12:49 AM ET NEW YORK — James Harden was in his bag Friday night, dribbling, creating space, draining 3’s and letting everyone know that he was starting to feel more like himself as he yelled out during a timeout while clenching his fists and flexing his arms. Harden also was finally back at a place
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What makes Kings rookie Davion Mitchell one of the NBA’s best on-ball defenders, and why the Warriors’ offense looks better than it did a year ago. There’s no hotter fire for a rookie guard to be thrown into than what Davion Mitchell faced in the first four games of his NBA career. In his first
Washington Wizards small forward Kyle Kuzma voices his approval of the NBA’s new restrictive rules on foul drawing, citing how much it’s changed the game. Ballers who have mastered the art of the flop won’t be able to show their artistry in the 2021-22 season. That’s because the NBA has finally implemented new rules to
2:39 PM ET Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams will undergo surgery to repair a dislocated left wrist and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, sources told ESPN. Williams tumbled out of the air on a flagrant foul by New York’s Mitchell Robinson on Thursday night, landing on his left wrist and
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 the NBA season ended today, Miles Bridges would win Most Improved Player by an enormous margin. And honestly, you could make an argument that he’d belong in the
7:03 PM ET Bob Ferry, who guided the Washington Bullets to their only title in 1978 as part of a prolific 17-year run as general manager, died Wednesday at age 84. Ferry ran the Bullets from 1973 to 1990, and the team made the playoffs 13 times in that 17-year span, including three Finals appearances.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images 5 bold predictions for Dolphins against Bills by Russell S. Baxter It has been a slow start to the season for Brooklyn Nets star James Harden and he made it clear conditioning has had a negative impact on him. What is going on with the Brooklyn Nets? Loaded with so
Drake during a Raptors vs. Warriors NBA Finals game. (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports) Bears CB Jaylon Johnson exposes team for ludicrous fine by Aryanna Prasad Braves pepper Julio Urias like never before with insane power display by Alicia de Artola Toronto Raptors superfan and brand ambassador Drake got into a war or words with Washington
11:51 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Trae Young paused in the middle of his postgame comments, perhaps wondering if he was going too far — or sensing that he already had. “I don’t want to get fined too much, but it’s frustrating,” the Atlanta star said. There’s no telling how the league will receive
Russell Westbrook continues to make history while on the hardwood, as he joined a new elite club on Wednesday night. For Los Angeles Lakers playmaker Russell Westbrook, the man really is a one of a kind player. In his first year with the Lakers, hoping to bring home his first NBA Finals rings, Westbrook has
Portland Trail Blazer point guard Damian Lillard makes a throwback Millennial reference by suggesting an Instagram tweak inspired by MySpace. Generation Z kids remember the days before TikTok and Instagram, but before there was Twitter or even Facebook, there was the predecessor for all major social media: MySpace. At least, that’s the case for Millennials,
5:08 PM ET HOUSTON — The NAACP sent a letter to the players’ associations in five professional sports Thursday asking players to reconsider signing with teams in Texas due to recent laws passed in the state. In a two-page letter signed by NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson that was sent to the MLB, NBA,
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Russell Westbrook joins historic list with 7000th career rebound by Braulio Perez The Chicago Bulls have gotten off to an incredibly fast start but that doesn’t mean their roster is set. Reports are they’re open to trading Coby White. KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago said in an interview with Hoops
Rookie extension talks for Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton have reached a conclusion without a deal on the books, making Ayton’s future in AZ uncertain. It seems as if everyone from the 2018 NBA Draft class got the payday they deserved. Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr. and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all got the contract extensions
12:31 AM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden said he is regaining his confidence but that his offensive game is limited right now as he makes his way back from an offseason spent rehabbing his hamstring injury. Harden’s slow start to the season continued Wednesday night when he finished with 14 points,
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. No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham has yet to take the floor for the Detroit Pistons but this season’s rookie class is already off to a very inspiring start. Six
Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports TBS deserves an Emmy for Dodgers funeral scene in Game 4 by Braulio Perez The Ben Simmons saga wages on in Philadelphia and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey says it might be a while before he will be traded. Despite not playing a minute
Daryl Morey has built winning teams wherever he’s gone, but his refusal to trade Ben Simmons may hurt the Sixers in the short and long term. When Daryl Morey arrived in Philadelphia as the Sixers’ new president of basketball operations last summer, things did not look promising for the team. They had just been swept
1:31 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook said, “It’s my fault, it’s on me,” when asked about his double-digit turnovers in the Lakers‘ 123-115 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday. But he stood by his actions that led him to be ejected in the final seconds, marring his return to OKC. “How I play
Brooklyn Nets small forward Kevin Durant chatted with Insecure’s Issa Rae about the hit HBO show’s final season for The ETCs Podcast. Kevin Durant is a maverick. No, not the kind from Dallas — Durant is still with the Brooklyn Nets — but the 33-year-old baller has turned his incredible NBA career into so much
5:28 PM ET After medical testing Wednesday, there was no structural damage found in Denver Nuggets center and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic‘s knee, a source confirmed to ESPN. Jokic suffered a right knee contusion late in the second quarter Tuesday night against the Jazz and was held out of the remainder of the 122-110
The fans at Madison Square Garden didn’t hold back in going after the 76ers and Ben Simmons during the Knicks win. Those passionate New York Knicks fans never stop, do they? Whenever they have a chance to let loose on the opposition, they sure take advantage. Such was the case on Tuesday night in the
Oct 14, 2021; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) runs down the court against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports 49ers fan goes viral, dressed for football weather (Photo) by Cody Williams Colts offense getting more help from refs than Carson
Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images ESPN reveals College GameDay Week 9 location by Ethan Lee As the Oklahoma City Thunder lost their third straight game, one Thunder fan walked out of Paycom Center with $20K in a halfcourt heave contest. The halfcourt heave contest is like a carnival game for NBA fans: there’s a tantalizing
12:10 PM ET Jamal Collier Chicago Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine underwent an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed a left thumb injury that he plans to play through, sources told ESPN. The injury is in his non-shooting hand and had been bothering him entering the Bulls’ 111-108 victory against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. The
SAN ANTONIO, TX – OCTOBER 26: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers holds his shoulder after battling for a rebound in the first half at AT&T Center on October 26, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User
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 2021-22 NBA season is exactly two days old, 26 teams have already played their first game and we’ve already seen a slew of monster performances. Between Tuesday and
7:06 PM ET SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James will not play in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ game against the Spurs on Tuesday because of a sore right ankle, the team announced. Lakers coach Frank Vogel, when asked about James’ injury, said the team is taking “a marathon approach” with him. Malik Monk will start in
Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson hilariously reflected on his Little League days playing opposite Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love. Long before Klay Thompson and Kevin Love battled in the NBA for championship rings, they went to bat against each other in the 1990s. Back then, Thompson and Love played in the same league,
9:29 PM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Draymond Green is going to celebrate another one of Stephen Curry‘s historical feats with an expensive bottle of wine — and for the second year in a row he’s going to put it on Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s tab. In honor of Curry making the NBA’s 75th anniversary team,