8:08 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CLEVELAND — Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul will be out for the next six to eight weeks due to an avulsion fracture in his right thumb, a source confirmed to ESPN. The injury is a massive blow to a Suns team with the league’s best record and knocks the All-Star
admin
Former Boston Celtics teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen had an awkward interaction at the NBA 75 ceremony at the All-Star Game. One of the highlights of the NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland was the introduction of the NBA 75 team, which features the top 75 players in the league’s history. Two of the players
8:00 AM ET NBA All-Star Weekend was a showcase of today’s superstars, but it was also a celebration of the best players throughout 75 years of league history. Earlier in the 2021-22 season, the NBA unveiled its 75th Anniversary Team, a squad full of iconic players representing different points in the evolution of basketball. But
LeBron James drained the game-winning shot right in front of the folks in Cleveland, which is the absolutely perfect way to end the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. One of the greatest things about sports is the storylines and the archetypes that are so often present in games, athletes, and careers. So, when a hero-turned-villain-turned-hero-turned maybe
12:53 PM ET Free agent guard Goran Dragic is signing for the rest of the season with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Dragic began the season on the Toronto Raptors before he was sent to the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline and subsequently had
11:19 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CLEVELAND — The two kids from Akron stole the show at Sunday night’s All-Star Game. Stephen Curry put on a shooting clinic all evening, hitting 16 3-pointers and scoring 50 points, while LeBron James hit an absurd, one-legged turnaround jumper to clinch the victory for Team LeBron over Team Durant
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 11: Bronny James #0 of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers is greeted by his father and NBA player LeBron James after defeating the the Perry Pumas in the Hoophall West tournament at Footprint Center on December 11, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) LeBron James reopens door for potential
7:35 PM ET The 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend is in full force as the league’s biggest stars meet in Cleveland. This year’s edition saw multiple events with new formats — starting with Rising Stars Challenge that took place on Friday night. Saturday’s action is headlined by three events: the 3-point contest, slam dunk contest and
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 02: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during a time-out from the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on November 02, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Pelicans 112-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by
CLEVELAND, OHIO – FEBRUARY 19: Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry attend the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the 2022 NBA All Star Weekend at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 19, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting
11:00 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CLEVELAND — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns demanded an answer as he bounded into the interview room following the 3-point contest at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday night. “Who bet against me?” Towns asked with an ear-to-ear grin. Whoever did, lost. Towns, thanks to a record-setting 29 points in the
CLEVELAND, OHIO – FEBRUARY 19: Obi Toppin #1 of the New York Knicks holds up the trophy after winning the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the 2022 NBA All Star Weekend at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 19, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
11:12 PM ET CLEVELAND — Obi Toppin was the top dunker at NBA All-Star weekend. The New York Knicks forward went through the legs, tapped the ball off the backboard and finished with a one-handed slam to score a 47 on his final dunk and win NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He beat the Golden State
New York Knicks high-flier Obi Toppin used creativity to lift himself to the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk competition championship. The last time NBA All-Star Weekend emanated from Cleveland (1997), the weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest was so poorly received the NBA would cancel the contest completely, removing it from the weekend schedule for 1998. The contest would
6:44 PM ET LeBron James said the door is “not closed” on a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and that his last season in the league “will be played with my son” in an interview with The Athletic ahead of Sunday’s All-Star game. James, who is back in Cleveland for his 18th appearance in
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 12: Ayo Dosunmu #12 of the Chicago Bulls against the Oklahoma City Thunder at United Center on February 12, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images
Luka Doncic landed at the top of our 25-under-25 rankings, two years in a row. To celebrate, The Step Back commissioned a pair of custom sneakers for him. For the past five years, FanSided’s NBA team at The Step Back has begun each new NBA season by ranking the 25 best young players in the
7:51 AM ET Brianna Williams The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is the 71st edition of the midseason showcase. While hosting the league’s biggest stars on one court has been a constant for several decades, save for 1999, due to the NBA lockout, much has transformed since the game’s beginning in 1951. One change that easily
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis got dinged up when playing against the Utah Jazz. With his ankle injured, when will Davis be able to return? The Los Angeles Lakers are certainly having a, uh, season. Unfortunately for the Lakers and their fans, this particular season has been marred by injuries while certain members of
11:49 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CLEVELAND — The Rising Stars Challenge became the latest part of All-Star Weekend to undergo a format change, and it was a success. The event, which features the top first- and second-year NBA players, employed an entirely new format this season. Rather than just being one game involving those players,
Clyde Drexler did not approve of Portland trading CJ McCollum and has a reminder for Damian Lillard. History has a way of repeating itself. In February of 1995, the Portland Trail Blazers were at a crossroads. They had been to the Finals twice with a group led by Clyde Drexler in 1990 and 1992, but
Goran Dragic, Chicago Bulls. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports Goran Dragic was expected to be a buyout candidate after being traded to the Spurs. Now that he’s a free agent, these NBA teams could be great fits. The NBA Trade Deadline was exceptionally busy, punctuated with blockbuster deals such as James Harden and Ben
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 16: DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Sacramento Kings in the first half on February 16, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting
7:01 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CLEVELAND — San Antonio Spurs legend and four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili and WNBA legends Swin Cash and Lindsay Whalen headlined the 11 finalists from the North American and Women’s Committees for the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2022. The other eight finalists were: former Los Angeles Laker Michael
The Over and Back NBA podcast is celebrating the NBA at 75 by rewatching some of the greatest Slam Dunk Contests in NBA history. The 1986 NBA slam-dunk contest is famous for being the night when spectacle took center stage. 5-foot-6 Atlanta Hawks point guard Michael Anthony Jerome “Spud” Webb probably wasn’t the night’s best
The life of an Army Veteran changed in a major way at the Charlotte Hornets game on Wednesday night. Talk about a night to remember for Army Veteran Forrest Severson and his wife Sarah. Severson, who will medically retire from the Army this month, was on hand for the contest between the Charlotte Hornets and
9:49 AM ET Four months into the season, the odds to win the NBA championship have seen significant change at the top. The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, considered second-tier contenders to begin the season, enter the All-Star break as the favorites to win the NBA title at sportsbooks around the nation. Meanwhile, the
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Most of the NBA is preparing to take a break for the All-Star festivities but everything else is popping off — awards races, budding rivalries, and more. To break
Because of injuries, vaccinations and dissatisfaction the Brooklyn Nets’ Big 3 only played 16 games together. How might we remember them if they made it to 17? To understand the suspension that is time, one must examine the spider web cables that hold and ensnare it. It is 2029 and the Memphis Grizzlies are about
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The Ben Simmons for James Harden swap has been completed and the ultimate perception of the trade will be based on how each team performs over the next 18