MIAMI — Norman Powell wasn’t wrong. He was right.

There was a means where the Heat could have brought him back while also bringing in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Miami Heat weren’t wrong. They were right.

As the Giannis negotiations continued in June, there was an at-all-costs reality to the process.

So, yes, both truths can be correct....Read more

NEW YORK — The debate over transgender women competing in elite women’s sports has descended into a full-blown political firestorm.

The latest instigator was a now-viral interview by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who told ESPN in a July 21 article that she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The problem with most conspiracy theories is they assume a level of intelligence, cooperation, discretion and selflessness that is completely at odds with the track record of large groups of humans. There may only be five people on planet Earth who possess the requisite skill set, let alone five who share a motivation to plot ...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — Oskar Giltay had seen the videos on social media, the 30-, 60- or 90-second windows into Dan Hurley’s intense, volatile persona. He knew he wanted to play for the most successful coach in college basketball right now, but he wasn’t entirely sure what would be in store when he left Stanford and transferred to UConn.

Now he ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — Life and death have a funny way of telling us what matters, because so little of what we do does, but what’s important is that we do it.

On Thursday in Dallas, friends turned enemies turned human beings gathered to celebrate a man whose contributions to a city, and a game, are difficult to quantify. The celebration of ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Assuming good health, we know who Kentucky’s starting quarterback will be when the Wildcats kick off the Will Stein coaching era against Youngstown State on Sept. 5.

Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey gets glowing reviews from UK’s new head coach.

“Tangibles, he’s really accurate. He throws on time. He’s got great ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Mark Walter said he loved owning the Lakers but decided recently it was time to sell.

Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner wanted to own an NBA franchise and had the money for a big purchase.

The framework for a deal was consummated in a matter of days, Iger said, although the sale needs to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors.

...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dennis Schröder and Jeff Peterson are reunited, and Tre Mann is gone.

The Charlotte Hornets acquired Schröder and cash considerations from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Tre Mann, league sources confirmed to the Charlotte Observer on Friday. The move brings Schröder back together with Peterson, the Hornets’ president of ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The NBA, like a lot of fans, thinks the Timberwolves are going to be among the most entertaining teams to watch next season.

In the full 2026-27 schedule the league put out Thursday, the new-look Wolves, with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball as the starting backcourt, are slated for 27 nationally televised games across the league...Read more

NEW YORK — The street sweepers cleaned the ticker tape off the roads of Champions Way a month ago. Last season’s title and its ensuing parade is now old news.

As for breaking news? As of Thursday at 3 p.m., the Knicks have their marching orders: an 82-game regular-season slate serving as the road to repeating as champions in 2027.

Training...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has fled to the Eastern Conference but the Lakers remain a major box office ticket for the NBA.

With an almost brand new rotation after a busy offseason that elevated Luka Doncic to the team’s unquestioned No. 1 spot, the Lakers remain tied for the most nationally televised games in the NBA this season, according ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks’ defense of their NBA Cup title will not come easily.

As the 2026-27 schedule continues to roll out, the NBA on Wednesday unveiled the group play matchups for its in-season tournament.

And the Knicks’ group is absolutely loaded with contenders.

The Knicks are part of an East Group B that also includes the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — So instead of the Dodgerfication of the Lakers, we're getting the Disneyfication of the Lakers.

Hakuna Matata?

Yes, it's weird and distressing, watching billionaires play catch with our ballclubs.

But this high-stakes game of hot potato that resulted in Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner acquiring the Lakers for $12.5 billion from ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — No, Wolves fans. You have not fallen through the time vortex and landed back in 2021.

But, yes, this is about Ben Simmons coming to Minnesota.

A report on Monday has Simmons, healthy and seeking NBA re-employment, is about to begin workouts with the Australian national team. Corresponding speculation was immediate, with a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Bob Iger's purchase of the Lakers isn't the former Disney boss's first foray into ownership of a professional sports franchise in Southern California: Twenty-five months ago Iger and his wife Willow Bay, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, acquired a controlling interest in soccer club Angel City for $...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers are being sold … again?

The Lakers are being sold … by the Dodgers owner who was supposed to save them?

The Lakers are being sold … to one guy who owns an underachieving women’s professional soccer team and another guy who owns a piece of the hated San Francisco Giants?

What in the name of Luka is going on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Less than a year after Dodgers owner Mark Walter bought the Lakers for a record-breaking sum, L.A.’s iconic NBA franchise is now being sold to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, sources familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Los Angeles Times, $2.5 billion more than the ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Russell Westbrook was an NBA enigma, right up to the very end.

The 37-year-old point guard posted a video to social media Wednesday announcing his retirement. The imagery was striking. The messaging was somewhat cryptic, but that was his way of saying goodbye.

“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already ...Read more

SEATTLE — Around these parts, numbers that include a 12 have a way of catching your eye or attention. Perhaps it’s just the predominance of seeing them everywhere, especially as fall draws closer.

But the number that included a 12 on Wednesday morning and was quickly garnering national headlines might have grabbed eyeballs in a different ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Throughout his storied career as a media executive, Bob Iger has made repeated attempts to own a major sports franchise. On Wednesday, he succeeded with a splash, joining Joshua Kushner to purchase the Lakers for $12.5 billion.

The sale surprised the NBA. Only 14 months ago, the the Buss family sold the Lakers to Dodgers owner ...Read more