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. Considering the unresolved messiness of the Ben Simmons situation, the Philadelphia 76ers have to feel very optimistic about their start to the season. They are currently 5-2, with wins
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Ben Simmons has been excused for mental health-related reasons, but the team is now fining him if he does not cooperate with team doctors. The Ben Simmons saga rages on in Philadelphia, as the 76ers have once again begun to fine the once-successful 76er. According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers fined the All-Star
1:29 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey is under an independent investigation commissioned by the team into allegations of workplace misconduct, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. In a statement, the team acknowledged an investigation but did not name Olshey, saying the Blazers were “recently notified of concerns around
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle and Milwaukee Bucks center Bobby Portis. (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports) UFC 268: Who is Bruno Souza? by Steven Irvine NBA Twitter couldn’t believe the Bucks collapse and the Knicks turnaround as New York erased a 21-point lead to blow out Milwaukee. Fiserv Forum definitely hasn’t been home, sweet home
2:38 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors are quickly becoming the talk of the NBA after starting the season 7-1 and looking like the dominant two-way force that they proved to be during their championship reign. After a 126-85 demolition over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, star guard Stephen Curry
The Los Angeles Lakers face a difficult hurdle early in the 2021-22 NBA season as LeBron James remains sidelined with an abdominal strain. LeBron James has already had an up-and-down start to the 2021-22 season, as has his Lakers team. After an embarrassing loss to the 1-6 Oklahoma City Thunder the last time they played on
8:19 PM ET DETROIT — Mayor-elect Eric Adams said Friday night that New York City will not change its COVID-19 vaccination mandate that currently prevents Kyrie Irving from playing in games there. Adams, who won the city’s mayoral election Tuesday, put the onus on the NBA and Irving to find a resolution. The current mandate
Trae Young and the Hawks were bored on Thursday night, so they went out and lost a regular season game to the Utah Jazz. The Hawks had a chance to prove a point early in the season against the Utah Jazz, who finished last season with the best record in the Western Conference. Rather than
12:36 PM ET The Philadelphia 76ers fined All-Star guard Ben Simmons his $360,000 game salary for missing Thursday night’s victory over the Detroit Pistons and plan to continue fining him until he cooperates with team physicians on his mental health and fulfills other basketball-related obligations, sources told ESPN on Friday. The Sixers will again place
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 Lakers’ bumpy start to the season got a bit bumpier on Thursday afternoon with the news that LeBron James would be out of the lineup with an abdominal
3:29 AM ET LOS ANGELES — If the Lakers had managed to protect two massive leads against the Oklahoma City Thunder — up 26 on the road last week and up 19 at Staples Center on Thursday night — they would be sitting pretty with a 7-2 record and OKC would be winless at 0-8.
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. Before the season began, Bryan Toporek posited that this might be the season where the NBA Eastern Conference finally caught up with the West. A variety of roster upgrades
10:07 PM ET PHOENIX — Saying there are two sides to the story, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams will wait for the NBA’s investigation into team owner Robert Sarver’s conduct before taking any action. ESPN published a lengthy story Thursday, based on dozens of interviews, that detailed multiple incidents of misogyny and racism during Sarver’s
James Harden hasn’t been himself to start the new season, but how concerned should the Nets be about their star’s struggles? When the Nets acquired James Harden last season, they hit the ground running. Integrating the ball-dominant Harden into an offense that already featured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving required virtually no time at all
Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo shared his experience of attending a Harry Styles concert in Milwaukee on Nov. 3. What do NBA players do with their days off? Rest up, relax, and maybe go to a Harry Styles concert. That’s what Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo did on Tuesday, Nov. 2, his day off between
12:00 PM ET ON THE EVENING of Oct. 30, 2016, at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix, Earl Watson, in just his third game as the Suns’ head coach, faced a tall task: beat the powerhouse Golden State Warriors. The young Phoenix Suns team had been toiling at the bottom of the NBA’s standings
SESPN finally released its massive investigation into the Phoenix Suns and owner Robert Sarver. The allegations are shocking. Two weeks ago, the Phoenix Suns pre-emptively released statements, defending the organization and owner Robert Sarver from allegations that had yet to be made public. They were rumored to be coming in a massive piece 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 Miami Heat have looked absolutely dominant to start the season. Their only loss was an 11-point blip to the Indiana Pacers but their six wins include victories over
11:12 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Boston Celtics had a players-only meeting ahead of Wednesday’s 92-79 win in Orlando over the Magic, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The meeting came in the wake of Boston’s fourth-quarter meltdown Monday against the Chicago Bulls, as Boston went from being up 14 at the start of the fourth
Warriors, Gary Payton II (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) TCU football swinging for big names to replace Gary Patterson by Brad Berreman Gary Payton II basically put on the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped Kelly Oubre Jr. to dust as the Warriors guard dunked all over the Hornets reserve. When it comes to the Golden State
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 first few weeks of the NBA season are always dotted with breakout performers, players showing significant skill growth, or just taking advantage of new roles or opportunities. Over
Nov 1, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green (32) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzles guard Desmond Bane (22) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports NBA reportedly looking to start it’s own version of ManningCast by Scott Rogust Jeff Green of the Denver Nuggets
Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s vice president of referee development and training, said Tuesday afternoon that he’s pleased with the league’s progress toward eliminating foul calls on non-basketball moves. He added that his officials are still working to strike the right balance between not calling those non-basketball moves and missing some defensive fouls, and that the
BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 01: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics looks on during a game against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden on November 1, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
Russell Westbrook had a quadruple-double for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder but that isn’t a good thing. Under normal circumstances, an NBA star putting up a quadruple-double would be an awesome achievement. What Russell Westbrook did on Wednesday night against the Thunder proved that’s not always the case. The Lakers guard
LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers. (Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) Odell Beckham Jr.’s dad posts video blaming Baker Mayfield for son’s lack of production by Braulio Perez LeBron James is hoping Odell Beckham Jr. can be freed from the Cleveland Browns. LeBron James is well aware that Odell Beckham Jr.’s tenure has not gone
1:26 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen has joined teammate Kevin Love and entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The team said Markkanen will miss Wednesday’s game against Portland and his status will be updated “at the appropriate time.” The 7-foot Markkanen is in his first season with Cleveland after
Drafted in 2005, 35-year-old Atlanta Hawks shooter Lou Williams says that the 2021-22 NBA season may be his last before retirement. Lou Williams is more than a veteran of the NBA. In Williams’ own words, he is a “jarhead” of the league, putting in 16 seasons as a professional basketball player. And after a shocking
11:12 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul moved into No. 3 on the all-time assists list with his eighth against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. With 1:34 left in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Jae Crowder, Paul notched career assist No. 10,336 to push past Suns legend
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook terrified announcers on Halloween with a missed shot that’s reminiscent of his “Westbrick” nickname. Russell Westbrook hasn’t been himself since he’s been traded to the Lakers — or, maybe, he’s been more of himself, but in the worst way. Westbrook took a mid-range jump shot against Houston Rockets