ATLANTA — I winced when Amen Thompson launched his body into Jalen Johnson’s left shoulder. Johnson flexed at his Hawks teammates on the bench after brushing aside Thompson and finishing the transition basket with his left hand.

No need to worry. Johnson’s shoulder is sound, and his performance was sharp during the exhibition opener ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Duke’s Caleb Foster said the Blue Devils without Cooper Flagg, without a lineup stocked with NBA draft picks, will forge a new identity this season.

Which is?

“Defense,” Foster said Wednesday at ACC Tipoff. “This team has good length and versatility, and I think could be a very good defensive team.”

And the best ...Read more

MIAMI — It’s a bit early to determine if this will be a developmental season for the Miami Heat.

Unless, of course, you listened to coach Erik Spoelstra immediately prior to Wednesday night’s 112-107 preseason loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Kaseya Center.

“Just to be clear,” Spoelstra said, “everybody on our roster, it’s a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Natalia Bryant has made her debut as a creative director with a short film that features a subject matter with which she's very familiar.

The 70-second piece is called "Forever Iconic: Purple and Gold Always," and it's all about the worldwide impact of the Lakers — something Bryant has experienced throughout her life as the ...Read more

PHOENIX — A’ja Wilson hit a pull-up jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to give the Las Vegas Aces a 90-88 win over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Wednesday.

Wilson finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds. The Aces lead the best-of-seven series 3-0 and can win their third WNBA championship in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Quentin Grimes was in a jovial mood.

At the conclusion of Wednesday’s practice, the 76ers guard was spotted conversing with teammate Hunter Sallis on a nearby bench. After rising to his feet, Grimes chatted with assistant coach Rico Hines for a few minutes on the near court. He followed that up by draining 22 of 26 three-...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Dallas theater company won’t let Dallas Mavericks fans forget the Luka Doncic trade, as its latest play is a Greek tragedy about the stunning NBA deal.

The Theatre Three play will feature characters portraying Doncic, general manager Nico Harrison, former owner Mark Cuban and new acquisition Anthony Davis’ hernia.

...Read more

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham experienced an offseason unlike any he had previously. His ascension to All-NBA status last season led to him becoming one of the most prominent figures in the game, with promotional events and a television appearance.

But the most crucial change of the summer was Cunningham's shift in focus. For the first time in ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The WNBA announced its 2025 All-Defensive teams on Wednesday, headlined by a trio of former UConn women’s basketball stars.

Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams was named to the first team for the first time in her seven-year career after previously landing on the second team in 2022. This was the first complete WNBA season ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There’s so much more to Allen Iverson than his career with the Sixers, which makes up only about 100 pages of his new memoir.

Most of the memoir, titled "Misunderstood," explores Iverson’s personal relationships with his family and friends during his childhood upbringing in Virginia, from living with his great-grandmother, ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The word ACC commissioner Jim Phillips has long used, and is still using, is “restless,” to describe how uncomfortable he is with the general state of men’s basketball in the league.

Accordingly, the ACC has done just about everything within its power to move that needle, from marketing and branding to going back to an...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — So you think there is pressure in your job? In 2025-26, Jaland Lowe will step into Kentucky’s long-running line of point guard excellence — and attempt to uphold an exacting standard.

When UK began to recruit the former Pittsburgh Panthers standout out of the transfer portal, “probably the first thought that ran through...Read more

ATLANTA — When the Atlanta Dream think of their season, one word keeps popping up.

Pride.

One year ago, the Dream finished the regular season as the eighth seed with just 15 wins. They had just one All-Star in Allisha Gray and no players in the conversation for regular-season awards.

But things look different now. Despite falling short of ...Read more

PHOENIX — The message has been clear from coach Becky Hammon the past four years.

The Las Vegas Aces are at their best when playing tough defense. It’s what’s made them a dynasty.

The team will try to focus on those words when the WNBA Finals move to Mortgage Matchup Center for Wednesday’s Game 3 against the Phoenix Mercury. The Aces, ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Midway through the 2023 WNBA season, Aces coach Becky Hammon made a claim that male practice player Jaire Roberts had a hard time believing.

“If we win a championship, you guys are getting rings, too,” she said.

Roberts, 28, was old enough even then to know that it’s easy for people to get excited in a moment and say things...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers’ first practice of the week gave them hope of what they can look like whole when Marcus Smart takes the court.

Smart has been dealing with Achilles tendinopathy most of training camp and has been limited in practice. But coach JJ Redick said after practice Tuesday that Smart “did most of practice, including some ...Read more

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks discussed a potential trade that would have sent two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to New York this offseason — but the Knicks, according to an ESPN report, believed the Bucks were never serious about making a deal.

The conversations — detailed in a sweeping Tuesday morning report from ...Read more

CHICAGO — Matas Buzelis always wants to be coached harder. That has been a trend since the second-year forward stepped into the Advocate Center for his first training session with the Chicago Bulls last season.

Buzelis doesn’t want to be coddled. It doesn’t matter that he was a teenager when he was drafted. Or that he didn’t earn a ...Read more

When Pat Spencer showed up at Warriors media day last week, it was a legitimate and pleasant surprise.

Amid the chaos of the Warriors’ offseason, and given his solid playoff performance last season, it was presumed that Spencer had signed to play elsewhere.

It was no surprise, however, when Spencer — after playing a team-high 21 minutes in...Read more

NEW YORK — All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson is still adjusting to Mike Brown’s new up-tempo system — but the Knicks’ floor general says he’s growing more comfortable with each rep.

“I’m comfortable,” Brunson said after the Knicks completed a 2-0 preseason sweep over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Abu Dhabi Games on Saturday. �...Read more