Tacko Fall is the seven foot six inch beast out of Senegalese that makes the a basketball look like a baseball when he holds, and makes even the tall kid on the block look like an ant. Tacko has recently become a household name after he exploded on the college basketball scene when he shocked the world by going to UCF. He finished his senior year this past season and is expected to enter in the NBA draft this “Fall” get hah. I have watched a few of his games this season and it is extremely exciting. His height makes playing against him so unfair. He has an unreal wingspan of eight feet!!!! Watching people try to shoot over him is like watching someone try to throw a paper ball over a skyscraper. Over the past four seasons at UCF he has averaged 2.3, 2.6, 1.9, and 2.6 blocks per game. And these blocks are not just your ordinary stopped layup, they are sky-high floaters being swatted to the fourth row of the crowd never to be seen again. He is almost impossible to stop in the paint and will dunk on you without even having to leave the ground.

This kid has a bright future and I cannot wait to see who drafts him this “Fall”. I anticipate that he will go late in the first round and will perform much better than expected. One problem that I could see affecting Tackos draft status is the fact that he is such a big person that his speed is not completely developed. He needs some intense training to increase his speed and stamina. I have faith however, Tacko will be a dominant defensive force in the NBA, and nobody will be able to stop him from slamming the ball through the hoop.

The young man in this picture is something special. He is eighteen years old graduating high school and has declared for the NBA draft. What! I have just recently found out about this player. I saw one of his videos on Youtube and couldn’t believe that he is just one year older than I. He is jumping out of the gym and taking guys ankles left and right. His game is out of this world. He plays for a small private school in New Jersey and is a fifth year high school senior. He has received over 20 Division one offers to play next season, but he shocked the world by deciding to go strait to the league. The last player to do this was LeBron James. LeBron was the complete package and couldn’t be stopped. I see the same qualities in Jalen.

I can’t wait to see what spot he gets drafted at and lucky team gains this beast. There is a lot of hype around Jalens future. I expect that he will be drafted late in the first round or early in the second. He will be a sleeper that is not expected to live up to his expectations. Many believe he will be a bust that can’t perform at the next level. I have a different view. I know Jalen will work harder than every other player in the draft to prepare to for the pressures of the league. His confidence is unmatched and he doesn’t back down from a challenge. By watching his games I know that no matter who is in his way he will try to break him down and does whatever is needed to win the game.

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This is the face of the 20 year old NBA rookie that shook up the league. I have had my eyes on him for a while and his name is Luka Doncic. He played professionally for many European teams since the age of 16! What? I looked up to him from the moment I hear of him because of you amazing he was at such a young age. His style of play was lethal in Europe. He would handle the ball slowly looking for an opening. Moving about the court like a lion hunting in the grass. Then out of nowhere he would explode forward catching his defender off guard and blow by them dunking the ball, wiggling around him for a lay-up or throwing up a high arching floater. From Slovenia he was looked at as a bit of a risk in for NBA head offices because they were not sure he would be able to adjust to the American style of basketball. Luka did!

He was drafted in 2018 to play for the Atlanta Hawks, but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. I watched this trade happen and my only thought was that Atlanta would regret this. Luka became the front runner for the league’s rookie of the year award because he was averaging over 20 points, 8 assists, and about two steals per game. He was on sports center just about every day for either a crazy highlight or for scoring an impossible game winner.

Luka is one of the most entertaining players to watch because his game is so unpredictable. He also sparks great conversations between both NBA experts and common fans. My friends and I often talk about NBA players and I can remember a particular argument that I got into with my friend Mason about Luka. He insisted that Luka would not be able to keep his numbers up all season and I strongly disagreed. That same night Doncic was in a post game interview and he told the Media that it is easier to score in the NBA than it was in Europe. This comment meant that Luka either had to keep his numbers up or he would be looked at as a huge joke because of his arrogant attitude. I had faith though.

Luca plays an exciting style of basketball and I can’t wait to see him play again next season. He will continue to dominate over the league and will prove all his doubters wrong.

D’Angelo Russell or D-Loading as he is more often referred to as is “that guy”. His game is shifty and his jumper is wet. He will break your team’s defense down bit by bit and steal your lunch money while doing it. This 23 year old point guard may have had a slow start to his NBA career, but the league and the whole basketball community knows that he is here to stay.

I have had my eyes on D’Angelo Russell since his high school days. He played for one of the most prestigious basketball prep academies in the whole nation along with some of today’s current NBA superstars. The way that he plays the game is exhilarating to watch. D-Loading is able to handle the basketball with such speed and finesse it makes the crowd “ooh” and “aww”. Not only can he bust out some flashy dribbles, but this kid has eyes in the back of his head.

“D-Loading drives the land. Goes up for the layup, and wait a minute. There’s no way I just saw that. A no look pass between the legs with some spin on it.”

His passing vision is incredible to watch. You never know what he will do or where the ball will end up. In the bucket by his own doing, or flying into a teammates hands for the dunk.

D-Loading entered the league a few years back and was drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. At the time his team was lead by NBA legend Kobe Bryant and when Russell got there he was expected to fall in line. This was hard to do for the young star who was used to leading teams. Falling into his new roll his first three years in the league were terrible. With below average stats he was traded to the worst team in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets.

His new team had no real star power and felt that D’Angelo was the perfect pick up. He was. Now that he was on a new team with a horrible record there was nothing to lose, so he started playing like he used to. Taking risky shots, using flashy moves, and passing the ball as fast as he could. This is his game and as crazy as it sounds its what worked. The team now has a new face and that face is D’Angelo Russell.

Watching him play today is like watching that excited high school kid play. He just wants to have fun and to play at a fast pace. He lead the Nets to their first playoff appearance for the first time in over ten years.

D’Angelo is my favorite NBA player to watch because of the pace he plays with and his mentality. He wants not only to win the game but to embarrass his opponents by breaking their ankles or passing the ball to a teammate at an impossible angle. Watching him play keeps me on the edge of my seat and my eyes glued to the court because if you blink you just might miss the highlight of the game.

Jonathan Clark

When I say eighth grade science teacher what comes to your mind, volcanos, dissecting frogs, the skeletal system? I bet you don’t think of an elite athlete with a 46 inch vertical doing double between the legs dunks. You don’t think of near olympic qualifying distances in track events, or an international celebrity. Well Jonathan Clark is just that. Teaching students at Clovis North Education Center in Fresno California is Clark’s full time passion, but he went viral when a video surfaced of him dunking over a student at a pep rally. I don’t think that my eighth grade science teacher could touch the top of the door frame. I can’t imagine this guy getting much work done as a teacher because when he is not in school he is competing in dunk competitions all over the country. Seriously imagine having this guy as a teacher…

“Mr. Clark what grade did you give me on my cell model?”

“I don’t know I was too busy last night dunking during the Lakers halftime show to grade your project.”

Now obviously I am exaggerating a bit, and I am sure that he is an excellent teacher; I just can’t rap my mind around just how popular this guy is. Mr. Clark was recently interviewed on an ESPN talk show about his dunking, his job at Clovis North, and how he is dealing with this new fame. Clark said that he feels on top of the world because he is lucky enough to make some money playing basketball on the side, but he wouldn’t give up being a teacher for anything. He loves being able to help shape young minds, and he wants to help future generations find joy in science. I love that! In today’s world most people are only concerned with themselves and getting money. Knowing that there is still some people out there who want to help humanity better itself makes me feel very hopeful for the future. When asked about how he deals with his new found fame he said that he doesn’t feel any different because he is focused on his career as a teacher. Why can’t all teachers be as cool as Jonathan Clark.

If you don’t already know the young man in the picture above allow me to introduce to you the most famous high school athlete in the world. LaMelo ball is a seventeen year old senior currently attending school at Spire Academy in Ohio, but before he was balling in Buckeye territory he was a 14 year old in the eighth grade playing varsity basketball with his two older brothers in Chino Hills California. LaMelo is the youngest of three children in the Ball family. Lonzo is the oldest and currently plays professional basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers. LiAngelo Ball is not currently playing basketball competatively, but was once a shining star on the stage of high school hoops.

You might be saying to yourself, “Wow, this family seems kind of crazy”. Well you hit the nail on the head. You see being the father of all these kids is LaVar Ball. He is known for going on sports shows and can be quoted in saying some outrageous things. Once he had children his goal was to get all three to play in the NBA. LaVar had what he called a “Master Plan”. This plan involved having LaMelo skipping a year of school in order to be eligable to play varsity basketball with his brothers. Once this happened LaMelo’s name exploded in the sports world because never before had someone so young (14 years old) been seen playing basketball so well on such an renown team. The division that the Ball brothers played for in high school is known as one of the most competitive in all of high school and is one of the divisions that has produced many amazing professional athletes. So not only was this 14 year old kid playing in a difficult division, but he was dominating.

After LaMelo’s oldest brother Lonzo graduated high school he went to play college ball at UCLA. Oh and did I forget to mention that LaMelo had previously committed to playing college basketball for the same school at the age of 12. Amazing right. The next season LaMelo and his brother LiAngelo were expected to keep the winning tradition alive, but this proved a bit more difficult than was first thought. The team ended up losing in the state tournament. LiAngelo graduated in the spring of that year leaving LaMelo to lead the team.

LaMelo was going to enter his junior year in highschool and now by himself the pressure was on. He would have continued to play for his home town team in California, but his father LaVar felt that the coaching in Chino Hills was not the best. Not only was he upset with the coaching of his youngest, but his middle child got into some trouble when the UCLA team traveled to China. LiAngelo was caught stealing a pair of Louis Vuitotton sunglasses. He and a few team mates were arrested and placed in Chinese jail. LaVars plan was falling apart. Once LiAngelo was released LaVar chose to pull LaMelo out of high school and to take the two brothers to play professional basketball in Lithuania. What!?! The rules in Europe do not have any restrictions on the minimum age requirement, so 16 year old LaMelo was on his way to making a career for himself.

The brothers both improved their game while playing basketball for the professional team, and returned in the summer of 2017. LaVar had started a clothing brand based on the family and their fast paced lifestyle and LaMelo’s popularity skyrocketed. How could LaMelo’s life get any crazier. After establishing himself as a pro athlete his father moved them back to the United States and formed his own minor league basketball franchise for high school prospects. 17 year old LaMelo was to be the face of this budding franchise when soon it fell apart due to corporate corruption and players not getting paid. After his fathers latest failure he LaMelo announced to the world that he would be returning to high school to play for one of the most well known basketball schools in the mid west. His team finished the 2018-2019 season just short of qualifying for the national high school tournament.

His high school career now over LaMelo’s next step in his basketball life is up for questions. Due to his former professional status many believe that he will not be allowed to play college basketball. So will LaMelo find a school to accept him, or will he return to Europe to play for one more year. His ultimate goal is to play for the NBA, but his next step is a mystery. What will he do next?

Image From Pinterest.com

This is LeBron James. He is a 34 year old legend in the basketball world. He grew up in Akron Ohio and lived in a run down ghetto. He never knew his father. Raised by his mother he was what most would call “a troubled youth”. His mother Gloria was unable to hold a steady job forcing her and LeBron to move often. The fourth grader wrote in his autobiography that he remembers sleeping on his mothers friends couch while his mother and her companions would go out leaving him alone. He was in constant danger of flunking out of school due to his poor attendance, and growing up in the ghetto he felt that he would never “make it out”. He was helped by a man named Bruce Kelker. Kelker was a youth football coach and saw the James family struggling and decided to take them into his home. While LeBron lived with Kelker he never missed a day of school and he started playing organized sports. Throughout all of high school Lebron was an outstanding football player, but basketball is where he drew the most attention. As a junior his teams games were selling out and people would come from hours away to get a glimpse of the star. Some star NBA players such as- Allen Iverson, and Shaquille O’Neal would even come to watch the high school kid ball out. This kid was so famous that as a senior in high school he turned down a contract from Reebok for $10 million.

LeBron graduated and took his talents straight to the NBA. He was one of the last players allowed to do that. He was drafted first overall in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavalieres, and the following year a rule was put into place stating that a player must be one year out of high school, or at least nineteen to be eligible to enter the NBA draft. LeBron won the rookie of the year award and has continued to dominate since his first game in the league. This basketball genius carried Cleveland to his first NBA finals appearance in 2007, he was only 22 years old. Since his first year in the league he has won the NBA’s MVP award four times, has won three NBA titles, three NBA finals MVP awards, is a 15 time all star, he has won three olympic gold metals, and LeBron is fourth all time on the NBA’s top scoring list.

This legend is currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. In the summer of 2018 he made the announcement that he would sign with the Lakers and this shocked the basketball world. The last time the Lakers had a player as great as LeBron James was in the 2015-2016 season. His name was Kobe Bryant. Many fans believed that no Laker could ever be as good as Kobe, but as soon as LeBron signed a controversy formed in the Laker fan base. Many claimed that LeBron is a better Laker than Bryant even before he had a chance to put on the jersey. If this doesn’t say something about how amazing a basketball player LeBron is I’m not sure how I could convince you otherwise.

Thank you LeBron for changing the game of basketball. He has reformed the way players like to play and has proven that a person can truly play any position and master any skill in the game. James is a living legend and I can’t wait to watch the rest of his career play out.

Hello world. My favorite sport is basketball. I want to inform whoever reads my blog about important figures in the sports history as well as in the present. I hope that all who read what I have to say about this fast moving sport fall in love just as I have. I will be writing about the creation of the sport, historic games and records, and current players who have made a name for themselves by playing the sport. Lets get started.

Dr. James Naismith

The man above is the inventor of basketball. Dr. James Naismith left his job as athletic director at McGill Univiersity to teach physical education at a YMCA in Massachusetts. His employer asked him to create an indoor sport to keep athletes active during the harsh winters. The game had to be “fair for all players and not to rough”. His solution was to use peach baskets nailed to a ten foot pole and a worn out soccer ball. He created 13 original rules and each team was allowed nine players. The result was the birth of basketball. The game eventually became so popular at the YMCA that the YMCA that gave birth to the game started to promote the sport internationally. Dr. Naismith invented the game in 1891 and he lived long enough to see the sport in the Olympics in 1936, the creation of the NCAA tournament and the National Invitation Tournament. The birth of this beautiful sport is all due to Dr. James Naismith. The world thanks you dearly.