basketball
The world of Basketball detailed by the voices of the unathletic. Discussing play, culture, and, of course, who's the best. Trust the Process.
Most Valuable Scorer
How do you name a pattern without calling it a plot? Last time I wrote what an MVP is supposed to be, and why Clark sits closer to that word than Mitchell — without taking a thing away from Mitchell. I cannot prove a room sat down and decided Clark would not get the trophy. I can do math.
By Mark Elliott 13 days ago in Unbalanced
The Clippers Lost 10 Picks and $30M—Kawhi Paid $700K
September 3, 2026. The fax machine in the league office spat out a single sheet. White paper, black type, red seal. The day the Clippers got the fine, wildfire ash drifted over Los Angeles, settling on car roofs like a thin dusting of salt.
By Jin14 days ago in Unbalanced
There Can Be Only One
What’s an MVP? Best and most valuable are not the same thing. You can be the best in the league at one box on the sheet and still not be the most valuable player on your own team. Most valuable is not a scoring title with better stationery.
By Mark Elliott 16 days ago in Unbalanced
White Put a Restrictor Plate on Her
Stephanie White said the right things when she took the job. Then the offense started pointing the other way. There is no written rule that a coach must build around a star’s natural game. In the men’s league, players like Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kobe, LeBron, and Curry were allowed to impose their style on the team. The women’s game often handles that hierarchy differently. Indiana is showing it in real time.
By Mark Elliott 22 days ago in Unbalanced
From History to Holiday: How Hardwick and the Gold Coast Suns lost the finals formula
Optus Stadium has become the perfect measuring stick for Gold Coast’s rise and regression. On September 6, 2025, the Suns walked into Fremantle’s home ground for the first final in club history and emerged with an 80-79 victory.
By Gyan-Reece Rocha24 days ago in Unbalanced
The Buss Family Civil War
Los Angeles — August 21, 2026 ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that six members of the Buss family trust voted on whether to sell the remaining 17.8% of the Los Angeles Lakers. Five voted in favor. One voted against. The sole dissenter: Jeanie Buss, the team’s current controlling owner.
By Jin27 days ago in Unbalanced
You Don’t Say Whoa to a Racehorse
I started watching the WNBA because of Caitlin Clark, like most of her fans. Most of us just wanted to see her throw those no-look passes like Pistol Pete and launch threes from the logo like Steph Curry. That was it. Everyone has their team and their player. My NFL team has always been the Cowboys, and Tony Romo was the one I loved watching most. I quit following the NBA as closely once Jordan’s career wound down. Life got fuller—house, older dogs, my wife, work, the writing—so I have to be more selective with the free hours I get.
By Mark Elliott about a month ago in Unbalanced
The $12 Billion Handshake That Wasn’t About Basketball
August 2026. The Los Angeles Lakers are sold for $12 billion. The number punches through the ceiling of professional sports, but the real headline isn't the price—it's the clock. Mark Walter, the man who runs Guggenheim, bought the Lakers from the Buss family just last year for $10 billion. A full year passed, and before fans could get used to calling him owner, he signed the papers to sell.
By Jinabout a month ago in Unbalanced
The WNBA’s Moment of Truth
Not until recently have I noticed how clearly sports mirror the culture around them. Nowhere is the debate over biological men in women’s sports louder than in the WNBA. I still find it hard to believe we’re even having this conversation.
By Mark Elliott about a month ago in Unbalanced
The Refs and the NBA Obviously Conspired on Behalf of Wembanyama so Why Has the Media let the Flagrant Dishonesty Drop
Photo by : ajay_suresh It doesn’t matter what sport or whether the game takes place during the regular season, playoff or the finals, fans always think the refs and the league are against them. This especially when your team loses. So as a Knick fan why am I complaining? Easy, because there’s been a lot left unsaid, and that’s the real issue.
By Rich Monettiabout a month ago in Unbalanced
