Page 27 - Florida Sentinel 9-22-17

Sports
Lakers Made Most Money In NBA Last Season
LeBron James: ‘The World
Even when they are losing, the Los Angeles Lakers stay winning.
According to a report on Tuesday, the Lakers finished with a $115.4 million net profit last season, which was the highest in the NBA by a signif- icant margin. That number was over $25 million more than the next closest team, the championship-winning Golden State Warriors, and it was calculated AFTER the Lakers wrote a $49 million check as a part of the league’s revenue-sharing agreement.
Conversely, 14 of the 30 teams in the NBA actually lost money last season.
It’s somewhat of a stagger- ing development after the Lakers finished 26-56 in 2016- 17 for their fourth consecutive sub-30-win season. It was also their first season after Kobe Bryant’s retirement. But the colossal Los Angeles market, the legendary status of their franchise, and their mammoth local media rights deals all but ensure a constant and contin- ued stream of huge income for the Lakers.
Needs Us To Step Up’
Bills Sticking With Tyrod Taylor At Quarterback
LEBRON JAMES
much in this world,” James said. “You’re in this room for a reason ... we’re leaders. We all know the world needs us to step up.”
Man, LeBron puts him- self in some rather fine com- pany there. Gates is the multi-billion dollar co- founder of Microsoft. Clinton is just the former President of
Cleveland Cavaliers for- ward and superstar LeBron James has never been afraid to talk about what’s going on in the world outside of basket- ball. We’ve seen it first-hand multiple times as the world it- self seems to be mired in an era of drama.
Now, James has appar- ently decided to preach to fel- low leaders that it is time for them all to step up. At the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York City — with the likes of Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and Justin Trudeau on hand — James had the following to say.
“We all know what’s hap- pening right now ... how hard it is suddenly to understand so
the United States. Trudeau is the Prime Minis- ter of Canada.
On the other hand, it’s most definitely good that James wants to take on a role as global leader. He surely has the platform to impact change around the globe as the best basketball player on the planet and a man whose stardom far transcends his role as a bas- ketball player.
As it relates to the broader NBA landscape, it’s a league that has taken on more of a leadership role than others around the United States. This isn’t by accident. And as a man who speaks for his fellow play- ers, James could potentially help create change.
And
The Buffalo Bills have no plans to change quarterback despite ongoing struggles.
Coach Sean McDermott, after seemingly wavering a bit with his initial comments, gave another endorsement of Tyrod Taylor as his quarter- back after 9-3 loss to the Car- olina Panthers.
The Panthers look to have one of the league’s better de- fenses, and Taylor doesn’t have a lot of weapons around him. Given all the offseason rumors, it’s safe to say that the organization isn’t completely married to Taylor, but throw-
Kyrie Irving Shows His Utter Indifference To LeBron James
At Santana Moss Over Mike
TYROD TAYLOR
ing rookie fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman into the fire probably isn’t something they want to do either.
Kyrie Irving only needed eight total words to express his complete apathy about bolting Cleveland and LeBron James.
To be fair, it was eight more words than he uttered to James before telling the Cav- aliers he wanted a trade.
The star point guard, a James sidekick-turned- Celtics enemy, nearly a month after the blockbuster trade, addressed the 6-foot-8, 250- pound elephant that will be present every moment this season: his relationship with James.
Did he talk with James before asking off a team that had made back-to-back-to- back NBA Finals?
“No,” Irving said, with a simple shake of the head, on ESPN on Monday.
“Why would I have to?”
Stephen A. Smith pointed out that because Irv- ing orchestrated his trade wish behind James’ back, James could take it person-
ally“. Yeah,” Irving not so much as acknowledged as confirmed.
Does he care about that? “No.”
And that was that. Irving
was short, concise and telling, helping inflame a rivalry that likely will last beyond Cava- liers-Celtics, as James is likely to opt out of his contract after this season.
Irving pushed his way to Boston, being flipped for Isa- iah Thomas and the rights
LEBRON JAMES AND KYRIE IRVING
to the Nets’ first-round pick in next year’s draft, among other assets. The Celtics are pairing
the 25-year-old with Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to form what looks like a title contender.
Irving will have help, but will not have James by his side.
“Time will tell,” Irving said when asked if he could win without James.
“But what do you believe?” he was asked.
“Oh, absolutely,” Irving said.
Robert Griffin III Fires Back
Shanahan Comments
Former Washington Red- skins wide receiver Santana Moss said in a radio interview this week that Robert Grif- fin III went around bragging about being the reason Mike Shanahan got fired, and RG3 wasted no time firing back.
On Tuesday morning, Griffin addressed Moss’s comments on Twitter and said his former teammate “openly” lied.
RG3 then tried to tell his side of the story.
It was common knowledge that Griffin’s relationship with Shanahan ended on a sour note, and Moss said he believes Shanahan was robbed of what could have been some more good years with the Redskins. The ex-re- ceiver claimed Griffin essen- tially went around gloating
ROBERT GRIFFIN, II AND SANTANA MOSS
that Shanahan got fired be- cause he chose to bench RG3, which is likely the part that angered Griffin.
Moss hinted that the way Griffin handled Shanahan’s firing was one of the reasons Jay Gruden was so hard on the quarterback. He also im- plied that it could be part of the reason why RG3 remains a free agent. This isn’t the first we have heard about Griffin acting smug over the influence he had with the Redskins.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 17-A