The NBA Rising Stars Challenge will have a new format in Cleveland for the 2022 All-Star Weekend, but who will be playing in the games? Now that we’re just over two weeks away from the festivities in Cleveland for NBA All-Star Weekend. We’ve already had the contestants for Slam Dunk Contest but now we’re getting
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11:34 PM ET LOS ANGELES — As someone who hones his craft in a league in which minority coaches occupy the majority of the head-coaching positions, Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers said he can’t help but appreciate how the NBA operates compared to the NFL. “I’m really just kind of so proud of
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 Phoenix Suns have been winning a lot lately — their 10-point win over the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night brought their current win streak to 11 games, the longest
7:48 PM ET Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will miss at least his team’s next four games after being diagnosed with a ligament injury in his left wrist. The Wizards said Beal was diagnosed with an injury to the scapholunate ligament and would be reevaluated in one week. Beal will miss Tuesday night’s game against
The Washington Wizards look set to be active on the trade market, including some motivation to move guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The Washington Wizards started this season nicely (10-3), but they’ve since faded to being outside the play-in tournament if the playoffs started today. A shakeup could be coming as the Feb. 10 trade deadline gets
8:00 AM ET SENSING AN ACROBATIC opportunity, Ja Morant skips with excitement and raises his left hand. He’s already calling for a lob as he approaches the 3-point line on the left wing, with Memphis Grizzlies backcourt mate Desmond Bane crossing half court in transition. Bane picks up his dribble, takes two long strides down
Jan 10, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (0) dunks as Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) watches in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports Giants release statement regarding Brian Flores lawsuit by Aryanna Prasad The NBA is setting the stage for All-Star Weekend 2022 in
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. If you were to delineate contenders by statistical resumes alone, ignoring the noise of injuries and COVID-related absences, you’d really find just three teams this season, all in the
Jan 17, 2022; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzles guard Ja Morant (12) and Chicago Bulls centerTony Bradley (13) shove each other as Grizzles center Steven Adams (4) and referees try to break it up during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports 49ers: Fred Warner gives positive update after injury scare
3:57 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN ANTONIO — The Golden State Warriors will be without more than half of their active roster, including Stephen Curry, when they face the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back. After dropping 40 points against the Houston Rockets on Monday, Curry is listed as
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. To really succeed a team needs to have multiple lineups it can rely on and depth has perhaps never been more important than this season, with the Omicron variant
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 24: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakersl against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 24, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Paul Finebaum has strong opinion on Alabama offensive coordinator job by John Buhler When LeBron James returns from his knee injury, he’ll be passing the one and only Kobe Bryant in quite the stat. Despite being in his age-37 season, LeBron James continues to impress with his amazing play
1:26 PM ET PHOENIX — James Harden (right hand strain) went through all of the Brooklyn Nets‘ shootaround Tuesday and has been upgraded to probable for the game Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns. “I think he’s feeling less irritation,” Nets coach Steve Nash said after the shootaround. “So the inflammation’s come down. Therefore, the
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 17: Allen Iverson responds to being introduced at halftime during the NBA All-Star game as part of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend at Spectrum Center on February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is
12:56 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN HOUSTON — For the second time in 10 days, the Houston Rockets were giving the Golden State Warriors every inch of fight they had in them. And for about three quarters, it looked to be wearing the Warriors down. But then in the fourth, Stephen Curry erupted. He scored 21
2:41 PM ET After tests revealed a torn ACL in his left knee, Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles will miss the rest of the season and need to rehabilitate into the start of the 2022-23 season, sources told ESPN. The Jazz revealed a torn ACL that included no other structural damage after an MRI on
NBA legend Julius Erving, commonly known as “Dr. J,” was disrespected in his home arena when the 76ers misspelled his name on the scoreboard. In 1983, it would have been impossible to misspell Julius Erving. Erving, a basketball legend who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, won a championship
12:53 PM ET The 2022 NBA trade deadline (Feb. 10, 3 p.m. ET) has already started buzzing with some moves, including a voided trade, to put players with new teams for the 2021-22 regular season. The Atlanta Hawks are trading Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for Kevin Knox II in a swap of
Could watching a movie turn around a team’s season? Probably not, but here are a few recommendations that could potentially help offer some inspiration. NBA players have a lot of down time. Between flights, off-days, and innumerable hours spent in hotel rooms, there is a lot of time to kill and, therefore, a lot of
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is taking his talents to television, but he isn’t retiring just yet — and it’s all thanks to Charles Barkley. Charles Barkley hasn’t played in the NBA for 22 years, but he still practices an art form he perfected long ago: the finesse of talking trash. Barkley is often
8:00 AM ET The Phoenix Suns won their 10th straight game on Sunday, cementing Monty Williams’ spot as head coach of the NBA All-Star Game’s Team LeBron as he leads the top squad in the Western Conference. The 40-9 Suns sit atop the NBA, ahead of the West rival Golden State Warriors, who own the
The fact that Rudy Gobert got more media votes, more player votes and a higher player rank than Andrew Wiggins proves that NBA All-Star voting is broken. By all meaningful voting metrics, Rudy Gobert is universally considered to be a better player than Andrew Wiggins. During voting for the NBA All-Star roster, Gobert received more
9:57 PM ET There’s fear that Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles suffered a significant left knee injury in Sunday’s game in Minnesota and the team will await results of an MRI set for Monday to learn the full extent of the injury, sources told ESPN. Ingles’ knee buckled on a drive to the basket, causing
While Toronto Raptors fans may have been somewhat stressed, head coach Nick Nurse was put through the wringer in Toronto’s win over the Miami Heat. Most casual NBA fans probably thoroughly enjoyed watching the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat battle back and forth through multiple overtimes as Toronto eventually won 124-120. Raptors fans and Heat
12:11 PM ET ATLANTA — Lakers star LeBron James flew back to Los Angeles on Saturday for treatment on his ailing left knee and will not be with the team for the end of its six-game road trip against the Hawks on Sunday, according to Lakers coach Frank Vogel. James underwent an MRI that revealed
Julius Randle, New York Knicks. (Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports) Chiefs: Brittany Matthews turns champagne criticism into a positive by Mark Powell New York Knicks star Julius Randle got a fan ejected in Miami for incredibly soft heckling. Julius Randle got a New York Knicks fan ejected from a game for simply heckling facts
8:14 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden was held out of Saturday night’s game vs. the Golden State Warriors after an MRI on his right hand revealed a strain, coach Steve Nash said. Nash said it’s an injury that has been bothering the 32-year-old Harden for several days. “James’ hand has
Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images Projected college basketball rankings after Kentucky thrashes Kansas by Cody Williams James Harden was ruled out of the Brooklyn Nets’ game against the Golden State Warriors due to a hand injury. Entering Saturday, Jan. 29, the Brooklyn Nets were on a three-game losing streak. To end it as early as
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 Cavaliers kept rolling Monday night with a 95-93 win over the New York Knicks. It was a typical Cavs’ win — suffocating defense paired with well-rounded offense and