nba Page 165 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Hey, NCAA: Let J.R. Smith play college golf already!
J.R. Smith never played college basketball. He jumped straight from high school to the NBA. Now that his NBA career is over, he’s making an effort to get a college degree. Smith will be attending North Carolina A&T — the largest HBCU in the nation, with just over 12,700 students — which consistently...

It’s okay to find the feel-good in Kemba Walker’s return to New York
From the land of chopped cheese and quarter waters emerged the coldest motherfucker to come out of New York City playgrounds and gyms since Sebastian Telfair in 2004. And that same guy is now a New York Knick, bringing it full circle 10 years after being drafted into the NBA, and after hitting possi...

Isaiah Thomas sure looks like he can still ball
When last seen on an NBA team, PG Isaiah Thomas suited up for the New Orleans Pelicans on a 10-day contract. Thomas played in just three games, scoring 23 points in 48 total minutes....

‘Malice at the Palace’ documentary is a reminder of the damage that coded language can cause
“I’m never talking about this sh*t again. Can you get that on camera?”...

Deadspin’s deep dive into umpire stats: accuracy and consistency are key
Umpires are supposed to get every call right to the point where they have virtually no impact on the outcome of the game. Therefore, whenever an umpire does affect the outcome of a game, people start to take notice. ...

Cade Cunningham vs. Jalen Green deliver from the jump
Summer League wasn’t always this popular....

Deadspin Waffles: Should the Bulls trade or keep Lauri Markkanen?
Over a week into free agency, Lauri Markkanen is still looking for his moment of clarity....

Once eyeing $100M+ deal, Dennis Schröder now may be lucky to get $6M
We should all bet on ourselves when the opportunity presents itself....

Kevin Durant and Draymond Green show unrivaled pettiness after gold medal win
After leading Team USA to a fourth straight gold medal in the Tokyo Olympic games, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green took to social media to exact a little revenge on all the “haters” who’d predicted their demise just days earlier....

Luka Dončić proves there’s few problems that $207 million can’t solve
It was just six weeks ago that the NBA world quaked a little when reports of Luka Dončić’s unhappiness first slithered out of Dallas. A report of strange dude in the front office who had somehow charmed Mark Cuban. Dissatisfaction with the roster around him. Then some longtime organizational stalwar...

Dawn Staley should be the NBA’s first woman head coach
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. Dawn Staley can “do” both, and it’s why she should be the first woman to be a head coach in the NBA....
![Just like the rest of the leagues… [UPDATED]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/8c1e4cfc97e3fb50092c5622d7adac21.jpg)
Just like the rest of the leagues… [UPDATED]
The Olympics ended yesterday, which allowed the president of the IOC to declare the Games a success. You could have the debate over what constitutes “success” for the Olympics all day. The actual completion of them doesn’t really feel like it qualifies, because there was never any other choice. Whic...

The world is closing the gap… but there’s still a gap
When Team USA’s men’s basketball squad lost against France to officially begin Olympic play on July 25, the doubts were significantly heightened....

Yes, it's a gold medal for Team USA, but what does that mean?
Nobody is going to argue that this was the best men’s basketball team the United States has sent to the Olympics. They’re gold medalists today thanks largely to Kevin Durant — throughout the tournament and including the title game against France; deciding that play time was over, and proceeding to w...

Stop heckling the Astros? No, I don’t think I will, Joey Votto
Yesterday, six-time All-Star and 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show to talk about his home run streak, the social obligations that go on when a runner reaches first base, and how the game of baseball has changed during Votto’s career, among many other topi...

Deadspin fixes: The Olympics
After the semifinals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles in Tokyo, eventual silver medalist Grant Holloway talked in an NBC interview about the challenge of sitting around the Olympic Village, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for his chance to take his spot on the grandest stage in athletics....

We aren’t talking about Luka Dončić and Slovenia’s Olympic run enough
Do y’all even realize how abnormal this is? ...
![All roads lead to Manchester City [Updated]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/3e280cb34547477636cd586944d68a54.jpg)
All roads lead to Manchester City [Updated]
Boy the pandemic really handicapped Middle Eastern oil money, huh?...

The Knicks’ low-risk offseason is a smart long-term strategy
Is it a coincidence that The LOX and Dipset had a classic Verzuz at MSG Theater less than 12 hours before Kemba Walker agreed to a deal with the New York Knicks? Probably not....

Keeping John Collins was key for the Hawks' championship hopes
The Hawks just helped secure their core for the next 4-5 years. And who knows where the ceiling is....