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November 22, 2024
 

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Sam Smith

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Sam Smith
Sam Smith covered the Chicago Bulls for the Chicago Tribune for nearly 25 years, including all six of the team's NBA titles with Michael Jordan. He is the author of the bestselling book "The Jordan Rules" and now writes for bulls.com. He was honored with the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award for lifetime achievement earlier this year.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 24, 2018
Victory over Trail Blazers shows why Pelicans must let DeMarcus Cousins go
For the New Orleans Pelicans, it's the elephant in the locker room.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Mar 20, 2018
Dwane Casey has Raptors looking like the real thing
The Toronto Raptors through the 2016-17 season had been one of the best teams in the NBA the previous four years, averaging 51 wins, top 10 in the NBA in offensive efficiency every year, All-Stars in DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, a visit to the conference finals.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 30, 2018
Cavaliers, Bucks search for right formula in a tale of two cities
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 12, 2017
Time is now for Grizzlies to be all shook up
Memphis is a slow-moving city along the Mississippi River that dissects the United States. It is probably best known for its most famous modern resident, rock and roll icon Elvis Presley, whose Graceland mansion remains a major American tourist destination 40 years after his death.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Nov 14, 2017
Good defense has Celtics on 12-game win streak
It wasn't a great start for them — OK, the Warriors aren't going 80-2 — but Golden State is back at the top of the Western Conference, as expected.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jun 6, 2017
Cavs GM Griffin may be on way out; Clippers wise to get West
See, maybe the Cavs shouldn't have traded Andrew Wiggins after all. David Griffin may pay for that with his job, though it's highly unlikely it was his idea.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
May 23, 2017
Clippers should stay the course despite disappointments
Coach Doc Rivers: Headed back to Orlando where he began his NBA coaching career and where he still owns a home and where his family has remained. To run the Magic franchise.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
May 9, 2017
Injured Parker remains perfect fit for no-nonsense Spurs
Tim Duncan was the most famous; OK, maybe co-famous with David Robinson.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 25, 2017
Antetokounmpo no longer just a diamond in the rough
Giannis Antetokounmpo probably is the least favorite player of NBA writers.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 11, 2017
Russian influence on Nets leaves franchise in disarray
The United States is having a lot of problems with Russia.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Mar 28, 2017
Battles with Jordan, Pippen put Krause in tough spot
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next week probably will announce that former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause will be enshrined later this year. Perhaps it will wait another year.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Mar 14, 2017
Wall has Wizards in chase for Eastern Conference top seed
The NBA's most unexpected and overlooked, if not undeserving, Most Valuable Player candidate this season has had perhaps the most unusual of career arcs.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Feb 28, 2017
Magic will need luck, guile to help drama-filled Lakers return to glory
Magic Johnson learned a painful lesson as an NBA coach for 16 games, his Lakers went 5-11 at the end of the 1993-94 season. It was once most eloquently stated by Johnny Kerr, a star center from the 1950s and 1960s who coached the expansion Chicago Bulls: That's five guys running around with my paycheck....
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Feb 14, 2017
Oakley's gruff manner has history of creating trouble
Diogenes would never have believed there is a Charles Oakley.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 31, 2017
Cavaliers paying price for LeBron's imperious actions
When you declare yourself the king, as LeBron James did and Henry VIII in England, and it looks like Donald Trump in the United States these days, then you'll probably act like the world is your kingdom — heck, LeBron calls it the (his?) Land — and your actions will be erratic and often damaging...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 17, 2017
Rose vilified for absence while LeBron given a pass
Derrick Rose last week missed one game, distraught and leaving suddenly without telling anyone after Knicks practice to attend to a family emergency back in Chicago. He returned the next day to team practice and to play the next game, was fined $200,000 and made public apologies to his teammates, the...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 3, 2017
Karl up to old tricks with new book
Many who know George Karl will tell you there's a good side, welcoming, generous, warm and funny, though George works very hard to hide it.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 20, 2016
High time for Kings to dump insufferable Cousins
I was talking to an NBA general manager earlier this season about DeMarcus Cousins, the best player in the NBA most likely to be traded, or at least so we'll hear for the next few months.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 6, 2016
Ex-referee Vanak helped improve job with courage
John Vanak was a quiet revolutionary.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Nov 22, 2016
Throwback DeRozan proving that old attitudes not necessarily outdated
When DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points last Friday in the Toronto Raptors' 113-111 victory against the Denver Nuggets, he matched Michael Jordan, Alex English, Nate "Tiny" Archibald and Rick Barry as the only players to score at least 30 points in 10 of their first 12 games.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

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