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Michael Pina

@michaelvpina.bsky.social

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Senior staff writer, The Ringer Be better tomorrow

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · Mar 11

After watching the second episode of Celtics City, I bought and read a copy of Bill Russell’s first memoir and wrote this piece on how the absence of anything resembling his voice is felt in today’s NBA, and throughout the country: www.theringer.com/2025/03/11/n...

The NBA Is Desperately Missing a Voice Like Bill Russell’s

While history repeats itself in this country, modern NBA stars have stayed silent. Maybe it’s unfair to ask so much of athletes, but it wasn’t too much for the greatest champion in NBA history, who do...

www.theringer.com

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Amee Vanderpool @girlsreallyrule.bsky.social · 1d

Josh Hawley and Yale Law School, ladies and gentlemen.

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 14h

I wrote about the best team in this century that never reached the NBA Finals: www.theringer.com/2025/10/08/n...

The Greatest NBA Team to Never Make the Finals

They never won a title, but they still achieved basketball immortality. Just look at today’s NBA.

www.theringer.com

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Howard Beck @howardbeck.bsky.social · 14h

What's the greatest NBA team of the last 25 years to *not* win a championship?

The Ringer's quarter-century review continues with @michaelvpina.bsky.social going deep on the 2018 Houston Rockets (despite my pleas for the 2000 Trail Blazers).

The Greatest NBA Team to Never Make the Finals

They never won a title, but they still achieved basketball immortality. Just look at today’s NBA.

www.theringer.com

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joebos617.bsky.social @joebos617.bsky.social · 14h

my most nuclear take is the 2018 Hospital Celtics would have had a puncher’s chance against those Rockets because of Smart vs Harden

Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 14h

I wrote about the best team in this century that never reached the NBA Finals: www.theringer.com/2025/10/08/n...

The Greatest NBA Team to Never Make the Finals

They never won a title, but they still achieved basketball immortality. Just look at today’s NBA.

www.theringer.com

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 14h

all great choices that were considered for the piece!

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hard-boo! 👻 aka Mike Breen (no not THAT one) @hardbap.bsky.social · 14h

Fun read by Pina. For my money the best team to never win it was the Sacramento Kings of 01-02. Squad went 61-21 and were robbed in game 6 of WCF. They played some of the most beautiful basketball of my time.

Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 14h

I wrote about the best team in this century that never reached the NBA Finals: www.theringer.com/2025/10/08/n...

The Greatest NBA Team to Never Make the Finals

They never won a title, but they still achieved basketball immortality. Just look at today’s NBA.

www.theringer.com

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 14h

I wrote about the best team in this century that never reached the NBA Finals: www.theringer.com/2025/10/08/n...

The Greatest NBA Team to Never Make the Finals

They never won a title, but they still achieved basketball immortality. Just look at today’s NBA.

www.theringer.com

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 1d

pamela seems cranky

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 1d

Padilla: Do you believe government officials are obligated to follow court orders whether they agree with them or not?

Bondi: I wish you loved your state of California as much as you hate President Trump.

Padilla: I asked a simple yes or no question

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Howard Beck @howardbeck.bsky.social · 1d

Every dynasty starts with a missed train. For the Ringer's quarter-century project, I explored some of the biggest sliding-doors moments of the 21st century. (h/t Gwyneth Paltrow)

NBA Sliding Doors: The What-Ifs That Changed Everything

Forget Oden vs. Durant or ‘The Decision’—these five forgotten twists altered the course of the league forever

www.theringer.com

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Honorée Fanonne Jeffers @blklibrarygirl.bsky.social · 1d

Proceeds to get in the gutter.

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 1d

Bondi: I'm not going to get in the gutter with you.. I'm not going to be lectured to you about integrity by someone who lied about being in the military just to be elected as senator.

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 1d

yikes

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Tyler Parker @tylerparker.bsky.social · 2d

NAME RANK

Ranking the 117 Best NBA Names of the Quarter Century

What’s in a name? Everything. Featuring Dwayne Bacon, Stromile Swift, and so many more, these are the NBA player handles that stand the test of time.

www.theringer.com

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 3d

just like old times

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 3d

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED

Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 3d

woah drake maye is already the best qb in the nfl? faster than expected, glad we’re here

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 3d

woah drake maye is already the best qb in the nfl? faster than expected, glad we’re here

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Mike Vorkunov @mikevorkunov.bsky.social · 3d

It feels like people are continuing to trickle onto Bluesky and we're getting more users here. If you're looking for NBA and WNBA accounts to follow, I've got a starter pack for you. Just click the button and follow everyone
go.bsky.app/FGmgtea

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 4d

It’s hard to express how disgusting and infuriating this is. The impunity on display from these monsters needs to end immediately.

CNN @cnn.com · 5d

Adults and children alike were pulled from their Chicago apartments, crying and screaming, during a large overnight raid that has left tenants and neighbors shaken. https://cnn.it/4pPCXIt

37 people arrested and American kids separated from parents after ICE raid at Chicago apartments | CNN

Adults and children alike were pulled from their Chicago apartments, crying and screaming, during a large overnight raid that has left tenants and neighbors shaken.

www.cnn.com

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James Myall @jamesxmyall.bsky.social · 5d

So much to mourn here. ICE shot and killed a single father just after he has dropped his two kids off at daycare. Their justification for stopping him was traffic violations form 12 years ago. Their justification for shooting him was that he was driving away.

A completely needless tragedy.

David Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 7d

ICE lied about the person it shot, claiming he was a "criminal," but NBC finds that he had no criminal history whatsoever. Not even traffic tickets in 12 years! It also lied about the extent of the injuries to its agents....

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alexjungle.bsky.social @alexjungle.bsky.social · 5d

Breaking news: ICE stops family at gunpoint—smash car window on top of newborn baby.

"I was screaming that there was a baby. But they didn’t care," cried mother.

“I covered my baby with my body—I was so scared he was going to be hurt because glass was landing on him."

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Yaron Weitzman @yaronweitzman.bsky.social · 5d

GIVEAWAY:

Send me proof of order for A HOLLYWOOD ENDING (email: lebronlakersbook at gmail) and I’ll send you this bookmark. It will be like you’re reading alongside LeBron! You’ll also get a bookplate made out to you or anyone (and lmk if there’s a special message)

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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 6d

“Fuck them kids.”

That’s literally what an ICE agent said when ICE, the FBI et al. raided an apartment in Chicago, including with a Blackhawk helicopter, separated children from their parents, and zip-tied them to each other.

abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...

bangs.

"They was terrified. The kids was crying. People was screaming. They looked very distraught. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner, because they was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other," Watson said. "That's all I kept asking. What is the morality? Where's the human? One of them literally laughed. He was standing right here. He said, 'f*** them kids.'"

Watson said trucks and military-style vans were used to separate parents from their children. Other neighbors said agents destroyed property to get in the building.

"They had a big, 15-inch chainsaw with round blade on it, cutting this fence down," said witness Darrell Ballard. "We're under siege. We're being invaded by our own military."

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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 6d

"They had the Black people in one van, and the immigrants in another van”—a report from a Chicago apartment building. These are essentially white nationalist attacks on US residents, including children, being paid for with our tax dollars

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 7d

“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”

It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.

ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground

ICE agents raided a South Shore apartment building overnight as the city braces for a possible military deployment.

abc7chicago.com

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 7d

Trevor Story. That is all.

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Michael Pina @michaelvpina.bsky.social · 7d

“i am so smart! i am so smart! s-m-r-t. I mean s-m-a-r-t”

Willow @rockshrimp.bsky.social · 7d

what's the stupidest/randomest Simpsons quote that lives in your head rent free? Mine is the urge to say "you said go to bread" every time I am about to head to bed.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 7d

what does an "unconstitutional DEI principle" mean in the context of a tunnel project? what, a black person is going to use it?

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 7d

OMB Director Russell Voight says that US DOT will announce that the federal government is "pausing" funding for both Gateway and the Second Avenue Subway because of "unconstitutional DEI principles" -- x.com/russvought/s...

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