NBA fans have been starving for some basketball as of late due to the Coronavirus-imposed shutdown. It’s been a sad state of affairs for sports fans around the world although leagues are hard at work to find a solution to this inconvenience. The NBA has been one of the leagues impacted the most by the virus and over the last few months, they have been contemplating a whole slew of scenarios that could see a return to action.

During an episode of The JJ Redick Podcast, the Pelican sharpshooter spoke about a potential return to play and noted that the league has a way in which they can reduce the risk of infection. As it turns out, this plan includes fewer teams coming back to the court. 

As he notes, the top 6 teams in each conference wouldn’t have to play any more regular-season games. From there, teams 7-12 would be fighting it out for the final two playoff spots in each conference. As for teams 13-15, well, they would be told to stay home and their seasons would effectively be over.

In this scenario, the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons would be done for the season.

It’s an interesting proposal although it remains to be seen if the players decide to accept it.

LaVar Ball is consistently one of the most interesting men in the entire sports industry thanks to his constant hot takes about his sons and their relation to other notable players in the NBA. Ball thinks his sons are better than everyone, even if they haven’t actually accomplished anything. For instance, Ball is a big believer in his son LaMelo who has yet to be drafted into the NBA.

During a recent episode of the “Load Management” podcast, Ball spoke about LaMelo and how he is already more popular than the likes of Zion Williamson. As LaVar explains, Melo has played overseas and is considered to be a global star, whereas Williamson is supposedly only known in North America.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

“Melo’s (aura) is better. Because Melo is worldwide,” LaVar said. “You take Zion to Germany or Lithuania or Lat or Estonia or London, they don’t know who he is. You take Melo over there, you know who he is. Like I said, take him over there and see. Ask who Zion is, they’ll look at you crazy like ‘Who is Zion?’”

This is certainly a bold take but when you consider it’s coming from LaVar, you really can’t be all that surprised. Perhaps when all is said and done, he will be right but for now, his take is questionable at best.

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Lonzo Ball has certainly been one of the most polarizing players in the entire NBA over the past couple of years. This is mostly because of the fact that his father has become a promoter akin to boxing's Don King. LaVar Ball made it seem like Lonzo would be the next Magic Johnson which was truly something he could never live up to. Now, Lonzo is playing much better than he did in his first two seasons, although he still receives some unjust criticism from time to time.

When Lonzo's career first started, people used to make fun of his jump shot form. On that front, he has improved immensely although now, fans are curious about his weightlifting abilities. As you can see in the video below, Ball excitedly lifts weights above his head but won't even extend his elbows all the way. This led to some comments about his form and whether or not he's just playing a big joke on all of us.

If you've ever played video games, you will probably relate to the story I'm about to tell. Imagine this, you're playing some Call of Duty when all of a sudden, you see an enemy player and start shooting. As if God himself is trying to spite you, your connection starts to bug out and none of your shots register, allowing the enemy to spot you and gun you down. It is an infuriating experience and last night, New Orleans Pelicans star Josh Hart experienced this pain first hand.

In the clip below, Hart was playing some COD when all of a sudden, he got beaten in a gun battle he feels he should have won. That's when he descended into a fit of rage and yelled: "Fuck this game," before taking his keyboard, throwing it on the ground, stomping on it, then throwing it out of the room entirely.

LeBron James has been the face of the NBA since joining the league all the way back in 2003. He came into the league the year after Jordan retired for the third and final time so it was believed that he would help carry on the Jordan legacy. So far, he has done a pretty good job of doing that although he leaves a bit to be desired in the championship department. Regardless, LeBron is already a legend and in just a few years from now, he will be exiting the game of basketball.

Today on First Take, Max Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith discussed who they felt would take the torch from LeBron in regards to being the face of the NBA. Kellerman was the first to answer and he was quick to say Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans. Of course, Williamson was drafted first overall last summer and despite playing in very few games, he has already cemented himself as one of the most exciting players to watch.

Josh Hart has been the subject of a lot of memes over the last couple of years. Of course, he is known as the guy who constantly gets left hanging by all of his teammates. Whether he is on the Los Angeles Lakers or the New Orleans Pelicans, he is constantly being dissed up by his teammates, although at this point, it's become one huge inside joke.

Recently, Hart was streaming video games on Twitch along with Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings. At one point, Hart noted that Fox is the only player keeping Kings fans engaged and that one day he will bring them back to the glory days. That's when Fox noted to Mitchell that Hart has never made the playoffs before which led to a hilarious exchange.

New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson laced up another exclusive Air Jordan 34 PE on Tuesday night, adding to his ever-growing collection of personalized kicks. Zion’s latest exclusive nods to his childhood and high school years in South Carolina.

Air Jordan

Of the Air Jordan 34, Zion says: “When you put on some Jordans fresh out the box, people know what it is. The 34 delivers on all of that. I felt the benefit of the Eclipse Plate from the moment I put it on. A shoe that has this much technology, while staying minimal, makes a difference in my game, whether I’m flying down the court or dunking.”

Zion notched another 25-point performance with the South Carolina PE on his feet, albeit in a losing effort to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 16 games this season the 18-year old phenom is averaging 24.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per night.

Check out some additional images of the “South Carolina” Air Jordan 34 PE below.

Air Jordan

Air Jordan

Air Jordan

LaVar Ball has been his kids' biggest advocate over the years although it hasn't always been presented in the best way possible. Ball has been in the news consistently over the last three years thanks to the way he conducts business and hovers over his kids like a cloud. It all started with Lonzo Ball back in 2017 and the trend has continued with sons like LiAngelo and LaMelo.

Today, Ball was back in his old ways as he hit up FS1's Undisputed where he spoke to the likes of Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. The man made some pretty interesting claims about LiAngelo and LaMelo although perhaps it was his Lonzo take that shattered them all. Ball thinks if the Pelicans play the Lakers in the playoffs, Lonzo will lead his team to victory as he will be in "revenge mode."

Zion Williamson is only 15 games into his NBA career but he's already made a huge impression. Last night, Zion put up 35 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. His team ended up losing the game 122-114 but regardless, it was an interesting game to watch. Williamson continues to prove himself as one of the most entertaining players in the entire NBA and it doesn't seem like that's going to change anytime soon.

One Lakers player who was impressed by Williamson last night was none other than JaVale McGee. After the game, the two exchanged words and Williamson even gave McGee his jersey. Usually, this signifies a jersey swap. This means McGee should have taken off his jersey and given it to Zion. Instead, McGee took Zion's jersey and kept it moving.

Zion Williamson came into the NBA with high expectations. In fact, some people felt as though he could even be the next LeBron James thanks to his unique physical traits. People knew that once these two hit the court against each other, it would be a whole lot of fun. The first matchup proved this to be the case as both players put on dominant performances. Last night, the two-faced off again and this time, it was even more fun. LeBron put up 34 points and added 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Zion scored a career-high 35 points and managed to keep his team in the game. In the end, though, LeBron and the Lakers pulled out a 122-114 win.