Josh Hart scored a career-high 44 points against the Washington Wizards last night to help the Portland Trail Blazers end a six-game skid, and defeat the Wizards 127-118 victory on Saturday night.  Hart also had eight rebounds and six assists in Portland’s first win since the All-Star break.

Per ESPN, “I made some tweaks to my jump shot before the game, so I came into this game with a little more confidence,” Hart said. “I definitely wish I had gotten the 50. I don’t know when I’m going to have another night like this. So next time I’ll have to tell Trendon (Watford) to pass me the ball a little more.”

The Silver Spring native’s jersey was recently retired by the Villanova Wildcats, where he played for four years. He started for much of his junior and senior seasons and won a national championship in 2016.

Hart grew up in Silver Spring. Prior to transferring to Sidwell Friends in D.C., he attended and played basketball at Wheaton High School. He grew up playing basketball for the Montgomery County Bearcats, where his coaches praised him for his heart at an early age. He made the varsity basketball team as a freshman at Wheaton, eventually becoming a starter in the second half of the season.

Josh Hart grew up in Silver Spring. Prior to transferring to Sidwell Friends in D.C., he attended and played basketball at Wheaton High School.

Villanova yesterday announced that it will retire the jersey of former Wildcats’ consensus first team All-American Josh Hart at halftime of its game on Jan. 19 vs. Marquette at Finneran Pavilion.

Hart played four seasons for the Wildcats from 2013-17, winning the 2017 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award and serving as a cornerstone for the 2016 NCAA national championship unit.

Hart was also the 2017 BIG EAST Player of the Year and a two-time Most Valuable Player at the BIG EAST Tournament (2015 and 2017). Following his graduation in 2017, the native of Silver Spring, Md., was a first round draft selection of the Utah Jazz, which then traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers. After spending the first two years of his career with Lakers, Hart was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, for whom he currently plays.

“We’re thrilled to be able to honor a true Villanova Basketball legend,” stated Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. “Josh is a relentless competitor who elevated our team from the moment he joined us as a freshman. His tenacity as a rebounder, scorer and defender was instrumental to our team’s success.

“Josh’s parents, Moses and Pat, raised a wonderful young man who impacted Villanova in so many positive ways. This is a well-deserved honor for one of Villanova’s all-time greats.”

Hart, 6-5, is the only Villanova player in history to record 1,900 or more points (1,921), 800 or more rebounds (812), 250 or more assists (266) and 150 or more steals (161) over the course of his career in the Blue and White.

A plaque honoring Hart, who wore jersey No. 3 at Villanova, will take its place in the main lobby of Finneran Pavilion, where the other retired jerseys of Wildcats legends are now located. With the single exception of Paul Arizin’s No. 11, Villanova retires the jersey of its legends but not the number. Senior Brandon Slater, who currently wears No. 3 for the ‘Cats, will continue to do so.

Villanova hosts Marquette at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Finneran Pavilion (CBS Sports Network and the Villanova IHeart Radio Network).

Sam Jones has passed away at the age of 88, According to the Boston Celtics. NBA.com stated that Jones had been hospitalized with failing health and died Thursday night in Florida.

Sam Jones was known for his quickness and game-winning shots, especially during the NBA playoffs.
He has the second most NBA championships of any player (10), behind teammate Bill Russell (11).

He was also one of only three Boston Celtics, along with teammates Bill Russell and K. C. Jones, to be part of the Celtics’ eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966.

Following his NBA career, the Celtics legend lived in Silver Spring for over three decades. Per a Washington Post article in 1998, “You might see him at a Montgomery County public school (or, at least your kid might). Jones is a substitute teacher, most often at Gaithersburg Middle School.”

“When he would teach at Gaithersburg Middle School, he was very passionate about being a teacher, but he’d never miss a chance to wear his championship rings” said Mike Herson, a lifelong Montgomery County resident who considers himself lucky to have had Jones as a substitute teacher.

“I had Mr. Jones at Sligo Middle School and again at Northwood High School,” said Christian Ramirez, a student at schools closer to Sam Jones’ Silver Spring home. “I know more students will remember him.”

After Jones retired from substitute teaching, he moved to St. Augustine, Florida. In 2013, he gave an inspirational talk to players for North Carolina Central after the Eagles played a game in Florida.

His passion for the game and for teaching was evident, as witnessed by those around him.

Photo courtesy of NBA.com

New Washington Wizards guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP), is now a MoCo resident. Biz Journals recently reported that the NBA player bought a home in Potomac for $4.9 million.

According to our real estate expert, Nurit Coombe (The Agency DC), the home, which is located on Newhall Road in Potomac, was originally listed for $5,499,000 and later changed to $4,999,000, before closing at $4,900,000.

Per Nurit, “This home was built by Niroo construction company, a luxury high-level builder, and they originally built this home for themselves, so they spared no expense on materials or upgrades.”

“Everything from a heated driveway, embassy rooms, a high end gorgeous kitchen, custom bathrooms, elevators, smart technology and automation, to beautiful outdoor spaces with a sports court, and outdoor kitchen and pools. This is not your typical home because the price per square footage to build this home was very high, which actually makes this home a great value.”

KCP bought the home in September, but details weren’t made public until recently. He has averaged over 11 points per game as a part-time starter for the Wizards and has been a big part of the team’s hot start, with a 14-8 record about a quarter of the way through the season.

Before his trade to the Wizards, Caldwell-Pope played with the Lakers for four seasons, where he won an NBA championship in 2020. He was drafted eight overall by the Detroit Pistonsin the 2013 NBA Draft.

Photos courtesy of Realtor.com

The Washington Wizards have brought back the popular postgame concert series for the current season. The team is looking to provide a great time for fans who are enjoying the Wizards’ hot start, as the team is currently 11-5.

Earlier this month, the Wizards brought in local legends, Backyard Band, DC Vybe Band, DJ Ezzy, and TCB to perform following a game.

Up next is Grammy Award winner Ludacris, who will be performing on Friday, Dec. 3 following the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Capital One Arena.

Per NBA.com:

The career of the multitalented Chris “LUDACRIS” BIdges can best be described as remarkable. As a recording artist, he has sold more than 15 million albums domestically, thanks to the blockbuster success of such singles as “Stand Up,” “Get Back,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Number One Spot,” “Money Maker” and “My Chick Bad.” All these records were accompanied by ingenious videos that demonstrated Bridges’ far-reaching imagination, and his willingness to stretch the boundaries of what rap videos should look and feel like.

With an unrivaled match of lyrical acumen, wit, and imagery, Bridges has solidified himself as one of music’s premier entertainers. Although he’s best known for his infectious tunes, Ludacris has shown that he’s equally adept at writing powerful songs with serious subject matter, including runaways, with the song “Runaway Love.” Bridges’ versatility and artistic complexity also enabled him to make a seamless transition to acting.

In 2017, Bridges starred in the highly anticipated The Fate of the Furious, which broke records at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film opening worldwide. He reprised his role of Tej in Fast & Furious 9, which debuted this past June. In 2018, Bridges was featured on Carrie Underwood’s platinum song “The Champion” on which he was a songwriter. Bridges was also featured in movies “Ride” and “Show Dogs” in 2018.

His other feature film credits include Universal Pictures’ Fast 7, Fast & Furious 6, Fast Five, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Garry Marshall’s ensemble comedy New Year’s Eve; and Ivan Reitman’s romantic comedy, No Strings Attached, opposite Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. His acclaimed performances in film, (Crash, Hustle & Flow), and television, (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), have Hollywood and critics alike buzzing about his increasingly impressive screen resume. Stepping back into the studio, he is working on new music with an album release sometime this year.

A consummate businessman, Ludacris is enjoying success outside of entertainment. His latest venture includes launching his educational platform devoted to the enrichment of children called “KidNation”. In addition, the opening of his long-anticipated restaurant “Chicken-n-Beer” located at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.

Bridges’ philanthropic efforts rival his entertainment accomplishments. He started The Ludacris Foundation in 2001 which focuses on helping the youth in his hometown of Atlanta. In addition, he has recently partnered with No Kid Hungry and Feeding America.

Former NBA All-Star Buck Williams and his wife, Mimi, are downsizing from their six-bedroom, nine-bathroom Georgian mansion in Potomac and have listed many items in an estate sale.

Williams, a North Carolina native, attended and played for the University of Maryland from 1978-1981. At Maryland, he earned All-ACC honors in 1980 and 1981.

His 17-year NBA career was highlighted by three All-Star Game appearances, a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Rookie team selection, an All-NBA second team selection and four selections to the first and second NBA All-Defensive teams.

Williams led the Nets in rebounding for most of the 1980s and as of the beginning of 2017, he remained the Nets’ all-time leader in total rebounds, games played, minutes played, rebounds per game, and free throws made. 

The Potomac mansion was built for the former NBA star back in 2002.

The catalog with current prices, descriptions and sizes can be found here.

Pick up for all items will be October 29 and 30 in Potomac and bidding ends at 7pm tonight.

703.889.8949 for questions & information

Josh Hart grew up in Silver Spring. Prior to transferring to Sidwell Friends in D.C., he attended and played basketball at Wheaton High School.

Hart grew up playing basketball for the Montgomery County Bearcats, where his coaches praised him for his heart at an early age. He made the varsity basketball team as a freshman at Wheaton, eventually becoming a starter in the second half of the season.

Even though he transferred to Sidwell Friends and played there the last three years of his high school basketball career, his ties to MoCo remained strong. His mother has been a long-time employee at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville and his father is a retired caterer.

After Sidwell Friends, he attended and played for the Villanova Wildcats for four years. He started for much of his junior and senior seasons and won a national championship in 2016.

Last night the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns for the fourth consecutive time, after losing the first two games, to win this year’s NBA Championship. One of the people who helped get them there was Charles Lee, a 2002 graduate of Quince Orchard High School. Lee grew up in Gaithersburg and was a student-athlete at Quince Orchard before moving on to Bucknell, where he attended school and played until 2006.

He went on to play professionally, primarily in Europe and Israel. After his professional career came to an end, he returned to Bucknell as an assistant coach and later served as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks from 2014-18 and now the Bucks, where he has been an assistant since 2018. His name appeared as a potential candidate for the Washington Wizards coaching job, prior to the Wizards naming Wes Unseld Jr. their head coach earlier this week.

Congratulations to Coach Lee and the Milwaukee Bucks on winning the NBA championship!

Wizards Dominate Pacers, Advance to Play 76ers in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs

The Washington Wizards made the most of their second opportunity to advance to the NBA Playoffs by dominating the Indiana Pacers tonight, 142-115.

The Wizards had an opportunity to make it to the playoffs as the 7 seed in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, but lost to the Celtics in the first play-in game.

Tuesday night’s loss may have been a blessing in disguise, as a win would have placed the Wizards in a first round series against the 2nd seeded Brooklyn Nets. Many experts feel a healthy Brooklyn Nets team is the best team in the Eastern Conference.

The Wizards will now move on to play the Philadelphia 76ers, who are highest seed in the Eastern Conference. The series starts in Philadelphia on Sunday, May 23 at 1pm. The game will be shown on TNT.

Wizards With Last Chance to Advance to the NBA Playoffs

The Wizards play the Indians Pacers tonight for their last opportunity to advance to the NBA Playoffs.

While the Wizards were hoping to make it into the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday by beating the Boston Celtics, many were hoping for a loss so that they could be in the position they find themselves now– an opportunity to make it in as the 8th seed to go up against the #1 seed Philadelphia 76ers rather than the #2 seed Brooklyn Nets.

The Pacers dominated their play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets on their way to this elimination game, while the Wizards lost a close one to the Boston Celtics.

The winner of this game will advance to the NBA Playoffs as the 8 seed to play the Philadelphia 76ers– the highest seeded team in the eastern conference.

The game will be played at Capital One Arena in DC at 8pm and can be watched live on TNT.

Washington Wizards Play-In Game Tonight Against the Boston Celtics

The Washington Wizards will take on the Boston Celtics tonight at 9pm on TNT. The winner of the game will be the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and take on the #2 seed Brooklyn Nets.

The Celtics were considered contenders for the title to start the season, but have been fairly average throughout the season– finishing up with a 36-36 record after a disappointing 1-5 record in their last 6 games.

While the Wizards ended with a 34-38 record, they have gone 17-6 since April 5th and are one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

The loser of this game will face the winner of the Pacers/Hornets game in order to become the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, and will take on the #1 seed Philadelphia 76ers.