Team USA is currently leading the medal count at the Paris Olympics, with athletes winning in a diverse range of sports.They’re hoping to win a medal in a new version of an old game, 3×3 basketball.It’s similar to traditional basketball, but the rules are a little different. The first team to 21 points, or whoever is leading at the end of 10 minutes, wins.College star and influencer Hailey Van Lith, a 3×3 player, said, “This has been something that just came out of nowhere.”The ball is about 2 centimeters smaller than a traditional basketball, and there’s no coach on the court. “It’s a great opportunity for us to learn, to think the game,” Van Lith added.The popularity of basketball is growing around the following of France superstar Victor Wembenyama. Four French players were also selected in the first round of the most recent NBA draft.Areas of Paris that were once parking lots have been turned into basketball courts. The medal games for 3×3 are scheduled for this Monday.
PARIS, IDF —
Team USA is currently leading the medal count at the Paris Olympics, with athletes winning in a diverse range of sports.
They’re hoping to win a medal in a new version of an old game, 3×3 basketball.
It’s similar to traditional basketball, but the rules are a little different. The first team to 21 points, or whoever is leading at the end of 10 minutes, wins.
College star and influencer Hailey Van Lith, a 3×3 player, said, “This has been something that just came out of nowhere.”
The ball is about 2 centimeters smaller than a traditional basketball, and there’s no coach on the court.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to learn, to think the game,” Van Lith added.
The popularity of basketball is growing around the following of France superstar Victor Wembenyama. Four French players were also selected in the first round of the most recent NBA draft.
Areas of Paris that were once parking lots have been turned into basketball courts.
The medal games for 3×3 are scheduled for this Monday.
It wasn’t quite as overwhelming as some may have expected, but in the end Team USA did what it came to do. Bam Adebayo (18 points) and LeBron James (12 points, seven rebounds, five assists) led a ruthlessly efficient offensive attack and the U.S. flipped things into cruise control in the second half en route to a 103-86 win over South Sudan on Wednesday. The victory moves the U.S. to 2-0 and the top of Group C, and guarantees it a place in the quarterfinal next week. Here’s how it all went down.
U.S. 103, South Sudan 86: Full recap and key takeaways
Jayson Tatum starts, Joel Embiid sits
The biggest storyline coming out of the dominant opening win over Serbia was Jayson Tatum, who surprisingly didn’t play a single minute. Kerr almost immediately expressed regret for the decision, chalking it up Kevin Durant‘s return and the depth of his roster and vowing that Tatum would play in Team USA’s next game.
Turns out, he kept his word and then some: Not only did Tatum play, he started alongside Steph Curry, LeBron James, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis. Tatum didn’t exactly light it up, scoring just two points on 1-of-3 shooting, but he added five rebounds and a couple of assists and generally seemed content to keep the ball moving and play rugged defense. Most importantly, he seemed 100% engaged, which will hopefully go a long way toward putting this controversy to rest.
Of course, where one controversy ends, another begins: You may have noticed that Joel Embiid, who had been starting at the 5, wasn’t among the starters listed above. Embiid not only didn’t start but didn’t play a single minute, the only U.S. player to not appear in the game. Embiid’s battle with knee issues this year has been well-documented, and he didn’t look like himself against Serbia. Still, his absence was notable, as was how good the U.S. big-man rotation looked without him.
The hallmark of this U.S. team is quickly becoming its bench, a luxury afforded to a team that has NBA All-Stars up and down its roster. That was true again on Wednesday: The game was tied at 10 when Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday and Bam Adebayo checked into the game with four minutes remaining in the first quarter; by the 8:42 mark of the second, the U.S. led 33-14, and the game was never in doubt again.
“Since the start of camp, we’ve been calling ourselves the bench mob for a long time now,” Adebayo said. “And it doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup, we always seem to figure it out.”
Whether in the half-court or in transition, the U.S. kept the ball flying around. Adebayo and Davis gave the U.S. the ability to switch everything and create easy fast-break opportunities. U.S. ballhandlers were constantly getting into the paint, either finishing themselves, throwing lobs to rim-runners or spraying the ball out to 3-point shooters. Team USA tallied assists on 29 of its 37 made baskets, an excellent sign given how stagnant the offense got at times during its pre-Paris tuneup games.
Five different Americans finished in double-figures, including Durant (14), White and Booker (10 each), and the Americans shot 53% from the field and 43% from deep on a steady diet of clean looks.
“I just think our defensive intensity,” James said when asked what made the difference. “That’s what we started with to start the game and even though they got better into the game, they’re a pretty good team, we were able to get stops when needed.”
A slightly sloppy second half
The U.S. did let its foot off the gas just a little bit after halftime, as South Sudan started to warm up from the outside. Nuni Omot and Bul Kuol were excellent, combining for 40 points on 14-of-22 shooting, and an Omot 3 cut the lead to just 11 midway through the third. That was as close as the Bright Stars would get, though, as Edwards and Adebayo went on a mini-spurt to stretch the lead back to 16 by the end of the period. From there, the rest was academic.
What’s next for the U.S.?
Team USA has already secured a spot in the quarterfinals, but that obviously isn’t the standard here. There’s still one more game of group play left, and the U.S. needs a win against Puerto Rico to ensure that it finishes atop Group C. Tip is set for Saturday at 11:15 a.m. ET.
PARIS — Canyon Barry is a part-time basketball player.
His full-time job is system engineer for a defense and space contractor.
Barry, who will take the courts at the Paris Games searching for a 3×3 gold medal for the U.S. men’s team, has an undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston in physics and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from Florida. So, is he a rocket scientist? A nuclear physicist?
“Scientist, engineer, problem-solver, take your pick,” said Barry, with a slight chuckle and a wink.
As for what his work entails with the aerospace and defense company L3Harris Technologies, Barry is tight-lipped.
“I’ve talked to L3Harris and they’ve said to not give too much specifics in terms of programs that we’re working on for clearance and security reasons,” he said. “But we have a great international compliance and trade security. (And) they briefed me on all this stuff and just said kind of leave it at systems engineering.”
The U.S. men lost their opener Tuesday night against Serbia. The Americans play Poland on Wednesday.
When not with teammates Jimmer Fredette, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis preparing for the Olympics, the son of Hall of Famer and NBA champion Rick Barry is often on his laptop working on projects for L3Harris Technologies.
Because of the team’s international travel in the run up to the Paris Games, Barry would be taking zoom calls and doing his day job in the middle of the night while the rest of the team was sleeping.
The 30-year-old Barry appreciates the support he’s received from the company as he’s prepared for the Olympics. He’s on vacation from his job during the Games to devote his full attention to the chase for gold.
“Really fortunate to work for that company and what they’ve allowed me to do,” Barry said. “And I also think that they’ve really matched up with the Olympic spirit because they protect our U.S. war fighters abroad and kind of bringing that American spirit is really cool.”
The 6-foot-5 Barry was interested in science from a young age, and despite being born into a basketball family, his mother, Lynn Barry, made academics the top priority in their home.
“She would always say: ‘You never know what’s going to happen with sports in terms of injuries or when might be your last game,’” he said. “So having … a career that you’re passionate about and can kind of have an identity outside of sports means a lot to me. Because now, when the ball does stop bouncing, I know that I have a passion and a job that I can go back to that I find fulfillment in and can really enjoy that for the rest of my life.”
While Barry’s teammates appreciate his intellect and attention to detail on the court, there are times where they tire of him correcting them off it.
“That’s never fun,” Fredette said. “He’s always trying to be like no, this is how you say it, or this is the right way to do it. So, he’s always making sure that we’re on our P’s and Q’s.”
Still, it’s all love between Fredette and Barry.
“You can see it when he plays on the court, he has a similar thinking aspect of how he likes to play the game,” Fredette said. “So, he’s obviously one of my best friends — love the guy — and don’t tell him I said it, but he’s super smart.”
Though his scientific brain is most often used for that top-secret government work, he’s also used physics to justify an unconventional part of his game. His father famously shot underhand free throws or “granny shots” and he’s done the same throughout his career.
“There’s been a bunch of physics articles that have come out in terms of it’s a more repeatable motion,” Barry said. “When you shoot free throws overhanded your wrist, your elbow and your shoulder all have to fire at the correct time and move in to create the proper trajectory and launch angle and arc. Versus for an underhand shot, it’s really just your shoulder.
“So, with one joint, you’re really simplifying the shot.”
Barry’s family is with him in Paris as he’ll try to help the U.S. men have a better outcome than they did in the last Olympics. The men didn’t qualify in the sport’s debut at the Tokyo Games — though the American women won gold.
He’ll also have a room full of scientists rooting for him back in Melbourne, Florida. His co-workers hosted an ice cream party as a sendoff, where everyone wore T-shirts they had made in his honor.
“It said: ‘Go Canyon,’ and then had a picture of the Eiffel Tower with a satellite orbiting instead of the basketball,” he said.
And when he returns to Florida, he hopes it’s with some special hardware.
“I would love nothing more than to come back to that office with a gold medal,” Barry said, “and let all of them feel it and take pictures with it.”
LeBron James made his Olympic return after a 12-year absence. Kevin Durant played for the first time this summer.
And the two most experienced Olympians on this U.S. team opened the Paris Games — not to mention a bid for a fifth consecutive gold medal for the Americans — with a near-perfect show.
Durant made his first eight shots on the way to 23 points in less than 17 minutes, James added 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and the U.S. rolled to a 110-84 win over Serbia in the Olympic opener for both teams on Saturday.
LeBron James shoots as Filip Petrusev, of Serbia, defends at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Michael Conroy / AP
They were a combined 18 for 22 from the field — 8 of 9 for Durant, 9 of 13 for James — as the U.S. had no trouble with the reigning World Cup silver medalists from last summer in the Philippines. Jrue Holiday scored 15, Devin Booker had 12 and Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry each added 11 for the U.S.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 20 points for Serbia, while Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday, with the U.S. taking on upstart South Sudan — a rematch of a 101-100 escape win for the Americans in an exhibition in London earlier this month — and Serbia meeting Puerto Rico in what could essentially be an elimination game for both teams.
Before the tournament started, Serbia coach Svetislav Pesic — who coached against the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” from the U.S. — said this version of the American squad was even better than that first NBA-star-filled bunch that took the world by storm at the Barcelona Games. And when told of that comment a couple of weeks back, U.S. coach Steve Kerr laughed it off.
“When Chuck Daly coached the Dream Team, he never called timeout,” Kerr said.
It took all of 2 minutes, 41 seconds of these Olympics for Kerr to call one. Serbia jumped out to a 10-2 lead, putting the Americans into a quick hole. Kerr subbed Joel Embiid out for Anthony Davis after that first stoppage and things changed in a hurry; a three-point play by James midway through the first gave the U.S. its first lead and a lob from James to Edwards put the Americans up 25-20 after one.
Kevin Durant passes the ball as he heads out of bounds while under pressure from Marko Guduric, of Serbia at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Michael Conroy / AP
By then, the Durant show was underway.
He finished his 8-for-8 first-half showing with a fadeaway, falling to the court, that beat the halftime buzzer for a 58-49 lead. And the lead steadily grew from there: Edwards shook free of Serbia’s Nikola Jovic for a nifty baseline score to make it 84-65 after three, a play so good that Curry was dancing in delight and mimicking using a video-game controller on the sideline.
French Olympic sprinter Sounkamba Sylla took to social media days before the 2024 Olympic Games began, saying she would not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony because of her hijab.
“You are selected for the Olympics, organized in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” Sylla wrote on her private Instagram, according to The Associated Press.
The criticism was the latest in an ongoing controversy over France’s rule prohibiting female Muslim athletes from wearing the hijab, or headscarves, during the Olympics. The athletes, while competing for France, are considering civil servants and must adhere to principles of secularism, according to the country’s rules.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra later said she’d be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony and the Games by covering her hair in a way that did not appear religious.
An overview of the Trocadero venue with the Eiffel Tower in the background, in Paris, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024.
Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool Photo via AP
Bans on hijab in French sports
Bans on wearing hijab in French sports have applied at all levels, including amateur and youth levels, even outside the Olympics, according to Amnesty International.
There isn’t a national law or policy banning hijabs in sports, but individual sports federations have their own regulations prohibiting the headscarf. Football (soccer), basketball and volleyball are some of the team sports banning them, Anna Blus, a women’s rights and gender justice researcher at Amnesty International, told ABC News.
A ban against wearing the hijab in football was instituted in 2006. In basketball, it began in 2022 and in volleyball in 2023.
“We have documented over the years — (for) around 20 years — measures are being introduced constantly to limit Muslim women’s rights,” Blus said of France.
“There’s definitely been an increase in these types of measures in different areas of life over the past 20 years,” Blus said.
Ibtihaj Muhammad, from United States, waits for match against Olena Kravatska from Ukraine, in the women’s saber individual fencing event at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File
In 2023, France’s highest administrative court sided with the French Football Federation allowing its hijab ban in the sport.
“The reasoning it gave was very, very problematic, because it said that these types of bans like the one in the Football Federation, were legitimate — the justification could be to avoid clashes or confrontation,” Blus said.
“It’s suggesting that clashes or confrontations might occur if someone wears a hijab, and that in order to protect that athlete, she can be banned, and she should be banned from wearing it. It’s extremely problematic,” Blus said.
Basket Pour Toutes, a collective that says it is fighting against discrimination in basketball, said the argument the ban seeks to maintain public order “tends to stigmatize a part of the population which is already the subject of numerous prejudices,” the group said on its website.
Basket Pour Toutes, which translate to “Basketball for all” in English, also said “secularism is not above fundamental freedoms.”
“The (French Federation of Basketball) maintains that the ban on equipment with religious connotations is based on the principle of neutrality which itself derives from the principle of secularism. But this duty of neutrality only applies to public service agents and not to its users,” Basket Pour Toutes wrote.
Since the court decision came out, the Hijabeuses — a collective of female athletes who wear the hijab and had brought the complaint against the Football Federation — have made an application to the European Court of Human rights, which has jurisdiction over France.
Egypt’s Dina Meshref in action at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
Their application is still pending and could likely take a couple of years, Blus said.
“Litigation is only one kind of tool that can be used and it takes many years sometimes,” Blus said. “I think there is much more that we can do as human rights organizations and as campaigners to stand against these types of discriminatory measures.”
Human rights groups criticize bans
Human rights groups have called on the International Olympic Committee to publicly ask sporting authorities in France to overturn bans on wearing the hijab in the Olympic Games and at all levels of sport, saying prohibitions are in place across at least six sports.
“The country’s discrimination against women and girls wearing the hijab is particularly concerning given the IOC’s celebration of Paris 2024 as the first ‘Gender Equal Olympics,’” the groups — including Human Rights Watch, Basket Pour Toutes and the World Players Association — wrote in a joint letter to the IOC.
“Women and girls in France who wear the hijab have been and are being prevented from playing multiple sports including football, basketball, judo, boxing, volleyball and badminton — even at youth and amateur levels. The hijab bans in sports have resulted in many Muslim athletes being discriminated against, invisibilised, excluded and humiliated, causing trauma and social isolation — some have left or are considering leaving the country to seek playing opportunities elsewhere,” the letter said.
Gold medalist Feryal Abdelaziz of Egypt poses during the medal ceremony for women’s kumite +61kg karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
AP Photo/Vincent Thian
Other athletes, including Diaba Konate, a French basketball player who played for Idaho State and University of California, Irvine up until this past April, have also criticized the ban. Konate said she was kept from being able to play for the French National Team again. She’s not on the French team playing in the Olympics.
“I love basketball, my family, and my faith,” Konate said in an open letter. “It would break my heart to give up any one of those, and yet that is what the current French Federation of Basketball guidelines are forcing me to do.”
Blus said activism among Muslim athletes and activists in France is growing in a very difficult environment.
“It’s really important that big international organizations, such as ours, express their solidarity with Muslim women, because they have very often — really particularly in France, but also in other countries — (been) subject to negative stereotypes, demonization, homogenization of what it might mean to them to wear hijab,” Blus said.
“It’s really a matter of feminist solidarity and of women’s rights and human rights,” Blus said.
WASHINGTON—Warning that interior defenses were spread too thin, experts confirmed this week that Team USA’s arrival in France for the Olympics had left America’s own basketball rims largely unguarded. “In a strategic blunder of historic proportions, the U.S. men’s national basketball team landing in Paris has left an uncontested path to the basket,” said national security expert Emmett Stein, explaining that Americans lacked the necessary shot blockers and bigs to protect the paint on courts at home. “At the current moment, our nation is woefully vulnerable to foreign threats against basketball rims on its own shores. A foreign player with a basketball at the top of the key could drive for an easy layup with little resistance.” At press time, America was devastated after foreign basketball adversaries attacked a domestic rim with a tomahawk dunk.
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LAS VEGAS — Through five games, the Warriors remain undefeated in Summer League play.
They hoisted the Mitch Richmond Trophy with a 3-0 California Classic and have now started the major showcase in Vegas with two straight wins.
In their latest victory, a 92-82 pull-away from Chicago, Brandin Podziemski neared a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. His running mate, Trayce Jackson-Davis, tallied 17 points and 10 boards.
Sunday is expected to be Podziemski and Jackson-Davis’ last Summer League game. It’s standard for established second-year NBA players like themselves to play a few games to get extra offseason reps.
“My wish list is that they play, but we have to look at the big picture,” head coach Anthony Vereen said. “I don’t know what the next plan will be, but I know they’re competitive guys. If you give it up to them, they’re gonna play…It’s been a pleasure to coach them, and I hope I get to coach them a little bit more.”
Golden State fell behind early, but Podziemski keyed an 11-1 run to help them take a 24-23 lead after the first quarter. In that run, the point guard assisted on a Kevin Knox II corner 3 and canned two triples of his own.
Back-to-back buckets from Podziemski in the last 26 seconds of the second quarter sent the Warriors into halftime with some extra rhythm, up three. At half, Podziemski had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists — including an alley-oop dime to Summer League standout Daeqwon Plowden.
Triple-double watch continued for Podziemski. Although he said postgame it wasn’t on his mind, it was clear the guard put an emphasis on setting up his teammates. He opened the second half with an assist to Plowden and a perfect outlet pass for a fast-break dunk off a rebound. Then he found Trayce Jackson-Davis on a no-look pass underneath for an easy jam. That brought his totals to six boards and seven assists.
“I’m not mad if you’re hunting assists,” Vereen said. “If you’re hunting points, I’ve got a problem.”
Podziemski wasn’t hunting his shot, but he did find pockets of the game to get buckets. He dropped in a baseline fadeaway at the end of the shot clock, displaying the level of calm an established NBA player like himself should in Summer League play. As the Warriors earned a double-digit lead, he looked even more comfortable.
In the fourth, Podziemski canned a catch-and-shoot 3, then drove the baseline off a pump fake for a one-handed jam. The last time he dunked like that, Podziemski said, was last year in his hometown of Milwaukee against the Bucks.
“I’ve been putting in work the last 10 weeks on my body,” Podziemski said. “So I figured I’d make it work.”
Podziemski was efficient, going 8-for-14 from the floor, but he also committed seven turnovers.
“A bunch of them were just stupid,” Podziemski said. “Like, why would I do that? A lot of them were in transition, hit-ahead passes. But I feel like in the regular season, I’m going to have guys in different spots. Just our spacing was a little jacked up, but that’s on me to get that organized.”
Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis surged in the second half, draining several tough shots against smaller defenders. The 6-foot-10 wing recorded 28 points on 10-for-22 shooting.
Jackson-Davis provided a force inside, getting to the line for 13 free throw attempts. The coaching staff told him to be more aggressive after Saturday’s game, and he heeded that.
Their shutdowns aren’t official, but it’s fair to consider Podziemski and Jackson-Davis graduated from Summer League.
“I think me and BP grew as players, just leading a team,” Jackson-Davis said. “Defensively, on the floor, I think we were better. And just going out there and competing, I thought we both did that. We got two Ws. Scored (28) combined points. I thought we did our job.”
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — Vianca Braña never used to attend basketball games in her hometown of Carolina, Puerto Rico — or anywhere else in the United States territory. But in recent years, the 23-year-old has left the arena with a hoarse voice, often wearing a T-shirt that reads “Carola,” a nickname for her town.
“We started making this fun, and I wanted to represent the town where I’m from,” said Braña, who attended her first game the year Puerto Rican reggaeton star Bad Bunny bought a team in the island’s professional men’s basketball league. It was also around that time that she began placing bets on different teams across Puerto Rico with her girlfriends.
Braña’s fervor illustrates how Puerto Rico’s professional men’s basketball league is experiencing a revival, driven by reggaeton stars like Bad Bunny, Ozuna and Anuel AA, who are stepping into the financial game, buying local teams and helping to stack up a loyal fan base the island hasn’t witnessed in over 40 years.
What were once half-empty arenas in Puerto Rico are now packed, filled with families and young fans cheering for their favorite teams, from Los Capitanes de Arecibo in northern Puerto Rico to Los Leones de Ponce in the south.
Attendance more than doubled from 2018 to 2023, skyrocketing from some 480,000 tickets sold to nearly 1 million, according to Puerto Rico’s professional men’s basketball league, whose digital presence has also soared in the past few years.
A pivotal moment in the league’s revival came in 2021, when three-time Grammy winner Bad Bunny became co-owner of Los Cangrejeros de Santurce, along with his manager, Noah Assad.
Bad Bunny’s frequent game-day visits sparked a resurgence in Puerto Rico’s basketball scene. Other artists like Anuel AA quickly followed, buying Arecibo’s Capitanes team before a new owner took over in 2023, and Ozuna acquiring Manatí’s team, renaming it Los Osos, in 2022. The league, known as BSN, currently has 12 teams playing, compared with nine just four years ago.
Basketball games have transformed into premier rendezvous events, attracting celebrities like NBA legend LeBron James, former boxer Floyd Mayweather and reggaeton artists including Arcangel and Rauw Alejandro, capturing audiences of all ages hoping to get a glimpse of them.
“When Noah and Bad Bunny came along, we generated a lot of noise,” said Ricardo Dalmau, president of BSN. “It was an explosion of attention.”
Dalmau said local TV ratings also saw an upward tick after they began broadcasting some games in 2021, with the biggest surprise being their largest viewership block: women ages 18 to 49, a new audience that was also reflected in the bleachers.
“You never know what artist you’re going to find in the (league),” he said.
Before its recent surge in popularity, the league was under financial strain. Although Dalmau did not provide specific numbers, he said there used to be a lot of uncertainty about whether certain teams would participate or whether the league could fulfill players’ contracts. “We don’t have those problems anymore,” he said.
Javier Sabath, a popular basketball commentator on the island, said he is witnessing what his father — a sports commentator himself decades ago — describes as the environment in the 1980s, the heyday of the league.
“New generations have never seen this before,” Sabath said. “The boom with urban artists revived the Puerto Rican sports history that had been forgotten.”
Sabath said the momentum created by artists has fueled fans’ excitement beyond just seeing reggaeton stars. “Indirectly, these artists are attracting enough attention to make people interested in our league,” he said. “It’s a domino effect.”
A bittersweet moment took place recently, when Puerto Rico national men’s basketball team, composed of several of the league’s star players, qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The victory over Lithuania broke a 20-year drought for the team that last competed in 2004, beating the USA team in the Athens Olympics. It is also a loss for the league’s teams playing later in the summer.
The league’s renaissance comes after its peak over 40 years ago. Teams in Bayamón, Quebradillas, Ponce and other towns had produced renowned players, including Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican player to enter the National Basketball Association; Raymond Dalmau, whose son currently presides over the league; and Rubén Rodríguez, who played for Los Vaqueros in Bayamón.
As part of the current frenzy, ex-NBA players have moved to Puerto Rico in recent years to join the league. Will Barton and Jared Sullinger play for San Juan’s team, while other ex-NBA players like DeMarcus Cousins, Lance Stephenson and Brandon Knight also joined before moving on to other stints.
Still, some problems remain beyond the league’s control, including severe budget cuts, with the government slashing the island’s sports and recreation department budget by more than half over the past decade. A lack of investment and maintenance in sports arenas across the island has caused leaks, leading to game suspensions after heavy rains.
“Despite the lack of economic resources, we’ve been able to sort it out,” said Ray Quiñones, secretary of sports and recreation of Puerto Rico, whose infrastructure budget was cut from about $15,300 in 2014 to barely $7,500 in 2024.
In June, a game in Carolina between the home team, Los Gigantes, and Los Indios of Mayagüez was suspended after a widespread power outage left more than 340,000 customers without electricity. A month earlier, a game in San Juan’s main arena was also suspended due to a power outage.
Despite the challenges, younger generations are finding refuge outside their homes — which also contend with frequent power outages — and a new sense of pride by attending the games.
For fans like Annais Ramírez, basketball arenas feel like safe spaces, especially for women looking to engage in historically male-dominated areas.
“There are so many artists coming to the games, and you wonder if you’ll run into one,” the 27-year-old said as she stood next to her friend, who sported a necklace with a diamond-encrusted “C” for the town of Carolina.
Her love for Carolina’s team has grown beyond her expectation to run into a celebrity. During her free time, Ramírez goes on social media to catch up on the games she couldn’t attend in person, checking out highlights, halftime performances and crowd reactions.
“Those motivate you to be part of the movement,” she said. “On weekdays, this helps me unwind.”
There is one goal, and it’s always the same goal for USA Basketball. The only acceptable result from these Paris Olympics is another gold medal.
And the most recent gold was one of the toughest to get.
At the Tokyo Games three years ago, the U.S. trailed Spain by 10 in the quarterfinals, trailed Australia by 15 in the semifinals and beat France by only five in the gold-medal game. It was yet another reminder that in the international game, winning isn’t automatic for the Americans anymore. And frankly, that’s a notion they’re tired of hearing about.
“I hear a lot of people saying everybody’s catching up to us too, so that keeps us hungry, that keeps us motivated,” U.S. guard Devin Booker said. “We have a lot of respect for those guys, but basketball still lies here.”
Call that the mission within the mission for the U.S. in Paris: Winning is the goal, but there’s also a clear sense that it’d be nice to remind the rest of the world that — while there are great players hailing from all over the planet — no nation can put together a roster like the one the Americans have for these games. A 12-man roster, all of them All-Stars, led by veterans like three-time medalists LeBron James and Kevin Durant and an Olympic newcomer in Stephen Curry.
“It’s going to be historic for sure with this team, so I’m just happy to be a part of it, honestly,” said U.S. guard Anthony Edwards, one of the Olympic rookies on the roster. “I ain’t even thought about it too much. Just happy to be a part of it.”
There is history on the line: Durant could become the first men’s player with four Olympic basketball golds, James is seeking a fourth Olympic medal and the Americans are trying to win five Olympic titles in a row for the first time since winning the first seven competitions held from 1936 through 1968.
And the rest of the world is waiting.
Germany is the reigning World Cup champion, winning gold last summer in Manila. Serbia – the first U.S. opponent in France — and Canada also won medals at the World Cup, Canada captured its bronze by beating the Americans. And then there’s France, the home team, a squad that lost the gold-medal game to the U.S. at the Tokyo Games 87-82 after beating the Americans earlier in that tournament and now has both home-soil advantage and Victor Wembanyama leading the way.
“I can’t wait to face them,” Wembanyama said of the Americans.
If that matchup happens, it’ll be in the elimination rounds. France is in Group B, along with Germany, Japan and Brazil. The Group A pairing is Australia, Greece, Canada and Spain — which, top to bottom, would seem to be the toughest. And in Group C, it’s the U.S., Serbia, Puerto Rico and Olympic newcomer South Sudan.
Teams play a round robin against the others in their group. Following those three games, the first- and second-place finishers from each group make the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.
“It just gets you back to just enjoying the, I guess you could say the purity of the game and what it takes to put a 12-man roster together,” Curry said. “And if everybody brings that right energy then we’ll get the most out of this experience.”
Spain is a perennial power and has a now six-time Olympian in Rudy Fernandez, the first men’s basketball player to qualify that many times. Greece has Giannis Antetokounmpo, Canada has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray, and Australia is still feeling some momentum from three summers ago at the Tokyo Games.
Australia’s 0-for-forever run of medals in major international tournaments finally ended in Tokyo with the bronze, and Patty Mills insists the team can go for more this summer.
“From an all-around talent standpoint, you look at our team and the majority of us are in the NBA … and we’ve got a lot of young guys with a lot of experience, which we haven’t ever really had had before,” Mills said.
Germany won the World Cup last summer and basically brings back much of that team, but will have to deal with France in group play. The winner of their game probably should win the group.
Brazil and Japan will likely need to spring one upset to be assured of getting out of group, or could rely on the third-place spots to advance behind the clear favorites in Group B.
“Last summer’s experience was super special,” Germany’s Franz Wagner said. “Only when we got done did we realize what we had done as a group, not just the accomplishment of winning gold but realizing the chemistry we had as a team.”
Nikola Jokic didn’t even play for Serbia when his nation won silver at the World Cup last summer; adding him to the mix obviously makes that team look even tougher on paper. Puerto Rico won a qualifier earlier this month to get in led by Jose Alvarado, and South Sudan qualified based on its World Cup result a year ago.
The Serbia-U.S. game to open group play will set the tone.
“It will definitely be a spectacle,” Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic said.
Serbia’s plan will be to use its years of familiarity with one another as the key to beating a team loaded with talent but one that practiced together for the first time earlier this month.
“We are aware that they will be a huge challenge and have a lot of continuity, a lot of players who have played together over the years,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “And that’s one of the reasons they’ll be as good as they’ll be.”
SAN FRANCISCO — There were gloriously flubbed layups, an absence of one highly anticipated rookie in particular, and another Warriors blowout victory.
Anthony Vereen remains undefeated in his lifetime as a head coach.
“We talked about some of our core principles, some things we really wanted to set our culture (with), and we said commitment,” Vereen said postgame. “Individual commitment to our team effort, and we said connection — not just on the court, but off the court. And if you see these guys hang with each other, you’d swear that they’ve been on the team for, like, years.
“So that’s really humbling as a coach to see that, that they want to play for each other. They know your success equals my success equals our success.”
Much to the chagrin of the rather full Chase Center stands, the Lakers held Bronny James out as a precautionary measure due to swelling in his knee. At various points during the game, scattered “We want Bronny” chants broke out from the crowd.
Warriors second-round pick Quinten Post also missed his second straight game as he continues to ramp up from a minor leg injury.
Daeqwon Plowden, Ethan Thompson and Marques Bolden stood out for a second straight game for the Warriors, leading them to a 92-68 victory.
Here are three observations from the action.
Plenty of minutes to go around
With Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski training with the US Select Team, the Warriors have had fewer NBA-caliber players rostered through the first couple games than most teams.
The bench got even thinner Sunday against the young Lakers.
Post missed his second straight game as he awaits clearance from the performance team. Pat Spencer, who had a terrific California Classic opener, was also in street clothes on Sunday. Yuri Collins also missed the first game.
The absences provided more opportunities for guys like Bolden, Plowden, Mantas Rubstavicius and Kevin Knox II. That’s not such a bad thing. And for the Warriors, more opportunities meant more impressive team basketball.
First look at Knox
Kevin Knox II, the ninth overall pick in the 2018 Draft, made his Warriors Summer League debut. He was on Golden State’s initial roster, but a calf injury caused some confusion about his availability. On Sunday, he was ready to roll.
Players of Knox’s pedigree and experience shouldn’t have much trouble with Summer League competition. But because of the calf injury, this was the 24-year-old’s first real run of the summer, he said postgame. He certainly didn’t dominate.
Knox flubbed a pair of layups and went 0-for-4 at the free throw line overall. The former Knick, Hawk, Piston and Blazer snagged a couple steals and sank a 3 in the second half.
Knox logged seven points, five assists and four rebounds in 19 minutes, going 3-for-10 from the field. He wants to use the Summer League as an opportunity to compete while playing organized basketball, get in game shape and prove that he can be a leader.
“I love the game of basketball,” Knox said. “I love playing. I just really want to go out there and show teams that I can compete on a nightly basis no matter the stage I’m playing.”
Dalton Knecht still feeling things out
This is what Summer League’s for. Even the most talented incoming rookies often have to acclimate themselves to a new level of play.
Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ 17th overall pick, is an apt example. A 23-year-old wing who played three college seasons, he’s the type of prospect who should be able to hit the ground running. But he’s still getting used to the pace of the game.
With the ball in his hands in the half court, the game looked to speed up a bit on the former Tennessee Vol. He had trouble finishing inside at times against bigger, more athletic interior defenders like Bolden. On defense, he let Reece Beekman drive past him along the baseline on one play.
Knecht still had his moments. He finished with 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting, plus a couple steals. His hangtime on a drive in transition in particular was impressive. He should be athletic enough to hold his own once he finds a rhythm.
That time will come. It’s what the Summer League’s for.
The Warriors wanted to add more experience to their coaching staff, and appear to have accomplished as much.
The Warriors are planning to hire Terry Stotts as their new lead assistant and Jerry Stackhouse as another assistant, league sources confirmed to this news organization. The additions come after Kenny Atkinson, Steve Kerr’s top assistant from last season, departed for the Cleveland job.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news.
Stotts has 13 years of head coaching experience at the NBA level, most recently from 2012 to 2021 with the Blazers. In Portland, Stotts amassed a 402-318 record and helped the Blazers to eight postseason appearances in nine seasons.
In the 2004-05 season, Stotts served as an assistant coach for the Warriors under Mike Montgomery.
Stackhouse has spent the last five seasons as Vanderbilt’s head coach. He took a rebuilding program to a 22-15 record in 2022-23, but the Commodores took a step back and went 9-23 last year.
Stackhouse played 18 seasons in the NBA and was named to two All-Star teams. He averaged 16.9 points per game in his career and retired in 2013, having played for Detroit, Dallas, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington, Milwaukee, Miami and Atlanta.
If the Warriors’ coaching staff from last year returns, Stotts and Stackhouse will be joined by Chris DeMarco, Bruce Fraser, Anthony Vereen, Ron Adams and others.
If DaRon Holmes calls you a legend, don’t be too flattered.
It’s nothing personal. It’s just Holmes’ all-encompassing expression, his hello and goodbye. It started in high school. By the end of college, it was practically a comprehensive attitude on life.
“Every time he saw you, every time you did something, it’s: ‘You’re a legend. You’re a legend. You’re a legend,’” Dayton basketball assistant coach Ricardo Greer said, laughing. “Eventually I was like, that’s the last ‘legend’ you’re gonna call me.”
“All my friends, we call each other kings and legends,” Holmes explained. “… So I always say to everybody, ‘You’re a legend.’ And the first time I say it, people are just happy, like, ‘Thank you, man!’ And then after a couple of times they’re like, ‘You call everybody this.’”
Denver’s newest rookie wields a friendly disposition to go with his versatile basketball skillset — characteristics that won over the Nuggets in equal measure this spring during the pre-draft process. They traded up six places in the first round Wednesday to select Holmes 22nd overall, their latest bet on non-lottery youth as a viable asset capable of contributing to championships.
Holmes is a player whose shape-shifting ability could position him to play right away. At 6-foot-9 without shoes, he occupies the awkward space between a power forward and small-ball center. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth outlined a future this week in which Holmes can eventually start as a four. It’s certainly easy to envision him defensively in lineups next to Nikola Jokic, who plays higher up the floor against ball screens than most centers. Holmes was an elite college rim protector and help defender who could rotate across the paint to anchor Denver behind the less vertically gifted Jokic.
For now, he seems just as well suited to space the floor as a center, which could help provide Denver’s second unit a fresh look. Dayton played a lot of five-out last season with Holmes, even entrusting him to bring the ball up and start the offense.
“I definitely see (playing the four) in the future, especially the way the game is now,” Holmes said. “You look at the Grizzlies. They just got Zach Edey. They’re probably gonna play him and JJ (Jaren Jackson Jr.) together. I think that’s perfectly fine for me. Small-ball five will be good at times. I don’t think that will be an all-time thing for me. I’m probably not gonna start at the five if I’m gonna be a starter (someday).”
Holmes grew up mostly in the Phoenix area. His mom coached him in YMCA hoops, but he didn’t instantly gravitate toward basketball as a dream career. He enjoyed playing soccer as well.
Above all, Holmes’ goal was to travel the world. Then he started to develop basketball talent, and as he put it, “I found out, hey, I can make money playing this thing. After I found that out, I was like, ‘I’ve gotta train as hard as I can.’”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II stands on the court during an NCAA college basketball game against Davidson, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Holmes transferred twice in high school, going from Arizona to Florida and back, before becoming the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with the Flyers.
His full potential as a pro prospect was unlocked last season, when he started making 3s. In his first two years at Dayton, Holmes was 27% beyond the arc. As a junior, he catapulted to 38.6% with a wide-base form that Booth compared to Al Horford’s.
Behind that improvement was a commitment to training that Denver loves to see in its draft targets.
“We did the same drill every night. And this was the first year I can truly say I was in the gym, dang near every day, and just getting up a lot of shots,” Holmes said. “I also was asking my coaches about just the little details I can fix on my shot.”
His standard regimen took anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes, usually after practice or otherwise the night before a game. It started with 10 shots from each of the five spots around the perimeter. Then a star drill. Then the same pair of exercises, repeated at the other end (but first, free throws in between). Then another drill in which he gradually slid his feet along the perimeter between every attempt, covering every inch of the arc until he hit 50 shots going corner to corner.
Then back the way he came. Another 50.
Then more free throws.
Then shots out of specific sets, like pick-and-pop 3s at game speed.
“My freshman and sophomore year, mainly the bigs would be in drop (coverage),” Holmes recalled. “I didn’t really even notice, because my mind was just: ‘Catch. Swing. What am I supposed to do next?’ … I was just trying to make sure I was doing everything right — which is good. You need to do a lot of things right. And then we looked at the film.”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) dribbles the ball against St. Bonaventure center Noel Brown (20) during an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Holmes remembers head coach Anthony Grant bringing him into his office, along with Greer, to show him how an improved shot could change the dimensions of Dayton’s offense. “I literally need to see how it can impact winning if I can bring that to the table,” Holmes said. “So they showed me how, if I’m able to knock down that shot, it will make the big come out. And if the big comes out, you have so many other options.”
With increased time in the gym came elevated confidence. That was the story of Holmes’ shooting evolution, but also of his entire development throughout college, from Greer’s perspective.
“The first year, I don’t think I heard him curse one time,” Greer said. “He would get mad, and he’ll go ‘Darn it’ or ‘Yeesh.’”
He was afraid of imperfection at first. Dayton allowed him to play through mistakes and mismatches, and he slowly learned to get over it.
The growing pains are the pivotal moments that resonate with Holmes now. Early in his freshman season, Lipscomb’s 275-pound center went for 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against him. Dayton lost by 19. A week later, he was the primary matchup against Belmont senior Nick Muszynski (245 pounds). Dayton escaped with a two-point win, but Holmes got demolished inside again.
“He was moving people with his arms,” Holmes said. “I will never forget, he had a play where he caught it on the right block, and I was trying to front him. And one of my teammates came to help me, and he literally had this arm right here and moved both of us. Hit a hook shot.
“This is when I’m a freshman, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I’m built for this.’ But all those moments really truly helped me out. Because I would go back and watch the film and see, ‘Hey, this is how you do handle those situations.’”
He learned to trust his IQ and talent eventually. Greer started to notice him swearing more — and calling people “legend” more — signs that Holmes was growing more comfortable in his own skin.
His rookie season in the NBA might resemble a reset of freshman year, but Holmes wanted the opportunity to experience that in Denver, where he can observe “one of the best big men of all time.” He knew the Nuggets were especially interested in him during the pre-draft process, though he says he wasn’t sure if that interest was to the extent of a full promise.
“I’m here to have fun. I’m here to win. I’m here to get better,” Holmes said. “And if (people) do see me (in Denver), don’t be afraid to come up to me and say what’s up. I’m very cool, chill. I’m not the type of athlete that’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t talk to you.’ That doesn’t apply to me. My family raised me a way to be respectful to everybody.”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) dunks the ball during an NCAA college basketball game against St. Bonaventure, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
10 members of NC State’s 1983 national champions sue NCAA over name, image and likeness compensation
Updated: 8:07 PM EDT Jun 11, 2024
KRISTIN. ALL RIGHT, PATRICK, WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR. THANK YOU. A MAJOR SETTLEMENT COULD CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS. AFTER LONG OPPOSING THE MOVE, THE NCAA IS TAKING A STEP TOWARD PAYING COLLEGE ATHLETES. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE NCAA BROKE FEDERAL LAW BY PROHIBITING COLLEGE ATHLETES FROM PROFITING FROM THE USE OF THEIR NAMES. THE NCAA, IN ITS FIVE BIGGEST CONFERENCES, INCLUDING THE BIG TEN, SETTLED THAT LAWSUIT FOR $2.8 BILLION, JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON IS MATTHEW BANKER AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF LAW AT THE MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW AND A LONG TIME COLLEGE ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATOR AND SPORTS LAW ATTORNEY. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE THIS AFTERNOON. SO FIRST, YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THIS SETTLEMENT. BREAK IT DOWN FOR US. SURE. THE NCAA HAS BEEN FACING LEGAL SCRUTINY FOR SEVERAL YEARS RIGHT NOW AS IT RELATES TO THEIR AMATEURISM RULES AND THE ABILITY TO COMPENSATE ATHLETES. SO THIS IS THIS SETTLEMENT REALLY REPRESENTS, UH, SOME PATHWAY FORWARD FOR COLLEGE SPORTS, ESPECIALLY AT THE DIVISION ONE LEVEL. AND IT’S REALLY SETTLING THREE DIFFERENT CASES THAT WERE CONSOLIDATED AS A CLASS ACTION. SO IT COMES WITH A BIG PRICE TAG OF $2.8 BILLION, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES TERMS IN WHICH MOVING FORWARD, THERE CAN BE SOME REVENUE SHARING BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS AND THE ATHLETES THEMSELVES. AND THAT’S A MAJOR SEA CHANGE. AND YOU MENTIONED THE REVENUE SHARING. I’M GLAD YOU DID. WHAT KIND OF FRAMEWORK DOES THIS SETTLEMENT PROVIDE FOR THE SHARING OF REVENUE? YES. WHAT WHAT REALLY WAS THE FORMULA DRIVEN HERE MOVING FORWARD IS LOOKING AT DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAMS THAT THE DIVISION ONE, POWER FIVE OR AUTONOMY FIVE CONFERENCES IS LIKE THE BIG TEN, THE SEC, ACC AND SO FORTH. AND THAT’S COME OUT TO AT LEAST RIGHT NOW, ABOUT $100 MILLION IS THEIR AVERAGE ANNUAL BUDGET. AND FROM THAT, 22% OF THAT WOULD BE ALLOCATED FOR DISTRIBUTION OR REVENUE SHARING TO THE ATHLETES. AND SO THAT WILL STILL FLUCTUATE IN THE YEARS TO COME. BUT THAT’S A STARTING POINT IN WHICH INSTITUTIONS AT THE DIVISION ONE LEVEL WILL NOW HAVE TO REVISIT, SORT OF HOW THEY MANAGE THEIR BUDGETS AND ALSO A WIN FOR STUDENT ATHLETES MOVING FORWARD TO TAKE PART. AND CERTAINLY, UM, ENJOY SOME OF THE FINANCIAL SUCCESSES THAT COLLEGE SPORTS HAS SEEN IN RECENT YEARS. YOU MENTIONED THE ATHLETES MOVING FORWARD. WHAT ABOUT FORMER COLLEGE ATHLETES? YES, THAT’S ALSO PART OF THE SETTLEMENT NUMBER ITSELF. YOU MENTIONED THE $2.8 BILLION AS AS THE ACTUAL DOLLAR FIGURE TIED TO THIS. IT INCLUDES GOING BACK TO 2016, IN WHICH FORMER STUDENT ATHLETES, UM, TAKING PART IN REVENUE SHARING THAT THEY COULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN. OBVIOUSLY, THAT FIT WITHIN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS AS WELL AS NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS, OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS ANOTHER NEWER ASPECT IN WHICH STUDENT ATHLETES IN COLLEGE CAN MONETIZE AND EARN MONEY. THOSE STUDENT ATHLETES WHO WEREN’T ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF NCAA RULES PRIOR TO NIL COMING INTO EFFECT, WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO TO PARTAKE IN SOME OF THE SETTLEMENT MONEY THAT’S MOVING FORWARD. AND REAL QUICKLY. I HAVE TO ASK YOU, ARE THERE WINNERS? ARE THERE LOSERS WITH THIS SETTLEMENT? IF SO, WHO FALLS ON EITHER SIDE? THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. AND IT REMAINS AN OPEN QUESTION. EXACTLY HOW THE MONEY WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THAT WILL END UP BEING A LOCAL DECISION BY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENTS AND UNIVERSITIES. SO IN ONE WAY, IT DEFINITELY IS A WIN FOR STUDENT ATHLETES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO QUALIFY AND PLAY IN MORE OF THE REVENUE GENERATING SPORTS. BUT IT DOES CALL INTO QUESTION THINGS LIKE TITLE NINE AND SPORTS SPONSORSHIP, AND THE FACT THAT THERE’S A LOT OF REVENUE THAT ENDS UP SUPPORTING SPORTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT IN DIVISION ONE, FOR DIVISION ONE INSTITUTIONS. SO THERE’S SOME TENSION BUILDING THERE BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL MODEL AND HAVING TO SHARE REVENUE. IT REMAINS AN OPEN QUESTION IN TERMS OF HOW SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO APPROACH THAT MOVING FORWARD. ALL RIGHT. SOME GREAT INFORMATION. WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE. MIKE. MATTHEW, BANKER WITH MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME HERE THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW UNDER THE NATIONAL TAB ON THE 12 NEWS MOBILE APP. WHO GETS PAID HOW MUCH AND
10 members of NC State’s 1983 national champions sue NCAA over name, image and likeness compensation
Updated: 8:07 PM EDT Jun 11, 2024
Ten players from North Carolina State’s 1983 national champion basketball team have sued the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company seeking compensation for unauthorized use of their name, image and likeness.The players filed suit in Wake County Superior Court on Monday, requesting a jury trial and “reasonable compensation.”The late Jim Valvano’s 1983 team became known as the “Cardiac Pack” for a series of close victories culminating in a 54-52 win over Houston on Lorenzo Charles’ dunk in the final seconds. Valvano’s run around the court became an iconic moment frequently replayed as part of NCAA Tournament promotions.”For more than 40 years, the NCAA and its co-conspirators have systematically and intentionally misappropriated the Cardiac Pack’s publicity rights — including their names, images, and likenesses — associated with that game and that play, reaping scores of millions of dollars from the Cardiac Pack’s legendary victory,” the lawsuit said.NCAA spokesperson Michelle Hosick did not immediately return a text message seeking comment Monday from The Associated Press.Plaintiffs include former team members Thurl Bailey, Alvin Battle, Walt Densmore, Tommy DiNardo, Terry Gannon, George McClain, Cozell McQueen, Walter Proctor, Harold Thompson and Mike Warren.Charles died in 2011 while Dereck Whittenburg, whose missed 30-footer was collected by his teammate for the winning dunk, is a staffer in the North Carolina State athletic department. Whittenburg is not among the plaintiffs listed in the suit.The suit contends that “student-athletes’ value to the NCAA does not end with their graduation; archival footage and other products constitute an ongoing income stream for the NCAA long after the students whose images are used have moved on from college.”The NCAA and the nation’s five biggest conferences recently agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims, pending a judge’s approval.
Ten players from North Carolina State’s 1983 national champion basketball team have sued the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company seeking compensation for unauthorized use of their name, image and likeness.
The players filed suit in Wake County Superior Court on Monday, requesting a jury trial and “reasonable compensation.”
The late Jim Valvano’s 1983 team became known as the “Cardiac Pack” for a series of close victories culminating in a 54-52 win over Houston on Lorenzo Charles’ dunk in the final seconds. Valvano’s run around the court became an iconic moment frequently replayed as part of NCAA Tournament promotions.
“For more than 40 years, the NCAA and its co-conspirators have systematically and intentionally misappropriated the Cardiac Pack’s publicity rights — including their names, images, and likenesses — associated with that game and that play, reaping scores of millions of dollars from the Cardiac Pack’s legendary victory,” the lawsuit said.
NCAA spokesperson Michelle Hosick did not immediately return a text message seeking comment Monday from The Associated Press.
Plaintiffs include former team members Thurl Bailey, Alvin Battle, Walt Densmore, Tommy DiNardo, Terry Gannon, George McClain, Cozell McQueen, Walter Proctor, Harold Thompson and Mike Warren.
Charles died in 2011 while Dereck Whittenburg, whose missed 30-footer was collected by his teammate for the winning dunk, is a staffer in the North Carolina State athletic department. Whittenburg is not among the plaintiffs listed in the suit.
The suit contends that “student-athletes’ value to the NCAA does not end with their graduation; archival footage and other products constitute an ongoing income stream for the NCAA long after the students whose images are used have moved on from college.”
BOSTON — Jrue Holiday led the scoring. Derrick White added a chase-down block. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown pitched in, too — with their passing and defense.
The Mavericks can stop worrying about who Boston’s best player is. Everyone is contributing to the Celtics’ quest for an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
Holiday had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and White sprinted down the court to swat away the Mavericks’ last chance on Sunday night as Boston beat Dallas 105-98 to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
Tatum made up for a rough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds to go with his 18 points. Brown scored 21 with three steals, White had 18 points and three steals, and Payton Pritchard’s only basket of the game was a banked half-courter to beat the third quarter buzzer and give Boston an 83-74 lead.
“That’s why they are the No. 1 team in the NBA with the No. 1 record,” said Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who scored 32 with 11 rebounds and 11 assists — the first NBA Finals triple-double in Dallas franchise history. “They have a lot of great players. Basically, anybody can get off.”
Doncic, who was listed as questionable to play less than two hours before the opening tipoff, had his 10th career playoff triple-double. But he scored only three points in the fourth, converting a three-point play with 1:15 left as Dallas scored nine in a row to cut a 14-point deficit to 103-98.
After Derrick Jones Jr. blocked Tatum’s dunk attempt, White ran down the court, joining with Brown to block P.J. Washington’s potential dunk. Brown made a layup at the other end, and then Doncic missed a one-footed, running floater from 3-point range with 28 seconds left, ending Dallas’ last chance at a comeback.
“It’s not all on him. It’s a team,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic, who had been battling chest, knee and ankle injuries. “He put us in a position. He was really good tonight. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get over the hump. We’ve got to find someone to join Luka and (Kyrie Irving) in that scoring category.”
Games 3 and 4 are Wednesday and Friday in Dallas; Boston has not lost on the road this postseason. It was the ninth time the Celtics have won the opening pair in the NBA Finals: They have won the previous eight, and have never been forced to a Game 7 in any of them.
A day after Kidd attempted to sow dissension in the Celtics locker room by calling Brown — not Tatum, an All-NBA first-teamer — the team’s best player, Boston showed why it doesn’t matter. The two All-Stars combined to make 2 of 12 3-point attempts, but filled up the box score in other ways.
“How they play together is sacred, and something that can’t be broken,” Holiday said. “I don’t prefer one or the other, I prefer both. Because they’re both superstars, and they’re showing it on the biggest stage in the world.”
Kristaps Porzingis limped his way to 12 points for top-seeded Boston. Tatum was 6 for 22 shooting and 1 of 7 from 3-point range; the Celtics were 10 for 39 from long distance overall.
“I’m really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor.”
Unlike their 107-89 victory in Game 1, when Boston went 7 for 15 from 3-point range in the first quarter to sprint to a 17-point lead, the Celtics missed their first eight attempts from long range on Sunday. Dallas led the entire first quarter.
Tatum was scoreless in the first and had only five at halftime, when he was still 0 for 3 from 3-point range. Boston was still just 5 for 30 from long distance when Pritchard banked in a half-courter at the third-quarter buzzer to give Boston an 83-74 lead.
That excited the crowd, which previously had spent most of its time serenading Irving with boos — and semi-vulgar chants. Before the game, the scoreboard showed Irving’s postgame quote from Game 1, where he said he thought the crowd would be louder.
The fans roared.
Irving, who scored 16 points, has lost 12 games in a row against the Celtics.
“A little disappointed in myself not being able to convert a lot more of my opportunities in the lane,” he said. “My teammates look for me to convert a lot of shots and lessen the burden not only on Luka but the entire team.”
Bill Walton, the college basketball superstar who went on to win two NBA titles and followed that up with a successful broadcasting career, has died at age 71 following a battle with cancer. Elise Preston takes a look back at the sports icon, activist and noted deadhead’s legacy.
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As a longer-than-expected offseason tips off for the Denver Nuggets, team officials want to be sure they separate from what coach Michael Malone calls “the emotional reaction to losing” before any major decisions are made.
“I think you always want to take time to let everything sink in and go back and take a quality look at everything that happened during the season,” general manager Calvin Booth said, “and then make decisions from that point.”
As those reflections begin, Booth, Malone and team president Josh Kroenke addressed several topics during a 34-minute news conference Thursday. Chief among them: Do the Nuggets need to find a way to upgrade their roster?
It was telling that Booth focused heavily on advancing the development of Denver’s youngest players.
“I think (the 2023 draft picks) need more seasoning,” he said. “They need to get in the gym. They need to play Summer League. They need to get stronger. Obviously, maybe in our top seven, we can use a little bit more talent. Maybe there’s a way to upgrade one or two positions. … Get a guy that’s a more accomplished NBA player for whatever (roster) slot they’re taking. But I don’t see anything that’s, like, crazy out of sorts for our roster.”
All indications from the extensive availability were that Denver isn’t rushing to make drastic changes to its roster. Booth doubled down on his previously stated team-building philosophy, which involves continuity achieved through drafting and developing to fill out the fringes of an expensive championship roster. He acknowledged the need to address the bench this offseason, potentially even with outside acquisitions, but it’s clear the Nuggets would prefer to rely on home-grown depth.
That Kroenke later expressed faith in the starting lineup — despite its poor showing against Minnesota — was among multiple signs that Denver isn’t rushing to shop Michael Porter Jr. as a trade piece this summer. Malone also rebutted Porter’s own comments taking blame for the early exit.
“We think we still have the best starting five in basketball, even though we fell just short this year,” Kroenke said. “Could have gone either way up until the last few minutes. So we don’t think we’re far off.”
Here’s a look at some of the other topics addressed Thursday:
Will Nuggets cross second apron to keep Kentavious Caldwell-Pope?
Booth said: “We spend a lot of time looking at the second apron and all this other stuff. I think for me personally, it’s win a championship, one. Two, we have to look at the overall financial picture. And three, second apron. And I know the second apron is daunting, and there’s all kinds of restrictions, but I don’t think that’s first on our priority list. KCP’s been a great addition the last couple years. We obviously would love to have him back. We’re gonna take a hard look at what that looks like.”
Analysis: Denver’s roster payroll already exceeds the luxury tax line and the first tax apron, resulting in a list of penalties imposed by the new collective bargaining agreement. If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exercises his $15.4 million player or if the Nuggets re-sign him in free agency, they’ll trigger the second apron next season — meaning even more penalties. But Booth’s comment Thursday indicated that won’t be what stops Denver from retaining Caldwell-Pope.
Kroenke also said that while he’s cognizant of the long-term consequences of existence in the second apron, he’s comfortable going there to make the most of a Nikola Jokic-led roster.
Alignment between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth
Booth said: “We’ve talked about this a lot upstairs. The general manager, front office job oftentimes is to make sure the long-term view is something that we’re satisfied with. And Coach Malone’s down there in the trenches trying to win every night. And a lot of times, those things are aligned, but sometimes they ebb and flow away from each other.”
Malone said: “I’m thinking how do we win the next game? That’s my job. And Calvin as a GM is thinking about how do we win the next couple of years? That’s his job. And Josh is overseeing all that and understanding how to piece all that together.”
Analysis: When Booth and Malone made these comments, they were answering separate questions about different topics. So this has clearly been a theme within the organization in the days following the Nuggets’ second-round exit.
The franchise needs its general manager and head coach to be on the same page in order to maximize all 15 roster spots during the regular season. Most of what that boils down to is Booth’s aforementioned dependence on drafting and developing against Malone’s reluctance to trust young players with extended minutes. (That’s not a tendency that’s exclusive to one NBA head coach.)
Nikola Jokic’s backup big men
Booth said: “We’ll get a great chance to evaluate Vlatko (Cancar) this summer. … If (Slovenia is) able to get out of those qualifiers in Athens, he’ll be available to play in the Olympics, and I believe he’ll be playing in those qualifiers. … Zeke (Nnaji) is a young player. He brings energy to the game. He gives effort every night. He’s trying to grow into both sides of the ball. I think originally we drafted him to be a four. He’s ended up playing a lot of five. I don’t think it matters as much off the bench, but there are certain matchups where it becomes a little bit more problematic. But he has to get better. He has to be ready for his opportunities when they come. I think he’s gonna have a good NBA career.”
Analysis: Cancar missed the entire 2023-24 season after tearing his left ACL during a national team game last summer. His contract has a $2.3 million team option this offseason. The Nuggets need affordable salaries like his, but it would be difficult to justify holding onto him if his health continued to be an issue. If he’s able to make his return in international competition (and maybe even play against Jokic or Jamal Murray in France), it’ll be a huge boost.
As for Nnaji, his four-year, $32 million contract signed last October has aged controversially due to his lack of playing time. Booth seems to prefer Nnaji as a backup four instead of a backup center to Jokic, but if that’s the case, it still leaves a roster hole at the five. (Especially if DeAndre Jordan doesn’t return.) Nnaji’s contract is tradable until it isn’t. If the Nuggets become a second-apron team, they won’t be able to aggregate salaries such as his to get back a larger AAV.
Is Christian Braun an NBA starter?
Booth said: “He obviously has the intangibles and the physical strength and athleticism and defense (to be a starter). And he’s gonna have to make some improvements, as he has, shooting the ball. But I don’t know how you could see a player in his second year that’s done what he’s done and not think he has a chance of starting. He’s ahead of schedule in that regard.”
Malone: “I think Christian Braun, it’s all gonna come down to one thing. To be a shooting guard in the NBA, you’ve gotta be able to make shots. That’s the bottom line. So if you want to simplify CB’s future as a starting two-guard in the NBA, it’ll be determined upon his ability to be a 38% or above 3-point shooter.”
Analysis: If Caldwell-Pope moves on in free agency, this is the leading applicant for Denver’s fifth-starter opening. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Braun was in Malone’s closing lineup for much of the Minnesota series due to his defensive prowess against Anthony Edwards. That’s an impressive notch in the 23-year-old’s arrow, on top of playing rotation minutes in the NBA Finals as a rookie.
In an ideal world, Braun would come off the bench again next season, improving Denver’s 2024-25 depth and giving him one more year to develop before making that jump to a starting role. But to Malone’s point, here’s the good news: Braun already shot 38.4% from 3-point range this season.
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If you’ve been following the NBA finals thus far, you may be wondering how to watch the NBA conference finals live to see which of the last four teams make it to the NBA finals.
The NBA conference finals are the last round before the NBA finals in June. The finals feature four teams from two conferences — the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference — as they play against each other in four to seven games to determine which team will move forward and represent their respective conference in the NBA finals.
The four teams in the 2024 NBA Conference finals are the Boston Celtics, the Indiana Pacers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. So where can NBA fans stream the conference finals? Read on for the best and cheapest way to watch the NBA conference finals this basketball season.
Sling is a StyleCaster sponsor, however, this article was independently written by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
How to watch NBA conference finals live
Most NBA conference final games air on ESPN and TNT, which are both available to stream on services like SlingTV. Sling TV offers two plans with both ESPN and TNT: Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue. Sling Orange starts at $15 for your first month and $40 per month after your first month ends. Sling Orange + Blue starts at $35 for your first month and $60 per month after your first month ends.
As for the differences between the two, Sling Orange, Sling’s cheapest plan, offers 34 channels — including seven sports and family channels — and the ability to stream on one device at a time. Sling Orange + Blue offers 46 channels — including 17 channels not on Sling Orange — and the ability to stream on three devices at a time. Read on for step-by-step-instructions on how to watch the NBA Conference finals with SlingTV.
Choose your plan between Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue for ESPN and TNT
Enter your information and payment method
Search for ESPN or TNT and start watching the NBA conference finals
NBA conference finals schedule
Eastern Conference
• Game 1: Pacers vs. Celtics, Tuesday, May 21 (8:00 ET, ESPN) • Game 2: Pacers vs. Celtics, Thursday, May 23 (8:00 ET, ESPN) • Game 3: Celtics vs. Pacers, Saturday, May 25 (8:30 ET, ABC) • Game 4: Celtics vs. Pacers, Monday, May 27 (8:00 ET, ESPN) • Game 5: Pacers vs. Celtics, Wednesday, May 29 (8:00 ET, ESPN) – if necessary • Game 6: Celtics vs. Pacers, Friday, May 31 (8:00 ET, ESPN) – if necessary • Game 7: Pacers vs. Celtics, Sunday, June 2 (8:00 ET, ESPN) – if necessary
Western Conference
• Game 1: Mavericks vs. Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 22 (8:30 ET, TNT) • Game 2: Mavericks vs. Timberwolves, Friday, May 24 (8:30 ET, TNT) • Game 3: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, Sunday, May 26 (8:00 ET, TNT) • Game 4: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, Tuesday, May 28 (8:30 ET, TNT) • Game 5: Mavericks vs. Timberwolves, Thursday, May 30 (8:30 ET, TNT) – if necessary • Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, Saturday, June 1 (8:30 ET, TNT) – if necessary • Game 7: Mavericks vs. Timberwolves, Monday, June 3 (8:30 ET, TNT) – if necessary
NBA finals schedule
Sunday, June 9: Game 2
Wednesday, June 12: Game 3
Friday, June 14: Game 4
Monday, June 17: Game 5 – if necessary
Thursday, June 20: Game 6 – if necessary
Sunday, June 23: Game 7 – if necessary
What teams are in the NBA conference finals?
The NBA teams playing in the eastern conference finals are the Boston Celtics, who beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, and the Indiana Pacers, who beat the New York Knicks. In the eastern conference finals are the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat the Dallas Nuggets in the playoffs. The 2024 NBA conference finals also marks the first time in 20 years that the Timberwolves have made it this far in the championship. The Celtics and Mavericks both made it in 2022; while the Pacers were last in the conference finals in 2014.
The NBA conference finals air on ESPN and TNT. Stream them with SlingTV.
Toronto has been awarded the WNBA’s first franchise outside the United States, with the expansion team set to begin play in 2026.The team will be owned by Larry Tanenbaum-led Kilmer Sports Ventures. Tanenbaum also is the chairman and a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns several Toronto sports franchises, including the NBA’s Raptors and NHL’s Maple Leafs.“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Associated Press. “It helps us reach new audiences and bring in new partners. The thing I love about going to another country is that the young girls and boys get to see professional basketball for women is important, too.”Toronto will be the WNBA’s 14th franchise, with the expansion Golden State Valkyries set to start play next year.“Our Toronto sports franchises are thriving but, we have been missing one critical piece — women’s professional sports,” Tanenbaum said. “The world is finally taking notice of something that’s been there all along — the immense talent, passion and competition in women’s sports. So, once again, I saw an opportunity and knew we were in the right place at the right time to bring Canada’s first WNBA team to Toronto. And now we have, making sports history.”Toronto will play at 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place and will have the ability to move up to the Scotiabank Arena on occasion. Opened in 1921, Coca-Cola Coliseum also is the home of the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.“Women’s sports is good business,” Tanenbaum said. “Just look around — it’s not a moment, but a movement and it’s just the beginning. The investment that we’ll put into the franchise will also be no different than the other franchises.”Tanenbaum said that the team also will play some games in Vancouver and Montreal. As far as the name of the team, he said that they’d take their time and “solicit public input.”Kilmer Sports Ventures has committed to building the team a practice facility, but until that is ready, it will train at University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.Engelbert said the league’s exhibition games in Canada the last two seasons showed the passion of the fans in the country for women’s basketball.“When I was up for the preseason game, Kia (Nurse) and I did a youth clinic. The reaction from young girls to Kia and what she stands for, they so admire her,” Engelbert said.Nurse is one of a handful of Canadian players playing in the WNBA with more on the way.“No doubt it’s helpful to have household names,” Engelbert said.The commissioner expects the league to get to 16 teams by 2028.“We’ve already had a lot of interest and it got more tangible and serious from a fair amount of cities after the draft,” Engelbert said. “We are in a good position to get to 16 by certainly ’27-28.”
Toronto has been awarded the WNBA’s first franchise outside the United States, with the expansion team set to begin play in 2026.
The team will be owned by Larry Tanenbaum-led Kilmer Sports Ventures. Tanenbaum also is the chairman and a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns several Toronto sports franchises, including the NBA’s Raptors and NHL’s Maple Leafs.
“Growing internationally, I’ve been trying to think through next steps on a global platform,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Associated Press. “It helps us reach new audiences and bring in new partners. The thing I love about going to another country is that the young girls and boys get to see professional basketball for women is important, too.”
Toronto will be the WNBA’s 14th franchise, with the expansion Golden State Valkyries set to start play next year.
“Our Toronto sports franchises are thriving but, we have been missing one critical piece — women’s professional sports,” Tanenbaum said. “The world is finally taking notice of something that’s been there all along — the immense talent, passion and competition in women’s sports. So, once again, I saw an opportunity and knew we were in the right place at the right time to bring Canada’s first WNBA team to Toronto. And now we have, making sports history.”
Toronto will play at 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place and will have the ability to move up to the Scotiabank Arena on occasion. Opened in 1921, Coca-Cola Coliseum also is the home of the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.
“Women’s sports is good business,” Tanenbaum said. “Just look around — it’s not a moment, but a movement and it’s just the beginning. The investment that we’ll put into the franchise will also be no different than the other franchises.”
Tanenbaum said that the team also will play some games in Vancouver and Montreal. As far as the name of the team, he said that they’d take their time and “solicit public input.”
Kilmer Sports Ventures has committed to building the team a practice facility, but until that is ready, it will train at University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
Engelbert said the league’s exhibition games in Canada the last two seasons showed the passion of the fans in the country for women’s basketball.
“When I was up for the preseason game, Kia (Nurse) and I did a youth clinic. The reaction from young girls to Kia and what she stands for, they so admire her,” Engelbert said.
Nurse is one of a handful of Canadian players playing in the WNBA with more on the way.
“No doubt it’s helpful to have household names,” Engelbert said.
The commissioner expects the league to get to 16 teams by 2028.
“We’ve already had a lot of interest and it got more tangible and serious from a fair amount of cities after the draft,” Engelbert said. “We are in a good position to get to 16 by certainly ’27-28.”
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, received 22 minutes and 11 points from Naz Reid, a stretch-4-type post who gave Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic more real estate to defend. Nickeil Alexander-Walker played 17 minutes.
Hindsight makes geniuses of us all, granted. But while Jokic huffed and Gordon puffed Sunday, Peyton Watson became more noticeable — by his absence. As Minnesota chipped away at a 20-point Nuggs lead, one of the best defenders on the roster was nowhere to be found.
Now in a do-or-die, win-or-else Game 7, you could understand Malone’s reluctance to trust his second-year wing in a pinch. P-Swat was 0-for-7 from the floor in this series going into Sunday night. The Nuggets lined up the chess pieces as if they could afford only one true defense-first option down the stretch — and again, Braun brought plenty of juice.
Malone said before Game 5 that this was about matchups, and that Minnesota’s defense demands shooters at every spot. That’s not in P-Swat’s arsenal right now, and Holiday brought flashes of brilliance, on the road, when Denver needed it most.
Because as the eulogies are read and ballads sung and postmortems written about where a repeat run at an NBA title went sadly off the rails, P-Swat feels like something of a nexus point. Not just for what happened. But for where the Nuggets go from here. And how.
Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth raised eyebrows this past October when he told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that he “want(s) dudes that we try to develop, and it’s sustainable. If it costs us the chance to win a championship (in 2024), so be it. It’s worth the investment. It’s more about winning three out of six, three out of seven, four out of eight than it is about trying to go back-to-back.”
Booth walked back those comments (among others) later, but it sure did very neatly explain an off-season of attrition — no more Bruce Brown or Jeff Green, thanks CBA — that came on the heels of the first title in franchise history. If ’22-23 was the masterpiece, then ’23-24 would be the experiment. Namely, can we replace Brown and Green with kids and still reach the NBA Finals?
Well, no. Heck, no. Not this year, at any rate.
Booth’s stated masterplan was also curious given that Malone, a stickler for eternal verities such as defense and selflessness, suffers neither fools nor rookies gladly. If Malone doesn’t trust you, you don’t play. Period. The Minnesota series, which started with the Nuggets dropping Games 1 and 2 at home, threw development out a 35-story window.
I’m not suggesting Malone and Booth aren’t on the same page here, although it’s fair to wonder. However, I would humbly advise the powers that be to pick a lane and stick with it going forward. For the window’s sake. For Joker’s sake.
The MVP needs help. Now. Jokic, owner of the greatest hands in modern NBA annals, snatched 15 boards in the first half. He finished with 19. Following one misfire in the third quarter, what looked like four Minnesota bodies went up for the carom while No. 15 was stranded at the top of the arc. The Joker seemed positively crestfallen.
Since April 1 through Game 7, the Big Honey logged 732 minutes in 19 games, or 38.5 per game. From April 1 through the end of the Suns series last spring, he’d played 467 minutes in 13 appearances (35.9 per tilt).
The Nuggs danced with history last week. And landed on the wrong side of it, face-first. Malone’s had better days. He’ll have better ones in the future. But Game 7’s epic collapse felt an awful lot like coaching not to lose. Which, more often than not, gets you beat on this stage.
The Wolves, meanwhile, were built by Tim Connelly to dethrone the dynasty he’d started in Denver. See KAT? See Ant, waving and mugging for the cameras? They’re the bar now.
It’s on Booth and Malone to volley Connelly’s serve. Together. Because the Joker has a ton of MVP seasons left in him. But only so many springs of what-ifs. And only so many summers of doubt.
