Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 3-21-17

Sports
LaVar Ball Says He ‘Would Kill Michael Jordan One-On-One’
Greg Monroe, Nick Young, D'Angelo Russell Fined For Lakers-Bucks Melee
BEAUTY UNLIMITED
BRIONNA
This week, it’s Brionna’s turn to be our Beauty Unlimited fea- ture, and we welcome her with enthusiasm and open arms. Brionna really loves people, and never has a problem fitting in wherever she goes. A woman with strength and intelligence can sometimes be in- timidating, but Brionna doesn’t allow that to change who she is. This young lady has high goals and expectations set for herself, and she is very focused. Congratulations to Brionna as this week’s Beauty Unlimited feature.
The NBA fined two Los Angeles Lakers players and one from the Milwaukee Bucks for an on-court scuffle that broke out during the Bucks' 107-103 win Friday night at the Staples Center.
Bucks center Greg Mon- roe has been fined $35,000 for shoving Lakers guard Nick Young above the shoulders, the league an- nounced Sunday.
Young was fined $25,000 for initiating the al- tercation by shoving guard Malcolm Brogdon. And
Kyrie Gets 46, But Cavaliers Barely Beat Lakers, 125-120
Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers scores on Larry Nance Jr. #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers as D'An- gelo Russell #1 look on.
Kyrie Irving scored 46 points, LeBron James added 34 and the Cleveland Cavaliers had to rally from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to edge the last-place Los Angeles Lakers, 125-120 on Sunday night.
Kevin Love had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Cav- aliers, who needed every bit of their full lineup to survive a surprising challenge from the Western Conference's last- place team.
James, Love and Irving all sat out the defending champs' blowout loss to the Clippers on Saturday, anger- ing fans and the national tel- evision audience. That night off left them with the energy to lead a 43-point fourth quarter.
D'Angelo Russell scored a career-high 40 points in a spectacular return to the starting lineup for the Lakers, who have lost five straight and 13 of 14
Tempers flare in Bucks' win over Lakers.
Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell was fined $15,000
for entering the altercation and pushing Monroe.
The scuffle erupted in the third quarter when Young was fouled hard by Brog- don on a drive to the rim. Several other players joined in the scrum, which had to be broken up by the officials.
After the game, Lakers coach Luke Walton strongly criticized the offi- cials and alleged that a Bucks employee involved in the on-court scuffle "put his hands" on one of the Lakers players.
Protesters Fly Confederate Flag Next To Arena Hosting NCAA Tourney
As LaVar Ball sees it, he would have had no problem beating the greatest basketball player ever.
“Back in my heyday, I would kill Michael Jordan one-on- one,” the talkative father of UCLA superstar Lonzo Ball told USA Today.
LaVar Ball, who draws at- tention and headlines with ease, added, “He cannot stop me one- on-one.”
It was rightly pointed out that Ball spent one season, 1987-88, at Washington State. And in that one season, observers noted, he averaged 2.2 points. It was hard to tell whether Ball was joking or serious, and he became an easy target.
Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell tweeted that Ball knew “damn well” that Jordan would have “torched” him. Charles Barkley told ESPN’s “Mike & Mike”: “Listen, I’m too old and fat to play bas- ketball, but I’ll challenge Mr. Ball to a one-on-one. How about that? I don’t even know howoldheis—he’sgottobe around my age — but no guy
Lavar Ball Vs. Michael Jordan?
who averaged two points a game can beat me at one-on-one. I’m positive of that.”
Is it possible that LaVar Ball’s talent had been under- utilized and overlooked under Kelvin Sampson at Washing- ton State? Is he the rightful heir to Jordan’s throne? Would he, in fact, have “killed” Jordan in one-on-one?
In short, his former team- mates at Washington State say: No.
“Not a single chance,” said Neil Evans, a forward on that team.
“Not a chance in hell,” said Harold Wright, who is now an assistant coach at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle. Wright laughed, then repeated, “Not a chance in hell.”
A small group of protesters flew a large Confederate flag from the top of a parking garage next to the arena host- ing two men's NCAA Tourna- ment games.
The group arrived Sunday morning, raising the flag from the back of a pickup truck . They planned to stay throughout the games and be on grounds as fans arrived at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in South Carolina.
Greenville police had the group move the truck about 50 feet away, citing safety concerns if the flag tipped.
Protesters said they wanted to make their pre- sence known to the NCAA. The governing body lifted its ban against South Carolina holding championships in 2015.
By the early afternoon there were about a dozen pro- testers, many carrying Con- federate flags, across the street from the arena's main entrance.
NCAA executive Dan Gavitt said in a statement the organization would not permit symbols compromis- ing a safe environment on venue property the tourna- ment controls. Other areas are under the city's jurisdic- tion, and the NCAA back the city's efforts to manage ac- tions concerning freedom of speech.
This regional has dealt with politically charged events the past six months. The NCAA originally placed the games in Greensboro, North Carolina. But it re- moved them from the state over its HB2 bill, which limits protections offered to LGBT people and relocating to Greenville.
In 2002, the NAACP held a
A small group of protesters flew a large Confederate flag Sunday from the top of a park- ing garage next to Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
march in downtown Greenville to protest the state flying the flag on Statehouse grounds during the NCAA re- gionals at the arena.
Sunday's games featured North Carolina against Arkansas and Duke against South Carolina.
South Carolina was unable to host NCAA predetermined championships because of the organization's ban, which began in 2001. The NCAA re- gional in 2002 was allowed to remain in the state. That led the NAACP and others to turn out for a march to the arena steps in support of taking down the flag.
The issue was settled in 2015 after the massacre of nine black Charleston church goers by Dylann Roof, who was seen in pictures with the Confederate flag. State law- makers voted to remove the flag in July 2015 and the NCAA lifted its sanctions. Roof was convicted of multi- ple murder counts and sen- tenced to death.
Hunter Meadows of Blue Ridge said the protesters did not think it fair that all Confederate flag supporters were blamed for Roof's ac- tions.
TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 15