Aug 7, 2019 Kevin Durant, in his first interview since rupturing his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in June, said he does not hold the Golden State Warriors accountable for the injury. “Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no,” Durant told Yahoo Sports, speaking at a house in
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1:42 PM ET Miami Heat big man Kelly Olynyk suffered a bruised knee in an exhibition, but he is still expected to play in the FIBA World Cup for Canada, coach Nick Nurse said Thursday. Olynyk slipped and fell during the third quarter of Canada’s win over Nigeria in a FIBA exhibition game on Wednesday.
1:08 AM ET LAS VEGAS — It’s a brutally hot August afternoon, and Gregg Popovich is running back and forth between Mike Krzyzewski, Jeff Van Gundy, Steve Kerr and Jay Wright, among others. They’re comparing notes as Popovich’s Team USA players go through scrimmages. In the bleachers, a few dozen of his coaching peers, league
12:15 AM ET LAS VEGAS — Kyle Kuzma was fast asleep in a Shanghai hotel when his manager woke him up in the middle of the night to tell him the Los Angeles Lakers had traded for Anthony Davis. In a blockbuster trade, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart — once considered the future
10:50 PM ET LAS VEGAS — When Jaylen Brown got to town last weekend, he was looking forward to trying Mizumi, a high-end Japanese restaurant at the Wynn Hotel. So on Sunday night, with three of his Boston Celtics teammates also preparing for Team USA training camp, he was pleased they decided to go together.
9:40 PM ET This week the United States senior men’s national basketball team begins preparation for its first major competition since the 2016 Rio Olympics as it starts a weeklong training camp in Las Vegas in advance of the World Cup to be held next month in China. For the first time in 15 years
7:31 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he thinks all the time about gun violence and mass shootings and how any day someone could walk into a basketball gym and shoot NBA players. Following mass shootings in Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio that killed 34 people
4:16 PM ET ESPN News Services Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem is returning to the team for his 17th NBA season on a veteran’s minimum contract worth just under $2.6 million this season. The team announced the deal shortly after the 39-year-old forward posted an Instagram Tuesday hinting at his return. Signed after going undrafted
8:39 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Gregg Popovich on Sunday night gathered his newly formed Team USA for its first practice in the six-week journey toward the World Cup in China. He’d been preparing for this gathering in one way or another for almost four years, since he was named as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor in
8:27 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Kawhi Leonard reached out to Kyle Lowry to personally break the news that he was leaving Toronto to join the LA Clippers. And despite losing an All-Star partner for the second straight offseason, Lowry was thrilled for Leonard and his decision to return home to Los Angeles. While Leonard’s
4:17 PM ET Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies have hired former Notre Dame women’s associate head coach Niele Ivey as one of the new assistants on Taylor Jenkins’ staff. There are now nine women working as coaches in the NBA. The Grizzlies also announced Monday the hiring of Brad Jones, David McClure,
Aug 3, 2019 With free agency looming next summer, three-time NBA champion and All-Star forward Draymond Green has agreed to a four-year, $100 million maximum contract extension with the Golden State Warriors, agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told ESPN. The new deal, which starts with the 2020-21 season, brings the total length and value
8:57 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said Sunday that he is not worried about the Americans’ chances as they begin preparations for the FIBA World Cup, even after a wildly unpredictable process was needed just to fill a training-camp roster for the tournament that starts in China
7:03 AM ET Nick DePaulaESPN WHEN ZION WILLIAMSON arrived at the sold-out Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for his prime-time debut at the NBA summer league in early July, his choice of footwear had the NBA buzzing. Could Puma actually pull this off? A year after Puma landed 2018 No. 1 overall pick
10:40 AM ET Carmelo Anthony says the end of his tenure with the Houston Rockets made him question whether he wanted to still play in the NBA. “I felt like the game didn’t want me back at that point in time,” Anthony told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on First Take, referring to a period in
7:40 PM ET What are the best NBA Christmas Day games this year? The 2019 slate will feature plenty of star power and revamped rosters, including Anthony Davis and LeBron James vs. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The five games: • Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers • Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors •
11:15 AM ET With free agency looming next summer, three-time NBA champion and All-Star forward Draymond Green has agreed to a four-year, $100 million maximum contract extension with the Golden State Warriors, agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told ESPN. The new deal, which starts with the 2020-21 season, brings the total length and value
3:23 PM ET A marquee matchup of two new dynamic duos created this offseason will headline the NBA’s Christmas slate this year. The LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers will play at Staples Center on Dec. 25, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The meeting will pit LeBron James and new teammate Anthony Davis against reigning
3:38 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin clarified comments he made about the challenges of building a title contender around LeBron James during their three seasons in Cleveland together, saying Friday that he maintains a “positive relationship” with James. In a Sports Illustrated story published Thursday, the former Cavaliers general manager
3:38 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin clarified comments he made about the challenges of building a title contender around LeBron James during their three seasons in Cleveland together, saying Friday that he maintains a “positive relationship” with James. In a Sports Illustrated story published Thursday, the former Cavaliers general manager
7:22 PM ET ESPN News Services MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Grizzlies haven’t called Vancouver home since 2000. That’s not stopping them from tapping their Canadian roots to celebrate the NBA franchise’s 25th season. Memphis unveiled two throwback uniforms Thursday in a video posted to Twitter. 🔥🔥🔥 The #ThrowbackThursday you’ve been waiting for 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xK0QMwNosQ —
7:28 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — While the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors gear up for next season, Scotiabank Arena is getting a multimillion-dollar face-lift. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Michael Friisdahl calls it a “reimagination” of the venue that opened in February 1999. “We’ve got to keep getting better, we’ve
1:36 PM ET Oklahoma City and forward Patrick Patterson have agreed to a buyout on the final season of his contract, allowing him to become a free agent, league sources tell ESPN. Once his $5.7 million deal clear waivers this week, Patterson’s intention is to sign with the LA Clippers, league sources tell ESPN. The
11:33 PM ET In the weeks leading up to the NBA season last October, a bettor at the SuperBook at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas placed a $67,000 wager on the Golden State Warriors to make the playoffs at minus-10,000 odds. The bettor was rewarded with a $670 profit when the Warriors
2:07 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has agreed to a three-year, $100 million contract extension — extending his current deal to five years and $157 million, his agent, Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, tells ESPN. The new deal will start with the 2021-22 season. McCollum became eligible for the extension on Saturday
2:09 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Video games have taken over the NBA. From the NBA 2K League, which features gaming squads for 21 of the league’s franchises, to Josh Hart and Reggie Jackson competing at the Fortnite Pro-Am at Epic Games’ Summer Block Party in June, it’s impossible to walk into an NBA locker
4:14 PM ET The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Tuesday that the team has agreed to a deal with point guard Trey Burke. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Trey’s experience as a ball handler matched with his scoring ability makes him a good fit for our roster,” GM Elton Brand said in a statement.
5:27 PM ET The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are the strongest favorites to make the playoffs, while the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns have the longest odds to reach the postseason. Caesars Sportsbook on Tuesday released Yes/No odds on each team’s playoff chances. The Bucks at -5,000 are the biggest favorites to make next
2:09 PM ET LOS ANGELES — When asked about his love of video games, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons pulls out his phone and flips through a gallery of photos. After a bit of perusing, he stops on the picture he was attempting to find, an older, sepia-tone one contrasting with his state-of-the-art smartphone. In
4:56 PM ET Anthony Davis already has six All-Star appearances, an NCAA championship and an Olympic gold medal to his name, but the newly minted Los Angeles Lakers forward admits there’s still something missing. “I don’t think I have a failure that I’ve had yet,” Davis told ESPN as a guest on That’s What She