The Portland Trail Blazers have had some bad luck in previous NBA drafts, but they have had success with draft day trades. One such trade brought them LaMarcus Aldridge, the second overall pick from the Bulls, and it turned out to be a great move for them.

Aldridge quickly established himself as a star player in Portland, earning All-Rookie honors and becoming a starter in his second year. He was also a top contender for the Most Improved Player of the Year award. Aldridge's numbers continued to improve as he dominated in the paint, and by the 2010-11 season, he was one of the most well-rounded players in the league. He excelled at rebounding on both ends of the court, and his fadeaway jumper was a thing of beauty.

Although Aldridge did not make the All-Star Team in 2011, he did earn a spot on the All-NBA Third Team. He continued to put up similar numbers over the next few years and earned All-Star honors in each of those seasons. He was also named to the Third Team All-NBA in 2014 and the Second Team All-NBA in 2015, with MVP finishes of tenth and seventh, respectively. Despite his impressive achievements, Portland was not a championship contender, and Aldridge wanted more national recognition.

Aldridge eventually signed with the San Antonio Spurs and continued to be a top player. He earned All-Star honors three times and added more All-NBA accolades to his collection. He also finished in the top ten for MVP voting in 2017-18. However, Aldridge still wanted a title.

In the 2020-21 season, Aldridge was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, but his time with the team was short-lived due to an irregular heartbeat. Although he was eventually medically cleared to return, he played in only 21 more games before announcing his retirement. He was not the same player he had once been, and the Nets did not live up to the hype that came with their star-studded lineup of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.

Despite having Hall of Fame-worthy stats, Aldridge's name recognition never quite matched his talent.

Joe Johnson was a Mr. Arkansas Basketball and he stayed in state to play his college ball at the University of Arkansas where he was the SEC Rookie of the Year.  Johnson declared for the draft in 2001, where he was taken 10^th Overall by the Boston Celtic 10^th Overall, but he did not last the season, as he was traded to Phoenix.

The trade accelerated Johnson’s development as he saw significantly more playing time with the Suns and in all three of his full seasons in the Desert, Johnson obtained Most Improved Player of the Year votes.  Johnson was a restricted free agent in 2005, and the Atlanta Hawks pulled the trigger, landing Johnson in a sign-and-trade.  The ATL suited Johnson well.

With the Hawks, Johnson was the lead option and averaged over 20 Points per Game in his first five seasons (2005-06-2009-10), with All-Star appearances in the last six (2006-07-2011-12).  Johnson was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2009-10.  As good as Johnson was, the Hawks were never serious championship contenders, though he had impressive numbers in Atlanta with a 20.8 PPG over 508 Games.  Johnson was traded to Brooklyn in 2012, and in 2014, he went to his seventh and final All-Star Game.

In 2016, Johnson was traded to Miami for their playoff run, and he signed with Utah the year later but was now a reserve player until he retired (for the first time) in 2018 after a stop with the Houston Rockets.

Johnson’s Hall of Fame clock was pushed back by three years, as he returned to the Celtics on a 10-day contract as a hardship exemption.  He only appeared in one Game, scored 2 Points in 2 Minutes, but joined Dirk Nowitzki as the only players to score at the age of 20 and 40 for the same team.  Considering, he only played 49 Games in total for the Celtics, it is a fascinating statistic, isn’t it?

Still, With Johnson, we have the definition of a borderline candidate.  Despite the seven All-Stars, we have a player who only twice received MVP votes and was no higher than 12^th.  Johnson never won a championship at any level.  This will be interesting.

A few years ago, many people decided to cut the cord and switch to streaming services. But the biggest concern is, what would happen to their favorite live TV channels? It’s clear that streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and other video-on-demand channels like cable or satellite TV cannot offer live channels. Fortunately, there are now a lot of live TV streaming services that are excellent alternatives to cable and satellite TV.

According to a recent report by Insider Intelligence, 47.6 million households are already cord-cutters. Does this mean that live TV streaming services are already taking over cable and satellite TV? Let’s find out.

What Are Live TV Streaming Services Anyway?

Live TV streaming services are platforms that provide access to live television channels over the internet. It works similarly to video-on-demand streaming like Netflix, but the content offered is live channels instead of movies and TV shows you can watch at any time. It’s a more convenient option for cord-cutters who love watching live TV shows wherever they are because most live TV streaming services allow streaming over the phone, tablet, and other gadgets.

A great example of live TV streaming is Sling TV. It offers a selection of the most preferred live TV channels without long contract terms, hassle installation process, and additional fees for equipment. Most of these services are also more affordable than traditional TV options.

So, Is Live TV Streaming Already Taking Over Cable and Satellite TV?

Unfortunately, yes. Looking at the statistics from 2014 to 2023, there was a significant decline in cable and satellite TV penetration in the US. In 20214, there were 102.1 million pay-TV subscribers compared to 60.9 million in the first half of 2023. These numbers are still expected to decline with the growing number of live TV streaming.

What does this mean for cable and satellite TV providers?

The cable and satellite TV industry is still not doomed, although their market has been constantly declining over the years. Cable and satellite TV providers are still putting up a fight in the competitive market. DISH Network, for example, is the leading satellite TV provider in the US, but aside from the long list of channels offered on DISH TV packages, it also offers on-demand titles that you can watch any time you want.

There are also a lot of households that still prefer traditional TV services over streaming services, so we will see a lot of cable and satellite TV moving forward. The market is just becoming more and more competitive.

Is Live TV Streaming Better Than Cable and Satellite TV?

The answer will depend on how you define “better.” For many individuals, especially the younger demographics, live TV streaming is better than cable and satellite TV because of the flexibility and convenience it offers. However, for the older demographics who are already used to the traditional options, cable and satellite TV are definitely better. If you’re looking for a language-specific TV service like Spanish, both live TV and cable/satellite TV have great options for you. There’s Go Latino TV, DirecTV, Sling TV Latino, and many more.

When it comes to accessibility and convenience, live TV streaming wins by a mile because you can always access it wherever you are as long as you have a stable internet connection. But with cable or satellite TV, you’ll need to be at your house or wherever the equipment was installed.

Wrapping Up

Live TV streaming has indeed taken over cable and satellite TV over the past few years, but it doesn’t mean that the traditional options will disappear entirely. If you’re choosing between the two, there’s no right or wrong choice. All you need to do is assess what your needs are and choose the option that meets your needs.

It is very much a new era for the WWE Hall of Fame.  In the past, it was described that former owner and chairman Vince McMahon had made the calls as to who would be in the Hall.  With him out of the picture, Jean “Triple H” Levesque” has taken over that duty, and with alleged input from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, we are seeing a cohesive list of names emerge. This past week, Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano and the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo) were named to the Hall, and now we have a huge name, albeit not specifically a wrestling one, but a legend nevertheless: 

Muhammad Ali.

Known as “The Greatest,” the former multi-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion fought Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki in a Mixed Martial Arts exhibition in Japan, which was shown on closed circuit television in the United States.  Initially, the fight was believed by Ali to be worked, but Inoki was adamant that was real.  The result was that Ali’s camp added more stipulations that rendered the fight little more than Inoki kicking Ali’s legs while he was on his back.  Ali was legitimately hurt by Inoki, but the spectacle was not well-received and considered boring.  Nevertheless, this Ali-Inoki fight was a precursor to modern MMA and, in hindsight, a huge moment for professional wrestling.

Ali made other appearances in wrestling, the most famous being as the special guest referee at the inaugural Wrestlemania. At one point, Ali got into the ring and cleared the ring of the heels (Roddy Piper, Bob Orton, and Paul Orndorff). He also was a special ambassador for the Inoki-promoted Collision in Korea, which had a packed (though forced) house over two days in North Korea.

We are thrilled about this induction, which makes the Celebrity Wing infinitely more credible.