Devin Booker made NBA history on February 3rd while playing the Portland Trailblazers when he became the Phoenix Suns all time leading scorer. He has accumulated a grand total of 15,785 points and counting. The previous record holder was Walter Davis, a Phoenix Suns legend who amassed a point total of 15,666 and this record had stood for 37 years. Devin Booker did not achieve this record overnight though; he had a long journey and many hardships to become the greatest Phoenix Suns player of all time.

Devin Booker grew up in Michigan where he played on the Michigan AAU circuit where he met and befriended Tyler Ulis and D’Angalo Russell. Devin Booker eventually moved to Mississippi with his father to focus on playing basketball. Booker attended Moss Point High School where he would eventually be scouted by the former Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari. Devin Booker was a five star recruit and a McDonald's All-American making him a highly sought after college prospect. 

Booker would eventually commit to play for the University of Kentucky after deciding between there and three other schools. While in college, Booker was a part of a historic Kentucky team that went undefeated in the regular season but  fell to Wisconsin in the Final Four.

After playing one year at Kentucky, he declared for the NBA Draft where he was selected thirteenth overall by the Phoenix Suns. It didn’t take long for Booker to make his presence felt in the NBA, reaching 1,000 career points in his third season. He also had a seventy point game in 2017 which was the most points scored by a single player since Kobe Bryant. His list of accolades continues with two Olympic gold medals in 2020 and 2024; he is a 4 time All-Star and 2 time All-NBA player. He has led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 only to fall short to the Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games. Throughout all of his career , Booker was working towards an accolade that only 29 other men can claim, he became his franchise’s leading scorer with 15,667 points. 

Devin Booker continues to leave his mark on the NBA and has potential to go down as one of the all time greats. He has already made so much history for the franchise and is capable of much more. The only question is what will he do next?

Bill Russell is regarded as one of the greatest basketball minds of all time, as he was an eleven-time NBA champion, as a player and coach. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award five times, and he was a twelve-timeNBA All-Star. But he was also a pioneer; he helped break down the color barrier in the NBA being one of the first Black players in the NBA, and he was a part of the 1964 Celtic team that featured the very first all Black starting five in NBA history. Moreover, he was an activist and contributed to many civil rights and humanitarian movements. He was an American hero and deserves to be remembered as such.

His time at the Boston Celtics was historic; Russell was drafted in 1956 to the Boston Celtics after a trade with the St. Louis Hawks that involved Ed Macauley, Cliff Hagan, and a seventh round pick. But that wasn’t enough to please the Hawks, so to sweeten the deal, the Celtics General Manager, Red Auerbach, traded an Ice Skating performance from the Ice Capades. This marks a significant point in the history of the NBA because it was the first and only time a different professional sports league was involved in a NBA trade. Once Bill Russell began his NBA career, he dominated the game. He averaged 14.7 points 19.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his rookie year. These stats immediately set a standard for him, and he did more than live up to the challenge. He would end up taking over the league with his all-star teammate, Bob Cousy, in Russell’s thirteen-year career. 

Bill Russell, along with being a basketball legend, is also credited with being one of the leading voices in the social justice movement in the United States. He was present at the 1963 March on Washington, and he was open about his backing of Muhammed Ali’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Russell never shied away from speaking his mind, he said, "Racism cannot just be shaken out of the fabric of society because, like dust from a rug, it dissipates into the air for a bit and then settles right back where it was, growing thicker with time." He also explained, "Black and Brown people are still fighting for justice, racists still hold the highest offices in the land." Russell was recognized for his efforts in 2011 when he was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama.

Bill Russell was an inspirational figure and was highly respected by the world. His death in 2022 rocked the globe and was a cause for mass mourning. In response to his death, the NBA enforced a mandatory jersey retirement of Bill Russell’s number 6; he is the only player ever to have this honor where his jersey number is retired for all of the NBA. Bill Russell was a man of many talents and was an inspiration to all people.  He is a reminder of how much power athletes have in speaking up for what is right, what is just, and what is needed.  He is a reminder to all athletes of the responsibility to speak up and call everyone to help bend the arc of justice forward, so we never go backward. The great Bill Russell will forever be remembered not just as a basketball star but as a social justice hero. I can hear him now, saying, “I never said anything to hurt anyone. What I said was meant to motivate, inspire, and educate potential athletes.”

Work Cited

“30 Best Bill Russell Quotes with Image | Bookey.” Bookey.app, 2023, 

www.bookey.app/quote-author/bill-russell. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

“Racism Is Not a Historical Footnote | by Bill Russell.” The Players’ Tribune, 

www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/bill-russell-nba-racial-injustice.

Russell, Bill. “Bill Russell is regarded as one of the greatest basketball minds of all time, as he was an eleven-time NBA champion, as a player and coach. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award five times, and he was a twelve-timeNBA All-Star. But he was also a pioneer; he helped break down the color barrier in the NBA being one of the first Black players in the NBA, and he was a part of the 1964 Celtic team that featured the very first all Black starting five in NBA history. Moreover, he was an activist and contributed to many civil rights and humanitarian movements. He was an American hero and deserves to be remembered as such.

His time at the Boston Celtics was historic; Russell was drafted in 1956 to the Boston Celtics after a trade with the St. Louis Hawks that involved Ed Macauley, Cliff Hagan, and a seventh round pick. But that wasn’t enough to please the Hawks, so to sweeten the deal, the Celtics General Manager, Red Auerbach, traded an Ice Skating performance from the Ice Capades. This marks a significant point in the history of the NBA because it was the first and only time a different professional sports league was involved in a NBA trade. Once Bill Russell began his NBA career, he dominated the game. He averaged 14.7 points 19.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his rookie year. These stats immediately set a standard for him, and he did more than live up to the challenge. He would end up taking over the league with his all-star teammate, Bob Cousy, in Russell’s thirteen-year career. 

Bill Russell, along with being a basketball legend, is also credited with being one of the leading voices in the social justice movement in the United States. He was present at the 1963 March on Washington, and he was open about his backing of Muhammed Ali’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Russell never shied away from speaking his mind, he said, "Racism cannot just be shaken out of the fabric of society because, like dust from a rug, it dissipates into the air for a bit and then settles right back where it was, growing thicker with time." He also explained, "Black and Brown people are still fighting for justice, racists still hold the highest offices in the land." Russell was recognized for his efforts in 2011 when he was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama.

Bill Russell was an inspirational figure and was highly respected by the world. His death in 2022 rocked the globe and was a cause for mass mourning. In response to his death, the NBA enforced a mandatory jersey retirement of Bill Russell’s number 6; he is the only player ever to have this honor where his jersey number is retired for all of the NBA. Bill Russell was a man of many talents and was an inspiration to all people.  He is a reminder of how much power athletes have in speaking up for what is right, what is just, and what is needed.  He is a reminder to all athletes of the responsibility to speak up and call everyone to help bend the arc of justice forward, so we never go backward. The great Bill Russell will forever be remembered not just as a basketball star but as a social justice hero. I can hear him now, saying, “I never said anything to hurt anyone. What I said was meant to motivate, inspire, and educate potential athletes.”

Work Cited

“30 Best Bill Russell Quotes with Image | Bookey.” Bookey.app, 2023, 

www.bookey.app/quote-author/bill-russell. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

“Racism Is Not a Historical Footnote | by Bill Russell.” The Players’ Tribune, 

www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/bill-russell-nba-racial-injustice.

Russell, Bill. “Bill Russell’s Lifelong Fight against Racism.” SLAM, 27 Aug. 2020, 

www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/bill-russells-lifelong-fight-against-racism/.

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 Russell’s Lifelong Fight against Racism.” SLAM, 27 Aug. 2020, 

www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/bill-russells-lifelong-fight-against-racism/.

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In the 1949-50 season, the NBA started its season with a watershed moment — racial integration. On the heels of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in professional baseball, the NBA would see three Black pioneers join their league. Chuck Cooper became the first Black player selected in the NBA Draft. Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton became the first Black player to sign an NBA contract and Earl Lloyd became the first Black player to play in an NBA game. They effectively broke the colour barrier in the NBA and opened the door for future generations of Black players changing the league and the game of basketball as we know it today. 

But the wheels were in motion for Black players to open that door long before Lloyd, Clifton, and Cooper made their debuts in the NBA. In fact, the wheels were in motion almost 50 years prior. In 1904 — 13 years after Canadian James Naismith first invented basketball — African-Americans began playing the sport. Edwin Bancroft Henderson, an educator working in Washington D.C., is credited with introducing the game of basketball to the Black community. Henderson learned the game during summer sessions at Harvard University — where he was studying medicine, health, and physical education — and would introduce the game to young Black men upon returning to the Washington D.C. area in his Phys Ed. class. Soon the game would be played across the east coast of the United States, mainly in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. 

As the game continued to grow in popularity in Black communities, not all of society was prepared for the growth. Segregation kept Black players from integrating with white clubs and Black teams were also prevented from playing in white-owned gymnasiums.  In turn, it forced Black teams and players to get creative with where and when to play games. Many turned to church basements, halls, armouries and even dance ballrooms. In spite of the roadblocks, Black basketball continued to grow in communities across the country. Black promoters would team up with Black musicians and create dance-basketball events where patrons would be able to attend and dance before and after basketball games. Ticket sales began to skyrocket ushering Black basketball into the 1920s. 

The New York Renaissance, otherwise known as the Harlem Rens, is widely credited with being the most successful team during the era. The Rens were the first all-Black professional team founded and owned by an African-American, Robert Douglas.The Rens compiled a record of 2588-539 over its time, often playing interracial games that drew large crowds. Because of their on-court dominance, the Rens were invited to the first-ever World Professional Basketball Tournament held in 1938 in Chicago. The tournament featured 10 of the country's best all-white professional teams and one other all-Black team — the Harlem Globetrotters. The Rens would go on to win the inaugural tournament beating the whites-only basketball league champion Oshkosh All-Stars in the final.

Before Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Julius Erving, or Michael Jordan — before Magic Johnson and Showtime — the Harlem Globetrotters revolutionized basketball and spread the game around the world. In Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters, author Ben Green tells the story of this extraordinary franchise and iconic American institution.

Green chronicles the Globetrotters’ rise from backwoods obscurity during the harsh years of the Great Depression to become the best basketball team in the country and, by the early 1950s, the most popular sports franchise in the world.

Through original research, Green also uncovers intriguing controversies about the Globetrotters’ origins, their image in the African American community, and how they were used as a propaganda weapon during the Cold War. Green renders captivating portraits of founder Abe Saperstein and the players who defined the Trotters’ legacy, including Inman Jackson, Goose Tatum, Marques Haynes, Meadowlark Lemon, and Curly Neal. He also describes the Trotters’ struggles to overcome racial discrimination and internal dissension on their long road to glory as well as details on their fall from grace to the brink of bankruptcy in the early 1990s, and the ultimate rebirth under owner Mannie Jackson.

The NBA's embracing of Black athletes closed the book on the near-50-year history of sustained excellence that was Black basketball. The oft-forgotten era is nicknamed the Black Fives Era. The term "fives" was used in reference to teams starting five players in the early days of basketball which led to the term 'Black Fives' to describe an all-Black team in the early 1900s. The Black Fives Era pioneered basketball in many ways all over the world and left a legacy we still feel today.

Bibliography

Home. Black Fives | Make History Now! (n.d.). https://www.blackfives.org/ 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1YXC4zkshe/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

A Storied Rivalry

The New York Yankees are considered by many to be the greatest baseball team of all time with some of the greatest names in baseball history making their home on the team such as Babe Ruth (often given the rank of the best player of all time), or Derek Jeter or even Aaron Judge. The franchise has appeared in 41 World Series and won the most in MLB history at 27. The Dodgers are not far behind the Yankees in the eyes of many people and are in the argument of being the second best franchise in history. The Dodgers have won 8 World Series titles in 22 tries, their 8th coming this season against the Yankees. So what's the history of two teams who were once neighbors? What’s the story of how their paths have crossed 12 times in the World Series. 

The Journey to the Bronx and L.A

The Dodgers were founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the opposite end of the country from today. They were founded as the Atlantics, but in 1905 they would find themselves an across town rival, the New York Highlanders from Baltimore Maryland. The Highlanders originally were founded in 1903 and moved to the Bronx after failing in Baltimore. The two teams started in the same division and would be unable to meet in the World Series, but once the Atlantics were renamed to the Dodgers and switched to the National League division, these teams would both begin to compete for World Series supremacy. While both teams developed a rivalry in New York from consistent clashes, the Yankees usually topped the Dodgers. Both teams were renamed around the 1930’s  and in 1960 with new opportunities arriving on the west coast the Dodgers moved west to L.A where they remain today. Both teams continued to meet in the World Series multiple times. Both teams have created incredible history in their modern homes of L.A. and N.Y.

 Best Chapters

The Dodgers and Yankees have met 12 times in the World Series dating back to 1941. Some of the best and most notable series in the history of the sport have been between these two baseball juggernauts, so here is a recap of the best moments of such an historic rivalry. 

In 1941, the Dodgers and Yankees had a great season and both made it to the World Series; it was the Dodgers first ever World Series meanwhile the Yankees won it 4 times in a row before 41. The Yankees won the series in game 5 (4-1) making it their 5th World Series in a row and 9th in history. This started the rivalry between these two teams. 

The Yankees dominated the rivalry in its earliest days but when Jackie Robinson arrived to the Dodgers roster and broke the color barrier in baseball, he led the Dodgers to their first ever win over the Yankees after 5 prior defeats. Robinson was the best player on that Dodgers team during this series and he had the most iconic moment of the entire World Series when he stole home plate during game 1 becoming the first person to ever do so.  The series was 7 games and competitive all the way through. It was a landmark victory for the Dodgers, finally helping them break through into a win after so many losses.

After the legendary 1955 World Series, both teams met once again as a rematch. The Yankees came out with a vengeance and soured the last season of Jackie Robinson in Brooklyn before he got traded. The Yankees won it once again in a tight series, but the Yankees win was helped by a historical pitching feat by Don Larsen who threw the first and last no-hitter in a World Series. 

 1981 was the last time these two teams met until 2024. The Dodgers have not been to the World Series since 65’ The Dodgers beat the Yankees (4-2), this gave the Dodgers their 5th World Series title, also the third time they beat the Yankees. Fernando Venezuela was one of the main players in the World Series in '81, he threw 147 pitches in the series. Fernando was only 20 years old when he won the World Series with the Dodgers. Fernando sadly passed away on October 22, 2024. He died three days before the Dodgers won the World Series this year: 2024. In the 80’s, tickets field side only cost around $20; seats in the back of the stadium were only $3. Now tickets can cost thousands , even for seats in the nose bleeds. 

2024

The two teams opened the newest chapter in their World Series history with a meeting in 2024. The Dodgers and the Yankees Game 1 was won by the Dodgers in a walk off grand slam from Freddie Freeman. Freeman had not hit a homerun in the entire playoffs and was considered by many to be in a drought, but he showed up when it mattered most and kept his streak of 8 straight World Series games with a homerun. Game 2, in LA, the Dodgers pulled off another win ending 4-2. Then came Game 3, Dodgers won 4-2 again, both relatively uneventful games that the Dodgers dominated more than the score led you to believe. Game 4, the Yankees finally won with a big score of 11-4, ending the collapse of their offense and finally batting well. In retrospect, it's obvious that the Dodgers rested their main pitchers for Game 5. Game 5, Dodgers down 5-0, the Dodgers came back winning 7-6 to claim the World Series. The Dodgers pulled off the biggest comeback in one game in World Series history. The Dodgers win gave them their 8th World Series and 2nd  since 2020. 

Walking away from this World Series, there is little doubt  that the Dodgers are contenders to repeat and fight in the World Series next year, while it's a very different reality for the Yankees. The Yankees are at threat of losing many major pieces of their team such as Yuan Soto who joined them via a trade this season and helped elevate them to this point. If he opts to sign a contract with another team, it would shake up the MLB landscape and possibly knock the Yankees back out of contention. The future is bright for both teams, but this win is significant for the future of the Dodgers.  It could be possible that as soon as next year, both of these rivals meet yet again. 

Works Cited

“Teams with the most World Series titles.” MLB.com,            

https://www.mlb.com/news/teams-with-the-most-world-series-titles-c299893938. Accessed 18 November 2024.

“World Series Game 1: Updates, takeaways from Dodgers' win.” ESPN, 26 October 2024, 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41942744/2024-world-series-game-1-new-york-yankees-los-angeles-dodgers-updates-analysis-takeaways. Accessed 18 November 2024.

Athletes attract a lot of attention to people around the world, this can be good and bad. The good sides are money, sponsors, and attention to your success. But there's bad things to being famous: internet hate, people trying to steal money, and your home has a bigger target on being robbed. Lately, there have been cases of robberies around the US, some of the victims are famous athletes. The athletes of these cases in the past couple of months are Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelcey, Joe Burrow, Bobby Portis, and lastly Mike Conley. All these athletes' homes have been broken into in the past couple of months. There are some cases of all these robberies being tied together, especially since Mahomes and Kelceys’ homes got broken into on the same night. 

The most recent break-in was Burrows home on December 9th, he was gone for a Monday night football game in Dallas, when later that night after the game, he heard his home was broken into. Haadiza Ogwude and bebe Hodges, writers for Cincinnati.com stated, “whoever broke into the home entered through a rear, first-floor window and avoided leaving fingerprints.” Cincinnati.com also stated that they don't know if multiple people broke in or if it was just one. They still haven't identified who broke in or what was stolen from the residence. 

Patrick Mahomes and his teammate Travis Kelcey were playing in early October against the Saints in New Orleans when they found out both of their homes were broken into while they were gone. Both homes were broken into within 48 hours of each other, and the people that broke in still aren't caught.” “They haven't identified what was stolen from Mahomes’s house but Kelceys house has $1,000 in damage to his rear door and $20,000 in cash was stolen, stated by Cincinnati.com. 

On September 15 this year,” Mike Conleyes, an NBA player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, home was broken into while he was at a Vikings game. According to Haadiza and Bebe only Jewelry was stolen. 

On November 2, NBA player Bobby Portis’s home was broken into while he was gone. Cincinnati.com stated “that most of his "prized possessions" were stolen from his home during a burglary Nov. 2.” 

All of these robberies happening in a span of 3-4 months can't just be a coincidence, they have to be connected somehow. The people that break into these homes have all broken in on a game day, Cincinnati.com stated "Law enforcement officials have noted these groups appear to exploit team schedules to target athletes' homes on game days." People suspect that they are tied together and some think its just local groups breaking in all at the same time. But it could be more simple than a connection, according to Madeline Halpert, writer for BBC. "It could be possible that you have some capable burglars in Kansas City who maybe have some inside information," he said. "And you'll notice, when a crime starts getting covered a lot, it starts popping up elsewhere, so like a copycat." This is showing that it could just be a trend at the moment, and when it happens somewhere then another place will get involved with something similar to it. The FBI on BBC also stated, “It said criminals had been conducting surveillance by posing as joggers, maintenance workers or delivery people, eventually gaining access to the homes through side doors or even scaling walls to get through windows and balconies.”

The big question, are these robberies tied together? FBI and investigators have suspected that it's all tied around the South American crime ring. “Detectives in several states are investigating whether a South American crime ring may be behind burglaries at the homes of high-profile professional athletes, multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the investigations told ABC News.  ”It's not for sure if these robberies are the case, investigators are still working on this case trying to find out. “

Works Cited

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-issues-warning-burglaries-pro-athletes-homes/story?id=117197676#:~:text=In%20a%20string%20of%20robberies,Dallas%20Mavericks%20guard%20Luka%20Don%C4%8Di%C4%87.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2024/12/11/joe-burrow-6th-athlete-house-broken-into-travis-kelce-patrick-mahomes/76917855007/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgk1644j5y5o

The NBA draft introduced a few new players that show great potential for the future of their team and the NBA. In every draft class, there has been at least one person to be a breakout star or an essential piece to their team;  the 2023 draft presented amazing talent that still holds up a year later. Plus-minuses from Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Ausar and Amen Thompson, Anthony Black, Carson Wallace, and a few more players show that they are a key part to their team's success after just one season. Thus,  this draft classes’ progression is one to look forward to as the NBA rookie ladder shows players with a lot of potential to be a star, more specifically the top 5 draft picks.

2024 Rookie Ladder

#1

Number one on the rookie ladder is Jared McCain, who according to Steve Aschburner, averages 15.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 apg. In 8 games McCain has started, he has averaged 23.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, and 4.3 apg, including a stellar performance of 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in the Sixers loss against Orlando Magic. There has been many discussions about the Sixers future if they can stay healthy, saying McCain could be a fantastic addition to the Sixers roster as an additional set piece for their backcourt.

#2

  Number two is Stephon Castle on the San Antonio Spurs. Castle averages 12.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, and his performance during one week could have ranked him number one after he averaged 16.3 ppg, 5 apg, and 2 spg along with consistently scoring in double digits and shooting 40% overall and 31% from the arc. In addition to these stats, he is also a defensive dog, connecting with the team and growing a dynamic relationship with Webanyama in the paint, this performance gives the Spurs hope for their future. 

#3

The third on the ladder is Jaylen Wells, a defensive menace on the Memphis Grizzlies. Averaging 11.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, he prides himself on being a huge threat on defense saying, “Some of the top players don’t want to work hard for the full 48 minutes,” Wells said, “so I try to make it as tough as possible for them.” This mentality will lead him to becoming a great team player, especially since he already believes this and doesn’t plan on stopping now. I am curious to see what he can do in the future.

#4

Yves Missi from the New Orleans Pelicans is next on the rookie ladder. Starting as a great two way rookie, he averages 9.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, and 1.3 bpg. In the week of the 24th, he averaged a double double stat line (11.7 ppg and 11 rebounds) and currently leads all rookies in rebounding and stood up for himself against his first game against Wembanyama, dropping 18 points and 14 rebounds. His work doesn’t go unnoticed as his veteran teammate CJ McCollum stated, “You’re seeing a development defensively, obviously,” teammate CJ McCollum said, “and then his ability to rebound and finish around the basket.” He shows promise. 

#5

The final player in the top 5 of the rookie ladder is Zaccharie Risacher on the Atlanta Hawks. As the number one pick of the draft, there were high expectations held and he contributed valiantly to the team after adjusting to NBA level competition. The power forward averaged a statline of 11.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.2 apg and even dropped 33 pts—on 11 of 18 shooting with 6 3-pointers— 7 rebs, 3 stls, and 2 blks in the Hawks win against the Knicks on November 6. If trained right, he could be a  consistent player and on the journey to a star player.

All of these players are showing major promise, and even if they don’t win rookie of the year, they still have a lot of potential to grow into a star or a consistent role player. I doubt they will be a bust. This new group has the drive and numbers to be the type of player they want to be and I have a lot of faith in their ability to show how crucial they are to their team and the game of basketball . 

Works Cited

Aschburner, Steve. “Kia Rookie Ladder: Steady Top 3 on List Continue to Produce.” NBA.com, 13 Dec. 2024, www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-december-11-2024-edition. 

In the official NBA MVP ladder there are many great players in the running like Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but I believe  there are some players that should also be recognized for being major contributors to their team in both offense and defense. Here is a list of players in no particular order that I believe are MVP worthy.

1. Jalen Willams 

As a small forward, Jalen Williams is a threat offensively averaging 20.6 ppg, 5.2 apg, and 5.7 rpg along with having a defensive rating of 102.9 which is a greater rating than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is #1 on the MVP ladder. Although stat wise, he might not be the greatest contributor, in games he brings the energy and presence that increases the team morale and focus. Jalen Williams may not be the number one choice for MVP candidate, but he deserves to be recognized for his work ethic and success.

2. Luka Dončić

While averaging 28.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 7.8 apg, Luka deserves to be in the running for MVP. He has been dominating for past seasons, proving why he should be the MVP or at minimum a contender for the award. His best game happened against the Golden State Warriors where the Mavericks secured the win with Luka scoring 45 points, 13 ast, and 11 reb. One of his biggest pros is his 3-pointer shooting at 38.2% and his great shot creation ability. He is a huge threat with the ball in his hand whether taking a shot, passing the ball for an assist, or starting ball movement that leads to an open shot. One of the disappointing things about his season is that he is now ineligible to receive any end of season award because he has missed the 65 game minimum rule that is implemented into the league. 

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo

I believe Giannis is one of, if not the most dominant player in this new era of basketball. From a defense standpoint, he has been a solid player locking down on the perimeter and performing elite inside defense on the best center players.  He outclassed Wemby in their matchup  proving himself to still be a dominant  player when he went head to head with the former MVP. Giannis averages 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with a winning record of 26-19. Even though Giannis is already on the MVP list, I believe he deserves to be higher on the list since he is a crucial part of the Bucks team. 

4. Victor Wembanyama

Wemby is a young prodigy, one of the most promising and entertaining centers the NBA has had in a long time. While being tested by the best big men in the league, he averages 25.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4 blocks, along with dropping a double of 20 points and 23 rebounds against the former MVP winner Jokic. 

5. Alperen Şengün

At the 5 spot for the Houston Rockets is a center who shows some resemblance to playing like the former MVP Nikola Jokic. Guiding his team to the 3rd seed in the Western Conference, he averages 19.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg, and 5 apg and is their defensive rock alongside Amen Thompson. Though he is injured at the moment, I believe he can lead the Rockets to a place in NBA history they haven't been at  in a long time.

These players having entered the league made great contributions to their team and influence in general. Giannis and Wemby are one of a kind as no one  has been able to do what they do so consistently and are near unstoppable. These feats should be recognized with not just words and social media posts but with award recognitions and such. I understand that there are many players in the MVP running and they can’t all win the award, but I think it is unfair and biased that many players haven’t been noticed even though they have shown their greatness. 

Picture from https://www.marca.com/en/more-sports/2021/05/21/60a7c34246163fc68d8b457d.html 

Work Cited

Powell, Shaun. “Kia MVP Ladder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Surges to No. 1.” NBA.com, 12 Jan. 2025, www.nba.com/news/kia-mvp-ladder-jan-10-2025-edition. 

The Women's National Basketball Association or WNBA was an organization founded in 1997 by the National Basketball Association or NBA, a league with entirely male players. The league was created to be a counterpart to the NBA for women's basketball players around the world. The league would become the premier place for women's players to showcase themselves internationally. The WNBA’s first several seasons were some of its most successful as the league showcased 8 teams initially all in cities with existing NBA teams. By 2002 the league  doubled its number of teams, but with such massive growth the league ultimately suffered from serious financial issues. The league overall became unprofitable and several of the original teams folded, not being able to sustain themselves. However, with the modern rise and a demonstrated desire to grow and expand by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the league will be returning to 16 teams by 2028 at the latest. What inspired a new era of prosperity in a league which lacked much respect in the basketball community and struggled to maintain itself without profitability and the future outlook with its newfound success. 

The Caitlin Clark Effect

Caitlin Clark is one of the most recognizable names in all of women’s sports and even sports as a whole. Clark spent 4 years in college at the University of Iowa. In those 4 years she became the highest paid women's professional sports player in history making 3 million dollars off of endorsements during college. The average WNBA salary being 113k in 2023 shows signs that a young Catilin Clark would be revolutionary for the league, but what about Clark earning her 3 million? The WNBA is a TV product and people who watch it intend to be entertained. Caitlin Clark proved to be one of the most flashy and entertaining players in the history of the sport. Clark’s ability to shoot some of the deepest three point shots possible in college and her ability to knock them down effortlessly boomed the popularity drawing comparison to the NBA boom around the time Steph Curry took over as one of the best shooters of all time in the NBA. The two played in ways that  grabbed the attention of fans and with a new found college rival in Angel Reese, a player for LSU. Reese and Clark  rivaled consistently and split wins; however, their rivalry elevated ratings and the public’s attention on them.  Both athletes graduated the same year and entered the WNBA, and their rivalries continued in the next chapter.  With two of the most entertaining players in the sport entering the WNBA, the viewership from their college years was undoubtedly going to soar, and it did.

The WNBA Boom

During the 2024 WNBA season viewership witnessed unprecedented growth. The most viewed games were undoubtedly the games presented by ESPN. “ESPN averaged 1.19 million viewers, an increase of over 170% from 2023. ESPN, ABC and ESPN2 all had televised their highest rated WNBA game of all-time in 2024” (Forbes). The most viewed game in WNBA history occurred this season with game 5 of the WNBA Finals gaining 3.3 million viewers overall. Games starring Caitlin Clark's Indian Fever and Angel Reese Chicago Sky also witnessed massive growth and consistently has millions of fans tune in to view them.  The massive growth in viewership and soaring in person attendance of games propelled the general income of the league by 50%. While it is still not profitable, the consistent growth of this nature could make the league turn some of its first profit ever in less than a decade. All of these factors can change the outlook and the future of the league, even encouraging new expansion and new owners to look into investing in new teams, seeing a positive outlook on the league as a whole. 

League Expansion

With new investment and desire of expansion the WNBA set its sights on increasing its number of teams from 12. The place chosen for a franchise was San Francisco as the WNBA welcomes the Golden State Valkyries in the 2025 season. They then turned to the first ever international presence for the league as Toronto announced their new team, the Toronto Tempo who enter the league in the 2026 season along with an unnamed franchise coming to Portland the same year. The three new teams expanding the possible viewership and competitiveness for an ever growing league we can expect the league to continue its expansion and league commissioner, Cathy Engelberg, confirmed that the league will be adding a fourth new team in 2017-2028 with Florida being a likely target either in Orlando or Miami. If the league continues having success and the growth it's enjoying today, we can see and expect even more to come. 

What's To Come

With the WNBA continuing to expand rapidly over the last couple of years, it can be assumed as long as the league maintains a consistent growth in viewership and attendance around Clark and her rivalry with Angel Reese, the league can continue adding more teams and growing in popularity and recognition. The sustainability of the league as a whole should be the number 1 focus of the league moving forward, so it doesn't face a collapse similar to the one in the early 2000s. Overall, I think the future is bright for the league and we are likely to see continued growth for years to come. 

Works Cited

Adgate, Brad. “WNBA Ratings, Attendance and Advertising Grew in 2024.” Forbes, 

Forbes Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/09/30/in-2024-the-wnba-had-increases-in-ratings-attendance--advertisers/#:~:text=Another%20indicator%20of%20the%20WNBA’s,digits%20for%20all%2012%20franchises. 

Salao, Colin. “WNBA Eyes 16th Team by 2028: Engelbert Evaluates Candidates Front Office                  

Sports, 15 Oct. 2024, frontofficesports.com/wnba-eyes-16th-team-by-2028-engelbert-evaluates-candidates/. 

“History of the WNBA.” WNBA, www.wnba.com/news/history-of-the-wnba-2002. Accessed 29 Jan. 

2025.