LEXINGTON, Ky. — Darius Acuff Jr. became the first five-star basketball recruit in the class of 2025 to make his college decision Friday afternoon.

The point guard picked John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Acuff — a 6-foot-3 playmaker from Detroit — was a major Kentucky recruiting target while Calipari was the head coach of the ...Read more

DENVER — The long-anticipated addition of Russell Westbrook to the Denver Nuggets roster is … almost official.

The former MVP has signed a contract that will make him the Nuggets’ second free-agent signing of the summer, according to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The deal is for two years and $6.8 million, according to ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit Friday against the NBA over the new media rights deal that cuts out the league's longtime TV partner Turner Sports.

The suit filed in New York Supreme Court asserts that the NBA breached its current deal by allegedly refusing to honor Turner's rights to match an offer from Amazon in the new...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Charles Barkley took to Instagram on Friday morning to express the sentiment many basketball fans have felt this week:

"It just sucks."

Barkley, a longtime analyst on TNT's popular "Inside the NBA" studio show, made his remarks in a statement posted two days after the league completed an 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — We've laughed together.

Quite a bit.

We've also cried, argued, grieved, taken a tumble, taken a stand, changed diapers, made "awful" Christmas cookies and, of course, talked a lot of basketball with Ernie, Kenny, Chuck and Shaq over the years on TNT's "Inside the NBA."

At least it felt as if we were active participants.

It ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — One morning in late May, Todd Svoboda awakened to a searing pain in his right leg.

Nevertheless, the former University of Kentucky men’s basketball folk hero stuck with his plan to attend a 5-kilometer foot race to watch his 14-year-old daughter, Eliana, run.

So severe was the pain, Svoboda, 52, had to use a walker to ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky will break ground this fall on a purpose-built training center, delivering on team ownership’s promise to provide exclusive player facilities.

The $38 million facility will be built in partnership with the Village of Bedford Park and located next to the Wintrust Sports Complex just south of Midway Airport. The Sky ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Paul George isn’t a doctor. Doesn’t play one on a podcast, either. But the 34-year-old superstar offered an interesting medical opinion during his introductory news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Asked whether there were any key precautions the Philadelphia Sixers could take to ensure that Joel Embiid and his aging ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Wells Fargo has decided against renewing its naming rights deal for the South Philadelphia arena that is currently the home of the Sixers and Flyers, the banking giant announced Wednesday.

"Wells Fargo regularly reviews and adjusts our overall sponsorship strategy. As such, we have made the business decision not to renew the ...Read more

DENVER — Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s brother was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault in connection with a fight at Ball Arena during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in April.

Strahinja Jokic, 41, is charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and appeared in Denver County Court on Tuesday, according to court ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NBA completed an 11-year, $76 billion media rights pact that will change the lineup of partners after next season, ending its decades-long relationship with cable network TNT and entering a new partnership with Amazon.

The league issued a statement Wednesday saying TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery did not match the terms ...Read more

NEW YORK — Tom Thibodeau helped pry open the New York Knicks’ championship window.

The franchise rewarded his efforts with the opportunity to see the job through.

The Knicks and Thibodeau, who had one year left on his deal, agreed to a three-year extension on Wednesday that will keep the culture-driving workhorse coach in New York through ...Read more

Josh Harris described the thunderstorm that delayed Philadelphia 76ers brass’ arrival to their free-agency pitch to Paul George. And the video they compiled to capture Philly fans’ fervor. And that he got to bring the legendary Julius Erving along for the recruitment.

Tuesday afternoon was the result, when the Sixers formally introduced ...Read more

Warner Brothers Discovery, the parent company of TNT, matched Amazon Prime Video’s bid for a share of the NBA’s new television package on Monday, according to an industry source. But whether TNT gets to keep the NBA beyond next season — despite matching Amazon’s offer — remains very much in question.

WBD matched Amazon’s $1.8 ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jeff Dowtin is returning to the Philadelphia 76ers after agreeing to two-way contract, a source confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 27-year-old point guard initially joined the Sixers on a two-way deal in March, before it was converted to a standard contract on April 4. He averaged 4.3 points and 2.3 assists in 12 ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Jared McCain is experiencing something new at NBA Summer League: playing on a professional level with a target on his back.

That's perhaps the best way to describe his play through six games on the Philadelphia 76ers summer league team. The No. 16 pick in the draft is adjusting to NBA speed and athleticism. And as one of the ...Read more

PHOENIX — From the volume of the crowd as lineups were announced Saturday, it would have been easy to forget that A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum weren’t being introduced for an Aces game.

The team’s four Olympians appeared in the 20th edition of the WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Team USA ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — This is the other side of NBA nepotism. This is when the door is barely slightly ajar, instead of swung wide open.

So, no, JC Butler is not enjoying the NBA experience of Bronny James this summer. This is the story of being the son of Caron Butler instead of the son of LeBron James.

And in this case, both father, the former Heat ...Read more