Basketball Page 780 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Beard's ego has him stuck between a Rock(et) and a Harden place
James Harden is in limbo. Last season, he was all in on taking a pay cut in an effort to give the Philadelphia 76ers cap flexibility to sign glue guys who would put them over the edge come playoff time. A year later, he’s the acetone on their franchise continuity. His constant bellyaching stemming f...

Did Joel Embiid commit to Team USA just for the tampering?
Apparently, all it takes to convince American hoops players to represent their country is an insult or a loss at the FIBAs. Whether it was Noah Lyles, the B team’s fourth-place finish, or the human instinct to ape the cool kids, Team USA looks to be loaded for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. ...

Report: Joel Embiid to play for U.S. at Paris Olympics
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will play for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN reported....

WNBA awards franchise to Golden State Warriors
The WNBA awarded an expansion franchise to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, with the team set to begin play in 2025....

Dearica Hamby files complaint against WNBA, Aces
WNBA player Dearica Hamby has filed a complaint against the WNBA and Las Vegas Aces, contending gender discrimination, multiple outlets reported....

Caitlin Clark unsure if she'll leave for WNBA after this season
Iowa star guard Caitlin Clark is entering her fourth season at Iowa and it may not be her last....

Bucks ‘being smart’ with return of Khris Middleton
Only the Milwaukee Bucks know what's ailing swingman Khris Middleton, but whatever it is, the team is "being smart" about it....

NBA Weak Links: Milwaukee‘s 2-guard position could be a sinkhole on their road to a title
A great team is only as strong as its weakest link. At least that’s the consensus among every motivational coach I’ve ever heard. But for the sake of this space, it’s true for NBA contenders as well. I’ll examine the weak spots in some of the most iron-clad lineups in the NBA entering the 2023 seaso...

Is Russell Westbrook becoming the Clippers' locker room leader?
Russell Westbrook is one of the more polarizing NBA players of his era. From his fashion sense to his questionable play on the court at times, Westbrook is often in headlines for one reason or another. Westbrook walks around with a rough exterior, and for good reason. But underneath, there’s a down-...

Reports: James Harden rejoins Sixers for training camp
James Harden joined the Philadelphia 76ers for training camp on Wednesday in Colorado, multiple outlets reported....

Report: WNBA to announce Bay Area expansion team Thursday
The WNBA will announce an expansion team to be based in the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday, USA Today reported....

Anthony Davis says he wants to play all 82 games this season — how long until he sits?
Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is ready to rock and wants all the smoke with the defending NBA Champion, Denver Nuggets, and their MVP Nikola Jokić. Davis also claims to have a goal of playing 82 games this season. Neither of those things are likely to end well for the eight-time All-Star....

5 sure-fire ways James Harden can force a trade
The Philadelphia 76ers are entering one of the most important seasons in franchise history, as reigning MVP Joel Embiid desperately wants to contend, and edges ever so closer toward disgruntled. The Sixers have been a soap opera for going on five years (if not longer), and each attempt to build arou...

Report: Rockets set to sign F Reggie Bullock
Veteran forward Reggie Bullock will sign with the Houston Rockets after clearing waivers, The Athletic reported Tuesday....

Kawhi Leonard thinks the NBA’s new Player Participation Policy is aimed at him
Kawhi Leonard is not happy about the NBA’s new Player Participation Policy. In fact, Leonard seemed to take it as a personal jab by the association when asked about it during the Clippers media day. The so-called “king” of Los Angeles is not impressed with the new rule and says it won’t help him pla...

A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are the WNBA’s Bird and Magic
There’s nothing worse than an ending that doesn’t offer a definite ending. Think The Sopranos cutting to black in the diner or Emmy-winning GLOW being canceled on a cliffhanger during the pandemic as the ‘94 MLB strike-shortened season of series finales. Last month, Winning Time ended with the Bosto...

The NBA doesn’t take bad behavior against women seriously when stars aren’t involved
If Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, LeBron James, Paolo Banchero, or Victor Wembanyama did what Josh Primo did, it would be the talk of the NBA as Media Days took place this week. But the NBA knows that, which is why most sports fans have no idea that the free-agent guard is ...

Was that Jimmy Butler or Jared Leto at Heat media day?
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler turned heads at the team’s media day on Monday with his new “emo Jimmy” look. Butler walked in with his hair straightened, covering one side of his face, which included piercings above one eye and lips, complete with black fingernail polish. ...

James Harden should have been the DX to Daryl Morey’s WCW at media day
James Harden missed a golden opportunity by not attending the Philadelphia 76ers’ media day....

Boston hopes Jrue Holiday is the missing piece for their Silly Putty roster
The Boston Celtics seem to believe that if they keep smashing buttons, a championship will eventually materialize. The Celtics have reconfigured around Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum countless times. The early Tatum-Brown years saw them trying to build a contender through the Joe Lacob two-track plan...