NBA

2:04 PM ET One day after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed that his team had stopped playing the national anthem before games, the NBA on Wednesday issued a statement saying that wouldn’t be the case. “With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the

6:58 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN It was just seven weeks ago that this NBA season tipped off, with Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic installed as the betting favorite to win MVP honors. But, like just about everything else in this pandemic-shortened season, nothing has gone quite to plan. Doncic’s Mavericks are in 14th place in

1:45 AM ET Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr watched Michael Jordan drop in so many impossible shots over the years that he had to chuckle when asked whether Stephen Curry made a behind-the-head circus shot late in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s 114-91 win over the San Antonio Spurs reminded him of

7:00 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN THE ONLY THING standing between Zion Williamson and the rim was Steven Adams. It was the fourth quarter of Williamson’s 10th career NBA game, and the No. 1 overall pick had just caught the ball at the elbow. Adams waited just above the restricted circle, ready for contact. Someone was

10:23 AM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Safety investigators say the pilot of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter flew through the clouds in an apparent violation of federal standards, and likely became disorientedjust before the helicopter crashed and killed Bryant and eight others. Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Tuesday that pilot

1:50 AM ET After a 105-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night that again saw Stephen Curry on the bench for half of the fourth quarter, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he will not extend the star guard’s minutes to “chase wins” this season. Kerr noted coming into the season

12:45 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The Chicago Bulls were hit with another injury blow after an MRI confirmed that forward Lauri Markkanen will miss two to four weeks with a sprained shoulder. The Bulls announced the injury Monday, saying that Markkanen has a sprained right acromioclavicular joint. He originally injured the joint at the top

7:01 AM ET The Milwaukee Bucks have won four straight games and are back within striking distance of the Eastern Conference’s best record — a mark they’ve owned in each of the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the top two teams in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, are on four-game win

12:27 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Lakers All-Star big man Anthony Davis is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with tendonosis of his right Achilles tendon, the team announced. A league source told ESPN it is “very likely” Davis will miss the Thunder game as a precaution and Davis, 27,

3:51 PM ET The New York Knicks have reached agreement on a trade to acquire Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose and reunite him with coach Tom Thibodeau, sources told ESPN on Sunday. The Knicks are sending guard Dennis Smith Jr., and a 2021 second-round draft pick via the Charlotte Hornets to Detroit, sources said. The

1:44 AM ET DALLAS — Luka Doncic hasn’t had a lot of reason to flash his infectious smile lately. He’s a firm believer in the professional benefits of enjoying basketball, but that’s difficult to do when his Dallas Mavericks have lost 10 of their last 13 games, as was the case when he reported for

11:19 PM ET Stephen Curry scored 57 points but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 42-point, 11-assist performance from Luka Doncic as the Golden State Warriors lost to the Dallas Mavericks 134-132 Saturday night. Curry finished 19-for-31 from the field and 11-for-19 from beyond the arc in 37 minutes. Doncic went 12-for-23 from the field

12:57 PM ET Associated Press The NBA doesn’t want the Super Bowl to turn into a superspreader. Mindful of the potential of virus-related issues that can come from attending even small gatherings, the NBA issued guidance Saturday telling players, coaches and other employees that they may not go to a Super Bowl party outside their

7:49 PM ET Malika Andrews Close ESPN Staff Writer Staff Writer Joined ESPN in 2018 Appears regularly on ESPN Chicago 1000 Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 After a confounding night surrounding the status of Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant at the Barclays Center — which

11:58 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo might be competitors on rival conferences, but they share the same sentiments regarding the league’s plans to hold an All-Star Game in March in Atlanta. Fresh off a 33-point, 12-rebound performance in Milwaukee’s 123-105 win at Cleveland on Friday night, Antetokounmpo backed James’ position on

12:33 AM ET The Houston Rockets are concerned that star center Christian Wood could be sidelined for an extended period after injuring his right ankle for the second time in a span of less than three weeks, sources told ESPN. Wood will have an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury he

3:10 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The NBA’s most high-profile star, LeBron James, eviscerated the league’s plans to hold an All-Star Game in Atlanta in March while COVID-19 restrictions continue to have a grip on the regular season. “I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year,” James said after the

9:27 PM ET The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association will have a finalized agreement for an All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta by next week, according to a league memo shared with teams and obtained by ESPN. The single-night event will encompass the Eastern Conference-Western Conference game as well as the skills