Basketball Page 4 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Lynx star Napheesa Collier rips WNBA: 'worst leadership in world'
Minnesota guard Napheesa Collier blasted WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for "the worst leadership in the world" in a resounding statement sending shockwaves around the league on Tuesday.,"We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now we have the worst le...
WNBA, USA Network parent reach 11-year rights deal
The WNBA and Versant announced an 11-year deal on Tuesday to broadcast league games on USA Network, beginning with the 2026 season.,Financial terms were not revealed for the pact, which runs through the 2036 season and calls for at least 50 games on the network each season. That includes playoff gam...
Nikola Jokic voices desire 'to be with the Nuggets forever'
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has no desire to leave the Denver Nuggets.,Jokic affirmed his commitment to the franchise at Denver's season-opening media day. The Serbian star center was asked if he'd sign a max extension next offseason that could pay him close to $300 million over four years.,"I don't...
Thunder focused on title defense following short offseason
Despite a shortened offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder's players say they are ready to defend their first title in franchise history.,The journey will be led by 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who says his goal is to win it all again.,"It would suck to lose th...
Celtics' Jayson Tatum feels 'no pressure' in recovery from Achilles injury
Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he's not feeling any pressure to push his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon.,"No pressure from (Celtics president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens), (coach) Joe (Mazzulla), the team or the organization," Tatum said Monday at the Celtics' media day. "The m...
Hawks' Trae Young focused on team's talent, not unfulfilled extension
Trae Young enters the 2025-26 season in an interesting duality with the Atlanta Hawks.,He's entering the fourth year of a five-year, $215 million contract and has not been offered the four-year, $229 million extension he was eligible for this offseason.,But he's also surrounded by quite possibly the...
Kawhi Leonard claims reports of Clippers’ no-show job not ‘accurate’
Kawhi Leonard said the allegation that he signed up for a no-show job with a now-bankrupt company to help the Los Angeles Clippers circumvent the salary cap is nothing but a conspiracy theory.,At the team's preseason media day Monday, Leonard spoke publicly for the first time since reporting by the ...
Resilient Fever, dominant Aces ready for winner-take-all Game 5
Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever on the brink of an unexpected WNBA Finals trip., ,But the Fever must win one more elimination game, and one more game on the road, in order to make that happen. They go up against MVP A'ja Wilson and the second-seeded Las Vegas Ac...
Paige Bueckers highlights WNBA All-Rookie team
No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings and two members of the Washington Mystics headlined the 2025 WNBA All-Rookie team, announced Monday.,Bueckers went first overall to Dallas following a decorated career at UConn that included a national championship this past April. In her debut sea...
Spurs welcome back taller Victor Wembanyama; PG De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) out
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson welcomed Victor Wembanyama back to the court and said the All-Star was cleared by the team and league to return from deep vein thrombosis. ,"Victor's cleared," Johnson said of his plan for Wembanyama in training camp. "He's been cleared by our medical team and by the league...
LeBron James not waiting on second son to reach NBA
LeBron James played with son Bronny James last season in an historic first in basketball history, but the future Hall of Famer is not looking to prolong his career to play with his second son, Bryce.,"No, I'm not waiting on Bryce," James said Monday to a reporter at the Los Angeles Lakers media day....
Rockets F Kevin Durant open to contract extension with new team
During his first media day with the Houston Rockets, star forward Kevin Durant said he is open to signing a contract extension with his new team.,On the occasion of his 37th birthday, it was Durant who brought the presents to his new home city, saying he is willing to make the stay longer than the o...
Mavs tap brakes on Kyrie Irving's 'ahead of schedule' reports
Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd downplayed reports that star point guard Kyrie Irving is ahead of schedule in his return from a torn ACL.,Addressing the matter at Media Day on Monday, Kidd said Irving is doing "quite well" but that labeling him "ahead of schedule is not fair.",The team has not pro...
Giannis Antetokounmpo (COVID) misses Bucks' media day
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was absent from media day Monday after being diagnosed with COVID, Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst said.,Antetokounmpo is currently in Greece and Horst said the Bucks were trying to make him available to the media via Zoom.,With training camp getting underwa...
Mercury oust top-seeded Lynx, advance to WNBA Finals
Alyssa Thomas had 23 points and 10 assists, Satou Sabally scored 21 points and the host Phoenix Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals with an 86-81 comeback victory over the game but crippled Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of their semifinal series Sunday night.,DeWanna Bonner had 11 of her 13 points and al...
Aliyah Boston, Fever force decisive Game 5 vs. Aces
Aliyah Boston had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 and the short-handed Indiana Fever defeated the Las Vegas Aces 90-83 in Game 4 to tie their best-of-five semifinal series Sunday in Indianapolis., ,Odyssey Sims added 18 for the sixth-seeded Fever, who forced a decisive Game 5 on...
Agent: Al Horford to sign multiyear deal with Warriors
Entering his 19th season in the NBA, free agent Al Horford will be the Warriors' starting center after making a verbal commitment to Golden State on Sunday, per an ESPN report. ,Horford's agent, Jason Glushon, told ESPN on Sunday that the 39-year-old will sign a multiyear deal to head west after spe...
Lakers sign F Anton Watson, G Nate Williams
The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Anton Watson and guard Nate Williams.,Watson was a second-round pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Draft. He signed a two-way contract with the team. However, he appeared only in G-League games for the franchise. In 21 games for the Maine Celtics, he ave...
Lynx, minus star player and head coach, in survival mode against Mercury
The Minnesota Lynx are playing to save their season against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of their contentious WNBA semifinal playoff series Sunday, and they will do so without star forward Napheesa Collier and coach Cheryl Reeve.,Collier was declared out because of a left ankle injury, and Reeve wa...
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve suspended one game for tirade at officials
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been suspended one game and fined for her conduct during and after Friday's 84-76 loss to the host Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of their WNBA semifinals series, the league announced Saturday.,Minnesota assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were ...