View From The Bridge

NBA Draft classes are a lot like a box of chocolates, you never quite know what you’re going to get. Some players build off of great college careers and become franchise and household names, whilst others just don’t quite meet the NBA’s great expectations and fade. For the past two seasons, 2018’s 1st overall pick DeAndre Ayton was quickly joining the ‘Big Man Bust’ list alongside the likes of Greg Oden and Anthony Bennett instead of leading an NBA franchise - but I guess no one is laughing now.  DeAndre Ayton drafted with 1st overall pick in 2018 by Pheonix Suns - thegaurdian.com With the likes of Luka Doncic and Trae Young yet to be chosen, it was a fairly head scratching moment when the 6’11” Arizona alumni heard his name called first for the Pheonix Suns. However, unlike everyone else in the draft lottery, Phoenix weren’t looking for a future Hall of Famer, as they already had that in Devin Booker, who just a year prior had dropped 70 points against the Boston Celtics. The...

Mark the date. 2021 is the year of the young fella’s! With the old guard sustaining injury upon injury and diving deep into their bag of excuses, the bright young stars of the NBA have taken it upon themselves to provide some of the best post season performances in recent history. However, for one reason or another, it seems Trae Young and the Hawks have flown pretty much undetected to this point, only turning heads for a spitting fan in New York and a Game 7 in Philadelphia. I think it’s most people’s opinion that the Hawks are destined to be defeated and sit at the very bottom of the remaining teams in terms of winning this years NBA Championship. But if Trae Young continues the way he’s playing, that Championship trophy mirage may just materialise in a few weeks time.  Trae Young and John Collins - skysports.com After missing every single All-NBA team, Trae Young has definitely been attacking these playoffs with a chip on his shoulder. After leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 5th se...

Welcome to Hot Take! This new series aims to become the hub of quick controversial opinions here on View From The Bridge that will either enrage or delight (but most probably the former!). Unlike other series here on VFTB, Hot Take is powered by YOU! Follow and comment on our Instagram for a chance to see your very own controversial Hot Take included on both our website and app!  Friday 23rd April - Russell Westbrook Should Win This Year's NBA MVP   I'll admit it. When this one first came up in conversation, I just heard crickets and rolling tumbleweed before thunderous laughter followed. However, like most on the conversations I seem to have with this weeks Hot Take producer Aaron Sparrowhawk, the more sense he seems to make.  The 2021 NBA season is on track to produce one of the most tightly contested MVP races we have seen in recent years. At no point did I ever think that Russell Westbrook would be included in this conversation but as the games roll by he's starting t...

It's official. Stephen Curry has reached 'video game' level. Over a recent 5-game span, Curry has hit 44 3-pointers, the most ever in NBA history and 10 more than the Orlando Magic - an entire NBA franchise.  At the age of 33, he has also matched Kobe Bryant's record for the most consecutive games averaging 30+ points over the age of 30 (10). In my opinion, in his current form, Steph "Video Game" Curry may be the most deadly offensive threat the NBA has ever seen.  Just before I see "WhAt AbOuT LeBrOn!?" or "WhAt AbOuT Mj!?" in the comment section let's just clarify something first. We are in an era of basketball that is all-encompassed by the use of the 3-pointer. NBA teams take more three's, make more three's - hell, if it isn't a three, most players won't even shoot it. The reasoning behind this whole concept pretty simple. 3 points are better than 2 and the team who can make the most 3's will ultimately end up wi...

Picture this. You're an NBA rookie in 1989. You've excelled at every level and have continued to perform amongst the best in the world. Hell, you might even be a shout for the Rookie of the Year! However, one quick trip to Detroit and you come away with a couple of bruised ribs, a bloody nose and a twisted ankle - and that's if you're lucky. This is the home of the Bad Boy Piston's, a team born into hate that houses some of the NBA's greatest ever basketball hitmen and at their very centre (quite literally) is Bill Laimbeer - a man that would rather put you on a stretcher than allow a basket.   At 6'11" and 245lbs, Laimbeer didn't fuss around with providing big-time buckets or dishing out flashy assists - he left that to his All-Star teammates Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. Instead, he was tasked with one simple goal, to stop opposing players by any means necessary. To you and I, that might mean a hard foul here and there and maybe the odd bit of t...

Here are some simple NBA testimonials for you.  4 x Defensive Player of the Year.  5 x NBA All-Star. 2 x NBA Rebound Leader. 1 x NBA Champion. 1 x Jersey Retirement.  On paper, these are the credentials of a basketball Hall of Famer for sure, and in the minds of many, Ben Wallace is just that. However, a spot next to some of the NBA's greatest ever talents still eludes him, despite winning more defensive accolades than Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan combined. So why exactly is Big Ben not in the basketball Hall of Fame.  Well for starters, Wallace wasn't exactly the go-to guy on any NBA offence. During his 16 year career, he never averaged double digits in scoring throughout any 82 game season and retired as one of the NBA's worst ever free throw shooters (41%) - yes, even worse than Shaq (52.7%). Nevertheless, Big Ben didn't throw in the towel because he struggled to put the ball in the basket. Instead he built his Hall of Fame case on a single foundation - defenc...

The Triangle Offence. Made famous by the 90's Bulls and Kobe's Lakers, few single offences have created so much strategical success over nearly 60 years. On the surface the basis is simple, to create as many scoring opportunities for every player on the floor - every pass and every cut with has an intent purpose. In a time of post-game and mid-range masters, the triangle offence created order out of chaos and was the driving force behind many championship successes. However, as time has passed and the game of basketball has changed, a once-dominant offence has turned obsolete and died right in front of our very eyes.  Now I don't mean dead as in it passed away peacefully in its sleep and had a nice funeral service. I mean dead as in it was thrown in the back of a car and pushed off a bridge - a complete cold-case. One minute it was winning titles, the next is was in every coaches waste paper basket. So what happened?  It all started at the University of South California wit...

$1.1 Billion.  This is the total profit that the NCAA generated in 2019 - 79% of it coming from March Madness TV rights alone ($857.5 million). So, where does this money go? Well, other than salaries for NCAA employees, it's mostly divided up between coaching salaries and university student finance support. The athletes themselves? They never even see a dime.  As a multi-billion dollar industry, you would think that the NCAA could at least financially recognise the players that make their business so successful. However, as every Division 1 athlete knows, making money under the noses of the NCAA is a surefire way to get you kicked off that scholarship you worked so hard for. However, considering this is one of the most disputed and controversial topics in modern sport, let's weigh up the pros and cons.  Right now, NCAA players generate no financial income from competing in college basketball. This includes receiving money for playing, funding for training, accepting prize...

With 8:07 left to play in last nights game against the Pacers, Russell Westbrook sat on the bench with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 20 assists - his 6th career 20/20 game. He ended the night with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 21 assists - the first stat-line of its kind in NBA history and his 157th career triple-double. These 2K-like numbers are something we have got used to and have earned Westbrook numerous All-Star appearances and the league MVP in 2017. However, Westbrook\"s very production of these video game-like numbers is the driving reason behind why he will become one of the greatest ringless NBA legends of all time. Drafted in 2008 with the 4th pick, Westbrook\"s elite athletism is what drew the OKC Thunder to him, and at 6\"4" he truly defined the rise of the modern-day point day point guard. In his early years in OKC, he helped form the infamous big three of Westbrook, Durant and Harden, a team that could never quite win together but would each go on to have...

On the long list of NBA legends without a championship ring, you could make an argument that Elgin Baylor is without a doubt the most talented of the lot. As a 6'5" small forward, born into an era of Bill Russell's and Wilt Chamberlain's, Baylor still retired from his 14-year career with the knowledge that he changed the game of basketball forever.  As a student who struggled academically throughout high school, Baylor eluded the scouting reports of most division 1 universities - spending most of his time working at the local furniture store and playing pick-up basketball at the local gym. His skill set alone got him a scholarship to Seattle University after a year away from a college court. He immediately lit the NCAA scene alight, taking Seattle to an NCAA Finals appearance and making his stake for a shot at an NBA draft spot.  Despite overwhelming racism at the time, which included restrictions on the number of African-American players per team, Baylor was selected ...

Welcome to Greatest Rivals! Each Wednesday, this page will pitch two great rivals against each other to finally find out who the real winner is! Over the coming weeks, this page will cover many great rivalries, from the glory of el Clasico to the back and forth action of some of Wimbledon's finest performers.  Wednesday 24th March - Kobe Bryant vs Phoenix Suns  Not often on View From The Bridge do we compare one man to an entire NBA franchise, but for Kobe, I think it's more than warranted. On multiple occasions, the Laker legend voiced his hatred for the Suns and as spectators, we were rewarded with a rivalry that played out over an entire decade.  In 2000, Kobe and Shaq had established themselves as the greatest one-two punch that the NBA had ever seen. So it's no surprise that when both teams met in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the number one seed Lakers easily shrugged off the fifth-seeded Suns in 5 games (4-1). Kobe averaged 21 points across the 5 games and pl...

In 1996, the San Antonio Spurs held their worst record in franchise history with only 20 wins and 62 losses - looking more like a Vancouver Grizzlies tribute act than a hardened NBA franchise. In an effort to turn the tables, the Spurs hired the talents of Gregg Popovich who, within 3 seasons, would lead the Spurs to their maiden NBA Championship in 1999 and begin an unmissed playoff run that would last for over two decades.  Popovich is part of an elite breed of coaches in today's NBA, in that he is able to evolve. Coaching across 3 different eras of basketball, the Spurs have remained both relevant and competitive since 1997, a fact that no other NBA team can come close to. Although the Spurs have had their fair share of Hall of Fame calibre talent, the one factor that has remained constant in their winning ability is Coach Popovich and his unique leading style that promotes team defence, quick ball movement, and league-leading team chemistry.  When Popovich was hired during...

When people talk about inventors that were ahead of their time, some might say Leonardo Da Vinci, Plato, or Hero of Alexandria. But if you ever want to find a man that was born into the wrong era, look no further than "Pistol Pete" Maravich.  Now, I'll admit, Pete Maravich isn't exactly a household name in today's NBA and I doubt you'll find him on any all-time lists. However, in the basketball world, there are two main things that Maravich is known for:  1. Having very bad knees. 2. Being one of the best NBA guards of all time.  As the son of a tough basketball coach, Press Maravich, Pete was sculpted into the mould of a great basketball player. The legend of "Pistol Pete" started at Louisiana State University from 1967-1970 and he immediately set the college basketball scene alight. Over 3 seasons, he averaged 44.2 points per game, an NCAA record that still stands to this day and is a stat that arguably makes him the greatest college basketball pla...

Welcome to Greatest Rivals! Each Wednesday, this page will pitch two great rivals against each other to finally find out who the real winner is! Over the coming weeks, this page will cover many great rivalries, from the glory of el Clasico to the back and forth action of some of Wimbledon's finest performers.  Wednesday 10th March - John Stockton vs Magic Johnson  As point guards go, John Stockton and Magic Johnson are poles apart. Stockton is the epitome of what a point guard should be; the ever-running engine that is an extension of a coaches vision. On the other hand, Magic is ultimately the most diverged the point guard position has ever become. At 6'9", he produced entire highlight reels that other point guards couldn't even replicate on the latest 2K. Despite their differences, each player produced a career worthy of the Hall of Fame, but when put head to head, who comes out on top?  John Stockton is at the very top of a long list of Hall of Famers that didn'...

Before Dallas' magical 2011 playoff run, Dirk Nowitzki was destined to join the ranks of Karl Malone and Charles Barkley; NBA legends who despite all their MVP's and All-Star appearances, would never finish their NBA career without a title to their name. Now, by this point, I think that it is well established that winning is the adjoining culture in the NBA that binds together the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James. In order to be great, you have to win. So, whilst 2011 was a defining date for the Mavericks franchise, it was also the year that saved Dirk Nowitzki's legacy.  The beginning of the millennium marked the start of Dirk's appearance as an All-Star calibre player. He only moved from strength to strength with every passing season, culminating in an MVP worthy season in 2006/2007. Most would argue that these were Dirk's prime years and the statistics do a lot to back up that fact. From age 27-28, he averaged over 25 points per game, combined with 9+ reb...

Welcome to Saturday's Sporting Icon!  Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history's most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it's time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world's least treasured icons. Saturday 27th February - Len Bias  Since 1984, the world has searched for the next Michael Jordan. Some thought it was Kobe. Others think it's LeBron James. However, those who were around in 1984, only had to wait a mere 2 years to see the next best thing. Len Bias was a bigger and arguably more skilled version of Michael Jordan, with incredible athleticism at 6'8" and a shooters touch from inside 13 feet. Throughout his 4 years at Maryland University, he dominated college basketball and quickly became one of the most exciting prospects for the 1986 NBA Draft. However, in a tragic switch of fate, Len Bias soon became one of the biggest "what-if's" in basketb...

What makes a player great? Is it the MVP trophies? Is it the scoring titles? Is it the championships?  These are questions that are thrown around in every GOAT debate and like it or not, winning titles has a major contributing factor in this decision. Winning is the sole purpose of every NBA player and is a defining element when determining career success. However, where is the line drawn? It's no secret that some players just happen to find themself always on the winning team, and are therefore gifted ring after ring (Jim Loscutoff *cough). In contrast, some of the NBA's greatest ever players left their teams without a single ring on their finger or banner in the sky. So how big a role should Championships play in determining the greatness of NBA players?  In my mind the answer is simple. Context. The story behind a players NBA ring is what define's their greatness and is exactly why players such as Bill Russell are ever found during legitimate GOAT conversations. With 11 ...