Maybe teammates had been so used to LeBron James needing his headband, whether it’s for comfort or appearance. Fighting for his life in these NBA Finals, fighting for his basketball stature, this accessory was the last thing James had on his mind in Game 6. Read More. Written by Shams Charania on Jun 19, 2013
Jabari Parker hopes to follow in the footsteps of his basketball hero, Michael Jordan.
"I want to be just like Michael Jordan," said Parker, who stars at Chicago Simeon Career Academy. "Chicago greats get noticed around the city. People have a lot of respect for them. I look up to those guys a lot. I want to be part of that family."
Like Jordan, Parker seems to elevate his game when challenged verbally.
"When people talk trash, he'll listen," said Sonny Parker, Jabari's father. "He won't say a word, but he'll listen. It's like they woke him up. They shouldn't have said anything. Now, he's awake. Now, he'll let his game do the talking. He has that in him. It comes out by his play and his performance."
Andrew and Aaron Harrison could announce their college choice as soon as this fall, their father, Aaron Harrison Sr., confirmed.
“It’s around that time,” Aaron Harrison Sr. said. “Their birthday is Oct. 28. They want to get it done before the high school season starts.”
The twins, regarded as top 10 prospects in the class of 2013, have narrowed their list to four schools -- Kentucky, Villanova, Maryland and Baylor.
“We’re going to visit Villanova and that’s going to be the first week of July,” the elder Harrison said. “And then Maryland will be that same week.
“As far as Kentucky goes, I don’t know about that. We’ve been there twice already and my wife’s been there. It’s something we’ve already done. My wife has talked to the coaches and given them the third degree. We may visit there again and we may not.
“As far as Baylor goes that may be the end of June.”
Karl Towns has been named to the Dominican Republic national team as it prepares to qualify for this summer’s London Olympic Games.
"He's going to be battling with guys who are men, so when he gets done with this, he's going to know what it takes to be an NBA player," his father, Karl Towns Sr., said. "When he gets back, Karl's going to double his work ethic. I think right now this is the greatest thing that could have happened to him."
The Dominican national team is coached by John Calipari, who is recruiting Towns to the University of Kentucky.
"I want people to know he made it for his ability, not because of who the coach is," Karl Towns Sr. said. "He'll be with his Dominican family this summer. If he goes to Kentucky, that will be his other family. But right now the key is to get the Dominican team into the Olympics. That's the only key right now.
"There's too much at stake for them to do him a favor. They have to qualify. They need the best players they can carry to make this work."
Towns, a 6-foot-11 center, is the top ranked player in the class of 2015.
Andrew Wiggins was the star attraction at the Canadian junior men’s national team camp at Ryerson University this past weekend.
“I watched him play last week [and] in the last minute of a tied game, he got the ball twice, in isolation plays, drove and dunked on the whole entire team to win the game,” said Rowan Barrett, the executive vice president and assistant GM of Canada’s senior men’s national team. “No celebration … he walked to the free-throw line like, ‘I’ve been here before, I’ve done this before,’ hit the free throws, didn’t stare anybody down; no chest bumping.
“There is a definite humility with him.”
The 6-foot-7 forward is physically gifted with long arms (6-foot-11) and a strong frame.
“Even at 17, he’s already NBA size for his [small forward] position,” Barrett said. “And he already has NBA athleticism for his position.”
Wiggins captains CIA Bounce, an all-Canadian team that has been dominant against its AAU competition and features several players who could one day figure prominently in the Olympic picture.
Florida State has signed 7-foot-1 center Michael Ojo.
Ojo is originally from Nigeria.
Ojo weighs 290 pounds and averaged 15 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks per game as a senior at Tennessee Temple High School in Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Michael has been playing basketball for only a few years and is a dedicated, hard-working young man who has a very high basketball ceiling,” said Tennessee Temple High school head coach Randy Lee. “While I don’t want to place unrealistic expectations on Michael, he is right now physically talented enough to play in the ACC – he only needs time to develop his understanding of the game of basketball. He has the ability to be a good rebounder and has a very imposing presence in the paint with his 7-foot-8 wingspan. Coach Hamilton and his staff not only have a great history of identifying talented post players but they have the patience to help them develop over time. Florida State and Coach Hamilton’s system are perfect fits for Michael and he will be a great addition to the Seminole program.”
Robinson is a shooting guard in the class of 2013.
Robinson averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior on a Paul VI of Fairfx, Virginia team that went 35-3 and was ranked among the top 10 nationally.
Jabari Parker will be featured on the cover of the May 21 issue of Sports Illustrated, with a story proclaiming Parker the "best high school basketball player since LeBron James."
The story focuses on Parker’s Mormon faith.
Parker is considering embarking on a two-year mission when he turns 19.
Duke received a verbal commitment on Tuesday from Amile Jefferson, a 6 6-7 and 190 pound forward rated as a top-30 prospect in the prospect in the class of 2012.
Jefferson chose Duke over Kentucky, NC State, Duke, Ohio State and Villanova.
Jefferson noted the pull of playing for Mike Krzyzewski, the winningest coach in Division I men’s basketball history.
“Coach K brings an energy to our team that I want to bring back to him,” Jefferson said. “When he looks in my eyes, I want him to see the energy that I see in his eyes.”
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