Sam Presti on Thunder Media Day today: “I also want to take a moment to congratulate Russell [Westbrook] on just an unbelievable career. A Hall of Fame career. We are very fortunate that a lot of those years took place in Oklahoma City.”
[Amick/Patterson] Detroit’s five-year, \(200 million offer included a weight clause requiring Duren to check his weight monthly throughout the calendar year. Pistons wanted Duren to cut down his weight after losing to Cleveland. Duren is considering taking the one-year, \)9.6 million qualifying offer.
New York State sues Polymarket from running an illegal gambling operation
KD responds after Shumpert claiming his Warriors move cost him championships: “This ain’t the streets, Plus, it ain’t no rules in the streets. It’s cutthroat lil ni—a. Pull ya panties up, you lucky you got one… fake tough guys are mad that I won championships but call me tender haha it’s ironic”
Scottie Barnes casually eating lunch in the background of a live local news segment after Bobby Webster’s press conference
Pablo Torre says he possibly may be doing in investigation into NBA Refs in the future
New York sues LeBron-endorsed prediction market Polymarket, calling it an unlicensed gambling operation
[ESPN] NBA Player Rank 2026: Mitchell #10 Tatum #9 Cade #8 Edwards #7 Brunson #6 Giannis #5 Doncic #4 Shai #3 Wemby #2 Jokic #1
Mac McClung turned down more than 10 EuroLeague offers: “I didn’t want to chase the most money”. The American guard chose FIATC Girona (the team founded and owned by Marc Gasol) despite receiving numerous offers over the past two years, prioritizing the right environment over financial incentives.
The Lakers’ legendary PA announcer, Lawrence Tanter, introduces every Laker in the starting lineup as Kobe Bryant on the Lakers’ first game since his tragic death. Each of the Lakers’ players was wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey. 1/31/2020
Gregg Popovich just remarried to the ex-wife of his former assistant Mike Budenholzer.
[Highlight] Jokic Defense Tape Game 3 vs Minnesota Timberwolves. The wolves shot 20⁄27 at the rim with Jokic on the court.
8 years ago today 6ix got the fun guy
Eric Collins And Dell Curry To Return As Television Voices Of Charlotte Hornets Basketball
Kevin Durant in game 7s for his career: 36.2 ppg/ 7.6 rpg/ 3.6 apg on 66.3% TS (53/49/85 shooting splits)
[Highlight] Jamal Cain dunks over Jalen Duren
Danny Green will be the color commentator for Laker road games this season. Longtime color commentator Stu Lantz, who missed time last season for medical reasons, will continue to broadcast for Laker home games.
Lakers’ legendary PA announcer Lawrence Tanter dies
Lakers’ legendary PA announcer Lawrence Tanter with the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup on Luka Doncic’s debut as a Laker.
[BasketNews] Luka Doncic: “I won’t rest until we win more championships. I used to let my game do most of the talking, but I want Lakers fans to know that I am ready, excited, and eager to deliver… I am so honored and grateful that I get the chance now to write my own championship chapters.”
[Athletic] Knicks rookie Tyler Nickel (selected at #47) remains unsigned ahead of training camp, with Knicks expected to reach a deal but needing a roster move to give him a standard contract. Thanks to a federal court ruling, Nickel could also return to College for a 5th year and earn more with NIL
Steph Curry on his rare eye conditon during the Warriors dynasty run: “I joke that when I’m all done, my memoir should be called The Whole Time I Couldn’t See”
Sam Presti: “I think that at the end of the day, I’ve said it for many, many years - to have a really great organization you have to have mutual commitment. You have to have commitment from your players, your best players, and you have to have a commitment from your organization to those best player
Heading into the 2025-2026 season, ESPN ranked Walker Kessler as the 98th best player in the NBA. Now, he is ranked 73rd. Kessler ascended those 25 spots by playing five games, having season ending surgery, and joining the Lakers
[Highlight] Vince Carter cocks back and jams an alley-oop against the Clippers (2000).
[Charania] The Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns unlikely to reach contract extension. Towns is eligible for a 4-year, \(276M max extension. He has a \)61M player option for the 2027-28 season and could become a free agent: “This is a cloud going into training camp.”
[OC] Visualizing ESPN’s NBA Rank 2026: 42 players dropped, 32 rose, and 24 were left off completely. Here is a breakdown of the biggest shifts.
Marcus Smart claims he left the Los Angeles Lakers for the Houston Rockets due to the Lakers’ contract offer being “disrespectful”
Jalen Duren’s full name is “Jalen Anthony Duren”, which is an anagram of “no deal then Jan”, alluding to the fact that if he signs the qualifying offer he won’t be eligible to be traded until January 15
Ja’Kobe Walter’s trainer says it appears he has grown 2 inches and put on almost 10lbs during the offseason. Ja’Kobe has just turned 22 and is entering his third season.
Who is the NBA version of Adam Dunn?
[Highlight] Skylar Mays cooks Malachi Flynn in mid-court with the spin move and soars for the powerful one-handed dunk, as the Hawks bench gets hyped (with replays).
[MacMahon] Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has not been cleared for training camp and his status for the start of the regular season has yet to be determined as he continues to recover from right foot surgery, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
OG tells his Kyle Lowry chick-fil-a story
Since tracking began in the 1973-74 season, there have been 747 playoff series played. Only twice (2⁄747 or 0.003%) has a single player led both teams in a series in all major counting stats (PTS/REB/AST/STL/BLK). Can you guess which two players?
[Charania] Talks have stagnated between the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns on a contract extension, and an agreement is considered unlikely as the team begins training camp next week. Towns, who will turn 31 in November, is eligible to receive a contract extension for up to 4 years and $276 million.
SNL promo featuring Jalen Brunson and his key to the city
Lonzo Ball denies retirement in new tweet: “I retired? News to me (laugh out loud) cuz I’m still waiting for a call… NBA season long”
New photo of spurs lineup
[Vorkunov] If league investigators find proof that the Bucks and Trent are guilty of what the Clippers and Leonard were guilty of, the punishment could be equally severe, if not worse.
[Begley] On Karl-Anthony Towns, there’s been plenty of conversation between Knicks and Towns’ side…talks have been positive and NYK has made it known that it wants Towns to be a Knick for a long time, thinks highly of him…Knicks have talked to Towns’ side about deals that start in \(45M-\)50M range.
LeBron has been so dominant, that he is the leading scorer on both teams of a playoff series 70% of the time.
An improbable NBA breakthrough, a descent into darkness: ‘We weren’t all that different’
When Dwight Howard was the best Center of the league. 2009 ECF Game 6 vs. Cavaliers- 40 Points, 14 Rebounds!
Biggest All-Star Snubs in NBA History
If the Milwaukee Bucks know that they’re guilty of cap circumvention with Gary Trent Jr., should they attempt to trade their first-round picks for Jalen Duren now before they’re stripped of them?
Boris Diaw says Larry Brown was the best tactical coach he ever played for, ahead of Popovich and D’Antoni
[ESPN] NBA Rank 2026, players Nos. 50-11: for the first time in NBA Rank’s 15-year history LeBron James is ranked outside the top 10 (#18)
The Best Blocks of Wemby’s 100-Game Streak
[Jake Fischer] Brandon Miller’s Hornets extension could top \(200 million, with Amen Thompson’s \)208 million extension serving as a benchmark