NBA’s controversy with China started back in October 2019, when American sports executive and Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of the Hong Kong protests. Now, a through and through investigation by ESPN has revealed that the young players at three NBA academies in China have been facing abuse from Chinese coaches.

American coaches at NBA’s Chinese academies report child abuse and improper schooling

According to the ESPN reports, the allegations were raised by many American coaches at the NBA academies across China. Two coaches have been reported to have already resigned, following the ill treatment of the young athletes.

At least three cases of physical torture by the Chinese coaches were reported. One former American coach had narrated a horrific instance, when a local coach threw a basketball at a young player’s face, and then kicked him in the guts.

“Imagine you have a kid who’s 13, 14 years old, and you’ve got a grown coach who is 40 years old hitting your kid,” the coach was quoted by ESPN, “We’re part of that. The NBA is part of that.”

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One of the three NBA academies in China, which is now closed off, is located in the Western province of Xinjiang, the same province which has been reported to hold millions of Uyghur Muslims in barbed wire camps. Opening an academy in Xinjiang had raised fingers at NBA, and now reports of improper schooling have come from that said academy.

The ESPN report further stated the players at the Xinjiang academy were living in congested dormitories, holding 8-10 players in rooms meant for only two. The academy also failed to provide formal schooling to the teenagers, and some of them had been left out of training. Another coach described the Xinjiang academy as “a sweat camp for athletes.”

Mark Tatum, the NBA deputy commissioner and in charge of the league’s oversees operation, said that only a few such cases were reported, but further added that the NBA is ‘reevaluating’ the academy programmes.

“One of the lessons that we’ve learned here is that we do need to have more direct oversight and the ability to make staffing changes when appropriate,” Tatum spoke to ESPN regarding the reports from China.

“We don’t have oversight of the local coaches, of the academic programs or the living conditions,” he continued, “It’s fair to say we were less involved than we wanted to be.”

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5 greatest slam dunk artists in NBA history

Many legendary players in the history of NBA are slam dunkers, but only a few have perfected the art. Scoring for your side, as well as setting the crowd on a frenzy with the picturesque move, dunking is one basketball skill that is one for the books.

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From the aerial wizards to the power dunkers, the list of the best in performing the art goes on. So, here are five of the greatest slam dunkers from the chapters of the National Basketball Association.

Slam Dunk: five NBA legends who perfected the art

5. Shawn Kemp

Revered for his powerful dunk moves, former NBA icon Shawn Kemp is one of the greatest NBA legends who perfected the art. A vicious power forward of the 90s era, the Seattle SuperSonics hall of fame was unbelievably consistent with the move, with his most famous one being in the match against Golden State Warriors in the 1992 playoffs. Below here are top ten of Kemp’s greatest ever dunks, courtesy of the official YouTube channel of NBA.

4. LeBron James

While he wasn’t e regular dunk artist in basketball, the late legend of the game LeBron James was still one of the best ever in the craft. The Los Angeles Lakers icon, the L-Train performed an astounding 1,680 dunks in his career, and was hailed as one of the greatest Tomahawk dunkers ever. Check out the NBA clip below of LeBron’s best dunks from the 2003 to 2016 seasons.

3. Michael Jordan

The poster boy of late 80s to the 90s NBA, Michael Jordan’s spectacular leaps towards the basket ended with a hang from the ring, creating a surge of adrenaline among the spectators. The undisputed legend of the sport, Jordan is hailed as one of the best double clutch dunkers in basketball, winning the Slam Dunk title back to back in 1987 and 1988. The Chicago Bulls luminary was an extravagant dunker, and here is a compilation from NBA to do the claim justice.

2. Dominique Wilkins

A high flyer around the basketball court, an NBA fixture starring Dominique Wilkins meant slam dunks here and there. The legendary Atlanta Hawks small forward, Wilkins came only second to Jordan in the 1988 slam dunk contest. However, many NBA enthusiasts of the bygone era still swear by Wilkins as the greatest dunker of all time. Below here are 60 of Wilkins’s best dunk movies, courtesy of the NBA.

Honourable mention: Julius Erving

Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving, the iconic small forward of the 70s and 80s influenced generations after him to be inspired in the art of dunking, and is credited for bringing it into mainstream basketball. The Philadelphia 76ers legend brought a unique flavour to the court, and his finesse above the ring became a massive entertainment factor back in those days. Enjoy Erving’s top ten career dunks below, courtesy of YouTube channel Erik Kozma.

1. Vince Carter

Be it a list of best slam dunkers of all time, the top spot will always be reserved for Vince Carter. Nicknamed ‘Vinsanity’, the legendary shooting guard epitomised the art of slam dunk, following the footsteps of Erving who brought dunking into the NBA limelight. From 360s to windmills, the 2000 Slam Dunk contest winner turned each NBA game into a dunking contest. Enjoy the video below as the legend himself narrates his top ten memorable dunks, but lets face it- all of Carter’s dunks are extraordinary.

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Big Shamrock is a big humanitarian: NBA icon Shaq helps accident victim in Florida

On Monday, an accident had taken place at the Interstate 75 in the Gainseville area of Alachua County in Florida. After the police arrived on the scene, it was seen that Shaquille was standing at the place of the accident, being a company to the victims of the car crash.

The footage of the former NBA icon being a good Samaritan was recorded by the camera on the police vehicle, which was later aired on many news outlets. Check out the clip below, courtesy of the official Facebook page of WESH 2 News.

It was reported that the woman, who’s car went off the road into the grass, had a tire blown, and was forced to make a sudden stop. Shaq, who is a resident of Florida, was on a ride through the interstate, and stopped at the scene to give company to the lady.

After the police arrived on the scene, the basketball legend was seen fist bumping one of the officers. “I appreciate you stopping,” another officer thanked Shaq for being johnny on the spot.

This is not the first time Shaq has been seen assisting an accident victim. Back in 2018, he did the same, helping out two drivers who had crashed into each other in Los Angeles.

Shaquille has been respected by the global sports scene for his humanitarian deeds. The 48 year old has made donations to a number of charities for children, including a remarkable $1 million donation to the Boys and Girls Club of America.

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