8:15 PM ET On Saturday, Kobe Bryant was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January, 2020, was presented by Michael Jordan before Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, made a moving speech honoring the former Laker. In addition to Bryant, who won five NBA titles
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2:37 PM ET As the regular season comes to a close, each team has something to play for: seeding or draft picks. With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant
11:47 AM ET As the Los Angeles Lakers seek to win out and avoid the play-in tournament, LeBron James is set for his return Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, according to coach Frank Vogel. James has missed the past six games to continue to recover from a high ankle sprain, but he practiced Friday and
10:57 AM ET Marc J. Spears Former Detroit Pistons star center Ben Wallace will be inducted into the Class of 2021 for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, a source told ESPN’s The Undefeated on Saturday. Wallace and the entire 2021 class will be announced on Sunday at the museum in Springfield, Mass. Wallace was
3:08 PM ET Associated Press UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Gregg Popovich took Saturday off, for good reason. There was no way he was going to miss Tim Duncan’s enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The San Antonio Spurs played Saturday afternoon without their head coach after Popovich made the decision to fly to Connecticut to
9:01 AM ET Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been cleared from the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols and will be available to play against the New York Knicks on Saturday, the team announced. He missed six games while in the COVID-19 protocols. The third-year player was averaging 21.6 points over six games prior to
6:29 PM ET Brianna Williams After a three-year hiatus, rapper and new Rwanda Patriots shooting guard J.Cole released his sixth studio album titled “The Off-Season.” Despite spending the greater part of the past decade focusing on a multiplatinum music career, his basketball roots run deep. Born Jermaine Lamarr Cole, he was a star basketball player
12:56 AM ET Five years removed from a 10-win season, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves atop the Eastern Conference. Friday’s 122-97 victory over the Orlando Magic gave Philadelphia its first No. 1 seed in the East in 20 years, something coach Doc Rivers said the team should not take for granted. “It’s an accomplishment. I
11:42 PM ET With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant postseason implications. Play-in matchups after Thursday’s games Play-in games to be held Tuesday through Friday of next week •
4:47 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has created a special exhibit honoring the late Kobe Bryant, one that was toured by his wife, Vanessa, on Friday afternoon and that will become the “most talked about” exhibit in the Hall, according to John Doleva, its president and