Right when you think you have a handle on the football season and the World Series, the NBA season tipped off yesterday. We’re bringing you exactly what you need to know to slam dunk the sports conversation.
For the three,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five things to know about the 2016-17 NBA Season
A quick overview of the NBA:
- There are 30 teams in the NBA. The League is broken down into two conferences, Western and Eastern.
- A regular season consists of 82 games. The games have four 12-minute quarters with a halftime break.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers broke the city’s 52-year championship drought (for all major sports) by winning the NBA title last season.
- This season will have a different feel as a few star players are no longer on the court. Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett all retired after last season.
- The Golden State Warriors are heavily favored to win it all, with the Cavaliers in a distant second. Interestingly, the majority of bets made have been placed on the New York Knicks whose odds are roughly 80-1 to win the championship.
- The NBA is the first of the four major professional sports to begin selling ad space on player jerseys. StubHub is paying $5 million a year for a 2.5-inch patch on the Philadelphia 76ers jerseys. Only $800,000 a square inch. We’ll take two.
- The NBA is going global. This season there are a record 113 players from 41 countries or territories on opening game rosters. Mexico City will host regular season games for the first time ever in January with the Phoenix Suns playing the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.
- There are quite a few players in the NBA with their own signature shoe - Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade to name a few. The rest of the league slums it in name brand shoes - 68% of the league wears Nike, 15% Adidas, 6% Jordan (Michael Jordan’s signature brand) and 3.8% Under Armour.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- World Series win. The Cleveland Indians continued their postseason dominance and shut out the Chicago Cubs in Game One of the World Series last night. Game Two will be played tonight. (It has been moved up to a 6 pm EST start time due to weather).
- I bet you. The Governors of Ohio and Illinois kept the tradition of betting on the World Series. Although they’re not wagering moving state lines or changing city names, they’re betting beer and pizza. Boring.
Overtime
- Singer Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson, announced they’re pregnant. The two famously spoke of their abstinence before marriage, but were wed three months ago. That’s going to be one good looking baby.
Sideline stat
- While the Denver Broncos were playing in Houston, Broncos' DeMarcus Ware’s house was robbed. Among the items stolen were his recently received Super Bowl ring. We’re pretty sure someone will notice the newest addition to the thieves’ jewelry collection – a giant five karat Super Bowl ring featuring 212 diamonds.
Coaches' corner
- Why did Cubs’ catcher David Ross have green fingernails in last night’s game? No, it wasn’t a manicure gone bad. Catchers are responsible for relaying the in-game strategy – which pitch the pitcher should throw, if the infield should go for a double play, etc. They use bright stickers on their nails so it’s easier for the pitcher to see the signs the catcher flashes.