6:00 AM ET Nobody could have known at the time, but the foreshadowing of the NBA’s coronavirus pandemic plan was sitting in a scrapbook in Florida. In one of the roughly 20 scrapbooks in Reggie Williams’ den, there’s a picture from 1997 of Williams and former NBA commissioner David Stern standing on the midcourt logo
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12:51 AM ET NBA Insiders It’s not easy to recall the storylines and themes that dominated the 2019-20 NBA season prior to its suspension, which seems like eons ago. But the battle for supremacy between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers in their home market — and more largely the Western Conference — was
11:36 PM ET One hundred and forty-one nights after his positive coronavirus test triggered the suspension of the NBA season, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert scored the first points of the league’s restart, converting a drop-step move over former teammate Derrick Favors on the opening possession of Thursday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans
5:44 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN For the second time this season, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson‘s “debut” was marred by a minutes restriction that kept him off the floor of a close game in the final minutes. Williamson debuted Jan. 22, and after his 17-point outburst nearly blew the roof off the Smoothie King
7:44 PM ET Tim Bontemps Dave McMenamin Close ESPN Staff Writer Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — All players, coaches and the three referees taking part in the
7:53 PM ET The NBA officially returned Thursday with the meeting between the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans in the bubble in Orlando, Florida, after the coronavirus pandemic halted the league in March. In the 4½ months that have passed since the last game was played, the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor
12:39 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Two important players will be absent from the Milwaukee Bucks‘ lineup when the team with the NBA’s best record hits the court this week for the long-awaited restart. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed that Eric Bledsoe and Pat Connaughton will miss Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics as they continue
1:00 PM ET LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Basketball is back. Finally. After 141 days, the NBA will return inside of the bubble at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort on Thursday night. It feels as if the world has changed a dozen times since the night of March
5:44 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN New Orleans Pelicans rookie forward Zion Williamson was cleared to play by the team and will suit up in Thursday night’s NBA restart opener against the Utah Jazz, the team announced. Coach Alvin Gentry told reporters that Williamson had to go through his pregame warm-ups before the team made a
3:32 PM ET Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies liked where they stood when the NBA was shut down in March. Now with the NBA restarting, Morant says he thinks it’s unfair that the padding the Grizzlies built between themselves and the closest playoff contenders in the West could prove irrelevant. “But, you know, we