(TORONTO) –The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have hired Dave Hopla as a basketball development consultant. Hopla, considered to be one of the premier shot instructors in the world, joined the team today at practice and will accompany Toronto on its two-game road trip this week.

Hopla has worked with numerous NBA, WNBA and NCAA teams, including the Toronto Raptors during the team’s 2004 training camp at Brock University. His past clients include Ray Allen, Sue Bird and Kobe Bryant. Hopla also runs his own College and Youth camps during the summer.

Hopla is a New Jersey native and spent time playing basketball in the Continental Basketball Association, Europe and South America.

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Houston–

During the 2006 NBA All-Star game in Houston, Dave Hopla attempted to break the Guinness World Record for most three-point foul shots made in one minute.  Well Dave accomplished that goal by hitting 20 trays in one minute for a new Guinness World Record! Boston Celtics star and Spalding endorser Paul Pierce netted 19 three-pointers to tie the previous World Record in a special appearance at Spalding’s court at Jam Session.

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If you asked me to name the one thing I most enjoyed at TechLearn this year it was Dave Hopla. He’s the US’s top basketball coach. Hugely entertaining. I’m a basketball fanatic, but even if you have never played or seen the game, watching someone put 110 out of 111 shots through the hoop was astonishing. Even more astonishing was the fact that as he was shooting, he was giving his talk. He even shot backwards and over his head from 6 yards and still scored!

Continue reading Pick of the Keynotes: Dave Hopla →

By: Andy Katz
ESPN.com

LONDON — Coach K picked up his first technical of the season Sunday. In London, no less, from British official Richard Stokes.

An exhibition tour? Not exactly.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was in mid-season form when it came to a call that wasn’t made on a loose ball and foul that could have been interpreted as an intentional foul on Duke’s Daniel Ewing. He was animated at his post players for failing to offer some weak-side help; not thrilled with their inability to stop dribble penetration; and the overall late fouls his players were committing after they got beat certainly bothered the Hall of Famer.

Continue reading Doubleheader Produces Mixed Results for Duke →

By: Allen St. John
The New York Times

When Balzac got writer’s block, he took off all his clothes and hung a wreath of garlic around his neck. When I get writer’s block, I play basketball. When the paragraphs aren’t flowing, and I find that I’m spending more time checking the word count than adding to it, I lace up my Chuck Taylors, grab my well worn Wilson from the bathroom closet and make a beeline to the hoop attached to my garage.

And then I take a side trip to the Madison Square Garden of my mind, complete with a Marv Albert play-by-play. “Knicks down by two, the clock’s running down. Sprewell at the top of the key, double-teamed, he passes to St. John,” me, “who fakes left, moves right and shoots. It’s, it’s an airball.”

Continue reading How A Driveway Dreamer Was Turned Into a Slam-Dunker →