LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time regular season scoring record Tuesday. It had been held for more than three decades by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Carter Evans shares more.
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It was a night of wild expectations and LeBron James, once again, delivered.
With a mid-range fadeaway bucket, his 36th point of the night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scoring, breaking a 39-year-old record to add another historic achievement to his already storied career.
After his shot had found the bottom of the net, the game came to a halt to allow James to savor his moment.
Amid the bedlam and a sea of cameras, James’ family – his wife, two sons and daughter – came out onto the court to celebrate the occasion with him. The great Abdul-Jabbar was also in attendance, later handing James the ball in an official passing of the torch.
It was the first time since since Abdul-Jabbar surpassed Wilt Chamberlain in 1984 that the scoring record has changed hands.
The debate surrounding who the greatest basketball player of all time is will undoubtedly rumble on indefinitely, but James has provided yet more ammunition for those fans who fight his corner.
Even for a man with four NBA titles and four MVP crowns to his name, James’ latest accomplishment will undoubtedly rank among his greatest.
What makes James’ latest feat all the more impressive is that many people, fans and pundits alike, do not believe scoring has ever been his best attribute.
In the Lakers’ victory over the New York Knicks last week, James surpassed surpassed Mark Jackson and Steve Nash to move up to fourth place on the NBA’s all-time assist leaderboard and is now the only player in NBA history to rank inside the top five in both all-time points and assists.
“I mean, he’s as special as it gets,” two-time NBA All Star Joakim Noah, who faced James multiple times over a 13-year career, told CNN Sport. “A great player.
“We had a lot of competitive moments and it was always about trying to get past ‘that guy.’ So there were good moments, bad moments, but overall what he’s doing at his age, at 38 years old, and still being able to dominate the game and be that invested in the work and what it takes to be at the top, you’ve got to give a lot of respect to that.
“What’s unbelievable about that is his scoring is probably not his best thing, you know, he’s a better distributor, he’s a pass-first guy so to be able to lead the NBA in scoring and be a pass-first guy, it says a lot about his dominance.”
Indeed, so dominant has James been in almost every other facet of the game during his near 20-season career, you will find his name in the top 10 of many of the NBA’s all-time leading statistics.
The 38-year-old ranks 10th in games played, fourth in assists, ninth in steals, second in field goals made, 10th in three-pointers made and fourth in free throws made.
It’s a testament to not only his incredible abilities as a basketball player, but also his remarkable durability that James at times still looks as explosive in year 20 at the age of 38 as he did in his prime.
But perhaps nothing speaks to his longevity and generation-spanning career than the number of father-son duos that James has played against.
In a comical moment caught on NBA TV cameras last month, Houston Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr was heard telling James: “Hey, you played against my dad in your first NBA game ever in Sacramento.”
“Why you do that to me?” James replied. “You feel old, don’t you?” Smith Jr. laughed.
In his post-match interview, James joked that Smith Jr. had made him feel “old as crap.” Despite his Cleveland Cavaliers losing on that night in Sacramento, James still posted 25 points, six rebounds, nine assists and four steals in his NBA debut.
Fast forward to the game against the Rockets, James scored a season-high 48 points to go with nine assists and eight rebounds.
Incredibly, Jabari Smith Jr and Jabari Smith Sr are the ninth father-and-son duo that James has come up against in his career, the others being Kenyon and KJ Martin, Gary Trent Jr. and Sr, Gary Payton Sr. and Gary Payton II, Rick Brunson and Jalen Brunson, Glenn Robinson Jr. and Glen Robinson III, Adrian Griffin Sr. and Jr., Glen Rice Sr. and Jr. and Samaki Walker and Jabari Walker.
Being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers straight out of high school, James was perhaps the most famous, most marketed and most publicized high school athlete in the history of sports.
Such was the unprecedented hype around James while he was playing for St. Vincent – St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, that he signed a seven-year, $90 million contract with Nike on May 22, 2003, before he had even played an NBA game.
His high school basketball games were always packed to the rafters and regularly moved to the bigger home arena of the University of Akron, while some were even shown on national television and pay-per-view.
James’ popularity led to him gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of just 17, alongside the famous moniker ‘The Chosen One.’ It’s fair to say James has lived up to it.
“We gave the keys to the whole entire business to an 18-year-old kid, and now he’s 38 years old and he’s still dominating,” Kyrie Irving, James’ teammate in Cleveland from 2014 to 2017, told reporters last week.
“I don’t think we should be surprised. I think we should congratulate him and celebrate him as much as possible. Continue to enjoy the shows that he put on because it’s not going to be for too much longer.
“Whenever he decides to [not] play, but I’m enjoying the show and I wish we could have gotten a chance to play against one another, but who knows what can happen down the line?”
Whether or not one ranks James as the greatest player of all time is purely a matter of preference, but he is unquestionably in the top two.
Few things in basketball have been consistently as thrilling over the years as watching James drive down the lane, barrel past defenders and finish with a trademark tomahawk dunk.
He has also been a part of numerous iconic NBA moments; the “blocked by James” commentary from Mike Breen in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals; the ‘silencer’ celebration after a winner against Golden State in 2014; and the pre-dunk celebration photo of him and Dwyane Wade in 2010.
The list could go on.
James’ unique legacy has left an indelible mark on teammates, opponents, franchises and the league as a whole.
During his time in the league, James has played for the Miami Heat – the site of his first two NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 – the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the second stint bearing fruit to arguably his greatest triumph, as he led the Cavs to the Larry O’Brien trophy after falling to an unprecedented 3-1 Finals deficit against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
“I definitely saw this when we were playing together,” Irving, who hit the championship-winning shot in Game 7, said. “His ability to prepare himself mentally, spiritually, emotionally, game to game, day to day.
“I’ve been quoted on saying it’s hard to be LeBron James, or any superstar, or any entertainment, sport, athletic or business industry, because all eyes are on you. But he’s handled it extremely well.”
James’ reputation and standing among the best to have ever played the game of basketball need no justification, but two-time NBA champion Joe Dumars – who played at the tail end of Abdul-Jabbar’s era of the NBA – says James’ new record only further cements his legendary status.
“I mean, LeBron is clearly an all-time great,” he told CNN Sport at the 2023 NBA Paris Game. “He’s a once-in-a-generation player and to become the all-time leading scorer when he’s not just a scorer, he’s a complete player, I just think it speaks to just how incredible he is.
“Once every 100 years, you see a guy like that and so I just think he’s an incredible player. I think becoming the all-time leading scorer is just going to just solidify him on the Mount Rushmore in America. Whoever those other three guys are, LeBron’s one of them.
“I don’t know who the other three are, but LeBron is one of them.”
It’s likely many NBA fans would have Abdul-Jabbar as one of the other three players on their NBA Mount Rushmore, with Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell making up the remaining spots.
While James and Abdul-Jabbar are two vastly different players from very different eras, Dumars says they have similarities as “very intellectual, highly intelligent players.”
“I think they both, besides just scoring points, they both had a drive to win to be a world champion, to be the best,” Dumars says. “So I think intelligence and the drive to win, besides the points, is what is similar about those two guys.”
What makes James’ record all the more astonishing is that he is still far from finished writing his legacy.
His current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers runs until the end of the 2024/25 season – James has regularly stated he wants to play at least one year with his son, Bronny, who will likely enter the NBA draft in 2024 – and this year he has continued to set personal and league records.
Against the Los Angeles Clippers last month, he hit a career-high nine three-pointers in a game, while his inclusion in this year’s All Star game takes his number of All-Star appearances to 11, tying Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record.
Injury permitting, James is guaranteed to break that record next season.
With his 46 points in that game against the Clippers, the Akron native also became the first player in NBA history to achieve the frankly ludicrous feat of scoring 40+ points against all 30 teams in the league.
James’ personality, marketability and, most importantly, his electric talent as a basketball player have made his name synonymous with the sport. In the same way Roger Federer transcended tennis, Tiger Woods golf and Cristiano Ronaldo football, even non-sports fans know the name LeBron James.
For many years, Abdul-Jabbar’s record was thought to be one of the untouchable milestones in the NBA. Then, along came James to not only surpass it, but blow it out of the water.
Dumars has no doubt that players will come along with the technical ability to break the record once again, but the longevity of James and Abdul-Jabbar, who played until he was 42, means it will still be incredibly unlikely.
“Listen, the game evolves, things change,” he said. “They don’t stay. It may take a while, but can someone come and do it? Yeah, of course someone can come and do it. But they’re going to have to be great for 20 years and that’s the thing with LeBron and Kareem, like 20 years.
“You have to be great that long and so are there people who are talented enough to do it? Yes. Can they stay healthy for 20 years to do that? That’s what’s going to determine it.”
In front of cheering fans at L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers star secured his place in the record books during the third quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. James set the record with a fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter.
James outstretched his arms, threw both hands in the air, then smiled. Abdul-Jabbar rose from his seat and clapped. The game was stopped as some members of James’ family, including his mother, wife and children, took the floor for a ceremony recognizing the moment.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 38,387 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles, California.
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar came out to mid-court to honor a clearly emotional James.
“LeBron, you are the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, congratulations,” Silver said.
James then took the microphone to say “thank you to the Laker faithful. You are one of a kind.”
He then asked the crowd to give a standing ovation to Abdul-Jabbar.
“To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it’s very humbling,” James said. “Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stands on court with LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers after James passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 38,387 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles, California.
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James’ record-breaking night was bittersweet, with the Lakers falling to the Thunder 133-130. James finished the game with 38 points, his career regular-season total now at 38,390 points.
James, at age 38, is now in sole possession of the coveted record —long considered one of the NBA’s unattainable— leaving Lakers icon Abdul-Jabbar and Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone in second and third, respectively, on the all-time scoring list. Abdul-Jabbar became the league’s leading scorer in 1984, and his 38,387 career points had stood as the record since 1989.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James attempts a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
James, an Akron, Ohio native, scored his first NBA points on October 29, 2003, when he made a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted him. Since then, he has averaged 27 points per game throughout his 20 seasons in the NBA, according to Basketball Reference, despite not labeling himself as a prototypical scorer.
Last month, he became the only player other than Abdul-Jabbar to score over 38,000 points. However, James still trails Abdul-Jabbar, who, rather surprisingly, had only one three-pointer in his career.
In an interview with CBS News, Memphis Grizzlies forward Danny Green, a former teammate of James, called the 6-foot-9 James a “unicorn” who can beat you in many ways offensively.
“He’s like a freight train coming at you,” he said ahead of James’ historic moment. “And knows how to use his body and coordinate. It’s damn near impossible to guard, especially when he jumps 40 inches in the air.”
Last week, James jumped to fourth on the all-time assists leaders list. Green said his passing abilities make it difficult to contain him on the court.
“He’s gonna burn you in many different ways other than scoring because he’s capable of doing that,” Green added. “I think it makes it easier for him to score and harder to guard.”
Ticket prices to see James had soared to more than $69,000 for Tuesday’s game against the Thunder, and a pair of tickets surpassed $106,000 for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to VividSeats.
Green told CBS News he doesn’t believe anyone else will break James’ record –just like he didn’t think anyone would beat Abdul-Jabbar’s.
“You have to see somebody else play 20 years again at a high level, which I don’t think we’ll see,” he said. “With the contracts that we have, guys are gonna retire –they don’t need to play 20 years anymore.”
In October, James reflected on the possibility of breaking the scoring record before the start of the season.
“To sit here and to know that I’m on the verge of breaking probably the most sought-after record in the NBA, things that people said would probably never be done, I think it’s just super humbling for myself,” James said at Lakers Media Day.
Last year, Abdul-Jabbar told ESPN that if James were to break the record, he would be “very happy for him.”
“The game always improves when records like that are broken, so LeBron should enjoy his achievement,” he said. “He’s worked very hard to get this far. And for him, he’ll get to wait and see who might be lucky enough to break his record, if that’s gonna happen. It’s always about passing it on to the next guy in line.”
James told ESPN in January that he would like to play until his eldest son, Bronny Jr., makes it to the league, which means the scoring record could be much higher when he hangs up his sneakers. Bronny Jr. would be eligible to be drafted in the 2024-2025 season under the current collective bargaining agreement, ESPN reported.
Since entering the league in 2003, James has become one of the NBA’s biggest stars, collecting four championship rings in the process. He has played with the Lakers, the Miami Heat and had two separate stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whenever he retires, James will leave behind a Hall of Fame resume and be widely revered as one of the best players to ever step onto an NBA court.
With LeBron James expected to break the NBA’s all-time scoring record this week, fans eager to watch the Los Angeles Laker star vault into sports history in person will have to lay out big bucks.
Lower-level seats for Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena against the Oklahoma City Thunder start at $1,634 a piece, according to Vivid Seats. Floor seats from Ticketmaster are going for between $415 and $1,000. The average ticket price for a Lakers game has jumped 211% since the season started, Vivid Seats told CBS MoneyWatch.
A couple factors are driving up prices, said Patrick Rishe, a sports business professor at Washington University in St. Louis. First, James is likely to break the record on the Lakers’ home floor, and to add to the drama the player he is set to surpass is none other than fellow Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Second, Southern California is home to many high-income individuals who can afford a thousand-dollar ticket, which is also pushing up demand, Rishe said. “People want to say they were there,” he said. “People just enjoy being present when they see history, especially when you’re talking about a record you’ll likely never going to see occur again in our lifetime.”
James’ march toward history has captivated fans across sports. The last time someone broke an NBA record was in December 2021, when Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry became the all-time leader in three-pointers made.
James must score at least 36 points to beat Jabbar’s league record of 38,387, set in 1989. Jabbar is expected to be in attendance when James eclipses his record, according to CBSSports.com.
As with any live event, Lakers tickets this week are pricier the closer seats get to the action. Two tickets behind the hoops for Tuesday’s game are priced on Vivid Seats at $69,162 each, while another pair of tickets nine rows back are $42,845.
Steve Inman, a social media manager, already has a seat to to Tuesday’s game despite living on the opposite side of the country. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, resident said he will attend with his uncle, who is a Lakers’ season ticket holder.
“I don’t believe anyone is ever going to break his record,” Inman, 30, told CBS MoneyWatch of James’ exploits. “For the rest of our lives, he’s going to have this record. I’ll be able to witness this and share it with my family, my future kids and their kids forever.”
If James doesn’t break the record Tuesday, his next opportunity will come on February 9 when the Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks. Prices for those tickets have shot up from $474 in October to $2,595 on Tuesday, a 447% increase, according to Vivid Seats.
“Fans think LeBron is unlikely to score 36 points against the Thunder and is more likely to break the record against the Bucks,” the company told CBS MoneyWatch.
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
LeBron James moved 36 points away from breaking the NBA career scoring record in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 131-126 loss to New Orleans on Saturday night that ended the Pelicans’ losing streak at 10 games.
James had 27 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists as he continued to close in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record total of 38,387 points.
James’ scoring average this season is 30.0 points per game. At his current rate, it would take James two more games to become the NBA’s scoring leader. Assuming he does not miss any games in the interim, he would be on pace to break the record Thursday night at home against Milwaukee. The Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at the Smoothie King Center on Feb. 4, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Getty Images
Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram scored 35 points for the Pelicans. CJ McCollum had 23 points, highlighted by a late 3 to help New Orleans close out the final 3:14 on a 9-5 run that kept the Lakers at bay.
Anthony Davis had 34 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers. They led by 12 when James’ finger role made it 84-72 in the third quarter.
The Pelicans chipped away and closed the period with five quick points on McCollum’s transition floater and Jose Alvarado’s 3 after he caught a deflected inbound pass.
That sequence cut the Lakers’ advantage to 106-103, and New Orleans surged into the lead when Trey Murphy hit back-to-back 3s, the second from 27 feet, to make it 114-108.
The game remained tight after that but the Pelicans didn’t allow Los Angeles to regain the lead.
TIP-INS:
Lakers: Went 2-3 during their five-game road trip that concluded in New Orleans and came in 12-16 on the road overall. … Westbrook played after being listed as questionable with an illness earlier in the day. … Davis was playing in his third straight game and for the fifth time in six games since missing 20 games with a right foot injury. He reached 20 points for the 26th time in 30 games played this season and 30 points for the 11th time.
Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr. had 10 points and nine rebounds. … Have given up at least 70 first-half points in two straight. … After McCollum made the Pelicans’ first 3-point attempt of the game, New Orleans missed 11 straight from deep before Nance hit one in the final half-minute of the first half. … Shot 52% (52 of 100) for the game and finishing at 9 of 30 from deep.
WARM WELCOME:
Fans cheered for James during introductions and often cheered when he scored, particularly after his end-to-end transition dunk in the third quarter. In the fourth, when James tried to save a ball from going out of bounds and fell across the first couple rows of spectators, fans patted him on the back supportively as he lay across them and helped him up.
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LeBron James was left hunched on the court in frustration after referees missed a foul on his attempted game-winning layup, and the Los Angeles Lakers succumbed to a 125-121 overtime loss against the Boston Celtics.
With the game tied at 105 and less than three seconds on the clock, James drove in for a layup and was hit on the arm by Jayson Tatum, but the referees didn’t call a foul leading to overtime.
James hopped around the court, his head in his hands in complete disbelief, while Patrick Beverley got a camera from a photographer to show the ref a picture of the missed call and received a technical foul in return.
James had poured in a game-high 41 points, leaving him 117 points away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, as well as nine rebounds and eight assists but was furious afterwards.
“I don’t understand,” he told reporters after the game. “I don’t understand what we are doing and I watch basketball every single day. I watch these games every single day and I don’t see it happening to anyone else. It’s just weird.”
The Lakers’ fury was magnified by a series of previous calls which they have seen as poor officiating during close defeats to the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers.
“We got cheated tonight,” Lakers power forward Anthony Davis said afterwards. “It’s a blatant foul… It’s unacceptable to be honest. The refs were bad tonight.”
Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown added 11 points in overtime for the Celtics to help secure victory and snap their three-game losing streak. His 37 points in the game also included a three-pointer to tie it up with 4.1 seconds left of regulation time. Tatum contributed 30 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
It was a high-scoring night in the NBA on Monday as both Donovan Mitchell and LeBron James set points records.
Mitchell scored 71 points – the highest single-game points total since Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant scored 81 against Toronto in 2006 – as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime.
His career-high total is a franchise record and, according to the NBA, Mitchell is the seventh player to score 70-plus points in a game.
Wilt Chamberlain owns the NBA record with 100 points for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962.
“To be there in the record book with guys like Wilt is truly humbling,” said Mitchell, per ESPN. “I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league. I’m speechless and blessed to be in the company of that greatness.”
Mitchell was soaked with water by his teammates at the end of the game, while his coach J.B. Bickerstaff described his performance as “one of the greatest performances in the history of the game.”
“Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary,” said Bickerstaff, according to ESPN. “Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way.”
Mitchell broke James’ previous Cavaliers record of 57 points in a game. James had jointly owned that record with Kyrie Irving, though the NBA great also put his name in the history books on Monday.
In scoring 43 points as the Lakers beat the Charlotte Hornets 121-115, James became only the second player aged 35 or older to record back-to-back 40-plus point games. The other being Michael Jordan.
Paul Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and LeBron James‘ first coach in the league, has died, his family announced Sunday. He was 79.
The family revealed the death through the Houston Rockets, for whom Silas’ son, Stephen, is a second-generation head coach. The Boston Globe first reported Silas’ death, and no official cause was immediately announced.
“We mourn the passing of former NBA All-Star and head coach Paul Silas,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “Paul’s lasting contributions to the game are seen through the many players and coaches he inspired, including his son, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. We send our deepest condolences to Paul’s family.”
Silas began his career as a head coach with a three-year stint leading the then-San Diego Clippers starting in 1980. After spending more than a decade as an assistant, he returned to being a head coach and spent time with the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Bobcats.
He took four of those teams to the playoffs, winning exactly 400 games — 387 in the regular season, 13 more in the postseason.
“Paul made a huge contribution to the game of basketball and will be sorely missed!” Hall of Fame guard and Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The Rockets were playing host to Milwaukee on Sunday night. It was not immediately clear how long Stephen Silas would be away from the team; the Rockets were planning to have John Lucas lead the team on an interim basis while the Silas family grieves.
Stephen Silas got into the NBA world when his father was coaching in Charlotte, starting as an advance scout and eventually serving as an assistant on his father’s staff with the Hornets in 2000. It took Stephen Silas two decades to get a chance to be a head coach, that coming when Houston hired him in 2020.
“My dad, obviously, he was my No. 1 mentor, someone who I could lean on, ask questions and he asked questions of me,” Stephen Silas said in a 2021 documentary produced by the Rockets about his coaching journey. “He really valued my opinion, which was kind of weird to me, me being so young and not having much experience.”
Stephen Silas persevered for a long time before getting his big chance. He saw his father wait a long time for the job he wanted as well. Paul Silas was fired by the San Diego Clippers in 1983 and wouldn’t have a head coaching opportunity again until 1999 — coming when Dave Cowens, for whom Paul Silas was an assistant, stepped down in Charlotte after a 4-11 start to the shortened 1998-99 season.
“I was known as not a hard, hard, hard worker and it really hurt me when I was an assistant coach, for about 10 years, when I couldn’t get a head job,” Paul Silas told the Rotary Club of Charlotte while giving a speech there in 2013. “I really talked to teams about being a head coach, but I didn’t get one. What happened is I stayed positive. I had a positive attitude. Even though I couldn’t get the job, I said, ‘No, I’m not going to be negative. I’m going to be positive.’”
Eventually, Silas would take over in Cleveland. He got there in 2003, the same year the Cavaliers drafted James.
“I coached LeBron for two years, his first two years, and LeBron was unbelievable,” Paul Silas said. “At 18 years old, he knew about Bill Russell, he knew about a lot of players who came through that most players his age don’t even know. And he understood the game. I made LeBron a point forward because I didn’t have one when he first started. He didn’t say a word to me. He just took over the game and we did well.”
In time, James would become a champion. It took Paul Silas a few years to get to that level as a player as well.
He was a five-time All-Defensive team selection who averaged 9.4 points and 9.9 rebounds in 16 seasons with the St. Louis and Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix, Boston, Denver and Seattle. Silas won two titles with the Celtics — the first coming in his 10th season as a player — and claimed a third with the SuperSonics. He averaged 12.8 points and 13.8 rebounds in the 1976 Finals for Boston against the Suns.
“Respected by all those who encountered him throughout the NBA, we are grateful for his contributions to the game across a lifetime in basketball,” the Suns said Sunday.
Paul Silas played his college basketball at Creighton, averaging 20.5 points and 21.6 rebounds in three seasons. He was voted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Creighton legend Paul Silas,” Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said. “His illustrious career as a player and coach will be matched by few.”
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Acclaimed soccer journalist Grant Wahl died in the early morning hours Saturday while covering the World Cup in Qatar. Wahl was widely credited with bringing soccer into the mainstream for U.S. audiences. Michael George has more.
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LOS ANGELES — While filming “Emancipation,” Will Smith routinely drew inspiration from the words “sacred motivation” that were written on the front page of a script. But the Oscar winner heavily leaned on the phrase even more in recent months, as he tried to overcome the backlash to his Oscars slap and banishment from the ceremony.
“It’s like when you can locate and center yourself in your divine purpose, you can withstand anything and everything,” Smith said of the phrase that greeted him when he took on the lead role in Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” which is currently in theaters and will be available to stream Friday on Apple TV+. “Sacred motivation” became like a theme for him and his castmates, Smith said.
The film, completed months before Smith strode onto the Oscars stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, was a grueling shoot. Inspired by an iconic 1863 photo of the scarred back of “Whipped Peter,” Smith portrays the character Peter — a man who attempts to escape slavery while he uses his wits to dodge slave hunters and brave alligator-infested Louisiana swamps in his quest for freedom.
The photos of “Whipped Peter” were taken during a Union Army medical examination that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. An image known as “The Scourged Back” showed countless mutilated whip marks on Peter’s bare back that were delivered by his enslavers. The photo contributed to the growing opposition to slavery.
Smith said his character taught him a lesson in overcoming adversity after he faced condemnation, memes and a 10-year Oscars attendance ban. The “slap” seemingly overshadowed his own biggest career milestone, which came later in the night: winning his first-ever Academy Award, best actor for “King Richard.”
The backlash rocked Smith, but Peter ultimately helped steer him back on track too.
“Peter has absolutely helped me through these last few months, just reestablishing within myself in what my purpose is in this world,” Smith said in a recent interview, one of his first since the Oscars. He has repeatedly apologized for his behavior after accepting his ban.
Normally, “Emancipation” might earn Smith some serious Oscars buzz. He’s still eligible for nominations and awards, but can’t personally accept them. Given backlash to “The Slap,” Smith mainly hopes that audiences will still watch Fuqua’s film.
“This movie was so grueling. Literally across the board, everybody had to devote a hefty amount of suffering to what you see on that screen,” Smith said. “So my greatest wish, and I guess I can talk about my greatest fear, is that my team would be penalized for my actions. I’m out with this film that I love and strictly want my people to get their flowers.”
Fuqua knows Smith made a mistake, but he hopes audiences can move past it. The director believes the story about Peter’s search for freedom, fighting to get back to his family and being a catalyst in highlighting the horrific side of slavery in “Emancipation” is much bigger than “The Slap.”
“Peter’s story is so inspiring, especially as a Black man. We go through a lot of things daily, just being Black,” said Fuqua, known for directing “Training Day,” “Equalizer” films and “The Magnificent Seven.” He said his new film tackles how certain elements of racism in America that still occur today.
“For me, it’s a mistake,” Fuqua said of Smith striking Rock on live television. “Hopefully everybody can get back on track and God bless everyone. But we’re talking about 400 years of brutality.”
Bingwa, who plays Peter’s wife Dodienne, credits Smith’s ability to endure the adversity while pushing forward through it.
“It’s in line with the film. I imagine it’s been a tough period,” said Bingwa, who hopes audiences can learn more about Peter’s determination to return home after making a promise. “I don’t want to speak on Will’s behalf, but he’s been an inspiration to so many for so long. I love seeing him with his head held high. Everyone can learn from his experience. I just love the way you took it on the chin, you’re wearing it and walking forward. We’re all human.”
While promoting the film, Smith held private screenings for several influential figures including Rihanna, Tyler Perry, Dave Chappelle, LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates along with students at Morehouse College. He garnered a great amount of support from those individuals, giving him somewhat a sigh of relief.
Each time Smith harkened back to Peter’s story, the more he became empowered to share his character’s journey.
“I feel very comfortable in this current situation with this project, with these people,” he said. “I feel cleansed. I feel purified and transformed in many ways. And as one of the lessons from Peter is, ‘Suffering leads to salvation.’ So I am comfortable taking my medicine.”
LeBron James isn’t ignoring the memes poking fun at his history of telling tall tales.
The Los Angeles Lakers star seemed to address the posts that circulated on Twitter earlier this month during Thursday’s broadcast of “TNF in The Shop,” an Amazon Prime telecast of “Thursday Night Football” that’s a crossover with James’ talk show “The Shop.”
So when James claimed Thursday that he put Los Angeles Rams player Jalen Ramsey “on a blitz” when they played “Madden” together, Ramsey, who was also on the telecast, wasn’t having it.
“You know what they say on Twitter,” Ramsey said as he pointed to James.
“We were just talking about this the other day,” James replied with a smile. “I always keep it true, baby.”
A docuseries telling the story of Nipsey Hussle is in the works.
On Tuesday, the teaser for a series about the life of the late legendary rapper was released by SpringHill, a production company founded by LeBron James and his longtime business partner Maverick Carter. The project was created in collaboration with Hussle’s production company, Marathon Films.
Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was fatally shot outside of Marathon Clothing, the store he founded in South Los Angeles, in 2019. He was 33.
The teaser shows a mix of pictures and video clips capturing Hussle’s journey as a musician throughout the years, and his dedication to his South Los Angeles community.
“It’s an incredible honor for SpringHill to have a part in sharing Nipsey’s story and legacy with the world,” James said in a statement to Deadline. “He used his gift to give back to his community and lived what it means to inspire, empower, and uplift others along the way.”
He continued, “His words, his ambition, and his actions stick with me to this day as he continues to inspire myself, our company, and people everywhere.”
Hussle, who was widely celebrated for his longtime efforts to revitalize his South Los Angeles neighborhood, earned a Grammy nod in 2018 for his first studio album, “Victory Lap.” The late rapper won two posthumous Grammys in 2020.
A release date for the docuseries has yet to be announced. James tweeted about the upcoming project on Tuesday, writing, “Stay tuned.”
Several Twitter users have already begun exploiting the revamped Twitter Blue by receiving the blue check mark and pretending to be celebrities and politicians. Twitter Blue, which now costs $8 a month, is stirring confusion about which of the platforms’ accounts are real.
A verified Twitter account that had Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ name and a current profile photo of his family requested a trade, thanked Lakers fans and suggested he was going back to Cleveland. At a quick glance, the tweet looked real, but the handle was @KINGJamez, not the authentic @KingJames one. The tweet was deleted, and the account appears to have lost its verified status.
Another Twitter user pretended to be New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman and announced he was signing an extension with the team. That account was suspended and the tweet was deleted.
Following sports transactions and news could become a total mess with the new verification system
Two accounts that claimed to belong to former President George W. Bush and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair exchanged tweets about how they “miss killing Iraqis.” Another impersonated ESPN reporter Adam Shefter and in a tweet claimed Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels had been fired. All three accounts were suspended.
CBS News reached out to Twitter for a statement.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who took over late last month, said any handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying they’re a parody account would be permanently suspended. While parody accounts and impersonations have always existed on the platform, experts and users warned that putting a price on verified badges could sow confusion, misinformation and scams.
Previously, as a way to distinguish some accounts, Musk rolled out a gray “official” check mark next to some accounts to indicate the social media company had verified their authenticity. However, within hours of the experiment, he scrapped the plan.
According to Twitter, only accounts subscribed to Twitter Blue on iOS on or after Wednesday are eligible for the blue checkmark moving forward.
It is my sad duty to report to you that Mei, the young ice-wielding hero of the Overwatch series, and Lebron James, the second highest-scoring player in NBA history, have both been deemed to be too buggy to remain in active service and have been disabled.
We are temporarily disabling Mei to address a bug with her Ice Wall ability that allows heroes to reach unintended locations. We are working to address these issues as quickly as possible and aim to bring Mei back in our next upcoming patch which is set for November 15.
We are disabling LeBron due to a critical bug with him. We will reenable after the bug is fixed. Thank you for your patience.
G/O Media may get a commission
Please note that Lebron is being disabled from the highly successful multiplayer fighting game MultiVersus, in which he appears as his Space Jam character, and not the much less successful and currently 1-5 Los Angeles Lakers, in which he appears in real life.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 03: Buddy Hield #24 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against … [+] the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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Russell Westbrook and two first-round draft picks for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
The above deal has been rumored for months, with the Lakers seemingly unwilling to include both their remaining tradeable draft selections in 2027 and 2029, and Indiana refusing to relinquish that caliber of talent, and taking on the contract of Westbrook, for anything less.
The mexican standoff is likely to spill into the regular season until someone caves. But with the emergence of Victor Wembanyama as arguably the most hyped draft pick over the past two decades, an interesting subplot has entered the narrative.
The ghost of the Anthony Davis trade
When the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis in 2019, they gave up the farm. Virtually all their draft capital went to the New Orleans Pelicans, along with Brandon Ingram who developed into an All-Star in the Big Easy.
In that package was a 2023 swap option, that gives the Pelicans the right to swap first-round picks. The swap is entirely unprotected, meaning the Lakers could – in theory – win the NBA Draft Lottery, and thus the right to select Wembanyama, only for the Pelicans to exercise that right, swoop in, and pick off the generational talent with the Lakers forced to watch.
Some might point to the Lakers having a certain player on the roster by the name of LeBron James, and argue that with him around, it’s impossible for the franchise to ever be that bad to be in contention for the first overall pick.
That logic is, however, highly flawed. The Lakers conveyed their 2022 first-rounder to the Pelicans, which ended up being the eight overall selection, as a result of a 33-win season. Even if they finish at the same spot this season, the lottery is still a lottery, meaning they could potentially win it.
If Davis has another injury-riddled season, and they don’t find a solution to the Westbrook conundrum, it won’t really matter if they have a soon-to-be 38-year-old James.
The level of control the Lakers do have is pulling the trigger on the Indiana trade, and thus drastically improving their chances of making it to the playoffs. That way, they could avoid forking over a lottery selection to the Pelicans.
The logic of going all-in
It’s understandable if the Lakers look at that trade as a lost cause, and wish to not let it dictate future moves. However, that would be dangerous.
If the Lakers do end up winning the lottery, and thus be forced to send the rights to Wembanyama to the Pelicans, consider for a moment the change in power dynamic in the NBA.
The Pelicans, with Wembanyama, Zion Williamson, Ingram, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Dyson Daniels, and whoever they can get for Jonas Valanciunas will likely enter Wembanyama’s rookie season as a legitimate championship candidate, and quickly turn into the championship favorites by the next season, which is a status that could last for a decade.
Not only would the Lakers themselves, who are still trying to win, have no chance of beating that Pelicans team; they’d have built a powerhouse within their own conference that would have instant dynasty upside.
What incentive would James or Davis have to stay in that conference, knowing they stand a better chance of getting back to the Finals by joining a team in the East?
Granted, this is long-term, worst-case thinking. But given the flattened lottery odds, the worst three teams stand just a 14% chance to win the lottery. The ten worst teams all stand at least a 3% chance of winning the lottery. So this isn’t inconceivable.
There would be an incredible ripple effect should the above scenario play out, one that would essentially remove the Lakers, and most other Western Conference team, from serious contention for a long time.
As such, it would actually be in the best interest of the Lakers themselves to be proactive, and not block their future path towards the Finals. That means caving, and forking over the two selections to Indiana.
Heck, it might even be in the best interest of most Western Conference teams to further help the Lakers avoid the Wembanyama scenario, as to not help them build a generational team in New Orleans that would compete against them for the next decade. That is how absurd a situation this could become.
As for the Pelicans, they’re just biding their time and hoping the Lakers implode once again. General manager David Griffin would want for nothing more than the Lakers to insist upon their stubbornness, and for this to drag out for as long as possible, solely for the Lakers to dig themselves as deep a hole as they can, before they wake up and realize what they stand to benefit by making that Pacers trader sooner than later.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Russell Westbrook left the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason finale because of an injured left hamstring after five scoreless minutes off the bench Friday night.
Coming off the bench for the first time since he was a rookie, Westbrook entered midway through the first quarter in the Lakers’ 133-86 loss to Sacramento. He missed two 3-pointers and had two turnovers.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 12 points, playing 20 minutes. Los Angeles also was without Anthony Davis, with the big man skipping the trip for precautionary reasons because of lower-back tightness.
The Lakers are set to open the regular season Tuesday night at defending champion Golden State.
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
Here we go: The top 10 in our 2022-2023 League Pass Rankings! We revealed Nos. 30-11 on Tuesday, and you can read about the rankings formula there.
10. DALLAS MAVERICKS (35)
Look at this soul-snatcher:
That is the smile of someone who knows he has you. The Mavs’ offense is one-dimensional — Luka Doncic walks ball up, runs two-man game — but that dimension contains multitudes. The typical spread pick-and-roll pairs ball handler and rim-runner; Doncic can do that with any of Dallas’ bigs. He can make all the passes blindfolded.
Doncic’s size and comfort in the middle of the paint — the dead zone for some ball handlers — open up endless possibilities. He’s at his most predatory dragging smaller defenders into pick-and-rolls. Switch, and he mashes them in the post with smirking cruelty. (He took sadistic pleasure brutalizing Patrick Beverley in the 2021 playoffs.) Send help, and he picks you apart.
Even against like-sized defenders and traditional coverages, Doncic is a three-steps-ahead genius burrowing inside. His high-arching step-back is borderline unblockable, and he has hit 50% from floater range over the past two seasons — and a LeBron James-esque 73% at the rim last season.
The threat of those shots unlocks Doncic’s generational passing. He understands how every up-fake, pivot, and half-spin freaks help defenders into thinking they should swarm — and which passes any slight rotation might expose. Last season, he even started throwing straight backward overhead passes to pick-and-pop bigs. Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood must be ready at all times.
This is my favorite piece of Mavs art in ages:
The navy sings against the new white-washed floor.
The Lakers ranked No. 2 last season, but the idea of them — How will Russell Westbrook fit? — turned out to be way more interesting than the experience.
The Lakers played fast, but they were boring — unorganized, dispirited, lacking any cohesive identity. LeBron James remains the ultimate chessmaster, but there’s little reason to suspect the overall product will be much different. (Darvin Ham said this week he’s considering starting Anthony Davis at center, and leaning there would boost L.A.’s watchability. You can’t play Westbrook, LeBron, Anthony Davis, and a traditional center — even one with decent range like Thomas Bryant or Damian Jones. Don’t sleep on Jones’ passing!)
They scored this high only because of their art — including the league’s prettiest court — and the comedy category. Are Beverley and Westbrook really friends? Like, really? Or will latent tension boil over? Comedy can become pathos, and we reached that point with Westbrook last season when the Sacramento Kings’ blared “Cold as Ice!” on every bonked jumper and layup.
Will James engage pout mode once he breaks the scoring record if the Lakers are toast? James achieved peak eye-rolling sulkiness ahead of the 2018 trade deadline, when he realized the Cavs were dead barring a roster shake-up. It was bizarrely enthralling.
Thumbs up to these white throwbacks — replicas of the jerseys the team wore in their first-ever game, per league officials. They even have faux belt loops! Powder blue is always welcome.
The Wolves ranked first in pace and second in scoring efficiency after Jan. 1 last season. They have one blockbuster young star in Anthony Edwards, fast becoming a three-level scorer as his confidence soars on pull-ups and step-backs.
Edwards wants to dunk people into oblivion — the bigger, the better. He flies at the rim as if he thinks he can dunk through humans — that they will disintegrate beneath him.
One of the league’s keenest offensive tinkerers — Chris Finch — must figure out how to mesh Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in an unusual double-center look that has to work given the Wolves traded everything short of the old Metrodome baggie for Gobert.
Finch will get creative on defense, too. On some nights, the Wolves might flip-flop matchups — slotting Towns onto centers, and stashing Gobert elsewhere so he can act as roving shot-blocker. We might see glimpses of last season’s blitzing defense as a surprise adjustment.
Kyle Anderson weaponizes his slowness; defenders stumble ahead of his elongated moves, allowing Slow-Mo to saunter through creases. He snatches some of the league’s cleanest live-dribble steals. Jaden McDaniels still seems like a blank canvas, and looms as Minnesota’s swing factor. Jaylen Nowell jacks and struts with a gunslinger’s bravado. How will D’Angelo Russell — on an expiring contract — respond if Finch yanks him for Jordan McLaughlin in crunch time again?
The Wolves relegated their gaudy neon green to the trimmings on this pristine new jersey:
Standing ovation for the fangs extending down off the “M” and “V.”
PSST: Towns’ averages in 11 postseason games: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3.5 turnovers (gag!), and many, many silly fouls. He has three single-digit scoring games, plus a dud in last season’s play-in. It’s time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one-of-one. He evolves each season — more floaters, more screening in the pick-and-roll, snappier passing. He supplies highlights both preposterous and of the most visceral basketball violence. Antetokounmpo rising from underneath the rim, off two feet, and cramming on someone’s head is perhaps the rudest act in the sport.
I loved his recent speech about the importance of will over skill. It was once fashionable to compare Antetokounmpo and Ben Simmons — enormous, turbocharged ball handlers with rickety strokes. What might Simmons accomplish if the Philadelphia 76ers surrounded him with shooters — as the Bucks have done for Antetokounmpo?
Even five years ago, before Antetokounmpo cracked the top five in MVP voting, the comparison failed the smell test. Antetokounmpo was bigger, faster, longer — better. Most of all, he was tougher. While Simmons’ struggles at the line turned into something of a phobia, Antetokounmpo kept coming — kept drawing contact, kept risking failure, kept improving. That’s will.
The Bucks are a fast-break machine — Four Steps or Less — but their half-court offense finished dead last in points per possession in the playoffs. Even with Khris Middleton out, that raised alarms internally. I suspect the Bucks will spend the regular season honing anti-switch devices on offense and experimenting with new looks on defense — including snuffing 3s after spending years living with above-the-break triples.
Who emerges as trustworthy playoff guys among George Hill, Jevon Carter, Joe Ingles, Jordan Nwora, and Serge Ibaka? If the answer is “no one,” the Bucks could face critical depth issues. How much Antetokounmpo at center will we see?
Once every few games, an opposing player annoys Jrue Holiday — and draws out Holiday’s playoff-level defense as punishment. What a nightmare.
Marques Johnson was a five-time All-Star, nailed a supporting role in “White Men Can’t Jump,” and is now one of the best analysts in any sport. Not fair.
Boston’s stars offer different stylistic ingredients, but they don’t always synthesize on offense. The defense … holy hell. They are huge, mean, smart — a switching forcefield. (Marcus Smart and Blake Griffin have to wager on who takes the most charges, right?)
They are also strategically quirky. The Celtics clicked into place when they shifted their center — Robert Williams III — onto nonthreatening wings, unleashing him as a free safety.
Time Lord didn’t just reject shots. He obliterated them. He spiked some before they even left shooters’ hands — before they really became shots at all. Others, he smashed against the backboard with such force you almost expected them to become impaled in the glass. From mid-January on, Boston allowed 105.4 points per 100 possessions — four points stingier than the league’s No. 2 defense.
The Celtics became one of the greatest defenses of all time, even as smart opponents began exploring counters to Boston’s scheme — running Williams around off-ball screens, using more false actions. Expect more of that cat-and-mouse game now that opponents have had an offseason to study.
Boston found its flow on offense too. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Smart cooperated in more two-man actions — forcing switches Tatum and Brown could exploit. Tatum’s liquid grace and Brown’s straight-line power make for a perfect contrast. Derrick White added Spursian quick decision-making. (Update: He should be part of the Griffin-Smart charge-taking wager too!)
The Celtics’ green uniforms are maybe the best in sports, and they improved their historic court by removing the chunky white circle from underneath the leprechaun:
The tribute to Bill Russell is understated and noble.
Grant Williams never shuts up. Mike Gorman and Brian Scalabrine are tremendous. Boston is under championship pressure, with a coach — Joe Mazzulla — thrust into the spotlight under bad circumstances. What is Mazzulla about? How do the players respond?
5. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (37)
You have to be good and watchable to rise here; the algorithm sees 50-win upside.
I don’t care if these guys shoot a single 3-pointer. I just want to see Zion Williamson pinballing to the rim, bodies flying everywhere after making even glancing contact with this linebacker phenom. He gets from arc to rim faster than a camera flash, out of every action: pick-and-rolls as screener or ball handler; post-ups in which he plows through victims like shorter Shaquille O’Neal, or spins around them like wider James Worthy; end-to-end rampages you almost feel through your screen. (The Pelicans with Williamson have played at ludicrous speed.)
The roster isn’t really built for it, but please, Willie Green, give us some Williamson at center!
Forget second jumps. Williamson has the league’s quickest third and fourth jumps. Pity the fools who box out Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas. Reserve them extra time in the cold tub, maybe the hospital.
CJ McCollum might put a defender on his butt at any moment. He connects complex dribbles — hesitation, crossover, pull-back — with unusual fluidity, and cans all variety of floaters with either hand. Brandon Ingram’s midrange arsenal is simpler, but almost as effective.
Larry Nance Jr. is all flare screens and twirling handoffs, and he’ll play tons of crunch-time center. Herbert Jones’ arms actually typed this column from New Orleans; instead of shooting 3s, should he just reach all the way from the arc and plop the ball in?
Jose Alvarado’s crouching, hide-and-seek backcourt steals are incredible theater. He’ll have ball handlers looking over their shoulders even when he’s not in the game. He is Keyser Soze.
The Pelicans are due some fresh art. The bench overflows with interesting players. Here’s hoping Dyson Daniels earns run.
4. DENVER NUGGETS (38)
Nikola Jokic might be the most inventive passer in basketball history, and is for sure No. 1 all time among bigs. He dares passes everyone else is scared to try — slips to cutters where the passing window is no bigger than the basketball itself.
Jokic imagines passes no one else sees — and then makes them. As he’s gotten in better shape, he’s added occasional dunks and tornado baseline spins.
The regular season is about finding the right balance of defensive schemes for Jokic. This is perhaps the biggest season in Nuggets history; they need everything in place for the playoffs.
Jokic has his pick-and-roll mind-meld partner back in Jamal Murray. Murray’s role in their two-man devastation has long been underrated. He’s an ace pull-up shooter with a knack for slick pocket passes that lead Jokic into open space.
They have the league’s prettiest and most varied give-and-go partnership. We see the classic — Murray bolting away from handoffs, and Jokic lofting him buttery goodness:
But they also turn routine pick-and-rolls into give-and-gos within that tricky midpaint area:
That is a mini masterpiece. In terms of both shot selection and process, Denver is a nice antidote to 3s-and-dunks spread-pick-and-roll hegemony. Murray’s Blue Arrow celebration is cool.
Michael Porter Jr. is perhaps the X factor of the season. Will he accept third-banana status? Kentavious Caldwell-Pope locks the starting five into place. Bruce Brown does the same for the bench, and gives Denver crunch-time lineup flexibility. Once every 10 games and out of absolutely nowhere, Jeff Green posterizes someone.
Are you worried about Denver’s bench offense? Bones Hyland isn’t.
3. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (39)
Ja Morant is the new League Pass superstar. He is a hellacious rim-attacker, cocking it back and hammering pain onto larger humans; he jumped over and through Malik Beasley for the highlight of last season.
Morant’s sneering swagger set the tone for the team from day one. There is nothing fake about the Grizzlies’ puffed-chest arrogance. They do not conceive of themselves as the little guy challenging Goliaths. Trash-talking LeBron James is not, for them, unearned pluck. They believe they are Goliath, now.
Morant could chase points, dominate the ball, hunt the spectacular. Instead, he brings teammates with him — empowers them, uses the attention he draws to create shots for them. Morant is a whip-smart cutter, willing to cut as a decoy (or to catch lobs above the square). He slows down in transition, knowing trailers come open in his wake.
Memphis defends with ferocity — Dillon Brooks going chest to chest with all comers, everyone swiping at the ball. The Grizz forced heaps of turnovers, and blazed at the league’s second-fastest pace. Do not look away from the Memphis alley-oop machine.
Desmond Bane has borderline Ray Allen-level precision in his jumper. Remember when Steven Adams carried Tony Bradley — 6-10, 250 pounds — away from an altercation as if he were about to take Bradley to Suplex City? What a legend.
The young guys will get chances filling in for Jaren Jackson Jr. and departed veterans. I give it two games before an opposing announcer expresses shock at John Konchar’s leaping ability
Can you spot the subtle upgrade from last season’s court …
… to their new one?
They eliminated that silver-blue racing stripe along the baseline that always confused me.
2. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (40)
The Warriors came so close to reclaiming their No. 1 perch, with Draymond Green providing a new, unfortunate reason to tune in to Golden State’s basketball symphony.
Green’s punch might have been one hot-tempered man going through personal issues losing control, and slugging his trash-talking foil. It became more because we saw it, yes, but also because of the deeply human and almost literary arcs one could project onto it.
Green, in the final year of his contract, might be aging out of the dynasty he helped build. Jordan Poole, on the verge of his first massive deal, is a keystone in extending that dynasty beyond Green’s NBA lifespan. A decade ago, when this all started, Green was the low draft pick who roared — trash-talking his elders, challenging them, refusing to show deference. That is how Poole relates to Green now.
To win a title, there can be no fissures. There will be lingering tension over what happened last week. How will it manifest? How long will it last?
The potential basketball tragedy of all this — of contract realities and personality conflicts intruding upon this Bay Area basketball idyll — is that Green, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry should finish their careers together as Warriors. That is how it’s supposed to be. What they share is why we follow sports — an understanding of one another’s tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses so deep, they barely have to talk on the court. Every simple action between them contains a dozen counters, and they choose them in the moment, in sync, in step, always connected.
It is a bond of winks and nods that cannot form unless you share tens of thousands of reps at the highest level. And it is, still, beautiful to watch.
Andre Iguodala is part of their fabric too, and he gets another chance at a proper swan song. The army of lottery picks is in position to seize roles. Whether they are ready will go a long way to determining Golden State’s repeat chances. Jonathan Kuminga is at eye level with the rim before you even realize what’s happening.
Golden State is a top-five art team. Curry, Green, and Thompson will wear captain “Cs” on throwback jerseys — rare in the NBA.
These new alternates are nice:
The Warriors deal in bright yellow and blue. This clean navy look is a pleasing change, even it is eerily similar to the University of California, Berkeley color scheme. I like how the shorts echo the team’s bridge-wiring motif.
1. BROOKLYN NETS (41)
I considered invoking the Ian Eagle Corollary, which dates to the Joe Johnson “It’s not that bad here!” era and allows me to reduce the Nets score if the light-hearted categories — art, comedy — lift them higher than they deserve. I opted against it, and so the Nets three-peat as League Pass champions — which has really worked out for them in the Kevin Durant–Kyrie Irving era.
This team could be gone in 30 games — boring, bad, an entire era demolished. Irving could find new reasons to be the basketball player who doesn’t play basketball. Ben Simmons could melt — flinching at the threat of contact, wilting under Hack-a-Ben, holding a prolonged missed free throw contest with Nic Claxton. (Claxton is 6-of-25 from the line in the postseason.) All that could push Kevin Durant to renew his allegedly dormant trade request, at which point the Barclays Center may as well collapse into a sinkhole.
That’s the severe downside. The more likely downside is the Nets are run-of-the-mill good — a playoff team, but not strong enough to lift the stench of self-inflicted misery.
The journey to either of those bad places is disaster-movie riveting. Simmons hasn’t played a real game in 16 months; there is justified interest in every move he makes. Even that functional downside scenario features plenty of Irving and Durant, two flashbulb attractions.
Whatever your feelings about Irving, he is a show — a Maravichian dribbling magician with a bottomless bag of soft floaters and twisting layups. His lefty runner takes your breath away. Two seasons ago, when the Nets were quasi-functional, Irving was the one who got them running in transition.
Durant is one of the dozen greatest players ever, and perhaps the most well-rounded offensive force the game has ever seen. He is elite at literally every subsection of offense. He can assume any role, at any time. Even when Durant is raining pull-up fire, it might not be the classical beauty of his gangly game that draws you in. What really hits you in the gut — what mesmerizes — is the sheer invincibility of it, the way Durant exercises total dominion over everything from every place on the floor.
And that’s the upside. The soul-sapping melodrama can make you forget: This might work. They might be happy. They could be redeemed. They might be unstoppable on offense, Simmons tapping into his inner Draymond Green with endless shooting around him. They will take risks and innovate to survive on defense, and there is night-to-night joy in watching a team sink its teeth into that challenge.
The broadcast is as good as it gets, and the art is solid — including this alternate court, first revealed here, that matches the ABA-era stars-and-stripes uniforms the Nets are bringing back:
The differently colored painted areas — one blue, one red — are a gamble, but they work here.
“The Shop,” a talk show starring LeBron James, will not air an episode taped with Kanye West, after the rapper made several anti-Semitic and offensive comments on social media in recent days.
The show, which previously aired on HBO, now airs on YouTube. It is produced by James’ SpringHill entertainment and production company, which is run by CEO Maverick Carter, who also stars on the show.
“Yesterday we taped an episode of ‘The Shop’ with Kanye West,” Carter said in a statement to CBS News on Thursday. “Kanye was booked weeks ago and, after talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion and he was ready to address all his recent comments.”
“Unfortunately, he used ‘The Shop’ to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes,” Carter said, adding that they decided “not to air this episode or any of Kanye’s remarks.”
West, who has changed his name to Ye, has not publicly commented on the decision. CBS News has reached out to representatives for West.
Earlier this week, West tweeted a threat that he would go “death [sic] con 3” on Jewish people. He was promptly locked out of his account “due to a violation of Twitter’s policies,” according to Twitter, although the company did not specify.
West was also restricted from Instagram, after posting a screenshot of a text exchange with Sean “Diddy” Combs in which he suggested Combs was being controlled by Jews.
The rapper received widespread backlash for those posts and others. He also wore a controversial “White Lives Matter” shirt at his Paris fashion show earlier this month. The phrase “White Lives Matter” emerged as “a racistresponse to the Black Lives Matter movement” in 2015, and has been adopted and promoted by white supremacist groups and sympathizers, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
“While The Shop embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate,” Carter said in his statement. “I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience.”
The format of “The Shop” is a casual talkshow, meant to mimic the discussions that occur in barbershops. Each episode featurs a group of guests who have a moderated discussion, often featuring James and Carter. James was not at the taping for the West episode.
HENDERSON, Nev. — Victor Wembanyama blocked a shot Thursday afternoon, ran to the other end of the court, went airborne from just inside the foul line, corralled an alley-oop pass with one hand and slammed home a dunk.
The entire sequence lasted eight seconds.
It may have been the signature moment — and there were a lot of candidates — from Wembanyama’s two-game trip to the U.S., which ended Thursday with the French phenom’s Metropolitans 92 team rallying from 16 points down to top the G League Ignite 112-106. He led the way, of course, with 36 points and 11 rebounds.
“As a first impression of the American game, that was really great,” Wembanyama said.
So was he.
His final numbers from two exhibitions: 73 points on 22-for-44 shooting, nine 3-pointers, 15 rebounds and nine blocked shots. He flies back to France on Saturday, and the next time he plays in the U.S. there likely will be an NBA logo on his jersey, presumably after he becomes the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
“It’s very, very special for France,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet said. “Not only for France. He has huge potential. He’s a huge talent.”
The reviews are in from this two-game Vegas residency for Wembanyama, who stands 7-foot-3 in bare feet, and they were of the raving variety. The best of the bunch may have come from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who suggested that calling Wembanyama a unicorn might not fully indicate how unique he is.
Instead, James went with an out-of-this-world comparison.
“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien,” James said. “No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor … He’s, for sure, a generational talent.”
Sure enough, when Wembanyama’s around, a viral moment can happen at any time. It might be a dunk. It might be a block. It might be a fadeaway 3-pointer from the corner while his momentum has him drifting toward the baseline. It might be a 28-foot 3-pointer from the wing. It might be him kicking a ball into a monitor and narrowly missing fellow French center Rudy Gobert.
Yes, all those things happened.
The scene: Gobert and fellow Minnesota Timberwolves standout D’Angelo Russell, in town to play the Lakers in a preseason game later Thursday, decided to postpone their afternoon nap — a staple of the NBA gameday routine — and make the 20-minute ride from Las Vegas to watch the game, arriving at halftime.
Gobert made a quick appearance on the game’s televised broadcast. Wembanyama, standing nearby, stuck one of his massive feet into the path of a pass by Ignite center Eric Mika. The ball ricocheted into the monitor near Gobert’s seat, knocking it over.
Gobert laughed. Wembanyama raised his hand to apologize.
“Hey, he played soccer too,” Gobert said.
Gobert raves about Wembanyama, who almost certainly will be the first top-five draft pick from France. And he doesn’t think there’s any real comparison: Gobert said Wembanyama’s defensive instincts remind him of himself, while his ballhandling and shooting remind him of Kevin Durant.
“What strikes me the most about him is his maturity,” Gobert said. “Obviously, he’s a very unique talent and he has a very unique physique. But his maturity and his confidence … he’s very unique.”
Thursday’s game had a bit of a scare, and the other top NBA draft headliner in this showcase got the worst of that moment.
Scoot Henderson, the guard whose 28 points led the Ignite to a 122-115 victory on Tuesday night in the exhibition opener, left Thursday’s game after less than five minutes. The reason: He banged knees with Wembanyama.
Henderson switched onto Wembanyama, who was dribbling on the wing. Wembanyama made a move, collided into Henderson and tumbled to the court, looking initially like he got the worst of that exchange. But Henderson, who was called for a foul on the play, wound up limping off for evaluation and the Ignite quickly said he wouldn’t be returning.
“Scoot’s fine,” G League coach Jason Hart said. “It was precautionary.”
There are 31 games left on Metropolitans’ 34-game schedule in the French league, and the plan — as of now — is for Wembanyama to finish his season, which is slated to go through mid-May. The NBA Draft is June 22.
Bouna Ndiaye, one of Wembanyama’s agents, said some NBA teams might not understand why he’s playing. The reason, he says, is because nobody can get Wembanyama out of the gym.
“He wants to live on the court,” Ndiaye said.
What these two games showed, in many ways, was just that the tapes of Wembanyama that have been coming out of Europe over the last few years weren’t lying. He needs to get stronger. There’s much he can still polish. He is, by all accounts, exceptional already.
“Just before we came in last Saturday, we had a meeting with our doctor and we are going to prepare to plan the next two months to increase what he is doing, besides the court, to strengthen the body,” Collet said. “We’re always careful also with how much time he is practicing, not to go too far. … We plan so that we limit the risk.”
When Thursday was over, when the comeback was complete, Wembanyama briefly lifted his arms skyward in celebration, then shook a lot of hands, partook in a lot of hugs and posed for a lot of pictures.
With that, the draft hype continued on.
“I’m still excited and so happy about it,” Wembanyama said. “I know I’m so lucky to have this chance.”
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