Enes Freedom last played in the NBA with the Boston Celtics in the 2021–2022 season, almost two years ago. He claims he is still unsigned, despite being only 30 years old, because of his blunt political criticism of LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Others, however, point at his shortcomings as a player. His 6-foot-10 height and excellent rebounding abilities on the court contrast with his poor pick-and-roll defence.
His outspoken political position also contributes to the lack of contract offers, as teams are wary of media attention for an ailing, defensively inept backup centre. Freedom averaged 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds during 748 games throughout his 11 NBA seasons with clubs including the Jazz, Knicks, Celtics, and Blazers.
Freedom wants to try his luck in women’s league
Enes Freedom has switched his attention from the NBA to the WNBA in order to pursue his basketball goals. In an unexpected turn, Freedom joked about the possibility of donning a wig and playing in the women’s league, claiming that he could score a whopping 60 points.
He joked about playing in the women’s league during a Fox News interview.
“If I’m allowed in I would average 60 points and 30 rebounds,” he said, according to an article on sportskeeda.com.
Freedom never scored 60 points in an NBA game. His highest was 33 points in an NBA game in 2016. But he did secure 30 rebounds in 2021 while playing for the New York Knicks.
Freedom was criticised for his remarks. It’s actions like this that make it difficult for the journeyman centre to get a job on any team.
Wenyen Gabriel was only just warming up to his new team, the Boston Celtics, when they waived him on Friday.
Gabriel joins Celtics
Gabriel joined the team just hours after Jrue Holiday was traded from the Trail Blazers. He signed with the Celtics on October 1 on a training camp contract, but didn’t see the court for more than a month.
Shams Charania reported the news on X on October 2, posting “Free agent F/C Wenyen Gabriel is finalizing a deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Gabriel, who averaged 5.5 PPG and 4.2 RPG for Lakers last season, will compete for a reserve big man spot in Boston.”
Free agent F/C Wenyen Gabriel is finalizing a deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. Gabriel, who averaged 5.5 PPG and 4.2 RPG for Lakers last season, will compete for a reserve big man spot in Boston.
After Williams got dealt to the Blazers, along with Malcolm Brogdon and Golden State Warriors’ 2024 first-round pick, in exchange for Holiday, the Celtics were looking to fill the spot of the big man on the frontcourt. And they opted for Gabriel, who recently had a remarkable stint in the FIBA World Cup. He logged an average of 9.2 points and 6.9 rebounds and helped the South Sudan team secure their first ever Olympic berth.
When he was signed, he stated in an interview that joining the Celtics was a wonderful thing for him because he was from the area.
“It’s been good … being that I’m from this area,” Gabriel said as per celticsblog. “So a lot of people in the organization that might know me or know people that know me. So they’ve been welcoming me in, and I’m just taking it one day at a time, and I think it’s been good so far.”
Celtics waives Gabriel
Gabriel was, however, released by the Celtics on Friday, according to Shams Charania on X, after making appearances in three of Boston’s five preseason games this month and averaging only 2.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game.
The Boston Celtics are waiving F/C Wenyen Gabriel, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
The news came as a shock to some fans on X, considering that he only got recently signed, one X user asked “What ? So soon ?😳”.
Others were simply concerned with whether Neemias Queta would take over as the team’s backup center now that Gabriel had left. One X user said, “He’s not the greatest center. Wonder if this means Neemas Queta got the back up center spot?”.
While another one added, “Hope Neemias Queta can provide a supporting role for Celtics now that Wenyen Gabriel has been waived. He is young and athletic and may provide rest for Al Horford and Porzingis on the eve of the season.”
Just last year, LeBron James, who has won four NBA championships and is a four-time MVP, was ranked number three on the list of the oldest active NBA players, behind Udonis Haslem and Andre Iguodala. However, with Haslem officially retiring in July 2023 and Iguodala remaining unsigned for the ‘23-’24 season, LeBron James added another title to his name by becoming the league’s oldest player.
Udonis Halem stepped away from the NBA after an illustrious career that spanned 20 seasons. He retired at the age of 43, and this news was officially announced on July 29 on his Instagram and Miami Heat’s X. The post included a picture of the Heat veteran holding a Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy as well as a note that summarized his career as a basketball player.
Miami Heat then captioned it with a three-letter phrase that epitomized what Haslem meant to the franchise: “Forever a #HEATLegend”
On the other hand, Andre Iguodala has been elusive so far in the off-season, as he has remained unsigned by any team in the league. Back in September 2022, Iguodala had already considered retiring, but with his teammates, Coach and Golden State Warrior GM, convincing him to ride out the season with them for the last time, he eventually decided to resign with the Warriors. However, he also said back then on his podcast, “Point Forward”, that that would be the last time.
“I’m letting you know right now, Steph [Curry], this is the last one,” Iguodala said.
Iguodala is now 39 years old and has already played for 19 seasons in the NBA. But it seems the basketball veteran meant it when he said that the previous season would be his last one. Still, the Warriors haven’t lost hope and even reserved the final roster spot for Iguodala just in case he comes back, as per Basketball Insiders.
James is 39 this December
“We’ve communicated some this summer already,” GM Mike Dunleavy said to NBC sports. “We’ll see. We’re not going to close the door on anything. But my guess, and my belief, is that he won’t be back…
But with only a few days until the NBA ‘23-’24 kicks off, fans have guessed that Igduola has closed his doors for this season. And this had everyone thinking that with the two out of the equation, King LeBron James, who will turn 39 this December, would now hold the crown of being the oldest active NBA player.
Included in LA Lakers’ roster, James will play in his 21st season this October.
BasketNews even reported this on X, and said: “The end of an era approaches, LeBron James claims the throne as the oldest player in the NBA next season 👀👑”
The end of an era approaches, LeBron James claims the throne as the oldest player in the NBA next season 👀👑 pic.twitter.com/tcR7x0rONB
Nemanja Bjelica, the European center who played a key role in the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 championship-winning season, is reportedly retiring from professional basketball due to injuries, as per Sportando.
Bjelica’s professional career has spanned a total of sixteen years and has been characterized by both remarkable successes and heartbreaking losses in EuroLeague, Turkish League, NBA, and Liga ACB.
However, his seven-season stint in the NBA has earned him international recognition and cemented his status as a European icon.
Coming off his successful run with Fenerbahçe, where he was named EuroLeague MVP of the 2015 season, Bjelica, or as his teammates and fans like to call him ‘Belli’, signed with the Minessota Timberwolves. He made his debut in the team’s season opener, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in a 112-111 win over the Lakers.
In 2018, Belli had planned to head back home to Europe but was offered a three-year, $20.5 million contract by Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac, per Sactown Sports. Deciding to stay, Belli spent the next three seasons with the Kings and registered his best stats in the 2019-20 season since coming to the league with an average of 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over 72 games.
Bjelica at Miami Heat
After ending his season with the Kings in 2021, he signed with the Miami Heat for one season and subsequently landed with the Golden State Warriors the following season. He made his Warriors debut on October 2021, coming off the bench to snag a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Golden State’s 121–114 victory over the Lakers.
Free agent F Nemanja Bjelica has agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, source tells ESPN.
Belli played for the Warriors for 71 regular season games and 15 postseason games, tremendously helping the team clinch the championships in 2022. Golden state of mind, a news outlet, described his time with the Warriors as “brief but spectacular.”
After his championship stint with the Warriors, Belli moved on and signed with the Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, but not before penning a heartwarming farewell to his fans on Instagram. In it, the Serb player wrote,
“Thank you, Warriors, the 2022 NBA champions. To the best fans and everyone who supported and pushed us through the whole season until the very end, thank you. To this amazing organization who believed in me and let me be part of this legendary group of players, my braces. To all of you, for this unforgettable experience in closing my NBA chapter, thank you. I will always remember this season, these fans and the Bay. Always a Warrior, Thank you #DjudjuFandjo 🐬”
In his podcast, Draymond Green admitted that losing Belli hurt him a little, “Another loss that was huge for us was losing Beli, Nemanja Bjelica. He is headed back to Fenerbahce in Turkey. I’m a little hurt by this one,”.
In September this year, it was reported by Eurohoops that Belli parted ways with Fenerbahce to reunite with Crvena Zvezda, his former team in 2008-2010. However, after sustaining a Calf injury, Belli couldn’t appear in the team’s first games which has left him contemplating instead whether it was time for him to throw in the towel and call it a career.
On September 20th, the Bill Simmons Podcast aired an episode in which NBA free-agent Austin Rivers talked about how he wants to play for the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
“Miami is a dream destination for every player like me because [Coach] Spo doesn’t coach based anybody off merit or contract,” Rivers said. “He plays who’s gonna play the hardest and who’s gonna help win the damn game. They try to win games over there.”
“I would do anything to play for the Miami Heat, seriously,” Rivers said. “Like, that’s like number one choice for me would be to play for Spo and play with guys like Jimmy. Like f–king dogs, man. Like dogs, bro. Go out there. Play through illness, play through injury, play through soreness. Defend.” He continued.
Remarks regarding Austin Rivers’ being keen on playing for Heat and Celtics
Austin Rivers says he’d do anything to play for the Miami Heat
“Miami is dream destination for every player like me. [Coach] Spo doesn't coach anybody based off merits or contract… I would do anything to play for the Miami Heat"
Since making his NBA debut in 2012, Austin Rivers has had stints with eight different teams. In the 2022-23 season, he donned the Minnesota Timberwolves jersey, following a 67-game appearance with the Denver Nuggets in the 2021-22 season, where he averaged 4.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.
As a current free agent, Rivers made no secret of his desire to join the Miami Heat during the podcast. However, this aspiration appears unlikely to materialize soon, given the Heat’s ongoing pursuit of Damian Lillard since the start of the offseason.
Nevertheless, Rivers has another team on his radar: the Boston Celtics. During the podcast conversation with Simmons, he disclosed that he had initiated contact with Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens and had an encouraging conversation.
Now fans are waiting to see who Rivers will end up joining before the regular season starts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is ranked first in the most recent NBA rankings published by ESPN, followed by Nikola Jokic, the current league MVP, at position number two. Fourth-placed Luka Doncic is followed by triple-citizen Joel Embiid. The worldwide hegemony at the top is broken by Stephen Curry, who ranks No. 5, and Jayson Tatum, who ranks No. 6. In the power rankings for this season, the NBA’s diversity is highlighted.
NBA fans are on the edge of their seats as Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secure the seventh and eighth slots in the NBA’s gripping drama of skill and rivalry.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the legendary Lakers team, finish the job at the ninth and tenth positions by adding an exciting new chapter to the story of basketball supremacy. In this thrilling story of skill and cooperation, the stage has been set, and everyone is waiting to see what happens next.
A Twitter user posted; “Jokic is better than Giannis, what is this,”
the other one posted; “They don’t even have jokic number 1 lmao. Why should I take this list serious,” an article from sportskeeda.com shared.
NBA Fans on ESPN Top 10
The sports world was shocked by ESPN’s highly anticipated top 10 rankings, which featured undisputed megastars. But many outstanding performers were left off the list, and others didn’t even make it into the top 20 or 30.
As a result of the discrepancy in selections, die-hard supporters and experts began to question the standards used by ESPN journalists, which led to spirited discussions on what, exactly, constitutes brilliance on the field or court.
