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  • Samuel L. Jackson Narrates The Next Chapter of The Original Icon: SUPERSTAR

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    • Iconic Superstar sneaker connects diverse celebrities across music, sports, and fashion.
    • Surreal ‘Hotel Superstar’ campaign showcases the sneaker’s timeless design and cultural relevance.
    • Subtle design upgrades to the classic Superstar, blending nostalgia and modern style.

    The adidas Originals Superstar is back in the spotlight, and this time, it’s getting the full Hollywood-meets-streetwear treatment.

    Source: adidas Originals / adidas Originals

    For its Spring 2026 campaign, adidas Originals has teamed up once again with the legendary Samuel L. Jackson, who returns as the voice and face of the franchise’s latest cinematic chapter. Think less traditional ad, more stylish short film — complete with surreal vibes, famous faces, and a hotel where time doesn’t exist.

    A Star-Studded Search for “Superstars”

    In the new campaign, Samuel L. Jackson plays a traveler on a mission, roaming the mysterious “Hotel Superstar” in search of his perfect pair. Along the way, he runs into a seriously impressive lineup of cultural heavy-hitters, all rocking the iconic sneaker.

    That cast includes:

    Kendall Jenner

    JENNIE

    Lamine Yamal

    Baby Keem

    James Harden

    Tyshawn Jones

    Olivia Dean

    Each celebrity represents a different corner of music, sports, fashion, and culture — showing how the Superstar has stayed relevant across generations.

    adidas Originals Presents The Next Chapter of The Original Icon: SUPERSTAR
    Source: adidas Originals / adidas Originals

    Inside the “Hotel Superstar”

    Directed by photographer and filmmaker Thibaut Grevet, the campaign unfolds inside a dreamlike hotel filled with endless hallways and doors that open into each star’s world.

    As Samuel L. Jackson moves from room to room, viewers get a glimpse into each icon’s creativity and personality — all tied together by the same classic sneaker. It’s a clever way of showing how the Superstar connects people across time, trends, and industries.

    ”The campaign celebrates the next era of the Superstar through both timeless design and cultural relevance,” said Annie Barrett, Vice President of Marketing, adidas Originals. “Superstars never go away, they are timeless and iconic. This season, we continue to show the relevance of this sneaker across music, fashion, sport, and art. The new campaign pushes the bounds of reality with unexpected twists, with Samuel L. Jackson leading this dynamic narrative.”

    A Fresh Take on a Classic

    Alongside the campaign, adidas is also updating the Superstar look for Spring 2026 with subtle design upgrades. Expect:

    The classic black-and-white base, now boosted with bold red accents

    Sleeker textures and cleaner finishes

    A mix of nostalgic athletic vibes and modern tailoring

    The men’s line leans into relaxed tracksuits, color-blocking, denim shorts, and neutral-toned jerseys. Meanwhile, the women’s collection reworks the track jacket in everything from faux leather to crochet, blurring the line between sporty and high-fashion — with Kendall Jenner leading the way.

    adidas Originals Presents The Next Chapter of The Original Icon: SUPERSTAR
    Source: adidas Originals / adidas Originals

    Going Global

    The Superstar Spring 2026 campaign is rolling out worldwide with digital content, brand activations, and immersive in-person experiences designed to bring “Hotel Superstar” to life.

    With Samuel L. Jackson guiding viewers through a surreal world and stars like Baby Keem, JENNIE, and James Harden adding their own flavor, adidas is reminding everyone why the Superstar is still exactly that — a superstar.

    Check it out down below:

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    Rebecah Jacobs

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  • Cavs James Harden Suffers Fractured Right Thumb After Knicks Win

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    Source: David Jensen / Getty

    CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden has been diagnosed with a fracture in his right thumb after sustaining the injury during Tuesday night’s 109–94 win over the New York Knicks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

    According to team and league reports, X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the thumb on Harden’s right hand — his non-shooting hand — following the victory.

    The Cavaliers immediately listed Harden as questionable for Wednesday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he is undergoing further evaluation and treatment before a final determination on his availability is made.

    Harden played 32 minutes in the win over New York, scoring 20 points as Cleveland improved to 6-1 with him in the lineup since he was acquired at the NBA trade deadline earlier this month.

    No official timeline for Harden’s return has been provided yet, and the team is expected to update his status as evaluations continue.

    The timing of the injury comes as the Cavs are pushing toward the playoff stretch, with their current surge in the Eastern Conference standings hinging, in part, on contributions from the veteran All-Star.

    BREAKING: Cavaliers Land James Harden in Trade With Clippers

    Carson Schwesinger Wins NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

    Myles Garrett, Browns Reach Record Contract Extension

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    Matty Willz

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  • Los Angeles Clippers Trade James Harden

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    The NBA trade deadline delivered a blockbuster on Tuesday, and it involves two of the league’s most recognizable point guards.

    According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to trade James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. The deal represents a rare, straight-up swap of star guards at very different points in their careers.

    Harden, 36, is still playing at a high level and gives Cleveland a proven, win-now offensive engine as the Cavaliers push deeper into contention. A former MVP and 11-time All-Star, Harden has averaged 25.4 points and 8.1 assists this season, showing he still has plenty left despite his age. For Cleveland, the move signals urgency — this is about maximizing the present.

    For the Clippers, the return is about both now and the future.

    Garland, 26, is a two-time All-Star who immediately becomes a long-term centerpiece in Los Angeles. While his numbers this season (18.0 points, 6.9 assists) don’t jump off the page, Garland brings youth, shooting efficiency, and stability at the position — something the Clippers have lacked amid frequent roster reshuffling. The additional second-round pick adds minor draft value but underscores the Clippers’ belief in Garland as the real prize.

    Charania noted that Harden and the Clippers worked through the separation over the past few days, with both sides landing in what they view as a beneficial outcome. Harden gets another chance to chase a title right now, while the Clippers pivot toward a younger star who can anchor their backcourt for years.

    It’s a rare trade where both teams clearly declare their timelines — and neither is hiding it.

    Expect ripple effects across the league as contenders reassess their own urgency before the deadline clock runs out.

    Shout out to Weston, who has to be thrilled that his boy James Harden is now playing within driving distance!

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    Don Drysdale

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  • James Harden, Kawhi Leonard lead surging Clippers past Hornets

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    INGLEWOOD — James Harden has passed some of the NBA’s greatest players while moving into the top 10 on the career scoring list, but this was special.

    “Definitely special,” the 11-time All-Star point guard said.

    Harden overcame a slow start against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night and finished with 32 points in a 117-109 victory to move past Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 28,623 points.

    “Shaq is someone that I watched being a hometown kid in L.A., watching him and Kobe (Bryant) and the Lakers do some special things here for the city,” said Harden, who starred at Artesia High. “We were watching the most dominant center of all time, so it’s definitely an honor.”

    It also was Harden’s 109th career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, which ranks second all-time in the NBA.

    His night wasn’t as dramatic as the last time these teams played in November, when Harden erupted for a season-high 55 points en route to a dominant victory.

    This time, the Clippers needed every single one of his points and Kawhi Leonard’s game-high 35 to continue their march toward a postseason spot.

    Three weeks ago, Coach Tyronn Lue told the team that the goal was to finish the rest of its season 30-25 after the team stumbled to a 6-21 start. With Monday’s win, the Clippers (16-23) have responded by winning 10 of their past 12 games. Some have been blowouts, others have been tight contests.

    This one was the latter until the final five minutes when the Clippers began getting defensive stops and making shots.

    “James hit back-to-back 3’s that got us going and then it was pretty much uphill for us there,” Leonard said.

    After Tre Mann’s 3-pointer gave Charlotte a 100-99 lead with 7:18 left, Harden scored eight points during a 15-1 run that gave the Clippers a 13-point lead. Leonard capped the surge with an 11-foot floater with 3:16 left.

    The Hornets (14-26) cut the margin to seven with 1:22 left but couldn’t get any closer.

    “This is a huge win for us just to gut this one out,” Lue said. “Just everybody giving everything they got. And like I said, it starts with James and Kawhi every night, just being available, playing at a high level and trusting their guys. … It’s about finding a way to win the game.”

    The Hornets were determined to try to limit Harden this time.

    “The 55 happened a lot of different ways,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said before the rematch. “I think one of the biggest things when we went back and watched the film was our inability to really affect Harden. I don’t think he felt us enough.”

    Harden felt the pressure early on Monday, making just four of 14 shots for 13 points in the first half, but he stepped up in the second half, scoring 19. Harden, who began the night 14 points behind O’Neal’s 28,596, moved ahead on a 3-pointer early in the third quarter.

    Leonard, playing on a minutes restriction because of a sore right ankle, finished 11 for 19 from the field, which included going 5 for 9 from 3-point range in 31 minutes.

    There was some concern about Leonard’s ankle before the game, with the team calling his availability a game-time decision. After his pregame workout, the team said he would play but his minutes would be capped at 30.

    Leonard sprained his right ankle when he stepped on a fan’s foot while running down the sideline during a game against the New York Knicks last Wednesday, but he played against Brooklyn on Friday and Detroit on Saturday, scoring 26 points in each game.

    “He’s feeling it, but we’ll see,” Lue said of Leonard’s ankle after the Knicks game.

    Whether it was fatigue from the back-to-back games against the Nets and Pistons or the long flight home, something was lacking with the Clippers early against the Hornets. They got off to a slow start, none more noticeable than Kris Dunn, who missed all six of his shots on his bobblehead night.

    “I thought we were dead,” Lue said. “Just looked slow, methodical. Guys were tired, winded, and so just trying to tell the guys just to push through, just stay with it and that at some point we’d get our second wind and we’d be able to be able to push through this game.”

    Still, the Clippers managed to take a 45-43 lead into halftime.

    Both teams picked up the pace in the third quarter. The Clippers opened their biggest lead of the game at 73-64 on a layup by Harden with 5:29 left in the third quarter. But the Hornets fought back and closed the gap to 77-76 on a reverse layup by LaMelo Ball then tied the score on three free throws by Grant Williams.

    Ball, a former Chino Hills High star, finished with a team-high 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Rookie Kon Knueppel had 18 points and five rebounds. Moussa Diabaté had 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Brandon Miller also scored 13 and Miles Bridges added 11.

    Jordan Miller added 14 points and Ivica Zubac had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

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    Janis Carr

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  • Clippers dominate 2nd half to beat Blazers for 3rd straight win

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Clippers guard James Harden, left, drives past Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe during the second half on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Don’t look now, but the Clippers have momentum.

James Harden had 34 points, Brook Lopez made a career-high nine 3-pointers on his way to a season-best 31 points, and Kawhi Leonard scored 18 of his 28 in the fourth quarter as the Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 119-103, on Friday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Leonard added eight rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Clippers (9-21), who finished 20 for 40 from 3-point range, 29 for 31 from the free-throw line and outscored the Blazers (12-19) by 22 points in the second half.

The Clippers never led during the first 32-plus minutes but used a 19-1 run in the third quarter to take control and outscored the Blazers 63-41 after halftime.

A free throw by Donovan Clingan made it 71-59 Blazers with 8:16 left in the third quarter, matching Portland’s biggest lead of the game. After a drought for both teams, the Clippers took over.

After Lopez’s seventh 3-pointer made it 72-67, acting Blazers coach Tiago Splitter was called for a technical foul. Leonard made the free throw to make it 72-68.

Harden hit two free throws and then scored on a driving layup to tie the game at 72-all.

The Clippers took their first lead at 75-72 with 3:23 left in the third quarter on Lopez’s eighth 3-pointer. Lopez connected on his ninth basket from behind the arc 28 seconds later to make it 78-72.

Harden’s four-point play with 1:06 left in the third quarter pushed the lead to 85-77.

Leonard had a ferocious dunk on Clingan to make it 95-86. After a basket by Deni Avdija cut the Clippers’ lead to seven points, the visitors ran off six straight points – a Jordan Miller 3-pointer and three free throws by Leonard – to push their lead to 101-88 with 8:19 left.

Leonard made a 3-pointer to make it 113-99 with 1:35 left, and the Clippers closed it out.

The Trail Blazers led by as many as 12 in the opening period before Lopez scored 11 points in the second quarter, sinking three 3-pointers, to get the Clippers back into the game.

After the Clippers cut Portland’s first-half lead to 52-50, the Blazers went on a 9-0 run, capped by a fast-break dunk from Shaedon Sharpe to make it 61-50, forcing a Clippers timeout.

After the timeout, a three-point play from Harden and a 3-pointer from Kobe Sanders helped cut the Portland lead to 62-56 at halftime.

Avdija led Portland with 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Toumani Camara made five 3-pointers and scored 20 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 16 points for Portland. Caleb Love had 14 points off the bench, and Clingan added 10 points and eight rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Clippers host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at 6 p.m.

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Staff and news service reports

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  • Clippers lose another game to Grizzlies as struggles continue

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    Clippers guard James Harden drives as Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells defends during the first half on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

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    INGLEWOOD — The Clippers appeared to have reached a good place at least mentally, Coach Tyronn Lue said, pointing to their recent play.

    “We’ve been better,” Lue said of his team’s close games. “Defensively, we’ve been better and offensively, it’s understanding how we want to play and the need to play has been better.”

    That was Lue’s thought before the Clippers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night in their first home game since Nov. 29. Afterward, his view took on a far less rosy outlook.

    “I think mentally, I think when it gets hard, you got to get tougher. We can be playing good basketball and a couple of things go wrong and they’re like, ‘here we go again’ instead of having a mindset that we got to get tougher, we got to get stronger and then do things even better,” Lue said.

    “And these last five, six, seven games, we haven’t been able to do that.”

    All of which has left the Clippers stuck in a rut and going nowhere fast.

    The Clippers have not won at the Intuit Dome since Halloween, have won just three of their past 21 games overall and have only the New Orleans Pelicans (5-22) to thank for keeping them out of the Western Conference basement.

    The Clippers (6-20) are tied with the Sacramento Kings for 14th place.

    Before the game, Lue said his players needed to make the hard plays down the stretch if they wanted to “get over the hump.” This game was over long before the final two minutes elapsed.

    Whereas their last three losses were decided by nine, three and two points, this was a blowout by comparison. The Clippers, who have lost three games to the Grizzlies in less than three weeks, couldn’t blame this one on late-game blunders or missed opportunities.

    The Grizzlies (12-14) dominated the fourth quarter, building a 23-point lead before settling for the 18-point victory. Reserve guard Cam Spencer scored 12 of his career-high 27 points in the final 12 minutes, burying his fifth 3-pointer with 8:34 remaining to give Memphis a 98-86 lead.

    Spencer, who finished with seven 3-pointers (on 10 attempts), added another long-range shot roughly two minutes later to push the lead to 106-86.

    The Clippers couldn’t generate much fight from there against a strong offensive showing by the Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge with 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Jaylen Wells added 16 points and five rebounds and three assists.

    The Clippers honored 12-time All-Star James Harden with a video tribute that celebrated his recent ascension into the NBA’s top 10 career scoring leaders. But the veteran point guard couldn’t match the highlights on Monday, finishing with 13 points, three rebounds and six assists.

    Harden was listed as questionable before the game because of a calf injury that he sustained in the Clippers’ previous game against the Houston Rockets. Harden, who averaged 20.5 points and nine assists in the two previous games against Memphis, wore a wrap on his lower leg and lacked his usual explosiveness.

    Lue said Harden wanted to play despite his limitations.

    “I mean James wants to play every night and just having the mindset to try to gut it out for us was huge,” Lue said. “And you could tell he wasn’t himself throughout the whole course of the game and we just kept checking on him, kept trying to monitor it and just giving respect for just trying to get out there.”

    Harden, like Kawhi Leonard, left the locker room without speaking to reporters.

    Leonard led the Clippers with 21 points. Kris Dunn had 17 points and Ivica Zubac finished with six points but had 13 rebounds.

    The Clippers couldn’t do much to slow the Grizzlies, who took a 56-48 lead into halftime behind Jackson’s 21-point explosion in the first half and 12 early turnovers by the Clippers.

    “We didn’t score. We didn’t score the ball, especially at the start of the second quarter,” Lue said. “I thought their size hurt us when they had (Jock) Landale and Jackson in the game together, but I thought we did it to ourselves a couple of times, just not running the right offense.

    “When the pressure is speeding us up that we tend to not do what we’re supposed to do. And so, they took full advantage of that. We turned the basketball over during that stretch as well and we were unorganized.”

    The Clippers had 18 turnovers – 12 in the first half – compared to 11 for the Grizzlies.

    The Clippers caught the Grizzlies in the third quarter, even regaining the lead (they had led by as many as nine in the first quarter) on a 3-pointer by Dunn at the 9:37 mark. But any lead the Clippers took was short-lived.

    Memphis went on a 9-0 run to take a 72-64 lead with 4:46 left in the third, leading Lue to call a timeout but it didn’t change the Clippers’ error-prone ways.

    Memphis won the first two meetings this season, but this matchup had a different look. For starters, two-time All-Star Ja Morant was in the lineup for Memphis after missing 10 games because of a sore right ankle, including the two against the Clippers.

    Playing on a minutes restriction, Morant finished with 12 points in 21 minutes in his second game back. He finished with 21 points and 10 assists in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday.

    While Morant was back, center Zach Edey was out because of a stress reaction in his left ankle. But the Grizzlies didn’t seem to notice.

    Backup big men Landale and Santi Aldama joined Jackson in keeping Zubac away from the basket for much of the night.

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    Janis Carr

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  • James Harden has 3-word message after setting Clippers record

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    On Saturday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers visited the Charlotte Hornets amid news of Chris Paul’s impending retirement, and former NBA MVP James Harden put on a record-setting performance in their team’s 131-116 win.

    Harden erupted for 55 points on 17-for-26 shooting, which also included him knocking down 10 three-pointers in the game. Along with that, the Clippers star had seven assists, three rebounds, and a steal. He outscored his fellow starters by 10 points and scored 24 more points than the Clippers’ reserve players.

    Following the Clippers’ victory over Charlotte, the NBA announced that Harden officially set the Clippers’ single-game scoring record. Before today’s new total, Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo and former Clippers star Charles Smith shared the record with their 52-point performances.

    Read more: Lakers’ JJ Redick Sends Strong Message on Chris Paul Retiring

    According to Statmuse, McAdoo scored that point total twice, while Smith achieved it once during his time with the Clippers.

    However, there is now one sole owner of the franchise record. In addition to Harden making a statement with his performance, the former Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets star made a few statements with his post-game messages.

    Taking to X, he shared a post-game video clip in which a reporter asked him to talk about how his “life behind the scenes off the court” helps him achieve these kinds of performances.

    “Basketball is life,” Harden stated before walking away from the interviewer to celebrate with his teammates.

    Along with that, he wrote “drops [microphone emoji]” with the hashtag “#Uno” on his social media post.

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    A highlight reel of Harden’s shots from all over the place arrived on social media. In many of those clips, Hornets rookie Liam McNeeley was the one who drew the challenging task of trying to stop the former MVP.

    He hit jumpers from the lane and some dazzling shots from downtown, including a few four-point play attempts. The Clippers star unloaded on the Hornets for 35 points before halftime, en route to Saturday’s franchise record-setting performance.

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    It’s certainly the types of performances the Clippers will need as they continue to compete in the stacked Western Conference. As of this writing, the team is a surprising 5-11 overall, despite having several of the NBA’s best players in Harden and Kawhi Leonard.

    Leonard didn’t participate in Saturday’s game due to an ankle injury, but is expected to return Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That might give Harden a slight break after putting up such incredible numbers, but the team may also want to keep riding the hot hand as they look to get more wins.

    Read more: LeBron James Gets Major Reality Check After Lakers Return

    For more about the Los Angeles Clippers and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.

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  • Sixers weekly preview: Three-game West Coast trip on tap

    Sixers weekly preview: Three-game West Coast trip on tap

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    For the first time in 2024-25, the Sixers are shifting time zones: they will spend the upcoming week on the West Coast, where they play three games that figure to be competitive. 

    Per the usual, on the morning of each game we will have team-specific previews of each Sixers game. But here is some handy information about the week ahead for the Sixers:

    At Suns (Monday night)

    It remains to be seen if Paul George will make his Sixers regular season debut in Phoenix. If he does, there will likely be no easing in for the nine-time All-Star. Not only are the Suns a formidable opponent, but they have three high-powered perimeter scoring threats — Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal — which means the Sixers will need to start three players they can trust to handle difficult defensive assignments.

    Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. are safe bets to take on two of those matchups, which means one more Sixer must prepare for a long night on the defensive end of the floor. In an ideal world, George would be able to guard a low-usage player in his first game back as he tries to find a groove without any stressful matchups. A debut against the Suns might stand in the way of that.

    The city of Phoenix has not been kind to the Sixers in quite some time: the last time they won a game there came on Jan. 2, 2019. The Sixers’ starting five that night was made up of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Furkan Korkmaz (!), Jonah Bolden (!!) and the current head coach of their third and final opponent this week.

    At Clippers (Wednesday night)

    This will be the first meeting between these two teams to take place at the Clippers’ brand new home, the Intuit Dome, but there will be plenty of familiar faces — on both sides. The list of players who could be suiting up against their former teams:

    • Paul George, who spent five years with the Clippers before departing for Philadelphia last summer.

    • KJ Martin, who logged a whole two games as a Clipper in between being traded to Los Angeles and then getting rerouted to the Sixers.

    • Eric Gordon, who spent the first three years of his NBA career — 2008 through 2011 — with the Clippers, and then spent the final months of the 2022-23 season with them as well.

    • Reggie Jackson, who spent parts of four seasons with the Clippers — reviving his career from 2019 through 2023 — before spending a year and change with the Denver Nuggets and eventually heading to the Sixers to team with which he reunited with an old friend in George.

    • James Harden, whose messy departure from Philadelphia was well-documented and has now taken total control of the Clippers’ offense with George gone and Kawhi Leonard sidelined indefinitely.

    • Nic Batum, who also revived his career with the Clippers, spending three full seasons with the team before being traded to the Sixers after three appearances in his fourth season in Los Angeles. Batum finished last season with the Sixers, became a free agent and took a below-market deal to return to the Clippers.

    • Mo Bamba, who made 57 appearances and 17 starts for the Sixers as a third-string center last season. Bamba signed with the Clippers over the summer with a pathway to being their backup center, but has not yet played for the team due to an injury. That has created an opportunity for someone else…

    • Anyone who remembers the Sixers tenure of Kai Jones deserves a prize — and maybe a therapy session, too. Jones, who inked a 10-day contract with the Sixers last season, never appeared in a game for the team. He received a training camp deal with the Clippers and showed enough in preseason to earn a two-way contract. He has been the team’s primary backup center with Bamba sidelined.

    I cannot remember the Sixers facing so many former Sixers at once — let alone also having the same amount of players who used to play for the opposition.

    MORE: Draft picks Sixers acquired from Clips in Harden trade proving valuable

    At Lakers (Friday night)

    Fair or not, Sixers rookie Jared McCain will be compared by many of his skeptics to Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, who has opened the young season as Redick’s ninth man. The Sixers drafted McCain at No. 16 overall in last June’s NBA Draft despite Knecht’s stunning fall; one pick later the Lakers nabbed him. Knecht was viewed as one of the most NBA-ready prospects in his draft class and boasts similar shooting excellence as McCain. He will be 24 years old by the time the regular season ends, though, and many front offices stray away from such old prospects these days.

    In other news, former Sixers shooting guard JJ Redick is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world! Redick appears to be off to a strong start, as a Lakers team notorious for early-season struggles finally bucked that trend and picked up some early wins. Anthony Davis looks absolutely outstanding right now, and Redick has said the team is being very intentional about giving him every opportunity to assert himself as a dominant force on both ends of the floor.

    MORE: Sixers Ties: Pacific Division

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Clippers can’t hold off Suns, drop to 0-3 at Intuit Dome

    Clippers can’t hold off Suns, drop to 0-3 at Intuit Dome

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    Clippers guard James Harden, left, passes the ball while under pressure from Phoenix Suns guard Monte Morris during the first half on Thursday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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    INGLEWOOD — Playing an opponent twice in eight days has its benefits. The teams know each other’s tendencies and remember what schemes they like to run.

    So, when the Clippers hosted the Phoenix Suns for the second time in five games on Thursday night, recalling what happened before wasn’t an issue.

    “There’s not any real advantage playing against three Hall of Famers, but we know what they are running,” Lue said. “We know how they tried to attack us last game. We know how we need to play, how to attack them.”

    That memory muscle didn’t save the Clippers on Thursday, when they built a 21-point lead before losing to the Suns, 125-119, at the Intuit Dome. The loss came one night after they gave away a late lead in a one-point loss to Portland.

    This game didn’t resemble the opening night contest in which the Suns won in overtime. In that game, the Clippers watched helplessly as hot-shooting Phoenix made all 10 of its free throws in the extra period. But it was a harbinger of things to come as the Clippers’ next two games came down to the final minute.

    Nothing changed this time. After leading by as many as 19 in the first half, the Clippers again were left scrambling for an advantage in the waning moments of the game, an edge that never materialized.

    “I mean, we just got to learn from it,” Lue said. “We got to continue to keep getting better. We got to close games better and just something to keep learning from. All five of our games have been close, come down to the wire. We’ve been fortunate to win two of them, but in any of those games, we could be 0-5. We could be 5-0.

    “So, just staying the course, understanding that our margin for error is very slim. So, we can’t turn the basketball over. We can’t have defensive breakdowns, we can’t allow offensive rebounds, and then we got to take good shots and be good offensively.”

    The Suns took advantage of the Clippers’ miscues to pull ahead by what looked to be an insurmountable eight-point lead at 115-107 on a floater by Royce O’Neale.

    James Harden trimmed the deficit to six with 1:58 left and added a pair of free throws at the 1:25 mark to get the hosts within 115-111. The six-time All-Star guard made one of two foul shots before O’Neale buried a corner 3-pointer to give the Suns an 118-112 lead with 44 seconds remaining.

    The Clippers (2-3) couldn’t mount any sort of comeback as their turnovers continued (they had six in the fourth quarter) and the clock ran out, dropping them to 0-3 at their new arena.

    “All those things matter. Each possession matters until we understand that it’s going to be tough games, and like I said, we are in the game,” Lue said. “We are playing hard, we are competing, but we got to play smarter, and we got to be better.”

    The Clippers did none of those things down the stretch. Every time the Clippers pushed ahead, the Suns (4-1) pushed back.

    Phoenix was unstoppable in the third quarter, shooting 80% from the field on its way to a 51.2% mark for the game. The Suns also made 82.1% of their free throws (23 for 28).

    Harden said the Clippers, with nine new players, are going through NBA-style growing pains.

    “It’s definitely frustrating, but nothing we can do about it,” Harden said. “We got to find ways to get better.

    “Obviously you want to win games … but it is what it is. If we were winning games in this, then it’s a conversation, but we kind of brush it off, so we just got to make sure we stick with it and we will.”

    First, the Clippers need to learn how to stop the opponent’s stars.

    Kevin Durant, who said fans in The Wall section affected him in the previous meeting, showed more poise the second time, scoring 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Fellow All-Star Devin Booker was seemingly unflappable, scoring a game-high 40 points on 11-of-18 shooting (5 for 9 from 3-point range) with eight assists.

    Harden finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, his fourth triple-double as a Clipper, the fourth-most in franchise history, and eclipsed the 26,000-point mark (26,004). He is one of 20 players in NBA history to reach that mark.

    Harden also notched his fourth consecutive game with a points/assists double-double, the longest streak by a Clippers player since Chris Paul in 2017.

    Ivica Zubac posted another double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Norman Powell had 23 points.

    Kevin Porter Jr., who has had a lackluster start to his Clippers career, had his best outing of the early season. Sporting green hair (part of his pregame Joker costume), he scored 14 points.

    With Harden in charge, the Clippers jumped out to a double-digit lead and led 37-20 after one quarter. He had 12 points and seven assists in his first 11 minutes.

    The Clippers eventually pulled away to a 19-point lead (46-37) in the second quarter, sowing the seeds for a potential blowout victory.

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  • How the NBA’s new player participation policy affects the Knicks and Nets

    How the NBA’s new player participation policy affects the Knicks and Nets

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    Julius Randle and Ben Simmons are “star” players under the criteria set by the NBA’s new Player Participation Policy.

    Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges are not — though that could change the instance either earn their first All-Star or All-NBA nod.

    This is how the league is tackling its widespread load management issue, with new rules that penalize teams for sitting star-level players without just cause.

    Teams with two such star players — that is: a player who has been named an All-Star or made an All-NBA team in any of the previous three seasons — are not allowed to rest both players in the same game.

    Randle is a two-time NBA All-Star (2021 and 2023) and a two-time All-NBA honoree (2021 Second Team, 2023 Third Team). Simmons is a three-time All-Star, though his last All-Star appearance was in 2021. If he does not make an All-Star team this season, he will not qualify as a star for the Nets next season.

    As a practical example, the Los Angeles Lakers deciding to sit both superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the same game without prior approval from the league would trigger a league investigation this season.

    Under the NBA’s new player participation policy, star-level players must appear in all nationally-televised games – and they must appear in all of the league’s upcoming In-Season Tournament games, as well.

    The Knicks play 25 nationally-televised games in the 2023-24 season, 20 if you exclude games broadcast on NBA TV. And now that Durant and Irving have orchestrated trades out of Brooklyn, the Nets have seen their national exposure nosedive: just five games this season set to air on either ESPN or TNT and six more on NBA TV.

    This new set of rules, however, also triggers the moment a player earns star status.

    So if Brunson were to become an All-Star this season, the NBA would fine the Knicks for resting both Brunson and Randle in the same game unless both were justifiably hurt or excused by the league for a pre-approved absence.

    These exceptions to the rule include multigame absences for bona fide injury, personal reasons, rare and unusual circumstances, roster management of unavailable star players, and end-of-season flexibility

    The Nets would need to seek similar approval should Bridges earn his first All-Star nod this season, a likely outcome given his exceptional play representing Team USA in the FIBA World Cup.

    Mikal Bridges’ standout World Cup game marred by late miss

    The Player Participation Policy features five key rules teams must comply with to avoid the stiff financial penalties for sitting star players: No more than one star player can be unavailable for the same game; star players must be available for nationally-televised and In-Season Tournament games; if a player is going to miss games, the league prefers the games be missed at home; teams can no longer shut down players for long stretches of games without league approval; and healthy players who are resting a game must be on the bench and visible to fans.

    Failure to comply with any of these rules will now trigger a league investigation, with a team’s first PPP infraction set to trigger a $100,000 fine — not to the player but levied upon the team.

    The second infraction of the player participation policy prompts a $250,000 fine, and the third activates a $1.25 million penalty. Every subsequent violation triggers a fine worth $1 million more than its previous penalty.

    This fine structure would have crippled the Nets during the Durant, Irving and James Harden era, where the Big 3 only appeared in 16 games as a trio. It would have also hurt the Nets last season, when Simmons appeared in just 42 of a possible 82 regular-season games.

    Nets rule Ben Simmons out for season with goal of rehabbing back

    WHAT ABOUT BACK-TO-BACKS

    Teams must now seek pre-approval to rest stars in either night of back-to-back games, and if one of those games is a nationally-televised, the rest must occur for the other game.

    For example, the Knicks travel to Boston on April 11 for a matchup against the Celtics set to air on TNT. The following night, they host the Nets at Madison Square Garden in a game that will air locally on MSG Networks.

    Under the new rules, barring verifiable injury or excused absence from the league, Julius Randle must play against the Celtics. If the Knicks wanted to rest him for any game of that back-to-back, they would need pre-approval from the league to sit their star forward against the Nets.

    This would become complicated, however, if Brunson were to also receive his first All-Star nod this season as teams cannot rest both star players in any single game. Both would be required to play against the Celtics, then only one would be eligible to rest the ensuing night.

    The Knicks have three other instances of nationally-televised games occurring on one leg of back-to-back: Oct. 27 at Atlanta and 28 at New Orleans (NBA TV); Oct. 31 at Cleveland (TNT), then Nov. 1 at home against the Cavaliers; and Nov. 12 hosting the Charlotte Hornets before Nov. 13 at Boston (NBA TV).

    In each of these instances, the Knicks would need pre-approval to rest Randle in the non-nationally-televised leg of the back-to-back, though Brunson wouldn’t apply to this rule because he is not yet an All-Star.

    The Nets host the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in a nationally-televised (NBA TV) game on Dec. 22, then host the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 23. Under new league rules, Brooklyn would need to seek pre-approval to rest Simmons against the Pistons – though given his injury history, they should have no problem securing such approval; nor should they have any issues with the fashionable Simmons appearing on the bench in games he is resting.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The Nets, however, have a nationally-televised back-to-back: Feb. 5 against the Golden State Warriors in a game that airs on NBA TV, then Feb. 6 against the Dallas Mavericks in Kyrie Irving’s return to Brooklyn – a game that will air on TNT.

    According to the new rules, the Nets would need to seek prior approval for a player to rest one leg of a back-to-back if both games are nationally televised or In-Season Tournament games.

    The Nets have two more back-to-backs that feature a game aired on national television: March 9 at Charlotte and March 10 at Cleveland (ESPN); then March 16 at Indiana before March 17 against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, a game set to air on NBA TV and, surprisingly, be played at a neutral location.

    These games will be played after the All-Star break, meaning if Bridges earns his first career All-Star nod, both he and Simmons will be ineligible to rest one leg of each back-to-back.

    Nets’ Ben Simmons ‘as healthy as he’s ever been’ since last season in Philly’: report

    EXCLUSIONS TO THE RULES

    According to the release issued by the league, the exclusions to the player participation policy include injuries, personal reasons and pre-approved back-to-back restrictions based on a player’s age, career workload or serious injury.

    Under these rules, the Nets should have no issues seeking rest time for both Simmons and Bridges, as Simmons has a verifiable back injury history that must be monitored to prevent aggravation.

    Bridges, due for an All-Star nod, played in 83 combined regular-season games for both the Suns and Nets last season, then played more minutes than any player not named Anthony Edwards for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup. Should he qualify for star status, the Nets could easily point to his workload over the past calendar year as just cause to rest him in the second half of the season.

    Despite Bridges’ miracle, Canada eliminates Team USA in bronze-medal game

    That will be difficult to pull off, however, if they are actively load-managing Simmons’ back.

    For the Knicks, both Brunson and Josh Hart played into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs then played regular Team USA minutes in the FIBA World Cup. Hart does not qualify as a star under the new rules, but a case can be made for workload management for both.

    Cam Johnson also represented the Nets for Team USA but should have fresh regular-season legs after spending most of the World Cup watching from the sidelines.

    WHAT ABOUT THE AGE AND WORKLOAD EXCEPTION?

    The NBA has created an exception to the rule for appearances in back-to-back games for players who are 35 years old on opening night or have career workloads of 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 combined regular-season and playoff games, according to ESPN.

    Neither the Knicks nor Nets rosters feature a player who qualifies for this exception. Bridges has appeared in 392 regular-season games and 39 additional playoff games. Randle has appeared in 595 regular-season games and an additional 15 playoff games. Brunson has only appeared in 345 regular-season games plus 36 more playoff games. And after missing an entire season, then half of last season, while also missing his entire rookie season due to injury, Simmons has only tallied 317 regular-season games since 2017, plus 34 more playoff games.

    Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan and James Harden are the only NBA players covered by this exception.

    Under these new rules, the Nets would have only been able to rest Durant, who met the 34,000 minutes criteria, in last season’s Dec. 10 matchup against the Indiana Pacers, where they won despite sitting Durant, Irving and Simmons.

    PLAYER PARTICIPATION POLICY

    NBA end-of-the-season honors now have updated criteria based on availability.

    In order to be eligible for Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player or Defensive Player of the Year, as well as any All-NBA or All-Defensive Teams, a player must appear in at least 65 regular-season games. They may appear in 62 games and still qualify for an end-of-the-season award if they suffer a season-ending injury and appeared in at least 85% of his team’s regular-season games prior to suffering the injury.

    Under this new rule, Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. would not have been eligible to win Defensive Player of the Year because he only appeared in 63 games.

    Julius Randle, who earned Third Team All-NBA honors last season, appeared in 77 games for the Knicks last season and would have remained unaffected had these new rules been implemented last season.

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    Kristian Winfield

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  • NBA fines James Harden $100,000 for ‘public trade demands’ | CNN

    NBA fines James Harden $100,000 for ‘public trade demands’ | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    The NBA announced Tuesday that it has fined Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden $100,000 for what the league is calling “public trade demands.”

    The fine was for Harden’s “public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team,” the league said in a news release.

    “The league’s investigation, which included interviewing Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded,” the release said.

    CNN affiliate KHOU asked Harden last week if he thinks his relationship with the team is beyond repair. “I think so,” Harden told the station.

    “I’ve been patient all summer,” the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player added. “For me, it’s just focus on what I can control and getting ready for this season.”

    Prior to his comments to KHOU, Harden had called 76ers President Daryl Morey a “liar” during an event in China and said he “will never be a part of an organization that (Morey) is a part of.”

    Harden reportedly made it clear to the 76ers that he wants to be traded this offseason following another disappointing playoff exit last season.

    According to multiple media reports, including from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers have spent the majority of the offseason looking to facilitate the 33-year-old’s wishes.

    Harden has previously pushed to be moved on from the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets.

    In 2021, he was traded to the Nets after saying the Rockets were “just not good enough” following an underwhelming playoff exit.

    Just over a year later, he was traded to the 76ers from the Nets after rumors of his desire to leave Brooklyn surfaced.

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  • NBA star James Harden speaks with hospitalized Michigan State student paralyzed in mass shooting | CNN

    NBA star James Harden speaks with hospitalized Michigan State student paralyzed in mass shooting | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden spoke via video call Wednesday with John Hao, a fan of Harden’s and one of the Michigan State University students wounded in a mass shooting on campus last week.

    A video shared with CNN by Harden’s management team shows the NBA star giving words of encouragement to Hao, who remains hospitalized.

    “Everything will work itself out. You’re strong,” Harden says during their conversation. “Keep pushing and keep fighting.”

    Hao was among those shot at Michigan State’s campus in East Lansing on February 13. The shooting killed three students and wounded at least five others, officials said.

    A bullet severed Hao’s spinal cord and critically injured his lungs, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down, according to a verified GoFundMe started for his family.

    Hao is pursuing a career in sports management, and Harden is his favorite basketball player, a representative of Hao’s family told CNN. Gifts from Harden to Hao include a pair of game-worn sneakers.

    CNN has sought comment from Harden’s agent and the 76ers.

    Classes and athletic events have resumed at Michigan State. In its first home game since the shooting, the men’s basketball team claimed an emotional victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, as the crowd wore white to honor those lost or wounded.

    The US has had more than 80 mass shootings in 2023 as of Thursday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people were shot, not including the shooter.

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