10:33 AM ET ESPN and FiveThirtyEight Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of six pieces that shows how professional sports owners in America contribute to political campaigns, why they spend millions in the space and what that financial power means as athletes across sports continue to embrace activism of their own. American
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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 Timberwolves hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and with so much uncertainty at the top of draft boards, their decision-making holds the key to what
6:23 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Two years removed from coaching in the NBA, Stan Van Gundy was looking for a “great opportunity” before returning. He believes he’s found just that in the New Orleans Pelicans, a team equipped with what he called two of the more unique talents in the league in Zion Williamson and
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) Braves’ pitching staff is shutting out everybody in October by John Buhler LeBron James signified the importance of Game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals through text. LeBron James‘ Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from winning an NBA Championship. If the Lakers
2:35 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash has yet to coach an NBA game, and his star players — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — have yet to play a game together. But that didn’t stop him from embracing the team’s sky-high expectations during a virtual town hall with season-ticket holders Tuesday
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 25: Jimmy Butler smiles during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and SCO Angers at Parc des Princes on August 25, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images) Chase Claypool provides amazing gesture for Steelers fan in need by Braulio Perez Some enterprising creative in NBA Reddit
1:26 PM ET With the Los Angeles Lakers just coming off having won the NBA championship on Oct. 11, Danny Green doesn’t expect LeBron James and some of his other veteran teammates to be on the floor every night if the new season begins on Dec. 22. “If we start in December, I think most
The Los Angeles Lakers of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were one of the most successful and tumultuous teams in NBA history. In his new book, Jeff Pearlman tells their story. Perhaps no duo in NBA history is as infamous as that of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant who played eight seasons together from 1996
LeBron James, Danny Green, Los Angeles Lakers. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) Cowboys are already trying to trade Everson Griffen by John Buhler Danny Green could see LeBron James sitting out the first month of the 2020-21 NBA season Could LeBron James sit out the start of the next NBA season? Danny Green sure
Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images Shawn Kemp is the NBA’s newest cannabis entrepeuneur by Mike Luciano Both Gordon Hayward and Victor Oladipo are on the trade market. The Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics are both looking to shake things up after playoff exits last season, and Victor Oladipo’s inability to totally squash trade rumors has
Is Kevin Hart the reason Draymond Green can’t shoot? Kevin Hart taking on Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green in a 3-point shooting contest at All-Star Weekend a few years ago seemed like a harmless, if unusual, intermission between the 3-Point Shootout and the Dunk Contest. However, if one looks at the numbers, it
If you thought the beef between Shaq and Dwight Howard was over, you were wrong. A couple of weeks ago, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA championship in franchise history after defeating the Miami Heat in six games. While Anthony Davis got the majority of the attention for winning his first title, Dwight Howard
Derrick Rose (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) Aaron Rodgers has some thoughts about the idea he’d finish his career away from Packers by Josh Hill Derrick Rose might get traded to the Lakers this offseason After LeBron James helped a future Hall of Famer in Dwight Howard get his first ring as a member of
Jamal Murray brought some Michael Jordan flavor to the Nuggets series against the Lakers. The worst kind of NBA debates usually involve LeBron James and Michael Jordan. So let’s skip the whole LeBron-MJ comparison and just appreciate the Jordan impression Jamal Murray pulled off Thursday night. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Murray took
7:20 AM ET The 2020 NBA free-agent class won’t have the star power of last season — when nearly half the league became available — but plenty of big names are set to hit the market. Even more could be offered in trade talks. Will back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo sign a five-year extension with the
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 04: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is interviewed before Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges
7:43 PM ET Associated Press MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill said the importance of Wisconsin in the upcoming election caused him to fly back here this weekend to assist in a local voting drive. Hill, who lives in San Antonio, worked alongside about 50 volunteers from the Milwaukee-based organization Common Ground walking through
6:38 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Pat Riley is always looking for ways for the Miami Heat to improve. This offseason has him wondering if that might come from within. The Heat president on Friday said that the top offseason priority for the Eastern Conference champions “is to take care of the players that
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images BOXRAW: From a long shot clothing startup to a prominent boxing brand by Jeremy Herriges Amar’e Stoudemire and Steve Nash are together again on the Brooklyn Nets. No, this is not a sentence from 2014. Read it again: Amar’e Stoudemire and Steve Nash will be reunited on an NBA team
This year’s NBA coaching spree centered largely around superstar players. Here’s who will benefit most from all the turnover. Eight NBA teams had coaching openings this offseason, many of them among the best in the league. Despite looming questions about the 2020-21 season, many franchises proceeded with coaching changes and many spent big to nab
4:35 PM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books The NBA is pursuing a pre-Christmas Day start and a reduced regular-season schedule for the 2020-2021
2:19 PM ET ESPN Insiders The NBA season ended just under two weeks ago with uncertainty around when the 2020-21 season would begin. On Friday, ESPN reported that the league’s Board of Governors is discussing starting the season as soon as Christmas Day. The move would mean that the end of the 2019-20 season and
LeBron James is fresh off another championship but what do players in the generation after him think about his GOAT status? Keeping busy during a pandemic can be challenging especially for NBA players now that the “bubble” has come to and end with no clear idea when the 2020-21 season will start. Aaron Gordon and
7:20 AM ET Next season will reintroduce the eight teams that didn’t make the cut for the NBA’s restart this summer in Orlando, Florida. For the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, the tipoff to the 2020-21 season will be their first
Oct 21, 2020 Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — New Indiana Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren went right to work Wednesday. Less than 24 hours after accepting the job, the 45-year-old former Toronto Raptors assistant started explaining his plan. He expects the Pacers to move the ball and take more 3-pointers. He wants the defense to be more
Lauri Markkanen struggled this season but has shown glimpses of his vast potential in the past. Can he really be the Bulls‘ offensive centerpiece? After taking the NBA by storm during his first two seasons, many expected Lauri Markkanen to ascend into an All-Star caliber player this year. Unfortunately, the Finnish forward regressed and posted
Can a defensively struggling superstar lead an NBA franchise to playoff success? The Atlanta Hawks may find themselves betting on it. Is a stout defense necessary for a team to succeed in today’s NBA? Or can a gargantuan offense prove enough to skirt the obligation of defending, even to the point where the typical blood-sweat-pain
5:18 PM ET Five weeks after the LA Clippers suffered an embarrassing playoff collapse, Tyronn Lue addressed the team’s chemistry and leadership issues on his first official day as the franchise’s new head coach. Lue, who won a championship and went 128-83 in less than three full seasons as head coach in Cleveland, will try
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 12: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards speaks with Jordan McRae #52 during a break in play against the Utah Jazz at Capital One Arena on January 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is
1:38 PM ET The 2020 NBA draft on Nov. 18 will be held virtually and hosted from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut, the NBA and ESPN announced Thursday. Commissioner Adam Silver will be in studio at ESPN to announce the selections for the first round, and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum will be in studio to