7:45 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN FRAN FRASCHILLA ARRIVED arrived at the 2008 Paul Pierce skill development camp at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, waiting to be impressed. “We had about 25 kids there,” said Fraschilla, the ESPN analyst and former college basketball coach, “and I don’t want to look at the list
admin
With the NBA Draft less than nine days away, things in the NBA are starting to heat up as NBA teams zero in on trade scenarios and the players they will ultimately have a real shot at drafting. There is a very important disclaimer/concept worth re-stating. Rumors, like the ones we’ll dig into in a
9:16 AM ET TORONTO — Warriors star forward Kevin Durant suffered a right Achilles tendon injury in Golden State’s 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Durant will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury,
Klay and Steph power the Warriors back and more highlights from Monday by Kareem Gantt Kevin Durant’s injury, the Splash Brothers keep the Warriors alive for another game vs. Kawhi and the Raptors, Justin Bieber challenges Tom Cruise to a fight and it’s time to make a run for the border. Who takes the blame
2:10 AM ET TORONTO — Bill Russell was in the hallway. The trophy was polished. The stage was ready to roll out. The cameramen had plastic over their gear. The champagne was on ice. The team doctors’ faces were ashen. The general manager was sobbing. The heroes, the guys who hit the big shots and
TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 10: Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate their teams 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game Five of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on June 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
The second round of the NBA Draft is always an exercise in annual insanity as players are stashed, traded and dumped, giving onlookers surprise selections around every corner. Understandably, the build-up to the draft tends to focus sharply on the lottery and those expected to make a major difference from their very first professional games.
10:20 PM ET After missing the past nine games with a strained right calf, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant returned to action, starting Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, Durant’s return was cut short when he reinjured his calf early in the second quarter. The Warriors led Toronto 39-34 with 9 minutes, 46
Welcome! To bring you the best content on our sites and applications, Meredith partners with third party advertisers to serve digital ads, including personalized digital ads. Those advertisers use tracking technologies to collect information about your activity on our sites and applications and across the Internet and your other apps and devices. You always have
Tony Parker, who’s been one of the top point guards in the NBA for the majority of the past 18 seasons, has announced his retirement. Tony Parker can now claim his spot on the Spurs Retirement Club. After 18 seasons, the future Hall of Fame point guard announced via The Undefeated he was retiring. “I’m going
2:52 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Dwyane Wade of the Heat has been selected as this season’s winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented by the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Wade, who just completed his final season before retirement, was chosen as “the player who best combines excellence on the basketball court with cooperation
6:00 AM ET The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring former UConn and WNBA star Swin Cash to a senior front office position, league sources told ESPN. The team will name Cash vice president of basketball operations and team development, sources say. She will scout, help guide player development on and off the floor, and assume
Drake has taken his troll game to the next level, with a Home Alone-themed sweatshirt, taking a shot at Kevin Duant. The 2019 NBA Finals has been a blast to watch thanks to the epic trolling from Drake. The rap superstar has seemingly put his career on pause and has devoted all of his time
TORONTO, ON – JUNE 1: Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors during practice and media availability as part of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 01, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to
7:55 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — It can happen so suddenly — the end of a season, a dynasty, an arena. Few people in and around the NBA had internalized the idea — swirled it around in their brains, digested it, felt it — that the Toronto Raptors, the NBA’s accidental pseudo-contender who catapulted themselves
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
3:48 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — It’s been an eventful 24 hours for Raptors guard Fred VanVleet. In the wake of getting his head cut open and his tooth chipped following an inadvertent elbow from Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, VanVleet made multiple doctor visits to
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 7: The Toronto Raptors huddle during Game Four of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 7, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of
8:15 AM ET NBA Insiders Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Get ready for the 2019 NBA draft with scouting videos from ESPN’s experts on the top prospects, including Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett and more. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the players available in the lottery? Who has star potential?
The Warriors had Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney back in the lineup but the Raptors didn’t miss a beat. Toronto’s 13-point Game 4 win pushes Golden State to the brink of elimination. The Raptors won Game 3, the game they were supposed to win. They were on the road but the Warriors were without Kevon
The second round of the NBA Draft is always an exercise in annual insanity as players are stashed, traded and dumped, giving onlookers surprise selections around every corner. Understandably, the build-up to the draft tends to focus sharply on the lottery and those expected to make a major difference from their very first professional games.
12:03 PM ET The Houston Rockets and Mike D’Antoni have rekindled discussions about a contract extension for the head coach and are close to nearing an agreement, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has agreed to eliminate the buyout language that was the primary reason that D’Antoni and his agent, Warren LeGarie,
Isaiah Thomas, who retired earlier this month after 13 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, bursts through a Toronto Raptors logo at a press conference 24 May 1994 where it announced that he will be vice-president of basketball operations for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) expansion franchise in Toronto. (Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI / AFP) (Photo
1:59 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Dirk Nowitzki eventually plans on working out again. The recently retired star of the Dallas Mavericks wants to stay in somewhat decent shape. The big German hasn’t put a timeline on it — he’s assuming several more rounds of pizza and ice cream will come first. Nowitzki
Coming into college, Romeo Langford was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked shooting guard in the country. At New Albany High School in his hometown, the Indiana native decided to play all four years there instead of choosing the prep school route. Langford’s natural ability to score the ball and make plays for others garnered
We already know the Golden State Warriors will be the Western Conference representative in the NBA Finals. In the East, though, the right to advance is still up for grabs. With Milwaukee and Toronto having won two games apiece, turning this into a best-of-three set over the weekend, now is as good a time as
If you thought the Greek Freak was motivated before, then get excited and afraid of what comes next for the MVP candidate. Giannis Antetokounmpo had such a fantastic season that it’s hard to imagine his ceiling is anywhere higher than this, but based on his words you can tell that there is more improvement to come.
3:32 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors were down 15 late in the fourth quarter, and the sounds from the Oracle crowd were edging from disbelief to silence. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala were bent at the waist, gassed, clutching their shorts for ballast. Steve Kerr sat on the bench,
Never count out the Golden State Warriors. Raptors fans learned this lesson the hard way, both in person and on NBA Twitter. The Golden State Warriors showed the world why they’re the two-time defending champions. After a slew of injuries, and having the pressure of playing in front of former President Barack Obama and a
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors after a game against the Golden State Warriors during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is