SAN FRANCISCO – The body of Lindy Waters III serves to capture the multitudes of his culture, of his history.

On the right side of his chest is a portrait of Lindy Waters, his grandfather who was renowned for his preaching and an athlete in his own right. Waters’ right leg features a portrait of Olympian Jim Thorpe, a member of the Sac & ...Read more

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — After being teammates this summer with Team USA, Lakers star forward LeBron James and Golden State Warriors star guard Steph Curry will return to a more familiar setting on Tuesday night: being on opposite teams.

The Lakers’ preseason slate continues when they host the Warriors at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, marking ...Read more

When Eric Dixon participated in the Portsmouth Invitational in April, the plan at that time was for the Villanova forward to forgo his final season of college basketball eligibility and head to professional basketball.

Participation in the event, which is against NCAA guidelines, is meant for college seniors who are heading off to the ...Read more

NEW YORK — At shootaround Sunday morning before the Wolves’ 115-110 preseason loss to the Knicks, Julius Randle said rookie Rob Dillingham came up to him with some starry-eyed observations about the floor at Madison Square Garden.

“Rob came in and said these lights are different. This court is different,” Randle said. “I’m just like...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid has battled injuries for most of his NBA tenure, including the 2023-24 season when a knee injury sidelined him for two months and stunted the 76ers’ playoffs hopes. But the Sixers appear to have a wide-ranging plan to get Embiid to the finish line.

On Sunday, Nick Nurse announced Embiid would not play in the ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Kings made a trade Monday that could be a precursor to a bigger deal as they prepare for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.

A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings are trading Jalen McDaniels, their 2031 second-round draft pick and cash considerations to the San Antonio Spurs, confirming a report from ESPN...Read more

Kansas men’s basketball will open the 2024-25 season as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 for a second straight season and fifth time in poll history.

The Jayhawks on Monday received 30 of a possible 60 first-place votes from an AP panel. Alabama came in second with 14 first-place votes, while UConn, Houston and Iowa State ...Read more

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Doug Collins brought a basketball onstage, a physical representation of why they all had gathered Sunday night at Symphony Hall.

“Eight pounds of air,” Collins said, “and what it’s done for all of our lives.”

That is how Collins began a heartfelt, candid and entertaining speech to commemorate his enshrinement ...Read more

The results are in: Steph Curry is no longer the best point guard in the NBA.

Both Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked ahead of Curry according to the 30 general managers polled in the league’s annual survey.

The poll isn’t just a bunch of randos on social media or even reporter-class pundits. It’s the league’s top decision-...Read more

NEW YORK — Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is not 100% healthy.

Liberty coach Sandy Brondello acknowledged as much Sunday ahead of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

But less than three months after she underwent right knee surgery, Laney-Hamilton came up big.

Laney-Hamilton scored 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting in the Liberty’s 80-66 win over the ...Read more

Some years, Kayla McBride earns MVP votes.

Some years, she earns votes for no awards at all.

Some years, she is an All-Star. Other years, she doesn’t come close.

The veteran Minnesota Lynx guard is capable of being a skilled, gritty, two-way dynamo with a quick-release three-point shot.

She’s also capable of receding into the background ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Fans looking to see how Joel Embiid meshes with Paul George and Tyrese Maxey this preseason are out of luck.

The 76ers announced Sunday that the 2023 MVP will miss the team's remaining preseason games as he continues his cautious ramp-up to the season.

The Sixers (1-2) have only three games remaining this preseason. They face ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Liberty have life.

They have their stars to thank.

Bounce-back performances by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu and a postseason-best effort by Betjinah Laney-Hamilton led the Liberty to an 80-66 win over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1 after losing an all-time stunner...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mark Pope is 2-0 as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp Arena.

And his team hasn’t played a game yet.

Nearly six months to the day after Pope made a triumphant return to the building he once called his basketball home, the new UK coach presided over his first Big Blue Madness.

That introductory press ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks are building something new, but like any major construction project, it takes time for all the pieces to fit.

The blockbuster trade sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns marked a seismic shift at Madison Square Garden, and the Knicks are still laying the ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — All you can ask of someone like Lakers rookie Quincy Olivari is for him to be ready, for him to not run when the opportunity to do something great presents itself, for him to step into opportunity ready to capitalize.

That happened Thursday night in Milwaukee, as he ignited a 20-0 run to give the Lakers and JJ Redick their first ...Read more

DES MOINES, Iowa — Before anyone became acquainted with Nick Nurse, he was a kid from Carroll, Iowa.

That little boy grew up to be an NBA champion coach. And on Friday, his 76ers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in front of a sold-out crowd that included family members and friends in the “triple digits.”

Nurse didn’t get his fairy-tale...Read more