Latest sports news: Michael Jordan concerned about portrayal in ‘Last Dance’; Tom Brady’s Bucs favored over Bill Belichick’s Patriots
Michael Jordan is known as a winner, but his upcoming docuseries will show the details of what went into that process.
Michael Jordan was all about winning, and if you don’t understand that, you probably wouldn’t like him.
The Bulls’ Last Dance 30 for 30 docuseries will premiere this Sunday on ESPN, and the Athletic’s Richard Deitsch gave a glimpse into how Jordan told director Jason Hehir he was concerned about his image portrayal in the film.
“When people see this footage I’m not sure they’re going to be able to understand why I was so intense, why I did the things I did, why I acted the way I acted, and why I said the things I said,” Hehir recalls of a conversation he had with Jordan about the docuseries in 2017.
Rest assured, Jordan. The people who truly understand the sacrifices, the hardships and how players have to be pushed to win championships won’t have a problem.
For every nice guy on a championship team like Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, and Dwyane Wade, you have guys like Kobe Bryant and Jordan who are ultra-competitors and hate losing more than they like winning. It is an essential ingredient to championship teams, and that’s how we should view Jordan’s role in the film.
Brady’s Bucs projected to win more than Patriots at Caesars Sportsbooks
We always wanted to know the answer to this question: Was Tom Brady or Bill Belichick more responsible for the Patriots’ success?
Defense wins championships and Belichick had an 11-win season without Brady, so I’ve always leaned toward the Patriots coach. Vegas looks like they’re signing a different tune.
According to Caesars Sportsbook, the Buccaneers are projected to win nine games and the Patriots are at 8.5. It’s the lowest projected win total for the Patriots since 2003.
Brady is still a good player and teaming him up with 1,000-yard receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, combined with former first-round pick O.J. Howard at tight end, will give Brady his best set of targets since Rob Gronkowski retired. But that’s not enough to project the Buccaneers over the Patriots in total wins next season.
Belichick still has reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore to lead a defense that only allowed 272 yards per game. Brady or no Brady, the defensive performance won’t change. The Dolphins and Jets will be picking near the top of the draft for a reason. The NFC South fields the Saints, an up-and-down Falcons team that’s three years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, and a Panthers team that started 5-3 last season before losing their last eight games.
Brady has never been successful without Belichick, but he hasn’t had the chance to be, either. Belichick has proven that he can when 11 games with a guy like Matt Cassel at quarterback with the 2008 Patriots. Brady has more to prove and sure that will motivate him, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Belichick is the safe bet because the proof is in the pudding. Cassel went 11-5 and Jimmy Garoppolo led the Patriots to a 2-0 start in 2016 without Brady. I’d bet the over on the Patriots’ 8.5 projected wins a lot quicker than Brady’s Bucs.
Michael Rubin partnering with celebrities to fight the COVID-19 crisis
Sixers partner and Fanatics owner Michael Rubin is using his resources to launch an All-in Challenge for Celebrities to raise money for food insecurity during COVID-19.
Kevin Hart, Meek Mill, Magic Johnson and Mark Cuban are notables names that will contribute with donations. The donations will be split equally between four charities.
“COVID-19 has impacted our lives in such an unprecedented way, but through it all, I’ve been encouraged by our country’s relentless desire to help others, especially around the ever-growing number of families now struggling to find food,” Rubin said. "I’m overwhelmed by the incredible response by so many of the world’s most influential figures who are all rallying together to support this critical and timely issue.”
In case you missed it in Philly
The quarantine has led to more time playing video games, and Valorant, a first-person shooting game, is the latest to receive hype. Valorant had 1.73 million concurrent viewers last week, which is just shy of a record 1.74 million views sat during the League of Legends World Championship.
Philadelphia-based T1 Entertainment & Sports was the first esports organization to sign a professional Valorant player, Brax, and is hosting its first-ever Valorant tournament on Thursday (all of which have happened during stay-at-home orders). T1 has also partnered with Nerd Street Gamers to host a Valorant Amateur Qualifier Wednesday, where teams competed for a $1500 prize pool and a coveted spot in the T1 Valorant Invitational.
This is an opportunity for young gamers to put their skills to the test. Valorant has been described as an amalgamation of Overwatch and Counter-Strike. The event will be broadcasted on the T1 Twitch channel, starting at 1 p.m.