Oklahoma City has been rolling across the open plains of the NBA like a runaway stagecoach. Fueled by the three horsemen of Cinderella City at the point, the Thunder play their way and are in full control of their own storm. Three point guards walk into an arena. This sounds like the start of a
Month: March 2020
3:12 PM ET NBA Insiders The 2019-20 NBA season began an indefinite hiatus on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. When will the league be back, and what will the rest of the season look like? Commissioner Adam Silver initially said that the suspension would last at least
The flurry of activity that was the 2019 free agency period reshaped the landscape of the league. Players like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Bojan Bogdanovic had the basketball world salivating long before opening night. Even guys like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving played major roles in how the future of the league
8:42 AM ET The NBA has suspended its season due to the spread of the coronavirus, and commissioner Adam Silver has stated the hiatus will last at least 30 days. On Sunday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported owners and executives are bracing for the possibility of mid-to-late June as a best-case scenario for a return.
Get ready, we could be without sports for another eight weeks, according to a new recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It already feels like it’s been an eternity since we’ve seen a live sporting event (unless you count UFC Brasilia which was the only American sporting event left operating this week). Unfortunately,
Amid the NBA’s stoppage due to the coronavirus outbreak, New Orleans Pelicans rookie phenom Zion Williamson is helping arena employees out in a big way. Zion Williamson is already making headlines for his impressive play on the court, but his biggest assist of the 2019-20 season happened with play halted. Due to the pandemic stemming
After missing most of his rookie season with a knee injury, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is leaving up to his hype and then some. Zion Williamson is a force to be dealt with. Hopefully he owns a large trophy case. Williamson, 19, stands 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds, yet moves through traffic like a
10:03 PM ET Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, NBA owners and executives are bracing for the possibility of mid-to-late June as a best-case scenario for the league’s return, sources told ESPN on Sunday. Fears exist of a season completely lost, especially based on what some experts see as the slow response of the
10:00 AM ET Jorge Sedano Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Feb. 21. “D. Wade: Life Unexpected” will re-air Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. PAT RILEY DOESN’T have many regrets over the course of his career. But one sticks with him: Dwyane Wade‘s departure from the Miami Heat in 2016. “I
The 2019-20 NBA season was suspended on Wednesday, March 11 due to the increasing threat of novel coronavirus. In Day 4 of this ongoing diary, we examine the state of the Utah Jazz under trying circumstances. Welcome to Day 4 of the Life Without NBA Basketball Diary, where yours truly will be taking a daily
4:52 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Utah Jazz announced Saturday afternoon that All-Star center Rudy Gobert is donating $500,000 to support both the employee relief fund at Vivint Smart Home Arena and COVID-related social services relief in Utah, Oklahoma City and within the French health care system. Gobert became the first NBA player to test
8:21 PM ET Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood has tested positive for the coronavirus, a league source told ESPN’S Adrian Wojnarowski. Wood, 24, is the third known player in the NBA to have a positive test for the virus, along with Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Wood scored a career-high 30 points
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter provided a much-needed laugh amidst coronavirus concerns with a video of himself playing basketball in a hazmat suit. Enes Kanter is one of those classic “love him or hate him” NBA personalities, but one thing’s for sure: We all needed a good laugh this week. After Rudy Gobert tested positive
Amidst a fairy tale season of player development and rapid success, the Memphis Grizzlies may have struck gold again by signing Jontay Porter. To this point, misfortune has defined Jontay Porter’s career. After reclassifying to play with his brother, Nuggets wing Michael Porter Jr., at Missouri as freshmen, Michael suffered various injuries that allowed the
2:55 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN After testing positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell said he feels “fine” in a video released on the NBA’s Twitter account Saturday afternoon. “What’s up everybody? Donovan Mitchell here. Just wanted to say thank you guys so much for your continued support, man. It
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has no interest in the idea of playing in empty arenas during the Coronavirus scare in America. If the fans aren’t there, LeBron James doesn’t plan to be either. Earlier this week, the NBA reportedly sent a memo to all clubs in preparation for potential results of the Coronavirus
11:23 PM ET Luka Doncic scored 50 points and dished out 19 assists on Friday night as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 150-136. Well, not exactly. Soon after the decision was made Wednesday to suspend the NBA season because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Suns announced that their games would continue virtually. Friday
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images MLB thinking of playing World Series at neutral site by Jordan Foote The Golden State Warriors have joined many teams around the NBA in providing for part-time employees, announcing a $1 million relief fund after coronavirus shut down the league for a month. Novel coronavirus has exacted a toll on
11:10 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Toronto Raptors said Friday night that the entire travel party from the team’s last game Monday night in Salt Lake City was tested for the coronavirus on Wednesday, and that all but one person’s test has come back negative. The remaining person’s test is still pending. The team went
A couple of days ago, the Warriors recalled Stephen Curry from their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, which cued loads of jokes from NBA Twitter. Needless to say, the sport is better when it has one of its biggest icons back and healthy following a prolonged stint on the sideline. The Warriors may have
1:47 PM ET LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, there was a brief moment when people in the NBA felt like they had a plan. Facing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, the Golden State Warriors had announced that they would host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday with no fans at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Then, at
The 2019-20 NBA season was suspended on Wednesday, March 11 due to the increasing threat of novel coronavirus. In this diary, we reflect on what’s happened with daily entries as we wait for basketball to return. Happy Friday the 13th, everybody. March 11, 2020, was a day that will live in infamy for quite some
5:01 PM ET In his first public comments since testing positive for COVID-19, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert apologized on Instagram for his “careless” actions that exposed others to the disease, saying he hopes that his “story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously.” Gobert tested positive for coronavirus in Oklahoma
4:27 PM ET Having discussed at length with NBA owners whether to take a hiatus due to the coronavirus safety concerns, commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday he opted to suspend the season shortly after canceling the Utah Jazz–Oklahoma City Thunder game on Wednesday night following Rudy Gobert‘s positive test for COVID-19. NBA owners have been
Rudy Gobert has become the unfortunate face of the coronavirus outbreak in the NBA. He has apologized on Instagram for careless behavior that may have spread the infection. On Wednesday night, Rudy Gobert became the NBA’s patient zero, the first player to receive a confirmed positive test for the novel coronavirus. His surprise diagnosis caused
11:03 AM ET ESPN News Services Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Mitchell becomes the second Jazz player to test positive for contracting the virus, along with Rudy Gobert, sources told Wojnarowski. Gobert’s diagnosis led to the postponement of Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma
1:16 AM ET Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books Tim Bontemps Wednesday night saw the COVID-19 pandemic officially hit the NBA when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, causing the Jazz’s game against the Oklahoma City
Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus and the NBA season is over by Ian Levy The 2020 NBA season is on hold after Utah Jazz player, Rudy Gobert, tests positive for coronavirus. The NBA has taken a huge hit on Wednesday night as the entire season has been suspended following Rudy
Ten games into J.B. Bickerstaff’s coaching tenure, the Cleveland Cavaliers have seen enough progress to reward him with a multi-year extension. If there were a Mount Rushmore for interim head coaches who turned their team’s end-of-season growth into earning the full-time gig, J.B. Bickerstaff would be the first face carved on there. But in spite
9:38 PM ET The NBA announced that it has suspended its season until further notice after the completion of Wednesday night’s games after a member of the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for the coronavirus. The player is the Jazz’s Rudy Gobert, sources told ESPN. That led to the Jazz game at Oklahoma City