San Antonio Spurs great and new Hall of Famer Tim Duncan had special thanks for head coach Gregg Popovich in his induction speech. Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich are one of the greatest duos in sports history. It’s only fitting that Duncan spent some time thanking Popovich during his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images According to a report from Yahoo! Sports, three teams have already shown serious interest in potentially trying to sign Kelly Oubre this offseason. Where will Kelly Oubre Jr. end up suiting up next season? After joining the Golden State Warriors this past season from Phoenix/Oklahoma City, the 25-year-old wing
2:50 AM ET It is easy to forget — and perhaps healthier — that two teams blew 3-games-to-1 series leads against the Denver Nuggets in last season’s Western Conference playoffs. But fate has matched those teams — Utah Jazz and LA Clippers — against each other in the second round of this year’s playoffs, a
Welcome back to Basketball Insiders’ “What’s Next” series. We previously covered the teams that missed both the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament. Now, we’re focusing on teams that are either on the cusp of making the playoffs or are trying to build contenders. The Charlotte Hornets, despite the outcome, had quite a fantastic season. There’s
1:36 PM ET Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley has been ruled out of Thursday’s Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the LA Clippers due to a mild strain of his right hamstring. Conley, who also missed Game 1, suffered the injury during the first half of Utah’s series-ending win over the Memphis
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz, Marcus Morris, LA Clippers. (Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports) Pacers finally admit mistake, fire head coach Nate Bjorkgren by John Buhler Rudy Gobert‘s incredible block gives Game 1 to the Utah Jazz over the visiting LA Clippers. If not for Rudy Gobert’s late-game heroics, there is a chance the Utah Jazz
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) If the Chicago Bulls want to win the offseason, they can do so with this one trade and one free agency signing. The Chicago Bulls have not made the NBA Playoffs since 2017, and unfortunately for them, the streak continued this season. Even though the
Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports The Portland Trail Blazers are looking for a new head coach. Here are five candidates to replace Terry Stotts. Back in April, a report surfaced suggesting Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts would be let go if the team didn’t make a deep playoff run. A fourth first-round
Damian Lillard made it immediately clear he wanted him, but Jason Kidd has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Portland Trail Blazers head coaching job. After the Portland Trail Blazers and coach Terry Stotts parted ways, guard Damian Lillard made it clear who his No. 1 choice to be next coach was. But according
1:37 AM ET Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he felt his team “quit” in Wednesday night’s 123-98 loss to the host Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. “I felt we quit tonight, which is something you never want to see,” Malone said. “So I guess for Game 3, I’m just
Welcome back to Basketball Insiders’ “What’s Next” series. We previously covered the teams that missed both the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament. Now, we’re focusing on teams that are either on the cusp of making the playoffs or are trying to build contenders. The Charlotte Hornets, despite the outcome, had quite a fantastic season. There’s
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images North Carolina vs. UCLA live stream: What channel is the NCAA baseball tournament on? by Ethan Lee Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder has no issue coming at the King, especially after defeating the Lakers in six games. Crowder’s veteran presence as a three-and-D stalwart proved extremely effective against LeBron
Chris Paul’s shoulder may not be 100 percent yet, but he’s still serving his role as closer for the Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul hasn’t been 100 percent in the playoffs since the second quarter of Game 1 in the Phoenix Suns‘ first-round series, just before he suffered the shoulder stinger he’s been playing through ever
2:03 AM ET Chris Paul plans. He planned when he forced a trade out of New Orleans a decade ago. He planned when he creatively leveraged a contract option to get himself to Houston. He planned when he helped change an arcane age rule in the collective bargaining agreement that enabled him the chance to
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports As the Boston Celtics and Kemba Walker moved toward parting ways, these five teams should call to make a deal. The Boston Celtics losing to the Brooklyn Nets in five games in the first round of the playoffs wasn’t that surprising. But how quickly changes started was, with news
The NBA fined the Philadelphia 76ers and president Daryl Morey for a social media post about Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry that was ruled tampering. You’d think Daryl Morey would have learned to be more careful with his social media by now. He clearly hasn’t because he just got docked more money for tampering
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. In yesterday’s edition of The Whiteboard, I mentioned how defensive matchups were fascinating variables to watch in Tuesday night’s games and it absolutely worked out. The 76ers made a
2:42 PM ET LeBron James plans to change his Los Angeles Lakers jersey number to No. 6 next season, a source confirmed to ESPN. James had worn No. 23 during his first three seasons with the Lakers. The number change was first reported Wednesday by The Athletic. Fellow Lakers star Anthony Davis will keep his
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Cubs fans react to Nike officially revealing Wrigleyville jersey by Josh Hill Devin Booker arrived to Game 1 style in one of the flashiest cars you will ever see. Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is a budding superstar, so you better believe he will have an automobile
Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports The Orlando Magic need a new head coach after parting ways with Steve Clifford. It was clear at the 2021 NBA Trade Deadline that the Orlando Magic were heading in a new direction. Saturday’s news only reinforced that path. After several meetings between team management and head coach Steve
3:12 AM ET Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone felt a bad kind of déjà vu as he watched his team fade during the second half of Monday night’s 122-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. After seeing his team get blown out by the Portland Trail Blazers
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 08: Shake Milton #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Two of the Eastern Conference second round series at Wells Fargo Center on June 08, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by
2:04 AM ET PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid‘s night started with a loss and ended with a win in perhaps his most impressive playoff performance to date. The Philadelphia 76ers‘ 118-102 Game 2 victory over Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday began shortly after the NBA announced Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won league MVP honors, with Embiid
While it was quite the bumpy ride, the Washington Wizards clinched a playoff berth in the 2020-21 season despite starting the year at 17-32. It required big moves at the trade deadline, a 17-6 run to close out the regular season and a Play-In Tournament win but the Wizards managed to make the playoffs and
The New York Knicks are in need of more reliable three-point shooters. Warriors small forward Kelly Oubre could be the perfect solution in free agency. The Knicks may be in a great position to benefit from a complex situation with the Warriors. It all revolves around Kelly Oubre, the shooting guard from Golden State whose
Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks was named the 2020-21 NBA coach of the year, and Twitter shared their thoughts on the decision. Last year, the New York Knicks were looking for another man to lead the team on the sidelines following the firing of David Fizdale. The Knicks opted to sign former Chicago
1:52 PM ET Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will not play in the Tuesday’s Western Conference semifinals opener against the LA Clippers due to a mild strain of his right hamstring. Conley suffered the injury during the first half of the Jazz’s series-ending Game 5 win over the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday. He was
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Head Coach Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks calls to players during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets during Game One of the Eastern Conference second round series at Barclays Center on June 05, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees
Every decade seems to begin with the dawning of a new NBA dynasty. Which of the remaining playoff teams are best positioned for extended success? Life follows a certain logic. Spring becomes summer becomes fall. Ice freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Fail to pick up after your dog and you will end up stepping in
2:11 AM ET There are many things Chris Paul is good at, but one of his most crucial skills is sensing a moment. It’s never about how he starts; it’s how he finishes. And in Game 1 of Phoenix’s Western Conference semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets, Paul began slowly, hitting just two of his