11:46 AM ET Kevin Durant said Tuesday that the New York Knicks can’t rely on their “brand” to land the best players, many of whom don’t even remember the franchise being good. “I think a lot of fans look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players in their lifetime don’t remember
Month: October 2019
James Wiseman was the nation’s top recruit for 2019 and sits atop many NBA Mock Drafts. A closer look reveals he may not be worth that level of praise. James Wiseman was the top-ranked recruit for 2019 on most sites and ESPN has pegged him to go No. 1 in the 2020 NBA Draft. Pretty
9:55 AM ET ESPN News Services Russell Westbrook tallied 13 points in 21 minutes in his first game action as a member of the Houston Rockets, a 134-129 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Tokyo. “It wasn’t bad,” said Westbrook, the longtime Oklahoma City star and former MVP now in his first season with Houston.
It can’t be argued against: The Boston Celtics have had a disastrous year. Boston watched as a potential dynasty crumbled into nothing before their eyes. Kyrie Irving is a Brooklyn Net, Al Horford went to the Philadelphia 76ers and, in the wake of their respective departures, the team has undergone enough change to rock even
The New Orleans Pelicans look pretty good after an offseason roster reshaping, but J.J. Redick was sure to issue a profane challenge to Zion Williamson. J.J. Redick will go down as one of the best 3-point shooters of his era. He signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason, so he’ll add
Early on in his first preseason NBA game, Zion Williamson threw down a monstrous dunk that serves as an immediate indicator of the kind of coverage he’ll receive this season. It took all of one minute and 46 seconds for Zion Williamson to put someone on his first NBA poster. It wasn’t his first basket
9:00 AM ET Some people like power rankings. I prefer tiers. It’s a big-picture method of capturing how good teams are today, and where they are in the NBA’s rise-and-fall cycle. It is an especially interesting exercise approaching the most wide-open season in recent memory. More teams than usual have claims to membership in the
As he prepares to embark on his 17th NBA season, what still motivates LeBron James in pursuit of greatness? What would lead to LeBron James showing up to a basketball game — excuse me — to work, with a glass of red wine in his hand? We’ve all been there. Maybe not with the Oakville
11:49 AM ET ESPN.com staff We’re just a couple of weeks away from the tipoff to the 2019-20 fantasy basketball campaign, which means we are entering the heart of draft season. To get you properly prepared, our experts recently took part in our third mock draft. This one is a 10-team draft for a head-to-head
Nate McMillan almost made it seem like the Indiana Pacers’ hand was forced. With Domantas Sabonis eligible for an extension until late October or entering restricted free agency next summer, it was crucial for the Pacers to prove that he’s a part of their long-term plans. Coming off a breakout season that cemented him as
6:42 AM ET Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a one-year, $31 million contract extension that takes the five-time All-Star guard out of July’s free-agent market, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN. The extension guarantees Lowry two years and $64 million on the books — including the $33.3 million left
Damian Lillard and Shaq are beefing and trading diss tracks. We’ve collected the questionable lines that didn’t make it into the final product. If you’re into adorable hip-hop beefs you’ve probably been loving this tete-a-tete between Damian Lillard and Shaquille O’Neal. Last week, Lillard went on Joe Budden’s podcast and said he was a better
10:28 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Celtics rookie Tacko Fall sat on the bench for the first three quarters of Sunday’s preseason opener at TD Garden against the Charlotte Hornets hearing fans repeatedly chant his name. But when the 7-foot-7 center finally got a chance to check into an NBA game for the first
The offseason is finally done. Training camp is officially underway. The 2019-2020 NBA season is mere weeks away from starting. As usual, we’ve all been waiting a long time for this moment. And why shouldn’t we? There are so many exciting storylines to tune into this season. The league’s new-found parity. The new LA teams.
1:28 PM ET Associated Press PIRAEUS, Greece — Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt has left his post as coach of Greek club Olympiakos two months after announcing he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In a statement on the club website, Blatt says “after a long and respectful discussion between the owners and myself,
METAIRIE, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 30: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans poses for a photo during Media Day at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on September 30, 2019 in Metairie, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 preview: Universal Championship match by Serena Burks The Pelicans released video
10:44 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Anthony Davis cleaned up a LeBron James miss for the first score of the game. James got his first bucket to go — plus an and-1 free throw — a few minutes later to put the Los Angeles Lakers up 11-0 over the Golden State Warriors and L.A. rolled
Two years ago, Terry Rozier appeared to be on the precipice of something great. One year ago, Rozier took a clear step back. Today, at long last, Rozier is a full-time, starting point guard — which is only to say: Buckle up, folks, the breakout season is finally upon us. After a season of frustration,
12:46 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry knew exactly how he wanted to christen Chase Center on Saturday night. After moving out of Oracle Arena in Oakland after 47 years and moving across the Bay to San Francisco, Curry made it clear to his teammates that he wanted to take
The Washington Mystics may not have Elena Delle Donne for the rest of the WNBA Finals. But their uncommon depth means they’d still have a shot. Coach Mike Thibault and the rest of the Washington Mystics must now deal with a stroke of miserable luck. In the middle of the WNBA Finals, the team may
2:02 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — A year ago, the Boston Celtics entered training camp with championship expectations. This year, it remains to be seen just how good Boston can actually be. “There are different kinds of questions [this year],” Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Saturday before the team’s annual open
The offseason is finally done. Training camp is officially underway. The 2019-2020 NBA season is mere weeks away from starting. As usual, we’ve all been waiting a long time for this moment. And why shouldn’t we? There are so many exciting storylines to tune into this season. The league’s new-found parity. The new LA teams.
2:50 AM ET ESPN News Services Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta strongly denounced a tweet from general manager Daryl Morey on Friday night after the GM posted an image supporting protesters in Hong Kong. Listen….@dmorey does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets. Our presence in Tokyo is all about the promotion of the @NBA internationally and
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 24: Clippers players Paul George, left, and Kawhi Leonard laugh at a comment made by owner Steve Ballmer during a press conference at the Green Meadows Recreation Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. George and Leonard were introduced to the media and fans as the newest members
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Toronto Raptors during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is
Sep 30, 2019 It’s time for our first fall tradition: picking the six most intriguing players of the season. As usual, we (mostly) steer clear of superstars and rookies. Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic Orlando’s offseason plan for Isaac led him to a startling discovery. “I did not know I could eat this much,” Isaac says.
When Robert Covington left the court on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, he did not expect his absence from the Minnesota Timberwolves to last long. He had not broken or torn anything, so his apparent injury hiatus should be short-lived, he and anyone watching figured. The Timberwolves were 17-20, hardly out of playoff contention
12:37 PM ET Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. is poised to become the first professional sports arena in the U.S. with a fully operational sportsbook. On Thursday, Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics, announced a partnership with international bookmaker William Hill. Upon regulatory approval, William
Shooting 3-pointers is often treated as an essential skill in today’s NBA. But you can still be a positive contributor on offense without shooting. Talk about Ben Simmons or Giannis Antetokounmpo long enough and you’ll eventually hit the rhetorical brick wall of their jump-shooting. Both are insanely talented and neither has a reliable 3-point shot,
5:09 AM ET HONOLULU – Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni smirked as he stood up and twirled his right index finger, signaling to the referees that he was challenging an offensive foul called on James Harden with 2:02 remaining in the second quarter Thursday night. “In a preseason game?” LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers hollered