Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs legend Robert Horry deserves recognition for his clutch plays, but he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. The Robert Horry debate has begun once again. In his Hall of Fame induction speech, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich went to bat for Horry as a Hall
admin
Draymond Green pleads his case that Stephen Curry should be NBA MVP by using Russell Westbrook as an example. Draymond Green believes his Golden State Warriors teammate Stephen Curry should be named NBA MVP this season, citing what Russell Westbrook did for the 2016-17 Oklahoma City Thunder as all the reason it should be him.
Juan Toscano-Anderson just signed a two-year deal with Golden State. The Oakland-native already considers himself a “Warrior for life.” In a sports world increasingly dominated by strict business decisions on the part of organizations and players, there’s something extra special about finding someone who bucks the trend. Juan Toscano-Anderson is one of those people. The
11:24 PM ET As the regular season comes to a close, each team has something to play for: seeding or draft picks. With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant
8:15 PM ET On Saturday, Kobe Bryant was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January, 2020, was presented by Michael Jordan before Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, made a moving speech honoring the former Laker. In addition to Bryant, who won five NBA titles
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2021 NBA Playoffs differently. With only two days’ worth of regular-season games left, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers are approaching the 2021 NBA Playoffs in a completely different manner. Philadelphia has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. New head coach
EVERETT, WASHINGTON – MAY 15: Breanna Stewart #30 of the Seattle Storm handles the ball against A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces during the second quarter at Angel of the Winds Arena on May 15, 2021 in Everett, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using
Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports Nikola Jokic has made it clear he should be the only choice for NBA MVP this season. The Denver Nuggets entered the season with dreams of winning a championship. Then Jamal Murray went down with a season-ending knee injury. That would have ended the dream for most teams. But
Denver Nuggets. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images) The Denver Nuggets aren’t the favorites to win the championship this year, but here’s why they could still strike gold. It’s the question of the year for Denver: What if Jamal Murray never got hurt? Before Murray’s ACL injury in April, the Denver Nuggets were poised to
6:08 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — As his Golden State Warriors prepare for Sunday’s all important regular-season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies, Warriors coach Steve Kerr wants his team to have a clear mindset about exactly how much is at stake. With a win, the Warriors will finish the regular season with a 39-33 record,
11:47 AM ET As the Los Angeles Lakers seek to win out and avoid the play-in tournament, LeBron James is set for his return Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, according to coach Frank Vogel. James has missed the past six games to continue to recover from a high ankle sprain, but he practiced Friday and
SANTA MONICA, CA – JUNE 25: (L-R) Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley speak onstage at the 2018 NBA Awards at Barkar Hangar on June 25, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports) Brian Snitker gives amazing injury update on Ronald Acuña by Mark Powell
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 23: Assistant coach Lindsay Gottlieb of the Cleveland Cavaliers listens while in the coaches huddle during a time-out during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 23, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this
Mavericks star Luka Doncic (Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) Trevor Bauer had strong words for the Dodgers’ struggles this season by Scott Rogust Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was ejected from Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he took a swipe at Collin Sexton’s groin area. Referees tossed Luka Doncic for a flagrant found on
11:42 PM ET With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant postseason implications. Play-in matchups after Thursday’s games Play-in games to be held Tuesday through Friday of next week •
Analyst Chris Webber won’t be involved in TNT’s coverage of the 2021 NBA Playoff, leaving the broadcasting team after 14 years. NBA playoff games broadcast on TNT this year will have a different sound to them. Chris Webber and TNT have agreed to part ways, according to The New York Post. The analyst was not
12:00 AM ET NBA Insiders The second edition of the NBA’s play-in tournament starts Tuesday and the final participants have narrowed. The teams that finish between seventh and 10th in the standings from each conference will qualify for the tourney to determine who will earn the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the playoffs.
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. All right, I changed my mind about the NBA play-in games. The last time I wrote about this topic, I confessed I wasn’t much of a fan of the
Brian Westerholt-USA TODAY Sports Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball deserves the Rookie of the Year Award despite his missed injury time because he’s been that good. The Rookie of the Year Award should go to LaMelo Ball, plain and simple. The Charlotte Hornets guard has been a revelation in Year 1. While there are others
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball got a technical in Tuesday’s game and it might be the least glamorous foul ever. Whenever Ball makes waves in the league, it’s usually hype for his Rookie of the Year performances. He’s been playing so well for Charlotte lately that it’s hard to believe he’s only 19. So when
9:15 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN It took almost five months for Udonis Haslem to play in a game for the Miami Heat this season — and he didn’t last very long. Haslem, who appeared in a game for an 18th straight season, played three minutes before getting ejected early in the second quarter of Thursday
The Brooklyn Nets recent struggles have made one thing clear: if they’re going to win a championship, they’re going to need a healthy James Harden leading the way. The Brooklyn Nets have not looked great recently. However, when James Harden first injured his hamstring in a March 31 game against the Rockets, the Nets were
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 01: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) Shohei Ohtani humiliates Jose Altuve with filthy slider (Video) by Mark Powell The Brooklyn Nets cannot afford an injury to Kyrie Irving. Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant have formed an excellent trifecta so far this
1:35 AM ET With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant postseason implications. Play-in matchups following Wednesday’s games Play-in games to be held May 18-21 • How the play-in tournament
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports The Milwaukee Bucks haven’t been the regular-season juggernaut they were the past two years. But there are still more than enough reasons they could finally win it all. The past two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks steamrolled the Eastern Conference — winning better than 70 percent of their games, holding down the
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 07: Dwight Howard #39 of the Philadelphia 76ers cheers before playing against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center on May 07, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
The Boston Celtics’ playoff chances took a massive hit on Monday, as Jaylen Brown is set to miss the remainder of the season. The Boston Celtics have four games remaining in the regular season to try and sneak into the playoffs and avoid the Eastern Conference play-in round. With the team two games behind the
Ex-Boston Celtics man Paul Pierce gives a not-so-subtle hint about his future career moves in an Instagram video of his weed lab. Paul Pierce went from Celtics green to…a different kind of green. Earlier this month, Paul Pierce was fired by ESPN after sharing inappropriate videos of himself partying, gambling, and wholly enjoying the company
3:10 PM ET ESPN News Services Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has reached a verbal agreement on a $1.5 billion sale of the team to former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and e-commerce mogul Marc Lore, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. NBA approval of the deal was still pending, and neither side has publicly announced
9:00 AM ET The NBA has created a new award in honor of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the league’s all-time leading scorer and a noted civil rights activist, that will recognize a player who best embodies his strive for social justice and racial equality, the league announced Thursday. The winner of the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice