11:26 AM ET Forward Thabo Sefolosha has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets for the veteran’s minimum, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday. Sefolosha, a 13-year veteran, has been among several free agents who attended the Rockets’ voluntary minicamp in Las Vegas this week. Sefolosha, 35, has earned a reputation as
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4:40 PM ET The NBA power brokers descending on New York this week for the league’s Board of Governors meeting have reacted to the league’s beefed-up anti-tampering proposal with a mix of skepticism about its potential deterrent effect and concerns of privacy. In conversations with numerous league officials, team owners, general managers and agents, some
5:40 PM ET Doc Rivers has revealed eye-opening, undisclosed details of the Los Angeles Clippers‘ free-agent meeting at his house with Kawhi Leonard and how the team approached it. Rivers, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, says the Clippers, knowing the Oklahoma City Thunder “wanted to break their team up,” provided Leonard with
7:31 AM ET Associated Press USA Basketball has kept its No. 1 spot in the FIBA world men’s rankings, even after a disappointing seventh-place showing in the World Cup that ended earlier this week. It’s now nine-years-and-counting in the top spot for the U.S., which has held the No. 1 ranking since winning the 2010
9:05 AM ET Which players defined the past 10 NBA seasons? We asked this question to a panel of ESPN’s NBA experts: Who was the player of the decade? Voters ranked their top three picks in order — considering the 2009-10 season through 2018-19 — and here are the results. LeBron James was an overwhelming
12:58 PM ET Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery Wednesday, meaning he could miss the start of the regular season. The Wizards announced that the operation was to repair a ruptured radial collateral ligament in Thomas’ left thumb. The two-time All-Star suffered the injury Monday during
12:18 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets have a new owner and a new CEO. Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai completed his purchase of the team and Barclays Center on Wednesday, then announced that he had hired former Turner Sports President David Levy to oversee both. Tsai’s purchase of the Nets was
9:34 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and guard Lonzo Ball have been full participants in the team’s voluntary offseason workouts in New Orleans, a source told ESPN on Tuesday. Neither player has been restricted by the injuries that shut them down last season while members of the Los Angeles Lakers,
4:37 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN METAIRIE, La. — At the end of last season, things looked like a mess for the New Orleans Pelicans. Anthony Davis wanted a trade. A promising season was dashed. Alvin Gentry’s job seemed to be in danger. The front office didn’t have a clear direction to head in. Fast forward
9:44 AM ET NBA 2K game developer Take-Two Interactive, the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and ESL will launch the NBA 2K20 Global Championship, which will feature over $100,000 in prize money, in October, the four companies announced Tuesday. The multi-event circuit will feature both online and offline events and will run from October
3:28 PM ET The Orlando Magic exercised the fourth-year team options on guard Markelle Fultz and forward Jonathan Isaac and the third-year team option on center Mo Bamba, the team announced Monday. All three players are now signed through the 2020-21 season. Fultz’s option was for $12.3 million. “Mo (Bamba), Markelle (Fultz) and Jonathan (Isaac)
4:32 PM ET Associated Press Call it the transition game: Michael Jordan and three other NBA owners are getting into the liquor business. The Charlotte Hornets owner has entered the venture with Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers, Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks and Wyc Grousbeck and wife Emilia Fazzalari of the Boston
11:09 AM ET The Brooklyn Nets are hiring former Turner executive David Levy as Chief Executive Officer, league sources tell ESPN. Levy worked closely with the NBA in his capacity overseeing Turner Sports’ television sports coverage and holds a strong relationship with commissioner Adam Silver. Levy’s appointment will become official shortly after the league’s Board
10:28 AM ET Associated Press Spain has won its second World Cup championship, defeating Argentina 95-75 on Sunday to give Marc Gasol a rare double-title year. Tournament MVP Ricky Rubio scored 20 points and Sergio Llull added 15 for Spain (8-0), the ninth team to make it through a World Cup or world championship unbeaten.
3:30 PM ET ESPN News Services The NBA is looking to further crack down on tampering, proposing a new top fine of $10 million for teams conducting the practice, according to a league memo obtained by ESPN. Other maximum-fine levels could be raised significantly as well, provided the league’s board of governors approves the measures
11:31 AM ET BEIJING — There were a record 54 NBA players that took part in the FIBA World Cup over the last 16 days, a true commitment with training camps scheduled to open in two weeks. The performance of the 12 who played for Team USA was well documented. Though Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell
8:21 PM ET Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan has agreed to sell a portion of the team to a pair of investors, the team announced in a release Saturday. The sale is pending NBA approval. Terms of the deal have not been released. Jordan is bringing in Gabe Plotkin, a founder of Melvin Capital, and
5:18 PM ET On behalf of certified player agents, the National Basketball Players Association is sending a signed letter to the NCAA that refuses to submit to a proposed certification process to work with undergraduate men’s basketball players “testing the waters” for the NBA draft. The NBPA has been communicating with NCAA officials in recent
7:58 AM ET BEIJING — After finishing seventh in the FIBA World Cup with a victory over Poland on Saturday, Team USA coach Gregg Popovich issued a rebuke for those criticizing his team for its worst-ever showing in a major event. “Some people want to play the blame game, there’s no blame to be placed
4:53 PM ET The New Orleans Pelicans have named Jeff Bzdelik an associate coach for defense and promoted Chris Finch to associate head coach for the offense, the team announced Friday. Bzdelik, 66, worked the past three seasons with the Houston Rockets and received credit for the team’s defensive turnaround. He began a stint as
5:48 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — New Jersey’s governor has signed a bill allowing Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget casino to accept bets on most National Basketball Association games. Texas billionaire Tilman Fertitta owns the casino — and also owns the NBA’s Houston Rockets. When New Jersey lawmakers legalized sports betting last year,
9:36 AM ET BEIJING — Kobe Bryant thinks Team USA might have to get used to a new reality of losing in major events. Bryant was part of likely the second-most relevant Team USA in history. After the original Dream Team in 1992, the Bryant-led 2008 “Redeem Team” that won gold in the Beijing Olympics
Aug 12, 2019 The NBA 2K League announced on Thursday that Heat Check Gaming power forward Basil “24K Dropoff” Rose was dismissed and disqualified from joining any of the league’s teams for breaking the league’s gambling policy. In a release from the league, an investigation determined that Rose provided inside information to somebody he “knew
1:38 PM ET The Detroit Pistons and veteran swingman Joe Johnson have agreed to terms on a deal, according to ESPN and multiple reports. Johnson, 38, last played in the NBA in the 2017-18 season. He recently was named the MVP of the BIG3 and led his team, the Triplets, to the league championship. Johnson
9:19 AM ET Associated Press The U.S. will leave the World Cup with its worst finish in a major international tournament, assured of finishing no better than seventh after falling to Serbia 94-89 in a consolation playoff game Thursday night. The previous worst finish for a U.S. men’s team in 45 tournament appearances was sixth
9:38 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James‘ attempt to trademark the term “Taco Tuesday” has been denied. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday refused the application filed by James’ company LBJ Trademarks, explaining that “Taco Tuesday” is “a commonplace term.” “The applied-for mark is a commonplace term, message, or expression widely
3:29 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Twenty-eight counterfeit NBA championship rings have been seized by federal authorities at Los Angeles International Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says Wednesday that the rings were in a wooden box shipped from China with a final destination in Arizona. Investigators suspect the intent was to sell
10:47 AM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hornets owner and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan is pledging $1 million to organizations assisting with Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas. Jordan said in a statement Tuesday on Twitter through his spokeswoman Estee Portnoy that he’s “devastated” at the destruction in the Bahamas, adding “my
12:02 AM ET DONGGUAN, China — Jayson Tatum took part in Team USA’s shootaround and has been upgraded to a game-time decision ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup quarterfinal against France (7 a.m. ET, ESPN2), coach Gregg Popovich said. Tatum has missed the past three games after rolling an ankle against Turkey last week. He has
5:41 PM ET Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer took one step closer to building a new arena for the team by investing $100 million in the city of Inglewood. Ballmer’s $100 million community benefits plan was negotiated with city officials from Inglewood as part of their arena development agreement and is set to be