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Health and fitness tracker Whoop has signed LeBron James as its newest global ambassador. It marks a full-circle moment for the brand and NBA star, who started wearing a Whoop in 2015 as one of its first 100 members, long before health wearables became ubiquitous. James will star in multimedia ad campaigns for Whoop, which currently has 3.5 million active paying members. “LeBron is one of the greatest examples of longevity in professional sports,” Whoop founder and CEO Will Ahmed said via email. “What’s exciting about this partnership is that we get to tell that story together and show people that performance isn’t just about what you do on the court. It’s about how you take care of yourself every day, over time.”
James set a record last year by suiting up for his 23rd NBA season, topping Vince Carter’s longevity record. James extended the record this year when he signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, who turns 42 in December, isn’t just coasting as he approaches the finish line—he averaged nearly 21 points per game last year. “I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round,” he said during his 76ers media day appearance “I’ve spent my career doing everything possible to keep my body at peak performance,” James said in a statement. “For the last 11 years, Whoop has been part of that.” James’ sleep score ranks among the top 10% of Whoop users, per Ahmed.
Legion Hoops: Brandon Miller's mom is a breast cancer survivor. So he bought 500 tickets for survivors on Breast Cancer Awareness Night, then went out and scored a career-high 39 in the win. Amazing. (via @rodboone )
How do you look at this challenge with you and the team managing Porzingis’ injury and the overall center position? Al Horford: “It is a big challenge for us. The way that I’m approaching it is that I have to do a little more. But Dray has to step up, I have to step up. Some of our younger guys are going to have more opportunities. Graham [Ike] and [Charles] Bassey are going to have to step in and play. At this point, that’s all we can do. I’ve been in a position on teams before where we all have to pick up the slack for others. This isn’t any different now.” How have KP’s spirits been with all of this? Horford: “I don’t know. I haven’t been able to check in with him on that."
Chef: Draymond talks about the Kristaps Porzingis news: "I wouldn't necessarily say the news was a distraction yesterday more so than like you kind of have forgot about it. We've gone a whole training camp and preseason without him, so you've kind of just got accustomed to the guys who were there and then that news comes out and it just makes you think about it again . . . I saw Shams reported that the Warriors would be looking at a trade. Shams knows better than we do, so we'll see what happens. I still wish him well. I hope he's healthy. I hope he can get himself to a space health-wise that he feels great about, whether he plays basketball or not, it's not my concern. I just always want people in good health. Having bad health sucks."
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Despite the built-in flexibility, that wasn't the idealized intent of the contract. Porzingis played in 15 of the team's final 20 games last season and Warriors' management believed he had an encouraging enough summer to pencil Porzingis in as the projected starting center next to Draymond Green and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg in the frontcourt. Porzingis was in the team's San Francisco facility and on the court in the week leading up to training camp and attended Jimmy Butler's player-led event in San Diego in late September, though team sources described a detached Porzingis as indifferent and uninterested in participating in scrimmages and strenuous on-court prep work at the event.
On the Sunday before training camp, Porzingis called the Warriors and alerted general manager Mike Dunleavy that he was still dealing with the lingering impact of a health issue that has bothered him for nearly two years and told them he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence.
After missing the first two weeks of training camp and the entire preseason, Porzingis drove up from Los Angeles to San Francisco last Tuesday, league sources said, to meet with Dunleavy and Rick Celebrini, the franchise's lead medical decision-maker. In the aftermath, the team announced that they would keep the details of the meeting private, but expressed an expectation that Porzingis would remain around the team as he tried to improve his health and eventually resume his career. But that hasn't been the case. Porzingis hasn't returned to the facility, league sources said, beginning another indefinite leave of absence where he is mostly maintaining contact with only Dunleavy and Celebrini. The Warriors listed him as out for the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night and the reasoning as "not with team" instead of an illness.
Bobby Marks: Kristaps Porzingis is eligible to be traded, despite signing a 2 year/$40M extension on June 30. His salary for next season is guaranteed for only $3M. Golden State is a second apron team and are not allowed to take back more salary in any trade.
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Shams Charania: Porzingis is on a trade-flexible contract for $20 million this season and a small partial next year, serving as essentially an expiring deal that the Warriors can utilize, potentially with their pool of assets. He first revealed his POTS diagnosis last year and has had ups and downs with the issue. If there is no breakthrough in recovery, stepping away from basketball -- for good -- is possible.
Oh No He Didn't: Darryn Peterson on his cramp issues in college: "After one of the practices...I started experiencing like intense cramps in which my whole body was cramping everywhere. All my muscles were cramping. 35, 40 minutes of just intense cramping. And they were poking me trying to find veins and stuff...had to come get a vein and take me out on a hospital bed. Take me to the hospital. Pain. I would go 10+ out of 1 to 10. Excruciating pain. I remember telling people I thought I was gonna die on the training table that day. Obviously, there was a ton of rumors and stuff that came out. I think what bothered me the most was just the character attacks, stuff that was so far from the truth. That's what bothered me"
Nick Friedell: A couple more notes from Kerr: Bassey also did not practice because of knee tendinitis. He is day to day. Kristaps Porzingis will not travel with the Warriors as they start the season.
Eric Nehm: Pelle Larsson missed some practices before Miami's last preseason game on Saturday and then left that game early after playing 25 minutes. Larsson talked with reporters today and here is what he said when asked about the illness he's been dealing with: "Not sure, really. Just been having headaches, so I caught something when we were in Quebec or on the way back or something. Since then, I didn't feel right and took some days off, came back. And just came back a little too quick. Didn't respect it maybe. Tried to tough it out and now just taking it slower."