4:30 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Zion Williamson has been cleared in his return to play progression without any restrictions, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Thursday afternoon. The announcement clears the way for Williamson to go through offseason workouts unrestricted this summer as he prepares for the 2022-23 season. Williams missed the entire 2021-22 season after
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1:43 PM ET Jake Paul, the YouTube-star-turned-prizefighter, is targeting Glen “Big Baby” Davis for a fight on his next boxing card in August, sources confirmed Thursday to ESPN. Davis, 36, played in the NBA for nine seasons, most recently in 2014-15 with the LA Clippers. He weighs over 300 pounds, and Paul’s team with Most
2:31 AM ET MIAMI — In late January, the San Antonio Spurs traded backup guard Bryn Forbes to the Denver Nuggets. Five months later, that unassuming move has made a major impact on the 2022 Eastern Conference finals. It was the opening of an opportunity for the Boston Celtics that has been fully realized as
1:04 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — The Boston Celtics found themselves trailing the Miami Heat by five, on the road, at halftime of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night. And yet, the Celtics felt just fine. They couldn’t have played much worse in the first half, committing 10 turnovers and
2:49 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — In three of the first four games of the Eastern Conference finals, the team leading at the end of the first quarter has come out on top each time. So, as the Boston Celtics prepare to take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 here at FTX Arena
2:31 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has said repeatedly over the past year that he felt disrespected by being left off of last year’s All-NBA teams — a decision that cost Tatum tens of millions of dollars on his current contract. After Tatum was selected to the All-NBA first
8:45 AM ET Hanif Abdurraqib If I am being honest with myself, I probably do not love beautiful basketball as much as I’ve convinced myself I do over the past handful of my adult years. Of course, what registers as beautiful is subjective, but in this instance, I am talking specifically about the kind of
2:41 AM ET The Cape Town Tigers can hold their heads high after defying expectations at the Basketball Africa League [BAL], but a lack of cohesion on and off the court cost them a chance to progress further than the quarterfinals. Teething problems with administration, and internal disagreements among coaches and players alike, meant a
9:09 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN DALLAS — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t want to talk about basketball in his pregame news conference heading into Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. Basketball, he said, didn’t matter. “Since we left shootaround, 14 children were killed, 400 miles
1:54 AM ET DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic doesn’t necessarily see any honor in avoiding being swept in the Western Conference finals. He remains focused on beating the Golden State Warriors in the series, regardless of the long odds. The Mavs are attempting to become the first team in NBA history to overcome a