8:56 PM ET CLEVELAND — LeBron James was welcomed back to Quicken Loans Arena for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers with a hearty ovation from Cleveland fans on Wednesday. It was volatile. It was tense. It was a blowout. Remembering LeBron’s first game in Cleveland as a member of
NBA
7:29 AM ET NBA InsidersESPN.com Who are the early leaders and surprises in the NBA awards races? Our experts answer the big questions and make bold predictions after a month of games 1. Who is your MVP so far? Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN: LeBron James. This is a pick ’em with Giannis Antetokounmpo of the 13-4
1:26 AM ET Warriors forward Kevin Durant told Yahoo! Sports that last week’s heated in-game exchange with teammate Draymond Green — which then carried into the Golden State locker room — won’t have any impact on his impending free-agency decision. “Nah, [it won’t factor],” Durant told Yahoo! of the incident, which led to Green’s being
11:32 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN WASHINGTON — As the media session for Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. wound to a close Tuesday morning, amid trade talks and infighting among his teammates, he was thrown a lifeline by a reporter. For as bad as things are now, with the Wizards being 5-11 entering Tuesday night’s
6:35 PM ET ESPN News Services Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said Tuesday that he expects to remain out until “sometime after the new year.” Love underwent toe surgery Nov. 2, and the Cavs said at the time that he would be out at least six weeks. Six weeks from the surgery would be Dec.
5:53 PM ET Associated Press WILMINGTON, N.C. — Michael Jordan returned to his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, and met with some hurricane victims who benefited from his $2 million donation. Stephanie Parker, her husband and four young children spent nearly months living in shelters provided by the American Red Cross, which Jordan helped fund.
5:43 PM ET Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for directing inappropriate language toward a fan during a recent game in Dallas. According to the league, the exchange occurred during the first quarter of the Warriors’ 112-109 loss to the Mavericks on Saturday. The incident capped a
2:27 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN The NBA has hired Rod Strickland as program manager for its G League professional path program. Strickland, a 17-year NBA veteran and former college assistant, will evaluate elite prospects, as well as educate and mentor them on the new initiative that offers select high school prospects the option to bypass
1:20 PM ET In the wake of JR Smith saying the Cleveland Cavaliers are tanking, he is not with the team as it works on a trade, sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Tuesday. The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 7. When LeBron James left for the Los Angeles Lakers this past offseason, the Cavaliers put
12:18 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Dwyane Wade is back with the Miami Heat. Wade was with the Heat for their game-day shootaround Tuesday morning ahead of their matchup against Brooklyn. Wade was away from the team for about two weeks because of the birth of his daughter. Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union-Wade