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What Had Happened Was

What Had Happened Was: 11/30/17

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    Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers
    Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers after the game on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
    Aaron Dodson By @aardodson

    Game. blouses.

    • In the first meeting between two-time league MVP Stephen Curry and rookie Lonzo Ball, the reigning champion Golden State Warriors defeated the rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers, 127-123, in overtime on Wednesday night. Curry finished with 28 points, on 9-for-20 shooting (3-for-9 from 3-point range), with seven assists and five rebounds, and Ball recorded a double-double with 15 points, on 5-for-12 shooting (3-for-7 from 3-point range), with 10 assists and two rebounds. Ball hung with Curry for the first four quarters in the battle between the two point guards, but in overtime, the rookie scored zero points while the veteran dropped 13. Heading into the matchup, Curry explained why he could relate to Ball, who’s gotten off to a rough start to his first year in the league, although his numbers are similar to Curry’s in the first 20 games of each of their careers. During the game, Ball’s outspoken father LaVar Ball was asked whether he thinks, as he’s asserted many times before, that his son is a better player than Curry. His response? “Until I die, I will always think my son is better than Steph Curry!” LaVar Ball told a sideline reporter. “Always!”
    • The NFL will collaborate with players to effect social justice change. On Wednesday night, the league and players agreed in principle on an $89 million deal to partner on “causes considered important to African-American communities,” according to ESPN’s Jim Trotter and The Undefeated’s Jason Reid. The NFL reportedly hopes that the unprecedented move will end the controversial protests carried out during the national anthem by players since 2016, when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked the movement against racial injustice in the United States. According to proposal documents reviewed by ESPN, the NFL’s offer is projected to allocate at least $89 million to local and national projects over seven years while calling for league owners to contribute annually, beginning this year with $5 million and reaching as much as $12 million a year from 2021 to 2023.
    • Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews will wear cleats in honor of Kaepernick on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, as part of the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative, which allows players to wear customized kicks on the field in support of a charitable cause. Matthews’ shoes, designed by Miami’s Marcus Rivero, aka SolesBySir, feature an image of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback kneeling in protest of racial injustice, as well as his name and that of his youth awareness campaign, the Know Your Rights Camp. “I dont have a foundation so i have chosen to support my brother @kaepernick7 foundation @yourrightscamp for #MyCauseMyCleats,” Matthews wrote in an Instagram post, showing off the cleats. “He has paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring true everyday issues to light. Please follow the page & go to the website to learn more. We Should ALL Know Our Rights & Be Able to Express Them Freely.” Matthews, who played with Kaepernick at the University of Nevada, has supported the free-agent quarterback all season by remaining in the locker room during the national anthem for most of the team’s games.

    Top three tweets

    1. GORDON JR., IS THAT YOU?

    2. LONG LOST (OTHERWORLDLY) TWINS

    3. BRB, ABOUT TO GO CRY

    ICYMI

    On this day in sports history

    On Nov. 30, 1952, Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson accused the New York Yankees of racism. While speaking on a local TV show, Robinson called out the franchise for failing to sign black ballplayers from the minor leagues. Though the Yankees denied the allegation, the team didn’t call up its first black player until catcher/left fielder Elston Howard joined the team in 1955, eight years after Robinson broke major league baseball’s color barrier when he debuted for the Dodgers. The same year a black player finally received an opportunity to play in pinstripes, the Dodgers beat the Yankees 4-3 in the 1955 World Series.

    Picture-perfect

    Aaron Dodson is a sports and culture writer at Andscape. He primarily writes on sneakers/apparel and hosts the platform’s Sneaker Box video series. During Michael Jordan’s two seasons playing for the Washington Wizards in the early 2000s, the “Flint” Air Jordan 9s sparked his passion for kicks.

    This Story Tagged: NBA Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors What Had Happened Was Los Angeles Lakers … View All Colin Kaepernick LaVar Ball Lonzo Ball