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Kanye West dropped a reference to the No. 24 jersey in his lyrics, rapping on Jay-Z and T.I.’s “Swagga Like Us,” “Tryin’ to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan.” From the moment he came into the league, Bryant paid homage to the greats who came before him. Now it’s current NBA players who pay

2:32 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery to treat renal cell carcinoma of his left kidney Monday, the team announced. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jason Sprunger at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, and the team said no further treatment is

7:05 AM ET This story was originally published on Feb. 24, 2020. Jan. 26 is the one-year anniversary of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others. THE WEARY GROUP trudged across the tarmac and onto the team plane at Philadelphia International Airport. Awaiting the Los Angeles Lakers at the

5:33 PM ET The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are discussing the possibility of still holding an All-Star Game in early March — possibly in Atlanta, sources tell ESPN. The traditional All-Star Weekend — originally set for Indianapolis in February — was canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but sources tell ESPN there

And they’re not alone; the top three teams in the conference are rolling right now, as the Clippers’ win streak hit seven after Sunday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The defending-champion Lakers, meanwhile, have won eight of their past 10. Check out which other teams are cruising into Week 6, and which teams are

6:57 AM ET Kobe Bryant liked to tell people he didn’t have time for friends. Not in the conventional way most people have friends in which they talk regularly or grab a meal when they’re in the same part of town. Ever on brand, Bryant even trademarked the slogan, “Friends hang sometimes, Banners hang forever.”

10:54 PM ET ESPN News Services SAN ANTONIO — Russell Westbrook had nine points, eight rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes in his first game in more than two weeks due to a left quadriceps injury. His return came in the Washington Wizards‘ 121-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night. The

11:41 AM ET Associated Press MIAMI — The Miami Heat are bringing back some fans, with help from some dogs. The Heat will use coronavirus-sniffing dogs at AmericanAirlines Arena to screen fans who want to attend their games. They’ve been working on the plan for months, and the highly trained dogs have been in place

2:56 AM ET Three-hundred and sixty-three days following Kobe Bryant’s death and 104 days after winning the championship in his honor, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ co-captains, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, reflected on the time that’s passed since the world lost Bryant. “Man, it’s a saying that time heals all,” James said after a win

10:24 PM ET Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry passed Hall of Famer Reggie Miller for the second-most made 3-pointers in NBA history after making his 2,561st career 3-pointer early in the second-half against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Curry entered the fourth quarter of the game 411 made 3-pointers behind Hall of Famer

7:00 AM ET STEPHEN CURRY KNOWS exactly how far he has left to go. Now that he’s on the verge of passing Reggie Miller for second place on the NBA’s career 3-pointer list — he’s nine away from passing the Pacers great — Curry needs just 422 more to eclipse Ray Allen to become the

12:45 AM ET After a 125-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday night, the Brooklyn Nets leave their road trip to Cleveland 0-2 and have a slew of defensive breakdowns to review in their next film session. “This was two humbling losses,” Kyrie Irving said after Friday’s game. Scoring wasn’t an issue for the Nets,

3:48 PM ET The NBA has rescinded Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green‘s second technical foul from Thursday night’s loss to the New York Knicks, a league source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. The quick reversal does not come as a surprise given that Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game that Ben Taylor,

7:00 AM ET Jorge Sedano DURING A STORIED 14-year NBA career, Tony Allen was named to six All-Defensive teams and earned the nickname “The Grindfather” for his abilities as one of the league’s most hard-nosed perimeter defenders. But on Feb. 22, 2005, he was a 24-year-old rookie guard staring at one unenviable task: Shut down

11:54 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from Thursday night’s game against the New York Knicks after appearing to yell at rookie teammate James Wiseman. Green, who picked up his first technical of the game with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the first quarter after arguing too

10:56 PM ET The Houston Rockets are acquiring Cleveland Cavaliers wing Kevin Porter Jr. for a future protected second-round pick, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Cleveland was looking to trade Porter following an incident last week that involved a screaming match with team officials, sources confirmed to ESPN. Porter hasn’t played for Cleveland this

2:33 PM ET Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is nearing a return and listed as questionable to play Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Porter has been cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols and returned to the team, a league source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said that Porter

12:07 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN After Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid wore out a path to the free throw line in a 117-109 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, Celtics guard Marcus Smart expressed his displeasure with the way the game was officiated. Embiid made and took more free throws than the Celtics

6:13 PM ET Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving was in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden. Irving practiced with the team on Tuesday. He had missed the Nets’ last seven games — five for personal reasons and two while conditioning. During the time away for

1:48 PM ET NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday the league has discussed having players receive COVID-19 vaccines to educate and influence the public regarding its safety and effectiveness. “There have been discussions. It’s something we’re particularly focused on,” Silver said at a virtual conference hosted by Sportico. “In the African American community, there’s been

6:28 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic had surgery on his fractured right wrist and will be reevaluated in six weeks, the team announced Tuesday. Nurkic was injured in last Thursday’s 111-87 loss to the visiting Indiana Pacers. He could be seen holding his wrist after swiping at the ball in the third

4:17 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN New Indiana Pacers wing Caris LeVert roamed the practice facility sidelines Tuesday for the first time as a member of the squad — and after an MRI recently revealed a small mass on his left kidney. Though LeVert is out indefinitely, the 26-year-old sees the situation as something bigger than

2:08 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, saying he took a leave of absence in part because he “just needed a pause.” Irving practiced with the team and could play Wednesday in Cleveland. He has missed the past seven games, five while away from the team

1:33 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Under normal circumstances, some kid and his family would have left the Barclays Center on Martin Luther King Day with a story for the ages. For starters, there was no school for the holiday as three former MVPs, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Kevin Durant, went toe to toe in

7:18 PM ET Despite reeling with six remaining healthy players, the Washington Wizards are hopeful they can resume practicing as soon as Wednesday — nine days after the franchise’s last game amid a coronavirus outbreak within the team, sources told ESPN on Monday. Through a difficult stretch of seven positive coronavirus tests among players —

7:05 AM ET Jrue Holiday was conflicted. Then a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, he mulled for two weeks last summer whether to commit to the NBA’s restart in Orlando, Florida. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Holiday’s wife, Lauren, was five months pregnant and could sense his discomfort over leaving the family.

3:10 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The LA Clippers have blown big leads, have had key players in and out of the lineup and have even suffered a 51-point loss this season. But unlike during last season’s postseason collapse, the Clippers said their chemistry and energy is vastly improved. Without Serge Ibaka and Lou Williams,

6:30 PM ET Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic wasn’t happy after recording a historic triple-double in a 117-101 loss to the Chicago Bulls, saying he played selfishly in the second half on Sunday afternoon. Doncic had 36 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists to post the 29th triple-double of his career, breaking a tie with

2:03 PM ET Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone cited the “flexibility” provided by the historic haul of first-round draft picks the franchise received in the James Harden trade as the reason he chose to deal the perennial MVP candidate to the Brooklyn Nets over other offers. In the four-team trade officially finalized Saturday, Houston

6:08 PM ET Indiana Pacers wing Caris LeVert is out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a small mass on his left kidney, the team announced Saturday. The mass was found during a physical prior to the Pacers finalizing the trade to acquire LeVert. He will undergo further tests. “On behalf of my family and myself,