MIAMI — In the midst of the drudgery of the NBA preseason Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo found himself amid a whirlwind championship celebration.

Turning the Heat’s three-day break into a cross-country basketball odyssey, Adebayo went from the Heat’s Friday practice at Kaseya Center to Friday night’s Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, making it ...Read more

PHOENIX — The book of greatness authored by the Aces was written on Dec. 31, 2021.

The day Becky Hammon was brought in to lead a team that was on the cusp of something special.

Hammon inherited a group coming off a heartbreaking five-game loss in the semifinals to the Phoenix Mercury. The lasting image in Michelob Ultra Arena was A’ja ...Read more

DENVER — A brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic pleaded guilty to trespassing and disorderly conduct Friday in connection with a viral gameday fight at Ball Arena last year.

Strahinja Jokic, 43, was sentenced to a year of probation on the misdemeanor and petty offenses, according to the Denver district attorney’s office.

Strahinja ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — This time last year, not much was known about Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats.

The new leader of the UK men’s basketball program had been on the job for less than six months. He’d yet to coach a game, and every scholarship player on his first roster was new to the program.

That group was a high-floor collection of talent...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Plenty of laughs and smiles were shared when Steph Curry ran out of the Chase Center tunnel while wearing a No. 31 Seth Curry jersey, and younger brother Seth jogged onto the court wearing No. 30 on Thursday night’s open practice.

During his media availability on Friday afternoon, Steph Curry revealed that he wanted to take ...Read more

PHOENIX — The Aces are atop the basketball world again.

A’ja Wilson scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Aces completed a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Mercury to win their third WNBA championship in four years with a 97-86 win in Game 4 at Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday.

Jackie Young had 18 points, seven rebounds and ...Read more

CHICAGO — Former Loyola star Lucas Williamson saw Sister Jean, the Ramblers’ team chaplain and the world’s most famous basketball-loving nun, two weeks ago at the senior living facility where she lived on Chicago’s Gold Coast.

Sister Jean, whose formal name was Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, died Thursday at the age of 106.

Health issues...Read more

The NBA returned to China on Friday for the first time since 2019, as the Phoenix Suns topped the Nets in overtime, 132-127, inside a roaring Venetian Arena in Macao.

For the NBA, it was more than just a game; it was a re-connection after six years of silence. For the players, a bright, loud stage half a world away to rebuild ties on Chinese ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No matter how much you may love college basketball, and around here that can be a considerable amount, there is such a thing as too much of it.

Not games or rivalries or dunks or buzzer-beaters. Bring those on.

But no one needs basketball games that cruise past two hours and into the next broadcast window over and over ...Read more

NEW YORK — Josh Hart missed his second consecutive preseason game on Thursday, as the Knicks continue to err on the side of caution with the lingering combination of injury and illness that has clouded the start of his 2025-26 campaign.

Hart entered training camp recovering with a splint on his right ring finger, then suffered lower back ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James will miss the season opener with what the team said was a sciatica nerve injury on his right side, the team announced after practice Thursday. The Lakers said James will be re-evaluated in approximately three to four weeks and that further updates will be provided at that time.

James, who is ...Read more

NEW YORK — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s committed to the Milwaukee Bucks — for now.

The two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP responded Wednesday to an ESPN report suggesting he would seek a trade to the Knicks if the Bucks failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

The report positioned New...Read more

Former Kansas Jayhawks basketball star and NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the California Highway Patrol.

TMZ was first to report the news. Pierce, 47, was found sleeping behind the wheel of his car in the middle of a Southern California freeway, the ...Read more

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Lakers announced on Thursday afternoon that LeBron James will be sidelined for at least 3-4 weeks because of nerve pain, meaning the 40-year-old star forward won’t be available for the start of the team’s 2025-26 season.

The team’s statement, which was released after practice concluded, said James will be ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A fan who spent hundreds of dollars for tickets to what he thought would be one of LeBron James' final NBA games is looking to recoup the money in small claims court after it turned out "The Second Decision" teased by the Lakers superstar had nothing to do with his retirement.

Norwalk, Calif., resident Andrew Garcia filed a ...Read more

ATLANTA — I winced when Amen Thompson launched his body into Jalen Johnson’s left shoulder. Johnson flexed at his Hawks teammates on the bench after brushing aside Thompson and finishing the transition basket with his left hand.

No need to worry. Johnson’s shoulder is sound, and his performance was sharp during the exhibition opener ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Duke’s Caleb Foster said the Blue Devils without Cooper Flagg, without a lineup stocked with NBA draft picks, will forge a new identity this season.

Which is?

“Defense,” Foster said Wednesday at ACC Tipoff. “This team has good length and versatility, and I think could be a very good defensive team.”

And the best ...Read more

MIAMI — It’s a bit early to determine if this will be a developmental season for the Miami Heat.

Unless, of course, you listened to coach Erik Spoelstra immediately prior to Wednesday night’s 112-107 preseason loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Kaseya Center.

“Just to be clear,” Spoelstra said, “everybody on our roster, it’s a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Natalia Bryant has made her debut as a creative director with a short film that features a subject matter with which she's very familiar.

The 70-second piece is called "Forever Iconic: Purple and Gold Always," and it's all about the worldwide impact of the Lakers — something Bryant has experienced throughout her life as the ...Read more

PHOENIX — A’ja Wilson hit a pull-up jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to give the Las Vegas Aces a 90-88 win over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Wednesday.

Wilson finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds. The Aces lead the best-of-seven series 3-0 and can win their third WNBA championship in ...Read more