During the 2000-01 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, finished 22nd in the league for defensive rating. They went on to win the championship, and are still the only team this century to finish outside the top 10 in defensive rating and win a title. One key caveat
The unique athletic abilities of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokoumpo make them unstoppable at the rim. But one might be just a little bit more unstoppable than the other. LeBron James is an absolute freight train. There might be no player in NBA history who has shared his combination of power, speed, grace and touch.
The Milwaukee Bucks forward was introduced to Bobby Portis memes for the first time. No matter what professional athletes do, they are always subject to memes. If a player happens to do something funny or make a hilarious facial expression, they could become the subject of meme material for the foreseeable future. Some of them
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
Much like the NFL’s Super Bowl, the NBA once faced off with a rival upstart pro basketball league in a series of intense NBA vs. ABA battles. Before the Lady Gaga halftime shows, before the corporate sponsorships, before the million-dollar commercials, the Super Bowl was a battle between two rival professional football leagues: the National
The Miami Heat will be without guard Avery Bradley for quite some time. The Miami Heat were expected to be forces in the Eastern Conference this season after making it to the NBA Finals back in September. On Wednesday night, the Heat lost 103-100 to the Washington Wizards to drop their overall record to 7-14,
7:49 PM ET For the first time in his 13-year career, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant came off the bench, checking in at the 4:13 mark of the first quarter Friday night against the Toronto Raptors. Durant was not available to start due to health and safety protocols, the team announced shortly before tipoff. Durant
Just over a month into the 2020-2021 season, there have been some interesting storylines that have developed across the league. And, here at Basketball Insiders, we’ve been taking a division-by-division look at some of those developments that might have gone unnoticed to the general eye. So far, the Pacific Division has shaped up a little
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
Despite growing COVID-19 concerns, the NBA has announced that an All-Star game will be happening this season. The NBA season is moving along in 2021 despite growing COVID-19 concerns. A lot of fans won’t get the chance to see their teams in action this year because of the virus. Only 10 NBA teams are allowing
LeBron James is 36 years old and somehow as dominant as he’s ever been. His old friend Dwyane Wade was happy to explain why. Father Time will eventually win the war but so far, LeBron James has won every battle. He’s 36 years old and in his 18th season and he’s still playing at an
In this week’s NBA Power Rankings, Anthony Edwards is scoring, De’Aaron Fox is finishing and LeBron James can’t miss from beyond the arc. Our new look NBA Power Rankings are back, a non-traditional structure for a non-traditional era of professional basketball. The world is no longer just about wins and losses and teams are no
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
The Dallas Mavericks’ Kristaps Porzingis had been back for nine games before missing Saturday’s contest against the Phoenix Suns. He’s struggled since returning from knee surgery earlier this month; so much so that he neglected to speak to the media following Friday’s loss – an unusual occurrence for Porzingis, who usually accommodates the media. While
The same week Jared Dudley’s book was released, Paul George responded in a big way. While George might not concern himself with the comments of a Lakers bench player, one look at social media on Wednesday would’ve distracted him enough from his daily routine. Dudley released a book detailing the Lakers bubble journey. One specific
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Sports Science’s John Brenkus always knew Patrick Mahomes could reach GOAT status by Mark Powell Paul George and Jared Dudley have been going back and forth for a few days now after the release of Dudley’s book and George has had enough. It’s no secret that Paul George has never had 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
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Something is very wrong with the Miami Heat. There are a myriad of reasons to consider when attempting to come to terms with the Heat’s surprising 7-14 start,
6:58 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN When more than 90 players who signed as free agents become eligible to be traded Saturday, it will mark the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA. Several big names have already been traded since mid-November, including James Harden, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Chris Paul and Jrue
The Dallas Mavericks’ Kristaps Porzingis had been back for nine games before missing Saturday’s contest against the Phoenix Suns. He’s struggled since returning from knee surgery earlier this month; so much so that he neglected to speak to the media following Friday’s loss – an unusual occurrence for Porzingis, who usually accommodates the media. While
The Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets were all value-driven sports organizations. Until they weren’t. Rex Ryan and Mickey Callaway are two people with seemingly nothing in common. The brash, bombastic Ryan’s introduction to the media as the Jets’ head coach featured a defiant pledge not to “kiss [the New England Patriots’] rings” and
Victor Oladipo‘s quest to return to All-Star caliber is as much mental as it is physical. To bury his mental struggles, he tried something. We’ll call it unique. Let’s get something straight first thing. Victor Oladipo’s leg is not dead. It is as alive as the rest of him. This is a good thing. While
12:12 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN For New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy, what he saw from Zion Williamson on Wednesday night was unlike anything he’d seen from the 20-year-old so far this season. “I told Zion at the end of the game that it was by far his best game of the year if
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Kentucky vs. Missouri live stream: Betting odds, TV channel, prediction by Mike Phillips After winning the championship, the Los Angeles Lakers had to make some adjustments and have added a new ATO play to troll former Laker Rajon Rondo. After the intense week the Los Angeles Lakers have had in the
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Paul Finebaum torches Ed Orgeron, LSU over Arik Gilbert transfer to Florida by John Buhler Forbes has released their annual list of the highest-paid NBA players of the year. Where do LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant rank? Starring in the NBA is an incredibly lucrative profession with salaries
January 25, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr instructs against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Patrick Mahomes almost had a major, major COVID scare on Sunday by Braulio Perez Gabby Williams on her new teammate Candace Parker, legacy
9:16 PM ET LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers might have missed each other in the playoffs last year, but Lakers reserve Jared Dudley, in a new book, revealed his team was primed for the “Battle for L.A.” because of Paul George. “We hear some of those guys talking about how
For this edition of ICYMI for Basketball Insiders, we’re looking at the Southeast Division. This breakdown follows the recent publications of ICYMI on the Atlantic, Pacific, Central and Northwest. Starting off, this division is the only one in the NBA that has a single franchise above .500, the Atlanta Hawks. This should come as a
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 25: (L-R) Draymond Green #23, Klay Thompson #11, and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors react on the bench during their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center on January 25, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
Klay Thompson has a lot of time to spare, and is very willing to throw hands on social media. Thompson unfortunately is missing his second straight season due to knee issues, leaving the Warriors without the second splash brother as the core ages into the latter end of their primes. Yet, despite not being active