The NBA has long been one of clear eras where certain players make more sense than others. Which NBA players were just born at the wrong time? It happens all the time. A sport we love seems to change its philosophies, and we think about the players from the past who would have excelled. Baseball
The brothers of Denver Nuggets player Nikola Jokic and Miami Heat player Markieff Morris took the fight to Twitter and challenged one another publicly. “Brotherly love” often denotes the kind, loyal camaraderie between two siblings. In the Jokic Brothers’ case, brotherly love is about sticking up for your brother’s reputation and bringing the fight to
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been suspended for one game due to an unsportsmanlike hit that injured Miami Heat center Markieff Morris. Markieff Morris has been suffering long after Nikola Jokic decked him during a Monday night game between the Nuggets and the Heat. Now, it appears that Jokic will suffer too, as the
8:00 AM ET NBA Insiders The NBA season is — almost — a month old. What standouts are here to stay? The Eastern Conference standings is full of early-season surprises, including impressive starts from the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are dealing with injuries as they work
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has added a new trick to his bag this season, and the Hawks’ offense has struggled to get off the ground. Much of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s career has unfolded in relative obscurity, but the absence of a spotlight has done nothing to stall his growth as a player. The 23-year-old made steady, substantive improvement
12:23 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Throughout the New Orleans Pelicans‘ much maligned start to the 2021-22 season, coach Willie Green has tried to stay positive about the direction in which his team is headed. But after a 108-100 loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night in which his team picked up five
The Houston Rockets canceled a planned “Travis Scott Night” and instead will hold a moment of silence for Astroworld Festival victims. The Houston Rockets have been on the road for more than a week, playing their last home game on Thursday, Oct. 28. Of their five games on the road during that stretch, the 1-9
MRI scans confirm that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton suffered a meniscus tear during their 126-109 win over the New York Knicks. A Nov. 7 win over the New York Knicks have propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to sixth in the Eastern Conference as they ride a four-game win streak. Unfortunately, Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton will
3:52 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had no interest in rehashing Monday’s on-court incident involving his team and the Denver Nuggets, or the subsequent penalties handed down by the NBA on Tuesday. “I’m done talking about it,” Spoelstra said Wednesday after his team’s shootaround in advance of Miami’s game against
In a chat with Kevin Durant and Eddie Gonzales, Charles Barkley addressed how social media has an impact on the NBA and its players. In a new interview, Charles Barkley sat down with Kevin Durant and Eddie Gonzales to discuss the ways social media can impact NBA players. Barkley chatted with Durant and Gonzales on
Photo credit should read VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty Images Tigers acquire former Gold Glove catcher in trade with Reds by Ethan Lee Yankees: Does Tucker Barnhart trade mean Gary Sanchez is staying? by Ethan Lee Scottie Pippen didn’t hold back in his new book letting the world know just how upset he was with Michael
While Alex Caruso was hoping to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls presented him with a much better offer he simply had to take. During the offseason, the Chicago Bulls surprised plenty of folks when they went out and signed guard Alex Caruso to a four-year contract. Caruso clearly wanted to stay
8:00 AM ET JALEN GREEN HEARS the wrath from the old man with the unmistakable, raspy voice. It’s a little less than an hour before the Rockets’ shootaround begins, but almost half the roster is already on the Footprint Center floor in Phoenix, running three-man pick-and-roll drills. John Lucas, the Rockets’ 68-year-old assistant coach, provides
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. (Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports) NBA Twitter bowing down to Stephen Curry, monster performance for Warriors by Cody Williams NFL quarterback rankings, Week 10: Josh Allen struggles by Matt Verderame Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler wanted to meet Nikola Jokic outside for a fight after the Nuggets forward cheap shotted Markieff
4:49 PM ET Three former Phoenix Suns employees have received messages from Penny Sarver, the wife of Robert Sarver, who is the team’s majority owner. Two messages came from the @pennsar Instagram account and another was a text message from a number that belongs to Penny Sarver. These former employees say they consider the messages
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. With injuries to Markelle Fultz and a series of roster-clearing trades, Cole Anthony ended up with a lot of offensive responsibility as a rookie. His combined usage and assist
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant complimented the basketball IQ of Toronto Raptors rookie forward Scottie Barnes relative to his young age. The Brooklyn Nets may have won their Nov. 7 game against the Toronto Raptors, but the Raptors came away with a different kind of win: high praise from one of the best forwards in
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 29: James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates after hitting a three pointer against the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center on October 29, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to
9:59 PM ET Denver Nuggets star and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic has been suspended for one game without pay for forcefully pushing Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris in the back on Monday night. The Nuggets will not have their franchise center against Indiana on Wednesday Markieff Morris was also fined $50,000 for his flagrant two
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 23: Xander Zayas (L) and Frank Gore (R) walking to the ring before Xanders fight against Dan Karpency at State Farm Arena on October 23, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images) Nick Chubb goes on COVID list, but may not miss a game because he’s
The Celtics have reportedly discussed a Ben Simmons trade with the 76ers but Boston would have to part with one of their biggest names at minimum. Any hope that the Ben Simmons situation would start to sort itself out has been unfounded through the first few weeks of the 2021-22 NBA season. The 76ers have
1:11 PM ET Emotions from NBA MVP Nikola Jokic‘s retaliatory bodycheck from behind on Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris on Monday night have spilled onto social media as the brothers of both players weighed in. As the league looks into whether to levy any further punishment over the Denver Nuggets star’s ejection after his run-in
Nov 7, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (3) celebrates after scoring a three-pointer against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports NFL Twitter putting Rams on blast for getting blown out by Titans on SNF by Alicia de
12:41 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors star guard Stephen Curry scored an NBA-season-high 50 points in Golden State’s 127-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. Curry finished the night 14-for-28 from the field, 9-for-19 from 3-point range and 13-for-13 from the free throw line, while chipping in 10 assists and seven rebounds
Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports) Did NFL refs screw up not ejecting Jalen Ramsey for unsportsmanlike conduct? by Scott Rogust Max Fried joins Braves royalty with second career Gold Glove by Scott Rogust Even when the Houston Rockets struggle to add to the win column, Jalen Green has a way with
6:13 PM ET After initial resistance, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons met with a team-recommended medical specialist to discuss his mental health on Monday, sources told ESPN. It is unclear what Monday’s meeting means for the Sixers’ ultimate hopes of a Simmons return to play, but it was a change of direction for Simmons
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The 2021-22 NBA season is still very young — most teams have only played about 10 games thus far — but we’re already starting to see separation among the
12:31 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Embiid returned a positive test for COVID-19 on Monday morning and is expected to miss several games, the source said. Embiid wasn’t at team shootaround Monday and was planning to rest Monday night’s
In the ultimate sports crossover, former NBA All-Star Deron Williams is set to join the Jake Paul/Tommy Fury card to fight NFL running back Frank Gore. The UFC has provided a fascinating open forum by which former and current athletes from all forms of sport can come battle it out in the ring. After all,
12:20 AM ET Fantasy staff We are merely two weeks into the fantasy basketball season, but already it’s easy to identify some draft-day hits and misses. Our team of fantasy experts — Eric Karabell, Andre Snelllings, Eric Moody, Jim McCormick and John Cregan — got together to discuss some of the things that have stuck