News

8:00 AM ET EVERY MORNING, BEFORE Lonnie Walker IV reports to one of the biggest pressure cookers in all of pro sports — a Los Angeles Lakers team determined to atone for last season’s disaster and salvage the twilight of LeBron James‘ career — he meditates with a mantra. “Dominate the day.” There’s a sanctuary-like

11:55 AM ET INDIANAPOLIS — As Kevin Durant continues working his way up the all-time scoring list, he does so with a greater appreciation for what LeBron James is accomplishing as he approaches the NBA’s scoring record. “To be the No. 1 in anything, there’s 8 billion people in the world, we just figured that

Nov 22, 2022 Associated Press NBA referee Bill Kennedy, who came out as gay in 2015, spoke out in an emotional video Tuesday in response to the weekend shooting that killed five and left 17 others with gunshot wounds at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 41-second video was released on the NBA’s

Nov 23, 2022 PHOENIX — Lakers guard Patrick Beverley was ejected for shoving Suns center Deandre Ayton to the floor late in Los Angeles’ 115-105 loss on Tuesday, but the longtime veteran said his actions were prompted by how Phoenix players were treating L.A. swingman Austin Reaves. “Got a person on the ground, two people

2:41 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley has been suspended three games for “forcefully shoving” Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton when the big man wasn’t looking and causing him to fall to the court in L.A.’s game against the Suns on Tuesday, the NBA announced on Thursday. In the league’s statement, attributed to

11:30 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is feeling better, but head coach Ty Lue said there is currently no timetable for his return from a right ankle sprain. The Clippers played the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night without their two best players, Leonard and Paul George, who missed his

2:29 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had high praise for the Celtics‘ star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown ahead of Wednesday’s game in Boston. “They’re probably the No. 1 team in the league, and they probably have the best duo in the league, too,” Doncic said. “And we’re

8:00 AM ET Five weeks into the 2022-23 NBA season, the Utah Jazz still have the most wins in the Western Conference. But the topsy-turvy standings fun doesn’t end there, because now the red-hot Sacramento Kings are gaining ground with a seven-game winning streak. In between the world-beating Jazz and Kings, the Phoenix Suns, Denver

11:48 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — Ben Simmons knew exactly the type of reception he was going to get from Sixers fans Tuesday night inside Wells Fargo Center. After going through a contentious divorce with the team that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, forcing his way out of Philadelphia before the start

8:21 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will not face the Golden State Warriors here on Wednesday due to a sprained right ankle. Leonard landed awkwardly after attempting to block a shot late in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ win over the visiting Utah Jazz on Monday. 1 Related “Just

8:00 AM ET Brian Windhorst and a team of ESPN’s Insiders sort out life and the news from in and around the NBA world. As Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, himself limping, came onto the floor Saturday night to check on yet another injured star, his face showed an appropriate mix of disgust and exasperation

5:56 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Clippers guard Paul George sat out Los Angeles’ 121-114 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night because of a right hamstring strain. George played one half and scored 21 points before being held out of the second half of the win Saturday over the San Antonio Spurs due

2:54 PM ET Jamal CollierESPN CHICAGO — Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said he does not endorse the group of protesters who lined up Sunday outside of Barclays Center before Kyrie Irving‘s return from suspension, reiterating that he was happy to see support for the Brooklyn Nets‘ guard getting to play again. Members of Israel

12:23 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CAMDEN, N.J. — Joel Embiid will miss at least the next two games — including Tuesday’s reunion with former co-star Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets — with a left midfoot sprain he suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. “How do I make up for Joel? We’ve just

11:15 PM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving said he “never had a doubt” he would return to the team after serving an eight-game suspension for what the Nets termed the “harmful impact of his conduct” relating to social media posts around a book and movie that contained antisemitic ideas. Irving, who

10:41 PM ET LOS ANGELES — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sat out Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers because of an illness, according to the team. Assistant coach Brett Brown, the former longtime coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, filled in for Popovich. Popovich, 73, spoke to reporters approximately an hour and a

11:57 AM ET NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving‘s eight-game suspension is over. The Brooklyn Nets guard has been cleared to play Sunday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. It will mark his first game since he was suspended Nov. 3 for “harmful impact of his conduct” relating to social media posts around a book and movie

4:40 PM ET Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left ankle sprain and is “week-to-week,” the team announced on Saturday. Morant suffered the injury late in Friday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder after getting his foot tangled with Thunder guard Lu Dort. Morant went down in immediate pain

5:55 PM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving gave his most formal apology to date in a video published Saturday, saying clearly he is “not antisemitic” and that he wanted to “apologize deeply” for his social media post around a book and movie featuring antisemitic ideas. “I’m not antisemitic,” Irving said in

8:00 AM ET ANTHONY EDWARDS AND Rudy Gobert, the two players left in the FedEx Forum locker room, have just struck up a conversation. It’s Nov. 11, and the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ had just suffered their sixth loss in seven games, this night’s coming on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that last season

1:40 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — Following Milwaukee’s 110-102 loss to Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night, a strange scene unfolded between Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, 76ers reserve center Montrezl Harrell and a ladder, culminating with Antetokounmpo pushing a 12-foot ladder out of his way and having it skid a few feet

9:46 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — Emerging Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey suffered a left foot injury and was ruled out of the second half of Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Wells Fargo Center. An X-ray on Maxey’s foot was negative, and he will get an MRI on Saturday, sources told

11:38 AM ET Associated Press For the first time in 12 years, USA Basketball is not atop the world men’s rankings. FIBA, the sport’s governing body, updated its rankings Friday, and Spain moved into the top spot, a sliver ahead of the U.S. The four-time defending Olympic champion Americans moved into the top spot after

2:52 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — Kevin Durant didn’t mince words after watching Ben Simmons play the best game of his brief Brooklyn Nets career in Thursday night’s 109-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. “Incredible,” Durant said after watching Simmons score 15 points, grab 13 rebounds and dish out seven assists in 32 minutes.

2:07 PM ET Kawhi Leonard will return and start against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, coach Ty Lue said. Leonard was previously listed as out, but his status was upgraded to questionable at the LA Clippers‘ Thursday morning shootaround. After playing in two of the first three games of the season, coming off the

1:40 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — X-rays on LaMelo Ball‘s left ankle were negative, but the Charlotte Hornets‘ All-Star point guard has already been ruled out of Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach Steve Clifford said it is too early to know how much time Ball will miss after spraining the

1:28 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN PHOENIX — Over the last 10 years, the Golden State Warriors built a dynasty on playing free, competitiveness and a sense of togetherness that could rarely be shaken. Yet, just 15 games into this season, it all feels to be crashing down. On Wednesday, the Warriors suffered their latest blow,

6:46 PM ET Suspended All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is nearing completion on the process needed for a return to play and could rejoin the Brooklyn Nets as soon as Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Barclays Center, sources told ESPN. Irving will miss his eighth consecutive game on Thursday night in Portland, but he

7:00 AM ET TIBURON, Calif. — The first thing Klay Thompson does, before any of the boat stuff — untying the docking lines from the bollards, tossing the fenders onto the deck, checking the instruments and gas tank — is turn on the music. Nine times out of 10 he picks Michael Jackson. Lately, though,

6:34 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. made his season debut in Tuesday night’s 113-102 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Jackson had surgery in June to repair a stress fracture in his right foot and had yet to play a game this season. He was in the