Isaiah Hartenstein’s top five players ever: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Stephen Curry

Scalabrine discussed a host of topics including the origins of his White Mamba nickname. The former USC Trojan shared that the late great Kobe Bryant, owner of the Black Mamba nickname, had mini conversations with him over the years about the nickname over the years and shared that Bryant had no problem with it and that it is all love.  “So he hit me up on Twitter a couple times,” Scalabrine tells Scoop B Radio of the Black Mamba. He dapped me up in the last game I had in LA like one of his last games against the Celtics, but we never really discussed it. But I think he stamped it one time for me so I think I’m good.” -via ScoopB.com / September 23, 2024

How did the trade happen? VLADE DIVAC: Magic and some other players had retired, and I was one of the only veterans left. New players were coming in, and the Lakers initially wanted to trade another player for Kobe. However, Charlotte insisted on me. The Lakers really wanted Kobe, seeing him as a potential MVP, and they cleared cap space to bring in Shaquille O’Neal too. Of course, I was angry, I didn’t want to leave, but looking back now, I would have traded myself for Kobe. There were rumors that the trade almost fell through because you refused to go to the Hornets. Is that true? VLADE DIVAC: When they told me about the trade, I refused. I said I wouldn’t go. Then they explained that it was in my contract, that if I didn’t agree, I wouldn’t be able to play basketball anymore. That’s when I made it clear that I played basketball out of love, and if that meant not playing anymore, then so be it. Money is nice, but it comes naturally. I’m not someone who would go somewhere just because someone else wants me to. I played basketball for the joy of it. The moment it stopped being fun for me, I would stop playing. That’s when they realized they couldn’t break me, so they changed their approach. They held a meeting with me and asked me to at least go there for two or three weeks to at least go there for two or three weeks to see if I’d like it. Then I could decide. When I arrived in Charlotte, I saw that I could actually enjoy it there, so I accepted. But, yes, those ten days were really tense. -via Index / September 21, 2024

Who are your Top 5 all-time players? Greivis Vasquez: Well, obviously, the first man is Michael Jordan. I grew up watching him, although I was really young. The reason I like Jordan is that he did it both on and off the floor. But he’s a different breed. His mindset was different. He didn’t want to be like anyone else, not even his peers. If you really understand who MJ was as a player, you can see his competitiveness and how far ahead he was from the rest. There were good players, and there were great players, but at that moment, he was the super great player. The second man, my idol, my hero, and someone who means everything to me, is Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately, he’s no longer with us physically, but his spirit lives on. The Mamba Mentality is a lifestyle. Kobe’s approach, education, and willpower were extraordinary. He’s the definition of a winner. For me, Kobe is even more significant than Michael in terms of lifestyle. He was a different guy. He spoke three or four different languages and even spoke to me in Spanish a few times. Coming from Caracas, Venezuela, and playing against your hero – money can’t buy that. I don’t take that for granted. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024

Harrison Wind: Peyton Watson, LeBron James, Michael Porter Jr. at today’s Rams game in Los Angeles. pic.x.com/kpgislqgz0 -via Twitter @HarrisonWind / September 23, 2024

ClutchPoints: LeBron James adds the Olympic rings to his tattoo collection 👑 (via @gangatattoo / IG) -via Twitter / September 23, 2024

Kwame Brown on LeBron James: “But the problem is, when he plays teams like Chicago or Boston, who have real solid principles, he has trouble. And so the old-school players wouldn’t have any trouble with LeBron because, at 39, he should have developed a mid-range and a post game, and he still hasn’t yet. He still has the athletic ability to just go 94 feet — which, I don’t know how, but he still has it. But if he didn’t have this athleticism, his game really hasn’t evolved outside of a three and putting his head down and going to the basket. He doesn’t go like Paul Pierce, getting to a spot, pulling up. Those are the things you normally see out of a superstar player.” -via YouTube / September 22, 2024

With training camp less than two weeks away, Jonathan Kuminga highlighted how Steph Curry’s incredible showing at the 2024 Paris Olympics inspired him as he enters a pivotal campaign. “If you see one of the oldest guys in the NBA — on your team — still producing at that level, you might as well be inspired,” Kuminga told Tim Kawakami of Audacy’s “The TK Show.” “You got to be inspired, and you got to follow his footsteps, and you got to watch him. And I was just inspired to be great. It inspired the whole team to help him, and I think that’s the goal this year for sure.” -via NBC Sports Bay Area / September 21, 2024

James was never worried about Curry staying in a Paris-induced shooting coma. “I’ve talked to him a lot about that and being in his first Olympic Games. He had played in a World Championship before but being part of the Olympics for the first time was new,” shared James. “You could see every single day, every single moment (Curry’s form) was right there. I knew the onslaught was going to happen. I knew the barrage and the avalanche was going to come down at some point.” -via Clutch Points / September 21, 2024

“We saw it in the semifinals versus Serbia and we saw it in the Finals against the host team France,” James continued. “Steph did what Steph did hitting those big-time shots and putting everybody to sleep. It was an unbelievable moment and I was happy to be alongside him.” -via Clutch Points / September 21, 2024

Isaiah Hartenstein: One guy who pisses me off, like I got love for him but I can’t guard him, that I have really trouble guarding is Robin Lopez. Robin Lopez, I can’t, that hook shot, and he only has a right-hand hook and I’m sitting like all right, you’re not getting this hook, and he’s coming in at the end of the game, so this is like the last two minutes… he’s making them every time. I just guard Jared Allen, Evan Mobley, don’t have a problem with that, the whole game… and then Robin Lopez comes in… I’m just like coach, if Robin Lopez is in the game, it’s not going to be good (laughs). -via YouTube / September 23, 2024

Isaiah Hartenstein: A lineup I’m also excited about is me and Chet Holmgren together. I think having him have the ability to roam like kind of how, different play style, but like you know how Giannis Antetokounmpo can roam, he can block shots just everywhere. -via YouTube / September 23, 2024

Let’s go top five passing bigs of all time. Isaiah Hartenstein: Nikola Jokic, he’s definitely on his own… Sabonis, the dad Sabonis. The funny thing with his dad is that he came over so late but if he would have come earlier… He could pass the sh*t out of the ball. Andrew Bogut when he was when he was with the Golden State Warriors was good, Draymond Green you got to put in there, I’m just gonna put Domantas Sabonis in there, I watch him a lot too. I think I’m missing somebody… -via YouTube / September 23, 2024

Kwame Brown: “No, I’m not an MJ fan. Listen, I got no reason to be an MJ fan. That motherf****r slapped me in the back of my head one day. But I’m just, I got no reason to do — no reason at all. I’m just, I just saw the work and the dedication. This old Negro was getting up at 39 years old. He never cheated the game, whether he went out, whatever he did. The Breakfast Club was real. I’m like, I joined the Breakfast Club because I couldn’t believe it. I’m like, ain’t no way this old, after being up standing there all night gambling, no way this gonna be here at 6:00. That dude was already in the weight room lifting at 5:45. I’m like, he’s a machine. I couldn’t believe it. Every morning, he’s like that. No matter what he does, he never cheated the game.” -via YouTube / September 22, 2024

BasketNews: Micheal Jordan was spotted watching the UEFA Champions League match between Monaco & Barcelona👀 -via Twitter @BasketNews_com / September 19, 2024

Davis also shared his Mount Rushmore of athletes turned businessmen. “I would say Magic [Johnson], ” said Baron Davis to Scoop B Radio. “Michael Jordan because he is the business AND the brand. Steve Young does a helluva job. I would also say Jose Bautista is another one and then Shaquille O’Neal. That would probably round it out.”  Speaking of Magic Johnson, Davis, a product of South Central Los Angeles, says that his relationship with Johnson began as a child when he’d watch him play pickup games. -via ScoopB.com / September 19, 2024