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

The In Season Tournament: What You Need to Know

This week in the NBA, the inaugural In Season Tournament began. With the introduction of the In Season Tournament this year, many NBA fans and players alike don't know what to expect. The tournament is set up to take place with a variety of its games spread out throughout the span of the first half of the NBA regular season schedule. The tournament starts with a group stage where each conference is separated in three groups of five teams each, based on each team's regular season record from the 2022-23 season. In this stage, ending on Nov. 28, each team will play the other four within their group, where then, the top eight teams from around the league will move on to the second round. The second round consists of of the top eight teams competing in single-game eliminations. The Quarterfinals games will take place from Dec. 4-5, resulting in the advancement of the league's top four teams, followed by the Semifinals games taking place...

Team USA FIBA Results and 2024 Summer Olympic Implications

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 internatio...

Harden is a "Full Participant" in Sixers Training Camp

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 ...

NBA With Nico

Search This Blog