the-nba Page 6 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

First woman, openly gay NFL coach torn over which of her former teams to root for in Super Bowl
Katie Sowers was a member of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff the last time the San Francisco 49ers were in the Super Bowl. That was back in 2020, when the Niners took on the Kansas City Chiefs, whom Sowers would join as an offensive assistant the following season....

The Knicks and Ryan Arcidiacono are the cure to the NBA’s scoring surge
Somehow, the New York Knicks are MacGyvering their way to the top of the East in a super soldier league in a manner we haven’t seen since the ‘04 Pistons. OG Anunoby’s arrival has fortified Tom Thibodeau’s defense into the NBA’s Fort Knox, and once Mitchell Robinson returns, the paint in Madison Squ...
![Matt Barnes removed from Sacramento Kings broadcast [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/bcbb4072e4d668fd7e20eec343b0dad9.jpg)
Matt Barnes removed from Sacramento Kings broadcast [Update]
Updated Feb. 21: Matt Barnes has been removed from the Sacramento Kings broadcasting team, weeks after the news of him putting his hands on a high school broadcaster, a spokesperson from NBC Sports California told The Sacramento Bee. ...

Sorry, Knicks fans. LeBron James is just not that into you
LeBron James sure does love stringing Knicks fans along. It wouldn’t be a pre-agency year for the all-time scoring champ if he weren’t using the Knicks as leverage. In 2010, the Knicks thought they had him. Donnie Walsh had Mike D’Antoni installed as head coach, the cap room to Carmelo Anthony, the ...

Kawhi Leonard has entered the chat in the NBA MVP conversation
For fans who tend to skip over much of the NBA regular season, you’ve probably missed the recent uprising in talk about Kawhi Leonard having a claim in the MVP conversation. Most years, Leonard’s numbers are great. But since he blossomed into a star toward the end of his run in San Antonio, “The Cla...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP heist is nearly complete
Joel Embiid’s departure from the MVP race while he undergoes minor surgery to repair a displaced flap in his meniscus has created a vacancy. His coronation has now become a vastly different two-man heat. With due respect to Luka Doncic’s gaudy numbers, he’ll be a long shot as long as the Dallas Mave...

These are the current and former NBA players who need their own podcast
A decade ago, who would have thought that current and former players would be the best analysts and commentators in the NBA? A novel idea, eh? Former players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s “All The Smoke” and Gilbert Arenas were early purveyors of player-run podcasts. It’s since evolved to includ...

Jalen Brunson is the best point guard in the NBA
At his introductory press conference on Sept. 22, 2022, Jalen Brunson sat at a podium, decked out in a crisp number 11 New York Knick jersey, and said the following, “I’m not a savior in any way, shape, or form. I just want to be able to contribute to the team.”...

Nikita Kucherov exposed NHL All-Star weekend for the farce that it is
There’s a fallacy out there that any All-Star Game is “for the fans.” That idea flew out the window long ago, especially for the NBA and NHL. The All-Star Game is merely a junket for the league’s biggest sponsors to get the chance to hobnob with the game’s top stars, a reward for their support of th...

Kim Mulkey needs to do right by Brittney Griner; Ben Simmons a hero?; Klay Thompson being traded?
Anyone who dresses the way Kim Mulkey does loves attention. And since the ultra-competitive and always controversial head coach has never shied away from the camera, she might as well show up in Waco next month for a photo-op on Brittney Griner’s big night — even if the two can’t stand each other. -...

Lakers-Celtics said a lot about both teams — little of it good
The Los Angeles Lakers earned their most impressive win of the season Thursday night, while the Boston Celtics arguably ceded their worst loss. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined with injuries, Austin Reaves and Co. handed a fully staffed C’s team their third home defeat of the season, 11...

Ben Simmons is the hero the NBA Players Association didn’t know it needed
Ben Simmons shows up to work, posts up on the bench in vibrant fits, shades, and quietly monitors the Nets from afar. The Nets’ well-compensated point forward has one of the best desk jobs in the NBA. Simmons being back on the shelf to rest another affliction once made him a maligned figure, but he ...

The 10 best NHL All-Star Game moments
The 2024 NHL All-Star game is this weekend. Every year, there is seemingly a new memorable moment for fans and players to look back on. Last year it was headlined by performances from stars like Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, and Elias Petterson. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments from ...

Joe Dumars turns his back on NBA defenses
NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars has to say everything is fine while standing in front of a fiery explosion of scoring. And, of course, he’s going to be anti-load management. He is a shill for the league and has to toe the company line on the state of the game. However, it’d just be nice to a...

Here’s the worst hockey take you’ll see all day
As the NHL grapples with Salt Lake City’s agitation to crash the party through an expansion team, there are certainly many issues to consider. That is to say that there are discussions between fans and observers online and at the bar. The league itself will still only concern itself with the $1 bill...

LeBron James has played with or against these 10 father-son duos
Love him or hate him, you have to marvel at the sheer longevity of LeBron James’ career. A Jan. 17 chyron from an ESPN on ABC broadcast revealed that the Washed King has played against 35 percent of all players to ever play in the NBA. As of Jan. 27, that massive pool of opponents now includes 10 di...

Tyrese Haliburton thinks the NBA's 65-game award minimum is stupid. He’s right
Tyrese Haliburton played 22 minutes and change on Tuesday night. A hamstring injury has been nagging him for most of January. Haliburton has missed 10 of the Indiana Pacers’ last 11 games. Usually, there would be no issue with him needing 15-20 games to fully recover from a soft-tissue injury. In fa...

If you think Klay Thompson is on his way out of San Francisco, think again
The Golden State Warriors have had a hellacious run over the past decade in the NBA winning four championships and appearing in six Finals over this time. One of the core pieces from the beginning of this dynasty has been Klay Thompson. Despite what Thompson has meant to this franchise, many people,...

The case for — and against — Joel Embiid for MVP
Joel Embiid, the world’s best regular-season player, is closing in on his second consecutive MVP if he remains upright. When active, Embiid is a force of nature, bending defenses to his whim and simultaneously wielding an unduly influence over Philadelphia’s defense....

Doc Rivers should focus on fixing Damian Lillard before the Bucks’ defense
The Milwaukee Bucks, by virtue of having the fourth-best record in the NBA, could afford to take the gamble that is firing your coach midseason. Their position in the standings gives them the luxury of “having patience” with new skipper, same offense Doc Rivers, and if that means trading a few losse...