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Tag: Adam Silver

  • Anthony Edwards claims MVP award, leads Stars to tourney win in an entertaining NBA All-Star Game

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    Anthony Edwards won the Most Valuable Player award while leading his “Stars” team past their fellow Americans on the “Stripes” team 47-21 to win the final of the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

    The Minnesota Timberwolves star claimed his first All-Star MVP award with a tying 3-pointer in the first round-robin game followed by eight points in the final, which was the only chapter without a dramatic late finish in this mini-tournament comprising the main event of All-Star weekend at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome.

    USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards reacts after scoring during the NBA All-Star basketball game against USA Stripes Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif.

    Mark J. Terrill / AP


    The NBA’s fourth format in four years matched two teams of American All-Stars against a team representing the World, hoping to stoke nationalistic passion from players and fans during an Olympic year.

    The slightly older Stripes had beaten the slightly younger Stars on De’Aaron Fox’s 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second 12-minute, round-robin game. But Edwards led the Stars to victory in the rematch with the Stripes, who appeared to run out of gas while playing in their third straight mini-game.

    “We chose to compete today, and we came out on top,” Edwards said. “I ain’t going to lie, Wemby set the tone. He came out and played hard, and we had to follow that.”

    Indeed, Victor Wembanyama effectively challenged his fellow All-Stars to take this game seriously, and they largely appeared to do it. Despite going 0-2, Wembanyama led the World team in scoring in both games with 14 points in the opener and 19 in the third game.

    Along with the late-game theatrics, the event generally appeared to be played at a higher level of competitiveness than most All-Star Games in recent years, suggesting the league might have finally cracked the code on the long-standing question of how to make this midseason showcase more entertaining.

    “It was a pretty good display of basketball,” Wembanyama said. “Better than last year, in my opinion. It was fun. … I think being honest with ourselves is good. It’s a game we love, it’s a game I personally cherish, so being competitive is the least I can do.”

    NBA Commissioner Adam Silver thanked the All-Stars for playing hard when he presented the championship trophy to the Stars.

    Kawhi Leonard thrilled his home crowd with a 31-point barrage for the Stripes in the final round-robin game, but he managed just one point in the final. Tyrese Maxey led the Stars with nine points in the clincher.

    Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.

    After Fox’s dagger in the second game, Leonard utterly dominated the third game before hitting a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in the Stripes’ 48-45 victory.

    The World team was loaded with talent, but NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic both sat out its second game, likely to preserve the health of two superstars who have struggled with injury in the past month.

    John Tesh took the court with his band before the game for a live rendition of “Roundball Rock,” the iconic 1990s theme song of “NBA on NBC,” to mark the league’s return to the network this season. That network partnership is also the reason the All-Star Game was an afternoon affair on the West Coast, because NBC airs the Winter Olympics at night.

    The Intuit Dome crowd included former President Barack Obama, who received a standing ovation pregame.

    75th NBA All-Star Game

    Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors and Team USA Stars and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons and Team USA Stars celebrate after Barnes’ game-winning basket against Team World during the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California.

    Ronald Martinez / Getty Images


    First Game

    Edwards scored 13 points and forced overtime on a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left in regulation to begin the mini-tourney.

    Edwards hit a 14-footer to begin the first-to-five-points overtime period. Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.

    Karl-Anthony Towns added 10 points, but Norman Powell — a born-and-raised Californian who represents Jamaica internationally — missed a potential winning shot for the World at the regulation buzzer.

    NBA scoring leader Doncic played the first 5:05 for the World in the opening game before sitting down. The Lakers superstar hadn’t played since Feb. 5 due to a hamstring strain, but he was determined to play after receiving his sixth All-Star nod.

    Team USA Stars defeated Team USA Stripes 47-21 to win the 75th NBA All-Star game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

    LeBron James of Team USA Stripes drives past Karl-Anthony Town of Team World in the third game of the 75th NBA All-Star game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Sunday February 15, 2026.

    Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images


    Second Game

    Donovan Mitchell took a pass under the net from LeBron James and kicked it out to Fox on the perimeter for the winner.

    Jaylen Brown led the Stripes with 11 points, and James scored eight to begin his record 21st All-Star appearance.

    Edwards and Cade Cunningham scored 11 points apiece for the Stars.

    “Old heads 1-0,” James said with a laugh. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of basketball, so no matter what’s going on, we know how to keep our composure and execute.”

    A few hours beforehand, the top scorer in NBA history said the game’s presence in the Los Angeles area meant “nothing, because this is not our building. This is a road game.”

    Indeed, the Clippers fans in Intuit Dome booed James and Doncic whenever they touched the ball in the first two games.

    Team USA Stars defeated Team USA Stripes 47-21 to win the 75th NBA All-Star game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

    Kawhi Leonard of team USA Stripes Drives to the basket against Team World in the third game of the 75th NBA All-Star game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Sunday February 15, 2026. 

    Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images


    Third Game

    Leonard thrilled his home crowd with a dynamic effort, going 11 of 13 and 6 of 7 from beyond the arc. The seven-time All-Star made his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters’ section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.

    He was unstoppable despite a reasonable defensive effort from the World team led by Wembanyama, who scored 19 points before missing a tying 3-pointer attempt at the buzzer.

    James put the Stripes ahead with 31 seconds left on a putback dunk, but Wembanyama hit two free throws to tie it before Leonard called game.

    Jokic and Doncic didn’t play, leaving the World with just seven players.

    Up next

    The All-Star weekend stays out West in February 2027 when Phoenix hosts for the fourth time.

    In:

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  • Congress Requests Briefing From NBA, Commissioner ‘Disturbed’

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    Posted on: October 25, 2025, 03:19h. 

    Last updated on: October 25, 2025, 03:19h.

    • Congress has asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to testify about the league’s illegal gambling scandal
    • Several current and former players and coaches were named in FBI indictments

    Congress is demanding answers from the NBA for what’s emerging as the biggest sports betting scandal since Pete Rose was found to have bet on baseball games he managed and played more than four decades ago.

    Congress NBA Adam Silver sports betting
    NBA Commissioner Adam Silver takes questions about the FBI’s indictment of several of its current and former players and coaches. Congress has asked Silver to testify about the illegal sports betting and gambling scandal. (Image: Amazon Prime)

    This week, the FBI unsealed two federal indictments naming more than 30 defendants who allegedly engaged in an unlawful sports betting and gambling operation, with the rigged poker component thought to have involved New York crime families. Several current and former NBA players, including Terry Rozier, NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones, were named in the charges.

    This is the insider trading saga for the NBA,” FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday. “It’s not thousands of dollars. It’s not tens of thousands of dollars. It’s not even millions of dollars. We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud, theft, and robbery.”

    Rozier is accused of throwing games and faking injuries for the benefit of his illegal sports gambling cohorts. Jones is accused of selling inside information about the status of key players, including LeBron James, to bettors looking for an edge on the books. Billups is alleged to have participated in an illegal poker scheme with mob ties.

    Congress Demands Answers 

    On Friday, the bipartisan leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver requesting that he testify before the panel, which has jurisdiction over interstate commerce, consumer protection, and sports, regarding the federal sports fixing and illegal gambling indictments.

    The committee is seeking the NBA’s insights about the insider sports betting trading, which actions it intends to take to limit the disclosure of nonpublic information for illegal purposes, and whether the league’s Code of Conduct effectively prohibits such illegal activity. The committee members are also asking for an explanation of how the NBA’s current regulations might have allowed the matter at hand to be executed, and if the league is reevaluating the terms of its sports betting partnerships.

    The hearing will presumably also discuss player props, or bets in which a player can singlehandedly influence. 

    Silver ‘Deeply Disturbed’ 

    Silver was interviewed about the FBI bombshell during Friday night’s game between the Boston Celtics at the New York Knicks.

    My initial reaction was that I was deeply disturbed. There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting,” Silver said on Amazon Prime Video, during the streaming service’s first NBA broadcast.

    “I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said.

    Silver also answered for the NBA’s unfruitful probe of Rozier’s illegal conduct, as alleged by the FBI, when sportsbooks in 2023 tipped the league off to suspicious betting activity surrounding his player props.

    We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry cooperated. He gave the league his phone. He sat down for an interview. We ultimately concluded that were was insufficient evidence despite the aberrational behavior to move forward.”

    Silver concluded by saying Rozier hasn’t been convicted of anything, but he acknowledged that “it doesn’t look good.”

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    Devin O’Connor

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  • NBA commissioner

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    NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his first public comments since the arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges, said Friday night that he was stunned by the indictments that have rocked the league.

    “My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said on Amazon Prime Video, during the streaming service’s first broadcast — Boston at New York. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”

    Such was a sentiment shared by many around the league on Friday, one day after the indictments were unsealed and nearly three dozen people — most notably, Billups and Rozier — were arrested by federal officials.

    Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.

    Rozier’s attorney, James Trusty, told CBS News in a statement Thursday that Rozier had been characterized as a subject, not a target, of investigators, but then “at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel.” Trusty accused federal prosecutors of wanting “the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk.”

    Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed, rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.

    In a statement provided to CBS News Thursday night, an attorney for Billups wrote that “to believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game. Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to.”

    The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.

    “I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said during the in-game interview.

    The Rozier case has gone on since March 23, 2023. He was with the Charlotte Hornets at that time, and sportsbooks — legal ones — alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s “prop bets” that day. Rozier went on to play about 9 1/2 minutes, and those who bet that he would underperform the listed stat lines won those wagers. Federal officials said more than $200,000 was bet on those lines alone.

    The NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier, Silver said.

    “We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry at the time cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward.

    “He still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating.”

    Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calls Billups his best friend and said the news was difficult to take. He said he spoke with Billups on Thursday night and was encouraged by what he heard.

    “To go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters, it was a tough day,” Lue said. “You never want to see your friends go through anything like that.”

    Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers started in the NBA as a player more than 40 years ago. He’s seen plenty of good and bad. He thought he had heard it all. That is, until now.

    “It’s really sad,” Rivers said Friday.

    Along with Billups and Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones now faces charges because officials said he tipped off bettors about the health status of two Los Angeles Lakers players. The details in that indictment clearly show that Jones was discussing the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center Anthony Davis with bettors before their statuses for certain games was known publicly. There is no indication that James or Davis had any knowledge of what Jones was alleged to be doing.

    “We see now what those things can turn into and how they can spread, just how valuable this information is,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s a difficult situation overall but once you introduce gambling that the sports world has now, there’s going to be some very dangerous situations out there for everybody — from a security standpoint, from this type of thing standpoint.”

    All teams are required by the NBA to educate players, coaches and staff annually about what is allowed and not allowed when it comes to gambling. The Orlando Magic met recently about that very topic.

    And then after the news Thursday, they met again.

    “Yesterday was another reminder of what we have to do,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We had another conversation with the group. I think the more that is going on, the more we have to continue to talk to the group about what is happening.”

    The league has at least 14 relationships with sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings. Some teams have their own deals as well. Silver has often spoken of how legal betting can be monitored and how unusual patterns can be flagged immediately, part of the reason why the league believes the integrity of games can be protected.

    But some coaches and players still believe more can be done.

    “The league, the game and the business of the league has evolved. And so we just have to be aware of how things evolve in this business, right?” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s very important for us to continue to just be educated and mindful of everything that has to do with our business. … I believe in Adam Silver and the league, that they will do whatever is necessary to continue to grow the game in the right way.”

    Another issue for players and coaches is how social media has given bettors ways to communicate with those inside the league. Those interactions, many have said, are not always friendly.

    “The outside world, in my day, couldn’t get to us. They literally couldn’t get to us,” Rivers said Friday. “And now they can, with ease.”

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  • Four Ways to Fix the Broken NBA Draft

    Four Ways to Fix the Broken NBA Draft

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    It’s not often I jump into the NBA fray in this space, not because I’m not an NBA or Houston Rockets fan, but largely because my good friend Jeff Balke already does such a phenomenal job covering our squad. So you may not know that I’ve spent a large part of my childhood and adult life as a HUGE nerd for the NBA Draft. HUGE nerd.

    Back in high school, in the run up to the 1984 NBA Draft, back when I was a card carrying Philadelphia Sixers fan, I would spend every study hall feverishly jotting down mock drafts in my notebook (when I DEFINITELY should have been actually, ya know, STUDYING). I loved the NBA Draft, like I loved nothing else in sports.

    Through the years, the NBA Draft has become more tedious to follow, with so many players being one-and-done freshman, if not overseas players of whom I’ve watched practically zero film. This just in — a draft is way more fun to watch when you know who the players are!

    Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s changing any time soon. However, the NBA has done several other things to mangle and mutilate my beloved NBA Draft that are very fixable, and I am here to fix what can be fixed, and at least make my beloved NBA Draft remotely resemble the gathering I’d come to know and love back in the ’80s and ’90s.

    So, here you go, Adam Silver! You’re welcome!

    Make “who has what picks” less complicated
    Teams have been trading picks since the advent of the draft, either for players or for better picks. That’s nothing new. Somewhere along the way, though, in the last decade and change, teams trading first round picks have been include to attach “protections” to them, where the picks may not convey to their trade partner if their pick is in the top 4, or top 10, or whatever is agreed to. Additionally, teams have started using pick swaps as a poor man’s substitute to trading actual first round picks, where a team can choose to flip flop spots with a team in the first round. Well, this whole phenomenon, where it feels like half the picks have some contingency attached, has made the NBA Draft more difficult to follow, less fun to follow. I know NBA hyper-nerds may disagree, because they choose to enjoy the chess game of it all. I’m just saying, for the average person, it makes it all less understandable.

    Stop this silly thing where trades aren’t acknowledged until July
    So the NBA’s actually business year doesn’t begin until several days after the draft. However, trades DO get made on draft night that go into effect at the start of the league year. So instead of just acknowledging the reported trades, the NBA does this stupid thing on draft night where players who are drafted with those traded picks, are still introduced as if the trades are not going to get made. Using a real life example, watch these videos of Luka Doncic and Trae Young getting drafted in 2017. Everyone knew that Luka was headed to Dallas and Young to Atlanta, but because the trade isn’t in acknowledged for another week, we have to stick them in a baseball cap of a team they’ll never play for:
    If you think I’m being petty about this, then imagine Will Anderson getting introduced on draft night in a Cardinals cap when the whole world knows he’s going to be a Texan. We’d have been robbed of the posterity of  the incredible moment of Anderson putting on that Texans cap.

    Take away Adrian Wojnarowski’s cell phone
    I’m someone who likes to have social media open during things like the NFL Draft or the NBA Draft. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the premier NBA insider, was the first insider to take “spoiling picks” on Twitter to the next level. Prior to joining ESPN, when Woj was with Yahoo, he would spoil selections two and three picks ahead. That’s how embedded he is with NBA front offices. Unfortunately, it ruins the experience for many folks, who like the drama of hearing the commissioner announce the picks. So when Woj got to ESPN, the network tried to get him to stop spoiling, so instead he does this snarky crap now where he uses phrases like “zeroing in” or “interest centered upon” to get around the demands of ESPN management. It’s annoying, and honestly unnecessary.

    Do something about the draft telecast
    I suppose there are enough alternate outlets on draft night, with streamers and such, to where it may be petty for me to complain about the telecast, but dammit, I like ESPN! I don’t want to go to some low level steak night at a dive bar, I want Morton’s! ESPN’s presentation was great back in the day, when someone like Rece Davis would steer the ship, tossing to Jeff Van Gundy, Jay Bilas, and usually some other former player. Now, the broadcast just lacks star power, and has become one more vessel to try to force feed Stephen A. Smith to us in gargantuan doses. I’d bring back Davis, and put him with Tim Legler, Kendrick Perkins and Jay Bilas, and let’s go.

    Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.

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    Sean Pendergast

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  • Grizzlies star Ja Morant suspended for 25 games after latest gun video

    Grizzlies star Ja Morant suspended for 25 games after latest gun video

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    Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies brings the ball upcourt during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Five of the Western Conference playoffs at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, April 26, 2023.

    Justin Ford | Getty Images

    The National Basketball Association suspended Ja Morant for 25 games after the Memphis Grizzlies star brandished a gun on a live video for the second time, the league said Friday.

    Morant’s suspension will take effect at the start of the upcoming season. The NBA said Morant will have to meet unspecified “conditions” before he returns to the court and will not be able to participate in team or league activities, in addition to preseason games.

    Morant, a 23-year-old NBA All-Star, first waved a gun in a livestream from a night club in March, prompting an eight-game suspension. He then displayed a firearm in a car with friends during a second video stream last month.

    “Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Friday.

    Silver added that “basketball needs to take a back seat at this time. Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”

    In a statement to ESPN on Friday, Morant apologized and promised he is “going to be better.” He said he would spend the offseason working on his mental health.

    “I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you,” he said.

    Morant is endorsed by Nike and Coca-Cola‘s Powerade, but the drink company has pulled an ad featuring the NBA star and scrubbed him from social media.

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  • Adam Silver Announces When Outcome Of Ja Morant Investigation Will Be Revealed

    Adam Silver Announces When Outcome Of Ja Morant Investigation Will Be Revealed

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    NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave more details this week about when the investigation into Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will conclude.

    The investigation began last month after a livestream video on social media appeared to show Morant briefly displaying a handgun from the passenger seat of a vehicle while singing along to a song.

    As a result of the footage, the Grizzlies suspended him from team activities during the offseason.

    During a press conference on Thursday, the NBA commissioner said that the league plans to announce the probe’s outcome after this year’s NBA Finals, which features the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.

    “My sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals, we will announce the outcome of that investigation,” Silver told reporters.

    Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant in an NBA playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 26, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee.

    “In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information,” Silver said of the investigation, according to a video clip via ESPN. He later added, “We probably could’ve brought it to a head now.”

    “But we made the decision, and I believe the [National Basketball] Players Association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams in the middle of the series to announce the results of that investigation.”

    Silver said the league weighed the fact that the Grizzlies indefinitely suspended Morant in the offseason and argued that waiting to announce the outcome of the investigation wouldn’t have much of an impact on the star point guard.

    Morant’s livestream appearance last month was the second time this year he faced consequences for showing off his gun on social media.

    The NBA had already suspended Morant for eight games a few months prior after he livestreamed himself holding a firearm at a nightclub in Glendale, Colorado, on March 4. The Glendale Police Department also conducted an investigation into the incident. He was not charged with a crime.

    The Grizzlies player issued a public apology after the March 4 incident, taking full responsibility for his actions. Silver called Morant’s conduct “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous” in a statement at the time.

    Morant publicly apologized again shortly after the more recent incident in May, saying he knows he’s “disappointed a lot of people,” The Associated Press reported.

    “This is a journey, and I recognize there is more work to do,” he said. “My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”

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  • NBA, players still talking about new deal as deadline looms

    NBA, players still talking about new deal as deadline looms

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    NEW YORK (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday he is hopeful that a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players can get done by the end of this week, though he stopped short of predicting that a deal would actually get struck.

    “I think everyone understands what’s at stake,” Silver said.

    The league and the National Basketball Players Association face a midnight Friday deadline for either side to decide that they will opt out of the deal and end the current CBA on June 30. That opt-out deadline already has been extended twice, and Silver said the NBA’s current plan is to exercise that option if there is no deal by Friday night.

    “I certainly can foresee one getting done and I hope we do get one done,” Silver said at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the league’s Board of Governors. “It’s just because, honestly, I’m only one side of the negotiation, it’s difficult for me to place odds on whether or not that’s going to happen.”

    NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio said the players do not intend to opt out if Friday’s deadline passes without a deal.

    “The March 31st deadline is an important benchmark, and we are doing everything in our power to reach an agreement with the league,” Tremaglio said. “If we don’t have a deal and the league decides to opt out, it will be disappointing considering all the work both sides have put into the negotiations, and the fair nature of our requests. As far as our fans are concerned, it will be business as usual. Games will continue uninterrupted.”

    Both sides have said throughout this process — and in past labor talks — that they do not intend to negotiate or discuss specifics publicly.

    The sides have been talking about a new CBA for more than a year, and Silver said he expected negotiations to resume Wednesday night. And if Friday passes without a deal, it wouldn’t be dire immediately because the sides still will have three months to get something done before the current CBA expires.

    The opt-outs were put in place to avoid the drama of having talks go right up until the end of a deal, which would increase the odds of a work stoppage.

    “Still a lot to go in the next few days. There’s just something about collective bargaining where deadlines are necessary and seemingly sides tend to hold their best positions until the very end,” Silver said. “So, my sense is this will go down to the very end.”

    The league has made clear that it wants some changes to the current CBA and has been in discussions with the union on matters such as an upper spending limit, returning to a plan where players can jump to the draft directly from high school and enacting a minimum number of games played in order to be qualified for season-ending awards.

    “Every issue seemingly seems related to every other issue,” Silver said. “If you line up these 10 issues, you sort of go 80% of the way there on each issue and everybody’s holding their last move to say: ‘Well, OK, maybe I’m willing to do that, but I’m going wait to see what you’re going to do on those three issues. And if you make those moves on those three issues, then I’ll feel a little bit more comfortable.’ I mean, people are constantly trading things.”

    The current CBA, which took effect July 1, 2017, came with a mutual option for either the NBA or the NBPA to opt out after six seasons — June 30 of this year.

    The sides originally had a Dec. 15 deadline to announce an intention to exercise the opt-out, then pushed it back to Feb. 8, then to Friday.

    A lockout would be damaging on many levels — well beyond the obvious part of how a league that is coming off a season of record revenue (it topped $10 billion for the first time last season and basketball-related income reached $8.9 billion, another record) would see that momentum interrupted. It could also interfere with the makeup of teams for this summer’s World Cup in the Philippines, with NBA players expected to fill the U.S. and other rosters (and three NBA coaches set to be part of the U.S. coaching staff).

    It could also disrupt plans for an NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this July that figures to feature presumed No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama in what would be a global spectacle, as the French phenom begins his NBA career.

    “I think for both sides in various categories we acknowledge we’ve come closer together,” Silver said. “There still is a gap between where we feel we need to be in order to get a deal done. I’d say throughout the discussions have had a very positive tenor and continued the strong sense of partnership that we have with our players and the players association.”

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Amazon CEO says retailer will continue to sell antisemitic film

    Amazon CEO says retailer will continue to sell antisemitic film

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    Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Wednesday the company does not have plans to stop selling an antisemitic film that gained notoriety recently after Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving tweeted out an Amazon link to it.

    Pressure has been mounting on Amazon to discontinue sale of the film, called “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” since Irving shared the link to the documentary with his millions of Twitter followers in October. The synopsis on Amazon says the film “uncovers the true identity of the Children of Israel.”


    Kyrie Irving back with Brooklyn Nets: CBS News Flash Nov. 21, 2022

    01:00

    At The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York City, Jassy said it is difficult for the company to determine what content crosses the line to where Amazon doesn’t make it available to customers.

    “As a retailer of content to hundreds of millions of customers with a lot of different viewpoints, we have to allow access to those viewpoints, even if they are objectionable — objectionable and they differ from our particular viewpoints,” the Times quoted Jassy as saying.

    Some cases are “more straight forward”

    He said making decisions about what content to take down is “more straight forward” in some cases, such as when it “actively incites or promotes violence, or teaches people to do things like pedophilia.”

    Dozens of celebrities, public figures as well as Jewish organizations and the Nets have called on the company to take down the film or add a disclaimer offering an explanation as to why the documentary and related book are problematic.

    Amazon told the newspaper earlier this month that it would look into adding a disclaimer on the documentary’s main page. But that hasn’t happened.

    The Seattle-based company did not reply to request for comment sent by The Associated Press earlier this month on whether it would add a disclaimer or not. Jassy, who is Jewish, said Wednesday that Amazon has employees that flag content, but scaling that more broadly could be challenging.

    “The reality is that we have very expansive customer reviews,” he said. “For books with a lot of attention — especially public attention — customers do a good job monitoring other people.”

    Irving was suspended by the Nets on November 3 after he refused to issue the apology that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sought for posting the link the the film. He returned after issuing an apology more than two weeks later. He missed eight games.

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  • Kyrie Irving does not apologize for antisemitic tweet

    Kyrie Irving does not apologize for antisemitic tweet

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    Kyrie Irving does not apologize for antisemitic tweet – CBS News


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    Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has not apologized for posting a link to an antisemitic film. The Nets announced the team and Irving would each donate $500,000 to anti-hate groups. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is Jewish, said he’s disappointed that Irving has not denounced the film. Michael George has the latest.

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