6:26 PM ET The NBA has reached a 95% vaccination threshold of its players, reflecting a steady rise since the opening of training camps this week, league sources told ESPN on Thursday. That uptick — which includes players who’ve minimally received one vaccination shot, sources said — comes as unvaccinated players prepare for losses of
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Collin Sexton has already proven he can put up big numbers in the NBA. Now it’s time to prove he can use those numbers to help the Cleveland Cavaliers win. Is Collin Sexton good at basketball? The answer has to be yes, right? This is a man who is not only in the NBA, but
Jarrett Allen has done everything you could ask from a young, athletic big man. But his place with the Cleveland Cavaliers still doesn’t feel secure. Jarrett Allen joined the Brooklyn Nets in the years when the team was still reeling from giving up all their first-round picks to the Boston Celtics in a 2013 trade.
After quieting critics by guiding his Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals, what does Trae Young have in store for an encore? Trae Young might be the NBA’s next great villain. Like any good wrestling heel, Young seems to revel in infuriating fans. After hitting a game-winning floater in Game 2 of the Atlanta
7:36 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Nineteen seasons into his NBA career and with a slew of accomplishments to show for his tenure, Carmelo Anthony‘s résumé would suggest an automatic featured role for this season’s Los Angeles Lakers. However, Anthony, 37, is open to whatever his new team asks of him as he continues
Already a generational scoring talent, Zion Williamson may only be scratching the surface of his potential as a player. Even in an era when young stars take less time than ever to ascend, Zion Williamson’s rise is exceptional. With fewer than 100 NBA games under his belt, the 21-year-old has already established himself as one
3:40 PM ET Tim Bontemps Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books The Philadelphia 76ers did not pay Ben Simmons the $8.25 million — 25% of his contract — that he was owed Friday and placed that money into an escrow
LaMelo Ball has endless talent, creativity and imagination. What can he do for the Charlotte Hornets now that he has experience too? In a May contest against the moribund Pistons, LaMelo Ball did one of the coolest things anyone has done on the basketball court in a long time. Detroit turned the ball over and
How can we measure Luka Doncic’s greatness against expectations when he just keeps smashing them each season? Much of an NBA player’s reputation rests on what is expected of them, and whether or not they meet those expectations. If fans assume a player will offer very little and they then display consistent competence, it may
8:12 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said Thursday that he does not feel like it’s his place to push the COVID-19 vaccine on teammate Andrew Wiggins. Speaking for the first time since training camp began, Green made it clear that even as a leader of the Warriors, he is
12:25 AM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — As exhausted as LeBron James appeared after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ second day of training camp — plopped down on a chair in the interview room, sneakers unlaced and sweat dripping from his forehead — the Lakers star explained Thursday that it actually was a sign of fire
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid had a fiery response to recent Ben Simmons reports. With the ongoing saga between the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons, All-Star center Joel Embiid has remained relatively quiet. He made his first public comments on Monday during the teams media day. Majority of what Embiid said then was just him
6:29 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid called the situation with his disgruntled co-star Ben Simmons “disappointing” and “borderline kind of disrespectful” to the rest of the team. The comments came following a report by The Athletic that Simmons feels his partnership with Embiid has “run its course.” Simmons has yet to report to
Despite what many perceived to be a tumultuous rivalry between Rajon Rondo and LeBron James during the first half of the 2010s, the two have grown to be extremely fond of one another. Of course, that bond was molded through the fire, especially when they, alongside Anthony Davis, played pivotal roles in leading the Los
De’Andre Hunter will be crucial to the short- and long-term success of the Atlanta Hawks, provided he stays healthy enough to remain on the court. Most NBA teams fall into one of two categories: those aggressively pursuing as many wins as possible and those stockpiling talent with the hope of eventually competing for a championship.
John Collins has become one of the best offensive big men in the NBA. Is that enough to help take the Hawks to the next level? It would be unavailing to try and categorize John Collins within the broader positional category of big men. While he certainly possesses conventional qualities of both power forwards and
7:52 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Instant replay of out-of-bounds violations in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime of NBA games this season will be initiated by a coach’s challenge rather than by referees. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the change Wednesday on a one-year trial basis. Under the previous
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images) 5 bold predictions for Browns against Vikings by John Buhler No feelings were spared in a harsh post from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar concerning anti-vax players in the NBA. Los Angeles Lakers great and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had some stern words for NBA players who
Bradley Beal revealed that he’s unvaccinated for “personal reasons” during the Washington Wizards’ Media Day on Monday. Bradley Beal joins a list of NBA players who are unvaccinated heading into the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. During the Washington Wizards‘ 2021 Media Day on Monday, Beal said that he isn’t vaccinated due to “personal
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 13: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on April 13, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the
1:06 AM ET METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and team officials revealed the teams’ long-term succession plans in detail for the first time on Wednesday, telling The Times-Picayune and WVUE-TV that they would be sold with the goal of keeping the teams in New Orleans and distributing the proceeds
Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Is Richard Sherman the answer to the Buccaneers defensive struggles? by Jaleel Grandberry Russell Westbrook is entering his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers and wanted nothing to do with the Los Angeles Clippers during the offseason. There’s only one team that plays
6:49 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Following their first official practice together as teammates, Russell Westbrook dubbed Anthony Davis as “the ultimate weapon” and vowed to maximize the big man’s impact for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. “He’s one of a kind,” Westbrook said of Davis on Wednesday. “There’s nobody like him who
Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images The Lakers made a lot of smart moves this offseason, but these three mistakes could cost LeBron James and Anthony Davis a shot at another NBA title. The presence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers‘ roster gives Los Angeles a legitimate chance to win an NBA title
After cashing in this summer, can Gary Trent Jr. cement himself as a fixture of the Toronto Raptors’ post-Kyle Lowry era? Gary Trent Jr. is waltzing into a golden opportunity in 2021-22. With Kyle Lowry now in Miami, the Toronto Raptors will be reinventing themselves. Fred VanVleet figures to take over as their full-time point
How can OG Anunoby take the next step as an offensive threat, without sacrificing the defensive intensity that’s made him so essential to the Toronto Raptors? As he enters his fifth season, OG Anunoby is trying to become something that may or may not actually exist. The idea of a two-way wing holds an outsized
11:39 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN Players who are forced to miss games due to the executive orders governing vaccination requirements in both New York and San Francisco will not be paid for any games they miss. “Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he
Lonzo Ball hasn’t ascended to stardom, but the 24-year-old is one of the smartest players in the NBA and only getting better. Lonzo Ball is not a star, and each facet of his game is grounded in that fact. Where many NBA players stretch themselves beyond their limits, Ball seems to work under no delusions
7:17 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson is starting to look more like his old basketball self amid his rehabilitation from a torn right Achilles injury. Participating in his first official team practice since suffering the injury in an offseason workout Nov. 18, 2020, Thompson knocked down shots from all
Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) College football conference power rankings: ACC’s golden goose is cooked by Nick Villano 5 best fantasy football matchups to exploit for Week 4 by Frankie Licausi During Warriors’ media day, Klay Thompson hilariously photobombed Steph Curry. As stated by Golden State Warriors general