said.

The Cleveland regulars were 16 of 33 from behind the arc through three quarters -- after the Cavs went 19 of 39 on treys in a 44-point win in Game 2. They finished 19 of 41 Thursday.

The Celtics were 9-9 during a playoff run that capped a successful season.

"It's pretty cool to think that in three weeks you've got the No. 1 pick in the draft," Stevens said.

Added Bradley: "Sky's the limit if we're able to keep the core guys together."

NOTES: Cleveland's 109 points through three quarters marked the most the Celtics have allowed in the shot-clock era. ... Like LeBron James, F James Jones is also going to his seventh straight NBA Finals, all with James. Bill Russell holds the record of appearing in 10 consecutive Finals. ... All three of Boston's walking wounded -- Fs Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown and Amir Johnson -- were able to play. ... Acting Golden State coach Mike Brown, asked about Cavs coach Tyronn Lue's comment that the Celtics are harder to defend than the Warriors, said, "That's his opinion. It's cute." ... The Cavaliers' 43 points in the first quarter made Cleveland the first playoff team since the 1990 Celtics with three 40-point quarters in the same series. ... The teams observed a moment of silence for the victims of Monday's bombing in Manchester, England.

Cavaliers look to finish off Celtics

Stats, LLC

BOSTON -- Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue, whose Cleveland Cavaliers are one win away from an NBA Final rematch with the Golden State Warriors, said Wednesday coaching against the Boston Celtics without Isaiah Thomas has presented a whole different set of obstacles.

Obstacles different even than the Warriors, who await the winner of the Eastern Conference Final.

"The stuff they're running, it's harder to defend than Golden State's (offense) for me, as far as the actions and all the running around and all the guys who are making all the plays, so it's a totally different thing," Lue said. "Like, they hit the post, Golden State runs splits and all that stuff but these guys are running all kinds of (stuff). And Brad (Stevens has) got them moving and cutting and playing with pace and everybody is a threat."

That's why, when asked whether he is thinking about a possible third straight title meeting with the Warriors, Lue, whose team is up 3-1 on Boston, said, "You can't. As much as you want to, it's not over.

"(The Celtics are), like I told you guys before, it's like we're preparing for a whole new team. Like, we didn't know what they were going to run. Isaiah (Thomas) goes down and they're running a totally different offense than we prepared for so it's been tough on us. And defensively, they're a lot better. They don't have a lot of weak links to go to, to go at.

The Celtics left TD Garden after their Game 2 beat-down anything but sure they could give their fans at least one more home game. Then they found out for sure their star, Thomas, was done for the year.

Thursday night, the Boston fans do in fact get another home game as the injury-riddled Celtics try to send the series back to Cleveland for Game 6.

A win and LeBron James goes to his seventh straight finals and the Cavs will see a team that is 12-0 in these playoffs.

The Celtics pulled off the improbable comeback upset in Game 3 before Kyrie Irving and James combined to bring the defending champions back from 16 points down to win Game 4 Tuesday night.

Irving, who scored a career-playoff-high 42 points, rolled his left ankle with 1:49 left in his 21-point third quarter but is expected to play Thursday.

"I've twisted my ankle so many times that plays like that, you have two choices, either you can sit there and kind of wallow in the sorrow of you twisting your ankle or capture the moment," Irving said.

With Thomas already gone, the Celtics played without Amir Johnson in Game 4 because a shoulder injury suffered in the third game. He and Jae Crowder (groin) are listed as probable for Game 5 while rookie Jaylen Brown (hip pointer) is questionable.

Asked about suffering his injury, Irving said, "My adrenaline is still going at this point, so I'm pretty sure when I get home my body will probably hate me, but it's the magnitude of the moment and what's at stake, and I wasn't coming out for any margin. I wasn't coming out.

"I knew how much we needed this game and how much my teammates needed me and the importance of me leading these guys as well as 'Bron.

"I'm saying to myself, 'They cannot tie up this series. They cannot. We cannot go to Boston 2-2 and then it becomes almost an even series."

The Celtics have to know they let one get away Tuesday night, but may well have just fallen victim to the fatigue that resulted from the dramatic -- and totally unexpected -- win in Game 3.

"The first half we played some of the best basketball we played all season," Brown said of Game 4, "against one of the best teams in basketball."

They did. And they built a 16-point lead, before the Cleveland stars, more notable Irving, stole the game right back.

"We had really good athletes, quick guys that make things tough on people, guarding him, and he was able to raise up and make a lot of tough shots," said Stevens. "He was able to get by us and make tough shots in the paint. Again, sometimes I think that -- I'll go look at it and see all the things that we did wrong, but I think it's more of a tip-your-hat kind of thing with those two guys tonight."

NBA announces 2019 All-Star game will held in Charlotte

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The NBA All-Star game is headed back to Charlotte in 2019, a couple of years longer than anticipated.

The NBA announced that the All-Star weekend will be held Feb. 15-17 in Charlotte and the game will be played at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.

The league had selected Charlotte to host the 2017 All-Star game, but later moved the game to New Orleans because of the state law restricting the rights of LGBT people. However, a compromise was struck in March to partially erase the impact of the House Bill 2 law limiting anti-discrimination protections for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people.

"While we understand the concerns of those who say the repeal of HB2 did not go far enough, we believe the recent legislation eliminates the most egregious aspects of the prior law," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a release. "Additionally, it allows us to work with the leadership of the Hornets organization to apply a set of equality principles to ensure that every All-Star event will proceed with open access and anti-discrimination policies.

"All venues, hotels and businesses we work with during All-Star will adhere to these policies as well. Sports have a long history of helping to change attitudes around important social issues. We believe holding our All-Star activities in Charlotte will be a powerful way for the NBA to continue this tradition."

Hornets owner and longtime NBA great Michael Jordan said in a release he is "thrilled" the game is coming back to Charlotte.

"We want to thank Commissioner Silver for his leadership throughout this process and for the decision to bring NBA All-Star back to Buzz City," Jordan said in the release. "All-Star Weekend is an international event that will provide a tremendous economic impact to our community while showcasing our city, our franchise and our passionate Hornets fan base to people around the world."

Charlotte previously hosted the All-Star game in 1991 at the Charlotte Coliseum, which has since been demolished.

---

More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball