For rookies starting their NBA careers in today’s league, their journey is a little bit different than in the past. In prior years, rookies who weren’t in the rotation immediately were often buried on the bench and relegated to garbage time minutes. It could be a frustrating and difficult situation for players used to being
9:22 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Some key Kobe Bryant memorabilia, including two of his Los Angeles Lakers uniforms and cement handprints from his induction into the Grauman’s Chinese Theater hall of fame gallery, are going up for sale in April. Julien’s Auctions said Thursday that the items would be up for sale
Coby White has topped 30 points in three straight games, but does it really matter if he continues to come off the bench for the Bulls? The Chicago Bulls lost a close one, 124-122, to the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night. Zach LaVine led the way in the losing effort with 41 points, while rookie
Delving into the vibrant culture of basketball within the five boroughs, the newly-opened City/Game exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York features over a century’s worth of history. Change is the only constant. Unceasing evolution makes New York so much of what it is. Neighborhoods shift. Friends move away. Restaurants and bars
8:19 PM ET ESPN News Services CLEVELAND — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid left Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter and was ruled out with a left shoulder sprain. Embiid appeared to collide with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held
The regular season is over two-thirds finished, and the playoffs start in 53 days. Unsurprisingly, the front of the Defensive Player of the Year race has remained largely stagnant as 2019-20 enters its final stretch. But there’s ample time for movement among the obvious top-four candidates, with factors like injuries, lineup changes and even overall
8:51 AM ET CONFUSION REIGNS AS the Utah Jazz jog back on defense. Mike Conley is scurrying across the floor in search of someone to guard. It is Monday night in Salt Lake City, and the Phoenix Suns are pushing the ball up the floor after a routine defensive rebound early in the fourth quarter.
A high-profile battle on Tuesday night highlighted why Pascal Siakam is still a cut below the reigning MVP and how his limitations could hold the Toronto Raptors back in the playoffs. Pascal Siakam is clearly a triumph for the Toronto Raptors organization. He is both a symptom and a cause of the way they play,
After spending the first few years of his career bouncing around the league, D’Angelo Russell may finally have found a place to flourish with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2020 NBA Trade Deadline was not exactly quiet, though it still felt inconsequential. The majority of the league’s contenders opted to stand pat, and the few that
12:27 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — Tuesday night marked the first time since Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks came back to Scotiabank Arena since losing to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. And after the Bucks came away with a different result this time, winning 108-97 over the
The regular season is over two-thirds finished, and the playoffs start in 53 days. Unsurprisingly, the front of the Defensive Player of the Year race has remained largely stagnant as 2019-20 enters its final stretch. But there’s ample time for movement among the obvious top-four candidates, with factors like injuries, lineup changes and even overall
4:51 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has a nerve impingement in his lower back and is expected to be sidelined for an extended period of time, league sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Simmons is undergoing treatment and will be reevaluated in two weeks, but there’s little expectation that he will be close to
Reasonable people can disagree about the NBA MVP race and everyone has their own favorite. But who you prefer may say more about you than the player. Last year’s MVP race between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden sparked a thousand online arguments. Fans of the Bucks and Rockets, of course, stanned for their team’s star,
7:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PASCAL SIAKAM RELISHES the work. The process of getting better drives the Toronto Raptors forward in a way that sets him apart. “He was always the first one in the gym,” former teammate DeMar DeRozan said. “He always came back to the gym at night. He worked on everything he
Thanks in part to versatile pick-and-roll defense, rim protecting upside and high-level finishing ability, USC center Onyeka Okongwu looks the part of a top-three prospect Let’s start with a simple premise and progress from there. To be a very good NBA player, you likely need to be a very good college player. Checks out, right?
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
10:30 PM ET Bradley Beal became the first player since Kobe Bryant to score 50 points on back-to-back nights when he dropped a career-high 55 in the Washington Wizards‘ 137-134 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. Beal shot 58% from the field — including 8 of 13 from 3-point range, one night after
Bradley Beal dropped 50 points in a loss for the second straight time, putting the Washington Wizards star in some pretty interesting company. With back-to-back 50-point games, Bradley Beal has joined some good company and some unfortunate company in one fell swoop. According to the Washington Wizards, Beal is the first player since Kobe Bryant
Whether you loved Kobe Bryant or hated him, you felt him. His legacy is secure but in the aftermath of his untimely death, those emotions are sure to remain as complicated as ever. On the last night of the 2015-16 season, two historically significant games were happening concurrently. The Warriors were trying to wrap up
11:00 PM ET LOS ANGELES — In the 6 a.m. hour, a line begins snaking down Olympic Blvd. “It’s going to be a crazy day, bro,” one security guard says to another as people flood the plaza outside Staples Center. Peddlers hawk memorabilia on nearby corners. City bus signages blink, “RIP KOBE.” In the seven
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
3:42 PM ET A memorial service inside Staples Center on Monday celebrated the lives of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. The date — Feb. 24 — reflects the basketball jersey numbers worn by Kobe (No. 24) and Gianna (No. 2). The service was held just less than a month after
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 17: Karl Anthony-Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on January 17, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images
10:33 PM ET The Milwaukee Bucks have clinched the earliest playoff berth in at least 15 years, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. The NBA postseason is not set to begin for another 55 days. The Bucks clinched Sunday despite not playing because the Washington Wizards lost to the Chicago Bulls. Milwaukee is 48-8 and
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
8:36 PM ET Lawrence Tanter had read through the plans dozens of times before he got into his car, put on John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and drove to Staples Center on Jan. 31. The Los Angeles Lakers were going to play their first game since the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and
The Atlanta Hawks’ young star point guard is at it again. Trae Young added to his ever-growing resume with a 50-ball vs. the Miami Heat on Thursday. Death, taxes and Trae Young putting up huge numbers for the Atlanta Hawks. After putting his talents on display over the All-Star break, the 21-year-old sensation took
Klay Thompson is officially out for the year as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired ACL he tore in last year’s playoffs. Klay Thompson will not play for the Golden State Warriors this year, but that’s actually going to be a good thing for the reigning NBA champions. Thompson was officially ruled out for
2:12 PM ET Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has a sprained left knee and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team said Sunday. Jackson left Friday’s 117-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers late in the second quarter after an awkward fall when he was contesting a shot. He didn’t return for the
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers