Trouble in Charlotte

    This week in the world of basketball, Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets was waived from the roster. This all started one early September when Kai Jones made an appearance on his Instagram Live, claiming that he did not think that he would be traded anytime soon. In the same Instagram Live, Jones appeared to be extremely hyperactive, dancing spastically around his house, and even had some viewers worried for him as it appeared as if he was exhibiting some signs of either being mentally unwell or on drugs of some kind. This narrative was only further developed when direct messages of Jones and a fan were leaked to the public where he challenged the fan to a 1v1 the next time the Hornets visited Milwaukee for $200.

 

    In the midst of all of this, Jones' recent tweets also became a cause for concern with him saying things such as, "I'm God", that he would "cook prime diesel" [referring to Shaquille O'Neal], that the 'new' version of him was both the "MVP and DPOY", and frequently tweeting the hashtag #GOATLIFE.

    Jones averaged 3.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists on 56% from the field and 21% from 3-point range in 46 games played last year. 

    Following his ramped up social media frenzy, on Oct. 9 of this year, Jones publicly requested a trade from the Charlotte Hornets via Twitter. Seeing as this is a direct violation of the NBA's policies to publicly request a trade, Jones can be met with a fine of up to $150,000. Although many superstars in the NBA as of late have embraced the idea of player empowerment, allowing for players around the league to have more control over their careers and to make more decisions for themselves as opposed to the organizations that they play for and represent, this is not an example of that, and even if it was, Jones certainly does not have the reputation or credentials to allow for said behavior, ultimately resulting in him being waived by the Charlotte Hornets just two days after publicly requesting a trade from the organization. 

    With just two days to go until the official start of the NBA 2023-24 season the big man is still unsigned. What do you think? Will the Kai Jones get a second chance somewhere else, or did the young, big man already cut his career short?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harden is a "Full Participant" in Sixers Training Camp

Image
     This week in the NBA, teams around the league started training camp on September 26th ahead of the 2023-24 season. As the recent drama between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers organization has come to a head, James Harden was reluctant about joining the team for camp alongside Daryl Morey and new teammate, Kelly Oubre Junior, ultimately joining the camp late on October 4th as a full participant.      This drama between Harden and the 76ers organization started when Harden exercised his player option on June 29th and requested a trade. Harden wanted out of Philadelphia and made it very clear as to why.       "Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of," Harden said during an Adidas media event in China. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."     Following this statement, Harden was fined $100,000 by the league, which is now bei
Read more

Wemby Is The Real Deal.

Image
           This week in the NBA marked the start of the preseason. With the beginning of the 2023-24 season about to be underway, there are many intriguing storylines and narratives across the league to be followed, with one of the most interesting being the beginning of 1st overall pick Victor Wembanyama's NBA career. With many analysts and fans alike calling him a "unicorn" and the next greatest generational talent, a lot of pressure has been placed on the 19 year old frenchman's shoulders.      Although at times it seems as if Wemby is being set up for failure with how high the expectations that have been set for him are, so far in the two preseason games that he has appeared in, he has yet to disappoint. The 7'4 big man showed out in his first NBA appearance against the Oklahoma City Thunder and one of his biggest threats in this year's Rookie of The Year race, Chet Holmgren, putting up 20 points, five rebounds, and two steals on 62% from the field and 40%
Read more

Team USA FIBA Results and 2024 Summer Olympic Implications

Image
      This past week in the world of basketball, the 2023 FIBA World Cup came to an end with Germany winning the tournament and taking home the gold medal. Although this came as a surprise to basketball fans all around the world, an even bigger surprise came when Team USA was eliminated and placed 4th overall, an atypical result for the dominant powerhouse of their national program.       This year’s Team USA roster featured many young, fringe All-Star caliber players such as Anthony Edwards, Brandon Ingram, Tyrese Halliburton, and current Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), Jaren Jackson Junior. Although a very talented roster all together, this year’s national team pales in comparison to the Team USA’s rosters of the past. For once, team USA did not have any of the top 30 NBA players representing them in the tournament and it showed. Although the FIBA World Cup is an important feat for many, to most of the big names of the sport, the only international competition that is worth risk
Read more