UFC 200: Teary-eyed Jon Jones maintains innocence

LAS VEGAS — Tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto his dress shirt, his voice catching and at times so broken it was inaudible, Jon Jones, arguably the baddest man mixed martial arts has ever known, faced the media Thursday morning as an emotional mess.

This was hours after receiving word from the United States Anti-Doping Agency that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. That cost him his headlining spot in Saturday’s UFC 200, while potentially bringing a two-year ban from a sport and derailing a comeback story from recreational substance abuse and legal issues.

“Ah, man,” Jones said, before pausing for more tears. “… I just want to apologize to everybody, sincerely. I really don’t know what to say, I’m really sorry that this is happening.”

Jones maintained his innocence by denying that he knowingly took a banned substance. He argued that whatever triggered the positive test came without his knowledge. His agent, Malki Kawa, said they will fight the finding and are having the B sample tested Thursday, with results possibly coming as soon as Thursday night.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/teary-eyed-jon-jones-maintains-innocence-173304545.html

Andre Ward has advice for Kevin Durant: Don’t let critics get you down

Oakland native Andre Ward has some advice for his friend and fellow Roc Nation client Kevin Durant as he makes the transition from Oklahoma City savior to the loaded Golden State Warriors after his surprise decision on Monday.  

As someone who has endured criticism for his own career moves, Ward advised Durant to block out the personal attacks and just be himself. Durant has been pilloried for leaving a small-market team on the verge of a championship to a club that is expected to win titles.    

“Don’t let the negativity of others pollute you,” Ward told RingTV.com on Monday. “Don’t let them twist you into being a villain or wearing the black hat. Be KD. Be who you are. And then as a player, yes, you can use that as motivation. Use it as fuel. But stay who you are.”
Ward (29-0, 15 knockouts) speaks from experience. Ward, who is close with several players on the Golden State Warriors, sees similarities in the way fans reacted to Durant’s decision to leave the Thunder to his own move to Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports in January of 2015. When Ward signed with Roc Nation, there was the feeling he was leaving the company that groomed him for the new, flashy kid on the block, not unlike what Durant is going through today...click for more http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/427679-andre-ward-has-advice-for-kevin-durant-dont-let-the-critics-get-you-down

Kevin Durant joins Stephen Curry, Warriors

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant confirmed Monday he is leaving the club to join the Golden State Warriors.
Durant, the most coveted NBA free agent in basketball, announced his move on the Players Tribune website after what he described as the “most challenging few weeks in my professional life.”
The 27-year-old forward said he was joining the Warriors to enhance his growth as a player and a person.

“The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player — as that has always steered me in the right direction,” Durant wrote.
“But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.”
Durant, a seven-time NBA All Star and the NBA’s MVP in 2014, gives Golden State a formidable weapon as they build towards next season ... click for more http://sports.inquirer.net/215540/kevin-durant-joins-stephen-curry-warriors

THE SECOND GREATEST BALLER OF ALL TIME

by Toto Mortillero

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is widely regarded as the GOAT (greatest of all time) of basketball and I believe that he really is. I also believe that all of the active basketball players in the planet are contesting only for the second greatest. Now the question is this ... who is the second greatest basketball player of all time?

I believe that LeBron James is the second greatest player the basketball world has ever seen, at nineteen years of age he entered the most prestigious basketball league of the world which is the National Basketball Association (NBA) as one of the youngest and he eventually won the Rookie of the Year Award the same year he entered the league.

At 31 LeBron has already reached the NBA finals seven times six of which happened successively which seldomly happens in the league. James also became the youngest NBA player to ever reach 5,000 points, 10,000 points, 15,000 points, 20,000 points and 25,000 points respectively and is expected to be the youngest to reach 30,000 points in NBA history.

LeBron James is a four time regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awardee of the National Basketball Association and just recently got his third Most Valuable Player Award at the NBA Finals. During the 2016 Finals he captained his illustrious NBA Team the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure the NBA Championship after trailing the Golden State Warriors 3-1 and overtake the same and won over the former, bear in mind that no NBA team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit.

Because of these reasons I believe that the prediction of those basketball pundits that the then teenager from Akron, Ohio, LeBron James would be the future of basketball came true for I really believe that he really is the second greatest basketball player of all time next to the great Chicago Bull Michael Jordan.

Kobe Paras UCLA disqualification

MANILA, Philippines – Basketball prospect Kobe Paras was reportedly devastated by the news that he did not meet the academic requirements of UCLA, the main reason for his withdrawal from the school’s men’s basketball team.
Speaking recently to Los Angeles-based ABS-CBN reporter Steve Angeles, Kobe’s father Benjie said his was broke down upon hearing the news, which caught them by surprise.
"It was really a surprise for us and of course Kobe was really devastated. I was talking to him, and honestly, he was crying,” the former PBA star said.
Meanwhile, Paras’ Cathedral High School coach William Middlebrooks also said they were shocked by the sudden twist.
"That was a shock to the entire athletic department. Our understanding was as long as he's a full qualifier academically, he'd be in school and for whatever reason, the head of admissions made a different decision. It was taken out of context. I think it came across strange to people. Various people interpret it the way they interpreted it but we don't know what the reason is. Even the principal has not talked to anybody at UCLA admissions so therefore whatever the reason is they chose to make this decision we don't have a fact to as why they made the decision," Angeles quoted Middlebrooks as saying ... click for more > http://www.philstar.com/sports/2016/07/04/1599438/kobe-paras-devastated-ucla-disqualification