1:07 PM ET Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has been ruled out of Friday night’s home game against the Orlando Magic because of a right shoulder sprain, the team announced. Durant said Sunday that he had been getting treatment on his shooting shoulder but had been playing through the issue. Friday will mark Durant’s first
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San Antonio Spurs coach revealed his key to success in a recent press conference: draft Tim Duncan and hope it leads to an NBA Championship. Gregg Popovich just had the most Gregg Popovich press conference imaginable. Always reluctant to speak with media, Popvich was even more reluctant to gloat about almost becoming the winningest regular
The Dancing With the Stars finals are set, and a former NBA champion has made history as a result. The 30th season of Dancing with the Stars is nearing its conclusion, with the finals set to take place next week. With the semi-final round officially over, a former NBA champion has made history. Iman Shumpert,
9:28 PM ET ESPN News Services CLEVELAND — Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton‘s season is over after surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Sexton, 22, hurt his knee on Nov. 7 in a game against the New York Knicks. The Cavs didn’t provide an update until Friday, when they said Sexton underwent
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 30: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets reacts to a call on the court in the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on October 30, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Nuggets defeated the Timberwolves 93-91. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,
The Chicago Bulls tried to host a jersey giveaway based on Alex Caruso and Coby White in the game against the Lakers, but neither player met minimal requirements. To liven things up before taking on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, the Chicago Bulls decided to host a fun little giveaway in the
DeMar DeRozan said he thought joining the Los Angeles Lakers was a “done deal” this past offseason. DeMar DeRozan spent three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs after being dealt to the Western Conference team by the Toronto Raptors in the infamous Kawhi Leonard deal. This past offseason, DeRozan became an unrestricted free agent, where
8:21 PM ET Associated Press DENVER — The Denver Nuggets were without reigning MVP Nikola Jokic on Friday night against the Chicago Bulls because of a sprained right wrist. Jokic appeared to hurt the wrist the night before in a home loss to Philadelphia. The Nuggets big man is averaging 26.4 points, 13.6 rebounds and
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 5: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles against the Malachi Flynn #22 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on November 5, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using
2:09 AM ET BOSTON — LeBron James‘ return from an extended absence couldn’t cure the inconsistent play that has plagued his team on both ends and was on full display in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 130-108 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday. The defeat dropped L.A. — one of the oddsmakers’ favorites to win
A source from the Philadelphia 76ers said that there is a list of about 30 NBA players who the team is willing to swap for Ben Simmons. Is the Ben Simmons trade happening soon? The short answer is no, but the long answer is that the impending deal is already taking shape. The Athletic’s Sam
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. We’re still months away from seeing an NBA MVP crowned for the 2021-22 season but individual campaigns have a way of codifying earlier, building momentum that sets the narrative
Kevin Durant has a matchup against the Warriors on Tuesday, his former team, and the Nets superstar’s activity on Twitter suggests a revenge game is coming. While with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant was nothing if not prolific. The superstar forward spent three seasons with the franchise, helping to lead them to two NBA
8:16 PM ET Jamal Collier MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the organization would “continue to fight for better” in the aftermath of a jury’s verdict Friday that Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two men and wounded another during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year, was acquitted of all charges. The Bucks performed
Though not known as a basketball fan, Taylor Swift has had a long-running relationship with the NBA that predates her recording career and continues today. On Friday, Taylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version), the second installment in her ongoing quest to re-record each of her first six albums. Red remains her best record as well
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 Boston Celtics dropped to 7-8 on Wednesday night after a 110-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Jayson Tatum poured in 34 points but it was the sixth time
Former Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce squashes a mortifying longtime NBA rumor in an exclusive interview with The Athletic. It’s the biggest scandal that ever rocked the NBA, and it stained Paul Pierce’s legacy. (And his pants). All jokes aside, it turns out that these jokes no longer fly anymore, as Pierce has finally spoken
1:57 PM ET The NBA has suspended New Orleans Pelicans guard Didi Louzada 25 games without pay for violating the NBA/NBPA’s anti-drug program. Louzada tested positive for drostanolone and testosterone. In a statement to ESPN, Louzada, 22, described the source of unknowingly ingesting the banned substances as an offseason trip back to his Brazilian home
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 Houston Rockets are not good. Like, really, really not good. Their record currently stats at 1-14 and they’ve been outscored by an average of 10.7 points per 100
7:40 AM ET Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books Andrew Lopez In a sobering statement about the New Orleans Pelicans‘ season, the team has announced more delays to Zion Williamson‘s return from a broken foot than it has victories this
As his own NBA career takes off on the league-leading Golden State Warriors, Gary Payton II found a nickname he likes that’s an homage to his HOF father. With a name like Gary Payton II, it’s hard not being compared to Dad — especially when the elder Gary Payton is a Hall of Fame point
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. I’m not sure calling it ‘improbable’ even does justice to the Washington Wizards’ start. After Monday night’s win 105-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, they are 10-3 with
12:06 AM ET CLEVELAND — The Golden State Warriors have gotten so used to seeing star guard Stephen Curry dominate on so many levels that nothing he does surprises them anymore. The latest example came during Thursday night’s 104-89 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers — one in which Curry scored 20 of his 40 points
Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez mocks the Staples Center rename and the city of Boston in one fell swoop with hilarious tweet about Crypto.com Arena. The Staples Center is iconic, which is why renaming the beloved Los Angeles event space has sent shockwaves through the sports world. Clearly, “Crypto.com Arena” doesn’t have the same ring
8:48 AM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 Ramona Shelburne Close ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer for ESPN.com Spent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily News NBA general managers are working to finalize the formation of a professional association that would collectively support executives
NBA and NFL athletes used their platform to pressure Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt to commute the sentence of Julius Jones hours before his execution. Athlete activism has seen an uptick in recent years, with countless athletes sharing their perspectives directly with fans. Professional athletes possess unparalleled platforms, as heroes to millions of adoring sports fans
7:33 AM ET Bobby Marks The NBA season is a month old, and already we’re seeing the impact of the biggest moves of the offseason. After a run to the NBA Finals, Chris Paul re-signed in Phoenix and has the Suns near the top of the West again. Kyle Lowry went from Toronto to Miami
The Staples Center, which is the famous home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, will now be renamed in a landmark multi-year naming rights deal. The Staples Center. It’s where the Lakers, Clippers, Sparks and Kings host opponents in key matchups. The name, just as the building itself, is the home of indoor sporting
12:30 AM ET MILWAUKEE — After the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks 109-102 to fall to 8-8 this season, LeBron James opened the door to making his return from an abdominal strain on Friday in Boston. “I hope,” James told ESPN on Wednesday when asked if he would play against
Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade spoke with Stephen A. Smith about how watching the Warriors play makes him appreciate Draymond Green more. The Warriors are taking over the NBA, and they’re finally getting the attention they deserve for their league-best 12-2 record. Steph Curry is the leading MVP candidate. Steve Kerr is taking the