Banchero, a forward from Duke, helped his team reach the Final Four this past season. Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren went to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 2.
Tag Archives: National Basketball Assn
He Saw. He Believed. Now He Can Be an N.B.A. Star.
The former Duke center Mark Williams is expected to be picked at the N.B.A. draft this week. He’s quickly learning what going pro really means.
The Celtics Got Lucky by Not Getting What They Wanted
Other teams’ superstars kept getting traded, and the Celtics wanted in on the action. Boston (mostly) missed out, and is probably better off for it.
Brittney Griner’s Supporters Have a New Strategy to Free Her: Make Noise
Those close to Griner pursued a strategy of silence after her detention in Russia in February, hoping to avoid politicizing her case. Now they are amping up public pressure, with some of it aimed at President Biden.
Trae Young, Your Hair Is a Magnificent Unsolved Mystery
The complex ’do of the Hawks player has been debated, dissed and memed. But our critic pays respect to its “confusion, awe and strength.”
Golden State’s Playoff Reappearance Doesn’t Quite Feel Like Old Times
The heart of the roster — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — is back in the N.B.A. playoffs, a world away from Oakland, the team’s soul.
N.B.A. Playoffs Preview: Good Luck Predicting Anything
The Suns have dominated, and the Bucks are the reigning champions. But the Grizzlies, Celtics, Sixers, Nets, Heat and Golden State all have a real shot to win.
Nets Beat Cavaliers in Play-In and Will Face Celtics Next
For three quarters, the Nets again showed their best side. A matchup against the Celtics in the playoffs will require a more complete effort.
Russell Westbrook’s Complicated Homecoming
The N.B.A. star and native Angeleno is thriving back in the city where he grew up. Just don’t ask a Lakers fan.
Gene Shue, All-Star and Longtime N.B.A. Coach, Dies at 90
He had a seven-decade pro career, starting as a guard with the Pistons before coaching for 22 years, leading the Bullets and the 76ers to the finals.
As His CNN+ Show Debuts, Rex Chapman Fears His Own Success
With 1.2 million Twitter followers and a show debuting on CNN+, the former N.B.A. player appears to have an enviable life. But he’s haunted by what happened the last time he was famous.
N.B.A. Basketball Returns to Chinese TV After a Long Absence
China Central Television stopped showing the games in 2019 after a Houston Rockets executive expressed support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong.
How Australia Became an NBA Point Guard Pipeline
The N.B.A. Global Academy has developed a reputation for training elite young passers, including Josh Giddey, the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft.
Enes Kanter Freedom and the Consequences of Speaking Out
Enes Kanter Freedom has condemned human rights abuses in Turkey for years. Now he claims the N.B.A. is blackballing him as he focuses on abuses in China.
As the N.B.A. Turns, the Phoenix Suns Keep Chugging Along
The uncertainty surrounding the Lakers and interpersonal dramas among the Sixers, Nets and others have obscured the Suns’ steady pursuit of the N.B.A.’s best record.
‘Winning Time’: When the NBA Went Pop
A new HBO drama chronicles the 1980s Lakers, whose fluid style and Hollywood flair changed the game and the culture. An N.B.A. writer takes account.
How Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Game Changed the NBA
For the game’s 60th anniversary, two of Chamberlain’s teammates relived the night that was a touchstone for a transcendent athlete and the white-by-design N.B.A.
Prospects Get a Taste of N.B.A. Life During All-Star Weekend
Members of a developmental team, the N.B.A. G League Ignite, some still in their teens, participated in the N.B.A.’s All-Star Weekend.
Chinese Fans Create Unforgettable Nicknames for Olympic Athletes
The world’s most popular Olympians are household names. But to Chinese fans who delight in creating nicknames, they’re different characters entirely.
Oscar-Nominated Film ‘The Queen of Basketball’: Lusia Harris and Her Legacy
Ms. Harris knew that basketball wouldn’t bring her the rewards it offered her male counterparts, but she loved the game. And she loved being great at it.
Lakers Pass N.B.A. Trade Deadline Unchanged and Uncertain
For a team still searching for cohesion around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the buyout market may not be enough to vault into title contention.
What to Expect from the Nets and the Knicks in the Second Half
Here are some of the questions looming over New York’s N.B.A. teams in the second half of the season.
N.B.A.’s Warriors Disavow Part-Owner’s Uyghur Comments
The Golden State Warriors distanced themselves from a minority stakeholder, Chamath Palihapitiya, who said “nobody cares” about the Uyghurs, the ethnic group that has faced a deadly crackdown in China.
Pelicans Choose to Remain Upbeat, Not Beaten Down
New Orleans guard Josh Hart is assembling his most complete pro season under a new coach who is relentlessly positive, and for a team that is still missing Zion Williamson.
How the N.B.A. Forgot Dwight Howard
Howard went from being a dominant defender “the world revolved around” to an overlooked sub on the Lakers. What happened?
How Big Sports Leagues Are Trying to Woo the Gamer Generation
Here’s what sports marketers are doing to win back a lost generation and save the future of fandom.
As W.N.B.A. Players Call for Expansion, League Says Not Now
Many players and fans want bigger rosters and more teams, but the W.N.B.A. said it can’t “expand for expansion’s sake” without the money to support it.
Amir Johnson Is More Than an Answer in N.B.A. Trivia
His name was the last on a list that included LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. But his biggest impact on basketball may be yet to come.
Sam Jones, Sharpshooting Celtics Star of the 1960s, Dies at 88
A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in N.B.A. history and played on 10 N.B.A. championship teams.
‘Every Hooper’s Dream’: N.B.A. Hopefuls Get Their Chance During Crisis
The rapid spread of the coronavirus has depleted several N.B.A. rosters, leading teams to call on lower-level pros and former stars to fill in. But that also has its risks.
For the Warriors and the Suns, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like the Playoffs
In a close game, with Stephen Curry scoring 33 points, Golden State and Phoenix offered what seemed like a preview of the Western Conference finals.
What Is a Foul in the NBA? It’s Always Evolving
The N.B.A. foul is never set in stone. As players reinvent the game, the officiating changes, too.
The N.B.A.’s Early Story Lines: Missing Stars, Big-Time Bulls, Jokic
The Chicago Bulls have stood out for their surprising success on the court. But three stars have been in the spotlight without ever taking a shot.
N.B.A.’s Adam Silver Says Christmas Games Will Go On
A day after the N.H.L. announced a pause in its schedule, N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver said the responsible thing for his league was to play and “learn to live with” the virus.
Postponed Games and Increased Testing as Covid Continues to Impact Athletes and Teams
The N.B.A. and N.H.L. announced a new round of game postponements, and the N.F.L. again adjusted its testing policies, as a Covid-19 surge continued to dog athletes.
Kyrie Irving Returns to the Brooklyn Nets, Part Time
Irving remains unvaccinated. He will be eligible to play only road games, except those against the Knicks and the Toronto Raptors.
He Thought He Made N.B.A. History. All He Got Was 3 Points.
The N.B.A. introduced the 3-point shot in the 1979-80 season. Six players made 3s opening night, and for a decade, Kevin Grevey thought he’d made the first.
McCollum on Simmons Trade Rumors, Vaccines and Blazers Firing
Portland guard CJ McCollum is facing challenges both personal and professional in his first year as president of the players’ union. “It’s the life I chose,” he said.
Lakers Search for Answers, With and Without LeBron James
James could miss multiple games because of coronavirus protocols, but the Lakers have struggled even when he has played.
The Teenagers Getting Six Figures to Leave Their High Schools for Basketball
The new pro league Overtime Elite is luring young phenoms with hefty salaries, viral success and — perhaps — a better path to the N.B.A.
Do Sports Still Need China?
Global outrage, broken contracts and shifting politics could change the calculus for leagues and teams that once raced to do business in China.
Win Or Lose, the Knicks and Lakers Are Worth Billions
Sports franchise valuations are guesses, with few data points for comparison. But prestige franchises like these can defy all calculations.
A Mexico City Basketball Team With N.B.A. Dreams Makes a Home in Texas
The Mexico City Capitanes, playing away from home because of the pandemic, are the first G League team in Mexico and an important part of the N.B.A.’s international expansion.
What to Know About the Robert Sarver Racism and Sexism Allegations
Sarver, who owns the N.B.A.’s Phoenix Suns and the W.N.B.A.’s Phoenix Mercury, has been accused of using racial slurs and making sexual and other inappropriate comments.
New Black N.B.A. Coaches Wonder Why It Took So Long to Get a Shot
The N.B.A.’s coaching ranks have long been dominated by white men, but a demand from Black players for more diversity may be changing things.
His N.B.A. Dream Was Right There. Then He Couldn’t Move His Legs.
A mysterious illness on the eve of the 2019 N.B.A. draft derailed Kris Wilkes’s hopes of going pro. As he heals, he’s not giving up hope.
Celtics Games Are Pulled in China After Enes Kanter’s Pro-Tibet Posts
The Boston center called China’s leader, Xi Jinping, a “brutal dictator” on social media, igniting an online backlash in the country. The N.B.A.’s online partner stopped streaming the team’s games.
N.B.A. Eastern Conference Preview: The Bucks Aren’t Finished Yet
The Bucks might be better, while the Sixers and Nets are playing wait-and-see with key stars. The Eastern Conference could play out in several ways.
Rucker Park, a Basketball Mecca, Gets New Life
Rucker Park in Harlem has been a proving ground for amateurs and professionals for generations. “We don’t come there giving you roses,” one player said. “You got to earn it.”
18 Former N.B.A. Players Charged With Insurance Fraud
Federal prosecutors said Terrence Williams, who once played for the New Jersey Nets, had orchestrated a scheme that led to the filing of nearly $4 million in fraudulent medical claims.