Rookies Dunking, Wiggins Interviewed

At the Panini rookie photo shoot yesterday, dunks broke out thanks to our Timberwolves rookies getting things started:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>At the <a href="https://twitter.com/PaniniAmerica">@PaniniAmerica</a> Rookie Photo shoot, Im challenging <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLaVine">@ZachLaVine</a> to beat this! <a href="https://t.co/qNYNZmZWyt">https://t.co/qNYNZmZWyt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hoopsrookie?src=hash">#hoopsrookie</a></p>&mdash; Glenn Robinson III (@GRIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRIII/statuses/495944773002612736">August 3, 2014</a></blockquote>

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LaVine couldn't pass that up:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>just accepted <a href="https://twitter.com/GRIII">@GRIII</a> challenge at the <a href="https://twitter.com/PaniniAmerica">@PaniniAmerica</a> shoot and now challenge <a href="https://twitter.com/22wiggins">@22wiggins</a> to beat this! <a href="https://t.co/KBw6hO0Y11">https://t.co/KBw6hO0Y11</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hoopsrookie?src=hash">#hoopsrookie</a></p>&mdash; Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLaVine/statuses/495948891955929089">August 3, 2014</a></blockquote>

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Then we heard from Wiggins:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>challenge accepted <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLaVine">@ZachLaVine</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/tdot_ennis">@tdot_ennis</a> now I challenge you. <a href="https://t.co/18PDzF56bO">https://t.co/18PDzF56bO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hoopsrookie?src=hash">#hoopsrookie</a></p>&mdash; andrew wiggins (@22wiggins) <a href="https://twitter.com/22wiggins/statuses/495956437085208578">August 3, 2014</a></blockquote>

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Elsewhere, ESPN interviewed Andrew Wiggins. It was, to be kind, awkward, mostly because of the impossible questions that were asked of him. He did his best:

"I just want to play for a team that wants me. So whichever team wants me I'll play for,"

This whole situation isn't good for the league. On the one hand, I guess it maintains some attention through the down period of the off-season. On the other hand, it puts so many guys in limbo because of a rule (rookies can't be traded for 30 days after signing) that makes little sense.

Plus, it sucks for me.  We can't really write about the upcoming season, because we don't know what the team is going to look like.  Also, it creates a ridiculous spat with another SB Nation blog because some folks from both sides can't help themselves.

Today in history

1578: Battle of Alcazarquivir; Moroccans defeat Portuguese, 10,000 killed
1693: Dom Perignon invents Champagne. 
1789: French National Meeting ends feudal system
1821: First issue of Saturday Evening Post published
1855: Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations" published
1862: U.S. government collects first income tax
1892: Lizzie Borden arrested in Fall River, MA
1914: Germany declares war on Belgium, Britain on Germany, U.S. announces neutrality. 
1916: U.S. pays Denmark $25M for Dutch West Indies (Incl. Virgin Islands)
1925: U.S. marines leave Nicaragua after 13 years
1942: First train with Jews leaves Belgium for Auschwitz
1956: Elvis Presley releases "Hound Dog"
1962: Nelson Mandela captured by South African police
1964: Bodies of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney discovered in Mississippi

Today's musical birthday is Louis Armstrong, born in 1901 (d. 1971)

Have a wonderful day.