the-nba Page 13 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
LeBron James is benefitting from a desensitized media
At the end of a journalist’s shift, we just want transparency. That’s it. We want to ask questions, and get real answers. For example, when associates of LeBron James pop up in federal investigations involving steroids or sports betting, we have questions. And to be fair, LeBron answered the questio...
The case <i>against</i> Deion Sanders as Sportsperson of the Year
We are on the brink of our last full college football Saturday slate before bowl season. So, it’s apropos that Deion Sanders’ overhype earned him Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. After announcing Sanders as the recipient of the honor, Sports Illustrated is dodging tomatoes from the Int...
IDIOT OF THE MONTH: Defending Trevor Bauer is never a good look
Hello there, esteemed reader, and welcome to Deadspin’s IDIOT OF THE MONTH, the world-renowned series in which we mostly just make fun of Aaron Rodgers every few weeks. (Hi, Tom Laforgia!)...
Ball don't lie: NBA life not what Lonzo and LaMelo thought it would be
The NBA is Ball-less after Lamelo suffered an ankle injury earlier this week that will leave him sidelined for what sounds like at least a few weeks. Shams Charania reports that it’s a sprain of the same ankle Ball fractured last season. As the Charlotte Hornets prepare for life without LaMelo, the ...
Don’t let the In-Season tourney distract you from Orlando and Minnesota
The story of this early NBA season in the In-Season Tournament for no other reason than the league wants to cram it down our throats. However, this is not another diatribe about that mockery of a cup. That’s been done, so allow me to present to you the real stories at the quarter-ish mark of the sea...
The NBA's In-Season Tournament takes from soccer but isn’t a cup
I’ll give the NBA this, as a soccer fan. It’s the only league to take notice of soccer’s consistently rising popularity and attempt to capitalize on that by co-opting some element of it. This is where anyone like me has to fight a blinding urge to scream about promotion and relegation, and earlier t...
Hey, Jason Kidd: Learn how to take a compliment
Jason Kidd was in a foul mood after the Dallas Mavericks’ 121-115 victory against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. It was the final game of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament for the Mavericks, since they will not be advancing past the group stage. Them missing out on the knockout round would...
Billy Donovan needs to end this Chicago tragedy and get back to college hoops
One thing that became apparent during the final night of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament Group Stage was that the Chicago Bulls stink. ...
Sorry, Congress, Adam Silver and the NBA aren't going to stop doing business with China
When the U.S. is at war with China in 20 years, on the list of microaggressions that incited the conflict will surely be NBA-China relations. The Association’s dealings in the People’s Republic of China are so well-documented and lucrative that they created in-roads for its players, who may not real...
The NBA In-Season Tournament: Where you can lose and still win
The NBA has really outdone itself this time. This In-Season tournament nobody asked for in the first place has gotten more convoluted as it extends into the later stages. Rewarding teams as they lose is the biggest participation trophy-era thing there could be. Sure, the analytics crowd is juiced ab...
It's tough to watch, but PSG is doing the right thing
On the one hand, the architects of this PSG team probably should be applauded for actually taking the time to step back and try to create a team instead of collecting players. Messi left, Neymar decamped for Saudi Arabia and PSG didn’t chase whatever shiny thing they could find to plug the holes, no...
Russell Westbrook has a point about fans crossing the line
When attending an NBA game involving Russell Westbrook, you might want to be careful what words you let slip out of your mouth. Westbrook has never been with the foolishness of fans, but in the past few years, it’s like he’s been on a crusade to confront any fan who crosses him. Westbrook had anothe...
The contrived vilification of Malika Andrews has reached a tipping point
There’s no such thing as a good echo chamber. Eventually, bad narratives begin bouncing around, spreading and taking root at a cellular level. ...
The real problem with the Josh Giddey statutory rape allegations
When you continue to embrace a man who reportedly impregnated a 13-year-old when he was in college, and honor that same man regularly by inviting him to marquee league events (like the 2023 All-Star Game) alongside Kareem Abdul Jabbar and LeBron James, it makes it really hard to discipline a current...
The best fan-hosted NBA podcasts
With trust in the mainstream media dwindling daily, it’s no wonder corporate sports journalism is also losing ground. Partisanship and traffic-driven agendas have diluted the public’s trust in NBA talking heads. As anyone with a microphone and laptop can start a podcast, a DIY community of fan-drive...
These were the best NBA games ever played on Thanksgiving or Christmas
It’s been more than two decades since we’ve seen an NBA game on Thanksgiving. And for the sake of communion and fellowship, we’re better for it. It’s not like the TV won’t be on anyway. With Fox News and CNN rotting our brains and the NFL providing an annual doubleheader, there’s plenty to go numb f...
Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are putting on a show
It’s the season of giving and the Indiana Pacers have one man to be thankful for their early season prosperity. Tyrese Haliburton has given the league whiplash leading Indiana’s turnaround in the second year of his stint in Indiana. No offense is more captivating to watch or more dynamic than Indian...
Seems the Wizards might be ready to throw in the towel on Jordan Poole
The Washington Wizards are an absolute mess. They are one of the three worst teams in the NBA and they are reportedly already regretting the trade that brought Jordan Poole to the nation’s capital. Chris Paul might be a dirty, old man on the court, but at least he pays attention and takes the game s...
Miles Bridges takes the joy out of watching the Hornets
I don’t have a favorite NBA team. There is no fingernail biting or throwing of remote controls in my home when viewing the league. What I do have is players whom I most enjoy watching. Two of them used to be LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. I used to always look forward to the Charlotte Hornets’ 4 p.m...
The NBA's In-Season Tournament is broken. Here's how it can be fixed
Nobody expected the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament to have it all figured out right away. However, there are some drastic changes that need to be made. Friday night marks the final portion of the NBA In-Season Tournament’s Group Stage. After this week, the tournament whittles down to eight tea...