Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla goes from Division 2 coach to NBA champion

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Head coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics yells while lifting the Larry O’ Brien Championship Trophy after Boston’s 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

Joe Mazzulla has been called weird. He’s been called a sicko. He’s been called crazy.

Those comments weren’t coming from critics or haters directing anonymous insults toward the NBA coach of the Boston Celtics. They came publicly from his own players who, by all accounts, absolutely adore him. And they are meant with all possible respect, especially now that those players — and everyone else — must call Mazzulla something else.

A champion.

A 35-year-old whose only head coaching experience before taking over the Celtics in the fall of 2022 was at the NCAA Division II level is now the leader of the best team in the NBA world. Boston wrapped up the NBA title on Monday night, beating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to finish off a five-game roll through the finals and secure the team’s record 18th championship.

“There’s nothing better than representing the Celtics,” Mazzulla said, “and being part of history.”

READ: Celtics rout Mavericks to win record 18th NBA championship

Including playoffs, Mazzulla’s record is now 148-54 — a .729 winning percentage. Among all coaches with at least 200 games in the NBA, nobody has a better record than that.

And when it was over, yes, the famously stoic Mazzulla smiled.

“The thing you just can’t take for granted in the game today is a coach’s greatest gift is a group of guys that want to be coached, want to be led, that also empower themselves,” Mazzulla said earlier in the series. “So, I think at the end of the day, just appreciate the fact that we have an environment where learning and coaching is important, and getting better and developing is important. You can’t be a good coach if your players don’t let you.”

He’s the 37th coach in NBA history to win a title and the seventh to do so from the Celtics’ bench, joining Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Fitch, K.C. Jones and Doc Rivers.

And there are other names the Celtics call him, too. Like genius, for example. Mazzulla doesn’t hide his Christian faith, talks about three of his loves beyond family being Jesus, coffee and jiu-jitsu, is obsessed with things like international soccer, and in his spare time leads teams to NBA titles.

“He’s really himself. He’s like authentic to himself. We all appreciate that,” Celtics guard Payton Pritchard said. “He’s not trying to be somebody he’s not. So, I think that’s kind of like the sicko side of it. He’s different, but we respect that. Then the basketball genius, you can learn a lot from him as to how he sees the offensive side of things, the play calling, the game management, all that. He’s elite in that. I’ve personally learned a lot from him, and I think our whole group has.”

READ: Celtics follow ‘craziness’ of Mazzulla’s coaching style to NBA Finals

Alex Cora, the manager of the Boston Red Sox, makes no secret that he believes the Celtics are going to be enjoying success for a while. He’s close with Brad Stevens, the front office mastermind of the team, and has gotten to know Mazzulla somewhat well since he took over as coach. The respect he has for Mazzulla is clear.

It’s not like Mazzulla struggled in Year 1 after being shoved into the job unexpectedly following the scandal that led to the Celtics parting ways with Ime Udoka; the Celtics did make Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season. Cora just thinks things were more suited to Mazzulla’s needs in Year 2, such as bringing in assistants like Charles Lee (the next coach of the Charlotte Hornets) and Sam Cassell.

“I do believe that with everything that they went through, with the head coaching part of it, and Joe last year being the head coach but not having his staff, I think it was kind of like an obstacle for him,” Cora told reporters before a Red Sox game last week. “But he got the right people, they got the right coach.”

Mazzulla’s path to the NBA mountaintop could easily be described as non-traditional, and not just for the circumstances under which he got the job as Udoka’s replacement.

Mazzulla’s only previous experience as a head coach before taking over the Celtics was a two-year stint at Fairmont State in West Virginia, where he went 43-17 and made the NCAA Tournament in his second season. A native New Englander from Rhode Island, Mazzulla played at West Virginia, was an assistant for the Celtics’ G League team before taking over at Fairmont State, and then got hired by the Celtics again in June 2019 to be part of Stevens’ coaching staff.

They’re a lot alike, Mazzulla and Stevens. They don’t waste words. They don’t seek the spotlight. Asking them a question about themselves is almost certainly not going to get any sort of peel-back-the-curtain answer. It’s not about them. It’s just about wins.

“When Joe won coach of the month, I was like, ‘Hey, congratulations,’” Celtics guard Derrick White said. “And he just looked at me and said, ‘Nobody cares.’”

The closest Mazzulla likely came to getting a head-coaching gig in the NBA before getting promoted by Boston was in 2022, when he interviewed with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz hired Will Hardy, and Mazzulla said they made the right decision. But when he looked back at that process, Mazzulla hated one part of his interview.

He wore a suit. “They’re useless,” he said.

To be clear, that wasn’t where Mazzulla thinks he blew that interview. The Jazz asked him a fairly standard question. Paraphrasing, they wanted to know how Mazzulla, as a young coach — actually younger than some NBA players — felt he was ready to lead a team.



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He didn’t have a great answer. But now, nobody will have to ask him that question again. Mazzulla answered it Monday night once and for all. He can lead a team to the top of the NBA world. The Celtics’ 18th banner will be raised this fall, and that’s more than enough for him.

“You get very few chances in life to be great and you get very few chances in life to carry on the ownership and the responsibility of what these banners are, and all the great people, all the great players that came here,” Mazzulla said. “When you have few chances in life, you just have to take the bull by the horns and you’ve got to just own it. And our guys owned it.”

Give men’s league a chance

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Retamar–MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net

The sport of volleyball has enjoyed a sudden rise in popularity, with the women’s UAAP and PVL leagues drawing record-breaking gate attendance.

Unfortunately, however, the men’s tournament have yet to receive the same attention from fans, something which young and talented national team setter Owa Retamar, who just wrapped up his playing years in the UAAP with National University (NU), hopes to be able to affect change.

“We know that here in the Philippines, when you say volleyball, people think about the women,” Retamar told the Inquirer after being named by the Collegiate Press Corps as the UAAP men’s volleyball player of the year on Monday night in Pasig City.

“The fans want longer rallies and intervals, but in the men’s (leagues) we have faster exchanges and faster kills and that’s how people see men’s volleyball,” the 22-year-old playmaker said.

Retamar was the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs during his tenure at National. The team has also been the most dominant collegiate force in the men’s UAAP of late, recently pocketing a fourth consecutive championship under coach Dante Alinsunurin.

With his collegiate stint over, Retamar, who was also a part of the men’s national team that bagged the silver medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, is taking his act to Cignal in the Spikers Turf where he hopes to bring over NU fans.

“I hope we can be given the chance of gaining crowd support,” he said of the men’s pro league, which he also hopes would inspire the next generation of players.

“Since we first joined the national team, we have been doing everything we can to help bring more attention to the men’s volleyball team,” Retamar added. “We are doing what we are doing for the next generation to carry on, and we will improve the sport so they can take volleyball further.

“So I am happy and I feel proud, even though there is a bit of pressure and we rarely rest.” INQ



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Chris Newsome erases past heartaches

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Chris Newsome–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Chris Newsome’s first crack at a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) title came during his rookie year, and it ended with the opposing ace hitting a basket at the buzzer.

Nearly eight years later—and three more botched tries in between—the Meralco guard, now his team’s top gun, hit a late jump shot to give the franchise its first championship with an 80-78 Game 6 victory over defending Philippine Cup champion San Miguel.

“Man, it’s just like a movie, for sure,” Newsome, with confetti all over and the net of Meralco’s home goal around his neck, told the Inquirer on the heels of the clincher last Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Especially when you saw where we were at earlier this conference? No one really thought we were going to be here,” he went on as he shook his head.

Meralco’s campaign in this edition of the PBA’s crown jewel showcase indeed merits a deep dive at some point. With a 3-5 win-loss record way past the halfway point of the elimination round, the Bolts hardly looked like a title contender, but rather a club hurtling toward early vacation at 11th place.

Having patched up the gaps in its game, Meralco went on to march into the Final Four, dragged—and then finally conquered—long-time tormentor Barangay Ginebra in a thrilling Game 7 for the right to challenge the vaunted Beermen.

The campaign was a riveting turnaround for the club, which somehow mirrored Newsome’s career.

Going full circle

Throughout his years playing for the Bolts, the Filipino-American guard out of Ateneo has become a lot of things. He has been a Slam Dunk Champion, the Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star, and a member of All-Defensive Team.

He has also won two gold medals for the National Team as well, including the historic Asian Games captured in China last year, but not without being cut several times from the Gilas Pilipinas roster.

But it was only on Sunday night that he was able to call himself a PBA champion.

Newsome, after hitting the title-clincher with 1.3 ticks remaining, was also crowned as the Finals MVP. He averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in those six tightly contested games.

“It’s amazing to be able to see it all through because there were times when I was down. And, you know, I was kind of figuring out whether this is something that I really needed—to just keep on pushing with and keep on working towards,” Newsome said, his voice trailing off as he recalled all those years ending up short-handed.

“You know, in those downtimes, it gets really hard. Especially after failing time and time again. But I had a good support system around me. I have good people around me. Good teammates around me. They’re always encouraging me. It’s a very healthy relationship that we have at Meralco. We feed each other confidence and we continue to believe in one another.”

Newsome also had folks over at the other side silently cheering him on, among them San Miguel skipper and his Gilas captain, Chris Ross.

“New played amazing—he did everything for that team, he had a 41-point game. He was doing everything whether defending, making big shots, making the right plays. He was amazing in this series. … [H]e was 4-for-17. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well but that didn’t change his mindset going for that last shot,” Ross, a 10-time champion, said in praising Newsome.

“I felt like he wanted that,” he added. “‘Make it or miss it just come to me,’ and that’s the confidence you need when you’re the leader of the team. He has the confidence. He puts in the work. Me being around him in Gilas, I know what kind of guy he is.

“He is an amazing player, but he’s an even better person. … He’s a great person so I couldn’t be more happy for him.”

Newsome said in an earlier Inquirer interview that he had imagined hoisting his first-ever PBA trophy in an import-laden conference. Not that he’s complaining about how everything has panned out.

“I never thought that it was going to turn out like this for my first PBA championship. But all those failures definitely make this a lot sweeter,” Newsome said.



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“And to anybody that’s been doubted, keep pushing, man. Keep striving to reach your goals and your dreams.” INQ

Jaylen Brown is Finals MVP as Celtics clinch historic NBA title

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Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, center, raises the MVP trophy after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA basketball finals, Monday, June 17, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Jaylen Brown was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Monday as his Boston Celtics polished off the Dallas Mavericks four games to one to earn a record 18th championship.

“It was a full team effort,” Brown said as he accepted the Finals MVP trophy named for Celtics legend Bill Russell.

The 27-year-old averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in five Finals games and delivered a strong defensive effort against Dallas star Luka Doncic, the regular-season scoring leader.

READ: Celtics rout Mavericks to win record 18th NBA championship

“I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum — he was with me the whole way so we share this together,” Brown said.

The Celtics claimed their first title since 2008. They had reached the finals in 2022 only to come up short against the Golden State Warriors and last season they agonizingly failed to get back to the championship series, falling to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

On a mission this season, the Celtics won a league-leading 64 regular-season games.

They swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals — Brown earning MVP honors in that series, too.

READ: Celtics will win NBA title if Tatum, Brown focus on details, not emotions

Brown, in the first year of a mammoth five-year, $286 million contract extension with the Celtics, earned his third All-Star nod, but it was Tatum, not Brown, most often pointed to as the team’s top star.

Snubbed for All-NBA honors and by selectors for the US Olympic basketball team for Paris, Brown now has the honor he really craved — an NBA title — and the Finals MVP to go with it.

Brown, who was taken third overall in the 2016 draft, shared a long, heartfelt embrace with Tatum as the final moments of the 106-88 clinching victory ticked off.



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Brown said he’d left doubts from previous playoff misses go this season.

“I never hung my head,” he said.

PH women’s basketball, men’s volleyball standouts feted

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Awardees for the 2024 Collegiate Press Corps awards night on Monday. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — History was made as standouts in the women’s basketball and men’s volleyball were recognized for the first time in the 2024 Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night on Monday at the Discovery Suites Manila in Pasig.

Kent Pastrana of the University of Santo Tomas was hailed as the inaugural Collegiate Women’s Basketball Player of the Year to headline a total of 23 awardees alongside Collegiate Men’s Basketball Player of the Year Kevin Quiambao of La Salle.

Pastrana steered the Growling Tigresses to their first title in 17 years, toppling the mighty dynasty of seven-peat champion National U with a thrilling three-game series win to win the UAAP Season 86 finals.

READ: Standout coaches to be feted by Collegiate Press Corps

She was also named the UAAP Player of the Year for team events in the league’s closing ceremony last year before a fitting follow-up recognition from the CPC in the momentous ceremony.

Pastrana also led the breakthrough Women’s Mythical Five with her teammate and UAAP Finals MVP Tantoy Ferrer, FEU’s Josee Kaputu, UP’s Favour Onoh, and Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo while Quiambao, who lifted La Salle to the UAAP Season 86 title to snap a seven-year drought, bannered the staple Men’s Mythical Five with Rookie-MVP Clint Escamis of Mapua, UP’s Malick Diouf, Lyceum’s Enoch Valdez and Jacob Cortez of San Beda.

“It’s our honor to be given this kind of opportunity in women’s basketball. Thank you for this award at sa walang pag-suporta sa amin,” said Pastrana.

For the first time also, achievers in the men’s volleyball were feted with well-deserved honors led by UAAP Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year Owa Retamar of NU and NCAA Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year Louie Ramirez of Perpetual.

READ: Kevin Quiambao, Kent Pastrana banner collegiate Mythical Teams

Retamar pocketed the UAAP Season 86 Finals MVP and Best Setter while Ramirez captured the NCAA Season 99 MVP plum anew as the both the Bulldogs and the Altas won four straight titles.

“I’m really happy that I was chosen for this men’s volleyball award. I’m glad for men’s volleyball, which is slowly gaining recognition, of course with the help of the media. They’re the ones who helped expand this. I hope this continues for all the youth watching us. I hope we can inspire them,” said Retamar.

NU Bulldogs' star Owa Retamar.

NU Bulldogs’ star Owa Retamar. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

But the night didn’t only belong to the players as mentors from women’s basketball and volleyball also marked history and grand celebration.

Haydee Ong of UST copped the UAAP Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year with Dante Alinsunurin of NU and Sammy Acaylar of Perpetual winning the UAAP Men’s Volleyball and NCAA Men’s Volleyball Coaches of the Year awards, respectively.

NU’s Norman Miguel and Jerry Yee of three-peat champion College of St. Benilde’s were named the UAAP Women’s Volleyball and NCAA Women’s Volleyball Coaches of the Year, respectively.

“It’s the first time in history that you’ve given accolades and inclusivity for women’s basketball. Maraming Salamat po. This award will not be possible without the help of the whole community and ecosystem of UST,” said Ong.

Also in the spotlight of the event were the winners of the staple awards in men’s basketball and women’s volleyball

For the second time, MVP Bella Belen of NU took home the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year while Cloanne Mondonedo of CSB, the first setter MVP in NCAA history, won the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year.



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La Salle champion mentor Topex Robinson was named the UAAP Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year while Yuri Escueta, who engineered San Beda’s NCAA title run, was hailed as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Mbappe breaks nose in France Euro 2024 win

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Kylian Mbappe of France receives a treatment after suffering an injury during a Group D match between Austria and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Kylian Mbappe will not need surgery but will wear a mask when he returns to action after the France captain suffered a broken nose in his team’s 1-0 Euro 2024 win over Austria on Monday, the French Football Federation said.

Mbappe’s head violently collided with the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso as they competed for the ball in the air late in the Group D opener in Duesseldorf.

The star striker left the pitch in the 90th minute as blood poured from his nose, with a source close to the player later saying it was broken.

Philippe Diallo, president of the French federation (FFF), told reporters that Mbappe would “not require an operation”.

READ: Mbappe rules out representing France at Paris Olympics

A statement published by the FFF confirmed the extent of the injury, saying Mbappe had undergone tests at a hospital in Duesseldorf before rejoining the France squad at their base in Paderborn, a two-hour drive to the east.

“A mask will be made which will allow (Mbappe) to contemplate a return to action after a period of treatment,” the FFF said.

However, it is not clear if that means Mbappe will be able to play in France’s next game, against the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday.

France coach Didier Deschamps was not optimistic when he spoke to reporters after Monday’s match, which was decided by a Maximilian Woeber own goal late in the first half.

“He is in a bad way. He is not well. His nose is a mess, that’s for sure. That is the black mark of the evening for us,” Deschamps said of Mbappe.

Play had initially continued after the accidental collision, with Mbappe prone in the opposition box until Austria goalkeeper Patrick Pentz signaled to the referee that the Frenchman required attention.

READ: Kylian Mbappe finally joins Real Madrid

Mbappe was treated by the France medical team and his white shirt was streaked with blood as he wandered down the touchline holding his nose.

The new Real Madrid signing came back onto the pitch and promptly sat down as the referee brandished a yellow card in his direction for re-entering the field of play without permission.

Mbappe was then replaced by veteran attacker Olivier Giroud.

“It is not a little scratch. I know he is always being talked about but I can’t say more,” Deschamps added, before expressing hope that his star player would not be sidelined for any length of time.

“I have always said that the France team will be stronger with Kylian in it.”

Deschamps was at least pleased with the result, as France kicked off with a victory in their quest to win a first European Championship title since 2000.

“It is good to start with a victory against such opponents,” he said.

“We could and should have done better with certain opportunities. But overall, it was positive, and we showed we were up for the fight as well.



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“That is important. We have quality and talent, but we need to remain solid as well.”

Canada denies fan favorite Japan in five sets

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Canada celebrates a point against Japan in the VNL 2024 Week 3 match in Manila, Philippines. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Most of the Filipino crowd may have been cheering for Japan, but Canada got the last laugh in their crucial Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2024 Week 3 match on Tuesday evening at Mall of Asia Arena.

In front of a good weekday crowd, Canada denied Japan’s fightback in five sets, 25-21, 20-25, 25-15, 20-25, 15-10, to keep its Final Eight chances on track with an improved 5-4 record in seventh place.

Thousands of Filipino fans may be on the side of the Japanese, who are playing in their third straight VNL in Manila, but Stephen Maar, who led the collective effort of the Canadians with 24 points, was dauntless.

READ: ‘Great expectations’ ahead for Japan in VNL Manila leg

“Sometimes it’s nice to be the villain so I enjoy that,” Maar said after drilling 22 kills and two aces.

Eric Loeppky had fun in his first game in the country, delivering 15 points built on 13 kills and two blocks as Canada also played in Manila for the third straight year.

“It’s the first game of the week. You never kind of know what you’re gonna expect and I think we came out really strong and they’re a good team so we battled,” Loeppky told reporters. “The fans were awesome here it’s my first time in the Philippines so I really enjoyed that but we’re really happy we came out with the win.”

“I wasn’t here last year, unfortunately. I’ve heard legendary stories all year about how amazing the fans are and I finally got to see it and they can really make some noise. So it’s awesome and it’s a fun environment and I really enjoy playing,” he added.

Arthur Swarc also scored 15 points off 12 spikes, two blocks, and an ace, Pearson Eshenko and Danny Demyanenko chipped in eight points each as Canada got its act together in the fifth set, pulling away with a 10-6 advantage en route to a big win.

Loeppky puts a premium on consistency as they battle Germany on Thursday at 11 a.m.



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“I think for us it’s consistency. Last week, we were able to get big wins but in the following game we struggled a bit. I think that’s our next goal to see how consistent can we play for the next match,” he said.

Japan slid to a 6-3 record still in No.6 despite the efforts of Yuji Nishida and Yuki Ishikawa. Ran Takahashi added 13 points before its next match against the Netherlands on Friday.

It takes time to win–a lesson Luka Doncic is dealing with

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Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after slipping against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter of Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images/AFP

Michael Jordan needed seven seasons to win his first title. LeBron James needed nine seasons and two futile trips to the NBA Finals before he became a champion. Shaquille O’Neal got swept in his first finals. And the newly crowned champion Boston Celtics lost the finals in 2022 and lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last year before now breaking through.

The lesson, as everyone knows: Winning the biggest prize almost always takes time. Not always. But usually.

Such is the reality for Luka Doncic. At 25, he’s already one of the best players in the world, if not the very best of the bunch. But he’s not a champion. Yet.

READ: Luka Doncic: NBA Finals loss can be springboard for Mavericks

The wait for his first championship will now extend until at least 2025, which really shouldn’t be all that surprising. Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks weren’t a logical pick in this series against the Celtics; one was a 50-win team that caught fire at the end of the regular season, the other was a 64-win team that was better than everyone from the very beginning. The smart money said Dallas would fall in these finals, and that’s what happened. It ended Monday night in Boston, the Celtics winning 106-88, an 18-point margin for their record-setting 18th title.

“They’re a great team. They have been together for a long time, and they had to go through everything, so we just got to look at them, see how they play, the maturity, and they have some great players,” Doncic said when it was all over Monday night. “We can learn from that. We’ve got to fight next season.”

Let’s be clear: losing these NBA Finals should in no way be an indictment of Doncic. He could have played better, of course. Smarter at times, for certain. He spent some of the finals arguing too often with referees. He knows that. That said, letting a finals loss take anything away from the first six years of his body of NBA work would be ridiculous.

He’s scored 11,470 points so far, 15th-most of anyone through their first six NBA seasons. Throw in his 3,472 rebounds and 3,317 assists, and Oscar Robertson is the only other player with such stats through Year 1 through Year 6. James came close. Jordan came close. But they didn’t have those numbers.

READ: A postseason like almost none other for Doncic, even without NBA title

It’s not like this needs explaining, but just in case: Doncic — already a five-time All-NBA first-team selection — is on an absolute Hall of Fame trajectory.

“He’s played as best as he can despite the circumstances, just injuries and stuff,” Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said earlier in these finals. “He’s been giving it his all.”

Doncic played through knee and ankle issues in the playoffs. He had a thoracic contusion that required painkilling injections to get through the NBA Finals. He wasn’t at his best, and he would have had to be otherworldly for Dallas to have had a real chance in this series.

He finished the playoffs as the leader in points, rebounds and assists anyway. Not the Mavs’ leader. The NBA’s leader.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, and so I think the biggest thing for him is that we all would like to be healthy, but there’s going to be bumps and bruises along the way,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “So, for him at the age of 25 to get to the finals, to be playing his basketball at the level that he’s playing, now it’s just being consistent. … When you have one of the best players in the world, you should be always fighting for a championship.”

Luka Doncic Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals

Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks high fives a staff member against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter of Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

The Mavs felt that Doncic was the real MVP of the league this season, and their argument was compelling even though it didn’t resonate much with voters. Kidd says Doncic’s greatness gets taken for granted, which may be true. When Doncic gets it going, it’s must-watch TV. He makes scoring look as easy as anyone has in this generation. He’s not a high-flyer like Jordan, not someone who plays with the force, flair and power like James does. But when he’s on, forget it.

He might not be “the” face of the league. But he’s in the conversation, especially globally. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver watched Doncic closely on the day before the finals started and, in his own words, came away with yet another “example of how international this league is.”

“Someone who grew up in Slovenia and trained in Madrid and Spain was doing interviews in three different languages,” Silver said. “Again, many of you spend time with him, but he’s an exemplar of the modern NBA.”

The Mavs bristled at criticism Doncic took during the finals, but in some ways, that’s welcome-to-the-club stuff. Jordan heard doubters. James still does. The Celtics, until Monday night, did as well. They don’t doubt nobodies. Comes with the territory, and Kidd hopes Doncic converts it into fuel for his future.

“When you’re on the biggest stage, someone’s got to poke a hole,” Kidd said. “This will only make the great ones better. When you look at … LeBron, Michael, the greats, the GOATs, they all were poked at, and they came back stronger and better. I truly believe Luka will come back stronger and better.”



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___

PVL: Cloanne Mondoñedo banks on familiarity with ZUS Coffee

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St. Benilde Blazers star Cloanne Mondoñedo during Collegiate Press Coprs Awards. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — After steering the College of Saint Benilde to an unbeaten ‘three-peat’ in the NCAA, Cloanne Mondoñedo prepares for the next chapter of her career with ZUS Coffee in the PVL Reinforced Conference starting in July.

Mondoñedo, the Collegiate Press Corps’ NCAA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year, is tempering her expectations heading to the pros although she and some of her fellow Lady Blazers already experienced playing in the PVL as guest players for Farm Fresh.

“We will just show what we’re capable of and perform [our roles],” the NCAA Season 99 MVP and Best Setter.

READ: PH women’s basketball, men’s volleyball standouts feted

“It’s gonna be like big adjustments for us not. It’s a huge job for us,” she added.

Mondoñedo won’t need to undergo the PVL Rookie Draft as she and her St. Benilde teammates Gayle Pascual, Michelle Gamit, and Jade Gentapa already played for Farm Fresh last year.

As she runs the plays for ZUS Coffee, formerly Strong Group Athletics, the young setter is grateful to have her coach Jerry Yee and fellow Lady Blazers leading a rebuilding team.

“Our familiarity is a big factor for us. It will be easier for us to bond and communicate,” she said.

ZUS Coffee has a 40% chance of getting the top pick in the draft lottery on Monday.



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VNL 2024: Brazil fends off Netherlands to boost Final Eight bid

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Brazil’s Darlan Ferreira Souza goes for a hit against the Netherlands defenders in a VNL 2024 Week 3 game at Mall of Asia Arena. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Brazil overcame a slow start and the 38-point explosion of Nimir Abdel-Aziz for the Netherlands, 24-26, 25-23, 31-29, 25-20, to solidify its chances for the Final Eight in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Brazil leaned on a collective effort led by Darlan Souza to recover from a first-set loss, where it squandered a 23-21 lead, before getting its act together to improve to a 6-3 record in third place.

Souza powered the Brazilians with 26 points off 20 attacks, three blocks, and three aces to get the win over Abdel-Aziz, who drilled 33 kills and five aces for the Netherlands.

“We got a little nervous. The Netherlands played so well but we eventually managed to boost our pace and we’re happy to get the win,” Souza told reporters. “It’s always good when we get a win. It’s a boost in our morale and the matches are very hard so we have to stay focused with our [remaining] matchups.”

Brazil survived a tight third set, where it fought back from a 23-24 deficit before taking five set point advantages but Maarten Van Garderen’s kill tied the frame to 29-all.

However, Van Garderen missed his serve that brought back the Brazilians at set point, 30-29, before Flavio Resende delivered a big block on  Abdel-Aziz to take a 2-1 match advantage.

The Brazilians pulled away in the fourth set with an 18-13 spread and never looked back to win their first assignment in Manila before facing Team USA on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Lucas Saatkamp also stepped up for Brazil with 12 points including three blocks. Flavio delivered 11 points off five attacks and six blocks, while Lucarelli Souza and Leal Hidalgo added nine and eight points, respectively.

The Netherlands dropped to 13th place with a 3-6 card amid Abdel-Aziz’s big game. Van Garderen stepped up with 15 points as they battle Iran on Thursday.



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