Sports and entertainment journalist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary/Get Fit Radio

RESPECT Magazine columnist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson chatted about the NBA on the Bud and The Manchild Show on Syracuse, New York’s The Score 1260 AM. Press Play Below To Listen!

Happy early-Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for during the early parts of the NBA season.

Despite losing Gordon Heyward to a season ending injury, the Boston Celtics are living their best life under the scoring machine of the masked man, Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics ditched his protective mask in the second half and led his team to a win over the Golden State Warriors. Credit Maddie Meyer/Getty Imageshe Boston Celtics living their best life under the scoring machine that is Kyrie Irving and winning 15 straight games.

The Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are playing inspired basketball in the NBA’s Western Conference.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers are going through growing pains in their respective conferences.

They’re all just  trusting the process!

Check Out Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson disuss the Philadelphia 76ers on CNN.

Did you know that LeBron James is the King of New York?

You’re welcome.. ?of NY #myfavoriteplayground #striveforgreatness?

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Nov 14, 2017 at 7:26am PST

For those tardy to the party, LeBron James and the Cavaliers’ train ride coupled with James’ declaration was inspired by a scene in the King of New York movie.

Hip hop artists have often used this movie as a muse in their music videos. Add Fat Joe’s “So Much More” and Fabolous “Lituation”to that list.

While on the show the crew and I also discussed Carmelo Anthony and the Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as his former New York Knicks team.

Check out the recap of the chat from Inside The Loudhouse’s Paul A. Esden. 

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The post Scoop B: Kyrie’s Celtics & the Cavs’ LeBron James being the King of NY has given us a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

NBA analyst Charles Barkley and U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo Credit: Bodybuilding.com

NBA player turned sports analysts and budding political pundit Charles Barkley has been pretty consistent when it comes to assessing the job of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Appearing as a guest at the desk of CBS’s NFL Today show, earlier on Sunday, the Round Mound of Rebound weighed in on President Trump’s criticism of NFL Players kneeling during the playing of the U.S. National Anthem and taking back the White House’s invitation to the NBA’s World Champion Golden State Warriors.

“The president of the United States should never use the word SOB,” Barkley said referencing President Trump’s subliminal reference to embattled NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick during a Friday rally in Alabama.

For the record, Alabama is Barkley’s home state.

“That’s just 100 percent inappropriate. I’m embarrassed because he said the speech in Alabama and got a rousing reception when he said those things. So it hurts me that those ignorant folks in Alabama would applaud something so stupid.”  

Video: On @NFLonCBS #CharlesBarkley: “Hurts me that those ignorant folks in Alabama would applaud something so stupid” #NationalAnthem #TTT pic.twitter.com/lKPd5L7hj4

— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) September 24, 2017

Barkley admittedly has been anti-Trump from the start dating back to the President’s ‘locker room talk’ controversy before winning last year’s election. A tape from 2005 emerged of Trump boasting to former NBC correspondent Billy Bush that being famous allowed him to ‘do anything’ to women, including grabbing “them by the pu**y.”

“It’s never appropriate to touch a woman, or grab a woman,” Barkley told me last fall.

“I have a daughter too. It’s never appropriate to sexually assault or harass a woman, ever!

Check Out Charles Barkley & Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson’s Discussion On President Trump on Scoop B Radio

“I’m gonna try to do everything in my power to support the President because he’s the President of The United States,” Barkley told me on Scoop B Radio in April.

“I mean we got to get behind him, he’s done some things already that I don’t like. I’m against the Muslim ban, I’m against the immigration deportation, he’s got to stop trying to paint everybody with a broad brush. I mean, it’s just wrong. Most of these Muslim people here are amazing, hard-working people same thing with these illegal immigrants, they’re here, they’re hard working people. I think most people don’t want gangsters here, people don’t want terrorists here we all understand that, but people have to be able to be treated with respect and dignity.”

Barkley’s thought process is pretty much aligned with the growing list of athletes who have been vocal about President Trump over the weekend. That list includes the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green, Houston Rockets’ Chris Paul, retired NBA player Kobe Bryant and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James who on Saturday called President Trump a ‘bum’ via twitter. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich have been vocal about President Trump as well.

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The post Scoop B: Charles Barkley’s Criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump Has Been Fair & Balanced appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

OAKLAND, CA – 2000: Tracy McGrady of the Toronto Raptors competes in the Slam Dunk competition at the Oakland Arena on February 2000 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2000 (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tracy McGrady was one of the most successful swingmen to play in the NBA. At a slim and lanky 6’8, McGrady had a quick first step, a smooth glide to the basket, a jab step with counter moves and a crossover dribble that makes you think Kevin Durant and George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin all-in-one.

To quote the late Notorious B.I.G., the Washington Wizards, Shawn Bradley and the New Jersey Nets ‘have a story to tell’ after the nightmares McGrady gave them with his scoring assaults that he unleashed in his prime.  

Step-backs and fall-aways, creativity in mid-air that seemed effortless, Tracy McGrady was the real deal in his NBA career.

This weekend, McGrady a 14-year retired NBA veteran, who in 938 games averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Historically, many remember McGrady’s Houston Rocket days when he heroically scored 13 points in 35 seconds.

That December 9, 2004 rescue and 81-80 win over the San Antonio Spurs was no easy feat. For posterity’s sake, that was no easy feat. In 33 seconds, it took four buckets from beyond the arc, a made free throw to complete a four-point play and a steal to win by one point!

The only remotely exciting comparison to that game was the Indiana Pacers’ Reggie Miller’s eight points in nine seconds performance against the New York Knicks. With the Pacers down eight points with in nine seconds remaining in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, Reggie Miller pulled off a comeback like no other.

I’ll tread lightly though; Knicks fans are still healing from that disappointment.

McGrady’s journey is memorable and worth recounting. Tracy McGrady was drafted ninth by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA Draft. That draft class was laden with talent with two future Hall of Famers standing out from that list: Detroit Pistons hero Chauncey Billups and old reliable San Antonio Spurs big, Tim Duncan.

McGrady was special; so special the biggest rumor in 1997 was that the Bulls were looking to trade Scottie Pippen to acquire him.

In Jonathan Abrams’ book “Boys Among Men,”  (H/T CBS Sports’ Matt Moore)  it was revealed that Tracy McGrady was nearly traded to the Chicago Bulls for Scottie Pippen on draft night in 1997, but Michael Jordan vetoed it. McGrady confirmed that on an episode of ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols.

As Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Toronto Raptors, NBA Hall of Famer and two-time champ Isiah Thomas drafted McGrady in ‘97.

In Toronto, Thomas built a promising young roster when he drafted Damon Stoudamire, McGrady and Marcus Camby. What was significant about that budding roster was a). They played what is known in today’s game as small ball. b). McGrady would leave Toronto and flourish in Orlando.

**Expect Kyrie Irving’s move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics to have a similar impact.

In a recent interview on Scoop B Radio, Isiah Thomas, now President of Basketball Operations for the WNBA’s New York Liberty broke down his thought process while housing McGrady in the 6. “When I put together the Toronto Raptors, if you remember the power forward position at that time was a position of strength, dominance, and you had to be physically strong to play that position,” Thomas told me.

“The shooting guard would be coming off of the power forward and the center would be your offense. During that time, what I talked about with my scouting staff and also our ownership group at that time was that we have to find a way to change the game and really affect things out on the floor. We came up with what we called the Raptor Two. And Raptor Two basically had to be a power forward that could also have guard skills, he had to be able to switch the power forward and the shooting guard and not lose ground.”

Added Thomas:

“One of the first trades that I made was for Doug Christie. The game was getting smaller, we had eliminated the power forward position and made it a very skilled position, so I’ll fast forward then I”ll take you back to McGrady. The thing that I left Toronto with was Stoudamire, Camby, Christie, McGrady, and they drafted [Vince]Carter, that was the blueprint.”

For two seasons (1998-2000), McGrady, Vince Carter, Doug Christie and company would lead the Raptors to a 68-64 record. Those feats included the Raptors first-ever winning season where they went 45-37 in 2000.

Toronto also made their first NBA playoff appearance, where they’d be swept 3-0 by the New York Knicks. Despite being swept, McGrady earned his big payday in the NBA Playoff. In game one, T-Mac registered 25 points and hauled in 10 rebounds.

“With T-Mac, a lot of people don’t know or would know that T-Mac was a decent player when he left Toronto and he got the opportunity with that one playoff game where they played New York,” McGrady’s Orlando Magic teammate, Darrell Armstrong told me on Scoop B Radio.

That offseason, McGrady bolted Toronto and signed a six-year, $67.5 million contract with the Orlando Magic. “Vince was being covered so much by all the guys on New York that T-Mac started to get off,” said Armstrong.

“And people started to see T-Mac’s talent during the playoffs that year. That is when we went and got him and that is when he came to the Magic that next year and what he did from there was just amazing because that is what he was supposed to be doing when he got to Toronto.”

Tracy McGrady guarded by Michael Jordan. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

A chance to play in his home state of Florida and team up with Grant Hill? Who could blame T-Mac?

“He put in the work and he dedicated himself everyday when he got into the game,” said Armstrong.

“He [knew he] was going to be one of the top players in the league and he did it. It was fun to see him and Kobe Bryant go at each other, Michael Jordan go at each other.  I was just amazed by it, the things that he could do. But he was something special.”

Although McGrady struggled to get out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, we can never forget the 2003 NBA Playoffs when the league’s scoring champion shot over 51 percent from the field against the Detroit Pistons in their round one series.

The Magic had a 3-1 lead in the series with McGrady scoring 43, 46, 29 and 27 points, respectively against Detroit; but Orlando couldn’t seal the deal. They were eliminated.

If you’re keeping score at home, other exciting Tracy McGrady moments include:

• Landing an off-the-backboard alley-oop, thrown to himself during the 2002 NBA All Star Game.
• McGrady’s Adidas sneaker commercials were also enjoyable. 
• McGrady’s global reach in China substantiated after teaming with Yao Ming in Houston.
• Most importantly: McGrady’s duels with Kobe Bryant were legendary.

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The post Scoop B: Tracy McGrady’s Hall of Fame Career Is A Master Class In Knowing Self-Worth appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Former Seton Hall university forward Marcus Toney-El drops by episode #60 of Scoop B Radio with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Courtesy of: NJ.com

Marcus Toney-El ran Essex County, New Jersey in high school and college. A native of East Orange, New Jersey, Toney-El joins a list of other movers and shakers from Ill-Town to make a difference like Queen Latifah, Treach and Vin Rock from Naughty By Nature, actor John Amos, retired NBA player, Brevin Knight and Cleveland Browns all-purpose athlete Jabrill Peppers.

I first met Marcus Toney-El during my one-year stint as a columnist at Seton Hall Prep High School at their Pirate newspaper (I’d later transfer to Don Bosco Prep). I was a freshman, he was a senior. I was new to the school and adjusting to high school life and here was this larger than life figure floating the halls at The Prep.

What drew me to Toney-El was his magnetic personality. Everybody wanted to be around this tall 6-8 kid that reminded me of Tracy McGrady.

Check Out Marcus Toney-El and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson On Scoop B Radio

Eventually we’d speak and created a player-writer bond.

I’ll never forget that bond because he was the first story that I wrote about in my column at the Seton Hall Pirate newspaper called, Scoop B’s NBA Beat.What was cool for me personally is that at the time, no freshman ever came into that school with their own column in their freshman year and what was even cooler is that Toney-El would create history in his senior year when he committed to Seton Hall University and was the guy that other top recruits to join him. That class would include, the late Eddie Griffin, a forward out of Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and Andre Barrett a speedy guard from New York City’ s Rice High School. They’d join center, Samuel Dalembert and Ty Shine and were coached by current Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker.

Those guys were a good squad, their skill set was awesome to see, professionally, I believe that they were still maturing yet were ahead of their time as their height, depth and skill-set represent what is today’s AAU, college and NBA mandates: small ball!

They were special! 

To me, locally they were to New Jersey what Jalen Rose, Chris Webber and Juwan Howard were to the University of Michigan and the Fab 5.  “Yeah I have heard that,” Marcus Toney-El told me on episode 60 of Scoop B Radio.

“Obviously what we accomplished in that first year with what those guys did. But as far as putting that together, what is now called a ‘super team,’ the Wolverines, I think we were the next ones to do it and what is now the modern era of basketball. At a time where the sneaker companies really started to come in and started taking over and running the AAU circuit and putting people in places in college we was like right on the cusp of that.” 

Eddie Griffin would declare for the NBA Draft, Tommy Amaker would leave. Shoulda, coulda, woulda easily creeps in. How successful would Seton Hall men’s basketball have been? “I think about it often, Marcus Toney-El told me on Scoop B Radio. 

“Every time I take a trip down to memory lane. If TA [Tommy Amaker] doesn’t leave my freshman year and Eddie Griffin doesn’t leave, Sam Dalembert doesn’t leave and though we had some problems within our teams function at that time and Louis Orr was the new coach, we would have had the same team back next year. This was a team that preseason was ranked ninth in the country, the same team that should have beaten Illinois at Illinois after being up 20. This is the same team that even though we wound up having a mediocre record we still would make people nervous in the Big East Tournament. It provided at least a silver lining for the future but once TA left, Eddie left, Sam left Coach Orr came in and then we had to start all over again. Once we started over, it took a while for us to get back on track.” 

We even talked about Eddie Griffin. Having played for Tim Thomas’ Playaz AAU team together, Toney-El and Griffin were besties. That relationship carried over to college. Skill-wise, Griffin was a monster. Griffin, the seventh pick in the 2001 NBA Draft was a Rasheed Wallace clone, I swear! 

“Rasheed Wallace is Eddie’s favorite player,” Toney-El said. 

Eddie Griffin At Philly’s Roman Catholic High School

In college, I was an avid NBA Live player. I’d picked the Houston Rockets often on NBA Live 2004 and would start Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin, when going head to head with my roommate and other classmates.

What fascinated me was how much of a double team that Griffin commanded. Griffin was so potent he could take his defender off the dribble, post up his defender, get closer to the basket and take the jumper, shoot the three or pass the ball. He had too many options available, it was scary!

I’d often find Steve Francis open in the corner for a nifty three pointer or I’d feed the ball to Yao Ming in the post for an easy jam.

But I digress.

Griffin’s start in the NBA was rough. He had a series of suspensions, court dates and missed practices during his first two years in the NBA with Houston and the New Jersey Nets. He’d also spent time in the Betty Ford Center for alcohol treatment in 2003-04.

Griffin died in a fatal car crash in 2007. His SUV collided with a freight train in a fiery crash. The crash was so bad, the only way that authorities could identify him was by dental records.

What was frustrating about Griffin was that he was so talented, but his body, his age and his maturity hadn’t caught up with him just yet. Griffin was a fantasy basketball player’s dream and an opposing coaches nightmare. Any basketball purist was praying for the day, that those stars aligned, because homeboy was a special player!

I’d often wonder if Eddie Griffin knew how talented he really was.“Eddie knew,” said Toney-El. 

“Eddie knew that he was talented. Eddie could do what he wanted to do. He was a triple double in high school, he was double-double in college, but the one thing he also knew was he probably shouldn’t have gone to the NBA after his freshman year because of everything that comes with it. He would call back home and say: ‘I wish I stayed in college.’ Not because of his talents, but because of everything that comes with it.” 

Biggest misconception that people had of Griffin?” [That] Eddie was crazy,” said Toney-El.

“Now I can tell a kid who doesn’t like the way I run things or isn’t playing the way he wants to play:  ‘I was you, I was in your shoes. I understand that feeling but this is what you gotta do so that you don’t have that feeling, so that you can learn.’  More than just basketball its more of a life lesson I got from Coach Orr. Honestly he has even brought me closer to God. Like I shared that with him and I thanked him before, because I didn’t grow up in a household that went to church and prayed everyday, was holier than thou, I didn’t have that.”

 “They want to punch your name in Google and see if your background checks out. Once it checks out they want your ear. So it makes my job easier when they know who they are dealing with. It makes the parents a little easier, but it is always a battle, it always is going to be athlete and parents alike that you aren’t going to be able to get through to which is fine its the nature of the business. But we know the system isn’t perfect nothing is perfect but I do it because I love it.”

The post Scoop B: Former Seton Hall Prep & Seton Hall University forward Marcus Toney-El Talks Tommy Amaker, Eddie Griffin & Coaching appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

TNT’s Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith shares with Scoop B Radio what it was like to sit on the bench during Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals concurrently with the O.J. Simpson Ford Bronco chase. Photo Credit: Gen X Misfits

It seemed like a zillion years ago. A 90-minute slow car speed chase with O.J. Simpson and his friend, Al Cowlings stopped everybody’s flow on a Friday night watching the NBA on NBC’s game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks.

Craziest part of it all?

While the Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon led all scorers with 27 points and 8 rebounds in game 5  against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, his Rockets teammates were keenly aware of the chase. Apparenty, during timeouts, players were watching the Ford Bronco/LAPD chase on television’s sitting on the scorer’s table. “I go in the huddle, I’m like, “O.J.’s on the run,” TNT’s Inside The NBA analyst Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith told me.

Check out Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith’s recount of Game 5 of the 1995 NBA Finals with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio

USA – 1994: Kenny Smith #30 of the Houston Rockets dribbles up court during a 1994 NBA game. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1994 NBAE (Photo by Andy Hayt/NBAE via Getty Images)

Smith was a member of the Rockets and recalls vividly how it all went down.

Head coach Rudy Tomjanovich comes into the huddle and yells: “What are you guys doing?”

“O.J.’s on the run,” Smith yelled back.

“What are you doing? We’re in the middle of the NBA Finals,” retorts Coach Tomjanovich.

According to Smith, Tomjanovich drew up a play and as players were walking back on the court after the timeout, Tomjanovich pulls Smith to the side and asks: “Is he really on the run?” 

“So that’s how we found out about it,” said Smith. “It was like what the hell is on? This guy is running!  Like no one ever did that.”

A Lefrak City, Queens native, it was a shock for Smith to see a an active police chace on the Los Angeles Freeway”It was going on in California, I live there now. I didn’t know about the slow speed chase; they do that all the time. In New York, they’re gonna shoot your car. So I’m like: ‘are they gonna shoot the car down?’ ‘Are they going to shoot the tires out?’“

Simpson would eventually surrender to the LAPD and would be taken into custody.

The Knicks and Rockets dueling it out on the court in the ’94 Finals was way before today’s current social media era, which means you had a better chance of undivided attention then.

But now? Forget about it!

“It definetely was a distraction,” Smith said.

Rightly so. The Knicks ended up edging the Rockets out in game 5 91-84. No worries, the Rockets won the series and were crowned 1994 NBA Finals champs. They’d win another the following year against the Orlando Magic.

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The post Scoop B: TNT’s Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith Recounts O.J. Simpson Chase During Game 5 of 1994 NBA Finals appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

RESPECT Magazine’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Courtesy Of: Eric Salvary

It’s a busy summer in the hoops world! On Sunday I appeared on NYC’s FloEmpireRadio.com show “Baseline Perspective” with host Brandon Nix. I talked about the NBA Summer League with the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers Lonzo Ball, Sacramento Kings’ De’aaron Fox and Philadelphia 76ers Markelle Fultz  are making headlines.

Check out Brandon Nix and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson

I also chat with Brandon Nix about Ice Cube’s BIG 3 tournament. We also discuss the soap opera that is James L. Dolan, Phil Jackson, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristap Porzingis. We also discuss the probability of ‘Melo joinging forces with James Harden, Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets. Give it a listen!

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The post Scoop B: NBA Summer League, BIG 3, Carmelo Anthony, James Harden and More On FloEmpireRadio appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and RESPECT.Magazine managing editor Brandon ”Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Provided By: Ismael ‘Calligrafist’ Sayeed of Calligrafist Photography

The New York Knicks have not played a regular season game since their 114-113 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on April 12, yet they’re still front page news.

Two weeks ago, the orange and blue fired Phil Jackson as Knicks team President. Over the weekend, former Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin removed his name as Jackson’s successor. According to ESPN reports, Griffin had difference of opinion with Knicks ownership over how much control he would have over basketball decisions.

The icing on the cake?

2013 Knicks draftee, Tim Hardaway Jr., played the role of prodigal son after averaging 14.5 points and 2.3 assists in 27 minutes per game as a part-time starter for the Atlanta Hawks. Last week Hardaway Jr. signed a four-year $71 million deal with the Knicks. Despite that signing, online sportsbook TopBet predicts crosstown rivals Brooklyn Nets will finish next season better than the Knicks.

This ushers in the question: Was Tim Hardaway Jr. brought back to the Knicks to replace currrent star Carmelo Anthony?

If that is the case, Hardaway Jr. will have a lot more fun playing under current Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek than he did playing under former Knicks coach Derek Fisher. My sources told me that during Hardaway Jr’s first stint in New York, he bore the burden of being the son of NBA legend Tim Hardaway Sr. I’m told both both Fisher and Hardaway Sr. weren’t the best of friends during their playing careers in the 90s and at times Fisher took that frustration out on Hardaway Jr.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, before being fired as team president of the Knicks, Phil Jackson openly discussed his want to ship Anthony to another team. Anthony, for the record put up decent stats, averaging 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season. It has been widely reported that Anthony, who has one year remaining on his current contract, is willing to waive his no-trade clause if he’s dealt to the Cavaliers or the Rockets.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, reported that the Knicks have a “renewed willingness” to make a deal that would send Anthony to the Houston Rockets following their acquisition of Hardaway Jr.

Anthony has always contended that New York is what he loves since arriving to the Big Apple in a blockbuster trade with the Denver Nuggets in 2011.

Before signing his five-year, $125 million max deal with the Knicks in the summer of 2014, Anthony sought out the services of brand strategist and consultant, Ben Ricciardi. Ricciardi, the CEO of the Burbank, California based Times 10 brand agency, has been trusted to spearhead roll-out brand initiatives with everyone from Adidas, Nike, the Houston Rockets’ James Harden and others.

In an interview with Scoop B Radio on Friday, Ricciardi, an expert and trusted authority of late via his expert analysis about Uber’s ousted CEO Travis Kalanick said that in 2013, he suggested to Anthony that he needed to show his connectedness to New York City through visual campaigns via social media. After all, Anthony was born in Brooklyn and lived in the borough throughout his teenage years before moving to Baltimore.

#TBT a couple of years ago this commercial with @carmeloanthony helped us grow to a whole different level. Big shout out to @whoischristianvazquez! Also amazing job by to business partner and CCO of @Times10 @mistermichaeladrian. #bentimes10 #carmeloanthony #times10

A post shared by Ben Ricciardi (@bentimes10) on Apr 6, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT

Last week, a video clip of Anthony’s workout with his trainer, Chris Brinkley littered the internet. The video showed Anthony running in the park at 2 A.M. Also last week, another video clip showed interim Knicks President Steve Mills and his Knicks staff chuckling at Anthony’s workout while seated and watching hoops at the NBA’s Orlando Summer League. ESPN’s Ian Begley stated that the Knicks declined to comment on the matter, making it difficult to know what, exactly, was going on at the game.

Knicks executives laughing at Carmelo’s workout tapes is all you need to know about that situation pic.twitter.com/43oGvgf278

— 12up (@12upSport) July 2, 2017

While that drew attention, Anthony’s on-camera off season routine is nothing new. Anthony’s ‘Define Yourself,’ a campaign that detailed how Anthony was changing his body and changing his shape was a fan favorite. According to Ricciardi, the concept all began over lunch with Anthony. “I’m hearing how hard he works and he’s working all through the night, every day on his game, on his body and redefining himself,” Ricciardi told me on Scoop B Radio.

Check out Ben Ricciardi and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio

 

“I went to him and said: ‘man, like, the world doesn’t know this and the world needs to know why you’re staying in New York.’ You were born in Red Hook and you grew up in Red Hook until you were 13 years old. Everyone thinks of you as a Baltimore kid, but really you’re a New York kid and this is your hometown, and you were raised in Red Hook.”

Ricciardi added:

“Secondarily, people think of you as lazy, they think of you as not working hard and I’m seeing you grinding on your shot, working every day, working with your coaches, working with your trainers, we need to get that out there to people.”

The experiment worked. Anthony’s workout routine has been legendary. In the summer of 2014, he shed about 30 to 40 pounds by cutting carbs and meat from his diet and dedicating to his workout routine. “It wasn’t more about my diet, it was more about the training that I was doing and really pushing myself to that limit,” Anthony told me after his weight loss.

Anthony has been adamant about his loyalty to the Knicks over the years. He told a room full of kids at his annual ProCamps basketball camp: “My window is closing, so I’m trying to get this championship to New York ASAP.”

Ben Ricciardi. Photo Credit: Instagram

Ricciardi and Anthony also collaborated on a visual called ‘This Is Why I Stayed,’ a visual that explained why he chose the Knicks over the Houston Rockets and other teams who were courting Anthony back in 2014. “That piece came out incredible and actually ended up being played Opening Night on all the jumbotrons at Madison Square Garden after the first timeout.”

A six time NBA All Star, Carmelo Anthony, 33 was the NBA’s scoring champion in 2013. Anthony holds the record for the most points scored by a Knick at Madison Square with 62. He’s also a three time USA basketball Olympic gold medalist.

The hardest part of working with Melo may surprise you: “He goes back and forth whether he wants people to see stuff or not,” said Ricciardi. “The stuff came out amazing but he’s always wishy-washy, which you get from celebrities, athletes and people like that. One day they’re all excited and gung-ho and then the next day they’re like: ‘I don’t know if I want the world to see this.’”

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The post Scoop B: Meet Ben Ricciardi, The Brand Strategist Who Pushed Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony To Boast His NYC Roots appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.