Mateo Navarrette, NBA Writer

Kobe Bryant Remembered: Tears of Joy, Sorrow, and Inspiration

Monday, January 27th, 2020

"Game 7 of the 1999-2000 Western Conference Finals was responsible for turning me into not only a Los Angeles Lakers fan, but also a sports fan in general. After being down by as much as 15 in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant tossed an alley-oop to Shaquille O’Neal that sealed the game and kickstarted a dynasty.

That happened when I was seven years old. On Sunday I opened my eyes out of a sleepy haze, and woke up to a flurry of text messages. It was the first time I woke up to a world without Kobe Bryant in it. It’s not a sentence I’d expected to type at only 28 years old."" Read Article

NBA Museum: Ranking the Greatest Pictures Ever

Tuesday, July 26th, 2019

"In the NBA, the best pictures have a general recipe to them. They all contain a mix of historical significance, composition, and symbolism through the limitations of their frame. Some photos may be a little heavier on historical significance, while others symbolism, and others composition.

Tallying up the best pictures in NBA history is ultimately a subjective feat. Whichever of the three or more aspects the viewer views more important will ultimately dictate their opition. Since NBA action has pretty much ceased, now is time to reflect on the great pictures the league has given us over the years." Read Article

The Science of Rest and the NBA

Wednesday, October 17th, 2018

"A couple days ago I was listening to ESPN Senior Writer Zach Lowe's podcast, "The Lowe Post" ( the best NBA podcast name around). He had the always insufferable - yet engaging - NBA color commentator Jeff Van Gundy on as a guest. I clicked on the podcast solely because I knew Jeff was going to have some dissenting opinions no matter what was said. He sure didn't disappoint!

One of the things he went into was how he's so disgusted with how much rest players get in the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, and when they perform badly that "lack of rest" is used as an excuse by analysts in the media to disregard their ineffective play. You can hear Van Gundy's rant in the segment below." Read Article

Spencer Dinwiddie Was Right About SoCal Basketball Players

Tuesday, November 12th, 2019

"A small quote from Spencer Dinwiddie caused a lot of conversation recently in the NBA universe. When questioned by The Athletic’s Travonne Edwards about which state/region has produced the greatest haul of today’s NBA players, Dinwiddie remarked it was Southern California (SoCal) by a longshot.

“I’m from LA listen here..It’s not even close we had Russ, James, Klay may or may not made it but was right there..Kawhi. We put more people on all-nba teams than some states have in the league!" When it comes to today’s talent though, Dinwiddie is spot on. California is firmly in the lead when it comes to who has produced the best players out of today’s crop.” Read Article

How Come Former NBA Players Pick Kobe Over LeBron?

Wednesday, August 15th, 2018

"It's funny to see how the NBA GOAT debate has evolved over the last decade. As Kobe's powers faded, LeBron's grew stronger like Thanos gaining possession of all the Infinity Stones. It's basically LeBron vs. Jordan when you turn on ESPN or some other hot take network/show.

LeBron has healthy leads over Kobe in almost every statistical category in terms of averages, but also in career totals - and he's not even done yet (rebounds, assists, steals, FG%, etc. If he's healthy, he's on pace the surpass Kobe for third on the all-time scoring list by the middle of the season or so (that's going to be a wild night on Twitter). In the realm of stats, it isn't even an argument. But in the realm of intangibles and respect from peers, Kobe seems to have some solid footing over LeBron. " Read Article

NBA India Games: The Latest Move in NBA International Talent Nurturing

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

"Today, the NBA continues its attempt at growing its brand abroad. Two preseason games will take place in the world's second-most populated country titled, the “NBA India Games”. The Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers will face off twice in Mumbai.

This appearance will make them the first North American professional teams to ever play a game in the country of India. Casual NBA fans may not know much about the NBA and India, but there’s a growing enthusiasm for basketball that could develop into what fans have in the Philippines and China." Read Article

A New Day is Ahead with Magic's Sudden Departure

Wednesday, April 11th, 2019

"The shock was akin to the day LeBron announced his intent to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Laker fans and NBA enthusiasts will remember where they were when Magic Johnson announced his spontaneous, groundbreaking decision.

By now you've likely already heard: Magic Johnson is stepping down as President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. Nobody - and I mean NOBODY - saw this coming on a windy, LA Tuesday afternoon. The great former Laker always emphasized that his team-building plan would be a two-year deal. Nabbing LeBron in free agency was merely part one of the grand scheme." Read Article