4:44 PM ET Bradley Beal says he won’t study film of how Kevin Durant, Paul George and James Harden played alongside Russell Westbrook to get tips or insight into his new backcourt mate. The Washington Wizards guard says his first week with Westbrook has been “smooth sailing” so far and he wants to learn Westbrook’s
NBA
7:35 PM ET NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets have each been fined $25,000 by the NBA for failure to comply with the league’s media rules. “The fines result from Irving’s refusal on several occasions this week to participate in the team media availability,” the NBA said in a statement Thursday. The
2:37 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Last season, then-Indiana Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke wasn’t much of a fan of Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. These days, however, Embiid said things are a lot different, for one big reason: They’re now on the same team. “It’s easy to say stuff when you’re playing against somebody,” Embiid
1:17 PM ET Six-time All-Star forward Paul George has signed a maximum contract extension with the LA Clippers that guarantees him as much as $226 million over the next five years, his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA Sports, told ESPN. The Clippers are extending George’s contract for an additional four years at $190 million on
11:28 PM ET As the Golden State Warriors get ready to start playing basketball again for the first time in over nine months, star guard Stephen Curry acknowledged that he is looking forward to the challenge of trying to lead the team back to the top in the wake of the major roster shuffling Golden
3:42 PM ET Houston Rockets star James Harden must have six consecutive negative COVID-19 tests before the NBA clears him to practice with the team, a league source told ESPN. Harden, the eight-time All-Star who has requested to be traded to a contender, did not report to the Toyota Center for COVID-19 testing until Tuesday,
10:30 AM ET While the NBA expects positive COVID-19 cases throughout the 2020-21 season, league sources told ESPN there isn’t a specific number of positive cases or a precise scenario that could cause a game to be canceled or postponed. In conjunction with league and team health officials, the NBA will consider several variables, including
8:25 PM ET After a conference call with the NBA on Tuesday night, the National Basketball Coaches Association told ESPN its full membership is prepared to participate in the upcoming NBA season despite high rates of coronavirus infection and spread in many parts of the country. “As we enter the season, all of the protocols
5:54 PM ET LOS ANGELES — With the Los Angeles Lakers‘ first preseason game looming Friday against the LA Clippers — which will be just six days into training camp and 61 days since their clinching Game 6 NBA Finals victory — coach Frank Vogel sounds like he’s calling off the big guns. “We haven’t
12:16 PM ET Tim MacMahon Close ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009 Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 James Harden indicated to the Houston Rockets before the beginning of training
2:14 AM ET Months ago, LeBron James bit his tongue when Kyrie Irving‘s comments on Kevin Durant‘s podcast seemed to disparage the Los Angeles Lakers star’s late-game abilities. Now James has opened up about his former teammate’s take on a podcast appearance of his own. James, appearing as a guest on the Road Trippin’ podcast
3:31 PM ET Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas referred to disgruntled superstar James Harden’s absence from training camp as a holdout on Monday and said there is “no timetable” he is aware of for the perennial All-Star guard to report. After Harden missed Houston’s first team workout Sunday, Silas cited the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols as
6:59 AM ET The league looks a little different since our last rundown of all 30 teams. Star guards Russell Westbrook and John Wall swapped teams. Jrue Holiday and Gordon Hayward changed uniforms. The Philadelphia 76ers got a new head coach and a new president of basketball operations. What about the Los Angeles Lakers? L.A.
7:05 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Zion Williamson will head into his second NBA season with “no restrictions,” the New Orleans Pelicans star said Sunday. Talking to reporters as the Pelicans opened their training camp, Williamson flashed the biggest smile of the day when asked about what limitations he might have this season. “Me and [Pelicans]
3:46 PM ET Disgruntled Houston Rockets star James Harden did not participate in the team’s first practice of training camp Sunday because of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, coach Stephen Silas said. Silas said that Harden is expected to have an individual workout at the Toyota Center on Sunday evening, but the first-year coach said he
2:50 PM ET The NBA has warned teams that protocol violations that lead to coronavirus spread impacting opposing teams and causing schedule derailments could result in “fines, suspensions, adjustment or loss of draft choices and game forfeitures,” according to a memo obtained by ESPN. For players violating safety protocols this season, the league warns that
5:20 PM ET Russell Westbrook may be changing teams and jersey numbers, but the Washington Wizards‘ newest point guard said he isn’t going to change his demeanor on the court no matter what people think of him. Westbrook joined the Wizards on Saturday but did not practice due to paperwork from the trade having just
6:02 PM ET Michael Porter Jr. is ready to do more than just fill the void on the Denver Nuggets caused by the departures of key wing players like Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig. The second-year forward is prepared to not only be a full-time starter, but believes he’s ready to be the third star