If anyone could possibly relate to the cruelty Kevin Durant endured Monday night, it’s DeMarcus Cousins, who after Game 5 of the Finals candidly addressed those who questioned Durant’s toughness and commitment to the Warriors. “F*** them,” Cousins said. “F*** them.” A once detestable figure among NBA stars, Cousins has become a sympathetic one since
With a pretty clear eye on free agency plans, the Brooklyn Nets have traded Allen Crabbe and a first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to be significant players this offseason, with cap space to burn. They got a start on their offseason Thursday, with a trade that has clear implications
5:53 PM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant confirmed that he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during Monday’s victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He made the announcement on his Instagram account Wednesday, adding that he underwent surgery. “What’s good everybody I wanted to update
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms
The biggest sleeper of the 2019 NBA Draft is also the prospect most capable of taking the mantle from Draymond Green and P.J. Tucker as the league’s next great small-ball center. When Grant Williams arrived at the University of Tennessee, coach Rick Barnes took to calling him and teammate Admiral Schofield — the two young
TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 10: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors is assisted off the court after sustaining an injury in the first half against the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on June 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and
5:19 PM ET Former Duke star and top NBA draft prospect RJ Barrett has made it clear he wants to play for the New York Knicks. “I won’t be meeting with any other teams,” Barrett told reporters after working out with the Knicks on Monday. “This is the place I want to be, so I
Jun 10, 2019 Chris Herring ALL THE WAY back during Game 1 of these NBA Finals, before the Toronto Raptors had the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors dazed and on the ropes, one play illustrates the most underappreciated aspect of Kawhi Leonard‘s absurd 2019 postseason. The Warriors had scored a couple of baskets to
Last night the Toronto Raptors lost Game 5 of the NBA Finals 106-105, missing the chance to win their first championship. Golden State lost, too. While the Warriors managed to win while facing elimination for the sixth time in seven games over their dynastic run, if ever such a win could be Pyrrhic this was
Charles Barkley, as usual, has a strong opinion about something that happened in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals was as entertaining of a contest that the league could have hoped for, but Charles Barkley came out of the experience with a fiery hot take. The Golden
The Warriors survived wave after wave of the Raptors offensive surges and extended the Finals one more game. Unfortunately, they lost Kevin Durant again. Toronto was all business after closing out their Game 4 win, hoping to raise the first title in franchise history in front of their home faithful. But it’s not Golden State’s first
When the Raptors received the ball for the final possession in Game 5, with the opportunity to win the series and their first championship in franchise history, I fully expected them to pull it off. This playoff run and been full of serendipitous moments for Toronto, most notably Kawhi’s series-winning four-bounce shot against the 76ers,
7:45 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN FRAN FRASCHILLA ARRIVED arrived at the 2008 Paul Pierce skill development camp at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, waiting to be impressed. “We had about 25 kids there,” said Fraschilla, the ESPN analyst and former college basketball coach, “and I don’t want to look at the list
With the NBA Draft less than nine days away, things in the NBA are starting to heat up as NBA teams zero in on trade scenarios and the players they will ultimately have a real shot at drafting. There is a very important disclaimer/concept worth re-stating. Rumors, like the ones we’ll dig into in a
9:16 AM ET TORONTO — Warriors star forward Kevin Durant suffered a right Achilles tendon injury in Golden State’s 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Durant will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury,
Klay and Steph power the Warriors back and more highlights from Monday by Kareem Gantt Kevin Durant’s injury, the Splash Brothers keep the Warriors alive for another game vs. Kawhi and the Raptors, Justin Bieber challenges Tom Cruise to a fight and it’s time to make a run for the border. Who takes the blame
2:10 AM ET TORONTO — Bill Russell was in the hallway. The trophy was polished. The stage was ready to roll out. The cameramen had plastic over their gear. The champagne was on ice. The team doctors’ faces were ashen. The general manager was sobbing. The heroes, the guys who hit the big shots and
TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 10: Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate their teams 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game Five of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on June 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
The second round of the NBA Draft is always an exercise in annual insanity as players are stashed, traded and dumped, giving onlookers surprise selections around every corner. Understandably, the build-up to the draft tends to focus sharply on the lottery and those expected to make a major difference from their very first professional games.
10:20 PM ET After missing the past nine games with a strained right calf, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant returned to action, starting Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, Durant’s return was cut short when he reinjured his calf early in the second quarter. The Warriors led Toronto 39-34 with 9 minutes, 46
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Tony Parker, who’s been one of the top point guards in the NBA for the majority of the past 18 seasons, has announced his retirement. Tony Parker can now claim his spot on the Spurs Retirement Club. After 18 seasons, the future Hall of Fame point guard announced via The Undefeated he was retiring. “I’m going
2:52 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Dwyane Wade of the Heat has been selected as this season’s winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented by the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Wade, who just completed his final season before retirement, was chosen as “the player who best combines excellence on the basketball court with cooperation
6:00 AM ET The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring former UConn and WNBA star Swin Cash to a senior front office position, league sources told ESPN. The team will name Cash vice president of basketball operations and team development, sources say. She will scout, help guide player development on and off the floor, and assume
Drake has taken his troll game to the next level, with a Home Alone-themed sweatshirt, taking a shot at Kevin Duant. The 2019 NBA Finals has been a blast to watch thanks to the epic trolling from Drake. The rap superstar has seemingly put his career on pause and has devoted all of his time
TORONTO, ON – JUNE 1: Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors during practice and media availability as part of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 01, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to
7:55 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — It can happen so suddenly — the end of a season, a dynasty, an arena. Few people in and around the NBA had internalized the idea — swirled it around in their brains, digested it, felt it — that the Toronto Raptors, the NBA’s accidental pseudo-contender who catapulted themselves
With the NBA Draft now only two weeks away — as is always the case — it is prime time for pundits, fans and even front offices to over-index the value of high draft picks. But one misnomer that’s subconsciously reiterated year-after-year is that the majority of value in the draft often comes in the
3:48 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — It’s been an eventful 24 hours for Raptors guard Fred VanVleet. In the wake of getting his head cut open and his tooth chipped following an inadvertent elbow from Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, VanVleet made multiple doctor visits to
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 7: The Toronto Raptors huddle during Game Four of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 7, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. 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