DENVER — Basketball season finally, unofficially tipped off Monday when the Denver Nuggets reported to Ball Arena ahead of training camp. After they began the week with media day, they headed to Boulder, Colo., for a few days of training camp that starts Tuesday.

This is an unusual moment for Denver. Outside expectations for the franchise are...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Multiple WNBA coaches have spent this week commenting on how this year's playoff field is the most competitive its ever been, with top-down parity unlike any prior season.

That New York "is an eight-seed is really cruel," Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said pregame. "But it's every matchup, right?

"Having a wide open ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — A’ja Wilson didn’t feel like she was in a “flow” state of mind Sunday.

It didn’t matter.

Wilson tied her career playoff high with 38 points as the Las Vegas Aces defeated Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever 102-85 in their WNBA playoffs opener Sunday Michelob Ultra Arena.

“I think that I just did my job,” Wilson ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls won’t deal in hypotheticals for much longer.

Most of this summer existed in the realm of “what if.” The Bulls cleaned house, hired a new coach and executive vice president of basketball operations, drafted a couple of exciting prospects and added a handful of new faces in free agency. But like any busy ...Read more

MIAMI — Thankfully, offseason is about to turn into preseason for the Miami Heat. Perhaps then summer blather will turn into tangible chatter.

When the Heat landed Shaquille O’Neal in the Summer of ’04 and then the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the Summer of ’10, the discourse was of potential possibilities, ...Read more

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The serendipity of sport always seem to hover over moments like this. When emotions are high and history of the strangest kind is in the making, who will be chosen by fate?

Maybe the unlikeliest candidate on the floor on Thursday night was Ashlon Jackson, who’d already had her moment in 2026. But there she was with the ...Read more

SEATTLE — Don’t feel bad for the Seattle Storm and Flau’jae Johnson, because she’s not shedding tears any more.

Sure, she cried this season. Many times, in fact. She wept during postgame interviews and sobbed privately with teammates when the losses mounted to historic levels.

“What I love about Flau is what you see is what you get,�...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls on Saturday acquired guard Buddy Hield from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Rob Dillingham, per an ESPN report.

The trade came shortly before players report to training camp next week, reflecting the willingness of the new front office to continue tweaking a malleable roster during a rebuilding season.

The ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — During Duke’s basketball practice Thursday, freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje began shooting 3-pointers from the right wing.

Swish, swish, swish, swish …

Boumtje Boumtje made nine in a row before a miss, then another nine straight. Later, the lefthander continued to hit 3s after Duke assistant coach Tyler Thornton began ...Read more

A Friday morning rush hour of intense bidding sent the one-of-one Cooper Flagg Topps Rookie Debut Patch Card skyrocketing at auction, selling for $8.04 million. The price more than doubled during the feverish close of the auction presented by Fanatics Collect.

The card of the Dallas Mavericks star forward became the third-most expensive NBA ...Read more

LeBron James got his first taste of Philadelphia in his senior year of high school when he played at the Palestra.

Now, he’ll be calling the city home after signing a two-year, $8 million deal to presumably finish his legendary career with the Sixers. James spoke about his decision to join Philadelphia on the first episode of season four of ...Read more

MIAMI — From the moment the agreement was reached on June 22 to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, the singular goal by the Miami Heat has been to create a connection.

The roster was reshuffled. A welcoming gala was staged. Relocation was assisted.

But there also was a constant that the Heat hope will create the type of ...Read more

The news conference Thursday began with Lakers president of operations Rob Pelinka saying he wanted to "express gratitude" to LeBron James for the eight years he spent playing for Los Angeles before departing to Philadelphia as a free agent over the summer.

It didn't take long for Pelinka to pivot into Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and how ...Read more

Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2025, winning a league-record 1,390 regular-season games, 170 postseason games and five NBA championships.

For four of those championships and quite a few of the other victories, one of Popovich's assistant coaches was his new wife's ex-husband.

Popovich, 77, married Mary Barth ...Read more

OAKLAND, Calif. — Steph Curry is in no rush to sign a contract extension that would all but guarantee he would finish his career as a Warrior.

But playing in anything but a Golden State uniform? Curry emphatically squashed that notion on Wednesday afternoon.

“This is a very unique situation, and I’ve been pretty straightforward and ...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — The Protect College Sports Act has drawn passionate support, and just as passionate opposition as it works its way through congress. The bipartisan bill is meant to create unified standards for college athletics and end the perceived chaos of recent years.

UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley weighed in after the Huskies�...Read more

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson had a "friendly and casual 'friends with benefits' sexual relationship" with the woman who is accusing him of raping and abusing her multiple times between 2018 and 2023, according to a court filing by the former Duke standout's legal team.

A document submitted to Los Angeles County Superior Court on ...Read more

Tributes accumulated rapidly for Chris Spatola, a popular ESPN college basketball analyst who died Monday. He was 47.

Spatola is the son-in-law of legendary former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and was an assistant coach with the Blue Devils from 2007 to 2012. He married Krzyzewski's daughter, Jamie, and the couple had three children together.

...Read more

The WNBA's rookie scoring record now belongs to Minnesota Lynx point guard Olivia Miles, who moved past Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark for total points scored in a player's first season as the visiting Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 101-89 on the road.

Miles' first points — a pair of free throws early in the second quarter — put her total at ...Read more