Latest News in Basketball
In order to help you bet on basketball games easier and with a higher success rate, we decided to make today’s piece strictly about basketball news. They say knowing is half the battle – well then, you’re halfway there! Consider it the first part of our current ongoing basketball betting guide, the bulk of which you will find in the linked article. So without further ado, here’s this week’s most followed two stories:
LeBron one of three fined for flopping
In soccer it is customary for players to simulate a foul when pressed on by somebody from the opposing team. This is frowned upon by fans all over the world, and by the opposite team, naturally, but sadly it is something that rarely misses from soccer games in Europe or in South America. And basketball isn’t spared from this either! Flopping, as it is called in our game, is when a player intentionally falls after not being in contact with anybody else, for the purpose of drawing a personal foul against one of the players from the opposing team.
And, well, just like Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most famous names in soccer, is guilty of simulating now and again, it seems that the NBA has its fair share of controversy because of this fact. Most recently, Miami Heat’s superstar LeBron James was fined $5,000 by the NBA for flopping during the Eastern Conference finals. The league’s MVP is one of three players to receive the fine, alongside him being David West and Lance Stephenson from the Indiana Pacers, all of them being fined for flopping during the intense game four of the Best of Seven on Tuesday.
In fact, West and LeBron James were penalized for the same play. James was guarding West who, while backing toward the basket, stumbled after an already-falling James, both of them going down after little to no contact. Stephenson, the third player cited, exaggerated a contact after being slightly pushed by Ray Allen.
Lakers assistant named Head Coach at Charlotte Bobcats
The other basketball news for today comes from North Carolina. The Charlotte Bobcats haven’t had the best of luck in the NBA these past few seasons, and they are trying to turn it around by hiring Steve Clifford as head coach. Clifford, who has for a long time been assistant coach in the National Basketball Association joined the LA Lakers last season, after spending the previous four years in Houston at the Houston Rockets. Before that, he was the advance scout as well as the assistant coach for the Knicks. Clifford will now take over the Bobcats from Mike Dunlap, fired in April after finishing a second-worst season in the NBA, with a 2-1-61.
The Bobcats have expressed their enthusiasm for Clifford’s arrival, stating that his exprience and track record will definitely improve their franchise. Described as an innovator, especially when it comes to defense, Steve Clifford is seen as a last hope for the struggling team.
However optimistic the team might be, Clifford now has a tough time ahead of him. The Bobcats have only had one winning season in their entire NBA history. Not only that, but the recent seasons look absolutely distastruous – the latest one is the second worst winning percentage in the NBA, while the record is held by… them as well. In the 2011-2012 season they had a 7-59 track record, the absolute worst winning percentage in NBA history.
But who knows? Stranger things have happened, and at this point it’s not like they have anything to lose. I, for one, will be keeping my eye out for the Bobcats in the future. If you want to take your chances with them, you could try the BetOnline Sportsbook and give it a go yourself!
