NBA Page 561 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Emoni Bates is fighting his way back from the abyss
It’s hard to believe that it’s been six years since Emoni Bates was the nation’s No. 1 middle schooler in the country. Three years ago, Bates was imagined as the type of ethereal prospect who would have viewed the summer league as a formality. By the time he arrived in Memphis during the fall of 202...
Joel Embiid sends warning shot to Sixers management
The Philadelphia 76ers have advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals in five of the last six postseasons. During the Joel Embiid era, that has been their ceiling chasing that ever-elusive Eastern Conference Finals appearance, which the franchise hasn’t been featured in since 2001. Pressure cont...
How about some real stakes for the NBA In-Season Tourney?
If the NBA’s goal with its in-season tournament is to simply further pad its upcoming national television rights deals, that’s fine. A few more nationally televised contests will always increase the package, and the players on the floor for these games will compete. However, stars won’t change their...
Try telling Kyrie Irving that ANTA is a significant step down from Nike
Kyrie Irving held a significant place in shoe culture up until he ran his mouth and got his Nike deal revoked. The mercurial point guard (pretty sure he single-handedly turned that phrase a cliche) consistently had the most popular sneaker at the company despite his on-again, off-again relationship ...
Keep an eye on Adam Silver’s words when it comes to 'sovereign wealth funds'
Never say never. Earlier this week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver almost said never when he declared that there isn’t a pathway “in the foreseeable future” for sovereign wealth funds to become the controlling owners in the NBA....
Here we go already with the Wemby MVP talk
Hyperbole often rules the day in sports media in the social media age. Everyone is almost subconsciously attempting to go viral during every waking moment. Enter former NBA player and current TNT analyst Kenny Smith. While calling a summer league game this week, Victor Wembanyama’s name came up in t...
Young hoopers need to hear Andre Drummond's cautionary tale
In today’s sports media landscape, it’s rare to find active players keeping it 100 percent real. Even when they speak the truth, it feels like they’re holding back just a bit. However, Andre Drummond kept it realer than most recently when speaking to a group of young hoopers. He talked about basketb...
The NBA's mid-season tourney is coming — and the league is better for it
After years of flirting with the idea, Adam Silver finally did it. He finally implemented the in-season tournament he’d teased for years. Frankly, the NBA’s in-season tournament setup could have been worse. Richard Jefferson cheesing his way through an over-the-top infomercial like a Buick salesman ...
I understand Zion Williamson's situation — dieting is difficult
I feel Zion Willamson’s pain. At 23 years old, a balanced diet was far from my primary concern. Not solely because of taste, but also affordability — news flash, sports media is not a largely lucrative profession. Back then, for me, the carbs didn’t make me pack on the pounds like they do now. Willa...
KAT talk places target square on Timberwolves' backs
Basketball has changed a ton over the past 25 years. It’s gone from NBA teams looking for the next great big man to change the game and dominate inside to finding the next mega star wing player or guard to get them over the hump. Back in the day, people drooled over the idea of a “twin towers” duo t...
Assessment after 2 summer league games: Victor Wembanyama is scary
Victor Wembayama’s rookie summer league didn’t have quite the immediate impact of Zion Williamson’s. There was no steal in which he wrestled the ball from the clutches of NBA starter and went Daryl Dawkins on the rim, nor an earthquake that stopped the game. What Wembayama was able to accomplish thr...
Dillon Brooks has got to be kidding
Making it to any professional sport and sticking around for a considerable amount of time requires a certain level of talent, dedication, and confidence in oneself. We often see players pump themselves up, making proclamations of being the best, although others don’t view them in that same light. Th...
Cooper Flagg was playing in the wrong summer league
Victor Wembanyama’s NBA summer league debut was a mixed bag that had quick-take artists calling him Raef “LaFrench” after a 3-for-14 shooting performance. Nevermind that he rejected several shots and affected a slew of others. On Sunday night, Wembanyama had to respond to the best player in a summer...
NBA fans aren’t amused by the new in-season tournament
If you’re an NBA fan, you’ve probably seen or heard about the official announcement of the new in-season tournament set to jump off in November. Those who follow The Association on social media, most notably Instagram, may have received a direct message from former NBA baller Richard Jefferson expla...
John Wall’s talents on display in Las Vegas
After a short stint in Los Angeles with the Clippers last season, John Wall was traded to his former team, the Houston Rockets, then released a few days later. Now Wall is a free agent and holding a private workout for teams in Las Vegas Sunday in hopes of sparking interest and signing with someone ...
Larry Johnson's ex says he sent her threatening voicemails and texts
Former UNLV and Knicks star Larry Johnson’s ex-girlfriend says he sent her threatening voicemails and harassing texts, Deadspin has learned. Johnson’s ex, Kasey Krummel, shared with Deadspin text messages and voicemails that support her claim that the 54-year-old retired NBA star is spiraling out of...
The Charlotte Hornets are a soap opera
Throughout the history of NBA teams that have called Charlotte, North Carolina home, a second-round trip to the playoffs has been the furthest point any franchise has made it. And while this iteration of the Hornets has nothing to do with the ones from yesteryear, they do feature something that prob...
Victor Wembanyama passes first test
If it wasn’t obvious from Victor Wembanyama’s interview on J.J. Redick’s podcast, this young man is ready for NBA life. Las Vegas, the slow July sports news cycle, Britney Spears, all of it crashed down on him in less than 24 hours. However, when it came time to address the scenario, Wembanyama was ...
Hoops, she did it again
This year’s No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, has only been an official NBA player for a week, and he’s already had his first wild encounter with a fan. But this wasn’t some random fan walking around Las Vegas, where Wemby will make his summer league debut on Friday. No, this was former teen po...
Where should expectations be set for Victor Wembanyama’s summer league dress rehearsal?
Victor Wembanyama’s career prologue is almost as long as he is. It already feels like Wembanyama’s in his second NBA season doesn’t it? It feels like just yesterday, when he was in the (French) Finals at the exact same time as Nikola Jokic. According to Marc Stein, Wembanyama’s scheduled NBA debut h...