Legend has it, LeBron James has spent most of his G.O.A.T.-worthy career toeing the line between player and backroom controller. “Smiling faces with hidden agendas” and whatnot. Despite rumors, history and common sense asserting that LeBron has substantial influence on his teams, he has been reluctant to outwardly wield it. Now, with his Los Angeles
9:02 PM ET Reigning NBA MVP James Harden of the Houston Rockets is one of three finalists for the award for the 2018-19 season, the league announced Friday. Joining Harden, who led the league in scoring with 36.1 points per game, in the top three are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Paul George
And just like that, another NBA Draft Lottery came and went. But this one felt different. It felt strange for very obvious reasons. Tanking has always been an issue in the NBA and has only gotten worse with more and more bottom-feeder teams purposely losing games in order to move up in the draft order.
5:17 PM ET The NBA announced Friday that guard Tyreke Evans has been dismissed and disqualified from the league for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. He is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years under the program. Evans, 29, played for the Indiana Pacers this season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds
The Trail Blazers gave the Warriors everything they could handle in Game 2 but, unfortunately, couldn’t make the plays they needed to steal the win. This happens to the Warriors. Beating them always requires a certain degree of improbability and so when they look vulnerable for a quarter or two, they let you latch onto
The next installment of our series on 50-point games in NBA history looks at the Michael Jordan era of 1987-1998. In this episode, hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch look at Jordan’s emergence as the NBA’s most prolific scorer since Wilt Chamberlain and the NBA three-point line gives us a handful of unlikely 50-point scorers.
3:27 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The fact that Sonya Curry sent a group text to her extended family on the eve of the Western Conference finals is not surprising. She’s always sending inspirational texts to the family. Or as she pronounces it, “texes, like Texas.” But this “texes” message was special, because her sons
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 14: Darius Garland poses for a portrait at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. 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
And just like that, another NBA Draft Lottery came and went. But this one felt different. It felt strange for very obvious reasons. Tanking has always been an issue in the NBA and has only gotten worse with more and more bottom-feeder teams purposely losing games in order to move up in the draft order.
Liverpool vs. Barcelona live stream: Watch Champions League online by Warren Pegg Tuesday’s Schmidt List looks at one awesome Rockets fan, the Bucks as title contenders, Pablo Sandoval does something not seen since 1905. Rockets fan chants “New York Knicks” at Kevin Durant The Rockets tied the series with the Warriors at 2-2 behind James
12:10 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant will miss Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. The plan is for him to be evaluated in one week, the Warriors said in a statement released Thursday night. Durant, who hasn’t played since he
The Denver Nuggets were eliminated from the postseason by Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, ending a season that saw them win 54 games, see Nikola Jokic enter the MVP discussion, and establish their standing in the league. What’s next? After having never lost two games at home to the same team all season,
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 18: Liz Cambage speaks during the 2019 NBL Finals Launch at Marvel Stadium on February 18, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Did Darius Garland get a promise from the Lakers or Bulls? by Jonathan Reichenberger Liz Cambage’s trade demand cast a shadow over the Dallas Wings offseason.
There is no prelude necessary as we get ready for the Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers. Today we’re walking through 10 questions that will define the series and determine who gets to face the winner of the Milwaukee-Toronto matchup for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. When are Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry came out blazing hot and buried the Trail Blazers under a barrage of 3-point bombs in Game 1. Without Kevin Durant, the Warriors look like a different team. Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, it was the old team. You know, the one that won 73 games and was led by the NBA’s first
4:33 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo admits this isn’t how he envisioned the Milwaukee Bucks‘ season playing out. At the beginning of the season, Antetokounmpo couldn’t have known his team would make it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. The landscape of the Eastern Conference changed drastically in the summer
In case you hadn’t noticed, the playoffs fully bloomed over the last four weeks. To accompany the epic moments, the NBA’s new social media campaign poses its players as comic book protagonists. As Avengers: Endgame clears box office records in a single bound and superhero ubiquity conquers the culture, the NBA found inspiration for its
The Los Angeles Lakers had a bit of a surprise last night at the NBA Draft Lottery as they jumped up from their projected No. 11 slot to No. 4. It’s still unclear what they’ll eventually end up doing with the pick as talk has ranged from keeping it and making the selection, to using
Previewing the first-round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts The chart presents the approximate shooting percentages for Giannis and the remainder of the Bucks’ roster from less than 16 feet and from beyond the arc. It is important to
2:27 AM ET MILWAUKEE — At the moment Kawhi Leonard shook Khris Middleton on a backdoor cut for an easy layup midway through the third quarter of Game 1 on Wednesday night, the Toronto Raptors looked like their best selves. The Raptors had managed only five shot attempts at the rim in the first half,
It appears Zion Williamson is headed to New Orleans, and just about everyone in the city is making a pitch for his services. When Mark Tatum announced that the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft belonged to the New Orleans Pelicans, everyone knew what it meant. Barring some sort of miracle, the most
Brook Lopez had his best game of the postseason, helping power the Bucks to a fiery Game 1 win over the Raptors. This week, Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about the sting of losing Game 1 in the second round to the Celtics and how they could not afford to dig themselves a similar hole against the
DENVER, CO – MAY 12: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers shots the layup against the Denver Nuggets during Game Seven of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
7:44 AM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — One by one, the Milwaukee Bucks players pulled into the garage in the team’s practice facility. It was Thursday, less than 12 hours removed from their series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics, and Mike Budenholzer had given the team the day off. Yet there was Giannis
The decision was a surprise. The timing was not. With one day to go until the NBA Draft Lottery and Combine begin in Chicago, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a shocking hire as the organization’s next head coach—John Beilein. “I feel very strongly about this new and exciting opportunity with the Cavaliers,” Beilein said in the
3:21 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, whose coast-to-coast rivalry in the 1980s propelled the NBA to a new level of popularity, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The league and Turner Sports announced Wednesday that the Hall of Famers and 1992 U.S. Olympic teammates will receive
There is no prelude necessary as we get ready for the Eastern Conference Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors. Today we’re walking through seven questions that will define the series and determine who gets to face the winner of the Golden State-Portland matchup for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Do the Bucks go back
Before bowing out to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic continued to develop their already devastating combination. Jokic was superb and while Murray’s bouts of inconsistent shooting were tied to Denver’s losses, the way he played in their wins was a teaser of what
1:32 AM ET TORONTO — Over six months, Kawhi Leonard endured “82 practices,” then another 11 in the postseason. But there’s no preparation for the individual burden he placed on his broad shoulders Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Leonard launched more field goals through three quarters than either Kobe Bryant or LeBron James have
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 14: NBA Draft Prospect, Zion Williamson poses for a portrait at the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. 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