8:54 AM ET Stephen Curry pays his respects — and then doesn’t — and more from our NBA quotes of the week. “One thing about Russ … no matter what people say about him or how he’s playing, he competes … Every night he shows up and plays hard. That’s something you can’t teach. It’s
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7:42 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Tuesday night was another head-scratcher in the Crescent City. The New Orleans Pelicans went into one of their biggest games of the season, a home matchup against the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers, needing a win. The teams entered the night tied in the standings, and a
12:15 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN NEW YORK — As the final seconds ebbed away in the Sacramento Kings‘ 101-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Thursday night, Kings fans began a loud “Light The Beam!” chant. It was a celebratory night on a few levels. The victory was Sacramento’s eighth in its
6:53 PM ET Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is engaged in serious talks to sell a majority stake in the franchise to a group led by Hornets minority owner Gabe Plotkin and Atlanta Hawks minority owner Rick Schnall, sources told ESPN on Thursday. No deal is imminent, but there’s significant momentum on a sale that
7:22 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said there have been “zero” discussions about shutting down Ben Simmons for the rest of the season. “Definitely operating under that belief,” Vaughn said Thursday when asked directly if he’s expecting Simmons to play again this season. “There’s zero discussions about him
7:17 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN The NBA will not rescind Draymond Green‘s 16th technical foul of the season, the league announced Thursday, meaning Green will be suspended for one game without pay. Green will serve his suspension Friday night when the Golden State Warriors face the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. The tech came
4:43 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Exactly one month ago, ESPN released its second of three straw polls tracking the NBA’s Most Valuable Player race for the 2022-23 season, and it had a very clear result: Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the heavy favorite to claim his third straight award. Thursday saw Las Vegas tell
4:49 PM ET Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will undergo a third surgical procedure on his left knee in 14 months and concerns persist about his eventual ability to resume his career, sources told ESPN on Thursday. The surgery could cost him most — if not all — of the 2023-24 season, sources said. Editor’s
12:25 PM ET The betting odds to win MVP of the NBA regular season moved dramatically this week at sportsbooks, with 76ers star Joel Embiid catching Denver‘s Nikola Jokic, the longtime favorite, in what’s turning out to be a close race. Embiid moved from a 2-1 underdog to an odds-on favorite Wednesday. Jokic had been
3:35 PM ET Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has agreed to a four-year, $68 million contract extension, sources told ESPN on Thursday. Bogdanovic declined his $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season and replaces it with a new long-term deal, sources said. Bogdanovic’s representatives at Wasserman finalized the deal with Hawks general manager Landry