NBA

LOS ANGELES — After his first practice with the Dallas Mavericks, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving said he felt “really wanted” by his new team, a stark contrast to feeling “very disrespected” at times during his turbulent 3½-season tenure with the Brooklyn Nets. “I just know I want to be places where I’m celebrated and not

7:00 AM ET Brian Windhorst Close Brian Windhorst ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books Ramona Shelburne Close Ramona Shelburne ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer for ESPN.com Spent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily News MIKE MANCIAS HAD been given pointed instructions by

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James might insist he’s not a scorer, but the Los Angeles Lakers star punched a major hole in his own argument with a historic night amid the 20th season of his decorated NBA career. With a 14-foot jump shot late in the third quarter, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s 38,387 career points

In the aftermath of the Kyrie Irving trade, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has been engaged in conversations with owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks on the direction of the franchise and its ability to be a championship contender, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. So far, the Nets have insisted to Durant and

SALT LAKE CITY — Danny Ainge didn’t end his brief retirement, agreeing to join golf buddy Ryan Smith’s Utah Jazz as CEO, just to be bored. But Ainge’s first NBA draft with the franchise was an exercise in mundane misery. The Jazz were fresh off a first-round playoff exit, which felt like a frustrating end

7:52 AM ET Jamal CollierESPN CHICAGO — THE BULLS had a golden opportunity. After starting the season 12-18, the Bulls were riding a season-high three-game winning streak, building momentum with a blowout win at home against the Golden State Warriors, a thrashing of the Detroit Pistons in Paris and a convincing victory over the Atlanta

Phoenix Suns president and CEO Jason Rowley, whom some employees placed at the center of allegations of verbal abuse, retaliation and intimidation in the workplace, has resigned from the team, team sources told ESPN on Monday. Suns employees were notified in an internal email from Suns interim governor Sam Garvin. “I wanted to let you

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. Which teams will be making deals ahead of that deadline, and how will that impact the landscape of the NBA heading into the 2023 playoffs? There have been only three in-season trades to date, but after an offseason that saw multiple All-Stars

Feb 4, 2023 Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Trey Murphy III hadn’t heard a certain song in quite some time. After every home victory, the New Orleans Pelicans play “Wipe Me Down” by Boosie as players and fans exit the building. With the team on a 10-game losing streak however, things had been quiet for

Stephen Curry is expected to be out through the All-Star break in mid-February with a left leg injury, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Warriors said Sunday that Curry has partial tears to the superior tibiofibular ligaments and the interosseous membrane and will miss Monday’s game against the Thunder, but that “additional clarity on a

10:58 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry left the Warriors’ 119-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at the end of the third quarter after suffering an apparent left knee injury. Curry immediately received an X-ray, which came back negative, the team announced. He will get an MRI next.

NEW YORK — The NBA suspended Orlando’s Mo Bamba for four games and Minnesota’s Austin Rivers for three games for their roles in an on-court altercation on Friday night. Jalen Suggs of the Magic will miss one game, the league said, for escalating the incident. The league announced the suspensions Saturday. Bamba will forfeit $284,138

LeBron James‘ quest to break the all-time scoring record, currently held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) has been the hottest storyline as of late. With James just 63 points away from the No.1 spot, fans are eager to see the 38-year-old star attempt to break the 38-year-old record in person. Editor’s Picks 2 Related Unsurprisingly,

MINNEAPOLIS — A fight broke out and punches were thrown during the game between the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. Five players were ejected following the brawl, which started in front of the Orlando bench late in the third quarter. Minnesota guard Austin Rivers and Magic center Mo Bamba were the initial

Zaire Wade, the son of former NBA star Dwyane Wade, has agreed to sign with the Cape Town Tigers of the Basketball Africa League. Wade averaged 4.6 points and 1.9 assists in 13 games for the Utah Jazz‘s G League Salt Lake City Stars last season. The 6-foot-1 guard took part in the BAL’s recent

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set the NBA’s all-time scoring mark while wearing a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, but a significant part of that total came from the 14,211 points he tallied while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. LeBron James will pass Abdul-Jabbar’s record donned in purple and gold, too, but he also scored 23,119 points with the

MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his most famous 50-point performance by ordering 50 chicken nuggets at a Chick-fil-A drive-through the next day. He already has an idea how to commemorate reaching that plateau for the third time in the past month. Antetokounmpo scored 20 of his 54 points in the fourth quarter and the Milwaukee

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, sidelined the past five weeks because of a left groin strain, could return as soon as Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets, sources told ESPN. Editor’s Picks 2 Related Booker has been ramping up his on-court work, and is expected to join the Suns at the start of a five-game road