6:22 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday that he would have “preferred” that the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association come to an agreement on a vaccine mandate, in part to avoid it becoming an “adversarial” issue for the league’s players, as it has for Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.
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Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports College football media reacts to Washington State firing Nick Rolovich for refusing COVID mandate by Cody Williams Seahawks rumors: Cam Newton not in play with Russell Wilson out by Aryanna Prasad Ben Simmons was at 76ers practice but was casually wearing sweatpants with his phone
3:35 PM ET Talks between the Phoenix Suns and Deandre Ayton on an extension to his rookie contract have ended without a deal, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday. Ayton expected a maximum contract and owner Robert Sarver hasn’t offered it yet for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick. Ayton, a key part of
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 08: Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 08, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and
8:00 AM ET It’s time for our dumbest NBA preseason tradition: League Pass Rankings! These rankings turn 10 today. I can’t believe I continue to trick publications into running them. These are not power rankings! They are watchability scores, derived from an ancient formula Bill Simmons claims appeared before him when he ingested too many
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 17: Brianna Turner #21 of the Phoenix Mercury is defended by Candace Parker #3 of the Chicago Sky during the first half of Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena on October 17, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading 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. Ben Simmons blinked first. After a summer of evolving trade demands and completely stonewalling direct contact from his teammates and the Philadelphia 76ers organization, after holding out of training
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Conor McGregor goes on racist rant aimed at Ali Abdelaziz, Dagestan by Amy Kaplan Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid took a playful jab at Andre Drummond, as the two have quite the past. Now that Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond are teammates for the Philadelphia 76ers, it really has sitcom
3:33 PM ET Phoenix Suns guard/forward Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $90 million rookie contract extension, his agents, Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports, told ESPN on Sunday. Bridges’ deal — averaging $22.5 million per season — is fully guaranteed, the agents said, and starts with the 2022-23 season. Goldfeder and
In her first season with the Chicago Sky, Candace Parker helped lead her team to a WNBA Finals victory and you could see how much it meant to her. Candace Parker is 1-for-1 in seasons played with the Chicago Sky and WNBA Finals victories. In the former No. 1 overall pick’s first year with the
1:58 PM ET Associated Press CAMDEN, N.J. — Ben Simmons practiced with the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time this season Sunday, though no decision was made on his status for the season opener. “He was just one of the players,” coach Doc Rivers said. Simmons was a holdout for training camp and the early
6:18 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Charlotte Hornets signed guard LiAngelo Ball to a non-guaranteed contract Thursday, paving the way for him to eventually sign with their G League team, a source confirmed to ESPN. Ball, who averaged 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 17.4 minutes across five games for the Hornets’ entry
ESPN broadcaster Stephen A. Smith criticizes Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving for refusing to comply with NBA vaccine requirements. Kyrie Irving has been refusing the COVID-19 vaccine due to unfounded concerns about its safety, and the Nets are no longer tolerating it. Neither is Stephen A. Smith. On Oct. 12, the team released a
5:15 PM ET ESPN News Services The Sacramento Kings are exercising the third-year option on guard Tyrese Haliburton, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday. Haliburton averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 58 games last season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team. He suffered a season-ending knee injury
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Brooklyn Nets will no longer be offering Kyrie Irving a $186 million extension. Kyrie Irving just might do enough off the court to take himself out of the game this season. When the Brooklyn Nets made it clear that they would abide by citywide precautions and mandate vaccinations
Entering his third season, how much of his game has New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson unveiled? With a full season officially under New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson’s belt, we got to see the dominance that made him a viral sensation in high school, executed at the NBA level. Playing with a poorly built roster,
4:45 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN THIBODAUX, La. — For roughly an hour, the New Orleans Pelicans mostly rode in silence as they traveled to Nicholls State University for an open practice. The drive from the practice facility in the suburb of Metairie out to the campus is among one of the hardest-hit areas of the
Oct 4, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) and Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) react during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports It didn’t take long for the Jon Gruden to USC rumors to heat up by Alicia de Artola
2:21 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry looks primed for another run at the third MVP award of his career. The 33-year-old guard scored 41 points during Friday’s 119-97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the final preseason game before Tuesday’s regular season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at
Western Conference teams have posted a winning record against Eastern Conference teams in 12 straight seasons. Will that change in 2021-22? Between the rise of small-ball and the proliferation of 3-point shooting, the NBA has undergone seismic changes over the past decade. Throughout it all, Western Conference teams have consistently dominated their Eastern Conference counterparts
10:58 AM ET After architecting the franchise’s first NBA championship in 50 years, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst has agreed to a long-term contract extension, he told ESPN on Friday. Horst had one year left on his contract, and his new deal — finalized Friday morning with his agent, Brian Elfus, and team officials
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images The Chicago Bulls made a big splash in free agency. If they want it to translate to playoff success, they’ll need to answer these questions. Few teams made more noise this offseason than the Chicago Bulls. They made a huge splash in free agency, adding both Lonzo Ball and DeMar
3:04 PM ET ESPN News Services Ben Simmons, who has cleared health and safety protocols and is eligible to rejoin the Philadelphia 76ers, will not play in Friday night’s preseason finale, the team announced. Simmons’ absence is listed by the team as “reconditioning” and he did not travel with the team to Detroit for 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. With the NBA season just days away we’re looking at a few NBA players who posted career-bests last season that might not be entirely replicable. I always root for
Going into his third season, the Ja Morant appears poised to make The Leap. Can he be the player the Grizzlies have never had? On May 14, 2019, I spent the majority of my day thinking about a 6.6 percent chance. The NBA Draft Lottery was that night, and those were the odds that the
2:33 PM ET The Boston Celtics have suspended Marcus Smart for Friday’s final preseason game against the Miami Heat, with a source telling ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the guard was punished for missing the team flight. Smart, who has since joined the team on the trip, declined to address his suspension with reporters Thursday, saying
This week, The Long Two breaks down how much the Brooklyn Nets will miss Kyrie Irving on the court and how good the Raptors’ young core has looked. If Kyrie Irving were as intelligent as he fancies himself, he might have avoided getting into this mess altogether. Instead, he has chosen to put both his
Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) Yankees vs. Red Sox MLB live stream reddit: Watch AL Wild Card Game by Jordanna Clark 2021 PFL Championships: Raush Manfio reflects on gauntlet on the path to the lightweight finals by Curtis Calhoun Pau Gasol announced his retirement from professional basketball and the Los
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 preseason is the preseason for a reason. The games don’t count in the standings, both teams are testing lineups and systems, slowly working their stars into game shape
11:48 PM ET Kevin Durant said he wishes “none of this stuff would happen” but he isn’t upset that Kyrie Irving is not with the Brooklyn Nets. Durant said he has not spoken to Irving since the Nets decided on Tuesday that their starting point guard will not practice or play with the team until