CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s already making the rounds.

Long before the Charlotte Hornets’ season wrapped up, triggering the next phase of the team’s seemingly yearly reconstruction, the jokes were flowing on social media and via word of mouth. With the 2024 NBA draft class being widely labeled as one of the worst in recent memory — and the...Read more

ATLANTA — It came time Friday for the Hawks to recount their versions of the 2023-24 season. When it was Clint Capela’s turn at the end-of-season news conference at the team’s training complex, his comments were unsparing.

In the perspective of the veteran center, selfishness and a lack of commitment undid a team that aimed to build on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Their offense looked disjointed.

Doesn't matter.

The Clippers had to play Kawhi Leonard.

Their first-round playoff series is now level at one game apiece, as the Dallas Mavericks stole a 96-93 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.

Doesn't matter.

The Clippers had to play Kawhi Leonard.

Because the Clippers aren't ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Finch is one of the coolest dudes we've ever had around here as the head coach of a high-profile men's athletic team in the Twin Cities. This is based on his back story, him being straightforward, giving good answers to good questions, making quick work of bad ones, and never working hard to shine the light on himself, even...Read more

LOS ANGELES — As the Lakers were rolling through the final third of the NBA season, their identity complete with Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup and their offense humming, a trend was quietly developing.

The Lakers, over those 32 games with Hachimura cemented as a starter, were the second-best offense in the NBA in the first half, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Fellow LSU star Shaquille O'Neal opened the sealed envelope Wednesday and read the NBA's 2024 Sixth Man of the Year winner on national television: Timberwolves forward Naz Reid.

He's the first player in Wolves history to win the award and only the third player undrafted — out of LSU, via New Jersey — to win it, joining only ...Read more

SEATTLE — Sue Bird is joining the Storm ownership group, the team announced Wednesday.

“As a player, I poured my heart into every game for the Seattle Storm, and now, as part of the ownership group, I am thrilled to continue contributing to the growth of the game,” Bird said in a statement released by the Storm. “Investing in women’s ...Read more

CHICAGO — Angel Reese doesn’t want to take any part of her rookie season with the Chicago Sky for granted.

It doesn’t matter that she was the No. 7 pick in this year’s WNBA draft a year after winning a national championship with LSU. Or that she’s one of the most famous women’s basketball players in the world, garnering three ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Patience is a virtue, they say. It’s also a saying worth remembering as Mark Pope embarks on the great adventure of being the new Kentucky men’s basketball coach.

As of Tuesday morning, Pope’s UK roster for 2024-25 consisted of three players — Collin Chandler, the former BYU signee who is returning from a mission; ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns didn't play the entire second quarter of Tuesday's Game 2 playoff series against Phoenix because of second-quarter foul trouble.

"I was pretty motivated," he said after a 105-92 victory at Target Center. "Pretty motivated."

He followed that second quarter idled by three first-...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves are headed to Phoenix with a 2-0 series lead, and they leaned on No. 3 to get there.

The best player on the floor Tuesday night at Target Center was Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who scored a game-high 25 points and played terrific defense on Suns star Kevin Durant.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven, first-round ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — All of the transformations experienced by the 76ers this season were overshadowed by one massive makeover.

It delighted the fans, put the NBA on notice, and silenced critics who had long since hardened their opinions. It was a young point guard who stepped in and filled James Harden’s shoes without any problem.

You know ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Following the 76ers’ crushing, last-minute Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night, Joel Embiid called the officiating “[bleeping] unacceptable.”

The Last Two Minute Report released by the NBA Tuesday evening revealed that the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player had a point.

Further review determined that Sixers...Read more

His head bowed, his shoulders slumped, his hands shielding the glare from the camera lights circled above him, Joel Embiid sat at his locker and ripped the officiating and said it didn’t matter anyway because the Sixers were going to win the series.

Other than that, it was a ho-hum ending to a ho-hum night.

“We’re going to win this ...Read more

NEW YORK — Two-time All-Star Epiphanny Prince announced her retirement Tuesday after 14 WNBA seasons. The Brooklyn native and local prep star’s basketball career ends after showcasing her scoring talents on multiple teams — both overseas and in the states. She won a WNBA championship in 2020 with the Seattle Storm

“Officially retired,�...Read more

LAS VEGAS — After just over a year, former Raiders tight end Darren Waller and Aces guard Kelsey Plum have called it quits on their marriage.

The sports stars tied in the knot in Las Vegas on March 4, 2023.

On Tuesday, a petition for divorce was filed in Clark County for Kelsey Christine Plum and Darren Charles Waller.

Plum shared a message...Read more

DENVER — A video purporting to show the brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic punching a fan after the Nuggets’ game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers has gone viral on social media.

The TikTok video posted following the game at Ball Arena displays text that says, “Jokic brothers going wild,” with a flushed-face emoji. It shows two men ...Read more

DENVER — The collapse ended with a punch to the face, a blow to the ears, a dagger through the heart.

The collapse of a million Laker mistakes ended with one Denver Nuggets masterpiece, the ugliness of pretenders trumped by the beauty of champions.

Jamal Murray hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, Ball Arena shook with an avalanche of glee, ...Read more

NEW YORK — The ending — the chaos and collisions and the stones that it took Donte DiVincenzo to take that second three-point shot and make it — is what everyone will remember, but really, it’s only the beginning. Lawdy, finally, the 76ers and New York Knicks are starting to hate each other. Look at what we’ve been missing.

Joel ...Read more